As quitting time approached, Jaesung set down the documents he was reviewing.
There were still a few tasks left, but they could wait until tomorrow.
If this were the old me, I'd have stayed late to finish everything.
But he no longer felt the need to grind himself down like that.
Grabbing his jacket, Jaesung stepped out of his office.
The outer office was slightly chaotic, with other team members preparing to leave.
"Oh, Director! Heading out?" one team member said, pushing in their chair.
"See you tomorrow."
Jaesung nodded and gave a light wave to the others.
Passing a few empty desks, he reached the hallway, where a crowd waited by the elevators.
"As expected, rush hour," he muttered.
He knew his presence would make people self-conscious.
Turning aside, he headed to the executive elevator on the opposite end of the hall.
Just then, it seemed someone was coming down from above.
With a ding and a clear chime, the elevator doors slid open.
Jaesung stepped forward absentmindedly but froze, inwardly groaning, when he saw who was inside.
"Not getting on?" his second-eldest brother, Park Jaemin, Executive Director of Jeil Construction, said, raising an eyebrow smugly.
Jaesung boarded silently.
As the doors closed, an awkward silence settled in.
Glancing at Jaemin through the mirrored wall, Jaesung noted his brother's sour expression.
Jaemin always seemed perpetually dissatisfied, especially with him.
Or maybe it's just me he's like this with.
Either way, being around him was uncomfortable.
Watching the floor numbers descend, hoping to reach the lobby quickly, Jaemin broke the silence.
"Hey."
"What?"
Jaemin's face twisted at the curt reply.
"You rude brat! Is that how you talk to your older brother?"
"Speak nicely, and you'll get a nice response."
"Hah, look at this guy."
Jaemin let out a scoff, incredulous.
His eyes narrowed menacingly.
"Think you're hot stuff just because you got lucky with one ad?"
Jaesung's expression hardened at the blatant provocation.
"What, you mad?"
Grinning mockingly, Jaemin taunted him.
Jaesung stared for a moment, then turned and slammed the emergency stop button.
Kiing. Clunk!
The elevator jolted to a halt with a loud noise.
Caught off guard, Jaemin couldn't hide his shock.
"What the hell are you doing?!"
Ignoring his shout, Jaesung locked eyes with him, stepping closer, his voice rough.
"Stop barking like a damn dog. If I'm such an eyesore, take off your rank and let's settle this."
Jaemin flinched at the unexpected aggression.
Jaesung pressed on, unflinching.
"What? Scared?"
"You—!"
"Those days when a glare from you made me cower are over, brother."
"You little—!"
"Don't pick a fight with someone minding their own business. Go home."
Jaesung shoved Jaemin's shoulder, making him stumble back.
It was only a couple of steps, but enough to bruise Jaemin's pride.
Restarting the elevator, Jaesung stepped out first when it reached the lobby.
As if nothing happened, he walked away, leaving Jaemin grinding his teeth.
"Damn it… threatening me?"
Jaemin slammed his fist against the wall, the thud echoing.
A few passersby in the lobby glanced back curiously but quickly averted their eyes upon seeing his furious face.
In his parked car, Jaesung let out a short sigh.
His impulsive confrontation had felt cathartic.
Among the four siblings, Jaemin was the most hotheaded and ambitious.
Unlike the strict, volcanic eldest, Park Jaehyun, who resembled their father, or the sly but hands-off third sibling, Park Jaekyung, Jaemin was a different beast.
He'd openly humiliate or torment Jaesung in front of others.
Even Jaekyung had told him to lay off.
Perhaps because Jaesung had fully merged with the original owner's memories, he felt a surge of anger, despite it not being his own past.
Hope this doesn't bite me later.
He smacked his lips, then shook his head.
"Nah. With a guy like that, you've got to push back hard to avoid being walked over."
Muttering to himself, he drove out of the company lot.
The next day, Jaesung pressed a vending machine button, grabbing the coffee dispensed into a paper cup.
Taking a sip, he murmured, "Hmm."
The sweet aroma hit his nose as he brought it close.
"This is that bad-for-you taste."
Loaded with sugar and creamer, it was pure sweetness.
His home was stocked with premium coffee beans, and his office had a coffee set just for him, but sometimes, a cheap vending machine hit the spot.
As he sipped, reaching for his change, something felt off.
"What's this?"
It was a 500-won coin.
He'd expected 100 won, but got 500—two of them.
Jaesung stared at the coins in his palm, dumbfounded.
This wasn't the first time.
Having dumped half his points into Luck when creating his character, small bits of fortune followed him.
The problem was they were too small.
The elevator would open just as he approached, or he'd rarely hit red lights while driving.
Petty luck at best.
For someone with the title of a chaebol heir, these trivial strokes of luck felt almost mocking.
"If it's gonna be like this, why not let me win the lottery or something?"
Naturally, the lottery was his first thought.
He'd tried everything—lotto, instant scratch-offs—but every attempt was a bust.
"Between the Lucky Draw and this… is the Luck stat just useless?"
He regretted the points he'd invested early on.
Sipping his coffee to soothe his bitter mood, team member Jang Hana approached.
"Director! Here you are."
"What's up, Hana?"
"You've got a meeting soon. Everyone's waiting."
She tilted her head playfully, smirking.
"By the way, I didn't expect you to drink vending machine coffee."
"What, does it seem weird?"
"You strike me as the type to grind fresh beans every day."
"Too much hassle."
Jaesung shrugged.
He didn't avoid fancy coffee, but at home, staff usually brewed it for him.
"Sometimes, I crave vending machine coffee."
"I get it. I usually buy coffee out, but sometimes I miss that vending machine taste."
Jaesung nodded in agreement.
"The team's waiting. Let's go."
"Yes."
Crumpling the cup and tossing it into the trash, Jaesung returned to the office with Hana.
"So, you're suggesting a model with satellite DMB, FM radio, and quad-channel speakers to enhance music features?" Jaesung asked from the head of the table.
Kwon Hyuk-jae nodded.
"Yes. With a touchscreen and stylus, it'll satisfy consumers who want multiple functions in one phone."
"The idea's solid, but it feels over-engineered. Plus, implementing all that would jack up the price. Have you considered that?"
"The subsidy program should offset price concerns."
Manager Hwang Chang-min chimed in, "High-end phones with cutting-edge specs are trending. Since the Blue series is already a premium brand, price resistance shouldn't be too bad."
"Even so, a phone nearing a million won is a tough sell. And while advanced features are great, we can't forget a phone's core purpose."
"…"
"It's meant to be portable and convenient. No matter how many features it has, if it's heavy or clunky, consumers will pass."
With current tech, cramming in all those features would make the phone bulky and thick.
"But it's undeniable that phones are evolving into multimedia devices, beyond just calls."
Having lived in a smartphone era, Jaesung knew the future of phones better than anyone.
"Check with the electronics division to see if those features are feasible and what the specs would look like if produced."
"Understood."
"Let's all think of better ideas and wrap up for today."
"Yes."
Disappointed by the lack of a standout idea, Jaesung ended the meeting and stood.
Back in his private office, he sighed, sitting at his desk.
"This isn't as easy as I thought."
Creating a hit product was no simple task, or everyone would do it.
"What could differentiate us from competitors and grab consumers' attention?"
Muttering, he absently opened a browser, skimming news sites.
After a while, something caught his eye, making him raise an eyebrow.
"Huh?"
An article titled "The War of Chaebol Daughters" with a sensational headline.
Normally, he'd scroll past, but seeing his sister Park Jaekyung's name, he clicked.
"A showdown of pride among chaebol daughters to secure the world's first airport store for luxury brand Hermès… Saseong Group's no pushover. Jaekyung's got her work cut out."
Imagining the haughty Jaekyung scrambling to win made him chuckle.
As he moved to switch tabs, a thought froze his cursor.
"Wait, luxury…?"
Luxury phone.
It hadn't been a massive hit in the past due to issues, but it had generated significant buzz.
The Blue series is already premium. Adding a luxury brand's image could work.
There'd be hurdles to production, but those could be tackled one by one.
With that, Jaesung immediately summoned the team.
The team, puzzled by the sudden reconvening, buzzed after hearing his pitch.
"So, you're saying we collaborate with a luxury brand to make a phone?" Hwang asked.
Jaesung nodded slightly.
"Exactly. Attaching a luxury brand logo to the premium Blue series could spark consumer desire and elevate the product's image."
"It's definitely a fresh idea," Hwang said cautiously.
Unlike his reserved reaction, female team members like Jang Hana were enthusiastic.
"I love it. No one's tried this before."
"Same. A phone with a luxury logo? I want one already."
Kwon, who'd pitched the multimedia phone, added thoughtfully, "It's not bad. Even if sales don't meet expectations, collaborating with a luxury brand would elevate the Blue series' image."
Jaesung spoke confidently, "I'm not just aiming to launch it for the sake of it. We'll boost both image and sales—catch both rabbits."
His strong determination left the team skeptical but unchallenged.
At that moment, a pop-up window appeared, announcing a quest.
[Sudden Quest! Create a Luxury Phone Everyone Desires!
Luxury isn't for just anyone.
Persuade Hermès' chairman, Arno, to secure a collaboration.
Success: Chairman Park Kyung-su's Trust +10
Team Trust +30
100 Points
20 Lucky Coins
Failure: Chairman Park Kyung-su's Trust -10
Team Trust -10
Quest Deadline: 1 Month]
The second sudden quest.
Seeing the rewards, Jaesung clenched his fist unconsciously.
Luxury Phone (2)