Former Warrior Turns Into A Million-Dollar Actor [EN]: Chapter 165

The Former Hero is a Ten Million Actor – Episode 165 (165/199)

Unfinished Manuscript (3)

* * *

A ten-million-dollar actor is looking for someone.

The work is titled ‘The Book of the Gods’.

Although the book ceased publication several years ago, he desperately wants to meet the author.

The news, subtly leaked by Roman PR and Gong Gi-hyung’s PR team, spread like wildfire.

“It’s out, it’s out!”

“What’s out? You keep singing Park Gun’s praises; is he taking on a new project?”

“He says there’s a project he wants to do. It’s coming from Roman, not just some rumor, so it’s a hundred percent true!”

In fact, this kind of mention wasn’t uncommon in the scene.

‘I want to work with so-and-so screenwriter,’ ‘I was deeply impressed by such-and-such work or music,’ ‘If fate allows, I’d love to join forces’….

It’s a subtle appeal, mentioning someone of interest with such comments.

However, such public love calls are rare. Especially a wanted poster seeking the author of a novel that has vanished.

A bespectacled customer standing in the novel section of a large bookstore muttered while looking at his phone.

“…The Book of the Gods? Is that still a thing these days?”

Even a moderately famous actor would have garnered a few lines in the news, but this was a world star who had been firmly holding the top spot in the global box office until recently.

Immediately, traffic related to ‘The Book of the Gods’ began to flood in.

[The Book of the Gods, whose work is it?]

[The now-defunct ‘Evergreen Spring Day’… A notorious exploitative publisher famous in the industry?]

[Park Gun’s mention of ‘The Book of the Gods,’ 10 reasons why the ten-million-dollar actor broke his silence]

[The Origin of Korean Fantasy, why was the first-generation masterpiece known to those in the know buried?]

The reporters were relatively better off.

Broadcasting officials, who could potentially renew the highest viewership ratings of the year—no, of the last few years—if they could get Park Gun even once, were burning with ambition.

“Go.”

“Yes?”

“Go and find the author of that *Book of the Gods*. I heard they stopped writing because of the publisher and financial difficulties. Offer them a generous contract and make them hand over the scenario to us.”

KBC [Korean Broadcasting Corporation] Director’s Office.

Chief Hwang’s nephew, Eun Hee-wook, was replaced by Choi Gu-il, who gave the order.

The PD [Production Director], feeling like a mouse in front of a cat, replied in a subdued voice.

“That’s… it’s a discontinued book. So, I can’t find it anywhere….”

“Then are you just going to let it pass you by! Like that idiot Hwang Hyun-shik!”

The PD flinched at the sudden outburst.

Recently, while JNBC’s [Joongang New Broadcasting Corporation] Kim Baek-dong had transformed from a white-haired tiger into a benevolent elephant, the heads of broadcasting stations that hadn’t benefited from the ‘Park Gun effect’ had become increasingly angry.

In particular, the KBC executives, who had no connection with Park Gun except for one variety show, were in a similar state.

‘Go complain to the former director, or why are you yelling at me instead of the president….’

While the PD grumbled inwardly, Chief Choi slammed the desk.

“Don’t just sit there; send out the kids. There are plenty of guys resting and not working on projects these days! If you just wait with your thumb in your mouth and then JNBC announces an official filming, you’re all dead!”

“…I will do my best to prevent that from happening.”

“Are you sure?”

“Yes, I heard that Go PD has extensive connections in the publishing industry. I should try contacting him.”

“Who? Go Seok-jin?”

“That’s right. If it’s Seok-jin, he’ll definitely find something!”

Friends are meant to be sold out at times like this. Avoiding Chief Choi’s fierce glare, the PD quickly slipped out.

Beyond the closing door of the director’s office, a muttering voice could be heard.

“Those morons. If I had been here three years ago, I would have used any means to make him our actor….”

Similar situations were unfolding throughout the industry, regardless of status.

The youngest staff members, assistant directors, and rookie writers ran around, cursing the world.

“Why all of a sudden? Why is Park Gun making a comeback!”

“I don’t know! Wasn’t he semi-retired by now?”

A staff member, hurrying behind, clicked his tongue.

“Ugh, you idiots. What retirement for that acting ghost? He was just preparing to drop another bomb with a huge scale.”

The other two blinked. Come to think of it, this industry had always been noisy whenever Park Gun’s break ended.

Another staff member took out his smartphone and muttered.

“How much did ‘God’ make? Ten million?”

“It surpassed fourteen million as of yesterday. Kang Sunbae [senior colleague] asked, so I looked it up.”

“…Yeah, if you win Best Actor at Cannes and surpass ten million domestic viewers, you deserve to rest for a few years. What’s with that damn novel?”

A book they didn’t even know existed until yesterday was now poised to enter the bestseller charts.

The first staff member spoke with a resigned expression.

“What else could it be? A masterpiece of misfortune whose author disappeared.”

Meanwhile, the fading fantasy novel community was bustling with activity for the first time in a while.

Title: This day has come… The Book of the Gods sees the light…

Content: I believed it LOL Those who cursed him for abandoning it midway ㅇㅇㅋ Watch the reincarnation of the Korean-style fantasy blockbuster… The Book of the Gods is God, and the author is invincible, if only he returns ㅇㅇ

-The hype is too much

-This bastard has been consistently posting about Jushinseo [The Book of the Gods]

└His persistence is crazy LOL I’ve seen it a few times whenever I come in

└└He writes exactly twice in the first and second half of the year; creepy

-What the hell is that ancient novel ㅡㅡ You old farts

└Korean fantasy GOAT [Greatest Of All Time] except for being unfinished

└└GOAT? Are Ryuyongbaek, Black Road, and Jeonsurim jokes to you?

└└└Honestly, the scale, characters, and narrative structure are unmatched ㅇㅇ

-Focus on the last line… “If he returns”

└An unfinished novel is just bread without red bean paste

└└But it looks like he’s coming back? A ten-million-dollar actor is bringing him, who wouldn’t come if they were human LOL

└└└I’d quit my job and go write if I were him

The Book of the Gods, which remained only in the memories of core readers and old fans.

Those who knew the before and after circumstances suspiciously in detail posted, and even the conflicts with the publisher at the time spread, adding fuel to the fire.

In the end, the circumstances at the time, the lawsuit against the publisher, and the reasons why publication had to be stopped were neatly summarized and began to appear in articles.

“Wow, those were real bastards. The CEO intervened in the direction of the manuscript?”

“They threatened that if he didn’t write as they wanted, he wouldn’t be able to publish the book. So the author suffered from panic disorder and depression and stopped writing.”

“Worth quitting, worth quitting.”

Naturally, the now-defunct exploitative publisher was bombarded, and those who had read the book were amazed by its completion beyond imagination.

Thus, now,

Everyone’s attention was focused on one place.

The die has been cast.

Will the author of ‘The Book of the Gods,’ the novelist who has been in hiding for twenty years, appear?

“Chief Kang, are you sick somewhere?”

“No, I’m fine.”

“Your complexion has been pale for the past few days… Is something wrong?”

“Maybe it’s because I haven’t been sleeping well. Thank you for your concern.”

A middle-aged man walked into the restroom, leaving behind the worried face of a colleague at a logistics distribution company in Geomdan.

“······.”

A tired face is reflected in the mirror. Bloodshot eyes, dry skin, and sunken cheeks.

His complexion wasn’t great to begin with, but now he looked so gaunt that the CEO would be surprised.

‘I shouldn’t have read that article.’

The employee ID hanging on the man’s chest swayed. Kang Young-il, the novelist who once wielded his pen under the pen name 01, turned on the faucet.

Soon, a torrent of water began to pour out.

He saw the news three days ago, in a portal article that happened to be trending.

Actor Park Gun is looking for the author of ‘The Book of the Gods’… Doubting his eyes, he clicked, and even more content spread like ink on the website.

At first, he couldn’t believe it. Then, shamefully, he was slightly pleased, and as time passed, he became desperate.

The writer who was in his early twenties was now a breadwinner struggling with financial difficulties, a middle-aged man who had put down his pen more than twenty years ago.

“Why, a person who ended a long time ago….”

He had impulsively sent the novel, which he had adapted into a scenario, to that senior, Ryuyongbaek… but that was already several years ago.

Since then, even though he had heard that his senior was looking for him, he couldn’t contact him further. Because his Tower of Babel, the ‘Book of the Gods’ scenario hidden deep in his study, was not yet complete.

But why is this actor trying to bring a failed novelist to the surface?

Buzz, buzz—

The smartwatch on his wrist vibrated. It must be work from the site looking for him.

Turning off the pouring water and leaving the restroom, Kang Young-il bit his lip.

Roman Corporation, conference room.

“Yes? You’ve been contacted?”

Park Seon jumped as if she would break through the ceiling. Manager Yoo Joon-il scratched his chin and said.

“Yes. It’s near Geomdan, and he’s employed in a completely different company.”

“A different company….”

“What was it, logistics distribution or something? He changed his number and completely cut off contact with people in the publishing industry. If we had just tried to find him, it would have been like finding a needle in a haystack.”

“Wow, amazing. Team Leader Gong was right after all.”

As Park Seon exclaimed, Team Leader Gong Gi-hyung, who was next to her, shook his head.

“I didn’t do anything. I just subtly used Park Actor’s fame.”

“I didn’t think of that.”

At the end of the long table, Park Gun, who was reading the out-of-print ‘Book of the Gods,’ drew attention.

Closing the book, Park Gun said as if amazed.

“I used to run around to find colleagues. But there’s also this method.”

“This is all possible because the actor is outstanding. No matter how famous, if artists with bad images mention it… ugh, they’ll only get criticized.”

“Outstanding….”

While Park Gun, as if chewing on something, took out his smartphone, Manager Yoo Joon-il wrapped up the situation.

“Okay, let’s decide who’s going first. Team Leader will be absent… It’ll be enough if just me, Park Seon, and Park Gun go, right?”

The fact that they’ve been contacted is a green light. Park Seon nodded energetically, but Team Leader Gong was of the opinion that it was too early to celebrate.

“The number of people is sufficient, but I’m worried about whether the conversation will go well.”

“Why? He called because he wanted to do it anyway, so it’s all settled.”

“You never know. He hasn’t held a pen for a while, and if he’s been doing other work, his senses might have dulled. If he wants to write but feels like he absolutely can’t, there should be a way to persuade him.”

At that moment, Park Gun, who was contacting someone, interjected.

“That’s why I called them.”

“Yes?”

“I heard similar words before. I thought the job might not be easy, so I called people who could help me in my own way.”

Who those ‘people who could help’ were was revealed about thirty minutes later.

Gong Team Leader and Yoo Manager’s expressions became puzzled when they saw the person entering through the studio door.

On the other hand, Park Seon, who had already become acquainted, shouted with a brightened face.

“Writer Yong, Writer Eun!”

One middle-aged man wearing a modernized hanbok [traditional Korean clothing], and another young man next to him dressed similarly.

He had brought both Yong Ryubaek and Eun Hee-wook, two writers he was close to.

“This is Kang Young-il’s senior, Writer Yong Ryubaek. And this is Writer Eun Hee-wook, who worked with me on ‘The Dog of Seoul’ at JNBC.”

“Ah, Writer Eun!”