Descent of The Demon Master [EN]: Chapter 173

The internet was in an uproar.

It was already a big deal that Kang Eun-young, a top idol, was caught in dating rumors, but with the broadcasting accident and the appearance of her brother, it was like a storm had hit.

Fortunately for Kang Eun-young, the public opinion online was quite favorable.

— Honestly, if her brother is like that, shouldn’t we assume there was no dating involved if she doesn’t retire?

– They could be trying to promote themselves as a family.

– The brother looks like he’d make more money than Kang Se-ah if he debuted in the entertainment industry.

— Agreed.

— She looks ordinary next to her brother. Looks are relative, after all.

Cho Kyu-min, after checking the online reactions, let out a deep sigh.

“The immediate crisis is over.”

Now, they just needed to release press statements from both sides, stating that they had never actually met properly.

“To think they’d break through this situation like this…”

Instead of damaging her image, it was actually improving. The fact that her brother would barge into a live broadcast over a mere dating rumor made people think, ‘How could she even date anyone?’ which greatly increased trust in Kang Eun-young.

It was a situation that turned out for the better.

RRRR.

The phone rang, and Cho Kyu-min checked the screen before answering.

“Hello?”

– Yes, this is Seo Yong-chan from the Chief Secretary’s office.

“Yes, Director Seo Yong-chan.”

– I’ve just finished talking with the PD [Producer/Director]. He seemed very angry, but we managed to resolve it amicably.

“That’s unexpected.”

– It seems he heard the rumors. It’s common knowledge now that Se-ah is managed by Jae-kyung. I guess he decided there was no need to get into a conflict over this.

“Well, that’s a relief.”

– And that rumor about Jae-kyung launching a media division… did you perhaps lure them in?

Cho Kyu-min put a cigarette in his mouth and replied.

“That’s news to me.”

– Really?

“Well, I don’t have any connection with them, so I wouldn’t know. However, since we’re not just any ordinary company, let me tell you one thing. Our chairman isn’t interested in that kind of thing, is he?”

— I thought so.

Cho Kyu-min smiled faintly.

It seemed the rumor he had spread just in case had worked well and reached even there. A PD’s job wasn’t a lifetime position, and in today’s environment where movement between public and cable channels was free, there was no need to make enemies.

– Fortunately, her image hasn’t been damaged, so there shouldn’t be any problems with Se-ah’s activities.

“That’s a relief.”

– Yes. And about that matter, will you handle it directly?

“Yes, I’ll go.”

Cho Kyu-min lit his cigarette.

– Ah, then I’ll leave it to you. I know you’re not interested, but please mention my name to the chairman at least once. You never know.

“Hahaha, I understand.”

— Yes, then.

As soon as the call ended, Cho Kyu-min scoffed.

“You never know?”

There was no chance that Hwang Jung-hoo would ever remember the name Seo Yong-chan. Cho Kyu-min took a deep drag of his cigarette, wiped the smile off his face, and stood up.

“Alright, then…”

Crunch.

Cho Kyu-min gritted his teeth and slowly walked out.

* * *

“What do you mean, what are we supposed to do?”

Han Sun-gu of FRC Entertainment said with a frown. Lee Hyun-min, the manager sitting in front of him, scratched his nose and replied.

“They said we should act like they barely know each other.”

“From Code?”

“Yes.”

“…Who decided that?”

Lee Hyun-min looked like he was in hot water.

“Come on, boss. They’re still Code. What good would come from us being on bad terms with Code?”

“Hey, you! Has anything good ever come from being on good terms with Code? We’re already on the verge of going bankrupt, so we need to do something!”

“But still…”

Lee Hyun-min trailed off, and Han Sun-gu exploded in anger.

“You idiot, what kind of situation is this? We need to do anything we can to make something happen! You should be telling me to make something happen, not telling me to back down in this situation! If we back down now, we’ll only lose!”

Lee Hyun-min lowered his head and said nothing.

“Tsk.”

Han Sun-gu clicked his tongue, frustrated.

“It’s okay if Code takes a little damage. They have a lot of money. A small company like us should benefit, and they should just accept it if they lose a little. Anyway, those rich bastards in Korea are always the stingiest.”

“Will Code just stand by? Kang Se-ah is one of their main acts, isn’t she? It’s a stain on her reputation, and she’s not even really involved with Jun-young. I heard Jun-young was all over her after seeing her once, but she never gave him the time of day…”

“It’s okay, it’s okay. That’s how you become an ‘oppa’ [an older brother figure, often used by younger women to address older men], and that’s how you become a ‘honey.'”

“Boss.”

“Ahem!”

Han Sun-gu cut off Lee Hyun-min.

“You idiot! Let’s get our kids some media exposure with this opportunity! It’s been almost two years since they debuted, and they haven’t even been on public TV properly! We have a dating rumor with Kang Se-ah, so why would we just let this good opportunity pass? We need to get their names out there, whether it’s in the entertainment section or the social section!”

“What about our kids’ image?”

“What’s wrong with their image if they have a dating rumor with someone like Kang Se-ah? A lover is better than a nobody, you idiot!”

Lee Hyun-min sighed deeply.

“If it were that easy, why would I be against it? But Kang Se-ah is rumored to be backed by Jae-kyung.”

“Huh? Jae-kyung?”

“Yes. That Jae-kyung.”

“Hahahahahahaha!”

Han Sun-gu laughed loudly and waved his hand.

“Hey, you! How long have you been in this industry, and you still can’t tell the difference between rumors and truth?”

“The rumors are widespread.”

“Hey. Do you know what kind of person Chairman Hwang Jung-hoo is?”

“…Yes?”

“Back in the day, when it was common for executives and politicians to have a celebrity or two on the side, he didn’t even like having singers at his drinking parties. Even though these days, the company’s strategies are planned by the planning department and professional managers give their opinions, do you think Chairman Hwang Jung-hoo would enter the entertainment industry?”

“Ah…”

“And if he were to enter, he’d do it openly, not by secretly supporting a celebrity or two. Do you not know how the Chairman is? He’s a man with no hidden agenda. Because he has no hidden agenda, he has nothing to hide, and because he has nothing to hide, he doesn’t need to test the waters. And you’re saying he’s supporting Kang Se-ah?”

Lee Hyun-min suddenly felt like his mind had been cleared.

The rumors were so widespread that he had assumed they were true, but after hearing Han Sun-gu’s words, it seemed like he was right.

“Maybe she’s his hidden granddaughter or daughter.”

“What, you idiot? Do you know who Chairman Hwang Jung-hoo is to be saying such things?”

“He’s a man who has been with his wife, whom he met when he was poor, his whole life. When others abandon their plain wives and remarry younger women after they succeed, he believes that people who don’t know their place are no different from animals, and he has never once cheated. Can’t you tell from the fact that he hasn’t remarried even after being widowed?”

“Hmm, that’s true…”

“Enough, enough. Even though I’m living like this, he’s not someone we can mess with.”

Lee Hyun-min nodded and said,

“Then what do we do about this situation?”

“Give vague answers and keep dragging it out. That way, it’ll get reported at least one more time.”

“What if we get sued for defamation?”

“Pay the fine. It’s not that much.”

“Our image will be ruined.”

“You idiot, you and I can take the blame. We’ll say the kids are innocent. We’ll just blame the kids on the media. Then we’ll be promoted as idols working hard under a bad agency. They think idols and agencies are separate, so they don’t realize that if they buy the kids’ merchandise and songs, we’ll make money.”

“Hmm…”

Lee Hyun-min felt uneasy, but with the boss taking the lead, it was hard to object any further.

“Okay, then…”

At that moment, the intercom rang.

“Ugh, I told them I’m in a meeting.”

Han Sun-gu picked up the intercom and shouted irritably.

“What!”

– S, sir, we have a visitor.

“I don’t have any appointments, who is it? Send them away!”

– No, sir.

“Huh?”

Han Sun-gu frowned, then quickly relaxed. The secretary sometimes got on his nerves, but she wasn’t clueless. The fact that she was acting like this despite his irritation meant that the person who had come to see him today was someone who could be met anytime without an appointment.

“Who is it?”

– They said they’re from the Jae-kyung Chief Secretary’s office.

“Where?”

— Jae-kyung. They said it’s the Chief Secretary, sir.

“…What?”

Han Sun-gu turned around with a blank face, and Lee Hyun-min slapped his chest with a ‘Didn’t I tell you?’ look.

“L, let them in.”

— Yes.

A short time passed, and the door opened, and a man in a sharp black suit walked in.

‘Is he a con artist?’

That was the first thought that came to mind.

The Chief Secretary of Jae-kyung was a very important position. Considering that they served the chairman directly, the Chief Secretary had power comparable to a senior managing director.

Therefore, unlike an executive secretary, the Chief Secretary was usually older. But the guy walking in now was too young to be a Chief Secretary.

And he even seemed a bit slick.

“It’s nice to meet you.”

Before sitting down, the man took out a business card from his cardholder and handed it to Han Sun-gu.

Han Sun-gu, who received the business card that read ‘Jae-kyung Group Chief Secretary Cho Kyu-min,’ had a strange expression.

‘He doesn’t seem like a con artist…’

If this person was really from the Jae-kyung Group Chief Secretary’s office, it was a big deal.

Even though FRC was a mid-sized agency, it was nothing compared to Jae-kyung. It was like a small corner store compared to a giant corporation. A mere puff of air could blow the company away.

“H, how did you come here?”

Han Sun-gu opened his mouth with a trembling voice, and when Cho Kyu-min met his gaze with a stern face, he felt like his heart had dropped.

“There was a dating rumor between your celebrity and a precious person’s favorite child.”

‘A precious person’s favorite child?’ Han Sun-gu’s eyes began to shake.

This was an unusual statement.

The chairman’s favorite child!

“After investigating, it seems your side had no intention of this, but your person kept clinging to them. Code is also upset, and the precious person on our side is very displeased.”

Han Sun-gu bowed at a ninety-degree angle.

“I’m sorry! We didn’t know!”

“Huh? Didn’t know what?”

At Cho Kyu-min’s question, Han Sun-gu smiled subtly and replied.

“If it’s a precious person’s favorite child… that… Chairman Hwang Jung-hoo is sponsoring…”

Unable to say more out of embarrassment, Han Sun-gu chuckled, and finally, Cho Kyu-min’s anger exploded.

“You crazy bastard!”

Cho Kyu-min’s shout echoed throughout the FNC building.