I Was Mistaken as a Monstrous Genius Actor-Chapter 353: Chain (2) - Edited

Chapter 353: Chain (2)

Translator: Santos

*So, are we starting to drop hints about Miley Cara in *Beneficial Evil*?* The steps of PD Song Man-woo, walking alongside Kang Woo-jin, suddenly came to a halt. Woo-jin did the same. Both exchanged glances, communicating silently through their expressions. Meanwhile, the dozens of staff members around Song Man-woo wore puzzled looks.

“......For now.”

After a few dozen seconds of silence, PD Song Man-woo directed the nearby staff.

“Everyone else, please head in first. I need to have a word with Woo-jin.”

“Understood!”

Several crew members, including assistant directors, turned toward the massive studio resembling a logistics warehouse. Woo-jin’s team, including Han Ye-jeong, followed suit. Before long, only Kang Woo-jin and PD Song Man-woo remained, but the gazes of the extras and staff from several dozen steps away were still fixated on them.

Then.

“Woo-jin.”

PD Song Man-woo, sporting a beard, gestured to the silent Woo-jin. He pointed to a corner beside the studio, where filming props were scattered on the floor. PD Song Man-woo took the lead, and Kang Woo-jin followed. Although the *Evil Benefactor* team was already aware of Miley Cara’s involvement, the details remained confidential, and the current progress was even more so.

It was better that no one overheard them.

As they reached the corner, the expression on PD Song Man-woo’s face, wearing a gray zip-up hoodie, became serious. He suddenly leaned closer to Woo-jin, almost touching foreheads.

“So, are we suggesting dropping hints about Miley Cara—meaning, should we go ahead and announce her appearance in *Beneficial Evil*?”

Close enough that Woo-jin could feel his breath, he slightly pulled his head back but answered in a low voice.

“That's similar, but do you or Netflix have a timing in mind, PD?”

“Timing. Well, nothing is set in stone yet. However, *Beneficial Evil* has been divided into parts, and naturally, the launch date for Part 1, covering episodes 1 to 6, has been pushed forward significantly. So, I think we should drop hints about Miley Cara earlier than expected.”

“Is that so?”

“Hmm, even if we try to keep things under wraps, there are limits. While our staff may keep quiet, controlling the local crew in Bangkok is tough. This is something Kim So-hyang knows as well.”

As Kang Woo-jin nodded slowly, PD Song Man-woo continued.

“Well, if you and Miley Cara have discussed it, then it makes sense for you two to gradually reveal it. But... personally, I think it feels a bit rushed.”

Song Man-woo was a veteran who had rolled in the domestic drama scene for decades. His judgment was that it might be a bit early.

“Right now, you and *Leech* have turned the domestic and global scenes upside down. Just look at the articles pouring in. I noticed that—where was it, France or Hollywood—articles about your projects have been popping up. Has there ever been an actor like you in Korea? Absolutely not.”

“......”

“Thanks to that, not just your past, but your future projects are receiving explosive attention. Naturally, *Beneficial Evil* is included. Especially since we have Netflix at the core, we’ve been gearing up for a global challenge, and that’s drawing a lot of buzz.”

As he explained, PD Song Man-woo chuckled softly.

“I’m grateful. Thank you. A hundred bows wouldn’t be enough. You can’t buy this kind of promotion. Especially with Miley Cara’s new album, your recognition is skyrocketing overseas again, right? Wow—now that I mention it, this is really enormous. So, what I mean is...”

“You mean the impact is sufficient for now. If we start dropping hints about Miley Cara in *Beneficial Evil*, it might weaken the momentum a bit.”

“Exactly, it’s the icing on the cake. Honestly, Miley Cara participating in a Korean production? That’s a ridiculous issue for sure. That’s why it feels like a missed opportunity. Do you think it might be too soon to drop hints now?”

After hearing the response, Woo-jin brought up Cara again.

“First of all, Miley Cara mentioned that she doesn’t mind if we open up about it anytime.”

“Is that so?”

“Yes. She said she’d be ready, just to contact her in advance.”

“Good to hear.”

“And I agree with your thoughts, PD.”

“Hmm?”

Kang Woo-jin lowered his voice even more as PD Song Man-woo tilted his head.

“I only suggested dropping hints.”

“......‘Hints’ only?”

“Yes. The promotional power is already overflowing. It would be better to draw those hints more towards *Beneficial Evil*.”

The veteran PD Song Man-woo's gaze shifted. He seemed to catch on to something.

“Are we suggesting to create a current flow?”

“Exactly.”

Calmly, Woo-jin continued.

“Not an outright reveal, but rather to casually drop hints or ambiguously suggest them.”

A smile spread across Song Man-woo's face.

“Aha, so we’re rolling the snowball. Instead of an official announcement, we make it so that the information leaks out intentionally. For example, we could casually drop a hint in some behind-the-scenes stills from the Bangkok shoot, whether it’s Cara or not.”

“That sounds good.”

“Since both she and Woo-jin are making waves, the rumors will spread quickly, but we’ll keep our mouths shut for now. Build-up. You need to dry it out before setting it ablaze.”

As expected of this big shot. Despite his clumsy explanation, PD Song Man-woo understood exactly what he meant. Woo-jin’s idea was more than just throwing something out there; it was a well-structured plan. In fact, what Kang Woo-jin had mentioned was something he had learned by keeping an eye on Choi Seong-gun during this time.

It was just a casual suggestion, but PD Song Man-woo latched onto it.

“Haha, that makes sense. By opening up the current flow, the rumors will naturally become exaggerated, and it will also maintain the promotional power that’s currently exploding. This could be interesting!”

“Is that so?”

“That’s not a lie. We’ve just tossed out teaser photos and let them simmer.”

While the inside was buzzing with excitement, the serious-faced Woo-jin added.

“With the current atmosphere, it’ll quickly spread overseas.”

---

After their conversation, Kang Woo-jin and PD Song Man-woo entered a warehouse-type studio filled with dozens of actors and over a hundred staff members, with sets reminiscent of Japanese style lined up. The first sound that broke the silence was applause.

- *Clap clap clap clap!*

The staff from *Beneficial Evil*, numbering over a hundred, stopped what they were doing and enthusiastically clapped their hands at Woo-jin’s entrance.

- *Clap clap clap clap clap clap!*

Cheers, praises, and emotional shouts echoed loudly.

“Congratulations!!”

“I watched the Cannes live without sleeping! I’m serious!!”

“Woo-jin, congratulations!”

“I got goosebumps when you won Best Actor!!”

“Please show us the Cannes trophy later!”

While it was an embarrassing situation, Woo-jin tried to maintain his composure and bowed his head slightly. Then, the actors gathered around him, including Hwarin, who was trying to act indifferent.

“I already reached out, but I truly congratulate you. It felt like watching a movie when I saw the live broadcast.”

“Thank you.”

From the *Our Table* cast, Hwang Gang-su also approached.

“Unbelievable, right? The group chat for *Our Table* exploded, did you know?”

Then came the supporting and lead actors of *Beneficial Evil*, with not a single one missing out on congratulating Kang Woo-jin. While some, like Hwarin, were genuinely filled with excitement, others had mixed feelings of envy and jealousy.

Woo-jin didn’t care too much about that.

The atmosphere continued for about 30 minutes, and once it settled down, the staff and actors prepared for filming. Woo-jin was the same. Various crew members gathered around him for costume and makeup, and as he received their attention, he scanned the vast set with an indifferent expression.

*“I’ve heard about it, but it’s ridiculously large.”*

This was the first time Kang Woo-jin had come to the set of *Beneficial Evil* after the Bangkok shoot. Particularly, this ultra-huge studio complex was jaw-dropping in scale.

*“There are supposed to be a total of six warehouses of this size?”*

What Woo-jin saw was roughly twice the size of a logistics warehouse. Half of it was set up with Japanese-style houses and buildings, while the other half was a constructed virtual space resembling Korea. There were six more of these massive studios. Plus, additional outdoor shoots were scheduled based on the situation.

*“Ugh—man, it feels like coming back home.”*

Anyway, from this moment on, Kang Woo-jin had to shed the persona of 'Park Ha-seong' from *Leech* and live as 'Jang Yeon-woo' from *Beneficial Evil*. The schedule would be nothing short of hellish. Filming for *Beneficial Evil*, existing appointments, delayed ones, and all the schedules stemming from the Cannes Film Festival would be overflowing.

Of course, PD Song Man-woo had his work cut out for him too.

He had to manage filming and editing while preparing to launch Part 1 of *Beneficial Evil* on the desired date. He

might have a more intense schedule than Ahn Ga-bok, the director of *Leech*.

At that moment.

This chapter is updat𝓮d by freēnovelkiss.com.

“Okay! Let’s go for a rehearsal!”

PD Song Man-woo shouted at Kang Woo-jin, who was ready.

“Woo-jin, standby!!”

*Beneficial Evil* was picking up speed.

---

The following early morning, as Kang Woo-jin arrived at the massive set of *Beneficial Evil* in Yeoncheon, Gyeonggi-do, news was breaking rapidly in the media.

*『[Issue Pick] ‘Kang Woo-jin,’ who left a legend at the Cannes Film Festival, along with Director Ahn Ga-bok, sees a flood of overseas broadcast requests from France and Hollywood』*

Both in Korea and abroad, the buzz was similar, but it felt like just the beginning as numerous issues stimulated the public every hour.

*『[Exclusive] Kang Woo-jin rises to global star status in an instant... becomes ambassador for luxury brand ‘Chanel’』*

*『‘Chanel’ selects ‘the man of Cannes’ Kang Woo-jin as the new ambassador』*

And the explosive impact of Miley Cara’s new album, which had been released about five days earlier, continued to set records every day.

*『[Issue Talk] Miley Cara’s new album featuring ‘Kang Woo-jin’ surpasses 1 million sales in just three days!』*

*『Miley Cara’s new album... sets a new record for ‘most streaming album in a day,’ with explosive growth in Kang Woo-jin’s YouTube subscribers and social media followers』*

With just a few days remaining until the Billboard chart ranking would be updated, the view count for Miley Cara’s music video stood at:

- *【alcoholism(feat. WooJin)】｜Miley Cara*

- *200 million views*

It had easily surpassed 200 million views.

---

A few days later, on Monday the 18th.

It was around 7 AM. In the vicinity of Samsung Station, Kang Woo-jin could be found at BW Entertainment, which had become more frenzied than any entertainment company in Korea.

- *Swish.*

Kang Woo-jin entered the empty office before working hours. Wearing a hat and a hoodie, he was with team members like Jang Su-hwan, and as if already aware of what was going on, he headed straight for the CEO's office. At the desk in the CEO's office, Choi Seong-gun was yawning widely.

“Hey, you’re here??”

Seeing Woo-jin enter, he jumped up immediately. Whether he had pulled an all-nighter at the company or not, he looked a bit disheveled. As he saw him, Woo-jin quietly asked.

“Did you sleep here?”

“Ah—”

While he was extending his words, he tied back his hair again with a smile.

“The meeting ran a bit long yesterday, and I had a lot to take care of. It was just more efficient to sleep here than to go home.”

“Is that so?”

“Don’t worry, my friend; this is heaven compared to hell for me. Anyway, let’s sit down. How much time do we have?”

He was asking how much time was left until they had to leave for the *Beneficial Evil* set.

“About 30 minutes.”

“Okay, then let’s just talk about a few important things right away.”

Moving quickly, Choi Seong-gun placed a stack of papers he had on the desk in front of the quietly seated Kang Woo-jin. At a glance, there seemed to be over five copies, and the fact that they were handed over by Choi Seong-gun indicated that these papers were scripts or scenarios.

And indeed, they were.

“These are the scripts and scenarios.”

It had been a while since Choi Seong-gun had handed Woo-jin the scripts and scenarios. Naturally, Kang Woo-jin received countless domestic scripts and scenarios, but most were minor roles. He couldn’t even begin to handle them, and he had mentioned that already. Thus, Kang Woo-jin found it a bit odd.

*“What’s this all of a sudden?”*

He asked Choi Seong-gun, who was yawning across from him.

“Is there a reason you’re giving me this out of the blue?”

Choi Seong-gun, grinning slightly, gestured for him to read.

“Just take a look.”

“......”

For a moment, as Kang Woo-jin stared at him, he picked up the top script from the stack and opened the first page. He quickly caught on to something different.

*“Ah, this one.”*

The stack was written in French, not Korean. Soon, Choi Seong-gun, as if waiting for the right moment, chimed in.

“This is a script and scenario that came in from overseas. It’s been barely a few days since Cannes wrapped up, and it’s causing a frenzy. There have been over 100 inquiries, and these five copies were sent without any clear details. Two from France, two from Hollywood movies, and one from a TV series.”

It meant that the overseas offers had started pouring in.

In that moment, Kang Woo-jin felt a rush of excitement but managed to maintain his composure.

“......”

Then Choi Seong-gun spoke again.

“It’s more convenient to have them in the original text, right? Go ahead and skim through.”

Knowing Kang Woo-jin’s proficiency in English and French, Choi Seong-gun provided the original versions without Korean translations. Woo-jin silently reviewed the covers of the scripts and scenarios.

Then.

*“Hmm?”*

Woo-jin stopped at the third stack of papers. It was a Hollywood script. The English title looked familiar.

- *‘Jurassic Land 4’*

With an air of indifference, Kang Woo-jin felt a rush of excitement inside.

*“Wait, what? I can’t resist dinosaurs.”*