MHD - 51

Chapter 51: Weakness

Cha Joo-won had been waiting since early morning for the investor who was scheduled to visit that day.

It had only been a few days since Seo Hee-soo confronted him, demanding revisions to her contract before signing the movie deal.

An unfamiliar foreign private equity firm had reached out with an unprecedented investment offer.

Joo-won had no reason to refuse. However, one condition they imposed weighed on his mind.

“They want to review all the contracts with the actors under our agency…”

The condition tied to accepting the investment included a full revision of any unfair contracts within the agency.

He felt uneasy about it—after all, he’d tampered with more than a few contracts over the years. But as always, the size of the money dictated everything.

“Take the money first, and we’ll figure out the rest later.”

Sometimes, investment firms lured by rumors of profits in the entertainment industry would make blind investments without much understanding of the business. Joo-won suspected this might be one of those cases.

There was nothing better than the “blind money” of uninformed investors. He could stall them with vague excuses while siphoning off the investment funds. If one of his actors hit it big, that was a bonus; if not, there wasn’t much they could do.

As long as he nailed down the terms upfront to prevent them from reclaiming their investment later, he wouldn’t lose anything.

In this industry, most investors either gave up or reluctantly continued investing after being fed half-truths.

“Maybe I should move the investment funds elsewhere before they start making noise later.”

Joo-won’s eyes darted left and right as he schemed how to keep the money without returning it. Just then, a knock came at the door.

“Sir, the guests have arrived.”

Soon after, a man wearing thin-rimmed glasses entered the office, followed by several others in suits.

“Hello. We’re from Global Invest Holdings.”

“Nice to meet you. Are you the representative?”

Joo-won tilted his head as he read the business card handed to him. The title on the card said “Manager.”

“No, I’m here to review the contracts and financial records of your active actors, as previously discussed.”

Curious but somewhat disappointed by the visitor’s identity, Joo-won pocketed the card and led the group to the desk where he had prepared boxes of documents.

“We appreciate your investment, but we haven’t made any improper contracts.”

“It’s part of the standard procedure before finalizing an investment. Thank you for your cooperation.”

The group began sifting through the documents Joo-won had prepared.

Though Joo-won kept some distance, his anxious gaze never left the people rummaging through the papers.

‘…They won’t find anything easily, will they?’

What worried Joo-won most was the secret agreement he had with Hee-soo.

The initial contract with Seo Hee-soo had been entirely on his terms—it was practically a slave contract. While absurdly low earnings were allocated to Hee-soo, a rookie actor had no choice but to accept it.

At twenty, with no money even for hospital bills, Seo Hee-soo hadn’t protested.

The problem began when Hee-soo shot to fame without going through the usual struggles of obscurity.

Joo-won fretted over how to prevent Hee-soo from raising her market value and moving to another agency. Around that time, he happened to meet Hee-soo’s parents.

Though shameless, they were perfect pawns for Joo-won to exploit. Hee-soo, perhaps feeling lonely living alone, maintained regular contact with them for about a year.

Seizing the opportunity, Joo-won lured Hee-soo’s parents into debt and transferred that burden onto Hee-soo herself.

No matter how clever Hee-soo thought she was, she couldn’t outwit Joo-won, who had far more experience navigating the industry. That was how Joo-won milked Hee-soo’s peak years.

“Excuse me, Mr. Cha. Our representative would like to speak with you.”

The man with the thin-rimmed glasses stepped away from the group and handed Joo-won a phone.

Ah, finally, the representative is stepping forward.

With a trembling voice, Joo-won answered the call. A younger-sounding man responded on the other end.

[Hello, Mr. Cha Joo-won. I called to personally convey my intentions.]

Without introducing himself or exchanging pleasantries, the man immediately got to the point.

His confident, almost arrogant tone carried an air that brooked no argument. Unconsciously, Joo-won adopted a more deferential tone than usual.

“Yes, please go ahead. First, let me express my gratitude for the investment.”

[Oh, you don’t need to thank me. My wish is for Seo Hee-soo to perform at her best while completely free. That’s why I’m investing—not because of your abilities. Please keep that in mind.]

“Ah… yes.”

Caught off guard by the blatant insult, Joo-won was speechless from the start. The man continued without regard for Joo-won’s reaction.

[If you want to prove your competence to me, ensure that Seo Hee-soo maintains good conditions. Stop threatening her with petty debts.]

“What? No, that’s…”

Caught completely off guard, Joo-won’s mind went blank as he scrambled for an excuse.

‘…How does he know?’

The man seemed to know the details of the contract between Joo-won and Hee-soo. Joo-won began to suspect the man’s identity. It was clear—the person on the other end was no ordinary individual.

[Collect the debt from Seo Hee-soo’s parents. Stop harassing someone who wasn’t even the borrower. I heard they’ve long since cut ties. And with this level of investment, isn’t it enough to forget about such a small debt?]

“…Yes, you’re right.”

The man clearly knew everything. Overwhelmed by his relentless words, Joo-won could only stutter out an agreement.

[Soon, Kangrim Group will send an advertising proposal. The terms will be favorable, so make sure Seo Hee-soo doesn’t refuse.]

At the mention of “Kangrim,” Cha Joo-won immediately realized who he was dealing with.

Unable to hold back, Joo-won asked:

“Excuse me, is this Vice President Lee Jae-hyuk?”

[That’s correct.]

Ah, so he finally reveals himself.

A triumphant smile crept onto Joo-won’s lips. So that was why Hee-soo had been acting so bold lately—she’d snagged someone as powerful as Lee Jae-hyuk.

But if there was one person Cha Joo-won wasn’t afraid of, it was Lee Jae-hyuk. He still had a final trump card up his sleeve, one that could render even Jae-hyuk powerless.

‘So the bastard who got a 20-year-old pregnant was just another reckless chaebol heir.’

Cha Joo-won quickly pieced together various theories and chuckled smugly before replying to Jae-hyuk.

“I was wondering why Hee-soo’s been in such high spirits lately—it must be because she’s seeing someone like you, Vice President…”

[Mr. Cha Joo-won.]

Joo-won had barely begun laying the groundwork when Jae-hyuk cut him off with an exasperated sigh.

[Focus on what matters and let’s finalize this deal.]

Jae-hyuk’s arrogance made Joo-won’s blood boil. 

This punk doesn’t even realize what I know yet.

Suppressing his trembling, Joo-won remained silent for a moment. Then Jae-hyuk spoke again.

[Our initial offer was 15 billion won.]

Cha Actors Agency had over 30 actors under its wing, with about 10 currently active and highly valued performers.

Their combined annual revenue amounted to around 10 billion won.

However, even collectively, their worth didn’t surpass the revenue generated by Hee-soo alone during her peak years.

Precisely the amount Jae-hyuk had offered matched the annual earnings Hee-soo had brought in at her prime.

“Yes, that’s correct.”

[Seo Hee-soo’s management will be handled by my team. Her contract will also be revised.]

He’s blatantly crossing the line.

If Jae-hyuk ended up taking Hee-soo away, Joo-won would be left with nothing but losses. While 15 billion won was tempting, it wasn’t enough to let Hee-soo go without a fight.

Joo-won responded indifferently.

“The amount you’ve proposed isn’t insignificant, but Hee-soo has been the face of our agency for nearly a decade…”

[30 billion.]

“I don’t know what you’re aiming for, but I’ve invested 10 years into raising Hee-soo…”

[40 billion.]

The more Joo-won dragged out his response, the higher the figure climbed.

Finally, when the number reached 100 billion won, Joo-won nearly dropped his phone.

“One… hundred billion?”

[Yes.]

Jae-hyuk’s reply was as simple and clear as ever.

[Yes or no. Decide now.]

“A-are you serious?”

[Hurry.]

The staggering sum felt surreal, leaving Joo-won’s mind blank. There was nothing he could say except one word.

“Yes.”

[Pass the phone.]

Even after Jae-hyuk’s command, Joo-won stood frozen. Without waiting, Jae-hyuk ended the call.

As the phone rang again, the man with the thin-rimmed glasses swiftly approached and took the phone from Joo-won’s hand.

“We’ve reviewed all necessary documents. Sign here, and we’ll deposit the down payment today.”

After briefly conversing on the phone, the man handed Joo-won a document. It seemed they had prepared everything in advance—the paper already bore the bold figure of 100 billion won.

Without even reading through the document fully, Joo-won signed it with trembling hands.

Long after the group had left, Joo-won finally muttered to himself:

“…What a madman.”

The document bore the staggering figure of 100 billion won, casually stated by Lee Jae-hyuk.

Wiping the cold sweat from his forehead with the back of his hand, Joo-won began reconsidering his plan to blackmail Jae-hyuk.

Still trembling, he picked up his phone and dialed a number.

[Hello, hyung-nim.]

When the person on the other end answered, Joo-won let out a deep sigh. The person he called was a close journalist friend.

“Hey, hey. Did you already tell anyone about what I mentioned last time?”

[What are you talking about, hyung-nim?]

“You know, about Seo Hee-soo.”

[Ah, that? You told me to drop hints, so I casually mentioned it while smoking with someone the other day. Why?]

“R-right. For now, don’t say anything else about it.”

[What’s going on? Didn’t you want me to spread rumors about Seo Hee-soo doing something suspicious? To find her weak spot?]

At the mention of the word “weak spot,” Joo-won suddenly realized his own actions might become his Achilles’ heel.

“I need to revise the plan.”

Frowning, Joo-won whispered in a low voice. It was time to devise a more meticulous strategy.