Chapter 73
Chapter 73
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Translator: uly
Chapter: 73
Chapter Title: Is the Author Omnipotent?
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It took a week for Choi Woo-jong to return to the office.
"For now, I've finished talking with Ye-eun. She wants to cut ties with JU Entertainment too."
"Is that so?"
"Most people in her position would make the same choice. Of course, not everyone... Anyway, I've confirmed it with her directly, so we'll start the formal procedures soon."
Formal procedures.
Even if leaving was her own decision, there was still a contract in place.
They couldn't just ignore it and switch companies willy-nilly.
"Are you sure you're okay with this?"
Tae-seong asked once more.
JU Entertainment.
It was a behemoth in the entertainment industry, a true dinosaur.
Its influence was just as massive.
They were poaching an actor from such a company.
YS was solid, but there was bound to be some fallout.
That was what worried Tae-seong.
"It's fine. JU and I have bad blood between us. It can't get much worse if things sour a bit more."
Choi Woo-jong showed no signs of hesitation or regret.
He was stepping up aggressively for this.
It was possible only because of his determination.
"Got it. I'll do everything I can to support you."
"Support?"
Tae-seong smiled at Choi Woo-jong's puzzled question.
"I mean I'll put my all into making this drama."
"Ah—! Haha! Yes, looking forward to working with you!"
Only then did Choi Woo-jong nod.
* * *
After Choi Woo-jong left.
Tae-seong sat alone in the office.
'I need to support him with everything I've got.'
Choi Woo-jong had no real reason to get involved in this.
Yet he stepped up personally.
The reason? Because he was the one who scouted Ye-eun.
It was a matter of honor.
Tae-seong liked people like that.
That's why he felt more fired up than usual.
'If the intel on JU Entertainment is accurate, they won't let Ye-eun go without a fight.'
Gathering info on JU Entertainment hadn't been hard.
The dinosaur of the industry. The tyrant.
It had all sorts of nicknames.
But they all pointed to one thing: their overwhelming influence.
And they didn't let traitors walk away scot-free.
Choi Woo-jong was a prime example.
'Back when YS Entertainment was just starting out, JU pulled every dirty trick to keep them from getting established.'
It nearly cost them Park Eun-bi, a talented actress who almost faded into obscurity.
'It'll be the same this time.'
If Lee Ye-eun tried to leave, they'd block her.
This time, they wouldn't need underhanded tactics.
They'd use the legitimate leverage of her contract to tie her down.
And it wouldn't stop there.
JU Entertainment would likely bench her indefinitely.
'Sure, they'd worry about recouping their investment, but making an example of her would outweigh that.'
A warning.
Disobey us, and you'll never make it in showbiz.
JU Entertainment would pull this stunt countless times in the future.
'Ignorance would be one thing...'
But now that he knew, Tae-seong couldn't just sit back.
His hands settled on the keyboard.
'It's been a while.'
He began typing rapidly.
'Hacking, that is.'
999 lives.
In his 337th, Tae-seong had been a legendary hacker.
And those skills were resurfacing now.
* * *
"Hoo—!"
Choi Woo-jong let out a deep sigh.
'To think I'd come back here.'
It was the last thing he'd expected.
When he left, he'd sworn never to set foot in this place again.
Breaking that vow and walking back in filled him with tension, drawing out the sigh.
[Ding-dong! Arrived at the 7th floor.]
The elevator stopped.
He steeled himself once more and waited for the doors.
They slid open, revealing the familiar office.
One wall bore the stylish letters: JU.ENT.
'Here goes.'
He walked the corridor he'd vowed never to tread again.
Some employees recognized him and whispered.
But none approached.
Choi Woo-jong didn't stop either.
Normally, a staffer would escort him, but no one came.
His steps halted before a particular office.
He knocked on the door marked CEO.
Knock knock—!
"Come in."
The familiar voice gave him chills.
He'd never wanted to hear it again.
No choice now.
Coming this far meant the dice were already rolling.
Whatever came up, he had to face it head-on.
Click!
He opened the door and entered.
The office screamed luxury.
Unlike the modern interior, it exuded opulence.
Trophies filled one wall, boasting the company's greatness.
'Or rather, his own.'
The man before him.
Early 50s in reality, but he looked late 30s to early 40s.
The stylish man was Seo Jae-yoon, CEO of JU Entertainment.
"Long time no see, Chief Choi."
Even knowing he was now CEO of YS Entertainment, Seo called him "chief" on purpose.
The intent was clear.
You're not on my level yet. A declaration of war.
"How have you been, CEO Seo?"
"Haha! So formal with the 'CEO.' Isn't that a bit much now that you've left? Call me 'hyung' like old times."
It was contradictory.
He always used titles for others, yet demanded underlings call him "hyung."
Keep distance from me, but treat me like family and carry my burdens.
He only realized it after becoming CEO himself.
"No, we're not family anymore."
"Hmm, right?"
Seo Jae-yoon stood.
Discomfort plain on his face.
"Well, have a seat first."
"Thank you."
They sat facing each other on the sofa.
"So, what brings you here now that we're not family? Surely not just to say hi."
Seo kept up the condescension.
Choi had quit and started his own company, but Seo still saw him as a subordinate.
'Same as ever.'
The man was dismissing him.
It wasn't a one-day thing.
Seo Jae-yoon had always been like this.
Strong against the weak, weak against the strong.
Textbook type.
"Well? Speak freely."
"Lee Ye-eun."
"Lee Ye-eun?"
"Yes. The actress trainee under JU Entertainment. I want to take her with me."
"Lee Ye-eun... Hold on."
Seo pulled out his smartphone.
Powered it on and searched the portal site for the name.
"So many kids in the company, you know. Just a name doesn't ring a bell... Ah, her."
Only after the search did it click.
"A trainee who hasn't even debuted yet. What do you want her for?"
"I scouted her myself. I saw potential beyond trainee level from the start. But JU has so many better talents, her debut's been delayed, hasn't it?"
Choi deliberately hid his true motives.
No point bringing up the sex-for-favors scandal; it'd just anger Seo.
"Hmm, well, we do have a lot of good ones. Backlog for debuts too. So you want to take her and develop her?"
"Since I brought her in, I figured I'd put her in front of the camera."
"Hmm~ But there's this thing called a contract."
"Of course, I'll pay the penalty fee."
Seo's eyes lit up at that.
'Damn!'
Choi realized his mistake.
But he couldn't take the words back.
"You must really like her, huh? Well, I'll think about it. But you know I can't say no right away?"
"Yes."
Choi sensed it.
That one slip had piqued Seo's interest in Lee Ye-eun.
He knew it was a blunder, but he couldn't say more.
Excuses or deflections would only deepen Seo's suspicions; the man was sharp.
The fruitless first meeting ended there.
* * *
Back in the office after Choi left.
Another man sat across from Seo Jae-yoon.
"Director Kim."
"Yes, hyung."
Kim Jung-tae, the director called Seo's right-hand man.
"You know this Lee Ye-eun girl?"
"Yes. She's the one who refused Chairman Lee's entertainment gig recently."
"Hmm. Refused?"
"Yes. Canceled all her schedules after that."
"Good job. But get this—Choi Woo-jong came asking for her."
"Chief Choi?"
"Yeah. Even offered to pay the penalty. Something's off."
"I'll look into it."
"Handle that. But... does he know about the nightlife stuff?"
"No way. He was never involved in that side."
JU called sex-for-favors "nightlife ops."
Sensitive term like "sex-for-favors" couldn't float around internally.
They were careful about security.
But the two didn't know.
That Choi had left for that reason—and still had connections inside.
Still, Seo was paranoid.
Even a whiff of suspicion sharpened his instincts.
"Just in case, check the ledgers too."
"Got it."
Nightlife ops were high-risk.
Exposure would devastate JU.
They could get booted from the industry.
But they did it anyway.
The returns were massive.
It was the biggest reason JU became an entertainment titan.
So they kept meticulous ledgers.
Hidden where only Seo and his inner circle knew.
Used to be notebooks; now digital files.
They shelled out for top security experts.
Even if Choi knew about nightlife, without the ledger proof, no damage.
That's why checking the ledger was priority one.
But something unexpected awaited them.
"Huh?"
Kim Jung-tae, checking the ledger on his smartphone, let out a bewildered voice.
"What?"
"Uh, well..."
Kim couldn't answer right away.
He knew Seo hated that, but the shock was too much.
"Fuck! Spit it out!"
Seo finally erupted.
His usual gentleman act shattered—this was the real him.
No wonder staff compared him to Dr. Jekyll.
"S-Sorry. The... ledger file's been deleted."
"What? What bullshit is that!"
Seo snatched Kim's phone irritably.
The folder, accessible only via secure network.
The ledger file that should be there... wasn't.
"What the hell?"
No ledger, but one text file remained.
He clicked the "[MUST READ]" file.
[The ledger's mine now. Want it back? Contact below.]
Just a phone number inside.
Seeing it, Seo realized.
"Fuck..."
The ledger had been hacked.