Chapter 859: Kim Cheong-Gi (1)

Having paid off the bouncers at the entrance of Club JJ, I looked for the waiter as soon as I came down.

A waiter around 170cm tall with bright and eager eyes came straight toward me. The moment he saw me, he rubbed his hands together and grinned.

"You were looking for me, sir?"

I nodded. "I'm here on orders from Mr. Choi. I was told Mr. Kim Cheong-Gi is in Room 3."

The waiter glanced around, then grabbed my arm and led me toward VIP Room 1.

"This way, sir." He swung the door open without hesitation. "Please, go in."

I stepped quickly into Room 1 and he followed behind, closing the door.

"I can't let it get out that I'm working with Mr. Choi Go-Yoon," he said.

"

Ah

, understood. I'll be careful too. Then could you tell me what's going on in Room 3?"

The waiter gave another shy smile as he spoke. "Come on, why are you being so formal with someone like me? Just talk casually. You can call me Lackey or whatever."

Despite rubbing his hands together like a kid, Lackey had a baby face. But before coming here, Choi Go-Yoon had told me the guy was actually thirty. So I didn't let my guard down.

Back when I worked as a waiter, I called everyone sir or boss no matter what, but I hadn't exactly enjoyed it. Perhaps it might have been different if I didn't know, but now that I knew his age, I couldn't treat someone older than me so casually like that.

"It's fine. I couldn't be rude to someone Mr. Choi trusts.

Oh

, and here—take this."

Before heading down, Choi Go-Yoon had mentioned the waiter had a thing for money. So I pulled out a 1 million won check from the inner pocket of my coat and laid it on the table.

Tap.

However, Lackey just scratched his head instead of grabbing it. "You really shouldn't..."

"Why not?"

He let out a sigh. "I only take tips from guys who speak casually to me."

I tilted my head, not following. "I'm sorry?"

"I've been doing this for over ten years, and you're only the second person who's ever spoken to me politely. So let's just say I've accepted it."

It turned out, it wasn't that he didn't like the money, he just liked being treated like a human being better. Just because someone worked at the bottom didn't mean they had no pride. They were just enduring for survival, that's all.

And having been a waiter myself, I knew I was expected to leave a tip the moment I booked a room. Plus, I desperately needed his help for tonight's job.

I pressed the check into his hand and said, "This isn't a tip. It's payment for information. And I've been in your shoes. I know you'll have to split this room's money with your coworkers. Don't pay that out of your own pocket."

Even if tips went into their own pockets, waiters still had to kick some back to the team.

"Wow... sir, you really leave me speechless.

Hahaha

." After a moment of hesitation, Lackey took the check and slipped it into his pocket. "Then let me serve you properly tonight.

Oh

, you asked about Room 3, right?"

"Yes."

"Kim Cheong-Gi went in alone but called in our two top girls. Ordered a 2-million-won set of drinks, too."

"Then can you pull those two hostesses out for a bit? I need to talk to Kim Cheong-Gi alone."

Lackey grinned. "That's a piece of cake. Just give me two minutes."

"Thank you."

He gave me a polite nod and stepped out, closing the door behind him.

***

Five minutes passed, but Lackey still hadn't returned.

From my days as a waiter, I knew pulling hostesses out of a room was no big deal. Especially if they were aces—since they rotated between rooms, there were countless ways to extract them.

"Something's off..."

Muttering to myself, I finally got up from my seat.

Creeeak.

I opened the door to Room 1 and began walking slowly toward Room 3. The thumping beat from the stage filled the corridor with noise. However, the rooms were fully soundproofed. Unless one opened the door, no one would ever know what was happening inside.

Standing before Room 3, I glanced around. Only when the hallway cleared did I carefully open the door.

That was when I heard a harsh voice ringing out from the crack in the door.

"Who the fuck are you to call over hyung-nim's girl? You wouldn't have gotten hit if you left when I told you!"

What followed was a crash and the sound of someone groaning in pain.

"

Ugh

."

I immediately flung the door open. Lackey had collapsed just inside the doorway, clutching his chest.

Startled, I rushed over to help him up. "What happened?"

Lackey's face, his hand still over his chest, was full of apology. "Another guest showed up out of nowhere and things got messy. I'm sorry."

As I helped him to his feet, I looked around the room.

Kim Cheong-Gi was chuckling to himself, while the visibly shaken two ace hostesses stood beside him. In the middle of the room stood a man easily 185cm tall and at least twice my weight. He was the one who had kicked Llackey in the chest.

For some reason, his face looked familiar.

'

Park Geon-Soo

?'

Before my regression, he had been Kim Cheong-Gi's hometown sunbae and served as his talent agent. As a former judo athlete with a temper that flared faster than words, he had always been trouble.

However, Park Geon-Soo wasn't supposed to become Kim Cheong-Gi's talent agent until much later. It seemed like Kim Cheong-Gi had scouted him early since TNT Entertainment collapsed and left him without support.

I had assumed he was drinking alone, but this was a scouting meeting.

Then Park Geon-Soo looked me up and down and smirked. "And who the hell are you? Doesn't look like you're a waiter from that outfit. Are you one of his friends?"

Kim Cheong-Gi, seated in the back, recognized me and called out. "

Oh

? Chief Jung?"

Park Geon-Soo cocked his head. "Do you know him?"

"Yeah, say hello. He's the top talent agent these days. Though no one knows if it's thanks to his actual skills or because he's secretly the son of President Kang Gam-Chan from Hoop."

That made Park Geon-Soo nod in recognition. "Now that you mention it, I think I've seen him on TV. That ad, right? Real ramen?"

"Yeah. The one with Deok-Bae, acting like a celebrity. You know, he even showed up in a documentary with Jung Yoo-Jin."

Only then did Park Geon-Soo give me a half-hearted, mocking bow. He had the swagger of a street punk.

"Nice to meet you. I'm Park Geon-Soo. I just started as Cheong-Gi hyung-nim's talent agent today. My dream is to be a famous talent agent like you—on TV, doing commercials and all that. Hope you'll look out for me."

I ignored the greeting and spoke to Lackey, who was still in pain. "Please step outside for a bit."

Lackey grabbed my arm and whispered. "This place is run by the Gangnam Reconstruction Crew. I'll go bring in the folks I handle. Let's step out together. I'll make sure you get a one-on-one."

I quietly shook my head. "There's no need for that."

"Then what are you planning to do?"

"Just wait outside for a moment. You'll see."

After saying that to Lackey, I pushed him toward the door. Yet instead of leaving, he stayed by the doorway and waited.

Thinking he was waiting for the hostesses, I turned to the two women sitting beside Kim Cheong-Gi. "You two should step out as well."

The hostesses blinked and looked at each other. "Us too?"

"Yes."

They hesitated and read the room, then slowly stood up. However, Kim Cheong-Gi twisted his face into a scowl and grabbed both of them by the arms, yanking them back down.

"Hey~ where do you think you're going?"

Thud.

When they dropped back into their seats, Kim Cheong-Gi glared at me. "What is this? You know that waiter or something?"

"No."

"Then why are you staring like that?"

"I have something I need to discuss with you. Alone."

"

Oh

? What, TNT went under so you're trying to bring me to Hoop? That's too bad. I already promised another company."

"Our company wouldn't take someone at your level anyway."

Kim Cheong-Gi's expression twisted as he looked at Park Geon-Soo. "Geon-Soo. I don't think I have anything to say to this guy. Get him out."

"Yes, hyung-nim." Park Geon-Soo nodded and slid closer to me. "Hey. I've let it go this far out of respect since you're an industry sunbae. Our hyung-nim's in a good mood today, so if I were you, I'd leave nicely."

"You're the one who shouldn't pick a pointless fight and regret it later. Move."

In an instant, Park Geon-Soo flared up and rolled up his sleeves. "Hah, this bastard. I show you some respect and you really think you're my sunbae? Fine. Let's talk after you take a few hits."

As soon as he finished speaking, Park Geon-Soo lunged forward with both arms outstretched, reaching for my collar.

I muttered, "That's my line."

The moment the words left my mouth, I lightly drove a fist into his abdomen.

"

Ugh

!"

Park Geon-Soo doubled over, clutching his stomach, his head dropping forward.

"Yeah. A talent agent's basics start with greeting your sunbae properly. First is greetings. Second is greetings."

"Y-you bastard..."

Grinding his teeth, Park Geon-Soo forced his head up and swung a slow punch.

Whoosh.

I dodged it, then slammed my fist into his side.

Thud.

A dull sound like hitting a punching bag echoed as Park Geon-Soo clutched his ribs and dropped to his knees.

"

Nngh

... fuck, you damn bastard..."

I grabbed Park Geon-Soo's chin with my left hand as he cursed.. "And if you want to work as a talent agent, you should watch your mouth. If not, you end up getting taught a hard lesson. Like this."

With that, I drove my fist straight into his jaw.

Crack.

Park Geon-Soo collapsed unconscious, still on his knees.

Sway.

His body started to tip over. I quickly reached out and grabbed him by the collar. If he hit his head on the floor while unconscious, the damage would be far worse.

Thud.

I gently laid Park Geon-Soo down on the floor. When I looked up, I saw Kim Cheong-Gi's face had gone pale.

That's when Lackey, sensing the moment, quickly opened the door and called out, "Rose, Lilac. Get out here, now."

"Okay, oppa."

The two hostesses passed by me and gave a slight nod as they hurried out.

After they were gone, Lackey bowed his head and closed the door behind him. "I'll step out for a bit."

Creeeak.

Clunk.

As the door shut, I slowly approached Kim Cheong-Gi.

"W-what is it y-you want to talk about?" He swallowed dryly and scooted back in his seat.

I sat down with a thud and placed my phone on the table. "I'm here to record your confession that you have no intention of marrying either Oh Ji-Seon or Sung Hee-Yeon."

Right now, Kim Cheong-Gi had made promises of marriage to both women and was receiving financial support from them.

The Ferrori he drove, the officetel he lived in, the designer clothes and watches all came from Oh Ji-Seon and Sung Hee-Yeon.

Of course, Oh Ji-Seon and Sung Hee-Yeon both had some idea about Kim Cheong-Gi's womanizing. Which meant that just showing them affectionate photos with other women wouldn't be enough to make them leave him.

That was why I needed to record Kim Cheong-Gi admitting, with his own mouth, that he had no plans to marry either of them and that his intentions were purely financial. Then I would visit Oh Ji-Seon and Sung Hee-Yeon with the recording and help them cut ties with him.

Realizing why I was here, Kim Cheong-Gi's eyes finally lit with defiance. "Why the hell would I? I do plan to marry them. Both of them. I just haven't decided which one I like better yet."

Kim Cheong-Gi refused to give up his two cash cows. In the past, if one took money like this under the pretense of marriage, they could be sued for fraud or seduction under false promise of marriage. But now that those laws were gone, only one legal route remained.

I began showing him the photos saved on my phone.

[Model Lee Sung-Hee from TK Entertainment—photo of them hugging in a car]

[Actor Hyun Yung-Ji from TNT—kissing in a hotel lobby]

...

One by one, the images of his many women appeared on screen.

"W-when did you take those?" Kim Cheong-Gi stammered.

I stopped scrolling and said, "Would you like these on the front page of every entertainment news outlet? If word gets out about your womanizing habits, I doubt either Ms. Oh Ji-Seon or Ms. Sung Hee-Yeon will have any reason to stick around."

I was telling Kim Cheong-Gi I could end his career in entertainment. In a panic, Kim Cheong-Gi glanced at the unconscious Park Geon-Soo. However, Park Geon-Soo showed no sign of waking up.

Just then, Kim Cheong-Gi's phone vibrated. Oddly enough, the panic vanished from his eyes. Instead, a smug grin formed as he straightened up and raised his voice.

"You think I'm gonna record that kind of shit myself? Fuck no."

'

Who could've called him, to give him such confidence all of a sudden? Wait. Didn't he mention earlier that he already had a management company lined up

?'

"That call just now—was it from your new agency?" I asked.

"Yeah, asshole!"

"Which one?"

"What, you're gonna try and make a deal with them too? Don't make me laugh. They're way out of your league."

'

Out of my league

?'

"No way, it can't be..."

Just then, the door to Room 3 burst open.

Bang!

Four men in suits lifted Lackey out of the way like he weighed nothing and shoved him aside.

"Move!"

And behind them, Director Hong Ah-Yoon of HK Entertainment stepped in.

"What's going on in here?"

I was just destined to clash with some people. I had seen her earlier today at the shoot, and now again here.

"Did HK Entertainment sign Mr. Kim Cheong-Gi?"

At that moment, Kim Cheong-Gi jumped to his feet and ran to Hong Ah-Yoon's side, quickly tattling about everything that had just happened.

"Ms. Hong, that bastard's blackmailing me!"

"Blackmail?"

"Yes."

Hong Ah-Yoon frowned. "Did you mess up something major with Chief Jung?"

"Well... actually, two women at Hoop Entertainment—Oh Ji-Seon and Sung Hee-Yeon—have been pressuring me to marry them. But this guy, he's threatening me with photos of me with other celebrities!"

"So let me get this straight. You're seeing two of Hoop Entertainment's female celebs with talks of marriage, but also fooling around with others on the side?"

"Well, yeah, but it's just casual. I was planning to cut them all off soon and only keep Oh Ji-Seon and Sung Hee-Yeon."

Hong Ah-Yoon stared at Kim Cheong-Gi and sighed. "Why are all you entertainers such fucking idiots?"

Startled by the outburst, Kim Cheong-Gi blinked. "S-Sorry? What did you say?"

"You've got blackmail material hanging over you and this is when you want me to sign a contract? Are you out of your goddamn mind?"

"M-Ms. Hong, that's not—"

Whack!

Hong Ah-Yoon smacked Kim Cheong-Gi on the head with her purse. "You fucking lunatic!"

Stagger.

The sudden hit left Kim Cheong-Gi reeling.

"M-Ms. Hong..."

However, Hong Ah-Yoon didn't stop. She kept whacking him over and over again.

Thwack! Thwack! Thwack!

"

Huff, huff

..."

Only after she seemed to have vented her rage did Hong Ah-Yoon finally stop.

From what I gathered, the formal contract hadn't been signed yet. So I calmly addressed Hong Ah-Yoon while she was still catching her breath.

"Ms. Hong. It seems like you've completely lost the will to sign him. Why not call it a day? I still have some unfinished business with Mr. Kim Cheong-Gi."

Just then, Hong Ah-Yoon whipped her head toward me. "Who said I'm not signing him? This piece of trash? I'm keeping him."

"Excuse me? Even if his career as a celebrity ends here, you're still going to sign him?"

Hong Ah-Yoon fixed me with a glare.

"That's right. If you leak those scandal photos to the press, you think Kim Cheong-Gi's the only one going down? Hell no. Your singers at Hoop will get dragged through the mud right alongside him."

If a star being signed has serious issues, walking away from the contract would be the logical move. Nevertheless, Hong Ah-Yoon wasn't just refusing to walk away but she was doubling down. She planned to use her contract with Kim Cheong-Gi to take down both Oh Ji-Seon and Sung Hee-Yeon from Hoop Entertainment.

The moment I heard Hong Ah-Yoon's absurd declaration, I looked her straight in the eye and made a silent vow.

'

Fine, Hong Ah-Yoon. If that's how you want to play it, I'll show you exactly what kind of threat a regressor can be

.'