Former Warrior Turns Into A Million-Dollar Actor [EN]: Chapter 91

Former Hero is a Ten Million Actor – Episode 91 (91/199)

Cutting What Needs to Be Cut (3)

* * *

[Famous Paparazzi Team Apprehended, Identities Revealed as ‘Trio of Ex-Convicts’]

[Police, Who Always Came Up Empty, Credit This Success to an Anonymous Informant?]

[Accepted ‘Stalking’ Proposal and Traded with Magazine, Targets Were Current Celebrities]

[Popular Stars Followed… Cyber Investigation Unit States, “There Are Likely Many More Unknown Victims”]

[More Extreme Than Sasaengs [obsessive fans], ‘Star’razzi, Why Haven’t They Been Eradicated Yet?]

News spread beneath the surface.

The police, having secured evidence, had arrested some paparazzi without detention and applied for arrest warrants for others.

-Hey, did you see the news? A bunch of paparazzi who were stalking celebrities got caught?

-Leave them be, that’s how that world is anyway.

-If you’re going to work with the title of public figure, you have to accept your privacy being gone. If you feel wronged, don’t become a celebrity.

Originally, news of paparazzi being arrested doesn’t garner much public attention. Unless a scene of someone causing an accident is captured.

Since drugs, scandals, and interesting gossip mainly come from paparazzi, there’s a prevailing opinion of ‘they’re celebrities, they should expect it’.

That’s why even large agencies and famous celebrities didn’t particularly express their positions.

There are no eternal enemies… and likewise, no eternal allies in this industry. If you step forward carelessly and get on the wrong side, there are more losses than gains.

Of course, an awl that pierces through a pocket always emerges [meaning the truth will always come out].

[Park Gun Appears on Entertainment Tonight… Firm Voice on 1.2 Million YouTube Channel, ‘Paparazzi Culture is Clearly Illegal’]

After the previous FOGUE magazine interview, Park Gun had turned down all offers from famous TV shows for promotional appearances.

And now he’s telling the stories of ‘General Baekjeong’, the Jarmani Show, and his manager’s car accident all at once? It’s content that would attract the interest of not only fans but also industry insiders.

On the terrestrial channel’s [free-to-air] YouTube, the episode featuring Park Gun had an enormous number of views.

While popular comments were filled with praise for eradicating paparazzi and the actor’s character, various speculations were rampant in communities where fans gathered.

-So, the manager’s car accident was really because of the paparazzi ㄹㅇ [real/fact]

-The Good Day rumors are definitely true

-Seeing him come straight to the set ㅇㅇ [yes, yes], he must have been hurt even if it wasn’t a big accident

└That’s why Park Gun is pissed off ㅋㅋㅋㅋ [laughing]

└└Even if it was just his manager, he’d be angry, but if it’s his younger sibling, he’d be seeing red

-But isn’t it amazing? As soon as Park Gun got involved, the paparazzi were all caught;

└Don’t you know Park Gun’s background? He got angry because they were harassing his sibling and took them all down.

└└He beat up ex-convicts ㄷㄷ [shivering/scared]

└└└They were even real robbers and molka [spycam] perpetrators

-I heard he has a prosecutor or police officer among his friends, so they must have used their influence.

└Even most agencies have connections with the police…

└└Anyway, the agencies and celebrities who were victims ㅋㅋㅋㅋ [laughing], they owe someone big time, whoever it is

-If it were me, I’d go straight to Roman and bow deeply

*

“Thank you, thank you!”

Late afternoon.

Before heading to the filming set, a visitor was waiting at the Roman headquarters.

“Thank you so much. Kids, what are you doing? You need to greet him here!”

“One, two, thank you!”

“No, not like a team like that!”

A man in a shabby suit and three young women repeatedly bowed their heads. Based on past experience, they were more likely to be idols than actors.

Team Leader Gong Hyeong scratched the back of his head and explained.

“Well, CEO Kang and these people really wanted to express their gratitude…”

Gun shook hands with the man who introduced himself as Kang Sam-bong, CEO of Seopung Entertainment.

“It’s an undeserved thanks. I didn’t do anything.”

“Yes? No, you wiped out those nasty guys!”

“As I said, that wasn’t me…”

CEO Kang Sam-bong looked around the lounge with a blank face, then lowered his voice as if he finally understood.

“Ah, it was supposed to be a secret externally. We won’t spread rumors anywhere either.”

This was almost religious. Looking up, Team Leader Gong was holding back a laugh. Behind him, Park Seon’s pupils were shaking intensely.

‘That’s a face that anyone would suspect.’

The strange popularity started three days ago.

After appearing on MBS’s Entertainment Tonight, a YouTube show that wasn’t even a regular program, interest exploded.

DMs poured in, thanking him for speaking out, so much that Park Seon, who manages his social media, was shocked and ran over.

If it was just that, it would be fine. The problem was that even things that shouldn’t be related externally were being thanked with ‘as expected of Park Gun’.

[All-Time No. 1 Park Gun, Wishing General Baekjeong a Huge Success]

Thanks to that, the filming set was a bonanza.

The day before yesterday, a snack truck with banners from an unfamiliar agency came, and yesterday, letters of gratitude came to the PR team through Team Leader Gong.

The content was thanking them for catching the paparazzi, and even when they said they weren’t the ones who did it, they wouldn’t listen.

Gun said as nonchalantly as possible.

“…It’s strange to explain, but anyway, it wasn’t me. I was talking about the safety of my sibling and those working in the same industry.”

“Yes? But everyone is saying that actor Park Gun stepped in. Especially among our managers…”

“CEO, you’re making him uncomfortable.”

The short-haired woman standing behind him pulled on CEO Kang Sam-bong, who was tilting his head.

I heard that the debut age for idols is getting younger and younger. Her face, barely twenty, was filled with sincere gratitude.

“We really have a lot of paparazzi. Everyone is probably very grateful, even if they don’t say it.”

“That’s right, that YouTube! Thanks to the actor’s appearance, they’ll be less of a nuisance now.”

From the way they were talking, they still seemed to think he was the one who took down the paparazzi, but it was difficult to explain the truth.

Gun nodded.

“I hope so too.”

CEO Kang Sam-bong gave him his business card, saying to contact him if he needed any help, and was dragged out.

Team Leader Gong looked around the fruit baskets in the lounge with a satisfied expression.

“Park Actor is so lucky, so many people recognize him for doing the right thing.”

“I didn’t catch them, though.”

“Oh, whatever. I’m talking about Entertainment Tonight.”

Team Leader Gong smirked slyly, but with something pricking his conscience, there was nothing to say.

‘I didn’t expect them to actually come.’

The name Seopung Entertainment, CEO Kang Sam-bong, and the faces of the idols who came with him were all familiar.

After smashing the paparazzi that day, he had sorted the celebrities by the folder names saved and sent the data to their agencies.

They couldn’t have known, but… it was strange that it happened to be those people.

Park Seon, who was more nervous than the person involved, whispered from behind.

“Those are the people, right? The ones you told me about back then.”

“Yeah. They were in the file.”

“It’s really them, it’s amazing that you met like this…”

Team Leader Gong approached with fruit baskets in both hands, and the secret conversation was cut short.

“We’re fine. The PR team can have them.”

“How can we eat all this? Our kids will die from eating so much.”

That was true, the two long tables in the lounge were filled with baskets.

I don’t know how they carried them all. Team Leader Gong, who was talking to himself, suddenly lowered his voice.

“By the way, did you hear the news?”

“What news are you talking about?”

“Cha In-hyeok has disappeared.”

“Is that so.”

Team Leader Gong seemed disappointed that there was no reaction to the top-secret information.

“No, aren’t you too calm? Anyone would think the two of you drove him out of here.”

Park Seon, who was standing in the back, noticeably flinched. Gun replied calmly.

“It’s nothing to worry about. He’s just an employee of another agency.”

“That’s right, Team Leader. How could we drive him out? He probably just left when it was time, haha.”

Park Seon also awkwardly joined in with a laugh. Team Leader Gong tilted his head.

“That’s true, but… you’re not surprised at all, so it’s really suspicious.”

“Since when has that been the case?”

“It’s been about two days. He hasn’t come to work and has completely abandoned the groups he was managing, so we’re looking into whether he’s gone into hiding or transferred. He’s Byeon Dong-geun’s top player, after all.”

“If he’s a top player… he might retire.”

“Yes?”

Team Leader Gong asked back, but Gun lifted the fruit basket he had received instead of answering.

The basket covered with plastic wrap, filled with Korean melons, apples, melons, and Hallabong oranges, emitted a faint fruity scent.

“A current player can’t be eternal.”

*

Rumors in the industry, words are faster than horses.

If it’s not a celebrity but a background figure, the attention is focused on the insiders rather than the public.

Moreover, the one who suddenly disappeared was a dark horse who had been showing threatening performances for several years.

With the retreat of a bothersome rival, enemies, allies, and spectators mix and mingle.

“Still no news?”

“That’s what the internal staff are saying. Was it three days ago? He suddenly appeared with a haggard look and went up to the CEO’s office, and that was the end of it.”

“He quit. He was going to rest because he was burned out, but he had a fight with the CEO.”

“No way, that workaholic burned out?”

Guesses based on experience clash.

A production company official who had worked with Cha In-hyeok scoffed.

“Oh, you fools. That guy won’t leave this scene until he’s stabbed to death. Even if he’s taken to the emergency room, he’ll wake up and say that, right? He has to go harass the idols, so please discharge me.”

“Then Byeon Dong-geun dumped him, right? Because he was building up achievements and getting too big for his head. Even if DG is generous to top stars, would they put up with a salaried head?”

This time, a headhunter from a company who was always pushed around by Cha In-hyeok raises his voice.

“He’s called a head of department, but Cha In-hyeok was just a ruthless headhunter. Now that we’re talking about it, I knew that bastard would get burned badly someday for being so reckless.”

“Hey, that insignificant guy got dumped? It’s more likely that he’s creating a new agency with the artists he raised.”

He was retaliated against by someone with a grudge… No, he retired himself… In fact, it’s a surprise show with Byeon Dong-geun…

Only suspicions were rampant, and the truth was hidden in the dense forest.

Then, leaving aside Cha In-hyeok’s whereabouts, recent entertainment news came and went.

Several famous paparazzi teams were arrested. Two or three small agencies that had been constantly threatened with their celebrities’ photos as collateral miraculously survived. The police are looking for the first discoverer and reporter.

Among them, the ‘Apache’ thugs who messed with Park Gun’s sibling were the most miserably defeated.

“…Why do I feel so eerie listening to this?”

“What’s eerie? A paparazzi killer has appeared. For the time being, you won’t have to haggle with magazines over your celebrities’ photos.”

“No, not that. It’s just that whenever someone gets involved with Park Gun, they get screwed over.”

At the words of the investment company’s manager, the other officials looked at each other.

Come to think of it… Even during the now legendary ‘Roman Invasion’, during Seoul’s Dog and the Black Priest, the opponents who messed with Park Gun never got their money’s worth.

It’s too eerie to be a coincidence, and if there’s a reason, it’s even more chilling. Isn’t this a train to hell the moment you turn him into an enemy?

The manager who swallowed hard wiped his goosebump-covered arm.

“I’m curious to see what will happen this time.”

The battle between DG-Joinus and Roman-C&J, ‘Hyperion’ and ‘General Baekjeong’, is now in the second half.

*

A shabby underground bar.

As if it were closed, footsteps were heard in the empty hall.

The man who came down the stairs was CEO No Jung-man in a dark gray suit. No Jung-man, who glanced inside, walked to a nearby table and sat down.

“Come out, there’s no one following me.”

CEO No’s voice echoes through the dusty hall.

After a few seconds, a shadow appeared from inside the dark counter.

Cha In-hyeok, the former head of artist development at DG, staggered out and stood in front of him.

“…”

No Jung-man’s eyebrow rose. The enemy general’s appearance was completely different from when he had seen him before.

First of all, his trademark gold-rimmed glasses were nowhere to be seen.

The suit, which had been spotless, was missing buttons and torn in places, and was covered in dust as if he had been rolling around.

No Jung-man stared intently at the brownish-red stains that looked like blood on the front of his shirt and asked.

“Have you finally started laying hands on the artists?”

Cha In-hyeok snorted without a change in expression.

“You’re still not funny. It’s amazing that someone like you has good eyes.”

“We’re not going to be seeing each other for long, so let’s get straight to the point. Why did you want to meet?”

Is the person in front of him a broken-down lover or a villain plotting an even bigger crime?

This time, even No Jung-man, who had experienced all kinds of hardships, found it difficult to grasp the other person’s intentions.

“It seems like it’s time for me to retire.”

As if bound by an invisible chain, Cha In-hyeok struggled to lift one arm.

His chapped lips curled up slightly.

“I have something to leave behind.”

* * *