Chapter 898. Crank Up 1
“Then I’ll schedule a flight to China in three days and….”
“Head manager Kang, wait a sec.”
Junmin picked up his phone. He felt a headache the moment he saw the name of the caller. This old man definitely wasn’t the kind of man to call just to see how he was doing.
“I’ll stay outside. Call me when you’re done.”
Head manager Kang stood up after cleaning up. Junmin picked up the call after seeing the door close.
-Junmin, it is me.
“It has been a long time, chairman. I should have called you first.”
-It’s fine. Everyone in the country knows you’re busy.
“How is your health? Last time, you seemed to have been coughing a lot at the start of winter.”
-I’m eating the medicine you sent me. Thanks to that, I think I’ll last this winter pretty well.
“That sounds like great news. You should live for a long time and lead the economy.”
-I’ve long since become an old man in the attic. The young’uns will lead the economy now. How are you doing?
“For me, I’m just getting by every day while looking after my own kids.”
-You’re going to China in a few days?
“Yes. You seem to be taking great interest in j.a.pan too, these days. It looks like you’re going to go to j.a.pan along with a few acquaintances.”
There was a period of silence after they each talked about their recent matters. The old man’s intelligence powers were incredible. He had only set up plans for now, yet even the routes he was going to take had been estimated by this old man already.
-Whether it’s then or now, you seem to know about my own kids more than I do.
“Not as much as you, sir.”
-It’s such a pity, you know? YM would have spanned its wings even more if you had run a subsidiary under me. You’re probably the only one who rejected my offer.
“It wasn’t easy for me either. The leader of a colossal company reached his hand out to me directly. But I don’t have the capability to run a company of that scale. It already hurts my back to maintain a small agency.”
-If it hurts your back, you can’t call that small.
Junmin stood up and walked to the window. That day, he was inside a building where he could look down at the night scenery as well. The chairman reached out to him, and Junmin refused him. The chairman, who looked down at his hand indifferently, seemed like a lion crouching in front of prey. Would he dart forward and grab him by the neck? Or would he let him go? That day, Junmin found out for sure what kind of man the chairman was.
“So, why have you called me?”
-It’s nothing that amazing. I just had some things I was curious about.
“Please speak.”
-There’s a boy named Han Maru under you, right?
Junmin replied yes while frowning at the same time. Maru’s name came out of the chairman, but they had completely no relation to each other.
-Is it true that that kid is shooting a film with director Park Joongjin?
“At the earliest, the shoot will start in the middle of this month.”
-I hoped that that wasn’t the case.
“Is there a problem?”
-Junmin, may I ask a favor?
“Please speak.”
-I’d like to hear you accept it first. Am I being too greedy?
“I’m sure you must know me as much as I do you, so I will not comment on that matter.”
-You never changed. You were like this back then too. That was why I wanted you even more.
“Please speak about the matter first. I will listen to you if it’s possible.”
-The film that that kid is shooting. Can you cancel it?
“This is the first time I’ve heard that you’re dipping your hands into the film industry, so why are you trying to cancel his work?”
-This is not about business. This is just an old grandpa trying to do something for his grandson.
The pieces of the puzzle that he was trying to put together in his head came together in an instant. There was indeed a connection between Maru and the chairman. Kang Giwoo. Did that immature brat ask the chairman for this?
-In case you ask, this is something I’m doing on my own. I just want to gift my grandson something without him knowing.
“I see.”
-So how about it? Of course, I’m not telling you to do this for free. We’re going to do a commercial for our insurance company, so how’s an actor from your side for two years, fixed contract? I’m sure anyone under you must have enough recognition for that. I’d personally like Hong Geunsoo though. It can satisfy a subordinate of mine.
A two-year contract with YM insurance was a contract that would involve hundreds of millions of won. It would help with gaining recognition as well. It was definitely not a losing deal for giving up a movie that wasn’t even shot yet.
“I apologize, but it will be difficult.”
-Even though I’m asking you like this?
“Yes, what can’t be done can’t be done.”
-What a cruel fella. Do you have malice against me? I don’t think I treated you badly.
“Who am I to have any malice towards you? I just don’t want to take away Maru’s work.”
-Why? Is the money insufficient? Since I’m getting a gift, I want it to be the best. I’m rather greedy for director Park that fellow, since he’s known to be the best these days. How about two commercials?
“That’s indeed a rather shocking deal. However, I cannot do it.”
-You seem to be looking out for that kid a lot?
“I look out for all the people under me. They trust me, so I should repay their trust.”
-This is a difficult matter. I really want to pair that director with Giwoo. A good movie needs a good actor, doesn’t it? I’m not too knowledgeable, but I think my boy Giwoo will be better than that kid known as Han Maru.
Junmin spoke as he placed his hand on the window,
“In my eyes, Maru looks slightly better.”
-Isn’t he just a kid who has no noteworthy appearances?
“That’s precisely what he’s going to do now. Park Joongjin is an oddball, but he’s undoubtedly a genius. Maru’s not ordinary either. The two of them creating a piece together will definitely be an interesting sight to see.”
How would the chairman respond to this? Junmin placed his hand that wasn’t holding his phone on the landline. Depending on the situation, he may have to move busily. He had to prepare if the chairman decided to sabotage things outright. He did not like getting dealt a blow while sitting still.
-You’re so protective of him. Why? Did you see that great light from that kid as well? The beautiful light that you always boasted about?
The context of the conversation changed at once. Junmin could not understand what the chairman was saying to him. The chairman preferred to refrain from using abstract expressions as much as possible when talking about business. He loved numericized information, so Junmin never believed that he would use the word ‘light’ with something like this.
“Light? I’m not sure what you mean.”
-Are you mocking me? You don’t remember that? That day, you talked to me about this in that building.
“I do remember. We talked about various business proposals.”
-You should have told me something while you refused my proposal.
“The words I said as I refused you?”
Junmin probed his memories. The scene of the building unfolded in front of his eyes. The colorful night scenery, the strangely quiet hall, the smell of unfinished food, the glaringly sharp gaze of the chairman - everything was vivid, but he could not remember what he said to the chairman at the last moment. He could only remember himself leaving the building after that meal. It was as if someone had scooped out that portion of his memories as he couldn’t remember any of it.
-Seeing you stay quiet, it seems like you really don’t remember? How can you young fellow be like this? I wonder if you’re getting dementia earlier than me. Or maybe your meeting with me was so insignificant to you that it’s not worth remembering for you. In either case, it doesn’t feel that pleasant. Is it because you’ve received psychotherapy for a long time?
He was attacked every time he exchanged words. Junmin looked at his reflection in the window and smiled.
“Perhaps. I clearly remember having a meal with you and leaving the building afterwards, but I do not remember my last words to you.”
-You should watch out. The brain is something that you can’t touch once it starts going down. Hey, even I’m reading books at this age because I’m afraid of dementia. I heard that it’s good at preventing it, so I keep reading them.
“Maybe I should too.”
-Since it came down to this, it looks like I should spell it out for you. I mean, when else would I be able to act proud in front of you? That day, you told me this: I have a special pair of eyes for people. Then I asked what it was. Then you gave an incredulous answer. You said you could see how far that person would grow if you see that person. You supposedly saw light around a person’s ears and could judge a person based on that. You looked completely serious as you said those words too. It was to the point that I even wondered if I should turn to shamanism too. That was the first and last time I believed such absurd words in my life. For other fortune tellers, they only talk grandly, but they show nothing. But you were different. After that, you befriended all sorts of big figures as if you really could see a person’s future. The secretary head of state has connections to you, doesn’t he? Even the president, who would at least listen to every word I say, has ties with you too. This is why I can neither have you nor throw you out. I think it will endanger my own roots just to oust you.
Junmin felt confused even as he listened to the chairman’s words. He had no recollection of it at all. Seeing a person’s future by looking at their ears? He couldn’t believe that he himself had mentioned such supernatural abilities. He was someone who loved proven facts as much as the chairman did.
-Why? You still don’t remember?
“Looks like there’s a problem with my head after all. I have no recollection of saying those words at all.”
-Looks like you don’t want to talk about it, rather than you not having a memory of it. Had I taken you more seriously back then and had you stay behind even by force, YM should have become even bigger than it is now. No, YM isn’t the problem. I could have become president. Seeing what became of the people you met, it doesn’t sound impossible.
“I don’t have such great powers.”
-Don’t you, now? A man that only handled some screws on a construction site created a venture company and now became a man who overrules the construction panel world. Surprisingly, it was you who mediated the investment. You took around the guy that was at the bottom seat of the congress, and now he has become the leader of the majority faction. It’s not just one or two people that came out this successful, is it? For a person who’s running an agency in the entertainment industry, your connections are simply unbelievable. Your authority and your positions - they"re all created through your eyes that see people.
“Your imagination must have gotten very good ever since you started reading those books. If you don’t have anything more to say, I’d like to hang up.”
-Sure. I don’t want to quarrel with you either. I’ll just call director Park Joongjin and negotiate with him. This is just how much I love my grandson.
The chairman hung up. Junmin put down his phone on the desk. The chairman wasn’t someone who was so free that he would make stuff up to make a fool out of him. Did that mean that he really said such words in the past? He suddenly recalled the files that he saw before; the file that contained the resumes of the people he scouted during the early days of the agency. He picked out people who didn’t have any qualities of a star at all and turned them into stars. For him right now, the actions he took back then were completely incomprehensible.
“The past, huh.”
Junmin thought back to when he first met Maru, the bold kid who talked about 2 billion won without batting an eyelid. He could remember the reason he decided to bring that boy under his wing in detail. He pulled his memories a little more forward. It was when he first met Suyeon. Likewise, he liked the unyielding look in her eyes, as well as her charming skills for other people, which was the reason he brought her in. Everyone had a reason he could accept.
“As for Geunsoo and Ganghwan….”
Junmin touched his lips. He couldn’t remember what made him bring those two under his wing with so much confidence. He only had a vague impression in his head, an absurd conviction that the two would definitely become stars.
Junmin went to his desk and pulled out a book. It seemed like he needed to do some reading.