Godsent Top Star [EN]: Chapter 116

116. You Only Learn When You Experience It (1)

2022.02.24.

After receiving Do-hee Yeon’s request, Yeon-woo was lost in thought. ‘How do I handle this?’ Punishing the wicked and rewarding the virtuous. That was Yeon-woo’s philosophy. By his standards, Do-hee Yeon was a sufficiently good person. In other words, the manager of Do-hee Yeon’s agency was a wretch deserving of divine punishment for oppressing such a good person. ‘But I’m not a god, so I can’t just inflict divine punishment.’ Yeon-woo pondered. How could he make that bastard experience ‘putting himself in her shoes,’ as Do-hee Yeon had requested? ‘Show him an illusion? No, that’s too weak. And there are too many restrictions.’ He could use a formation to show hallucinations or use a talisman to trap him in a barrier and induce visions. The problem was the limitations. Formations and barriers required the target to be inside them. ‘It would be great if I could use it on a large scale like Madam Kang. Sigh.’ Then he could just encompass the entire area around the guy without having to go looking for him. But, alas, Yeon-woo wasn’t yet skilled enough for such a large and delicate operation. ‘A method with no spatial or temporal constraints…’ Only one thing popped into his head. That was it.

[Yeon-woo, even if I made a mistake, do I really have to go into the dream of some pot-bellied middle-aged man at my age and suffer?]

“If you’ve committed a sin, you have to make amends.”

[Kang Yeon-woo, aren’t you being too harsh?!]

“Are you even aware that that pot-bellied middle-aged man almost ruined the movie that your beloved Kwon Seong-hyun is concerned about?”

[What?! Then that’s a different story. Tell me quickly. Who is it? What do I need to do?]

The moment Kwon Seong-hyun’s name was mentioned, the attitude of the child spirit changed. Yeon-woo grinned as he watched the sparrow slyly descend onto his shoulder, tilting its ear towards his mouth. “What I’m thinking of is…”

* Park Chil-deuk. Age 38. He was the general manager of an entertainment company with many stars. He was a parachute appointment [someone who got the job through connections, not merit] who got in entirely through connections; the company’s president was his brother-in-law. “Aigo, Manager Park. I heard my kid got into this debut group… Please take good care of him until the end… Please, please take good care of him. Yes?” “Ahem! Well, that’s not really my decision.” “Come on. Who in this industry doesn’t know that Manager Park is the real power?” The middle-aged man smiled obsequiously at Park Chil-deuk. At the same time, his hands were busily moving, taking out a thick envelope from his pocket. “It’s just a small token, to buy you a meal…”

“Hey, you! What are you saying like it’s no big deal?! Don’t you know this kind of thing is a big deal these days?” Park Chil-deuk jumped up. His expression was stern, his voice resolute. He waved his hands as if to ward off something dirty, with an innocent demeanor. However.

“I’m disappointed, Manager Park. Are we not even close enough to share a meal? I’m not someone who spreads rumors, please accept my small gesture.” “Ahem! Ahem! Even so, we must adhere to principles…”

An envelope carefully placed on the table. When Park Chil-deuk showed no sign of taking it, the other party seemed anxious and quickly reached into his pocket again. “Aigo, Manager! Don’t say such disappointing things!” Thump! Another envelope was placed on top of the first. The man forced a smile and wriggled it further towards Park Chil-deuk. “Hmm, well, if you insist so much.” Swish! Like a toad snatching a fly with its tongue. With a very skilled and swift hand movement, Park Chil-deuk snatched the two thick envelopes on the table. Then, as if nothing had happened, he cleared his throat with a dry cough. “Well. What kind of relationship do we have that we can’t even share a meal? I’ll gratefully accept your thoughtfulness. Ahem!”

“Aigo, Manager Park. Then please, please take care of my child this time…”

“Ah, that’s not something I can decide, but I’ll speak well to my brother-in-law, hmm, no, our president.” “Aigo! Thank you, Manager Park. I’ll trust only in Manager Park!” The man, who had immediately stood up when Park Chil-deuk rose from his seat, bowed deeply. “Please go safely, Manager! I trust only in you!”

Listening to the almost desperate farewell, Park Chil-deuk frowned. “Tch, that bastard… No sense, no sense.”

Getting into the car, Park Chil-deuk took out the envelopes as if he had been waiting for this moment. What came out of the envelopes was none other than thick bundles of bills. Even at a glance, the thickness was quite substantial. Nevertheless, Park Chil-deuk frowned even more deeply. “Too small, way too small. Why put ten-thousand-won bills in here? It’s been ages since fifty-thousand-won bills came out, and he’s still using ten-thousand-won bills?” Flap, flap! Even so, the fingers counting the money moved incessantly. Although the amount of money in a bundle tied with paper string was roughly determined, Park Chil-deuk always preferred to count the money directly with his hands. ‘This is it. The joy of life is nothing special.’ Counting the bills, Park Chil-deuk felt a sense of satisfaction. He was so proud that everyone was eager to give him money. Was it just money? He could get anything he wanted just by reaching out his hand. That was the influence of Park Chil-deuk’s ‘position.’ “Manager. Where shall I take you?” “Oh, I’m supposed to practice putting with Manager Kim at lunch today. Head towards Daechi-dong.” “Understood.” The car, with its interior decorated only with the finest materials, started smoothly without a single vibration. “With this much, what debut… Not even several thousand, just a few hundred, what am I supposed to do with this? Tch.” If these bills were all fifty-thousand-won bills, it might have been a different story. But Park Chil-deuk’s eyes, looking at the blue bundles, were as cold as could be. “Anyway, no desperation, no desperation. If he really wanted to debut his daughter that badly, he should have sold his house and brought the money! Sigh. Just wasted my time.” Even with several hundred in his hands, he wasn’t satisfied and spewed out harsh words. Even so, he didn’t forget to diligently put the money back into his pocket. In Park Chil-deuk’s mind, the image of the man in shabby clothes had vanished without a trace. How desperate the man’s eyes had been. How chapped and rough the fingertips that handed over the money were. How old and worn the clothes he wore, though he tried to look clean, were. Those things had disappeared as if washed away the moment he stood up from his seat. Brrr! Park Chil-deuk took out his vibrating phone from his pocket. And he replied to the caller. “Oh! Manager Kim! Of course, I haven’t forgotten our appointment today. Huh? Who’s coming from where? Company A? Ah. They said they want our kids to film a CF [Commercial Film, a type of advertisement]? No. What authority do I have? What? Hahaha! Okay. Alright, bring them over. I’ll talk to them, I guess.” The guy who joined the PR team this time seemed quite sharp. The previous guy was so stiff-necked. He had clearly instructed them to contact him first for any sponsorship inquiries or advertising requests. ‘Why else would I ask for the position of general manager?’ His brother-in-law, the president, didn’t object much either. Of course, he showed a troubled expression, but that fact had long evaporated from his mind. ‘Hehehe. This is the taste of life. Yeah.’ He had forgotten all about his past when he was struggling without any special qualifications. He had vowed to succeed and pay back those who had looked down on him. And now. ‘Those guys who graduated from good universities and were so successful are now groveling under me.’ Good education. Good job. Good specs. What good are those things? In the end, it wasn’t him who was bowing down in regret, but the other party. The moment most people received his business card, they lowered their stiff necks and tried to soften their rigid facial expressions. Park Chil-deuk enjoyed that very moment. Yes. He was shining more brilliantly than ever before.

* “Don’t you think you’re coming home too late these days?” Late at night. Park Chil-deuk, with glazed eyes, staggered into his luxurious villa. It was a house that his brother-in-law had secured for him, as his sister, who treated her younger brother like a child left out in the water, wanted to live right next door. “Oh, who is this? Isn’t it my sister?” “Park Chil-deuk. You smell like alcohol. Did you drink again?” “Of course. I had a drink today. I’m in a good mood! Just one drink!” With just the right amount of alcohol in him. The prospective client he met today had been very accommodating, so he wasn’t in a bad mood. He felt like he would be in a good mood until the very end if he just fell asleep like this. “One drink, my foot!” A sharp voice made him frown. “Ah, why are you here again, causing a fuss? Isn’t my brother-in-law home? Why are you at my house at this hour? Go home.” “You said it well. Do you know that your brother-in-law is having a headache because of you these days?” “What…? What nonsense are you talking about?” “It’s not nonsense. What have you been up to these days? What have you been doing to make strange rumors spread from all over the place?!” “Ugh… Why are you shouting?” “Am I supposed to not shout right now?! Do you know that Yeon Do-hee’s contract is expiring this time, or not?” “Ah, Yeon Do-hee. Of course, I know. Why?” “You know? And you’re doing things like that?!” “Ah, what is it? What is it that you’re barging in at night and suddenly shouting about?” Park Chil-deuk found this situation very annoying. His sister suddenly visiting. And she was even shouting at him. ‘What did I do wrong? What did I do wrong?’ His good mood sank at the absurd accusation. Sometimes his sister treated him like a deficient idiot. The only person who still treated him like a halfwit, even though he was recognized everywhere he went, was his sister. “Yeon Do-hee what! I solved all the weird rumors about her movie, so what’s the problem now?!” To be precise, Park Chil-deuk had been pushed back into his chair by Kwon Seong-hyun’s force and hadn’t said a word. But the truth didn’t matter. In his memory, all of Kwon Seong-hyun’s words had already been embellished as his own. “Solved? You solved it? Is that why articles like this are coming out?!” Swish! Park Chil-deuk, who was hit in the face with the papers, scowled like a toad. “Sister, are you crazy?! What are you doing?!” “What are you so proud of that you’re raising your voice?! Read that!” “Ugh, what is this anyway…” Park Chil-deuk picked up the papers. His hand soon began to tremble. “No, wait a minute. Sister. W-what is this?” [Actress Yeon Do-hee, ‘Wants to make a fresh start with a new mindset’… Imminent split with agency!] [National actress Yeon Do-hee on the transfer market. Who will be the lucky one to win the goddess?!] [Major agency A, finalizing the acquisition of Yeon Do-hee!]