Former Warrior Turns Into A Million-Dollar Actor [EN]: Chapter 105

The Former Hero is a Ten Million Actor – Episode 105 (105/199)

Executioner and Firefighter (1)

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“Ooh-sha, our Gun-i! My precious Actor Park!”

“It’s been a while.”

“I’m so glad to see you again like this! After all, the drama scene is better than the fishy Chungmuro [Korean film industry]!”

“…Did you happen to work with Gu Shin-seung?”

PD [Production Director] Na Jong-mo asked back with a puzzled face.

“No, I’ve never even talked to Gu Shin-seung… Do we look alike?”

“I see. The Korean beef I sent was the problem.”

“No, no. I enjoyed it very much. I grilled it with my family, and my father was impressed. He used to be called the ‘Tiger’ of the Livestock Products Quality Evaluation Service.”

They were currently standing near the JNBC building, behind a high-end Japanese restaurant where the meeting was scheduled.

From JNBC, PD Na Jong-mo and a couple of related personnel came, and from Roman, Team Leader Park Seon attended in place of Director Yu Jun-il.

Headquarters Director Lee Seong-cheol called directly and said nonchalantly.

-Every project he touches becomes a hit, but it’s not really appropriate to assign actor exclusivity to a road manager. Now Seon-i will take care of Actor Park’s contracts too. You’ve been doing well even without Director Yu or Director Moon anyway.

The writers’ management people would be arriving soon. In the past, she would have been very nervous, but now her younger brother was chatting leisurely.

‘Well, he’s been through thick and thin.’

He already has four of his actor’s projects, and contract-related meetings are scheduled dozens of times a month.

Even other fandoms know that Park Geon’s manager is his affectionate younger sister. She is no longer the weak road manager who was assaulted by her senior.

Geon, adjusting his shirt collar, asked.

“How have you been?”

“Well… I’m not starving, I guess I’ve done about half as well as the dogs in Seoul? Na Jong-mo without Geon-i is just a triangle. Not a circle, a triangle.”

After the project they did together, his scores weren’t very satisfactory. Na Jong-mo even pretended to grade in the air and laughed heartily.

Park Seon, watching with a pitiful expression, whispered.

“Hyung [older brother/male friend], the PD seems to have been having a hard time lately. He wasn’t usually like this…”

“It’s because the Korean beef went bad.”

“Huh?”

While Park Seon was tilting her head, PD Na Jong-mo, scratching his head vigorously, took out a cigarette.

“Just one…”

“Yes, go ahead.”

“I don’t usually get nervous, but I bought a pack today just in case. I’ve heard rumors that the Chungmuro traitor is going to ruin JNBC too.”

The smoke spread out like a cough. Geon asked what he was curious about.

“Was it your intention to take on this project from the beginning?”

“No, I heard about ‘Ruin Hoi-dol’ for the first time then. Suddenly, Senior Yoon called me and told me to go to this meeting, saying it was the director’s order.”

“Why?”

“I don’t know. There are a few guys who haven’t gotten a project yet… There’s no way I looked good to him, so wouldn’t it be because of my friendship with Geon-i?”

That made sense. Actors who have a connection with the director are generally favorable. It was probably a personnel selection sent with anticipation in today’s meeting.

‘It would have been the same even if a stranger had come.’

It was almost time to go in. PD Na threw the cigarette butt into the trash can and wiped his hands with a disposable wet wipe.

Crossing the front yard illuminated by the lights, Park Seon asked for important information.

“Oh, but what’s his name?”

“I don’t know either. I only know his nickname.”

They didn’t even know his nickname. When asked about the writer’s pen name, PD Na Jong-mo smiled.

“It’s Yunbal.”

“Yes?”

“Yunbal25, that’s his pen name. He must have watched some Hong Kong movies when he was young, so he’s probably around my age?”

*

PD Na Jong-mo’s prediction was pleasantly off.

“Wow, it’s really Park Geon!”

The original author of the novel, ‘Yunbal25,’ was a young man with bright red hair.

He slid open the door of the tatami room and exclaimed as soon as he saw Park Geon.

“You’re no joke. I’ve seen all the projects you’ve done, and it turns out you don’t photograph well.”

“Thank you. I enjoyed reading your work too.”

Na Jong-mo PD and Park Seon exchanged glances. They had heard that he wouldn’t even bat an eye at most actors, and above all, he distrusted ‘broadcasting people.’

‘He’s reacting well from the start? Is it because Geon-i is a cheat key in the broadcasting world?’

‘I know, right? I hope they get along well.’

The reason why Yunbal25, who introduced himself as Son Ho-yoon, was so friendly was soon revealed.

He revealed his background as soon as the greetings were exchanged.

“I’ve worked as an extra for a long time.”

“In dramas?”

“I did both movies and dramas. I always struggled with living expenses back then. I started because the hourly wage was higher than a regular part-time job, but the broadcasting station guys, whether they were staff or directors, were terrible with their power trips. Actors weren’t even treated like people.”

The broadcasting station guys who were listening in front cleared their throats. Perhaps because he was from a completely different field, he didn’t filter his words.

The red-haired man with a piercing in his nostril smiled.

“Was it during ‘Dogs of Seoul’? I saw the meme that was posted on the community and my opinion changed completely. If there had been someone like you, Actor-nim [term of respect for an actor], even the waiting time would have melted away.”

Geon bowed his head briefly.

“Thank you for seeing me in a positive light. I just went there early because I had nothing else to do.”

“No, I booked the meeting as soon as I heard Park Geon’s name. I was originally going to pass it on to MBS [broadcasting station], because Hyung [older brother/male friend] Gi-woong said he would cast me no matter what.”
The people involved exchanged glances. Judging by the fact that he brought up that story, they were likely to be the final winners of the bidding race.

PD Na Jong-mo interjected heartily.

“Oh my, isn’t this a good day for each other? This is also a connection, so let’s all have a drink. The viewership ratings will go up if the alcohol doesn’t cool down.”

“But who are you?”

“Uh, I just gave you my business card! I’m Na Jong-mo from JNBC. Jong-mo, not Semo Nemo, haha!”

“…PD Na-nim, please calm down…”

This kind of thing happens often in the broadcasting world.

A self-proclaimed top star appears in a work by a director who once did him a favor for no guarantee, and a stingy investment company CEO releases money because one actor joined.

It’s the power of personal fandom. The current situation is exactly like that.

“Set the conditions as you like. The broadcasting station has to make a living too.”

“Writer-nim [term of respect for a writer], but the percentage you want…”

“I make a lot of money. Instead of haggling over a few bucks, just make a good drama.”

Since distrust has turned into goodwill, business is progressing rapidly.

Soon, a drinking party involving the agency, broadcasting station, and production company broke out. Yunbal25 said he had to serialize a new work tomorrow and only sipped cider.

The JNBC public relations manager, whose face was flushed, asked.

“Um, Writer-nim, your pen name. Why 25?”

“I’ve been writing since I was 18. At first, it was Yunbal18, but it’s already come to 25.”

“Oh, then what about Yunbal? PD Na-nim said you must be a fan of Hong Kong movies.”

“It doesn’t mean anything special… I just reversed the last letter of my name and my surname, Yunson sounds weird.”

Yunbal25, Son Ho-yoon, had good energy. He just spoke a bit bluntly, but he seemed to have a basically cheerful personality.

He left the practical work to the management representative who came with him, and he was focused on devouring sashimi and tempura.

“How are you planning to handle the secondary and tertiary distribution?”

“You have to sell it far away no matter what. ‘Ruin Hoi-dol’ is a sensation in Taiwan and Japan too. Web novels are strong following K-webtoons [Korean webcomics], so as soon as the main channel broadcast ends, even if we release it in about 50 countries…”

Geon glanced around the tatami room. From PD Na next to him to the JNBC people far away, everyone was absorbed in work talk.

“Writer-nim. I have something to ask you.”

Yunbal25, who was sitting across from him and writing something diligently in his notebook, raised his head.

“Yes, should I tell you the ending of the new work?”

“No. Have you ever heard of the Iron Kingdom?”

The original author blinked blankly.

“Iron Kingdom…? I don’t know, it sounds like a fantasy setting.”

“I see. I must have been mistaken.”

He didn’t feel any particular regret. What were the chances that the drama’s original author had experienced the same dimensional transition as him just because he wrote about regression.

Yunbal25, rolling his eyes, asked.

“But Actor-nim, did you originally like this genre? I was surprised that you decided to appear right away. I was treated terribly as subculture before I hit 100 million views.”

“The protagonist’s second life was impressive.”

“Ah, you like regression, possession, and reincarnation.”

Yunbal25 muttered as if he understood, “The familiar taste is good again.” Geon also nodded in response.

“I was envious that you only had to live twice.”

“Yes?”

“No, there’s an actor named Gu Shin-seung in our company, and that senior recommended this work. He said let’s go out together.”

“I think I’ve heard of him. Isn’t he famous?”

“Let’s talk to him sometime later. You’ll get along well with the writer-nim.”

*

“He said yes.”

As soon as CP [Chief Producer] Yoon Je-geol spoke, the owner of the cell phone he was holding changed.

Director Kim Baek-dong, snatching the smartphone with his thick hand, started spouting compliments.

“Jong-mo? Well done!”

-Oh, yes… Director-nim is here too.

“Yeah, anyway, Jong-mo! I’m trusting you, so control that guy well and make another project with that friend Park Geon!”

-I drank the alcohol, but Director-nim seems more drunk. Did you have a drink with Senior Yoon?

He said that, but the voice heard from across the phone was bright.

It meant that Kim Baek-dong’s choice to pass all the CPs below and send that guy was right.

“What about the casting side? Does he want anything?”

-Want anything? The Roman trio seems to be coming all together. If we do well, we can set up a Special Forces lineup.

The call ended with him saying that he would give a detailed report tomorrow. CP Yoon Je-geol, with a smile on his face, said.

“As expected, it was a good idea to send PD Na. Park Geon is said to take care of his people terribly.”

“Guys who don’t forget favors don’t forget grudges either. But what, should we take Park Geon’s rookie award and give it to Jang Ji-hoon? That’s something that will keep the pillars of our foundation being pulled out for a long time.”

“Yes? Rookie award?”

Director Kim Baek-dong waved his hand roughly.

“I’m just saying. He said he signed the contract, so go find a writer to adapt it. Someone with plenty of junior writers so that the script can be written right away.”

“Han Seon-joo and Eun Hee-wook said they were writing other works… Ah, I think a female writer has been free lately.”

“Yeo Jin-joo?”

Kim Baek-dong’s expression became strange. It was the face of someone facing pufferfish cuisine that a skilled cook had prepared grandly… but that might have poison.

Eating and dying as a ghost is still beautiful. Soon, permission was granted from the head of JNBC.

“Well, it’s fun to have some fights on set.”

*

Park Geon’s next move was announced.

A chaebol [conglomerate] story, and a web novel adaptation at that. Other broadcasting station officials could only complain about the rampage of the ‘viewership whale’ who doesn’t rest.

“Crazy… he’s filming again? How long has it been since ‘Butcher General’ ended?”

“He’s a monster who finishes a commercial film in half a year. Two months is a lot of rest.”

“What channel and time slot? Please don’t overlap with our new work.”

“JNBC Monday-Tuesday. Na Jong-mo, that lucky guy, happened to take on the debut work of a huge rookie…”

[Park Geon Confirmed to Appear in ‘Ruin Hoi-dol’… “Is This Your First Time With a Web Novel?”]

[From Joseon’s Independence Activist, ‘Butcher’ Transforms Into a Chaebol Family’s ‘Scoundrel’]

[Will the ‘Scoundrel Chaebol 3rd Generation’ That Caused a Web Novel Syndrome Continue Its High-Speed Run in the Living Room?]

[Roman’s Male Actor ‘Big 3′ Predicted to Appear Simultaneously… Interest Focused on Casting the Original’s Chaebol Three Brothers]

On major portal sites, especially in the entertainment news section, the grill never cools down.

The same goes for actors and idols. It is a battlefield of fandom fights, troublemakers aiming for those gaps, and haters who attack with personal attacks from the start.

Hundreds of comments were posted on Park Geon’s article, which ranked first today, in just half a day.

-Park Geon is better than flowers. If you disagree, you’re a stupid idiot (Best)

└Please stop simping even here…

└└Please leave if you don’t like it

-Oh ㅋ Suddenly he’s filming a chaebol story

└Hyperion post-mortem ㅋㅋㅋㅋ You guys’ chaebol story sucked, so he’s going to show you

-Personally, I thought a prosecutor or judge… a legal drama would have suited him, so it’s a shame ^^.

└Stop with the noir, thriller, cop, and prosecutor!

└└But he’s filming again… Doesn’t he feel sorry for the other actors…

└└└Why? An actor is doing a project

└└└└He’s in the same industry. He has no sense of camaraderie. You have to know how to give way. Is it okay if only he does well?

“Yes, I’ve seen it well. Now, stop attacking innocent actors and go live your lives…”

Park Geon’s first-generation fan, Han Ji-young, who is now even a staff member of the ‘Fervent Geon-i’ fan cafe, registered the comment she wrote.

“Ha, it keeps coming out even if I take it down. Why are there so many people who don’t want to see others succeed?”

Unlike her words, she didn’t seem particularly annoyed. Even a dog at a village school learns the Thousand Character Classic in two years.

Park Geon’s fandom had many enemies in the early days. Since they had repeated fierce battles from when they were a handful, they didn’t even snort at those kinds of malicious comments.

“Entertainment Today, Sports Daily, these guys seem to have calmed down a bit now…”

The newspapers that had been pouring out critical articles persistently for a while are quiet these days. Han Ji-young stopped monitoring and pulled out the smartphone that was charging.

Ting, the screen brightened. It was an open chat room where fans could freely fangirl over the artist, also known as the ‘Anti-Lonely Room.’

Not only fan cafe members but also some of her friends came in anonymously to chat.

She heard that there were also Roman officials, and sometimes quite accurate information was shared.

[◆Park Geon’s Anti-Lonely Room◆]

494/500

[Fearless Asiatic Black Geon] : (Authentication shot photo)

[Fearless Asiatic Black Geon] : (Authentication shot photo)

[Fearless Asiatic Black Geon] : Sorry for sending them all at once ㅠㅠㅠㅠ I heard he signed autographs for fans in front of EBC [broadcasting station], does anyone know?!?

[Hero-nim is Leaving] : Oh, the channel should be JNBC

[Arctic Geon] : I don’t know either. Maybe he just happened to do it while passing by?

[GeonGeonPunch] : (Photo of the Jarmani filming site)

[Face Genius Ten Million Actor] : Wow, the new ad is so handsome…

[ScandalMaker (Hoping)] : Since it was EBC, I think he’s filming a documentary ㅋㅋㅋㅋ A mockumentary or something

[ScandalMaker (Hoping)] : I hope the official announcement comes out soon ㅎ.ㅎ

[ScandalMaker (Hoping)] : (Photo of a plastic shovel for children)

[ScandalMaker (Hoping)] : Girl… I will lie down here…

[GeonJiYoungGeonChiYoung] : Smehee-nim, that shovel looks so sincere as I look at it ㅋㅋ

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