Chapter 141: There's No Such Thing As A Permanent Number One (2)
At the upscale Chinese restaurant, Hwaryong, a red dragon decoration hung from the ceiling, while twelve red pillars stretched across, gleaming with golden dragons carved into them.
Overwhelmed by the atmosphere, Yoo-Jin exclaimed in admiration. "This place seems really expensive. Is it really okay for us to dine here?"
"It is expensive, but it's not like we can't afford it once in a while. I think it's around 100 thousand won per person?" I replied.
Yoo-Jin looked around the surroundings and whispered in a low voice, "How could anyone spend 100 thousand won on a single meal? Do you know how many bowls of soup that would buy?"
But I didn't want to make such calculations considering how much Lee Ji-Yeon earned in a year.
"That would be 20 bowls of soup, oppa."
"I know. But keep it down. We shouldn't talk like that when we're being treated."
"But if there are three of us, that's...let's see how many bowls of soup that would be..."
Yoo-Jin's constant calculations in terms of soup left me feeling a bit uneasy.
After hushing the observant Yoo-Jin, we followed the staff member leading us. The table was already set when we entered the reserved Room 7.
It was the Hwayo course, a lavish meal costing 150 thousand won per person—but I didn't tell Yoo-Jin the price because I didn't want her to start calculating how many bowls of soup that would be again.
"Please help yourselves."
"Thank you, Ms. Lee."
As Lee Ji-Yeon picked up her chopsticks, the courses began to arrive one by one.
Yoo-Jin was engrossed in the entertainment industry stories told by Lee Ji-Yeon during the meal.
However, I was preoccupied with how to inform Lee Ji-Yeon about the impending bankruptcy of Red Moon as noted in my planner.
[Everyday V10]
[Date: August 5, 2020]
-11:00 p.m. Emergency meeting regarding Red Moon's bankruptcy. 6F Conference Room
In the Name of God was set to crank in at the beginning of next month on July 1st. MBS' scheduled broadcast date was July 29th, but Red Moon's bankruptcy was on August 5th.
In other words, the production company would go bankrupt after airing just two episodes of In the Name of God.
In my past life, dramas produced by Red Moon, which were in full swing, experienced a drastic drop in viewership ratings. The production staff were worried about not getting paid due to the company's bankruptcy and the actors couldn't focus on their acting due to the negative atmosphere.
Although the broadcasters stepped in urgently to manage the situation, they couldn't fully restore the morale of the disorganized staff.
At that time, it was announced that the failure of In the Name of God was due to the inability to recoup investments. But it now seemed 100% possible that everything was a lie by Lee Sang-Sik, the representative of Red Moon.
I had to inform Lee Ji-Yeon about this impending event.
I set down my chopsticks and cautiously spoke to Lee Ji-Yeon who was enjoying the Kung Pao shrimp.
"Ms. Lee."
"What is it? Don't you like Chinese food? Why aren't you eating?"
'Of course I love Chinese food. I would eat this everyday if I could afford it.'
But that wasn't the important issue.
"Ms. Lee, how long has it been since you last contacted Red Moon?"
"Hmm. I left them on their own for a while since the last incident with replacing Choi Jun-Woo as I assumed they were handling things well. I've been too busy with script revisions recently to get in touch with them."
Lee Ji-Yeon served herself another Kung Pao shrimp, then stopped moving her chopstick mid-way upon seeing my serious expression.
"If you have something to say, just say it. Is there a problem with Red Moon?"
"...It seems their financial situation is quite bad."
Lee Ji-Yeon let out a deep sigh. "Hmm, you wouldn't be saying this without reason. So, how bad is it?"
"Bad enough to jeopardize the drama production."
Lee Ji-Yeon's face soured. "They're that broke? Red Moon of all companies? The number one drama production company?"
"Unfortunately, yes. From what I've gathered, it seems they'll struggle to make it through next month. It looks like trouble will arise around the beginning of August."
Lee Ji-Yeon quietly looked at the Kung Pao shrimp and then put it down.
"My appetite just disappeared."
"I'm sorry, Ms. Lee. I should have told you sooner but I was confirming the details."
"No, it's not your fault. You're not a god, so how could you know everything? Don't apologize."
After a moment of contemplation, Lee Ji-Yeon spoke again.
"We shouldn't just sit here. How about we go to Red Moon right now? Let's all go together—you and Yoo-Jin as well."
"Huh? Why would we go with you?"
"What do you mean why? I don't have an assistant writer or talent agent with me right now, and I can't just send Yoo-Jin home alone. Let's all just go and check it out for ourselves. It'll be clear once we see it for ourselves, right?"
"Hmm. Alright, let's do that."
We got up from our seats without even finishing our meal and I ignored Yoo-Jin's pleading eyes to pack the remaining food.
"Oppa, if we don't pack up the leftover food, that's... soup..."
Yoo-Jin whispered in my ear, but I ignored her once again.
"I can't hear you. I said I can't hear you," I mumbled as I walked on.
***
Red Moon was the top drama production company in Korea founded by Lee Sang-Sik, a former MBS PD.
Not only did it have a reputation as the number one production company in Korea, but it had also recently expanded into movie production as well.
But the moment we arrived at the company, it was clear why they were facing financial difficulties.
'They spent all of the company's money on real estate, huh?'
The newly constructed ten-story building near Gangnam Station Exit 3 was the most eye-catching in the area. The financial blow from the potential failure of In the Name of God seemed insignificant compared to the enormous amount spent on this new building.
Creak.
Our group headed straight to the lobby after parking in the underground lot.
"Wow. Every corner of this place is luxurious," I commented.
Lee Ji-Yeon clicked her tongue. "Indeed. It wasn't like this when I last visited. They must have redone the interior since then."
The interior walls of the building were all laid with premium marble, giving the impression of being in a major corporation's headquarters.
As soon as the desk attendant saw Lee Ji-Yeon, she hurriedly made a call through the intercom and then guided us to the president's office.
When we stepped out of the elevator, we were greeted by luxurious carpets covering the entire floor. It was as if the building was plastered with money.
"Right this way."
Upon entering the president's office, we were greeted by Lee Sang-Sik who was wearing a bright smile on his face.
"Oh! Ms. Lee. It's good to see you. How come you didn't let us know you were coming?"
"Why? Am I not allowed to turn up unannounced?"
"Ha ha ha. You know I'm just kidding. You even refused our offer to provide a workspace on the top floor. Playing hard to get, are you?"
But Lee Ji-Yeon responded with a cold demeanor perhaps because it was after she heard about Red Moon's financial troubles.
"Enough of that. I'm here to check on the production status today, just so you know."
Lee Sang-Sik flinched at her words but quickly composed himself and replied, "Oh, come on. Why the temper? Didn't I handle the last issue pretty well? There won't be any mistakes this time, so please don't worry."
The "last issue" he referred to was the Choi Jun-Woo incident that nearly derailed the drama.
"We'll see about that," Lee Ji-Yeon shot back .
Seeing the tense atmosphere, Lee Sang-Sik awkwardly shifted his attention to Yoo-Jin.
"I see you brought Miss Yoo-Jin with you today," he remarked as he gave her a slight nod.
"Nice to meet you, Miss Yoo-Jin. I've been enjoying Blue Sky. Judging by how the drama is maintaining its momentum even midway through, I bet it'll easily surpass 25% viewership ratings before it ends."
Yoo-Jin nodded her head and said, "Thank you for your kind words, sir."
Then it was my turn.
However, Lee Sang-Sik's gaze toward me wasn't as friendly.
"Are you Jung Yoon-Ho, the assistant manager?"
"Yes, sir. It's nice to meet you, Mr. Lee."
"Hmph! Do you have any idea how much trouble you've caused me? If you had informed us beforehand, we could have handled it smoothly."
I was prepared for him not to look kindly upon me since I was the one who exposed the Choi Jun-Woo incident. But I didn't expect him to put all the blame on me.
By exposing the issue, I prevented the drama from being disrupted mid-broadcast and helped them avoid a worst-case scenario. Yet, instead of showing me gratitude, he was directing his resentment toward me.
I was dumbfounded by his absurd attitude but calmly acknowledged his greeting. After all, there was no point in clashing with the head of a company that would soon be defunct.
"I acknowledge my lack of experience which led to a significant mistake."
"Well, it's not something to dwell on. Anyway, let's put the past behind us and start anew."
Lee Sang-Sik smiled shamelessly and concluded the greetings, before starting a lengthy briefing on the current production status.
He boasted about the immense budget and the qualified staff assembled to make In the Name of God the best drama.
However, Lee Ji-Yeon appeared disinterested in Lee Sang-Sik's words and made a specific request.
***
"...So? You're telling me you can't do it?"
"Ms. Lee, you are asking for too much. How can we suddenly allocate the drama production budget into a separate escrow account?"
Money in an escrow account couldn't be used for anything other than drama production, even if the company went bankrupt. Thus, transferring the production budget to an escrow account would essentially prove the company's financial stability.
What Lee Ji-Yeon was trying to do was verify Red Moon's financial situation using a common industry practice.
As expected, Lee Sang-Sik looked troubled and declined Lee Ji-Yeon's request.
"Our company is producing over 20 dramas right now. If we tie up funds in one drama, that would make it hard for us to move them whenever we need."
"So? You're telling me you can't do it?"
"It's not that we can't, but I hope you understand our situation."
Lee Ji-Yeon stared into Lee Sang-Sik's eyes for a moment before sighing.
"Alright, I admit I might have asked for too much. I'm sorry."
Lee Ji-Yeon stood up and shrugged her shoulders.
"Yoo-Jin, Yoon-Ho. The greetings are over. Let's go."
As we stood up after having been there for less than ten minutes, Lee Sang-Sik hastily tried to keep Lee Ji-Yeon from leaving.
"Oh, wait a minute! It's been a while since you visited and I'd be disappointed if you left so soon. Let's at least have a meal together."
"No. We just had our meal, so don't worry about it."
Lee Sang-Sik made a disappointed expression. "Then I'll see you next week at the actress audition. We have over 2,000 applicants this time. Ha ha ha."
Lee Sang-Sik's laughter was full of confidence.
As we waited for the elevator, Lee Sang-Sik came to see us off and tapped my shoulder.
"Assistant Manager Jung, does Miss Yoo-Jin have a schedule today?"
Not wanting to have any dealings with Lee Sang-Sik, I decided to lie. "Yes, sir. She has a couple of schedules."
Lee Sang-Sik looked disappointed but nevertheless nudged me further.
"Can you postpone that schedule by any chance? We have an investor coming from China today and he's a huge fan of Miss Yoo-Jin."
"A fan of Yoo-Jin?"
"Yes. His name is Jiang Wei, a media chaebol from Shanghai. He said he must see Miss Yoo-Jin if he comes to Korea."
For a moment, I nearly threw a punch at Lee Sang-Sik's face.
President Jiang Wei was notorious for his indulgence in women and often used investments as an excuse to have drinking parties with female celebrities from Korea, engaging in unspeakable acts.
'And he is bragging about introducing such a despicable person to Yoo-Jin?'
I had to work hard to contain my rising anger. After all, Jiang Wei's debaucheries would only become known to the public a few years later.
"Unfortunately, it's important schedules that can't be skipped."
Lee Sang-Sik's face scrunched up in displeasure at my response. "Tsk. How are you planning to get along in society by being so rigid? Don't you want to work with me in the future?"
As Lee Sang-Sik continued with his displeased tone, Lee Ji-Yeon interjected with a cold expression.
"Mr. Lee, one of those schedules is mine. Are you going to keep being annoying like this?"
Lee Sang-Sik's expression turned into one of realization. "Oh, my. I was unaware of the situation. My apologies. I only mentioned it because the VIP guest is a big fan of Miss Yoo-Jin..."
"Hmph! If he likes her so much, tell him to watch the drama."
Lee Sang-Sik forced a laugh and bowed his head.
"Ha ha ha. He does watch it a lot. And since he's also a fan of yours, Ms. Lee, let's have dinner together sometime."
Seemingly not interested in a lengthy conversation, Lee Ji-Yeon coldly turned her head away.
As we took the elevator down to the parking lot, Lee Ji-Yeon said angrily, "You were right again, Yoon-Ho. That bastard is definitely broke."
She was so angry she called Lee Sang-Sik a bastard.
Realizing Lee Ji-Yeon had decided to change production companies, I decided to drive the point home.
"Ms. Lee, are you considering changing the production company?"
"I guess I have to. When we re-signed the contract after the last schedule disruption, I made sure to include terms that would make it easy to terminate the contract just in case."
When suspicions concerning Choi Jun-Woo arose the previous time, Red Moon stubbornly refused to listen to Lee Ji-Yeon and insisted on keeping Choi Jun-Woo despite her objections.
Thanks to that, Lee Ji-Yeon, who could have faced significant trouble, renegotiated the contract to include a clause that allowed for immediate termination with the payment of a minimal penalty fee.
Lee Ji-Yeon immediately contacted her personal lawyer.
"Yes, Lawyer Kim. Please come to my house with the contract. I'm going to terminate the contract with Red Moon, so make sure you're fully prepared."
After ending the call, Lee Ji-Yeon let out a long sigh.
Then she ensured Yoo-Jin couldn't hear and gave me a warning in a low voice.
This 𝓬ontent is taken from fre𝒆webnove(l).𝐜𝐨𝗺