Rookie Talent Agent Knows It All

Chapter 254: Getting Rid of Potential Danger (1)

I arranged to meet Chief Secretary Ryu Shin alone at Evian, the most luxurious wine bar in Gangnam where I previously met Jiang Wei.

I informed Kang Ji-Yung of the meeting location, in case anything were to happen.

Screech.

I parked the car in an alley and checked my planner as I remembered there was an incident related to Hwayeon Media Inc. around this time in my past life.

[Everyday V10.1]

[Date: August 18, 2020]

- 01:00 p.m. See off Team Lead Wang Rong of Shanghai New Media Inc. (SNMG). (Report: Broadcasting rights and publication rights dispute with Hwayeon Media Inc.)

Around this time in my past life, I had built a rapport with a team lead named Wang Rong from Shanghai New Media Inc. who was on a business trip to Korea.

Shanghai New Media Inc. was a huge player that dominated the Chinese entertainment market alongside Hwayeon Media Inc. Hence, I paid special attention to entertaining him.

Fortunately, Wang Rong and I became close quickly in a short time because we were both the same age.

Thanks to that, I was able to get a piece of information from him on the last day of his visit. He said there would be a major conflict between Shanghai New Media Inc. and Hwayeon Media Inc., and warned me to be careful if I planned to collaborate with Hwayeon Media Inc.

As Wang Rong was the son of a top-level official in the Chinese Communist Party, his information was quite reliable.

Upon receiving that information, I relayed it to Kim Dong-Soo who leveraged the conflict between the two corporations for the company's benefit and gained recognition from the management.

I guessed that the management of Hwayeon Media Inc. Group was likely in a very difficult position due to the dispute with Shanghai New Media Inc. at this time.

However, I still couldn't understand why the Chief Secretary of Jiang Wei was in Korea. Even if the major conflict was set to begin in mid-August, the preliminary signs should have already appeared.

"Well, I guess I'll find out when I meet him."

After confirming these details in my planner, I continued my drive to Evian.

Upon arriving at Evian, I was stopped by a few robust men. I recognized them as the same men who guarded the entrance of Evian when Jiang Wei visited.

As soon as they saw me, they extended their hands asking for the car key. "Go inside. Mr. Ryu is waiting for you."

I asked the guard who spoke clumsy Korean, "Is Mr. Jiang Wei here too?"

However, the guard remained silent, as if he had been told to.

I followed him to VIP Room 2 which was slightly smaller than the one where I met Jiang Wei previously.

"Please go in."

As the staff opened the door for me, I saw a familiar face at the end of the long table.

"You are..." I uttered.

Chief Secretary Ryu Shin was one of the four men who had accompanied Jiang Wei when I first met him. At that time, I had assumed he was a bodyguard because he had sharp eyes and a short crew cut.

"Everyone, wait at the entrance," Ryu Shin instructed the guards in Chinese.

I could understand what Ryu Shin was saying to the guards since I could speak some Chinese.

After the guards closed the door, Ryu Shin pointed to a seat. "It's been a long time. How have you been?"

"What's up with those goons?" I asked.

"Goons...? It seems you have a misunderstanding. They are just here for precaution," Ryu Shin replied.

"You speak Korean very well," I remarked.

"Yes. My mother was born and raised in Seoul."

I continued to keep my guard up as I took a seat.

Ryu Shin smiled and held out an empty whiskey glass. "Here. Have a drink."

In his hand was a bottle of Glenfiddich 40-year-old, the same kind Jiang Wei had poured an entire bottle of in one go.

I immediately declined, fearing he might pour all the alcohol again if I agreed. "Thank you for the offer, but I didn't come here to drink."

"You're a very cautious man, aren't you?"

Ryu Shin shrugged and poured whiskey into his own empty glass. Then he offered me ice and a can of cola.

"If you don't like alcohol, just tell me what you'd like to drink. The chef here is quite good," said Ryu Shin.

"I appreciate the hospitality, but I'd like to get straight to the point. Why did you ask me to come alone?" I questioned.

Ryu Shin smacked his lips and downed the whiskey in front of him. After wiping the whiskey from his lips, Ryu Shin smiled.

"You handled this situation quite well. President Han Se-Hwa really tried hard."

At that moment, I realized that Ryu Shin was behind everything Han Se-Hwa did.

"Are you saying that you're the one who orchestrated all of this?"

"It wasn't exactly my decision. I was just carrying out special instructions from Mr. Jiang."

I was already aware that Jiang Wei had a hand in this because there was no way the global cosmetics company, Blanc, would act just on Han Se-Hwa's word.

Nonetheless, it was shocking to hear that Ryu Shin, Jiang Wei's right-hand man, handled it all.

"It was you, huh..." I muttered.

I almost swore at him, but then Ryu Shin suddenly bowed his head. "I apologize for the disrespect."

I frowned. "What are you doing right now?"

When I made a perplexed expression, he straightened his clothes and continued. "I have a message from Mr. Jiang."

Ryu Shin spoke with a serious expression.

"Please become the head of Hwayeon Media Inc.'s Korean branch," he added.

"Pardon me?"

Ryu Shin relaxed and smiled. "We are asking you to take charge of the soon-to-be-established Korean branch of Hwayeon Media Inc."

I was so dumbfounded that I was left speechless, but Ryu Shin continued speaking calmly.

"The initial investment is 20 billion won and the second phase can go up to 50 billion won depending on the celebrities you secure. With the actors you currently manage, the second investment seems very likely, Mr. Jung."

I couldn't help but laugh hollowly at such an offer, completely different from those I had received before.

Just thinking about my past memories of Hwayeon Media Inc. made me frown.

Wang Hyun-Seok, the former head of Hwayeon Media Inc.'s branch in my past life, grew the company by entertaining key figures from the political and business world but ended up under investigation by the prosecutors.

Then, he suddenly disappeared just before the second investigation.

When Jiang Wei feigned ignorance about his subsidiary's corruption, the case was closed without charges.

Talent agents at the time speculated over drinks that Wang Hyun-Seok, who knew too many secrets, had been killed by Jiang Wei.

There was no way I would choose such a future for myself. However, it seemed like a good time now to understand the opponent's true intentions.

"What's your reason for making such an offer? Mr. Jiang Wei can't have a favorable view of me after I disrupted his plans," I said.

"The damage you have done is insignificant to us. Mr. Jiang enjoys supporting talented young people. Moreover, you have proven your capability through this incident."

Ryu Shin took out a pristine piece of white paper and a black case with the Montblanc mark from his pocket.

He held out the pen and said, "So... please write it down."

"Write what down?"

Ryu Shin smiled. "It goes like this in dramas, doesn't it? You can write your desired salary."

He handed me what was essentially a blank check with a confident expression which I found absolutely absurd.

I stared into his eyes for a moment as I was extremely dumbfounded by the ridiculous offer. However, his steady gaze showed that he wasn't lying.

I had received a blank check once in my past life as well. It was offered by a big shot in the business world who told me to write billions or hundreds of billions won freely as my guts allowed me.

At the time, it was a shady proposal to keep supplying female celebrities from Top Entertainment.

In other words, blank checks like this meant I had to be worth more than the amount I wrote. People didn't do business at a loss, after all.

In my past life, I led a life where I sacrificed everything for money by running around day and night for Kim Dong-Soo, and I wanted no part in that anymore.

I returned the blank check to Ryu Shin and said, "I'm not going to write anything on this check, so please take it back."

Ryu Shin chuckled and finished his drink. "Is it because you think we can't meet your desired salary?"

"Well, partly. The Korean entertainment industry isn't that big, so what's the point in writing a large number?"

Ryu Shin's eyes flashed for a moment.

"Then you can send Korean celebrities to China. You could receive a very satisfying salary that way, you know?"

"Are you suggesting circumventing the 'Korean Wave' ban?"

After the installation of THAAD in the U.S., the Chinese government banned the broadcast of content produced in South Korea or featuring Korean celebrities.

That restriction was still in place, but they were suggesting they could lift that ban just for me if I became the head of Hwayeon Media Inc.

"You are very astute as expected. That's right. If the content and celebrities belong to a Chinese company, exceptions can be made depending on the relationship with the Party. Mr. Jiang's relationship with the Party needs no further explanation," Ryu Shin explained.

Ryu Shin took another sip of whiskey from the table and added, "And Mr. Jiang believes that no one manages risks in the entertainment industry better than you, Mr. Jung."

At that moment, I realized the exact reason why Hwayeon Media Inc. used Han Se-Hwa to attack Yoo-Jin.

'Was it a test?' I wondered.

Thinking back, Hwayeon Media Inc.'s actions in my past life were far more extreme than this incident. After all, they were a behemoth backed by the Communist Party and allied with the Triad.

The missing puzzle pieces were finally falling into place one by one.

Ryu Shin had orchestrated this "scandal incident" to test whether I could lead Hwayeon Media Inc.'s Korean operations.

But that was simply Ryu Shin's perspective. To me, this entire incident was just infuriating because Yoo-Jin's career almost ended and my position as a talent agent could have been jeopardized.

"I don't work with people who play above others' heads," I said curtly.

"Please don't be too angry. While you might be upset, we are prepared to compensate you greatly. This money is just the beginning."

"What if I still refuse?"

Ryu Shin sighed and took another shot of strong whiskey without ice. "You're playing hard to get."

He stared at me, now with a predatory gaze. "In that case... bad things will happen to you, Mr. Jung, simply because you rejected our offer."

As expected, he resorted to threats upon refusal.

Both in my past life and now, those in power always seemed to resort to threats and violence when they were faced with rejection.

"Do you plan to target the celebrities under my management?" I questioned.

"Ha ha ha. It's convenient not having to say it twice."

I suppressed my rising anger and spoke. "Do you think I will just sit back and do nothing?"

"Mr. Jiang told me to use any means necessary to secure you, Mr. Jung. And using any means necessary is my specialty."

Ryu Shin discarded his mask and revealed his true self as if he had wanted to approach it this way from the start.

But I knew exactly how to remove Ryu Shin from Korea.

It was time to show my power as someone who traveled back in time.

I looked at Ryu Shin and said, "Let me ask one thing first."

"Sure, ask me anything you want."

"If you are truly the power behind Hwayeon Media Inc., you wouldn't have time to be in Korea. Establishing a Korean branch while the conflict with Shanghai New Media Inc. is intensifying...? That doesn't make sense."

Ryu Shin, who had been smiling confidently, tilted his head in curiosity. "Shanghai New Media Inc.? What are you talking about?"

"You don't know about that? Are you really the chief secretary?"

As the chief secretary of the president, he should be at the core of the group's power. The fact that such a high-ranking official was in Korea during the height of the conflict with Shanghai New Media Inc. was strange.

This was indirect evidence that Ryu Shin had either been pushed out of the power center or someone was withholding information from him.

At that moment, Ryu Shin's face twisted. "If you're trying to shake me with baseless claims, you'll regret it greatly later."

"Check with your colleagues at headquarters to see if the claims are baseless," I replied nonchalantly.

Ryu Shin's eyes blazed at the insinuation that he wasn't in the know about significant matters despite being the chief secretary. He looked as if he couldn't believe his position was being questioned.

Seeing Ryu Shin emotionally shaken, I delivered the final blow.

"And let me give you one piece of advice, Mr. Ryu Shin. Secure your own position before trying to get me."

Ryu Shin looked at me in disbelief with a dumbfounded expression. "What are you trying to say now..."

"Do you not know that Team Lead Maroon is aiming for your position at your company? I heard he's calling you an idiot for leaving the company during such a crucial time."

In my past life, the chief secretary who accompanied Jiang Wei was not Ryu Shin but Maroon. I had often met with him as a business associate and played golf as he had a particular fondness for golf.

Once when Maroon was drunk, he boasted about how he had pushed out his predecessor and seized the position for himself. He explained that he had taken advantage of a careless idiot named Ryu Shin and claimed the spot for himself.

As I relayed Maroon's words, the self-assured expression on Ryu Shin's face began to distort.

"Shen me?" Ryu Shin's face started to turn red as he shouted the Chinese word for "What?"