The Academy’s Unrivaled Professor - Chapter 95

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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Academy’s Absolute Professor Episode 95
Han Seo-gyeong, Representative Director of White Management
Taejeong Space, Taejeong E&C, Taejeong Trading… and the Taejeong Holdings that bound them all together.
On top of that, there was the Secret Manual interpretation business they ran with the Management Bureau.
Yes, making money.
That much he could understand.
‘But the guilds…….’
Not content with dividing the students into a cell-like structure, they’d absorbed a guild built separately by two S-rank Hunters?
Wasn’t this practically the formation of a criminal syndicate?
Kim Hyung-seok’s head throbbed.
‘Even so, I’m the Bureau Director—I can’t just stand by and watch a military force like this take shape…….’
But wait.
‘How in the world am I supposed to stop this?’
The opponent was Black.
A monster who could leave the nation at will if his mood was soured.
“Director, that’s not even the end of it.”
“……What now? What else?”
Kim Hyung-seok answered in a deflated tone.
“Do you know who the representative director of White Management is?”
“How would I know that? Who is it?”
“Han Seo-gyeong.”
“What? Han Seo-gyeong?”
“Yes.”
“That Han Seo-gyeong who was operations director of the Cheonlang guild?”
“Correct. The woman you found most troublesome, sir.”
“……What’s that viper doing there?”
“It appears Cha Yu-sik connected them.”
“…….”
Silence fell over the Director’s office.
Han Seo-gyeong.
Estranged from Cheonlang and pushed out of the industry, yet her acumen was genuine.
Once, she was the woman who had bled the Management Bureau dry in budget negotiations.
“Arrrrgh!”
Kim Hyung-seok finally seized his head in both hands and let out a wail of despair.

* * *
But what exactly was White Management all of a sudden, and who was Han Seo-gyeong, who had become its face?
To understand the full story, one had to rewind four days.

* * *
Four days earlier.
A private café somewhere in Seoul.
Han Seo-gyeong, forty-two this year, waited for someone with her hair neatly pulled back and impeccable formal attire, not a thread out of place.
She recalled the contact Cha Yu-sik had sent her days before.
– Director, how have you been?
– Oh, Yu-sik! I’ve been well. How about you? I heard you just got back from Paris?
– Haha, you saw that?
– I did. You really were the right fit for Cheonlang, not your older brother.
– I’ve left Cheonlang.
– Huh? What do you mean?
– I’ve built my own guild. It’s called Irang.
– Irang?
– Yes, actually that’s what I wanted to contact you about. By any chance, what are you doing these days?
It probably started then.
Straightening from where she’d been lounging on the sofa, pulling herself upright.
Since leaving Cheonlang, she’d been scraping by with consulting for mid-tier guilds here and there.
– I’m taking a break right now.
– Really? You were the operations director of Cheonlang, weren’t you?
– There have been a few offers, but nothing’s been decided yet.
Once, she had backed the second son, Cha Yu-sik, in Cheonlang’s succession struggle.
In the end, he’d been sidelined in office politics, and when he discovered and tried to expose irregularities in a subsidiary, he’d naturally begun packing his things.
Later, when Cha Ha-rang learned what had happened, he came to persuade him to stay, but Han Seo-gyeong refused outright.
“I won’t work alongside trash who turn a blind eye to corruption once they’ve seen it.”
Cha Ha-rang did discipline the corrupt executives, but he’d compromised halfway rather than excising the rot in one clean cut for the sake of guild operations—and that didn’t sit well with Han Seo-gyeong.
If the flesh was rotten, you scraped the bone bare to cut it out. She couldn’t stomach the way large organizations rationalized away decay as simply the nature of the beast.
‘Maybe my personality is just odd, that’s all.’
“Well then, how fortunate. A professor I know is actually preparing to launch a hunter management firm. Would that interest you?”
“A hunter management firm?”
“It’s still in the setup phase, but he’s looking for someone to take on the role of director. The moment I heard about it, you came to mind, and I thought I’d recommend you.”
“Director, though… that’s quite a substantial proposition all of a sudden?”
“It’ll be an incredible opportunity for you, I promise. You’d also be managing Irang, which I created. If you’re interested, shall we set up a meeting so I can explain more?”
“If you’re saying as much, I’m curious. When should we meet?”
And so Han Seo-gyeong, having heard the rough outlines from Cha Yu-sik, had agreed to the interview and now found herself sitting in this café.
A light chime.
As the door opened, two figures—a man and a woman—stepped inside.
It was Kang Hyun and Lee Se-ah.
“It’s a pleasure to meet you. I’m Lee Se-ah, and I serve as Professor Kang Hyun’s secretary.”
“I’ve heard about you from Yu-sik. You must be Professor Kang. I’m Han Seo-gyeong.”
They exchanged a light handshake and took their seats.
Kang Hyun, however, continued to study Han Seo-gyeong intently.
‘Hmm.’
The corner of his mouth curled upward.
‘The Simgyean. A rare constitution indeed.’
Those who possessed such eyes typically became formidable negotiators.
They could see through human nature with uncanny precision.
‘That Yu-sik fellow, he said he’d introduce someone, and he’s brought me something remarkable.’
A sharp tap.
Kang Hyun rose from his chair without hesitation.
“You’re quite skilled at deceiving people.”
“I… beg your pardon?”
Han Seo-gyeong’s eyebrow twitched slightly.
“And just as skilled at protecting them.”
In the next breath, he leaned toward Lee Se-ah’s ear and whispered.
“I like her. You see to the hiring yourself. Give her whatever terms she wants.”
“Professor—Professor?”
Lee Se-ah’s eyes widened in bewilderment, but Kang Hyun had already opened the door and stepped outside.
Han Seo-gyeong let out a soft laugh.
“Just as I’d heard.”
“What had you heard?”
“That you’re firm in your convictions and rather unconventional.”
“Ha, well yes. He’s quite a character, isn’t he? So, ah… it looks like you’ve passed the first interview, so shall we discuss the practical details?”
Lee Se-ah trusted Kang Hyun’s judgment.
His eye for talent was so sharp that he could discern someone’s constitution from across a crowded room.
He must have seen something in this woman as well.
“Let’s start by looking at the contract here.”
Lee Se-ah handed over the documents, and before Han Seo-gyeong even took them, she laid out her cardinal rule.
“Before I look, there’s something I need to say upfront.”
“Of course, please feel free to speak.”
“Typically, when recruiting a director, the priority is maximizing company profit. But my priorities are somewhat different.”
A gravity settled in Han Seo-gyeong’s gaze.
“From Yu-sik, I understand that the professor’s students are set to be bound by contracts with this company. I won’t accept young students becoming disposable assets or trapped in exploitative agreements. Even if it means smaller margins, I intend to operate on a principle of mutual benefit. If that conflicts with the company’s policy, then there’s no point wasting time, is there?”
For most management firms, such a statement would have been awkward.
Han Seo-gyeong had made it fully expecting to be turned down.
‘What can I do? My nature is like this.’
Had she known how to compromise with reality, wouldn’t she have stayed with Cheonlang?
Yet Lee Se-ah simply smiled warmly.
“I’m relieved, actually.”
“Really?”
“Take a look at this—the standard contract we’ll be using with our affiliated guilds.”
With a skeptical look, Han Seo-gyeong took the documents Lee Se-ah offered.
And as her eyes skimmed across the content, they grew wide as saucers.
“The profit split is… eight to two for the guild and company? And the guild master gets nine to one?”
“Yes.”
“……Isn’t this just a charity organization?”
“Not quite. Only the guilds Professor Kang selects operate on these terms. Standard guilds will follow the industry standard of seven to three.”
Still.
Just reading this contract alone put Han Seo-gyeong at ease.
It meant this was no company trying to feather only its own nest.
“And you understand what White Management’s role will be?”
“Yes, you’d be managing the guild operations on their behalf, right?”
Accounting, legal affairs, settlements, public relations, contract brokerage—the works.
It was work that made guilds run on their own, so inexperienced students could focus on training alone.
Since they’d be managing multiple guilds, they’d need to hire plenty of staff.
As Han Seo-gyeong’s eyes ran down the list of guilds, her brow furrowed.
‘Tiger Research Institute—Ma Chul-ung? Ghost Defense Squad—Gye Mu-jin?’
You couldn’t possibly work in this industry without knowing those two names.
Especially when they weren’t common names to begin with.
“Wait… are these… yes, S-rank Hunters. These two have exclusive contracts with this company? How is that even possible?”
“All through Professor Kang’s connections.”
“Huh.”
A hollow laugh escaped Han Seo-gyeong’s lips.
‘So that’s why.’
Why Cha Yu-sik had spoken with such unwavering confidence.
‘With this, they wouldn’t even need to pound the pavement for business—it would grow on its own.’
Viral marketing would happen naturally, and countless guilds would line up.
Han Seo-gyeong’s mind worked quickly.
‘What’s my job, then?’
Set up capable staff, establish the systems so it all runs on its own.
Then the company would generate profits effortlessly.
‘A company with certain future value.’
For the first time in a long while, Han Seo-gyeong’s heart raced.
She suppressed her excitement and spoke carefully.
“The vision is frankly overwhelming. I’ll admit it. I’ve grown confident we can protect those students while taking this company to the top of the industry.”
Han Seo-gyeong leaned back in her chair.
“Now then, shall we talk about my terms?”
The most crucial moment.
No matter how promising a company’s vision, in the end you signed only if the treatment you received was fair.
Lee Se-ah slid a prepared employment contract across the table as if she’d been waiting for this.
“Our initial proposal guidelines.”
Han Seo-gyeong possessed the Simgyean.
She didn’t need to read the papers—she could tell from Lee Se-ah’s eyes alone.
‘Top-tier compensation.’
Not the eyes of someone prepared to haggle weakly.
White Management Chief Executive Officer Han Seo-gyeong
– Base Salary: 500 Million Won
– Performance Bonus: 2% of Annual Net Profit
– Contract Duration: 5 Years
– Upon Contract Completion, Stock Options to Purchase 5% Company Stake at Par Value if Growth Targets Are Achieved
Her eyes scanned the documents.
“…….”
She lost her words.
The salary itself was mid-tier for a guild executive, fair enough, but the performance bonus was unreasonable—in the best way.
If she managed things well, she’d easily surpass the earnings of a major guild master.
‘And then there’s.’
Five percent stock options?
If she raised this company’s value to the trillions?
Even at one trillion, that was fifty billion.
‘This is…….’
Even accounting for all opportunity costs, there was no better offer anywhere.
“How do you feel? Would you like to negotiate for better terms?”
Han Seo-gyeong read the intention behind the question.
If she pushed any further, the opportunity might slip through her fingers.
The professor who’d left earlier might not understand, but this woman was perfectly positioned to take her chance away.
“No need.”
Scratch, scratch!
Han Seo-gyeong’s pen flew across the contract in one swift motion.
“I don’t think any adjustments are necessary.”
“Really?”
“Who in the world would turn down treatment like this?”
That was how Han Seo-gyeong had come to join them.

* * *
One week after Han Seo-gyeong’s arrival.
Incheon International Airport, Terminal 1.
[Breaking News: Ariana Ashford Makes Surprise Visit to Korea!]
[Exclusive: Her First Official Appearance Since the Paris Incident—Is She Here for Pleasure?]
The moment the news alert went live, crowds descended on the airport. With a whoosh, the automatic doors slid open, and a woman walked through.
An overwhelming presence swept across the terminal—even the photographers fell silent.
Ariana Ashford, Commander of the British Royal Guard.
“She’s a doll.”
“How can a person be like that…?”
“She’s amazing!”
One bold reporter thrust a microphone forward and called out.
“Ariana! What is your real purpose for visiting Korea?”
Rest and recuperation?
Military exchange?
Or is it really just tourism?
Ariana opened her mouth without hesitation.
“I came to eat. Korean barbecue—the marbled beef cuts.”
“Pardon?”
“I heard the meat at a restaurant near the National Academy is exceptional.”
It was an indirect message to Black.
Forget about Academy exchanges and all that—I need treatment now!
Do something, anything, and do it fast!

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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