The Crazy Mercenary Commander Goes to Work in the Entertainment Industry

The set of MBS’s Daily Drama, The Last Man. Amid dozens of staff members moving about in a frenzy, Yoon Da-yeon was inside getting her makeup touched up. One man watched her with an impassive face.

It was Kang Jae-ha.

”......”

Arms crossed, he gazed steadily at the scene. He looked like he had nothing on his mind, but Jae-ha’s brain was operating at considerable speed. He was weighing a great many things. What he was currently setting in motion, and the various options that would branch out from it going forward.

He estimated and anticipated everything from the worst case, to the lesser evil, to every possible variable.

This was a routine Kang Jae-ha had always followed when he was in the other world. He’d done it far more rigorously over there. Because that was the only way to raise his odds of survival, even if just slightly.

Just then.

-Buzz.

His phone let out a short vibration. A text, sent by Lee Chan-hoo. The content was simple. He’d fired an opening shot at the House of the Daytime Moon side. Of course, since it was something Jae-ha had ordered in advance, his reaction was nothing special.

-Swish.

Lowering his phone, Kang Jae-ha thought about House of the Daytime Moon, or rather, Director Hong Man-seop. More precisely, he was recalling the ’Deja Vu’ related to Director Hong Man-seop, what he’d looked into himself, and what Lee Chan-hoo had investigated.

’As I thought, House of the Daytime Moon wasn’t a regular film. It’s animated.’

House of the Daytime Moon was not an art house or independent film, but an animated feature. The production studio handling it was Cheong-yeon Studio, a company specializing in animation. Production was already in the mid-to-late stages. The screenplay for House of the Daytime Moon had been written by Director Hong Man-seop, and he had a track record of releasing animated films in the past.

’His previous work pulled in 660,000 viewers. A mixed result.’

It was neither a failure nor a success. 660,000 viewers. In the commercial film world, that was a catastrophic flop, but for an animated film, it was a decent enough showing. Still, it was break-even at best, hard to call a success.

That was how barren the domestic animation market was right now.

Hollywood and Japanese animated films still had plenty of demand, but the domestic animation market had practically collapsed. The last purely homegrown animated film to hit theaters was nearly ten years ago. In other words, House of the Daytime Moon carried significance just by being released. It was keeping the dying market’s legacy alive.

’But this time, House of the Daytime Moon hits it out of the park.’

According to ’Deja Vu’, House of the Daytime Moon would draw over 3 million viewers. Not quite a grand slam, but a remarkable result all the same. Only Kang Jae-ha knew this.

Jae-ha didn’t have the screenplay for House of the Daytime Moon yet, but he had a rough grasp of the content.

Through Lee Chan-hoo’s ’Search’, he’d extracted several keywords. House of the Daytime Moon featured a Confucian scholar and demons, set in the Joseon era. On top of that, the word ”occult” was also in the mix. Once he got his hands on the screenplay he’d know for certain, but Kang Jae-ha could already roughly guess what kind of animated film House of the Daytime Moon was.

And if things went according to his design.

’Three million, huh... Once you cut out the Chinese capital, probably... No, definitely more than that.’

It would be a first for the industry, and House of the Daytime Moon was sure to cause a stir with considerable ripple effects.

The man who had written that House of the Daytime Moon, Director Hong Man-seop, currently had his eyes blown wide open.

Location: Cheong-yeon Studio conference room. In the middle of a meeting with the Chinese investor, Huayuan Partners.

’They’re interested in investing in House of the Daytime Moon?’

Good news had reached Director Hong Man-seop just as he was about to accept Huayuan Partners’ unreasonable conditions.

-A company called ’MEG’ just reached out saying they’re interested in investing in ’House of the Daytime Moon’.

A Post-it note held out by a female staffer at the studio. The moment he registered the contents, Director Hong Man-seop’s body went rigid. But his mind raced. MEG? An investment firm he’d never heard of in his life. He wanted to ask the staffer right away, but.

’No. Stay calm first.’

If he did that, Huayuan Partners sitting across from him would catch on. The startled Director Hong resolved to react just enough to buy time.

”Director-nim?”

A question came from the Huayuan Partners side across the table.

”Will you accept our conditions?”

Until just moments ago, crappy as the deal was, Director Hong Man-seop would have nodded. He would have put a Chinese character into House of the Daytime Moon.

But the situation had shifted slightly.

Nothing was certain yet, but a faint hope had sprouted. Director Hong Man-seop launched into an act. He composed his expression as if nothing had happened and steadied his voice.

”Mm... To be frank. Inserting a Chinese character is a condition I never even considered.”

”Is that so? But as I mentioned, I don’t think it’s an unreasonable request. You’d just need to add one character with a suitable narrative arc. That alone would solve your funding shortfall.”

That is an unreasonable request, you bastards. Director Hong Man-seop smoothed his thick eyebrows, trying to stay composed. Suppressing his irritation, he lowered his voice.

”Hmm, I’ll need some time to think it over.”

”Time to think?”

”After all, adding a new character at this mid-to-late stage of production means a great deal would need to be revised. Character design would need to be done as well. It’s difficult to make such a decision on the spot.”

”......”

Huayuan Partners studied Director Hong Man-seop closely. They knew his situation very well. They’d done all their research before making contact.

’Director Hong Man-seop will end up accepting our terms. He has no choice.’

That was Huayuan Partners’ conclusion.

”We can’t give you much time.”

”Just two weeks.”

”We’ll give you one.”

”...Understood.”

Director Hong Man-seop couldn’t just recklessly discard Huayuan Partners. A faint hope had sprouted, sure, but if he burned bridges with them and then things fell through with this unknown investor, he’d be left with nothing. Setting the conditions aside, the only party practically guaranteeing investment right now was Huayuan Partners.

With that, House of the Daytime Moon was given one week, and the meeting ended.

Huayuan Partners filed out of the conference room in a group, and only after they had completely left Cheong-yeon Studio did Director Hong Man-seop finally speak.

”How exactly did this contact from ’MEG’ come in?”

He asked the staffer who had passed the Post-it note, now free to speak openly. Soon, several figures including the Cheong-yeon Studio CEO gathered around Director Hong Man-seop. Every face was dead serious. The fate of House of the Daytime Moon hung in the balance.

The staffer relayed the details of the call, word for word.

”The other person was a man, and he said, very matter-of-factly, that he was interested in investing in House of the Daytime Moon and asked us to call back.”

She handed Director Hong Man-seop the company name, MEG, and the number she’d taken down. Without waiting, Director Hong Man-seop immediately picked up his phone and dialed MEG.

The ringing didn’t last long.

”Yes, hello?”

A man’s voice came through the phone. A tone that was neither light nor heavy. Director Hong Man-seop introduced himself with gravity.

”Hello, this is Director Hong Man-seop. I was told you reached out.”

”Ah, House of the Daytime Moon, Director Hong Man-seop-nim?”

”Yes, that’s right. I heard you have an interest in investing in our House of the Daytime Moon.”

The man on the other end replied with a hint of amusement in his voice.

”Is your meeting finished, then? That’s right, yes. I’m Lee Chan-hoo, CEO of MEG. And I am thinking of investing in House of the Daytime Moon.”

”Forgive me for asking, but... have we met before? Perhaps at one of the investment firms I visited?”

”We’ve never met.”

”Then how...”

”You want to know how I found out about House of the Daytime Moon?”

”......Yes.”

Director Hong Man-seop probed, checking for now. Lee Chan-hoo’s reply came fast and a touch brusque.

”I have a fairly wide intelligence network. But does any of that really matter?”

Naturally, this was a calibrated tone, dictated by his backer Kang Jae-ha.

”The point is whether or not I invest in House of the Daytime Moon, right?”

For an instant, Director Hong Man-seop’s brow twitched. Not from annoyance, but because those words snapped him to attention.

”You’re right, that is the crux of the matter.”

”Shall we meet? This seems a bit heavy for a phone call.”

”Wherever is convenient for you.”

”Hmm, I can come to you at Cheong-yeon Studio.”

”Thank you.”

After replying, Director Hong Man-seop glanced at the desk calendar on a nearby staffer’s desk. Time was not on his side. The deadline Huayuan Partners had given was one week. Director Hong Man-seop needed to meet MEG as soon as possible.

”I’m sorry to rush, but would it be all right to meet tomorrow morning?”

Lee Chan-hoo didn’t seem to mind at all.

”Sure, let’s do it. Business should move quickly.”

One day later, Friday the 6th. Cheong-yeon Studio.

Morning. Director Hong Man-seop and several others could be found in the conference room. The window-side seats of the ㅁ-shaped table arrangement. Yesterday, Huayuan Partners had been the other party; today, the seats across were still empty.

It seemed Lee Chan-hoo hadn’t arrived yet.

The atmosphere in the conference room was far from bright. No conversation passed between them. While waiting for Lee Chan-hoo, Director Hong Man-seop reflected on the investment firm called MEG. Naturally, Director Hong Man-seop and Cheong-yeon Studio had looked into MEG. The answer was simple.

’There was no information.’

No meaningful data, no rumors. In other words, MEG was either brand new or completely unknown. A seed of doubt had sprouted, but Director Hong Man-seop decided to approach this meeting in earnest for now.

’It’s too early to tell. Too early.’

Just then.

-Swish.

The conference room door slid open, the female staffer appearing first, followed by a man who stepped inside. Short hair, dressed in a suit, with sharp yet narrow eyes.

The moment he saw the man, Director Hong Man-seop rose from his seat.

”How do you do, I’m Director Hong Man-seop. We spoke on the phone yesterday.”

”Haha, hello, Director-nim.”

The man finished a handshake with an easygoing grin and held out a business card. Lee Chan-hoo, CEO of MEG. Settling back into his seat, Director Hong Man-seop studied Lee Chan-hoo across the table and murmured inwardly.

’A somewhat unpredictable type. Seems laid-back, but there’s something sharp behind those eyes.’

Lee Chan-hoo, legs languidly crossed, likewise scanned Director Hong Man-seop and the Cheong-yeon Studio personnel across from him. Then he recalled the advice of his Commander, Kang Jae-ha.

’Whatever attitude or posture you show, he’ll take it. That’s how desperate Hong Man-seop is. He’ll be frantic. So you need to come across as decisive and generous, so that MEG’s image as a real savior sticks.’

Jae-ha had been right on the money. In Lee Chan-hoo’s eyes, Director Hong Man-seop was keeping himself restrained, but his anxious gaze and stiff expression radiated a palpable hunger. As Lee Chan-hoo offered a thin smile, Director Hong Man-seop spoke first.

”CEO-nim Lee Chan-hoo. You said you’re interested in investing in House of the Daytime Moon. First, let me explain our project.”

”Ah, we can save that for later.”

Lee Chan-hoo uncrossed his legs and threw a fastball.

”Let’s cut to the chase. House of the Daytime Moon, how much investment do you need?”

”...Pardon?”

Caught slightly off guard, Director Hong Man-seop blinked twice, then said.

”We’re looking at around 1 billion won.”

He didn’t show it, but Lee Chan-hoo flinched a little too. One billion? That was higher than what he’d expected.

’Oh shit, the Commander’s estimate was spot on. Damn.’

Director Hong Man-seop knew full well it was a hefty sum. In the domestic animation market, barren to the point of collapse, no investor was going to hand over a full billion won. Leon Entertainment and several other companies had turned him down, and even Huayuan Partners had opted not for the full billion but for a split approach, 500 million in two installments.

So Director Hong Man-seop laid it out the same way Huayuan Partners had structured it.

”Of course, the 1 billion includes the remaining production costs plus promotion and marketing through release. I understand that receiving it all at once would be unreasonable. If we could start with around 500 million for the first phase, we could make it work.”

”No need to split it up for that amount.”

Director Hong Man-seop froze.

”Pardon?”

Lee Chan-hoo was, if he was being honest, nervous as hell too. One billion won. But he didn’t let his composure slip. He trusted the man behind him, Kang Jae-ha. The attitude he needed to take here was exactly as the Commander had instructed: charge forward, bold and decisive.

”One billion. MEG will invest.”

”......”

It was only a moment, but to Director Hong Man-seop, Lee Chan-hoo looked like...

’Is... is he serious?!’

...a savior, bathed in a halo of light.

Same time.

Location: Moonbak Film, the production company behind the short film Condensation. Director Kwon Sung-min was in a brief meeting with the assembled Key Staff.

”Once auditions are finalized, I’m planning to go out for location scouting right away. I’d appreciate it if everyone could join me then.”

Director Kwon Sung-min pushed his glasses up, tension radiating from every fiber of his being. Pre-production as a director. He’d always only imagined it; this was his first time doing it for real, and he had zero experience leading Key Staff.

But alongside that surging tension, adrenaline was pumping through him in equal measure.

’This is amazing. It’s not a daydream, it’s real. I’m actually running pre-production!’

Condensation was a short film, so its pre-production was modest compared to a commercial feature, but that didn’t matter one bit to Director Kwon Sung-min. The responsibility was growing heavier, but he was happy.

He was starting to savor the pressure.

Just then.

”Director-nim!”

”Yes??”

A man with a broad, flat face walked into the meeting room. It was Jeong Tae-woo, CEO of Moonbak Film, with a tablet in one hand. He rushed to show Director Kwon Sung-min the tablet screen.

”Two more audition applicants just came in!”

”Oh! Great news!”

”But those two, they’re from Leon.”

”......Leon?”

Director Kwon Sung-min’s jaw dropped.

”L-Leon Entertainment??!”

”Yes!”

Getting interest from any decent mid-size entertainment company would have been shocking enough, but from that Leon Entertainment, the one evaluated as being on the verge of cracking the top five? Wait, why would Leon be interested in my Condensation? Director Kwon Sung-min’s shock doubled.

”No way.”

”On top of that, one of the two is a nobody, but the other one is... quite surprising.”

”Why, who is it??”

Jeong Tae-woo, equally excited, answered.

”Yoon Da-yeon. Yoon Da-yeon applied.”

Director Kwon Sung-min’s eyes went perfectly round. He looked deeply stunned.

”...Yoon Da-yeon? The actress I’m thinking of??”