I was Mistaken as a Monstrous Genius Actor [EN]: Chapter 277

Chairman Hideki’s proposal, delivered through a translator to Choi Sung-gun who sat on the opposite sofa, was quite clear. Choi Sung-gun’s eyes widened as he grasped the precise meaning.

‘O-Overseas branch??’

He was slightly taken aback, and understandably so. It was too sudden. Chairman Hideki was not only the main investor in ‘Nakkisaeng’ but also a strong backer of BW Entertainment. Of course, this was Chairman Hideki’s personal influence, not that of the head of the Kashii Group.

He had entrusted all authority to Choi Sung-gun.

Thanks to this, Chairman Hideki only occasionally checked Choi Sung-gun’s reports.

It was more of a ‘trust that things will work out’ kind of feeling.

This time, Choi Sung-gun had come to Japan for a direct briefing, and Chairman Hideki had suddenly made his first proposal or suggestion: to establish an overseas branch for BW Entertainment.

Choi Sung-gun thought,

‘This guy’s sudden moves are unpredictable. Let’s test the waters a bit.’

He quickly straightened his posture and focused his mind. He had a feeling something big was coming.

“When you say overseas branch… which region are you referring to?”

Choi Sung-gun, who was somewhat fluent in Japanese, spoke in Korean for clarity, and the translator conveyed it to Chairman Hideki. Soon, Chairman Hideki, who had been smiling faintly, spoke in a rough voice.

“Where else but Hollywood?”

“Ah.”

He was serious. Chairman Hideki wasn’t just talking casually. At least, that’s what Choi Sung-gun thought. Chairman Hideki’s wrinkled mouth was smiling, but his eyes were sharp. At this point, Choi Sung-gun was calculating in his head. He was top-notch when it came to understanding situations and reading the room.

‘Hold on, if he’s serious, I need to get as much as I can out of this.’

BW Entertainment’s business expansion in Korea was already solid. They had top stars like Kang Woo-jin, Hong Hye-yeon, and Ryu Jung-min, as well as quite a few A-listers. Their rookie development was also expanding. BW Entertainment’s growth rate was probably the steepest among domestic entertainment companies.

However,

‘It feels a bit too early.’

The domestic business wasn’t fully stabilized yet. If they expanded overseas in this state, problems were bound to arise somewhere.

‘If they’re going to throw money at us, that’s great, but if we can’t handle it, that’s a problem too.’

Of course, BW Entertainment would eventually have to expand overseas, but it was too much for them right now. Still, it would be foolish to refuse an investor’s money. Choi Sung-gun decided it was better to at least secure a commitment.

A contract fee. Or, they could take the money and slow down the progress of the business.

At that moment.

“But it might be a bit much right now, wouldn’t it?”

Chairman Hideki, who had slowly crossed his legs, spoke in a relaxed tone in Japanese. It seemed he was well aware of the situation. He had seen the reports and data Choi Sung-gun had brought, and more importantly, he was the head of the giant Japanese conglomerate, Kashii. It would be stranger if he didn’t know.

“Considering BW Entertainment’s current situation, it would be better to solidify things in Korea rather than going overseas.”

Choi Sung-gun acknowledged this but also left the possibility open.

“Yes, that’s correct. As you can see from the financial statements we send you, BW Entertainment is currently spreading its wings, so there’s no need to overdo it. However, it’s not impossible to establish an overseas branch. As long as we don’t rush it.”

Chairman Hideki nodded slowly after hearing the translation, and Choi Sung-gun, now serious, asked back.

“But may I ask why you suddenly thought of an overseas branch?”

Chairman Hideki, recalling Kang Woo-jin from the ‘Nakkisaeng’ set, replied,

“We’ve recruited quite a few top talents, so we need to expand our reach. The territory is also the face of the company. More than anything, Kang Woo-jin isn’t someone who’ll just stay in Korea or Japan. Hollywood has already started making moves. Japan too, Kang Woo-jin has paved the way, so we need to branch out to Japan starting with an overseas branch.”

The monster named Kang Woo-jin was leading the way, clearing the overgrown mountain path. The followers just had to walk comfortably, thanks to Woo-jin’s influence. That’s why they needed a superstar who could stir up the market in any field.

Chairman Hideki continued,

“If ‘Nakkisaeng’ does well, we can start with a Japanese branch. But I still think an overseas branch should come first. Kang Woo-jin’s ‘Leech,’ his album work with Miley Cara, and the Hollywood calls he’s already rejected. He’s already made his mark in Hollywood and will expand quickly.”

“As early as next year.”

“If ‘Leech’ does well at Cannes, it’ll be even faster. The overseas branch I’m talking about is to create a base for Kang Woo-jin to stay in Hollywood around that time. It doesn’t matter if it’s just for show at first. But it’s essential to take care of Kang Woo-jin, who will be active in Hollywood, and the agency will be promoted in the process, so there should be a focal point in Hollywood, right?”

“Hmm, that’s true. It does look more impressive to have the headquarters in Korea and a branch in Hollywood, rather than the company being just in Korea.”

“It’s also about maintaining Kang Woo-jin’s image.”

Their conversation didn’t include any possibility of Kang Woo-jin failing. It was a plan that assumed he would 100% dominate Hollywood. It was natural. Kang Woo-jin was already in the process of conquering Korea and Japan as a preliminary step.

Then, Choi Sung-gun replied with a faint smile.

“I’ll try to finalize the overseas branch as soon as possible.”

Several hours later, late lunch.

Kang Woo-jin, who had finished a hearty meal at a Korean restaurant, was now in a van driving through the streets of Tokyo. His destination was ‘A10 Studio,’ the production company of the animation ‘My Best Friend: Remake,’ near Tokyo Station. Today was the first meeting of all the voice actors, along with a simple script reading.

The actual recording was scheduled for a few days later.

Anyway, the van Kang Woo-jin was in was noisy. It was even more so because Choi Sung-gun, who usually kept the atmosphere in check, wasn’t there. Han Ye-jung was trying to cut through the noise with her cold demeanor, but their excitement didn’t subside easily.

Well, Woo-jin couldn’t blame them.

‘Things are blowing up in both Japan and Korea. Wait, are they talking about me?’

The staff of an actor are happy when their artist is doing well. When an actor does well, the staff’s filmography also becomes more solid. Currently, Woo-jin was a sensation in Japan, Korea, and even the online world. That is, on social media and YouTube channels.

Since he was doing well in every area, they couldn’t help but be happy.

Of course, Kang Woo-jin’s inner self was ecstatic. But maintaining a stoic poker face was more important. Honestly, he felt like he could break into a tap dance right now. But Woo-jin held it in.

On the other hand.

-Buzz, buzz.

-Buzz, buzz.

Kang Woo-jin’s phone didn’t hold back. It had been ringing since morning. No, his phone had been vibrating like crazy lately. Countless messages were arriving. DMs, texts, and messages were exploding. In the group chat with his childhood friends, they were throwing around real-time reactions and scores of ‘Island of the Lost.’

Because of these messages, Woo-jin felt like he was in Korea even though he was in Japan.

‘Don’t these guys have jobs?? It’s a sweet life for them.’

Kang Woo-jin, who had replied to the messages appropriately, accessed a portal site. He had been trying his best not to look for the sake of his image, but this time, curiosity got the better of him. The enormous issues were immediately visible. Among the various topics, the most prominent was, of course, ‘Island of the Lost,’ which was causing a sensation.

‘Wow, crazy, the media is going nuts.’

Kang Woo-jin scanned the headlines of the articles filling the entertainment section. What was interesting was that most of the articles had been uploaded just a few minutes ago. That meant they were pouring out like a flood.

Well, if the media was like this, the public opinion on communities and such was a given.

-Wow, seriously, is the number one movie going to change??!

-But it’s understandable, lol. I went to see Island of the Lost today, and it’s still completely sold out during prime time, lol.

-The hype is insane;;;

-It’s fun, and the actors are really good, especially Kang Woo-jin, he’s the real deal.

-Midas’s touch x Kang Woo-jin’s touch o

-No, the fuss is crazy, lol. I thought it was boring.

-Agreed, the hype for Island of the Lost is too much right now.

-But what’s the number one movie in our country?

-Search it, you idiot.

-↑The movie ‘Naval Battle’ is number one, it was 16.7 million, right? It’s number one among all movies in our country.

-Wow, is Island of the Lost going to surpass that now?? But 16.7 million… that’s really strong.

-But aren’t Kang Woo-jin and Ryu Jung-min hitting home runs one after another? Especially Kang Woo-jin, his form is just insane.

-Kang Woo-jin seems to have received divine guidance in choosing his projects.

·
·
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The public’s mouths and fingers were constantly moving.

And so, ‘Island of the Lost’ was slowly rushing towards 10 million viewers.

『’Island of the Lost’ Already Surpasses 8 Million, On the Verge of Breaking ‘Naval Battle’ Record… Already Two Days Ahead in Performance』

『[Big Issue] Will it Surpass the Great Record of ‘Naval Battle’? ‘Island of the Lost’ 10 Million Countdown』

『’Island of the Lost’ Eyes 10 Million, The Same Goes for the Title of Korea’s All-Time Number One Movie!』

But it didn’t seem like it would stop at 10 million.

Meanwhile, in Incheon, Korea.

In the Hwasu Pier area of Incheon’s port, which was smaller compared to other areas, there was a fairly large mudflat, and on the opposite side, there were small houses and shops clustered together. The shops were quite diverse. Homes, restaurants, hardware stores, and so on. There were also many alleys in between. The road in front was a mix of unpaved, dirt, and paved surfaces.

There, dozens of people gathered.

Some were carrying cameras, some were setting up lights, some were unloading tables and various audio equipment, and some were setting up necessary props in visible areas. Past the filming site, there were vans and mini-buses parked on the shoulder of the road. It was clearly a film crew.

At that moment.

“Hmm-”

An old man wearing a plain black knit appeared at the filming site. It was the veteran director Ahn Ga-bok, who had been looking around the area. His short white hair and wrinkled face were the same as ever. No, perhaps the wrinkles were deeper. It was because he often stayed up all night. He looked at the setting and instructed the assistant director next to him.

“That dirt road, is there really a need to make it flat? It looks more awkward to me. Restore it to its original state.”

“Ah! Yes! Understood!!”

The team for the movie ‘Leech’ was out for an outdoor shoot. Past director Ahn Ga-bok, top actor Jin Jae-joon was getting his makeup done. It seemed like this scene was Jin Jae-joon’s turn. Then, director Ahn Ga-bok sat at a table with several monitors set up.

-Sigh.

He let out a small sigh and picked up the shooting script on the table. About 30% of the filming was left. He slowly crossed his legs and muttered.

“…The mid-to-late part… should we pick up the pace a bit?”

They were already filming on a hellish schedule, but director Ahn Ga-bok still couldn’t shake the feeling that they were running out of time.

‘It’ll already be June in a few days.’

Fortunately, while filming, he was also doing preliminary work on the post-editing whenever he had a chance. But no matter how he looked at it, he had to squeeze in more time. At least, that’s what the resourceful director Ahn Ga-bok thought.

At that moment.

-♬♪

Director Ahn Ga-bok’s phone rang. The caller was the CEO of the film company that was producing ‘Leech.’

“Yes, it’s me.”

The film company CEO’s slightly excited voice came through the phone.

“Director, the Cannes side just announced the official opening date.”

Around 2 PM, Japan.

Kang Woo-jin, who had just arrived at ‘A10 Studio,’ one of Japan’s top 3 animation studios, got out of the van. The solemn Woo-jin looked at the building. ‘A10 Studio’s’ building was still huge, and the various statues and standees of anime characters near the entrance were still there.

‘Wait, have a few more been added? I’ve never seen that female character over there before?’

Anyway, the team gathered around Kang Woo-jin, and he started walking. At the same time, a slight tension rose.

‘Japanese voice actors… it’s my first time seeing them. What will they be like?’

Soon, he was about to meet many voice actors participating in ‘My Best Friend: Remake.’ In Japan, where animation was so strong, voice actors were treated somewhat like celebrities, unlike in Korea. Popular voice actors actually held fan meetings, autograph sessions, and appeared on variety shows.

Still, it was very unfamiliar to Kang Woo-jin.

At this moment.

-Buzz, buzz, buzz.

Woo-jin stopped walking. His phone in his jacket pocket was vibrating intensely. It was a call, and after gesturing to Jang Su-hwan and the other staff that he would be a moment, Kang Woo-jin checked the caller.

‘The resourceful one. Wait, it’s Director Ahn Ga-bok?’

The caller was director Ahn Ga-bok. Kang Woo-jin put the phone to his ear with a firm expression.

“Yes, director. Hello.”

The old voice echoed from the other side of the phone.

“Yes, we’re both busy, so I’m calling to give you the key information.”

“Yes, please go ahead.”

“The opening date for the Cannes Film Festival has been confirmed, September 30th. It will run for 10 days after that.”

The Cannes Film Festival opens on September 30th.

“Is that so?”

That meant Kang Woo-jin would be going to France around that time.

End