Chapter 170: Unexpected

[Excessive Historical and Cultural Distortion in Shoot for Love - J Broadcasting’s Drama Director, Suspected of Collusion with PPL Companies]

Shoot for Love is the hottest drama these days.

The controversy began with the male and female college student leads cooking and eating mala tang in their studio apartment. It felt out of place to see an overtly Chinese product in a Korean drama.

At the time, opinions were divided among viewers, but since it was a ‘meal kit,’ the controversy seemed to subside within an understandable range.

But soon, another issue arose.

During a date at Gyeongbokgung Palace, the two leads wore outfits reminiscent of qipaos instead of hanboks.

Moreover, scenes were aired showing Chinese customs, such as the lead’s dialogue mentioning, ‘I like the number 8,’ or gestures with their index finger and thumb, saying, ‘This is how you count numbers.’

Outraged, viewers demanded the drama’s cancellation.

A petition was posted on the Blue House’s bulletin board requesting the suspension of the drama’s international service, and some communities even suggested a boycott of the broadcaster.

With the rise of China’s Northeast Project amid the global spread of the Korean Wave, such reactions from viewers were only natural.

However, evidence of collusion between J Broadcasting’s Drama Director, Mr. A, and Dongson Foods, which sponsored the mala tang, has surfaced.

It was revealed that Mr. A had previously instructed a PD to include Dongson Foods in another drama and exerted pressure when the production team refused.

Suspected of being a second-generation Chinese immigrant due to his Chinese surname, and with Dongson Foods also being a Chinese company, testimonies from broadcasting industry insiders suggest some form of collusion.

• This is insane; I knew something felt off. How did such an absurd scene even make it in? WTF.

• Isn’t this a serious issue? ‘Broadcasting’ is a cultural pillar in Korea, and having someone with malicious intent there…

• His name is Wang. Wang Guanggu. Even his name screams Chinese.

• But the writer and PD must be crazy too. Other production teams refused, right? So, couldn’t Shoot for Love have done the same?

• I was enjoying it, but now I’m pissed. It was my drama of the year, damn it.

• Another drama from the same broadcaster… Could it be Blade’s Path?

• There’s nothing better than a historical drama for the Northeast Project.

• My friend’s on the staff of Blade’s Path, and they say it’s true. They initially refused a mooncake PPL on set.

• Wow;;ㅠㅠ Still, national actor Cha Eun-seong and my boy Ha Muyoungㅠㅠ

• Cancel the drama immediately and issue an apology. Delete the VODs and remove all streaming content. If not, I’ll boycott the broadcaster.

• How can those who feed on Korea’s broadcasting fees do this? Is this real or makgeolli? It’s a mockery of viewers and modern-day treason.

• Broadcasting Traitors OUT

“What the fuck is going on?”

Chaak—!

The J Broadcasting president slammed the newspaper down in fury.

Wang Guanggu stood before him, trembling and bowing his head.

The vice president and directors, sitting on the sofa with their heads in their hands, looked equally dismayed. Despite decades in broadcasting, none had faced such a crisis before.

“How did you handle things to make the station be called traitors? Broadcasting traitors—is that even a thing?”

“I-I’m sorry. It’s my fault.”

“Do you think I pay you to mess up like this?!”

“I have no excuse.”

The president’s anger exploded, sending papers flying.

Wang Guanggu’s body flinched and shrank further with each outburst. His restless gaze darted around before meeting the vice president’s.

‘Watch your mouth.’

A silent warning.

In fact, it was the vice president who introduced Wang Guanggu to Dongson Foods.

But now, with the situation as it was, if the vice president got involved, there’d be no one left to turn to.

“Mr. President, public opinion isn’t good. Other broadcasters are jumping on this…”

Every station was fiercely criticizing J Broadcasting. Only their own newsroom maintained an awkward silence.

Even the reporting division, which prided itself on ‘fairness,’ felt helpless. They couldn’t harshly criticize their own.

“What happened? Say something!”

“Ah, well… Dongson initially tried to place a food PPL in Blade’s Path. When that fell through, it moved to Shoot for Love. Since we had to break and change the contract, we went along with their somewhat excessive requests. Right, Director Wang Guanggu?”

The vice president pressed him as he spoke.

Wang Guanggu’s hands trembled as he clasped them together and nodded. The president’s face twisted further.

“What about the production costs?”

“We received 700 million per product and 1 billion for the costumes. The costume sponsorship wasn’t from Dongson Foods but from the founder’s daughter, who’s a designer…”

The rates were higher than expected.

The other directors, listening quietly, were taken aback.

PPL rates usually started at a thousand, didn’t they?

It was indeed a poisoned chalice. The higher the price, the greater the responsibility.

“And the production status?”

“Of the 16 episodes, 7 have aired so far. Production is complete up to episode 15. Today’s shoot was supposed to be the last, with editing scheduled to begin.”

“Shit…”

“The production cost is expected to be around 13 billion. Marketing expenses and payments are still pending, so there might be a few hundred million in variance.”

The president sat silently, deep in thought.

A whopping 13 billion. Even with the money they’d made, they might have to give it all back to resolve the situation. As he pondered, another director chimed in.

“I still think we should cancel it. Public opinion is worse than we thought. The Blue House petition reached 150,000 signatures in a day.”

“The website even crashed temporarily.”

“Seoul City, which provided location sponsorships and production funds, has requested a refund. With nine sponsors asking to be removed from the list, we need to cut our losses before it gets worse.”

“And other broadcasters are having a field day. They’re tearing us apart. No industry manners…”

Given the circumstances, opinions quickly converged.

Cancel the drama and suspend the service.

All that remained was personnel action.

“Director Wang Guanggu.”

“Yes, yes, Mr. President.”

“Did you receive anything from Dongson?”

The tone was unreadable.

It seemed like he was offering help if Wang told the truth, or perhaps just absurdly asking… or maybe just urging him to take the fall.

Whatever it was, the flustered Wang Guanggu couldn’t tell.

“N-No, nothing like that.”

As if.

The crumbs were so sweet.

He was like a frog in boiling water.

Like the frog that doesn’t notice the heat and boils to death, he’d lost all sense of boundaries, intoxicated by the taste of sweet capital.

“And the Chinese connection? Are you really of Chinese descent?”

“My father is Chinese, but I was born and raised in Korea.”

“…I see.”

Tick tock.

With that, the president fell silent.

The vice president and directors endured the heavy atmosphere, awaiting his decision. He summed up the situation tersely.

“You’ve worked hard.”

Such a long way to say, ‘You’re fired.’

Wang Guanggu felt his heart drop.

“While we appreciate your efforts for the company’s growth, someone has to take responsibility. I’m sure you understand. It’s your doing, after all. Right?”

“Yes…”

“As a final courtesy, I’ll give you exactly one day to write your resignation. You can go now.”

Wang Guanggu dragged his heavy feet out of the president’s office. As soon as he left, the president instructed the vice president and directors,

“Immediately release the apology, announce the drama’s cancellation, and suspend the service. You know how to write it, right?”

“Yes, don’t worry.”

The message was clear: stress that it was Wang Guanggu’s personal decision, not the company’s. Offer his head and hope the public calms down.

“And, about Blade’s Path…”

“Yes?”

The directors, who were wrapping up, paused.

The vice president did too.

“What were yesterday’s ratings? It’s been doing well lately. Isn’t it this quarter’s flagship? Cha Eun-seong and… who was it?”

“Ha Muyoung?”

“The response is amazing. It hit 22.8% by episode 6.”

“It’s the fastest to reach 20% and the second-highest rated episode 6 in history. With such a great cast, and the writer-PD combo, the teamwork is solid. It’s not just this quarter’s flagship but this year’s…”

As he explained, the president’s intent became clear.

Make up for the money and image lost with Shoot for Love through Blade’s Path.

“Good, since it’s a historical drama. Make sure the historical accuracy is emphasized in the PR. Try to redirect the PPLs and sponsors from Shoot for Love over there. Most importantly, focus on image recovery. Got it?”

“Ah, yes, of course.”

“Is it true that Cha Eun-seong refused to eat mooncakes on set?”

“I’ve heard that, but I’m not sure…”

“It doesn’t matter. Use it for PR. Say, ‘Historical and cultural distortion was Wang Guanggu’s personal decision. J Broadcasting’s dramas are thoroughly researched and committed to cultural preservation and promotion.’”

That was the only way forward.

The damaged image and the 13 billion lost.

To recover, they had to push Blade’s Path even harder, making two or three times as much.

Focus and prioritize.

The president’s strategy was to abandon Shoot for Love and fully back Blade’s Path.

“It was a 24-episode series, right?”

“Yes, I believe so.”

“Tell the Blade’s Path team we’re adding episodes.”

They’d need the writer’s cooperation, but there was no time for that now. These additional episodes were essential.

As long as possible, until the controversy died down. Blade’s Path had to be J Broadcasting’s shield.

“With the current momentum, additional episodes won’t be a surprise, right?”

“Yes, I’ll pass it on.”

“Hurry up. What a mess. Report directly and escalate. Make the PR as loud as possible. Cover the noise with more noise. Got it? Do whatever it takes.”

“Yes, leave it to me.”

The vice president and directors hurried out, knowing speed was key to containment.

Each department head returned to manage the fallout.

“Did you contact the Blade’s Path PD and writer?”

“Yes, I asked for a reply regarding the additional episodes.”

“But why haven’t they responded?”

“It’s only been an hour. Sir…”

“Sir! The press release is ready for approval!”

“Got it! Hold on! No one’s leaving today!”

They needed to flood the media with Blade’s Path articles.

And make sure the additional episodes were part of the narrative.

The director tucked his tie into his pocket and rushed off.

“Ahahaha! Wang’s getting fired? Yay!”

“Additional episodes?”

The first line was Cha Eun-seong, the second Ha Muyoung.

The two, taking a break on set, were hit with the news. The PD scratched his head, clearly confused.

“Well, due to various circumstances, it’s being discussed. I’ve notified the agencies, but I wanted you two to hear it first.”

“Ah, I see. We should know. Of course.”

“Ah, hold on.”

The PD said that and stepped out to take another call. Being part of the same broadcaster, the fallout from Shoot for Love was spilling over to Blade’s Path.

Cha Eun-seong looked relieved, laughing continuously.

“That bastard got what he deserved. Pfft!”

“The news isn’t out yet, but it seems internally decided.”

“Additional episodes…”

“Can you manage your schedule, hyung?”

Cha Eun-seong’s schedule was packed for the next year, or even years. Surely, he’d have commitments after this. He glanced at Muyoung and nodded.

“I have some, but I can clear them.”

“Wow, you can do that?”

“What about you?”

“I’m fine. I haven’t decided on my next project yet.”

“I see. Then—”

Cha Eun-seong hesitated, then whispered to Muyoung,

“Shall we raise our rates?”

“Rates? How?”

“If Cha Eun-seong is adjusting his next project for these additional episodes, the same pay won’t do.”

Ohhh.

Muyoung crunched on ice, clapping.

Beside him, Cha Eun-seong smirked, his nose tilting upward.

With two leads, if one’s rate goes up… naturally, the other’s should too, right?