Invest in Me
Invest in me. Kim Baek-ho (39 years old). Occupation: CEO of SJB Entertainment. Achievements: 2008 Beijing Olympics Greco-Roman wrestling 130kg gold medalist. Hobby: Bending coins with his fingers.
An extraordinary aura emanated from his sturdy body, honed over long years. And on top of that, the performance of ripping an entire book in half. Watching him, it was hard to tell if he was human or a bear.
"I'm asking whose twisted mind came up with this script."
"Th-that's..."
Kim Yong-jin froze the moment his eyes met the CEO's, like a herbivore spotting a predator up close. It perfectly embodied the strong prey on the weak, weak fear the strong dynamic.
"Our Siyeon is a rookie idol who just debuted. Do you think it's reasonable to make such salacious demands of her?"
His low, gravelly voice pressed down heavily on the man's shoulders. Kim Yong-jin let out an awkward cough or two, then averted his gaze.
"Hey, I told you to double-check it one more time! Look at the mess you've made."
"...Pardon?"
He shoved the blame onto his innocent subordinate nearby. Probably just trying to save face somehow.
"It seems like there was a mistake on our end. But who might you be...?"
"I'm Kim Baek-ho, CEO of SJB Entertainment."
"Ah! So you're Siyeon’s agency CEO. Perfect timing—I had some things I wanted to discuss about the movie. If you have time, why don't you and Siyeon come by our agency..."
The man tried to coax him, but CEO Kim cut him off and got straight to the point.
"We don't interfere with the creative side of the production. If you have other business, please come directly to our agency."
With that, he naturally extended his hand for a shake. His face wore a smile, but faint tendons bulged on the back of his hand. The man shook it without thinking and flinched instantly.
"...W-well, then I'll be going."
He trailed off and fled the scene. Only then did peace return to the set.
I gave the CEO a thumbs-up in thanks. But instead, he apologized to me.
"I should've been more careful. Sorry about that. From now on, I'll assign more male staff to make sure this doesn't happen again."
"Huh? It's fine, really."
"No, it's not. This way, I can rest easy."
With a cool "Call me if anything happens," he left the set.
Lee Si-woo, who had been watching from nearby, shuffled over hesitantly.
"U-um, was that gentleman just now from Siyeon-ssi’s agency? The CEO?"
"Yeah."
"...He's scary. I've never seen our CEO so tongue-tied before."
"He's not, really. Just looks the part." Despite appearances, his hobby was playing with the house cat.
Lee Si-woo stared at the CEO's retreating back in disbelief. Watching him, one thing nagged at me.
"This might be rude to ask, but..."
I broached it carefully.
"I'm curious about something regarding AJU Entertainment."
What Lee Si-woo told me about AJU Entertainment was shocking. Nothing made sense, but the most absurd part was the contract terms with their agency.
"Profit split is 8 to 2!?"
"Yes."
"Just to confirm, you're the one getting 2, right...?"
Lee Si-woo nodded silently. From his expression, he knew it was ridiculous too.
For reference, my profit split was also 8 to 2. Obviously, I got the 8. Mine was a special case, but even accounting for that, Si-woo's contract was insane. Not even 5 to 5—8 to 2? That was straight-up robbery. An undeniably unfair contract.
"I signed it naively when I was young and clueless."
"How much time left on it?"
"Five years."
Thwack! I smacked my forehead at the hopeless situation. There were limits to innocence. I couldn't fathom the guts it took to sign such outrageous terms for a long-term deal. If he were my real little brother, I'd have smacked him a few times. Even if he was three years older than me.
"...Sigh."
I fiddled with my phone in my pocket. If I wanted, I could connect him with our agency's expert lawyers.
But wouldn't that be meddling? Entertainment agencies were all tangled up. One wrong word or bad impression could derail an actor's career.
I didn't like jumping into something so serious lightly.
"If I were you, I'd look for any way to void the contract."
"...Void it? Is that possible?"
"Depending on the circumstances."
I decided to offer some advice, at least. As a senior in the industry.
"How is that an entertainment CEO? He's just a thug!"
Kim Yong-jin slammed his fist on the desk, replaying the day's events. The other agency's CEO showing up in person was unexpected. It threw his script revision plans into disarray.
"That guy... Kim Baek-ho, right?"
"Yes."
SJB Entertainment. Until last year, they were a tiny outfit not even worth a business card. Yet somehow, they'd started making waves. All propped up by one girl group. That alone was annoying, but today's incident made them a thorn in his side.
"And what? Telling me to come to him if I have business? Who does that arrogant punk think he is, ordering me around?"
Kim Yong-jin clenched his fists. This was a matter of agency pride. He had to win, no matter what. Losing wasn't an option.
But.
'That bastard's scary as hell-looking.'
Recalling Kim Baek-ho's face, he lacked the confidence to say it to his face again. So what now?
Kim Yong-jin pondered briefly. Soon, a clever idea struck.
'No need to walk into the tiger's den.'
The authority to revise the script lay entirely with director Yang Jin-hyung. If he could sway the director to his side, he'd get what he wanted without hassle.
Kim Yong-jin called Yang Jin-hyung right away.
"Director Yang, you busy?"
"No, go ahead."
"It's about the script—I have some thoughts..."
He laid out his opinions boldly. A sigh came through the receiver. The director was skeptical.
"I have no intention of changing the story's flow. And you need to consider Siyeon's image too."
"You too, huh?"
"CEO Kim Baek-ho asked me personally. To properly manage her image."
"That guy again..."
Kim Yong-jin ground his teeth. Kim Baek-ho's attitude toward his artists was worlds apart from his own. It grated on him. Now it was personal.
"So you won't accommodate my request?"
"Of course not."
"Fine, then I have no choice. I invested about 30% in your film, right?"
"Why bring that up all of a sudden...?"
"I'm pulling all that investment money right now."
A whopping 30% of the production budget. Yanking it would grind the movie to a halt. With a release date set, it'd be a disaster. The director couldn't ignore it.
Kim Yong-jin's trump card.
"Wh-what the hell are you talking about!?"
"I'll give you until tomorrow. Think it over and decide."
He hung up decisively. The outcome was obvious. A tug-of-war between an idol agency and an actor agency. The director knew better than anyone which side was more advantageous.
"Time to show them my scary side."
"What the..."
The director rubbed his temples with a troubled look. I'd overheard the call from nearby, so I could guess the situation. Blackmail under the guise of withdrawing investment.
"How much did CEO Kim Yong-jin invest?"
"...30% of the total investment."
"Hm, 30%."
Sitting on the sofa, I unconsciously crossed my legs and sank into thought. I noticed the flustered director glancing sideways.
...This could be an opportunity.
I pulled out my phone and called the CEO immediately. It connected after just two rings.
"What's up, Siyeon-ah?"
"CEO, any interest in investing?"
"Investing?"
There was a jackpot product. A film that would soon hit 10 million viewers, and not just that—it'd be the first Korean movie invited to the Oscars. Investing early would guarantee a huge return.
"I promise you won't regret it."