Rookie Talent Agent Knows It All

When I entered the meeting room on the seventh floor, Jo Min-Sung sat at the table and waited for me with a bright smile.

Next to him, Bang Sang-Yung sat with a gloomy expression. Across from them sat Kang Gam-Chan and Kang Ji-Yung, both showing the brightest expressions I had seen since traveling back in time.

Jo Min-Sung waved as he greeted me. "Team Lead Jung. Please come and sit."

"I heard the contract has been successfully finalized," I said.

Jo Min-Sung chuckled. "Haha, it seems word has already gotten around."

After exchanging some pleasantries, I took my seat.

Kang Gam-Chan looked at me with a satisfied smile. "You may have already guessed, but Mr. Jo Min-Sung wants to work with you, Team Lead Jung. What do you think? Can you take it on?"

As expected, the purpose of this meeting was to discuss moving Jo Min-Sung's management to Team Jung.

"I would be honored. Supporting Mr. Jo Min-Sung is basically like helping Hoop Entertainment grow, wouldn't you agree?"

Jo Min-Sung nodded with a satisfied expression. "In that sense…I'd like to be managed under Team Jung from now on."

The annual revenue Jo Min-Sung generated alone was around 20 billion won. Once he joined Team Jung, it would make our team the highest revenue generator among all departments.

At that moment, Bang Sang-Yung's phone began to ring.

"Could you at least keep it on vibrate?" Kang Gam-Chan chided him.

Bang Sang-Yung bowed his head apologetically as he answered his phone. "Excuse me for a moment."

However, when Bang Sang-Yung answered the call, his face suddenly lit up. "Yes, Mr. Choi. We're on the seventh floor!"

'Mr. Choi? Could it be…?' I wondered.

Bang Sang-Yung hung up and replied boldly, "Mr. Kang. President Choi Man-Sik has gathered the opinions of our shareholders and is on his way here."

As expected, this wasn't going to be simple.

Jo Min-Sung's position at Hoop Entertainment was more than just a high-earning actor: he was the company's flagship star. The team he was on would effectively become Hoop Entertainment's representation.

Choi Man-Sik had come to stop this from happening.

Moments later, Choi Man-Sik entered the meeting room and interrupted the discussion. "I'm sorry, but I'd like you to delay transferring Mr. Jo Min-Sung's management team. This is something major shareholder Mr. Choi Eun-Tae agrees on as well."

Unaware that Kang Gam-Chan, Choi Eun-Tae, and I were on the same side, Choi Man-Sik was confidently using Choi Eun-Tae's name.

Kang Gam-Chan frowned. "President Choi, appearing like this out of nowhere is not proper conduct. Besides, I am the company president. I hold the authority over personnel decisions, so enough of this!"

"I'm not here to undermine your authority, sir. I'm just asking for three months. Please, just delay the transfer for three months."

Kang Gam-Chan tilted his head. "Three months?"

"Yes, only until Team Lead Jung's chief promotion takes effect. That would at least maintain Director Bang Sang-Yung's reputation as well as the morale of the remaining staff in Actor Division 1. Don't you think so?"

It wasn't a request more than a demand. However, it was hard to refuse, especially since it was only for three months.

Nonetheless, I knew Choi Man-Sik's intentions—he wanted to buy time in hopes that he could somehow get Jo Min-Sung back in the meantime.

Just as expected, Choi Man-Sik began coaxing Jo Min-Sung. "Mr. Min-Sung, I'm not asking you not to go. I'm just asking you to wait about three months. Your schedule is packed through the beginning of next year anyway, isn't it?"

"That's true, but..."

"So go ahead and work with Team Lead Jung as needed. But let's hold off on the management transfer for about three months. If you leave Actor Division 1 now before Chief Choi has even settled in, how is he supposed to manage the department?"

Choi Eun-Seok, who had just become Chief of Actor Division 1, had worked behind the scenes with Jo Min-Sung for a long time. By mentioning this connection, Choi Man-Sik was asking Jo Min-Sung to help him save face.

'You're pretty sharp, Choi Man-Sik,' I thought.

With this, Jo Min-Sung had no choice but to at least consider Choi Man-Sik's request.

Jo Min-Sung nodded. "Fine, three months. But don't go back on this later."

"Of course not!"

Choi Man-Sik then looked at me. "Team Lead Jung, is this acceptable to you too?"

I nodded. "Let's proceed as you've suggested."

Kang Gam-Chan looked at me as if to ask why I wasn't putting up a fight. However, right now, just getting Jo Min-Sung's consent to transfer teams was enough.

Top stars were people with no need to compromise. If I tried to go against his decision now, it could easily backfire.

Still, I had no intention of just sitting back and waiting.

'It won't go as you think, President Choi Man-Sik,' I remarked inwardly.

When Jo In-Sung agreed, Choi Man-Sik clapped his hands to shift the focus of the room.

"Mr. Kang, it seems we've come to a decision. Would you mind if I borrow Team Lead Jung for a moment? There's something I need to discuss with him urgently."

"Go ahead."

With permission granted, Choi Man-Sik suggested we head to Bang Sang-Yung's office—just the two of us.

***

Choi Man-Sik sat in the main chair and propped his feet up on the table in an empty office. "Living quite a busy life, aren't you? Anytime there's a stir in the company, it's always your name that comes up."

"I suppose that's what happens when you work hard," I replied nonchalantly.

"Working hard, huh... If you keep going at this rate, you might just swallow up the whole company."

There was a definite edge to his words, but they weren't exactly wrong. After all, I was indeed trying to shake up things by drawing in A-class talent from Actor Division 3 along with Jo Min-Sung.

"But what did you need to see me about?" I asked.

Choi Man-Sik stared at me intently and asked, "What exactly are you counting on to be acting so recklessly? Do you have backing from those guys under Kang Eun-Gi? I heard you're friends."

When he mentioned Kang Eun-Gi's name, I almost reacted without thinking. The nerve of him mentioning Kang Eun-Gi after trying to kill him was making me furious.

However, I suppressed my emotions and replied him calmly. "What's the problem if someone from Reverse Entertainment is helping me? They're just childhood friends anyway."

Seeing that he was sure of my connection to Kang Eun-Gi, Choi Man-Sik's lips curled slightly.

"Is that so? Well, it would be best to tone it down a bit, even if you're confident in their support. Kang Eun-Gi was almost killed in a hospital attack, you know. And there's no guarantee that won't happen again, right?"

The implication was clear: once Kang Eun-Gi was taken out, I would have no one left to rely on.

Knowing this was Choi Man-Sik's way of trying to intimidate me, I answered calmly. "I'll think it over."

"Yes, think carefully. If you want longevity, you have to be prudent."

However, I had my own reason for coming along so easily. "By the way, do you know how Chief Kim Dong-Soo is doing these days?"

Choi Man-Sik tilted his head in curiosity. "Why bring up the suspended Chief Kim?"

'So he really doesn't know,' I thought.

Then it was time to plant a seed of doubt.

I continued, "There's a rumor going around that Chief Kim has aligned himself with someone other than you, Mr. Choi. Haven't you heard?"

Choi Eun-Tae had personally engaged people to investigate and found out that Choi Man-Sik wasn't paying attention to Kim Dong-Soo.

In other words, Kim Dong-Soo's recent meeting with Jiang Wei and Colonel Baek was his own doing.

Choi Man-Sik's face shifted as he processed this unexpected turn. "What kind of nonsense are you playing at?"

"What do you mean nonsense?"

"Do you think I'd believe such baseless slander?"

"You'll find out the truth soon enough, so why would I lie about it?"

Choi Man-Sik's face twisted.

It seemed like I had succeeded in planting a seed of doubt. 'Using one force to strike another.'

From now on, there was no way the suspicious Choi Man-Sik would believe Kim Dong-Soo outright even if he tried to explain himself and give excuses.

Hoping they would end up at each other's throats, I stood up and said, "If there's nothing else, I'll be on my way. I have a lot to do."

The moment I turned to leave, Choi Man-Sik glared at me. "Team Lead Jung, let me give you a warning."

"Go ahead."

"Even my patience has limits. Watch yourself."

Neither Kim Dong-Soo nor Choi Man-Sik were people I could work with long-term. The world I envisioned had no place for the two of them.

"I'll give it careful thought."

After replying to him and leaving his office, I immediately instructed Lee Yung-Jin to spread the word across Hoop Entertainment that Jo Min-Sung was confirmed to join Team Jung next year.

People often said that the way things were phrased made all the difference.

Instead of saying that Jo Min-Sung would transfer in three months, I stirred things up by rephrasing it strategically.

As expected, inquiries from actors and talent agents about transferring to different teams began pouring in right away. Even with the three-month condition, the fact that Jo Min-Sung was coming to Team Jung was enough to shake things up.

At that moment, everyone in the company began recognizing me as the real power within Hoop Entertainment.

***

With the rumor circulating that Jo Min-Sung would soon be transferring to Team Jung, the morale among talent agents in Actor Division 3 was plummeting.

"Hey. At this rate, won't Team Jung end up taking over everything?"

"What's Mr. Bang doing, anyway? Is he just going to sit and watch this happen?"

"Seriously, this is not the time to worry about Actor Division 1. I heard some of Actor Division 3's actors are thinking of moving over to Team Jung too."

"There's even talk that Actor Sung Han-Yung is considering a transfer to Team Jung."

"Hey! I've been with Han-Yung hyung for four years. I don't even know about it, but how do you know?"

At that moment, Choi Man-Sik entered. "You fucking idiots. Letting one person like Team Lead Jung's lead manipulate you..."

Choi Man-Sik's rebuke shut everyone up immediately.

Given that most of Actor Division 3's actors came from Suhyaejong, Choi Man-Sik held even more sway over them than Kang Gam-Chan did.

"I'll handle that troublemaker, Jung Yoon-Ho. So you all just do your jobs properly and stop getting any funny ideas!" Choi Man-Sik yelled.

"Yes, sir!"

Choi Man-Sik publicly declared that the shareholders from Suhyaejong opposed this decision.

However, even with his intervention, those who had already taken Jung Yoon-Ho's bait couldn't change their minds. The fact that the shareholders had to involve themselves so urgently showed just how much Jung Yoon-Ho's influence had grown.

As the talent agents returned to their tasks, Choi Man-Sik called Ju Ho-Sung in.

Ju Ho-Sung quickly came over and bowed.

"Follow me," said Choi Man-Sik as he led Ju Ho-Sung to Kim Dong-Soo's office.

Thud.

The door closed and Choi Man-Sik took the main seat on the sofa. "Go on. Report!"

After a brief hesitation, Ju Ho-Sung finally spoke. "About 10% of the actors and talent agents in Actor Division 3 are considering leaving."

"Not as many as I expected."

"But if you focus on A-class actors, around 30% have expressed their intent to leave along with their talent agents."

Choi Man-Sik's face twisted in frustration. "What the hell have you been doing with actor management? With Kim Dong-Soo away, you should be handling this properly!"

Ju Ho-Sung tried to explain. "Team Lead Jung acted faster than we anticipated. If it hadn't been for Mr. Bang's swift response, it could have been worse. Over half of them might have left."

The impact was worse than expected.

Choi Man-Sik held his throbbing head and asked, "So what percentage of Actor Division 3 do you control?"

Ju Ho-Sung swallowed nervously. "I've secured about half of the actors in Actor Division 3... but the rest aren't budging. It seems Chief Kim took some separate measures."

Choi Man-Sik had always been disappointed in Kim Dong-Soo's performance. However, he now realized that Kim Dong-Soo had nonetheless managed to restrain Jung Yoon-Ho to a certain extent.

If things were to continue as they were, there was a risk of losing everything tied to Hoop Entertainment before Kim Dong-Soo returned.

Determined, Choi Man-Sik decided to make a bold move. "Team Lead Ju. We're about to announce that three films, each with a production budget of 10 billion won, will be funded by Future Imagination Savings Bank. Get those top actors on board by promising them key roles."

Ju Ho-Sung's face brightened a bit, but it wasn't enough to turn the situation around.

When Ju Ho-Sung expressed his concerns, Choi Man-Sik responded, "Alright. In that case, start scouting for companies we could acquire. But make sure they have a lot of Suhyaejong alumni."

Choi Man-Sik was realizing he would need a new game plan to counter the growing influence of Jung Yoon-Ho. He decided that acquiring a company and stacking it with Suhyaejong line people would be the only way to rebalance the scale Jung Yoon-Ho had tipped.

However, there was still the issue of managing the influx of new recruits. No one seemed fit for the role.

'In the end, it still has to be Kim Dong-Soo...' Choi Man-Sik thought.

Choi Man-Sik couldn't think of anyone other than Kim Dong-Soo who was suitable for managing the entertainment side. After all, Ju Ho-Sung was still too inexperienced and Bang Sang-Yung wasn't fully aligned with their side.

At that moment, a seed of doubt Jung Yoon-Ho had planted began to stir in his mind.

Choi Man-Sik looked at Ju Ho-Sung and asked just in case, "Team Lead Ju, there's a rumor going around that Chief Kim has found other backers. Do you know anything about that?"

"Pardon? Who would say such a thing..."

"Team Lead Jung mentioned it."

Ju Ho-Sung bristled, "Do you believe him?"

"No, but I figured you might have heard something."

"No, sir. Chief Kim wouldn't do something like that unless he'd lost his mind."

Choi Man-sik paused to think. 'He might have lost it.'

Then, he reluctantly nodded. "Alright, but keep an eye on him if you want to keep your position."

"Yes, of course."

With that, Choi Man-Sik took a few checks from his pocket. "Take the team out tonight for a nice dinner. Right now, it's important to keep the team in line more than ever."

The five checks given were each worth a million won.

Impressed by Choi Man-Sik's generosity, Ju Ho-Sung bowed deeply. "Thank you, President!"

Choi Man-Sik waved him off, signaling for him to leave. Ju Ho-Sung bowed once more and closed the door behind him.

Thud.

As the door shut, Choi Man-Sik leaned back into the sofa. "Damn it… why is everything so tangled up?"

Choi Man-Sik felt like he was sinking into quicksand. Out of all his ventures, this entertainment business was the only one that wouldn't go his way as if someone were reading his every move and blocking him.

Nonetheless, he had no intention to give up. After all, this venture was growing faster than any of his others like a goose that laid golden eggs—a goose he was determined to own.

With a sigh, Choi Man-Sik looked over at the nameplate on Kim Dong-Soo's desk. "If you've betrayed me, you're dead, Kim Dong-Soo."

The seed of suspicion Jung Yoon-Ho had planted was beginning to sprout faster than ever.