The Crazy Mercenary Commander Goes to Work in the Entertainment Industry

What Kang Jae-ha wanted from Moon Ji-a was for her to transfer to ’MEG’. Already in the middle of her contract renewal season, Moon Ji-a was slightly thrown off guard by Jae-ha’s unexpected answer.

”......You want me to move over to ’MEG’?”

Moon Ji-a had been certain that what Kang Jae-ha wanted was money. It was something the top of the top actresses, Moon Ji-a, had learned while grinding through the entertainment industry all those years. Money was the yardstick that measured one’s worth. It was probably the same everywhere, but in entertainment especially, everything was decided by money.

And on top of that, was there any reward as sure as money?

Yet the General Manager Kim Ha-jae sitting across from her, no, Kang Jae-ha, seemed to have little interest in money.

’M-money? He says he has a lot?’

He’d even dropped the line that he himself had plenty of money. And it wasn’t a lie. Confidence had been overflowing from his eyes. What that Jae-ha wanted was for Moon Ji-a to transfer to the ’MEG’ he worked for. Then, to a slightly wide-eyed Moon Ji-a, Kang Jae-ha spoke in a dry tone.

”You may not know this, but among the subsidiaries of ’MEG’, the company I work for, there’s MEG Enter.”

She knew the investment firm ’MEG’, but MEG Enter? To be blunt, MEG Enter was unfamiliar to Moon Ji-a. Maybe she’d caught it in passing somewhere at some point, but at least the Moon Ji-a of right now didn’t know MEG Enter.

’Wasn’t ’MEG’ just an investment firm?’

Moon Ji-a had only known ’MEG’ as one of the hot investment firms lately. It had ridden along with the success of ’Condensation’, and the investment firm behind ’House of the Daytime Moon’, which had recently written a legend in the animated film scene, was ’MEG’ too. And the investment firm behind ’Condensation: Euphoria’, which Moon Ji-a had confirmed she’d star in, was also ’MEG’.

’MEG Enter? So they weren’t just investing, they’d been steadily expanding on the business side too?’

MEG Enter being an agency and all, Moon Ji-a was also surprised by the cold-eyed General Manager Kim Ha-jae sitting across from her.

’With a face that looks like it couldn’t care less about anyone around him, giving off that whole My-Way-No-Matter-What vibe, he’s got company loyalty on top of it??’

Turning down the money on offer and picking a reward that would help the company he currently worked for. From Moon Ji-a’s standpoint, she couldn’t help but feel that man’s loyalty to his company ran deep. It was the kind of conclusion one would reach precisely because she didn’t know that everything about ’MEG’ belonged to Kang Jae-ha.

At this point, the masked Kang Jae-ha opened his mouth again.

”Moon Ji-a ssi.”

”Yes??”

”You’re right before your contract with your current agency, AC Enter, expires, and I’ve already confirmed there’s been no talk of a renewal.”

With articles already breaking that the colossal catch Moon Ji-a had hit the free agency market, there was no way not to know.

”And you’re probably taking meetings with the big agencies here and there.”

”......”

”I understand how you feel about not renewing with AC Enter. You and the CEO there probably don’t mesh. That fellow has always had a habit of doing whatever he pleases.”

”...For example?”

”Well, I’ve heard quite a few complaints from the actors signed there. That the CEO has the kind of personality where he’ll steamroll anything if he thinks it’ll make money. And that’d be no different for you, Moon Ji-a ssi.”

Even as she listened, Moon Ji-a grew more and more astonished.

’He knew even those fine details?’

Because that man knew far more than she’d expected. It was only natural that he knew. Kang Jae-ha had already roughly finished his research on Moon Ji-a’s side. That had been back when he was slotting Moon Ji-a into ’Condensation: Euphoria’.

’You think I’d cast someone as the Female Lead of ’Condensation: Euphoria’ without doing any research?’

Regardless of Moon Ji-a’s clout, Jae-ha had meticulously weighed whether she was safe before moving ahead with anything. Then Kang Jae-ha crossed his legs.

”I already know full well you won’t be signing with AC Enter. And it seems like you’re deep in thought over your next agency, one way or another. Just build your nest at MEG Enter. That’s what I want.”

If the Top Actress Moon Ji-a joined MEG Enter, where Choi Ri-na and Yoon Da-yeon already were, MEG Enter would gain quite the formidable force in one stroke. And that naturally meant the clout of the parent company, ’MEG’, would grow.

’If Moon Ji-a comes over to MEG Enter, the market will lose its mind too.’

Then, naturally, it would serve as promotion for ’MEG’. MEG’s name recognition had already shot up recently off the back of its sole-investment deal in Director Yu Gil-tae’s ’Mask of Murder’. Throw Moon Ji-a into the mix, and the reporters would go even more berserk.

In any case, since what he wanted was so far beyond anything she’d imagined, Moon Ji-a’s bewilderment held steady. Still, she wasn’t especially flustered.

How to put it, a composure that hinted at the seasoning of the top of the top actresses?

Soon a faintly smiling Moon Ji-a stared straight at Kang Jae-ha across from her and parted her lips.

”I thought you were unusual the very first time we met, but General Manager Kim Ha-jae, you’re really something. It’s my first time hearing a No Backing Down proposal like this. And turning down money on top of it, no less.”

At this juncture, any ordinary top-tier actor would, without fail, throw out the line ”I’ll think about it”. But Moon Ji-a was a little different.

”Alright, I’ll transfer to ’MEG’.”

Her decision was remarkably concise. Jae-ha smirked and murmured to himself.

’She’s got a refreshing personality. I like it.’

Turning slightly serious, Moon Ji-a added a few words.

”But in exchange, give me some time to look into ’MEG’ too. To be blunt, I only ever knew ’MEG’ as an investment firm; I never even considered it on any other front.”

As if it made no difference to him, Kang Jae-ha shrugged.

”Go ahead.”

”And for a little while, don’t let this out to anyone outside, the press included. Naturally, once we sign the contract, it won’t matter.”

”I intend to do the same.”

Moon Ji-a nodded and posed her next question.

”But who’s actually at that MEG Enter right now?”

Kang Jae-ha’s answer was quick.

”An actor you’d recognize would be Yoon Da-yeon ssi.”

For a moment, Moon Ji-a’s expression darkened slightly.

”...Ah, Da-yeon.”

There seemed to be some history there.

After that.

Moon Ji-a moved straight from the topic of Yoon Da-yeon to another one.

”How does MEG Enter handle artists’ project selection? Are they deeply involved? As in, do they meddle a lot?”

”It’ll be different from the AC Enter you’re at. You can do only the projects you want. I have that much power at ’MEG’. Of course, if a project looks like it’ll become a problem I’ll cut it, but fundamentally, project selection is left entirely to the artist.”

After chatting with Moon Ji-a for a suitable while, this conversation included, Kang Jae-ha stepped out of the waiting room. Moon Ji-a’s team members, who’d been outside, filed back into the waiting room, and Kang Jae-ha, setting off, was walking down the hallway when he abruptly came to a dead stop.

’Moon Ji-a’s handled.’

Then another matter came to mind. It was the ’ability’ he’d received from the woman’s voice in place of 30 billion won just before coming here. It was Sensing. Jae-ha immediately activated the ’ability’ Sensing.

’Sensing, the one I’m looking for is Lee Chan-hoo.’

Soon a single change occurred in his field of vision. What he saw was the same, but suddenly, at a fairly distant spot, a human shape was dyed red. It was outside the building where Kang Jae-ha now stood. That red-dyed human shape was Lee Chan-hoo.

This was the effect of the ’ability’ Sensing that Kang Jae-ha had received.

Before long, Lee Chan-hoo, who’d been marked in red, was wiped from Jae-ha’s field of vision. The display time had run out. Even as Kang Jae-ha walked toward Lee Chan-hoo, he recalled the explanation of the ’ability’ Sensing that the woman’s voice had given.

’Sensing, if I ask it to find a target I want within a maximum of 30 meters, they get marked in red like that.’

Sensing was different in nature from Lee Chan-hoo’s Search. Sensing detected a desired target in Jae-ha’s vicinity. The advantage was that they got marked even without knowing the target’s exact information. There were no conditions either, like being limited to a few times a day.

’Unlike Lee Chan-hoo’s Search, I can’t pin down a target’s location no matter where they are. I can’t watch a target’s situation like a CCTV either.’

If one had to put it that way, Sensing felt like a 30-meter radar and Search like a satellite?

Their uses were distinctly different.

Either way, with this, the ’abilities’ Kang Jae-ha had gained as ’Additional Perks’ had grown to three, Mask, Defense, and Sensing. Stepping out of the building, Kang Jae-ha faintly smiled and let out a mutter to himself.

”There really is a fun in collecting ’abilities’.”

Meanwhile.

Yoon Da-yeon came into view, deep in the middle of acting practice at home. Wearing a hairband and all, she looked quite passionate. Just then, her phone let out a ringtone. Casually checking the caller, Yoon Da-yeon was rather startled.

”......Moon Ji-a?”

Because the one calling was the Top Actress Moon Ji-a. Yoon Da-yeon immediately crumpled her brow. Sure, Moon Ji-a’s number was saved, but since they’d been living almost like strangers, it was a considerably unexpected contact.

The hell? Yoon Da-yeon thought about ignoring the call, but out of curiosity she pressed the phone to her ear.

”Moon Ji-a? What is it?”

The call opened with a ”what is it” in place of a greeting, and Moon Ji-a’s voice came through from the other end of the phone.

”You were alive. I’ve caught your news here and there, Yoon Da-yeon. Late, but congrats on the Busan Film Festival award.”

”I know you don’t mean a word of it. I said, what do you want?”

”So chilly.”

”It’s funny hearing ’chilly’ from the girl who’s colder than anyone, seriously.”

Even as she answered, Yoon Da-yeon clicked her tongue inwardly.

’Yeah, I really don’t mesh with her.’

The two women actually had history going way back. They’d acted in the same project and fought often. Whether it was a battle of wills or a shouting match.

’Probably because we’ve both got equally rotten tempers.’

Even animals fight over territory, so what could one expect between actresses who each had a real temper? Still, Moon Ji-a and Yoon Da-yeon never stooped to the filthy business of trashing each other behind their backs. They’d only ever snarled at each other out in the open.

At any rate, Yoon Da-yeon, who had no intention of talking long, spoke again.

”I said, what do you want?”

”......”

”If you’ve got nothing to say, I’m hanging up?”

”Hey, hey! Hold on a sec!”

Hurriedly calling out to Yoon Da-yeon, the Moon Ji-a on the other end of the phone brought it up with some difficulty.

”...I heard you’re at MEG Enter. How’s it there.”

Out of nowhere, asking how MEG Enter was? Yoon Da-yeon found Moon Ji-a’s question strange.

”Why are you asking me that.”

”No, I just got curious.”

”How is it, well, I moved over recently too so I don’t really know.”

”Yeah? Still, a girl at your level wouldn’t have jumped from Leon over to there without a thought.”

”What’s this about, why are you suddenly calling and asking about MEG Enter?”

Moon Ji-a abruptly steered the conversation in a new direction.

”If I were to go to MEG Enter, what do you think it’d be like.”

Yoon Da-yeon answered without a second’s hesitation.

”It’d be good for the company. Not so much for me.”

”Same for me.”

”What kind of person is General Manager Kim Ha-jae?”

”A bit of a jerk, but competent.”

”Hm, got it. Sorry for taking your time.”

And so the call with Moon Ji-a ended. As Yoon Da-yeon slowly lowered her phone, in that instant she recalled the article she’d seen recently about Moon Ji-a hitting the free agency market.

”...She calls out of the blue at this timing and asks about MEG Enter?”

For her, a natural answer emerged.

”Crap, is this girl Moon Ji-a thinking about transferring to MEG Enter??”

But she couldn’t believe it.

”Nah, no way. What could a girl like Moon Ji-a, with mega agencies ready to charge in with cash in hand, possibly be lacking that badly??”

At this moment.

A certain large online community was blazing hot over a video that had gone up an hour ago. The video’s title read like this.

-[INSANE!!! Moon Ji-a almost got stabbed by some assailant earlier, shivers]

The view count blew past tens of thousands in a flash, and the comments were properly exploding.

-Holy fuck, Why Is This Real

-It’s legit????? Moon Ji-a nearly kicked the bucket for real, shivers shivers shivers

-Who’s that moron swinging the knife??

-Saw it on another community, apparently a Moon Ji-a sasaeng

-Wow.....if not for that guy Moon Ji-a would’ve been screwed

-Right before Moon Ji-a could get stabbed, a shoulder throw....fuck it’s just a movie ㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ

-Isn’t it a movie shoot

-The guy subduing the sasaeng is Badass Cool, is he a guard??

-↑no idea who he is but taking him down with a shoulder throw in a flash is Insanely Stylish

-Agreed, that’s Badass Cool, fuck, a hundred percent ex-special forces

-ㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ that’s NOT a movie???

A good deal of talk about Kang Jae-ha was mixed in too.

-Is that dude who wrecked the sasaeng her manager?

-The way he subdues him without hesitation, a hundred percent trained, yep

The mood praising him was overwhelming.

*****

For more extra chapters, you can check out my Patreon here --> patreon.com/dreamscribe

If you enjoy this novel, please review and rate it at Novelupdates. Thanks! 😊

To receive the latest update notifications or report mistakes, join our Discord server linked below.