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Chapter 334: Shadow (1)

"I\'ll make sure Director Jo doesn\'t come back for at least a year. No, maybe two years would be better. Just say the word and he won\'t be able to return as long as you\'re beside me. How does that sound?"

Son Hyung-Tae was reiterating that he had chosen me over Jo Jae-Kyung.

\'What should I do?\' I pondered.

After a brief consideration, I accepted his proposal with conditions. After all, the projects I had in mind weren\'t exclusive to CK. "I\'ll assist you in the same way I\'ve helped President Shin of LT Entertainment. That\'s the only promise I can make."

Son Hyung-Tae stared intently at me. "I hate sharing, you know?"

His words carried a hint of a threat, but I had no intention of changing my stance. When I remained silent, Son Hyung-Tae sighed instead of threatening me further. "Sigh. Alright, let\'s agree on that for now."

I breathed a sigh of relief and nodded. "Understood, sir."

Son Hyung-Tae added, "Oh, and take the settlement money. It\'s coming out of Jae-Kyung\'s account anyway. He hates losing money more than anything. You should at least get some payback, don\'t you think?"

I declined. "It\'s fine. Receiving an apology from Director Jo Jae-Kyung himself is enough."

Son Hyung-Tae shook his head. "No, that won\'t do. I\'ll tell them to raise the settlement to 100 million won, so just take what they give."

Suddenly, he was offering a settlement of 100 million won. However, that money felt like a shackle. As I pondered how to turn it down, I found a way to refuse nicely.

I replied, "Then please send the settlement to the foundation I usually support for disadvantaged youths."

This way, I could snub Jo Jae-Kyung and also put the money to good use.

Money itself wasn\'t the problem: it was how people used it.

Son Hyung-Tae laughed heartily at my response."Look at this guy. The more I see, the more interesting you get!"

Greed seemed to deepen in Son Hyung-Tae\'s eyes as he looked at me.

***

I received a call from Shin Jong-Gi, the president of LT Entertainment, as soon as I woke up the day after meeting the president of CK Entertainment.

-You met with President Son yesterday, didn\'t you? What on earth happened?

Shin Jong-Gi sounded pleased as he mentioned that CK Entertainment had decided to expand the screenings of Beyond the Boundary.

I told him what had transpired. "Mr. Son was so encouraged by the success of Beyond the Boundary that he promised to fully support Mr. Park\'s Jiri Mountain as well."

-Huh! That sly guy made such an offer?

"Yes."

-Team Lead Jung. You haven\'t decided to work with President Son, have you? We agreed to do Jiri Mountain together!

Quick-witted as always, Shin Jong-Gi probed cautiously.

Because I had made a deal with Son Hyung-Tae to keep our agreement quiet, I answered with hints of reluctance. "No, of course not, Mr. Shin."

-Good! As you should! And I\'ll make sure to put extra care into Jiri Mountain. You can trust me on this!

Shin Jong-Gi emphasized that I should not forget LT\'s role in Jiri Mountain before hanging up.

"This is ridiculous," I muttered.

Thanks to my eye for picking projects, I had now established a direct connection with the respective heads of two major film distribution companies.

Two days later, CK Entertainment\'s expansion of the screenings showed immediate results in audience numbers.

[Lee Tae-Poong drives over 6.2 million viewers in ten days with Beyond the Boundary.]

[Lee Tae-Poong rises above acting controversies, showcasing overwhelming presence.]

At this pace, reaching ten million viewers seemed possible within the next ten days or so.

Lee Tae-Poong\'s popularity was naturally soaring, and my phone as his talent agent was constantly ringing off the hook.

-This is Writer Choo Mi-Hye from Morning Garden. We\'d like to do a short interview with Mr. Lee Tae-Poong. Would he be available today?

-Hey! Team Lead Jung! It\'s PD Bang Man-Han from Visible TV. Remember we met once before? I\'ve got a great new concept I\'d like to discuss...

-We\'re planning a show where Mr. Lee Tae-Poong and various idols survive on a deserted island, taking care of all meals on their own. Is this something he might be interested in?

Currently, Lee Tae-Poong couldn\'t appear on any shows as he was touring provincial stages.

Hence, all I could do was apologize repeatedly. "I\'m sorry, sir. Tae-Poong can only join once his provincial stage tours are over. Yes, yes, I hope you understand."

Apologizing was no easy task, but this was nothing for Lee Tae-Poong. After all, I was his talent agent.

At that moment, I got a call from Seo Jae-Ill. He seemed to have been busy dealing with the aftermath of Park Sang-Gon for the past few days.

"Yes, Mr. Seo."

-Team Lead Jung, I\'m afraid I have some bad news today.

It seemed like things hadn\'t gone well judging by his voice.

"Judging by the tone, it sounds like you failed to catch Assemblyman Park Sang-Gon."

I heard Seo Jae-Ill sigh over the phone.

-Sigh. Yes. That\'s what happened.

Yoo Sang-Gi, the aide who had attempted suicide, had regained consciousness. However, he claimed everything was his own doing, causing the investigation into Park Sang-Gon to lose momentum.

-It seems Assemblyman Park has been promised a pardon if he becomes president. Even with a twenty-year sentence, he didn\'t even blink.

"Then what about Choi Man-Sik?"

-Well, I plan to reassess the direction of the investigation after meeting President Choi Eun-Tae.

Since Choi Man-Sik wasn\'t directly implicated in the bribery case and there was still no evidence of him targeting Kang Eun-Gi, Seo Jae-Ill said he intended to meet Choi Eun-Tae.

It seemed that the once obstinate Seo Jae-Ill had finally developed some flexibility. He realized that in order to take down bigger evils, he needed to gather more allies.

"What about the police who were guarding Eun-Gi\'s hospital room? Wouldn\'t digging into them lead us to Choi Man-Sik?"

-Actually, I was already considering taking a closer look at them. If they were receiving those kinds of orders, then it\'s not just Choi Man-Sik but likely high-ranking police officials involved too. Park Sang-Gon might be connected as well.

The spark of the investigation which I thought had died out completely was rekindling.

-Anyway, I\'ve wrapped up discussions with the Eastern District Prosecutors\' Office. The investigation into Hoop Entertainment will conclude at an appropriate point, so don\'t worry.

"Thank you for your consideration."

-Take care of yourself and let\'s meet up once things settle down.

"Of course."

However, just before hanging up, Seo Jae-Ill said something unexpected.

-Thanks to you, I\'ve received a lot of help. I avoided demotion and even made some connections with important people. It\'s all thanks to you, Mr. Jung.

I was a bit flustered to receive such unexpected gratitude.

"Oh. No problem, Mr. Seo."

-There\'s no need to be modest. I\'ll definitely repay this debt.

After that, Seo Jae-Ill ended the call, mentioning he had a lot to take care of.

"Phew."

It was a bit disappointing not to have dealt with Park Sang-Gon this time, but we had still dealt a significant blow to the Suhyaejong line within the company—and to Kim Dong-Soo as well.

On top of that, I had gained a strong ally in Seo Jae-Ill. Choi Eun-Tae had also started watching my back.

Perhaps because of that, it felt like my dream of blocking the establishment of Top Entertainment and solidifying Hoop Entertainment was drawing ever closer.

Just then, I received a KkTalk message from Kang Gam-Chan.

[President Kang Gam-Chan: All team leads and above, please gather in the sixth-floor meeting room. We will announce the audit results and introduce the new directors and chiefs.]

After assigning the work to Lee Yung-Jin, I headed straight to the venue.

***

The atmosphere in the meeting room was different from usual.

This wasn\'t just because of the audit results announcement but also due to changes in the lineup of attendees.

Bang Sang-Yung was sitting in Lee Gi-Cheol\'s seat, and Chief Han So-Yoo, who had recently moved from ANK Music, was in the seat of Chief of Singer Division 1.

Creak.

When the door opened, the tired looking Kang Gam-Chan entered with Jung Soo-Hyuk.

Kang Gam-Chan sat down with a heavy expression. After letting out a short sigh, he began announcing the audit results. "The recent audit has revealed significant corruption within Actor Division 3!"

In reality, only a few issues were uncovered because Kim Dong-Soo and Lee Gi-Cheol had made some preemptive moves. However, it was impossible to cover up all the years of accumulated corruption in such a short time. As such, quite a bit of corruption was exposed.

Kang Gam-Chan did not hide the fact that there were issues with the management of Actor Division 3.

As the employees murmured, Kang Gam-Chan raised his hand. "Quiet."

When the noisy atmosphere settled, Kang Gam-Chan continued. "Since Chief Kim is already on suspension, further disciplinary actions are difficult at the moment. Nonetheless, depending on the investigation, he could be demoted or even dismissed."

Everyone\'s jaws dropped in surprise. If Kim Dong-Soo were to be demoted, it would mean going down from chief to team lead: It was essentially a message to leave on his own.

The faces of the team leads under Actor Division 3 started to turn pale, as there was a real possibility that the entire Suhyaejong line could collapse.

Kang Gam-Chan ignored the team leads\' dismay and continued his stern rebuke. "Just because you\'ve been given autonomy doesn\'t mean you have the right to commit corruption. From now on, regular audits will be conducted, so keep that in mind!"

Nobody dared to object to his declaration of conducting regular audits to scrutinize each team\'s operations.

Kang Gam-Chan continued. "And here, we have Chief Han So-Yoo who has just joined us from ANK Music. Let\'s welcome her with applause."

As everyone clapped, Han So-Yoo stood up and gave a brief introduction. "I\'ll do my best. I look forward to your support."

She kept her introduction short due to the unsettled atmosphere.

Then, Kang Gam-Chan turned to Bang Sang-Yung. "And Director Bang, you should say a few words."

At Kang Gam-Chan\'s urging, Bang Sang-Yung stood up and said, "For the time being, I\'ll be handling the responsibilities previously managed by Mr. Lee Gi-Cheol and overseeing Actor Division 3 as well."

Aligned with the Suhyaejong line, he quickly filled the gaps left by Lee Gi-Cheol and Kim Dong-Soo.

Then, he turned to Han So-Yoo. "Also, Ms. Han joined us during a turbulent time. Please don\'t let these issues affect you and focus on launching the debut team that came with you."

Han So-Yoo nodded. "Yes, Mr. Bang."

Kang Gam-Chan hurriedly wrapped up the meeting as if his main goal was to address the audit results.

After the short meeting ended, an idea came to mind. If I could poach Kim Dong-Soo\'s actors and talent agents while he was away, it would make ousting him much easier later.

Just then, an even bolder thought struck me. \'Actor Division 3... Maybe it\'s time to take them over entirely.\'

If Kim Dong-Soo were demoted to team lead, this wouldn\'t be an impossible task. After all, Team Jung\'s performance was unmatched except for Actor Division 1.

\'Let\'s see what I can do,\' I thought.

If everything went well, stopping the establishment of Top Entertainment might happen unexpectedly.

***

It was October 5th, 9 p.m.

With the relentless schedule continuing day after day, I felt like it was going to kill me. I had collapsed from overwork and stress before in my past life—I couldn\'t let that happen again.

"I\'m leaving early today. If anything urgent comes up, send a KkTalk message or leave it on my desk. I\'ll check it tomorrow morning."

I left work a bit early and spent time playing with Miso. By 10 p.m., Miso had fallen asleep.

After putting Miso to bed, I watched TV in the living room on the first floor. Before I knew it, it was 11:40 p.m.

At that moment, Yoo-Jin came home after finishing a long shoot. "Ah~ I\'m exhausted. Oppa, I\'m back!"

"Hey, you must be really tired," I remarked.

The episode 21 they shot today would air in two days. They had been filming without major issues until now, but the schedule had been delayed due to the many variables present on-site.

Yoo-Jin sighed briefly and asked, "Oppa, what time do we leave tomorrow?"

"The shoot starts at 5:30 a.m., so we need to leave by 4 a.m. I\'ll be on set tomorrow too, so keep that in mind."

Yoo-Jin groaned. "Ugh... I\'d better get to bed early if we\'re leaving at 4. You should get some rest too."

I offered my help. "I\'ll take Miso up to the second floor for you."

"Oh, but I can do it..."

"No, Miso has gotten a lot heavier."

Miso usually slept on the first floor when Yoo-Jin came home late. Upon arriving home, Yoo-Jin would carry Miso up to the second floor.

However, Miso had grown taller and heavier lately as she had been eating well and sleeping soundly.

I went into the master bedroom, greeted Jung In-Ji, and gently picked the sleeping Miso up.

Half-asleep, Miso opened her drowsy eyes slightly. "Hehehe, it\'s Uncle Yoon-Ho."

"Yes, Miso. Go back to sleep. Your mom\'s here now."

"Mmm... Okay. Mommy... welcome home."

Miso nodded her head, still in my arms.

"Miso, I\'m sorry I came home so late," said Yoo-Jin.

"It\'s fine, Mom. I had fun today too. But I\'m sleepy."

Miso\'s eyes slowly closed as she buried her face into my chest.

"She must be really sleepy. Let\'s get her upstairs quickly."

"Okay."

Yoo-Jin gently pinched Miso\'s chubby cheeks before leading the way.

After laying Miso down in her room, I told Yoo-Jin I\'d see her tomorrow and headed up to the third floor.

Just then, my phone vibrated.

[Notification: A new schedule for \'Jung Yoo-Jin\' has been added for October 6, 2020.]

A new scheduled event alert popped up for the first time in a while.

\'What is it this time...\' I wondered.

[Everyday V10.1]

[Date: October 6, 2020]

-09:00 a.m. [NEW. Jung Yoo-Jin] Jung Yoo-Jin receives emergency treatment near the Yangpyeong set location. Filming postponed by one day.

"What is this? Yoo-Jin\'s going to get hurt?" I uttered in shock.

The drowsiness that had been creeping in instantly vanished. After a moment of consideration, I made a bold decision. \'I\'ll have to postpone it.\'

No matter how tight the shooting schedule was, I couldn\'t just stand by and watch Yoo-Jin get hurt.

I called Kim Sung-Woon, who would be in the editing room, and asked him to push the shoot back to after 9 a.m. "Mr. Kim, can we start tomorrow\'s shoot four hours later? Yoo-Jin\'s not feeling her best."

-Is that so? Ah, but the schedule\'s really tight... How bad is it?

His voice was clearly flustered given the hectic shooting schedule.

"It\'s not too serious, but I want to take her to the hospital in the morning to get an IV drip."

Only then did Kim Sung-Woon speak in a relieved tone.

-Alright, then I\'ll rearrange the shooting order. Could you be on set by 10?

"Yes, sir! Thank you so much!"

After repeatedly thanking him, I hung up and checked my planner right away.

As expected, the scheduled event had disappeared.

[Everyday V10.1]

[Date: October 6, 2020]

-09:00 a.m. <Scheduled Event Deleted>

(Deleted event: [NEW. Jung Yoo-Jin] Jung Yoo-Jin receives emergency treatment near the Yangpyeong set location. Filming postponed by one day.)

Finally feeling relieved, I headed to the bathroom to wash off the cold sweat.

However, the moment I stepped out of the shower, my phone vibrated again.

The current time was 12:05 a.m.

"Is it Mr. Kim?"

Wondering if he had messaged me to ask about the earlier conversation, I checked my phone and saw that a new scheduled event had appeared.

[Notification: A new schedule for Jung Yoo-Jin has been added for October 6, 2020.]

"October 6 again?"

I had pushed back the reporting time and managed to delete the scheduled event from my planner, but now there was another event for the same day.

Feeling uneasy, I quickly checked the schedule.

The moment I saw it, I couldn\'t help but shout out loud. "What the hell is this?"

[Everyday V10.1]

[Date: October 6, 2020]

-01:00 p.m. [NEW. Jung Yoo-Jin] Transported to the emergency room. (Note: All schedules are canceled for four weeks.)

A more severe event than before had appeared on the planner.