Chapter 608

[<Faster Than the Law 3> Dazzling VIP Premiere: “As Expected of a Ten-Million Franchise”]

[Stunning Spectacle, Thrilling Action... Acclaimed <Faster Than the Law 3> Set to Dominate the Holiday Box Office]

[<Faster Than the Law 3> Finally Unveils Its Secrets—There's Even a “Post-Credits Scene” That Only Insiders Know About... Will It Become a Triple Ten-Million Hit?]

Eom Gyun frowned as he looked over the flood of articles about <Faster Than the Law 3> dominating every portal site's front page.

He had never liked movies of that genre.

Simple entertainment that painted an unbearably lightweight world. Mere time-killers devoid of a director's insight or an actor's genuine struggle.

To Eom Gyun, the essence of cinema...

...was inevitability.

A film should force people to spend those two hours of their lives contemplating a subject. Watching the ending credits while finding direction for both the life they'd already lived and the one still ahead. Looking back on history and reflecting on it once more.

So what value could a movie without purpose possibly have?

As he stared at Han Yeoreum's face on the portal site, Ji Haebeom came to mind.

"KBC's new project."

The Ji Haebeom who had suddenly declared he wanted to invest in the production.

"Well, I earned the money thanks to it anyway."

Ji Haebeom had insisted the money he'd made investing in <The Great Garland> was thanks to Han Yeoreum.

Eom Gyun disagreed.

"What nonsense."

The opening had certainly relied on cheap attention-grabbing tactics, but the real force carrying the film had been Director Ja Sokhwan.

Much as he hated to admit it, Ja Sokhwan belonged to his kind.

The pain of a people dulled and faded by the rush of modern life. Glory reclaimed. The will to fight.

Those were what had made <The Great Garland> a success.

Not some actress wrapped head to toe in commercial appeal and entertainment value.

Eom Gyun was convinced Han Yeoreum had something to do with Ji Haebeom not immediately sending the completed script to Dong Baekyeong.

After spending enough years with someone, you learned to sense things without words.

"Don't tell me that bastard..."

Ji Haebeom had played no small role in shaping Kim Bomi.

A character who had never existed before.

A role that should have remained male.

Eom Gyun let out a hollow laugh.

"No way."

Ji Haebeom wasn't the kind of man who would forget the foundation of the success he'd built with his own hands.

That place belonged to Dong Baekyeong.

She was the only Kim Bomi Eom Gyun acknowledged.

* * *

"One more light over here, please!"

The filming location sat near the VIP premiere venue for <Faster Than the Law 3>. An entire restaurant had been rented out for an episode of <First Train Live>.

"I told you to take that poster down and put it back up! Why's it still there?!"

Various liquor advertisements—including countless soju posters—covered the refrigerators and walls.

Normally, <First Train Live> wasn't particularly concerned with those, since the program featured all kinds of alcoholic drinks.

But today was different.

"The beer commercial model and the soju commercial model are both coming! We can't have other brands showing up!"

Today's guest lineup had been chosen perfectly.

Beer commercial model Yun Hyeonjo.

Soju commercial model Han Yeoreum.

The leads of the film everyone was watching to see whether it would become the next triple ten-million blockbuster.

"We're finally getting another massive view count."

They moved Han Yeoreum's Fresh Leaf Soju poster into the most visible spot.

Against the bright, refreshing green background, Han Yeoreum smiled brilliantly.

"This year's really starting differently."

"Seriously. She's done well every year, but..."

The staff all found themselves commenting as they looked at her poster.

The impact of January 1st had been incredible.

Han Yeoreum had never stopped running, but somehow everyone felt this year would be different.

A tentpole movie.

An action romance with 〈Code Name: Time Seven〉.

Then commercial shoots lined up one after another.

"You wake up, she's gained followers. Go to sleep, wake up again—more followers."

It had already become a frequent topic on online communities.

Han Yeoreum was currently the fastest-growing female celebrity in South Korea when it came to followers.

Her popularity had even surpassed top idols touring overseas.

Once her stage became global, the scale of new fans was on an entirely different level.

"Now you've got me curious. What's she at now?"

"Hang on..."

One staff member opened their phone and gasped.

@midsummer

Followers 17.82M Following 0

"It's only been about a month and she's already gained another seven million? Good grief."

"That's insane."

〈Seoul Metropolitan City〉 still hadn't relinquished its position as the global number one.

"Think she'll take first place?"

"At this rate? It's only a matter of time."

Every brand that signed Han Yeoreum as a model was breaking sales records they had never reached before.

Each campaign surpassed the last.

"If she'd debuted in movies instead of web dramas, she'd have made plenty of films already."

"Seriously. Though apparently she wasn't exactly lacking movie scripts."

"When someone grows that fast, everyone wants to cast them. But do you think Jegal Rok would send her to just any project?"

Everyone here worked in entertainment.

More specifically, in the Intube industry, where staying ahead of trends was everything.

No one understood celebrities' public images better.

Han Yeoreum's growth was undeniably abnormal.

She possessed an unmistakable aura.

"But one great movie can completely change an actor's image."

The problem was that her image still leaned heavily toward entertainment.

She had perfectly portrayed characters like Seoryeong and Lee Seohae.

But that alone wasn't enough.

"If she'd debuted with serious dramas like Myeong Jeha before switching to romantic comedies, she'd be in an even better position."

When an actor known for weighty performances returned with something lighter, audiences welcomed it.

But when someone famous for lighter roles tried to become serious...

Everyone looked at them through colored glasses.

"Still, On Jihwa from 〈Seoul Metropolitan City〉 feels closer to a movie role. That's not something TV dramas usually produce."

"True. I'll give you that."

"I keep telling you—Jegal Rok didn't cast her for no reason."

"If she's this popular overseas... she'd attract investments on the level of top male actors."

Deep down, they all knew.

Han Yeoreum would be making another movie before long.

Her acting range was simply too extraordinary.

"Everyone! Enough chatting!"

Preparations for <First Train Live> were complete.

"Wow... that spicy aroma."

Right then, the door opened and Han Yeoreum's voice drifted inside.

The star who had turned every Intube appearance into a new trend.

* * *

I casually looked around the restaurant.

Nice lighting.

Nice interior.

Today's menu...

...the ultimate view-count cheat code.

'Mala soup.'

It had just exploded among teenagers, while people in their twenties were already addicted.

Those in their thirties and forties still wondered why anyone would eat something like that.

But before long, even thirty-somethings would find themselves craving mala.

'And mala soup plus Fire Chicken Stir-Fried Noodles are basically guaranteed view-count cheats for every mukbang.'

The first week of promotion was always the most important.

You wanted as many people as possible spreading word of mouth.

So I'd quietly suggested today's menu to Team Leader Seong, who produced <First Train Live>.

'I don't actually know where mala soup originated...'

But people generally associated it with Macau.

Perfect for subtly reminding viewers about the movie.

Besides, it paired surprisingly well with beer-and-soju bombs.

I smiled at Kwak Cheolsik and Yun Hyeonjo, who clearly weren't used to this kind of food.

"So... how exactly do you eat this?"

"It's probably like hot pot."

Perfect.

Two people completely unfamiliar with it.

One complete expert.

And one who kind of knew it...

...but not really.

"Why are you looking at me like that?"

The perfect person to tease.

"No reason."

I sat down comfortably.

From this moment on...

...this was my stage.

"Everyone just relax. We've got a certified mala master here."

"You little brat! Since when did you become a master?"

"For the sides, we'll have sweet-and-sour pork on the left and lemon shrimp on the right."

I dropped bok choy, napa cabbage, and white wood ear mushrooms into the bright red bubbling broth.

"Adding the noodles now."

"I've never seen these before."

"This one's corn noodles, these are Chinese glass noodles, and these are fenmosi noodles."

"Why are there so many kinds?"

"They all have completely different textures. Seriously."

I'd even managed to get ingredients that hadn't become trendy yet.

"At this point... isn't it more like a stew than a soup?"

"Shh."

I added cheese rice cakes, sweet potato rice cakes, fried tofu, and shrimp balls.

Then came the highlight.

"I brought panda fish cakes specially."

Once I tucked them under little tofu blankets later...

...the insert shots were going to be unbelievably cute.

Perfect for short-form clips too.

My upgraded merchant's calculator had evolved into something on an entirely different level.

"All right. Add as much beef as you want."

I handed the tongs to Kwak Cheolsik.

"Why are you giving me this?"

He ignored the tongs.

...

...

...

He simply picked up the entire bowl of beef...

...and flipped it upside down into the pot.

Every last slice went in.

"Brat."

He spoke as though delivering some profound life philosophy.

"'As much as I want' has never existed in my life."

"I live by 'as much as I can eat today.'"

"I always want more."

I could already foresee his future.

"AAAAAHHH! Why does this taste like this?!"

Just as expected.

Anyone trying mala for the first time couldn't handle that numbing sensation climbing up their throat.

The staff looked at me with warm, grateful eyes.

'Excellent menu choice...'

'This product placement is incredible.'

'Ah... this is perfect...'

Exactly.

The spicier the food...

...the more beer-and-soju bombs people drank.

Fresh Leaf Soju bottles bearing my face stood in neat rows beside beer cans featuring Yun Hyeonjo.

"Still... it's kind of addictive, isn't it?"

"...Yeah. It really is."

Filming went smoothly.

Curious as ever, Kwak Cheolsik asked whether panda fish cakes tasted any different.

Then he stuffed an enormous mouthful of beef soaked in mala broth into his mouth and nearly jumped out of his chair.

He insisted he was dying from the spice, inhaled sweet-and-sour pork and lemon shrimp to recover, then admitted he somehow kept reaching for more before challenging the wood ear mushrooms again.

Yun Hyeonjo efficiently used Kwak Cheolsik as his royal poison tester.

A little mala soup.

Some lemon shrimp.

Lots of beer-and-soju bombs.

Jun Cedric Valentian, meanwhile, had little interest in food.

After a few bites, he gave up entirely and devoted himself to refilling Kwak Cheolsik's drinks.

'There's another reason I wanted today's menu to be mala soup...'

What do you need after eating something so spicy it feels like you're dying?

'Ice cream.'

The contract renewal season for Smile Dairy was almost here.

It would probably be renewed anyway...

...but why not give it one more explosive push?

At the same time, I could reinforce my image as the thoughtful youngest member.

"Senior, why are you sweating so much? It's the middle of winter."

"Because Han Yeoreum's sitting across from me! Hahaha!"

...

Kwak Cheolsik's desperate joke plunged the entire table into silence.

"You must be really hot. I'll go buy some ice cream."

"So embarrassed you couldn't laugh, huh? Had to escape."

"Ah! It's not like that. The usual one for you, right?"

"Yep. Though... I think my heart just cracked a little."

I already knew Kwak Cheolsik's favorite ice cream.

I knew Jun Cedric Valentian's too.

"What about mine?"

At that moment, Yun Hyeonjo smiled and looked at me.

"We've worked together on three projects now."

"Don't tell me you still don't know what I like."

...Wait.

'I have absolutely no idea.'

For a split second, I completely lost control of my expression.

We were fine in a group.

But one-on-one...

Things were always just a little awkward between Yun Hyeonjo and me.

"Don't tell me you really don't know. Hmm..."

Please stop.

"Of course I know! I do. I was just wondering... whether it's okay to mention the brand name."

I'll just buy one of everything and hand him the whole bag.

A trial like this was nothing.

"Really?"

Yun Hyeonjo stood up.

"Then come with me."