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Chapter 98: Storm (1)

-01:00 PM Meeting between Lee Tae-Poong and Daechon Inc.\'s Vice President Kim Ae-Ja at Lee Tae-Poong’s house

On this day in my past life, I arranged a meeting between Lee Tae-Poong and Daechun Inc.\'s vice president, Kim Ae-Ja, as instructed by Kim Dong-Soo.

However, this proposal would eventually turn Lee Tae-Poong\'s acting career into a mess because Kim Ae-Ja intended to become his sole sponsor.

Even though Lee Tae-Poong would later overcome dyslexia and become independent as an actor, he would already be under Kim Ae-Ja\'s sponsorship by then. He would be in a situation where he had to drop whatever he was doing and rush to Kim Ae-Ja whenever she called him over.

As a result, people in the entertainment industry who heard the rumors through the grapevine would belittle and criticize Lee Tae-Poong\'s success, attributing it all to Kim Ae-Ja\'s support.

I clearly remembered how frustrated Lee Tae-Poong was because his efforts were never acknowledged no matter how hard he tried.

I absolutely had no intention of sitting back and letting such a thing happen again in this life.

"Sigh. Why is the traffic so jammed?"

The road to Lee Tae-Poong\'s house was as congested as a parking lot.

‘If only I had a private helicopter.’

Since the event hadn\'t been canceled in my planner yet, I called Lee Tae-Poong.

Ring ring.

But neither Lee Tae-Poong nor his talent agent, Lee Dae-Ho, answered their phones.

"Could he be in the middle of an on-site shoot?"

I had gotten Lee Tae-Poong to appear on MBS\'s Star Delicacies! Hot Spots! on-site shoot at 1 p.m. today to avoid the meeting with Kim Ae-Ja.

Wondering if he couldn\'t answer the phone because he was filming, I called Kim Yung-Eun, the AD of MBS\'s Star Delicacies! Hot Spots!

But my hopes were soon dashed when she picked up the phone.

-Ah. The restaurant owner we were supposed to film today suddenly changed their mind, so the shoot has been postponed for a few days. I was just about to contact you about it.

Kim Yung-Eun explained that Lee Tae-Poong had arrived at the site earlier but had just returned home.

The wheels of fate thwarted my plans once again.

It was currently 12:50 p.m. I kept calling Lee Tae-Poong non-stop as I made my way out of the congested road.

At that moment, Lee Tae-Poong finally picked up the call.

-Huh? Yoon-Ho hyung?

"Why didn’t you answer your phone!?"

-I’m sorry. I just got home.

Both Lee Tae-Poong and Lee Dae-Ho said they didn\'t notice the calls because they had their phones on vibrate.

"Vice President Kim Ae-Ja should be nearby, so don\'t open the door for her no matter what. Got it?"

-Pardon? Why would she come to my house?

"Just don\'t let anyone in until I get there! I\'ll explain everything when I arrive!"

-Oh, okay.

I got Lee Tae-Poong\'s firm response.

However, the event on my planner was still there.

***

Daechon Inc., ranked 17th in the business world and was founded by Kim Ae-Ja\'s father, Kim Bu-Ho.

The current president was Kim Ae-Ja\'s husband, Sung Hak-Soo. However, he was a son-in-law brought into the family, and it was Kim Ae-Ja who wielded actual control over the company.

Kim Ae-Ja sat in the back of a gleaming Rose-Rise Phantom and looked at a house in Cheongdam-dong.

"Is this where Mr. Lee Tae-Poong\'s house is?”

Despite being 48 years old, Kim Ae-Ja looked as if she were in her mid-30s, thanks to her annual investment of over 300 million won in dermatological treatments.

"Yes, Mrs. Kim."

"It\'s pretty small. We should get him a bigger place," Kim Ae-Ja murmured to herself before instructing her assistant, "Open it."

"Yes, ma’am."

The team lead of the security team, Jang Moo-Seok, got out of the car at Kim Ae-Ja\'s command and pressed the intercom on Lee Tae-Poong\'s front door.

Beep.

"Good afternoon, sir. We are from Daechon Inc."

Soon after, Lee Dae-Ho\'s voice came through the intercom.

-I’m sorry, but I’m afraid I can’t open the door for you. Tae-Poong has no intention of meeting anyone from Daechon Inc.

Jang Moo-Seok smirked and before giving him a warning in a low voice. "I came with the vice president, so please open the door."

The reply came as if Lee Dae-Ho was dumbfounded by Jang Moo-Seok’s low-voiced threat.

-Please leave before we call the police.

Click.

Jang Moo-Seok frowned and pressed the intercom again.

Beep-beep.

When no answer came despite several more attempts, Jang Moo-Seok took out his phone.

『Baby~ Shark! Doo doo doo doo doo doo!』

"Huh? What\'s up with this ringtone?” a puzzled Jang Moo-Seok mumbled to himself.

The loud children’s song ringtone continued for ten seconds.

Click.

-Hello?

It was Lee Tae-Poong\'s voice.

Jang Moo-Seok responded briefly, "I\'m Jang Moo-Seok, team lead of Daechon Inc.\'s security team. I\'ll send you a photo, so take a look."

Jang Moo-Seok cut the call short just in case Lee Tae-Poong wanted to hang up right away, and then sent a photo.

About 30 seconds later, the gate to Lee Tae-Poong\'s garage slowly opened.

Zing.

"Impudent brat. Should\'ve opened it earlier,” grumbled Jang Moo-Seok.

Seeing the gate open, Kim Ae-Ja waved her hand lightly—it was a sign of approval to proceed.

As the Rose-Rise Phantom entered through the opened gate, Jang Moo-Seok straightened his back and raised his hand toward the black SUV behind him where two men in black suits got out of the back seat.

"Yung-Ho and Han-Seok, the two of you wait here at the entrance while the rest will come in with me."

"Yes, sir."

The two men saluted with precision and guarded the entrance to Lee Tae-Poong\'s house.

Then, Jang Moo-Seok got into the black SUV and followed Kim Ae-Ja into Lee Tae-Poong\'s house.

Click.

Kim Ae-Ja got out of the car and looked around.

"A gazebo in the yard, huh? Not only does he have good looks but his taste is also commendable. I like it very much."

Kim Ae-Ja walked toward the entrance at a leisurely pace with her high heels clicking.

Executive Secretary Im Sang-Ki stepped forward and opened the front door for Kim Ae-Ja.

"Everyone except Secretary Im, wait outside."

"Yes, ma’am."

Jang Moo-Seok who was following behind Im Sang-Ki bowed and stayed outside the entrance. As Kim Ae-Ja entered the living room, she was met by a grim-faced Lee Tae-Poong and his talent agent, Lee Dae-Ho, who was blocking her way.

Kim Ae-Ja laughed dismissively as she looked around. "Is this how you usually treat your guests?"

Lee Dae-Ho snapped back, "Are we supposed to consider someone who blackmails others a guest?"

Kim Ae-Ja covered her mouth and snorted, "Ha ha ha. Don’t tell me you were startled by such a trivial photo."

The photo sent by Jang Moo-Seok exposed a vulnerability of Lee Tae-Poong, retained by his former agency from the past. It was a photo of him in bed with his first girlfriend, Kim Eun-Yung, who had sold the photo to his former agency for 20 million won.

After the betrayal of his first love, Lee Tae-Poong had never let another woman near him since. Yet that photo had somehow ended up in Kim Ae-Ja\'s hands.

Lee Tae-Poong glared at Kim Ae-Ja, but she did not even blink once and seemed rather amused.

Meanwhile, Im Sang-Ki laid a white cloth on the sofa. "Vice President Kim, please take a seat here."

Kim Ae-Ja nodded and sat down on the sofa as if it were her own home. "Mr. Tae-Poong, take a seat as well. I\'ve come to talk about something that will benefit you today."

Despite her seemingly polite words, Kim Ae-Ja was actually pointing to the floor instead of the sofa.

Lee Tae-Poong and Lee Dae-Ho refused without hesitation. "We\'d rather not."

"Is that so? Secretary Im, distribute the photo to the press. And send the other photos Kim Eun-Yung sent along with it."

"Yes, ma’am."

When Im Sang-Ki took out his phone, Lee Tae-Poong bit his lip tightly and got down on his knees.

"Please... wait a moment."

It was humiliating, but he had no choice.

The opponent was from a chaebol family—not just any chaebol family, but the notorious de facto ruler of Daechon Inc.

Lee Tae-Poong knew from experience that if he didn\'t bow his head like this, the opponent would come at him even harder just to show their power.

The face of Jung Yoon-Ho, who always trusted him, came to mind. He wanted to lock the door and hold out as Jung Yoon-Ho had instructed, but he couldn\'t after seeing the photo because he hadn\'t told Jung Yoon-Ho about the existence of this photo.

He thought he had completely resolved this issue with his former agency and didn’t expect it to cause him trouble like this.

Lee Tae-Poong clenched his fists as he knelt.

At that moment, Lee Dae-Ho who was standing beside him also trembled with anger to the point of tears. Yet, he had no choice but to do the same as his actor.

Thud!

Lee Dae-Ho knelt with such force that it seemed as if his knees would be injured.

Only then did Kim Ae-Ja’s face brighten. "Fortunately, you\'re not too foolish. Good. Secretary Im, stop with the photo."

"Yes, ma’am."

Seeing the two kneeling and submitting to her, Kim Ae-Ja finally looked satisfied. "I\'ve come today to make a good offer to you, Mr. Tae-Poong. So let\'s not be too stiff, alright? Relax your face."

Lee Tae-Poong struggled to contain his frustration and replied, "I will take care of my own affairs, ma’am."

Kim Ae-Ja smirked. "I\'m quite straightforward, so I\'ll speak frankly. You\'ve been relying solely on your good looks, but every drama and movie you\'ve taken part in has been a flop. Do you really think you can land a new project without a sponsor under these circumstances?"

It was quite common for production companies to secure production funds or advertisements if they cast actors backed by chaebols. In fact, it was almost a norm. In return, the actor became a puppet for the wealthy.

Lee Tae-Poong trembled at the harsh criticism.

"I...appreciate your concern, but I already have my next project lined up."

Lee Tae-Poong remembered the promise made by Jung Yoon-Ho while holding back his frustration.

Jung Yoon-Ho was the person who helped him to manage his dyslexia. He provided recording files of the script and sought out various dyslexia correction methods to help Lee Tae-Poong and promised to secure a leading role in Director Choi Sung-Moon\'s work.

Lee Tae-Poong firmly believed in that promise.

Kim Ae-Ja frowned at Lee Tae-Poong\'s refusal. "Don\'t act like a child. If you\'re an adult, you should behave wisely. It’s not like I\'m asking for much—just dine with me once a month. In return, I\'ll make you the main model for Daechon Department Store ads and I\'ll actively support any project you want to be in. How about that?"

Accepting such an offer was just the beginning, as with all sponsorships. A meal could turn into a drink, and that drink could lead to even more.

Lee Tae-Poong had witnessed numerous sunbaes living an empty existence, running like dogs whenever the chaebols beckoned, only to fade away in obscurity.

Lee Tae-Poong replied with a trembling voice, "Madam, I\'m sorry. But I don’t want to engage in such a relationship."

Kim Ae-Ja immediately burst out in anger. "Madam? Why would you call me madam? I\'m the vice president of Daechon Inc.! My husband, President Sung, is just for show! So don\'t you dare address me like that again!"

Kim Ae-Ja\'s irritated speech continued. "And do I look like I\'m going to eat you alive or something? Ugh, this is annoying. Hey, Secretary Im, distribute the photos to the reporters right now and..."

At that moment, Lee Tae-Poong crawled on his knees toward Kim Ae-Ja. "P-please, Mrs. Kim."

Kim Ae-Ja seemed to enjoy Lee Tae-Poong\'s submission and laughed heartily. "Mr. Tae-Poong, you have more backbone than I thought. I like that. But I really dislike people who talk back to me."

As Kim Ae-Ja leaned forward, her blouse clung to her and revealed her slim figure.

However, Lee Tae-Poong did not even glance her way.

With a smile full of amusement, Kim Ae-Ja laid out her plan in detail.

"Your ex-girlfriend is really something, you know that? She handed over hundreds of your photos to us. If you disobey me, I\'ll release them all to the press the day you get cast in another work. What do you think will happen then?"

Kim Ae-Ja\'s silky voice sounded like a witch\'s curse luring someone into a swamp.

"That, that would be..."

"So don\'t make me look like the bad one. Is it really that wrong for me to want to have a meal with someone I’m interested in? From now on, I\'ll protect you from all the dirty tricks people might play on you."

Tears fell from Lee Tae-Poong\'s eyes. If he agreed to accept Kim Ae-Ja’s offer, he wouldn\'t have to face the exposure of his past photos and could make a lot of money.

\'Life... really sucks.\'

At this moment, Lee Tae-Poong’s handsome face felt like a curse to him.

That’s when Im Sang-Ki’s phone began to ring.

Zing.

Kim Ae-Ja frowned as the call interrupted her when she was on the verge of breaking Lee Tae-Poong.

"Secretary Im, I\'m in the middle of an important conversation here!"

"My-my apologies, ma’am."

The startled Im Sang-Ki rushed to the kitchen to answer the call. "What did you say?"

Then, he immediately ran toward the entrance door with a shocked impression.

Bang.

The front door was flung open and Jang Moo-Seok was found kneeling, gasping for breath—and in front of him stood a man.

"Tae-Poong, I’m here!"

A man with beads of perspiration on his forehead glared at Im Sang-Ki as if he were ready to tear him apart at any moment.