Chapter 177: Catfish Effect
Chapter 177: Catfish Effect
Meanwhile, at the same time Ryu Sunho had gone with Quentin to the hamburger shop, it was around ten in the morning in Korea.
Han Seungwoo, seated in the CEO’s office at Content Trinity, checked the text he had received from Ryu Sunho and let out a short laugh.
“So when he says he’ll do it, he really does it.”
Han Seungwoo set down his phone and looked out the window.
“Then I should do my part too.”
He gave an instruction to his secretary.
“Set up a meeting with The Movie Pictures, and book me a flight to LA right away.”
And about a week later, Han Seungwoo arrived at the lobby of The Movie Pictures headquarters.
He was dressed in a neat suit, but there was a slight tension on his face.
It was his first overseas business trip as CEO of Content Trinity, so it seemed the weight on his shoulders was especially heavy.
“Hoo...”
He took a deep breath, then pulled out a red stick packet from his bag.
He put it in his mouth and sucked it down, then made a blissful expression.
Seeing that, two members of the security team whispered to each other.
“Hey, what the hell is that guy doing...? Is he taking drugs or something?”
“No, that’s a red ginseng stick. I know because I saw it at a Korean market. They say it’s good for stamina.”
“Why is he boosting his stamina here? Doesn’t that make him even more dangerous?”
Han Seungwoo seemed to relax, then loosened up his facial muscles with exaggerated movements.
After that, he gave the security staff a bright smile.
“...That bastard was smiling at us, right?”
“...For now, take your hand off the gun. He’s dressed decently enough, so don’t be too hasty.”
The security staff, still on full alert, asked, “...Are you a visitor?”
“Of course. I’m Han Seungwoo, the CEO of Content Trinity.”
Han Seungwoo placed particular emphasis on the word CEO.
The security guard looked skeptical, but after checking the list, he let Han Seungwoo through.
“Good boy.”
A little later, in the large conference room on the seventh floor, Michael, COO of The Movie Pictures, sat in the seat of honor reviewing documents.
He glanced at the clock, then dryly addressed Han Seungwoo as he entered.
“Pleasure to meet you, Mr. Han. I’m rather busy today, so let’s keep to the point.”
A textbook superior-party attitude.
But Han Seungwoo did not shrink.
“Let’s do that. I’m a man with more money than time myself.”
Han Seungwoo brought up the presentation he had prepared.
The first slide was striking from the start.
A heat map graphic of Asia glowing in red.
“Content Trinity is the best partner for the Asian market.”
Michael folded his arms and listened.
What he heard was not bad.
No, it was rather attractive.
Rustle—
Looking through the portfolio, the recent results were excellent, and above all, Han Seungwoo seemed to have a close relationship with Ryu Sunho.
Still, Michael narrowed his eyes.
As a businessman who had seen every kind of battlefield, he was not one to take things lightly.
“Fine. I understand the data. But why should we bother joining hands with your company and splitting the profits? We could distribute it ourselves.”
It was a question that struck at the core.
There was no reason for a major Hollywood studio to share the pie if it did not need to.
But as if he had expected that, Han Seungwoo smiled.
“Because even if you know distribution, you don’t know culture.”
Han Seungwoo changed the slide.
On the screen appeared examples of past Hollywood films that had cast Asian actors for the Asian market, only to suffer bitter losses due to failed marketing.
“The marketing done by Hollywood direct distributors is predictable. Anyone can tell it was made in Hollywood. And the more that happens, the more distant it feels to Asian audiences.”
Han Seungwoo’s gaze turned sharp.
“But if we do it, it will be different. We sell the cultural context and narrative, then pull audiences into the theater.”
Along with his confident tone, he displayed overwhelming data and performance records that backed up his words.
“I’m not saying I want to steal a slice of the pie like a thief. I’m saying I’ll triple the pie and then take one slice. If each side gets one more slice, is there any reason to refuse?”
For a moment, silence fell over the conference room.
Michael looked back and forth between the graph and Han Seungwoo’s face.
...Huh.
He could not refute it.
That confidence.
He was proving his value not as a simple distribution agency, but as a partner.
Michael swallowed a hollow laugh and started doing the math in his head.
The risk was low, the expected profit high.
There was no reason to reject it.
Quite literally, this could be a win-win.
In the end, he broke the silence.
The corners of Michael’s mouth rose.
“It’s a good proposal. Let’s do it together.”
Han Seungwoo firmly grasped the hand Michael extended.
His palm was damp with sweat, but his eyes shone brighter than ever.
“You won’t regret it.”
[Quentin Marino’s next film, starring an Asian actor?]
Ryu Sunho’s name briefly flared up once in American communities, then the fire spread to Korea and became a massive wildfire.
[The man of Cannes, Ryu Sunho, now becoming the man of Hollywood?]
[Ryu Sunho confirmed as the lead in Director Quentin Marino’s next film?]
[First Korean actor likely to become sole lead in a Hollywood master director’s work]
As every media outlet started pulling headlines with Ryu Sunho’s name, film reporters were more excited than anyone.
“Wow... this is insane. After Director Baek Junbong’s retirement film, Quentin’s next work? This career really makes no sense.”
“Exactly. It’s not like Director Baek said for no reason in his Baeksang acceptance speech that he was entrusting the future of Korean cinema to Mr. Sunho.”
“In just three years since debut, he devoured Korea, then devoured Cannes, and now Hollywood... He’s a monster, a monster. That growth rate makes no sense.”
“Just imagining it already gives me chills. The ending credits roll, and right after Quentin comes Actor Ryu Sunho’s name? I can’t resist that.”
“To be honest, I’ve always hated content that milks national pride, but this one has me itching. I have to let people know just how huge this is.”
It was news as great as a major celebration for the Korean film industry.
Film reporters had no choice but to write favorable articles about Ryu Sunho.
[Ryu Sunho’s limitless sprint... why his meeting with Quentin is so anticipated]
[Why Hollywood sent Ryu Sunho a love call: overwhelming acting skill and star power]
Since Ryu Sunho currently had the biggest name value in Korea, the netizens’ reaction was immediate and explosive.
Damn, reading the article really makes me realize how huge this is;
Quentin really is that incredible, huh... He’s a genius recognized by those picky critics, and he also has box-office power? Then isn’t it over?
└ Game set.
Looks like Quentin must’ve gotten completely hooked on Ryu Sunho when he came to the Bucheon International Film Festival before.
└ Ah, that guy in suspenders was Quentin?
└ Yeah. He’s as eccentric as he looks;;; a genius weirdo.
Sunho, let’s devour Hollywood too!!! Let’s go to the Oscars!!!
But what’s that red thing on Ryu Sunho’s shoulder? Blood?
└ Isn’t it ketchup? Looks like it got on him while eating a burger.
└ Doesn’t it look like that director got it on him and is laughing about it? Just look at his expression lol
└ He really does seem to have a weird personality;;; but the two of them look like they have good chemistry.
Once the news of his move into Hollywood became known, messages poured in.
Some were congratulations, some were words of support.
Eventually, even unfamiliar numbers started calling him.
Reading the messages, they seemed to be entertainment reporters, but how they had gotten his number was another matter.
And in the middle of all this...
The message he had been waiting for still had not come.
Had he been too passive?
He had held back because running around too openly would make the picture look odd.
Should he step forward more aggressively?
Just as that thought crossed his mind—
Ding—
A long message in English arrived.
[Hello, Ryu. This is CAA (Creative Artists Agency)...]
Reading the opening lines introducing themselves as a Hollywood agency, he smiled.
It finally came.
The news that Ryu Sunho had entered Quentin’s project quickly spread through Flash Entertainment too.
“This is insane, seriously!”
“Our company’s actor as a Hollywood lead!”
“Well, strictly speaking, not our company right now.”
That splash of cold water caused the mood to drop sharply.
“Still no word about the renewal?”
“I heard they said they’d talk again soon, but there hasn’t really been any action yet.”
“Ah... I hope it goes well. If possible, I want him to stay with us even when he goes to Hollywood.”
“I’m so anxious. What if another place snatches him away?”
As the employees whispered nervously, Lee Seokjun, Team Leader of the Promotion & Marketing Team, came rushing into the office in a panic.
“He’s here! He’s here!”
“What is?”
“Mr. Sunho! Mr. Sunho just went up to the CEO’s office!”
“What? Really?”
“Whoa! He must’ve come to renew the contract!”
“We don’t know that yet. He might’ve come to say goodbye.”
“What kind of expression did he have?”
“I don’t know... he just looked blank. Like a poker face. I couldn’t read him at all.”
“Ha! Please...! I hope it goes well...!”
While the employees clasped their hands in prayer, at that very time, in the CEO’s office of Flash Entertainment, three people were seated amid a subtle tension.
CEO Hwang Cheoljun, Team Leader Jo Sehun, and Ryu Sunho.
“Please, sit comfortably, Mr. Sunho.”
CEO Hwang Cheoljun told him to sit comfortably, but his own expression looked anything but comfortable.
Right now, the man sitting before him stood at the crossroads between becoming the biggest free-agent catch in history or remaining Flash’s flagship star.
To put it bluntly, he was the weaker party here.
Even so, Ryu Sunho did not take on an arrogant attitude.
As always, he picked up his teacup with a careful and serious manner.
Taking a sip, Ryu Sunho thought back to the meeting he had had a few days earlier with the Hollywood agency.
The conditions had not been bad.
No, they had been excellent.
It felt like they were offering so much that it made him think, Have I already become worth this much?
But the more they talked, the more uneasy he felt.
It was obvious they wanted to seize control of the direction of his career.
It was as if they were trying to slot the part named Ryu Sunho into a huge factory-made roadmap they had already laid out.
...If that happens, then the parts of my future activities that I can choose for myself will shrink without fail.
A Hollywood agency was not stupid.
Their generous proposal was no different from an advance loan secured against future profits.
To squeeze out returns beyond what they invested, they would likely increase the number of schedules aimed at maximizing profit.
Even when it came to contributing ideas in advertising or attempting something new, there was a high chance they would only allow it if it was profitable.
In every sense, it meant moving farther out of his own hands.
Besides, it also bothered him that the Influence stat in the status window was still measured based on Korea.
If he moved his agency base entirely to the United States, there was a risk that his domestic foundation would weaken.
On the other hand, this place where he was sitting now—
Unlike a Hollywood agency, Flash Entertainment strongly supported and respected his opinions.
To be honest, rather than suddenly changing environments, it would be better in many ways to go forward together with his current agency.
Hollywood was unfamiliar enough already.
If too many outside changes piled up, there would be more distractions, making it harder to focus solely on acting.
Having to persuade internal staff all over again for advertising and promotion would be a headache too.
But he could not take the easy route either.
If all he wanted was support and respect, he could simply set up his own one-man agency.
In Hollywood, more than simple support, what he needed was salesmanship that actively built the stage for him.
Did Flash Entertainment really have that kind of capability?
There was no way to measure it in his head alone.
He had to confirm it.
There was a fairly famous psychological theory called the Catfish Effect.
It was a theory derived from the phenomenon where, if you put a predatory catfish into a tank of loaches, the loaches move more fiercely to survive.
Now that my contract has expired, offers are coming in from all directions, and there’s no way Flash Entertainment doesn’t know that.
In that case, use it.
Ryu Sunho set down his teacup.
Clink.
At that sound, CEO Hwang Cheoljun carefully opened the conversation first.
“Mr. Sunho, we want to continue dreaming even bigger dreams with you going forward.”
He laid out the renewal terms he had prepared.
They were exceptional terms, but Ryu Sunho listened without any change in expression.
Then he slowly opened his mouth.
“To be frank, I had a meeting with CAA a few days ago.”
“......”
CEO Hwang Cheoljun and Team Leader Jo Sehun both nodded very slowly.
It seemed they were letting him know they had at least kept track of that much.
“The terms they offered were... honestly far better than I had imagined. Even the scale of the signing bonus was on another level.”
CEO Hwang Cheoljun’s brow twitched.
His pride was hurt, but he could not argue.
Because it was reality.
“But I do not intend to move for money.”
At Ryu Sunho’s words, both men’s heads snapped up.
“I want to stay with Flash. This is the place that was with me from the beginning, and the place that understands me best.”
The moment he offered that carrot, the expressions of both men eased slightly.
“But if I am to reject CAA and remain here... I want to confirm that Flash can maximize my value too.”
“What exactly do you want? An overseas branch? Or specialized personnel?”
CEO Hwang Cheoljun asked with determination.
Ryu Sunho shook his head.
After a brief pause, his eyes lit up as he spoke.
“Get me onto the TV program in America with the highest buzz right now.”
“......!!”
Building recognition in America first.
That was the first step to surviving in Hollywood.