I Was Mistaken as a Monstrous Genius Actor-Chapter 358: Chain (7) - Edited

Chapter 358: Chain (7)

Translator: Santos

As Kang Woo-jin moved toward the shop, his expression was one of indifference. With his legs crossed, he looked down at his phone. The screen was filled with Japanese text. The reason was simple.

“Whoa—amazing! It's all about *The Stranger*.”

He was scanning the current media and public sentiment in Japan. Today, Tuesday the 26th, marked the first day of *The Stranger*'s release. With the film's premiere and Woo-jin's considerably heightened status since before its production, the excitement in Japan was palpable.

“Even the search engine homepage is all about *The Stranger*. But seriously, why did they use that picture of me for this article??”

Various search engines in Japan, as well as social media and numerous communities, were flooded with news about *The Stranger*. In about an hour, the first screening was set to begin. What kind of reactions would emerge? The reporters and audience had voiced all sorts of opinions during the previews; would it be similar this time? With a bemused expression, Woo-jin tossed around several questions in his mind.

“Well, the answers will come out soon enough.”

Woo-jin quickly shifted his thoughts. The current snowball effect involved more than just *The Stranger*. Just a few minutes ago, news of Miley Cara’s involvement had broken, and there was also the imminent domestic release of *Symbiotic Leech*. There were plenty of things waiting for him.

Speaking of which, what about the news regarding Cara?

Woo-jin tilted his head slightly as he absentmindedly scrolled his thumb across the screen. In no time, his phone displayed the article related to Miley Cara posted earlier by *Power Patch*. At that moment, he felt a bit surprised internally.

“Whoa—this is intense.”

It was about the comments on the article. Just minutes after the article was uploaded, there had been over a hundred comments, and now, that number had multiplied to several hundred. Of course, the public’s enthusiastic comments were still piling up in real-time.

At that moment.

“Ah! Hyungnim!!”

Seong-geon was absent, so Jang Su-hwan, whose arm muscles were growing thicker, occupied the passenger seat, closing the diary he had been reading.

“All the year-end film festivals have already contacted us! Both the Blue Dragon and Daejong Awards! It feels a bit early, but what can we do? The interest in whether or not to invite you is like night and day! The representative thinks it’s better for both to attend—what do you think, hyungnim??”

Looking at Jang Su-hwan, who turned his body, Woo-jin replied in a low voice.

“Yeah, it’s fine if we attend both.”

“Yep!! Haha, the domestic film festivals will obviously be a party for you and your films, right??”

Stylists jumped into the conversation.

“100%! You shattered the record for Korean films with *The Island of the Missing*! And then there’s *Symbiotic Leech*!”

“Even though the broadcast side has no connection, on the film side, Woo-jin oppa is the top star!!”

“If you play your cards right, you could win three Best Actor awards this year! Whoa—last year, you won Best New Actor and Best Supporting Actor, and within a year, you’re also the Best Actor at Cannes! You’re a monster, aren’t you!!”

The van was quickly filled with excitement. Ah—thinking about it, the end of the year was just around the corner. Woo-jin sighed internally.

“Time flies so fast—didn’t I just receive awards at the domestic ceremonies last year?”

There were only a couple of months and a few days left until the new year.

Regardless of the situation, the domestic entertainment scene during this year’s end was bound to be hectic.

“Well, it’s not surprising, but I guess it’s going to be ridiculously busy by year-end.”

It was clear that a storm surrounding Kang Woo-jin would strike fiercely.

At this moment, in Japan.

With the opening day coinciding with the first screening, Japan was abuzz with discussions about *The Stranger*.

“Filled with controversy, *The Stranger* finally opens today, just one hour left until the first screening, and the pre-sale rate is number one.”

“Critics’ opinions about the preview for *The Stranger* were unusual; just how much was the script altered? You can find out in theaters starting today.”

“*The Stranger* achieves number one in ticket pre-sales as soon as it opens! Did the public get curious about Kang Woo-jin, the Best Actor at the Cannes Film Festival?”

As the first screening approached, the Japanese entertainment industry, including journalists, production companies, and agencies, was buzzing with excitement over *The Stranger*. Given that it was such a hot film, it was only natural.

“This movie finally opens today; I doubt there will ever be another film that’s been this noisy from production to release.”

“Will it do well?”

“On the first day, or for a few days, it should attract a crowd. After all, it’s based on a novel by Akari, and with Kyotaro’s name attached, plus Kang Woo-jin’s involvement. Woo-jin’s allure is enormous, and the other actors are top-tier as well.”

“True, having a Korean actor as the main lead is unprecedented in Japanese film history.”

“But I think it’ll sell moderately for a while, then gradually dwindle. Such buzz tends to sparkle only at the beginning, and ultimately, the movie must have solid content.”

“Ah—based on the preview, there were a lot of criticisms.”

Though there were a fair number of positive opinions, negative ones prevailed. It was a phenomenon filled with various emotions. Jealousy from those in the stagnant waters of change, resentment toward the Korean actor, envy for the ‘Cannes man’ Kang Woo-jin, and concerns about what might happen if the film actually succeeds.

“I’ve heard that the journalists who attended the preview were quite critical of *The Stranger*.”

“The audience at the preview had sharply divided opinions too.”

“There are likely many die-hard fans of the original novel—how much did they butcher the script to cause such a ruckus?”

“Who knows? Still, based on social media, people are calling it a ridiculous movie, saying it tramples the original and that it’s unpleasant to watch. That’s definitely evidence that the content is lacking.”

“Hmm—I thought we might finally see a film that could compete with the big anime films, but it seems difficult?”

“Still, with Kang Woo-jin and the cast’s names, it should at least hit 5 million admissions.”

As such, the noisy moments passed, and it was just past 9 AM. Many connections related to Kang Woo-jin were making their way to the movie theaters. Even those who weren’t particularly connected to him but had never seen him were flocking to various theaters in South Korea.

Today was the day when *Symbiotic Leech*, which had dazzled at Cannes and garnered worldwide acclaim, was released in all domestic theaters.

It had generated enough buzz that journalists were heading to the theaters as well from the early morning. They needed to quickly capture the scene for articles.

“With 500,000 ticket pre-sales and a pre-sale rate of 77.3%, *Symbiotic Leech* starts with a bang.”

At this point, a black van arrived at the set of *The Beneficial Evil*. Kang Woo-jin, with a calm expression, stepped out. Everything about his appearance, except for the hair and makeup, was perfect. He found himself admiring his reflection in the mirror.

“Hmm, looking good.”

With bangs slightly parted to reveal his forehead and wearing a beige blazer, he was all dressed up for the upcoming interviews with overseas media. As Woo-jin immersed himself in his reflection, the stylists and staff around him were bombarding him with questions.

“Woo-jin! Did you see the article that came out? Is it true that Miley Cara is actually going to be in your work??”

“Eh? An article came out??”

“That’s what I’m saying!”

“Whoa—really??”

Of course, it was a deliberate act for effect, but it was slightly bothersome for Woo-jin. In situations like this, it was best to respond casually.

“Who knows. Is that it?”

“······Oh, sorry. I was too excited.”

“No worries.”

Upon hearing Woo-jin’s stern tone, the staff around him quickly fell silent. However, after Woo-jin left the shop, the conversation about Cara quickly ramped up again.

“Look at this article!! Here, here, this woman!”

“Oh—she really looks like Miley Cara, doesn’t she??”

“Eh, no way. There’s no way Miley Cara would be in a Korean film.”

“Are you serious? But she really looks like her?? That vivid blonde!!”

“It could just be a supporting actress who looks similar. I mean, why would Miley Cara do a Korean film? What’s the benefit for her?”

“Hmm—true? Woo-jin didn’t have a particular reaction either.”

“But if this woman really is Miley Cara, what would that mean??”

Visit freewёbnoνel.com for the best novel reading experience.

“That would be incredible!! A Hollywood superstar participating in a Korean project has never happened, right?”

Meanwhile, in Yeoncheon, Gyeonggi Province, at the large filming complex for *The Beneficial Evil*, director Song Man-woo was sitting at the monitor.

“Good, good. That’s right.”

He was smiling while looking at his phone.

“Let it burn, burn bright.”

He was watching as numerous media outlets followed the article that *Power Patch* had just released.

“Is Miley Cara going to be

in *The Beneficial Evil*?”

“How surprising! Is she going to be in *The Beneficial Evil* with Kang Woo-jin?”

“An unexpected scoop about Miley Cara suddenly surfacing in relation to *The Beneficial Evil*!”

The media were in an uproar, and the reactions from the public were magnified several times over.

While the excitement continued to build, the spotlight on Kang Woo-jin and *The Beneficial Evil* persisted.

The next day, October 27th, the morning arrived.

Many connections related to Kang Woo-jin were heading to theaters. Even those who hadn’t seen him once were flocking to various theaters across the country.

Today marked the domestic release of *Symbiotic Leech*, a film that had dazzled at Cannes and was receiving worldwide acclaim.

The excitement surrounding the movie had drawn many journalists to the theaters as well for their articles.

“*Symbiotic Leech* starts with 500,000 ticket pre-sales and a pre-sale rate of 77.3%!”

At this point, as Kang Woo-jin arrived at the filming set of *The Beneficial Evil*, he stepped out of the black van with a calm expression. Everything about him was perfect, apart from the hair and makeup. He admired his reflection in the mirror.

“Hmm, looking good.”

With bangs slightly parted to reveal his forehead and wearing a beige blazer, he was all dressed up for the upcoming interviews with overseas media. Just as Woo-jin was lost in his thoughts about his appearance, the stylists and staff around him bombarded him with questions.

“Woo-jin! Did you see the article? Is it true that Miley Cara is going to be in your work??”

“Eh? An article came out??”

“That’s what I’m saying!”

“Whoa—really??”

Naturally, it was a deliberate act for effect, but Woo-jin found it somewhat bothersome. In situations like this, it was best to respond casually.

“Who knows. Is that it?”

“······Oh, sorry. I was too excited.”

“No worries.”

Upon hearing Woo-jin’s stern tone, the staff around him quickly fell silent. However, after Woo-jin left the shop, the conversation about Cara quickly ramped up again.

“Look at this article!! Here, here, this woman!”

“Oh—she really looks like Miley Cara, doesn’t she??”

“Eh, no way. There’s no way Miley Cara would be in a Korean film.”

“Are you serious? But she really looks like her?? That vivid blonde!!”

“It could just be a supporting actress who looks similar. I mean, why would Miley Cara do a Korean film? What’s the benefit for her?”

“Hmm—true? Woo-jin didn’t have a particular reaction either.”

“But if this woman really is Miley Cara, what would that mean??”

“That would be incredible!! A Hollywood superstar participating in a Korean project has never happened, right?”

Meanwhile, in Yeoncheon, Gyeonggi Province, at the large filming complex for *The Beneficial Evil*, director Song Man-woo was sitting at the monitor.

“Good, good. That’s right.”

He was smiling while looking at his phone.

“Let it burn, burn bright.”

He was watching as numerous media outlets followed the article that *Power Patch* had just released.

“Is Miley Cara going to be in *The Beneficial Evil*?”

“How surprising! Is she going to be in *The Beneficial Evil* with Kang Woo-jin?”

“An unexpected scoop about Miley Cara suddenly surfacing in relation to *The Beneficial Evil*!”

The media were in an uproar, and the reactions from the public were magnified several times over.

While the excitement continued to build, the spotlight on Kang Woo-jin and *The Beneficial Evil* persisted.

Meanwhile, in LA.

In the bustling downtown area filled with tall buildings, a somewhat worn office on one of the upper floors was home to a man with thinning hair and round glasses sitting at his desk, talking on the phone.

“Joseph, I’ll take on the direction for that project. But there’s a condition.”

It was Danny Landis, a Hollywood heavyweight director.