Chapter 330: Bangkok (6)
Translator: Santos
In Bangkok, Thailand, world-renowned superstar Miley Kara had appeared suddenly, with no prior publicity or teasers hinting at her arrival. Was this real? A dream? The moment felt surreal, almost too extraordinary to believe.
Her unexpected arrival sent a wave of shock and excitement through the elite of Hollywood present, including prominent producer Joseph and casting director Megan.
"M-Miley's actually filming for this project?" stammered Megan.
"Wow—I honestly didn’t see this coming," added Joseph, still wide-eyed.
The Hollywood stunt team and staff accompanying them were equally floored.
"No way... Is that really Miley Kara?"
"Did you hear anything about her joining a Korean production? I sure didn’t."
"I mean, why would she want to shoot a Korean series?"
The Universal Movies executives exchanged bewildered looks.
"Miley Kara—working on a Korean production? She's in an entirely different league, in terms of her usual price range."
"Who on earth is this Korean actor? Why would Miley agree to this just because of him?"
As their confusion turned into an animated hum of speculation, Miley Kara, calm and collected, pushed her sunglasses up atop her blonde hair and finally spoke.
"That Korean actor’s name is Kang Woojin. Isn’t he the reason you’re all here too?"
The Universal Movies executives glanced sharply at Joseph. With a calm smile, Joseph confirmed, nodding.
"That’s right. We came to see Kang Woojin."
Though some preliminary information had been shared, most in Joseph’s team had never actually seen Woojin. Joseph and Megan had pushed for this visit, arranging to stop by before heading to Cannes. But for many—especially the Hollywood stunt team and Universal Movies executives—the expectations had been tempered. After all, Woojin was still a virtual unknown in Hollywood, so even with Joseph and Megan’s high praise, they were cautious about their excitement.
*How could Miley Kara—a global superstar—have any real connection with an obscure Korean actor?*
The reality was undeniable: Miley Kara was standing right in front of them, saying she was here to film *Beneficial Evil.* Her role’s size didn’t matter. The mere fact of her participation was enough to set Hollywood buzzing.
“...This is front-page news for Hollywood, and anywhere else for that matter,” murmured one of the Universal Movies executives.
At that moment, Joseph and the others realized why *Beneficial Evil* had insisted on such strict confidentiality agreements. The secrecy they’d initially found excessive suddenly made perfect sense.
*They were keeping Miley Kara’s involvement under wraps.*
Just then, Miley gave the group a casual nod and began making her way across the set toward Woojin in the abandoned factory lot. Her entourage of bodyguards fell in line, but otherwise, the stunned onlookers could do nothing but watch her go. Eventually, one of the stunt team leaders turned to Joseph, eyes still wide.
"Joseph, you didn’t know about this either, did you?"
"Not at all. Miley joining this production? It’s beyond anything I could’ve expected."
“Unbelievable. What on earth is going on here?”
---
In the heart of *Beneficial Evil*’s bustling set, over two hundred crew members worked tirelessly. In the center of it all, Woojin was holding his second firearm of the day, a Glock 17. Internally, he was amazed by how realistic it felt.
*Wow—this looks and feels almost like the real thing. The grip, the weight... it’s incredible.*
Of course, he kept these thoughts to himself, maintaining his stoic expression as he raised the Glock 17 in both hands.
“Hey, look over there,” someone whispered nearby.
“What? Who?” came a response.
“That blonde woman—isn’t that...?”
A ripple of excitement spread across the set. Suddenly, everyone—over a hundred *Beneficial Evil* crew members, local Thai staff, and extras alike—was staring in the same direction. Striding confidently through the center of the set, flanked by about a dozen burly bodyguards, was Miley Kara.
At last, someone broke the silence.
“Miley Kara? Is that really Miley Kara?”
Over two hundred people reacted with a mixture of disbelief and sheer awe.
“Oh my God, it’s really her!”
“No way—Miley Kara?!”
“Where?”
“There, over there! It really is Miley Kara!”
Staff members who had been carrying equipment froze, mouths agape. Chaos ensued as everyone turned their attention to Kara. Only a few key staff members—like Producer Song Man-woo, writer Choi Na-na, chief director Kim So-hyang, and the informed stunt coordinator Ethan—remained unfazed, having been briefed beforehand.
Amid the frenzy, Miley reached Woojin, offering him a warm smile.
"The gun suits you," she commented, a slight tease in her tone.
Woojin replied in his usual quiet manner, "Want to give it a try?"
"Sure, I’ve handled plenty of firearms. I might just outdo you," she smirked.
"Let’s see."
"Hand it over."
The two exchanged banter with the casual ease of friends on an outing, even as chaos continued to swirl around them. After exchanging a few polite greetings with Producer Song and others, Kara lifted the Glock 17 and fired.
*Bang, bang, bang!*
Three shots rang out. Watching her, Woojin tried to keep his face impassive.
He was captivated by her profile: the cascading blonde hair, sunglasses perched on her head, the white tank top, slightly ripped shorts, and black beaded sandals. A woman of her stature wielding a gun was a rare sight, and Woojin couldn’t help but marvel—internally, of course.
*This is beyond surreal.*
Oblivious to his thoughts, Kara lowered the gun and asked, “How’d I do?”
Regaining his composure, Woojin responded coolly, “Not bad.”
“You don’t give compliments easily, do you?” she laughed.
“Not particularly.”
At that moment, Producer Song Man-woo, holding a megaphone, interrupted.
“Miley, I think it’s time we get everyone settled down.”
The interpreter quickly relayed his words, and Kara nodded.
“Of course, I’m ready.”
Song turned to the crowd, his voice echoing through the megaphone.
“Alright, everyone! Gather round!”
The swarm of crew members moved toward him like a horde of zombies.
---
The next morning, on the 21st, *Beneficial Evil*’s Hollywood visitors gathered for breakfast in a large buffet restaurant in their hotel. Though still reeling from the previous day’s shock of seeing Miley Kara, they were beginning to talk about what they’d witnessed.
“It sounded like that bearded director said Miley—uh, I mean, ‘she’—has a pretty significant role,” one of them remarked quietly, careful not to speak her name aloud.
“But did you see the rehearsal? She wasn’t just there for a cameo—she checked out the props and even fired a gun. She’s definitely a major player in this,” another added.
“So this is a serious action production. Makes sense—they brought in Ethan for the stunts. And the car explosion test we saw yesterday was impressive.”
“And those gunfights? They were checking out the vehicles too, so it sounds like there’ll be car chases.”
As their conversation naturally shifted to Kang Woojin, one of them noted:
“Hmm, Kang Woojin—wasn’t this whole detour Joseph’s idea to see that Korean actor?”
“That’s right. He told us there was someone worth watching before Cannes, so we should check him out.”
“It makes more sense if he had some Hollywood connection, but he’s a new face to all of us. Apparently, he’s very popular in Korea and Japan.”
The chubby Universal executive added, “Not just there. He’s actually quite popular here in Thailand too. I looked at his social media and YouTube channel—he’s got a huge following internationally.”
Hearing this, one of the stunt team leaders scratched his chin thoughtfully.
“Even with all these twists, it’s hard to understand why we’d go to such lengths just for one actor.”
“Agreed,” replied another.
“I mean, Joseph also brought us stunt coordinators along—why? It was fascinating to watch the rehearsal, but in Hollywood, this is all standard fare.”
It was true; while *Beneficial Evil* might have been ambitious and novel in Korea, the scale wasn’t particularly unusual by Hollywood standards.
One of the stunt team members added, “It looks like the focus is on action scenes, and they’ve got some close-quarters combat too. But even with Ethan there... I’m not sure if it’s worth the trip if we’re only here to see that Korean actor’s choreography.”
Still, they remained intrigued, if skeptical.
“Well, we should head out soon. Didn’t they say the shoot starts at noon? Go ahead and call Joseph.”
---
Meanwhile, throughout Bangkok, various team members were en route to the *Beneficial Evil* set. Among them was Miley Kara, who was in a large van with her entourage.
“...”
“Miley, what’s on your mind? You’re not getting stage fright, are you?” teased Jonathan.
“No, not that,” she replied, her voice distant. “It’s just... something about today feels different. I’m excited—maybe even a bit nervous.”
Jonathan tilted his head in curiosity.
“Really? Because it’s your first Korean production?”
“Could be,” she said with a shrug, “but it’s also because of Kang Woojin. I’ve seen him act, but I’ve never actually worked with him. He’s a quick study—it’s refreshing.”
“So this is a definite project with him, huh?”
Miley brushed her hair back with a slight smile.
“Of course. And I don’t plan on this being the last.”
Jonathan, concerned for her, pressed on. “Listen, you need to be careful today, alright? I know you know, but this is serious.”
“I understand.”
“If there’s anything you’re worried about...”
“Nothing at all,” she said, glancing out the window, her blue eyes reflective. “I’m just curious to see Kang Woojin in action. Hah—can you believe I’m actually this interested in another actor’s work?”
“I’m a bit worried, though. His moves when he saved you were impressive, but filming is a whole different story.”
“Maybe, but he seemed incredibly relaxed yesterday.”
“Complacency is a breeding ground for accidents.”
“Yes, yes,” Miley replied dismissively. “I’ve filmed enough movies to know how this goes.”
---
Meanwhile, in another van, Woojin was also on his way to the set. On his lap rested the script for the first episode of *Beneficial Evil,* along with the CQC action choreography.
*This scene definitely calls for Park Dae-ri,* he thought, deciding to fully immerse in his character.
*I’ll follow the choreography to the letter but keep it loose. Just... free, playful. Perfect.*
The sourc𝗲 of this content is freēwēbηovel.c૦m.
Only three hours remained until the start of the shoot.