Rookie Talent Agent Knows It All-Chapter 526: Tectonic Shift (1)

"Did Kim Dong-Soo really submit his resignation?"

Kang Gam-Chan nodded heavily. "He came while you were talking to Director Kim, handed in his resignation, and left."

For someone who endured so much and still clung on, there could only be one reason for Kim Dong-Soo's sudden resignation.

'He must have found another source of money.'

Before my regression, Kim Dong-Soo had built his own faction within Hoop Entertainment and eventually split off to establish Top Entertainment. During that process, he had received financial backing from Choi Man-Sik.

But now, with his relationship with Choi Man-Sik soured, if he was still leaving Hoop Entertainment, it could only mean he had found a new source of funding.

I checked if the timeline for the establishment of Top Entertainment had changed.

[Everyday V12.1]

[Date: November 11, 2022]

-01:00 p.m: Top Entertainment Founding Ceremony.

'Even though Kim Dong-Soo left, the event is still scheduled?'

That meant only one thing. Kim Dong-Soo still intended to form his faction externally and split Hoop Entertainment apart.

To confirm my suspicion, I checked on the movements of Actor Division 3. "How is Actor Division 3 responding?"

"They're too quiet for someone like Kim Dong-Soo leaving. It's almost like they knew in advance."

'I was right.'

I warned Kang Gam-Chan not to lower his guard against Kim Dong-Soo. "Kim Dong-Soo seems to be planning to establish a company outside and then poach the talent agents and actors from Division 3."

Kang Gam-Chan nodded. "Yung-In and you had already warned me about Dong-Soo at the Acting Awards, so I've been digging into him since then."

At the MBS Acting Awards backstage, Ju Yung-In had told me that Kim Dong-Soo was meeting with actors and talent agents from Ace Entertainment. I had passed that information to Kang Gam-Chan, and from that moment, he had started investigating Kim Dong-Soo intensively.

I asked, "Did you find anything?"

"Yes. That bastard isn't just meeting with actors and talent agents, but he's also meeting with Ace Entertainment's shareholders. Looks like he plans to take over Ace Entertainment with financial backing. And once he does, he'll probably start poaching our people."

Ace Entertainment was on the verge of splitting into three with its three main shareholders at odds, excluding its president, Im Sung-Hak. Due to a prosecution investigation, Ace Entertainment's stock had plummeted to a third of its original value. This made it the perfect target for acquisition if one had enough capital.

Kim Dong-Soo wasn't just skilled as a talent agent. He was exceptionally good at schemes like this. That meant I had a clear course of action. First, I needed to prevent him from taking full control of Ace Entertainment.

And after that, I would systematically remove the disloyal talent agents and problematic actors in Actor Division 3 and Actor Division 1 who might betray Hoop Entertainment.

'This actually works in my favor.'

Since we were in the same company before, I couldn't act recklessly. But now, there was no need to hold back anymore. I started considering how to acquire shares in Ace Entertainment.

That was when Kang Gam-Chan offered a solution. "After today's event, I plan to meet with Choi Eun-Tae to discuss acquiring at least part of Ace Entertainment's shares."

It would be impossible for Hoop Entertainment to acquire Ace Entertainment directly no matter how much money we had, as the key shareholders blamed both me and Hoop Entertainment for Ace Entertainment's downfall.

Besides, having Choi Eun-Tae step forward was also not an ideal move. So far, he had maintained the image of being indifferent to the entertainment industry, which had kept Choi Man-Sik from being too wary of him. If he made a move now, it would only confirm that his indifference was an act.

Moreover, Choi Eun-Tae was already busy supporting strong political competitors from both the ruling and opposition parties to bring down Park Sang-Gon, the ruling party's representative.

At that moment, an idea crossed my mind. "Rather than that, I think it would be better to seek help from Reverse Entertainment."

If it was Reverse Entertainment, where Lee Soo-Chan was, they had enough financial power to acquire about 30% of Ace Entertainment's shares. And if they acquired that much, Ace Entertainment would inevitably be split apart as originally intended.

No matter how much Kim Dong-Soo scraped together, a fragmented Ace Entertainment wouldn't have the same power it once did.

Kang Gam-Chan was deep in thought for a moment before he nodded. "Alright. You take the lead on this first, and if things go wrong, then we'll contact Mr. Chairman."

"Yes, sir."

I then turned to Jung Soo-Hyuk.

"Mr. Jung, do you happen to know who's financially backing Kim Dong-Soo?"

Jung Soo-Hyuk nodded and pulled up a photo on his phone. It showed Kim Dong-Soo's car entering a massive mansion. "The informants we had tailing him just sent this in."

"This place is..."

"Yeah. It's the home of Assemblyman Lee Dae-Boong in Hannam-dong."

Lee Dae-Boong was an independent politician who had served four terms in Gyeonggi Province and was a wealthy man with inherited real estate, cement factories, and mines. He was also the one who had pulled the trigger in the scheme to take down Ace Entertainment.

'This works out well.'

Currently, Seo Jae-Ill was investigating both Ace Entertainment and Lee Dae-Boong as the assemblyman had abused his political power to manipulate the prosecution and tax authorities for personal gain. Without even realizing it, Kim Dong-Soo had grabbed onto a rotten rope that would soon snap.

I said, "Understood. I'll keep that in mind as I proceed."

"Be careful, Team Lead Jung."

"Yes, Mr. Jung."

From there, we discussed possible responses and prepared countermeasures for whatever move Kim Dong-Soo might make next.

***

Inside Lee Dae-Boong's living room of a luxury villa built on a 500-pyeong estate located in Hannam-dong, Kim Dong-Soo was kneeling on the floor.

Sitting on an Italian-made sofa, Lee Dae-Boong looked down at him. "Hah... You want me to hand over all of Ace Entertainment to you?"

"Yes, sir."

"You're an amusing one. You want me to give you a company that's under investigation by both the prosecution and the tax authorities? Haha!"

"I know that the investigation into Ace Entertainment only happened because you pulled the strings, sir. If you could just stop it at the right moment and help me acquire the company..."

At that moment, the smirk disappeared from Lee Dae-Boong's face, turning ice cold. "I treated you kindly because you brought Joo-Hyun to me, yet you have no sense of fear."

Kim Dong-Soo had once connected Oh Joo-Hyun from the X-FILE to Lee Dae-Boong as a sponsor. Even though there was a chance that Jung Yoon-Ho knew about the X-FILE, he had no other choice. By gaining Lee Dae-Boong's trust, Kim Dong-Soo had decided to leave Hoop Entertainment rather than return.

After establishing himself independently, he planned to poach actors and talent agents from Actor Division 1 and Actor Division 3.

Then, he quickly moved to meet with actors and shareholders when he heard that Ace Entertainment was up for sale. In doing so, he also discovered that the person responsible for bringing down Ace Entertainment was none other than Lee Dae-Boong.

"I understand that I may have overstepped, sir. But Mr. Lee! If you entrust Ace Entertainment to me, I guarantee that I can make you very happy!"

By implying that he would continue connecting actresses to him as sponsors, Kim Dong-Soo saw Lee Dae-Boong's anger slowly subside.

"Hmm..."

In truth, Lee Dae-Boong hadn't originally intended to destroy Ace Entertainment. He had only planned to have Im Sung-Hak arrested to intimidate him into complete obedience. But unexpectedly, the Central District Prosecutors' Office had interfered to tear Ace Entertainment apart.

Now, the company was on the verge of being split into multiple entities. At this point, he figured it would be more beneficial to let Kim Dong-Soo take it over.

Lee Dae-Boong asked, "You've met with the shareholders selling their stakes?"

"Yes. I've already met with the three major shareholders and even the imprisoned President Im Sung-Hak. President Im Sung-Hak said he would transfer his shares in exchange for a reduced sentence. The others also confirmed they're willing to sell if they get a fair price. I've even received letters of intent from all of them except Im Sung-Hak and Ahn Seok-Chun."

"Wait a moment."

Lee Dae-Boong stared at Kim Dong-Soo in silence and pressed the intercom button next to the sofa.

Beep.

-Yes, Mr. Lee?

"Bring me the file."

-Yes, sir.

Click.

The intercom disconnected, and a moment later, the door to the annex opened with a soft click. Han Gyu-Taek, Lee Dae-Boong's secretary, entered carrying a black folder.

"Here it is."

Lee Dae-Boong took the file from Han Gyu-Taek and opened it, which was an investigative report on Kim Dong-Soo.

After scanning the contents, Lee Dae-Boong scoffed and spoke in disbelief. "You lost to a mere second-year talent agent, and yet you think you can manage Ace Entertainment, the industry's number one company? How ridiculous. Get out of my sight!"

Kim Dong-Soo panicked and blurted out, "I didn't lose to him!"

"Oh? Then what happened?"

Kim Dong-Soo's mind raced. Even if he explained how formidable Jung Yoon-Ho was, Lee Dae-Boong, an outsider to the entertainment industry, wouldn't believe him. That meant he needed to give a reason that would make sense to his audience.

At that moment, an idea struck him. "T-There's someone backing him."

"A backer?"

"Yes."

"Who?"

"Ch-Chairman Choi Eun-Tae."

Choi Eun-Tae had entrusted Hoop Entertainment not to Suhyaejong but to Kang Gam-Chan. Kang Gam-Chan, in turn, cherished Jung Yoon-Ho like his own son. It was only natural that Jung Yoon-Ho had gained Choi Eun-Tae's trust as well.

Desperate to survive, Kim Dong-Soo spoke as if it were a confirmed fact.

At last, Lee Dae-Boong nodded in understanding. "That makes sense... If Myeongdong's Chairman is backing him, then it's no wonder you lost. Otherwise, a mere second-year agent wouldn't have been able to run around so wildly."

Kim Dong-Soo finally felt a wave of relief.

Lee Dae-Boong continued, "If it's Chairman Choi, then I do owe him a favor. Hmm... Alright, I'll help you acquire Ace Entertainment's shares."

"Really?"

"Yes. But first, bring me Ahn Yoo-Hyun. That sly woman has gone into hiding and I have no idea where she is. If you can bring her to me, I'll believe in your capabilities."

Ahn Yoo-Hyun had been simultaneously involved with Jin Myung-Gyu of Jinseong Inc and Lee Dae-Boong as a sponsor. Lee Dae-Boong had no intention of letting her betrayal go unpunished.

Kim Dong-Soo nodded without hesitation. If Colonel Baek was on the job, Ahn Yoo-Hyun would be found no matter where she was hiding.

"Leave it to me. No matter what it takes, I'll bring her in."

"If you bring Ahn Yoo-Hyun to me, I'll ensure you take over Ace Entertainment."

"Thank you!"

"But you'll only get 10% of the shares. The rest will be held under my proxies."

Kim Dong-Soo clenched his teeth at the blatant robbery but had no choice. Until he could reconnect with Jiang Wei in China and resolve his financial situation, he had to find a temporary solution. For now, it was best to keep his head down.

"I'll do as you say."

Lee Dae-Boong gestured for Han Gyu-Taek to step closer. "Secretary Han, stick close to him for now. Give him any funds he needs."

Though the words sounded like support, the true meaning was clear—monitor him carefully.

"Understood, sir."

Kim Dong-Soo immediately stood up. To take control of Ace Entertainment, his first priority was to find the actress Ahn Yoo-Hyun.

As soon as he left Lee Dae-Boong's house, Kim Dong-Soo clenched his fist. In his mind, he could already see himself standing triumphant with Ace Entertainment in his grasp and Jung Yoon-Ho of Hoop Entertainment kneeling before him.

"Jung Yoon-Ho, you son of a bitch. You're finished now!"

Suppressing his excitement, Kim Dong-Soo called Colonel Baek.

Little did he know what Jung Yoon-Ho was up to at that very moment.

***

Leaving the president's office, I headed straight to Reverse Entertainment.

When I told Lee Soo-Chan that this was a golden opportunity to acquire shares in Ace Entertainment, he readily accepted my proposal. Even though the 30% stake owned by Ace Entertainment's major shareholder, Ahn Seok-Cheon, had lost two-thirds of its value, it was still worth about thirty billion won.

I asked, "Are you really sure about this?"

Lee Soo-Chan spoke as if he didn't mind taking a loss in the worst-case scenario. "You know we have plenty of reserve funds, right? We were already struggling to find a good investment, so this works out perfectly. Besides, Eun-Gi hyung-nim told us to help you with anything. It's no problem."

I was incredibly grateful for the trust the boys at Reverse Entertainment showed me.

"It'll work out. And if it doesn't, I'll help until it does."

"Understood. But hyung-nim, do you really think Ahn Seok-Chun will sell his shares to us? Because of you, he suffered a massive loss."

Ahn Seok-Chun, the president of Smart Startup Investment, was a billionaire investor in IT-related businesses including content production. His family had been wealthy landowners in Suwon for three generations, amassing an immense fortune through real estate before transitioning into the investment business.

However, he had suffered a financial loss of several hundred billion won due to my actions and wasn't even answering calls.

"I'll make him sell."

"How?"

"With a game."

Ahn Seok-Chun was a gambling addict. I had played poker with him multiple times before my regression, and I knew he had an obsessive hatred for losing. So my plan was to challenge him to a match using Ace Entertainment's shares as the stakes. freeωebnovēl.c૦m

"Hyung-nim... You know how to gamble?"

"Yeah. So lend me ten billion won with my Yetterang shares as collateral."

"The money isn't an issue, but... will you even be able to get into Jinsung Hotel's VIP casino?"

The moment I called, Lee Soo-Chan tracked down Ahn Seok-Chun's whereabouts. As expected of a gambling addict, he was currently at the VIP casino in Jinsung Resort in Gwangju, Gyeonggi Province.

"If it's Jinsung Hotel, I know someone who can help."

I wasted no time calling Jin Ah-Ram, a director at Jinsung Hotel & Resort.

"Ms. Jin, would it be possible for me to enter the VIP casino at Jinsung Resort in Gwangju today?"

Jin Ah-Ram's voice brightened.

-Are you finally planning to use your JS Club card?

"No. I'll be using a ten billion won deposit to verify my balance for entry."

At Jinsung Resort's VIP casino, anyone could enter if they could prove a balance of at least ten billion won unless they were police or prosecutors, who were outright barred.

However, Jin Ah-Ram sounded hesitant.

-Security has tightened recently, so the screening process alone takes two weeks. Unless, of course, you use your JS Club card to get the royal treatment.

"There's no other way?"

-Well... there's one.

"What is it?"

-If you go with me, you can walk right in. What do you say? Want to go together?

'What's her angle?'

It was true that going with her would make things easier in many ways. Yet I couldn't figure out why she was insisting on going alone with me.

"Why do you want to go with me?"

-I told you, security has been tightened.

"And that's the only reason? There's no ulterior motives?"

-Hah, you're too sharp for your own good. Fine, I'll tell you.

Jin Ah-Ram's reason for wanting to go with me was utterly ridiculous.