Top Star By Luck [EN]: Chapter 188

188

‘The White House?’

At times like this, my mind goes blank.

The White House.

A word consisting of three syllables. The three syllables are all distinctly separated, giving it a pleasant sound.

In English, it’s the White House.

Regardless of the country, it’s a word that anyone living within the confines of modern civilization, rather than in the mountains, would hear countless times.

The White House, a word with such recognition that you’d be considered ignorant if you didn’t know it.

However, Lee Min-ki tried to deny its presence and asked.

“By any chance, is the name of the club White House?”

“No, it is not.”

Director Seo Jung-woo shook his head without a moment’s hesitation.

“Um, then is it the name of an apartment?”

“That’s not it either.”

“Ah, I see, it must be the name of a film company. They want us to show them some samples for reference. We should refuse this……”

“Actor Lee.”

It was the next moment.

Director Seo Jung-woo, who mercilessly cut off Lee Min-ki’s struggle to deny reality, stared at him with eyes as clear as the water of Lake Baikal, and said.

“It’s the White House in the United States. The place where the President of Earth works.”

“……”

It became impossible to deny reality any longer.

Lee Min-ki, who lifted the veil of truth and faced the majestic yet ruthless truth, blinked and said.

“Ah, then do we have to go through censorship before the release? Is that it?”

If it’s this, there’s a possibility.

Frankly speaking, [ManManTwo] was such a controversial work. It was controversial due to its provocative development and sensationalism.

There was even a Russian tycoon who rented an island to try to imitate this in real life. Although special forces suppressed and arrested him right before execution, after gathering participants.

‘Because it’s such a hit, they want to directly review the next work separately from the censorship agencies to avoid social controversy. If that’s the intention, then maybe.’

It was the moment when Lee Min-ki, who couldn’t let go of his attachment to reality until the end, muttered.

“The current US President personally said he wants to see the actor’s movie in advance.”

US President.

An even more unrealistic word flowed from Director Seo Jung-woo’s mouth, and for some reason. The moment he heard that word.

“Ah, is that so?”

Lee Min-ki was able to accept this reality surprisingly quickly.

‘If it’s the President, it makes sense.’

He accepted it.

The President directly contacting to ask for a movie to be shown. It’s ridiculous.

There are often cases where some second or third-generation chaebols [family-owned conglomerate heirs] secretly request screenings to flaunt their power, but that level is possible.

‘But that’s only possible for the riff-raff.’

If it’s a true powerhouse, the situation is different.

On the other hand, if the President makes such a request directly, it’s closer to an abuse of power.

But.

All of this was just armchair theorizing because he didn’t know about the ‘current US President’.

Because.

“Donald Traut is the kind of person who would do that.”

“Yes, Donald Traut is capable of that.”

Because the current US President was Donald Traut.

Donald Traut. More of a businessman than a president. Among businessmen, he was particularly extravagant.

“He doesn’t care about what others think. That person.”

That extravagance was to the extent that he was suspected of using even his deceased wife’s tomb as a tax evasion offering.

According to the future Lee Min-ki knows, he will soon be defeated in the re-election and lose his position to Barbara, but that’s just a future story.

In any case, the current owner of the White House was Donald Traut.

With those few letters of his name, everything was explained.

‘The fact that he didn’t post it on some TwXtter [a social media platform, similar to Twitter] and contacted us through the company is a gentlemanly act by that person’s standards.’

Why didn’t he contact the film company and contacted the agency directly? This was also something that could be interpreted.

Because it’s Donald Traut.

The answer to all questions, because it’s Donald Traut.

[Q. Why is the President making racist remarks?]
[A. Because it’s Donald Traut.]

[Q. He was an hour late for a meeting with a foreign leader. Why did he do that?]
[A. Because it’s Donald Traut.]

[Q. The President is manipulating stock prices on TwXtter.]
[A. Because it’s Donald Traut.]

[Q. Why does the president of a democratic country praise dictators?]
[A. Because it’s Donald Traut.]

Because it’s Donald Traut.

In the current United States, there were few things that couldn’t be explained with this one sentence.

‘That guy would do that.’

Even Lee Min-ki himself was surprised at how quickly he came to terms with the truth, and Director Seo Jung-woo, who had completed his rationalization even earlier, calmly recited.

“When JC contacted us, I was skeptical. I suspected it was a voice phishing scam [a phone scam to steal personal information]. But that’s how it turned out. I thought my heart was going to drop.”

“You’ve been through a lot.”

“Isn’t that what the company is for, to do things like this?”

Director Seo Jung-woo sighed deeply.

It seemed that he, too, was suffering quite a bit, although he didn’t show it.

“So, what are you going to do?”

“First of all, assuming that it’s true that Donald Traut contacted us to show him the movie in advance……”

What should I do with this?

As soon as he realized it was true, his worries became even more complicated.

Just accepting the offer and allowing it would be one way.

Isn’t the other party Donald Traut? If you upset him even a little, who knows what he might do on the internet.

But another possibility existed.

‘What if I allow it?’

Let’s say the video goes to Donald Traut. How would he use it?

‘He’d brag about it all over town.’

He might boast that he saw this movie and spoil the contents.

If I’m really unlucky, the entire video file might circulate among the American tycoons.

The assumption itself is ridiculous, but you never know.

And one more thing.

‘No matter how great you are, just because you have some power doesn’t mean you can watch it before my audience who came all the way to the theater.’

There was a sense of loyalty as a producer.

Whether it’s the president, king, tycoon, celebrity, or judge, in front of the movie, they must be his audience equally.

Providing special treatment to someone was unimaginable for Lee Min-ki.

I can’t make my work an accessory for some pretentious person.

No, that wasn’t what I wanted to do.

‘That’s etiquette.’

Etiquette for the audience.

Lee Min-ki, reaching this conclusion, opened his mouth.

“In my opinion.”

………

……

…

A few hours later.

A burly blond man in the White House received a report.

After a few words exchanged with his flustered secretary, the man let out a shriek.

“Shit!”

Not ‘shush,’ telling someone to be quiet.

Shit, it was a curse word.

An extremely vulgar word to come from the mouth of the President of the United States, who sways the political landscape of the globe, beyond just one nation.

“Mr. President?”

Despite the secretary and bodyguards watching him with disdain, the blond man couldn’t hide his anger.

“■■◇■■! ◇■☆■! □□☆□□! ☆!”

What happened to make him so furious, no, enraged?

It doesn’t matter. This man’s outbursts were common anyway.

‘That’s the most powerful person on Earth.’

The secretary sighed, standing behind him with his hands clasped behind his back.

Some analyzed Donald Traut’s ridiculous behavior, claiming it was all calculated, but the reality was as it seemed.

“Did he think I was asking to see his movie because I wanted to? Give me William Lockhart’s song! My daughter is eagerly waiting for it!”

“……”

A lucky elementary school student, that’s how Donald Traut appeared in his eyes.

‘But who knows, maybe he’s acting again.’

More importantly, just a few minutes later, a few lines appeared on TwXtter [a fictionalized version of Twitter, possibly to avoid trademark issues].

[I officially requested the studio that produced ManManTwo to let me review their new movie in advance, but they flatly refused.

A movie that even someone like me can’t see.

It must be coated in gold.]

[Posted: 3 hours ago]

[Retweets: 112,000]

Luck.

It began to move.

* * *

An record store in an alley in New York.

“Are they crazy?”

A man in a denim jacket frowned deeply. The woman next to him asked, puzzled by his voice.

“Who?”

“Myar Pictures.”

“Who’s that?”

“You know, the movie company that made ManManTwo. The one that promoted their new music movie. The one Lee Min-ki started.”

“Ah, that company?”

How could they not know?

They might not know Myar Pictures, but they couldn’t not know the name Lee Min-ki.

He had already become a celebrity comparable to a world star in terms of recognition since he defeated the Odin Universe.

Moreover, William Lockhart himself was in charge of the music for the new film.

Even outsiders would have heard the name at least once, especially people like them who were obsessed with music.

The reason why Lee Min-ki was called crazy by these people was this.

“Traut personally begged to see the new movie, but they refused?”

“What?”

“Look at this article. They rejected the White House’s request outright.”

“Give it to me.”

The woman roughly snatched the article. After reading it calmly for a moment, she let out a harsh breath.

“…… Ha, how audacious.”

Indeed, the gossip magazine in the man’s hand contained such content.

[According to insiders, the reason Lee Min-ki’s side rejected the White House’s request is as follows: The content of the movie should belong entirely to the audience. All audiences are equal. Whether it’s the president or a random person on the street, they should be the same in front of the screen. We hope they can have the same expectations and enjoy the same pleasure. We know that President Donald Traut, who loves culture, will generously understand.

Meanwhile, Lee Min-ki’s side has previously stated that the goal of this movie is the Academy Awards………….]

It was filled with sentences appealing to emotions.

Not for any other reason, but simply because the president is also an audience member, they refused the advance screening.

“Why is this spreading outside? Shouldn’t the story be passed around discreetly? Isn’t this just a rumor?”

“Look closely at the end of the article. That great Traut himself talked about it all on social media.”

“That’s right, Traut would do that.”

Traut would do that.

Any strange phenomenon in the world can be believed if it comes from Traut.

As they understood this situation with one obvious rule, one curiosity intensely boiled within their hearts.

“How fun is this movie that Traut wanted to see it so badly?”

It was a movie.

“To refuse like that, they must be really arrogant.”

“Hmm, I’m curious. A movie that even the president can’t see, even with his power.”

They became curious.

They really wondered what this movie was about. How good was it that they were trying to hide it so much?

It was a work they wouldn’t have even thought of watching under normal circumstances, but the word ‘president’ was attached to it.

It was a lure that transcended the limits of marketing.

“Donald Traut took a hit.”

“Serves him right.”

It wasn’t just this small alley record store.

The aggro [short for aggravation, meaning the act of deliberately annoying or provoking someone] that the name Donald Traut possessed spread throughout the United States and even across the globe.

That is to say.

[The President of the United States Kneels Before a South Korean Film Company]

Gossip spreads quickly.

Today’s media allows news to spread to even the remote regions of Egypt on the same day.

Lee Min-ki.

His luck is now facing a certain boundary.

“I heard the movie is called ‘Turns Out He’s a Musical Genius’.”

“Musical Genius? The name is simple, which is good.”

“No, I mean it’s called ‘Turns Out He’s a Musical Genius’.”

“……? I don’t quite understand what you mean.”

“I’m saying the title is ‘Turns Out He’s a Musical Genius’.”

“I know that. So what are you trying to say?”