Former Warrior Turns Into A Million-Dollar Actor [EN]: Chapter 104

Former Hero is a Ten Million Actor – Episode 104 (104/199)

After the Break (2)

* * *

“Wow, isn’t this a total scam!”

“It’s already happened, Actor Choi Phillip.”

“Hyung [older brother or male friend] knew this would happen and agreed, right? I feel like you two planned this behind my back…”

“I’m not a god, how would I know? Though there is a ‘god’ in his name.”

Goo Shin-seung’s penthouse.

Team Leader Yang, who came to pick up the actor for his evening schedule, raised an eyebrow.

Goo Shin-seung flailing his arms around with VR goggles on was a common sight. The only difference today was Choi Phillip grumbling beside him.

“Oh, Phillip is here too?”

“Ah, Team Leader Yang. Hear me out. I just got completely scammed by this hyung.”

“What happened?”

The story Choi Phillip told with a hollow laugh went like this:

First, Goo Shin-seung got a script from somewhere that wasn’t even scheduled for broadcast.

Second, the script was quite good, and the three male actors from CEO Roman competed for the roles.

Third, they fairly played rock-paper-scissors, and Park Geon swept the board.

“…You actually told her. About the writer’s script that hasn’t even been picked up by a broadcasting station yet.”

As if she expected it, Team Leader Yang gave Goo Shin-seung a reproaching look. Her actor didn’t even take off his goggles and nonchalantly replied.

“What’s wrong with it? It’s better than letting a good script rot.”

“That’s a great thing to do. You always said you hated doing casting work for scripts that are shelved like this, saying it’s the average of the industry, didn’t you?”

“A gentleman’s conviction changes like the seasons.”

Choi Phillip waved his hand, interrupting the manager and actor’s argument.

“The important thing isn’t that. We played over ten times, and Park Geon won every time, you know?”

“Every time?”

“Yeah! I asked to play again just once, and he said he was fine with doing it as many times as I wanted. This is 100% planned with this hyung, or he’s a mind reader.”

Since her assigned actor was often out of his mind, she had experienced situations like this often. Team Leader Yang started by appeasing the sulking actor.

“Phillip, I saw it in a comic Shin-seung sent me before. If you have high dynamic visual acuity, you can see what the other person is going to throw in rock-paper-scissors. But you have to surpass the limits of a human to do that.”

“Really? It wasn’t mind reading?”

“Of course not. Maybe he just got lucky.”

“It wasn’t luck. Well, seeing him teleport while carrying Baek Ha-ni, he’s not human anyway.”

‘How many kilograms is she…’ He muttered, nodding, as if he had convinced himself. Goo Shin-seung, who took off his VR goggles, patted Choi Phillip.

“Accept it, Seon-chang. It’s your karma.”

His tone had changed. Choi Phillip frowned and brushed his hand away.

“Why is this guy like this again?”

“Can’t you recognize your hyung? If you do that in front of grandfather, you’ll get a scolding.”

“Crazy, he’s starting to get too into the role because the part is decided.”

Although cynical and direct, Choi Phillip is also an actor who is serious about acting. The fact that he hadn’t gone home yet meant that he was willing to join.

Suddenly, Team Leader Yang asked in a suspicious tone.

“But Shin-seung, where did you get the ‘Manghoetol’ script? You only sent me the novel adaptation to read.”

Goo Shin-seung replied like the rightful heir to a chaebol [family conglomerate] family.

“There’s a way, Soo-yeon.”

“…Soo-yeon?”

“Ah, mistake. The character in the play is a bit older.”

As if he hadn’t been angry at all, Choi Phillip, who had grabbed his car keys, quietly got up.

“Team Leader, I’ll go first. Don’t scold my useless hyung too much.”

“Yes, see you at the company.”

“How desolate. My brother, are you already abandoning your hyung?”

“Ugh… The weather is nice. Make a lot of money today.”

*

JNBC Director’s Office.

CP [Chief Producer] Yoon Je-geol, with dark circles under his eyes, pushed open the door to the director’s office with his shoulder.

“I’m here, Director.”

“I can see that you’re here. Sit down quickly.”

As soon as Yoon CP sat down, Kim Baek-dong asked him urgently.

“How did it go? Is he going to do it?”

“Yes. He said he’ll do it.”

“What, really?”

“He said he’ll think about it. He said he’ll consider it.”

“Think? Isn’t that crazy! I’ve given him time until now, what else is there to think about!”

Director Kim Baek-dong’s shout echoed loudly in the director’s office. CP Hwang blocked one ear and replied.

“He’s not quite interested. Isn’t this the most expensive time for him right now.”

It had been months since they contacted the writer for the video rights agreement. At first, he seemed friendly, but he was being so cautious that he wouldn’t let go.

Director Kim Baek-dong’s forehead creased.

“Give him more money. We can pull more production costs.”

“I don’t think it’s about the money. It seems like he wants to be involved in the casting.”

“The casting is done by the writer and director anyway. We can tell him we’ll reflect his opinions as much as possible.”

CP Yoon Je-geol shook his head.

“I don’t know if it’s because he doesn’t know this industry, but he said he’ll listen to which actors are possible and then decide. He probably put the same conditions on the other side.”

Mangnani Comeback Star, or ‘Manghoetol’ for short.

It was a work that firmly held the top spot on major portal sites while achieving sensational hits.

During and after the serialization, numerous video planning studios and broadcasting stations contacted him, but the writer kept his mouth shut and remained unresponsive.

Until the beginning of this year.

“…Unbelievable. Did you see his face?”

“Jin-tae went to the meeting today. He said he doesn’t trust the people at the broadcasting station, so he came out wearing a mask and a scarf in this weather. He said he’ll take it off when he signs the contract.”

“Crazy bastard. Anyway, there’s no one normal among those who hold a pen and scribble.”

Even while cursing, he doesn’t tell him to stop. It’s an era where even decent IPs (Intellectual Property) have become precious.

The competition in the broadcasting industry is essentially like a land grab. If I can’t eat it, the other person will take it, and the feeling of being stabbed by the knife you almost wielded is devastating.

That’s why Kim Baek-dong, who has quite a temper, doesn’t immediately issue an order to abandon it.

‘The director knows it too. If a bait like this is dangling, you have to eat it no matter what.’

Recently, the JNBC drama department had been somewhat quiet.

Not bad, but not good either. In the first quarter, Baek Jeong-janggun and Hyperion’s atrocities burst the shrimp’s back [caused a big problem], and the follow-up works that came out after that had their topicality sucked dry.

Of course, JNBC is also a major cable channel. Works with production costs of tens of billions, hundreds of billions, are lined up waiting for the second half of the year.

The problem with broadcasting stations is always the same. It’s rare to find outstanding works that can fill the programming gap.

Ahem, ahem! Director Kim Baek-dong cleared his throat uncomfortably.

“Hey, Je-geol.”

“Don’t call me that, it’s already scary.”

“Scary, a grown man. You go.”

“Is anything going to change if I go? To someone who’s not desperate and is playing hard to get.”

“Still, you have to do it! What if it goes to YTS, MBS, or even SBC! When I think about how Nam Hyun-soo messed up with that omnibus or whatever, huh? There’s no one to trust in the company.”

“CP Nam has lost his touch. Even after becoming a CP, all he knows is how to play along with the actors.”

“So you go…”

Director Kim Baek-dong was about to say something else when the phone rang.

Since he was once a direct junior and it wasn’t a formal meeting, this much was within the allowable range. When Director Kim gestured, CP Yoon Je-geol quickly answered the phone.

“Yes, Team Leader. I’m in the director’s office right now. If it’s not urgent, please call me later.”

Was it from the production headquarters? A hurried voice was heard from the other end of the receiver. Yes, yes? The expression on the junior’s face, who was only repeating the question, became strange.

“It sounds like Lee Ki-hwan’s voice. What happened at the production headquarters again?”

To Director Kim Baek-dong, who asked as soon as he hung up, CP Yoon Je-geol replied as if he were possessed.

“…Roman called? Asking if the Manghoetol contract is over.”

Speak of the devil, and he shall appear. A windfall of good fortune. Director Kim Baek-dong’s eyes gleamed.

“Do it. Say it’s almost done, and ask who they’re going to give it to. Park Geon would be good, and Goo Shin-seung or Choi Phillip would be fine too. If they give us the main roles, we’ll take care of the rest…”

“They want to do it all.”

“What?”

“You know the three main brothers. They said all three of them are willing to go in, the three you just mentioned.”

When there is a coveted work, it is common for agencies or top actors to secretly form a ‘group’.

But three representative actors, even for a work that hasn’t been contracted, have put it on the list? Beyond the smell of money, it’s a deal you’ll regret until next year if you don’t grab it.

“What are you doing, go right now! You have to gather Roman and that writer and arrange a matchmaking!”

“…Are you even making us arrange blind dates now?”

*

“Is he in that state?”

“What do you mean, just look at him, he’s totally in that state.”

When Park Seon asked tentatively, Public Relations Team Leader Gong Gi-hyung quickly responded.

Office Manager Moon Woo-jae, who came instead of Office Manager Yoo Joon-il, asked with a curious expression.

“That state? What’s that?”

The actor who came for the meeting across from them was engrossed in reading the script. Team Leader Gong smiled and flicked his wrist as if changing a light bulb.

“Ah, there are times when the actor Park Geon gets like this… when he turns and gets hooked on a certain point. Hasn’t he been like that since Black Priest?”

“Hyung’s debut was ‘Dog of Seoul’, so the first one was noir. I think the next one was ‘Demon King’…”

“Hero and Demon.”

Geon replied while still looking at the script. Park Seon, who was counting on her fingers to memorize the order, was delighted.

“That’s right! This time it’s Mangnani, right? Office Manager Yoo said that Hyung would never film a chaebol drama in his life. He said he must have been hooked on the protagonist’s personality.”

“No, I don’t really like Mangnani either.”

This is Ilsan, the meeting room of the EBC headquarters.

As befits an educational broadcasting corporation, popular character dolls can be seen not only in the lobby but also in various places inside.

The reason why they visited the educational broadcasting station headquarters was thanks to Office Manager Moon Woo-jae over there.

‘Oh, Park Geon! By any chance, are you interested in documentaries?’

He was leaving the company after finishing the ‘Manghoetol’ meeting when the office manager, whom he had only greeted a few times, called him.

‘Are you talking about documentaries?’

‘Yes, not the real thing, but a fake documentary with a mini-series feel. An EBC official I know well asked me to pass on a message, saying that if you play a police officer or firefighter in a public service announcement style, it would be really well received.’

The two brothers looked at each other. Thinking it was a difficult request, Office Manager Moon smiled kindly and waved his hand.

‘It’s okay, it’s okay. I’m just going because I brought it up. This congratulatory gift is for Joon-il…’

‘I’m interested.’

‘……Huh?’

That’s how, a few days later, they came to EBC for a meeting with Office Manager Moon and even Team Leader Gong.

Office Manager Moon, who was in charge of managing idol schedules, rubbed his hands together with a beaming smile.

“Amazing, amazing. It’s amazing that both of your fathers are firefighters, haven’t you ever been interviewed anywhere?”

He said he was so good at getting casting and contracts, and he immediately started thinking about how to use it. Geon briefly recalled his memories.

“Yes. I think I mentioned it once at the filming site of my debut work.”

“That’s enough. Very”

“Actor Park, trust me. Office Manager Moon here is also famous for doing a good job at the company.”

Team Leader Gong chimed in, lowering his voice slightly.

“By the way… JNBC said they would give us an answer by today, is that okay?”

“What do you mean?”

“That, the spark that goes ‘pop’. They said you can only know if you act in front of the camera.”

Perhaps because it was such a hot topic during the ‘Gray City Team Leader’ days, everyone at the company seemed worried about his criteria for choosing works.

‘They’re probably worried that after the contract, he’ll say he can’t film the work if he doesn’t feel the chemistry.’

It was said that even death becomes familiar if repeated.

Now, he could get a sense of it to some extent just by looking at the scenario. Just like the moment when he arrived near the great demons and divined the fate of that episode.

‘This scenario is…’

Without even having to think about it, it’s a ‘necessary’ work.

He had already realized that the more parts of the work that resonated with the hero’s journey in the Iron Kingdom, the more fiercely his old powers would burn.

Moreover, it’s a regression. As a human who has died more than once, he couldn’t miss that role.

“I think it’ll be okay. I’m going to film it no matter what the result is.”

“Oh, you’re being this proactive?”

When Team Leader Gong whistled, the writers and officials entered, opening the meeting room door. Office Manager Moon also stood up and waved his hand.

“PD Choi, Writer Park!”

“Oh my, Office Manager Moon, thank you for visiting with such valuable guests. This is…”

“Park Geon. I look forward to working with you today.”

PD Choi Young-oh was a man with round, kind eyes, with an impression that was perfect for educational broadcasting.

After the introductions of both sides were over, the full-fledged meeting began. As it was a place to decide on the contract and major concepts, there were many agenda items, but most of them flowed in the direction of accommodating Roman.

From the beginning, he was a difficult person to invite. The people from SBC applauded and admired everything he said, saying it was a good idea.

“I knew it… your father was a firefighter. It would be an honor if we could invite him sometime. This kind of mockumentary has tremendous sincerity as a weapon.”

“Yes, I’ll tell him.”

“You don’t have to feel pressured. Then, the scheduled date of programming and the stories we have planned are…”

The stories that were exchanged ended smoothly, and the officials from SBC left with satisfied faces.

Park Seon, who was checking the contacts that came in as soon as the meeting ended, shouted.

“Hyung, Office Manager Yoo called! JNBC almost got the rights, and they want to have a three-way meeting with the original author and the actor.”

“That’s good. With Goo Shin-seung and Choi Phillip too?”

“Oh, I don’t know about that… but I guess they mentioned Hyung. The writer was quite active too?”

Office Manager Moon interjected with a suspicious look.

“It’s not completely taken, but almost? This smells like they’re trying to sell themselves to us because they couldn’t get the okay…”

“Director Kim Baek-dong is quite good at using his head. Let’s go and see, and if we see the atmosphere, we can get more.”

The manager’s office manager and the public relations team leader put their heads together, but the actor himself didn’t have any particular thoughts.

‘I can even help with the persuasion.’

What problem is it if the contract isn’t done yet? He would welcome the role of a figurehead if he could just film the work.

While passing through the broadcasting station lobby, Park Seon’s expression suddenly brightened.

“I just got another call? The PD [Production Director] in charge is someone we know!”

“Someone we know?”

“Yeah. He said let’s film a legendary bath scene again this year, and don’t film movies.”

There is only one person who would say that. Geon looked back at his brother with a subtle expression.

“Could it be…”

* * *