MHD - 58

Chapter 58: Push and Pull

It was 8 p.m., and most employees had already left for the day.

Jae-hyuk had finally wrapped up a delayed meeting and returned to his office. As soon as he sat down at his desk, Oh Seung-joo followed him in to confirm a few unresolved matters.

Ahead of his uncle’s imminent return and appearance at the board meeting, Jae-hyuk was racking his brain to gather as many board members as possible to support his side.

“…So securing a majority in the board meeting is our top priority.”

Tak, tak.

Jae-hyuk paused thoughtfully, lightly tapping his fingers on the desk as he listened to Oh Seung-joo.

“What about Park Jeong-moo? Didn’t he align with Yoon’s faction last time?”

“Oh, that’s what we initially thought. But it seems he was abandoned after the overseas expansion of the food line underperformed.”

“I heard there are two factions within the trading division. Let’s reach out to Im Sang-moo next week.”

“Understood.”

“Im Sang-moo and Cho Jeong-moo are high school seniors and juniors, right?”

“They were on good terms until last year. However, I’ve heard Im Sang-moo has been complaining lately. All his recent projects have been rejected at the final stage, and he claims Cho Jeong-moo hasn’t been supporting him.”

“So they’re trying to break him in?”

After signing the last approval document handed to him by Oh Seung-joo, Jae-hyuk loosened his tie and exhaled deeply.

“By the way, how’s the operation of the factory producing the premium line coming along?”

“I was just about to mention that. It looks like it’ll be back on schedule next month.”

“That means we can’t delay the launch preparations any longer.”

Tak, tak, tak.

Leaning back casually in his chair, Jae-hyuk resumed tapping his fingers on the desk.

“What about Team Leader Cho? Is he still pushing Seo Hee-soo?”

“In short, yes.”

“In short?”

Jae-hyuk raised an eyebrow skeptically. Oh Seung-joo quickly scrolled through his tablet before replying.

“There have been some family-related issues recently. An online article hinted that her parents might reveal something sensitive. Other than that, it’s mostly old rumors resurfacing occasionally, as I mentioned earlier.”

At the mention of “old rumors,” Jae-hyuk’s tapping fingers froze. Referring to his previous instructions, he asked again.

“…You mean the pregnancy rumor?”

“Yes.”

“Who was the original source?”

“That’s the strange part—it originated from Seo Hee-soo’s agency. I spoke with the journalist who first reported it, and it seems there was some kind of deal between them and Cha Joo-won.”

“What agency would spread damaging rumors about their own actor?”

Perplexed, Jae-hyuk pressed further. Oh Seung-joo responded with an equally baffled expression.

“It didn’t make sense to me either, so I double-checked. Multiple sources confirmed it came from her agency. There’s even talk that Cha Joo-won was behind the recent family scandal.”

“What does Cha gain from this?”

“It seems he quietly spreads rumors or stirs trouble through her family, then uses the situation to negotiate unfair contract extensions—all without Hee-soo’s knowledge. There appears to have been some agreement between Cha and her family.”

Disgusting.

After hearing Oh Seung-joo’s explanation, Jae-hyuk’s expression turned icy cold.

Seo Hee-soo had struggled to escape Kangrim’s shadow and carve out her own path, but it seemed countless leeches continued to cling to her back, draining her dry.

Jae-hyuk had invested funds to revise her contract, yet it clearly hadn’t resolved everything.

“The contract is ultimately a matter between the agency and the artist…”

Jae-hyuk stopped tapping his desk and turned to Oh Seung-joo.

“But despite all this, Team Leader Cho is still pushing Seo Hee-soo, isn’t he?”

“Yes. However, if you’d like alternatives, we can—”

Before Oh Seung-joo could finish defending Team Leader Cho, Jae-hyuk abruptly closed the approval documents with a thud and stood up.

“Tell Team Leader Cho to approach Seo Hee-soo about a new contract.”

“As the new model?”

“Yes. For the premium home appliance line.”

Months of headaches over the premium line’s launch were suddenly alleviated by this decisive move. Seeing the light at the end of the tunnel, Oh Seung-joo’s face brightened noticeably.

“You’ve worked hard today. Let’s call it a day.”

Though Jae-hyuk dismissed him, he remained seated. Sensing this, Oh Seung-joo hesitated and asked if he should arrange for a company car. Jae-hyuk waved him off, signaling it wasn’t necessary.

As soon as Oh Seung-joo exited, Jae-hyuk picked up his phone.

He reflected on his investment in ChaCha Actors.

The funding injected into ChaCha Actors had come from Global Investment, one of several investment firms under Jae-hyuk’s control. Its primary purpose was to secure management stakes through aggressive investments.

The funds funneled into Hee-soo’s agency were only a small fraction of his overall portfolio, but they gave him just enough leverage to exert influence when needed.

“…I knew this might come in handy someday.”

As he waited for the call to connect, Jae-hyuk turned his gaze toward the window.

He had never met Cha Joo-won in person, but even from their brief phone conversations, he could sense the man’s character. Having managed tens of thousands of employees, Jae-hyuk was adept at quickly sizing people up.

Someone like Cha Joo-won wouldn’t be swayed by gentle persuasion.

[The call has been connected.]

The employee representing Global Investment answered. It was early morning in their time zone since they primarily handled overseas investments.

After issuing a few directives, Jae-hyuk finally brought up ChaCha Actors.

“…And it seems it’s time to withdraw the investment we placed in ChaCha Actors.”

[Isn’t it a bit premature, Chairman?]

“For now, just take the initial steps and make your displeasure clear to Cha Joo-won. Tell him we’re dissatisfied with his management style and considering replacing him.”

Jae-hyuk planned to force Cha Joo-won to come begging on his own.

Tomorrow morning will be noisy, indeed.

After ending the call, Jae-hyuk finally rose from his seat.

---

As expected.

The next morning, as soon as Jae-hyuk arrived at the office, his secretary informed him that Cha Joo-won had been waiting since dawn. Without a prior appointment, he hadn’t been allowed upstairs immediately and had been kept waiting ever since.

“Let him come up.”

While Jae-hyuk checked the time, Oh Seung-joo continued briefing him on the day’s schedule.

It was going to be a busy day. About five minutes—no more than that—would be allocated for Cha Joo-won.

As Oh Seung-joo’s briefing neared its end, there was a knock on the door, and the secretary opened it. Behind her stood Cha Joo-won, looking haggard and disheveled.

“I… I came to ask about this sudden dismissal. What exactly do you mean?”

Cha Joo-won’s first words were stuttered, his bloodshot eyes betraying a sleepless night spent rushing over.

Jae-hyuk gestured for Oh Seung-joo to leave and quietly observed Cha Joo-won.

His sharp, ferret-like eyes gave him an aggressive demeanor. According to reports, he was skilled at discovering and managing talent but equally notorious for exploiting them, earning widespread criticism.

His face perfectly matched the description in the report: someone who had been draining Seo Hee-soo dry.

With an impassive expression, Jae-hyuk slowly spoke.

“If you can’t do your job properly, what else can I do?”

“I have no idea what you’re talking about. As per your instructions, I’ve revised all contracts and set up dedicated teams for some key actors to better handle crises.”

Before Cha Joo-won could finish his excuses, Jae-hyuk cut straight to the heart of the matter.

“What kind of new PR strategy is this—spreading baseless rumors about your own actors? I’m curious.”

But the moment Jae-hyuk finished speaking, Cha Joo-won clicked his tongue.

“Tsk. If you’re going to play dirty, so can I. You orchestrated this from the start, didn’t you?”

His tone shifted to one of thinly veiled threat, as if wielding a powerful weapon. After feigning victimhood, he swiftly changed tactics.

“I know everything about your past relationship with Seo Hee-soo.”

Jae-hyuk’s eyes narrowed sharply, assessing how much Cha Joo-won truly knew.

“If you don’t guarantee my management rights, I won’t stay silent either. Don’t think I will.”

When Jae-hyuk remained silent, Cha Joo-won, mistaking it as a sign of submission, grew bolder.

“There are plenty of media outlets willing to pay top dollar for stories about Seo Hee-soo and Lee Jae-hyuk. The mere mention of your name drives them wild digging into scandals.”

While Cha Joo-won rambled like a third-rate romance novelist, Jae-hyuk’s mind was elsewhere.

He was focused on how Cha Joo-won had pieced together information about their past.

Seo Hee-soo wouldn’t have disclosed anything incriminating herself, so whatever Cha Joo-won claimed to know was likely based on conjecture drawn from circumstantial evidence.

I need to find out what led him to those assumptions.

Jae-hyuk’s gaze, which had briefly drifted, returned to Cha Joo-won. Slowly, he spoke.

“For starters, it would be wise to close that mouth of yours before it gets you into trouble. Choose wisely—fleeing overseas after borrowing money, or prison for harassing your actors? Which role suits you best?”

“What?”

Cha Joo-won’s previously smug face twisted in confusion, unable to comprehend Jae-hyuk’s words. To clarify, Jae-hyuk added helpfully:

“We can fabricate evidence and invent stories as needed… So, which scenario appeals to you most?”

Finally grasping the threat, Cha Joo-won’s face paled, and he scowled bitterly.

“How dare you threaten me without knowing what I know! If I speak, everything will blow up…”

To gauge whether Cha Joo-won’s threats held any weight, Jae-hyuk interrupted him with a question.

“Regardless of what you claim to know, do you have any proof? Any evidence that what you’re saying isn’t just empty talk?”

“I… I don’t have proof, but I’ve seen enough!”

“What exactly have you seen?”

At Jae-hyuk’s question, Cha Joo-won gulped audibly, swallowing hard.