Chapter 1050: Yang Ji-Hoon (2)

I arrived at the sixth-floor executive meeting room.

Sitting beside Yang Ji-Hoon, I turned to him and asked, "What exactly is it that you wanted to discuss with me alone?"

Yang Ji-Hoon answered as if it were no big deal. "Just promise me you won't get involved in Mr. Choi Man-Sik's affairs anymore. If you do, I'll have the bank transfer its shares in Hoop Entertainment to you before the day's over. And I'll never set foot in the entertainment industry again."

He wasn't asking me to overlook a crime. He just wanted me to stop paying attention to Choi Man-Sik. And for that alone, he was willing to hand over 5% of Hoop Entertainment's shares.

It was an unbelievably tempting offer. Even so, there was no way I could take someone like Yang Ji-Hoon at his word. I remembered all too well what he had once said.

Before my regression, back when Kim Dong-Soo and Choi Man-Sik were trying to get one of their business ventures off the ground, they had invited Assemblyman Choi Gi-Tae, who represented Gangnam, and entertained him with an actress.

Yang Ji-Hoon and I hadn't even been allowed inside and had been left waiting in the parking lot. While smoking a cigarette, he had casually remarked.

-There's always poison hidden behind a sweet offer. The sweeter it is, the deadlier the poison. I bet Assemblyman Choi Gi-Tae will gladly accept their proposal today, then end up dancing like a puppet for them. Just wait and see.

In other words, Yang Ji-Hoon's sweet offer was nothing more than bait meant to make me swallow the poison hidden behind it. Besides, Everyday, my most reliable ally, had already warned me that Yang Ji-Hoon was my enemy. There was no chance I was accepting his proposal.

I casually slipped a hand into my pocket and asked, "So you're saying Choi Man-Sik and I should just pretend we don't know each other and stay out of each other's lives?"

Yang Ji-Hoon answered with a trace of irritation in his voice, "Yeah. That's the idea. Though... I'd appreciate it if you didn't speak about hyung-nim like that."

"You're remarkably loyal."

"Of course I am. If hyung-nim hadn't taken me in, an orphan like me would've ended up beaten to death somewhere in Myeongdong."

Chairman Choi Eun-Tae had once said the two orphans were as close as real brothers, just like Kang Eun-Gi and me. If that was the case, then maybe I could use this situation to throw a wrench into his plans.

Keeping a calm expression, I said, "Everything sounds fine, but there's one thing I'd like to ask."

"What is it?"

"President Choi Man-Sik has already been indicted by the Korean prosecution for incitement to murder. Won't he be arrested the moment he's extradited from Japan?"

"Oh, that? Don't worry. We've got a way to handle it."

"And what exactly is that way?"

Yang Ji-Hoon frowned, suspicion creeping across his face. "I only asked you to promise you wouldn't interfere. Why are you digging into things that have nothing to do with you?"

Without batting an eye, I answered immediately, "How many times has President Choi Man-Sik stabbed me in the back already? Besides, I need to know what's actually going on before I decide whether to agree or not. If he ends up getting arrested anyway, this whole deal will be pointless."

"Hmm..."

Seeing that he was still unconvinced, I put on an aggrieved expression. "To be honest, I'm sick and tired of President Choi Man-Sik too. I want to forget he even exists. The company's finally running smoothly, and you're offering me shares just to leave him alone. Why would I turn that down? Huh?"

Yang Ji-Hoon looked only half convinced as he replied, "Then why's your attitude so different from when you threw Secretary Lee Tae-Woo out earlier?"

I deliberately snapped at him as though the answer should have been obvious. "Come on. I'm not an idiot. Why would I take on unnecessary risk just to line politicians' pockets? I'm not planning to sell my shares anyway, so even if their value doubles, what's in it for me?"

Yang Ji-Hoon let out a quiet chuckle. "I'd heard you had no interest in money at all. Looks like my information was wrong."

"Don't you even know that if money can't solve something, it's only because there's not enough of it? Think about it. If I didn't care about money, would it make any sense for me to own that many shares?"

"You've got a point."

"Then tell me what's really going on, and we can both make this deal with peace of mind."

Only then did Yang Ji-Hoon finally let his guard down and began talking. "It's simple. As long as you don't interfere, we'll replace the prosecutor in charge."

"You're replacing Mr. Seo?"

"That's right. Seo Jae-Ill's tied up with the HK Inc. investigation these days anyway. Once we convince the higher-ups to hand the case over to another prosecutor, the rest will be easy. The others aren't relentless like Seo Jae-Ill."

Prosecutor Seo Jae-Ill was leading the joint investigation into HK Entertainment's drug case, HK Distribution, and Noh Hyun-Hee's criminal activities. He was so busy these days that he barely had time to sleep. So as long as Seo Jae-Ill was no longer in charge, bribing the witnesses already sitting in prison would be child's play.

In other words, they were planning to clear Choi Man-Sik of the incitement to murder charge and get him released.

"There. Satisfied? So let's both leave with peace of mind and never see each other again. What do you say?"

He tried tempting me one last time with sweet words.

'Sorry, but that's not going to happen.'

Choi Man-Sik and I could never exist under the same sky.

I pulled my phone out of my pocket. "Ah, before that... just a second."

Yang Ji-Hoon smirked as though he had expected it. "What, did you record me?"

"No."

"Then what?"

I tilted the phone slightly so he could see the screen. Instead of a recording indicator, the display showed that I was on a call.

[Call in Progress: Prosecutor Seo Jae-Ill (03:14)]

When I slipped my hand into my pocket earlier, I had lowered the speaker volume and made sure everything being said here was transmitted directly to Seo Jae-Ill. In other words, Seo Jae-Ill had heard every word of Yang Ji-Hoon's plan.

"Jung Yoon-Ho... How dare you..."

Looking at the trembling Yang Ji-Hoon, I switched the phone to speaker. "Did you hear everything, Mr. Seo?"

-I did. Loud and clear. Now whose voice was that? The bastard running his mouth about getting Choi Man-Sik out.

"That's Yang Ji-Hoon, Choi Man-Sik's chief secretary. He's also the current president of Doodeurim Savings Bank."

-Yang Ji-Hoon. So that's him?

"Yes."

-Then is that son of a bitch listening to this call right now?

Yang Ji-Hoon was glaring at me as though he wanted to tear me apart.

"Yes. He's listening very carefully."

At that moment, Seo Jae-Ill took a deep breath before unleashing a thunderous roar.

-Hey, Yang Ji-Hoon. Listen carefully, you bastard. You've just landed on my list. And as for Choi Man-Sik's case, I'm staying in charge until the day the Earth ends. Got it?

Grit.

Yang Ji-Hoon could only grind his teeth, furious that he had fallen into my trap.

***

After warning me that this wasn't over, Yang Ji-Hoon stormed out of the company.

I ended my call with Seo Jae-Ill and returned to Kang Gam-Chan, who had been waiting for me. After telling him what had happened, I apologized.

"I'm sorry. He said he'd let bygones be bygones once Choi Man-Sik was dealt with, but I made the decision on my own."

"No. Knowing Man-Sik, if he got through this crisis, he'd come after us again. You did the right thing."

Kang Ji-Yung nodded in agreement. "Exactly. If he's cleared of the incitement to murder charge, he'll just team up with Park Sang-Ah and Park Sang-Gon[1] again. If that happened, he'd probably come back later with the next president behind him and crush us."

Kang Ji-Yung was right. If the most serious charge hanging over Choi Man-Sik disappeared, he would be free to marry Park Sang-Gon's daughter. And once Park Sang-Gon became president, there was no doubt we would be his first target.

"Now that you mention it, you're right."

"Exactly. So leave this to us from now on. This isn't something you have to handle alone."

Kang Gam-Chan chimed in as well. "That's right. You've got the audition for Happy & Happy's female lead today, and you also have a meeting with President Shin. Leave this kind of thing to us."

The audition for Happy & Happy's female lead was being held today at LT Entertainment's headquarters. After that, I also had to meet with President Shin Jong-Ki to discuss the box office performance of Missing - The Lost Ones.

"Will you really be all right?"

"Of course. This is the kind of work management is supposed to handle. I'll pay Mr. Chairman a visit in Myeongdong and explain everything myself. If Yang Ji-Hoon tries anything, let us know immediately."

I hesitated for a moment after hearing that Kang Gam-Chan and Kang Ji-Yung wanted to take charge. Then I nodded. When facing an enemy, two people were better than one, and three were better than two.

'Yang Ji-Hoon. You may be alone, but I have people standing beside me.'

"Understood. If anything happens, please contact me immediately."

"Will do."

Just then, my phone vibrated with a notification.

Buzz.

[Fortune of the Day has been updated.]

[Everyday V13]

[Date: June 21, 2021]

[Fortune of the Day: Even a sheet of paper is lighter when two people lift it.]

Everyday was telling me I had made the right choice.

***

The moment Yang Ji-Hoon stepped out through Hoop Entertainment's front entrance, he immediately placed a call to Japan. After the international call connected, Choi Man-Sik answered. A Japanese attorney, who was meeting him in prison under a special visitation permit, had taken the call first before handing the phone over to Choi Man-Sik.

-How did it go?

Clutching his chest, Yang Ji-Hoon replied, "I'm sorry, hyung-nim. Chief Jung completely outplayed me."

-Hey! That's why I told you to be careful! That bastard's no ordinary opponent!

"I'm sorry. I had no idea he was close enough to Prosecutor Seo Jae-Ill to call him directly."

-What about Lee Tae-Woo? Did you get him?

"No. That fell through too. He completely shut us down, saying he didn't need any help from politicians. And on top of that, Chief Jung already had evidence of Lee Tae-Woo's weakness."

The moment Choi Man-Sik heard they knew about Lee Tae-Woo's corruption, he cried out in disbelief.

-This is driving me insane. Just where the hell does that Chief Jung get all this information?

After listening to Choi Man-Sik fume for a while, Yang Ji-Hoon spoke cautiously. "Hyung-nim... would you leave everything to me from here?"

-Why? You got a good plan?

"I think it's time I started gathering people."

Choi Man-Sik thought for a moment before answering.

-Fine. But your top priority is bringing Park Sang-Gon back onto our side. That man's crazy about money. Tell him Doodeurim Savings Bank will back his presidential campaign, and he'll accept without hesitation.

"Yes, hyung-nim. Please stay safe and wait for good news. I'll get you out somehow."

-Just make sure they don't summon me.

"Yes, sir."

"We'll talk again later. And... thank you."

-Don't mention it.

Click.

The call with Choi Man-Sik ended.

Standing beside his car in the ground-level parking lot, Yang Ji-Hoon looked up at the Hoop Entertainment building. Compared to the glamorous headquarters of the major entertainment agencies, it was nothing more than a modest seven-story building. It didn't have that many actors or singers, and it employed even fewer talent agents than the companies ranked in the top ten.

And yet, Hoop Entertainment now had more top-tier stars than any of its competitors. It had even surpassed TK Entertainment and was now challenging for the number one spot in the industry. And every bit of that transformation had been brought about by Jung Yoon-Ho.

Looking back, Yang Ji-Hoon regretted not being more cautious. After all, Jung Yoon-Ho had even managed to send his brother, Choi Man-Sik, to prison.

"Jung Yoon-Ho. You may have won today, but things will be different from now on. So... look forward to it."

Having found the rival of his lifetime, Yang Ji-Hoon swallowed his anger and climbed into his car. From this point on, he vowed to deal with Jung Yoon-Ho in his own way rather than following Choi Man-Sik's methods.

***

After leaving the company, I picked up Haru from home and headed to LT Entertainment. Today was the audition for the actresses of Happy & Happy.

Screech.

I parked in LT Entertainment's underground parking garage. Haru stepped out of the passenger seat, and his head rose well above the roof of the car.

As of today, Haru stood at 170.5 centimeters. He was still a little shorter than the average for boys his age, but he had already reached the height listed in his profile before my regression.

In my previous life, Haru's growth had stopped at 168 centimeters because of the aftereffects of his accident. This time around, with Doctor Kim Soo-Myung's help, he was growing taller without any problems.

More than that, though, what filled me with pride was how his face looked more and more like his mother, Natalie, with each passing day. Even though he was just a high school boy, his eyelashes were so long they looked like extensions, and his light brown eyes gave him a uniquely captivating charm. Day after day, Haru's looks kept reaching new heights, as though he had stepped straight out of a romance comic.

'You've grown up so well, Haru.'

Just then, Haru noticed me staring at him and tilted his head. "Hyung. What's wrong?"

"It's nothing." I changed the subject. "More importantly, when's Bo-Bae getting here?"

To make Han Bo-Bae, Actress Moon Soo-Jung's daughter, the winner of today's audition, I had been coaching her separately from Haru. She had originally planned to come with us, but she declined my offer, saying she wanted to come with her parents instead.

"I texted her before we left. She said they're about to head out too."

"Really? Then how's Bo-Bae been lately?"

"She's doing a lot better. Ever since everyone at school found out about Go Min-Yung's mom, nobody's been bothering her anymore."

"So Min-Yung isn't treating Bo-Bae like her personal servant anymore?"

"No. She completely ignores her now."

After Ahn Yoo-Ra's past had been exposed, the other students had started pointing fingers at Go Min-Yung. As a result, Go Min-Yung no longer treated Han Bo-Bae like her own personal maid.

"Is she coming to the audition today?"

Haru shook his head. "As of yesterday, it didn't seem like she was planning to."

Yet knowing Go Min-Yung, she wasn't the type to give up that easily.

"All right. Anyway, I'm counting on you today."

Haru flashed a grin and nodded. "Of course!"

Just then, the elevator arrived.

Ding.

***

As soon as we entered the president's office, Shin Jong-Ki, Managing Director Lee Eun-Joo, and Director Jung Na-Mi warmly welcomed us.

Shin Jong-Ki laughed heartily as he greeted Haru. "Oh, our Haru's here!"

Haru gave a respectful bow. "Hello, Mr. President. Have you been doing well?"

"Of course I'm doing well. Please help Director Jung out a lot today."

Jung Na-Mi, the director of Happy & Happy, was visually impaired with low vision and had to enlarge the text on her laptop nearly fivefold to read it. She could vaguely make out objects, but her eyesight wasn't good enough to catch the subtle details of an actor's facial expressions.

So we had arranged for the filming crew to record the auditions live on set, allowing Jung Na-Mi to watch the performances on a large monitor. Haru would also be reading opposite the actresses, making it a little easier for Jung Na-Mi to choose the right one.

"Yes, I will. Don't worry, Mr. President."

"Hahaha. Good, good. With Haru's acting skills, the actresses' abilities should naturally stand out. It'll make things easier for our director, won't it, Director Jung?"

Jung Na-Mi answered Shin Jong-Ki with a smile. "Yes."

Even so, her expression wasn't particularly bright.

"Ms. Jung, is something wrong?"

When I asked, she hesitated before speaking. "Well... Min-Yung came today. She brought her father."

'What? Go Min-Yung?'

I couldn't believe that Go Min-Yung—the daughter of Ahn Yoo-Ra, who had become the target of nationwide criticism, and the girl who had treated Han Bo-Bae like her personal maid—actually had the nerve to show up here.

"She did?"

"Yes. She arrived a little while ago."

Lee Eun-Joo filled in the details. "Min-Yung's father brought her here and told me he'd already started divorce proceedings with Ahn Yoo-Ra, so they're practically strangers now. He insisted Min-Yung isn't Ahn Yoo-Ra's daughter anymore—she's his daughter. So he said she has every right to audition."

Apparently, Go Min-Yung's father had threatened that if anyone discriminated against her because of Ahn Yoo-Ra's scandal, he wouldn't let it slide. He probably believed that, since Go Min-Yung was the most recognizable participant in today's audition, she could still beat Han Bo-Bae.

However, that was his mistake. The Han Bo-Bae I had prepared was no longer the same girl who used to exist only as Go Min-Yung's sidekick.

It looked like today wouldn't just change the mothers' standing. It would change their daughters' as well.

I nodded and reassured the two anxious women. "You don't need to worry. Bo-Bae isn't the same Bo-Bae she used to be."

Hearing the confidence in my voice, Jung Na-Mi finally brightened. "Really?"

"Yes. So don't worry about it. Let's head straight to the audition."

Jung Na-Mi rose from her seat, looking noticeably more relieved. "If you're that confident, Mr. Jung, then we'd better get started."

"Yes."

Our group immediately headed down to the audition venue on the first floor.

1. Park Sang-Gon was the assemblyman from the ruling party and his daughter Park Sang-Ah was Man-Sik's fiancée ☜