Descent of The Demon Master [EN]: Chapter 1466

A light sweat beaded on Kang Jin-ho’s forehead.

The gloom emanating from Choi Yeon-ha, sitting across from him, seemed to pierce the sky and crush the earth.

And Han Eun-sol, who would normally be comforting Choi Yeon-ha, was scraping her plate with a fork, looking even more distressed.

[It’s not like she’s Kim Gu [a famous Korean independence activist] after losing the country… It’s amazing how someone can be this depressed.]

“So, it looks like it’s not going to work out?”

“Yes.”

Han Eun-sol answered instead of Choi Yeon-ha.

“No matter how we adjust the schedule, it just doesn’t line up.”

Han Eun-sol sighed deeply.

“It’s such a shame. It’s a really good opportunity, but no matter what we do, it overlaps too much with the Chinese drama filming schedule.”

“Then, is it impossible?”

“…If it were in China, it would be possible. If it were both in the US, it would also be possible. But one in the US and one in China is impossible. The distance is too far, and all the time would be spent traveling.”

Han Eun-sol wore a bitter expression.

Filming isn’t a continuous process. Depending on the scenes being shot that day, there might be a week of rest, or three consecutive days of all-nighters.

So, if the schedule can be adjusted, appearing in two or three projects at the same time isn’t that difficult.

But the problem was the distance.

“It takes twelve hours just to get from China to the US, and if you include the time to get to the airport, it takes more than fifteen hours just to get there. A round trip takes 30 hours…”

Choi Yeon-ha sighed deeply.

“Even if we could somehow adjust the schedule, long flights are so physically draining. You don’t notice it when you fly occasionally, but if you’re practically living on a plane, you’re half-dead. Considering the schedule, I’d have to go back and forth twice a week.”

It was impossible.

“I’ve gotten a little better with my stamina lately, but even so, this is difficult. Even if we somehow manage to make it work, it’s obvious that my performance will suffer because of the physical strain.”

Han Eun-sol glanced at Choi Yeon-ha and said,

“Sis, then how about giving up the Chinese one…”

“Are you crazy?”

Choi Yeon-ha glared.

“Hey, this isn’t about opportunity. It’s about trust. If I break a contract and cancel a filming schedule that’s already set because a better role came up, who would trust me and hire me again?”

“…It’s just such a shame.”

“No way. That’s not fair to the staff who agreed to work with me. Hollywood or whatever, I’d rather not do it than break a pre-existing contract.”

Han Eun-sol nodded.

That was right.

Han Eun-sol also knew that what Choi Yeon-ha was saying was the right thing to do. And she also knew that Choi Yeon-ha would never break a contract, given her personality.

Choi Yeon-ha was the type of person who would complete any contract, no matter how hellish it was. She might blow up the waiting room, but she rarely complained on set.

Even so, she brought it up because this opportunity was too good to pass up.

[The role was amazing.]

It was a role that made her wonder if there had ever been a Korean actor who had such a significant part in a Hollywood movie.

But to have to give up such a great opportunity because of scheduling.

“It’s fine.”

Choi Yeon-ha said cleanly and began cutting her steak with a knife.

“That’s life. If there’s good, there’s bad, and if you get lucky, you miss out on something else. There will be other opportunities. Let’s just end it with ‘it’s a shame’ this time.”

“…Yes.”

Han Eun-sol sighed deeply, as if the ground had caved in. Then, she looked at the steak in front of her.

[I don’t think I can swallow this.]

Choi Yeon-ha, chewing on her steak at this moment, seemed amazing. If Han Eun-sol were in Choi Yeon-ha’s position, she would have locked herself in her room and not come out.

“By the way…”

Wiggins, who had been listening quietly, asked with a subtle expression.

“Is this role that important?”

“…I don’t know how to answer that, you’re asking something so obvious.”

Wiggins smiled wryly at Han Eun-sol’s words.

“No, no. Not in that way… I mean in terms of business.”

“Oh…”

Han Eun-sol hesitated.

The answer came from Choi Yeon-ha.

“It’s important.”

Choi Yeon-ha wiped her mouth with a napkin, took a sip of wine, and frowned.

“Seriously, they’re always trying to get me drunk here. Eun-sol, order some cider!”

“And a Coke.”

Kang Jin-ho quickly chimed in, and Choi Yeon-ha glared at him once before opening her mouth.

“It depends on how well I do, but if it’s a hit, it would be a great opportunity. First of all, it means we’d have a connection in Hollywood. We have a lot of pretty girls, and we’re starting to sign male actors, so we can push them for the roles they want.”

“So, it’s not just about the role, but also a business matter.”

“Yes. First of all, the money is on a different scale. The money that a top star in Korea receives doesn’t even match what a regular actor in the US gets. Even a decent supporting role would earn them more than they would make in a year of hard work in Korea. And if they do well, it’s a jackpot.”

“Hmm…”

Wiggins stroked his beard with a subtle smile.

“What do you think, Lord?”

“Hmm?”

“If it’s a business matter, shouldn’t we provide support? As the director said last time, this isn’t just a personal matter for the director, but a matter for MK [the company they work for].”

“Well, that’s true…”

Kang Jin-ho narrowed his brows.

“Are you suggesting we get a private jet?”

“You’re joking. I’m talking about a gate.”

“Huh?”

Wiggins shrugged.

“We can connect the US and China with a gate. We can use the gate that’s being installed in the US this time. Connecting three places into one isn’t that difficult. Europe is a bit difficult because it requires the Master’s permission.”

“Oh…”

Is that even possible?

“Will the US allow that?”

“Why wouldn’t they? The contract we made this time includes a clause that MK will receive maximum support for its business in the US.”

“…Why is that in there?”

What business would MK have in the US that would require such an absurd clause?

“I put it in there?”

Kang Jin-ho’s head slowly turned.

Ah!

There was only one person who would put something like that in.

Lee Hyun-soo gulped down his wine like beer and slammed the glass down.

“Lord, if you’re not going to drink that wine…”

Kang Jin-ho gently pushed his untouched wine glass over and continued.

“So, you put that clause in there?”

“Yes. You never know what might happen, right? That contract isn’t for just a year or two, and I thought there might be a chance we’d do business in the US in ten years or so. I didn’t expect we’d use it this quickly, though.”

He felt it sometimes.

That guy was truly amazing.

“They probably didn’t want to argue about it since it wasn’t a big deal. And it wouldn’t be a big problem even without that clause. We’re just asking to use a gate, what’s the big deal? It’s not like we’re asking for a separate immigration office.”

“…Isn’t that a border issue?”

“We’re not terrorists, though.”

“Ummm.”

Kang Jin-ho let out a low groan and nodded.

If you think about it simply, it’s a simple matter. There are various practical issues regarding visas and immigration, but… there are excellent staff members right in front of him who will take care of those things.

“What about China, though?”

“China won’t be difficult either. The Chinese government and we are allies.”

Ah, that’s right.

That’s what it was.

“It’s an alliance in name only, and they and we are praying for each other’s downfall, but still, it’s an alliance. If an allied nation is paving the way for quick support, what justification do they have to stop it? And it’s Choi Yeon-ha who’s actually going back and forth.”

Wiggins agreed.

“If we just place the right people on both sides, it won’t be difficult. And now, my side can also utilize that level of manpower. They’ll probably try to support each other. Personally, I’d like to get that manpower from the Round Table [a group of powerful individuals].”

“Why?”

“I can’t stand seeing them idle. I just need to pay the Round Table. They still have a lot to learn.”

Lee Hyun-soo looked at Wiggins with a disgruntled expression.

[Wait, wasn’t this guy… a more rational Western style before?]

They say people are influenced by their environment, and now he’s completely like a professor who exploits his graduate students. A Korean professor at that.

“Anyway, then there’s only one problem. Can we make enough money from this to cover the cost of creating and maintaining that gate?”

“The money isn’t really…”

“You can take all the money I get, the company can have it.”

Just as a conversation was about to start, Choi Yeon-ha declared firmly.

“I don’t understand a word of what you’re saying, but so, you can solve this, right?”

“It’s possible.”

“Then, I’ll put all my appearance fees into the company. That should cover it, right?”

“…”

Wiggins tilted his head.

How would he know how much Choi Yeon-ha’s appearance fee was?

But whatever…

“Money isn’t important. MK and the General Assembly aren’t short on money. The money we’re talking about is ultimately about whether it’s worth the support, business-wise.”

“I’ll make sure it pays off.”

Choi Yeon-ha’s eyes blazed.

“It seems like MK still thinks of our entertainment department as just a department they’re carrying along, but I’ll show them what a cash cow is.”

“We didn’t expect that much…”

“That’s what I want.”

“Ah, okay.”

Wiggins smiled wryly and turned to Kang Jin-ho. The final decision was up to Kang Jin-ho.

“What’s the difficulty level?”

“It’s easy enough to take a stroll. Now that I have people to help me, installation will be done in a day.”

Kang Jin-ho nodded.

“Opening a gate with China is a meaningful thing.”

Kang Jin-ho had to swim across the sea and break through North Korea to get out of China. Creating a gate in China meant that troops could be deployed immediately through the gate in case of an emergency.

Even if he didn’t use those troops for anything, just having them there to protect the gate and provide a retreat for the deployed troops was invaluable.

“Using what’s already made shouldn’t be too difficult.”

“Of course.”

“Let’s do it.”

Kang Jin-ho nodded slightly.

He had no intention of having the General Assembly provide support for Choi Yeon-ha personally. That would be crossing a line. But if it was an MK issue, and if Wiggins and Lee Hyun-soo were the ones who brought it up, then it was a different story.

[Thank you.]

He couldn’t help but notice the consideration for Kang Jin-ho hidden in their actions. Kang Jin-ho expressed his gratitude to them in his heart.

“But what is this gate thing you’re talking about?”

Wiggins smiled brightly.

“You’ll find out tomorrow. We’ll be using it to go back to Korea.”

“Aren’t we taking a plane?”

“There’s something more fun.”

Wiggins gave a triumphant smile.

“You don’t have to thank me…”

“Anyway, thank you, Jin-ho.”

Oh, you didn’t have to, but… it feels weird since you did it when you didn’t have to.

Wiggins felt a bit sad, like he had become a performing bear.