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Chapter 355: Ju Yung-In (1)

After receiving a warm farewell in Cheongju, I returned to Seoul and got only three hours of sleep before heading to Incheon Airport with Seo Yeon-Woo.

Ju Yung-In had been cast as the lead in Wolf of the Battlefield, a massive action blockbuster funded by Shanghai New Media Inc., and I was assisting with the contract for the project.

Additionally, I had to introduce Seo Yeon-Woo as a vocal trainer to Ling Ling\'s parents and meet Wang Long\'s parents as well. I also had to discuss maintaining a friendly relationship with Shanghai New Media Inc. in a meeting.

As I parked the car at Incheon Airport and headed to the entrance with Seo Yeon-Woo, the entrance was already packed with fans waiting for Ju Yung-In.

With the immense success of In the Name of God, Ju Yung-In solidified her status as a top star, making her upcoming international debut highly anticipated.

"When is Yung-In unnie coming?"

"They said her flight\'s at 2:30, so she should be here soon since she has to arrive three hours early."

"She\'s coming in about five minutes. I got a text from Mrs. Lee."

"What? Do you have her personal number?"

"Of course! How else would we know where to come?"

A girl who seemed to be a fan club organizer shrugged as she spoke.

On either side of the fan club members were reporters with tripods checking their watches while eagerly waiting for Ju Yung-In\'s arrival.

After all, Ju Yung-In was the lead in the recently concluded hit drama In the Name of God.

It was currently 11:30 a.m.

\'She\'ll be here soon, I thought.

I sat on a bench near the check-in counter and turned to Seo Yeon-Woo. "Once Ju Yung-In enters the departure gate, we\'ll follow her. But remember, we\'re not supposed to know each other on the plane."

Seo Yeon-Woo nodded. "Okay, hyung."

He wore a puzzled expression as he glanced at the crowd outside the airport. "But how did all these people know to gather here?"

"The talent agent from Ace Entertainment tipped them off in advance."

It was common practice for entertainment companies to inform fan clubs when their artists were leaving or arriving at the airport. Not only did this help fans and paparazzi capture departure or arrival photos, but it also served as a way for the company to flaunt the star\'s popularity.

The more fans that showed up, the more the public perceived the star\'s popularity. Reporters were notified for the same reason.

Hence, Ju Yung-In\'s fan club members had been at the airport, armed with banners, since early in the morning to show their support.

At that moment, an international call from Wang Long came in for me and I told him that we would be leaving soon. "Yeah, we\'ll be heading to the departure gate in a bit."

-No, that\'s not what I\'m calling about...

Wang Long\'s voice sounded troubled.

"What\'s wrong?"

-Our company\'s Vice President, Deng Chao, is unhappy with the contract you and I signed. And by the way, Director Jang Tae-Yoon is also in Deng Chao\'s line. You should be aware of that.

The president of Shanghai New Media Inc., Zhou Xiaoyan, had made the deal with Hoop Entertainment through Wang Long.

Although the two companies had signed a 50:50 partnership, Deng Chao and Director Jang Tae-Yoon of Wolf of the Battlefield weren\'t pleased with the revenue split.

"So they think giving Hoop Entertainment half of the profits is too generous, huh?" I remarked.

-To be honest, yeah. Mr. Ju and I have been keeping them in check so they can\'t openly protest, but I wanted to give you a heads-up.

Shanghai New Media Inc. was at least ten times larger than Hoop Entertainment in terms of revenue.

Signing a 50:50 profit-sharing contract was already an unusual deal for such a massive company—and some of the executives were using this as an excuse to attack Wang Long, accusing him of being unfit for management.

"They\'re probably also criticizing you for being a nepo baby, right?"

-Yeah, exactly.

Wang Long confirmed that since it was already known within the company that he was the son of Deputy Secretary Wang Min, there shouldn\'t be any major issues with the final contract.

However, I wasn\'t one to leave even the smallest complaints unchecked.

"Don\'t worry, I\'ll take care of it," I reassured him.

-How are you going to handle it?

"Trust me, they won\'t be calling you a nepo baby after I\'m done."

I had a few cards up my sleeve to back up my position, including Hoop Entertainment\'s recent performance.

-I figured you wouldn\'t come to China without a plan. I\'ll leave it to you, then.

"Okay."

After ending the call with Wang Long, I let out a short sigh. Indeed, politics were tough everywhere whether in Korea or China.

\'People are the same wherever you go,\' I thought.

That\'s when there was a sudden commotion at the entrance of Incheon Airport.

\'She\'s here.\'

The fans started screaming upon watching the white van carrying Ju Yung-In pull up. "It\'s Ju Yung-In!!"

The moment Ju Yung-In, wearing a pink Channy two-piece, stepped out of the van, the cheers grew louder and louder.

"Oh my goodness! Unnie!"

"Unnie, please look over here!"

"Over here, unnie!!"

Camera flashes went off everywhere, but Ju Yung-In casually removed her sunglasses and smiled brightly at the crowd. Despite her gracious fan service, she made sure to prominently display the bracelet, earrings, and brooch she was wearing.

At her level of stardom, Ju Yung-In was essentially a walking advertisement. She was showing off the latest designer bags, shoes, and accessories.

Before In the Name of God, she had found it bothersome to highlight her sponsors\' products even if she was given them for free. However, she was all about giving the best possible exposure to her sponsors now.

\'Looks like she was inspired by Yoo-Jin,\' I observed.

Yoo-Jin frequently showcased the products she endorsed on social media, which made her unofficially the most beloved celebrity among advertisers. Recently, this level of exposure had even started to influence how much she was paid for sponsorships.

Ju Yung-In had subtly changed to avoid being overshadowed by her rival, Yoo-Jin.

For over two minutes, Ju Yung-In flaunted her sponsored accessories before clasping her hands together. It was a signal that the show was over.

At that moment, her talent agent Ahn Yung-Hee began to aggressively push through the crowd. "Okay, okay. Reporters, please step aside. We\'ll schedule interviews separately when she returns. Mr. Kim! Please listen to me and don\'t block the way!"

Security guards who had been waiting inside the airport rushed over to escort Ju Yung-In. "Sorry, we\'re coming through."

With the guards\' help, they moved faster toward the departure gate.

Only after Ju Yung-In checked in and entered the departure area did the fans reluctantly quiet down and disperse.

Seo Yeon-Woo looked half-dazed, perhaps because it was his first time seeing such chaos.

I patted Seo Yeon-Woo on the shoulder. "Take a good look, Yeon-Woo. You\'ll experience this someday too."

Seo Yeon-Woo blinked at me. "Me? Really?"

I nodded and smiled. "Yeah. Don\'t you remember? I promised to make you a singer. I\'ll make you so successful that twice as many fans as this will come to the airport for you."

I did not forget my promise to debut Seo Yeon-Woo as a singer.

Finally, he seemed to visualize that future and glanced at the path Ju Yung-In had just walked, as if imagining his moment of stardom.

***

Thanks to Ju Yung-In, Seo Yeon-Woo and I sat in seats 8A and 8B in business class on the flight to China.

Ju Yung-In and Ahn Yung-Hee were seated directly in front of us in 7A and 7B.

As I settled in, I noticed two reporters sitting in the back of the business class section along with a familiar homema who followed Ju Yung-In everywhere.

Since the plane hadn\'t taken off yet, I immediately sent a KkTalk message to Ju Yung-In. After all, I was acting as her agent today.

[Team Lead Jung Yoon-Ho: There are reporters on the plane. Rookie reporter Jong Min-Suk from Baro Star and Reporter Gu Ji-Am from Entertainment All Times are sitting in 7D and 8D. Be careful.]

Seat 7D was directly across the aisle from 7B. Ju Yung-In\'s seat 7A was a bit farther away, but the reporter would easily be able to see what Ju Yung-In was doing if he stood up.

[Ju Yung-In: Wow. I\'ve never seen those two reporters before. How did you know they\'re reporters?]

[Team Lead Jung Yoon-Ho: Let\'s just say I have my ways of finding out. So don\'t turn your head and act naturally. Once we land, security and staff from Shanghai New Media Inc. will be waiting. Join them quickly. See you at the headquarters.]

[Ju Yung-In: Got it, oppa. Oh, but by the way...]

Just as she was about to say something else, my phone buzzed with a notification.

[Notification: October 18, 2020. \'Jung Yoo-Jin\' has a new schedule update.]

Today was October 17th, which meant something new would come up for Yoo-Jin tomorrow.

Even though I was on a plane bound for China, Yoo-Jin\'s schedule was always a priority. I paused my conversation with Ju Yung-In and quickly flipped to the entry for the 18th in my planner.

No matter how urgent things might be, nothing was more important than matters related to Yoo-Jin.

However, what I saw on the planner was completely absurd.

[Everyday V11]

[Date: October 18, 2020]

-09:00 a.m. [NEW. Jung Yoo-Jin] Scheduled event canceled due to health reasons. (Video conference content: Rumors of a dating scandal between Ju Yung-In and Team Lead Jung Yoon-Ho, handling follow-up responses.)

Yoo-Jin was originally scheduled for an interview with Central Daily News\' reporter Choi So-Hye tomorrow. The interview was arranged as part of the deal to feature Cha Eun-Sol\'s photos in the article.

However, the interview was now being canceled for an outrageous reason: a scandal involving me and Ju Yung-In.

My eyes widened. \'A dating scandal between Ju Yung-In and I?\'

It was ridiculous, but I couldn\'t dismiss it just because it sounded improbable. After all, the Everyday app had always been accurate.

\'Could Ju Yung-In be the one orchestrating this?\' I wondered.

Nonetheless, I quickly shook my head.

Knowing Ju Yung-In, she wouldn\'t pull a stunt like this—especially not during one of the biggest moments of her career in China.

After all, we started dating only during her career slump when she was at her lowest in my past life.

I dismissed my suspicions of her and instead focused on the likelihood that a reporter might fabricate the story.

As my response was delayed, Ju Yung-In sent another KkTalk message.

[Ju Yung-In: Oppa, what\'s going on? Is something wrong?]

As I was about to reply, Jong Min-Suk sitting in seat 7D suddenly got up from his seat. It seemed like he was trying to sneak a peek at Ju Yung-In\'s phone screen under the pretense of going to the restroom as she continued texting me.

[Team Lead Jung Yoon-Ho: The reporter in 7D is getting up. Let\'s talk later. Cover your phone screen.]

[Ju Yung-In: Okay, we\'ll talk later then...]

Ju Yung-In calmly put her phone away, pretending nothing had happened.

Jong Min-Suk looked disappointed and smacked his lips as he walked toward the restroom.

\'Could he be the one behind this?\' I wondered.

Currently, the main suspects were Jong Min-Suk, Gu Ji-Am, and the well-known homema seated in business class.

However, I couldn\'t rule out the possibility of a random passenger from the general public. A single careless comment on social media could easily spark a scandal.

I had no idea who was trying to link me and Ju Yung-In to a dating scandal, but I had no intention of letting them succeed.

\'Whoever it is, they won\'t get away with it!\' I thought.

Suppressing my racing heart, I mentally reviewed all the possible scenarios that could unfold.

"We will be taking off shortly..."

After the announcement over the PA system echoed as the loud engine roared to life, the plane began slowly moving toward the runway.

***

After the long flight, the plane touched down at Shanghai Airport.

Thanks to the business class ticket, I was able to quickly make my way out of the arrival hall.

While Ju Yung-In was surrounded by a crowd of Chinese fans, I spotted someone from Shanghai New Media Inc. waiting to greet me.

"Right over here, Mr. Jung!"

A man with a short buzz cut was holding a sign with my name on it and waving enthusiastically.

After exchanging greetings with Wang Long\'s employee, I followed him to a black Merciless Bends Springer waiting at the airport entrance.

"This is your ride."

I nodded. "Got it."

When the rear door of the Springer opened, I saw Wang Long already seated and waving at me. "Hey, brother! You made it!"

"Huh? What are you doing here? Who\'s taking care of Miss Yung-In\'s side?" I asked.

Wang Long laughed and signaled for me to hop in. "The real VIP is you, isn\'t that right?"

I climbed into the van and asked about the situation. "So who went to greet Miss Yung-In then?"

"Don\'t worry. My team is handling all the guests from Korea. A new director is assigned to her."

"Okay, I trust you."

"Alright, let\'s roll!"

As we drove toward the Shanghai New Media Inc. headquarters located about 30 minutes away, Wang Long brought up the final episode of In the Name of God from the previous night.

"How the heck did you hit 39.5% viewership ratings? Korean viewership ratings always blow my mind. Over here in China, 3% is an already huge deal."

In China, even a 3% viewership rating was considered a massive success, and anything above 5% was extraordinary. With the massive population of China, a 1% viewership rating easily surpassed the population of Seoul.

For instance, the highest-rated drama in the first half of last year reached over 6% and amassed 1.5 billion views through streaming alone on Yooko, the same platform that would stream Wolf of the Battlefield.

"Well, it\'s bound to be like that with the population difference and the number of networks."

"Still, congratulations. From what I\'ve seen in the news, it looks like you\'re set to sweep all the year-end awards."

"Thanks, but it\'s all because Yoo-Jin did so well. As for the awards, yeah, the odds are pretty good."

"You\'re admitting that? Haha," Wang Long chuckled.

I nodded. "Of course. Yoo-Jin\'s definitely got the Best New Actress award in the bag."

As we exchanged compliments, Wang Long shifted the conversation to his father. "By the way, you haven\'t forgotten about the meeting with my father tomorrow, right?"

"How could I forget?"

Deputy Secretary Wang Min, one of the key power figures in China, was eagerly looking forward to meeting me. He had insisted on treating me as his son\'s benefactor.

"But does your father still talk about me often?" I asked.

"Yeah, he always says he can\'t wait to see you."

Just thinking about Wang Min\'s stern face made my heart race.

Last week, Wang Long reminded me to think of a gift I might want from his father. I originally hadn\'t planned to ask for anything, but a challenging request had come up.

At that moment, Wang Long looked interested. "What\'s that look for? Last time you said you didn\'t need anything."

"I\'ve changed my mind. Something came up."

"What is it?"

Looking at the excited Wang Long, I decided to tell him first about the favor I wanted to ask his father as I needed to know whether it was even possible.

However, as I spoke, Wang Long\'s expression slowly hardened.