Chapter 136: Mastermind (4)

Translator: Dreamscribe

Things had been going well at Leon Entertainment lately. Though she'd moved to another agency, the washed-up Yoon Da-yeon had risen in status enough to appear in a production by the great director Yu Gil-tae. An Ji-hee, the hottest among the rising newcomers.

More than anything, though, the one raking in the cash was the top-tier girl group 'Seriel'.

Of course. They'd hit the jackpot.

Not just one song, either. Both songs they'd released as singles had become huge hits. They swept the Music Charts, racked up massive music video views on NewTube and elsewhere, and were getting a strong response overseas in places like Japan.

And it wasn't even at the tail end. It was still going strong.

By anyone's standards, the results were far better than 'Seriel's' activities last season. It wouldn't have been an exaggeration to say all of it had started with Kang Jae-ha. No, everyone at Leon acknowledged that much.

CEO Han Tae-sung, sitting in front of Kang Jae-ha now, was no exception.

These days, CEO Han Tae-sung often said things like this at executive meetings.

'Don't any of you feel anything when you look at Manager Kang Jae-ha?'

He didn't even expect them to keep up. He was merely telling them to watch and learn. He'd even added, 'Then again, I suppose even watching and learning takes talent.' It was lavish praise. Han Tae-sung was a man who rarely praised anyone.

That showed just how high Han Tae-sung's expectations for Kang Jae-ha were, or how much interest he had in him.

Well, it wasn't strange. No manager in Leon's history had ever produced such enormous results in such a short period.

Naturally, CEO Han Tae-sung tended to keep a close eye on Jae-ha, and as for 'Kisera', which Kang Jae-ha was currently handling, he'd simply waited without offering much advice.

Then Kang Jae-ha suddenly brought up a business trip to the US in connection with 'Kisera'.

"A business trip to the US?"

"Yes."

At Kang Jae-ha's flat reply, CEO Han Tae-sung folded his arms.

"A business trip to the US- When exactly is 'soon'?"

"I'm not sure. The timing hasn't been decided yet. I'm telling you in advance."

"So the timing isn't set yet, but you're definitely going?"

"Yes."

"Hmm- You really plan to launch 'Kisera' domestically and overseas at the same time?"

"That's the plan, as I've already told you."

Han Tae-sung had more or less heard the report on the 'Kisera Rebuilding', so he knew. They were targeting overseas markets from the very beginning. But Kang Jae-ha had only given him the bare minimum of reports. Partly because it was a hassle, and partly because there was no real problem as long as Han knew the broad outline.

"So you're saying you'll go to the US and get a feel for the KPOP and Korean Wave scene."

As a pretext, what CEO Han Tae-sung had said was correct, but Kang Jae-ha had two main reasons for considering a business trip to the US. First, to get a feel for the situation surrounding 'Kisera' and the Korean Wave. Second, it had to do with 'MEG'.

He might be able to meet his subordinates overseas.

And he intended to do that with Leon's money instead of 'MEG's'.

'Well, I could also investigate the 'K:FESTA' that came up in my Deja Vu recently, but that one's guaranteed to be a massive hit, so I have to push it no matter what.'

After finishing his thoughts, Kang Jae-ha gave Han Tae-sung a rough answer.

"Something like that, I'm going to see what the current trends are. Clicking a mouse and seeing things in person feel completely different."

"Right. Nothing beats getting out there yourself."

CEO Han Tae-sung smiled faintly. Even so, he looked at Kang Jae-ha beside him, who had remained calm throughout the conversation.

'So he's planning to sell the 'Kisera' he rebuilt from the ground up overseas. His whole way of thinking really is different from other guys. Normally, they'd test the waters domestically first, then start preparing.'

But Kang Jae-ha didn't seem particularly concerned about the domestic response.

'Right, overseas and domestic markets want different things. The scale is completely different too. If you aren't this aggressive, breaking into the market itself is impossible.'

The overseas market was so vast and massive that it was impossible to predict. That was why bizarre, unexpected results occasionally appeared. But of course, the chances of that happening were slim.

For some reason, though, Kang Jae-ha showed no hesitation.

'I don't see any fear or worry.'

Yet he wasn't burning with overflowing confidence either. If anything, he was cold and levelheaded. CEO Han Tae-sung thought as he watched the nearly expressionless Jae-ha.

'If some nobody were pushing this, I'd have tried to stop him, but maybe because it's him- I'm strangely drawn to it.'

CEO Han Tae-sung quietly crossed his legs and asked.

"'Kisera', what's the situation right now."

"You can consider the preparations almost complete."

At this point, 'Kisera' was practically ready to launch. Recording for the new song composed by Choi Ri-na had long since finished, and the members had nearly finished adapting to the Choreography. On top of that, filming for the music video was finished, and Editing was in its final stages.

They were also steadily building up a stockpile of videos to distribute across content platforms like 'TilTok' and various social media channels for the overseas push.

All that remained was finishing the music video and doing the final checks.

Well, at this point, there wouldn't have been any problem launching immediately.

"Not bad."

CEO Han Tae-sung nodded, then abruptly said something unexpected.

"As it happens, I was planning a business trip to LA too, so how about we go together."

Han Tae-sung was going on a US business trip too? Wondering what it was for, Kang Jae-ha spoke.

"Is that so."

CEO Han Tae-sung leisurely crossed his legs.

"Yeah. You know it, right? 'K:FESTA'."

"...I remember it."

"And who organizes 'K:FESTA'?"

"I understand it's 'HG ENM' under 'HG Group'."

"Right. You remember well. 'K:FESTA', they launched it ambitiously a few years ago. The results were lukewarm, though. At that level, you could call it a failure."

CEO Han Tae-sung recited the facts, tilted his head slightly, and lowered his voice.

"There are signs that 'K:FESTA' will be held again this year. It'll be about three years since the last one. So they're looking for a Running Mate. In other words, apart from the main investor, they seem to be recruiting all kinds of sponsors too. They're raising funds."

"Did Leon receive an offer too?"

"Yeah. I'm going to LA to see how things are shaping up around 'K:FESTA'."

That made sense to Kang Jae-ha.

'An agency Leon's size would obviously get a sponsorship offer, but this is still interesting. Han Tae-sung gets involved with 'K:FESTA' too. Anyway, I hadn't expected to head to the US with Han Tae-sung- but it's not a big problem.'

After making his judgment internally, Jae-ha answered plainly.

"I don't mind going on the US business trip with you, CEO, but we'd probably move separately once we're in the US."

"That's fine. I'd just be in the way if I stayed beside you anyway."

"I probably wouldn't be able to focus."

CEO Han Tae-sung let out a short laugh and changed the subject.

"Give me your take on how the revived 'K:FESTA' will turn out. A rough guess is fine."

"'K:FESTA' will do well."

"Hm? You sound pretty confident."

"I wouldn't say I'm certain, but I have a good feeling. The Korean Wave has been on the rise lately too."

"So you're on the side that thinks 'K:FESTA' will succeed?"

"Aren't you, CEO?"

"Hard to say. It doesn't seem bad, my instincts are telling me to throw money at it, but my rational side feels like it's holding me back."

Kang Jae-ha stared at CEO Han Tae-sung for a moment before answering briefly.

"I don't know how much you're thinking of putting in, but if it were me, I'd throw it in."

About an hour later, Leon's main conference room.

CEO Han Tae-sung sat at the head of ㅁ-shaped table, with Leon's director-level executives seated around him. It was the weekly executive meeting. After roughly thirty minutes of reports, CEO Han Tae-sung spoke.

"I got a sponsorship proposal directly from the 'K:FESTA' side."

There was no way Leon's Directors wouldn't know about 'K:FESTA'. A brief stir ran through the room, and CEO Han Tae-sung, arms folded, asked the Directors a question similar to the one he'd asked Kang Jae-ha earlier.

"What do all of you think about the revived 'K:FESTA'. Is it worth us going in as a sponsor?"

Answers soon poured out from the Directors.

There were some in favor, but.

"If it only requires a small amount of capital, I think it may be worth trying."

"Yes, I agree. It may have failed a few years ago, but this time could be different."

But most of them were against it.

"The atmosphere surrounding 'K:FESTA' isn't good. According to the rumors, almost everyone seems to be steering clear."

"If we put money into it, there's a high chance we won't even make our investment back. You remember the companies that went into 'K:FESTA' a few years ago screaming over their losses, don't you?"

"Even if the Korean Wave's status has risen, it's still too early to push a project on the scale of 'K:FESTA' in the US or overseas. We should watch the trend a little longer."

"That's right, I've also heard that 'HG ENM' is getting desperate. That probably means finding sponsors isn't nearly as easy as it was a few years ago."

"I don't think 'K:FESTA' will produce good results this time either. It's risky."

CEO Han Tae-sung quietly listened to the Directors' opinions, then wore an inscrutable smile.

'Kang Jae-ha and the Directors. Their opinions are complete opposites.'

Kang Jae-ha had been dry about it, but he was in favor of throwing money at the project, while the Directors were practically begging him not to. Normally, the natural choice here would have been for CEO Han Tae-sung to listen to his Directors.

But.

'Other companies are avoiding 'K:FESTA', but I trust Kang Jae-ha's side more.'

And the one who'd said to go for it was none other than Kang Jae-ha. He was only a manager, sure, but the results Kang Jae-ha had been producing since his awakening were too significant to ignore.

'And that guy's sharp instincts.'

In the entertainment industry, intuition involving luck, timing, and the like was considered a highly valuable ability. And it really was important.

'I ought to invest at least a little, if only to see how this turns out.'

That same night, the 'MEG' conference room.

Around 10 p.m. Kang Jae-ha, Ha Yeon-ji, and Cha Chung-hyeon were the only ones there. Jae-ha had met his subordinates at this hour because Ha Yeon-ji had contacted him.

The first round of information gathering on 'K:FESTA', one of the things he'd ordered them to investigate recently, was complete.

Kang Jae-ha looked down at the clear plastic folder and spoke.

"So, tell me what you've found on 'K:FESTA' so far."

Ha Yeon-ji, her brown hair twisted up, nodded.

"For the first 'K:FESTA', the organizer 'HG ENM' put up all the initial funding, but this time it's a little different. It looks like 'HG ENM' and the main investor will cover a large portion of the funding, while they secure sponsors early to fill in the rest?"

"Well, the first one failed, so I guess they want to share the risk from the start."

"Maybe that's why, unlike the first time, the companies receiving sponsorship proposals are pretty lukewarm. It doesn't look like they have a main investor yet either. Hmm- At this rate, the second 'K:FESTA' could be canceled, or we could end up with the same picture as the first one, with 'HG ENM' putting up all the initial capital. My vote's on cancellation."

Kang Jae-ha recalled his 'Deja Vu' of 'K:FESTA' and shook his head.

"Whether 'HG ENM' asks its parent company 'HG Group' for money or does something else, it'll be held eventually, even if it takes time."

"Really? Market sentiment toward 'K:FESTA' is completely bleak, though. That's why 'HG ENM' seems incredibly desperate, they haven't stopped pushing publicity through Media Play. They're blasting out proposals too."

"Leon got one too."

"I figured proposals would've gone to all the top-tier domestic entertainment companies, Leon included."

"Anyway, that means 'HG ENM' has its feet to the fire right now-"

Jae-ha drew out the end of the sentence and met Ha Yeon-ji's eyes.

"How much initial funding does 'HG ENM' expect 'K:FESTA' to need?"

"'HG ENM' hasn't announced anything definite, but after gathering information from various places, we got a rough picture. About 50 billion won. It looks like around 20 billion of that will be injected in the middle to later stages, and about 30 billion initially. Of course, more could go in as the project progresses."

"30 billion won in initial funding out of 50 billion total."

"Yes. Out of that 30 billion, it looks like they'll cover 5 to 10 billion through sponsors, then split the remaining 20 billion between 'HG ENM' and the Running Mate they choose. In other words, the main investor. Ten billion won each."

Ha Yeon-ji added to her report.

"But maybe because the response has been so lukewarm, 'HG ENM' is lowering the amount. It looks like they're even considering dropping the Running Mate's share to 8 billion won?"

"Eight billion."

Tens of billions or even several billion won were enough to make anyone's jaw drop, but for some reason, Kang Jae-ha met Cha Chung-hyeon's eyes and smiled faintly. To Jae-ha, who knew the future of 'K:FESTA'.

"What, eight billion? That's cheap."

Because eight billion looked like a bargain.

*****

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