An Incredible Scheme
Cha Eun-yu had stared at me blankly for a long moment, clearly not grasping what I meant. Then Han Se-ah herself explained it in detail.
She had once been Yang Mi-jeong.
From that day forward, Han Se-ah had moved into the apartment right next door to the one I lived in, which had forced me to evacuate my residence in a frantic rush.
“Haaah… When she suddenly said she was moving, my manager started asking all sorts of questions out of nowhere. It drove me up the wall, but I couldn’t spill a single word to anyone. Honestly, who would even believe me? My appearance had changed completely. I would have been labeled the crazy one.”
I understood his frustration perfectly. I had lived through the exact same nightmare.
“Had you ever been asked to meet privately before?”
“Haaah… please don’t remind me. When I was still just a rookie, he was so persistent it was downright obscene. I couldn’t say no outright and only rejected him subtly, but the very next day he leaked an engagement story to the press. Once my star rose, he couldn’t touch me so freely anymore, so I had to grind my teeth and endure until I finally made it. I never want to be entangled with that woman again.”
Every single word from him hit like a mirror held up to my own past. I understood it all too well.
I, too, had once escaped the hell of Bulwisi only to plot revenge and dream of success.
“Speaking of which, what exactly is your relationship with Yang Mi-jeong…?”
I answered him honestly.
I had loved her so deeply once that I had even considered marriage, only to be discarded without a second glance the moment I became a chaebol.
“I had finally caught my breath and decided to live my life properly, but the supervisor in my department found me recently. He turned down every single project I was working on.”
“Oh dear. It must have been so difficult.”
Cha Eun-yu had unintentionally offered me comfort, and the fact that he now knew I had worn Han Se-ah’s skin created a bond of unbreakable solidarity between us.
“So I will get my revenge. I’m going to gift Yang Mi-jeong the biggest laugh of her life right at the peak of her happiness.”
Then he added:
“For me to complete my own revenge, I will need your help, Mr. Cha.”
“If I help you, will my brother’s planned revenge come true?”
“Of course.”
He mulled over my words for a moment before replying with firm resolve.
“Understood. I’ll help.”
Was this the feeling Ubi had felt when he obtained Zhuge Liang’s assistance?
Having a loyal friend who believed in me made me feel stronger than an army of ten thousand.
I offered him advice.
“When Iljin Group contacts you again, double the model fee and bring them on board.”
“Huh? Yesterday’s scandal dropped my reputation pretty low—do you think that’s even possible?”
“Don’t worry about it. Once the video I gave you is released today, the public opinion will flip completely.”
I had already watched the future on television last night.
“And the model contract clauses…”
I gave him one more piece of advice and stepped out of Ace Entertainment.
When I reached the lobby, alarms began ringing from the cluster of journalists stationed at the entrance.
Ace Entertainment moves fast.
“Journalists, a clarification video has just been uploaded to their YouTube channel!”
“What? Then we can’t just stand around. Let’s go write the article right now.”
The entertainment journalists scattered in a blur.
Within an hour, Cha Eun-yu would be branded as the innocent victim of a smear campaign, the courageous actor who protected his female staff by risking his own image, and the righteous star who bravely stood against thugs. His loyal fans would chant “It’s always Cha Eun-yu!” online.
Right after the message from Cha Eun-yu last night, I had told the television about the surge in his market value. Within a single month it had more than doubled.
That momentum would begin showing up starting Monday, and Han Se-ah would have no choice but to offer at least double the model fee to secure him.
Ever since I became a chaebol, I had watched her obsessively pursue Cha Eun-yu, so her claim that she was simply paying more to “boost his profile” would feel quite sour for him.
I believed an actor of his caliber would navigate the awkwardness just fine.
When the dangerous situation had arisen, I had told him to call me at any moment, and he had assured me there would be no need for panic now.
Doubling the model fee was about more than just increasing his value.
I was secretly praying that the extra clauses I had inserted would cause Iljin Group catastrophic damage.
After watching Bulwisi sink into the abyss, I was already salivating at the thought of cracking open a caramel popcorn.
“Don’t get too excited. We’ve only just pulled the first thread.”
Next week, I would be closing a massive deal as well.
* * *
Monday morning.
Deputy Lee Jung-wan burst into Han Se-ah’s office in a panic.
“Cha Eun-yu wants to work with us on the campaign.”
“Wonderful.”
A pleasant surprise greeting on a Monday morning brought a bright smile to Han Se-ah’s face.
“There is one small problem, though…”
“What is it?”
“It’s… he’s asking for a doubled model fee.”
“How much?”
“Fifty billion won for six months.”
“What? You told me twenty-five billion was possible. Why the sudden double?”
“That’s actually…”
Lee Jung-wan proceeded to recount the weekend’s events in detail.
A maliciously edited video had shown Cha Eun-yu confronting thugs and protecting the female staff, causing his image to plummet. The moment the company released the true footage, his stock price had skyrocketed.
“For three straight days, his name has ranked number one on Naver and YouTube. Not just the twenty-somethings who already liked him, but people of all ages. If we can’t snag him now, who knows how much higher his value could go…”
“Hah! What rotten luck.”
Han Se-ah replied with a look of utter astonishment.
“Well, we have no choice. Go ahead and sign him.”
“Yes, Deputy.”
Lee Jung-wan bowed and turned to leave, but Han Se-ah called him back.
“With his popularity, shouldn’t we make the most of it and really blow up his profile?”
“What do you mean?”
“Let’s start with the making-of documentary, then have him actually using the product in real life. Put more money into the promotion.”
“But that’s impossible with the current budget. His side will probably demand even more.”
“We can produce more of the product, right?”
“How much more would you like?”
“You mentioned the expected release price?”
“I’m estimating around fifteen million won each.”
“Can we produce twenty thousand units in three months?”
“Twenty thousand?”
Twenty thousand units would generate three hundred billion won in sales. The larger the market, the more kickbacks we could skim.
Plus we already had fifty thousand units sitting in inventory from China. With Cha Eun-yu promoting the product, we could sell it even more expensively there.
Lee Jung-wan felt the jackpot in his bones and nodded vigorously.
“Producing under a master contract should be more than feasible.”
“Excellent. Budget three hundred billion and submit the revised proposal immediately. We’ll have broken even in three months.”
“Three hundred billion? Yes! Understood, Deputy!”
“You know how important this project is, Team Leader. I’ve given you this support; the results will be excellent, I’m sure.”
“Of course. I’ll keep it in mind. I’ll show you the outcome.”
Han Se-ah nodded with a satisfied smile.
After Lee Jung-wan left, she muttered to herself.
“Cha Eun-yu… you held out so long. In the end it was money, wasn’t it?”
Once we had him, Kang Min-hyuk and his kind would never even look at us like squid.
Just thinking about it made my blood boil.
“Damn you, Kang Min-hyuk!”
* * *
I received a message from Cha Eun-yu.
— Brother, I signed with the YouTube video and other ads for seventy billion.
— Good job. You included every clause I told you to add?
— Of course. I knew there would be no chance of my image being damaged even if the deal failed.
— Haha, if word leaks out the plan will collapse. Be careful what you say to the managers.
— Of course, Brother. This affects our futures. My mouth is heavy with responsibility. Just trust me.
Trust me.
He was the kind of person who never uttered a single word of complaint, even in the worst-case scenario where the image he had worked so hard to build was destroyed.
But there was still work left to do, so he was simply being cautious.
I smiled warmly and sent him a grateful reply.
While I waited for his response, a text arrived from Team Leader Lee Jung-wan.
He asked whether I had prepared the contract.
Today was the day he was supposed to acquire Daeheung Planning.
— Yes, I have gathered all the documents my brother requested.
— Good. Then meet me at Daeheung Planning at seven.
— Yes.
His younger brother’s best friend had disguised himself as Jung Ji-hyun the lawyer and agreed to attend the signing.
The contract had already been reviewed, but just in case additional clauses were added during negotiation.
We were fully prepared; I wondered what the other side would do.
* * *
One hour before the appointment.
Daeheung Planning CEO’s office.
Daeheung Planning CEO Hwang Dae-heung looked uneasy as he asked Team Leader Lee Jung-wan.
“With twenty billion in debt, are you really sure you want to sign the contract?”
“Don’t worry. I’ve already made sure the wording is favorable to you.”
“But… if I don’t sign, I’m in real trouble.”
Daeheung Planning was a small advertising agency that produced internet, radio, and YouTube content.
It had once been on a steady rise, even securing television campaigns, but the pandemic wiped out its competitors and it suffered a devastating blow.
Through sheer networking, however, it had survived by accepting freelance and subcontract work, barely staying afloat.
Then a Chinese game company approached them with a sixty-billion-won online advertising contract.
They had jumped at the opportunity, thinking it would finish their farm.
The exchange rate between the yuan and won caused delays, so they agreed to the uneasy condition that Daeheung Planning would front the urgent costs.
The person who placed the order was a school senior and the client was a well-known game company, so they trusted the contract and started work.
But the problems had only just begun.
Twenty billion won had been borrowed from the bank using the contract as collateral to cover immediate expenses.
The Chinese game company kept delaying payment, and the senior who had given them the job stopped answering his calls.
Anxious, they went to the company’s office only to find it empty, with no one inside.
Only then did they realize they had been scammed.
Searching every avenue for solutions returned only cold, ruthless answers.
The Chinese company had completely withdrawn, and under domestic law there was no way to recover the outstanding debt.
At best, they were told to go through corporate rehabilitation proceedings.
But even that was impossible in the current market; even well-run companies were collapsing like dominoes.
It was no longer easy to start a business with twenty billion in debt.
On top of that, the betrayal by the trusted person had left deep wounds that would take years to heal.
Running an advertising agency had become thoroughly distasteful.
They decided to sell the company and debts to whoever was willing to take them on, even if it was free.
Time passed.
Three months later, the bank demanded repayment.
Six months after that, they showed up at the office.
And exactly one year later, the bank issued a legal notice for forced debt collection.
The deadline for that notice was only two weeks away.
But death was not an option.
Team Leader Lee Jung-wan had shown up and promised to introduce someone who would buy the company for one billion won.
Finally, today.
He could finally lay down the crushing burden of debt.
Hwang Dae-heung stared at the clock’s hands with a heart pounding.
Seven o’clock. Five minutes until.
Click-clack.
The sound of high heels grew closer.
Three young people, two men and one woman, entered the CEO’s office following the receptionist’s guidance.
Each of them was strikingly handsome or beautiful.
Especially the man; his presence commanded the room.
They looked far beyond the reach of an ordinary person.
Hwang Dae-heung, who had once worked for a large advertising firm, instantly recognized the style and aura.
This posture, this aura!
It was the unmistakable scent of success that only a major client could provide!
“Could it be… a chaebol heir from Iljin Group?”
The thought crossed his mind as he quickly rose from the reception sofa and offered the man his seat.
“Please, sit here.”