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Chapter 360: Gift (2)

Li Kejun nodded in agreement. "A true friend is someone who sticks by you during difficult times."

At that moment, I let out a sigh of relief without realizing it.

"President Jiang Wei is part of the Beijing faction while we belong to the Shanghai faction. In that sense, we\'re already rivals. I can\'t confront him head-on, but I can certainly keep him in check."

The two assured me that while they couldn\'t prevent Jiang Wei\'s activities completely, they could stop him from directly targeting me. They mentioned that if they stirred enough trouble in China, Jiang Wei would be too distracted to focus on Korea for a while.

However, Wang Min also cautioned that completely cutting off financial support to Kim Dong-Soo wasn\'t feasible, as money always had a way of reaching its target, no matter the obstacles.

Li Kejun added with a smile, "But if the Party gets involved, the funds President Jiang Wei is sending to Korea could be reduced to a tenth. So don\'t worry too much."

It wasn\'t perfect, but it was more than satisfactory. After all, I would know the next steps by checking my planner.

I couldn\'t hide my delight as I responded, "That\'s more than enough. Thank you, Mr. Wang Min."

Wang Min chuckled and corrected me. "Haha. Didn\'t I tell you to call me \'Father\'? I\'ve heard that\'s what you call a friend\'s father in Korea, isn\'t it?"

Feeling slightly awkward, I scratched my head and replied, "Yes, Father."

Wang Min nodded. "That\'s much better. Now, tell me—what happened between you and President Jiang Wei?"

I explained how I had first encountered Jiang Wei in Korea and how he had become fixated on me. I told them about how he had offered me a blank check which I had declined, and how he seemed determined not to give up.

Upon hearing the story, both Wang Min and Li Kejun laughed heartily.

"Well, well! Even the great President Jiang Wei can\'t always get his way!"

"But our task won\'t be easy. Will it, in-law?"

"Indeed not. If someone as ambitious as President Jiang Wei has taken an interest in this, it won\'t be a simple matter."

"Also, we need to ensure President Jiang Wei doesn\'t establish a branch of Hwayeon Media Inc. in Korea. If he does, it\'ll be harder for us to keep him in check."

"Absolutely. If he sets up shop in Korea, it will be tougher to keep him in check."

"Hahaha! It looks like I\'ll have to suffer through some late-night drinking sessions with Party officials."

"Hahaha, don\'t worry, I\'ll make sure to get you some good medicine for your liver!"

Despite the difficult task, they seemed to be enjoying the challenge. They were impressed that Jiang Wei, known for his keen eye for identifying talent, had taken an interest in me, recognizing that I must possess significant potential.

Wang Min turned to Wang Long with a grin. "Long, it looks like President Jiang Wei is going to be a formidable opponent."

Wang Long smiled back confidently. "I\'m ready to face anyone with Yoon-Ho by my side."

Wang Min laughed heartily. "I now see why you were so determined to make Yoon-Ho your friend!"

Everyone in the room joined in the laughter as we raised our glasses to toast the new alliance.

Clink!

The sound of champagne glasses filled the room as we celebrated the beginning of our pact.

***

With the request addressed, I moved on to the next matter: Ling Ling\'s debut in Korea.

Dressed in a white dress and a scarf around her neck, Ling Ling looked at her mother and blinked nervously as if silently asking for her support in facing her father\'s opposition.

However, her mother turned out to be the one who fired off the more pointed questions as she asked how idols were managed in Korea and what the debut process would look like.

Without hesitation, I presented the detailed training schedule that Seo Yeon-Woo had prepared.

As I shared the plans and evaluations from Hoop Entertainment\'s staff regarding Ling Ling\'s potential, I could see her parents were impressed.

"All our staff believe Ling Ling has great potential. Especially given her fluency in Korean and her bright personality, we believe she can grow into an A-class star," I said.

Ling Ling\'s parents reviewed the training schedule prepared by Seo Yeon-Woo and they seemed amazed and satisfied.

"Even our employees at RedPay couldn\'t come up with a plan this thorough."

"Indeed, we should show this to our staff."

A thought suddenly crossed my mind.\'Wait... is Li Kejun the same Li Kejun of RedPay?\'

At that moment, I had to take a moment to calm myself. RedPay was an electronic pay system company set to go public on the Shanghai stock exchange in just two years with a market cap in the trillions.

It turned out that the president of the company was Ling Ling\'s parents. No wonder they had been so generous in offering to fund the entertainment company—they had the means to back it up.

Satisfied with Seo Yeon-Woo\'s meticulous training plan, Ling Ling\'s parents made a final request. "Please take good care of our daughter."

"Don\'t worry. I will do everything I can to make her a star," I assured them.

Upon hearing their approval, Ling Ling jumped up and hugged both of her parents. "Thank you, Mom and Dad!"

Ling Ling\'s parents patted her back and smiled warmly. "Remember, you have to work hard even on your own."

Ling Ling replied eagerly, "Yes, I will!"

It was then decided that after completing her transfer process at her international school, Ling Ling would move to Korea in a month to begin her training.

After suggesting that he would pay for all the additional fees, Li Kejun proposed an idea. "Since we\'ll be covering the extra production costs, why not expand this into a Korea-China-Japan joint project? We could even create three separate units: one for each country and have them promote this accordingly."

As a businessman, Li Kejun was proactive and visionary.

I had considered something like this before as well, and there was no reason to refuse with the promise of financial backing.

I quickly agreed. "That sounds like a great idea. Let\'s do it."

Thus, the global idol project tentatively titled KCJ was born.

***

Wang Long, Lily, and Ling Ling had all come to the Shanghai airport to see me off as I prepared to leave China.

As I loaded the gifts I had received from Wang Min and Li Kejun, along with presents from Lily and Ling Ling onto a cart, Wang Long pulled me aside to share a final piece of information. "My father wanted me to tell you something. The offer to reserve one Chinese drama or movie just for you is still valid."

Wang Min had mentioned this was a parting gift not in exchange for saving his son but as a gesture of becoming my "father" in China.

Wang Long continued, "If you don\'t accept it, the opportunity will just disappear. So make sure you use it."

Though I hesitated briefly, I figured it would be rude to reject such a thoughtful gesture. "I guess I can\'t refuse this one."

Feeling both surprised and grateful for the unexpected gift, I called Wang Min to express my thanks.

-Make sure to keep in touch. It would be even better if you visited often.

"I\'ll make sure to visit regularly, Father!"

-Haha, good, good.

Although Wang Min was the father of my friend, I had now gained a new father figure.

I couldn\'t help but feel that this was, perhaps, the greatest gift Wang Min could offer me.

***

I finally arrived at Incheon Airport.

After finishing all our business in China, Ju Yung-In and I returned to Korea. However, Ju Yung-In, accompanied by numerous fans, had already left the airport ahead of me.

I also hurried home, eager to review everything that had happened over the past three days.

Once the reporters had followed Ju Yung-In out of the airport and things quieted down, Seo Yeon-Woo and I headed to the parking lot.

After about two hours, we arrived at my home in Cheonho-dong. As soon as we parked, Seo Yeon-Woo quickly got out of the car saying he was worried about his grandmother. "Hyung, I\'m going to head in first."

"Go ahead. Say hello to your grandmother for me. I\'ll visit tomorrow."

"Sure, thanks!" said Seo Yeon-Woo before he hurriedly dashed through the gate.

I parked the car and confirmed with the security team that there had been no issues during my absence. The peace and calm I had returned to was hard-won, thanks to the efforts in China to quash the scandal with Ju Yung-In.

I greeted the security guards and headed inside with my luggage and the gifts I had brought back from China.

"I\'m home!" I exclaimed.

Waiting for me in the living room were Jung In-Ji, Natalia, Yoo-Jin, and Miso.

"Uncle Yoon-Ho!" Miso exclaimed as she jumped up from her seat and ran toward the door.

It had only been two days, but she greeted me as if I had been gone for months.

I lifted Miso up with a smile. "Look, Miso. I brought back some gifts from China: snacks and fan letters from your Chinese fans."

Ling Ling, the president of Yoo-Jin and Miso\'s Chinese fan club, You & Me, gave me letters and gifts from their fans. I pointed to the suitcase full of gifts, but Miso shook her head slightly and looked back at me.

"What is it? Don\'t you want to open them?" I asked.

"Gifts aside, I\'m more excited that you\'re back."

Miso\'s answer melted away the fatigue from my trip.

Yoo-Jin looked at me and said, "You must be tired, oppa."

"I\'m fine. Has everything been okay here?"

"Yes, nothing major other than getting Miso ready for her audition next week."

Right now, the script for Hwaranjeon had been completed up to episode 14 and the auditions for the child actors were scheduled for next Thursday.

Yoo-Jin had also been practicing for her role as the drama\'s production was set to begin at the end of the month. However, she seemed to be struggling a bit with the historical drama format.

I asked, "What\'s wrong?"

"The pronunciation and tone are a little tough for me."

"Don\'t worry about it. I\'ll contact Mrs. Lee Sa-Rang for help. She\'s an expert in historical drama speech and can give you some lessons."

Yoo-Jin smiled brightly. "As always, I need you with me, oppa."

It had only been a short two-day trip, but Yoo-Jin joked that she felt a little lost without me.

However, she still hadn\'t asked a single question about my trip to China or about Ju Yung-In, which surprised me a bit.

Miso pointed to the suitcase. "Uncle Yoon-Ho, can I open this?"

I nodded. "Of course. Go ahead."

"Yay!"

While Miso eagerly unzipped the suitcase to see her gifts, Yoo-Jin excused herself to get some drinks from the kitchen.

Seizing the moment, I quietly followed her and asked, "You\'re not going to ask about what happened in China?"

I felt a little uneasy after Ju Yung-In\'s confession. Her question about whether I was dating Yoo-Jin had echoed in my head the entire trip back.

Even though I told Ju Yung-In it wasn\'t true, seeing Yoo-Jin again made my heart race almost as if I had done something wrong.

Yoo-Jin smiled as she pulled drinks from the fridge and replied calmly. "If something important happened, you would\'ve told me already. Wouldn\'t you, oppa?"

I had half a mind to confess what had happened with Ju Yung-In. However, before I could, Yoo-Jin spoke again. "And... even if something did happen, I trust you, oppa."

Yoo-Jin\'s words and the knowing look on her face suggested that she knew something.

Without waiting for my response, she poured the juice into glasses and headed back to the living room, calling out to Miso. "Wow, Miso! What\'s that?"

Miso held up a large doll dressed in a purple Chinese-style outfit. "It\'s a Jiangshi Powertuff Girl doll! They don\'t sell these in Korea!"

"Oh my. How lucky you are, Miso!"

Watching Yoo-Jin\'s bright smile, I couldn\'t help but think to myself that this was the right path. \'That\'s right. As long as I remain a talent agent... nothing like that would happen.\'

As a talent agent, my job was to help Jung Yoo-Jin and Jung Miso grow into stars.

At that moment, Miso waved me over with a beaming smile. "Uncle Yoon-Ho! Come eat snacks with me!"

I smiled back and responded, "Sure, let\'s do that."

Yoo-Jin glanced over at me with a warm smile as if she could read exactly what I was thinking.

***

As soon as I arrived at the office the next day, I summoned a meeting with the talent agents of Team Jung.

After my experience in China, it became clear once again that fate did not change easily. With this realization, I was determined to act more aggressively.

Whether it was Kim Dong-Soo standing in my way, Bang Sang-Yung trying to trip me up, or Choi Man-Sik targeting me, I was ready to push through it all. My priority was tightening my grip on Hoop Entertainment.

Despite the early meeting, the talent agents of Team Jung arrived with a sense of anticipation as they were eager to hear about my accomplishments in China.

I announced, "I\'ve secured the rights to sell one production a year to China without being affected by the Korean Wave ban."

Lee Yung-Jin blinked in disbelief. "Y-you really broke through the Korean Wave ban?"

"It\'s not official, but yes. That\'s essentially what happened."

The expression on his face said it all. It was hard for him to believe that I had achieved something even Ace Entertainment, Korea\'s top agency, hadn\'t managed.

I quickly added, "However, this is strictly for our team. The quota is under my name, not Hoop Entertainment\'s."

"As expected of Mr. Jung!"

I planned to tell Kang Gam-Chan about this but had no intention of sharing this information with anyone else. After all, too many people would covet this kind of deal.

"Now, onto the next agenda item. Let\'s discuss expanding our team and restructuring our personnel."

Kang Gam-Chan had ordered us to bring on more talent agents for both actors and singers in addition to Park In-Ki.

My first choice for promotion was Eun Ji-Yoo.

"For the singers, Ms. Eun Ji-Yoo will take over as team lead."

Eun Ji-Yoo, who had been quietly taking notes as if this had nothing to do with her, blinked in surprise. "M-me?"

"Yes. You\'ve practically handled Golden Road on your own before and you\'ve also been managing Cherry Blossom\'s comeback by yourself. You\'re more than qualified."

"But Mr. Han from Singer Division 2 did most of the work."

"No one is perfect from the start, are they? You don\'t need to be so modest. In fact, it was Mr. Han who recommended you."

As Eun Ji-Yoo remained speechless, applause broke out from the others. "Congratulations, Ms. Eun!"

It seemed everyone but Eun Ji-Yoo had expected this.

Then, I turned to look at Lee Yung-Jin. "Yung-Jin. As for the team lead for the actors..."

Lee Yung-Jin cut me off and said, "Thank you, but I\'m really not ready yet."

"Right. Unfortunately, there\'s too much scrutiny for you to get promoted this time."

Lee Yung-Jin nodded in understanding. "That\'s fine. Honestly, I\'m already lucky enough to have been promoted to assistant manager..."

I continued, "But prepare yourself for next year\'s second quarter. We\'re launching a new team in our division and I want you to lead it."

"Wait, what?"

For now, Park In-Ki would handle the team under my management while I planned to recruit someone from Actor Division 1 to lead another. However, I needed Lee Yung-Jin to take charge of a third team.

Lee Yung-Jin blinked in disbelief. "How many actors are you planning to recruit?"

Currently, Team Jung had S-class actors like Jung Yoo-Jin, Lee Tae-Poong, and Sung Ho-Joon, as well as A-class actors like Haru and Miso.

The inclusion of Yoo Eun-Ah, who would practically become an S-class actress in the future, would bring the total to six.

However, after reviewing my list of potential recruits, I realized that we could bring in around 15 more actors, excluding the two members of Faithful who were currently in talks with Jung Sang-Bong. All of them were A-class or higher.

At that moment, Lee Yung-Jin\'s face turned pale. Before he could process what I had said, I continued. "Out of those, three are coming from Actor Division 3: one S-class and two A-class actors. And those actors are..."

As I named the actors I had in mind from Actor Division 3, everyone\'s jaws dropped.

The reason was clear—these were actors Kim Dong-Soo had personally scouted.