Chapter 345: Why is That Woman Here?

The person mentioned by Hong Seong-hyeok was someone I hadn't expected.

"The head of JC Entertainment, Seo Hyung-jun, is backing Lee Song-hee for this movie's production and distribution. The rumors are everywhere in this industry. Most films that JC invests in feature her, and the ads she starred in are primarily from JC affiliates."

Seo Hyung-jun was a side branch of the JC Group. As far as I knew, he was a young man just over thirty.

Yet he was sponsoring Lee Song-hee, who was over forty.

He was someone who could easily support other celebrities, not just her.

I couldn't grasp the situation, so I had to ask again.

"Are you saying that Seo Hyung-jun is really backing Lee Song-hee? What does he possibly gain from that?"

"I'm not sure if it's a sponsorship or if they have some connection, but it's a fact that Seo Hyung-jun manages all her ads and roles. I suspect there's a political figure involved behind the scenes."

"Ah, that makes sense then."

If Seo Hyung-jun was helping Lee Song-hee at someone's request, it explained everything.

Being a third-generation chaebol from JC, he could have partnered with a politician to establish his position.

It got complicated with a politician involved, but dealing with it wasn't too difficult.

"All right, I understand. Let Ji-young take a break from filming for a few days. Don't give in, even if she throws a tantrum. If she continues to insist, tell her to contact me. That'll get her to back off."

"Understood."

Hong Seong-hyeok bowed his head again, looking relieved by my promise to handle it myself.

"You may leave now, and please get Ji-young home safely."

"Yes, I'll take care of that."

Hong Seong-hyeok opened the passenger door and got in the car.

"Hah… this is frustrating."

I couldn't shake off the discomfort. Did I really have to rely on that flimsy backing to torment Cheon Ji-young?

While I was contemplating how to remove Lee Song-hee from the movie, the van's window rolled down.

"Oppa, don't overdo it! I'm sorry!"

Cheon Ji-young poked her head out of the window and waved at me.

I turned my head and waved back at her.

Soon, the window closed, and the van gracefully left the filming site.

"Let's go too."

I moved toward the open space where my car was parked. But there, waiting for me, was Lee Song-hee.

Spotting me, Lee Song-hee walked over with an air of arrogance.

"Hey, you."

Ugh, she was annoying. I frowned, and Lee Song-hee narrowed her eyes sharply, scanning me from head to toe.

"I told you to take care of the lawsuit on your own. It's bothersome, so just leave already."

"I'll take care of that myself, so mind your own business. You don't strike me as an ordinary cousin, no matter how close you are. What's the real connection? I can keep a secret."

She had no problem twisting words when interacting with Ji-young, but somehow couldn't grasp my intentions. I told her to go away, yet she kept bothering me.

Ideally, I would have liked to ignore her, but remembering how she treated Ji-young prompted me to respond mockingly.

When others were around, she'd scream as if trying to draw attention, but now she simply bit her lip and smoldered in anger.

Seems like she's more perceptive than I thought. As I attempted to walk past her, she suddenly grabbed my wrist.

"I'm not done talking to you!"

I looked at Lee Song-hee, who had caught my arm, and spoke in a flat tone.

"Lee Song-hee, don't touch me carelessly. This warning is your last."

Surprised by my cold demeanor, Lee Song-hee released her grip and stared blankly.

"I'm only being patient because of Ji-young's image. So you better leave right now."

Ignoring her, I headed toward my car.

As if she felt insulted, Lee Song-hee glared at my car with furious eyes.

I walked past her without a second glance, exiting the set.

"Find out everything about Lee Song-hee, from her family and friends to her agency, by the time we get to Pyeongchang-dong."

I instructed Manager Ma and closed my eyes.

As soon as we reached Pyeongchang-dong, I entered my study.

A while later, Manager Ma knocked and entered with a stack of documents.

"Boss, here's the information on Lee Song-hee."

"That was faster than I expected."

I accepted the sizable pile of documents and said to Manager Ma.

"Please have a seat. I'll go through this for a bit."

I opened the documents and started examining the information on Lee Song-hee.

While I didn't have enough time to dive deep into specifics, it was enough to learn about her.

"Hmmm… She'd been in minor roles for a long time without recognition, and then suddenly became a star. She's been in the industry for quite a while. If she were a bit younger, she would still be treated as a lead."

Once an actor ages, even if they were popular, they naturally drift away from leading roles.

Especially a supporting actress who had no recognition suddenly becoming so active? That's something only connections can achieve.

"She's appeared in most JC Entertainment productions."

It became clear that most of her roles coincided with the name JC Entertainment.

It was certain that Seo Hyung-jun was backing Lee Song-hee.

I felt like I understood everything without needing to read more, so I tossed the documents on the table and stated.

"I need to meet Seo Hyung-jun tomorrow."

"I'll make an appointment."

"Also, check the basement to see if there are any videos related to Representative Jeong Chan-seong, and look for his name in the ledger."

Separately from Cheon Ji-young's situation, I needed to follow through with warnings on Yoon Chang-ho.

If Jeong Chan-seong and Lee Song-hee were connected, it would be convenient to deal with both at once.

Manager Ma, with his head bowed, left the study to check the ledger. I got up from my seat and turned on the computer.

I began searching for articles about the Iraq War. Although the invasion hadn't happened yet, the atmosphere felt as if it had already begun.

In the past, they would invade right after Bush's speech declaring war, but now they were slowly preparing due to having enough justification.

Thinking, 'Will they invade before the World Cup?'

I recalled the upcoming Korea-Japan World Cup, which was right around the corner.

It was a grand festival that brought much-needed vitality back to Korea after the struggles of the IMF.

I hoped it wouldn't get overshadowed by the war in Iraq.

As I continued browsing the internet for news, Manager Ma walked in.

It took him quite a while, so it seemed he spent time searching for both the ledger and the tape.

"Did you find anything?"

"Yes, I did. It's all written down in the ledger and there's a video too."

"Oh? Really?"

This might turn out to be easier than anticipated. I received the ledger from Manager Ma.

"If there's drug involvement, that would be even better."

The amount listed in the ledger was around five hundred million.

It might be a small sum for a corporation, but a significant amount as a bribe from the Chinese underworld.

This could easily turn into a troublesome issue.

"Let's check the footage next."

I closed the ledger and moved back toward the sofa.

Manager Ma inserted the tape into the video player and started the footage.

Seeing a familiar face on the screen, I nodded in recognition.

"With this, we can tie the bribery case into Jeong Chan-seong's involvement all at once."

"Yes, boss. It's hard for politicians to escape if they get entangled in a sex scandal."

But just then, someone unfamiliar appeared on the screen.

Upon seeing the face of someone next to Jeong Chan-seong, I unconsciously muttered.

"Why is that woman here?"

The next day.

I arrived at JC Entertainment's headquarters.

Seo Hyung-jun was waiting at the entrance, greeting me with a warm smile.

"Kim Mu-hyeok?"

"Yes, that's me. Seo Hyung-jun, right? Nice to meet you."

Seo Hyung-jun and I shook hands lightly in greeting.

"I can't believe I'm finally meeting the man I've only heard about. It's an honor, haha."

Despite being a third-generation chaebol, he was surprisingly friendly.

"Since we have so many eyes on us, let's head to my office."

Manager Ma and I followed Seo Hyung-jun into his office.

To my surprise, the office looked quite ordinary. I expected something lavish for a third-generation chaebol.

"What would you like to drink?"

"Coffee, please."

"Hong, please bring three cups of coffee."

As Seo Hyung-jun pressed a bell on the desk, Manager Ma promptly replied in his usual blunt tone.

"I'm good, thanks."

Manager Ma stood behind me instead of taking a seat.

After stealing a glance at him, Seo Hyung-jun asked the secretary to bring just two cups and sat down in front of me.

"I've heard a lot about you, Kim Mu-hyeok. I was a bit surpried you wanted to meet me suddenly."

"Really? I thought you'd have heard why I wanted to meet by now."

"Ah, you mean Lee Song-hee?"

He'd already caught on. Seo Hyung-jun shrugged and laughed.

"That woman doesn't know you, so how could she recognize you?"

A knock interrupted our conversation, and the secretary entered with two cups of coffee.

After setting the cups down before Seo Hyung-jun and me, the secretary bowed her head and left the office.

"Let's chat over coffee."

Seo Hyung-jun seemed relaxed.

Thinking I'd follow his lead, I raised my coffee cup.

"I'm sorry, but I'd prefer if we drop this topic for now. Please send Cheon Ji-young back to the set. Things have already been delayed, and if this drags on, the press might catch wind of it. It's not beneficial for her to remain in the spotlight if she wants to continue her entertainment career, right?"

I paused my sip to look at Seo Hyung-jun.

"Blowing this up only brings trouble for both of us. If someone close to Lee Song-hee intervenes, it could lead to a big mess."

"Are you referring to Representative Jeong Chan-seong?"

For the first time, Seo Hyung-jun's ever-smiling face turned serious.

"Did you know about him already?"

"I learned about him while looking into Lee Song-hee."

"Hmm, very few people may know of him."

"Is there really such a thing as a secret in this world?"

Setting his coffee cup down with a curious expression, Seo Hyung-jun replied.

"Then it should be easier to talk. Lee Song-hee contacted Representative Jeong Chan-seong yesterday and asked him to remove Cheon Ji-young from the scene. Jeong Chan-seong contacted me and suggested canceling Cheon Ji-young's contract."

"If it's too burdensome, feel free to do that."

"Oh, why would I want to have a poor relationship with Kim Mu-hyeok? Lee Song-hee isn'teven my person. If you would prefer, I'm willing to mediate. It would look better for you, right? It seems that Jeong Chan-seong is unaware you were at the set yesterday."

If Jeong Chan-seong knew Cheon Ji-young had any connection to me, would he have approached me like this?

No, even if he was madly in love with a woman, he wouldn't want to create a rift with me.

But that didn't mean I would let it pass just because he didn't know.

Feigning to ponder, Seo Hyung-jun continued awkwardly.

"Honestly, I'm in a tough position. If I support Cheon Ji-young, I'll bear the wrath of Representative Jeong Chan-seong, but going against Lee Song-hee also feels risky because of you, Kim Mu-hyeok. Oh dear, I need hep!"

Though he said it like that, there was no trace of weakness on his face.

'Did the Seo family have someone like this?'

I felt like he was suggesting I handle Lee Song-hee myself and then he'd keep out of it.

He was just over thirty, yet his actions seemed akin to a seasoned veteran.

"Can I ask one thing? Why are you so wary of Representative Jeong Chan-seong? I can't grasp the reason."

"Is there another reason for a chaebol's third generation to team up with a politician? It's for each other's benefit."

"For benefit, huh?"

His plain statement left me feeling deflated. So it's actually easier to manipulate him, then.

As I quietly stared at him, Seo Hyung-jun seemed to interpret it differently and shrugged.

"You know how it goes. If Representative Jeong Chan-seong personally investigates and sends a tax inquiry to our company, that's trouble. The entertainment industry can be a double-edged sword."

"Hmmm… Have you told him anything about me?"

Seo Hyung-jun shook his head.

"There's no need to bring it up right away. I doubt Lee Song-hee mentioned you to him either. She probably only shared the parts that favor her—claims that Cheon Ji-young is looking down on her, saying she can't work with her!"

Though they didn't look alike at all, Seo Hyung-jun mimicked Lee Song-hee, likely having endured enough of her tantrums.

"But you realize he's a prosecution veteran and currently a three-term congressman. It wouldn't benefit anyone to start a fight with him. So I'd like to mediate this situation."

I smiled at his suggestion.

"There's no need for that. They're both bound to drop out on their own soon enough. Oh, and if that happens, it might create problems for the film. Let me propose something: I'll cover the entire production cost for this movie. So back off."

Seo Hyung-jun looked at me, puzzled.