Chapter 162
Chapter 162
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Translator: Ebonarch
Chapter: 162
Chapter Title: Script Reading
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Dragon Plate purchase inquiries are handled by a dedicated department. If a civilian places an order, that department takes care of it.
However, Lee Tae-seong had some connections with the Palstar Tech family. Upon hearing that Yang Yong-jun had come by, he made time for a quick meeting.
Yang Yong-jun spoke up.
"Yes. My father wants a Dragon Plate. Just one—no, make it two. I want one too. Heh."
Lee Tae-seong tilted his head.
"Why would President Yang need a bulletproof vest?"
"My dad loves cutting-edge tech gear."
"Ah..."
Lee Tae-seong scratched his chin with his finger.
"Not many people match the standard sizing and build for our mass-produced models. I know your dad's rough build, and it'd probably be a poor fit. You'll just have to wait until a suitable design comes along."
Yang Yong-jun had already heard that line before.
"I heard you offer custom designs tailored to the customer's body. Just make one for us, at least."
"Our design team's swamped. As we announced yesterday, we can't even keep up with custom orders from governments."
Na Gang-in hadn't been designing Dragon Plates much lately. Custom pieces were produced in very limited quantities.
Yang Yong-jun bowed his head.
"Brother, this is a special request from my father. Help us out this time, and I'll owe you one big time later."
Lee Tae-seong chuckled softly.
Ironman Engineering rarely owed favors to Palstar Tech. Besides, Yang Yong-jun didn't have the authority to grant them that much leeway.
But saying it outright might hurt the man's feelings.
Lee Tae-seong deflected politely.
"You're not the only one asking us to make a special Dragon Plate. If I grant your request, I'd have to do it for everyone else too. Can't."
Yang Yong-jun had already bragged big time about it.
"Brother, is there really no way?"
"There is... a way."
'If Mr. Kang takes a personal commission, that'd do it.'
Shin Eun-ha's Dragon Plate had been made separately by Na Gang-in.
'But aside from someone special like Shin Eun-ha, Mr. Kang hasn't done that for anyone.'
Lee Tae-seong offered some advice.
"That method's out of your league. Give it up."
The movie Spear of Destiny still hadn't cast its female lead even at the eleventh hour.
Originally, Shin Eun-ha and Lee Bora had been the top contenders. Both had declared their intent to star from back when it was just a script.
So Shin Eun-ha and Lee Bora figured they'd split the lead and the key supporting role opposite it. Back then, they were competing over who got lead and who got supporting.
But once auditions began, things shifted.
Word got out that Na Gang-in was joining as martial arts director, drawing in female actresses hungry for a fierce warrior image.
Eventually, even Oh Sena jumped into the fray.
Oh Sena was the star of the box-office smash Sunny Day, which raked in ten million viewers. When a lead actress like her offers to join a rookie director's debut, studios usually grovel to make it happen.
But Spear of Destiny was different. They couldn't just ditch Shin Eun-ha and Lee Bora—who'd been on board before production was greenlit—simply because Oh Sena showed up.
The film company, director, and investors gathered for a debate.
Director Byun Hyeong-chan argued fiercely.
"We can't betray Shin Eun-ha and Lee Bora just because our situation improved!"
Pull the funding, and the movie dies. But if the director who wrote the script walks, it dies too.
In the end, they decided the lead and supporting roles would go to whoever won a private audition.
Oh Sena was floored when she heard.
"Wait, I have to audition for a rookie director's film? Me? Oh Sena?!"
Her manager quickly asked.
"Should I say no for you?"
"Huh?"
"You just said yes? Good call. It's weird for you to do a newbie director's movie. Teaming up with Kim Yu-chan again could spark scandal headlines. Let's pass."
"No way! Backing down now feels like losing! I'm doing it! I'll crush those climbers flat!"
"Ugh, you stubborn mule."
Once Oh Sena's involvement leaked, a few competitors dropped out.
They assumed the studio and director would pick her. No actress wants to play second fiddle in a foregone conclusion.
Shin Eun-ha didn't quit. She ground her teeth instead.
"Trying to step on me now? Don't make me laugh! I'll stomp you first!"
She pored over the script until her hands were black with grime, dissecting the character. Her goal was singular: the lead role.
It wasn't just reading and analysis. She rehearsed scenes tailored to the part.
Her practice partners varied: her manager on command, her little brother with pocket money bribes, or occasionally Na Gang-in.
She assigned roles accordingly. Her manager played a fellow office worker from the corporate scenes, her brother the enemy.
And Na Gang-in got the love interest.
Shin Eun-ha rattled off her lines without the script.
"Young master, the enemy's pursuit is fiercer than expected. We need a plan."
Na Gang-in read from the script, eyes on the page.
"No can do. We split here."
Shin Eun-ha complained.
"Come on, Gang-in oppa. Act it out—don't just read like it's a textbook!"
"I'm not an actor."
"President Lee Tae-ho said your acting's pretty good? You gonna be this uncooperative?"
Lee Tae-ho had seen Na Gang-in lure and fool Jackal's international merc goons. Back then, AI Jeon Ji-in had tweaked his voice and expressions.
But now, AI Jeon Ji-in offered zero help.
"Why are you talking like some historical drama too?"
AI Jeon Ji-in was sulking. So Na Gang-in just read the script like a textbook.
Na Gang-in said to Shin Eun-ha.
"If you don't like my acting, should I stop?"
"No way. Keep going, even if it's crap. Overcoming crap conditions like this is how I beat Sena unnie!"
The showdown between Shin Eun-ha and Oh Sena fizzled out due to an unexpected twist.
Oh Sena's car got caught in a traffic accident. She wasn't badly hurt, but she'd need a cast on her right arm for a while.
The film was about to start shooting. Oh Sena was out.
Oh Sena kicked the hospital bed with her feet in frustration.
"Argh! I was gonna crush them all!"
The actresses who'd bowed out to avoid being Oh Sena's stand-in couldn't return now that she'd dropped due to the accident.
Competition for the lead thinned out nicely.
Shooting was right around the corner.
The two remaining roles were filled.
Shin Eun-ha greeted Lee Tae-ho with a beaming smile.
"Oh my, President Lee Tae-ho. Looking forward to working with you. Your lead actress, Shin Eun-ha."
Lee Bora grumbled from the side.
"I could've been lead too."
"Be happy with the role opposite me. I'm the star of this film. Oh ho ho hot."
"Shut it."
Shortening the production timeline cuts costs too. Same quality, faster shoot—win-win.
A few days later, the official production kickoff began. They even held a blessing ceremony with press in attendance.
Shin Eun-ha watched the ceremony amid the cast. Gong Ji-hyeon approached her.
"Unnie, congrats on the lead."
Shin Eun-ha's smile had been ear-to-ear for days.
"You have no idea how hard I worked analyzing the character and practicing? Having a good acting trainer is everything when you're desperate."
"Too bad that teacher who trained you wasn't around to help, unnie."
Gong Ji-hyeon had mentioned her slump-busting mentor several times. Shin Eun-ha had heard the stories.
But no one matched the description.
Shin Eun-ha was starting to suspect Gong Ji-hyeon was imagining things.
"Where the heck is he? Your dream acting teacher."
"I'm curious too. He's gotta be in the industry somewhere, so we'll meet eventually."
Director Byun Hyeong-chan bowed first and stuck money into the pig's head. Other actors skipped the bow and just added cash—for later cast party funds.
Once the ceremony wrapped, everyone scattered to their tasks.
Crew handled set prep, gear setup, props, and such.
The cast gathered in THO Entertainment's conference room. Script reading to get into the groove—today's plan.
Gong Ji-hyeon took a slightly late elevator to the room. As the doors were closing, they reopened. Glancing up from the mirror, she turned to see who it was.
Na Gang-in stepped in.
She jolted.
"Ah! Teacher?"
Na Gang-in smiled and greeted her back.
"Fancy meeting again. But why teacher?"
"You taught me facial expressions! That makes you my teacher!"
One other person called Na Gang-in "teacher" besides Gong Ji-hyeon.
The joint investigation unit detective who showed up every incident—his term was teacher, akin to "sir" or "client."
'New feeling since someone else uses it. No incident this time either.'
Gong Ji-hyeon's eyes sparkled like stars at Na Gang-in.
She'd figured being in the industry meant crossing paths eventually. But not this soon, in the studio elevator.
'Ah! Last time I mentioned teacher, boss said he wanted to book him for acting coaching. They found him for the studio.'
Script reading day.
'Here to analyze the other actors' skills, like he did for me.'
She started to ask if she was right.
"By any chance..."
The elevator dinged open. An assistant director beckoned Gong Ji-hyeon.
"Gong Ji-hyeon! Hurry to the conference room and grab a seat. Everyone else is already there."
"Ah! Coming!"
Gong Ji-hyeon dashed off, glancing back. Na Gang-in exited too, heading to the room.
Relieved, she entered the script reading spot.
Press snapped pics during the ceremony, but reading was private.
Before starting, actors posed pondering their open scripts for the cameras. Shutters clicked away.
Kim Yu-chan drew the most lenses.
Shin Eun-ha and Lee Bora got plenty too. Reporters captured the rest.
Reporters chattered while shooting.
"Rookie director debut, but stacked cast? Kim Yu-chan's pull?"
"Nah. Rumor is the action's killer. That's why last-minute rushes from action-curious or image-shifting actors."
After snapping Gong Ji-hyeon too, reporters filed out.
Door locked. Private time.
Gong Ji-hyeon scanned the room post-shut.
Not enough seats for all, so extras and staff lined the walls.
Na Gang-in blended among them.
She relaxed again.
Director Byun Hyeong-chan greeted first. Then main cast stood for quick intros.
Two extras whispering in the corner eyed the intros.
"Wait, that senior came for such a small role? Can they even pay her fee?"
"Heard she cut her guarantee first."
"Why?"
"Her role's this epic death scene with badass action. She insisted."
"Whoa... Others too?"
"Yeah. Everyone who downplayed their status for action-heavy parts."
"Actors doing their own stunts?"
Fellow extra tilted his head.
"Dude, how clueless are you?"
"Agency just shoved me into this no-face extra gig. Felt neglected, so I skimmed the script and ignored the buzz..."
"Wrong. Company's looking out for you. Check the cast."
"Really?"
"Anyway, actors fight for real here. Manage your bod."
"Actor's body is capital. What if you get hurt?"
"Don't get hurt."
"Easy to say. Ain't that simple."
"It will be. He's involved."
"Huh? He?"
Director Byun Hyeong-chan eyed the chatty pair. They zipped it.
Byun Hyeong-chan addressed the room.
"Want to intro everyone, but it'd drag. Let's jump into reading."
A supporting actor raised a hand.
"Hold on, Director. Heard Na Gang-in's our martial arts director. Here today?"
Gong Ji-hyeon's eyes lit up at that.
She'd heard Na Gang-in was in too. Manager warned her pre-audition: fiercer competition.
Curious about his look, she'd scanned earlier.
"Wow. Wonder what he's like? Two meters tall, over a hundred kilos maybe?"