Rookie Talent Agent Knows It All-Chapter 794: Schemer (1)

Sung Hak-Soo, the former president of Daechon Inc., was a self-made man who rose from a salaryman background all the way to the top. Inside the company, there were those who sneered that he became president thanks to a strategic marriage. Yet to me, he was the embodiment of perseverance—the very icon of long-suffering patience.

He endured for twenty years, weathering the contempt of Kim Bu-Ho, the honorary chairman who looked down on his humble beginnings. And he also endured the whims of his wife, Vice President Kim Ae-Ja. In the end, he finally claimed that seat.

Some called him spineless, but they simply didn't understand him. Sung Hak-Soo was the kind of man who would do whatever it took to achieve his goals. And I knew that better than anyone, because in my previous life, I once worked under him.

Back then, he first approached me with a warm smile, showered me with lavish gifts and generous bonuses, pretending to be the perfect benefactor. For someone like me with no parents, he even played the role of a protective father figure.

However, all of it was just a means to an end, nothing more than tools to fulfill his own ambitions. Just like the schemer he was known to be, he began requesting favors from the moment I became a director at Top Entertainment.

Small things like sending celebrities to minor events was first. Then one day, I received a tip-off that the celebrities I had introduced to Sung Hak-Soo were being drawn into his schemes. Sung Hak-Soo had been matching the stars I had sent with politicians and business heirs, using them as pawns in his backroom deals.

By the time I realized it, it was too late. I cut ties with him firmly afterward, but the memory of what he did remained vivid.

As far as I knew, he had kept a low profile after Kim Ae-Ja's arrest. I didn't expect him to show up before me like this.

Yet I was no longer the naïve Jung Yoon-Ho of the past.

'Sung Hak-Soo. I won't fall for your schemes in this life.'

Just then, Sung Hak-Soo greeted me with a grin. "I'm Sung Hak-Soo. So this is the legendary maverick of the entertainment world. Hahaha."

Sung Hak-Soo started the same way he always did, laying it on thick with flattery.

I replied with a blank expression. "What brings the former president of Daechon here today?"

Sung Hak-Soo let out a dry chuckle. "Hah. Chief Jung, you don't seem very happy to see me."

"To be honest, I'm not."

Very few people knew I was involved in Kim Ae-Ja's arrest. Maybe her sister Kim Ae-Ryeon, or Reporter Choi So-Hye. They were a handful at most. Nevertheless, there was no way the arrested woman and her husband didn't know. Yet here he was, smiling like he knew nothing.

"Well, well~ I didn't expect a warm welcome, but I didn't think you'd be this cold either. Hahaha."

That's when Vice President Kim Gwan-Woo raised his voice. "How dare you speak so rudely to President Sung!? Apologize at once!"

'President? He's a former president.'

If I had been alone, I wouldn't have backed down. But I had to respect Kang Gam-Chan's position, so I bowed my head.

"I overreacted. I apologize."

Sung Hak-Soo let out a hearty laugh. "It's fine. These things happen. Besides, I'm a former president now. I'm basically just a jobless old man. You can even call me Uncle Hak-Soo if you want."

With a fatherly smile, Sung Hak-Soo pulled the same act he used before the regression.

"Not at all. I couldn't possibly address you like that, Mr. Sung."

I shook my head and looked toward Kang Gam-Chan.

Only then did Kang Gam-Chan finally explain why he had summoned me. "Mr. Sung said he wanted to see you. Let's sit down and talk."

"What's this about?"

When I asked why Sung Hak-Soo was here instead of Min Gyu-Ri, Kang Gam-Chan simply shrugged. "He just showed up. I have no idea either. He just said he wanted to talk with you too."

"With me?"

Sung Hak-Soo nodded. "I heard you're a pretty significant figure at Hoop Entertainment. And since you're also a shareholder, I figured it wouldn't be a problem to include you even if you're not an executive."

I couldn't tell what he was getting at, but he would soon regret calling me over. I knew exactly how he schemed—too well, in fact—thanks to my past life.

I nodded and approached Kang Gam-Chan's side. "Understood."

As soon as I sat down, Sung Hak-Soo smiled and cut to the chase. "President Kang, I'm here on behalf of Mr. Jin Myung-Gyu and Ms. Jin Myung-Hee, the majority shareholders of TNT Entertainment."

Kang Gam-Chan's brow furrowed. "Is Daechon Inc. trying to wedge itself between us and TNT?"

Sung Hak-Soo shook his head. "This has nothing to do with Daechon. I'm just personally close to both of them, so I'm handling this on their behalf."

He then showed a power of attorney that granted him full authority over the TNT Entertainment shares. After reviewing it, Kang Gam-Chan passed it to the side. Legal Team Lead Kwak Moo-Hyuk gave a nod, and Kim Gwan-Woo was already smiling.

After confirming the document, Kang Gam-Chan asked Sung Hak-Soo, "Then tell us why you're here. Are you here to settle the lawsuit we filed against TNT Entertainment for damages?"

"Yes. For the sake of preserving the reputations of Jin Myung-Gyu, Jin Myung-Hee, and Jinseong Inc., the lawsuit needs to be dropped. But before that, there's something I should tell you."

"And what would that be?"

"Daebak Securities has already agreed to drop their lawsuit against TNT."

At that moment, everyone in the meeting room began to stir.

'Daebak Securities dropped their suit?'

Kang Gam-Chan looked stunned. "Daebak Securities dropped the lawsuit? But they clearly interfered with our IPO!"

A sly smile crossed Sung Hak-Soo's lips. "I promised them adequate compensation. And now it's Hoop Entertainment's turn. If you agree to drop the lawsuit right now, we'll hand over TNT Entertainment to you in full. Consider it a settlement."

'They wanted to give us TNT Entertainment instead of paying damages?'

TNT was worth over 80 billion won in assets. I couldn't believe they were willing to hand over the whole company to dodge a 30-billion-won lawsuit.

"Oh, and Daebak Securities will take 20% of the profits generated by TNT's celebrities for the next three years."

The proposal was so outrageous that no one in the room could even respond.

Just then, my phone started vibrating repeatedly.

Buzz~ Buzz~

I quickly checked the screen beneath the table.

[Notification: March 31, 2021, new schedule entries have been updated for Jung Yoo-Jin, Haru, Lee Tae-Poong...]

The moment I saw a rapid stream of updates, I opened the app immediately. And then, bizarre entries began flooding in.

[Everyday V13]

[Date: March 31, 2021]

-2:00 p.m. [NEW. Jung Yoo-Jin]

Attending the Hoop–TNT Entertainment merger announcement event.

-2:00 p.m. [NEW. Haru]

Attending the Hoop–TNT Entertainment merger announcement event.

...

Everyday was warning me that, unless something changed, the two companies would announce their merger in just a few days. The date was March 31st—one day before Hoop Entertainment's IPO on April 1st.

This was nothing but a grand performance meant to drive up Hoop Entertainment's stock price.

'What's your angle, Sung Hak-Soo?'

Sung Hak-Soo was definitely scheming something, but I couldn't pinpoint what. From past experience before the regression, this was clearly a poisoned apple.

Just then, Sung Hak-Soo continued. "I've also secured letters of resignation from all TNT executives, taking full responsibility. So as a sunbae in this industry and for the sake of TNT's artists, wouldn't it be best for Hoop Entertainment to drop the suit and take over the company? It would be a win for you too."

Everyone but me was left speechless. Even though TNT Entertainment had slipped to fifth place in the industry due to recent incidents, acquiring such a major company for free was unheard of.

Of course, the bulk of TNT's reported 80 billion won in assets was tied up in exclusive contracts with their artists, so there wasn't much liquid cash to speak of. Still, April was just around the corner. This was the season of festivals and university spring concerts across the country, when appearance fees poured in by the bundle. If we had TNT's roster, Hoop Entertainment could maximize its event revenue.

While Kang Gam-Chan and the others were mentally crunching the numbers, Sung Hak-Soo threw out another lure. "And acquiring TNT will positively impact your IPO. With the merger, you'll be right on TK's heels. Actually, at this rate, you might overtake them entirely. Imagine how high your stock will soar then, hahaha."

Sung Hak-Soo began to cast his spell in his usual way. While people focused on one benefit, he would dazzle them with an even bigger one, throwing them off balance. I had been preparing to block Min Gyu-Ri's recruitment. But now, her entire company was about to be absorbed into ours.

Still, I wouldn't trust a word from Sung Hak-Soo, even if he claimed he could ferment soy sauce with beans. I knew that no one ever profits from a deal involving him except him.

On top of that, TNT Entertainment was a ticking time bomb. If one of their celebrities caused a scandal after joining us, our stock wouldn't soar but it would crash.

Based on current projections, Hoop Entertainment's market cap was about 200 billion won. If our IPO performed as expected and we hit the daily upper limit two days in a row, that cap would shoot up to 520 billion won.

If we tried to swallow an unstable 80 billion won company and one of its actors triggered a major scandal, our share price could be slashed in half. In other words, we could lose 260 billion won.

'I need to shut this down.'

Just as I steeled myself, Kang Gam-Chan fixed a hard stare on Sung Hak-Soo. "Everything sounds great, but why go this far for something that isn't even your business?"

"If I had to say, it's because Jin Myung-Gyu and Jin Myung-Hee are like beloved nephews to me."

Kang Gam-Chan's eyes narrowed sharply. His instincts, honed over decades in this brutal industry, were sensing a trap.

"You're telling me you'd hand over a company with 80 billion in assets for that? Sorry, but that's hard to believe."

Sung Hak-Soo gave a theatrical shrug as if conceding the point. "I'd heard President Kang of Hoop Entertainment wasn't an easy man, and the rumors were right. Fine, that's just the public explanation... The truth is, Jinseong Inc. wants this whole thing buried fast. It stings to see money evaporate, but they'd rather that than have their brand take a hit. They asked me to negotiate on their behalf."

Although Jin Myung-Gyu and Jin Myung-Hee had invested in TNT as individuals, the media treated TNT as if it were a Jinseong subsidiary. It didn't matter whether it was true or not. Since TNT had interfered with Hoop Entertainment's IPO, public sentiment could easily shift into seeing Jinseong as a corporate bully harassing a promising up-and-comer.

For this reason, they were trying to resolve it quickly to prevent the situation from escalating.

Kang Gam-Chan stared at him and asked again. "Is that really the whole story?"

"To be more precise, it's also about preserving Myung-Gyu and Myung-Hee's succession rights."

Satisfied with the explanation, Kang Gam-Chan didn't press further. Yet judging by the way he glanced at me, he still thought something was off.

Just then, Kim Gwan-Woo jumped in first. "Mr. Kang! We may never get an opportunity like this again! If we take over TNT, it won't just be a double ceiling rise but we could hit three in a row! We have to do this. We should drop the lawsuit and start the acquisition immediately."

A triple ceiling meant a stock hit its daily upper limit three times in a row—a dream scenario.

As Kim Gwan-Woo threw in his support, Sung Hak-Soo smiled like a man who had already sealed the deal. "Excellent decisi—"

That's when I cut in, not waiting another second. "I don't think this is something we should decide hastily, Mr. Kang."

Kim Gwan-Woo glared at me. "Hey! Chief Jung, what are you doing? Why throw cold water on this? Even you shouldn't oppose something so beneficial to the company!"

Sung Hak-Soo turned toward me with a look of amusement. "Chief Jung. Is there a problem with my proposal?"

'A problem? Absolutely.'

I took a deep breath and spoke up. "TNT's 80 billion in assets may look impressive, but as far as I know, their bank balance is practically zero. They're on the brink of bankruptcy."

"I admit that's true. But isn't that easily resolved by merging with cash-rich Hoop Entertainment? And it's almost peak season. You know April is golden for entertainment events."

"That's fair. But the issue isn't the timing. It's TNT itself. What good are events if the company's a liability?"

"TNT's a liability?"

I looked around the room as I had been waiting for this all along. I didn't have solid proof involving Min Gyu-Ri, but I did know about TNT's lead actress So Yi-Yung's scandal.

"So Yi-Yung, the lead in Queen Jeong-Hee, is currently involved in a sponsorship relationship with two members of the National Assembly."

Silence fell across the room. In this industry, if a top actress was revealed to have sponsors, stock prices didn't just drop but they collapsed. They could even be halved or worse.

Kang Gam-Chan was visibly shaken. "Are you serious, Chief Jung? So Yi-Yung has sponsors?"

"Yes. And not just with ordinary people. If an article breaks, it won't just take down TNT but it'll shake the entire entertainment industry."

In my planner, there was still one schedule entry related to So Yi-Yung.

[Everyday V13]

[Date: June 15, 2021]

-2:00 p.m.: Team meeting. (Meeting Agenda: Rumors that So Yi-Yung is juggling two sponsor relationships with members of the National Assembly. Confirmed to be temporarily pulled from broadcast appearances.)

In three months, those two rookie assemblymen sponsoring So Yi-Yung would get into a drunken brawl at a makgeolli bar near the National Assembly, demanding the other give her up.

Publicly, the incident would be reported as a policy dispute. However, I was the only one who knew the real reason. So I spoke like the scandal could explode any moment. As expected, the others looked grim, clearly believing it would break soon.

'With So Yi-Yung's scandal looming, there's no way they'll move forward with acquiring TNT.'

Confident that I had shut it all down, I glanced at the Everyday schedule under the table. However, the merger announcement event was still there.

'What the hell? Why isn't it disappearing?'