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Chapter 206: New Ally

"You of all people should know that a star\'s value isn\'t in acting alone but in popularity. Weren\'t you the one who treated even extras like royalty if they were popular?"

Bang Sang-Yung silenced Kim Dong-Soo and continued speaking.

"And about Team Lead Jung—everyone in the industry has been talking about him recently, haven\'t they? Let\'s push him properly this time and really grow his potential. Let\'s be honest here. Has our company really given proper support to Team Lead Jung until now?"

Bang Sang-Yung was supporting not only Yoo-Jin but me as well. His support was much stronger than I had expected.

Bang Sang-Yung let out a controversial remark. "If I\'m being honest, I want to bring Team Lead Jung to Actor Division 1 at any moment. If he is okay with it, that is."

At that moment, everyone in the meeting room began to clear their throat even louder than before.

"Ahem."

"Mr. Bang, that\'s a bit..."

The team leads of Actor Division 1 remained unshaken, but the staff of Actor Divisions 2 and 3 showed varied expressions because Bang Sang-Yung had never talked about scouting anyone before.

I almost choked upon hearing his remark.

\'Bang Sang-Yung is interested in scouting me?\' I wondered.

Bang Sang-Yung had never felt the need for scouting anyone else because he was confident in his own capabilities.

But at that moment, he was eyeing me to bring him to his division.

That\'s when Gu Seong-Cheol burst in angrily. "Chief Bang. What are you saying right now? Why would you take Yoon-Ho? If you\'re joking, it\'s not funny at all. And if you\'re serious, you\'re gonna have to fight me."

"No, it\'s just a figure of speech," explained Bang Sang-Yung.

"You can\'t take Yoon-Ho! Absolutely not! Not until I\'m dead in the ground!" Gu Seong-Cheol bellowed.

Gu Seong-Cheol, aged 45 this year, was two years older than Bang Sang-Yung.

The argument over whether to push for Yoo-Jin had suddenly changed to whether to take me.

Kang Ji-Yung quickly stepped in to calm Gu Seong-Cheol. "Mr. Gu, calm down. It\'s just a saying and he doesn\'t really mean it."

"Director Kang, don\'t you know Chief Bang\'s personality? He acts all sly, and the moment you let your guard down, he\'ll definitely try to steal Yoon-Ho!" Gu Seong-Cheol retorted.

Bang Sang-Yung shrugged his shoulders.

Though he usually didn\'t show much movement, he made sure to follow through once he spoke up with determination.

For this reason, Gu Seong-Cheol was furiously preventing him from taking me to Actor Division 1.

But I had no reason to leave Actor Division 2. After all, I had planned to create my own division within two years anyway.

However, there was no need to reveal that inner thought.

The more Bang Sang-Yung took my side, the more I could corner Kim Dong-Soo.

***

In conclusion, the meeting ended in my complete victory with the backing of Actor Division 1, the most powerful division in the company.

Thanks to that, Yoo-Jin received lead-level support and a tripled budget.

As I was about to head back to the office after winning the battle, Kwak Moo-Hyuk from the legal division asked to see me briefly.

When I entered the room, Kwak Moo-Hyuk sat on the sofa and boldly requested, "Team Lead Jung, could I ask for a cup of coffee today?"

His triumphant expression suggested he had something to boast about.

I promptly headed to the staff lounge to make him coffee. Since everyone sought my coffee, I had hidden all the necessary ingredients in the stag lounge.

Sip!

Moments later, a pleased smile spread across the lips of Kwak Moo-Hyuk as he drank the coffee I made.

"Indeed, the coffee you make is the best, Team Lead Jung," remarked Kwak Moo-Myuk.

"Mr. Kwak, you know my coffee is expensive, right?" I replied with a smile.

Kwak Moo-Hyuk nodded. "I know. That\'s why I asked you to make it."

"Don\'t keep me in suspense and please go ahead with your story, sir."

At that moment, Kwak Moo-Hyuk gave a smile and said, "The custody battle for Yoo-Jin will finally be over tomorrow. From now on, no one in this world can separate Yoo-Jin and Miso."

I was overwhelmed and filled with emotions, but quickly composed myself.

"They\'re not thinking of going to appeal, are they?" I asked.

"Of course not. I\'ve got the other side by the leash. Oh, and one more thing. One cup of coffee might not be enough..."

I quickly got up and started massaging his shoulders. "Mr. Kwak~!"

Kwak Moo-Hyuk chuckled. "Ha ha. I didn\'t know you were capable of such charm, Team Lead Jung. Ha ha ha. Yes, that\'s right. Press harder on the left."

It seemed Gu Seong-Cheol was slightly envious, but I ignored him and continued massaging Kwak Moo-Hyuk\'s shoulders.

Then Kwak Moo-Hyuk continued, "We\'ve also swiftly concluded the civil lawsuit. We\'ll soon get back the original house in Amsa-dong that belonged to Miss Yoo-Jin\'s family."

"I-is that really true?" I asked in anticipation.

Kwak Moo-Hyuk nodded. "Absolutely. And I\'ve filed for Miso\'s inheritance that was squandered by those people—it\'s over 200 million won. But they\'re out of money, so getting it immediately might be difficult."

It seemed that Jung Hak-Jae had no money left after spending all the inheritance money recklessly.

"So it looks like he might even be detained," Kwak Moo-Hyuk added.

Kwak Moo-Hyuk said that Jung Hak-Jae and his wife, involved in all sorts of fraud, wouldn\'t be able to avoid going to prison.

I expressed my gratitude, "Thank you, Mr. Kwak."

"Don\'t mention it. This is all thanks to you preparing the documents so thoroughly," said Kwak Moo-Hyuk.

That\'s when something else occurred to me.

I asked, "Mr. Kwak, what about Jin So-Mi? What happened to her?"

"She won\'t be able to cause trouble like before."

Kwak Moo-Hyuk explained that being marked as a person of interest at a gathering of judges and prosecutors in Seocho-dong for facing issues after attempting to lobby judges, Jin So-Mi would be able to act recklessly anymore.

He added, "Nothing can stop her from becoming a lawyer if she stays out of trouble from now on. But don\'t worry. A lawyer without a backing is nothing."

I nodded in agreement with Kwak Moo-Hyuk\'s confident remark.

Indeed, a lawyer\'s power wasn\'t in their knowledge but their connections. After all, high-ranking judges often received high salaries and were scouted by law firms for that very reason.

"Then I guess I don\'t have to worry anymore," I commented with a satisfied smile.

Kwak Moo-Hyuk finished his coffee with a grin. "How about it? Was the coffee worth it?"

I nodded. "It was more than worth it. I\'ll prepare a nice gift for you next time."

It seemed like we would have to celebrate at Yoo-Jin\'s house tonight.

Then, another thought crossed my mind. "Oh, but Mr. Kwak. Did you manage to find any evidence linking Jin So-Mi and Kim Dong-Soo?"

Kwak Moo-Hyuk shook his head. "No, I couldn\'t find any evidence."

"That\'s disappointing."

"Well, they must be having a tough time now, so don\'t feel too disappointed."

Listening to Kwak Moo-Hyuk as he made a content smile, I couldn\'t help but nod.

***

While heading back to the company after lunch, Kim Dong-Soo received a call from Jin So-Mi.

"You\'re taking a leave of absence?"

-Yes. There\'s been some talk among the law school professors, so I\'ve put in for a leave.

"Jin So-Mi. So you\'re giving up on becoming a lawyer?"

-How can I become a lawyer with everyone in Seocho-dong gunning for me?

Kim Dong-Soo\'s expression soured when his plan to sponsor her into becoming a lawyer had been derailed.

It was disappointing, but he couldn\'t just give up. Leaving a woman like Jin So-Mi who handled dirty work so well would be a loss.

"Alright then. Just take a break for now and we\'ll think about it."

-Anyway, I\'m not planning on being a lawyer just so you know.

"Fine. I\'ll keep sending you money anyway, so cool off for a while."

-Alright. See you later.

Click.

Kim Dong-Soo scratched his head in frustration after hanging up the phone.

Ju Ho-Sung, who was on his way back to the company with Kim Dong-Soo after lunch, cautiously asked, "How did things go?"

"What do you think? I got thoroughly shaken down," Kim Dong-Soo grumbled.

Ju Ho-Sung frowned to hear not only did they lose the custody battle for Miso but they also lost a valuable asset in Jin So-Mi.

"Ah, that bastard Jung Yoon-Ho. How can he be so lucky all the time?"

Kim Dong-Soo let out a deep sigh hearing Ju Ho-Sung\'s frustrated mutter. It was an unspoken acknowledgment that Jung Yoon-Ho had become an opponent he couldn\'t take lightly.

At that moment, Kim Dong-Soo saw a middle-aged couple arguing with a security guard at the company entrance.

"Huh? Are those people..."

The couple was none other than Jung Hak-Jae and his wife.

Kim Dong-Soo and Ju Ho-Sung hesitated and stopped in their tracks, because the custody battle had cost Jung Hak-Jae\'s family a fortune.

"Team Lead Ju, let\'s go through the underground parking lot."

"Yes, sir."

But before Kim Dong-Soo and Ju Ho-Sung could turn around, Jung Hak-Jae and his wife spotted them. Suddenly, they charged at the two with a crazed look in their eyes.

"Oh, there you are. We\'ve been looking for you guys~. Good timing, you bastards!"

"I\'ll kill you guys first then head to prison."

The bankrupt couple lunged at Kim Dong-Soo and Ju Ho-Sung.

As a result, they were tormented until the police arrived, getting their hair pulled and faces punched nonstop.

***

The day of the main auditions for Master of Mukbang arrived.

I headed to the TVM broadcasting station with Lee Yung-Jin and Haru.

While Haru was receiving a visitor\'s badge for the broadcasting station, Lee Yung-Jin cautiously asked, "Mr. Jung. Haru will get the lead role, right?"

I replied, "You know how often those broadcast people change their minds. We can\'t be complacent until it\'s over."

Although we had received promises from Kim Tae-Chon and Yoo Hyun-Ji that Haru would be the main lead, the situation could change at any time.

"But still, we do have the upper hand. So always assure Haru that he will get the lead role. Okay?" I added.

Lee Yung-Jin smiled. "Understood. Just trust me."

Then we headed to the audition room as Haru returned with his badge on.

"Looks like not many people showed up."

"I guess that\'s because it\'s a cable channel."

Just like in my past life, only about 30 actors had shown up to audition.

Master of Mukbang was about the main character, Park Ill-Sik, replicating dishes he had tried at famous restaurants at home.

Because the condition was that auditionees had to be under 22 and skilled at cooking, very few people applied.

"Wow, the set is really impressive though. They\'ll film Table of Mukbang here later, right?" Lee Yung-Jin asked.

Today\'s audition consisted of cooking in the first part and showing eating scenes in the second part. For this reason, the audition was held on a set that was jointly planned with a cooking competition show called Table of Mukbang.

"Yeah. But keep it down, it\'s embarrassing," I hushed Lee Yung-Jin.

After calming down the excited Lee Yung-Jin, I instructed Haru to inspect the kitchen table which was equipped with an induction cooktop and a sink.

At that moment, Ma Dong-Pal showed up at the audition site just like he did in my past life.

"Oh? Isn\'t that you over there, Team Lead Jung?" Ma Dong-Pal asked.

Despite seeing him often, I never really warmed up to Ma Dong-Pal.

But I noticed something was different from my past life.

Ma Dong-Pal wasn\'t accompanied by Jung Moon-Sik, a rookie actor from TK Entertainment, but by a completely new actor.

\'Who is that?\' I wondered.

The actor with Ma Dong-Pal had a preppy appearance, dressed in a neat checkered shirt and cotton pants. He seemed relaxed and confident unlike other actors nervously waiting for the audition to begin,

\'He must be confident in his cooking skills. But have I ever seen this actor before?\' I thought.

I couldn\'t recall seeing him even up to ten years later.

In the meantime, Haru finished looking around the kitchen table and stood by my side.

Ma Dong-Pal glanced at Haru and tilted his head. "Who\'s the kid you brought? A newly recruited actor?"

"His name is Haru, a newly recruited actor. But what brings you here today?" I responded.

"I\'m a talent agent too, you know. I came to take care of my actor."

However, it wasn\'t ordinary for a high-ranking official like Ma Dong-Pal to visit the audition site of a cable drama.

"Are you just coming from meeting the CP by chance?" I asked.

"You\'re quick to notice. Yes, I met him. Why?" Ma Dong-Pal responded with a grin.

When Ma Dong-Pal grinned, I immediately asked back, "Did he promise you the main role?"

As I hit the nail on the head, Ma Dong-Pal couldn\'t hide his flustered expression. It was clear he had made a promise. As always, those broadcasting people can\'t be trusted.

\'Did he provide entertainment?\' I wondered.

When Kim Dong-Soo had promoted Woo Sung-Chan to the main role, he had used substantial entertainment. And now, Ma Dong-Pal was doing the same thing for a new actor.

But Haru was still at an advantage.

If we were really at a disadvantage, Yoo Hyun-Ji would have subtly leaked some information to us in advance.

After organizing my thoughts, I spoke to Ma Dong-Pal, "Well that\'s too bad. We were also promised the role."

Ma Dong-Pal\'s face twisted once again. "Ahem. Is that so? Well, that\'s typical talk from those broadcast guys."

My eyes turned to the young man next to Ma Dong-Pal. "By the way, who is this beside you?"

When Ma Dong-Pal gestured, the actor beside him started to introduce himself.

At that moment, I could see why he was wearing such a confident expression.