Rookie Talent Agent Knows It All-Chapter 529: Tectonic Shift (4)

I took out two hwatu cards I had secretly set aside along with a business card from my pants pocket and placed them on the table.

Ahn Seok-Chun stammered, "When... when did you manage to pull that off?"

"When I went all-in and switched my cards, I set aside the March and August gwang in advance."

In the chaotic moment when thirty eight billion won was at stake in a single game, that was exactly why I had asked to exchange cards. While everyone was half out of their minds due to the high stakes, I had secretly pocketed the March and August gwang. I hid the two cards in my hand and waited for my opponent to deal the next round.

As soon as Ahn Seok-Chun gave me a three-pair, I swiftly swapped the March card with the August gwang. Then, I slipped the remaining two cards back into my pocket.

Finally realizing the audacity of what I had done, Ahn Seok-Chun let out an exclamation of admiration. "Haha... I really failed to recognize a true master. I lost completely, totally. I was the sucker at the table... Haha!"

Now that he understood my move, Ahn Seok-Chun couldn't stop laughing in astonishment. After a while, he quieted down and stared at me. "Play with me again sometime. But next time, no tricks."

"Of course. I'd be happy to."

"And by the way... let's talk about investing in films or dramas. Honestly, if Ace Entertainment's stock hadn't crashed this time, I was planning to reach out to you first."

As the head of Smart Venture Investment, a content investment company, he expressed his interest in funding the projects I was involved in.

I had gained another powerful connection.

"I look forward to working with you."

With that, I had secured everything I wanted from meeting Ahn Seok-Chun. I managed to acquire 30% of Ace Entertainment's shares and also established a personal bond with him.

The shares and connections that were originally meant for Kim Dong-Soo were now mine.

***

Everyone who had left the VVIP room returned.

When I offered to return all the money I had won, Jin Ah-Ram looked visibly flustered. However, she quickly composed herself and facilitated the stock transaction with Reverse Entertainment. Once the contract was signed, Ahn Seok-Chun was the first to rise from his seat.

"Phew. My legs are shaking too much to continue playing. I'll be leaving first."

"Yes, of course."

Before leaving, he turned to Jin Ah-Ram and apologized. "And Director Jin, I was too harsh earlier. I was upset with Team Lead Jung and ended up saying things I shouldn't have to you."

Jin Ah-Ram smiled and reassured him. "It's alright, Mr. Ahn. Just visit the casino often to make it up to me."

"Alright, I will."

Even in this situation, Jin Ah-Ram was still thinking about the casino's revenue. Ahn Seok-Chun, looking slightly embarrassed, reached for his coat.

At that moment, I told him something before he left the VIP casino. "Mr. Ahn, the real mastermind behind Ace Entertainment's downfall is Assemblyman Lee Dae-Boong. He was the one who mobilized the prosecution and the National Tax Service."

"I had a feeling... but thanks for confirming it."

Ahn Seok-Chun had considerable influence in the political world as well, given the substantial financial support he provided to various politicians.

"Anyway, I'll make sure to repay you for this information later."

With this, I not only shattered Kim Dong-Soo's plans but also gained leverage over Lee Dae-Boong.

After Ahn Seok-Chun left, I also exited the VVIP room with Lee Soo-Chan.

Just as I was about to head straight to Seoul, Jin Ah-Ram stopped me. "Mr. Jung. No matter how busy you are, you should at least have a meal before leaving."

I wanted to head to Seoul as soon as possible, but my stomach started growling. I had been too focused on the game, and since lunchtime had long passed, hunger was catching up to me.

I nodded, "Alright, let's do that."

"Then let's eat at the Chinese restaurant on the third floor. The chef there always makes a special dish whenever I visit."

"Gan-jjajang[1] will be fine for me."

Since I had just closed a major deal, I decided to splurge a little—not just regular jjajangmyeon[2], but gan-jjajang.

Jin Ah-Ram smirked. "Alright, gan-jjajang it is. But you should also try the chef's special dish."

This was one of those situations where my answer didn't really matter. There was no point in arguing, so I just agreed. "Sure."

"Then let's go."

We followed Jin Ah-Ram toward the elevator. Just then, the elevator doors opened and two men stepped out.

One of them was none other than Hong Seok-Joon, the president of HK Electronics, who was scheduled to meet with Jin Ah-Ram today. At thirty-four-years-old, Hong Seok-Joon was the older brother of Hong Sung-Beom, the executive director of HK Apparel, and had a reputation for being petty.

As soon as he saw me, he scowled and questioned Jin Ah-Ram in a confrontational tone. "Did you cancel our meeting just to meet this guy?"

Jin Ah-Ram frowned slightly and responded. "The meeting was canceled because of a VIP guest, not because of Mr. Jung. He simply came here to play a game with that VIP. That's how we met. But suddenly showing up at the casino like this and interrogating me... don't you think that's a bit rude?"

Jin Ah-Ram was lying to protect me, but that only seemed to make Hong Seok-Joon even angrier.

"Ms. Ah-Ram, I heard rumors that you were interested in some nobody and I didn't believe it... but maybe there's some truth to it after all."

"Watch your mouth. And why should I let you call my name so casually?"

Jin Ah-Ram's face grew cold with her expression devoid of emotion. True to her nickname, 'Ice Princess of Jinseong,' she exuded an icy aura.

Yet Hong Seok-Joon only seemed more intrigued by it. "Maybe not now, but soon enough, we'll be close enough for that."

"Are you insane? Keep dreaming!"

"Oh, but you know, don't you? Our fathers are having serious discussions. You should reconsider your stance."

Even today, children of powerful political and business families often entered arranged marriages to strengthen their influence and preserve their wealth.

Jinseong Inc was currently ranked 25th among conglomerates while HK Inc stood at 12th. For Jinseong Inc, forming a marriage alliance with HK would be a major advantage.

Jin Ah-Ram's expression made it clear that she would never let that happen, but Hong Seok-Joon remained smug. "So stop associating with nobodies like this and come with me—"

Jin Ah-Ram cut him off with a sharp remark. "And who are you to decide who's worthy? Compared to Mr. Jung who built everything on his own, a nepo baby who only follows your daddy's orders, are far less impressive."

"You're comparing me to some talent agent?!"

I had been planning to stay out of their business, and listening to this nonsense was starting to irritate me. I had been willing to overlook a lot because I was eager to eat my gan-jjajang, but this was too much.

I said, "Watch your mouth, Mr. Hong. I've done nothing to deserve insults."

"Hah! Who do you think you're talking to, you little—"

"President Hong Seok-Joon, a VVIP member of Club Arihan. Sponsor of actress Kang In-Soo and idol Kang Hye-Yoon. Loves women and only drinks top-shelf single malt whiskey. Want me to go on?"

"How... how do you know that...?"

Before my regression, I had gathered plenty of information on Hong Seok-Joon. I had only shared a small portion of it, but his face was already shifting through various shades of panic.

"If you don't want to end up all over the news like your brother, get out of my way. I have jjajangmyeon to eat."

Jin Ah-Ram smirked and added mockingly. "Mr. Hong, you sure live at a high level, huh? Being a sponsor and all. Aren't you even a little embarrassed?"

"M-Ms. Ah-Ram, you've got it all wrong! He's lying!"

Jin Ah-Ram turned her head slightly and called out to her secretary, Choi Hee-Sun."Secretary Choi, you heard the names, right? Look into everything. We'll see whether it's a lie or not."

"I'll have a report ready by tomorrow."

"Good."

Jin Ah-Ram then looked at me and smiled brightly.

"Mr. Jung, shall we go eat jjajangmyeon?"

"Yes, let's go."

When I answered cheerfully, Hong Seok-Joon glared at me, his face flushed with anger. "Jung Yoon-Ho... you... just wait and see."

"You should be the one to be careful. What I mentioned earlier is just the tip of the iceberg."

The list I had given him was nothing compared to what I had recorded in my planner. I had plenty of dirt on him, which was why I wasn't afraid in the slightest.

Leaving the trembling Hong Seok-Joon behind, we stepped into the elevator and pressed the button for the third floor where the Chinese restaurant was located.

There, I indulged in a double portion of gan-jjajang topped with two fried eggs, along with yuringi[3] and dongpo pork,[4] celebrating my success in foiling Kim Dong-Soo's plans.

***

At the same time Jung Yoon-Ho was enjoying his meal, Kim Dong-Soo had handed over a hefty sum to Colonel Baek and received the location of Ahn Yoo-Hyun. He had expected it to take at least two days, but Colonel Baek explained that he had gotten lucky.

-She's locked up in Vice Chairman Jin Myung-Gyu's villa in Gangwon Province. I've sent you the location and some photos of her. Check it out.

"Got it. I'll be in touch soon."

Just as he was about to hang up, Colonel Baek, who usually ended calls first, suddenly asked a question.

-By the way, I heard you're planning to acquire Ace Entertainment?

As expected of someone who dealt in information, he was well aware of Kim Dong-Soo's moves.

Kim Dong-Soo tensed slightly.

"So what if I am?"

-Where did you get your backer?

"That's none of your business."

Colonel Baek chuckled at Kim Dong-Soo's curt response.

-Relax. Once you get your hands on Ace Entertainment, you'll need my help even more. So why not form an alliance now? Who knows, I might even dig up some dirt on your backer for you.

If he could secure leverage over Lee Dae-Boong, it could be useful at a critical moment. But provoking a powerful politician was an extremely risky move.

"No thanks. This distance between us is just right."

Colonel Baek let out a disappointed sigh.

-If you say so. Well, call me when you need me. Next time, I'll give you top-tier information. Same price of five hundred million won.

Click.

The moment the call ended, Kim Dong-Soo scoffed. "Damn money-hungry bastard..."

Muttering to himself, he checked his email. Just as Colonel Baek had said, there was a photo of Ahn Yoo-Hyun taking a walk inside Jin Myung-Gyu's villa.

"I hate to admit it, but he's damn good at finding information."

Even if he disliked him, there was no denying Colonel Baek's skills. Feeling excited, Kim Dong-Soo quickly dialed Lee Dae-Boong's number.

"Mr. Lee, I found him."

-That was fast. Impressive.

"So, as we agreed, the funds for acquiring Ace Entertainment..."

At that moment, Lee Dae-Boong hesitated before responding.

-Ah... about that. It's going to be difficult to buy out Ace Entertainment completely.

"Pardon? What do you mean? You promised!"

-Calm down. I'm not backing out on our deal. But you know Ahn Seok-Chun, who owns 30% of Ace Entertainment? He already sold his shares.

"I'm sorry? President Ahn sold his shares? To whom?"

-Apparently, the buyer was Reverse Entertainment. And from what I hear, Jung Yoon-Ho brokered the deal.

Kim Dong-Soo was at a loss for words. Just yesterday, he and Ahn Seok-Chun had been cursing Jung Yoon-Ho together, saying that his involvement had tanked the stock value. Now, this sudden change of heart made no sense.

"That's impossible, Mr. Lee! You must have been misinformed!"

-You bastard, who do you think you're yelling at?

"N-No, that's not what I meant..."

-Listen, I don't have all the details either! If you want answers, call President Ahn Seok-Chun yourself. Either way, with the way things turned out, even if we have the funds, we can only buy a little over half of Ace Entertainment. If you still want to go through with it, I'll provide the money.

Hearing Jung Yoon-Ho's name again, Kim Dong-Soo clenched his teeth. However, even acquiring half of Ace Entertainment was still worthwhile. Owning just 50% would still make the company a top-five player in the industry.

"Then... Please help me secure that much, at least."

-Then come to my place right now. Who knows what that Jung Yoon-Ho guy might do again?

"Yes, sir."

The moment the call ended with a click, Kim Dong-Soo clenched his teeth so hard it felt like they might crack. His original plan had been to take control of Ace Entertainment and then break apart Hoop Entertainment, forcing Jung Yoon-Ho to his knees.

But right now, before things had even properly begun, he already felt like he had been knocked out.

"Jung Yoon-Ho... just you wait."

As he headed toward Lee Dae-Boong's house, Kim Dong-Soo had to struggle desperately to suppress the overwhelming sense of defeat washing over him.

***

On my way back to Seoul, I called Kang Gam-Chan to inform him that I had acquired Ahn Seok-Chun's shares. He congratulated me and said he would also inform Choi Eun-Tae of the news.

After that, I contacted Seo Jae-Ill and revealed that Lee Dae-Boong was the financial backer behind Kim Dong-Soo.

-So if we investigate the financial transactions between them, we might find something useful.

"I'm counting on you."

-Don't worry about it.

Everything was falling into place smoothly, allowing me to head to the SBC Acting Awards ceremony at the end of the year.

Upon arriving at the SBC headquarters' waiting room, I exchanged greetings with the talent agents who had arrived earlier. Then, I settled in to watch the awards show on the waiting room TV.

Yoo-Jin was dressed in an L.M.L gown, her radiant smile lighting up the screen. Her cheerful high schooler role as Twilight in Blue Sky had left a strong impression, but tonight, she looked like a stunning goddess as she sat at the table below the stage.

Then, the first major award category was announced.

-This year's SBC Best New Actor Award goes to... Jung Yoo-Jin from Blue Sky! Congratulations!

Cheers erupted in the talent agent's lounge. The overwhelmed Yoo-Jin walked up to the stage and began delivering her acceptance speech. Time flew by quickly, and soon it was 11:59 p.m.

As the final moments of the turbulent year 2020 approached, a wave of emotions surged within me. Memories of nurturing the actors of Team Jung over the past year flashed through my mind like a montage.

'Well done, Jung Yoon-Ho.'

Just then, the familiar voice of Gu Myung-Hoon, an SBC anchor with ten years of experience, filled the TV screen as he held the microphone.

-And now, the year 2020 is coming to an end and a new year is about to begin!

He momentarily paused the awards ceremony to direct the audience's attention to the large screen, which displayed the New Year's Eve Bell Ceremony.

-Let's all count down together! Ten, nine... one! Happy New Year!

Dang.

The resounding chime of the bell rang out, followed by cheers from the MCs. In the waiting room, everyone in Team Jung embraced and celebrated the arrival of the new year. It had been a truly dramatic and successful year for us.

Looking at everyone, I raised my voice with enthusiasm. "Happy New Year!"

Today, January 1, 2021, I had finally become a Chief. The realization that I now had my own independent division left me with a strange, indescribable feeling.

At that moment, Lee Yung-Jin, Do Ran-Hee, Jung Sang-Bong, and the rest of Team Jung erupted in cheers as if they had been waiting for this moment. ƒrēewebnoѵёl.cσm

"Mr. Jung! Congratulations on your promotion!"

With those words, Lee Yung-Jin and Do Ran-Hee set off party poppers.

Pop! Pop!

Like a scene from an awards show, confetti rained down over me.

I bowed my head in gratitude. "Thank you."

At that moment, Eun Ji-Yoo emerged from one corner of the waiting room, carrying a cake and several large gift bags.

"Mr. Jung, these are gifts from all of us. We pitched in to get them for you."

Everyone beamed with joy as they celebrated my promotion.

"You guys really didn't have to..."

Do Ran-Hee chimed in. "Mr. Jung! You have to open them! At least check what's inside."

The other members of Team Jung, now Division Jung, quickly joined in, urging me on.

"Yes! Open them!"

"Alright, alright."

With everyone's encouragement, I began unwrapping the gifts. But as soon as I opened the smallest box, I was stunned by what I found inside.

"This is..."

1. Gan-jjajang is basically jjajangmyeon but stir-fried to order, which makes it more expensive than jjajangmyeon since that already has sauce premade ☜

2. Jjajangmyeon ☜

3. Yuringi ☜

4. Dongpo pork ☜