Chapter 311 - 196: The Troublemaking Jester
"What."
Jin Heon was stunned. Of all the possibilities she’d considered, she never expected this response from Li Wei.
"I’m not here for a job at the barbecue place!" she stomped her foot. "I’m here to see you!"
"Oh," Li Wei nodded. "An autograph or a photo? Did you bring a pen? Where should I sign?"
"Aish—Aigoo," Jin Heon’s face was flushed red, whether from anger or the cold, she couldn’t tell. "I’m not here for your autograph!"
"Well, if that’s all, you can go," Li Wei said. "I’m heading home."
"I’m here for a job," Jin Heon repeated, enunciating every word.
"Why would you think I have a job for you?" Li Wei shrugged, taking out his wallet and giving the valet 50 USD.
"Because... because you need a publicist right now," Jin Heon said. "Don’t you think you’re in the middle of a media storm?"
"Uh-huh," Li Wei said, pulling open his car door. "But why would you think that a problem that top-tier PR firms like Edelman and Wanbo Xuanwei couldn’t solve, you—excuse me, which PR firm do you represent?"
Jin Heon’s face grew even redder. She seemed a bit embarrassed as she revealed a cautious smile. "I don’t represent a firm. I’m an independent personal publicist, here to serve you exclusively."
It was late October in Manhattan, and even the lively, smoky atmosphere of Ktown couldn’t dispel the biting chill.
To show off her figure, Jin Heon was wearing an off-the-shoulder coat. A gust of wind made goosebumps rise all over her skin.
Li Wei glanced at her discreetly. "Get in the car, let’s talk," he said. "I’ll hear you out."
It was obvious at a glance that Jin Heon didn’t come from a wealthy family. After getting into the back seat, she looked at the door handle, which was at least a meter away, and searched in a slight panic for how to close the door.
"Above you," Li Wei prompted. "Press the button above your head."
After Jin Heon pressed the button on the ceiling of the Rolls-Royce, the door automatically and slowly closed.
"So," Li Wei said, sitting on the other side, "tell me your plan. What do you intend to do?"
"So, is this an interview?" Jin Heon took a deep breath. "Hello, Mr. Li Wei. My name is Jin Heon. I’m a fourth-year student at New York University, majoring in Public Relations and Brand Communication. Although I haven’t graduated yet, I have extensive internship experience at top-tier PR firms."
"New York University?" Li Wei said thoughtfully. "Do you know an Emily?"
"I do, we’re in the same sorority," Jin Heon said quickly. "That’s also how I knew about your schedule today. One of the students was basically live-streaming your entire trip, and I happened to recognize your face."
Li Wei nodded. "Alright then, tell me your brilliant plan, Miss Intern."
Jin Heon wasn’t discouraged or slighted by Li Wei’s teasing. Instead, she flashed her most confident smile, ready to impress and win over her future boss.
"If you go through a normal PR firm, they definitely won’t dare to take you on as a client," she said with conviction. "Because in the eyes of people who are already established and have a track record of great success, while adding you as a client could bring in considerable profit, if—and I’m just saying if—some bad press were to come out about you, the risk would outweigh the reward for them."
Li Wei grunted in response but said nothing, gesturing for her to continue.
"But I, Jin Heon," she said, pointing to herself, "I’m not afraid of that."
"Besides, the personal image plan I’ve designed for you is different from the conservative, outdated ones used by publicly traded companies," Jin Heon said. "My idea is to separate your professional attitude from your personal life."
"Oh?" Li Wei asked. "How so?"
While dealing with Jin Heon, Li Wei quietly released the [Chattering Court Jester Skull] from his inventory, curious to see what bullshit its damned mouth would spew this time.
And, as expected, it flew all around the interior of the Cullinan, making comments on everything, before circling Jin Heon and sizing her up.
[I do love to observe the lives of the common folk... after I crawled my way from the marketplace to the Royal Court... Ah! What have we here? A Minstrel attempting to peddle her wares to a Knight? How amusing. I was under the impression the noble Lord Knight cared not for such marketing of the self. What grand feat are we publicizing this time? Defeating a goblin single-handedly?]
"First, in the professional arena, we need to maintain this tyrant persona, continue playing the role of the ’Yellow-skinned God,’" Jin Heon said. "Second, outside the professional arena, we need you to be a good person who’s passionate about charity and helping the poor. Or rather, to *play* a good person."
Li Wei was noncommittal, just shrugging his shoulders.
Seeing that Li Wei hadn’t interrupted her or shown any disinterest, Jin Heon continued:
"But how do we publicize it?" she said. "Simple. We do it indirectly, not through a big, flashy, direct campaign."
"When you’re doing charity work, helping others," she said excitedly, "I’ll hire people to pretend to be passersby and secretly film the scene. Then, we’ll blast it out with massive exposure. The fans who had given up on your personality will have a complete reversal, BAM!"
She punched a fist into her palm, voicing the sound effect herself.
"The extreme contrast will make the public realize that your on-field behavior is just a form of expression, a cry of protest," she continued. "That your actions in the arena were just you fighting back against the discrimination you face as a minority in the United States of America."
"Isn’t this part just you smuggling in your own agenda?" Li Wei rubbed his chin. "I’m actually not a fan of this identity narrative."
"Then we won’t add it. That will also help solidify our core fanbase," Jin Heon said, readily accepting the feedback. "In any case, if you think what I’m saying makes some sense and you’re willing to give me a chance, I promise I’ll make it worth your while!"
Li Wei didn’t speak, one hand tapping on the Cullinan’s armrest as he fell into thought.
’What Jin Heon said seems to have some merit, but she’s still too young and has no track record of mature cases.’
Just then, the [Chattering Court Jester Skull] at his side continued its mockery:
[Oh, manipulating the hearts of men. I despise these silver-tongued Minstrels who paint people as saints... If only I could contact the Royal City’s interrogator, I would have him punished severely... Wait, was I not once such a person myself?]
As it spoke, it trailed off into its own monologue.
But the system didn’t care about any of that, and another quest popped up:
[You have encountered the quest: A Dispute (Justice)]
[The Minstrel from the roadside tavern has offered to spread word of your good name, but the jester at your side does not seem to agree. They had a huge argument. The jester threatened to smash the Minstrel’s head if he saw him again, while the Minstrel threatened to sing of the jester’s dirty deeds for the next millennium. As a Knight, you should resolve the dispute between them, but all three of you know this will be no easy task.]
[Quest Objective: Make one party back down.]
[Quest Reward: +0.1 Free Attribute Points]
’Who are the "three of you" that know?’
Li Wei glanced at the babbling Jin Heon and the hovering [Jester Skull], and with another thought, stuffed the Jester Skull back into his inventory.
[Quest: A Dispute (Justice) Complete!]
[It’s a miracle! No one knows how you did it, but a miracle has occurred: The jester decided to back down. On the surface, the two have shaken hands and made peace. Though they will surely argue again someday, at least for today, they’ve shown you some respect. You have practiced the virtue of: Justice.]
[Reward: +0.1 Free Attribute Points]
’That worked?’ Li Wei was stunned by the system’s ability to fill in the blanks. ’The last time I was this stunned was... the last time I was stunned.’
"Hmm..." Li Wei paused. "I need to discuss this with my agent."
Jin Heon thought this was a rejection, and the light in her eyes instantly dimmed.
"But," Li Wei changed his tune, "since I don’t have a suitable publicist at the moment, why don’t we let you try it out as an intern first? Do you still have classes?"
Jin Heon shook her head quickly.
"OK, this is my agent’s number," Li Wei had her take down Don Quixote’s number. "Contact him later. If he thinks you’re a good fit, then I don’t have a problem with it either."
Jin Heon was overjoyed and immediately began expressing her gratitude to Li Wei.
A large part of the reason Li Wei agreed was likely due to the last line from the system.
[...Though they will surely argue again someday...]
’So I can keep using Jin Heon to farm attribute points?’ For Li Wei, that was a far greater return than the salary he would be paying her.
’But seriously, that jester is a real troublemaker.’
"Where do you live?" Li Wei said. "Want me to give you a ride home?"
"No, no, that’s okay," Jin Heon was taken aback and immediately refused. "If my neighbors see a Rolls-Royce dropping me off, they’ll get the wrong idea. I’ll just take the subway home."
Li Wei didn’t press the issue. He just told her to be safe and watched her get out of the car.
The rest followed logically. Seeing that she was recommended by Li Wei, and also being impressed by her abilities and resume, Don Quixote signed her to a 3-month internship contract. Including the NDA, her pay would be 5,000 USD a month. If she became a full-time employee, her salary would be 85,000 USD a year, plus a 1% commission on Li Wei’s commercial endorsements.
However, Jin Heon’s hiring also led to an unexpected conversation between Don Quixote and Li Wei.
"There’s nothing going on between you two, is there?" Don Quixote asked with a strange expression. "Why else would you suddenly recommend such a pretty girl to me? She seems to be all looks and not much else. Or are you planning to launch her career as a star in the future?"