Top Star By Luck [EN]: Chapter 89

89.

‘What is this?’

Lee Min-ki blinked.

He wondered who was calling, and it turned out to be the person he was photographed with.

‘What is it?’

There was only one possible scenario he could think of in this situation.

That was it.

Trying to extort money.

Demanding money in exchange for keeping their mouths shut.

“…….”

[…….]

They sized each other up in silence for a moment.

Lee Min-ki sighed briefly and said,

“What do you want?”

[Excuse me?]

“Tell me what you want. Money? Or something else?”

[Um.]

“Let me make it clear, I have no intention of accepting any conditions you might set. I refuse.”

From the start, Lee Min-ki assumed the other party was trying to blackmail him.

If so, it was important not to give them any leverage.

He assumed this call was being recorded.

‘Whatever I say, they could edit it and use it as another weakness against me.’

Therefore, it was important not to give them any excuse from the very beginning, even with a single word.

It was the same as with politicians.

[Respected citizens. Through this overseas aid project exchange, our government has secured natural resource rights…….]

[Headline: Breaking) Embezzlement of National Funds]

[Kneeling to the US, weeping to Japan, and apologizing to China]

How often did it happen that after going on overseas trips and securing rights, they were accused of wasting money overseas, claiming they had given everything away?

Regardless of party.

Anyway, Lee Min-ki decided to avoid these trap cards from the start.

“I’ll hang up if you have nothing more to say.”

He was cutting off the conversation itself.

Because having a conversation meant there was room for misinterpretation.

If there were no words exchanged from the beginning, there would be no room to distort anything.

Just as it seemed the conversation would be unilaterally cut off due to Lee Min-ki’s refusal.

[Wait, hold on!]

The other party, who had been blankly silent, hurriedly opened their mouth with an urgent voice.

[It’s not like that, I was calling to thank you.]

“……Yes?”

So.

As mentioned earlier, the enemy of my enemy is my friend.

In other words, even if someone is my enemy, if they are the enemy of my enemy, they can become my ally.

That’s what it meant.

* * *

Across the receiver, Bae Da-young muttered softly in her head with a gloomy expression.

‘……Have I lost my mind?’

It was good to make the call.

Because she wanted to convey her gratitude and something else.

What?

That was the story of what she had experienced and the internal affairs of Kim Do-ha’s gang.

[We’re going to use you to put a bell around Lee Min-ki’s neck. Think carefully and act. If you want to debut.]

Kim Do-ha’s gang.

Perhaps because their essence was under CEO Hwang In-gu of Daon, their actions naturally became similar.

Creating weaknesses in the other party.

And controlling them through those weaknesses, and drawing them in as accomplices in the long term.

Bae Da-young also walked a similar path without even realizing it herself.

[You’ll help me debut?]

[Yes, I’ve arranged a meeting with the director here, so make a good impression.]

The first start was a meeting.

It was strange that the location was a bar, but there was no particular problem with having a secret meeting in a bar.

Celebrities prefer these places because stories shouldn’t leak out.

It was a misjudgment.

[Remember this. You’re an ant. Your life is in my hands. If I change my mind and flick my finger, your future will disappear just like that.]

She was caught at that spot.

After that, she acted like their henchman.

She was thoroughly used to exploit other people’s weaknesses using her femininity, or to advance relationships.

As she was used as they pleased, at some point, when she came to her senses.

[You must work out hard? Your body is firm.]

She had fallen into a human group that was no different from Kim Do-ha’s gang.

No, mentally, it was even worse.

Because she had become a human who found a bit of comfort in corrupting others and seeing them fall to the same level as herself.

It was even more so when she saw people like Lee Min-ki, who debuted easily and walked a path of success.

Seeing those talented rookies made her blood boil.

She wanted them to reveal their true colors and become the same human trash.

But.

A moment of whim occurred.

‘This person picked up Lee Heul’s phone.’

She saw it.

She witnessed with her own eyes Lee Min-ki picking up Lee Heul’s phone and running away from the room.

But even though she saw it, she didn’t tell Kim Do-ha’s gang.

There was no special reason.

It was just a whim.

It was also impressive that Lee Min-ki had put a band-aid on her earlier, and she was slightly curious about how he would use that phone.

Whether he would return it to Lee Heul, or whether it was just a bad habit.

It was a whim.

Anyway, it wasn’t her responsibility to pretend she didn’t see it, and she was curious about what Lee Min-ki would do.

And also the band-aid.

Why did the band-aid remain so memorable?

‘Is he really not a player?’

Who in the world carries a band-aid around?

A grown adult.

Thinking about it again, it was just funny.

Even outdated romance movies wouldn’t have such cheesy flirting.

If it was a skill used to pick up girls, she wanted to advise him not to do that elsewhere.

‘It works because his face helps. If he were an average person, it would have been creepy.’

No.

Does it not matter because his face helps?

It was trivial.

But people’s hearts are usually determined by trivial things.

Anyway.

The fact that she didn’t like Lee Heul’s personality was also a big factor.

[Where do you think you’re talking back, you bitch. Just because I played with you for a while doesn’t mean you’re on the same level as me. Hey, Bae Da-young, please know your place. You’re just a bitch.]

That’s how it happened.

Anyway, she was curious about what Lee Min-ki, who took the phone, would do.

The incident he caused was far beyond Bae Da-young’s imagination.

[Kim Do-ha Scandal]

[Entertainment Company Forms Drug Distribution Network in Collusion with High-Ranking Police Officials. Cartel Behavior.]

It was made public.

He reported it anonymously.

Knowing that her safety could be in danger if it was known that she had done it, she still reported it.

Was that also a whim, or was it a sense of justice?

Just as she was wondering.

[That bastard. He’s the only one in the world who pretends to be good.]

She became certain when she heard that he had refused Kim Do-ha’s persuasion.

The identity of Lee Min-ki.

“I realized for the first time. The reason I became like this is because I chose to live like this.”

It was the 모습 [image] she tried to become, but couldn’t.

A series of words close to self-confession.

Lee Min-ki still answered as if he couldn’t understand a thing.

[Um, what are you talking about right now?]

“Until now, I always had the opportunity to report and get out of it.”

Bae Da-young said with a self-deprecating smile.

“But I couldn’t. I was scared. I was afraid they would harm me. I was afraid that the path to living as a celebrity would be completely closed off.”

Of course, it was already too late to make a living as a celebrity.

“So, I wanted to tell you for sure.”

Bae Da-young took a deep breath with determination and opened her mouth.

“Thank you.”

[…….]

“I wanted to see Kim Do-ha and those people get punished, and you showed it to me.”

[Um, even if you tell me that.]

Lee Min-ki still seemed to be vague and not giving a definite answer.

Maybe so.

He still couldn’t trust her.

It was natural.

Anyone would.

But Bae Da-young didn’t call thinking she could gain Lee Min-ki’s trust in the first place.

“I know. You’re having a hard time because of the photos taken with me.”

Now is the real key.

Bae Da-young knew what she could do in this case.

She also knew what she, who had already fallen into a insignificant accomplice, could do for Lee Min-ki.

No, it was something she could do because she had been Kim Do-ha’s accomplice.

“I’ll turn myself in.”

It was a surrender.

[……!]

“I’m going to reveal everything Kim Do-ha told me to do to the media. Including the fact that he told me to threaten you. You know. That I did it intentionally. I have all the evidence. All I have to do is reveal it.”

[Wait a minute. What am I hearing right now?]

“This has nothing to do with you. I’m doing it voluntarily. I’ll do it even if people around me stop me.”

It was already too late.

The moment the words she was revealing now flowed from her conversation with Lee Min-ki, she couldn’t postpone it.

Because she could just record it and spread it.

But Bae Da-young didn’t want to pass that much on to Lee Min-ki.

‘I committed the crime, so I have to take responsibility.’

That’s all.

Rather, her heart felt relieved.

“That’s all. Thank you. And I’m sorry. Actor.”

Soon, Bae Da-young hung up.

And.

Across the receiver, Lee Min-ki, who was holding the phone in his hand, was just dumbfounded.

‘Why is this person doing this?’

Bae Da-young.

What should he say about her?

‘I let her go on purpose.’

She belonged to the petty criminals that Lee Min-ki didn’t bother to report.

He realized it while reviewing Lee Heul’s phone data one by one.

She was also a victim who had been exploited to the bone by the gang.

It was no wonder.

Because the most basic method of Kim Do-ha’s gang was to draw victims into accomplices.

At first, he thought of reporting her, thinking that she was just another perpetrator, but Yoo Seon-ah overlapped with her, so he backed down.

Anyway, even if he explained it here, it would only become a mud fight, and in the process of explaining, the fact that Lee Min-ki was the informant could be revealed to the outside.

So he was thinking of covering it up and moving on rather than taking the risk.

[I’ll turn myself in.]

Turn herself in.

Lee Min-ki let out a hollow laugh.

‘Should I say I’m lucky?’

It was luck if it was luck.

It was luck that she pretended not to see his unusual behavior and let him go.

It was also luck that she, who was a clear enemy, turned to Lee Min-ki’s side at the end.

But.

‘Lucky.’

Even though she may not know it, it was luck she created herself.

Also, it was the misfortune that Kim Do-ha’s gang had built up themselves.

* * *

In the 9th inning, down by 3 points, a bases-loaded comeback occurred.

[Lee Min-ki Scandal Reversal]

[Victim B Reveals She Acted Under the Instructions of Kim Do-ha’s Gang]

[Increasing Victims with the Same Method]

[Outbreak of Accusations, Escape or Internal Whistleblowing?]

The victims, who had even silenced their breathing in front of Kim Do-ha’s gang, began to raise their voices voluntarily.

How they were used.

How they got entangled.

Who they deceived.

Which companies participated internally.

They voluntarily began to confess everything.

The start was an anonymous victim B.

[Even though the start was as a victim, I didn’t want to live as a perpetrator.]

In this process, the most noticeable beneficiary was.

As expected, it was Lee Min-ki.

[Lee Min-ki, Known to Have Been Almost Exploited by Kim Do-ha’s Gang in Reverse.]

He thought he was a similar guy, but he was actually a victim.

It was natural for a reversal to occur among the opinions of netizens.

[1. Lee Min-ki was really nice]

[2. Lee Min-ki, who was doing laundry in his room, earned 1 win]

[3. lololol I knew it]

[4. Lee Min-ki is famous for going to the gym instead of going to drinking parties, what is he doing with women in a room lol]

[5. Where did all the forest friends go?]

[6. Honestly, I thought it was a reasonable suspicion]

[7. What’s reasonable is the complaint that will go to you in the name of JC in front of you 악플러 [malicious commenter] lolololol]

Originally, in the case of such incidents, there are many cases where even a little mud splatter develops into an indelible stain.

But this time, the circumstances were special.

[Perpetrator B Reveals Her Feelings. Thanks Lee Min-ki for Showing Consideration.]

[Putting a Band-Aid on Her Injured Self]

How common is it for a perpetrator to defend a victim?

In the first place, Kim Do-ha’s gang’s criminal methods were widespread, and it was an example that accurately deviated from them.

[Lee Min-ki is suspicious]

[ㄴ 야붕아… please… please… get a grip…] (Note: 야붕아 [yabung-a] is a slang term often used on Korean internet communities, similar to “snap out of it!”)

[There aren’t many clean people among celebrities. Don’t you think Lee Min-ki is different? It’s all a fight for food. Look at reality.]

[ㄴ 야붕아.. please look at reality… please….]

[ㄴ You were the one who couldn’t see reality]

[ㄴ Teacher, are you in another world?]

[ㄴ Arrested at the Daon office]

About a week after the incident occurred, it finally subsided.

Kim Do-ha’s gang committed the crime.

Daon, a drug distributor, greatly assisted the perpetrators.

There were many victims.

Lee Min-ki was one of the leading figures.

Lastly, the initial informant was.

Still anonymous.

* * *

An office where all sorts of objects were scattered, reminiscent of a pandemonium.

In that place, where there were so many desks with broken legs that he couldn’t count them on one hand, a man was wailing.

“Aaaaaagh!”

Kwaang!

The chair, which was still intact, collapsed under the baseball bat he swung at the same time.

A person who was usually 능글능글 [sly/slick] and known for being secretive in the Korean entertainment industry.

It was CEO Hwang In-gu.

He was still under investigation without detention, but he was sure to be caught soon. He stared at the empty air with bloodshot eyes and shouted.

“Lee Min-ki, you 개X끼 [son of a bitch]!!”