NOVEL NEXT Chapter 680
The Shaolin’s Yeondam Seung is having a really tough time.
A 2 trillion won short-selling incident, the Chinese prosecution’s investigation into accounting fraud, and protesters venting their anger right in front of the temple.
There are countless AIs replacing human labor.
But Yeondam Seung realized something.
That truly, there is no AI that can resolve problems when a person commits a mistake.
The meditation resort operated by Shaolin was overflowing with canceled reservations, and requests for refunds at the martial arts experience center were pouring in, more than three times the usual.
As he tried to clean up the aftermath, the elders’ true responsibilities of nurturing successors and researching martial arts were being pushed further aside.
Recently, Yeondam Seung had scolded one of Shaolin’s top three disciples harshly.
That disciple had left their post while managing the protests.
The protesters had gathered right in front of the room leader’s office, and everyone had a rough time trying to manage the chaos of that day.
[Because you left your post, the protesters became more agitated and the room leader’s office turned into a mess. How can you protect Shaolin with such a lack of responsibility!]
Days later, Yeondam Seung learned why that disciple had left their post.
They had received sudden news that one of their parents had passed away and had hurriedly left for the funeral home with the Grandmaster’s permission.
Upon hearing this, Yeondam Seung was left speechless.
‘I was so absorbed in solving Shaolin’s crisis and preserving its reputation that I completely overlooked the turbulent situations of my disciples!’
Feeling dejected, he considered stepping down from his position as elder, but Shaolin strongly opposed it.
Yeondam was the final bastion of the Shaolin franchise.
With their popularity as the best-looking man in the Central Plains, there was no doubt that thousands of franchises would simultaneously collapse.
To make matters worse, with Shaolin’s leader Jagwang Seung also being arrested, it was a situation where they couldn’t do anything.
As Yeondam’s shoulders felt heavy, an email arrived.
[Invitation to be a Judge for The World’s Best Magic Duel Tournament]
“Dear Yeondam Seung,
We would like to invite you as a judge for ‘The World’s Best Magic Duel Tournament,’ which selects the best magical techniques in the world.
This tournament aims to showcase innovative magical techniques that combine secret practitioners from all over the globe with PMAAS. We couldn’t think of anyone more suitable than you, who studies the fusion of tradition and modern technology.
We hope you can recover Shaolin’s reputation through your judging in this tournament.
Best regards,
NoName, CEO of Janjeol”
Someone who had pushed him off a cliff was suddenly extending a lifeline.
Upon hearing this, the other elders went into a frenzy.
‘What does he think of Shaolin? It’s a trap!’
‘The name of the tournament itself is mocking! What an insult!’
‘Even if Shaolin needs help, why him?’
And so forth.
“Yeondam, what do you think about this?”
The acting head of Shaolin, Gongseung, asked.
“I think I must go.”
“You must go?”
“How dare you represent Shaolin and participate in such a shoddy tournament?”
Despite the elders’ outcries, Yeondam held his head high.
“The CEO NoName set the condition of clearing the 2 trillion won short position from Shaolin Energy.”
“That’s…!”
“And in fact, I received prior permission from the head.”
“Jagwang Seung himself…?”
“Yes.”
Yeondam closed his eyes.
[May the Buddha’s compassion be given to the one who took away Shaolin’s future.]
In truth, it was a statement bordering on a curse, but who would have thought that conversation would be quoted like this.
“No need to think further. As acting head, I permit you to go under Shaolin’s name.”
*
News of The World’s Best Magic Duel Tournament quickly spread around the world.
It was the perfect opportunity to be evaluated by the world’s masters with just a single magical technique.
Moreover, the prize money was a whopping 500 million won.
The biggest sensation was, of course, the first-come, first-served preliminary round.
Announcement that if 100 participants signed up within a month, they would immediately finalize the participants.
[I’m on my way to submit my application as the first participant in the Heavenly Demon Tournament.]
(cheap cosplay.jpg)
『Domain Expansion, Infinite Magic Handling』
(punch tearing paper.jpg)
(mother’s back slap.jpg)
[Comments]
– Super fast elimination haha!
– Cut at the ‘Mom’ level!
– Are you serious? haha!
– Sorry, data centerㅠㅠㅠ
– I’m a Resonance ranker, and I tried once at home; it’s ridiculously hard haha! Why doesn’t my body move as I think?
└ Just total frustration haha! It’s like someone put shackles on me.
[Question) What exactly does the Heavenly Demon NoName mean by magical technique?]
Does it mean they will evaluate with just the power thrust?
Is it even worth 500 million won to see that?
[Comments]
– The definition changes slightly from country to country, era to era.
– Nowadays, the aura means the process of circulating through the body. So, even a magical technique has its beginning, development, climax, and conclusion
– Isn’t that the opposite of carnivorous? haha
└ That’s vegetarian.
└ But yes, herbivore is also correct; they say herbivorous animals.
– As you said, a power thrust could be a magical technique, or it could complete a great circulation through multiple small circulations.
[What’s exciting about The World’s Best Magic Duel Tournament (with GIFs)]
(a martial arts master creating a tiger image with one flame sword.gif)
(a martial arts master depicting the soaring of a dragon amidst flour smoke.gif)
A crazy aura show by secret practitioners that we can watch all day.
If you’re excited about the tournament, give it a thumbs up haha!
[Comments]
– Looks obviously fake haha!
– That’s staged, but later a Mudang Sect elder recreated something similar.
└ *(link)
└ Wow, that’s incredible haha!
└ I can’t believe this is possible, whoa!
└ The external manifestation of aura is so cool!
– For now, we can expect that most of the internet fakes will bail haha!
└ The ‘false’ execution time is approaching.
– Fraudsters who teach martial arts will make up all sorts of excuses for not participating haha!
[The reason why external manifestation of aura is practically a minimum requirement]
(External manifestation of aura by a student from a German Academy using stained glass imagery of a rose.jpg)
They think of external manifestation as a superpower, but it’s just when one’s understanding of handling a specific aura reaches its peak, it naturally awakens, you know?
However, since it can’t really be taught to others, even if someone can do it, there are not many practical ways to use it in life.
Have you ever seen an external manifestation instructor? If you have, they’re all fraudsters.
And above all, with the population of those who can external manifest being only 0.01% globally, that’s already a million people.
Lastly, take a look at this.
(a construction worker’s hand palm-out showing the external manifestation of the Eiffel Tower.gif)
[Comments]
– If aesthetics are the judging standard, being able to manifest externally is definitely an advantage.
– Creating the Eiffel Tower with aura is super impressive.
– With such talent, you’d be better off scamming people.
└ hahaha!
└ What a mad thought haha!
└ That’s right; just scam them.
└ This will probably make even the rich go, “Huh?”
– To successfully manifest externally during the magical technique demonstration, significant effort is likely required.
– Reading this makes me feel bummed, and I turned off my cameraㅠㅠㅠㅠ
*
After the competition with Love Unni, I visited NoName Entertainment after a long time.
I was there to handle various approvals while planning for the Heavenly Demon Tournament.
Once everything was settled, I planned to do a broadcast in the studio too.
I pressed my cheek against the cold glass desk.
“Ugh. This is so boring.”
Today too, like a machine, I was stamping my electronic seal hard.
“Na-me, this is a really really REALLY important contract. You have to read it seriously, from the first to the last!”
“Just this? I’ve dealt with much more important stuff than this. When I was at Janjeol, the basic unit was in the hundreds of billions.”
“That’s just because it was Janjeol! If we lose hundreds of billions, we’ll go bankrupt immediately!”
“Ugh.”
“CEO, she’s cute. Why don’t we just leave Na-me alone?”
“What? Was the camera rolling? Why are you filming things like this behind the scenes?”
I jumped up and fixed my hair.
There was an unfamiliar face in the office.
It seemed to be one of the QBS production team members.
“10,000 applicants in just a week?”
“Yeah. So from yesterday, the production team started helping out.”
I was impressed with Lee Bo-reum’s response.
NoName Entertainment, QBS production, and IDH studio combined have 100 people all focused on reviewing the audition videos.
In other words, it’s a preliminary round of the preliminary rounds.
Before selecting 100 candidates, they had to narrow it down to about 1,000 for me and the other judges to evaluate thoroughly.
“I thought we could easily filter out the laughably bad submissions.”
“Nope. Everyone’s skill is high, so it seems we’ll have to pass at least 100 videos a day.”
That meant I and Yeondam Seung had to review 100 videos a day.
“Yeondam Seung is supposed to come today, right?”
“Haaah. He should come today if we’re going to start the evaluation. If he doesn’t come, it’ll be postponed to tomorrow.”
“Wait, we haven’t even written the contract yet… Are you really planning to work him hard from the first day without a contract?”
“Of course. We’re not being paid by the hour, so what’s the point of letting him sit idle?”
“I wonder if we can contract this smoothly…”
Lee Bo-reum was already beginning to worry.
It seemed it was a precarious situation where just one crooked cog could lead to a complete collapse.
But there was no need to worry.
I had definitely thrown out a bait that he couldn’t resist.
“By the way, why isn’t this guy acting but just being a monk?”
One of the subordinates asked while searching Yeondam Seung on the internet.
“He’s really handsome, right? He was even more handsome in his twenties; just take a look.”
Lee Bo-reum also marveled at it.
“I’m seeing it now. Wow… he had a flower boy style back then!”
“Chinese aunties go crazy over him. That’s why he appears in ads for most Shaolin-branded franchises.”
“Looks like you need some buzz to be successful. I guess it makes sense since it’s entertainment.”
Now in his forties, he may have the extreme nerf of being bald, but he still compares favorably with the best-looking actors in China.
I picked up from what my subordinate had said.
“Of course, that’s one aspect, but Yeondam Seung is quite capable on his own. It’s not well-known, but he even earned a PhD in Theory of Aura Studies in the US.”
“Wow, a PhD? That’s amazing, how can he look like that?”
Yeondam Seung was the same professor who taught Professor Angelina Hope at Philips Academy.
In graduate school lineage, they are like siblings.
Given that the Theory of Aura Studies is a new field and rather niche, it’s not that incredibly coincidental.
But at least creating some connection wouldn’t hurt.
“Is he really coming today…?”
“He said he might be a little late. I’ll go ahead and prepare for the broadcast.”
“Uh… I believe you Na-me? I really will trust you?”
“Yeah, just trust me a bit!”
Freedom!
I had to make a move before Lee Bo-reum could pressure me anymore.
Free from the paperwork hell, I jumped with joy and quickly went into the studio.
“I’ll help with the broadcast setup.”
“Ah, yes. Thank you.”
Since this is the company, the employees quickly helped with the broadcasting setup and adjusted the lighting as well.
Why didn’t I know it could be this comfortable until now?
[NoName]
[Just Chatting – The Heavenly Demon Tournament Judge Reveal / Preliminary Prelims]
[Broadcasting Time – 0:00:03]
[Number of Viewers – 1,486]
“Hello, I am NoName!”
-?
-Oh no, what’s this broadcast?
-At this hour?
-This is what it looks like after filtering out the macros?
-It’s Na-me’s preliminary pre-round~ Let’s get started~~~~
Rapidly increasing viewer count.
Until about 5,000 viewers gathered, I played with a cute rabbit doll sitting on the desk.
Raise left hand, raise right hand. Raise both hands. Stand on your head. Windmill.
[Number of Viewers – 5,053]
“Since we have about 5,000 viewers now, let’s start today’s content.”
I gently placed the rabbit down on the desk and opened the files sent by the participants.
-Oh noㅠㅠㅠㅠ
-So cute haha!
-Ah Na-me, is this really it? Viewers are truly disappointed.
-If you have some awareness, get out of here before it drops below 5,000.
-Fact: I am the current CEO.
-V-tube editor, please film clips of today’s video, please!
“It’s impossible for it to drop below 5,000. Recently, there has been tremendous interest in The World’s Best Magic Duel Tournament. Especially, a huge thank you for the 100,000 likes on the official Instagram promotion post.”
I explained the purpose of the tournament once again and described the qualification criteria.
“There has been some controversy surrounding external manifestation, but let me clarify the official stance: external manifestation is not at all a requirement. It’ll be difficult for us to disclose specific evaluation criteria, but please remember the keyword perfection.”
[‘soleilestnoname’ donated 50,000 won!]
-Na-me, who’s the other judge for the preliminaries?
“How did you ask just at the right timing? Aren’t you one of our employees?”
I rushed out of the studio to raid the managers’ office.
“Is it really not you?”
“No! We don’t donate to you!”
“Then why do you say that in such a weird way? Personally, you could send it, right…? So you’re denying it?”
“Yes, yes!”
Now that I had established it’s not fake, I’d have to respond sincerely.
“Our judging panel member will be introduced along with the presentation. Although you might not know the name, he is definitely a famous person whose face you might know. I think it would be hard to imagine.”
And after a bit of back and forth, about 10 minutes passed.
Knock knock-
Message from Lee Bo-reum that Yeondam Seung has arrived.
Outside the studio, a tall monk was waiting in a bright yellow Shaolin robe.
I peeked my head out and asked,
“Did you write the contract?”
“Uh? Not yet.”
“Please write it quickly and come inside.”
-?
-Who is it?
-???
-You mean the contract isn’t done yet?
-haha!
-Na-me, I hear your voice clearly!!!
-Whoa, the original translation is in Chinese?
-Is he Chinese?
-Is this a black company?
-What’s with the instant contract haha!