Chapter 576: Their Plan (1)

-Sorry, but I don't think we can stop Chairman Jiang Wei anymore.

For a moment, a thought flashed through my mind.

"Your family's not going to fall apart overnight or anything, right?"

I had heard that in China, if one got tangled in factional disputes, their whole family could be destroyed.

When I asked out of concern, Wang Long replied with a laugh.

-

Hahaha

, don't worry. It's nothing like that.

"Really? That's a relief."

In return for saving Lily and Wang Long in the past, I had asked Wang Long's father, Deputy Secretary Wang Min, to cut off Jiang Wei's funding.

Wang Long apologized, saying he couldn't do that anymore. But even the fact that he had helped until now was already a huge help to me.

"Anyway, just the fact that your father and Ling Ling's father have helped this much is more than enough. I'll handle the rest myself."

Maybe because I answered too calmly, Wang Long asked with curiosity.

-Are you really gonna be okay?

"I'm fine. I'm not the same person I used to be."

Things might be different if we were in China, but in Korea? I now had ways to deal with Jiang Wei. Thanks to the time Wang Min and President Li Kejun bought me, I had many allies now.

Then Wang Long said, half-amused.

-You're probably the only person in the world who thinks so lightly of Chairman Jiang Wei.

"You're the same, though."

-Well, in my case... It's just because of my father's connections. But you, you're different Yoon-Ho.

Wang Long kept saying flattering things about how I had built everything from nothing. I told him it wasn't necessary to praise me like that and continued.

"Oh, and while I'm at it, let me just say... if anything happens, come straight to Korea. I can support your family at least."

Wang Long burst into loud laughter.

-Even hearing that makes me thankful. But really, it's nothing like that. It's just that the Party intervened because Ling Ling's father's company, RedPay, is about to go public. That's why we can't touch Chairman Jiang Wei's faction anymore.

Ling Ling and Lily's father, Li Kejun, apparently pushed the IPO of the electronic payment company RedPay ahead of schedule to list on the Shanghai Stock Exchange. Once listed, it could become a company worth trillions of won, so several high-ranking Communist Party officials invested.

To avoid obstacles to the IPO, the top Party officials had agreed to stop fighting.

-Our dads tried to block Chairman Jiang Wei, but that guy had already done so much lobbying that it was impossible.

"It's okay. I'll call your father."

-Okay. If you call him, he'll feel more at ease.

"Yeah. Anyway, let's meet at the end of this month. I'll have everything ready for the Global Idol Project audition, so tell Ling Ling not to worry."

-Got it. I'll let Ling Ling know.

With that, I ended the call with Wang Long. Then right away, I called Wang Min.

He answered with an apologetic tone.

-Yoon-Ho, I'm sorry. I was hoping we could at least hold off Jiang Wei until the end of the year, but...

"Not at all, sir. What you've done so far is more than enough."

-

Sigh

. Still, he won't be able to act as he did before. Chairman Jiang Wei has taken quite a financial hit from us.

Since Jiang Wei's funding sources were so damaged, it would be difficult for him to make any moves for the time being.

"Thank you, sir."

-Hey, there's no need for thanks. We are family, aren't we?

Wang Min had always treated me like his own son, even though we didn't share a drop of blood.

Grateful, I said once again.

"Thanks to you and Mr. Li Kejun, I've been able to grow this much. It's all because of you. I'm truly thankful.

Wang Min let out a hearty laugh.

-

Hahaha

. Hearing you say that means a lot, Yoon-Ho.

Wang Min chuckled and said it was about time to end the call.

-Chairman Jiang Wei already knows to some extent that we're backing you, so he won't treat you as carelessly as before. Don't worry too much.

Wang Min hadn't completely stopped Jiang Wei, but he had subtly let him know that I had someone powerful behind me. He was looking out for me more than I had realized.

"Thank you."

-Alright. Take care. And also... take good care of Ling Ling.

Without missing a beat, I answered with a smile.

"Looking after a little sister is what an older brother's supposed to do, isn't it?"

Wang Min suddenly went quiet. Then, with a trembling voice, he began to speak again.

-Right. That was my mistake. Yes, you're right.

Hahaha

. We're already... family.

He paused for a moment. Then, like a real father, he insisted that I take care of my health and hung up.

After I hung up, Han Yoo-Sik looked at me with a pleased expression. "There sure are a lot of good people around you, Chief Jung."

I replied with a grin. "Yes. People like you and Mrs. Lee."

At that moment, Han Yoo-Sik and Lee Ah-Eun paused before they looked at me with moved expressions.

"Is that... really how you see us?"

"Yes."

"Thank you, Chief Jung."

Lee Ah-Eun also looked at me with warm eyes and said, "Thank you, Mr. Jung."

𝕗𝐫𝚎𝗲𝘄𝐞𝕓𝐧𝕠𝘃𝕖𝐥.𝐜𝚘𝚖

Their smiles grew even warmer. Thanks to them, I found myself smiling pleasantly that morning.

"Then I'll be off to work now."

"Alright. Oh, and before I forget, I'm planning to visit Daeheung Savings Bank today."

Starting today, the debt recovery process for Mirinae was beginning. Since Daeheung Savings Bank held all the claims, the process was expected to wrap up within about a month.

"Good luck, Mr. Han."

"You too. Best of luck!"

After saying my farewells to Jung In-Ji and Lee Ah-Eun as well, I stepped out into the yard.

I got into the car in the courtyard parking lot and fastened my seatbelt, then slowly started the engine.

Vroooom.

The engine gave a cheerful roar.

Just as I was about to head out after letting the car warm up a bit, a vibration came from my inner pocket.

Buzz.

I took out my phone and saw a notification that today's fortune had been updated.

[Notification: Fortune of the Day for January 20, 2021 has been updated.]

I wasted no time checking today's schedule on Everyday.

[Everyday V12.2]

[Date: January 20, 2021]

[Fortune of the Day: The big fish you've caught might slip away. Tighten the loosely woven net. Watch out for enemies from within.]

'

Big fish slipping away? Tighten the net?

'

Suddenly, I understood what the fortune was trying to say. The big fish clearly referred to star celebrities. In other words, it was a warning that someone was targeting the actors under Division Jung. And the internal enemy part meant that it was the talent agents from Gwanwoo Entertainment or Chief Baek Sae-Gi who were trying to poach them.

Nevertheless, none of the star actors in Actor Division 4 under my management were at risk of leaving. That meant this was about the celebrities in Actor Division 2: Park Eun-Sung, who had escaped from a gang-affiliated agency, Sung Ho-Joon, who used to be in TNT and loved video games, Song Ji-Hwan, a historical drama actor who had no recent work and moved from Division 3 to Division 2, and Jo Min-Sung, the marquee actor who went from Division 1 to Division 2.

Those four received constant offers even without active promotion, so just basic management was enough. That's why I had already suggested their next roles and left them under Actor Division 2's care.

However, Baek Sae-Gi and people from Gwanwoo Entertainment were aiming for that opening.

"Today, I'd better head straight to the field instead of the office."

I had no intention of letting go of the fish I had caught.

I immediately turned the wheel toward the filming location of the actor who seemed most vulnerable out of the four.

***

In the innermost private room of Kagemusha, a well-known Japanese restaurant in Apgujeong, Choi Man-Sik, Kim Gwan-Woo, and Kim Jang-Bi were seated from the morning.

Right after Hoop Entertainment's morning meeting ended, Kim Gwan-Woo and Kim Jang-Bi came to the place Choi Man-Sik had called them to.

"Your meal is served."

A neatly dressed server set the dishes and bowed politely before leaving the room. Since it was morning, the table was filled with steamed eggs and various Japanese home-style dishes.

"Alright, let's eat. This place is the best for breakfast."

After soothing his stomach with steamed egg, Choi Man-Sik set down his spoon and asked, "So, what do you think of that punk Jung Yoon-Ho after a week?"

Kim Gwan-Woo shook his head, clicking his tongue. "He's not an easy opponent. Unbelievably seasoned for someone so young."

At Kim Gwan-Woo's assessment, Choi Man-Sik frowned. "And? Are you just going to sit there and admire him?"

As Choi Man-Sik raised his voice, Kim Gwan-Woo quickly responded. "Ah, of course not... I think I've got a plan."

"A plan? What kind of plan?"

"Chief Jung Yoon-Ho is so meticulous he doesn't leave room for mistakes, but the same can't be said for the actors he manages. I'm thinking of shaking them all at once."

A slight smile formed on Choi Man-Sik's lips. "So you're planning to stir up trouble."

"Yes. If we target the actors in Division 2, I think we'll see results. Out of sight, out of mind, right?"

Jung Yoon-Ho left most of the so-called S-class actors, Jo Min-Sung, Sung Ho-Joon, Park Eun-Sung, and Song Ji-Hwan, in Actor Division 2 when he branched off into Division 4. On top of that, even just managing Actor Division 4 was more than enough to keep him busy.

So if they kept proposing great projects to the celebrities in Actor Division 2 during that time, there was a good chance they could be lured away.

Choi Man-Sik folded his arms and looked at Kim Gwan-Woo. "You're aware all your predecessors tried something similar and failed, right?"

"I am. But back then, Jung Yoon-Ho could still cover everything on his own. Now, that's not the case. I looked into it, and each of them seems to have at least a few complaints."

At that, Choi Man-Sik started showing some interest. "Well, S-class stars always think every schedule should revolve around them... makes sense, I suppose."

Celebrities known as S-class want all their activities to prioritize them. So no matter how well Jung Yoon-Ho chose projects for them, some level of dissatisfaction was inevitable compared to his direct care.

It was still a weak spot, but Kim Gwan-Woo saw potential and kept going. "Anyway, if we take some time and manage to pull even one or two S-class actors away, we can break the myth of Jung Yoon-Ho. After that, I plan to spread rumors that he's been slacking on actor management since rising so fast. You know how scary reputations can be in this industry."

At that moment, Choi Man-Sik burst out laughing. "

Hahaha

! Now this feels like things are moving properly. Bringing you in as vice president really was the right call!"

Kim Gwan-Woo let out a short sigh and smiled. "Thank you. Also, this plan got a big boost from Chief Baek Sae-Gi, who's out in the field right now."

"Oh? Is that so? You've already begun cooperating. Well done."

After a long laugh, Choi Man-Sik finally calmed down and asked.

"So, which actor did you send someone to?"

Then Kim Jang-Bi, who had been sitting nearby, grinned. "You never know how people will react, right? So we dispatched people to all the filming sites."

"Ah, so that's why none of the chiefs showed up to breakfast today."

"Yes, sir."

Pleased, Choi Man-Sik nodded. "Anyway, as I said before, we must take Hoop Entertainment. And if we succeed, I'll entrust full management of the company to you both."

Recently, Choi Man-Sik had realized that Choi Eun-Tae's slush fund was hidden within a subsidiary of Hoop Entertainment. The problem was, with ten subsidiaries from A1 Entertainment to A10 Entertainment, no one knew which one held it. That was the reason Choi Man-Sik planned to seize Hoop Entertainment first and search each subsidiary one by one.

To that, Kim Gwan-Woo replied with a confident smile. "Understood. Before the stock listing, we'll destroy Jung Yoon-Ho's reputation and take Hoop."

Seeing Kim Gwan-Woo's confident demeanor, Choi Man-Sik's smile grew wider. "No wonder the steamed egg tastes so good today—there's a reason for everything.

Hahaha.

"

Laughter from Choi Man-Sik, Kim Gwan-Woo, and Kim Jang-Bi filled the private room of Kagemusha.

***

I arrived at the SBC headquarters indoor set.

Jo Min-Sung, who commanded the highest pay at Hoop Entertainment, was currently appearing in a drama titled

The Court of Heaven

.

The Court of Heaven

was a 12-episode modern retelling of Romeo and Juliet, and Jo Min-Sung played the lead role of Kang Chun-Ha.

Currently, Team Lead Ju Yung-Hoon from Actor Division 2 was in charge of assisting him in every way possible, but Jo Min-Sung did not entirely rely on Ju Yung-Hoon. Since Jo Min-Sung had an eye for picking scripts himself, he tended to view his talent agent as merely an assistant.

So even though I had already recommended his next project, if the talent agents from Gwanwoo Entertainment made a better offer, he might still jump ship. That was why, in my eyes, he was the most susceptible of the actors in Division 2.

When I arrived at the SBC indoor set, Jo Min-Sung had just finished filming a scene from episode 11 of

The Court of Heaven

and was sitting in a waiting chair. His forehead was drenched in sweat as he leaned back in the chair.

When I looked around, Ju Yung-Hoon, who should have been by his side with a towel, was nowhere to be seen. Instead, Chief So Ji-Min stood nearby with actor Yang Ji-Seon, handing him a towel.

"Mr. Min-Sung, your acting was incredible today."

"Sunbae-nim, today was such a treat for the eyes."

Jo Min-Sung smiled with his eyes and took the towel. "Thank you, Ms. So. And Miss Ji-Seon, thanks to you too."

Just as Fortune of the Day had warned, a chief from Gwanwoo Entertainment was targeting my actor. Pretending to be there for another shoot, So Ji-Min had smoothly approached and started chatting.

Wanting to observe exactly what So Ji-Min was up to, I kept my distance and watched for a moment.

After Jo Min-Sung wiped his sweat, So Ji-Min cautiously struck up conversation. "Mr. Min-Sung, do you already have your next project lined up after this one?"

Jo Min-Sung replied with a smile. "Yes. Chief Jung already recommended one."

"I see. Would you mind telling me what it is?"

"Hm... It's called

River's Edge

, and it's supposed to be scheduled for a slot on MBS."

"

River's Edge

? I've never heard of it. Who's the writer?"

"I'm not sure. Someone named Lee Yo-Jin. I heard she's a new writer."

At that moment, So Ji-Min's eyes gleamed. "Well, if it's a recommendation from Chief Jung, it's probably not bad. Still, what a shame..."

As So Ji-Min trailed off, Jo Min-Sung looked intrigued. "If there's something you want to say, just say it."

So Ji-Min's eyes sharpened like a hawk spotting its prey. "Actually, I just came from meeting PD Oh Ji-Ran of

The Nine Lives

, and he was wondering if you might be interested in the next project. The script is by Writer Guk Bong-Soon."

The SBC drama

The Nine Lives

, written by Guk Bong-Soon, would tank with a final episode viewership ratings of 12% because CP Ahn Byung-Tae cast his own nephew. On the other hand, the project I had recommended,

River's Edge

, written by rookie Lee Yo-Jin, would go on to become a hit with 22% viewership ratings.

But only I knew that future.

I could see Jo Min-Sung wavering. After all, Guk Bong-Soon was currently popular and might rival Lee Ji-Yeon in the future.

'

So that's how you're going to play it, huh?

'

Just as the planner had warned, they were going after the big fish I had already secured.

Once I confirmed what So Ji-Min was up to, I immediately walked over to her. I had every intention of making her regret showing up here today.

'

Chief So Ji-Min, today, you're going to learn exactly what public humiliation feels like!

'