Godsent Top Star [EN]: Chapter 373

373. The Golden Scenario (1)

November 8, 2022

Mac Houston.

He recalled the call he had received from an old friend a few days ago.

-Are you drinking alone again today? Don’t do that and come visit the set! I promise you won’t regret it!

Mac was once a director hailed as a genius in Hollywood.

More precisely, he *was* a director.

The reason for the past tense is that he is no longer regarded as such.

Throbbing, throbbing!

A headache suddenly struck.

This chronic headache had started when he finished his screenplay.

-Mac, think carefully. If you cast this actor, your movie will sail smoothly without any problems.

Numerous geniuses from around the world gather in Hollywood.

It’s a world where you can’t even dare to present your business card unless you’re exceptionally talented.

But even among them, Mac Houston was truly worthy of being called a genius.

A dazzling debut that any rookie director would dream of.

Mac Houston made his presence known by winning numerous awards at Sundance [a prestigious film festival] with just a crude handycam.

‘I thought it would go well back then.’

After a splendid debut, only smooth sailing lay ahead of him.

But there was a problem.

Mac Houston was too self-absorbed.

-Franchise movies are also surprisingly fun? Don’t underestimate popcorn movies [blockbuster films designed for mass appeal].

His friend said so, but Mac didn’t listen.

He immediately created his own movie.

After his successful debut, investors were overflowing, willing to invest in him.

And.

‘I failed spectacularly…….’

He bombed spectacularly.

Several times.

The public’s gaze was cold.

And so were the various investors and film companies.

“If you want to make such a movie, go make an art film.”

“I doubt whether the audience will pay to see that movie. Investment will be difficult.”

“Why don’t you hire a separate screenwriter? That seems more promising.”

After drinking from the bitter cup several times, Mac Houston finally came to his senses.

He was stubborn, but not stupid. He was a genius, after all.

Mac Houston examined his problems and sought new developments.

But an unexpected new problem arose.

‘How can there be so few investors?!’

It was as if the name Mac Houston was some kind of epidemic, and everyone avoided him.

Without him knowing, he was being called the Hand of Minus, not the Midas Touch [a legendary king who turned everything he touched into gold, here meaning someone who brings bad luck].

Still, although it was a famine, it wasn’t as if no one was interested in investing at all.

But.

-I heard you’re having trouble attracting investment.

At some point, all interest seemed to evaporate as if it had never existed.

It was after a dirty breakup with an investment company.

A place that came to him with a friendly face and readily promised a huge amount of money.

That place was none other than a film company based in China.

‘I shouldn’t have accepted it so readily back then……. My stupid past self should have known that.’

There is no such thing as a free lunch.

The investment company, which he accepted out of desperation, intervened enormously in everything.

They even ordered him to revise the screenplay, saying it lacked coherence.

‘What? The background has to be China? What kind of nonsense is that?!’

But he endured even that.

Background……. He could just change the setting a bit.

But the part that made Mac the angriest was something else.

‘They’re even trying to push in guys who are sponsored by them as the lead actors!’

Even if the background was like that, the lead actor is the face of the movie.

Moreover, Mac had very strict standards for choosing actors.

One of the reasons he couldn’t get investment was his past mistakes, but this was also a part of it.

‘My protagonist has to be very good at acting! Not just guys who are famous for being famous!’

-That’s why you shouldn’t have done that! Haven’t you heard the saying that you can get indigestion if you drink water too quickly?! That money is the money you should never eat!

His friend, Jonas Ben, found out about this belatedly.

Mac, who couldn’t stand it any longer, had already exploded and declared a breakup with the investor.

The aftermath was like hell.

It was a mystery how the rumor spread.

As soon as the news of the breakup with Chinese capital became known, the industry reacted even more coldly than before.

Only then did Mac regret his choice.

-But……. I understand you.

Jonas Ben was a very good friend who understood these difficulties.

He was also a similar kind of person to Mac.

In fact, Jonas was the one who had a fierce argument with the film company and blacklisted Raymond.

-You can call it a regression of the times. Actors have to actually act. Not just flail in front of a green screen. Of course, in a safe, secure environment.

No matter how advanced technology is, it’s different from the feeling of the real thing.

-The same goes for the set! There are even research results that show that the level of immersion and acting ability of actors varies depending on how elaborately it is built!

Jonas said.

Mac agreed with that a hundred times over.

-If you fill a movie with special effects, what’s the point of the director? What about the actors? Won’t graphics replace the actors someday?

Of course, not everyone thought like Jonas and Mac.

Strictly speaking, Jonas and Mac were eccentric types.

-I’m going crazy, I’m going crazy. Mac, let’s have a drink!

Even Jonas had his own troubles.

The pressure from the last series of consecutively successful works was enormous.

-Okay. Let’s drink and die!

Mac accepted the offer without hesitation.

The screenplay, which he had put so much effort into that it was called a masterpiece of his life, was in danger of being buried.

He needed a place to relieve stress.

That kind of gathering was repeated several times.

Eventually, it continued almost every day.

But.

-Uh……. Today? I don’t think I can make it today, how about tomorrow?

The friend who had been sharing his troubles and comforting each other suddenly changed.

Jonas seemed to be distracted by something.

It was as if all his worries had suddenly disappeared, and he apologized and postponed the drinking session.

-I suddenly got through what was blocked these days. You know? Sorry. I’ve been out of my mind lately!

He had been struggling with the pressure, but it seemed like things were going well.

Jonas also left Mac with these words.

-Come visit my set sometime. There’s something amazing waiting for you.

Losing a drinking buddy was a shame, but it was nice to see a friend doing well.

‘He must be busy filming, so I shouldn’t bother him now.’

That’s what Mac thought.

But Jonas was different.

-Are you drinking alone again today? Don’t do that and come visit the set! I promise you won’t regret it!

It was the umpteenth offer.

‘What is it? Jonas isn’t the type to say such things easily.’

He didn’t pay attention to it at first.

But after it was repeated several times, he became curious.

‘Just how much is he planning to surprise me?’

It might be a good deed to not leave a friend who is alone and depressed.

It could be encouragement to cheer up again by looking around the set and getting caught up in the enthusiastic atmosphere.

Or it could be Jonas’s apology for making him lose a drinking buddy.

‘Since he’s so sorry……. I should go at least once.’

So Mac decided to go see the set that Jonas had invited him to with a light heart.

Without knowing that he would really be surprised as Jonas said.

When he regained his senses, he was,

“Oh, my God. It was you! The one I’ve been looking for……! I’ve been waiting for you to come to me……!”

Without realizing it, he was kneeling towards the other person.

When a crazy fanatic suddenly knelt down in front of him.

Yeonwoo was surprisingly calm.

[Current Favorability: 99%]

It wasn’t just because of the status window that suddenly popped up thanks to a chance encounter.

Well, a favorability of 99 percent in a situation he saw for the first time seemed a bit crazy, but…….

‘At least he doesn’t seem like a harmful person.’

Things would be different if he suddenly jumped out and tried to attack, but that didn’t happen.

“Yes? Jonas’s friend?”

“That…… hmm. He’s not usually like this…….”

He said he was originally cynical and sarcastic about everything.

‘He doesn’t look like that at all?’

That’s because the fanatic who was introduced as Mac Houston was really looking at Yeonwoo like a fanatic.

“Jonas. My old friend. I’m glad I listened to you. I really didn’t expect to be so surprised!”

Even when Mac Houston said that, he didn’t take his eyes off Yeonwoo.

He seemed almost desperate when he heard that Yeonwoo only had a few scenes left.

Funnily enough, he clicked with Jonas.

“I told you to come! What did I say!”

“Why didn’t you urge me more, Jonas! You should have criticized my laziness more!”

Goodness.

There were two crazy people.

It was the end of the world.

I don’t know how that meeting ended.

‘It was a mess…….’

Fortunately, there wasn’t a big fuss.

It’s just that the eyes that were looking at him like a fanatic were a bit, no, very burdensome?

[Ahahahahahahah!]

The child spirit, who heard what happened on the set, burst into laughter.

[If you had slipped up a little, it would have been a real disaster!]

“What?”

[If you had changed your mind a little, Yeonwoo, you’d probably have hundreds or thousands of those people by now? No. Wouldn’t the most enormous cult in history have been born?]

“…….”

I imagined it for a moment.

A scene where hundreds or thousands of people like Mac Houston suddenly kneel down.

“That’s terrible.”

[Hehe. But it’s something that could happen at any time if you slip up a little. It’s because you’re such a cheat, Yeonwoo.]

That’s true.

Everything he touches is a huge success.

The movies and dramas he appears in.

Even entertainment shows and commercials caused a syndrome-level sensation.

What about the other day?

The Dream Walker, which collaborated with Trevi, was a huge hit.

Not just a hit, but a worldwide hit.

[Well. Even if it’s not those weird stats, you’re already a cheat with just your spiritual power. So if you slip up a little, you’re going to be a cult leader, a cult leader.]

When he performed magic, which was actually using spiritual power, at the pediatric cancer center.

People acted like they were about to faint.

And since then, the attitude towards Yeonwoo has become even more polite and respectful.

It was understandable.

‘I put a little too much power into it back then.’

Who knew that the ripple effect of one song would be so great?

Moreover, it was only natural that such a person would perform another magical feat.

[Make sure Yeonhwa doesn’t worry. It’s a good thing that everything is going well now and that you’re not having vain thoughts, but if you deviate from the slightest bit, you’ll be treated like a cult leader in an instant?]

That wasn’t wrong.

It’s a good thing that things have been glossed over now.

But if someone asks why the Dream Walker is so effective.

What are you supposed to say?

‘It’s best to keep your mouth shut in times like this.’

It’s better to interpret the dream than to have the dream itself.

If you stay still, people will come up with appropriate interpretations and judgments on their own.

Like modern scientists who are trying to scientifically prove supernatural phenomena.

Anyway, Yeonwoo’s actions were not a big deal, so the surrounding reactions subsided.

There was a big difference between believing that ‘such mysterious powers really exist!’ and thinking that ‘if there really was such power, he wouldn’t be so quiet, so it must be my imagination.’

‘If you slip up even a little, you’ll fall into the abyss.’

Yeonwoo realized once again that he had to keep the ‘right path’ as the child spirit said.

Because he can’t mass-produce fanatics like Mac Houston.

[But what’s that?]

The child spirit, who had been giggling at Yeonwoo, expressed his doubts.

On the table was a thin booklet that was worn out and tattered.

[Huh? It’s a screenplay? Are you going to make a movie?]

It’s been several months since he flew overseas.

Born and raised in Korea, the child spirit was slowly losing his energy and kept looking for Yeonhwa.

The same was true for Yeonwoo, who had the Heungseon Daewongun [a powerful political figure from the Joseon Dynasty] in him.

‘I need to finish the OST and go back quickly.’

But that decision wavered today.