Hollywood (3)
"Wh-why is the hourglass suddenly……?"
Facing Colin, who was so flustered he was stammering, Yoon-gi offered a warm smile while delivering cold words.
"Time is money. This hourglass used to represent five percent, but now it’s dropped below that."
It meant that as the sand in the hourglass fell, so did his share. Watching the sand slip away helplessly, Colin felt as if his own life force were draining away.
'Ah, no……!'
If he truly had no intention of doing it, he wouldn't even be feeling this level of distress. But right now, Colin was genuinely agonizing over it.
Inside information. Of course, if he wanted to leak it, he could do so easily. Even though Colin hadn't been in the industry long, he knew other staff members with similar tenure well, and he was familiar enough with the mid-level managers as well. But the Yoon-gi standing before him had said he was planning a business based on that very inside information. That meant there was a corresponding risk.
What if he didn't just use the inside information for business, but leaked it externally? In that case, his life in Hollywood—no, his career in the film industry—would effectively be over, which was why Colin couldn't easily nod his head.
'Andrew said that he and many other graduate students had been receiving support for a long time. If a movie theater franchise is run by someone with that kind of financial power, the net profit must be enormous. I don't know much about a country called Korea, but at least it would be enough to fast-track my dreams.'
However, there was a reason Colin couldn't easily step forward despite this intense temptation.
'But providing inside information means this person is in contact with producers in some way. If the deal goes wrong and the producers start digging into who leaked the information, what should I do then?'
While he chewed his lips raw, the sand in the hourglass had already fallen below the 3 percent mark.
A deal that would advance his life plan by at least ten years if he didn't get caught. But if he were caught, he could lose his dream itself, depending on the circumstances.
'I wish he would at least say something…….'
Because the boy named Yoon-gi in front of him was just watching him, Colin felt like his insides were burning black.
And so, more time passed.
"Ugh!"
Colin suddenly grabbed the hourglass on the table and tipped it onto its side.
"What are you doing?"
"You are……, you're too evil……."
"If you describe me as evil for this much, I don't think you should go into management. That aside, the hourglass is again……."
"Don't!"
"Pardon?"
Colin looked at Yoon-gi with teary eyes.
"Damn it……, every time the sand in that hourglass falls, I feel like my lifespan is shortening……."
"Of course. Your dream is impossible without money. If you don't restore the hourglass right now, I will consider the contract null and void."
At Yoon-gi’s cruel verdict, Colin shook his head.
"I'll do it……. So please, just get rid of this damn hourglass……."
To Colin, who had even squeezed his eyes shut, Yoon-gi delivered a refusal.
"I can't do that."
"What? Why! I said I'd do it!"
It had been a short time, but Colin’s tone had become somewhat heated after his trip through the hell of his own dreams, but Yoon-gi didn't particularly care and maintained his pace.
"That’s not it; you need to check. The share you are entitled to."
"Ugh……!"
Colin had no choice but to open his eyes and look at the hourglass.
"It’s at 2 percent."
The words flowed from Yoon-gi’s lips, visible in his field of vision. Colin berated himself, thinking, 'If I had known this, I would have agreed immediately,' but Yoon-gi had no intention of reversing his decision.
"This is why people must make choices quickly. The uncertainty of the future that choice brings might be scary, but it is because of that uncertainty that the choice has value."
Even while shedding a few tears, Colin nodded, and Yoon-gi tucked the hourglass back into his coat and handed over a document.
"If you sign the contract now, it’s 2 percent, but I can't guarantee it won't drop lower if you find a new position later."
"No, even so……."
"Instead, I permit you to use every means at your disposal right now. You may call a lawyer to review the contract, or call someone you know to get advice. Read it, and sign. I am not the type to let go of talent once it’s in my grasp. Unless the talent tries to leave on their own, that is."
Colin’s heart wavered slightly at the unconventional conditions and the term 'talent.'
'Let’s just read it first.'
As Colin read the contract, his mouth fell open.
"An advisory committee member for MEV……? What does this mean?"
Perhaps because he felt a bit more secure, Colin’s tone had returned to being polite.
"It’s an abbreviation for Movie, Entertainment, and Village. Hence, MEV. The movie theater franchise I plan to operate isn't just about running theaters; I plan to operate the entertainment facilities inside them as well. I am offering you 2 percent of the foreign currency net profit on the condition that you become an advisory committee member there."
"And what does an advisory committee member do……?"
"If a problem arises in Hollywood due to inside information, I will take responsibility and protect you. In normal times, you can comfortably provide inside information and watch the 2 percent of net profit hit your bank account. If a problem occurs, you can just come to Korea and shoot movies."
Upon hearing this, Colin’s face shifted into a strange expression that was neither a smile nor a cry, and his voice trembled in many ways.
"You should have just told me this first……."
"Then you would have agreed immediately when it was at 5 percent, wouldn't you?"
Watching Yoon-gi, who was grinning, Colin spoke again.
"You……, you really have a wicked sense of humor."
"Then wouldn't it be better to make quick choices from now on? You have a precedent in Andrew, so I don't really understand why you had to weigh the options."
Seeing Yoon-gi shrug his shoulders, Colin let out a sigh.
"It must be because I'm faint-hearted. I guess I'm still far from being a producer……."
"But that 2 percent will quickly advance your dream."
Finally, Colin, having steeled his heart, nodded firmly.
"Understood. I will hand over all the information I know about movies currently filming in Hollywood to you."
"Knowing what you already know isn't enough. You must be able to find out information voluntarily and locate the materials I request."
"You say that knowing I'm in the production department……?"
"Risk distribution is your share."
With those words, Yoon-gi placed a briefcase on the table.
"What is that……?"
The bag opened with a click. Inside were five bundles of $100 bills.
"50,000 dollars……?"
An amount worth a little over 40 million won in the value of this era. At Colin’s mutter, Yoon-gi nodded and smiled.
"It’s an operating expense. To do two jobs, you’ll need your own 'division' of people. Although you can't assemble a division of legendary directors who can shoot movies right now, this operating expense will give you great strength. If you submit the usage records of the operating expenses reliably, I promise to provide them consistently."
The more Colin heard Yoon-gi speak, the more he wanted to kick the ground in regret. He hadn't realized he would feel so resentful of himself for not quickly identifying someone who supported him so generously.
'Yes……, I'm really glad I decided to do it even at 2 percent.'
Colin’s hand, holding the pen to sign and stamp the contract while suppressing his bitter insides, was trembling slightly.
"After I return to Korea, you can contact me at the address written on the contract. I will also cover all costs related to phone calls."
"Understood. But, is there anything I need to do right now……?"
"Of course there is."
Yoon-gi clearly conveyed the purpose of this Hollywood trip to Colin.
"If there are movies with exhilarating action where they wipe everything out with guns, or movies with robots that are a feast for the eyes, prioritize informing me of those. And movies currently being filmed by masters in Hollywood. Lastly, just a list of all movies. You can deliver them to me in those four categories."
"Ugh……, this is beyond imagination. Understood."
"I'll give you fifteen days."
"Hah!"
Colin blinked his eyes and let out a scream, but looking at the grinning Yoon-gi, he couldn't bring himself to say he couldn't do it.
'I have to prove my worth somehow. I’m shackled now, but I don't know yet if these will be prison shackles or golden shackles……!'
Finally, the conversation ended, and Colin bowed politely to Yoon-gi before leaving his seat. Left alone, Yoon-gi ordered a cup of tea and enjoyed a moment of solitude. Of course, Choi Deok-bae interrupted him.
But Yoon-gi shook his head.
'It’s not just a wicked sense of humor; I was checking the size of that person’s vessel. Whether it was a 5 percent vessel, or a 0 percent vessel. Or perhaps it could have been a 10 percent vessel.'
'He’s certainly not material for a close aide.'
At Yoon-gi’s cold judgment, Choi Deok-bae looked toward where Colin had disappeared and clicked his tongue.
'Directors are contract workers.'
'The maintenance of a contract worker depends on the effort of the worker themselves. If the contract worker shows excellent performance……, then the story changes.'
With Choi Deok-bae’s monologue as the finale, Yoon-gi set down his teacup and stood up to pay the bill. The bodyguard brought the receipt for a staggering amount.
'With this money, I’d rather open a hot soup restaurant.'
As if reading Yoon-gi’s joke-filled thoughts, Choi Deok-bae also laughed and followed behind him.
* * *
Running out of time? Then use more manpower. Short on manpower? Then spend more money. Under normal circumstances, Colin would have been driven to the brink of insanity just by his own workload, but Yoon-gi’s $50,000 operating expense exerted an incredible effect.
Of course, that doesn't mean he just scattered the $50,000 around. After work, he bought a beer for a colleague, gave a half-pack of cigarettes to a subordinate while telling them to hang in there, and gave donut money to the kids he could order around to run errands for him. As this continued for about a week, Colin secured a certain level of influence, which allowed him to pass on some of his work to those who followed him.
After that, what Colin did was, naturally, carry out Yoon-gi’s instructions. Colin met every contact he knew and found out about movies currently being filmed in Hollywood in various ways, and while he was at it, he even looked into movies being filmed by masters or reasonably sized film companies, even if they weren't in Hollywood.
Another week passed like that. Colin finally managed to deliver the roster to Yoon-gi, and Yoon-gi, burying his body into the hotel’s plush sofa, was enjoying the very thick roster along with a refreshing non-alcoholic cocktail.
"This is why money is good."
Yoon-gi’s very honest remark. Colin had to run around himself because he lacked money, but Yoon-gi could make Colin run with money. It was the very pinnacle of capitalism. Choi Deok-bae was also satisfied with the room service Yoon-gi had laid out and nodded. Choi Deok-bae, wiping his mouth with his sleeve, came to Yoon-gi’s side and asked.
At Choi Deok-bae’s words, Yoon-gi’s hands and eyes began to move very quickly, and finally, he was able to find a single movie within the pile of documents.
"Found it……!"