Rookie Talent Agent Knows It All

Chapter 362: Ten-Million-Viewership Actor (2)

Gong Hak-Beom was regarded as the most respected senior by his hoobaes from Suhyaejong, ranking first as the mentor they looked up to.

As such, it wouldn't be beneficial to reveal Gong Hak-Beom's corruption now in Hoop Entertainment where more than half of the members were alumni of Suhyaejong. Someone in this very meeting room would surely rush off to inform Gong Hak-Beom.

Therefore, I had no choice but to keep my mouth shut for now.

Instead, I proposed that I would take all responsibility if I were given full authority over this matter and failed.

Bang Sang-Yung asked again, "Let me ask you one thing. Do you understand what will happen if things go wrong?"

"Yes, I do. That's why I said I'd accept any punishment."

If I failed, it wasn't just me at risk: Hoop Entertainment as a whole could face backlash from the film industry. People would say that Lee Tae-Poong had become arrogant now that he had become a ten-million-viewership actor.

That was how powerful Gong Hak-Beom was at the moment.

Bang Sang-Yung turned to the team leads and chiefs gathered in the meeting room, most of whom were Suhyaejong alumni. "What do the team leads and chiefs think?"

Everyone glanced at each other and hesitated before speaking up one by one.

"If we fail, it's going to be a disaster. Why take such a big risk?"

"But considering Team Lead Jung's track record this year, maybe we should trust him again this time."

"What are you talking about? This isn't something a single team lead can handle!"

"That's why he's asking for full authority, isn't he?"

"Wouldn't it be a good idea to stroke the pride of Korea's top veteran director a little?"

"I disagree. This time, we should just accept it as bad luck and let Tae-Poong endure a few months of hardship. Remember a few years ago when Ace Entertainment's Yang Min-Hyuk turned down Mr. Gong's offer? He was basically blacklisted from the film industry and ended up in theater."

Various opinions were expressed, but most of the voices leaned toward agreeing with Bang Sang-Yung.

Gu Seong-Cheol and Park In-Ki tried to support me, but they seemed frustrated as their arguments lacked substance.

Seeing that the majority of the team leads were on his side, Bang Sang-Yung became more confident. "Mr. Kang, what do you think?"

Kang Gam-Chan made it clear that he was firmly in my corner. "Have I ever doubted Team Lead Jung?"

Even though I hadn't had time to fully explain the situation, Kang Gam-Chan openly supported me. His unwavering trust weighed heavily on me as always.

Bang Sang-Yung replied, "If that's your decision, then I'll accept Team Lead Jung's condition. I won't ask how he plans to handle this and I'll grant him full authority over the matter."

At last, my opponent had taken the bait completely. Now it was time to reel him in.

I added, "But if I successfully block Gong Hak-Beom's unreasonable demands, I do have one request for a reward."

"Hmm? What is it?"

"You said earlier that Hoop Entertainment will suffer as a whole if I fail. But that also means if I succeed, we'll all benefit. So I believe a reward is fair."

Bang Sang-Yung looked at me incredulously. "What in the world...?"

Kang Gam-Chan chuckled and sided with me again. "Well, he's not wrong. What do you want, Team Lead Jung?"

Without missing a beat, I said, "Team Jung is about to be promoted to a division. Although we're bringing in actors and talent agents from outside, our in-house employees are still more familiar."

Bang Sang-Yung said in annoyance, "Stop beating around the bust and just get to the point."

"In short, I would like permission to bring over any actors or talent agents from other divisions as long as they're willing to join us."

There was no shortage of actors and talent agents eager to join my rapidly growing team.

Bang Sang-Yung realized what I was up to and tried to stop me but it was too late as Kang Gam-Chan responded before he could. "But if you fail, Director Bang's scolding will be severe. Are you okay with that?"

"I'm fine. I don't expect to fail anyway."

Kang Gam-Chan turned to look at Bang Sang-Yung. "How about you, Director Bang? Will you accept the conditions?"

Bang Sang-Yung gritted his teeth as if he had been cornered. "Fine... but I'll also report this to the shareholders. If this fails, the damage to Hoop Entertainment will be too great. We're still dealing with the aftermath of the prosecutor's investigation and the bribery scandal, aren't we?"

'Go ahead. Report it if you want,' I remarked inwardly.

Kang Gam-Chan nodded in agreement. "Then let's grant Team Lead Jung full authority over this matter."

Everyone except Kang Gam-Chan looked uneasy about this decision, but I wasn't afraid.

After all, I already knew everything I needed to resolve this issue.

***

After leaving the meeting, I immediately called Prosecutor Seo Jae-Ill.

I gave him a precise tip-off about the people involved in Gong Hak-Beom's corruption and their crimes.

Seo Jae-Ill was startled.

-Are you sure about this?

"Yes. If you investigate the financial records of Chief Choi Jin-Sung, Mr. Gong's right-hand man, you'll find everything. He handles Gong Hak-Beom's money."

After a brief pause, Seo Jae-Ill responded.

-Understood. I'll take on this case. I'll gather information from junior prosecutors first and get back to you.

As soon as I hung up, I immediately opened my planner to check the schedule.

[Everyday V11]

[Date: October 30, 2020]

-10:00 p.m. [NEW. Lee Tae-Poong] Announcement of the delay in the Jiri mountain production schedule.

"It hasn't disappeared yet," I muttered.

Despite reporting it to Seo Jae-Ill, the scheduled event remained unchanged. This meant that Seo Jae-Ill's help alone wasn't enough.

It seemed I would need to meet with Kang In-Han, the reporter who had exposed this issue in my past life. After all, what prosecutors did best and what reporters did best were different things.

I immediately called Choi So-Hye, a fellow reporter at Central Daily Newspaper.

***

I arrived at a Korean restaurant named Flower Road which was located in Apgujeong. I walked along a path with a transparent acrylic floor lined with blooming flowers underneath and made my way to reserved room No. 7.

Choi So-Hye had already arrived with her sunbae, Kang In-Han, the reporter I was hoping to meet.

Kang In-Han with his short athletic hairstyle and a firm expression made him look more like an athlete than a reporter.

Choi So-Hye greeted me with a wave. "You're here."

Since this case was being jointly investigated by the social and culture departments, both of them were present.

When I sat down after greeting them, Kang In-Han stared at me intently. "Is this the guy you are so taken with, Reporter Choi?"

"Sunbae, stop saying unnecessary things. Don't provoke him. He's the best source of information we've got."

When Choi So-Hye growled, Kang In-Han backed down. "Alright, alright. You're acting like he's your boyfriend or something."

"Sunbae!"

When Choi So-Hye yelled, Kang In-Han shrank back. "Sorry~ Then let's hear what the informant has to say."

"Let's eat first. I haven't had a meal yet today."

It was 1 p.m., and I had been running around all morning without eating.

Kang In-Han tried to dig into my background while waiting for the meal, but I turned the tables and left him speechless.

"You're 38 this year. You've covered the corruption scandal at Daechon University and the embezzlement case at Dream Path Art Museum. Oh, and right, that one got cut off by the editor-in-chief, didn't it?"

Kang In-Han looked at me with an astonished expression. "What's with this guy?"

"I just wanted to assure you that the information I'm providing is solid," I answered.

Kang In-Han glanced at Choi So-Hye.

Choi So-Hye simply shrugged confidently. "If I were you, I'd spend less time doubting and more time investigating the tip-off. I told you, he doesn't bring us bogus information."

"Sigh. I guess I'll have to."

Kang In-Han finally dropped his skepticism and paid attention to my tip-off.

I explained the embezzlement scandal involving Gong Hak-Beom, his right-hand man Choi Jin-Sung, and KOFIC's key figure, Kang Sang-Soo.

"All three of them are Suhyaejong alumni and they have a close-knit relationship."

As I laid out details about where the three often met and the projects they worked on together, Kang In-Han's jaw dropped.

He quickly added, "Team Lead Jung, we should definitely stay in touch."

At that moment, Choi So-Hye growled. "Sunbae! Don't even think about stealing my golden goose!"

Despite the spread of Korean course dishes laid out on the table, both of them seemed far more interested in me than the food.

***

At 6:50 p.m., Lee Tae-Poong arrived in Seoul after finishing his regional tour.

I immediately instructed Lee Dae-Ho to admit Lee Tae-Poong to the VIP ward at Seven Star Hospital. After all the effort he had put into the past month's tour, I figured he should rest up with an IV drip in the comfort of the VIP room.

However, Lee Dae-Ho sent me a KkTalk message within just ten minutes. The message included six photos of Lee Tae-Poong lying in the VIP room with an IV drip attached.

"Wow, the makeup is incredible," I remarked.

In the photos, Lee Tae-Poong looked like he was on the verge of death—his lips were pale and sweat was dripping from his forehead. The makeup was so realistic that it almost made me feel like I should visit him.

"Now Dae-Ho hyung-nim is starting to handle things like a real talent agent."

These photos were convincing enough to dispel any doubts.

The meeting with Gong Hak-Beom was scheduled for 7 p.m., and I still had time to spare.

I took the elevator up to the meeting room while checking out the articles about Lee Tae-Poong on my way.

[Beyond the Boundary reaches 9.75 million viewers as of October 19. 10 million viewers expected tomorrow!]

[Life is a one-shot! Lee Tae-Poong reaches ten million viewers with his first lead role!]

[Master director Gong Hak-Beom praises Lee Tae-Poong's acting, and expresses desire to work with him.]

I rolled my eyes. 'Oh, come on.'

Gong Hak-Beom was already trying to ride the wave of Tae-Poong's popularity, hoping to use his name to draw attention to his art film as he knew that the general public wasn't interested in his movies.

"Some people just have no shame," I muttered, shaking my head as I headed to the meeting room.

***

When I arrived at the meeting room, Shin Jong-Ki was already there, looking worried as he greeted me. "Team Lead Jung, where's Tae-Poong? Mr. Gong is excited to meet him."

"Tae-Poong can't make it today."

Shin Jong-Ki frowned. He was clearly worried that rejecting Gong Hak-Beom's offer outright without even showing up might be too risky.

"Team Lead Jung, if you want to persuade Director Gong, you'll need to bring Tae-Poong with you."

It seemed like I would have to deal with Shin Jong-Ki first before tackling Gong Hak-Beom as he couldn't read the room.

At that moment, I decided to play one of my cards. Partnering with Son Hyung-Tae, the president of CK Entertainment, came in handy at moments like this.

"Mr Shin. If you don't feel comfortable, we can have Jiri Mountain produced by another company."

"Another company? Don't tell me... are you talking about Son Hyung-Tae?"

"Yes, Mr. Son Hyung-Tae said he could block any external pressure."

The mention of Son Hyung-Tae, Shin Jong-Ki's rival, instantly ruffled his feathers.

"Don't be ridiculous! Do you actually believe him? That guy's bluffing because it's not his problem!" Son Hyung-Tae yelled.

To be honest, I agreed. Son Hyung-Tae had only said that casually as it wasn't his issue.

Nonetheless, now was the perfect time to irritate Shin Jong-Ki.

Feigning ignorance, I insisted on going forward with CK Entertainment which finally made Shin Jong-Ki back down.

"Fine, fine! Mr. Gong isn't as powerful as he used to be, so I'll hold out as long as I can. Just don't mention going to CK anymore!"

The moment Shin Jong-Ki gave in, I put on a playful smile. "Who said I'd go? There's a bond between LT Entertainment and our Hoop Entertainment, after all."

"Ugh, stop talking if you don't mean it!" Shin Jong-Ki scowled.

At that moment, the door to the meeting room creaked open.

"Are we a bit late?"

The 70-year-old Master Director Gong Hak-Beom walked in holding a dark oak pipe between his teeth and wearing a beige hat.

Beside him stood Choi Jin-Sung, his 57-year-old production director, who handled everything for him.

I immediately activated the recording app on my smartwatch.

Known for their loose tongues, the two were bound to make a slip-up.

***

Inside LT Entertainment's meeting room, Gong Hak-Beom took his seat and asked without hesitation. "Can I smoke in here?"

Although smoking inside the building had long been prohibited, Shin Jong-Ki, eager to accommodate the "old-timer", slid over an ashtray. "Of course, Mr. Gong!"

Gong Hak-Beom packed his pipe with tobacco, lit it, and took a long puff. "Sigh..."

The satisfied Gong Hak-Beom glanced around the room. "Where's Tae-Poong?"

Shin Jong-Ki awkwardly grimaced. "My apologies. He wasn't feeling well, so he had to check into the hospital for a bit..."

Before Shin Jong-Ki could finish, Choi Jin-Sung suddenly cut him off angrily. "When the great Mr. Gong Hak-Beom calls, shouldn't he crawl here if he has to?"

Shin Jong-Ki clenched his teeth in frustration. There was no way it would be pleasant to hear such words from a production director who was merely riding on Gong Hak-Beom's influence. After all, Shin Jong-Ki was the president of LT Entertainment, the second-largest film distributor in Korea and a subsidiary of a major conglomerate.

Nonetheless, he held back, knowing the weight of Gong Hak-Beom's influence in the film industry.

However, I wasn't about to hold back.

Gong Hak-Beom and Choi Jin-Sung had once dominated Korean cinema, but they were now nothing more than criminals in my eyes.

Today, I intended to eliminate this garbage once and for all for the sake of Lee Tae-Poong and Park Sun-Jae.