Chapter 74
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 74
Weisu Entertainment.
It was an organization that could essentially be called a group of scammers. They specialized in snatching up minors or naive young adults fresh to society, binding them to exclusive contracts, and then embezzling their signing bonuses or extorting money under the guise of "investment fees."
The CEO of Weisu Entertainment took quite a bit of pride in his organization.
It’s a great world for ripping people off, he thought.
He had a particularly good feeling about this latest case.
Jeong Da-jun. He had set a trap in the form of an exclusive contract, never expecting the kid to actually make it big, but the boy had hit the jackpot. The CEO had waited for the perfect moment—when the kid was popular enough to be worth something but not so famous that he was untouchable—and then played his card: a threat regarding a double exclusive contract.
As he was happily pondering how much to demand in penalty fees, a paparazzi acquaintance of his had dropped a hint over drinks. The gist was this:
"Lately, The Dawn’s Seo Ho-yun has been having frequent friction with Daepasung’s planning team. He’s looking for a new agency."
"Talk about good luck."
His efforts in networking had finally paid off. He’d even managed to get his hands on a precious piece of paparazzi gossip before anyone else.
He couldn't let such a golden opportunity slip by. He’d tossed a lure to Seo Ho-yun, and the boy had bitten immediately.
Still, I have to be careful.
The CEO reminded himself as he polished an orchid. Though he couldn't stop his lips from curling upward at the thought of holding both Seo Ho-yun and Jeong Da-jun in his grasp to extort a massive sum from Daepasung, he steeled his heart to remain thorough.
On broadcast, the kid had seemed calm and incredibly street-smart.
"Yup, 'sup~."
However, the moment he actually faced Seo Ho-yun, the wall of caution he’d built up shattered instantly.
"…Hello?"
"Wow, this office is seriously trash. Can you even get any work done in a place like this?"
Chewing gum loudly and swaggering in like a total punk, Seo Ho-yun gave a half-hearted nod before plopping down on the sofa.
With his bangs styled sharply upward and his entire body draped in a single luxury brand, he looked like the textbook definition of a shallow thug.
…What is with this punk?
"CEO, I'm thirsty."
"…Sh-should I get you some water?"
The CEO stuttered slightly at the unexpected gap in personality.
Seo Ho-yun buried himself deep into the sofa and propped his crossed legs up on the table. He tilted his head back, let out a massive yawn, and then grumbled that the water was taking too long. Yet, when the Weisu CEO actually pulled a bottle of water from the fridge and handed it to him, Ho-yun just scowled and didn't even look at it.
"What? Don't you know I don't drink domestic water?"
"…This is all we have."
"Ugh, seriously… so trashy."
His words trailed off as he unscrewed the cap and sniffed the bottle. He even swirled it like a glass of wine to get a better scent.
"This is no good."
…Excuse me?
Utterly dumbfounded, the CEO took a moment to count the seagulls carved into the ceiling to maintain his composure. Because of that, he failed to see the white powder Seo Ho-yun had hidden between his fingers drop into the water.
Seo Ho-yun, seemingly truly disgusted, capped the bottle and handed it back to the CEO.
"You drink it, CEO. I'm good."
Fuck… what is wrong with this kid?
"Hahaha! You’re quite the character, Ho-yun. There’s such a gap from your broadcast image… I was a bit taken aback."
"Gap?"
Seo Ho-yun tilted his head. Seeing that innocent look of someone who didn't understand the word, the CEO answered reflexively.
"Yeah. On TV, you had such a sharp and smart image."
The CEO regretted it as soon as he said it. It implied that his current self wasn't smart. However, instead of taking offense, Seo Ho-yun burst into a fit of laughter.
"Ah, that?"
That?
"That’s all a concept. You have no idea how much the company bitched at me to manage my image. They told me to just read the script they gave me and not to open my mouth otherwise."
"But you were good at solving CSAT questions…?"
"That’s all editing. I worked my ass off pretending I’d memorized the answers. I just need to be good at singing and dancing; why do I have to be smart too? I kept telling them it was a total stretch, but they wouldn't listen."
What, so that’s how it was?
The tension in the CEO's body vanished. The way the boy spoke reeked of an inescapable shallowness and stupidity.
Seo Ho-yun actually let out a scoffing laugh at him.
"Man, did you actually believe that, CEO? You’re more naive than you look."
"……Hahaha!"
He was slightly annoyed, but that kind of arrogant attitude was usually a poison that would eventually bite the person back.
The Weisu CEO suppressed his anger and put on a benevolent smile. After all, this brat was the one who was about to be conned.
"Thank you for coming all the way here today, Seo Ho-yun. I'm sure it was a big decision."
"It’s not like I came here to sign a contract. I just came for a quick consultation. There are plenty of other places. Though, this place is the first."
"Oh, why are we the first?"
Something felt a bit off. If Seo Ho-yun knew about Jeong Da-jun’s situation—if he’d heard the kid’s grievances—he wouldn't have come here no matter how stupid he was.
Weisu Ent was a specialist in scams, not idol training.
"Our CEO has gone absolutely batshit lately."
"Your CEO?"
"Yeah. But I fucking hate him. If I’m going to sign a contract somewhere else anyway, I wanted to see that bastard’s face turn red, so I came to Weisu."
"What does that mean…?"
"Gosh, CEO. Think about it."
Seo Ho-yun chuckled.
"If two people betray him and both go to the same agency, imagine how pissed he’ll be."
Wow, he really has no brain…
The CEO was impressed. Well, if that was the reason. It didn't seem like the boy intended to sign a contract right this second, but he seemed intent on provoking Daepasung.
This was the moment for his polished silver tongue to shine. If he coaxed him just right, he’d have a stamp on that contract in no time.
As he headed toward the mahogany desk he’d splurged on to grab the contract, the CEO hesitated for a moment. He hadn't installed CCTV because leaving as little evidence as possible was advantageous for him, but a lingering sense of unease made him wonder if he should record the conversation. It could be useful later if he edited it.
But looking at Seo Ho-yun, who was loudly blowing gum bubbles and looking around the room like a tourist, it didn't seem necessary. He told himself that once the contract was signed, everything would be smooth sailing, and he returned to the sofa with only the documents.
"Take a look at this first, Seo Ho-yun. We don't usually do this, but we’ve offered some exceptional terms."
"Hmm……."
The CEO shoved the contract toward him. Seo Ho-yun flipped through it haphazardly and asked, "What’s 'Public Culture and Arts Service'?"
"Ah, that refers to services related to entertainment within the public culture and arts industry…"
"No, I mean, what does 'service' mean?"
"……."
The CEO was momentarily speechless. He wondered if the boy was mocking him, but seeing the way he furrowed his brows and squinted at the words as if struggling to read, he seemed genuine.
"It’s, uh… providing the labor necessary in a production-like… labor process…"
"What are you talking about?"
Fuck…
Fine, a person might not know the word 'service' in a legal context.
Fine, a person might be a bit slow on the uptake.
Suppressing the urge to swear, the CEO answered kindly. However, Seo Ho-yun, still looking confused, continued to harass him with similar, simple questions as he flipped through the pages.
That company did a hell of an image-making job on this kid…
The CEO briefly felt a surge of sympathy for the employees at Daepasung. He couldn't understand how they’d managed to pull off an 'intellectual' concept with an idol this stupid.
By the tenth repeated question, the CEO’s throat was parched. He uncapped the water bottle Seo Ho-yun had rejected and gulped it down.
"Phew… do you get it now?"
A flash of sharp light crossed Seo Ho-yun’s eyes for a split second, but the CEO didn't see it.
"Hmm, well, I think I do…"
Seo Ho-yun continued to scratch his head stupidly.
"The profit split is good, and the contract period is fine. Honestly, these are amazing terms."
Because it’s a scam, you brat.
"If you’ve pulled the carrot, shouldn't you at least slice it? I’ll sign."
It was a fresh interpretation of the saying 'If you’ve drawn the sword, you should at least cut a radish.' The CEO, who no longer had the energy to correct him, completely let down his guard and nodded repeatedly.
"H-here! I have a pen."
"Thanks."
Seo Ho-yun’s pen scratched against the paper as he filled in his personal information. The CEO felt a wave of relief and accomplishment, thinking he was finally free of this idiot and had successfully reeled him in.
Then, Seo Ho-yun, who had been quietly filling out the contract, spoke up again.
"But does Jeong Da-jun have better terms than me?"
"Da-jun? Aiyee, his aren't as good as yours. He signed when he was a trainee."
Look at him getting competitive. Seo Ho-yun smiled, seemingly satisfied that he’d received better terms than Jeong Da-jun.
"Hmm… really? Did he sign after reading it all? He wouldn't have understood this stuff."
As if you understood it?
A vein popped on the CEO’s forehead, but he struggled to maintain his smile.
"No, Da-jun didn't understand it either. But he just signed. I guess he thought it was a good opportunity."
"His parents didn't stop him?"
"His parents couldn't read the contract back then. They said they were busy because they both work… we only did a consultation."
"So you didn't get their consent during the signing?"
"Yeah, Da-jun just stamped it with his personal seal alone without his parents' consent."
"That’s strange. Our CEO said you sent a recording of them consenting."
"Ehehe, about that."
Wait.
His words were flowing out strangely well. He was revealing things he would normally never say. Though the CEO was a heavy drinker, he felt as if he were intoxicated by something powerful, and the details of that day poured out with brutal honesty.
"I just spliced together bits from the consultation. I couldn't get the parents' consent, but they believed it anyway. Since the date of the call and the date on the contract were the same, they didn't even suspect anything."
"Is that so?"
Seo Ho-yun let out a smirk. Only then did the CEO notice a slight sense of dissonance.
"Then, do you mind if I summarize it once?"
The slurred, lazy tone from moments ago was gone. In its place was a voice with razor-sharp pronunciation that pierced his ears chillingly.
"The CEO of Weisu forged the consent of a legal guardian and entered into an exclusive contract with a minor, Jeong Da-jun."
The temperature in the room seemed to plummet. Cold eyes stared directly at the CEO as the voice asked lowly once more.
"Is that correct?"
"That… is correct."
The Weisu CEO couldn't believe the words coming out of his own mouth. The moment his eyes widened, Seo Ho-yun lowered his legs from the table and ruffled his hair. Like magic, the punk from before was gone, replaced by a man with a frigid aura.
Click.
Seo Ho-yun pulled a phone from his pocket, stopped the recording, and shoved it back in.
He had been recording.
Every single word of the conversation they just had.
"Thank you," Seo Ho-yun said in a clear, albeit slightly bored, tone. "If we ever have to go to court, I’ll make good use of this recording."
"You…!"
The CEO jumped up in a rage. He tried to snatch the phone, but strangely, his body wouldn't move after that. Seo Ho-yun merely looked up and watched him.
"Wh-why is this…!"
"Oh."
Seo Ho-yun let out a snort, stood up, and pushed the table.
Screeeech!
With the sound of the table dragging across the floor, the CEO, who had been standing on the other side, was pinned between the table and the sofa. Seo Ho-yun met his eyes and flashed a pure, innocent—so-called 'harmless'—smile.
"This is pretty interesting even to me."
"……!!"
"Let's not make a scene. Even if you delete the recording on this phone, it’s already backed up to the cloud."
"You, you… what do you think you’re doing…! This is an illegal recording, you know that?!"
"Coming from the CEO who sent a spliced recording, that sounds quite fresh…."
"Hey!"
"As you know, if a party to the conversation records it themselves, it’s not illegal and holds weight as evidence."
It was unfortunate for the CEO, but Seo Ho-yun lived and breathed recordings. These kinds of underhanded tactics were the first things he’d learned while working on investigative programs. In a way, this was easier for him than breathing.
"Man, you scammers. You really did your homework, didn't you?"
Seo Ho-yun waved the contract he’d been fidgeting with in front of the CEO’s face. In the personal information section, the name was written as 'Hong Gil-dong,' the address was 'Flashing here and there,' and the age was 'Ah, this is a bit confusing.'
Furthermore, instead of a signature, the words 'Wow lol' were scribbled in large letters across the contract.
In short, he hadn't done a single thing.
"Wh-what…!"
Riiiiiip!
Right before the CEO’s bulging eyes, Seo Ho-yun tore the contract down the middle. The pieces of paper fluttered down to the CEO’s feet.
"You… you son of a bitch…! Hey! You think you’ll get away with this?!"
"Ah! Are you recording or filming CCTV?"
"No, I’m not… Argh! No! That’s not it!"
"Hmm, what’s the safe combination?"
"487194… No, no!"
"Thank you."
The CEO wanted to go and stop him, but strangely, he had no strength. There was definitely something in that water. There was, but…
"If I test that water! Drug components will show up!"
"You certainly have a vivid imagination."
"I’m going to send you to the police station just like those Today guys! I’ll rot you in jail!"
"Give it a shot."
There would be nothing. Where in this world would you find tea leaves that make a person answer honestly?
Meanwhile, Seo Ho-yun steadily pressed the buttons and opened the safe. Inside, he saw Jeong Da-jun’s exclusive contract termination agreement sitting right on top, along with several other contracts.
"Hey, put that back! I won't let you get away with this!!"
Tucking Jeong Da-jun’s contract under his arm, Seo Ho-yun tore the rest of the documents to shreds and stuffed them into his pocket. He walked past the Weisu CEO toward the door, then stopped and turned his head.
"I’m asking this out of genuine curiosity."
"I said leave it and get out!"
"Weisu… did you name it that because of 'We sue'?"
We sue.
In other words, did he name it that because they were a group specializing in lawsuits?
CEO Kim Weisu (48, Scammer) managed to clutch the back of his neck even while his body refused to move properly. He just couldn't answer because he was on the verge of fainting. Seo Ho-yun shrugged as if he didn't need to hear the answer and nodded with a strangely proud expression.
"Hmm… I thought so."
"Hey!!"
The CEO screamed. But Seo Ho-yun left the office without a single lingering thought.
[Quest 'Double Exclusive Contract' Complete!
You have resolved Jeong Da-jun’s double exclusive contract issue!
To think you’d use an item made for getting closer to people for blackmail…….
10,000 Points have been awarded.]