Rookie Talent Agent Knows It All-Chapter 706: Setup (4)

I held out my phone in front of Kang Eun-Gi, Choi Yung-Ho, and Tae Beom-Gu. It was filled with information sent by the programmer Lee Doo-Oh, whom I had connected with through the Ticket King incident.

[Entertainment Daily Report]

[March 3, 2021]

[Sender: L]

-1. Hwaranjeon is trending on portals. (2,300 mentions per minute, likely due to today's broadcast preview.)

-2. 5959 Chicken. Rumor has it Ms. Park Seo-Hye might become their advertising model. (Her social media and MeTube channel are seeing a sharp rise in mentions of 5959 Chicken.)

-3. Jiri Mountain is adjusting its screen count. (New film release from CK Entertainment.)

-4. KBC's Queen Jeong-Hee is seeing a surge in social media traffic. (Ad count has increased in advance, article volume up 2.5x.)

...

Two months ago, Lee Doo-Oh had started clipping entertainment-related articles and sending them to me. He even organized them, hoping they would be helpful.

As someone who had returned to the past, I didn't really need them—especially since I had the powerful Everday. But recently, the quality of his information had changed. Lee Doo-Oh began automatically analyzing social media, articles, and search trends to send genuinely useful content.

At that moment, I realized I could use his reports as a cover story in case something went wrong. I asked Lee Doo-Oh to act as an anonymous informant, and he gladly accepted. So now, I could show this file he prepared to the people gathered in the BM Report underground office and explain today's events.

I explained, "My information team delivers entertainment industry updates daily. We chose 5959 Chicken because we already knew the company's CEO was committing infidelity and embezzlement."

There was a saying that a liar mixes one lie with nine truths. And the best liars believed even that one lie to be true. For a moment, I became Korea's greatest bluffer, giving my explanation without a flicker of emotion.

Just then, Choi Yung-Ho cleared his throat and said, "If you had a useful source like this, why didn't you say so earlier? Haha, I almost misunderstood."

Because I had never once mentioned the existence of an information team, they had imagined all sorts of things. Choi Yung-Ho said he was especially worried that I might be involved with someone dangerous.

Only then did Kang Eun-Gi also nod and seem finally reassured. Then he asked, just in case, "By the way, Yoon-Ho, can you share that info with me too sometime?"

"I'll ask."

"If not, just pick a few and send them so I can at least follow the entertainment trends."

"Sure."

At that moment, Tae Beom-Gu, having caught on, swallowed nervously and asked, "Um... Chief Jung, would it be possible for me to buy that information too?"

Unfortunately, I couldn't share it with Tae Beom-Gu because I knew that guy would spread the information all over Yeouido.

"Mr. Tae, you'll just have to keep doing your reporting on foot as usual."

Tae Beom-Gu looked disappointed, but I ignored it cleanly.

Anyway, I was able to prove that I had a private information team. And thanks to that, Choi Yung-Ho, Kang Eun-Gi, Lee Soo-Chan, and the others set aside their doubts and concerns about me.

***

The stock of 5959 Chicken, which had once hit the upper limit, was suspended from trading in just a few hours. Later, I heard that Park Hyung-Moon was accused of stock manipulation and arrested by the prosecution. With trading suspended and the president gone, 5959 Chicken was bound to go bankrupt.

Now I knew it was time to wrap things up.

I asked, "Eun-Gi, you can protect BM Report on your end, right?"

Kang Eun-Gi nodded. "Yeah. I'll take care of them, so don't worry."

Tae Beom-Gu, who had been cheerful just moments ago, instantly changed expression. "Protect? What are you talking about? Protect us? We don't need that!"

Tae Beom-Gu exploded with anger. He was worried we would use the word 'protection' to control them like subordinates.

I reassured him and said, "It's only temporary. Considering what happened today, we'll offer protection for a month or two. And once things are safe, you can move your office again somewhere we don't know about. You just got a billion won, so this much is fair, right?"

Tae Beom-Gu fell silent for a moment, then nodded. After all, what had happened today was beyond what he could handle alone.

"J-just make sure we're properly protected."

"Of course."

"Ahem... then let's do that."

At that moment, Choi Yung-Ho asked, "So is it all over now? President Park is completely broke and 5959 Chicken is finished..."

I grinned and shook my head. "No. The cleanup isn't over yet."

"Cleanup? What do you mean?"

"I told you I'll make sure no one takes a loss, didn't I? If 5959 Chicken goes bankrupt, there will be existing investors who suffer major losses."

"Don't tell me... you're planning to acquire 5959 Chicken?"

"I sure am."

"That's ridiculous..."

"What did the employees and the franchise store owners do wrong? We need to help them."

Leaving the bewildered Choi Yung-Ho behind, I looked at Kang Eun-Gi.

"Eun-Gi, you said you'd do what I asked, right?"

The threat from Choi Man-Sik and Park Sang-Ah hadn't ended yet, so I hadn't given up on making Kang Eun-Gi a star. The real endgame of this plan was to use Kang Eun-Gi's Reverse Capital to acquire 5959 Chicken.

In short, it was all to launch him as a star entrepreneur.

Kang Eun-Gi's eyes widened. "You want me to acquire 5959 Chicken?"

"Yeah."

"What are we supposed to do with a company that makes bad fried chicken? Some of the boys have done delivery jobs, but none of them have fried chicken before."

Lee Soo-Chan and the others in the back nodded. "We only know how to eat it!"

They replied so confidently that I couldn't hold in my laughter.

'Yeah. I knew that too. I'll make sure you get to eat a lot of fried chicken from now on.'

I gave the boys a soft smile and reassured Kang Eun-Gi. "Don't worry. I've got a backup plan."

Before my regression, 5959 Chicken had been delisted and went bankrupt. After that, the company's chicken research and development team came together to start a new business—CHA-KAN Chicken & Pizza.

The new company became wildly successful with great taste and value for money. At the time, Ju Yung-In was the ad model and I heard all the details from her. It turned out the poor taste of 5959 Chicken wasn't the R&D team's fault, but rather the former CEO's unilateral decisions and strange demands from a marketing team made up of his relatives.

I explained, "If we acquire the company, we'll make Research Director Yeo Bong-Soo the vice president and let him run things. And if we take over the company, we'll be able to create jobs for our orphanage brothers too."

Kang Eun-Gi thought it over for a moment, then nodded. "The stock must be rock bottom now, so the acquisition won't cost much. Alright, let's do it."

"Then let's head to 5959 headquarters. By now, the place must be in chaos. Reporters will start swarming soon."

Since most of the franchise branches were concentrated in Seoul, the store owners would likely head straight to the main office. If Kang Eun-Gi showed up and promised to save the company, it would definitely make headlines.

The first step of making Kang Eun-Gi a star was unfolding faster than expected.

Just then, Choi Yung-Ho tried to stop us and urged a second thought. "Chief Jung, running a company isn't easy. Especially reviving a dying one. It's harder than you imagine. Are you sure you want to go through with this?"

Kang Eun-Gi politely cut Choi Yung-Ho off. "Sir, there's no need to worry. I've got plenty of money."

"I know you've got cash, but acquiring the company isn't the end. If you fail to turn it around, instead of a star entrepreneur, you'll be branded as an incompetent one. Do you understand what I mean?"

Kang Eun-Gi grinned. "Did you say failure?"

"Yes."

"Have you ever seen Yoon-Ho fail before?"

"Well..."

Choi Yung-Ho was at a loss for words. As far as he could remember, he had never seen me fail.

I also chimed in to reassure Choi Yung-Ho. "Don't worry. I have a way to save 5959 Chicken."

"How? It's not that I'm underestimating you or Mr. Eun-Gi, but turning around a company is really difficult."

"No. We just need Tae-Poong and Ms. Chae Mi-Hyun."

Before the regression, thanks to Ju Yung-In, CHA-KAN Chicken had seen a massive increase in sales. Her hundreds of thousands of Instargem followers and her nationwide recognition instantly elevated a small business product into a premium brand. That was the power of a top star, and that was the reason everyone paid big money to hire good advertising models.

Yesterday, Lee Tae-Poong mentioned 5959 on social media. And early this morning, I had Chae Mi-Hyun visit 5959's headquarters in preparation for this.

"Don't worry and just watch."

"Well, if you say so, I guess I'll trust you. So what can I do to help? Should I lend you the money to acquire the company?"

"No. Just help us catch the runaway CEO Lee Wan-Yung."

"Got it."

Now that Park Hyung-Moon had been dealt with, it was time to start making Kang Eun-Gi a star.

***

Choi Yung-Ho of Daeheung Savings Bank headed straight to the house in Myeongdong to meet Choi Eun-Tae, and he reported every detail of the day's events.

Choi Eun-Tae couldn't hide his amazement as he listened to what Jung Yoon-Ho had done. "Chief Jung surprises me every time I see him. He thinks more like a businessman than a talent agent."

Choi Yung-Ho nodded. "Yes. I've felt that way often myself."

"Right. So, have you found Lee Wan-Yung?"

"We've already located him and are bringing him in now."

Choi Eun-Tae grinned. "Cleaning up is our job now."

"That's how it ended up."

"Then let's finish it quickly."

Not long after, Lee Wan-Yung was brought in. After getting him to sign a transfer agreement giving up all his shares of 5959 Chicken, they handed him over to the police.

Then night fell. At 9 p.m., footage aired on the evening news showing Kang Eun-Gi being interviewed in front of 5959 Chicken's headquarters. Standing before numerous affected franchise owners, Kang Eun-Gi announced plans to acquire and normalize the company.

-Our company, Reverse Entertainment, will acquire 5959 Chicken using Reverse Capital. We also plan to take special care to ensure that none of the franchise owners suffer losses. Above all, Ms. Chae Mi-Hyun of Reverse Entertainment and Mr. Lee Tae-Poong of Hoop Entertainment have both signed advertising contracts for the upcoming new product. We'll soon rebrand and deliver the best fried chicken possible."

...

Choi Eun-Tae chuckled as he watched the news. "That Eun-Gi kid. He looks great on camera, doesn't he? Hahaha."

Choi Yung-Ho nodded beside Choi Eun-Tae. "He looks just like you, Mr. Chairman. Handsome by default."

Kang Eun-Gi was indeed good-looking with sharp eyes and defined features, but his expressionless face often gave off a cold, intimidating impression. However, now that he was a father of two, his face had softened noticeably and became more approachable. Instead of being scary, he now looked rugged and handsome.

"But seriously, how does Chief Jung come up with these ideas? He must've had his hands full just dealing with that bastard Hyung-Moon. Hahaha."

Then Choi Eun-Tae fell silent, lost in thought after those words.

Sensing something, Choi Yung-Ho started reading the room. After all, a parent always wanted their own son to outshine his son's friend.

Choi Yung-Ho carefully said, "Being able to follow Chief Jung's plans is a talent in itself. And the guts to speak like that in front of all those reporters—he's got something special. So there's no need to worry..."

Just then, Choi Eun-Tae stopped thinking and shook his head. "No, it's not that I'm jealous of Chief Jung or uncomfortable with him..."

"Then what's wrong, Mr. Chairman?"

"The truth is... whenever I see Chief Jung, I can't help but think of him."

Choi Yung-Ho couldn't say a word. The one Choi Eun-Tae referred to as "him" was someone who had disappeared decades ago—his right-hand man, someone he considered like a son. It was even said that if he had stayed, Choi Man-Sik would never have become the adopted heir.

To Choi Yung-Ho too, he was once a respected older brother figure.

"Are you talking about hyung-nim?"

"Yes. That boy was sharp and capable, just like Chief Jung."

"He was. And he had such a good heart too..."

"Sigh... today of all days, I miss him. That rascal. Where has he been living to be so heartless? If he's alive, I wish he'd at least reach out..."

Choi Yung-Ho had been trying to find that beloved big brother whenever he could, but still hadn't tracked him down.

"I'm sorry, Mr. Chairman."

"No, it's not your fault. It's his fault for disappearing without a word."

As his son and grandson were born, Choi Eun-Tae had begun to feel his age. Maybe that was why lately, memories of old acquaintances kept returning to him.

Meanwhile, the press conference at Reverse Entertainment was wrapping up.

-That concludes the press conference.

To loud cheers from the store owners and 5959 Chicken employees, Kang Eun-Gi was now taking his first steps as a star entrepreneur.

Unbelievably, everything was unfolding just as Jung Yoon-Ho had said.

***

After acquiring 5959 Chicken, Kang Eun-Gi made Yeo Bong-Soo, the research center director, the new vice president. He told him he would leave everything in his hands with just three requests.

First was to use quality ingredients but don't raise prices indiscriminately. Second was to donate 1% of all sales to help the underprivileged, and third was to send chicken and pizza once a month to nearby orphanages.

Yeo Bong-Soo readily agreed, and the company was renamed "Angel Chicken & Pizza," after Angel Orphanage.

Leaving the rest to Reverse Entertainment's legal and secretary teams, Kang Eun-Gi headed to the hospital while I went to the old house in Myeongdong. I reported the day's events to Choi Eun-Tae and Kang Gam-Chan.

After a strategy meeting that lasted a while, I was finally able to return home late at night. The current time was 10:30 p.m.

Screeech~

I parked the car and got out. The front door of the building opened and Miso came running out. She was wearing Powerpuff Girls pajamas, clutching a doll in her right hand.

"Uncle Yoon-Ho~~"

Miso ran into my arms and rubbed her eyes.

"My sweet Miso. It's past 10:30 p.m. already. Why aren't you asleep?"

"I was watching Mommy on TV."

Since Yoo-Jin was currently filming in Jeju, Miso must have been missing her.

"Really? Then shall we go inside and finish watching together?"

"Yeah!"

Holding Miso in my arms, I walked inside. "Oh, and Uncle Eun-Gi just sent photos of Yoon-Soo and Eun-Soo. Look."

Cradling Miso with my left arm, I showed her the photo of the twins Kang Eun-Gi had just sent.

Sleepiness disappeared from Miso's eyes as they grew wide. "Wowww~ they're so pretty! Their eyes are big and their noses are super prominent. They're the cutest kids I've ever seen!"

"Yeah?"

"Yup! Uncle Yoon-Ho, Uncle Yoon-Ho. When can I meet them in person?"

"Umm... probably after they're at least 100 days old?"

"Aww~ But I want to see them sooner. I need to play with them~" Miso, still in my arms, pouted and kicked her legs.

The twins were surely cute, but Miso was even cuter in my eyes.

I smiled and said, "When the time comes, I will make sure you meet them right away."

"Yay!"

The overjoyed Miso hugged me tight. And with that, all the fatigue from today seemed to melt away.

After entering the first floor with Miso, I greeted Jung In-Ji and sat down to watch Hwaranjeon together. Miso was excited, saying that Yoo-Jin looked so cool dressed as a man on TV. That moment, a playful idea popped into my head.

I asked, "Miso, who do you like more~? Mommy or Teacher Jamie?" 𝚏𝕣𝐞𝗲𝐰𝕖𝐛𝐧𝕠𝕧𝚎𝚕.𝐜𝚘𝗺

Miso tilted her head and answered, "Ummm~ Mommy!"

I grinned and replied, "Oh, Miso. You hesitated. I'm gonna tell Yoo-Jin~"

As I pretended to call Yoo-Jin, Miso's face turned startled. "U-Uncle Yoon-Ho, I didn't hesitate. I was just sleepy. Sleepy! Look!"

Miso quickly covered her eyes with both hands and buried her head into my lap.

'Miso? What are you doing right now? Are you pretending to sleep?'

While Miso had her head on my lap, Baekseolgi and Injeolmi came over and started licking her cheeks.

Miso waved her hands. "Seolgi, Jeolmi, no. I'm... sleeping right now."

However, Baekseolgi and Injeolmi wagged their tails like it was playtime and licked even more. In the end, Miso had no choice but to lift her head.

Then, putting her hands together, she gave me a pleading look like Puss in Boots. "Sigh... Uncle Yoon-Ho. Don't tell, okay?"

I chuckled and pulled the phone away from my ear. "Just kidding, just kidding. Miso, I'm not calling your mom."

Miso let out a big sigh of relief.

Just then, my phone vibrated.

Buzz~

I checked the screen, wondering who it might be.

[Caller ID: 010-567X-7777]

'Who's this?'

Thinking it might be an ad offer, I answered the call. But then, an unexpected voice came through.

-You're the one messed with Hyung-Moon...aren't you?