The Crazy Mercenary Commander Goes to Work in the Entertainment Industry

At Commander Kang Jae-ha’s answer that he was going to buy out ’Moonbak Film’. At that, slit-eyed Lee Chan-hoo gave a small chuckle.

”As expected, you’re acquiring ’Moonbak Film’ too?”

Jae-ha gave a casual nod.

”Have to.”

”Then naturally, you’re planning to entrust this ’Condensation: Euphoria’ production to ’Moonbak Film’ as well?”

”Right. Watching CEO Jeong Tae-woo while we were making the short, the guy’s got a head for the work. He’s got a feel for feature production too. He’ll handle ’Condensation: Euphoria’ just fine.”

”True. Even to my eyes, with my background at a production company, CEO Jeong Tae-woo looks like a sharp operator.”

The truth was, Kang Jae-ha had been observing many people throughout the production of the short film ’Condensation’. Director Kwon Sung-min, of course, along with Yoon Da-yeon, An Ji-hee, and others. Among them was CEO Jeong Tae-woo of ’Moonbak Film’. In short, their competence had already been verified.

On top of that, Jae-ha had been planning to buy a film company anyway.

After the entertainment agency, the film company.

’Moonbak Film’ was just the right size for what Kang Jae-ha had in mind. A place with shaky finances but solid skills. And on top of that, ’Moonbak Film’ was already tied to ’Condensation’.

’Since they made the short, they’ll be able to handle the feature, ’Condensation: Euphoria’, even better.’

The acquisition of LX Entertainment, where Choi Ri-na was currently signed, was already in full swing, so the next target would be ’Moonbak Film’. Soon Kang Jae-ha gave Lee Chan-hoo his orders.

”Tomorrow or so, take Cha Chung-hyeon and head to ’Moonbak Film’ for a meeting. Drop the bait, and in the meantime, wrap up the LX Entertainment deal. By that point, CEO Jeong Tae-woo will give us his answer.”

”Got it.”

Lee Chan-hoo nodded, then changed the subject.

”And as you’ve seen, the buzz around ’House of the Daytime Moon’ is killer!”

”Yeah.”

”The industry’s already losing their minds calling it a miracle for Korean animated films, all that crap.”

”It is a miracle. First domestic animated film to look like a real hit in over a decade.”

Just as Kang Jae-ha was recalling the Deja Vu of ’House of the Daytime Moon’ and giving a small smile, Lee Chan-hoo cut in.

”You’ve absorbed Director Kwon Sung-min. Shouldn’t we start reeling in Director Hong Man-seop too?”

Jae-ha gave a brief shake of his head.

”Leave him for now. Let him fully enjoy the moment.”

”Yes, sir!”

Kang Jae-ha then thought of the thick-browed Director Hong Man-seop.

”We reel him in once he’s properly heated up.”

Morning of the 5th.

Kang Jae-ha came into work. Leon Entertainment’s Management Team 4 was busy as ever today, and the entertainment industry as a whole was even more chaotic.

The hottest topic, as always, was Woo Jeong-cheol’s drug case that had broken a few days earlier.

《’Drug-User’ Woo Jeong-cheol: Public Outrage Mounts, Yet Still No Statement... Silence Is Not the Answer》

Top actor Woo Jeong-cheol had vanished without a trace. Whether he’d gone underground or what, no one had heard a thing. His agency had also been quick to respond at first, but now they’d gone silent. This kind of silence only made things worse, and to the public, it only confirmed their suspicions.

Whether Woo Jeong-cheol went underground or not, the police were moving fast.

《[Issue Pick] Police ’Obtain Intelligence on Woo Jeong-cheol Drug Case... Investigation Underway》

This meant the day Woo Jeong-cheol would be summoned wasn’t far off. At this point, Kang Jae-ha was simply watching the Woo Jeong-cheol case unfold for now. To Jae-ha, the Woo Jeong-cheol drug case itself didn’t really mean much.

The key was the master director Yu Gil-tae, who was connected through it.

Well, more than half of the design was already in place. That said, Kang Jae-ha hadn’t ordered Lee Chan-hoo to meet Director Yu Gil-tae right away. It wasn’t time yet.

’A little more. Director Yu Gil-tae needs to feel his blood run a bit colder watching the Woo Jeong-cheol case.’

Watching the Woo Jeong-cheol drug case deepen, Director Yu Gil-tae had to tremble more. Only then would the savior image cast onto Lee Chan-hoo grow more intense. And in fact, Director Yu Gil-tae was practically weak in the knees.

”......I, I almost got royally screwed.”

If this whole mess had broken out while his new film was in production or about to be released, recovery would have been impossible. Along with that, he thought of Lee Chan-hoo, who’d given him a heads-up in advance.

’I get the strong feeling that this Woo Jeong-cheol situation really was handled by CEO Lee Chan-hoo... Whatever it was, thanks to him, I dodged the gutter. That much is certain.’

The names ’MEG’ as an investment firm and Lee Chan-hoo were carved deeply into the master director’s mind.

At the same time, Lee Chan-hoo set to work on the acquisition of LX Entertainment, which would become MEG’s first subsidiary.

His companions for the task were Go Chun-seok and Cha Chung-hyeon.

To CEO Park Ja-hee of LX Entertainment, Lee Chan-hoo spoke quietly.

”Once ’MEG’ acquires LX Entertainment, the first thing to change will be the company name.”

Meaning, once acquired, the LX Entertainment sign would have to come down. For CEO Park Ja-hee, it meant LX Entertainment fading into history, which was something to grieve, but it was a topic that had already come up in their previous meeting.

”...Yes, I’m aware.”

She had no choice but to accept it. Or rather, she had to accept it. A signboard wasn’t what mattered most right now. Survival came first. Even at this very moment, plenty of domestic entertainment agencies were going under, and before long, LX Entertainment would have been on that list too.

She was lucky to have caught MEG’s eye. No, Kang Jae-ha’s eye.

Lee Chan-hoo continued.

”The company name will become ’MEG Entertainment’ instead of LX Entertainment, and of course, CEO Park Ja-hee, your position will be retained.”

He calmly explained what would change and what CEO Park Ja-hee would need to do going forward. The explanation went on at some length, but the core of it was this.

”CEO, you’ll keep doing what you’ve been doing, while also taking on things you haven’t done before.”

The grain of the work would stay similar, but the tension level needed to rise.

”Right after the sign changes, CEO Park Ja-hee, please solidify the company’s internal foundations.”

”Understood.”

”And we’ll be bringing in actors before long.”

”Excuse me? Actors? Who?”

”It’s hard to say just yet. For now, just be aware of it.”

The actors Lee Chan-hoo was referring to were, of course, Yoon Da-yeon and An Ji-hee. Beyond them, the roster would gradually expand.

”On top of that, Choi Ri-na, who’s already signed with you. We’re planning to give that one a proper push.”

A while later, around the 10th, the LX Entertainment acquisition was wrapped up.

Meaning LX Entertainment had officially become ’MEG Entertainment’. The moment ’MEG Ent’. was born, CEO Park Ja-hee began moving busily, and Lee Chan-hoo immediately proceeded to a meeting with the next target, ’Moonbak Film’.

”CEO Jeong Tae-woo, don’t shut up shop. Let’s keep going, with us.”

When Lee Chan-hoo announced his intention to acquire ’Moonbak Film’, the broad-faced CEO Jeong Tae-woo was visibly stunned.

”Are, are you really doing this?”

”Yes, CEO. Let’s make ’Condensation: Euphoria’ together.”

To CEO Jeong Tae-woo, whose finances were teetering on the edge of a cliff, Lee Chan-hoo, no, ’MEG’, looked like a savior. He’d genuinely been thinking of closing the doors right after the short film ’Condensation’.

”......Thank you.”

But he’d survived. Beyond mere survival, ’Moonbak Film’ had landed an opportunity to play on a much bigger stage than before. Whatever the case, the fine details of the ’Moonbak Film’ acquisition were once again handled by Cha Chung-hyeon.

”Hah. Brutal. It’s fun, but Commander... aren’t you working me too hard?”

To Cha Chung-hyeon, who grumbled with a weary drawl, Go Chun-seok answered.

”I’ll help.”

Lee Chan-hoo cackled.

”This is just the beginning, what’re you whining about? At least you get to sleep, Cha Chung-hyeon. My eyeballs feel like they’re about to fall out these days.”

”I’ll... mourn for you.”

”Still, the Commander pays well. He’s gonna give a fat bonus this time around.”

In any case, once the ’Moonbak Film’ acquisition was complete, the film company ’Moonbak Film’ would also have its name changed.

To ’FilmMEG.’

Once the acquisition was done, the control tower ’MEG’ would have two subsidiaries. ’MEG Entertainment’ and ’FilmMEG’. Both were small in scale, but for the parent company ’MEG’, it was rapid expansion.

In less than a year, two subsidiaries.

At that same hour, in a broadcasting station’s radio division green room, Yoon Da-yeon could be seen. She was scheduled to appear as a radio guest in about an hour, and right now she was sitting on the sofa, deeply absorbed in reading a stack of papers.

”......”

An Ji-hee was beside her. An Ji-hee was nodding off. Understandably so. With variety shows, interviews, and other rapidly multiplying schedules, she had to be running short on sleep. Today’s radio appearance was as the two actresses who had won awards at BIFF.

In contrast, Yoon Da-yeon, in full makeup, didn’t stop reading the stack of papers. Or rather, the screenplay. It wasn’t forced.

’Insane. This is so good.’

The pull of the work itself was at a crazy level. The screenplay she was reading was ’Mask of Murder’, which she’d received from Director Yu Gil-tae. She’d had high expectations because it was a screenplay handed to her directly by a master director, but she hadn’t expected this much. In fact, this was the second time Yoon Da-yeon was reading the ’Mask of Murder’ screenplay.

’I want this. I have to do this work, no matter what.’

Greed filled both of Yoon Da-yeon’s eyes.

Around this time, Kang Jae-ha, in Leon Entertainment’s Management Team 4, was also doing a screenplay reading. Team 4 had been pretty rowdy lately. It was the same now. But Kang Jae-ha alone remained quiet.

”Hmm.”

He had already finished reading ’Mask of Murder’ and was now looking at ’Condensation: Euphoria’, which Director Kwon Sung-min had given him. Soon Kang Jae-ha finished reading ’Condensation: Euphoria’ as well and closed the screenplay.

The corners of Jae-ha’s mouth lifted at once.

’’Mask of Murder’ and ’Condensation: Euphoria’. Both are good.’

Soon Kang Jae-ha recalled the ’Deja Vu’ of the two works he had just read.

’Both are going to be massive hits, so I guess that’s only natural.’

What drew Kang Jae-ha’s attention even more was ’Condensation: Euphoria’. For ’Mask of Murder’, it was the work of master director Yu Gil-tae, so its quality was understandable, but ’Condensation: Euphoria’ was Director Kwon Sung-min’s first attempt at a feature film. And yet, ’Condensation: Euphoria’ lost very little in comparison to Director Yu Gil-tae’s work.

Crossing his legs, Jae-ha rubbed his chin.

’Director Kwon Sung-min... I’m curious how big he’ll grow.’

Next, Kang Jae-ha began assessing the cast for ’Condensation: Euphoria.’

’First, An Ji-hee.’

Kang Jae-ha thought of An Ji-hee first. But unlike with the short film ’Condensation’, for the feature ’Condensation: Euphoria’, An Ji-hee wasn’t quite right as the female lead. Shorts and features differed enormously in scale, in everything.

Just looking at the shooting period, the difference was night and day.

In such a combative production process, being the lead carried serious weight and responsibility.

’Being the lead of a work means shouldering a lot.’

The saying that the lead drags the whole work along by the collar didn’t exist for nothing. Ticket Power, on-set atmosphere, and plenty more besides. But An Ji-hee was just a rookie who’d barely made her debut. Hot or rising aside, An Ji-hee was still woefully short on experience.

’So An Ji-hee will be a supporting role.’

Kang Jae-ha murmured inwardly, then murmured again.

’For now, supporting will work better for An Ji-hee. It’ll also be easier to juggle with her other schedules.’

At the same time, Tokyo, Japan.

Japan was deep in the grip of the Korean Wave. In the office of one production company in that Tokyo, more than a dozen Japanese people were holding a serious meeting. Calm Japanese flowed back and forth. Listening to the conversation, it was roughly about producing a drama, and right now the topic appeared to be casting.

Among the dozen-plus, a thin, scrawny woman let out a sigh and spoke in Japanese.

”Phew. This sub-character. Finding a fresh face who looks pure and has Korean Looks isn’t easy.”

The man with a large face sitting beside her picked up where she left off.

”But the acting has to hold up. The public’s eyes are getting sharper these days, you know. We can’t ignore acting ability.”

”Right. But if she’s a fresh face, she’ll be a rookie, and it’s not easy for a rookie to act well......And if we go strictly for acting ability, public recognition will inevitably be high.”

”Difficult. How about finding an actor on our side who speaks Korean well?”

”Viewers will start cursing the moment they see it. Do you know how many Korean dramas the public watches these days? No matter how well a Japanese actor speaks Korean, it shows. If we just slot in a Japanese actor, we’re guaranteed to get nothing but criticism.”

The large-faced man gave a low groan.

”Then we really have no choice but to look for a Korean actor.”

”This role is a Korean female college student who came to Japan to study, in the first place.”

”What about looking among Korean idols?”

”Not bad. But for one, I’m worried about acting ability, and Korean idols have too much public recognition in Japan. The image clashes with the role too much, you could say. Still, if there’s really no one else, that’s probably our only option.”

At this point, the bespectacled woman who had been steadily tapping at her laptop cut in.

”How about this actress? I did some digging this morning, and...”

She turned the laptop around so everyone could see.

”She’s a Korean actress who won the Best Newcomer Award in the short film category at Korea’s Busan International Film Festival.”

On the laptop screen, a photo of a familiar Korean rookie actress was displayed.

”Her name is An Ji-hee.”

*****

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