Chapter 949: Godmother (2)
As Lee Ji-Yeon fell silent with a hardened expression, everyone in the room started growing tense.
Staring directly at Jang So-Yeon, Lee Ji-Yeon asked, "That just now... wasn't acting, was it?"
Lee Ji-Yeon's sharp eyes had instantly realized it wasn't simply a performance. That was why she stopped Jang So-Yeon's acting midway through.
Jang So-Yeon answered with a trembling voice. "No, ma'am. But... Na-Ra's situation in the drama overlaps a lot with mine. So it was easy for me to act it out."
"What do you mean by overlaps?"
Jang So-Yeon looked at me. When I nodded, she lightly trembled before slowly beginning to tell the story of her life.
"When I was young..."
Jang So-Yeon explained that she had been abandoned at an orphanage as a child before meeting me, and afterward she had practically raised her younger half-siblings, who all had different fathers, in place of their parents. She also spoke about how recently her stepfather and mother had kidnapped her siblings.
Fortunately, she said all those hardships had finally ended. She had become a model for Louis' Batton, and now she was standing here auditioning in front of Lee Ji-Yeon—Just like the heroine of Land of Happiness.
Listening with a sorrowful expression, Lee Ji-Yeon carefully asked, "Then are you... happy now?"
Tears welled in Jang So-Yeon's eyes, yet she smiled brightly like the happiest person in the world. "Yes. I'm so happy every single day that sometimes I wonder if it's really okay for me to live like this. I finally have a home where my siblings can sleep, and I finally have enough money to clothe them."
"You've suffered a lot. Your name was... So-Yeon, right? Jang So-Yeon?"
"Yes, ma'am."
'Wait. She remembered her name?'
Lee Ji-Yeon never remembered the names of actors she didn't acknowledge. So if she called Jang So-Yeon by name, there could only be one reason. It meant Jang So-Yeon had passed.
At that moment, Jang So-Yeon straightened herself again and spoke. "Then now, I'll act out the emotion of 'happiness.'"
Lee Ji-Yeon smiled warmly and shook her head. "That's enough. I've already seen it."
"...Pardon?"
"The smile you showed just now—that's the kind of 'happiness' I want to portray through Yoon Na-Ra."
"Then..."
"Yes. You're my Na-Ra."
Jang So-Yeon stared blankly for a moment before turning to look at me.
I nodded and started clapping. "Congratulations, So-Yeon. You're the female lead in Mrs. Lee's drama."
Clap clap clap.
Applause began filling the living room.
Overcome with emotion, Jang So-Yeon quickly stood and bowed deeply. "Thank you. I'll work hard."
That was how Jang So-Yeon met the perfect project for her as though it were fate itself and instantly became the lead actress. Which meant my job now was to help that good fortune grow even bigger.
'So-Yeon. From here on, I'll turn you into a star.'
At that moment, my phone vibrated.
Buzz.
[Caller ID: 010-2824-38XX]
It was a number I didn't recognize, so I almost declined the call. But during the audition alone, there had already been three missed calls from the same number.
'Who is this?'
Thinking it might be a reporter, I answered the call, only to hear a familiar voice.
-Mr. Jung. Um... this is Lee Ok-Mi. I saw the business card you gave me earlier, so I decided to call.
It was Lee Ok-Mi, the assistant writer who had been working under Nam Jong-Ok on A Twice-Lived Life earlier that day.
"Ah, yes. Go ahead."
-I'm embarrassed to even say this, but all of us assistant writers at the studio... we all got fired.
"...What? Fired?"
-Writer Nam Jong-Ok kept demanding to know who reported her for minimum wage violations, and when nobody answered, she said she was sick of looking at all of us and told us to pack our things and get out of Pyeongchang-dong.
"That's insane..."
-Yeah. So... if you really meant what you said earlier about taking me in, could you maybe also take the four girls who were working with me too? They've all got decent experience and they're really capable.
The seed I had planted to screw over Nam Jong-Ok had sprouted into something far bigger than expected. And Lee Ok-Mi wasn't just any assistant writer. She was Nam Jong-Ok's lead assistant writer, practically half the strength behind her productions. Which meant that even if A Twice-Lived Life still got produced, the chances of it becoming the same kind of hit as before had dropped significantly.
"Where are you right now?"
-We took a taxi out of there, and we just passed Yaksu Station. We're almost at Apgujeong.
Yaksu Station wasn't far from here.
"Wait there for a moment."
-Okay.
I immediately turned to Lee Ji-Yeon. "Mrs. Lee. Do you happen to need assistant writers for your daily drama?"
"Of course I need a lot of them. Why, are you already going to find some for me? Though beginners are out of the question. Even Soll-Ip's gone independent now, so how am I supposed to work while babysitting rookies?"
"They're experienced. Five of them."
"Five? Where are you even finding five experienced assistants all at once?"
"Apparently Mrs. Nam Jong-Ok fired her entire assistant writing staff over the minimum wage report. They're around Yaksu Station right now... what would you like to do?"
At that moment, Lee Ji-Yeon's eyes flashed brightly. "Tell all of them to come!"
"Understood." I immediately spoke into the phone. "Mrs. Lee JI-Yeon says she'll take you in."
-Mrs. Lee Ji-Yeon herself?
"Yes. So for now, all of you can work under Mrs. Lee Ji-Yeon. I'll explain the details once you arrive, so come to the security checkpoint in front of UN Village."
Lee Ok-Mi shouted excitedly.
-We'll head there right away!
Luck was practically rolling in by the cartload.
***
"H-Hello... ma'am."
After passing through the security checkpoint, Lee Ok-Mi and the other four assistant writers appeared.
But the moment Lee Ji-Yeon saw them, she shouted in shock. "What the hell happened to you all?"
The reason she had raised her voice was because every single one of them looked frighteningly thin, as though they hadn't eaten properly in ages, with dark hollows beneath their eyes.
Lee Ok-Mi let out a quiet sigh. "For the past year, you Ms. Kim Soll-Ip, and Ms. Han Woo-Ju kept dominating the drama industry one after another. So Mrs. Nam kept pressuring us every single day to come up with even better projects somehow. Everyone ended up practically having nervous breakdowns..."
Lee Ji-Yeon clicked her tongue angrily. "That crazy woman... Does she think tormenting her assistants is somehow going to solve anything?"
After fuming for a while, Lee Ji-Yeon looked at the assistant writers and asked, "Did you at least receive the manuscript fees she still owed you?"
Lee Ok-Mi answered hesitantly, "She said she'd pay us once the accounting was finalized."
"Is that so? Then write down exactly how much each of you is owed. I'll transfer the money to you myself before the day ends."
"...Excuse me?"
"You said you were all coming to me, didn't you? Then I should take responsibility for you." After saying that, Lee Ji-Yeon looked at Attorney Kim Chan-Sung. "Attorney Kim. Transfer twice the amount they write down by the end of today."
Kim Chan-Sung nodded. "Understood. We'll claim the unpaid fees separately."
"Good. Make sure you step in and squeeze every last bit out of Jong-Ok."
"Yes, ma'am."
Lee Ji-Yeon sharply turned her head. "Did you all eat... No, of course you didn't."
"Well..."
"We were about to eat too, so put your things down. We'll talk about details over dinner."
Lee Ok-Mi didn't know what to do.
Just then, Lee Ji-Yeon shouted, "You're all my kids now. And I'm your teacher. So don't think about anything else. For the next week, keep your hands off writing and just gain some weight! Got it?"
Lee Ji-Yeon was picky and sensitive, but she couldn't stand seeing other people hurt. Her words were sharp and often led to misunderstandings, but deep down, she was kinder than anyone. Fortunately, Lee Ok-Mi and the other four recognized that and bowed all at once.
"Thank you, ma'am! We'll work hard!"
Lee Ji-Yeon shouted back. "Don't even bow! You'll waste your strength!"
After yelling out of concern for the assistant writers, Lee Ji-Yeon turned to me. "Yoon-Ho. There's a top-grade Korean beef place nearby, right? Hanwoo Village. Make a reservation there. We'll take the girls and feed them. Nothing beats Hanwoo when your body's worn down."
Hanwoo Village was a premium Korean beef restaurant that cost eighty thousand won per person.
I said, "Mrs. Lee. Everyone's exhausted, so moving around might be too much for them. Since it's late, how about we keep it simple with something like sushi for now and go eat Hanwoo tomorrow?"
Lee Ji-Yeon snapped her head around. "Is everyone okay with sushi?"
"Yes!"
"Fine. Then we'll have sushi. And all of you, sit down and rest."
From that moment on, Lee Yung-Jin and Choi Dae-Gi quickly moved around and served simple drinks. Afterward, I placed an order at Lee Ji-Yeon's regular sushi restaurant.
Just as everyone let out sighs of relief at Lee Ji-Yeon's warm welcome, Lee Ok-Mi's phone rang.
Buzz~ Buzz~
Lee Ok-Mi looked at her phone and spoke with a worried expression. "Uh... it's Mrs. Nam."
Lee Ji-Yeon held out her hand. "Give me the phone."
I immediately spoke up. "Mrs. Lee. Please calm down. I'll take it."
"Yoon-Ho. This is something I should properly—"
"I'm your talent agent now, aren't I?"
Lee Ji-Yeon lowered her outstretched hand. "Fine. But if I think you're not handling it right, I'm stepping in."
"Of course, ma'am." I nodded and held my hand out to Lee Ok-Mi. "Please give me the phone."
"Here."
I immediately answered the call on speaker. At that moment, Nam Jong-Ok's voice burst out.
-Hey! Did you all really leave?
"Mrs. Nam. This is Chief Jung Yoon-Ho speaking."
-Huh? Why are you answering?
"Ms. Lee Ok-Mi will be managed by Hoop Entertainment from now on. So if you have any business with her, please talk to me instead."
-W-What? Hey! What did you just say? You poached someone else's assistant writer, and now what?
"Poached? That's strange. I heard they were fired."
-Hey. I was just angry and lost my temper for a second. This isn't even the first time something like this has happened, so why's everyone making such a big deal out of it? Put Ok-Mi back on.
'Making a big deal out of it? Fine then. I'll show you what a real big deal looks like.'
"No. You won't be speaking with the writers. Also, please prepare compensation for the illegal termination of all five employees, along with delayed interest payments on the unpaid wages."
Lee Ji-Yeon never made mistakes involving hiring or firing because Kim Chan-Sung handled everything legally. However, most writers saw themselves as kings, which was why incidents like this happened all the time.
-D-Do you think what you're saying even makes sense?
"I'm not finished speaking yet. And since we're all people working in the same industry, going all the way to court feels a little excessive. So if you transfer an amount equal to three times the unpaid wages, we won't personally pursue legal action."
Lee Ji-Yeon had said double, but that wasn't even close. I was demanding triple.
-Hey... hey, you little...
"Oh, and if you curse at me, I'll file a separate defamation suit."
-...
An immediate silence followed. I could practically picture Nam Jong-Ok boiling with rage on the other side. And during that silence, I delivered the finishing blow.
"And for your information, Mrs. Lee is starting a daily drama. We look forward to some healthy competition."
-What? Ji-Yeon is?
"Yes."
At that moment, Lee Ji-Yeon curled the corner of her lips upward and shouted, "Jong-Ok. Do you think I stayed away from daily dramas because I couldn't do them? Just wait. This time, I'm going to grind you into the dirt. Slowly. Thoroughly."
-D-Damn it. You think things are going to go your way? I'm hanging—
Just as she was about to end the call, I hurriedly cut in.
"So are you paying triple or not? You need to tell us in advance so we can decide whether we're filing a lawsuit or settling."
-Fine! I'll pay it! I'll pay it already!
Click.
The call abruptly ended. The moment it did, Lee Ok-Mi and the other assistant writers burst into cheers.
"Thank you, Mrs. Lee!"
"Thank you, Mr. Jung!"
At that moment, Lee Ji-Yeon shrugged her shoulders and nodded proudly. "See that? That's the level my talent agent operates at. So all of you can relax now."
"Yes, ma'am!"
I had no idea why the embarrassment always ended up being mine.
***
While eating the delivered sushi, I received a call from Prosecutor Park Jung-Jik.
-Yoon-Ho. KBC took responsibility for it.
Apparently, KBC had decided to frame the entire incident as a "payment processing error" in order to protect the writer.
"Ahh... can't be helped. Still, thank you."
-Right. Good work.
After hanging up, I checked the news portal just in case. And articles had already gone up.
[KBC: Unpaid assistant writer wages caused by accounting error. Promises full payment including delayed interest and compensation.]
[KBC daily drama writer Mrs. N: "I sincerely apologize for failing to properly take care of the assistant writers."]
The aftermath must have been significant, because not only KBC but even Nam Jong-Ok herself had publicly bowed her head in apology.
"Everyone, look at this."
When I held out my phone, Lee Ji-Yeon let out a short laugh. "They must've been in a hurry."
Lee Ok-Mi and the other writers smiled too. And beside me, Jang So-Yeon smiled softly as well. She had been through a lot today because of the audition too.
"So-Yeon. Are you happy?" I asked.
"Well, it'd be a lie if I said I wasn't. But more than that... I have sushi to bring my siblings."
Right now, the refrigerator held sushi that Lee Ji-Yeon had bought specifically for Jang So-Yeon's siblings. Apparently, that made her happier than seeing Nam Jong-Ok get put in her place.
Just as I smiled softly at that thought, Lee Ji-Yeon spoke up. "Oh, and Yoon-Ho. Jong-Ok's drama is scheduled for late May, right? I want mine to air around then too. No later than early June. Think you can make it happen?"
A Twice-Lived Life, written by Nam Jong-Ok, was scheduled to air on KBC 1TV at the end of May. And Lee Ji-Yeon wanted to secure the same broadcast period so she could crush Nam Jong-Ok head-on.
I nodded. "I'll contact the head of the drama department immediately."
"Good. Get some rest today, then tell them to come tomorrow."
"Would your home be alright for the meeting location?"
"Yeah." Lee Ji-Yeon nodded and spoke loudly. "Alright, everyone, hurry up and eat. Our lead actress has to go feed sushi to her siblings!"
"Yes, ma'am!"
Lee Ji-Yeon's motherly generosity brought smiles to everyone's faces.
Once again, I was reminded that choosing Lee Ji-Yeon over someone like Nam Jong-Ok, who treated people as disposable, had absolutely been the right decision.
***
The next morning, I headed to Lee Ji-Yeon's house. When I entered, Lee Ji-Yeon was already awake in the living room, typing away on her laptop keyboard.
"Yoon-Ho. You're here?"
"Yes, ma'am. I brought coffee. Would you like a cup?"
A smile appeared on Lee Ji-Yeon's face. "Of course. It's been a while since I've had coffee personally made by you. By the way, where are Ok-Mi and the others?"
"There was an empty unit in the DH Villa near the company, so I arranged accommodations for them there. Ran-Hee will handle managing them for the time being."
"That's good. Take proper care of the girls."
"Of course."
Pour.
I filled the cup sitting in front of her with coffee.
Lee Ji-Yeon took a sip and smiled warmly. "I really did make the right choice making you my talent agent."
Maybe because her writing was going well, her face was filled with smiles.
"Oh, right. How's So-Yeon? Did she get home alright?"
"Yes. And take a look at this."
"At what?"
I handed her my phone. Then I played a video.
[Jang So-Yeon and Her Siblings Bowing Video.avi]
(Jang Jun-Hyun, second sibling) Thank you, Mrs. Lee!
(Jang Myung-Sik, third sibling) Thank you for choosing our sister! You're the best, Mrs. Lee!
(Jang Yeon-Joo, youngest) Mrs. Lee. Thank you. I love you.
It was a video of the four siblings giving deep bows in front of the sushi Lee Ji-Yeon had gifted them. And after greeting her, the youngest, Jang Yeon-Joo, even drew a tiny heart above her head.
Seeing that scene, Lee Ji-Yeon's smile grew even wider. "Honestly, Yoon-Ho. Why would you even record something like this~"
She spoke as though she disliked it, but her eyes had already curved into crescents. Watching how happy she looked made even me feel good.
After staring at the video for quite a while, Lee Ji-Yeon turned to me and asked, "Ahem. So which broadcasting station is coming today? Since Jong-Ok is at KBC, did you call MBS?"
"No. I called SBC."
"SBC? They don't do daily dramas."
At present, only KBC 1TV, KBC 2TV, and MBS aired daily dramas. SBC, on the other hand, had stopped producing daily dramas five years ago. But I already knew SBC had been looking for an opportunity to revive their daily drama division at any time, so I contacted them last night.
"From what I found out, SBC's drama department has been planning to revive daily dramas. So when I mentioned that you were considering writing one, they said they'd come meet you immediately."
"Really?"
"Yes. I think if we make good use of SBC's situation, we can maximize your per-episode manuscript fee."
Since daily dramas were produced every day, their budgets tended to be much lower than miniseries. Which also meant the manuscript fees were drastically lower. Even Nam Jong-Ok, known as the queen of daily dramas, only received around fifteen million won per episode. Nevertheless, I intended to get Lee Ji-Yeon far more than that. So I had already prepared one move in advance.
"And Mrs. Lee. I quietly leaked rumors to a few reporters that you were preparing a daily drama."
"Hm? Why would you leak something like that?"
"Ah, that's because..."
Ding-dong.
"One moment."
At the sound of the intercom, I stood up and checked the exterior monitor.
Ding.
Outside the front door stood SBC Drama Department Director Lee Gi-Do.
-Mrs. Lee! I've arrived.
And then, pushing Lee Gi-Do aside, MBS Drama Department Director Kim Gyuk-Shik shoved his face into view.
-Move aside, Director Lee. Mrs. Lee, I'm here too.
But behind him, KBC Drama Department Director Pyo Eun-Jong also appeared, carrying an elegant white package in his hands.
-I'm here as well, Mrs. Lee. And I brought the handmade traditional sweets you enjoy so much!
Since KBC had both 1TV and 2TV, Pyo Eun-Jong had shown up as well.
I smiled faintly at the intercom screen. "The reason I leaked the rumor was to stop the three of them from coordinating in advance like this."
If I had openly invited all three at the same time, they would have gathered beforehand and worked out a deal together. But because I had quietly spread news about the SBC meeting first, the three of them had rushed over without having the time to coordinate with one another.
Lee Ji-Yeon let out a short laugh. "All three of them got played by you right from the start. Still... should I see just how capable you really are, Yoon-Ho?"
Taking this opportunity, I planned to completely rewrite the upper limit for daily drama manuscript fees.
"Yes. Just trust me!"
'Alright then. Shall we begin the bidding war?'
