Former Warrior Turns Into A Million-Dollar Actor [EN]: Chapter 20

The Drama’s Legacy (2)

* * *

“Hey, are you Daeseung?”

Covered in fake blood, Gun stared at his brother, whom he had been separated from decades ago.

What is death?

He was probably the human who had experienced it the most, and the earliest, in this place.

The legions of Great Demons were filled with terribly powerful demons. Sometimes his head was smashed and he died, and sometimes his chest was pierced.

There were times when his vision went completely black, and times when the world slowly lost its light.

When the Hero was dying, his comrades showed reactions similar to, yet different from, Yong Joon-sang.

“Hero, get up!”

“You can’t fall asleep! Please, open your eyes!”

“Heal him… Saintess, please pray quickly…!”

At first, he resented the damn god, the Saintess who had summoned him to Middle Earth, and the heavens.

Then he hated all the humans of the Iron Kingdom.

As time passed, the anger wore away, the resentment weathered, and only the purpose remained.

—(Sign language) Long time no see.

The bloody hand moves near his chest. Ma Dae-hwi, who had been studying sign language clumsily since he first met Choi Seung, widens his eyes.

—Hey, Daeseung… This, shit… is his brother!

Doubt turns into truth. Ma Dae-hwi rushes in to stop the bleeding, but there are too many areas to block.

“……”

The camera, zoomed in close, captures Choi Seung’s expression intently.

In the eyes of a murderer who had killed people without hesitation, anger, futility, and belated regret flash by like a panorama in a few seconds.

—Send an ambulance! With all the medical equipment, quickly!

—Stop it. It’s okay.

A low, emotionless voice. Ma Dae-hwi, who was shouting into the radio, turns around in surprise at the voice he had never heard before.

The eyes meet. The brother taken by the mother, the younger brother left to the father, their intertwined fates intersect in a brief glance.

—…Daeseung, you bastard.

The black pupils lose their light and become blurred. Ma Dae-hwi looks around blankly, standing in the middle of his brother’s corpse and the corpses of those his brother killed.

It is the end of a cycle of sin.

“Cut!”

As soon as PD [Production Director] Na Jong-mo called cut, Yong Joon-sang grabbed Park Gun and shook him.

“Park Gun, are you okay?”

“Yes.”

Park Gun, who had returned to his normal self as if nothing had happened, dusted himself off and stood up.

“How can you act out a death scene so brutally? I thought you really had a cardiac arrest.”

“I think I was able to immerse myself well thanks to you, senior.”

“It’s not about immersion… Anyway, PD-nim. Did that scene turn out well?”

Director Kim Jung-nam raised his thumb. If he couldn’t capture that scene, he wouldn’t be qualified to be a cinematographer in a popular PD’s team.

PD Na Jong-mo, who came back after checking the shot scene, rubbed his hands with an excited expression.

“Everyone, we just saw the future.”

“……Yes?”

“Be happy! With this, our drama will easily break 25% viewership ratings.”

“Oh, PD-nim!”

“Don’t, don’t, don’t say things like that!”

The superstition that things will go wrong if you get too excited, no matter how well things are going, is a classic belief in the broadcasting industry.

PD Na Jong-mo scolded the staff who screamed.

“What, why! Don’t come to me with a brokerage fee, saying I was right. Seyoung, find a great after-party venue. We’re going to Hwaseong!”

*

Romance Entertainment, CEO’s office on the 17th floor.

The marathon meeting is over.

Dealing with a large corporation’s planning department is always tiring. The promotional effect of our actors and their guarantees, numbers and conditions, clash fiercely.

Chief Director Lee Sang-cheol stretched out.

“That was a sweat. These days, even the department heads try to act like executives, geez. When will the CEO be leaving work?”

CEO Noh Joong-man shook a flip phone that looked like a toy in his large hand.

“It’s ‘Seoul’s Dog’ day. I have to go see it.”

“Ah, that. It’s almost the last episode…….”

The chief director, who was searching for the episode, tilted his head.

“How did you know that?”

“I have many informants.”

“Ugh, whenever I watch that drama, I still feel like I’m possessed by something. Who would have known that the Wow Kids would end up like that? I don’t know if it’s a good thing that it exploded internally first, really.”

CEO Noh Joong-man turned his gaze to the newspaper rack on one side of the desk.

A celebrity news daily that had been in the front spot for several days, replaced with a new one every day, was placed there.

「Wow Kids’ contract renewal fails… Scandals of discord within the group, is the controversy over power abuse reignited?」

“How is that friend doing?”

The chief director, who immediately understood, answered.

“He’s doing well. For a regular person who was suddenly put in, he’s unbelievably good. Really, that’s why it’s important to get in line well from the start.”

‘Seoul’s Dog’ viewership ratings had already broken through 20%.

Park Gun’s evaluation, which was initially regarded as just a publicity stunt, rose higher and higher as the drama aired.

A commoner background, a unique mask and physique, and acting skills that have been verified, at least in the action field.

Among those involved, there is even talk that now is the lowest point, so whoever takes him is the winner.

“What about our contact?”

“We put it in. The manager said there was no response.”

“That’s understandable. It’s because the company that kicked him out is grabbing his pants because of his brother.”

“But well, there are still many things to be verified. You know, it’s easy to become a star in this industry, but it’s difficult to stay up there.”

“Really? I think he’ll keep going.”

There may be no CEO of an entertainment company without insight, but Noh Joong-man’s eye for seeing is frighteningly accurate.

Those he picked to be successful went to at least A-class, up to S-class, and the celebrities who were said to be ‘not going to make it’ all plummeted.

The chief director swallowed hard and said.

“If the CEO says so, we must catch him. I was a little surprised when Jiyu suddenly said she would make a special appearance on Seoul’s Dog. She used to hate everything and even turned down advertisements from large corporations, maybe it’s because of her friendship with writer Eun…….”

CEO Noh Joong-man got up.

“What are the schedules for the second half of the year? Focus on the big ones.”

“Uh… Quantum is making a comeback in the idol scene. Choi Phillip said he would rest until the fall… Shin Seung and Jiyu haven’t finished their works for a while, so they are still choosing scenarios and doing a couple of commercials at the same time. There are fewer and fewer works to enter, geez.”

“What about Baekhani?”

“She asked to be sent to China. She said she would bring back a lot of yuan and dollars and list our company on KOSDAQ [Korean Securities Dealers Automated Quotation]. The contract renewal is just around the corner.”

“That means don’t touch her.”

“That’s probably it. Also, she’s the type to bring something if she’s hooked on it, even if we tell her not to.”

The chief director subtly covered it up, but CEO Noh Joong-man shook his head.

“We need to transfuse blood. The Changjin Group has drawn its sword. DG and Joinus will also become more urgent.”

The broadcasting industry is always suffering from a shortage of works and actors. There are few good works, the TO [table of organization] in the works is fixed, and the faces to fill those spots are also fixed.

Recently, even large corporations have jumped into the content media competition and are swallowing up talent.

In a moment, not only the affiliated celebrities, but also the works and programming slots may be taken away. To survive among the dinosaurs, you have to run.

“I heard that there are some usable faces in the local theater scene. While I’m going around, I’ll also meet that friend Park Gun…….”

“No, I’ll just go myself.”

“The CEO himself?”

The chief director, who was briefly surprised, soon recalled CEO Noh Joong-man’s connections. Come to think of it, aren’t they in a relationship where he was scouted by writer Eun Hee-wook?

If you look at it crookedly, it’s a company that kicked out his younger brother, but if you look at it positively, it’s a happening that changed his fate.

“That would be good too. If it’s an actor that the CEO has picked, the investment value is sufficient and more. Also, considering that he worked with writer Eun… he won’t have bad feelings towards us.”

“I’ll know when I meet him.”

Noh Joong-man, who dismissed it, got up. Even though the ceiling was not low, it seemed like the top of his head would touch the chandelier in the CEO’s office.

“Send a wreath to the after-party. Our actor is also making a special appearance.”

*

“Everyone, you’ve worked hard!”

“Let’s break through 25%, no, 30% for the last episode!”

The final filming of ‘Seoul’s Dog’ is over.

After finishing the outdoor scene, all the staff and actors moved to a pre-arranged pork rib restaurant.

If the wrap-up party is a festival for actors, broadcasters, and fans, the filming wrap-up party is closer to a feast for the staff.

What does it matter if the drama fails, or if it’s soju [Korean distilled spirit] and pork belly instead of champagne?

Even if it was like hell while working, they are destined to face each other again in a few days.

First of all, they have worked hard so far, and they will eat and drink in the sense that they will die in the future.

“Now, this wrap-up party is sponsored by the director of the drama department! 2nd round, 3rd round, it doesn’t matter, so feel free to play and die!”

As the assistant director led the chant, cheers erupted. It is thanks to Kim Baek-dong, the notoriously picky director of JNBC.

If you show off with pork ribs at the wrap-up party, there is a possibility that a group vacation will be given depending on the viewership ratings at the wrap-up party.

Park Gun and his brother Park Sun were busy receiving the glasses of alcohol that were pouring in from the center.

“Thanks to you, I was able to film comfortably. If it weren’t for actor Park Gun, I would have had a whole floor more of gray hair.”

“Director Hyun, why are you cutting in line? Originally, the production side should bring this up first.”

From the martial arts director to the cinematographer, the assistant director, and the staff, the table where Park Gun was sitting was packed with people.

Na Jong-mo PD, another protagonist of today, shouted loudly.

“Hey, stop drooling! Our Gun, you’re going to keep going with us next time, right? I don’t know about this year, but I’ll definitely send you to the Baeksang Arts Awards [prestigious South Korean awards ceremony] within next year.”

“Yes. I’ll go if you call me.”

Yong Joon-sang intervened.

“Park Gun, you shouldn’t say things like that carelessly. PDs will really follow you to the end of the world.”

“Actor Yong. You should only teach things like that when there are only actors. How many production staff are listening here!”

Martial arts director Hyun Do-gyun brought wild ginseng wine he had made at home, and an unexpected traditional liquor party was held.

The heated atmosphere reached its peak when Jin Jiyu appeared wearing a mask.

“Oh, Jiyu!”

*