The Newsreel Rebellion
Then, at last, the lights across the entire MEV flickered to life, illuminating the figures walking in from the entrance. “Whoa… this is insane…” Choi Cheol-jun, the fourth son of Choi Ki-hyun, whose sharp features often gave people the wrong impression, muttered in awe as he walked in holding his daughters’ hands.
“You’re telling me. This is really… if YK Department Store is about luxury, I think ‘vibrant’ is the only word that does this place justice.” This was the exclamation of Choi Cheol-jae, the fifth son. Thanks to Yoon-gi, Choi Cheol-jae had enjoyed a very comfortable military service and was currently studying to run an entertainment agency, having set aside his dreams of becoming a singer. Of course, he was already married; he held his son’s hand in one and his daughter’s in the other, while his remaining daughter was carried on his wife’s back.
“How is it? Do you all like it?” Who could possibly shake their head at such a question? Even without Yoon-gi’s prompting, everyone was too busy staring at the interior design to look away. ‘As expected, Fernandez is brilliant.’ The interior, directed by Fernandez, orchestrated by Liana, and completed by Pike and Aaron—who had practically screamed through the process—was a masterpiece. If traditional theaters felt old and somewhat gloomy, MEV radiated the exact opposite atmosphere.
“Hyung!” A middle-school-aged boy came running toward Yoon-gi with a look of delight. It was Choi In-gi, the son of Choi Chul-kyu. Having played a pivotal role in connecting JSD and Yoon-gi, In-gi still maintained a very amicable relationship with him, and he beamed at Yoon-gi with friendly eyes.
“Have you been well?”
“Of course. It’s just a shame I don’t get to see you often because you’re so busy, Hyung.”
“Just come over whenever you want without any pressure. You know where I am, don’t you?”
However, In-gi shook his head. “Dad scolds me if I do. He says I’ll get in the way of your work.”
“You brat, when did I ever!” Choi Chul-kyu shouted, looking aggrieved, but In-gi just smirked at his father and began whispering everything to Yoon-gi. “Whenever I say I’m going to visit you, he says I’ll be a nuisance to your work…”
After listening to In-gi for a while, Yoon-gi patted his head. Satisfied, In-gi grinned before returning to his father’s side.
‘Everyone’s here.’ You could say the entire direct line of the Choi family had gathered. Choi Ki-hyun’s sons and daughters, along with their spouses and children. Yoon-gi had opened MEV a day early specifically for these dozens of relatives.
“Everyone, come here!” At Yoon-gi’s call, all his younger cousins ran over to hug him. Yoon-gi was the most popular among them, and perhaps because of his looks, even his teenage female cousins never showed the typical rebellious attitude of that age.
“Look over there.” Yoon-gi pointed his finger toward the arcade. It wasn’t the dark, dingy arcade typical of the 80s, but a bright, open-concept space filled with the latest gaming machines that beckoned to his cousins.
“WOWWWWW!!”
Like infantry charging into hand-to-hand combat, the game-loving cousins rushed toward the arcade without a single exception. Some parents tried to stop them, but it was impossible to hold back that momentum.
“Oh, th-those kids, really…”
“Ahem! Ahem! Yoon-gi, I’m sorry. They’re still young…” Yoon-gi smiled and shook his head at the apologies of some of the adults, then pointed to the opposite side of the arcade.
“Everyone, look over there.” The cousins who hadn’t been interested in games turned their gaze to where Yoon-gi was pointing, and their expressions brightened instantly.
“Take as much as you want. I’m buying everything today.” Yoon-gi had pointed to a fancy goods store. It was a place that sold accessories and various gifts—more than enough to tempt the cousins who weren’t interested in games.
“KYAAAAAA!!”
They screamed as if they were going to faint from joy and sprinted toward the shop. Usually, they might have fought over who got the better items, but Yoon-gi had anticipated this; there were enough of the same items to fill twelve baskets, with plenty left over.
“Oppa, can I take these to give to my friends at school?” one of the younger female cousins asked, sticking her tongue out playfully. Yoon-gi smiled softly.
“You can take everything in there, so take as much as you like.”
“Kyaa, Oppa, you’re the best!” She hugged Yoon-gi tightly, even kissed his cheek, and ran back toward the shop.
“Hey! I called dibs on that one!!”
The scene was the same for the cousins who had run to the arcade. Filled with games directly imported from the US and Japan—rare sights in even the best Seoul arcades—the cousins were busy hammering away at the buttons.
Rat-a-tat-tat-tat! The sound of rapid-fire button mashing rivaled the sound of gunfire.
“Ahem! Ahem!”
“*Cough!*”
Whether they were parents of the kids in the arcade or the fancy store, everyone cleared their throats with flushed faces. Yoon-gi watched them and smiled.
“I wanted to gift you all an experience that isn’t easy to come by, no matter how much money you have. Adults, feel free to head to the restaurant for a meal. I’ve brought in the head chef and talented cooks from YK Hotel. And…” Yoon-gi approached Choi Cheol-jun, who loved his liquor, and whispered in his ear.
“Ohhh…!” The news was enough to bring a smile to the face of Choi Cheol-jun, whose trademark was his fierce gaze. Yoon-gi had prepared a variety of liquors in the restaurant, the kind where a single glass could easily cost a salaryman’s monthly wage.
“Chul-kyu Hyung! Let’s have a drink! Sister-in-law, come join us!”
With most of the adults gone, Seo Jong-oh approached Yoon-gi, looking hesitant. He was the current Chief Prosecutor of the local District Prosecutors’ Office who would have been recruited by Yoon-gi for legal matters if he hadn’t badmouthed Yoon-gi’s father, Choi Cheol-ho. Having been smacked on the back by his wife, Choi Si-ra, and nagged for years about ‘why he did it,’ he was clearly planning to use today as an opportunity for a tearful plea.
“Uncle-in-law.” But Yoon-gi spoke first.
“Y-yes?” Surprised, Seo Jong-oh looked at Yoon-gi with a flicker of hope, heartened that Yoon-gi had initiated the conversation.
“Is it appropriate to talk about work on such a happy day?”
At the same time, Choi Si-ra struck Seo Jong-oh’s back with full force. Having been on the volleyball team in high school, the power of her strike was beyond question. Seo Jong-oh couldn’t even scream properly and just flailed his hands toward his unreachable back.
“By the way, I noticed some people who shouldn’t be here lurking near the entrance. You know who I mean, right, Aunt?” At Yoon-gi’s words, Choi Si-ra glared at her husband as if she were going to devour him.
“Uncle-in-law, I’ve told you time and again: don’t do useless things. I don’t want to treat my cousins differently. Besides, you should choose your friends wisely—your talent for ‘riding the line’ is truly artistic.”
It wasn’t Seo Jong-oh who was terrified by this, but Choi Si-ra. “Yoon-gi! It will never, ever happen again!”
Then came another back-smacking. “*Gah!* *Cough!* *Ack!* Honey! *Gah!* Please, st- *cough!* Stop!” The rapid-fire smacks echoed loudly, creating an atmosphere like a disco party.
“Shall we go take a look too?” Except for Choi Si-ra and Seo Jong-oh, Choi Ki-hyun, Choi Cheol-ho, Park Yeon-ji, and Choi Jung-ah remained. They all smiled and nodded.
“Oppa!”
“Yes, our Jung-ah!” Yoon-gi gave 7-year-old Jung-ah a piggyback ride. Excited, she giggled and turned her head left and right to look around.
“Today, we’ll go wherever you want, Jung-ah. Where should we go?”
“There!” Jung-ah pointed with her finger.
“Alright, Princess Jung-ah. The plane is taking off~~~!” Yoon-gi ran off with Jung-ah on his shoulders. Warm smiles overflowed on the faces of their parents and grandfather as they watched the close siblings.
* * *
In front of JSD, he had mentioned 2,500 won for Korean films and 3,000 won for foreign films, but MEV charged 1,000 won more than that. However, there were fewer complaints than expected. Why? Because the facilities were just that incredible. Unlike other theaters where you only went to watch a movie, MEV had everything. A cinema, an arcade, a fancy store, plus a restaurant, a photo studio, and a bookstore. There was no need to go through the trouble of wandering around for a date; you could do it all just by coming to MEV. Thanks to this, people bought their tickets without much complaint, though they looked puzzled when they were handed the Daehan Ilbo upon entry. They looked as if they were thinking, ‘Why are they giving me this?’
But when they sat down and the movie started, the audience was hit with a massive shock.
[Wait, we don’t have to watch the Daehan Newsreel?]
Because the details regarding the Daehan Newsreel hadn’t been made public to the general populace, some people even giggled, thinking, ‘The theater owner is going to be dragged off by the ANSP later.’ But that was only the thought of a few. Most of the audience was absolutely thrilled.
[We don’t have to watch the Daehan Newsreel!!]
Logically, no one enjoys watching a government newsreel when they’ve come out to have fun. Of course, the 60s might have been a different story—that generation still found the very existence of such footage fascinating. But by the mid-80s, television was no longer the exclusive domain of the wealthy, so the newsreel was nothing more than a source of annoyance.
To top it off, the movie being screened today was none other than The Terminator. By pouring in five times the original production budget, they had not only improved the quality of the film but also managed to pull forward the release date.
The removal of the Daehan Newsreel! The highest-level foreign film ever seen! Various facilities to enjoy after the movie! After its opening day, the number of visitors to MEV grew steadily, and by the fifth day, the crowd had reached a point where the word ‘explosive’ was an understatement. But it wasn’t a problem at all. Because MEV’s scale was simply massive. It was a size that would rank among the top tier of theaters nationwide even by the 2010s. The reason such large-scale construction could be completed so quickly was that Yoon-gi had preemptively secured the land, and most of it was single-story construction. It was laid out like an amusement park. Thanks to this, there were no issues with facility operations despite the surge in visitors. Since it was a pay-per-use system for each facility, there was no reason for issues like dine-and-dash to occur.
“Wow! That was truly the best movie. I can’t believe I got to see a film like this!” Yoon-gi nodded at Ryu Geun-tae’s exclamation after the movie.
“I agree. Really… I’ll have to watch it again soon. Want to rent out the theater at night and watch it together? Bring your family too, Secretary Ryu.”
“I’d be honored!” Yoon-gi looked at Ryu Geun-tae, who was beaming, with a slightly apologetic expression.
“It would have been nice if you had come last time, too.”
“Oh, come now. How could a guy like me join a family gathering? I think it was right that the day ended as a meeting for the Chairman’s family.”
“But I consider you family, Secretary Ryu.” Ryu Geun-tae’s expression looked as if he were about to explode with emotion. Still, he shook his head.
“I don’t need to attend that gathering precisely because I know you think of me that way.”
A heartwarming relationship between lord and retainer, where both sides were considerate of each other. Yoon-gi patted Ryu Geun-tae on the shoulder, left the spot, and headed to his grandfather’s house. Yoon-gi settled into the study. Kang Seok-ho, the chairman of the Shin-sang Group, who had been waiting inside, stood up. Yoon-gi responded with a smile and sat in his own chair.
“Thank you for calling me. I was so excited on the way here, feeling like I finally had a chance to do something.” Yoon-gi nodded with a bright smile, as if responding to Kang Seok-ho’s words.
“Of course. I’m planning to give you a very difficult task.”
“What is it? I am prepared to do anything.” Yoon-gi deepened his smile and opened his mouth.
“Displease JD.”