The More the Merrier? Or Fewer the Better? (2)
During the three-day audience preview screenings, Jeong Seo-hoon hustled through stage greetings nonstop.
He didn't just stick to Seoul—he even swung down to Busan at the southern tip and Gwangju once each before heading back.
Ha Tae-soo, the personal road manager Kang Byung-cheol had introduced him to, was floored by his stamina.
“What, you come out of the Marines or something? Your endurance is insane. You don't look tired at all after that brutal schedule.”
“Hyung, I just did my service right in the middle of Seoul.”
“Man, you're just born with it.”
They'd only known each other a short while, but they were already on brotherly terms, dropping the formalities.
“Tomorrow's the official release. Just a few more stage greetings to grind through.”
The distributor had slotted in several more for the official opening schedule too.
Thanks to that, even the awkward corner seats in the Yongsan IMAX theater were booked solid.
After wrapping everything up, the van finally pulled up to Jeong Seo-hoon's house late at night.
“Whoa, this is your place? Byung-cheol mentioned it, but damn, you guys are loaded.”
“If you're cool with it, crash here, hyung. We've got an early start tomorrow— no point wasting energy going back and forth twice.”
“You sure?”
“We've got a guest room on the third floor.”
Ha Tae-soo stepped cautiously into the main house.
No sign of the parents—they must've been out. Jeong Su-ryeon was lounging in shorts and a tank top, sipping on a can of beer.
“Hey, Su-ryeon. What's up.”
“Hey, Tae-soo oppa. Crashing here and heading out together tomorrow?”
“Yeah, Seo-hoon said it'd be easier that way.”
“Makes sense this late—no point in the back-and-forth. You eat yet?”
“I'll grab something. This way, hyung.”
Jeong Seo-hoon led Ha Tae-soo up to the third floor.
Ha Tae-soo, a bit intimidated as he climbed the stairs, suddenly spotted something and froze.
“Wait, is that an elevator?”
“Yeah. But we hardly use it unless we're hauling big stuff. Stairs are fine otherwise.”
“Who puts an elevator in a private house...”
“You need one to bring furniture in. Can't without it.”
“Fair point. Doesn't look like there's an angle for a crane anyway.”
The first floor was for the couple and family space, second for the siblings, and third purely for guests.
“Go ahead and wash up. I'll prep some late-night grub.”
“Uh, yeah. Sure.”
Standing dumbfounded in the guest room—with its own living area and attached bathroom, like a hotel suite—Ha Tae-soo finally burst out chuckling.
“At this point, why not just start your own agency?”
***
Today was the Su-jang-go release day.
Oh So-hee and Kim Da-hye bolted straight to the theater after work.
It was the IMAX first-day stage greeting screening they'd fought tooth and nail to book.
The actors would only stick around a few minutes, but to fans, even those were priceless.
“Popcorn? Cola?”
“Are you nuts? What if I gotta pee midway? Our Seo-hoon's scenes are so short.”
“Can't miss a second. Dry it is?”
“Let's go.”
Hard-won front-row IMAX seats—terrible for viewing the screen, perfect for the closest stage greeting view.
Finally, the movie kicked off.
Su-jang-go
From the jump, it hit with sizzling spy fieldwork and ripping off pricey smuggled goods.
Dazzling fight scenes and action hooked the audience instantly, then the main mission dropped.
“Steal from an art gallery? Hell no—what's that gonna buy you?”
“It's not just any gallery. It's the one run by Ilseong Group's matriarch.”
Three pros teamed up to hit Korea's top art gallery, stuffed with priceless masterpieces.
Ex-National Intelligence Service agent.
Current high-ranking Customs official.
Current deputy director of Ilseong Art Gallery.
“What, slush funds piled up or something?”
“No slush, but rooms full of art pieces worth hundreds of millions, even billions each.”
The trio dreamed of cracking the gallery's top-tier vault for a life flip.
None could be spared: infiltrate the gallery, fence the haul, escape clean.
They couldn't fully trust each other, but one slip meant they all fell—imperfect trust in a three-way bind.
“You all know: betray one, we all die. Don't forget.”
Even betrayal dragged you down too.
Could that be the ultimate deterrent?
Can I trust that bastard?
That guy's gonna hog it all somehow...
Can't let my guard down.
A no-betrayal setup, but faced with astronomical cash to swallow solo—could reason hold?
Him? Or that one?
Even I'm wavering...
Hiding shared doubts and distrust, they prepped the heist, blades at each other's backs.
Then the deputy director (Chae Ji-hyun) pitched a new recruit.
“Got a solid blade guy. Let's bring him in.”
“Splitting thirds into fourths? I'm out.”
“I'll cut from my share. Don't sweat the split.”
“Fine then. Reliable?”
Anyone here besides you we can trust?”
“Touché, deputy.”
“I'll handle him. Off vibes? Take him out, no hesitation.”
“Haha, you're the shadiest, so why drag him in?”
“Told you: solid blade.”
“Works for me. Extra sword never hurts.”
Cut to a massive drug lab warehouse hidden in the mountains.
Sunset clinging to peaks lit a Lamborghini tearing down the slope.
It smashed through the flimsy warehouse door.
Drug cooks froze in shock as the gullwing door sliced upward.
Camera crept from black tire rim, up past a hand lighting a cigarette.
Kim Chan’s sharp face filled the screen, cig dangling casually from his lips.
“Ah...”
Feeble sighs rippled through the theater.
Oh So-hee and Kim Da-hye leaned forward, devouring the screen.
Too perfect for a mere mortal—that contemptuous gaze sweeping the rundown factory.
“You pathetic remnants. Who said you could build this dump here?”
Oh So-hee hated cigarettes.
But that smoke from Kim Chan’s lips? She'd inhale it blissfully.
Kim Chan grabbed the oil drum from the passenger seat, dousing the car.
Camera lingered on the floor and trunk's homemade bombs.
He flicked the lit cig onto the soaked hood, turned away.
“Let's go.”
“Yes, hyungnim.”
Kim Chan strode toward the audience as a massive explosion lit the factory crumbling behind him.
“Kyaaak!”
A sudden shriek rang out, but Oh So-hee and Kim Da-hye couldn't blame her.
Too cool—they wanted to scream too. Grateful to the stranger for the vicarious thrill.
In the car, the underling reported.
“Hyungnim, Kim Soo-jin says she's got work.”
“Our Soo-jin? Can't say no.”
That sleazy thug cackle didn't suit the face.
But the crisp, symmetrical features forced plausibility.
“Where's your sister-in-law now?”
“Heading there straight.”
No one thought Jeong Seo-hoon was a last-minute sub.
Kim Chan was crafted for him from the start.
That ugly cheater actor did this?
How bad was the original flop? Billions down the drain on trash?
Kim Chan’s rearview glance at the audience faded out amid more sighs.
Jeong Seo-hoon wrapped the intense screening ritual before the crowd.
***
Like the other two, Kim Soo-jin needed obedient hands—bringing in Kim Chan and his crew.
But Kim Chan pestered relentlessly, flaunting feral vibes.
Sighs erupted again at his ripped sleeveless arms; audiences boiled at Kim Soo-jin's annoyance.
“Why keep dodging? Hurts my feelings.”
“No, it's a critical time. Gotta stay sharp.”
“You're one bad girl. Toying with hearts.”
Slap!
“Hand stings. Spicy.”
Flirty teasing pre-heist seemed immature rationally.
But his face bulldozed conviction.
No room for doubt.
Chase scenes and crisp action flowed without drag, laced with Kim Chan’s pursuits shaking hearts.
Not just women—men yearned to be him too.
As the plot thickened, betrayal odds darkened; the vault's true nature loomed as a massive question mark.
Who'd betray successfully?
Who'd hog the fortune?
Whose side victory?
The greedy trio moved to claim it all solo, succeeding in the heist at last.
“Hyungnim, good work. I'll take care of your family nice.”
The ex-NIS agent drew first on the Customs official.
Eliminate him, then the woman was easy.
“Kim Soo-jin was right. You two planned to run off together?”
“Urk...!”
“Thanks. Came right to me.”
Prep made betrayal harmless.
Customs offed the ex-agent easily, thanks to Kim Chan’s crew.
“Kim Chan, right?”
“Yes, Director.”
“Join me full-time?”
“Nah, a man's got purity. Me and Soo-jin'll pop out six kids. Names ready.”
Chuckles rippled through the theater.
“Want Kim Soo-jin? Gotta join deeper.”
“Pardon?”
“Me and her split half, think she'll glance your way?”
“Yeah, no shot.”
“I take three-quarters, you quarter. Then Soo-jin's yours. Was ten billion, right?”
Customs wanted her sidelined safely.
Solo grab too risky.
Reasonable squeeze-out.
Kim Chan wouldn't refuse.
He feared only her greed outstripping his.
“Life-changing cash. Any woman yours. Best choice.”
Customs ignored the thug boss, fixated on her threat.
His price...
“Then I'll take it all. Soo-jin can't stop me. Right, Director?”
Stab!
“Gahk... W-what...”
“If she's betraying, might as well take more. Even my dumb head gets that.”
Cash, dream girl.
All his.
Late act: Kim Chan devoured the leads, hijacking the runtime.