Chapter 14: Shadows, Schemes, and a Lost Son

Director Kim Seung-pyo had been someone who had run the path of success his entire life.

He debuted at a young age and succeeded in carving out a new genre, the Kim Seung-pyo-style romantic comedy, in the Korean film industry—a remarkable achievement for the great Director Kim.

That’s why people often assumed that even if he never bothered to iron his wrinkled, checkered shirts and dressed like that, those clothes must have been high-end brands worth hundreds of thousands of won.

Yet, the very Director Kim Seung-pyo was now, quite literally, a complete mess.

It was around 1 p.m., and avoiding the glaring sun, he looked no different from a weary old man hanging out at the Topgol Park—the kind who sought refuge there every day.

Of course, as a director whose films had grossed tens of millions in box office revenue, it wasn’t to say that he had actually become a beggar.

It was just that his appearance gave off that impression.

Kim Director’s loyal assistant director, Park Sang-tae, approached quietly and patted the sagging shoulders of the exhausted director.

“Director, can you stop moaning about being sick? There are plenty of eyes watching here.”

“Sang-tae, I’ve been thinking quietly, but I really can’t take it anymore.”

“If you can’t take it, then what are you going to do?”

“Maybe I should just kill that bastard and go to jail.”

Park Sang-tae emptied the dirty liquor from the bottle in front of Director Kim and then filled the glass cleanly once again.

“You want to completely ruin your life?”

“No, I’m not really saying I’ll kill him. Just beat him up until I die, then turn myself in.”

* Hey, Rude =

At a time when they should be busy preparing for shooting, there was no one else drinking during the day but them.

“Park Tae-won, that bastard, is he going into hiding after pulling a stunt?”

Indeed.

After being cast as the lead for Park Eun-sook’s new drama, Park Tae-won quickly went off the grid.

To find out what exactly had happened, CEO Hong Ju-hee and Director Kim Seung-pyo repeatedly tried contacting Park Tae-won and Kingdom Entertainment.

But all they got in return was the same ignorant reply repeated like a machine.

“We’re canceling the Twin Love appearance. We’ll pay the penalty right away.”

Thus, most of the staff, including the director, gathered in small groups at a humble gamjatang (pork bone stew) restaurant, drowning reality in daytime drinking.

If it had been a supporting actor causing trouble, they might have found a substitute or rewritten the script to change roles.

But with the lead actor responsible for over 70% of the early shooting volume, this was an issue too big to handle.

“CEO, is there really no way?”

“I’ve contacted everyone I can think of, but there isn’t a single actor willing to take the lead.”

CEO Hong Ju-hee was already in emergency mode, staying up all night to find a solution but came up empty-handed.

I sat alone in a corner, sipping soju and thinking deeply.

Of all times, the lead actor of the drama I started suddenly disappears, right before the first shoot.

And in such an incomprehensible and ignorant manner.

To make matters worse, later articles claimed that due to discord between the Twin Love production team and Park Tae-won, they mutually agreed to terminate the contract—an utterly ridiculous claim.

No matter how clear the official statement was, the media flood was overwhelming, and the public only cared about Park Eun-sook’s new work, paying little attention to casting issues.

It was clear that someone’s malice had been involved.

*…

The executive office on the 14th floor of the historic O1 Media headquarters building.

From the floor-to-ceiling glass window, Director Jeon Min-jung looked out at the night view of the Han River, then slowly turned her satisfied face toward the man standing in front of her desk.

“Good work, Director Kwak.”

“This was a task directly ordered by you, so there can be no mistakes.”

In front of Director Jeon Min-jung stood Kwak Ga-hyo, her right-hand man and the chief secretary, with a sinister smile pulling at the corners of his mouth.

“Through the Strategic Planning Office, I contacted Kingdom Entertainment, Park Tae-won’s agency, and negotiated the contract with Twin Love on the condition that they also cover the penalty fees.”

“You understand that we need to cover all the back-end measures perfectly, right?”

“Yes. I instructed them to release an article saying, ‘Park Tae-won didn’t irresponsibly leave Twin Love but mutually agreed to terminate the contract due to unreasonable demands from the production team.’”

Director Jeon Min-jung smiled in satisfaction at those words.

“Good. I know you’re working, but would you like a glass of champagne?”

“I’m not one to refuse a drink from the Director.”

Jeon Min-jung turned from her desk and took out a bottle of Dom Perignon from the redesigned wine cellar built into the wall.

She carefully placed the bottle into a prepared ice bucket and began swirling it gently, chilling it herself.

Watching the cold dew form on the surface of the bottle, Director Kwak licked his lips.

“Make sure to pay the reporters handsomely to keep quiet.”

“Yes. And I’ve instructed Kingdom Entertainment to make the atmosphere as uncomfortable as possible with the production team. That way, if rumors spread later, they can testify there was discord between both parties.”

“As expected of our Kwak Director. Now, drink up.”

Director Jeon Min-jung poured a generous glass of the Dom Perignon, worth millions, into a long crystal glass and handed it to Kwak.

He received it reverently with both hands, slowly swirled the glass to savor the aroma, then took a satisfied sip with a pleased smile.

“That Lee Jung-hyuk. Since that weed is around, we need to shine a light on him while it’s bright.”

“Yes, that’s why we’ve externally notified all actors’ agencies connected with O1 Media not to cooperate with Aitch Studio. They won’t be able to cast any proper lead actors.”

“Seems like you handle things without me even telling you.”

The media play, led by Director Kwak, was meant to imply that Lee Jung-hyuk’s hiding was the reason for the divorce.

So it was no surprise that there were no rebuttals from Lee Jung-hyuk’s side during the divorce.

“But why are you so desperate to make it even more scandalous?”

Having started as a low-level employee and risen to chief secretary through keen political insight and meticulous work, she had several plausible theories.

At that moment, Director Jeon Min-jung’s voice disrupted Kwak’s thoughts.

“Oh my, Director Kwak’s watch. Isn’t it a bit old?”

Kwak gently caressed the watch on his wrist as if it were a precious treasure.

“Haha, it’s a watch my father passed down to me, so it is a bit old, but it’s still a watch I cherish and wear every day.”

Clicking her high heels, Director Jeon Min-jung stood before a black lacquered display case on the side of the office.

The top was made of transparent acrylic, revealing neatly divided compartments inside.

Each contained dozens of luxurious men’s watches, shimmering with exquisite craftsmanship.

Most of the watches on the upper shelves looked unused and brand new, adorned with dazzling jewels and decorations, clearly ultra-high-end items.

But toward the lower shelves, there were some watches that appeared well-used and older, suggesting they had been arranged deliberately.

Jeon Min-jung took one from the upper shelf.

“This one might suit you better, Director Kwak. How about swapping it for your current watch?”

Kwak’s Adam’s apple moved noticeably as he swallowed hard.

Being someone who always had an interest in watches, he recognized the one Director Jeon held at a glance.

It was a Rolex Submariner new model, with a black face and silver bezel—an expensive luxury watch retailing for over 20 million won.

Kwak glanced briefly at his own watch, bit his lip, and quickly took off the inherited watch from his father.

“Since you specially thought of me and are offering this, it’s only right to accept it gratefully.”

“Pfft, are you sure it’s okay to give up a watch you inherited from your father?”

“Of course! My father—no, my grandfather—would have been fine with it too.”

Using wealth to entice people was a common tactic for Director Jeon when managing her staff.

The watch she gave to Kwak had also been received from a former executive.

“Alright, you keep the old watch, and Director Kwak, you take the new one.”

“Thank you, Director!”

Kwak hastily put on the new watch, worried that Director Jeon might change her mind.

Jeon Min-jung placed Kwak’s old watch in the empty spot in her collection at the very bottom shelf.

“Well, I’ll get back to finishing up the orders you gave me.”

“Please do.”

Watching Kwak leave the office with a smug expression, Jeon Min-jung smirked quietly and took her champagne glass to the window.

Looking down at the streams of colorful lights crossing Mapo Bridge, Jeon Min-jung enjoyed a dizzying thrill as if she had the entire world beneath her feet.

Taking a sweet sip of champagne, a strange sensation flushed through her body.

Without delay, she called her half-blooded sibling.

“Oppa, is this a good time? Should I come over?”

*…

Now that the lead actor Park Tae-won’s contract was terminated, the production status of Twin Love had become unclear.

I sat in the workroom with a troubled heart, staring blankly at the desk.

Hmm… Should I suggest casting Ahn Yoo-seok as the lead?

At least with Ahn Yoo-seok, he wouldn’t be swayed by O1 Media’s petty schemes.

The problem was that everyone would oppose my opinion.

Though I was confident he could be a leading actor, others would prefer to believe there was something between me and Ahn Yoo-seok, or at least find it easier to misunderstand us.

It wasn’t that he wasn’t handsome, but he wasn’t ridiculously handsome either.

His acting was good but still immature, so people would easily say, “That’s not quite the level.”

In the past, directors might have held massive auditions to discover hidden potential and cast newcomers as leads.

But nowadays, it was almost impossible.

Why? Because a single drama costs billions, and no one wants to take responsibility if it fails.

“There might be shows that never get made because they can’t cast actors—dozens, maybe hundreds every year.”

From a producer’s perspective, if they can’t get investment because they cast a rookie, they have no choice but to cancel production.

In other words, having Ahn Yoo-seok as lead is less likely than winning the lottery first prize or getting struck by lightning.

The situation is worse than I thought.

Just then, a call came through from an unfamiliar number on my otherwise silent phone.

“Hello?”

Hello, is this Mr. Lee Jung-hyuk?

“Yes, this is he. May I ask who is calling?”

It was the voice of a middle-aged woman, polite and clear.

This is Jung Se-jin. I contacted you after receiving the mail you sent to Mr. Lee Jung-hyuk.

“Oh! So this is Jung Se-jin, CEO of Mom’s Food.”

Mom’s Food was the only domestic fast-food franchise that could rival internationally famous brands like McDonald’s and Burger King.

Starting in the 2000s by selling handmade burgers to students near academies, the business gradually expanded, opening more franchises and becoming a full-fledged chain.

Their reasonably priced burger series made from quality chicken patties won the hearts of consumers, and they eventually expanded overseas to Taiwan, Singapore, the UK, and the US.

The reason I had sent mail to Ahn Yoo-seok was because the documentary had revealed he was the lost son of Jung Se-jin, the founder of Mom’s Food.

But even after sending the mail, there was no contact, so I wondered if I should try another method until I got this reply.

Straightening up, I asked CEO Jung Se-jin.

“You must have investigated and known the results before calling, right?”

Yes, after checking at three genetic research labs… we received confirmation with 99.9% certainty that he is the biological son.

“I see. It’s truly a blessing that Mr. Ahn Yoo-seok is indeed your lost biological son.”

After years of searching in vain, CEO Jung Se-jin, or rather Ahn Yoo-seok’s real mother, trembled softly in her voice as she asked me.

Where is my son Yoo-seok now? I will come to you immediately.