An Unexpected Turn of Events! (1)
"…Who did you say?"
Jang On-gyu had no choice but to ask again.
"Ga PD from KBN, sir."
The answer came back the same as before.
Jang On-gyu's eyes flashed.
Ga PD. A giant of the Korean entertainment industry.
And the very man he had poured so much effort into securing for this festival.
He had shown up without any notice? This suddenly?
They said he was eccentric—and they weren't wrong. Impossible to pin down.
But the calculator in Jang On-gyu's head was already spinning at full speed.
Why had he come? There could only be one answer.
It's about the new program, isn't it?
He had received reports that Ga PD had been roaming every corner of Shinsigaji throughout the festival, cameras rolling.
The dazzling festival grounds he had poured money into building.
The carefully crafted scenery of the main street he had so meticulously prepared.
The time had come to edit it all and put it on air.
YouTube? A million views?
One solid hit of terrestrial golden-time variety would settle everything.
This was a completely different weight class.
"Ha!"
A smile rose unbidden to Jang On-gyu's lips.
The timing is almost unfair. Looks like luck is finally on my side this time.
While that bastard strutted around on YouTube, the real broadcast would drop.
Once it did, every eye would swing right back to the glittering main street of Shinsigaji.
Something as trivial as the Factory Restaurant would be wiped clean from people's memories.
Heaven really is on my side. See? My luck was always different from the rest.
Jang On-gyu straightened his clothes.
He smoothed the creases out of his expression and slipped the mask of easy composure back into place.
"Show him in. We can't leave a guest of his caliber standing outside."
"Yes, sir."
Secretary Park withdrew. A moment later the door opened.
A man in a pressed-down bucket hat ambled in with a casual swagger.
It was Ga PD.
"Well now, look who it is. Ga PD!"
Jang On-gyu rose from his seat and welcomed him warmly.
He was certain.
This meeting would be the herbicide that ripped that irritating weed out by the roots.
Ga PD beamed under Jang On-gyu's hospitality.
"It's been a while. Care for a cup of tea?"
"Gladly. When Chairman Jang is pouring, there's no reason to refuse."
Ga PD dropped onto the sofa and pulled off his hat.
Jang On-gyu had his secretary bring out the finest leaf tea.
A fragrant aroma filled the office.
Both men wanted something, so the atmosphere stayed pleasantly warm.
"How was the festival? Did you get some good footage?"
"Do I even need to say it? Absolute jackpot. Chairman Jang laid the stage so perfectly."
"Haha. You're too kind. Once it airs, the response should be quite something."
Jang On-gyu wore a smile of quiet triumph.
Now comes the real business.
Coordinating the broadcast schedule. Making sure his own shops took the main slots.
There might even be an entirely new program in the works.
That would be ideal.
This was Ga PD's show, after all—the man at the top of the industry.
Even a brief appearance on one of his programs brought staggering returns.
That was exactly why he was being so hospitable right now.
"Speaking of which, Chairman—could I ask you for one small favor?"
There it was. The favor.
At those words Jang On-gyu answered with a broad, open smile.
"Anything at all. For you, Ga PD, I'll throw my full support behind it."
"I knew you were a man of scale. Here's the thing—it's about the owner of that Factory Restaurant."
The hand that had been lifting the teacup froze midair.
The Factory Restaurant? Kim Sunwu?
Why is that name coming up here?
Jang On-gyu's thoughts stalled for a beat.
Oblivious—or pretending to be—Ga PD simply kept talking.
"I'd like you to put me in touch with that owner."
"…You mean Kim Sunwu?"
"Is that his name? Kim Sunwu? Well, I went myself and tried every angle I had, but he wouldn't budge an inch. Then I noticed he's on the same street as your shops, right? Figured you two would be friendly—neighboring cousins and all."
Ga PD flashed a good-natured smile and drove the spike home.
"If you speak up, Chairman, it's a whole different story. You're a senior in this business, after all. Just put in a word for me. I absolutely have to cast that guy."
Jang On-gyu felt the last thread of reason in his mind snap cleanly in two.
A broadcast? Promotion for his shops? That wasn't it at all.
This man hadn't come for Jang On-gyu's broadcast. He had come to ask him to play broker so he could cast that bastard.
"If you can just bring Sunwu-ssi along, Chairman, I'll put some real muscle behind your side of things too."
"Haha. Mutual prosperity, is it?"
"Exactly. Mutual prosperity! Isn't that what you're always talking about, Chairman?"
"Indeed it is."
His insides flipped over.
It felt as if he had gulped boiling water—his esophagus burned raw.
But Jang On-gyu managed, to the very end, to keep the mask in place.
"Sunwu-ssi does tend to play hard to get, doesn't he?"
"Right? So you know how he is."
"Of course I do. I'll put some effort into it."
"That's our Chairman!"
"…We're all family on the same street. Helping out is only natural."
The corner of his mouth twitched, but he forced it upward.
"Chairman Jang. I've been counting on you a great deal. Please take care of it."
Ga PD chuckled and drained the rest of his tea in one go. Slurp. Refreshing.
Jang On-gyu could not bring himself to drink. Not while looking at him.
Because the face reflected in his own teacup was twisted beyond recognition.
A short while later, Ga PD left Jang On-gyu's office and stepped into the elevator.
[1st Floor!]
[Doors closing.]
The moment the doors sealed, he jammed his hat back down over his eyes.
"PD-nim, did it go well?"
Assistant director Park Min-soo, who had been watching carefully from the side, asked the question.
From what he had seen, the mood had been excellent.
Jang On-gyu had agreed readily enough, hadn't he?
Are we finally going to land the casting? Of course we are—he's the genius of the food business!
But the words that came out of Ga PD's mouth were the opposite of what he expected.
"We blew it."
"What? Blew it? The atmosphere was great just now. He said he'd help."
"You're supposed to be a director and you still have zero sense for reading a room?"
Ga PD clicked his tongue.
"Didn't you see his eyes? The second Kim Sunwu's name came out, his eyebrows did a full twitch."
"Uh… I didn't catch that."
"Aigoo. Hopeless, this kid."
The look Ga PD gave his assistant director was pure pity. He was far more of a fox than people realized.
Even the reputation as the industry eccentric was nothing more than a mask he wore to make the work run smoother.
In truth he was meticulous, and his instincts were razor-sharp.
He had not missed even the briefest slip that Chairman Jang had shown.
"Same street? Neighboring cousins? That's all there is to it."
"So you're saying they're not?"
"Nope. Those two don't get along. At all. Worst possible terms."
"It was just a little eyebrow twitch, though. Isn't that a bit thin for evidence?"
"Tsk tsk. That's exactly why you're still an assistant director. If you really can't believe it, just call it gut feeling."
"Gut feeling…!"
"You know my gut is never wrong, right?"
"…Yeah, I know."
"Then trust it."
Ga PD's gut had never once been wrong.
That forced smile Jang On-gyu had worn a moment ago—that was not the face of a man offering help.
That was the face of a man barely holding back the words get out of my sight right now.
"Even if your gut is right, PD-nim—he's called the genius of the food business. Would he really be that petty? Appearing together would benefit him too. Wouldn't he at least try?"
"Just watch. See whether the call comes or not."
"Really?"
"I'll bet my wrist on it."
"What am I supposed to do with your wrist, PD-nim? I've still got so much to learn—please take care of that wrist!"
"Heh. Brat. Fine, then I'll bet your first director credit."
"Seriously?"
"Yeah. If the call comes, your first credit is yours. That means your gut beat mine. But it won't come. We'll be lucky if he just stays out of our way."
"Ha… It's going to come!"
Ga PD grinned and leaned back against the elevator wall.
This is getting fun.
A massive food mogul and a tiny independent operator who can't stand each other.
And now a broadcast-station guy like me is stuck right in the middle of it?
This was more entertaining than any variety show.
The job itself had failed.
But the smile on Ga PD's face showed no sign of leaving anytime soon.
Ga PD's prediction hit the mark.
One day passed, then two. Not a single call came from Jang On-gyu.
If anything, rumors began circulating that Shinsigaji was quietly applying pressure against the Factory Restaurant.
"…So I lost the first-credit bet?"
"That's right."
"Aigoo. I thought this one would be easy. This is just like me."
"You'll still get that first credit soon enough, though."
"Huh?"
"I can see you starting to develop a gut of your own."
"Really? Just leave it to me and—"
"Don't overdo it. Anyway, this avenue is dead. Completely dead."
Ga PD was now certain there was nothing more to be done on Jang On-gyu's side.
See? My gut was right again.
Ga PD chuckled under his breath. Park Min-soo stuck his tongue out in defeat.
At that same hour, inside the Factory Restaurant.
I had been hammering through the endless flood of lunch orders without a break and had only just managed to catch my breath.
Break time is almost here, but still…
With this many customers, simply keeping up was no small feat.
That was when it happened.
"Boss! Phone for you!"
Jin-woo waved the phone from the counter.
"I'm drowning in work—who is it?"
I was ready to tell him to hang up if it was Ga PD, but the shape of Jin-woo's mouth was different.
Ha-yun noona!
Im Ha-yun?
Yeah. Im Ha-yun!
He was only mouthing the words, but the message came through loud and clear.
The Eating Empress, calling out of nowhere.
I stepped out of the kitchen and took the phone.
"Hello?"
"Boss, you're busy, right?"
"Yes, I am."
"Is there actually someone who answers that honestly?"
"That's just how I am. Anyway, keep it brief, please."
"Um… could I ask you for one favor?"
Im Ha-yun—the Eating Empress herself—asking for a favor?
There was no strength in her voice.
The usual proud confidence was gone; she sounded completely deflated.
"A favor?"
"Yes. Please… help me."
"Help you? With what? Is there something I could actually do for you, Ha-yun-ssi?"
"Yes. Please… save me."
Save her? What kind of nonsense was that supposed to be?
Is she joking around because she's on air?
That didn't seem like her personality.
And the desperation in her voice was far too raw for a joke.
Something had clearly gone wrong.
"What is it?"