Chapter 126
I tried to calm my pounding heart and quickly organized my thoughts.
I didn’t know the technical details of how a web novel platform should be built.
But one thing was certain.
Building a community-based platform like this was ultimately a battle to bring people in.
You needed readers to generate views.
You needed writers to build up a catalog.
No matter how good the system was, without producers and consumers, it was meaningless.
That was why companies poured huge amounts of money into promotion and desperately fought for users.
But if we slightly modified the homepage Woo Seungcheol already had, we could start while keeping the existing writers, works, and readers intact.
That was why Woo Seungcheol was absolutely necessary for this.
No.
If it hadn’t been for Woo Seungcheol in the first place, I never would have even thought of this idea.
Then... first, I need to naturally pull Seungcheol into this.
I thought for a moment before slowly speaking.
“I don’t think it’s impossible.”
Do Kijeong looked at me as if asking what I meant.
“What isn’t?”
“What Seungcheol just said.”
I continued.
“I think we could make the homepage function as both a publisher and a bookstore, where readers directly pay to read web novels.”
Do Kijeong stared blankly at me for a moment.
Then he chuckled.
“Come on, Team Leader Min. Why are you taking a joke so seriously?”
“I’m serious.”
At those words, the three of them exchanged startled looks.
“Think about it.”
I continued.
“People buy and sell things online through shopping malls all the time.”
“Then why couldn’t web novels work the same way?”
“If we build the right system, shouldn’t it be possible?”
“Of course, we’d need help from professionals to create the system itself.”
Woo Seungcheol’s eyes shook rapidly at my unexpected answer.
But for some reason, he hesitated and couldn’t say anything.
I thought I understood why.
It was easy for me to say, Just get professional help and build a system.
But in reality, no one knew how much money or time that would require.
For Woo Seungcheol, who was barely supporting himself with part-time jobs after leaving the military while continuing to write, my words probably sounded like an impossible dream.
I didn’t let the moment pass.
“Want me to help?”
Woo Seungcheol immediately looked at me.
“If you’re willing to do it, I’ll invest the initial capital needed to build the system.”
I smiled.
“What do you think?”
“I-Invest?”
Woo Seungcheol stared at me blankly, as though he couldn’t believe what he had just heard.
Then Do Kijeong quickly cut in.
“Wait, Kibaek.”
He looked alarmed.
“Aren’t you being a little too impulsive?”
“Investing all of a sudden?”
Impulsive?
Of course it was impulsive.
But timing was always important in life.
“Yes, this decision is sudden.”
I nodded.
“And yes, part of the reason I’m approaching this is because I want to help Seungcheol.”
Then I continued.
“But the more I think about it, the more I’m convinced this is a genuinely good business idea.”
At the words good business idea, all three of them quickly fell into thought.
After a brief silence, Noh Geumbong spoke first.
“Honestly, when I heard what Kibaek hyung said earlier, I got goosebumps.”
He looked excited.
“I thought, If this really works, it could be huge.”
Do Kijeong nodded.
“Yeah.”
“Now that I’m looking at it as an actual business, it really does sound surprisingly viable.”
Then he laughed.
“And it helps that the person saying it is you.”
“You’re already called a Midas touch in the film and drama industries.”
“That makes it feel even more trustworthy.”
He grinned.
“Should I invest too while I’m at it? Hahaha.”
But despite the positive reactions from Noh Geumbong and Do Kijeong, Woo Seungcheol still looked troubled.
“What?”
I tested him.
“Not confident?”
Woo Seungcheol immediately shook his head.
“No.”
He answered firmly.
“This would create a place where writers like me can freely publish online and actually earn income.”
“Even if I weren’t confident, I’d still have to try.”
“Then why do you look like that?”
“Well...”
He hesitated.
“I’m worried that if you invest and lose money because of me...”
“That’s...”
I chuckled at his concern.
“Don’t worry about that.”
“It may take quite a while before the system becomes stable.”
Then I looked directly at him.
“But I’m certain this business can succeed.”
At the word certain, Woo Seungcheol’s eyes shook again.
I smiled.
“Then let’s strike while the iron is hot.”
“Why don’t we start by setting up a corporation?”
“Hahaha.”
On the way home, I stared out at Seoul’s night skyline and fell into thought.
Ha...
I never imagined I’d end up expanding into the web novel business too.
Life really was unpredictable.
And apparently, that was true even for someone living a second life after regression.
The thought made me laugh to myself.
The next morning, Woo Seungcheol called me.
Before we seriously discussed the web novel platform business, he said there were people he absolutely needed to introduce to me.
“Introduce?”
“Yes.”
“They’re the administrators who’ve been running New Moon with me all this time.”
Woo Seungcheol explained that if we were really going to do this, we would absolutely need their help.
However, after briefly discussing the idea with them the previous day, their reactions hadn’t been very positive.
Even if I provided the capital, we would still need people who could practically manage and operate the platform alongside Woo Seungcheol.
So I agreed to meet them.
That was how I ended up entering a small café near Hongdae, our agreed meeting place.
“Hyung, over here!”
Woo Seungcheol raised his hand high when he saw me enter.
I naturally looked in his direction.
Five people were sitting around the table, including Woo Seungcheol.
“Hello.”
I bowed slightly.
“My name is Min Kibaek.”
The five returned short bows, looking slightly awkward.
Woo Seungcheol began introducing them one by one.
They ranged in age from their twenties to their fifties.
There was Park Moonsik, a man in his fifties who had spent his entire career working at publishing companies before being forced into early retirement during the IMF crisis.
There was Lee Kangsoo, an unemployed man in his thirties who had graduated from Seoul National University’s engineering school and supposedly had an IQ of 230.
There was also Choi Yujin, a woman in her forties who had worked in the marketing department of a major corporation before quitting.
Then there was Yoon Taewoo, a university student in his twenties studying computer design.
And finally, a man in his thirties who worked as a private academy instructor.
“Uncle Moonsik writes martial arts novels.”
Woo Seungcheol pointed toward him.
“He handles the message boards.”
“Kangsoo hyung writes fantasy, and he manages the entire homepage system.”
“Yujin noona writes romance fantasy, and she handles promotion.”
“Our membership grew a lot because of her.”
“And Taewoo made all the homepage designs, logos, and banners.”
I found it genuinely impressive.
