Rookie Talent Agent Knows It All-Chapter 735: Past and Present (2)

Team Lead Bae Hyun-Tae from Weekly Star called me again. He was half out of it after hearing that the Mapo Treecreeper Yeo Soo-Gil he met was a drug supplier.

-C-Chief Jung, I swear I didn't know. Why would I be doing drugs?

"Drugs aren't the kind of thing you get away with by saying you didn't know. And do you think the prosecutor's just going to take your word for it? Of all people, you had to be hanging around with a supplier..."

Bae Hyun-Tae's voice became urgent.

-I-I wasn't meeting him to get drugs! He said he had a tip. That's the only reason I met him!

"Then be sure to tell the prosecution that. Oh, and for the record, I'll be distributing the full list of reporters Yeo Soo-Gil met today."

Bae Hyun-Tae's voice grew more desperate.

-Chief Jung! What do you want me to do? Huh? Just tell me. Whatever you say, I'll do it!

"Oh come on, do I really have to spell it out?"

-All right, all right! I'll cancel the article I was working on about President Kang Eun-Gi! Okay? Is that good enough?

However, it was not quite the answer I wanted.

"That's only half right."

-Half?

"What are you going to do about President Yoo?"

A long silence followed. If he brought up Yoo Kang-Seok, it wouldn't just expose the bribes but it would also reveal that he was ordered to write those articles too. That meant even writing about it could cause real problems, which was why he was hesitating.

Yet I knew exactly how the reporters could get through this without taking damage.

"Mr. Bae, would you like me to tell you the smart way out?"

Bae Hyun-Tae perked up instantly.

-Y-Yeah! What should I do?

"Write an exposé."

-An exposé?

"Correct. Claim President Yoo Kang-Seok orchestrated all of this. Say you're speaking up out of journalistic conscience. That he even offered money to make you give false testimony about President Kang Eun-Gi's past."

-Ohhh...

"And while you're at it, you might as well say he was scared of Reverse Entertainment's rapid growth and wanted to drag them down."

-R-Right! That way I can frame it as just a reporting assignment! Okay, I'll write the article, I promise.

"Aw, don't say it like that. You make it sound like I'm handing down some kind of media directive. I'm just saying that's what I would do if I was in your shoes."

-Got it.

"Oh, and I was thinking the article should go live around 12:30. What do you think?"

-You mean time it to when The Omniscient Viewpoint ends?

"Exactly. If President Yoo finds out before that, you're just going to get caught in the crossfire."

-Understood. But, uh... what about the money I already took...?

"Simple. Just turn it in voluntarily when the prosecutor's investigator visits."

-P-Prosecutor's investigator? You're sending someone?

'Of course. Like I'm going to take a tabloid reporter at their word.'

"They'll probably drop by tonight. It won't be about the drugs though. It'll just be because we got a tip-off that President Yoo tried to slip you a bribe."

-C-Chief Jung! I-I've got an allergy to prosecutors, okay? Do we really have to meet?

Now that was the first time I heard of that particular allergy in my life.

"Just be there when they come. If you dodge them now, you'll just get dragged in later and make things worse for yourself."

-Sigh... Fine. But what about the other reporters? I'm not the only one who took money...

"I'm about to call every last one of them. If they don't cooperate with the investigation..."

-No, no. I'll cooperate. I promise.

In the end, I got a full confession about what Yoo Kang-Seok did, plus a promise that he would write favorable articles about Chae Mi-Hyun and Kang Eun-Gi.

After that, I called every single reporter who had received a business card. Their reactions were all the same and they begged me to spare them. Eventually, they all agreed to do whatever I told them to.

Once I finished all the calls, Kim Dae-Myung let out a dry chuckle. "Are you really the same Yoon-Ho I used to know? You're terrifying when you threaten people."

"Well, I guess life's just worn me down like this."

"Still, I'll take this version over the guy who used to walk around acting all high and mighty. If Coach Han Dae-Man could see you now..."

I cut Kim Dae-Myung off immediately. "Hyung, let's not talk about Coach."

Coach Han Dae-Man was someone I was grateful to for teaching me boxing. However, he was also the one who left me with a deep scar.

Back when I was trying out for the national team, I lost by a judge's decision in what was clearly an unfair match. It was because my opponent just happened to be the son of a major sponsor of the boxing association. I could have accepted that, since I had no power, no connections.

But then my opponent came to me later and confessed that Han Dae-Man had taken a bribe and looked the other way. That was when I finally understood why Han Dae-Man didn't protest the unfair decision and just told me to endure it.

That same day, I walked away from boxing and from Han Dae-Man.

"Wait a minute. Yoon-Ho, don't tell me... you still hate him?"

"I said I don't want to talk about it."

Han Dae-Man was the person who taught me that the deeper the love, the deeper the hatred. I didn't even want to think about him anymore.

"All right, fine. I won't bring it up. But let me just say one thing, as your hyung. Whatever it is, talk to him in person. Don't stay trapped in the past."

I wasn't sure why Kim Dae-Myung was pushing this, but I shook it off. I had more than enough on my plate without dredging that up.

"So, Yoon-Ho. What are you planning to do with this guy?"

Yeo Soo-Gil was still lying face down on the floor.

I answered, "I'm going to call the prosecutor and have him taken in."

"At this hour?"

"Yeah. The man doesn't recognize business hours when it comes to crime."

I wasted no time before calling Seo Jae-Ill and explained the situation.

-With anonymous tipsters like you, Mr. Jung, I'll be head of the prosecution in no time. Hahaha.

"You're mocking me for being too chatty, aren't you?"

-Not at all. But does Yeo Soo-Gil still say he's dealing?

"He claims he quit, but quitting drugs isn't exactly easy. A hair test should tell the truth."

-Well, fair enough. I'll send someone over. And I'll dispatch someone to collect the money from the reporters too.

"I'm counting on you."

After I hung up, I checked Everyday right away.

[Everyday V13]

[Date: March 14, 2021]

-09:00 a.m. <Schedule Entry Deleted>

(Deleted Schedule Entry: [NEW. Choi Deok-Bae]

The Omniscient Viewpoint March 13th broadcast. Online replay deletion notice.

(Emergency meeting: Fallout from tabloid article about Chae Mi-Hyun and Kang Eun-Gi.))

Finally, I had managed to stop the worst from happening.

At the same time, Kim Dae-Myung turned to his employees and declared the closure of his business.

"As of today, The New World Loan Service is no more. Take a week off and let's all get together afterward." He pulled cash from the safe, stuffed it into envelopes, and handed them out. "Take your severance pay."

Two of the staff took theirs and left first, then Baek Jong-Gu stepped up. However, he didn't take the envelope.

Baek Jong-Gu looked at Kim Dae-Myung with a genuinely concerned expression. "Dae-Myung hyung-nim... what are we supposed to do now?"

"Come on. Like I'd ever let you starve? Nah, from now on, Yoon-Ho here is the one taking care of us. Go on, show your respect."

When Kim Dae-Myung introduced him to me, Baek Jong-Gu bowed a full ninety degrees. "Please look after me, hyung-nim. And... I'm sorry about earlier."

"D-Did you just call me hyung-nim?"

Baek Jong-Gu looked over 185 centimeters tall and easily over 100 kilograms. His face suggested he was in his early thirties, but then Kim Dae-Myung clarified.

"He's only eighteen. But he's technically not a high schooler because he's studying for the GED."

"What!? Why does he look so much older?"

"Something about his grandfather messing up his herbal medicine as a kid or something? That's what I heard anyway."

Baek Jong-Gu grinned, baring his teeth. It turned out that silly stunt earlier was just because he was young.

"I'm sorry about mimicking that scene from Money King, Money God earlier, hyung-nim."

Money King, Money God was a drama from five years ago about a loan shark on the rise. Despite its ridiculous title, it ended up being surprisingly popular. Apparently, Baek Jong-Gu had been imitating the supporting character Bang Bong-Du.

I let out a hollow laugh and nodded. "All right. Let's work well together."

Ten minutes later, the prosecutor's investigators arrived and took Yeo Soo-Gil into custody. Afterward, Kim Dae-Myung and I agreed to meet again soon, then I headed straight to Reverse Entertainment.

There were things I had to take care of after The Omniscient Viewpoint air.

***

By the time I arrived at the president's office in Reverse Entertainment, Part 1 of The Omniscient Viewpoint: Choi Deok-Bae – Talent Agent Jung Yoon-Ho Episode had already ended.

Thirty minutes later, PD Park Eun-Chan sent a message through Kk Talk saying that the episode had peaked at 13.1% viewership ratings. Since the show had been extended to 90 minutes this week, I started to wonder how much higher it might climb. Parts 2 and 3 were about Chae Mi-Hyun and Kang Eun-Gi, filled with heartwarming stories that were sure to resonate with viewers.

That's when Chae Mi-Hyun and Chae Seok-Hyun, who had been waiting in the president's office, greeted us.

"You're here, Mr. Jung."

"It's Uncle Yoon-Ho!!" Chae Seok-Hyun, dressed in overalls, greeted me cheerfully and made a request. "Just like on TV, I really want to eat ramen made by Uncle Yoon-Ho! Can you please make ramen for Seok-Hyun?"

In Part 1 of The Omniscient Viewpoint, there was a scene at Deok-Bae's house where we filmed a commercial for Real Ramen.

I smiled and nodded. "Of course I will."

"Then Seok-Hyun has a gift for you."

Chae Seok-Hyuk reached for the bag carrying his robot warrior I-Bic, ready to give me something. However, I gently stopped him. I didn't want him to grow up thinking he had to give something every time he asked for help.

"Seok-Hyun, friends don't always give gifts like that. Just saying thank you is enough."

"Really?"

"Yep. A simple thank you is the same as giving a present."

Right then, Chae Seok-Hyun bowed deeply at the waist. "Thank you, Uncle Yoon-Ho."

And at that moment, Kang Eun-Gi, Lee Soo-Chan, and the rest of the boys joined in with their own chorus of thanks.

"Thanks, Yoon-Ho!"

"Thank you, Yoon-Ho hyung!"

"Thank you, hyung-nim!"

At this rate, I wasn't just making one bowl but would need to cook a whole pot. It was a good thing we still had an hour left of The Omniscient Viewpoint.

***

In the president's office at TNT Entertainment, Yoo Kang-Seok, Jin Myung-Gyu, and Jin Myung-Hee were sitting on the couch watching TV. They were waiting for the reporters to drop the bomb.

'Jung Yoon-Ho. You're finished now.'

Yoo Kang-Seok had planned to drag Kang Eun-Gi's reputation through the mud by painting him as a recently released ex-con. And tomorrow night, he will unleash a series of scandalous articles about Jung Yoon-Ho. The plan was to frame him as someone who had gotten up to no good while hanging around with a gang boss.

The idea of finally catching Jung Yoon-Ho made his nerves tingle with anticipation. Too on edge to focus on the show, Yoo Kang-Seok grabbed his phone and started scrolling through the viewer comment board for the program.

[The Omniscient Viewpoint Viewer Board]

-Chae Mi-Hyun is amazing. She didn't date even once all these years just to protect her brother?

-She flew to Jeju every weekend to visit him.

-Imagine how badly people must've bullied her for her to hide the fact she had a brother at all.

-Apparently, she was harassed by neighbors growing up. That's why they moved to Jeju.

-Still, Seok-Hyun looks so happy now and that's what matters.

-But seriously, is there anything President Kang Eun-Gi can't do? He runs a company, he's a sweet talent agent, and he takes care of his brother with developmental disabilities.

-He's super tall and handsome too. Absolute jackpot.

-Yeah, but did you see the clip earlier? Turns out he's a dad to twins.

-To think he turned himself in and went to prison just to be a dad his kids could be proud of... If turning himself in wasn't necessary, I don't think I'd have done it.

-Right? Sure, he committed crimes, but he owned up to them and paid the price. He even asked the viewers for forgiveness.

-Exactly. I hate gangsters, but President Kang seems like he's genuinely changed. The problem is when people deny their past—not when they own it.

-And the fact that he personally supports fifty kids in an orphanage? Doesn't seem like a bad guy at all.

-No matter how rich you are, that's not easy to do. Seriously impressive.

Parts 2 and 3 of The Omniscient Viewpoint told the story of Chae Mi-Hyun, Kang Eun-Gi, and Chae Seok-Hyun.

Part 2 covered why Chae Mi-Hyun ended up living in Jeju and what sacrifices she made for her younger brother. It portrayed their family's life with a calm, respectful tone. Then in Part 3, Kang Eun-Gi confessed to his past in the mob and showed how hard he had worked to start anew. Maybe it was the honesty of both stories, but viewers were responding with genuine warmth.

Yoo Kang-Seok, however, scoffed. He was confident that goodwill would vanish in an instant once the tabloid article dropped. And just in time, Part 3 was wrapping up.

From across the room, Jin Myung-Gyu stood up from the couch. "President Yoo. The article's going up now, right?"

"Yes, any minute now. Ah—here it is."

However, his eyes widened upon checking the unexpected article.

"What... What the hell is this?"

[The Omniscient Viewpoint: Chase Mi-Hyun's Devotion to Her Brother, Kang Eun-Gi's Honest Repentance. Did Their Sincerity Win Over Viewers?]

-Chae Mi-Hyun apologizes for lying about having no family—her tears reveal a sister trying to protect her brother from the world.

-Kang Eun-Gi. From orphan, to mob enforcer, to underboss. And then, from the peak of gangland power, he walked away and chose prison—why he gave it all up.

The reporters he paid off had broken their promise. Panicked, Yoo Kang-Seok pulled up another article. And this one was even worse.

[(Exclusive) TNT's President Yoo Kang-Seok Bribed Our Reporter: "He Asked Us to Write Smear Pieces on Chae Mi-Hyun and Kang Eun-Gi."]

[TNT's President Used Bribes to Undermine Reverse Entertainment: Evidence Photos Attached]

"A-Are they out of their mind?"

The article included photos of the money and envelopes Yoo Kang-Seok had handed over, sitting on the table.

Jin Myung-Gyu saw the article and exploded. "Hey! Yoo Kang-Seok! What the hell is this?!"

Even Jin Myung-Hee's face twisted in disgust as she started yelling. "President Yoo, what kind of idiotic mess have you created here?!"

Yoo Kang-Seok's lips trembled. "I-I can explain..."

At that moment, noise erupted outside the door.

-You can't go in there!

-Step aside!

Bang!

The president's office door burst open and men in black suits entered the room.

Yoo Kang-Seok stammered, "What is this? Who are you people?"

"We're with the prosecution. President Yoo Kang-Seok, you're under investigation for violating the Improper Solicitation and Graft Act, instigating assault, and ties to a known drug supplier..."

The prosecutor's voice calling out the charges while holding up a search and seizure warrant rang in Yoo Kang-Seok's ears like a fever dream. Everything he had built was crumbling in an instant.

'Why... Why did I ever try to mess with Jung Yoon-Ho...?'

Only now did regret come crashing down on him.

***

[Caller ID Restricted: We've got them all. Thank you for the tip.]

I received a text from Seo Jae-Ill.

'All of them?'

That meant more than just Yoo Kang-Seok had been taken in.

'Good riddance, Yoo Kang-Seok. Whoever else was with you, hope they enjoy the ride.'

Just then, a call came through. It was PD Park Eun-Chan from The Omniscient Viewpoint.

-Chief Jung! The peak viewership ratings hit 16.2%! It's a record, a new record!!

It was past 12:30 a.m., and the show had shattered the 16% mark. It was an unbelievable achievement.

-Hahahaha! It's all thanks to you, Chief Jung.

I wanted to shout for joy too, but it wasn't over yet.

"Mr. Park, we're not done yet."

-What do you mean?

"Please upload the VOD right away. We've got another event lined up."

'Strike while the iron is hot? That's old-school thinking. When the tide comes in, you don't just row—you slap an engine on the boat and drag it.'