Chapter 1
[Road manager Chanwoo Lim, reassigned to Team 5]
Employees buzzed around the notice posted on the company bulletin board.
"Manager Chanwoo Lim? Isn't this effectively a demotion?"
"Technically, he is being promoted to chief manager."
"A promotion to Team 5? That's just basically telling him to quit."
"After everything he went through? He's the only one who put up with the VIP's crap for three whole years."
"That's exactly what caused the problem, apparently. He should've just quit sooner."
"Huh? What do you mean?"
"I’ve got a direct line to the top, so listen closely. Here’s what really happened…"
The whole company was in an uproar over a single personnel shift—and for a bottom-tier road manager, of all people.
It shouldn't have made sense.
Star Entertainment wasn't just some run-of-the-mill agency.
It might not have been the absolute biggest in the industry, but it was still a massive agency with its tentacles in everything: actors, idols, soloists, and variety shows.
In a company this huge, a glorified driver shouldn't even warrant a second glance.
Unless his name was Chanwoo Lim.
"People talked a lot when Chanwoo was assigned to the VIP. They said it made no sense to give the VIP to a rookie."
"That's because nobody in Team 2 was available."
"That's just an excuse. They sent him to the VIP to force him out. The team leader didn't like the look of an orphan with nothing but a high school diploma."
The VIP.
Star Entertainment's undisputed top star, Ina Kim.
She was the agency’s undisputed cash cow—a chart-topping solo artist, an A-list actress, and the very face of Star Entertainment.
She brought in a fortune, but also twice the trouble.
It was so bad that no dedicated road manager had ever lasted more than three months!
Yet, despite being a rookie, Chanwoo had endured Ina's temper for an incredible three years.
Long enough that even the team leader had been forced to acknowledge him.
Until this morning. When the notice dropped.
"Team 5 isn't a department, it's a graveyard. Sending a promising manager there is like dragging his desk out into the hallway and locking the door. They're telling him to pack his bags."
It was where washed-up actors waited out their contracts and failed artists quietly disappeared.
"Why is the company doing this to him? It's not like he did anything wrong."
"I heard Ina requested it."
"Even if she's the VIP, this isn't right. After everything he went through…"
"From the company's perspective, a top star is worth a lot more than a bottom-rung manager with zero connections."
"But why the sudden change? She seemed fine with him lately. Things had been quiet."
"I'm not sure this is true, but from what I overheard…"
Meanwhile, as the company buzzed with rumors, the man of the hour—Chanwoo Lim—had only one thought in his mind.
To hell with this company.
But not because of the transfer notice.
He was staring at the document in his lap.
"This is the value of the building you will inherit, Mr. Lim."
Just like that—he owned a 100-billion-won building.
* * *
A few days earlier, I'd been on forced leave—not exactly a vacation.
I was reading a text from a coworker.
「Chanwoo, you should have just humored her a little.」
Fuck, how was I supposed to humor that?
Growing up an orphan forged my nerves into steel.
That’s the only reason I survived three whole years as Ina’s manager.
And honestly? The job itself was manageable.
The problem was when Ina started developing feelings for me.
No matter how strong my nerves are, I wasn't going to sleep with a crazy bitch like her.
The seduction attempts got worse over time, more blatant, harder to sidestep. When she finally cornered me while pretending to be drunk, I snapped.
"Ina, stop living like trash!"
Probably not the smartest thing I've ever said.
And this was the result.
If I lose this job, where do I even go? A factory?
As an orphan with only a high school diploma, landing at Star Entertainment in the first place had been nothing short of a miracle.
I was debating whether I should knock on the doors of other agencies since I had some experience, or just resort to factory work or manual labor.
That was when I got an unexpected visitor.
"…Are you saying I had a father?"
Apparently so. And an incredibly wealthy one.
I'm using past tense because he's dead.
"Yes. The chairman only learned of your existence shortly before he passed. He chose not to reach out while he was alive because he didn't want to cause you unnecessary emotional turmoil."
I nodded.
I was an adult. Meeting a father I'd never known wouldn't have filled me with joy regardless.
The real issue was—
"This is the inheritance the chairman left in your name."
My eyes went wide the moment I saw the documents.
The man who was apparently my father had left me a building!
Not just any building—a ten-story tower in the heart of Gangnam!
"Isn't this building…"
"Yes, it is located right on Cheongdam. Based on current market value, you can expect at least 100 billion won."
I swallowed.
Holy shit.
I went from worrying about next month's living expenses to suddenly becoming a billionaire!
And what was even crazier was that the building…
Is the one my company is renting!
Star Entertainment occupied the 6th through 10th floors.
I had just become my own employer's landlord.
I'd heard the CEO took on enormous debt just to secure this address.
The monthly rent reflected it.
Two hundred million won.
And now, as the landlord, I'd be the one collecting it. Every month.
I should quit immediately! And while I'm at it, tell that bitch exactly what I think of her.
Please don't get me wrong.
I may have nerves of steel from growing up as an orphan, but that doesn't mean I am a saint.
I'm just good at holding it in. Underneath that, I have a genuinely bad temper.
But then, I realized one major problem.
"What about the inheritance tax?"
"Expect around 45% or more. Somewhere between 45 and 49 billion won."
My mouth went dry.
"B-billions…?"
Unless I sold the building, there was absolutely no way I could pay that.
"I strongly advise against selling the building. A forced sale at this speed would cost you 10 to 20 billion below market value. After fees, you'd have almost nothing."
"But do I even have any other choice?"
"The chairman arranged for that as well."
I let out a sigh of relief.
You should've led with that. You nearly gave me a heart attack.
"He has arranged an installment plan. You'll receive 10 billion won annually over five years to cover the tax. Oh, and the taxes on those payments have already been handled."
"Thank you."
"However, the chairman left one special condition."
"…A condition?"
"You must remain actively employed for the next five years."
I waited for the rest.
"…That's all?"
The lawyer sighed before continuing.
"He left this condition because he was genuinely worried about you."
"Why?"
I asked, unable to understand.
The lawyer wore a bitter expression.
"The chairman had other children… but they all squandered his wealth and lived like absolute degenerates."
"Ah…"
"Luxury alone would have been fine. But one gambled away a fortune and was disowned. Another cycled through rehab and prison on drugs. A third got overconfident, started a business, and was scammed multiple times. And those were just the ones worth mentioning. Every single one of them lived unspeakably trashy lives."
My father hadn't built a corporate empire. He was a real estate man.
Land-rich—filthy rich, even.
He originally had a net worth exceeding one trillion won, but his deadbeat children blew through almost all of it.
This building was the only thing left to pass down.
"A hundred billion won is a lot of money. Enough to destroy you if you're not careful."
That was what he'd been afraid of. Hence the condition.
"It isn't a difficult ask. Keep working diligently for the next five years, just as you have been. That is all."
I nodded.
That shouldn't be too hard.
Five years. Not ten, not twenty. Just five.
And the building transferred to me immediately—The special condition only applied to the inheritance tax.
Which meant…
I could start collecting rent immediately.
So I just have to commute to work without worrying about money?
There was just one small catch.
"What happens if I get fired?"
"That's perfectly fine. The chairman wanted to ensure you continued living an honest life, not punish you for circumstances outside your control. If you are unjustly terminated, time spent job hunting counts toward the five years."
Nothing to worry about, then.
For now, I made my decision to keep working at Star Entertainment.
Team 5, known as Star Entertainment’s dumping ground.
It was the absolute perfect environment for me right now.
Barely any work, no expectations, nothing to prove.
Clock in, kill time, clock out.
It was exactly what I needed.
Of course, slacking off like that would eventually lead to pressure to resign. Maybe even a termination notice.
That was fine. More than fine.
After all, I owned the entire building.
* * *
Upon returning to work after a few days off, the company looked completely different to me.
The intimidation, the anxiety, the constant walking on eggshells—all of it vanished. I felt like a giant.
The terrifying chief manager? The team leader who used to seem like a god? Now, they all just looked like little kids.
Well… not that I plan on telling anyone I'm the owner of this building.
"I'm Chanwoo Lim, assigned as the chief manager of team 5 as of today. I look forward to working with you."
The atmosphere was noticeably gloomier than team 2, where I used to work.
Half-hearted glances were cast my way.
But then, I tilted my head in confusion.
Across the office, I recognized a face.
Hyunah Lim.
She was a B-list actress who had enjoyed a brief flash of fame, but was now a washed-up talent unable to land a single role.
But there was a light around her.
Not a metaphor. A literal radiance was shining from her face.
…Am I seeing things because I'm in such a good mood?
But it was too vivid to be my imagination.
Because right after, a string of text appeared before my eyes.
[Would you like to 'Appraise' actress Hyunah Lim?]
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