Chapter 125: Competing for the Lead Role (2)
"Tae-Poong has dyslexia, not camera phobia. Where did you hear about any camera phobia?"
Caught in a lie, Ga Eun-Soo stammered in confusion. "D-d-dyslexia?"
"If you require proof, I can submit a medical certificate for the dyslexia treatment. And Mr. Choi—as you saw at the audition earlier, Tae-Poong has found a way to overcome his dyslexia."
Choi Sung-Moon shot a sharp glare at Ga Eun-Soo. His face was as red as a ripe persimmon, clearly furious by the realization that Daechon Inc.'s sponsorship and camera phobia were just an attempt to frame Lee Tae-Poong.
"Producer Ga."
"Yes, Mr. Choi!"
"Did you accept money from Chief Kim Dong-Soo?"
"N-no, absolutely not!"
Ga Eun-Soo insisted it wasn't true, but Choi Sung-Moon didn't believe him.
"I've heard rumors that you were exploiting my name, but to disgrace me like this? Do you see me as a complete fool?"
Slap!
Choi Sung-Moon slapped Ga Eun-Soo, causing the latter to stagger.
Pyo Eun-Mi quickly grabbed Choi Sung-Moon. "Please calm down, Mr. Choi!"
Choi Sung-Moon swung his arms around. "Let me go! I swear I'll teach this jerk a lesson he won't forget today..."
Then Kim Moon-Dong and Shin Jong-Ki stepped in to calm Choi Sung-Moon.
"Mr. Choi!"
"Please, hold back."
Only then did the still-fuming Choi Sung-Moon finally lower his hand.
"Hey! Producer Ga, get out and call Kim Dong-Soo right now. Tell him I don't ever want to see his face or Cha Tae-Hoon!"
"B-but sir!"
"Why are you still here? And you stay out of my sight for a while too!"
Ga Eun-Soo stumbled and managed to leave the room with difficulty.
Choi Sung-Moon was known for not holding back punches even with the lead actors if disagreements arose on set. Once he lost his temper, it was unpredictable what he might do.
Choi Sung-Moon gulped down the dongchimi placed in front of him. After finishing the cold dongchimi to the last drop, he started to catch his breath heavily.
Choi Sung-Moon then calmed down and apologized to me. "Sorry about that. I guess I misunderstood the situation."
"It's not your fault, sir. It's true that we were hiding Tae-Poong's dyslexia. It's understandable to have misunderstandings. Please blame me, not Tae-Poong. I'm the talent agent after all."
Choi Sung-Moon shook his head and said, "You have a way of making people feel embarrassed. How is it your fault? It's my fault for not managing my close associates."
Choi Sung-Moon then bowed to Lee Tae-Poong and me. "I was too hasty to jump to conclusions. I apologize for the misunderstanding, Mr. Tae-Poong and Assistant Manager Jung."
The startled Lee Tae-Poong quickly stood up. "It-it's okay, Mr. Choi."
Only after I also said it was okay did Choi Sung-Moon finally lift his head.
The initially-tensed atmosphere started to ease a bit.
Then Choi Sung-Moon looked at us with a contented expression and asked, "So we're good now, right?"
"Of course. I can't even remember what happened."
The atmosphere brightened even more when I made a light joke.
"Even if the sponsorship was a lie, how did you handle the script? Dyslexia would have made reading difficult. Did you read it for him?"
"I recorded all the lines and directions on tape for him to listen to.”
When I mentioned that Orlenes Boom, who played Lego in The King of the Necklace, also had dyslexia and employed a dedicated staff for reading and writing on his behalf, everyone's eyes widened.
"Ha ha. I had no idea there was such a method."
"Moreover, Tae-Poong is so exceptional that he memorized the entire script after listening to the recorded files a few times. So we could even start the shoot tomorrow."
"Ha ha ha. I could tell how prepared he was by looking at his extraordinary physique earlier in the audition. To be honest, the competitors stood no chance against Mr. Tae-Poong. A Black Agent with a bit of extra weight on the sides is not a good look, don't you think?"
Choi Sung-Moon expressed dissatisfaction with the other actors who came to the audition and winked at Pyo Eun-Mi who was next to him.
"Director Pyo. Don't you have anything to say?"
Pyo Eun-Mi seemed to have been waiting for this moment to ask a question.
"Would it be okay to reveal the fact that Mr. Tae-Poong has dyslexia to the media? It might actually help if done right. The public loves a triumph-over-adversity story."
Sometimes, turning a personal weakness into a public issue felt cold and cruel. But in this industry where everyone was striving for success, it was inevitable that the weakness would be revealed eventually.
'I guess it might be better to package it properly.'
After listening to my explanation, Lee Tae-Poong nodded in agreement that it could be used for promotion.
"Yes. It's a bit embarrassing, but I think it could send a positive message to others in similar situations, struggling with reading but still wanting to pursue acting."
Pyo Eun-Mi's face brightened as she added, "Mr. Shin, why don't we say the reason Mr. Lee Tae-Poong was called Lacking David was actually due to his dyslexia? How about that?"
"How about it? I can hear the audience growing," Mr Shin replied.
"Then please take charge of improving Mr. Tae-Poong's image, Mr. Shin."
"Okay."
With Pyo Eun-Mi taking the lead, things started to move quickly.
But now was the crucial part. If the pay didn't match our expectations, the contract could fall through.
Pyo Eun-Mi subtly began to negotiate the contract terms. "So, how much do you expect for Mr. Tae-Poong's fee?"
Being an S-tier actor, Cha Tae-Hoon had a minimum fee of 500 million won. But for Lee Tae-Poong who was no different from a rookie, it would be tough to exceed 100 million won even for a leading role.
I fell into a deep thought for a while and then made a bold proposal.
"I heard the total production cost for this movie is 20 billion won. This means we need a six-million audience to break even. Until then, we are considering a no-guarantee. But! If we exceed a six-million audience, we'd like 1.5% of the production company's net profit."
The expressions of the four people in front of me changed intriguingly.
"A running guarantee, huh?”
Choi Sung-Moon seemed amused by the proposal and clarified, "So you mean to say you won't take any money if there's no net profit?"
"Exactly."
"Where does this confidence come from?" Choi Sung-Moon asked puzzledly.
'From knowing the future.' I thought to myself.
I was certain that Lee Tae-Poong would surpass Cha Tae-Hoon's record.
"Depending on the revenue share between the theaters and the distribution company, we would need about 8 million audiences to make roughly 70 million won after all the deductions. Are you okay with that?"
I smiled and responded to Pyo Eun-Mi's question. "I'm positive we could possibly exceed ten million audiences with Tae-Poong as the lead."
"Ha ha. Quite confident, aren't you? Ten million isn't easy to achieve."
"With Tae-Poong as the lead and a film by Mr. Choi Sung-Moon, attaining a ten million audience is certainly possible."
Choi Sung-Moon burst into hearty laughter. "Ha ha ha. Four consecutive films with ten million audience, huh? Sounds good to me. With a 20 billion won investment, that's the least we should aim for. Yes."
During the ensuing conversation, Choi Sung-Moon voiced his opinion to the representatives of the investment and distribution companies with a satisfied expression.
"I like everything about Mr. Tae-Poong. His looks, acting skills, and newsworthiness too. I'd like to have Mr. Tae-Poong as the lead. What do you three think?"
The three slowly began to nod their heads.
This was practically already decided when Ga Eun-Soo was sent out.
***
[Everyday V10]
[Date: December 11th, 2020]
-10:00 PM <Deleted Schedule>
(Deleted Schedule: (Report) Beyond the Boundary Box Office Tally at 12:00 - 8,175,234.)
The entry was deleted as soon as the verbal agreement was made.
'No guaranteed pay up to six million audience...'
And thereafter, a 2% running guarantee—0.5% more than the 1.5% I initially mentioned—was agreed upon along with an increase in the guarantee.
Thanks to this arrangement, Lee Tae-Poong would stand to earn over 300 million won if the audience exceeded ten million.
On top of that, actors had the potential for extra earnings from commercials.
Despite being dubbed a "CF King" upon his debut, Lee Tae-Poong hadn't been able to secure even a single commercial until now.
But with the success of this film, it was expected that commercial offers would naturally follow.
Above all, there was something else to gain from this film beyond money. The transformation of Lacking David to a renowned actor respected for his acting skills—that was the real prize I sought. Once that image was established, offers for movies and dramas would come flooding in.
My party and I stood up and bowed. "We're looking forward to working with you, Mr. Choi."
"The pleasure is mine. Let's sit down. We should have our meal now."
"In that case, we'll treat you to the meal today."
I declared boldly, even if it meant maxing out the card. But then KM Partners' President Kim Moon-Dong shook his head and said, "Now, now. It would be quite a story if the lead actor coming on a no-guarantee also had to pay for the meal. What kind of investor would I be to allow that?"
'Hehe, thank goodness. Saved some money there.'
I tried to hide my grin as we sat back down. It seemed like today would be the day to loosen the belt a bit. After all, he wouldn't fuss over a few servings of fresh ribs when he is making a 20 billion won investment.
"Hyung, can I eat meat too?" Lee Tae-Poong pleaded with hopeful eyes, but I shook my head.
"You need to have your pine nut porridge because you've fasted for too long. Why did you go that far?"
"I'm regretting my decision too, okay?"
'But it was all worth it for the lead role. I'll treat you later, Tae-Poong.'
Kim Moon-Dong burst into laughter at Lee Tae-Poong's lament. "Don't be so harsh on our lead. He's a valuable asset who can potentially get us ten million audiences! Ha ha. I'll arrange another gathering soon."
'In that case, I'll make sure to attend that day as well.'
Just like that, we began to enjoy the top-grade fresh ribs grilled over premium charcoal.
Sizzle!
The beautifully marbled ribs dripped fat over the charcoal as they cooked.
Gobble!
I took a bite of the meat which was so tender it melted in my mouth.
After a hearty celebration of the succession contract negotiation, I sent Choi Sung-Moon and the others who were quite drunk off and then called a designated driver to return to the office because I had to prepare and send the preliminary contract documents to Choi Sung-Moon.
But someone was waiting for me in the underground parking lot.
"Assistant Manager Jung. I need a word with you," Kim Dong-Soo said in a low tone as he leaned against a car, staring at me intensely.
Kim Dong-Soo, who had been kicked out of GuuGuu after coming for a visit, looked noticeably uncomfortable.
"Did you hide the fact that Lee Tae-Poong has dyslexia from the company?"
"Yes, I hid it."
Kim Dong-Soo's face contorted and questioned me, "How do you plan to handle the consequences? The company could hold you responsible."
"I was 100% sure I could resolve it, and I did. So what's the issue here?"
Kim Dong-Soo stared at me silently.
It was my turn to question Kim Dong-Soo. "Now I have a question for you. Who told you about Tae-Poong's situation? As far as I know, only the staff of Actor Division 2 should be aware."
Kim Dong-Soo's face twisted again. But this time, he looked awkward as if he had been caught doing something bad.
"You don't have to tell me. I have a pretty good idea who it might be," I said with a straight face.
'It's very likely that he heard it from those who mingled with Ju Ho-Sung.'
The most likely suspects were Park In-Ki and his staff. But I had no intention of confronting anyone until I was 100% certain.
Then, Kim Dong-Soo spoke, "One more thing, Jung Yoon-Ho."
"Go ahead."
"Why are you so against me all the time? I know I've made mistakes before, but such things are commonplace in a work environment, aren't they?" Kim Dong-Soo asked with a confused expression.
I looked directly into Kim Dong-Soo's eyes. Even though everything happened in my past life, my memory was as vivid as if it all happened only yesterday. Deep wounds on the soul didn't simply fade with time.
But more than my personal feelings towards Kim Dong-Soo, it was his future actions that concerned me.
"Do you genuinely not know?" I asked.
"No. I need to know why so I can decide whether to tear you apart or let you live," Kim Dong-Soo replied coldly.
Kim Dong-Soo stood up, glaring at me. "Aren't you going to answer?"
I remained silent and thought to myself.
'There are too many reasons and it'd take me the entire night to explain it to him. I'd rather not.'
"Fine. Then I'll personally see to it that you're expelled from the company before Mr. Kang returns," Kim Dong-Soo said in a threatening tone.
The direct threats had begun.
'Yes, this should have started a long time ago.'
"Actually, no. Maybe I should just ruin one of the actors you manage. That seems like it would hurt you more," Kim Dong-Soo said as he smirked.
The moment I saw Kim Dong-Soo's malicious smile, all the anger I had been suppressing exploded.
I warned Kim Dong-Soo, "Don't touch my people."
Kim Dong-Soo's face contorted. "Don't get cocky, kid."
I didn't change my expression and stepped right up to Kim Dong-Soo's face.
"If we both set off bombs, the side with more troops will suffer more losses. Right?"
"What the hell are you talking about?"
"What am I talking about? I'm saying I'll fight fire with fire.”
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