Novelist Running Through Time

TL: KSD

A Major Crisis Hits the Publishing Industry!

To address the issue of <people not reading books>, the luminaries of the literary world gathered their wisdom.

-There will come a day when this field will collapse. A day when all publishing houses close down, and all editors are left on the streets… But that day is not today!

-Indeed!

-One for all! All for one!

From literary masters who have honed their writing skills for decades to powerful figures who can shake the publishing industry with a single word…

They united their strength to stand against the great disaster shaking the literary world. This is why the field has become so tightly knit.

Thus, the elders, who sought the principles of righteousness, joined forces to pressure the government and even humbled themselves to open genre literature contests in search of the next Higashino Keigo.

There were also daring entrepreneurs who poured enormous funds to improve the distribution network, and even eccentrics from the light industry threw themselves into expanding the publishing industry’s horizons.

And so, countless innovative proposals were made over decades.

Of course.

If they had been successful, the publishing industry wouldn’t still be hearing screams of despair.

-Why… why aren’t people buying books? Japanese people buy a lot of books. Is there a problem with our national character?

-We’ve been fucked for a long time. It’s all about the money. Go and buy those damn pens.

-Why not just keep printing workbooks as we’ve always done?

All innovative ideas were frustrated in the face of a global publishing downturn.

In the era of Netflix and YouTube, the size of the publishing industry is gradually shrinking.

A graph trending slowly downward.

South Korea was no exception to this trend.

In an era where the glory of works that once enthralled the nation is forgotten, the honor of great writers is buried in scandals, and no one cares about such things, where literature has become a vulgar joke…

A few innovators from Baekhak Publishing made a bizarre proposal.

-Don’t have it? If we don’t have it, why don’t we create it?

-Create what?

-The literary… idol!

A bold plan to create star authors by any means necessary and draw the public into the fandom of literature!

That plan failed spectacularly.

The internal strife within the Kim Sang-guk-Yang Sung-jun line was a superficial reason. The fundamental reason was that nobody wanted to invest time and effort in such a vain plan.

In a conglomerate where printing workbooks alone brings in enormous profits, those who cried for innovation could not survive. That’s the whole story.

Thus, amid everyone’s mockery, the few innovators met a miserable downfall, and only bizarre rumors circulated about some bald freak sealed away in Baekhak Entertainment’s underground parking lot.

But then, that bald person caused a stir.

[Exclusive, the anonymous new writer Moon In, turns out to be a minor?]

[A Love Story, bestseller for 3 consecutive weeks!]

[Breaking, nominated for the Booker International, one of the world’s top three literary awards, Author Moon In.]

Lim Yang-wook proved his argument with results, not logic. Only then did Baekhak Publishing pay attention to the claims of Lim Yang-wook and the few innovators.

Just as they aimed to create a literary idol, their business plan resembled the idol industry in many ways.

Just like idols who gain popularity on music shows and make money through albums, events, concerts, authors who gain popularity on broadcasts and make money through books, lectures, variety shows…

Turning popularity garnered through media into money was no different from the idol industry.

And that’s a job for a system, not a person.

So, to benchmark that business,

there’s no need to bring in people.

“…….”

That’s what Lim Yang-wook thought Baekhak Publishing must have believed.

‘Pending Assignment.’

Gazing vacantly at those four bitter words given to him for the second time.

That’s what Lim Yang-wook thought.

Side EP-Princess Maker

The office of the newly assigned Publishing Management Department at Baekhak Publishing was incomparably larger than before. It was big enough to fit at least a dozen more people.

Indeed, it was.

About a dozen unfamiliar people were in the Publishing Management Department. It turns out they were all from Baekhak Publishing.

“What’s going on here?”

“Well…”

“What about Department Head Lim?”

I asked an employee whose face seemed somewhat familiar, but they said they didn’t know. It seemed more like they were hesitant to speak than truly unaware. Their expression conveyed unease.

I, too, had rushed to the company upon receiving a sudden message, so I hadn’t grasped the whole situation.

The message simply stated that the Publishing Management Department had been moved to Baekhak Publishing and told everyone to gather to familiarize themselves with each other.

So, grumbling about how a large corporation handles things so haphazardly, I took a taxi here, only to find this mess.

Suddenly, I had been transferred to Baekhak Publishing.

“…….”

I felt a vein pop on my forehead.

Just as I was about to take out my phone to demand answers from Baek Seol, a crowd of about a dozen employees and even more onlookers rushed in from outside the office.

Wondering what was happening, I looked at them only to become even more confused.

Their hands held cakes and fireworks, and they were all smiles.

Then, with a loud bang, the fireworks went off.

Confetti from the party fireworks fluttered down onto my stern-faced expression.

But for some reason, being incredibly pleased, the people from Baekhak Publishing surrounding me greeted me with laughter and joy.

“Welcome!”

“Who are you?”

* * *

At the current moment, if we were to precisely compare the celebrity status of author Moon In, it was similar to that of a movie actor who has attracted ten million viewers. Although not attracting ten million viewers, being in the news for months related to the Booker Prize did the job.

However, Moon In, who often appeared at the Baekhak Entertainment building, didn’t receive much attention. People were merely amazed that a child could write well but didn’t idolize him to the extent of the employees.

Moon In, touring Baekhak Entertainment’s facilities with Kim Byul and viewing a decade-long idol as just a neighbor, was not a one-sided perspective.

People at Baekhak Entertainment saw Moon In in a similar light.

The difference in industries means just that.

In other words, the way Baekhak Publishing employees viewed Moon In was worlds apart from how Baekhak Entertainment employees saw him.

To Baekhak Entertainment employees, Moon In was just a cute kid, but to Baekhak Publishing employees, Moon In was a walking deity.

Everyone at Baekhak Publishing is involved in the book business. There isn’t a single person who hasn’t sighed at the thought of the South Korean publishing industry collapsing.

To them, Moon In was a superhero who appeared on a white horse, or rather, an octopus, making him no different from a prince in a fairy tale.

Therefore, the way Baekhak Publishing employees treated Moon In was similar to how one would treat a prince.

“Hello, Author~nim! I’m Lee Eun-bi, the head of the Marketing and Promotion team. Are you interested in appearing on an EBS variety show by any chance?”

“Team Leader Lee, why are you trying to make a deal at the first meeting? If you’re going to do that, go to the Sales Department!”

“Ah, Author Moon In~nim! It’s really great to meet you! Congratulations on your Booker International nomination. Would you like me to show you around the company?”

Surprisingly, the welcome party for Moon In, who came with the Publishing Management Department to Baekhak Publishing, wasn’t ordered from above.

The employees voluntarily opened their wallets (and took out the corporate card) to buy the cake. The fact that salaried workers voluntarily did something beyond their work duties proves Moon In’s divine influence.

Who else but a deity could make salaried workers do ‘unnecessary work’ voluntarily?

Moon In accomplished that difficult task.

By single-handedly making a meaningful increase in the entire publishing industry’s sales, Moon In became a god of Baekhak Publishing.

The fact that Moon-in achieved what all the editors in this country couldn’t despite rubbing their palms together and praying to all sorts of deities for decades without seeing any effect proves that Moon In’s divine presence is extraordinary.

Baekhak Publishing employees surrounded Moon In as if touching the hem of his clothes would cure all diseases and taking a photo of him would bring blessings to future generations.

(It could be said that the children of New Light Spring Orphanage, who had treated Moon In like Jesus before them, had a real insight.)

However, the faith of Baekhak Publishing people was not rewarded because Moon In’s heart was already set on someone else.

“So, where is Department Head Lim?”

The followers of Baekhak Publishing surrounding Moon In couldn’t answer that question. They all just awkwardly smiled and dodged the question.

Only after Moon In asked three times and they denied three times did Moon In finally get an answer.

“…On standby?”

“Yes, it seems like he’s temporarily on standby until it’s decided what position he’ll be appointed to… You’ll probably meet him at the company soon! Probably!”

The employee stuttered through an explanation, but Moon In knew that being on standby meant <Hey, you, get out of the company>.

“…Hmm. I see.”

Murmuring so, Moon In focused on building rapport with the employees, matching the atmosphere.

As Moon In smilingly and politely exchanged phone numbers with the employees, Baekhak Publishing staff were relieved.

However, it is also mentioned in Japanese manga that people whose bodies have shrunk but whose minds remain the same generally have a talent for deduction. (TL: If you don’t know what’s being referenced here ask me in Discord)

There is always only one truth!

Moon In felt like he knew who the perpetrator behind the dark silhouette was.

* * *

Lim Yang-wook is a persona non grata in the mainstream literary world.

Not graduating from a prestigious university was the first reason, having been brash in his younger days the second, and disrupting the authority of the existing literary world by promoting Moon In the third.

However, considering the benefits that Lim Yang-wook and Moon In brought to the literary world, it’s strange that Lim Yang-wook couldn’t smoothly return to Baekhak Publishing and received a standby order instead.

And when something odd happens to Lim Yang-wook, pointing at Kim Sang-guk usually hits the mark.

At Baekhak Publishing headquarters, a black sedan smoothly slid into a reserved parking spot.

Kim Sang-guk, the CEO, got out of the car with a smile.

“Good morning, CEO~nim.”

“Ah, yes, good morning.”

His smile didn’t fade until he reached his office via the executive elevator.

Naturally, he’s someone who usually wears a smile, but today, the proportion of genuine smiles behind that mask was a bit higher.

The reason goes without saying.

Kim Sang-guk asked his secretary.

“Where is Moon In now?”

“He’s currently greeting the staff in the office.”

“Is that so?”

“Yes, would you like me to inform them of your visit?”

“Hmm. No need. He doesn’t think too highly of me.”

Despite that, Moon In eventually fell into Kim Sang-guk’s hands.

It had been a truly long period of disgrace.

Kim Sang-guk faced humiliation by being demoted because of a mere team leader, and the former CEO who had promised to support Kim Sang-guk was swept away by the storm of chairman replacement as soon as he became an executive of the headquarters.

Throughout the period when Moon In’s publishing profits were directed to Baekhak Entertainment, the employees questioned Kim Sang-guk’s leadership, and Kim Sang-guk had to wait in silence, unable to maintain the dignity befitting the CEO of Baekhak Publishing.

And when the time came, Kim Sang-guk moved like lightning.

Taking advantage of the internal strife within Baekhak Entertainment, Kim Sang-guk successfully projected ‘appropriate’ influence at the headquarters.

Thus, Lim Yang-wook was vainly defeated.

Compared to the long conflict, the battle ended in an anti-climactically brief moment.

However, Kim Sang-guk thought differently.

“Yes. This is normal.”

The situation until now, where a department head and a subsidiary’s CEO were checking each other, was abnormal.

Now, the presumptuous Lim, who thought too highly of himself and made light of the world, was gone.

In the end, Lim Yang-wook was just one of the countless losers Kim Sang-guk had defeated over the past decades.

Kim Sang-guk stepped out of his office with quiet footsteps. From there, he could overlook everything at Baekhak Publishing.

Thousands of employees were moving like ants on their respective floors, each performing their duties and responsibilities.

Thus, in this building, ridiculously small compared to a country, the soft power that shakes the entire publishing industry of a nation is created.

That is the power of the system.

Therefore, those who rebel against the system cannot survive.

Kim Sang-guk reassured himself that he was merely protecting that self-evident principle.

The position of a conglomerate CEO is not something one wins by playing Go-Stop. It requires gambling everything, over and over, to climb up.

Therefore, one must continue to become tougher. Tough enough not to look back, even if it means getting one’s hands dirty with blood.

Because hesitating for even a moment means losing everything.

However, it wasn’t long before Kim Sang-guk’s crystal-clear mind was shattered.

“I’m in a slump, so I can’t write.”

Moon In’s rebellion, which would drive Baekhak Publishing to hell, had begun.

*****

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