Chapter 25
I’m translating the chapter now and preserving the required HTML structure, including styled blocks where the text shifts into in-universe special content.CHAPTER_TITLE: Chapter 25. The Thing That Found Itself
It was certain.
Up to this point, Choi Hwangyeol had never heard a beat like this anywhere, from anyone. And An Chanhyeon’s dancing was also a style he had never once seen in the Korean music industry.
It didn’t look like the breakdancing hip-hop boys from that wildly popular comic book, but it also wasn’t the kind of dance performed by singers or backup dancers in current pop music.
"Ha!"
In the middle of dancing, An Chanhyeon shouted something that might have been a battle cry or a rhythmic flourish, sweat beading on his forehead as he moved with fierce concentration. Then he turned the beat off and sat down, panting hard.
"Huff, huff... So, um, what do you think, Deputy Manager?"
"Haha... I don’t know about the rest, but this much is certain."
"Yes?"
"I’m not in a position to judge it. You said your name was An Chanhyeon?"
"Yes."
"Come back tomorrow. And don’t go to any other management company. I’m really taken with you, kid."
"Really?"
"Yeah. I don’t know whether we’ll sign you formally or not, but I’ll make sure you can at least become a trainee. I’ve got enough authority for that much."
"Wow... Thank you. Thank you, sir."
An Chanhyeon stood up and bowed several times.
"Where did you even get this music? It sounds like pop, but also like music made by Black people in America."
"Ah, this? I mixed house music and gangsta rap together myself."
"You made this?"
"Yes. Is it really that strange?"
"Well... strange or not, one thing seems clear."
"What is it?"
"When I was in school, my professor for the arts and culture elective said something like this."
Choi Hwangyeol swallowed a sip of green tea and went on.
"Art has to be unpleasant."
"Huh? Then isn’t that a bad thing?"
"I asked the professor the same thing. But the professor said that when the public encounters something completely new, it’s unfamiliar, so of course it’s bound to feel unpleasant."
"Hmm... That’s hard to follow, but I’ll take it as praise. Then I’ll be going."
"Ah, wait."
Choi Hwangyeol stopped An Chanhyeon just as he was about to leave.
Then he took out his wallet and pressed one 100,000-won check and five 10,000-won bills into An Chanhyeon’s hand.
"What’s this...?"
"Think of the 100,000 won as an audition interview fee. And the other 50,000 won is because, personally, I’m grateful to have heard a new genre. Also, if that CD is a copy, could you leave it here? I’d like to let the chairman hear it directly before you come back."
"...I can do that."
An Chanhyeon looked so overwhelmed at finally meeting someone who recognized him that he struggled to hold back the tears rising in his throat.
"Thank you. Please, call me. I’ll wait and won’t go anywhere else."
After An Chanhyeon left, Choi Hwangyeol called in section chief Bae Hyeonjeong.
"Section Chief Bae Hyeonjeong."
"Yes, Deputy Manager."
"Listen to this CD once. And keep an eye on the boy who just left. When the chairman comes in, I’ll report to him and tell him again."
"Is it really that outstanding a song?"
Section Chief Bae Hyeonjeong asked Choi Hwangyeol with a doubtful expression.
"I don’t know. But one thing is certain."
"Yes?"
"He’s the kid Director Shin Gilwoo. No, Chairman Do Jaehyun was looking for."
To Choi Hwangyeol, the fresh shock An Chanhyeon had delivered seemed to run deep.
"Would it be all right if I came by around lunchtime today?"
"If it’s inconvenient, I’ll push it back. The Kim Hasa Faction matter isn’t finished yet, so I may have made things difficult over something trivial. I’m sorry."
As Choi Hwangyeol said, the schedule was tight.
And from his point of view, An Chanhyeon’s matter could easily seem trivial.
Because of the kidnapping of his nephew’s friend, which had arisen from a misunderstanding, the Kim Hasa Faction had to be dealt with first.
It had to be handled clearly, and with a level of brutality and cleanliness that bordered on excessive.
It had to become an example for everyone who knew me, everyone who stood against me, and everyone who would become my enemy in the future.
For Do Jaehyun.
And for what happened when someone touched the people I cared about, I had to show them the result.
Definite, brutal retaliation.
The kind of reckless act where, if someone stole 100,000 won from me, I would spend 1 million won just to get it back.
If there was one thing that hadn’t changed between my previous life and this one, it was that.
But now things were different.
More than revenge for my people, I would protect them so they never got hurt in the first place. And I would never let go of the opportunities and connections I had missed in my previous life.
"No, it’s fine. I’m heading there now."
"You’re coming yourself? I was planning to come see you with An Chanhyeon student..."
"To Yeonhui Credit Union? He’s still a minor. That would be awkward. Let’s meet at WH Entertainment."
"Understood. I’ll make the arrangements."
He hung up.
An Chanhyeon.
Choi Hwangyeol might not understand, but I couldn’t miss this opportunity.
He would debut as a member of South Korea’s first-generation boy idol group, C.O.L.D, with the song "Descendants of the Warrior."
If I remembered correctly, his real name was An Chanhyeon, but when he worked in the music industry, he used the stage name "Jangta."
I remembered it meaning he wanted to become a national singer who could dominate the music scene while also "last[ing] long."
In the end, An Chanhyeon’s debut was shockingly impactful.
The response to "Descendants of the Warrior," which debuted not on a major broadcast show but on a small telecom promotional stage, was lukewarm at first, but by the very next day it was exploding among teenagers and shot straight into the top ten of the nation’s music charts.
After that, it got entangled in plagiarism accusations, but the second title track on the debut album, "Candy," became a nationwide monster hit and changed the landscape of the entire music industry.
"Yes, Chairman."
As I turned the wheel toward WH Entertainment, I called Kim Museong.
"About the Kim Hasa Faction."
"Yes."
"If it’s all right, I’d like to leave the handling of it to Director Kim. And about the wager we made."
"Yes, Chairman."
"Let me cover the 1 million won. Instead, let’s call the bet a draw, all right?"
It was important not to miss an opportunity when it came, but that didn’t mean I intended to end my revenge half-heartedly.
Kim Museong’s abilities had been proven to some extent.
Then it wouldn’t be bad to use this chance to sharpen him further, to make him into an even keener blade in my hand.
"A draw... you say?"
"Why? Don’t you like that?"
"Not at all. It’s free money, so I’m happy. Now that I think about it, what the chairman said does seem right."
That was enough.
The Kim Hasa Faction would be dealt with properly on Kim Museong’s end.
"Chairman."
Kim Museong’s voice dropped low. It was the habit he had whenever he was about to make a major decision, or bury someone.
"Speak plainly."
"I’ll carry out the work on Kim Jungyeong and Kim Gi-jung inside the prison exactly as planned. But may I eliminate the elders of the Kim Hasa Faction and the action leaders above middle-management first?"
"You want to cut off their hands and feet before Kim Gi-jung and Kim Jungyeong go in for surgery?"
"Yes. It’ll get noisy, but if we’re not going to leave either of the two alive and try to win them over, then we should force their underlings into retirement as well. Well, I doubt they’ll retire quietly, though..."
"Do it. But work with the Taeyang Faction on it. Don’t go off and take all the blame by yourself. Share some of the spoils with them too."
"Understood. But won’t the Taeyang Faction become too powerful? What if Chairman Jeong Taeyang starts thinking differently later on..."
Kim Museong’s concern was not unfounded.
But I knew Jeong Taeyang well. He would never pick a fight with someone stronger than himself. And he was exactly the kind of man who knew how to invest boldly and let go cleanly when something had to be abandoned.
Unless he was truly willing to put his life on the line for ambition, his dream was not what Kim Museong imagined from the shadows, nor was it some fantasy of unifying all the gangs in the country.
No one knew better than I did, after colliding with Jeong Taeyang countless times in my previous life.
"Don’t worry. He’s not that kind of man. He’ll probably try to help without taking anything in return."
* * *
When I arrived at my destination by car, two men were waiting for me in the WH Entertainment parking lot.
"Welcome, Chairman."
Choi Hwangyeol, who had been waiting for me, ran up quickly and opened the door. But the man standing beside him looked vaguely familiar.
He seemed to be in his early to mid-thirties, with a face so kind it was almost stupid-looking, which didn’t match his height or broad build at all.
Judging from Choi Hwangyeol’s attitude, he didn’t seem to be someone high-ranking or in an important company post.
Who was he...?
"Inside, why are you out here?"
"I should come out, of course. And I’ve got someone to introduce to you."
"The man next to you?"
"Yes, Manager Jang. Please introduce yourself."
"Hello, Chairman! I’m Jang Junha!"
Right. I remembered him now.
Jang Junha.
Later on, he would start out as a comedian who had once been a manager, then rise to enormous fame as the main host of the famous variety program Unlimited Challenge.
He wasn’t connected to me in my previous life, but there had never been a rumor that he had a bad character.
Besides, he was an unusual case of someone who had debuted as an entertainer after starting out as a manager.
"I see. Thanks for the hard work."
"Director Kim Museong and Director Shin Gilwoo told me to be sure to mention this to you when you arrived, Chairman, so I introduced Manager Jang."
"Is that so? If you have something to say, you could have said it yourself. Why are you doing something you don’t usually do?"
"Ah, that is..."
"Let’s go inside first."
"Yes, Chairman. I’ll escort you. Manager Jang, come along too."
"Yes!"
The moment Choi Hwangyeol finished speaking, Manager Jang Junha rushed into the building.
And when Choi Hwangyeol and I entered the building, Manager Jang Junha was already waiting for us with the elevator held open.
"You didn’t need to go this far."
"I’ve only known him for a few days, but Manager Jang has always been like that. I told him not to, but he said the person being served should be comfortable."
When the elevator doors closed and the three of us were left together, Choi Hwangyeol got to the point.
"Does it bother you to drive yourself, Chairman?"
"Ah, that?"
"Yes. Manager Jang Junha is diligent, and so far he’s driven without a single accident. He’s mostly worked as a road manager for actors and singers under the management company, but if it’s all right with you, I’d like to change his duties so he becomes your personal driver."
"Why?"
"It wouldn’t do to just pick anyone. We need someone discreet, diligent, and trustworthy. And we can’t use employees from Yeonhui Credit Union for that."
From Choi Hwangyeol’s perspective, it was a perfectly reasonable suggestion.
"Still, no. I don’t want a driver."
"Is that so?"
"..."
Disappointment was visible on both Choi Hwangyeol’s and Manager Jang Junha’s faces. In particular, even though he didn’t show it openly, Manager Jang Junha seemed deeply deflated.
"A personal secretary is one thing, but a driver? This isn’t the Eight-Nine Era anymore..."
"Thank you, Chairman!"
No sooner had I finished speaking than Manager Jang, who had bent at the waist in a ninety-degree bow, let out a shout of joy loud enough to make the elevator ring.
"All right. Please take good care of me from now on, Secretary Jang."
"Yes, Chairman! It’s an honor to serve you."
"Secretary Jang."
"Yes."
"My family might ride in my private car besides me. Would that be okay?"
"Of course! No matter where or when, no matter who gets in, I’ll serve them as if they were my own mother and father."
"Good. Deputy Choi."
"Yes, Chairman."
I handed the car keys to Choi Hwangyeol.
"Turn this car into a work vehicle so other employees can use it too, and order two new cars: one RV that family members can ride in, and another car for Secretary Jang Junha to drive. Go with Manager Jang and choose whichever cars you like. Don’t worry about the price."
"Understood."
Ding!
Just then, the elevator stopped on the tenth floor, where the representative director’s office was located.
"And one more thing. Calling him the chairman’s personal secretary is all very well, but even if he doesn’t need an office, you should at least give him a place to rest comfortably. Arrange a seat in your office, Deputy Choi. And issue him a corporate card with a reasonable limit."
"Understood."
"Ah, wait."
Before entering Shin Gilwoo’s office, I looked at An Chanhyeon through the window and gave Choi Hwangyeol one more instruction.
"Order another big, comfortable car as well. An RV or a minibus is fine."
"Huh? Why suddenly...?"
"You’ll need room for five high school boys and three managers, so you need a big car."
"Huh? Ah, yes... Understood."
Choi Hwangyeol seemed not to understand, but he didn’t argue.
"Um, Chairman. I..."
"Ah, Secretary Jang. You did well. Lunch is coming up soon, so go have a meal with Deputy Choi. Leave work early today and get some proper rest. Starting next week, we’ll have you work as a secretary. There’s nothing special to it, but there’ll be some handover you need to take."
I took a corporate card from inside my pocket and handed it to Jang Junha, who was now my secretary.
"Go downstairs first, Secretary Jang."
Choi Hwangyeol sent Secretary Jang back down in the elevator first.
"What is it? You’ve got something to say?"
"Chairman, you speak casually to Director Shin Gilwoo and Director Kim Museong, but why do you keep using honorifics with ordinary employees like Secretary Jang Junha?"
"What, should I speak politely to you too, Deputy Choi?"
"Hck, cough, cough. No! What kind of..."
Choi Hwangyeol waved his hands as if he had suddenly choked on something.
"We’re not close."
"Pardon?"
"There are exactly three kinds of people I use banmal with, even if they’re older than me or higher in rank."
"Three kinds...?"
"Friends I genuinely recognize, regardless of age. Subordinates I trust with my life. And the last are people like Kim Museong or Kim Jungyeong..."
I spread three fingers and folded them down one by one as I spoke.
"Need I say more?"