Chapter 123: Let’s Go All the Way
Crash—
Joo Jungdan kicked the office door open.
He’d just come out of a meeting, only to find a complete mess waiting for him.
He swept the items off his desk and shouted,
“So! Where are we at with this—?!”
“Apologies. We’re still checking.”
“Checking, checking, checking! Is there no one on our line who can just take a quick look at this shit? What have you all been paid for? If you’ve been paid, then do your damn job—! Aaaagh!”
His rage was practically convulsive.
He screamed and smashed everything in the office to pieces. His secretary, though startled, didn’t seem to be seeing this for the first time, and stepped back to wait for him to calm down.
“We still can’t get in touch with Cha Ye-sol, who’s at the police station, but—after seeing the lawyer go in—”
“You idiot! Since the summons came, I should just go myself! What a useless head on your shoulders!”
“Excuse me. Vice President. The Chairman—”
“Dad? What about Dad!”
He glared, whipping his head around.
His eyes were murderous—like he’d rip anyone to shreds if they crossed him.
“He wants you to come up for a moment.”
“Aaaagh! Really!”
Crash!
He took a deep breath after smashing a crystal trophy to pieces, then roughly took the clothes the secretary was holding and headed up to the Chairman’s office.
Ding dong.
“Oh, hello. Vice President.”
“Move.”
The employees inside got out of the way as soon as they saw Joo Jungdan’s face.
The man headed to the top floor, to the Chairman’s office, as if it were the most natural thing in the world.
Knock knock.
“Chairman. The Vice President is here.”
“Send him in.”
A strong, elderly voice came through the door crack. Joo Jungdan opened the door to find the Chairman, Joo Seokdol, swinging a golf club around in casual clothes. Joo Jungdan clenched his teeth.
If I’m unlucky, my head’s gonna get smashed in.
Creak—
“Jungdan.”
“Yes. Chairman.”
“That girl, Cha Ye-sol. Did you meet her?”
He didn’t ask for the whole story.
Just short, concise, to the point. Joo Jungdan couldn’t bring himself to answer. The moment he opened his mouth, that silver golf club would come flying at him.
“I told you, didn’t I? Just like a drug dealer fears drugs, we who run this entertainment business need to fear them. They’re ‘products’, so if something goes wrong, it gets complicated. If you want to meet a woman—”
Twang!
The Chairman swung his golf club at a display case.
Shattered glass scattered at his feet.
“—meet them somewhere else. I must’ve warned you that last time was the last time, right?”
There had been a lot of accidents.
Too many to count, too many to remember.
But the ‘last time’ the Chairman was referring to was a pretty big incident. It was with an idol he’d met in private—they’d had a drink, slept together, and then she got pregnant.
“Do it.”
Joo Jungdan let out a sigh at the Chairman’s words, lay down, and braced himself. The golf club was swung with full force—
Wham!
“Ugh!”
Thud!
“Uuugh…”
The dull thud of impact continued relentlessly.
Eventually, Joo Jungdan, unable to bear the pain, collapsed to the floor. Just then, someone knocked on the still-open door, announcing their arrival.
Knock knock.
“Chairman.”
“Where are we?”
The Chairman threw the golf club aside and sat on the sofa.
“The first place it was reported was Korea News. The reporter’s name is Park Gyeongsik, and he doesn’t handle many of our articles, mostly SJ-related ones.”
“SJ?”
“Yes. And the prosecuting attorney, Shim Seongbo, is a university alum of Yusah’s.”
“He graduated from a foreign university, didn’t he?”
“Yes. They’re only three years apart in age, so they must know each other.”
How much support could they have given each other, meeting as fellow Koreans in a foreign land? The Chairman’s brow furrowed at the sudden mention of SJ.
“This…”
Could it be? Did we get bitten?
He glanced at his son.
Seeing him lying there like a worm, it was clearly his own fault for spoiling the youngest so much.
“Ugh. This is a real headache.”
He pressed his temples firmly.
“This isn’t the time to be messing with SJ.”
“…I’m not sure yet, but it’s suspicious. I sent porcelain to the homes of each media company president, and Chief Prosecutor Lee Ukkyung is out of town, so I should be able to see him within the week. For now, you’ll have to comply with the summons.”
If they call, I’ll have to go.
There was no avoiding it.
The Chairman lit a cigarette and muttered,
“Fuck. It’s all tangled up.”
Looking at him, you’d think he was a gangster. Well, his usual behavior wasn’t much different.
“Chairman!”
“What’s with the shouting?”
“The, the article’s out. Cha Ye-sol’s named, and, and the Vice President…”
The employee, kneeling on the floor, glanced at Joo Jungdan and answered, his voice getting quieter and quieter.
The Chairman turned on the TV in a hurry.
Ding—
[Breaking news: It has been revealed that celebrity A, who was indicted on drug charges, is Cha Ye-sol. In her testimony, her boyfriend was mentioned as a key supplier and co-conspirator. Police investigations confirm that he is Joo Jungdan, the third son of the Chairman of Baekgun Entertainment and Vice President of the company.]
And on the screen were photos of them together, their features perfectly identifiable without any pixelation. Joo Jungdan just stared at it, dumbfounded.
Where did they even get that?
“Uh, I mean, what the…”
While he stood there, stupidly lost in thought, the Chairman saw the hidden hand of SJ behind the article.
“The others must’ve talked too. But only Joo Jungdan’s name came up?”
Joo Jungdan.
It was a cold, detached way of addressing him, as if he were a stranger. The Chairman snapped his unlit cigarette in two and fixed his gaze on the news.
“Oh, Dad.”
For the first time at the company, Joo Jungdan called him ‘Dad’ instead of ‘Chairman’.
But in return, he received a sharp, icy stare.
“Shut up—”
And a quick decision, as the Chairman.
“When the investigation wraps up, go to America.”
“America? Why America…”
“Quit your job and go. Get yourself a decent degree like Yusah, or something. I put you in that position with a golden parachute, and look at you. Useless. I should’ve done this a long time ago.”
It wasn’t just any job—it was a senior position at the company.
How could they keep someone implicated in a drug scandal, someone arrested alongside an actress from a company investment, in the position of Vice President?
“Oh…”
If he’s no good, cut him loose.
There’s no choice. A son who’s already ruined himself. If he’s spreading rot through the company, the sprout must be cut off. The Chairman gave instructions to the manager and left the office.
“Find out quickly how much SJ has prepared behind the scenes to blow this up. The sneaks. When did they even prepare something like this? So underhanded. Huh?”
“Yes, Chairman.”
Crash—!
Joo Jungdan, left alone in the wrecked office, clutched his collar tightly, his whole body trembling.
“Yusah—”
The first person to come to mind was that guy.
A man who had never been of any help in his life.
A name that followed him like light and shadow, a point of comparison. He should’ve been stomped to death as a child…*
I let him off easy, and this is how he stabs me in the back?
“Vice President!”
He went down to the underground parking lot with nothing but a foreign car key in his hand.
As if in a trance, he headed to SJ Entertainment’s headquarters. Unlike him, Yusah would surely be at the company at this hour.
“Move! What’re you doing, blocking the road with that piece of junk?!”
Vroom! Beep beep!
Joo Jungdan sped down the three-lane road, swerving dangerously. His hunch was right.
At that very moment, an investor meeting was underway at SJ Entertainment.
“Wow. This is a first.”
“Yeah. It’s rare to have a celebrity at a meeting, and for them to be involved in the project…”
It was a regular gathering where movie investors reported on the current status, future schedules, internal and external conditions, and changes to be made.
“Hello. Nice to meet you. I’m Ha Muyoung.”
“Nice to meet you too. You’re so handsome. Huh? Haha!”
“I’m a fan. I was so excited to hear Ha Muyoung was cast. And I hear you’re taking a running fee for your appearance. Thank you. It couldn’t have been an easy decision.”
“Sit down! Sit down!”
“Should we get an autograph afterwards? Haha!”
Of course, Muyoung was a full-fledged investor himself.
The amount was small, but in terms of symbolism, he was more important than anyone else in the room. After all, he was the movie’s ‘lead’.
Muyoung greeted the investors and took his seat.
“Well, it looks like everyone’s here, so let’s begin.”
Yusah checked his flashy wristwatch and brought up the screen. Most of the attendees were representatives from other companies.
But since the industry was so small, almost everyone knew each other. The atmosphere was quite relaxed.
More than anything, it was probably because Muyoung, who was young enough to be their son, was there. Everyone was sneaking glances, eager to get a look at him.
“First, here’s the report on the shooting schedule. We’re about 90% done, and if all goes well, on-site filming should wrap up by next month.”
Since they’d put their money in, they needed to know where it was going.
Muyoung’s eyes sparkled as he focused on his first-ever investment meeting.
This is something I’ve only ever seen on TV, right?
It’s amazing.
Yusah, along with SJ Entertainment’s investment manager and staff, gave precise presentations on their respective areas.
About thirty minutes passed like that.
Crash—!
“Hey! You can’t do this!”
“Get a security guard, or, or anyone!”
“Let go of me! Move!”
“Ahhh!”
There was a commotion outside. Yusah stopped speaking, turned his head, and the door flew open.
Crash!
“Yusah!”
“…Huh?”
It’s Joo Jungdan.
Though expected, it was still beyond imagination. Yusah put down the mic. At his sudden appearance, the other investors stood up.
“What’s going on here…”
“Isn’t that Baekgun’s Joo Jungdan?”
“It is. But what’s he doing here…”
“You bastard, Yusah! This is your doing, isn’t it?!”
As everyone murmured, Joo Jungdan shouted first. Yusah sighed deeply, looking at the investors.
“I’m so sorry, but could you please step out for a moment? My secretary will show you to the reception room. I apologize again for the disturbance.”
“Ahem. Yeah. Let’s do that.”
“Come on, let’s go.”
With the atmosphere turning quite violent, everyone flinched and left. Muyoung tried to sneak out with them—
“You too, asshole! I warned you, didn’t I?”
“Oops.”
Busted. Oops.
Was there a laser shooting out of his flipped eyes?
Muyoung smiled awkwardly and took a step back.
“I didn’t do anything, though.”
“You think I’m an idiot? You messing with me?”
“No. No way.”
Hmm. The smog on his arm’s still the same.
Joo Jungdan’s face twisted into a fierce scowl as he approached Muyoung. Then, a barrage of abuse—
“Who do you think you are, a mere entertainer, butting in where you don’t belong? You want to stay at rock bottom until you’re 21? Let’s do it. Can you handle it—”
“I don’t think so.”
Muyoung just stared blankly, while Yusah cut in. Joo Jungdan wanted to rip them both to shreds.
“What’re you gonna do in jail?”
Yusah crossed his arms, looking quite annoyed.
“You’ve already disrupted our business, so I guess you’ll be staying longer, Vice President Joo Jungdan?”
“Shut up! Because of you, my business card’s gonna get flipped!”
“Why’s that my fault? You’re the one who did drugs. Oh. Are you still high? Did you come to the wrong place instead of the police station?”
Oh oh. So, President Yusah’s style when fighting is to throw shade. Muyoung watched the back-and-forth like he was at a tennis match.
“You little shit!”
Unable to control his anger, Joo Jungdan lunged at Yusah, but Muyoung stopped him in surprise.
His heart dropped, and his hands suddenly trembled.
“Whoa. No violence. Talk it out. Talk. I mean, you’re both adults now, even if you weren’t before.”
“Before?”
At Yusah’s question, Muyoung struggled to hold back Joo Jungdan. No. It’s hard to see through the smog.
“It’s just rice, I said. No! A little strength! Ah, come on!”
“Let go of me! You want to die?!”
“Muyoung, let him go. It’s fine.”
Huh? His voice is so icy.
When he turned around, he saw Yusah, only his eyes smiling, giving off an incredibly fierce aura.
“Let go. This guy wants to go all the way.”