At table A7 where James King and I were assigned to sit, Ryu Shin from Hwayeon Media Inc., whom I saw at the club last night, was sitting and talking. As I quietly listened to their conversation, I realized he was offering a role in Forgotten War. After failing to connect Richard Kane with Kim Dong-Soo of Ace Entertainment and Yoo Kang-Seok of TNT Entertainment at the hotel club last night, Ryu Shin was now acting as a broker, directly introducing actors to the director. Shin Jong-Ki had promised to deal with both Richard Kane and Ryu Shin, but before that, I had to stop what Ryu Shin was trying to do. If by any chance Ryu Shin managed to secure a casting promise now, the plan to give the role of Lieutenant Choi Ill-Sun to Go Jae-Soo could fall apart. Just then, Jin Ah-Ram, who had come with me, quietly whispered. "Mr. Jung. Since Ryu Shin isn't supposed to be at this table, I'll send him elsewhere." Since Jinseong Hotel was in charge of today's event operations, they had the authority to reprimand any attendee not sitting in their assigned seat. I shook my head and said, "No, it's fine. I have something to settle with him anyway." Not only did I need to resolve the casting issue, but I also had a debt to repay from the previous projector incident. At that moment, James King, who was in conversation, noticed me. "Mr. Jung, you're here." Seeing me, Ryu Shin also greeted me with a brazen smile and waved his bandaged hand. "Oh~ you came." How he shamelessly showed up even after causing the projector incident was quite remarkable in a way. I looked at him with a cold stare. "That's my seat. Move." "Oh~ I know. I just sat down for a moment to greet Director James." "You can greet him later. Please return to your seat. The conference will start soon." "Geez, you're so uptight. Don't worry, I'll leave when it's time." He looked confident as if he had brought some amazing actor. I sat down without showing any emotion. Then I immediately said to James King, "Mr. King, as you requested last night, I brought the actor." At that moment, Ryu Shin interrupted the conversation. "Chief Jung, if it's for the role of Lieutenant Choi Ill-Sun in Forgotten War, there's no need for another recommendation. I've already suggested the best actors." Ignoring Ryu Shin, I asked James King, "Mr. King, which actors did Chief Ryu Shin recommend?" "They are Yoo Han-Gil from Ace Entertainment and Park Soo-Oh from TNT Entertainment. After watching the clips their agencies sent, I found their acting skills quite impressive. I was surprised by the level of Korean actors." Yoo Han-Gil had won the Grand Prize at the Hwangryong Film Association five years ago for the movie Into Your Arms, and Park Soo-Oh had won it six years ago for Song of Heaven. They were both top-tier actors in their 30s. Before my regression, neither of them had shown any interest in Hollywood. But after falling behind Lee Tae-Poong and the actors of Hoop Entertainment recently, it seemed they had changed their minds. They were formidable competitors, but I maintained a calm demeanor as if they were nothing special. After all, talent agents should believe their own actor is the best if they want others to think the same. "They're not bad. But compared to my actor, they're washed-up," I said. Ryu Shin looked at me with an expression of disbelief. "Washed-up? Don't you know that an actor's class is eternal?" "Even if class is eternal, how can they beat someone actively working now?" "This is unbelievable. Who did you bring that makes you so confident?" I held out my phone confidently. "I recommend Mr. Go Jae-Soo. And here, I've prepared his audition video." The moment I mentioned Go Jae-Soo's name, James King's face brightened. "Wow~ he must be busy with the premiere greetings, but he even filmed an audition video?" "It's the least we can do out of respect for you, Mr. King." Directors preferred seeing actors audition even if they had a solid filmography. They wanted to confirm not only the actor's skills but also their understanding and passion for the role. This was because watching an actor perform with the director's script was vastly different from watching clips of other works. As expected, James King looked at me with a face full of anticipation. "Thank you. Please show it to me right away." "Yes, sir. I'll play it now. It's scene 23." I placed my phone on the table and played the video. Scene 23 of Forgotten War showed the completely exhausted Lieutenant Choi Ill-Sun meeting his family, who had fled earlier, after a week-long trench standoff with the communist forces. As soon as the audition started, Go Jae-Soo in the video began shedding tears while clutching a sofa cushion wrapped in cloth to his chest. In the script, the newborn second child wrapped in a cloth had hurt their head during the evacuation, so their head was bandaged in yellow. The original script had lines calling the child's name, but Go Jae-Soo didn't say a word. Instead, he let thick tears fall with a look of deep grief. His restrained sobs conveyed the need to stay quiet during the evacuation, and his shaking shoulders showed how overwhelmed he was with sorrow. The deep emotions conveyed through his silent performance were truly outstanding. And just as I expected, James King was completely absorbed in the audition video as he watched with spellbound eyes. "I really hope Mr. Go Jae-Soo can appear in my film. I already liked his performance as a killer in Jiri Mountain, but I didn't expect he could also deliver such an emotional performance. I can't wait to see how many more sides he'll show once filming starts." Hearing James King, who would become the world's top-grossing director, praise my actor filled my heart with excitement and joy. Since Go Jae-Soo's performance had a stronger impact than Yoo Han-Gil and Park Soo-Oh who had both won the Hwangryong Film Association Grand Prize, the decision was made much faster than I expected. By doing everything I could to seize this one chance, I managed to outmaneuver the actors Ryu Shin had prepared. This was why an actor needed a proper talent agent. At that moment, Ryu Shin butted in and tried to force his point. "Mr. King. Acting is important, but you also need to consider their box office draw!" "Yes. No matter how good Go Jae-Soo's acting is, he's still a rookie, isn't he? But Yoo Han-Gil and Park Soo-Oh have both starred in films that attracted over eight million viewers. So Go Jae-Soo should be evaluated by the public a bit more first..." James King gave a look as if he couldn't believe what he was hearing. "I read an article this morning saying the reviews for Mr. Go Jae-Soo after the Jiri Mountain premiere were excellent. If the film filled 1,200 theaters over the weekend, I think ten million viewers is easily within reach. Isn't that already proof of his box office draw?" "T-that's because Lee Tae-Poong was the lead!" Yet having seen the audience's reaction to Go Jae-Soo at the premiere, James King furrowed his brow. "Mr. Ryu Shin. I understand you'd like your recommended actors to be chosen, but it's not a good look to belittle someone else like that." The flustered Ryu Shin stammered. "I-I just..." I seized the moment to deliver the final blow. "Mr. King, did you know that Chief Ryu Shin tried to sabotage the Jiri Mountain premiere by paying for a projector scandal article? And it was the director's debut film, too." For directors, their debut work was like their first child. Trying to ruin the premiere of that debut film was an unforgivable act to any director. As expected, James King began to look at Ryu Shin with disgust. "How could you do something like that...?" Ryu Shin hurriedly shook his head. "No, Mr. King! Chief Jung is lying right now." I shrugged. "Why would I lie? And Mr. Shin will be here soon, so you can ask him. LT Entertainment has already filed charges against Chief Ryu Shin." James King seemed convinced by my words and immediately cornered Ryu Shin. "Ryu Shin. I never want to associate with people like you. I'll remember not just you, but Hwayeon's name as well." Ryu Shin glared at me, unable to control his rage. Even with both arms in partial casts, he trembled as if he were about to throw a punch at any moment. Jin Ah-Ram saw the situation and immediately raised her hand. "Security! Please handle this." The security team from Jinseong Hotel rushed over. At that moment, Ryu Shin's own security guards approached quickly and said, "We'll escort our chief ourselves." Jin Ah-Ram halted the approaching security guards. Then she responded to Ryu Shin's team. "Alright. But take him straight out of the venue." Ryu Shin's security guards bowed, then took him by both arms and dragged him away. "Hey! Let go of me. I can't leave right now!" Ryu Shin resisted, but his security guards didn't listen. Strictly speaking, those guards weren't loyal to Ryu Shin but were men planted by Chairman Jiang Wei. The head of the security team spoke firmly. "Mr. Ryu, let's head back to our home country for now." Ryu Shin flailed his arms in defiance. "Why would I go back! There's so much I still have to do here!" However, the security chief spoke in a cold voice. "I think you'd better cool your head back in Shanghai for a while." It seemed an order had come down to summon Ryu Shin back to China since he kept losing to me. The chief turned and gave orders to the subordinates behind him. "Escort Mr. Ryu immediately to the Shanghai headquarters. Understood?" The moment the order was given, the guards lifted Ryu Shin off the ground. "N-no! I'll report directly to Mr. Chairman myself..." "Mr. Ryu. I might not know the movie business well, but I do know how many times your mistakes have caused major losses for headquarters. So unless you want your mouth sewn shut, you'd better keep it closed. Got it?" Ryu Shin locked eyes with the security chief for a moment, Yet he soon had no choice but to shut his mouth. The chief's eyes were just too terrifying. In the end, Ryu Shin was carried out of the grand ballroom like luggage. Just like that, Ryu Shin's attempt to block the screening of Jiri Mountain had backfired spectacularly. Now, he had to worry about his own standing instead of worrying about the lawsuit LT Entertainment was filing in Korea. I hadn't expected it, but I managed to get Ryu Shin kicked out of Korea altogether. It made the chaos from yesterday morning feel worthwhile. At that moment, Shin Jong-Ki and Lee Eun-Joo walked in. "Chief Jung. It looked like Ryu Shin was dragged out by his own security guards?" I nodded with a smile. "I figured you were busy, Mr. Shin. So I took care of the small fry myself." Shin Jong-Ki burst out laughing and sat down. "Well done. Then I'll handle the big fish myself." He stopped laughing and began persuading James King to make the film together. Even as people started entering the conference, Shin Jong-Ki's persuasion continued. But since James King didn't agree right away, Shin Jong-Ki began revealing details about their American partners. "Our LT Entertainment plans to enter the U.S. market with the support of one of the Big Six studios. Don't worry, we won't be going in alone." If LT, backed by a major Korean conglomerate, was serious, entering the U.S. market wasn't just a dream. However, the real issue was distribution. The countless movie theaters spread across the U.S. were under the influence of the so-called Big Six major studios. And if those cartel-like Big Six companies decided to interfere, no amount of money could secure American distribution. Only then did James King finally show interest. "If you're partnering with one of the Big Six, there won't be any problems with distribution in the U.S." "That's right. Besides, isn't your film based on the Korean War? LT can handle everything from location scouting to government support in a one-stop process. What do you think?" As James King hesitated, Shin Jong-Ki brought out a second proposal. "And unlike other major studios, LT Pictures plans to give you maximum creative control. We'll increase the production budget by 30% and double your director's fee. Let's join hands and make something big together. What do you say?" James cautiously asked, "Then could you tell me which Big Six partner you're working with in the U.S.?" "I'll tell you once we sign the contract. And if you don't believe me, I'll include a clause in the agreement that allows you to cancel if what I said turns out to be false." James King's face lit up with excitement, but he soon faced reality and let out a deep sigh. "Those conditions sound like a dream. But there's a big penalty clause in my current contract, so I couldn't do it even if I wanted to." "Exactly how much is the penalty?" James King shook his head with a weary look. "Sigh... it's a million dollars. About 1.1 billion won." It was then that Shin Jong-Ki gave a sly smile. "Do you have any idea how big our budget is for LT's U.S. expansion?" "The initial budget alone is three hundred million dollars. That's about three hundred thirty billion won." "And the second phase will be even larger. Do you really think I'd worry about a measly 1.1 billion won penalty? At worst, paying three hundred million should cover any lawsuit." Hearing about an unexpectedly massive investment, James King couldn't close his mouth. Shin Jong-Ki smiled. "So you can just focus on the movie. LT will handle everything else—And that includes even Richard Kane." After a brief moment of dazed silence, James King pulled himself together and replied. "Under those conditions, I'm in!" At that moment, Vice President Richard Kane of 21st Century Wolf appeared at the scene with his secretary, Garcia. "What's this 'in' I'm hearing?" Dark circles ringed his bloodshot eyes and he reeked of alcohol. Richard Kane slumped into a seat at our table and questioned sharply. "Hey, James. I'm asking you. What the hell are you babbling about?" However, Shin Jong-Ki answered instead of James King. "We just reached a verbal agreement with Mr. James King for investment in the film production." Richard Kane's face contorted with rage. "What the hell are you saying? Why are you making James's movie? Don't you know that's our project!?" "Let's keep it simple and handle it legally. Our team will send people soon to negotiate the penalty terms, so you can expect that." At that moment, Richard Kane glared and barked out. "Mr. Shin. I know you and your family have a lot of money, but distributing a movie in America is a whole different matter. Are you prepared for the consequences?" "I think we're more than capable." Richard Kane's face quivered with fury as he spat out his words. "Is that so? Then let me give you a rude awakening!" Nᴇw ɴovel chaptᴇrs are published on ɴovelfire.net With an agitated voice, Richard Kane ordered his secretary. "Garcia. Call every senior executive from the major studios attending today's conference. Right now! Tell them a filthy rat is trying to sneak into Hollywood!" The Hollywood major studios had their own cartel, and they often banded together to keep foreign capital from entering the U.S. market. Sensing this was one of those times, Secretary Garcia jumped up from her seat. But then, Shin Jong-Ki raised a hand to stop her. "Garcia. There's no need to tire yourself out." "The man giving you orders will soon lose his position as vice president of 21st Century Wolf." Just then, murmurs began to ripple through the conference hall as Shin Jong-Ki predicted. At that moment, Shin Jong-Ki smiled broadly and said, "Goodbye, Richard."