The Novel’s Villain

12. Subordinates Are Too Good at Work (3)

Professor Kim Dae-jin couldn’t hide his excitement.

“The items in the castle are miracles! They’re worth tremendous research value!”

“That’s right! If we can turn those numbers into data and create the artifacts, the G&P will be able to leap to a new level! No, we might change the world!”

Choi Sung-min intervened as soon as Kim Dae-jin finished speaking. When Yoo-na coughed next to them, the two professors barely stepped down. Despite that, Kim Dae-jin continued to look at Jin-woo with desperation.

“It’s about Researcher Kim Se-yeon. Her analytical ability is tremendous. There is still a lot of room for improvement, but with the help of our recently developed device, there is no problem at all. Oh! This is Researcher Kim Se-yeon. She recently joined the research team with a Rank A potential.”

“H-hello? My name is Kim Se-yeon. N-nice to meet you.”

Kim Se-yeon greeted him with an awkward smile. This was the first time he talked to Kim Se-yeon. He had helped her before, but he had never met her in person.

“Nice to meet you. I’m Lee Jin-woo.”

When Jin-woo asked for a handshake, Kim Se-yeon panicked. She hurriedly wiped her hands and grabbed his hand. Her hands were shaking badly. She was very nervous, but fortunately, it didn’t seem to be because of the incident with Liu Wei a little while ago. Jin-woo made eye contact with Se-yeon for the first time. Her eyes were very clear, but they also felt a little soft.

Lv.23

Name: Kim Se-yeon

Title: The Older Sister of the Carcinogenic Protagonist, G&P Ace, Genius Researcher

Competent Person Rank: -D

Limit Rank: A [Limit: Lv.80]

Possessed Technique: [D] Mana Analysis (in rapid growth: +), [D] Magic Analysis (+), [D] Replication of Magic and Mana Patterns (+), [E+] High-speed Calculation (+), [A] Good Wife and Wise Mother

Special Note

[A] Rapid growth

She can grow rapidly through the analysis of items and artifacts. The more difficult the analysis, the more experience she can obtain. Because it is an auxiliary class, there is no increase in physical ability, but the techniques in possession greatly improve.

*Low self-confidence and low self-esteem. If there’s an opportunity, she might break through her limits and grow up.

‘She’s a real genius.’

As soon as she realized her abilities, she immediately stood out. She had already reached Rank D. It hadn’t been long since she awakened, but she had already grown to that extent.

Jin-woo could feel the fear of talent. Even now, she was said to be an indispensable ace in the research team. It was obvious that she also wanted to study the objects in the castle. Kim Se-yeon, Professor Kim Dae-jin, and the others looked at Jin-woo with anticipation.

“If you make a list of what you want and submit it, I will review it.”

As Jin-woo slightly nodded and said so, the research team clenched their fists. Kim Se-yeon laughed as well. Kim Dae-jin rubbed his hands together with a shine in his eyes.

“I-is there anything we can bring to the lab right now?”

Kim Dae-jin’s desire for research was great. Jin-woo recalled Se-yeon’s information.

‘Did it say that the more she analyzes, the more she grows?’

If she grew more, she would become very helpful in the future. Besides, she could be linked to Lee Min-woo and become a part of the family. On second thought, there were a lot of things that could be passed on to the lab. One of them came to his mind.

‘Let’s be a little friendly.’

Jin-woo made a gesture telling them to be quiet. Jin-woo pretended to look around and made a gesture to follow him. He was creating a vibe that he was about to say something very important.

Jin-woo glanced around as he moved. As the maids stood up to the border, it changed to a movie-like atmosphere. He then looked at Se-yeon. She flinched slightly when she felt his gaze.

“This is confidential, and it cannot be leaked. Do you understand?”

“Yes! Sir.”

“Quietly…”

When Jin-woo said that, Se-yeon was startled and lowered her posture. Kim Dae-jin and Choi Sung-min also lowered their posture and looked around. There was no way someone could eavesdrop inside JW Gate, but the atmosphere was important anyway.

“I understand.”

Se-yeon also spoke very quietly in line with the atmosphere. Yoo-na was watching pathetically but pretended not to know. Se-yeon gulped as if she was nervous, carefully watching Jin-woo’s serious expression.

Jin-woo took out an Enhancement Stone from the subspace. Se-yeon and the professors were surprised at Jin-woo’s ability to manipulate space, but the surprise was buried thanks to the Enhancement Stone in Jin-woo’s hand.

Although Enhancement Stones belonged to the high-level item category in the Demon Realm, the supply was rather large. There weren’t many craftsmen who were high-skilled enough to handle them, and most of them failed to enhance, so only a few people were looking for them. Jin-woo was one of the few purchasing a large quantity of them.

“Th-that?”

“T-this is the first time I’ve seen something like this.”

“Wow…”

The eyes of two professors and Se-yeon widened. The appearance of the Enhancement Stone was unusual; it looked like a galaxy contained inside a transparent gem that emitted a subtle light. Kim Se-yeon and the professors couldn’t take their eyes off the item in Jin-woo’s hand. Yoo-na reacted the same way because it was her first time seeing it.

Only the General Manager was nodding.

“It feels like the universe is permeated in it.”

“It’s a Gate-like expression.”

At Se-yeon’s words, Kim Dae-jin nodded blankly and said so. After all, it seemed like something was going to happen, given its visual appearance. Jin-woo looked at the three and opened his mouth.

“I found it quite a while ago. It seems to have a special nature, but…I’ll leave that to you.”

Then he threw it to Se-yeon.

“Kyaaah!”

“Ugh!”

“Kuugh!”

Se-yeon screamed and reached out her hand. The stone bounced a few times in her hands, but she managed to grab it. The two professors also screamed out of surprise, but when Se-yeon held onto the Enhancement Stone tightly, they breathed a collective sigh of relief.

Se-yeon looked at Jin-woo with resentment.

“S-Sir…”

“It was pretty hard. I’ll trust and leave it up to you, so do your best. Oh! You don’t have to give it back.”

“Yes! Thank you. I will try my best.”

“You don’t have to work so hard. Just relax and work like normal.”

Se-yeon seemed quite moved by Jin-woo’s words as there was a slight tear in her eyes. He intended to increase her favorability and analytical skills, but it worked better than intended. After all, the Enhancement Stone looked so amazing.

Professor Kim Dae-jin immediately took out a measuring device.

“Oooh! It’s a new type of wave I’ve never seen before. Oh…the pattern changes depending on the surrounding objects…there must be a great mystery hidden. Let’s go to the lab right now…”

“Aren’t you in charge of another project? Just leave it to me this time.”

“C-cough, I can do both, so don’t worry.”

It was a quick conversation between Kim Dae-jin and Choi Sung-min. Se-yeon was already in that world.

“If we can analyze the patterns and digitize them, I think there will be new applications. Perhaps…it would be too much with the existing magic spectrometer.”

“I mean, we have to make a new one…what is the expected size?”

“It should be three times larger than the original one.”

“If that’s the case, it’s not within the acceptable range. Hmmm…”

Their expressions were full of excitement. Jin-woo couldn’t understand what they were saying at all. He just slipped back quietly.

Yoo-na nodded with a gentle smile. Then, her eyes met with the General Manager. He had the same expression as Yoo-na.

‘It’s so fascinating. Perfect.’

‘It’s amazing. They will not be able to escape from your charms now, Master.’

The two had a lot in common. Even their grim smiles were the same.

* * *

The time of the event was rapidly approaching. It was like a year-end award ceremony, with mobs of guests swarming around.

He just mentioned it once, but it worked great. Although Jin-woo approved it himself, he thought that it was a little too much when he saw it in person. After all, it was just an announcement of a restaurant. Of course, the results were presented before that, so the assortment was right.

‘I was very indifferent to it, though…’

Jin-woo was indifferent to the G&P. Regarding the research results, he only approved everything Yoo-na mentioned. He only cared about the techniques that the villains would exploit and added some ideas if people grew suspicious. Even if he thought about it himself, the expression of incompetence suited him very much.

‘The company is going to do well.’

However, oddly enough, it seemed to work very well. He didn’t doubt that there would be a huge deficit to build up the Waste stacks, but it didn’t go as planned. To be honest, it didn’t matter if it went bankrupt, so he hadn’t even skimmed through the approval documents or reports. He just approved them unconditionally.

‘The chair is gorgeous, too.’

Now it was hard to refuse. The event started when Jin-woo sat down in his golden chair. Yoo-na stood to the right of Jin-woo, and the General Manager stood to the left. The elite maids were straightening their backs behind the chair.

The G&P Vice President Lee Jung-jin came up to the stage, greeted with a round of applause. Lee Jung-jin smiled without showing any signs of nervousness.

“Nice to meet you. I’m Lee Jung-jin of G&P. First of all; I would like to thank CEO Lee Jin-woo for his generous support and consideration for us, who are still lacking in many parts. As you know, this great discovery is the achievement of CEO Lee Jin-woo. The information you know, and the media reports, are just the tip of the iceberg.”

Lee Jung-jin led the atmosphere well. Today was the first time Jin-woo saw him. After all, Jin-woo hadn’t even met the Knight Commander because it was troublesome.

‘I was told that he was a failed businessman, though…’

Lee Jung-jin looked very capable at first glance. Jin-woo looked at him with his Magic Eye.

[Businessman from Hell]

Name: Lee Jung-jin

A talented entrepreneur who was called Korea’s young Warren Gates. Lee Jung-jin, buried in a conspiracy by a conglomerate faction, lived a miserable life, but Lee Jin-woo saved him from that hell. Having tasted hell, he awakened as a devilish businessman.

Characteristic

[B] Double Standards

‘Our company can do it, but you can’t.’

Maximize profits in any way. He has a feeling close to coercion that it will somehow come true. He is a disaster for rival companies.

[C] Burning Entrepreneur

There is nothing left of him; he is working hard for G&P. Employees’ morale and loyalty increase significantly.

Jin-woo was speechless for a moment. He couldn’t understand where such a talented person came from.

Let’s focus on the event for now.

“You are lucky to have been invited to this meeting. Remember. This is an unofficial meeting hosted by CEO Lee Jin-woo. Wait a minute. Umm…”

Lee Jung-jin pretended to be looking for something on stage. Then he tilted his head and called the research team. Hearing murmurs from the table side, he smiled slightly and continued.

“I think my voice is a little small. I asked them to bring me a microphone. Please wait. Oh! That’s it. Can you hear me?”

His voice was heard clearly. The people who didn’t have Gate knowledge just thought that was the case, but the Knights and the companies that entered the Gate field were different. It was a microphone, which meant there also must be a speaker. Although slightly different in form, it was a modern device.

“How do they get those inside the Gate?”

“Is it possible?”

Those items weren’t decomposing. If the volume was that small, it should have already turned into dust, but it worked fine. Although the technology of the Frontline Group was good, they only managed to develop a coating technology to prevent decomposition. It didn’t last long, and the coating was quite thick. Thanks to this, the weight and size increased significantly.

Most of the evaluations were that the decomposition area was still unknown.

“You may notice it. Please don’t ask me how I did it; it’s out of my league. Only CEO Lee Jin-woo knows. This is the first piece of information that I’ve given to all of you here.”

There was a buzz around.

‘Is this the genius of the century…’, ‘Is it possible because he has unmeasurable potential?’, ‘I need to contact my home country soon…’ such remarks were heard from everywhere.

The General Manager had a proud expression on his face, and Se-yeon’s eyes in the distance were very bright. Hee-yeon somehow wore a subtle smile that wasn’t like her. It didn’t matter if information about decomposition and detoxification was leaked. Of course, Jin-woo didn’t know how to prevent decomposition. It was only possible by becoming the true owner of JW Gate.

Therefore, there was no need to worry about the technology leaking. It was convenient to have this kind of statement to proceed in the future. He even made excuses, too.

Lee Jung-jin let the murmurs go on for a moment. It wouldn’t be the only shock. Besides, it was an unofficial announcement. This was a literal fortune and fantastic opportunity. Questions poured out. Even the Knights who had been keeping their face blank seemed to be in a hurry as they suddenly stood up. As they stayed at the Gate for a long time for training, they had a huge desire for modern equipment.

Lee Jung-jin didn’t take any questions. When he didn’t answer any questions, everyone turned to Jin-woo. However, Jin-woo didn’t have much to say either.

“Please don’t put our CEO in any trouble. Now, let’s get started with the research result presentation.”

The murmurs subsided. Lee Jung-jin continued his explanation slowly. Although Jin-woo knew that it was being developed, it was his first time hearing a detailed explanation. All Jin-woo did was allow all of their research and shoveled money into it.

Lee Jung-jin went on to explain the mine above the Sanctuary of Gold. The fact that a mine of unprecedented scale had been discovered was already known worldwide. Many magic crystals were piled up that couldn’t be compared with other places, and G&P was making a huge hit with that alone.

A new Gate ore was also discovered. The ore, named JW-Z999, also called Ash Stone or Gray Stone, was only announced as a new type of magic crystal. It was a sturdy stone that could be processed into any shape. However, the moment it absorbed mana, it became a magic crystal.

In other words, it was a formidable type of magic crystal. It was thanks to the mana and power that the Emperor of Greed breathed out that they had access to an entire mountain of the mineral.

“Was there such a thing?”

Jin-woo was as surprised as everyone else. Come to think of it; he thought he had heard it before.

“I am introducing a new flow that will lead the world, JW Mana Energy.”

Lee Jung-jin pulled out a small, luxurious box from his pocket. When he opened the box, there was a small gem the size of a fingernail. The delicate blue gem was similar to the magic crystal, but the light it emitted was much more a small mechanical device to control them were attached to it.

Everyone looked at it with bewildered eyes. Lee Jung-jin smiled and continued.

“Mana is an alternative energy that produces enormous efficiency in very small amounts. The purest mineral that contains that mana is the magic crystal. Magic crystals have a very big flaw in that they are difficult to process and control. But not anymore.”

Professor Kim Dae-jin took out the small gem from the box and picked it up.

“This is not just a gem. It will be easier to accept if you think of it as a micro-magic crystal and a micro-battery.

“Battery?”

“That tiny…?”

Jin-woo looked at the gem with the Magic Eye of information. Although it was tiny, it contained stable mana that it was emitting in small amounts.

“If something smaller than this little fingernail could fit in a typical smartphone, how long would it last?”

“Two days?”

“Seeing how you say it confidently, wouldn’t it last for a week?”

“But, since it’s a magic crystal, it will be hard to recharge…umm…”

The Gate entrepreneurs and Knights responded that way to Professor Kim Dae-jin’s words. He chuckled.

“It lasts for three years.”

“Three years?”

“What do you mean…?”

Everyone was astonished.

“It would take about three years if 4K video was played for twenty-four seven at the maximum screen brightness. There’s no need to recharge. You can just take it out and replace it. This new JW energy has the properties to match the surrounding environment constantly. The range is small, but the temperature and humidity remain constant. This is about the wavelength of mana…if I explain it, it will be a very long lecture, so I’ll move on.”

The entrepreneurs jumped up. Some even had blood in their eyes. Jin-woo was speechless.

‘Did they make something like that?’

Really? How? The original novel was a fantasy novel, not a science fiction novel. The modern society described in the original hadn’t changed so much. It was just that monsters, Knights, and Gates came out, then fought back and forth.

“This is a work that was created by direct instruction and planning by the CEO. We just added a little bit of technical stuff.”

Everyone’s eyes turned to Jin-woo again. He was puzzled. He had never given such an instruction himself.

‘Oh…’

Jin-woo realized why it came out. When he visited the Future Strategy Office, he played games lying on the sofa in the waiting room.

‘Oh! It’s annoying to recharge.’

He did say it so casually, though. Really. That’s exactly what he said.