Chapter 393: Lobby

Hwaranjeon

was a unique historical drama that would achieve unprecedented success, spreading beyond Asia to the Middle East and Africa.

If our company managed the entire original soundtrack album, it would also pave the way for the international expansion of the artists I chose.

Beyond that, uploading the original soundtrack album to Team Jung's MeTube channel with detailed subtitles in multiple languages could bring significant ad revenue from global views.

Oh Bok-Hee asked again, "Are you sure you don't need any composition fees?"

"Yes. But in exchange, please allow us to upload the entire original soundtrack album on MeTube."

Oh Bok-Hee smiled. "It seems like you've got a plan in mind, huh?"

"You know me well, Mrs. Oh."

"Well, I sure do... Alright, if you're waiving the fee, I see no issue with it. But isn't the timeline a little tight to produce twelve tracks? Do you think you can handle that?"

"I'll make sure it happens. There shouldn't be any problem."

With Bang Seon-Woo on board, he could produce one track per day if needed.

Oh Bok-Hee glanced at Ryu Han-Joon sitting beside her on the couch. "Mr. Ryu, what do you think?"

"You and I are already on thin ice with the higher-ups anyway. So what's one more mark? I say go for it."

Oh Bok-Hee nodded. "Understood."

Then, she turned back to me again. "Alright then, Hoop Entertainment can handle the album production."

I clenched my fists and replied confidently, "I'll give it my all to make it the best."

Then Oh Bok-Hee added, "I trust you. Also, since you're not taking a composition fee, we'll offer you 20% of the album's net profits. How does that sound?"

"I'm sorry? You're offering... 20%?"

Typically, it was challenging to get revenue-sharing for original soundtrack albums when the broadcaster was producing the drama.

However, Oh Bok-Hee was showing her appreciation toward me for choosing her as the PD for

Hwaranjeon

.

Oh Bok-Hee smiled and said, "I told you to take full advantage of MBS."

It was rare to receive such preferential treatment from someone as tough as Oh Bok-Hee. This was unimaginable in my previous life.

"I'll gather the best singers and make an outstanding album," I assured her.

"I'm counting on you."

We would have plenty of buzz with just Cherry Blossom and Kang Ha-Na, but I would probably need to bring in a few additional singers. After all, this was a perfect chance for global publicity.

Just as I thought we had finished discussing the original soundtrack, Oh Bok-Hee brought up another matter. "Oh, by the way, are you aware that KBC is planning a grand historical drama to rival ours?"

"No, that's news to me."

"It's called

Queen Jeong-Hee

and it's set to start broadcasting next January. We're their target."

I couldn't believe my ears for a moment.

'

Why are they producing it now?

' I wondered.

If

Hwaranjeon

had reached the highest viewership rating in the first half of the year in my past life,

Queen Jeong-Hee

dominated the latter half.

The drama chronicled the life of

Queen Jeong-Hee

, the wife of the seventh king of Joseon, King Sejo, and one of the most influential women of her time.

Though its peak viewership rating of 23% was lower than

Hwaranjeon

, it was highly regarded as a masterpiece with KBC investing all its resources.

Queen Jeong-Hee was led by CP Do Ye-Soo, a veteran with thirty years of experience in historical dramas and a reputation for creating masterpieces.

The script for

Queen Jeong-Hee

should still be under refinement, but now they were bringing forward the shoot by six months.

I tilted my head. "Airing in January seems tight, doesn't it? They haven't even held auditions yet."

Oh Bok-Hee explained, "I heard they're notifying all the agencies for the lead auditions today. KBC has a pool of seasoned actors for Joseon dramas, so they can probably start right away if they cast the leads. Plus, they'll be reusing sets from their last production."

It seemed they were serious about moving forward.

"Then who will be directing?" I asked.

"PD Lee Seon-Chang, and the writer is Ga Ye-Eun."

This was the same core team that produced

Queen Jeong-Hee

in my past life, meaning there were no changes in key staff.

If things proceeded exactly like in my past life, there was no doubt

Queen Jeong-Hee

would turn out to be another quality historical drama.

"It won't be easy competition with talents like that on their side," I remarked.

Oh Bok-Hee nodded with a grave expression.

However, this situation didn't quite make sense. I couldn't understand why they chose a direct confrontation when both dramas could draw high viewership ratings without competing.

"Why are they targeting us? We could have avoided clashing and shared the viewership ratings instead."

"Apparently, they changed the schedule due to President Park's reappointment situation."

KBC's President Park Chan-Sik's term would end early next year. As such, the viewership ratings and performance at the end of this year and early January were crucial for his chances of reappointment.

Advertisers paid more for high viewership ratings. This year, KBC suffered significant losses due to the success of the MBS and SBC shows that I had produced with Yoo-Jin.

Park Chan-Sik was bringing

Queen Jeong-Hee

forward to boost his performance record before his term was up.

Changing fate had come at a price and this was the result.

Oh Bok-Hee added, "That said... we'll be doubling down on our publicity efforts, so please have Team Jung focus on publicity as well."

"Understood. We'll put in our best efforts."

It turned out that releasing the original soundtrack album was part of the publicity plan to compete with

Queen Jeong-Hee

.

That meant putting even more effort into the original soundtrack album to make

Hwaranjeon

stand out with unique and buzz-worthy elements.

After discussing a few more ideas, we left Oh Bok-Hee's office and headed to a newly arranged workspace with Han Woo-Ju.

***

We arrived at a luxury residence only ten minutes from the company.

This place offered concierge services like meals and cleaning, much like a hotel.

With a beep, I opened the door to Unit 1501. The spacious fifty-pyeong workspace had floor-to-ceiling windows with a sweeping view of Apgujeong. The three-room unit was newly renovated with marble floors and built-in modern equipment.

Looking around the officetel, Miso exclaimed, "Wow, this place is amazing!"

Yoo-Jin also nodded and took in the surroundings. Though neither had much desire for material things, they could still appreciate a nice space.

Han Woo-Ju seemed excited but also felt a bit guilty. "Isn't this a bit much for a first workspace, Mr. Jung?"

"Not at all. You deserve it."

Under the Big Tree

alone brought in 1.7 billion won. Given that Han Woo-Ju spent most of her time working from home, I made sure to pick the best possible place for her.

Just then, my phone rang.

[Caller ID: Writer Lee Ji-Yeon]

"Ms. Lee and Ms. Kim are here."

"They're early."

Lee Ji-Yeon and Kim Soll-Ip had planned to come by for a mini housewarming. After finishing the call, I opened the entrance on the first floor through the intercom.

A short while later, Lee Ji-Yeon entered and handed over a gift as she took in the surroundings. "Writer Han, you're so lucky. My first office was a tiny five-pyeong studio that looked like a dorm."

Kim Soll-Ip who followed behind Lee Ji-Yeon also gasped in awe.

"Please, come on in and make yourselves at home."

Accepting Kim Soll-Ip's housewarming gift, we headed to the living room.

As soon as she sat down, Lee Ji-Yeon asked about today's events. "So, Writer Han. How was the first script reading today?"

"It was quite interesting."

"With all those S-class actors, nobody pressured you to increase their screen time?"

"No, nothing like that... but one of the actors did run out during the reading."

Lee Ji-Yeon made a dumbfounded expression. "What? What do you mean?"

"When Mrs. Oh reprimanded Min Gyu-Ri, she bolted out of the room immediately."

Lee Ji-Yeon snickered. "

Pfft.

She sounds like quite the character. But PD Oh didn't just let it slide, did she? There's no way she would just sit back and watch."

"Of course not. Mrs. Oh called her back and gave her a proper scolding."

Lee Ji-Yeon burst into laughter and shared stories of eccentric actors from her own experience. "Honestly, it's a relief she just ran off. Back in my day, I had people showing up at my place and threatening me over their screen time."

Lee Ji-Yeon explained that dealing with drama productions meant navigating challenging personalities with a bit of patience and clever persuasion.

At that moment, Lee Ji-Yeon glanced at the intercom. "That said... it's about time for something to happen."

"I'm sorry? What's happening?"

𝘧𝘳𝘦ℯ𝓌𝘦𝒷𝘯𝑜𝑣𝘦𝓁.𝒸𝘰𝓂

Just as Lee Ji-Yeon spoke, the intercom chimed.

Ding dong!

Lee Ji-Yeon grinned. "They're here."

I knew this was coming.

I had come not only for Han Woo-Ju's workspace housewarming but also for something else: lobbying for writers.

I was here to help address it.

Everyone looked at Lee Ji-Yeon in confusion.

Lee Ji-Yeon smiled. "Don't you get it? Lobbyists always show up when a production is about to start."

I had also done the same back in the day. If my actor's role was at risk, I would immediately bring gifts to the writer's office and do anything to secure screen time.

For a moment, Han Woo-Ju looked at me with a perplexed expression. "Um, what should I do?"

"It's up to you, Miss Han."

"Shouldn't I refuse?"

That's when Lee Ji-Yeon responded with a smile. "That's up to you, Writer Han. But honestly, most writers accept it."

"Wait, really?"

"Didn't you know? A lot of writers make some nice extra income this way."

I couldn't quite understand. '

Why is Mrs. Lee saying this?

'

Lee Ji-Yeon was known for refusing bribes. After all, she understood it would affect the roles the moment she accepted one. This meant that her words had to carry some purpose here.

I stayed silent and watched to see what she had in mind.

Han Woo-Ju hesitated and looked at Lee Ji-Yeon. "If I accept... then I would have to give something in return, right?"

"You could, or you could not. Honestly, who's going to challenge the writer? They wouldn't dare."

Han Woo-Ju looked to Kim Soll-Ip for support.

Kim Soll-Ip said, "Don't look at me. I never had anyone bring me gifts when I was a new writer."

When she was an assistant writer, Kim Soll-Ip handled these situations for Lee Ji-Yeon and firmly rejected all bribes. As a result, no one had tried bribing her since she became a writer.

"What are you going to do, Writer Han?"

After a moment, Han Woo-Ju made up her mind. "I'm not going to accept it. If I did, I would feel indebted to them... and it would definitely influence the script."

At that moment Lee Ji-Yeon smiled widely as if Han Woo-Ju had given the perfect answer. "Exactly. Money has a way of influencing everything. Think you can just accept it and ignore it? I've seen more than a few projects ruined that way."

Taking bribes would only destabilize the work. Lee Ji-Yeon was giving this advice as a final lesson.

She added, "Fancy and expensive gifts are surely nice. But just buy them with your own money. We make a good living as writers. Don't let yourself be swayed by this nonsense. That's all the wisdom I have to share."

Han Woo-Ju looked deeply moved. "Thank you, Mrs. Lee..."

Lee Ji-Yeon stood up. "Don't get too emotional. This isn't over yet. Besides, I think it's better if I handle the rejection myself since I'm also credited as a co-writer."

Lee Ji-Yeon took it upon herself to handle the unpleasant task. When she answered the intercom, it wasn't a talent agent or a representative but a delivery courier.

Lee Ji-Yeon addressed him kindly. "Sir, please call the sender and let them know that we'll cut the actor's role if they send another package. Yes, just tell them Lee Ji-Yeon Lee said it. And if they don't get the message or refuse to pay for the delivery, press the intercom again."

Subsequently, a few more talent agents tried to bring gifts in person but were turned away at the entrance.

Meanwhile, we ordered a VIP sashimi platter to celebrate Han Woo-Ju's first script reading.

Ten minutes later, the intercom chimed again.

Ding dong~

I stood up expecting the delivery, but I saw Yoo Kang-Seok and Min Gyu-Ri standing together with their hands clasped, looking as if they were waiting for permission to enter.

I would have turned them away if it had been just Jang Sam-Duk, but it was hard to ignore a company president who had come in person.

***

The office door opened with a soft click, and Yoo Kang-Seok holding a black shopping bag entered. Min Gyu-Ri followed with her face stiff.

Upon seeing Lee Ji-Yeon, Yoo Kang-Seok immediately bowed. He didn't even bother to sit down and spoke right there in the living room. "Ms. Lee, it's been a long time."

"It has been, President Yoo. I heard there was a little mishap today, huh?"

Yoo Kang-Seok was about to apologize again when Lee Ji-Yeon quickly turned her attention to Min Gyu-Ri. "So you're the one who swore and ran out of the reading session."

Even the audacious Min Gyu-Ri looked a bit intimidated by Lee Ji-Yeon's gaze.

Min Gyu-Ri bowed at a ninety-degree angle. "I'm sorry. I panicked and made a huge mistake."

"Don't apologize to me. Apologize to the lead writer. I heard you didn't do that properly before."

Only then did Min Gyu-Ri finally turn to Han Woo-Ju and offer a formal apology. "I'm truly sorry, Miss Han. I was so scared in front of Mrs. Oh earlier that I forgot to apologize. I promise it won't happen again."

This was an obvious lie. She had likely bowed earlier out of irritation, not genuine remorse.

Han Woo-Ju paused before responding in a calm and low voice. "But there won't be a second chance. Do you understand?"

"Yes..."

Trying to ease the tension, Yoo Kang-Seok gave a forced smile. "Miss Han. Gyu-Ri has mustered up the courage to apologize in person, so please go easy on her."

Seeing this was enough, I intervened. "Why don't we all sit down and discuss things?"

Lee Ji-Yeon shrugged as she reluctantly agreed, and I offered Yoo Kang-Seok and Min Gyu-Ri cushions to sit on.

After they settled, I brought some bottled milk tea from the kitchen and placed it on the table.

Lee Ji-Yeon's gaze then fell on the shopping bag Yoo Kang-Seok had brought. "President Yoo, are you here to bribe Writer Han to prevent the role from getting cut?"

"It's not a bribe, really—it's just a gesture of goodwill. But...

hahaha.

It's hard to know what to do in situations like this."

"If you're uncertain, don't bother taking it out."

Just then, Yoo Kang-Seok spoke with renewed confidence. "Would I ever? I'm Yoo Kang-Seok, after all."

Yoo Kang-Seok reached into the black shopping bag and pulled out an orange box adorned with the Hermos logo. It looked large enough to hold a designer bag from its size, likely containing something worth at least ten million won.

Like my old self, Yoo Kang-Seok was making a bold move and operating on a different level from most talent agents in the industry.

'

You are quite Impressive, President Yoo,

' I thought.