An Actor Who Has Lived For 10,000 Years [EN]: Chapter 279

279. #51 – Breaking Free from the Yoke (2)

CEO Park looked flustered at Jin Hee-sung’s declaration of contract termination, but soon spoke, his voice trembling.

“No, Hee-sung. What’s with you all of a sudden…”

-You know. Back then, you clearly told me to trust you, not Executive Director Choi, and said you’d take care of it. But in the end…

At Jin Hee-sung’s words, CEO Park hurriedly cut him off.

“That’s… let’s talk in person first.”

-Yes, I was going to call and visit you anyway. I’ll be there soon.

Confirming that the call had ended, CEO Park slammed his fist on the desk.

Bang-

“What the f–”

Even though his anger wasn’t relieved, he swept the pile of documents off the desk with his hand.

Documents scattered across the floor of the CEO’s office.

A phone sat alone on the desk.

He picked up the receiver and called his secretary.

Before the phone could even ring once, the secretary’s voice was heard.

-Yes, CEO…

“Where is Executive Director Choi right now?”

-Ah, I heard that Executive Director Choi was in his office a little while ago…

CEO Park shouted in anger, cutting off his secretary before she could finish speaking.

“Tell Executive Director Choi to get to my office, now!”

-Yes, I understand.

The secretary’s eyes widened at CEO Park’s roar.

Confirming that it was a serious matter, she immediately contacted Executive Director Choi.

Less than five minutes after summoning Executive Director Choi.

Knock knock.

The door to the CEO’s office was knocked on.

At the same time as the knock, the door burst open.

“CEO, you called…”

“Hey, you son of a bitch!”

It wasn’t Executive Director Choi who opened the door, but CEO Park.

He had been pacing back and forth in front of the CEO’s office door, waiting for Executive Director Choi. It was obvious that he was agitated.

Jin Hee-sung was demanding to terminate his contract immediately, so there was no way he could be calm.

CEO Park was more invested than anyone else in Jin Hee-sung’s contract renewal.

Executive Director Choi flinched at CEO Park’s voice.

It was a reaction he already anticipated.

He had already heard about Jin Hee-sung’s social media post and the CEO’s angry shouts through the secretary.

Executive Director Choi had been bowing his head ever since he entered the room.

“You said you’d handle it well. Is this what you call handling it well?”

CEO Park said, his face red with fury.

“Let’s hear about that plan. Wasn’t this part of the plan?”

Executive Director Choi kept his mouth shut, like a leech that had swallowed a worm, at CEO Park’s continued nagging.

“If you have a mouth, say something! I trusted you to handle it, and you created this situation?”

“…I’m sorry.”

Executive Director Choi swallowed hard and raised his head.

“CEO, even so, it won’t be easy to grant Jin Hee-sung’s wishes…”

Executive Director Choi was trying to find a glimmer of hope in the darkness.

CEO Park completely extinguished that light.

There was a clear reason why he had no choice but to do so.

“Hey, Choi Joong-hyun. Jin Hee-sung… is coming to terminate his contract now.”

“…Yes?”

At his words, Executive Director Choi was startled and raised his head.

He had only been focused on suppressing Jin Hee-sung, whom he saw as a threat, but he had no idea that he would leave the company.

“You said you would suppress that great Jin Hee-sung, and now he’s coming to TERMINATE the contract we barely managed to renew!”

“……”

Executive Director Choi couldn’t say anything.

No, if he opened his mouth now, it would only provoke CEO Park’s anger further.

All he could do was bow his head.

CEO Park sighed deeply in front of him.

“Haa…”

Then, he tapped his shoulder with his index finger and began to lecture.

“If I praised you for doing a good job, you should have kept it up. You couldn’t make any real achievements in Japan, but you managed to do it here, so why are you like this now?”

“…I’m sorry.”

“What am I supposed to do if you just say you’re sorry now?”

Executive Director Choi bit his lip tightly at CEO Park’s murderous look, which he had never seen before.

CEO Park didn’t stop there.

“Why should I, the CEO, clean up the mess you’ve made? Are you the CEO of WG [the company]? Are you the CEO?”

The surrounding air turned icy.

Executive Director Choi was pushed back by CEO Park’s finger and bent his back deeply.

“I’m really sorry. I didn’t know Jin Hee-sung would react like this… I’ll meet Jin Hee-sung and persuade him somehow.”

Just then.

Knock knock.

Someone knocked on the door to the CEO’s office.

CEO Park and Executive Director Choi were both inside.

As soon as they heard the knock, they turned their heads at the same time.

“CEO, this is Team Leader Han.”

CEO Park, thinking Jin Hee-sung had arrived, opened the door with a short sigh.

“What.”

Team Leader Han looked at CEO Park and Executive Director Choi, who were standing in front of the door, and was startled, bowing his head.

“Ah, I’m sorry, you’re in the middle of a conversation. It’s an urgent matter…”

“What is it? There’s nothing more surprising than this right now.”

CEO Park closed his eyes tightly and spoke.

Team Leader Han glanced at Executive Director Choi and carefully opened his mouth.

“Chief Kim has submitted his resignation.”

At his words, CEO Park opened his eyes and frowned.

“Are there only one or two Chief Kims in the company?”

“Kim Ji-hoon, Chief Kim. He just submitted his resignation, and I thought I should tell you right away…”

At Team Leader Han’s words, CEO Park was lost in thought for a moment.

There were countless managers working, so it wasn’t easy to recall them instantly when he heard their names.

It was faster to remember the celebrities they managed.

Reading CEO Park’s expression, Team Leader Han hurriedly added.

“Ah… he’s Jin Hee-sung’s manager.”

At his words, CEO Park shouted so loudly that the CEO’s office seemed to shake.

“What? Jin Hee-sung’s manager wrote a resignation letter?”

That’s how Team Leader Han reported the story about the resignation.

Several tens of minutes later.

The only people left in the CEO’s office were CEO Park and Executive Director Choi.

CEO Park’s demeanor was a little calmer.

No, maybe he was just keeping his mouth shut to barely hold back the anger he was trying to unleash.

The two of them were sitting in the CEO’s office.

They were sitting on the sofa, letting time pass without any conversation.

He wasn’t calming down his anger at Executive Director Choi.

Executive Director Choi wasn’t spending time apologizing either.

What they were waiting for was Jin Hee-sung.

They were waiting for him to notify them of the contract termination and come here.

Executive Director Choi was guarding the CEO’s office, saying he would take responsibility for his mistakes.

Silence filled the CEO’s office, and then the door opened.

* * *

As soon as I arrived on the CEO’s office floor, the secretary jumped up from her seat when she saw me.

“Hello.”

“Yes, the CEO is waiting for you now.”

“Yes.”

It seemed that CEO Park was restless at the news that I was terminating the contract.

I could tell from the fact that the secretary got up right away after seeing me.

Now the key was in my hands.

And I didn’t want to gain anything by using this key.

Because my mind was already so firm.

Knock knock-

The secretary knocked on the door to the CEO’s office and immediately spoke.

“CEO, Mr. Jin Hee-sung has arrived.”

“Uh.”

CEO Park’s short and gruff answer.

At his word, the secretary opened the door and ushered me in.

And before I greeted CEO Park, I said to her.

“Thank you.”

She answered me with a faint smile.

I turned around and looked at CEO Park.

And I bowed to him with the utmost courtesy.

“CEO, hello.”

“Oh, Hee-sung, you’re here?”

CEO Park got up and approached me to welcome me with an awkward smile.

And another person who came into my sight was Executive Director Choi.

He was someone I didn’t even want to see right now.

‘What, why is Executive Director Choi here again?’

I moved my gaze away from him.

“Hee-sung, sit down quickly. Let’s talk face to face.”

CEO Park grabbed my arm and led me to the sofa.

And Executive Director Choi sat next to me.

I glanced at him and spoke.

“I want to talk to the CEO alone.”

The meaning of my words was clear: I wanted Executive Director Choi to leave.

CEO Park nodded with a forced smile.

“Yes, let’s have an open-hearted conversation and talk for a long time.”

I don’t think I’ve had frequent conversations with him so far.

CEO Park had already started trying to persuade me to stay.

And CEO Park winked at Executive Director Choi as if giving him a cue.

Soon, Executive Director Choi turned to me.

“That… the reason I said I would put WG Entertainment actors in Director Chun’s movie was all for the company.”

I tilted my head at his words.

“For the company… not for me. Furthermore, if you’re doing it by leveraging my name, you should have at least consulted me.”

“That’s what I said back then…”

I cut off Executive Director Choi’s words and answered.

“No. I clearly told you. I went to Executive Director Choi for the last time and told him to remove the remaining actors who were negatively cast. But Executive Director Choi didn’t listen to me then either.”

Executive Director Choi closed his mouth at my words.

He had a lot to say, but he seemed to be looking at CEO Park’s face.

He opened his mouth with a face that seemed to swallow a sigh.

“…If you felt bad, I’ll apologize. If you’re terminating the contract because I made you misunderstand…”

I cut off his words again and looked at CEO Park and said.

“CEO, can’t I talk to you without the Executive Director present?”

CEO Park replied with a faint smile.

“But Executive Director Choi is also responsible for this matter, and furthermore, I called him because he wants to apologize to you, Hee-sung.”

“No. The reason I trusted this company and signed the contract was with CEO Park, not Executive Director Choi. I didn’t tell you about the contract termination to hear Executive Director Choi’s apology either.”

Then, I looked at Executive Director Choi and said.

“I’m sorry, but please leave. I want to talk to the CEO.”

At my words, Executive Director Choi looked at CEO Park’s face.

He nodded slightly.

Executive Director Choi left the CEO’s office.

CEO Park asked me with a gentle voice.

“You must have been very upset about this, right?”

He asked as if to persuade me to prevent my contract termination, but I didn’t want to reveal my true feelings.

Kim, my manager, had already submitted his resignation.

My plan had begun.

I answered firmly.

“I will terminate the contract.”

CEO Park’s pupils shook at my firm words.

“If you’re angry, you should resolve it through conversation and clear up misunderstandings. Terminating it so emotionally is not like you at all, Hee-sung.”

“I clearly demanded correction from Executive Director Choi, but it was not accepted. CEO Park, you know that too, right?”

“That’s true, but still, the company fully understood your feelings, Hee-sung, and half of the actors…”

I shook my head at his words.

“You said that back then too, CEO. Let’s trust you, not Executive Director Choi. But the result hasn’t changed at all.”

CEO Park’s gentle expression disappeared at my words.

Nevertheless, I continued to speak.

“The contract term I requested was just one thing. You said you would let me do what I want.”

“That’s right. That’s why Executive Director Choi apologized.”

“Even though I requested it several times, it was not corrected, so I am requesting contract termination due to the company’s breach of contract.”

Only then did CEO Park bite his lip tightly and express his anger.

“Okay, who do you think will be at a disadvantage if you terminate the contract?”

CEO Park was going through the stages of anger step by step.

He denied my contract termination and started to express his anger.

He was talking as if threatening me, but I had no intention of giving in at all.

I looked straight into his eyes and slightly raised the corners of my lips.

“Ah, by the way, you know that there is no refund of the contract fee because of the measures taken due to breach of contract, right?”

As soon as I finished speaking, CEO Park’s face turned red and blue.

Bang-

He slammed the desk with his fist and shouted.

“Jin Hee-sung, I’ve been watching you, but you keep pushing your luck?”

“No. I’m just stating the truth. You know that this is the only thing I requested when I renewed the contract with you, CEO. You said you would definitely honor it, but I didn’t know it would turn out like this from the very first project.”

“Hey, do you think you’ll be safe in this industry if you leave like this?”

I shrugged my shoulders at his weak threat.

“Yes, there’s no reason why I shouldn’t be safe.”

“What?”

“I’m telling you this in case you’ve forgotten.”

CEO Park’s expression distorted at my words.

At the perfect moment, the door to the CEO’s office opened.

The person who came in through that door was Song Yu-na.

At her appearance, I tilted my head and pointed to her.

Song Yu-na walked over and took a seat next to me.

“CEO, if you mess with Hee-sung, I’m going to leave too. WG Entertainment.”

At her words, CEO Park was speechless, his mouth wide open.

Song Yu-na smiled and continued to speak.

“You know, even if Hee-sung leaves WG Entertainment, it’ll be a slight setback, but if I leave too, the ripple effect… Aigoo, I don’t know if you’ll be okay.”

Her unique expression of self-confidence.

That’s how much Song Yu-na commanded an enormous position in the entertainment industry.

Song Yu-na herself knew that very well.

Not just her position as an actress, but also her career and connections in the entertainment industry.

The power of the icon Song Yu-na was more enormous than expected.

CEO Park looked back and forth between Song Yu-na and me.

He seemed to be organizing his thoughts for a moment, and then he spoke.

“Contract termination… I understand.”

He was saying it with his teeth clenched so tightly that all the pronunciations were crushed.

CEO Park turned his head and looked at me and spoke again.

“Instead, leave quietly. Don’t stir things up any more with public statements.”

At his words, I smiled and answered.