Chapter: Plotting (1) At 4 a.m., I arrived at Choi Eun-Tae's house in Myeong-Dong. As I parked in front of the brightly lit house, Jang Ki-Ho, the youngest executive of Daeheung Savings Bank, approached with a few bodyguards. "Hey, Chief Jung. I heard you got back from Japan?" I stepped out of the car and greeted Jang Ki-Ho. "Yes, sir." "Leave your car key here and head in. Mr. Chairman, Mr. Kang Gam-Chan, and Mr. Jang are waiting for you." Usually, someone of Jang Ki-Ho's rank at Korea's top savings bank wouldn't personally come out to guide someone. But for Choi Eun-Tae, he didn't shy away from doing the dirty work. I handed my car key to the guards and followed Jang Ki-Ho. That's when Jang Ki-Ho said casually, "To be honest... I didn't expect you to go this far. I thought only my eldest brother could take down Choi Man-Sik." By eldest brother, he meant Choi Yung-Ho, president of Daeheung Savings Bank—a man capable of standing up to Choi Man-Sik in every way. However, in the previous timeline, he hadn't been able to overcome Choi Man-Sik. That was because Choi Man-Sik had something Choi Yung-Ho lacked: venom. I briefly recalled those memories before the regression but pretended to know nothing. "Come on~ There's no need to be humble with me. Everyone, including our eldest brother, knows what you've done. But from now on... stay sharp. You're about to face things you've never dealt with before. Choi Man-Sik isn't someone who'll take this lying down." Jang Ki-Ho made it clear that taking Hoop Entertainment public wasn't just an internal power struggle. And I knew it too. This IPO was the start of a bloody war over the fortune of Korea's richest loan shark. I nodded. "I'm well aware." Jang Ki-Ho stared at me for a moment, then let out a short laugh. "If it were anyone else, I'd have scolded them for bluffing... but with you, Chief Jung, I actually believe it. Hahaha." He chuckled lightly, then made a request. "Chief Jung. Please look after Mr. Chairman." All four Daeheung Savings Bank executives, including Choi Yung-Ho, were orphans raised in Myeong-Dong. They called each other brothers and viewed Choi Eun-Tae as a father. I answered, "I was never meant to live under the same sky as President Choi Man-Sik anyway. Don't worry." I was the one who had Choi Man-Sik, the man feared by everyone, arrested in Japan. So when he returned to Korea, blood was guaranteed to spill. Before that, I had to use everything I had to weaken his forces. Jang Ki-Ho smiled in satisfaction. "You've got guts. Now I get why Mr. Chairman and our eldest brother praise you. You've got no fear. That viper of a man still gives me chills sometimes. Hahaha." Jang Ki-Ho finished guiding me with a laugh. Past the courtyard and in front of the hanok's wooden floor stood Vice President Ju Jin-Ho and Executive Director Park Jung-Ho, also from Daeheung Savings Bank. "Welcome, Chief Jung. Mr. Chairman, our eldest brother, and Mr. Kang are all waiting inside." It was already 4 a.m., yet none of them were asleep. Their faces were solemn like men preparing for war. "I'll greet you properly later." I gave a short bow and stepped up onto the wooden floor of the hanok. I crossed it and opened the door to the main room. As I stepped inside, Kang Gam-Chan greeted me. "Sorry to call you up here in a rush. But before we announce the IPO at the company tomorrow, there's something we need to discuss." I immediately greeted Choi Eun-Tae, who was seated in the center of the room. "I'm sorry I'm a bit late." Choi Eun-Tae shook his head. "No, no. I'm the one who should apologize for calling out a busy man who's been filming and even hosting a team dinner. Now that Chief Jung is here, let's continue our discussion." As soon as I sat down on the cushion offered by Choi Yung-Ho, the discussion about Hoop Entertainment's IPO resumed. "The first D-Day for the IPO is tomorrow." Choi Eun-Tae said that they would begin the IPO procedures starting tomorrow, taking advantage of Choi Man-Sik's detention. Since Choi Man-Sik had already prepared part of the IPO process for his own takeover, they could jump straight into it. At that moment, Kang Gam-Chan looked at me and asked, "How's the cash status for the talent agents in Actor Division 2?" This was about the employee stock option purchases that only Hoop Entertainment staff were allowed to make. I replied, "Just as I said, everyone's saved up last year's bonuses." At the end of last year, I had deliberately spread rumors internally, so I knew both Actor Division 2 and Singer Division 2 had saved up all their year-end bonuses. However, most of the other divisions had already spent a good portion of theirs. Kang Gam-Chan nodded with a satisfied look. "Thanks to you, it helped a lot. But we're still at a disadvantage." Currently, Choi Eun-Tae held 30% of Hoop Entertainment's shares. It was split between Daeheung Savings Bank with 15%, and Future Imagination Savings Bank with 15%. But if Choi Man-Sik returned, it was obvious he would seize control of Future Imagination Savings Bank. The war had already begun, so there was no reason for him to hold back anymore. If Choi Man-Sik managed to turn Future Imagination into his own, Choi Eun-Tae's stake would drop from 30% to 15%. Meanwhile, Choi Man-Sik's shares would rise from 10% to 25%. The other shareholders were: President Lee Sang-Pil of LSP Inc. with 13%, President Park Hyung-Moon of TruEngens with 12%, imprisoned Director Lee Gi-Cheol with 6%, and Kang Gam-Chan with 29%. In short, once Choi Man-Sik returned, his side would control 56% of the shares versus our 44%. With a shift in majority ownership inevitable, we were trying to increase friendly shares through the IPO. That was the only way to protect Hoop Entertainment and the slush fund assets it held in Japan. Choi Eun-Tae emphasized my role again in this strategy. "Chief Jung, from now on, just focus on managing things internally. President Kang and I will dedicate ourselves to recruiting white knights." White knights were entities that helped defend management control through friendly share acquisition, typically used in hostile takeovers. Choi Eun-Tae was using the term boldly, declaring this as a full-blown management war. Usually, white knights were large firms with enough capital to compete in such a battle. Choi Eun-Tae and Kang Gam-Chan had said they would handle that part, mentioning they had prepared for this day. But as I listened, I took a deep breath. After all, I had prepared too for this very moment. "Would it be alright... if I also brought in some white knights? I've made preparations as well." Both Choi Eun-Tae and Kang Gam-Chan looked visibly shocked. They hadn't expected someone as busy as me, a mere talent agent, to even consider the management rights battle. Kang Gam-Chan asked in disbelief, "You've recruited white knights?" "You caught me off guard. Hahaha." Kang Gam-Chan slapped his knee and Choi Eun-Tae also let out a hearty laugh. "Chief Jung always manages to surprise me. Haha. So, have you already picked who you want as your white knights?" "Yes. I've chosen candidates who can keep everything confidential." Even for Korea's top loan shark, there was a legal limit to how much one could acquire during a public offering. The more friendly forces—white knights—I had, the more shares we could secure. I planned to approach the investors who had trusted me and backed Project I.O.A. They were companies like Shanghai New Media, LM Apparel, Yetterang, Daechon inc., Jinseong inc., and so on. Choi Eun-Tae nodded. "Give it a shot. If it works, it'll be a powerful secret weapon." Just as we were about to wrap up, a thought crossed my mind. "Mr. Chairman, what's the status of Choi Man-Sik's embezzlement case?" "President Kang Gam-Chan filed the charges. My legal team and Director Kwak Moo-Hyuk are handling it. They're swamped. That's why Yung-Ho here and the Daeheung team are handling the IPO." Now I understood why the lawyers weren't in the room during such a critical meeting. "So when Choi Man-Sik returns from Japan, will he be arrested immediately?" I asked. Choi Eun-Tae nodded. "Most likely. I told Moeka to hold him as long as possible, so he'll probably be detained in Japan for about two months. But once he returns to Korea, we've arranged for his immediate arrest." They had set double traps in both Japan and Korea to buy time for the IPO. "Thanks to you, our attack started earlier than expected. But what's the harm? Once we've begun, we have to see it through." "I agree completely." "Then let's wrap up." We had to get up and move if we wanted to announce the IPO at Hoop Entertainment tomorrow afternoon. Then, Choi Eun-Tae added, "Oh, Chief Jung. I'll have Mirinae purchase some shares in Hoop Entertainment. Just so you know." He said they would secretly inject capital into the drama production company Mirinae, run by President Han Yoo-Sik and majority-owned by my mother, and make it a white knight. I tilted my head. "Why are you telling me this?" "To avoid any misunderstandings, of course. And since Mother Superior holds 50% of the shares in that company, the IPO will benefit Mirinae greatly as well." Choi Eun-Tae smiled warmly. It was clearly something he was doing for my sake. I wasn't sure what to say, and as I hesitated, Choi Eun-Tae added, "Throughout my life, the people I've truly considered on my side were Yung-Ho here, the boys outside, Moeka's family in Japan, and President Kang Gam-Chan. But... ever since you arrived, Chief Jung, that's changed. You and your people have become my allies. I'm truly grateful." "No. If it weren't for you, everything I have would've been taken by that viper Man-Sik. To be honest, with my age, I'd thought about just handing over a portion and walking away. But having you here gave me the will to fight." Choi Eun-Tae stared at me intently. "So once this is all over, we'll talk about your reward. And this time, I won't take no for an answer!" I was tempted to refuse, but the sincerity in his eyes made that impossible. 'Alright. I can't say no anymore.' However, Kang Eun-Gi came first. "Understood. But let's talk about that after Eun-Gi accepts you as his father." Choi Eun-Tae grimaced. "Ugh~ You are stubborn as ever. Alright, alright." It was already past 5:30 a.m., so we agreed to get a bit of sleep before starting the day's work. Kang Gam-Chan and Choi Eun-Tae yawned, saying they hadn't slept in days. "Then I'll get going." I gave a final bow and stepped out of the room. As I exited, Kang Gam-Chan followed me. "Oh, right. Yoon-Ho. Did you hear that Han Sun-Myung's been put on a travel ban?" Han Sun-Myung, the actor who played Taecheong-Rang in Hwaranjeon, was a foreigner with black hair. Apparently, a travel ban had been placed on him. "No, this is the first I've heard." With Hwaranjeon surpassing 30.5% in viewership ratings, my phone had been flooded with calls from advertisers and reporters. It was still on silent and unusable, so I couldn't check the articles. Kang Gam-Chan looked at me with a hint of pity. "It must be hard with so many people depending on you." I shook my head. "No. That's exactly what gives me strength, sir." Kang Gam-Chan smiled gently. "Still, if it ever gets too much, promise you'll say something. Never forget that I'm always on your side." His kind words filled me with emotion. I bowed my head deeply. "Yes, sir!" Kang Gam-Chan gently patted my shoulder. "Alright. And... great job with Deok-Bae. You did well, Yoon-Ho." With an awkward smile at Kang Gam-Chan's praise, I gave my final goodbye and left the house. As I got in the car and started the engine, I thought to myself that I would rally as many white knights as I could to protect my people and Hoop Entertainment. I arrived in Cheonho-dong and turned into the alley near the security booth. However, a Rose-Rise and a Binz sedan were blocking the entrance. The guards stationed in the alley were facing off with two young men in suits. Just as I tried to get a closer look, one of the suited men recognized me and shouted, "It's Jung Yoon-Ho!" At that moment, the Binz door opened and three more men in suits stepped out. Then, a man who looked to be in his late thirties stopped the others and approached me alone. "Mr. Jung, excuse me... could you please step out and join us in that car?" "And why would I do that?" The man hesitated before replying, "Assemblyman Park Sang-Gon's daughter came here to see you." 'Park Sang-Ah? The infamous villainess who ends up marrying Choi Man-Sik?' Before the regression, I saw her more often than I did Choi Man-Sik. This meant I knew more about Park Sang-Ah than Choi Man-Sik did. I paused briefly but decided to face her head-on. 'Know your enemy and know yourself, then you'll never lose.' As I slipped my phone into my pocket, I discreetly activated the voice recorder on my smartwatch and got out of the car. I followed the man and got into the back seat of the Rose-Rise. Park Sang-Ah, around 160cm tall with feline features, sat smiling in an off-shoulder evening dress with a slit down the side. Thɪs chapter is updated by 𝕟𝕠𝕧𝕖𝕝✦𝘧𝙞𝙧𝙚✦𝕟𝕖𝕥 Not wanting to engage in a long conversation, I spoke flatly. "Just get to the point. I'm tired and want to sleep." At that, Park Sang-Ah crossed her legs and began with something absurd. "I was going to take it slow, but you're a little impatient, huh? Fine, I'll get straight to the point." Leaning toward me with a sweet voice, she said, "Why don't you join hands with me? Chief Jung." I was the one who had her future husband trapped in Japan, and now she was asking me to team up with her. 'What on earth is she scheming now?'