To push "Master Haseo" to work harder and finish the project faster, the wealthy client raised the payment again.
It went from one and a half million ryo to two million ryo.
Everyone knows Haseo isn't great at math, but in terms of purchasing power, this amount was equivalent to tens of thousands of dollars.
These days, writers get pressured for updates and construction workers get rushed for progress, but it's pretty rare for clients to voluntarily offer more money.
Since the other party had already shown full sincerity, Haseo obediently stayed home for these few days working on his artistic creation.
And following the principle that you get what you pay for, Haseo put in a seriously dedicated effort.
But he went beyond just the basics—going so far as to incorporate movie characters and imagery he knew into the original sketch to create something completely new.
Haseo really went all out with his imagination—so much so that the client should definitely feel this money was worth every penny... though the statue itself was slowly taking shape into something disturbingly grotesque.
To put it simply, this thing definitely belonged in the category of stuff that could keep anyone from wanting to get pregnant just by sitting in your living room.
"Haseo, do you really need to be this serious?
The statue you made—I'll be honest—even I find it unsettling and kind of creepy."
Only three days later, Tsunade started protesting... After all, who'd want that thing staring at them from inside the house all day?
"It's what the client requested; they've already paid for it."
Haseo adjusted the chisel in his hand, finishing off a visually striking tentacle.
"Just who exactly is your client anyway? They're being way too generous. Could there be something suspicious going on? You know, two million ryo would last me... quite some time."
Tsunade almost let something slip.
Haseo gave her a sidelong glance secretly, thinking she was being overly modest.
If she really went all out, she could burn through two million ryo in just two hours. How did "quite some time" even make sense here? Was "a period of time" basically equal to one hour?
"There's definitely something off here, Tsunade. People who pay quickly usually have one thing in common—that they earn money just as fast. Although I don't understand their line of work..."
As he spoke, Haseo tapped the statue, "What happens next can be predicted with roughly ninety percent accuracy. Simply put, don't think too highly of their generosity. From the start, they must've already figured out exactly how to get their money back."
Just based on the artwork Haseo sculpted, it was clear enough—the client's organization wasn't anything good. Wanting to profit from them? Sorry, they're the kind of group that only cheats others, never getting cheated themselves.
The Haseo couple had lived in this town for quite a long time already. If someone conducted even a little investigation, they'd easily discover how comfortable and affluent the couple's lifestyle was—they clearly qualified as a worthwhile target.
Receiving such a huge sum for no clear reason? Haseo never bought into the idea of free money falling from the sky.
Coincidentally, in this life he'd only ever scammed others and never been scammed himself... See? They had something in common. Clearly, they were destined to meet.
"Since you already figured it out, Haseo, what are you planning to do next?" Tsunade suddenly found the situation quite amusing. An evil cult targeting both of them? Comparatively speaking, it was even more absurd than kindergarten kids trying to rob a gang leader who had survived thirty years in the underworld.
"Me? I'm not doing anything at all."
To be honest, I still hope this could be a pleasant transaction — they pay, I deliver, money and goods exchanged hands, and everything wraps up nicely... Or are you hoping I'll return the money and call it off?
"That's absolutely impossible." Tsunade refused without batting an eye.
Money that went into Haseo's pocket was as good as gone into Tsunade's. Once money entered Tsunade's pocket, there was only one way it came back out — converted into casino chips.
As for completing this deal on equal terms? Hope is beautiful, sure… but even Haseo himself said it: that just ain't happening.
Five days later, the client received notice to come inspect the project.
Considering the average production cycle for sculptures, five days was extremely short. With such limited time, it wouldn't just be difficult to create masterpieces — even decent work would be hard to produce. So naturally, the middle-aged man's initial expression was somewhat sour.
You give me two million and get back a tray of homemade mini-burgers?
Yet when he actually saw the finished piece, his entire demeanor did a complete 180 — clearly, Haseo's creation had stunned him.
"This truly is… This is… A masterpiece."
To be honest, watching that guy hop around the statue like a lunatic, alternating between tears and laughter, totally threw Haseo off. What, did this expand your understanding of art?
This must be the power of two million.
"The master's work exceeds expectations by far. Without a doubt… It can only be said that seeking you out was my most correct decision."
After appreciating it one last time, the middle-aged man signaled his attendants behind him. They rushed forward quickly, wrapping the statue in cloth and boxing it up… One of them ran his hand along the statue's tentacle like he was stroking a girl's thigh — it made Haseo feel seriously creeped out.
The attendants carefully loaded the divine statue onto the vehicle. It was quite large in size, nearly two meters tall.
Once the handover was completed, the middle-aged man didn't leave immediately.
"To express our gratitude, Master Haseo, please surely attend our temple's completion ceremony as an honored guest. We beg of you."
Hmm. Sure enough, Haseo soon received a very formal invitation letter… Yep, knew it all along.
There was no way such money could be earned easily.
"I think… wouldn't that be somewhat inappropriate?
I respect your beliefs and understand the devoted hearts of followers toward their deities, but if an outsider like myself participates in a gathering of pious devotees, wouldn't that be disrespectful toward the gods?
I don't really know the God of Abundance at all, let alone understand the doctrines of this sect."
"Please, please. The divine statue you've crafted, Great Artisan Haseo, I believe is already a sufficient expression of emotion. Even though you may not understand us, this statue has demonstrated a shared inner connection between you and us. So...please, do join our ritual."
Hold on, what did he mean by that? Was he implying... that deep down, he was one of those tentacle monsters too? Haseo felt the words didn't sound quite like a compliment.
"Well then, truth be told, I am actually quite interested in your god as well... Still, let me ask once again just to be sure—are you truly inviting me?"
"Yes, Master."
"Sincerely?"
"Of course. It's our honor to introduce our situation to someone like you."
"Hmm...then tell me one last thing—will you not regret it?"
"..."
Had his questions started becoming unreasonable? Or was it the other way around—who exactly was suspicious of whom?
Well, the middle-aged man was already beginning to regret his offer at this point... He himself knew perfectly well what kind of things they were up to. A normal person would instinctively resist upon first contact with such matters.
Honestly, that statue was creepy as hell—would anyone in their right mind want to mess with something like that?
Yet in "Master Yu's" case, that rule didn't seem to hold anymore. In fact, it even appeared the Master wasn't genuinely refusing, but merely pretending to refuse... This guy was definitely suspicious.
Haseo glanced at the sacred emblem dangling from the other man's chest. It was deceptively simple—an equilateral triangle enclosed within a perfect circle. Haseo had a vague recollection of seeing this symbol somewhere before.
At this moment, he couldn't help but reveal a genuine smile.
Surely they weren't mistaking his name for 'Yu' as in 'foolish,' were they?
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