Moby was right. Zeno needed to prepare himself for what lay ahead. The moment they arrived in the bustling city, he spotted it immediately—a gigantic billboard featuring his face.
“Did I somehow land a brand deal?” he asked.
“No,” Moby chuckled. “Those screens are actually paid for by your fans. It’s been looping continuously. You do realize that I travel back and forth between the city and the filming site, right?”
“I’m always astounded by the change in your fame every time I return,” Moby said, shaking his head in disbelief.
As they strolled past a street vendor, Zeno noticed an assortment of fans being sold, some adorned with his own face.
“And what about those?” he inquired. “I have official merchandise now?”
“Nope,” Moby replied, shaking his head with a bemused grin. “You’ve officially entered the world of unofficial merch. You’re one of those actors now—the kind that fans create merchandise for on their own. Your face is everywhere, and yet you haven’t even signed a brand deal yet!”
Zeno pondered for a moment, tapping his finger under his chin. He hasn’t watched the episodes beyond the first one, as their time had been consumed with filming. However, he was well aware that the ratings had been climbing steadily.
Currently, he was hovering around the midway point on his fame meter so the leap in his popularity was expected.
“We need to make a quick stop at the company,” Moby suddenly said. “I have something I want to show you.”
Zeno nodded. “Yeah, that’s alright, I guess.”
Moby flashed him a smile and continued driving. Meanwhile, Zeno seized the opportunity to sift through his new missions and items.
[New Missions:
Deadline: One month
1. Destroy an enemy
2. Participate in a brand deal]
The second mission seemed straightforward enough. However, the first mission was once again frustratingly vague. Destroy an enemy? Did the Ascendants genuinely believe he was some sort of video game character?
Well, that speculation wasn’t too far-fetched. The Ascendants had always enjoyed toying with him.
“We’ve arrived,” Moby announced just as Zeno was about to delve deeper into his items—or possibly activate them. Zeno frowned as he glanced outside the vehicle, taking in the surrounding building.
This wasn’t the shady neighborhood he had anticipated. Instead, it appeared to be just a few minutes away from the heart of Gangnam.
“Where exactly are we?” Zeno questioned.
Moby only smiled cryptically in response. He opened the door for Zeno, and at that moment, he was swarmed with flashes.
His eyes widened in shock as a group of people rushed toward him. “Zeno, please sign this!”
“Zeno, over here, please!”
“Oh my goodness. Zeno, you’re really back!”
“Zeno, you’re even more handsome than I remember!”
They clamored to take photos, leaving Zeno momentarily bewildered. Amongst the crowd, one particular man, suspiciously concealed beneath a bucket hat, stood in the front, disengaged—merely capturing images without uttering a word or extending a hand.
Fortunately, Moby deflected the swarm. “Sorry, Zeno won’t be available for any requests today. He’s exhausted from filming. I hope you all understand.”
To his relief, most of the fans began to back away.
However, the covered man lingered. He continued snapping photos, his eyes obscured by the brim of his hat, and Zeno couldn’t shake the feeling of unease as he furrowed his brows in confusion.
Before he could probe further, Moby gently but firmly pulled him inside.
“You still haven’t answered my question,” Zeno insisted, glancing around as they entered the building. “Where exactly are we?”
Moby simply smirked as he led Zeno toward a space nestled at the corner of the first floor. As Moby swung the door open, Zeno was greeted by an area that seemed to have been recently furnished.
The interior featured a cozy lounge area, and two doors that led to separate rooms. Just then, Bobby burst out from one of those rooms with a wide smile on his face.
“Zeno!” he exclaimed. “You’re back!”
Zeno glanced around the office, the pieces clicking into place in his mind. “It’s our new office,” he said, genuinely impressed by the transformation.
While other companies boasted entire buildings of their own, this new space—comparable in size to a salon—was still a remarkable upgrade from their previous location.
Moby affectionately patted Zeno’s back. “I told you—things would be so much different. This is all made possible because of you.”
Bobby nodded enthusiastically, his eyes sparkling. “How do you like it?”
“Pretty good,” Zeno replied, a smile creeping across his face.
Bobby approached him and smiled, sincerity radiating from him. “Thank you, Zeno. You’ve brought us to this stage, and we promise we’ll repay your hardwork by delivering the best results.”
Zeno chuckled softly. “How did you manage to afford this place? Isn’t it expensive around here?”
“We secured the lease for six months,” Moby explained. “The landlady from the previous building had become quite the fan of yours, so she graciously decided to waive our outstanding payments. Now, here we are!”
“The building is newly constructed, so the rent is comparatively low as they’re working hard to fill the remaining spaces. That’s why we chose to rent it for a longer term.”
Zeno looked at the two of them, taking in their happy expressions. He felt a smirk tugging at the corners of his mouth.
Well, if he had endured years of being scammed by his own artists, barely making a living for the past 15 years, and was previously stuck in a building with shady businesses, then he, too, would feel pretty happy.
“Did you call me here just for this?” Zeno inquired.
Bobby shook his head with enthusiasm. “Of course not! I wanted to let you know… there are several brands that are eager to work with you. I told them I would get back to them once you returned. They found it hard to believe that I’m your CEO, but I always want to ask for your opinion first.”
He pulled out a stack of folders and handed them to Zeno, who began to scan through the contents. There were at least twenty brands represented in this collection.
“But I know you’re not particularly fond of these things…” Bobby added cautiously.
“I’ll do it,” Zeno replied, surprising both Moby and Bobby. “I’ll review them and select the one that I like the most.”
Bobby appeared very excited. “Take your time. You’ve had a very long month, after all.”
“Anyway, that’s it! I’ll take you back now,” Moby said with a bright smile. Zeno nodded, and the two of them stepped outside, where they were once again greeted by a crowd of eager fans. Zeno signed some items before climbing into Moby’s truck. Although, those items were pretty weird.
Socks. Notebooks. Phones. A collarbone. Zeno decided to tune it all out.
“Everything is going exceedingly well,” Moby muttered to himself as he began to drive.
However, without warning, Zeno turned to him with narrowed eyes.
“Hey,” he said, capturing Moby’s attention. “Isn’t that your jinx? You really shouldn’t say things like that, right?”
Moby’s eyes widened in realization.
“Crap.”