Former Warrior Turns Into A Million-Dollar Actor [EN]: Chapter 72

The Ultimate Tag Team Match (4)

* * *

A chilling air swept through the room.

If the atmosphere earlier was just uncomfortable, now it felt like being in the Himalayas, with icy winds cutting into the skin.

“······.”

The others glanced back and forth between the two actresses, barely daring to breathe.

After Jin Jiyu took a seat opposite her, Baek Hani crossed her arms and began to glare at the contract, as if contemplating when to tear it up.

Chief Manager Yoo Jun-il spoke with difficulty.

“Jiyu, didn’t you get the message?”

“I did. But I came anyway.”

“So, why······.”

Jin Jiyu replied with the same smiling face.

“Because it’s a role I wanted to play. I know the company is pushing for this one, but I thought the outcome might change if you saw me act in person.”

Baek Hani, who had instantly become ‘this one,’ asked with a sneer.

“So you came running? What, were you going to lobby if I wasn’t here?”

“Lobby? No, it’s about skill.”

“Didn’t seem like you had any last time I checked.”

“I have a minimum of 12% viewership, while you have 7%. Shouldn’t professionals prove themselves with numbers?”

“Don’t you consider audience numbers? Who was it that scraped together 800,000 views thanks to the company’s PR team before crashing and burning?”

“Oh, in that case, we should calculate the high points too, shouldn’t we? 11.02 million versus 7.65 million?”

The people present just stared blankly at each other. They had expected a fierce battle of nerves between top actresses, but it turned out to be a surprisingly fact-based ranking dispute?

An unspeakable thought floated through someone’s mind.

‘It’s even more amazing that they memorized all that······.’

Even if she was behind in numbers, Baek Hani had two more years of experience. She stretched languidly.

“So what are you going to do about it? Go tell the CEO. Tell him to push me aside and put you in.”

“How could I do that? Even if we’re in the same company, there are lines you shouldn’t cross.”

“Image management all of a sudden… Coming all the way here with a knife in your mouth, ready to fight.”

While the former acted like she was shooing away a bothersome fly, the latter said everything she wanted to say with a bright smile.

Jin Jiyu glanced at the scattered contracts on the table and rested her chin on her hand.

“I didn’t mean to start a fight. I know it looks like I came to steal the role, but it’s kind of ridiculous if the CEO just tells me to do it and tells you not to.”

‘We’re not at that level,’ the added remark implied with a subtle nuance.

“I also wanted to do an audition after a long time, and it looked fun watching someone else do it.”

“······.”

A silence like a guillotine blade descended.

‘Say something to stop them.’

‘How can I stop them?’

While writer Youngdo Eun and PD [Production Director] Jeon In-woo poked each other’s sides, Baek Hani straightened her back, which had been leaning against the sofa.

“Then do it.”

“Do what?”

“Are you deaf? Let’s have an audition in front of the production team, just like you want. To see whose acting is a better fit for that girl’s role.”

“Okay, I may be your senior, but let’s be fair.”

Neither of them asked for a script. The two actresses looked at PD Jeon In-woo at the same time, as if telling him to hurry up and say ‘cue.’

“I knew it would come to this······.”

Chief Manager Yoo Jun-il groaned, clutching his head, but the atmosphere was already that of an audition site.

Chief Shin, who had been watching the situation with interest, whispered to PD Jeon.

“PD, should we set up the camera too?”

“Camera? Why?”

“Why, like actor Park Geon did during the meeting. It seems like all the top stars do that these days.”

“···Please, let’s just do it without that.”

*

After hearing the whole story, Gun understood why Chief Manager Yoo Jun-il’s voice sounded like he had aged ten years.

Gun asked, based on pure curiosity.

“So, how did it go?”

-How did it go? We filmed a scene worthy of the acting awards. Baek Hani did a shooting scene, and Jin Jiyu brought a scene of her first meeting with the male lead… Both were brutal.

“Baek Hani must have gotten the part, then.”

-Oh, what? Did you hear? How did you know?

“I had a feeling. She fits the image of the scenario better.”

Chief Yoo sighed on the other end of the phone.

-So, I’m asking you to take good care of our Hani. She’s picky and can be a pain, but she’s not a bad kid at heart.

Gun briefly recalled his past experiences. There were many in the Iron Kingdom who were strong against the weak and weak against the strong.

‘I couldn’t stand to see that, whether they were colleagues or enemies. Should I let it go because she’s in the same company?’

As if sensing his thoughts, Chief Yoo quickly added.

-It’s not that I’m discriminating. This is hard to explain… It’s like she suddenly changes when she puts on the celebrity mask. You’ll probably understand when you start filming.

“I see.”

-Yes, I shouldn’t have said anything unnecessary. Let me know if you need anything.

The call ended. Baek Hani… It wasn’t a big surprise since he had expected it.

However, the people around him couldn’t say the same. Seo Hee-do, who had crept closer, asked in a hushed voice.

“It’s really Baek Hani? Not Jin Jiyu?”

“Yes.”

Soon, the 5-year idol started clutching his stomach and rolling on the gym floor.

“Aigo, aigo, my stomach… I should have given up on our 7th album and joined too······.”

“Why are you so disappointed?”

“Because I’m jealous! I’ve been a fan since ‘The Lake That Held the Moon.’ I really wanted to film a project with that noona [older sister/female friend].”

Park Seon, who had witnessed Baek Hani’s tantrums several times, made a ‘hic’ sound and advised.

“Um, even if you’re Hee-do, you should be careful with Hani. Working together······.”

“I know. I heard she throws things when she’s pissed? I can throw them with her.”

The two brothers were speechless at the childish solution. Seo Hee-do proudly added, poking his chest.

“Believe it or not, I used to be a pitcher in the Little Sports League. I’m confident I can hit her more often.”

“Ah, is that so······.”

“Huh? Why, did you think I was going to lose just now!”

“Let’s go, Seon-ah. You need to shower.”

*

Baek Hani’s joining was officially announced.

[Baek Hani Confirmed for ‘Butcher and General’… To Work with Park Geon for the First Time]

[Return to the Small Screen After 1 Year and 4 Months, “The Queen’s Return”]

[Finally Formed Roman’s ‘One-Two Punch’… Fans Unanimously “Full of Expectations”]

The reaction was half favorable, half ambiguous.

The ‘anti-Baek Hani’ faction pointed out her lack of stability, given that she hadn’t been active for 1 year and 4 months.

-Isn’t it too long since she’s done anything? It’s not like it’s a small project, it’s a 40 billion won historical drama. If she can’t keep up with Park Geon’s tempo, it’ll be a disaster.

-Let’s switch to Jin Jiyu even now, seriously.

The ‘pro-Baek Hani’ side, centered around [Hani-dan – Hani Fan Club], picked on Jin Jiyu’s flaws and skillfully instigated a mud fight.

-Honestly, Jin Jiyu… Does that physique even make sense in the Joseon era [Korean Dynasty from 1392-1897]? She’s taller than the male supporting actors, it’ll ruin the immersion.

└Then does Baek Hani’s face make sense…?

-Comparing Baek12 and JinPhysical is crossing the line.

Keyboard battles broke out every day. Jin Jiyu’s faction, Baek Hani’s faction, and even other fans who came to stir up trouble mixed together, creating a scene straight out of hell.

And two days later, the internal strife was suppressed by a powerful foreign force.

[Breaking) ‘Hyperion’ Moon Han-bin, Kang Young-woong, Ki Eun-seo, Ahn Mi-rip… Avengers Assemble]

[PD Byung Seo-han, Confident Declaration of Intent “No Time to Worry About Butcher General”]

‘Hyperion’ was the first to announce its lineup of leading actors.

The actor pool, which had been anticipated even before the reveal, turned out to be more than luxurious, resembling a Michelin buffet.

DG’s representative male and female actors, Moon Han-bin and Ki Eun-seo, led the way, and Joinus also brought out the winning combination of Kang Young-woong and Ahn Mi-rip.

It could be said that both DG and Joinus had poured in the highest-grade talent available.

For every general, there must be a matching general.

As if they had been waiting, CVN also released the ‘Butcher General’ lineup report.

Roman’s Park Geon and Baek Hani, C&J’s Lee Dong-soo and Jo Hyun-ah, and veteran character actor Go Cheol-joon.

Although they were somewhat behind in value compared to the main two, the remaining actors were also people who could easily secure a leading role anywhere.

Moreover… It was the combination of Park Geon and Baek Hani.

A rising star who renewed his peak every day and Roman’s Ice Princess. It was only natural that expectations were high for the veiled historical drama.

PD Jeon In-woo, who was in charge of directing, announced that he was building a massive set in Buyeo, South Chungcheong Province. He also returned the opponent’s trash talk as a bonus.

[PD Jeon In-woo… A Sharp Rebuke to Byung Seo-han, Who Said He Wouldn’t Worry About ‘Butcher General,’ “Aren’t You Retired Yet?”]

‘PD Byung Seo-han gave an interesting interview, and I laughed a bit after reading it. He says he doesn’t care about me, but I thought that friend had retired. It feels like just yesterday that he kept scrapping projects, getting drunk, and telling me he was retiring······.’

A famous cultural critic who had reviewed Black Priest posted a line on Facebook.

-A fierce battle of entertainment involving capital, manpower, interests, and pride, more intense than any narrative.

A historical drama about a butcher-turned-independence activist set in the Gyeongseong era [Japanese Colonial Period in Korea, 1910-1945], and a revenge melodrama about the wealthiest people, depicting the five children of a chaebol [family-owned conglomerate] family.

The prelude to a long war had begun.

*

Each agency has slightly different actor recruitment, idol training, and management policies depending on the direction they aim for.

The most noticeable difference is the entertainment company buildings.

Roman’s design emphasizes practicality and aesthetics with a streamlined design, while DG uses two buildings simultaneously, which are so flashy they’re almost vulgar.

Joinus is somewhere in between. The interior design is also based on the company’s own worldview concept, cosmically decorating the solar system and galaxies.

And in the deepest part of that universe. The two leaders were holding a meeting in Joinus’s VIP lounge.

“Baek Hani?”

“So I heard, I expected it though.”

DG’s CEO, Byun Dong-geun, whose eyes bulged out like a toad’s, scratched his chin. The gold rings on each of his short, thick fingers emitted a gaudy light.

“They must have thought Baek Hani was better than Jin Jiyu. The latter has a track record of flopping a movie last year, and the former hasn’t been active for a while.”

On the other hand, Joinus’s leader, Ham Hyun-shik, had the impression of a gentle corporate manager.

One was a producer… The other was a choreographer, and they were the ones who grew their companies into massive entertainment agencies.

Ham Hyun-shik, who was sitting with his legs crossed, said casually.

“It must be a shame every time you see them. You could have had both Baek and Jin.”

“Have them? No way, No Joong-man clung to me like a rabid dog and made me sweat bullets.”

“That’s why it’s a shame. How great would it have been if you had suppressed them back then?”

“They both look good to have, though.”

Crude lewd jokes were exchanged without a second thought. Even if they were top actresses, they were just products to be bought and sold to fatten their wallets.

“Whoever it is, we have to completely crush them this time. If possible, in ways other than their performance.”

Byun Dong-geun took Ham Hyun-shik’s words.

“Why, are you worried your kids will get hurt?”

“Worried? No way… It’s just that that friend keeps coming back to life and causing trouble. How can he be classmates with the grandson of the Changjin Group?”

‘That friend’ who led Roman was the talk of the town these days and a headache for the two leaders.

No Joong-man already protected his people fiercely, and he was even lucky, so he couldn’t even be scratched by most attacks.

“Wait and see. It’s not over yet.”

CEO Ham Hyun-shik frowned.

“Dong-geun, you be careful too. CEO No and his fandom are waiting with their eyes wide open. If you touch them ambiguously, the sparks will fly this way······.”

“What if they do? It’s about time for a change anyway.”

At the level of an agency head, they could read each other’s intentions just by looking at their eyes. Ham Hyun-shik tilted his head as if he was surprised.

“Chief Cha In-hyuk?”

“Who else would it be?”

“Weren’t you fond of him? I thought you were going to raise him well and use him for a long time.”

A bitter smile appeared on Byun Dong-geun’s lips.

“Have you ever seen a dog butcher cherish a fighting dog?”

“Chief Cha is good enough to be considered······.”

“Ah, of course, I cherish him. But it’s a bit ambiguous. If I coddle him because he’s pretty, he won’t make money, and if he gets too much blood on him, his marketability drops. Moreover, the bastard’s head keeps getting bigger in the meantime.”

Byun Dong-geun laughed, pretending to cut his neck while saying ‘snip, snip.’

Two yellowed, protruding buck teeth were revealed under his curled lips.

“Park Geon, Gu Shin-seung, Baek Hani… Whoever it is, wouldn’t it be a win if they bit their necks and blew themselves up?”

Ham Hyun-shik laughed back.

“That’s true. We can raise new dogs, but it’s hard to find tiger cubs.”

“Ham-shik, Ham-shik. That’s why you’re annoying. You know it all but you keep pretending until the end.”

When Ham Hyun-shik only smiled without answering, Byun Dong-geun put his hands behind his back and slowly walked towards the entrance.

“Ugh, this place is like a spaceship. We should call a board meeting and tell them to redo the interior… Even if we make money, we get cursed at, tsk tsk tsk.”

The staggering figure of CEO Byun soon disappeared completely from the lounge.

Ham Hyun-shik, who was left behind, took out the cell phone he had put in his suit pocket.

“Did you hear? Coordinate and assist. Either way, they’ll take the blame if something happens.”

-Yes, I understand.

A smile appeared on the face of the middle-aged man who had been purging competitors with his friend for decades.

“Let’s prepare the rice cakes and watch the exorcism.”

* * *