Chapter 41: Busan (4)

Translator: Dreamscribe

At Lee Chan-hoo's words on the other end of the phone, Kang Jae-ha thought of the non-combat personnel of the Mercenary Corps.

'Supplies management.'

The Mercenary Corps wasn't made up of only war and combat personnel. Just as armies had support units, the Mercenary Corps naturally had a fair number of non-combat personnel as well. Medical, cleaning, cooks, supplies and logistics management, and so on.

Without sanitation and medical care, meals, supplies, cleaning, and the like, troop morale would drop and maintaining the force became impossible.

In any case, the Mercenary Corps' core was war or combat, but to wage that war, non-combat personnel were absolutely necessary.

'And among those, supplies and logistics management was the part directly tied to war.'

That said, most of the Corps' personnel were generally weak with numbers and calculations. And it wasn't as if Kang Jae-ha, the Commander, could shoulder all of the supplies and logistics work himself. So Jae-ha had actively recruited non-combat personnel into the Corps. There was a sense of replenishment to it as well. After all, it wasn't as though non-combat troops never died.

There had been times when bases got hit, and supplies and logistics personnel sometimes had to tag along to the front lines.

Anyway, when picking non-combat personnel, what Kang Jae-ha mainly looked for was brains or diligence rather than martial prowess. And even among such non-combat troops, exceptional talents existed.

That 'lazy guy who handled supplies' Lee Chan-hoo had just mentioned was, in Jae-ha's memory, also one of those exceptional talents.

Soon Kang Jae-ha sat on the edge of the bed and replied into the phone.

"Always sluggish, that one. I remember him. Always sprawled out under a tree taking a nap."

"Yeah, that's the one."

"You found him?"

"Yes, I think I found him."

Jae-ha grew slightly serious.

"Did you meet him?"

"No. I didn't meet him. Uh, I tailed him. But I'm not 100% sure it's him; maybe around 70%?"

"Why's that?"

"I couldn't see his face head-on. But going by his profile, his walk, the vibe... it really seems like him."

"Where are you right now?"

"In an alley next to the building he went into. Looks like his name on this side is Cha Chung-hyeon. He's a tax accountant."

Kang Jae-ha furrowed his brow as if mildly surprised.

"A tax accountant?"

"Yeah. I confirmed him going into a tax accountant's office. The sign says 'Tax Accountant Cha Chung-hyeon' right on it."

A tax accountant. Intrigued, Kang Jae-ha immediately gave Lee Chan-hoo an order.

"Try 'Search'. If it works, then it's him."

"Yeah, I was gonna use it after reporting to you, Commander. Hold on."

Lee Chan-hoo's voice came back about a minute later.

"Commander, it's him. Cha Chung-hyeon is that lazy bastard we know."

Another mercenary subordinate had surfaced. Strangely enough, this time it was Lee Chan-hoo, not Kang Jae-ha himself, who had found him.

'Well, that's not strange. There's no rule saying I have to be the one to find them all.'

There was every chance the subordinates would run into each other. It was simply that Kang Jae-ha, with his 'Deja Vu', had a much higher probability of meeting them. Either way, Kang Jae-ha judged that the subordinates meeting each other directly was dangerous.

"We've got his name and location, so come back for now."

"Yes sir. Yeah, meeting him without you would feel a bit off, Commander."

"Right. Get through your schedule today. We're both busy today, so let's meet up separately again after the closing ceremony tomorrow. Bring Ha Yeon-ji and Go Chun-seok in too."

"Got it..."

"And tomorrow, run another 'Search' on Cha Chung-hyeon."

Kang Jae-ha ended the call, lowered his phone, and crossed his legs.

"Cha Chung-hyeon, huh..."

Jae-ha quickly recalled Cha Chung-hyeon from his Mercenary Corps days.

'He gave off this air of pure indolence, but he was sharp as a tack with numbers.'

In the Mercenary Corps, Cha Chung-hyeon's main job had been supplies and logistics management, not combat. So while he wasn't skilled in fighting, having subordinates meet directly or make contact still carried risk factors.

'It's not like every one of them would be friendly, and assuming Cha Chung-hyeon is on his own would be reckless too.'

He might be operating solo like Lee Chan-hoo, Ha Yeon-ji, and Go Chun-seok, but the possibility that some of them had already met up and formed their own team couldn't be ruled out.

And there was the matter of his subordinates' 'abilities' too.

"A bit of investigation into Cha Chung-hyeon, getting a read on the situation before moving wouldn't be too late. A few days at most."

Having muttered that, Kang Jae-ha pulled a bottle of water from the fridge in his lodging. He gulped down a few mouthfuls.

"A tax accountant, though. That's tempting."

For 'MEG', which was expanding, or for Kang Jae-ha, who was growing his money, this was a piece of talent he absolutely needed. Jae-ha then went back over the Mercenary Corps in his mind, recalling the subordinates slowly resurfacing.

"Hmm."

There were those who had died early and those who had died late, like Lee Chan-hoo. If he counted as far back as when Kang Jae-ha was a platoon leader rather than Commander, the numbers grew even larger. For now, with Kang Jae-ha in Korea, he was only seeing the ones on this side.

'If I ever end up going abroad... there could be subordinates over there too.'

After all, the Corps' members had come in all shapes and colors. So there was no real reason to worry about it. Maybe even the 'Deja Vu' that showed him his subordinates would shift if he went abroad.

After turning it over in his head a bit, Jae-ha picked up his phone.

He searched for 'Tax Accountant Cha Chung-hyeon' in the Busan area on a search site. Maybe because the name was unusual, only one tax accountant's office came up. But 'Tax Accountant Cha Chung-hyeon' didn't have especially good ratings.

-First off, his face is just dripping with bother.... Zero enthusiasm or drive whatsoever....

-Do! Not! Come! Here! Consultations are half-assed and he yawns the whole time ㅋㅋㅋ guess his family's loaded ㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ just doing tax work as a hobby apparently!!

Looking through some of the recent reviews, Kang Jae-ha let out a small laugh.

"This bastard's slacking off, not working."

Or maybe coming back to this world had hit him with some kind of disillusionment.

After that.

Various news outlets were busy spreading word of the Busan International Film Festival. Outlets that had come to Busan and those that hadn't were all churning out coverage of the festival without exception.

《[Film Festival] 'Busan International Film Festival' Opens with a Bang, Busan Now in Full Festival Mood!/ Photos》

With even Hollywood actors and directors attending the Busan International Film Festival, the news spread rapidly to YouTube and SNS as well. Interestingly, there was quite a lot of talk about 'Condensation'.

《Director Kwon Sung-min, the Only Director in His Twenties in the 'Busan International Film Festival' Short Film Section, Catches the Eye with a Tense Expression/ Photos》

《An Unknown Director's Upset! 'Condensation' Battles Strong Domestic and International Short Films for Awards in the Competition Section... The Result?》

Still, the hottest topic was the red carpet, the main event of the opening ceremony a few days back. Who was the best dressed, who was the worst, which actors had shown up, which celebrities had arrived, who had come from overseas, and so on and on.

Interestingly, there were quite a lot of articles about Yoon Da-yeon and An Ji-hee.

《Yoon Da-yeon Returns at the Busan International Film Festival, the Opening Salvo of Her Stunning Comeback After Years of Silence!/ Photos》

《Who Is the Woman Named Best Dressed? A New Actress with a Distinctive Look Who Lit Up the Red Carpet/ Photos》

The two had also made a clear impression on public opinion.

Meaning their name recognition had shot up dramatically.

-Was watching the red carpet and then suddenly Yoon Da-yeon shows up, kinda surprised me ㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ

-↑Same here ㅋㅋㅋ used to see her a lot back in the day then she went quiet, now suddenly she's at the Busan International Film Festivaaaal ㅋㅋㅋㅋ

-Still, Yoon Da-yeon's face hasn't lost a step

-Celebrities go from being forgotten to disappearing in a heartbeat... heard Yoon Da-yeon shot a short film this time... is this her last gasp...

-Who's that actress that was with Yoon Da-yeon??

-Looked like a rookie, was her name An Ji-hee? Visuals freakin unique, hard to forget

-One look at An Ji-hee and I just knew yeah she's gonna blow up soon

-There's a twist ㅋㅋㅋ Yoon Da-yeon's not the lead, she's the supporting role and the rookie actress is the lead ㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ

.

.

.

While the two of them were busy, the Busan International Film Festival was in full swing with screenings of the invited films. Several days had already passed since the opening, and now only one day remained until the closing ceremony where the awards would be presented.

Meaning tomorrow night was the finale of the Busan International Film Festival.

Even so, with only one day left until closing, the countless people who had come to the Busan International Film Festival were...

"Ugh... still this many people?"

"Looks like we won't catch this one."

...checking the screening schedules of the invited films and moving accordingly. Every theater showing films invited to the Busan International Film Festival was bursting at the seams with crowds.

Of course, the theater where 'Condensation' was being screened was no exception.

Even though the theater was quite large, every seat was filled.

On the large screen, Yoon Da-yeon and An Ji-hee played their hearts out. Many in the audience watched 'Condensation' with rapt attention, and many of them were foreigners wearing earphones.

Among them.

"......"

One man watched 'Condensation' with a focused face. It was CEO Han Tae-sung, exuding a heavy presence.

Soon he was picturing Kang Jae-ha's unflappable face.

Besides CEO Han Tae-sung, there was one more figure in the theater who had fallen deep into 'Condensation'.

'An Ji-hee? She's good too. From those distinctive visuals to her acting. But... Yoon Da-yeon. It's as if she's shed the skin she'd been carrying.'

A man with an overall gaunt look, wearing round glasses. It was Director Yu Gil-tae, counted among Korea's master directors. His nickname: 'Gentleman of Chungmuro'.

'Yoon Da-yeon, her acting has improved unbelievably. Especially that breathing of hers, like she's been rolling around in the gutter for over a decade and forgot about hope a long time ago. Electric.'

'Her screen time isn't all that much. But it sticks in the memory clearly. She's pulled off a proper scene-stealer turn. Yoon Da-yeon, has she started hungering not for stardom but as an actress?'

And when the film ended, the name of Condensation's main investor appeared boldly on the large screen in the end credits.

-Investment: MEG

Spotting 'MEG', CEO Han Tae-sung stroked his chin.

''MEG', huh...'

It was driven into the heads of many, Director Yu Gil-tae included.

The next day, July 3rd. Late afternoon.

The vast hall of the Busan Cinema Center. Domestic and international directors, producers, actors, and industry figures who had taken part in the Busan International Film Festival all filled the audience seats of the massive hall. Even at a glance, several thousand people.

And not just that?

Add to that hundreds of domestic and international reporters and broadcast crews focused on the large stage. The reason they had all gathered in this hall again since the opening was simple.

That reason was announced loudly by a top Korean male actor who took the stage in a tuxedo.

"And now! The closing ceremony of the Busan International Film Festival will begin!!"

The closing ceremony, broadcast live on YouTube and elsewhere, kicked off. It was the moment to put the period on BIFF (the Busan International Film Festival), which had been running for nearly ten days. The closing ceremony included several events, but the main course was, as expected, the awards ceremony for the various Competition Sections. Works, directors, actors, producers, and so on.

If there was a defining feature of BIFF, it was that each Competition Section came with a diverse set of awards.

For example, if there were five Competition Sections, that meant five grand-prize-equivalent awards. On top of that, since the year before last, several actor-side awards within BIFF had been newly established.

In any case.

-♬♪

A celebratory performance to commemorate BIFF's closing followed. It was a famous Korean singer. Among the thousands of audience members watching the celebratory stage were, of course, the 'Condensation' team, including Yoon Da-yeon, An Ji-hee, Director Kwon Sung-min, and Lee Chan-hoo.

All of them wore tense expressions.

Apart from CEO Han Tae-sung and master director Yu Gil-tae, plenty of other big names were scattered around.

Meanwhile, Kang Jae-ha could be found in a waiting room with the staff, including General Manager Kim Dae-yong.

"......"

Jae-ha stared at the monitor showing the closing ceremony with no particular reaction. The surrounding staff, on the other hand, were making a fuss.

"Oh god! Why am I the one trembling??"

"I'm getting tense for no reason too. BIFF went well and all... hah, I just want 'Condensation' to take home one award!"

"Do you think it can?? They say the short film section's competition is brutal this year."

"If we don't win......it'll sting, but oh well. Still, 'Condensation' built up a ton of name recognition this time."

Hearing their commotion, Kang Jae-ha didn't move so much as a muscle, but inside, he was smiling.

'Well, even if we raised recognition, there's a big gap between winning an award on the main stage and not.'

Plump General Manager Kim Dae-yong, who had swallowed a nervous gulp along with the other staff, latched onto Kang Jae-ha.

"J-Jae-ha. What do you think? Will 'Condensation' be able to take home even one award?"

Why are you asking me? When he looked over, General Manager Kim Dae-yong was gazing at Jae-ha with something close to reverence. Kang Jae-ha gave his chin a slow scratch and shrugged.

"Well, we'll probably take one."

"Oooh!"

Trust piled up in General Manager Kim Dae-yong's eyes. The other staff were no different.

"As expected of Manager Kang! Somehow when you say it, it really feels like we'll win??"

"Yeah, yeah! Right!"

The looks were a bit over the top, but Kang Jae-ha turned his gaze back to the monitor without much fuss.

The BIFF closing ceremony had moved on to a brief event segment after the celebratory performance ended, and before long, it shifted into the main-course mood of the awards ceremony. The host standing at the center of the massive hall called out.

"Starting now, the awards for each Competition Section will commence! It's an honor to be the one making these announcements!"

The awards began with prizes given to domestic and international Key Staff, followed by the Merit Award given to those who had shown outstanding work in advancing the film industry.

Bursting flashes, pouring applause.

-Clap clap clap clap clap clap clap clap clap!

The atmosphere gradually heated up. Meaning the build-up toward the main event was progressing properly. Soon the winner's speech ended and the host announced the next awards section.

"Next is the Short Film Competition Section awards!"

It was the section that included 'Condensation'. Being short films, it wasn't the main course of the awards, but it drew enough attention to be called a gateway for new directors and actors.

Perhaps because of that.

'Here it comes.'

In the audience, Director Kwon Sung-min pushed his glasses up and swallowed nervously. Yoon Da-yeon and An Ji-hee likewise wore deliberately serious expressions. Out of the 'Condensation' team, only Lee Chan-hoo's face was a bit at ease.

The Short Film Competition Section awards kicked off with the prize given to Key Staff.

The winner was a Japanese art director.

As he stepped off the stage with his trophy, the host put even more force into his voice.

"Now we will announce the Short Film Competition Section's Best New Actor Award!"

On the giant screen behind him, various actors appeared. Of course, both domestic and international new actors were mixed in. After giving everyone a moment to watch the video, the host raised his cue card.

"Congratulations! The Short Film Competition Section's Best New Actor Award!! Actress An Ji-hee of 'Condensation'!!"

The moment her name was called for the new actor award, a woman in a dress among the thousands in the audience had her eyes fill with question marks. It was An Ji-hee.

"......Huh?"

And Kang Jae-ha wore a satisfied smile.