Chapter 123: The Investor’s Power and the Shadows Moving

“Power of an investor? What are you talking about.”

“Read them.”

Jiwon pointed to the piled-up scripts and said.

“Who? You don’t mean…… me?”

Is he seriously making me do it because he’s too lazy to read them himself?

“And pick some.”

I tilted my head, wondering what the hell this guy was going on about.

“Then what?”

“I’ll slot you into the one you pick!”

“……”

I knew it would come to this.

“So in the end, you’re just hitching a ride on my pick?”

“Hitching a ride…… That hurts, you know?”

“Hurts? You’re the one to talk about hurt? You’re trying to dump it on me.”

At my words, Jiwon gave an awkward smile, like he’d been caught.

“Hehehe~ You know me too well.”

“Funny…….”

“Originally, the CEO just makes the final decisions—doesn’t handle all these petty details.”

But with zero employees, he was both the staff and the CEO.

“Where are the employees to say that?”

“I gotta start looking now.”

“……How about just backing out while you can?”

“A man draws his sword, he at least cuts a radish!”

Only pulls the man card when it suits him.

“What you drew isn’t a sword—it’s a toy, you idiot!”

“Wow~ For a second, I thought I was looking at Uncle Kyungho. Your tone was exactly the same.”

“Want me to channel him and smack you a few times?”

“Hey, if I fold here, what about all these? They all came rushing when I said I’d invest.”

So many projects flop without funding—makes sense they’d swarm if money’s on the table.

“So, have you seen any that look decent?”

“Gotta look now.”

He’ll be unemployed again soon.

I had a strong feeling I wouldn’t see this office much longer.

“There really are a lot…….”

I got up and rifled through the stacked scripts. My interest was naturally drawn to ones I couldn’t normally see.

“Read them.”

Seeing my interest as I flipped through, Jiwon encouraged me to read.

“Can I really read them?”

They’re not scripts sent to me, and some people are sensitive about sharing scripts, so I asked.

“Read. I’m the moneybags—what are they gonna do?”

“Seriously…….”

I’m so glad I’m not tangled up in work with you.

If I worked under this guy, I wouldn’t last a day before quitting.

“Seurowoon House? Bando? Plan D?”

Just skimming the titles with my eyes, I could tell there were all sorts of genres.

“You don’t have shoots right now. Come by when you’re bored and read.”

Curious about what was inside, I picked up the closest script.

***

DreamN Entertainment.

“If he’d come to our company from the start, this wouldn’t have happened.”

Taehwan clicked his tongue as he looked at the article about Hyunjae’s ‘Collision’ appearance.

“From what I saw, he doesn’t seem interested at all. Looks pretty tight with his CEO too.”

“At that age, loyalty probably seems important. Doesn’t know it’s the most useless thing.”

He’d seen plenty of kids drunk on bravado, living and dying by loyalty.

“Forget it. Don’t worry about him. Looks like he won’t last long anyway.”

Taehwan, who’d been praising Hyunjae and trying to recruit him, acted like that never happened.

“Really no eye for talent, huh? How’d he think to join that director’s comeback?”

Incheol had hit rock bottom ages ago—and kept digging.

“Idiot. Doesn’t know what those guys are like…….”

Taehwan knew Byunghyun all too well. How much had he spent on drinks for him? How many times had he bowed?

Pathetic guy preaching art while reeking of dirty money.

Pretends to be picky with artistic beliefs and project directions, but easy enough to slot Jungwoo as lead for a few bucks.

“The kid seemed decent, but guess that’s one down.”

“His own fault.”

He’d coveted Hyunjae, but if he couldn’t have him, better to eliminate him.

“Better this way. No need to worry about him.”

In this daily competition, best to nip potential rivals in the bud. Like when he raised Jaehyun back then, and now too.

“Enough about him—Jungwoo’s next project? Gotta start prepping soon.”

“He’s looking at scripts, but since he just got back from military, something with more depth…….”

“So what.”

Taehwan cut off the team leader’s rambling and asked curtly.

“To show deeper acting, something emotional…….”

“Hey, you think he’ll pull off deep acting just ’cause he did military?”

“Uh…….”

Struck at the core, the team leader stammered, unable to speak properly.

“Get your head straight. He’s Han Jungwoo, not Jung Jaehyun.”

Taehwan poked the team leader’s forehead with his index finger as he spoke.

“Your job isn’t to show his acting skills—it’s to hide that he’s all fluff.”

Pathetic that a team leader couldn’t even grasp his own actor, but no one followed orders like this guy, so he held back.

“Search again. Focus on directors with killer vision—roles that don’t need acting skill but have good characters, and projects with artistry.”

The team leader’s head hurt hearing Taehwan. How to match all that.

“Yes, understood.”

But his mouth said yes.

“Ah! And ‘Music Day’—Choi Minwoo’s been on a while, right?”

“Uh…… Not sure exactly, but almost a year, I think.”

“Time to pull him. Slot one of ours in there.”

Taehwan spoke of inserting his actor like ordering food—totally natural.

“Huh?”

“Slot him in. Hard to understand?”

“No, sir. I’ll contact the PD.”

Just said no need to worry about Jung Hyunjae, yet now checking by slotting their actor into MC.

Which beat am I supposed to follow?

Confusing, but no “NO” option for him—he said yes and left. 

Pondering who to push for the music show MC.

“Jung Hyunjae…… Didn’t like the name from the start.”

He remembered. The one who used to have that name…… no, the animal.

“Attaching a human name to a damn dog—making it all creepy.”

Wanting Hyunjae was partly potential, but mostly ’cause his face kept reminding him of that glaring dog.

Never felt a shred of guilt about that incident, but weirdly, the name bugged him.

“Ah, didn’t want to contact this bastard.”

For extra certainty, Taehwan pulled out his phone.

“Director~ How’ve you been?”

***

The one he contacted was none other than Byunghyun.

In a quiet private room at a bar, Byunghyun and Taehwan were together.

“Didn’t expect a sudden call like this. How’s Jungwoo?”

Byunghyun asked about Jungwoo first.

“Of course~ Diligently serving his military time.”

“Let’s do another project sometime.”

“We’re always open to your works, Director. Haha.”

Taehwan poured liquor into Byunghyun’s glass.

“But you didn’t call me out of boredom…… What’s up?”

They knew each other too well, so after brief pleasantries, straight to business.

“Heard rumors of Director Seo Incheol’s comeback lately?”

“Ah~ That?”

Byunghyun spoke casually about Incheol.

“As expected, you already knew. Even the film title and actor are out.”

“Articles are everywhere—how could I not? Thought you were quick on news, but guess not. Heh heh.”

The subtly condescending gaze irked Taehwan, but the “ten-million director” title kept him silent, just smiling.

“Yeah. I’m slow like that.”

“Busy man—you’re bound to be. Managing actors must be tough.”

“Ahaha……”

That bastard’s chin’s about to hit the sky.

Arrogant even when begging for Jungwoo’s casting, now with the ten-million title, skyrocketing.

“Not just for some has-been director’s comeback…….”

Has-been director. 

That’s what Byunghyun called Incheol.

“You don’t mean that’s why?”

“Haha, well…… Raising a newbie, and Jung Hyunjae keeps getting in the way lately. Heard he’s in Seo Incheol’s film, so wondered.”

“Ah~ That kid’s pretty popular these days? Acting’s solid too.”

Byunghyun listed Hyunjae’s praises like teasing Taehwan.

“Industry buzz is he’s polite and nice personality…… Guess that rubbed you wrong.”

“Well…….”

“But no need to worry.”

From the moment he heard Hyunjae was in Incheol’s film, Byunghyun disliked him.

“Saw the script—it’s outdated. 100% flop.”

“You saw the script?”

“Any script I can’t get?”

Byunghyun had already gotten and read Incheol’s script through the distributor.

“Well, content’s fresh, but overall tacky—couldn’t stand it.”

“Hahaha, If you say that, must be really bad.”

“And that’ll be that kid’s first and last film.”

Meaning he’d ensure Hyunjae never sets foot in films again. 

That put Taehwan at ease.

Of course he wouldn’t let it slide.

Expected Byunghyun wouldn’t sit idle on Incheol’s comeback—and sure enough, already moving.

“So don’t worry about that, focus on nurturing newbies. Introduce good actors like Jungwoo to me too.”

“Introduce” meant: if you want in my film, pay up like with Jungwoo.

“Of course~ Honor for us to be in your work.”

Byunghyun was obnoxious, but if he could boost like Jungwoo, money was nothing—he’d recoup way more.

***

“Director, I think we can cut this word. It’s only used online, not in real life.”

“Really?”

In Incheol’s rooftop room, Hyunjae was revising the script with Incheol.

“Changed from falling then getting up and running to getting caught once then breaking free and going—better, right?”

“I think that’s better too.”

Kept the basic story, but updated outdated words or locations to fit now, and sharpened protagonist Juho’s personality.

“Director, who’s the actor for Cheolmin?”

Cheolmin was the voice phishing gang member who pushes Juho into the abyss of evil.

“Ah…… Had one lined up, but suddenly pulled for another project. Looking now, so don’t worry.”

“Can you find one?”

Heard not many actors want to work with Incheol, so I worried.

“Of course~ Contacting theater folks, and old co-workers too.”

“Old co-workers?”

“Yeah, I was on good terms with supporting actors too…….”

“Ah!”

Then, in a flash, one person popped into my head.

“I know someone for this role!”