The Divine Genius’s Game Broadcasting Chapter 398

Episode 398 – Where's the New Figure? (4)

There were many Japanese goods manufacturers. Shop Fandom selected only the most outstanding ones and prepared to conquer the market.

The three companies we'd previously surveyed were exactly those places. The CEO confidently introduced them, but this time things were a little different.

"The last place we'll visit is 'Masterpiece.' True to its name, it's a place that produces goods worthy of being considered masterpieces."

His once lively tone became quiet. Instead, his eyes darted around, as if he were carefully choosing his words.

“We are confident that our quality is the best in the industry, regardless of whether it is a regular figure or an action figure.”

“Wasn’t Happy Face or Maximum Works the best?”

Although it was an assessment that contradicted his previous explanation, the representative was not flustered.

He crossed his arms and wrinkled his nose slightly.

"That's a bit of a different category. Masterpiece is a company that deals exclusively in premium goods."

“Are you a company specializing in premium goods?”

“Then, can’t I just look here…?”

The other team members were confused.

Wasn't this originally a survey to see where to entrust the production of premium figures?

"There's a reason it's difficult to visit only the masterpieces. They're not without their flaws."

The representative calmly explained this.

“First of all, there are some strong likes and dislikes within the company itself.”

“Like or dislike?”

"Usually, when an IP becomes popular, the production company contacts the IP owner to create goods. But here, it's the opposite."

“If it’s the other way around… the request comes from the side that owns the IP?”

"Yes, that's right. The quality of our Masterpiece goods is exceptional. We've secured skilled technicians who are considered experts within the industry."

Everyone briefly gasped in amazement at the explanation. The representative smiled, then wrinkled his nose slightly.

"That's why Masterpiece actually evaluates IPs. They assess whether they're worthy of being made into merchandise. Their standards are extremely demanding."

“No, but is it still a good business?”

“How good is it…”

“I guess I can’t bear not buying it.”

The team members were puzzled by him, but Park Joo-ho and Lee Kyung-bok nodded.

“I briefly looked at a sample, and the quality was different.”

“Well, I still like Pugmalion’s work better.”

While Pugmalion held back the corners of his mouth from rising at that assessment, the representative continued speaking.

"That's both an advantage and a disadvantage. Masterpiece's quality is so exceptional that they spare no expense. Naturally, the price of their products inevitably rises. The minimum is around 500,000 won."

“500,000 won!? Really?”

“It’s definitely a premium price…”

Everyone was surprised, and the representative gave a short cough.

"Ahem, I feel like I've only said the bad things, but it's true that they're a great company. It's quite unusual for such picky people to allow this inspection. Honestly, we didn't have high expectations when we submitted our offer."

He looked at Lee Kyung-bok and gave him a thumbs up.

"But as expected, our Purple-nim is different. When I sent her an introduction and a sample figure I'd like to produce, she responded positively. This is another way to see Purple-nim's standing in Japan."

“Oh, our boss is a monthly salaryman.”

“They say that when you see it in person, you want to make it.”

Lee Kyung-bok smiled and waved his hand at the satisfied reactions of his team members.

"Rather, it could be that the work Pugmalion sent me was better. For people who value quality so much, perhaps it was a spark of craftsmanship?"

“No, my work is not that good…”

Everyone laughed as Pugmalion smiled again, though he was embarrassed.

“Ah, we’re almost there. You can check the rest yourself.”

* * *

Lee Kyung-bok and everyone else knew it as soon as they got out of the car.

The atmosphere at Masterpiece was quite different from before. First of all, the person who greeted me wasn't the factory manager.

“Welcome. Thank you for coming.”

The staff member in charge of the tour, contrary to what he said, had a businesslike demeanor without a smile, and was accompanied by an interpreter from the company.

“It’s a small gift, but it’s a thank you gift.”

Even after the introductions were over and I handed him the traditional liquor I had prepared, his attitude remained unchanged.

“Thank you, but you will not receive any special treatment for this gift.”

“Oh, yes…”

Choi Byeong-hun looked at him and asked the representative.

“Excuse me, sir. Do you have permission to film this?”

"Huh? Oh, yes, yes. I'm sure I got confirmation that it was okay…"

“Filming is allowed.”

An employee suddenly interrupted. Unlike before, the company had an interpreter, so he understood all the Korean.

"Our masterpiece has already been interviewed numerous times. As long as there's no malicious defamation or distortion, we're free to film."

“Oh, I see. Thank you.”

Choi Byeong-hun stepped back with an awkward expression. The guide then looked around the group and turned away.

“Come this way.”

As I followed him into the factory, the tour began. Lee Kyung-bok immediately frowned.

'…what?'

Something felt off. A subtle, unpleasant aura lingered somewhere in the factory.

'It's a little different…'

It was a different kind of hostility or malice than I'd ever felt before. Furthermore, the aura wasn't particularly strong, which made it even more jarring.

“Oh, what is it?”

“No, it’s almost all people here?”

Meanwhile, other team members were amazed by the production process. While the five-step process was similar to other companies, Masterpiece used virtually no machinery.

“Only the printing is done by machine, and the rest is done by hand by the sculptors.”

The guide explained with a proud voice. Everyone nodded.

“This isn’t expensive for nothing.”

“If you grind out technicians like this, it’s bound to be expensive.”

“You can work very meticulously.”

While I was watching the work process, I saw something unexpected.

“Did you just throw it away now?”

“No, why…”

“He looked fine?”

The sculptor, apparently dissatisfied with something, immediately discarded the part he was working on. Everyone's eyes widened at his unhesitating action.

"We don't tolerate any defects. We also fully respect the judgment of those on site. Any work that doesn't satisfy the person in charge will never be accepted."

On the other hand, the guide explained this calmly, as if it were a given. The team members exchanged glances.

“This is true craftsmanship.”

“Are you willing to sacrifice anything for quality?”

“But if we do this, it might take a long time to produce.”

“I tend to be careful about creating without making mistakes, but it will take a long time for me in a different way.”

This method couldn't possibly speed up production. Everyone expressed concern, and only after checking the final process did they inspect the finished product.

“Wow! What is this!?”

“This is crazy, really.”

"Isn't that Aiden from Elden Soul? This is awesome…"

It was a statue figure of Aiden, the boss of Elden Soul and the Decider.

The atmosphere was expressed to befit the throne room of a ruined nation, with a huge throne and cracks.

Lee Kyung-bok also couldn't help but admire it as he observed it closely from the side.

“Wow, I would believe it if you said it was taken straight out of a capsule.”

The feeling was different because I witnessed it firsthand in the game. And there was another person, someone whose eyes sparkled.

“The collapsed pillars and throne, the colors, and even the expression of light and shade…! And it’s even removable?”

Pugmalion looked around as if he was possessed, and soon realized that the eyes were focused on him.

“Ah, that… I think we might not need to make a Permusae figure.”

"At this point, there's no need to even make a prototype," everyone agreed, but an employee intervened.

“If it’s a mini figure gun, we’d like to try making it ourselves.”

“Oh, is that so?”

The team members exchanged glances and nodded. Still, didn't that mean the company was being greedy?

“I just have one favor to ask.”

"ask…?"

"In our process, modeling is typically done by the original designer. If it's convenient, I'd appreciate it if you could take on the modeling yourself."

“Me?”

"Yes. However, for internal security reasons, everyone else must remain here. We'll handle the interpretation, so don't worry."

Cho Dae-han blinked blankly at him. Soon, the other team members turned their attention to Lee Gyeong-bok.

'It's a bit of a hassle, though…'

Lee Kyung-bok pondered for a moment. Could this be the source of his unpleasant feeling?

But there was a reason he didn't refuse right away.

'This is a first for me.'

The situation itself was negative, but I had a gut feeling that this was a good choice.

'Is it because Pugmalion is such a good person?'

The positive energy he felt from her outweighed the negative energy. Lee Gyeong-bok made his decision.

“If we’re going to compare, it would be better to do all four.”

He smiled and looked back at Pugmalion.

“Just go for a bit.”

* * *

Pugmalion followed the staff's instructions and entered the room.

"This is the shared conference room our prototype makers use for modeling. Excuse me for a moment."

“Oh, yes, yes. Here it is.”

She handed the employee a Permusae figurine. The employee placed it on the scanner, and scanning began immediately.

Soon, the scanned Permusae model was projected as a hologram in the center of the conference room.

“Here, modeling is possible using augmented reality technology without any special tools.”

"wow…"

“Try it yourself.”

She could change the model simply by touching the hologram with her hand. While she was refining the model, amazed, someone entered the room.

“Are you here?”

“Is this you?”

She took notice of the stranger's appearance. The guide treated her with respect, and the aura he conveyed was extraordinary.

"This is Mr. Maruyama, our Chief Technology Officer and CTO at Masterpiece. His sculptural skills alone have earned him the distinction of a Living National Treasure of Japan."

“Oh, yes, yes. Hello…”

Pugmalion greeted him, feeling intimidated by the introduction.

"In our country, he'd be a living cultural asset? But why is he suddenly like that…?"

Perhaps he was asking her to leave the conference room because he was going to use it. She was just about to leave the room.

"I'm sorry to make this arrangement so suddenly. I know it's rude, but I was tempted. Could you spare me a moment?"

Her eyes widened as the human national treasure's words were translated.

“Me, me?”

“Yes. I’m sure it’s not a bad story.”

While she was confused, he gave a short cough.

"Actually, I permitted this inspection not just because of the goods production contract. It was more so to meet you."

As the human national treasure lightly waved, the Permusae model disappeared and a new figure model appeared.

It was the first Bio Crisis figure she made for Lee Kyung-bok.

"I tried to recreate what you sent me in a photo. It's still amazing, even when I look at it again. I'm just amazed that you were able to create such a complex and detailed figure all by yourself."

“Oh, that, thank you.”

"No matter how advanced technology becomes, the foundation of sculpting lies in the ability to bring virtual entities to life. And not just in their implementation, but in their own unique interpretations, they were flawless. It's surprising that such talent has remained unknown until now…"

The human national treasure sighed, then smiled.

“But I have seen your talent, so I shamelessly arranged this position for you.”

“Excuse me, what are you talking about…”

“This is a scouting offer.”

Her jaw dropped when the interpreter returned. And with the next words, it couldn't return to its original position.

"It doesn't matter what contract you have now. We'll cover the full penalty. Also, if you join us, we'll provide a 50 million yen deposit, housing, and an interpreter. And we promise a starting salary of 20 million yen."

She blinked.

Numbers were spinning around in my head.

"50 million yen is 500 million won in Korean currency? And that's 200 million won as annual salary?"

It was a unit that felt unrealistic. Until a few days ago, hadn't she been constantly frustrated with her job search, eating only to be left alone?

“No, I, I don’t quite understand…”

"I'm not lying. I've already prepared the contract."

At those words, the guide brought up an electronic contract. It came in two versions: Japanese and Korean.

"Of course, you're not asked to make a decision right now. If you send us your email address, we'll send you a proposal. Please consider it carefully and respond. Thank you."

At this, Pugmalion's eyes shook. Suddenly, it became difficult to breathe.

'What should I do? I guess he's serious…!'

She could actually feel what it felt like to have a pounding heart. She had to take several conscious, deep breaths before finally finding relief.

Meanwhile, the other person was calmly waiting for her answer.

“Thank you so much….”

Finally she opened her mouth.

“This is the first time in my life I’ve received such a positive evaluation.”

The human national treasure's expression brightened upon hearing the interpretation. Pugmalion smiled at him as well.

“I don’t think you need to send me an email.”