Debut or Die - Chapter 458
[…Your agency has implemented a system?!]
[?? But you’re saying it can be canceled??]
Yes.
Seeing Keundal in shock, as if he were spitting blood, I turned back to the agency’s status window. Everything was sorted, from recognition to the artists, with an overall agency rating. It’s like a demo version of an agency management game.
What should I do?
Just to be sure, I clicked.
[※ This feature is not available yet.]
Reason: Before the mission starts
“…”
What kind of features will they provide?
However, since that ‘mission’ hasn’t started yet, they won’t show it.
Maybe… This is probably because of this pop-up.
[‘Item: ■■■ (ver. Beta)’
Would you like to cancel its use?]
I should say ‘no’ to proceed officially.
[Phew, since it’s your item, I guess you can do whatever you want, Hyung… Uuuuh, what a relief…]
Yeah. I can choose, right?
[Uh… but why are you hesitating instead of canceling immediately?]
That’s because…
Gold… No, I think Kwon Heeseung has a system fragment.
[!!]
A pop-up like ‘Confirmed owner of ■■■ Fragment’ definitely appeared. It happened the moment Kwon Heeseung mentioned the wish ticket.
[Aaah! The system responded to that! Heeseung has a fragment!]
Exactly.
I wonder if I need to do this to take it away from him.
Since it responded, it means it showed movement, so using it might reveal a way to proceed. It’s dangerous for someone without a status window to risk sudden mission failure penalties. And even if Gold 2 gets wrecked, I owe that guy enough to have given him a wish ticket.
…And there’s one more thing.
If one of the remaining system fragments is with Kwon Heeseung, the pattern is pretty obvious.
There are four fragments in total. And what has been revealed so far are me, Keundal, and Kwon Heeseung. The next one is highly likely to be…
…Cheongryeo.
The line of people who have experience with this damn system.
Should I just tell that guy to make a wish if things go wrong?
I should align our stories well. But for now, I shook my head and returned to the immediate topic.
So, what should I do with this system? If I’m just taking on Gold 2’s mission failure burden, it’s too much of a loss. No matter what, I’d have cut my losses in reality, even with a wish ticket…
“To be honest.”
[…To be honest?]
I rubbed my chin. “I think I’ll gain from this.”
[?!]
Think about it. From picking traits, leveling up, to checking the status window, I’ve used the system to the fullest. The problem was being forced to become an idol in someone else’s body and dying if I failed. Actually, this is a cheat key.
[Hyung?]
But now, look.
Agency management? It aligns perfectly with my goals. Failure penalty? If the agency isn’t managed properly, it’s doomed anyway. Besides, in my experience, mission penalties are weaker than status abnormalities. It’s unlikely to be as fatal as failing to debut. And…
“No matter how much I think about it, I don’t think I’ll fail anyway.”
One mission isn’t a big deal, right?
[Huh?]
Alright, I’ve decided. I’ve been wondering when I’d scale up this new agency to TeSTAR’s level anyway.
I nodded. Considering everything, there’s no reason to reject a shortcut. But for the last check… I asked Keundal.
Do you think this is dangerous?
[…This item doesn’t feel threatening, but this situation is just terrifying! Too scary!]
[It feels like Hyung is sacrificing yourself for Heeseung!]
If that’s the case, it’s just a feeling.
[?!]
The system is now my item, right?
It’s good. I escaped from collapsing buildings and went through the agony of body swapping to collect the fragments, so I’ll use them well.
I immediately brought up the pop-up again.
[‘Item: ■■■ (ver. Beta)’
Would you like to cancel its use?]
No.
At that moment, a holographic firework exploded. Beyond Keundal’s awe-inspired pop-up, a burst of light erupted.
[‘Item: ■■■ (ver. Beta)’ confirmed for use!]
–‘■■■’ is now for agency use!
The semi-transparent hologram started to take shape. It gained edges and color…
The final product looked quite like a mobile game window. At the end of that evolution-like spectacle, a pop-up flashed at the top.
[Mission Created (NEW!)]
Mission: <Stars Orbit Entertainment> Achieve B-grade
-Let’s raise the target’s grade to reclaim ‘■■■ Fragment.’
Hmm? How is increasing the agency grade related to absorbing fragments?
A help message appeared below.
[Help: When <Stars Orbit Entertainment>’s grade increases, the owner’s control becomes stronger.]
[Use strong control to dominate ‘■■■ Fragment!’]
Ah. So… since the system was used on the agency, the more it grows, the stronger my control over the system becomes. That way, I can get other fragments too.
Kwon Heeseung’s ‘wish’ and my goal are well mixed. Nice.
But…
[Time Left: D-100]
-If failed, ■■■ ownership will be revoked
“…”
The time frame is disgustingly shameless. The explanation of the failure penalty is vague, too, which I don’t like. It’s unclear what exactly will happen.
[Then!! Cancel it now, Hyung!]
Well, should I give it a shot?
[※Mission cancellation is not possible during missions!]
That’s what it said.
[Uuuugh...]
I left Keundal’s pop-up and summoned the status window.
[Agency Name: Stars Orbit]
Awareness: C+
Performance: (-)
Revenue: (-)
Artists Owned: TeSTAR (★★★★★), Miry-nay (★★★★), Spacer (★★★) ….
Overall Rating: D+
It’s clickable now.
The click… was <View Details>.
[Overall Rating Details: A promising new agency with talented artists! But still no track record…
Let’s generate revenue through artist activities!]
[‘Feature: Album’ unlocked!]
[‘Feature: Acting’ unlocked!]
[‘Feature: Variety’ unlocked!]
Holograms popped with new buttons flashing.
It’s going wild. There’s a lot to check.
I laughed and scanned the list.
Acting and variety can wait. Right now, the most urgent thing is clear.
Official album release. For a traditional group activity, stick with what is commonly accepted.
We need to make a strong comeback. Make a quick, sharp comeback and create a strong presence.
And when it comes to priorities for growing an agency… the most impactful group should be recognized first. Who else could do that?
Of course, TeSTAR. Starting with the first tier.
I shrugged my shoulders and spoke. “Album feature.”
The window switched immediately. It showed a neat input window.
[Album]
Personnel: (-)
Capital: (-)
Duration: (-)
*Start Production ← Click!
[Tips: The higher the star grade, the better effects are likely during production!]
What’s this again?
Does it auto-create an album? If so, it’d be a scam, but even assisting would be a significant benefit.
I clicked the personnel tab first. The agency staff appeared in card form.
“…!”
[Kim Najin (★★★) – AR Team]
[Kim Seowon (★★★★) – AR Team]
[Na Sejoong (★★★★) – AR Team]
[Park Jinwoong (★★) – AR Team]
…
It’s spectacular.
Clicking a card lets you check speed, personality, strong and weak genres, etc., but for now, I skipped to find high-grade ones. There weren’t many. Most of them concentrated on the AR Team, which had a small staff. Well, if they’re really outstanding, they’re likely working independently, earning more money.
There’s a ‘Request External Personnel’ button at the bottom, so let’s click that…
Oh, there it is.
[Kim Raebin (★★★★★) – TeSTAR]
“…”
Kim Raebin… I will take you with me forever. He’s worth feeding six meals a day.
Anyway, I set up personnel, capital, and duration appropriately. Of course, this is just a trial album.
If it’s just a trial album, it’s okay to make it and not release it. Besides, this system is so accommodating that I’m sure there will be an ‘Are you sure you want to start?’ confirmation button.
So the moment I clicked ‘Start Production.’ Beeep-! The button bounced back, and a pop-up appeared.
“…?”
[※ This feature is not available yet.]
Reason: Insufficient Agency Control Score
-Current Control Score: C
“…”
What is this now?
And how do you increase it?
A friendly pop-up appeared again.
[Control Score (B) Upgrade requires an additional investment of: 10,000,000,000]
I almost rubbed my eyes.
I read the amount again. But it didn’t change. 10 billion.
“…”
Do they think 10 billion is someone’s dog’s name?
[Sh-Sh-Should I chip in, Hyung??]
Are you crazy?
I looked at the status window in vain. That’s when it happened.
Diiing-
“…”
It was a KakaoTalk message from Kwon Heeseung.
<Hyung!>
<Oh gosh, should I cancel that wish ticket…? ㅠㅠ Was I too arrogant?!>
“…”
It’s too late.
* * *
[Tips: ‘Agency Control Score’ means direct influence over the agency. The higher the control score, the more features are unlocked.]
[Although there are many ways to raise the score, the quickest is through investment!]
And it’s a crazy, money-eating hippopotamus that demands 10 billion to raise C to B.
Damn it….
I staggered out of the bathroom. Yes. I was doing all this alone, locked in the bathroom.
“Is it resolved?”
“Somewhat.”
I did call out ‘Cancel’ in the conference room. But when the real cancellation appeared, I sat back down with a dejected look.
“…?”
The members naturally seemed to realize it wasn’t a disaster situation, and they calmly moved out of the way. Though, they were still standing guard in front of the bathroom.
“What happened?”
I thought I had hit the agency’s rapid growth package, but a more ruthless in-game purchase inducement was waiting. That sums it up.
After holding back a sigh, I said this. “Do we need an additional 10 billion won for this agency right now?”
“…??”
“No, um… Anyway, I got something that could help our activities.”
I roughly explained the system applied to this agency. Half of them were curious, and the other half were cautious, but eventually, they agreed with my statement, “It will be useful.”
However, after the conversation ended, Seon Ahyeon suddenly grabbed my arm with a determined look. “M-Moondae, about that, um, 10… thing.”
“If you need money, Moondae, I can give it to you…!”
“I appreciate it, but that’s not what I meant.”
Don’t forget that you and I receive similar amounts in settlements.
But perhaps because it was a sudden remark, everyone’s mouths fell open.
“So… does this agency need that much more money?”
“That’s what I was asking.”
“Ah! Y-Yes, that’s right.”
Bae Sejin’s face turned red, and the others tilted their heads and whispered among themselves.
“I don’t think we need that much.”
“Our agency has a lot of money. I saw the figures.”
“Hmm~ Maybe they spent a lot buying T1 Stars? But Moondae almost haggled it down to nothing.”
Right. It seems like we don’t need that much after all.
“But why do you ask, MoondaeMoondae?”
“…If we invest 10 billion won, the agency will run even better.”
“…??”
A rare ‘What nonsense is this?’ expression appeared on Kuen Sejin’s face. I didn’t know how to explain this in-game purchase situation. I stifled a sigh.
Cha Eugene raised his hand high. “That’s what a scammer says!”
No. That’s not it.
“It’s not a scammer. I’m saying I’ll invest in the agency.”
…Wait.
As I spoke, I realized.
That’s right. It’s not about putting 10 billion won into the system but investing it in the agency. So… it’s not like 10 billion will evaporate anyway.
I can make it pay back as much as I invest. If the album comes out well and the tour goes smoothly. It can grow even more.
My mind became clear.
“…Anyway, I was just considering whether to invest in our agency, so don’t worry.” I smiled. “If we succeed, we can multiply it several times over.”
“OK!”
The conversation ended on a refreshing note.
…But if I invest 10 billion won, that will almost drain my remaining funds.
That’s a bit much.
Just then, Kim Raebin cautiously approached and whispered. “Hyung, if you’re in a crisis, I can manage some funds…!”
“…Uh, thanks.”
It seems he didn’t hear the investment talk due to his worries. He’s the one with the most money here, but for some reason, it feels like I’d be cheating him the most if I took money from him.
Anyway… it’s reassuring. At least I’ll have food to eat, even in the worst case.
In the end, I made my choice.
Let’s do it.
Since I can recover it, let’s give it a try. 10 billion won investment.
“Hello. Yes, I’m calling because I have something to discuss…”
…
And right after the negotiations with the agency were over. A pop-up really appeared.
[Remaining investment for achieving Control (B): ]
[Control Upgraded!]
Phew.
The 10 billion won went in.
I feel like I’m breaking into a cold sweat. I unconsciously pressed my forehead.
But… the pop-ups weren’t over.
[Control (C) → Control (B)]
-Reward: Hint Ticket (x5)
Hmm?
[Help: ‘Hints’ are various pieces of information that can help the agency grow or save it from crises. Use hint tickets to obtain great hints and secure high-grade personnel, capital, and time!]