Chapter 896. Crank Up 1
The queen of the set was waiting nervously. Gaeul stared at Miyoon. Miyoon had never not made herself public. Regardless of which set she went to, she would sit down on the chair that the producer would provide for her and would watch the shoot with one of her legs on top of the other, taking a big spot in the middle as if she enjoyed seeing the staff members being displeased with her. Unless she entered the camera angle or something, there was no one who could stop her or express any complaint.
Miyoon, who stood in a corner of the hospital, stared at Giwoo endlessly. It had been an hour already. Even the staff seemed to find her rather curious for standing still without a word for a long time as they were whispering to each other. Truly, what has gotten into that woman that was making her stay still?
“Okay. Prepare to pull out.”
The scenes they needed to shoot at the hospital were done. She could see Lee Miyoon moving among the busily moving staff. Her target seemed to be Kang Giwoo. The two of them spoke for a long time. It was a rather common scene to see her talk to Giwoo with a smile whenever she came to the set, but her expression was rather different today. Even from afar, she could feel Lee Miyoon’s sense of urgency. The two were a duo that got on her nerves. Kang Giwoo and Lee Miyoon - both of them were those that threw their morals into the trash. When Giwoo called somewhere with his phone, Miyoon’s expression turned visibly brighter. As if they were conscious of the attention of those around, they walked out of the hospital. She wanted to follow them out. She wanted to know what kind of schemes they were concocting to be rest a.s.sured on her way home.
“Gaeul, wait a little.”
The producer called out to her. Gaeul had to turn around. She walked over to the producer and looked behind. She could no longer see the two of them.
* * *
“Grandfather wants you to come to his house.”
Miyoon spat out the breath she had been holding back. A way forward had been granted to her. Since the issue of meeting the chairman had been resolved, she had confidence in taking care of the rest.
“Giwoo, thank you so much.”
“I don’t know what this is about, but please, take care of this well. Also, you’d better set off quickly. He does not like sudden appointments, so you’ll be in trouble if you’re late.”
“Of course. It’s an appointment with the chairman, so I dare not be late. Giwoo, I will pay you back for this later.”
“Don’t mention it. We should help each other out in this world.”
Miyoon grabbed Giwoo’s hand before turning around. She had to hurry. She told the manager waiting at the van the location. The van darted off.
“Be as fast as possible. If we’re late, both you and I are dead.”
She organized her thoughts as she looked at the whizzing outside scenery. She couldn’t show her tears to appeal to the chairman. In front of a merchant, emotions were worth less than a single coin. She had to prove her worth. She would report to the chairman about what kind of profits he would stand to gain when she regained her subordinates that Hong Janghae had taken from her through malicious methods. Since that old man despised wasting time, she had to persuade him with just the main points. The van jerked up and down. The manager was looking through the rearview mirror in fright. It seemed that he had made a mistake at a speed b.u.mp while trying to speed up.
“Forget it. Just make sure you’re not late.”
She could see the manager being relieved. There was probably no need to tell him that he had just been fired. They entered a neighborhood where the tall walls were reminiscent of old castles. Whenever they turned around a corner, cars costing hundreds of millions of won were lined up on the side of the hill. This was a place where people who controlled this country since its militaristic days through their pens, money, and politics. When the van went past the house of the president of a news agency, she could see a wall painted blue. That was the place where the owner of the YM Group resided. She had been here a couple times before, but it made her shrink back every time.
“Go back down and wait. Don’t block traffic here.”
After sending off her manager, she stood in front of the metallic door. The chairman’s name was engraved on the old nameplate. Miyoon touched the crease on her forehead once before pressing the bell.
“It’s Lee Miyoon. I have an appointment with the chairman.”
* * *
While looking through some doc.u.ments, Hong Janghae’s eyes moved to his phone on the left. The lights were blinking, as he had turned it on silent. Usually, there was no one who would call him at this hour on his personal phone, not his business phone. He reached out and grabbed his phone. The moment he saw the name on the screen, he put down the papers and picked up the call.
“Yes, chairman.”
-Little Hong. Are you busy?
“Not at all.”
-Where are you right now?
“I’m still at the office.”
-You should come to my house for a bit. There is something you need to resolve.
“I’ll depart immediately.”
-Take your time. Don’t run into accidents.
Janghae told the head manager outside that he would be leaving for a little. It was rare for the chairman to call someone without warning, especially when calling someone to his house. The light turned from orange to red, but he did not take his foot off the gas pedal. He couldn’t really take his time just because he was told to. He shrank the distance in one go before arriving in front of the bluish-white wall. He saw the door to the garage open slowly. It seemed that the security team had seen him through the security cameras. He parked his car in the garage connected to the garden. He walked past the pond that had a golden koi fish in it before standing in front of the main door.
The secretary opened the door for him. Exchanging short greetings with the chairman’s closest confidante, he walked inside.
“The chairman is in the study. There is another guest.”
“Is it junior director Kim?”
“No, it is Miss Lee Miyoon.”
“Lee Miyoon? Okay.”
He rubbed the watch that the chairman had gifted him and stood in front of the door to the study. The secretary knocked on the door, opened it, and stepped back.
“I apologize for being late, chairman.”
He could see the chairman reading a book at the table and Lee Miyoon who was sitting in the chair in front of him. Miyoon rubbed her forehead before placing her hand on top of her knees.
“You’re not late. I can see that you came here right after I called you. You’ll run into an accident if you do that, so take your time next time.”
“I will.”
“Sit down first,” the chairman said while flipping over the page.
Janghae sat on the chair next to Miyoon.
“The two of you talk to each other for a bit. I’ll talk once I’m done reading this. You two both know your stuff, so I believe you’ll sort this out quickly.”
The chairman put some earbuds in his ears. The book in his hand was Don Quixote.
“You were quite reckless this time,” he said to Miyoon.
She chose the wrong person to drag into this. It seemed that her last resort was the chairman since all of her subordinates had been lost, but this woman didn’t seem to know who the chairman was at all.
“Who told you to touch my food bowl?”
“How unsightly. Are there owners of food bowls in this world? The food bowl goes to whoever has the most smarts. It seems you didn’t think it through that far since you’re a woman who only knows how to make young kids sell their bodies.”
“And you’re just like a man who stole others’ achievements through your tongue alone. Put the net I released back the way it was while I am still telling you nicely.”
“And why should I? Those people walked over to me on their own accord because they didn’t want to work under a certain incompetent woman.”
“Hong Janghae. Don’t look down on people. You might get hurt.”
Miyoon frowned. Janghae pointed at her wrinkly forehead.
“Your already unsightly face has become even more hideous. You don’t even have any more value as an actress. How are you going to live with a face like that? Smoothen up a little. Don’t make others pity you.”
Miyoon raised her hand. Janghae also put his cheek forward in provocation.
“There, there. You aren’t children.”
Janghae turned around to look at the president. The chairman closed the book after taking his earphones off.
“Little Hong.”
“Yes, chairman.”
“When was it that I tasked you with human business again?”
“It was twenty years ago, chairman.”
“So it has already been that long. I miss those days. You were a daring salaryman in your thirties back then. I was a little younger too. Miyoon.”
Lee Miyoon sat up straight and replied, ‘yes.’
“You did work pretty well. People from businesses liked the kids you selected for them. For chairman Park, that fellow, he would start off without even checking if he knew you were the one who picked. I’m not sure about anything else, but your choices were definitely exquisite.”
“I shall do better in the future. I wish to provide you support even from afar, chairman.”
“Support is good. You never made any mistakes until now either.”
“Then….”
Miyoon stared at the chairman, expecting a hopeful answer. The chairman inserted the book, Don Quixote, back into the shelf and spoke,
“Good work.”
“What?”
“I said good work. Didn’t you come all the way here to have me say that?”
“I instead….”
“Leave everything else to Little Hong now. Though, from the way I see it, there is nothing to leave to him anymore, but there might be something that he has missed. Little Hong. Is there anything else I should mind about?”
Janghae slowly clenched the fists he placed on his knees and replied.
“Not at all, chairman. I will cooperate with actress Lee and deal with the rest.”
“Right. Both of you have gotten old enough, haven’t you? Don’t fight dirty like dogs and end it cleanly. Miyoon, you should take your hands off this matter and focus on your acting career. Also, I’ll send you a token of grat.i.tude through someone in a while so wait for that. I’m not such a cruel man. Little Hong, isn’t that right?”
“I am only living like this thanks to your boundless graces. I’m sure actress Lee is the same.”
Lee Miyoon picked the wrong person to ask for a request. In fact, the outcome would not be set in stone had she chosen to go with a dogfight instead. After all, there were people who would give up money out of emotions after all. Things were over the moment Lee MIyoon brought this matter to the chairman. The chairman detested waste, but he utterly despised incompetence. By bringing what she could not solve to the chairman, she practically shot herself in the foot.
“Chairman.”
Miyoon desperately called out to the chairman. Janghae saw the chairman lick his lips while blinking his eyes. The chairman made such an expression the day junior director Park’s head was smashed by a baseball bat. He seemed to be wondering how to deal with a human who could not accept what was given to her and was instead dragging it on and on.
“I shall do better in the future. There were people who accepted the items because of my face alone. If I take my hands off this matter, they will turn their backs as well.”
Lee Miyoon stood up. Janghae covered his mouth and sighed. It was rather boring to watch someone dig their own grave.
“I see. So there are people who accepted the deal in consideration of you, Miyoon. Am I correct?”
The chairman nodded with a smile.
“Little Hong.”
“Yes.”
“Just deal with j.a.pan for now. Miyoon says she can do well.”
“Understood. I shall restore all the men below.”
“Yes, family members shouldn’t go against each other. Looks like I was out of it for a moment. Miyoon, is that okay with you?”
Miyoon kneeled on the ground, seemingly touched.
“Thank you, Chairman. I will strive to do even better in the future.”
“This isn’t some Yakuza or anything. You shouldn’t be kneeling down as an adult woman. Stand up. We’re both getting old, so I’m sure your joints are getting bad. Little Hong, hold her up.”
Janghae grabbed Miyoon by the arm. Miyoon glared at him before shaking off his arm and standing up with her own strength.
“Miyoon still knows how to persuade people. The report you gave me was clean and well done too. Right, if you’re so desperate, I’ll leave you to it. Miyoon, you can get going now. Little Hong, stay behind a little,” said the chairman.