Not Just Pizza
Drift7Mark wasn't sure what he was looking at, but he blinked a few times just to make sure.
The briefcase had only been opened moments before, but what Mark expected was a cliched undisclosed amount of money, not...this.
"I don't get it" Mark said as he stared at the lone slice of pizza in the suitcase.
This must have been the most unusual method of bribery he had ever seen.
"Tell me, Mark. How much do you think this is worth?" Jinyoung made a grand gesture towards the pizza slice.
One plain slice, with no toppings. Mark thought to himself.
No one usually bought their pizza in slices. It was always by the box. He did some quick calculations.
"$2.99" Mark finally said.
"Wrong!" Jae Bum called out.
"Ok, then 3 dollars" Mark was being generous.
"This slice of pizza is worth more than the car you wrecked and this ty apartment combined." Jae Bum scratched at a stain on the wall with a grimace.
Mark was skeptical, but he didn't bother to comment. It was just too stupid to entertain.
"Do you know why?" Jinyoung asked. He looked over at Jae Bum who appeared to be amused.
"How cute, the delivery boy thinks we just sell pizza" Jae Bum said in mock pity, to which Mark responded with a scowl.
Mark felt out of the loop. What else would a pizza shop be selling besides pizza? Either he was crazy, or they were just trying to make a fool out of him.
"Haven't you ever wondered why we only get orders from wealthy neighborhoods?"
Mark did notice the high traffic of calls that all converged in one area, but he didn't bother to think anything of it.
His job was to deliver pizzas, that was it. He wasn't really thinking of the socioeconomic composition of 7Pizzas' costumer base.
"You see, Mark. We don't just sell pizza, we sell a lifestyle" Jae Bum took the last inhale from his cigarette before flicking it to the carpet and stepping on it.
Mark thought momentarily about how long it would take to get that stain out.
Whatever Jae Bum began to wax-poetic about was falling on Mark's deaf ears. Whatever it was he was trying to sell, Mark wasn't buying.
"One bite of that, and boom, you can knock out that long assignment in a few hours. One slice will make you 1000% more productive." Jae Bum smirked proudly. "That's what we sell"
"So you're saying its like adderall but in pizza form" Mark dead panned. That would explain why most of his calls came on school nights.
Jinyoung snapped his fingers "Exactly."
If this was the compensation Mark would receive for doing whatever nefarious deed they would ask of him, he didn't want it.
"I don't like pizza". Mark wasn't lying. Although it was rather ironic, coming from a guy surrounded by pizza all day.
"Good, because that's not the compensation." Jinyoung closed the briefcase. Jinyoung took out a business card from his wallet and presented it to Mark. "I am"
Jae Bum pointed at the briefcase.
"That's the delivery we want you to make with our Canadian client. Make the delivery, and Jinyoung will give you what you really want." Jae Bum flicked invisible dirt out of his fingernails.
"They call him the 'kingmaker' in show business"
The business card read:
KINGPIN ENTERTAINMENT
Park Jinyoung
Agent
Jinyoung outstretched his hand for a handshake.
He gave Mark a sly smile. "Most people will say they'll make you a star, but I prefer to make kings."
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