Top Star By Luck [EN]: Chapter 75

75. Top Star Luck – Episode 75

Thump-thump.

Lee Minki’s heart was pounding fiercely, not resting for a moment.

He, who had become quite bold lately, couldn’t calm down now.

The reason was that the moment to face the legend of the industry was just around the corner.

‘I’m really meeting CEO Gu Inmo.’

CEO Gu Inmo.

The head of JC Entertainment and a figure called one of the two pillars supporting JC along with Director Seo Jungwoo.

Moreover, he had a nickname that represented him.

[Gu Inmo of Defense]

If Seo Jungwoo of Offense focuses on bringing in celebrities, Gu Inmo of Defense is the opposite.

He gained great fame for preventing celebrities he had already brought in from leaving.

‘Even people who were full of dissatisfaction with JC would transform into JC worshipers once they met CEO Gu Inmo, it’s almost like magic.’

Once a celebrity has distrust in the company, it’s almost impossible to restore it, so how could he hold them back?

Lee Minki had also heard his reputation so much during his unknown actor days that his cochlea was worn out.

Gu Inmo of Defense.

Once you heard it, you couldn’t forget it.

‘It’s a bit childish for people to have nicknames, but on the other hand, it means they’re doing that well.’

How amazing of a person could he be?

How outstanding were his abilities as a human that made that possible?

‘Does he have about six arms and legs? Two eyes, nose, and mouth each? No, eyes are originally two.’

Nevertheless, he was particularly absent from media exposure.

It was difficult to even find a single photo of him.

‘He must be someone who dresses very stylishly? His voice is a mid-low tone, so you can trust him just by listening.’

As he sat in the conference room, lost in all sorts of imaginations, Director Seo Jungwoo opened his mouth.

“Is this your first time meeting the CEO, Actor Lee?”

“Ah, yes.”

“The CEO is often busy. He doesn’t come to the company often.”

Director Seo Jungwoo said indifferently.

Then, thinking that the explanation was insufficient, he added.

“To be precise, being outside the company is the default. The CEO’s motto is that a CEO should be working properly outside the company.”

I see.

Lee Minki was slightly impressed.

‘People with their own beliefs are different.’

In fact, if you were to nitpick, you could.

How many companies have been ruined because the CEO was wandering outside the company and missed the dissatisfaction that sprouted inside?

However, since he grew the company in that way, from a results-oriented perspective, there was no problem.

“You’ll probably be surprised when you meet him this time.”

“Will I?”

“Yes, he’s a unique person in both good and bad ways. The CEO is a fun person.”

Director Seo Jungwoo smiled faintly.

But for some reason, that smile even had a hint of mischief, and Lee Minki was able to find out the reason just a few minutes later.

“Aish.”

The person who came into the conference room.

That is, a person wearing sunglasses, with dark tanned skin and tattoos all over his arms, came in and said.

“Why are you making a fuss about telling a busy person to come to the company? The company should come to me.”

“…….”

Lee Minki’s brain was momentarily paralyzed.

‘Who is this person?’

His tone was a bit off.

Even after regaining his senses and looking again, he was completely out of place.

The slouching posture was also not something he had done once or twice.

Even if you put it nicely a hundred times, he didn’t seem to fit in with company life.

It would be more like he would be fanning people in a Macau back alley fighting ring [referring to illegal gambling and fighting dens].

‘What’s with the black plastic bag he’s carrying? Smuggled goods? Wait, why is the director staying still?’

Still, in the moment when his thoughts couldn’t keep up with reality, Director Seo Jungwoo smiled and said.

“Actor Lee, this is the CEO.”

“Yes?”

Did I hear something wrong?

Lee Minki’s cerebrum was paralyzed, and Director Seo Jungwoo spoke to the gangster-like man this time.

“CEO, this is Actor Lee Minki.”

“I know.”

Ah, that side is the CEO?

Is that right?

Is it really right?

As Lee Minki’s doubts deepened, Director Seo Jungwoo smiled even more deeply.

‘As expected.’

Since he started working at JC, seeing this reaction was one of his little pleasures.

* * *

In the conference room that had undergone perfect soundproofing solutions, with no noise coming in or out.

In that quiet room.

“He’s handsome.”

CEO Gu Inmo opened his mouth.

“I’ve seen a few of his works, and he seems better in person.”

“Yes, Actor Minki has good visuals.”

“Jungwoo’s eye for people is quite useful. Let’s take a pictorial soon. Jungwoo, what would be good?”

“I think furniture would be good.”

“Furniture? Yeah, furniture is good. Like beds or indoor lighting. To make a premium actor, you have to shoot premium commercials.”

With Lee Minki standing like a folding screen, the two people’s conversation continued.

Looking at the way he talks, he must be the CEO.

That’s right.

But looking at his actions, it was still hard to believe.

For example.

Chik!

Gulp, gulp.

“Keah!”

The fact that he brought a can of beer to the conference room and was opening it.

‘What is it?’

That was the identity of the black plastic bag from before.

No wonder it was lumpy, it was full of beer cans.

‘Ah, where is JC’s future going?’

He’s even a CEO, and he’s opening a can of beer at the company. No, maybe he can do that because he’s the CEO.

But thanks to being surprised from the start, there won’t be anything more surprising than this in the future.

That’s what I thought for a moment.

“Would you like some, Actor Lee?”

CEO Gu Inmo succeeded in breaking down the threshold of that surprise with just one word.

“……I’ll pass.”

“Is it because of your diet?”

No.

Would it be because of the diet?

Do you usually think of a diet in this case?

It’s normal not to even think about the act of opening alcohol in the conference room itself.

At Lee Minki’s refusal, CEO Gu Inmo clicked his tongue as if he was disappointed and said.

“Hey, these sincere stories only come out when you have some alcohol.”

Right, we met to talk.

In the moment when he thought he had completely forgotten, CEO Gu Inmo sighed and opened his mouth.

“I heard from Director Jungwoo that you were attacked by a stranger on your way home?”

“Ah, that’s, yes.”

Lee Minki nodded.

“The weapon was… a flashlight?”

“Yes, it was a product designed for self-defense.”

“Did you happen to see the other person’s face?”

“No. He was wearing a hat. He was also wearing a mask.”

“He’s a professional.”

CEO Gu Inmo seemed to be deep in thought.

What should I say?

Rather than guessing, it was more like he knew it would happen.

In the moment when he was holding his chin, he sharply flashed his eyes and said to Director Seo Jungwoo.

“Actually, I came after drawing my own conclusions, but what do you think, Jungwoo? Isn’t it that guy?”

At those words, Director Seo Jungwoo blinked for a moment, then said as if agreeing.

“Yes, that’s what I think.”

“It’s obvious who would do something like this.”

“It’s not common though.”

The two seemed to have reached the same conclusion.

Lee Minki, who was out of sync with the consensus, raised a small question alone, and CEO Gu Inmo opened his mouth.

“Actor Lee, what I’m about to tell you has to be off the record, can you keep a secret?”

At the words that felt heavy, Lee Minki carefully nodded.

He felt it instinctively.

The words he was about to hear were more secretive than any words he had heard in the past while staying in this industry.

“Okay, let’s talk.”

CEO Gu Inmo took a breath and said.

“The culprit is probably Hwang Ingu.”

“Yes?”

Lee Minki flinched at the unexpected name, and CEO Gu Inmo continued.

“Hwang Ingu of Daon, that guy is probably the one who instigated it from behind.”

Daon Entertainment.

The name of the agency that Lee Minki had dreamed of until recently.

That name that he had hoped to enter for years, Daon Entertainment, flowed out of CEO Gu Inmo’s mouth nakedly.

“The biggest son of a bitch in this industry.”

Very nakedly.

* * *

“Actor Lee, do you know that the entertainment business used to be heavily connected to gangsters?”

CEO Gu Inmo’s mouth spewed out fundamental stories.

“It’s less so these days, but until about ten years ago, gangster capital was quite mixed in. These days, it’s flowing in a more sophisticated direction, mainly to the entertainment side. Have you heard of it at least once?”

“That’s.”

Lee Minki hesitated for a moment, then slowly nodded.

“Yes, to some extent.”

Was it just to the extent of hearing about it?

The Korean entertainment industry was turned upside down.

‘A significant number of celebrities related to giant entertainment companies were tied to dark money.’

Loans, gambling, drugs, and even the sex industry were intricately intertwined, making it a complete mess.

There were few days when it wasn’t featured prominently in the news every day.

But considering how noisy it was to the point where the country was turned upside down, the ending was somewhat lukewarm.

[Suspect Y, not indicted due to insufficient evidence]

The fact that everyone except for a few key figures was released was like that.

Thanks to that, there were even rumors that the prosecution was in cahoots with the entertainment industry.

‘There were a lot of talks about them being heavenly dragons [powerful figures] living above the law.’

Dirty money did not disappear even as time passed.

It just changed its form a little.

It hasn’t exploded yet, but it won’t be long until it does.

At most, about three years?

‘Have I been living too peacefully?’

Lee Minki even felt a new emotion about the future that was already determined.

Come to think of it, who was the real culprit?

Even in that huge controversy at the time, only the branches were cut off, and the root was said to have not revealed even a single letter of its name.

How successful was he really?

‘Would it be about a member of the National Assembly? Because the prosecution also buried it.’

Will I ever find out if I keep working in the industry?

As he was chewing on his curiosity, CEO Gu Inmo continued.

“Hwang Ingu is the one who reigns behind that.”

“Cough!”

Lee Minki coughed.

“CEO Hwang Ingu?”

“There’s no one who’s not involved behind the scenes. It’s famous that if you only get in with CEO Hwang Ingu, there’s no business field in Korea that you can’t enter. He also has some connections in politics.”

“Perhaps the prosecution too?”

“Huh? Uh.”

No, is that coming out right away?

This is a bit.

Even so, you should give me some time to reason.

Are you throwing the answer sheet too abruptly?

“Yeah, Minki must be surprised too. You probably couldn’t have imagined that Hwang Ingu of Daon was acting as a pimp and money lender for gangsters behind the scenes.”

Yes, I really couldn’t have imagined it.

It’s really a name I never thought of.

The CEO of the company I had been dreaming of until recently was the culprit, it’s a bit surprising.

“I’ve known since a long time ago. That sly bastard. A bastard who would spit in the coffee and mix cigarette ashes if an actor asked him to make some coffee. A bastard who would cause an accident and pass the buck to the youngest.”

“……There’s some detail, so you must know each other well.”

As Lee Minki was about to make a sullen expression, CEO Gu Inmo continued in a voice that was either nostalgic or uncomfortable.

“That guy and I both started from similar bottoms in the old days. So I know a little.”

“That’s right.”

Director Seo Jungwoo also added from the side.

“Actor Lee, you’re from the younger generation, so you may not know, but in the past, our CEO and that CEO were combined and called Gu Ingu among industry people.”

“Hey, why are you saying things like that.”

You even have a nickname like that.

Come to think of it, the names are similar.

“Ahem, it’s just talk. Just talk.”

“What’s there to hide? Mad dog Hwang Ingu and hunting dog Gu Inmo. There was no one in the industry who didn’t know.”

Mad dog? Hunting dog?

That’s a bit absurd.

‘Is it customary for people in this industry to make up nicknames one by one?’

It’s not like a martial arts novel title.

Lee Minki was about to feel a sense of futility at the childish games of grown adults, and CEO Gu Inmo shrugged his shoulders and said.

“Anyway, just listening to the story, it’s a method that they often use. If they don’t like someone, they break them down appropriately and make them leave the industry voluntarily.”

“Is it certain that it’s CEO Hwang Ingu’s doing?”

“It’s not 100%. In the first place, there’s no physical evidence.”

Not 100% was no different from saying it was close to it.

The next moment.

CEO Gu Inmo put the beer can on the desk, clasped his hands together, and said.

“Actor Lee, do you understand? You may have tiring things happen in the future.”

“Maybe so?”

“It’s not something to take lightly. This time it ended in an attempt, but someone else might attack you again.”

That’s right.

Because something that happened once won’t end with just one time.

If it wasn’t just a coincidence, the same thing might happen someday.

What should I say?

Lee Minki read a strange emotion in CEO Gu Inmo’s gaze.

Perhaps he was hoping that he would leave the industry.

Leaving.

And hiding because he was afraid of the threat.

‘Is that really the answer?’

Lee Minki was lost in thought for once.

Right now, there is said to be a huge evil lurking in this industry. And that evil has also bared its fangs at him.

That being said, is leaving the answer?

‘If I leave, will they not bother me?’

It’s uncertain.

But even if someone seems like they’re going to bother me, is it right to be afraid and run away?

Is it really the right answer for the victim to leave because they are afraid of the perpetrator?

‘Give up being an actor? Now that I’m taking on my first lead role in a drama and just about to establish myself in the industry?’

I can’t do that.

Even if a blade comes to the front of my throat, I won’t quit once I’ve decided to see it through to the end.

I’ll do it even if I die.

No, isn’t the job of an actor to come back and do it even if they actually died?

“I want to go to the end.”

I won’t turn back.

It was the moment when he looked into CEO Gu Inmo’s eyes with that determination.

“That’s right, we can’t just stand still.”

The words that came out of his mouth were unexpected again.

Not defeatism or retirement advice.

Completely different words.

“I’d let it go if they were just doing it among themselves, but you’re messing with my celebrity?”

Lee Minki could hear CEO Gu Inmo grinding his teeth.

“That son of a bitch, he crossed the line properly this time.”