The Crazy Mercenary Commander Goes to Work in the Entertainment Industry

Translator: Dreamscribe

Thursday morning, July 9th. Leon Ent's CEO office.

Two men were visible inside the CEO's office, where the wood-tone atmosphere left a strong impression. One of them was CEO Han Tae-sung, seated at the head of the sofa with his legs crossed. His hair slicked back neatly, he was giving off that uncommon aura today as always, and with a faint smile, he...

"......"

...was quietly watching the expressionless man seated beside him. It was Kang Jae-ha. CEO Han Tae-sung had summoned Jae-ha first thing in the morning, after his return from a two-day vacation. Then CEO Han Tae-sung opened his mouth.

"How does it feel."

Kang Jae-ha answered in a tone with little emotion behind it.

"How does what feel, sir."

"Setting off a bomb on the stage you set up. And not just modestly. You flipped the whole thing on its head."

"I got lucky."

"Luck and timing. Both matter, but skill is the prerequisite. Without anything to back you, you wouldn't even know an opportunity when you saw one."

CEO Han Tae-sung let out a small laugh and crossed his arms.

"And there's too much of your hand on this to write off as luck. Strange. I didn't take you for the modest type."

"If that's how you see it, I won't complain."

"You shook up not just BIFF but the entire entertainment industry. Definitely not something just anyone could pull off."

CEO Han Tae-sung looked at Kang Jae-ha and murmured inwardly.

'Exceptional intelligence, and no fear either. Pure owner's temperament.'

After spending a few seconds gauging Jae-ha's expression, CEO Han Tae-sung spoke again.

"Right, since you've pulled Leon up to this level, you ought to take what's coming to you. A pay raise and a bonus go without saying. Tell me what else you want."

Kang Jae-ha calmly met CEO Han Tae-sung's gaze and murmured inwardly.

'Tell me whether you're a follower of the 'New Light Truth Church'.'

Of course, he didn't actually say it. Stirring up suspicion served no purpose. He could have ordered Lee Chan-hoo to use 'Search' on CEO Han Tae-sung, but that too wouldn't yield much immediately.

'Lee Chan-hoo's 'Search' can only glimpse the moment it pulls a location.'

If CEO Han Tae-sung really was with the 'New Light Truth Church', he'd be extremely discreet. Unless the timing was impeccable, it'd be of little use. On top of that, Lee Chan-hoo had plenty to do. Sticking him on a not-yet-critical Han Tae-sung would be a waste.

'Of course, if he ever harms me, that's a different story.'

If anything, right now CEO Han Tae-sung was the one talking about rewarding Kang Jae-ha. Tentatively concluding that CEO Han Tae-sung was tied to the 'New Light Truth Church', Jae-ha told him what he wanted.

"I'd appreciate a generous bonus. Beyond that, I'd like no interference going forward."

"I haven't really been touching you up to now, have I?"

"More freely, then."

"I'm not stupid enough to clip the wings I helped spread. Run wild however you like. If you want, I could even put Team 4 in your hands."

That was talk of promoting him to Team Leader. Kang Jae-ha refused outright.

"I'll pass. The current setup suits me just fine. I get plenty of free time, too."

"First time I've seen anyone turn down a promotion."

A promotion? All shine, no substance. If he ousted Team Leader Jang Hyung-su and became Team Leader himself, his clout would rise, but responsibility would follow. Right now Jae-ha's responsibility had to be focused on 'MEG'. There was no benefit to taking on Team 4 too.

"Team Leader Jang Hyung-su is in place, and he's doing well."

"......"

After looking into Kang Jae-ha's eyes for a moment, CEO Han Tae-sung nodded.

"All right, understood. You can go."

Jae-ha gave a brief greeting and stepped out of the CEO's office, while CEO Han Tae-sung, propping his chin on his hand, murmured softly.

"Says he likes the money but turns down the power, huh..."

About two hours later. Manager Team 4.

Team Leader Jang Hyung-su, who had just walked into Team 4, called Kang Jae-ha over. From the CEO's office to the Team Leader's office this time. What a hassle, Jae-ha thought, and Team Leader Jang Hyung-su, his face oddly tinged with fatigue today as well, opened his mouth.

"I just came back from seeing the CEO."

"Yes."

"Well, your position going forward stays the same, Jae-ha-ssi. Move around freely without being tied to any one team."

After Jae-ha nodded, Team Leader Jang Hyung-su shifted topics.

"And about An Ji-hee. With the one-year extension, the contract runs until early next year, so... hmm, I think it's about time we brought up renewal. Even if there's still some time, shouldn't we start setting things up?"

"......"

"With the BIFF buzz, agencies are clearly going to be lining up. Uh, since you're the one who discovered An Ji-hee, she'll listen to you. Meet with her and start laying the groundwork for renewal."

"I'll talk to her, but the choice is hers."

"Hmm?"

"Either way, Leon neglected her, was even ready to throw her away."

Meaning Yoon Da-yeon and An Ji-hee wouldn't have any attachment to Leon.

"For now, I'll talk to her."

Around the afternoon.

It was the late afternoon when Kang Jae-ha met An Ji-hee in one of Leon's meeting rooms. To An Ji-hee, sitting across from him with her bobbed hair tied back, Jae-ha spoke.

"What did you do during your two days off."

"Huh? Oh! I, um! I just slept. I think I just kept sleeping the whole time! All the tension finally let go."

Kang Jae-ha let out a small laugh.

"Good for you. Your parents must have been pleased."

"Totally. They cried the moment they saw me, and I cried too. My eyes are really swollen, right? I cried so much the swelling won't go down......"

"Yeah, they are swollen."

"Eh!! That won't do!"

Kang Jae-ha turned suddenly serious and went on.

"There's something called the 'One-Act Drama Project' that Netflix Korea has launched."

"Ah! Yes, yes!"

"Since it's a one-act, it's a quick in-and-out, or it could run alongside other schedules without any trouble. For now I'm thinking we go with that."

"Yes! Manager-nim!"

"You might have to audition. But it'll be more about checking your image than your acting, and there's a strong chance Netflix will reach out with a casting offer."

Even though it was the short film category, An Ji-hee had won the Best Newcomer Award at BIFF, making her unquestionably one of the hottest rookies. So of course Netflix would take an interest. Same went for Yoon Da-yeon.

"And, you've been getting a lot of calls from agencies, right? You've probably collected plenty of business cards too."

"Yes... I was really, really shocked. It was a first for me, so I was flustered. I didn't know what to do, so I even turned my phone off. And then a flood of texts had piled up."

"What do you think about Leon."

"Ah! If you tell me to extend, Manager-nim, I'll do it right away!"

Her eyes were clear. With just one word from Kang Jae-ha, An Ji-hee would sign the renewal with Leon on the spot. Jae-ha then delivered the line he had prepared.

"Your contract runs until around March next year anyway, so there's some breathing room."

"Really?"

"Nothing urgent. For now, don't worry about renewals or anything. Just focus on the acting."

"Yes! I will! Just focus on the acting!"

Kang Jae-ha nodded and gave a faint smile.

"As for the contract... when the time comes, I'll let you know what to do."

After that.

A few days had passed since BIFF wrapped, but the press and public chatter were still in an uproar. There had been plenty of stories worth talking about. Among them, the 'Condensation' situation was running pretty hot.

《An Ji-hee, Once an Idol Trainee, a Life-Turnaround Story After Switching to Acting!/ Photo》

《[Issue Pick] "How Does an Actress Forgotten by the Public Make a Comeback?" Yoon Da-yeon Sets the Standard for a Spectacular Return》

《From Unknown Director to Grand Prize Winner, Young Director Shakes the Film Industry to Its Core! Director Kwon Sung-min Interview》

As expected, the public ate up the stories of Yoon Da-yeon, An Ji-hee, and Director Kwon Sung-min.

"Isn't Yoon Da-yeon killing it? She was pretty big back in her day, and now she swallowed her pride to play a supporting role in a short film and even won an award."

"Usually someone in Yoon Da-yeon's position just fades out and ends up on YouTube later."

"That Kang Jae-ha she mentioned in her speech? Looks like that manager saved her?"

"At that point, she should be worshipping that manager."

Their stories had struck a chord with people's hearts and emotions.

-An Ji-hee is gonna properly blow up ㅋㅋㅋㅋ the story of going from idol trainee to actress is fucking unique

-Down the line she might pull a double act and run both the actress and idol thing yep

-That's a stretch ㅋㅋㅋㅋ her idol career flopped which is why she went into acting

It was almost like a single film with proper storytelling.

-The film industry is genuinely brutal so making it as a young unknown is fucking hard yep Condensation's director hitting it big is the real deal

-Truth ㅋㅋㅋ the film industry is the ultimate party of bloodlines, regional ties, and school connections ㅋㅋㅋㅋ

-Director Kwon Sung-min, since his debut won the Grand Prize at BIFF? This guy's walking the proper flower path now

Having set off a real bomb at BIFF, it was inevitable that broadcasters, agencies, and production companies, the whole entertainment industry, would be stirred up. Rumors and interest both spiked.

The amusing part was that Kang Jae-ha's standing rose right along with it.

"That manager who blew up at BIFF, Kang Jae-ha was it? Did you find out where he's affiliated."

"Yes, sir. Confirmed as Leons'."

"Leon... so he's under Han Tae-sung."

"But here's the strange thing: this Kang Jae-ha is in Manager Team 4."

"Team 4??"

"Yes."

"...Has he been benched? Or did they assign someone exceptional to revive the rejects?"

"That much I'm not really..."

"For now, reach out to Kang Jae-ha. If we can poach him, poach him."

In short, the BIFF buzz looked like it would last at least a few weeks. Yoon Da-yeon and An Ji-hee found themselves the focus of attention from various agencies, and thanks to them, Leon's Manager Team 4 grew busy.

Or rather, more accurately, only the two of them in Team 4 were swept off their feet.

For starters, formal teams were assembled for Yoon Da-yeon and An Ji-hee. No more team members covering for one another like before; everything was fixed. General Manager Kim Dae-yong was attached to Yoon Da-yeon, and An Ji-hee's team members were also selected.

The only one who could move multi-laterally without being fixed to any team was Kang Jae-ha.

He was a fourth-year Manager in name, but his position was effectively a control tower. In a sense, he held more authority than even the Team Leader or General Manager.

In any case, casting offers poured in for Yoon Da-yeon and An Ji-hee.

"Yes! This is Team 4... Ah, Yoon Da-yeon-ssi? I'm sorry, but the interview can't happen right away. Looks like next week is the soonest!"

"A variety show? For Yoon Da-yeon-ssi and An Ji-hee-ssi? Could you send the details over by email??"

Every kind of broadcaster, even YouTube channels. Plenty of interview requests from the press too. They picked only the programs that would benefit them, and for Yoon Da-yeon and An Ji-hee, the picture before and after BIFF couldn't have been more different.

Team 4 couldn't help being amazed.

"Wow, one shot at BIFF and things change like this..."

"The bomb we set off at BIFF was pretty big, so the casting offers should be at least this level."

The schedules of those two, who'd been idle and twiddling their thumbs, exploded exponentially. This month alone, between variety shows, talk shows, and interviews, there wasn't a single day off.

Of course, things were similar on Director Kwon Sung-min's side.

Say what you would, he was a director who'd taken the Grand Prize at an international film festival. His variety show and talk show offers were enormous as well.

What was funny here was...

"Jae-ha-ssi, you know that talk show? 'Music Talk' on SBC. They're asking for you to..."

"Not doing it."

"R-right?? Haha, got it."

That Kang Jae-ha was getting plenty of casting offers too. He had, after all, become a person of interest. But Kang Jae-ha shot down every offer that came in.

'More recognition just means more hassle.'

Catching the eye of the press and the public inevitably brought more nuisance. It wasn't anything Kang Jae-ha had reason to welcome.

A few more days went by like that.

That said, while their range in acting broadened, Yoon Da-yeon and An Ji-hee gave the impression of moving only in the direction Jae-ha set. The more that happened, the deeper their trust in Kang Jae-ha grew.

In the meantime, a 'Deja Vu' came to Kang Jae-ha.

This 'Deja Vu' smelled like money. Stocks, and the US Stock Market. It had been a while since one had landed on the US market, and the ticker was a major American gaming company. After confirming a powerful Positive Catalyst, Jae-ha smiled.

'Once this US Stock Market run is over, I'll be past 10 billion won.'

And not just that. The fifth month's 'Pension' of 700 million won had already come in last month in June, and another 700 million was scheduled for this July. On top of that...

''House of the Daytime Moon' is opening soon too.'

The animated film 'House of the Daytime Moon', with 'MEG' as its lead investor, was also close to release. If 'House of the Daytime Moon' hit big as the Deja Vu showed, it was clear that Kang Jae-ha's funds would only swell further.

Then Kang Jae-ha picked up his phone.

To get in touch with the newly recruited Quartermaster. Cha Chung-hyeon.

"Yes, yes... Commander."

Kang Jae-ha intended to toss the US Stock Market lead from his Deja Vu over to Cha Chung-hyeon. From the moment Cha Chung-hyeon was brought on, having him handle this kind of thing rather than Jae-ha himself was the right call, since he was the Quartermaster.

"Got money to move."

Afternoon of the 13th. A film studio.

It was a moderately sized studio. This was the shooting location of a YouTube channel with a million subscribers, and among the dozens of staff, Yoon Da-yeon could be seen in full makeup.

She had been pretty hectic these days, and as she was talking with the staff, her phone rang.

-♬♪

Yoon Da-yeon's expression turned slightly serious as she checked the caller. And for good reason. The other party was the master director Yu Gil-tae, whom she'd also met at BIFF. After taking a small breath to compose herself, Yoon Da-yeon brought the phone to her ear.

"Yes, Director-nim. Hello."

From the other end, Director Yu Gil-tae let out a hearty laugh.

"Da-yeon-ssi. You're busy these days, aren't you? I'm not sure if you've got time to talk."

"Even if I'm busy, I have to take your call, Director-nim."

"Haha, that's kind of you."

Soon Director Yu Gil-tae voiced his request to meet up. As if she'd been expecting it, Yoon Da-yeon swallowed. Then, exactly as Kang Jae-ha had instructed her, she pushed the meeting time back.

"Ah... I'm so sorry, Director-nim. This week is really hectic. Would next week be too difficult?"

"I understand. As it happens, I had an overseas schedule anyway..."

Director Yu Gil-tae, gracious in his understanding, replied.

"Then once I wrap up the overseas trip, let's plan to meet next week."

A few hours later, Hongdae area.

It was late at night. Not as crowded as the weekend, but the streets around Hongdae were still busy, and a foreign import car that screamed expensive at a glance pulled up in front of a famous club. Stepping out of the car was a tall man wearing a mask.

-Swish.

The moment they saw him, screams erupted from the surrounding crowd.

"Kyaa!!! What? He looks like a celebrity??"

"Right?! Who is that?"

"Even with the mask on, you can see he's hot as hell, holy crap."

No surprise there. Even with the mask on, the man radiated celebrity aura in spades. Indifferent to all that, the man brushed past the entrance at the club staff's direction. Only then did the man pull off his mask.

"Ugh, why are there so many people? If it was gonna be like this, they should've told me to pull around back."

His face revealed: it was top actor Woo Jeong-cheol.

Meanwhile, in another car that had been tailing Woo Jeong-cheol's car, two familiar figures sat inside.

"Did he go in?"

"Yeah, he's in. Drive past for now."

Lee Chan-hoo in the driver's seat, Ha Yeon-ji in the passenger seat. They were carrying out one of Commander Kang Jae-ha's orders. The instruction was to tail top actor Woo Jeong-cheol, and Jae-ha had also dropped the bait that drugs were involved. After driving past the club, Lee Chan-hoo and Ha Yeon-ji parked at a nearby garage.

Lee Chan-hoo immediately asked Ha Yeon-ji.

"You got the photo, right."

Ha Yeon-ji, checking the camera, answered briskly.

"Got it."

About two hours later, deciding the time was right, Lee Chan-hoo closed his eyes. It was to use 'Search' on top actor Woo Jeong-cheol, who'd gone into the club.

Not long after, Lee Chan-hoo, having seen Woo Jeong-cheol's location and the present moment, smirked.

"This bastard's totally strung out on drugs right now."

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