Descent Of The Demon Master [EN]: Chapter 955

“Where are you going?”

“To England.”

“England?”

Choi Yeon-ha’s eyes widened slightly.

“You’re going global?”

“Something came up.”

Kang Jin-ho smiled faintly, scratching his lip. Watching him lean back on the sofa, Choi Yeon-ha took a slightly deep breath.

‘He’s really a strange man.’

She had known him for a while now. It might not have been a long time in terms of hours, but Kang Jin-ho had penetrated her life quite deeply.

However, her impression of Kang Jin-ho had changed several times in that short period.

‘At first, he seemed so innocent…’

Her first impression of Kang Jin-ho was not like this. Back then, she paid more attention to his appearance than his personality. Her initial impression of him was, well…

A fool who couldn’t utilize his good looks at all?

It wasn’t particularly unusual. Surprisingly, many male celebrities who are noticed for their looks often live without realizing that their appearance is celebrity-level.

Choi Yeon-ha thought Kang Jin-ho was one of those cases.

But now, looking at Kang Jin-ho, he felt completely different from back then.

‘He’s become more relaxed.’

Looking at him leaning back on the sofa, she could see a composure that wasn’t there before.

And you could even say he had a subtle elegance?

Choi Yeon-ha rubbed her eyes.

‘No, maybe I’m just wearing rose-colored glasses.’

That was highly likely.

People can’t see others objectively. Their own preferences and feelings influence their judgment. In that sense, Kang Jin-ho as seen through Choi Yeon-ha’s eyes was probably quite heavily filtered.

“…I’m going crazy.”

“Pardon?”

“No, it’s nothing.”

Choi Yeon-ha blushed slightly and waved her hand.

‘I’m such a mess.’

It couldn’t be helped that Kang Jin-ho looked handsome. Kang Jin-ho was objectively handsome. But elegance?

Choi Yeon-ha chuckled.

The word ‘elegance’ didn’t suit a man who wasn’t even thirty yet. But what could she do if that’s how he appeared?

“How long will you be gone?”

“It won’t be too long. Maybe three or four days?”

Kang Jin-ho shrugged.

“I might stay a bit longer depending on the situation, but it shouldn’t be more than a week.”

“A week…”

Choi Yeon-ha’s cheeks puffed out slightly.

“There are so many places to go this week.”

“Well, what can you do? It’s a sin to have such a great boyfriend.”

Kang Jin-ho smiled awkwardly.

“Don’t smile like that. I really want to throw a tantrum, but I’m holding it in.”

“…Sorry.”

Choi Yeon-ha sighed softly and opened her mouth.

“More importantly, what about what I was asked to look into last time?”

“Ah, yes.”

Kang Jin-ho straightened his posture.

“There’s talk that Code is on the verge of bankruptcy.”

“…What?”

Kang Jin-ho stared at Choi Yeon-ha with a dumbfounded expression.

“They’re going under?”

“Yes.”

“Code is?”

Kang Jin-ho didn’t know much about Code Entertainment. But he knew that Code was one of the top four agencies in Korea.

“I heard they were a pretty big company?”

“They are a big company. But they’re run like a mom-and-pop shop.”

Choi Yeon-ha chuckled at Kang Jin-ho’s blank expression. He didn’t used to have such expressions, but recently, his emotional expressions had become quite rich.

“You don’t have to be so surprised. That’s how this industry is.”

“It’s always like this?”

“Yes. Entertainment agencies here are different from regular companies. They’re usually one of two things: either someone who used to be a manager or celebrity starts one to make money, or a gangster starts one to make some side money.”

Come to think of it, that seemed right. Kang Eun-young’s first agency had quite a few problems too.

“So, even if they make money, they either write bad contracts and get it all taken by investors, or they try to invest in other things and end up ruining the company.”

It was an excessively cold assessment for someone in the same industry.

“Then should she move agencies?”

“Well, I don’t know what to say about that. Information in this industry is always true and always false.”

“That’s vague.”

“Yes. The situation might be better than you think. But what I don’t understand is why Se-ah is with that agency.”

“…What?”

Kang Jin-ho tilted his head as if he didn’t understand.

“Why did you put her there?”

“Because it seemed like a good place. And they’re big.”

“That’s true.”

It wasn’t a good nuance.

Choi Yeon-ha chuckled and said,

“But that’s only true for rookies. Have you ever seen any stars in those big agencies?”

“Even if they debuted with that agency, they usually move to a smaller agency when it’s time to renew their contract. It’s basically a matter of the settlement ratio and activity support. It’s not a good agency for a solo artist like Se-ah.”

Kang Jin-ho didn’t understand any of it.

There was no way Kang Jin-ho would know which agencies popular celebrities choose or how rookies debut.

“So, what should I do?”

“Moving agencies is one option. If she’s not tied down by a 10-year exclusive contract… well, even if she is, you can get out of it. I don’t think Kang Jin-ho would skimp on lawyer fees.”

Kang Jin-ho nodded.

“What’s another option?”

“Intervene and make the agency normal.”

“Intervene?”

“Simply put, acquire it.”

Kang Jin-ho scratched his chin.

‘Acquire it…’

It wasn’t a very appealing suggestion. Kang Jin-ho already had a lot to do. He didn’t want to add more work in an area he wasn’t particularly interested in.

Even if he did acquire it, he would have to entrust the management to someone else, so what would be the point?

“I’d like to avoid that.”

“I wouldn’t recommend it either. Honestly, these companies often operate in ways that are hard for outsiders to understand. And if you try to untangle that mess, it creates more problems.”

Choi Yeon-ha shrugged and said,

“So, I’m going to suggest another option.”

“Yes.”

“Kang Jin-ho, have you ever thought about starting your own agency?”

“Huh?”

Kang Jin-ho’s eyes widened slightly.

“An agency?”

“Yes. An entertainment agency.”

“…No, why an agency all of a sudden?”

“As I was investigating this matter, I kept thinking, and it seems like the best option.”

Kang Jin-ho groaned at the unexpected attack. It was a method he had never considered.

“What’s the reason?”

“The reason Kang Jin-ho is investigating Code and trying to understand the situation is to create an environment where Se-ah can work without worry, right?”

“That’s right.”

As long as that was resolved, nothing else mattered.

Kang Eun-young’s income was quite high among celebrities, but it was just pocket change for Kang Jin-ho. So, money didn’t matter. He just wanted Kang Eun-young to be able to work comfortably.

“But that kind of environment doesn’t exist.”

“…What?”

“Kang Jin-ho, you don’t know much about this industry, so you might think that way. It’s packaged as the Korean Wave [Hallyu] and the fourth industrial revolution, but this industry is actually one that grinds people down.”

“I don’t quite understand…”

“To put it simply, Se-ah can easily make tens of millions of won per event. So, how many events do you think she does in a day?”

“…Five?”

“No. As many as possible. They don’t consider how many hours she sleeps or her health. Except for the hours when no one is looking for her in the early morning, she’s always moving and performing.”

Kang Jin-ho’s brow furrowed slightly.

Come to think of it, it was hard to see Kang Eun-young when she was actively working. He thought it was because she was sleeping at the dorm, but if she was spending all that time on the road, it must have been very difficult.

“But recently, she doesn’t seem to be doing anything besides going to the practice room.”

“Of course. It’s not her promotion period. Usually, they work people to the point of collapse during their promotion period, and then they neglect them when it’s over. If a more competitive junior comes along, they don’t even get proper care.”

Choi Yeon-ha shrugged.

“So, the comfortable and healthy work that Kang Jin-ho wants is impossible to achieve in any agency.”

Kang Jin-ho nodded.

It was hard to say that he understood the exact situation. But if Choi Yeon-ha, who was in the industry, said so, it must be true. There was no reason for Choi Yeon-ha to lie to him.

“So, an agency?”

“Yes.”

Choi Yeon-ha gulped down her iced Americano and placed it down with a thud.

“Necessity is the mother of invention. If it doesn’t exist, you create it. Isn’t that the norm?”

“I guess so.”

“Other people wouldn’t even dare to think about it… but Kang Jin-ho, you have money.”

Kang Jin-ho scratched his cheek.

It was true, but it was a bit awkward to have this pointed out.

“But honestly, I’ve never thought about it, so I’m a bit flustered.”

“Think of it simply.”

Choi Yeon-ha said in a firm voice.

“I’m not saying this just because Kang Jin-ho has money. It would be the same even if Kang Jin-ho didn’t have money. This is something you have to do even if you have to take out a huge loan.”

“Huh?”

“There are tons of people who want to start an agency. But even if they have money, they can’t. Do you know why?”

“I don’t know?”

“It’s because they don’t have people. An agency revolves around capital, personnel, and celebrities. You can fill the other positions, but you can’t fill the celebrity position. So, they either start from scratch by raising rookies or gather celebrities they know from the industry. But… Kang Jin-ho, you have celebrities.”

“Celebrities?”

“Yes. Se-ah and…”

Choi Yeon-ha’s finger pointed to her chest.

“Me.”

“One actor, one singer. And those actors and singers are top-tier in the industry. This is something that other people would jump at without looking back. If you just said you’d do it, there would be tons of people who would take out loans and even borrow from loan sharks to start.”

“Ah, no, wait a minute.”

Kang Jin-ho waved his hand.

“So, is Choi Yeon-ha going to do it with me?”

“Why would I make money for someone else when my boyfriend is starting an agency?”

It was perfect logic.

“Don’t make that dumbfounded face, and put some strength in your eyes!”

He felt like he was being scammed. It was even stranger because he was being scammed by someone who wouldn’t scam him.

“But…”

“Yes.”

“If we do this, I don’t know anything… who will manage it?”

“Why are you worrying about that? She’s right there.”

“Huh?”