Rookie Talent Agent Knows It All

Lee Tae-Yeon's sharp voice laced with thorns echoed through the space. "Mr. Ahn, what do you think you're doing right now?"

Ahn Jung-Hae looked at me with an expression like that of a frightened puppy. Though he had expressed his desire to cast Miso, being caught in the act by Lee Tae-Yeon clearly rattled him.

I quickly stepped in front of Ahn Jung-Hae to shield him. "What do you mean? Mr. Ahn said he wants Miso as the child actor for his next project."

Lee Tae-Yeon glared at me and raised her voice. "Team Lead Jung, do you not realize that the rights to Director Ahn's next project are in my hands? Don't interfere when you don't understand the situation!"

"Actually, I do want to discuss that matter. You own the film rights to the script, correct?"

"That's right. I own the rights."

"Then sell them to me."

Lee Tae-Yeon looked at me incredulously as if questioning what game I was playing. "What for? Are you planning to invest in Director Ahn's project or something?"

"Yes."

Lee Tae-Yeon shot a piercing glare at Ahn Jung-Hae. "I asked you to watch Yi-Ji's performance, and in the meantime, you've been making such bold moves? Mr. Ahn?"

The flustered Ahn Jung-Hae stammered, "Well, uh..."

Although we had discussed the possibility of an investment, no formal agreement or documentation existed.

Fearing Ahn Jung-Hae might retract his earlier stance under pressure, I stepped in to answer. "I heard you paid 50 million won as script development costs and an advance. I'll pay you three times that, so 150 million won to terminate the contract."

Lee Tae-Yeon's gaze burned with undisguised hostility. "You must be joking. Do I look like someone who invests in films just to earn pocket change like that?"

As I had suspected, Lee Tae-Yeon fully understood the value of the script for Missing: The Lost Ones. Lee Tae-Yeon's success in the industry was not just due to her exceptional acting talent but also her sharp eye for promising scripts.

It was widely rumored in the industry that YH Venture Capital, headed by Lee Tae-Yeon's husband Director Yang Hak-Joo, had enjoyed a string of successful investments in films and dramas because of her uncanny ability to identify projects destined for success. For this reason, YH Venture Capital had grown into one of Korea's top ten media investment firms.

I replied, "Nothing is impossible. Let's start with your conditions. If we adjust them, we might find a solution that satisfies both parties."

Lee Tae-Yeon scoffed. "Do you take me for a fool? I'm pretty good at judging scripts. And you're good at it too, right, Team Lead Jung? If both of us are drawn to the same project, what does that tell you? It's going to be a hit. And you think I'd just let it go?"

Dealing with intelligent people like her was always challenging. They could deduce their advantage and the potential gains in an instant.

"So ultimately, are you saying I'd have to pay the full penalty to get you to release it?" I asked.

Lee Tae-Yeon crossed her arms and smirked. "Do you even know how much the penalty is?"

"Ten times the original payment, so 500 million won as far as I know."

"Wrong! It's 2 billion won now."

Ahn Jung-Hae who had been quietly listening with growing anxiety gasped in shock. "What do you mean? Why is the penalty 2 billion won?"

Lee Tae-Yeon smirked again, clearly enjoying the moment. "Last week, YH Venture Capital bought the film rights for 200 million won. The penalty is ten times that, so it's two billion won. Makes sense, doesn't it?"

Ahn Jung-Hae's face turned ghostly pale. "T-then... does that mean the money from last week..."

"Yes. Don't you remember signing the contract with YH Venture Capital last week? You said you needed funds, so I even helped you get connected."

Ahn Jung-Hae froze in place and was utterly speechless.

Meanwhile, Lee Tae-Yeon looked increasingly smug. "Oh, and just so you know, don't expect to terminate the contract. If you read the terms carefully, you'll see that the contract remains valid as long as the film is produced within five years."

Ahn Jung-Hae's voice began to tremble. "I… I wouldn't have signed if I'd known it was that kind of contract. Never!"

"Oh my, that's strange to hear. You didn't seem to have any issues signing and taking the money back then, so why complain now?"

I pieced together the situation from their conversation. In short, Lee Tae-Yeon had purchased the film rights to the script and sold them to YH Venture Capital for a profit. Ahn Jung-Hae, desperate for cash, had taken a portion of the money again.

Ahn Jung-Hae had signed the contract without fully understanding the terms as he lacked legal knowledge. Unfortunately, with his signature on the documents, there was no way to undo it.

With Missing: The Lost Ones needing a production budget of 3 billion won and a 2 billion won penalty for breach, no investor would touch the project. Ahn Jung-Hae lowered his head in despair.

Satisfied that she had ruined any attempt to find new investors, Lee Tae-Yeon smirked and spoke sweetly, "So Mr. Ahn! Stop overthinking this. Just cast Yi-Ji as the child actor and YH Venture Capital will immediately provide the remaining production funds. There's no need to complicate things, is there? My husband will handle everything from there."

Lee Tae-Yeon was spouting the kind of promises you would expect from a con artist claiming to take care of everything. It was clear now why Ahn Jung-Hae was left with almost nothing despite Missing: The Lost Ones attracting five and a half million viewers in its first run.

Lee Tae-Yeon and Yang Hak-Joo had taken the lion's share of the profits.

These were not people I could reason with. If that was the case, my only option was to escalate this into full-scale conflict.

I warned her, "You'll regret this."

Lee Tae-Yeon chuckled as she looked at me. "Regret? Can you really make me regret anything?"

"I do."

"Really? Then go ahead. I'll even give you a move for free."

"Then I won't hold back."

Of all the investors I knew, there was one person who could untangle this mess: Son Hyung-Tae, the president of CK Entertainment.

CK Entertainment owned 50% of theaters in Korea, making it the number one distributor. I had previously promised to introduce him to a strong project.

This promise was made under specific circumstances when his nephew, Director Jo Jae-Kyung, had caused trouble by not paying a 100 million won directing fee to Assistant Director Park Sun-Jae. In exchange for his support during that ordeal, I offered to introduce him to a lucrative opportunity.

Now was the perfect time to fulfill that promise.

I pulled out my phone and immediately called Son Hyung-Tae.

***

Beep, beep~

After a few rings, Son Hyung-Tae answered the call.

-Oh, Team Lead Jung.

"Yes, Mr. Son. It's been a while. Sorry for not reaching out sooner."

-That's fine. You should call me more often, though. So, what's up? Don't tell me you're bringing me another project with LT Entertainment. That would disappoint me.

Since the call wasn't on speakerphone, Ahn Jung-Hae and Lee Tae-Yeon exchanged confused looks as they wondered who I was speaking with. I ignored them and continued the conversation as there was something I needed to confirm first.

"I wanted to keep a promise but wasn't sure if you'd remember it."

-Of course, I remember. So, have you found a project worth recommending?

"Yes, I have."

-Is it guaranteed to be a hit?

"Absolutely."

I had been worried about how to persuade him in case of a rejection, but Son Hyung-Tae agreed enthusiastically. He was keen to increase CK Entertainment's profits and leverage the results to secure his candidacy as the next president of CK Inc.

-Great. I'm ready to invest today. Can you come to my office?

"Are you sure? You haven't even seen the project yet."

-Why would I need to check? It's a recommendation from Team Lead Jung. Oh, by the way, your actor is in it, right?

Son Hyung-Tae knew better than anyone that I wouldn't play games with my actors. He trusted me because of my reputation for valuing them above all else.

"Yes. Miso will play a key child role."

-Hahaha. Is that so? Fantastic. Tell me the project name and the budget. I'll prepare it right away.

"It's Mr. Ahn Jung-Hae's Missing: The Lost Ones."

-Oh, I've heard of that. The script came to me about a week ago.

"Yes, but there's a problem."

-Hmm? What problem?

"The rights to the script are held by someone other than the director. Mr. Ahn Jung-Hae wants to cast a different actor, but he's stuck because of a poorly written contract. When he tried to terminate it, they demanded ten times the original amount as a penalty."

Son Hyung-Tae sounded incredulous.

-What? How can something like that still happen these days? A penalty ten times the amount?

"Exactly."

Even at the mention of how absurd this situation was, Lee Tae-Yeon's expression didn't falter.

After a moment's thought, Son Hyung-Tae spoke decisively.

-Alright. I'll handle it.

With Son Hyung-Tae stepping in, my concerns disappeared. He was the type to exploit every loophole in a contract and even leverage public opinion to secure his position, if necessary.

I knew Son Hyung-Tae very well: once he latched on, he never let go.

"I'll switch to a speakerphone. The rights holder is here with us."

-Oh, really? Alright.

When I switched the call to speakerphone, Lee Tae-Yeon immediately took the offensive. "Excuse me. I don't know who you are, but if you're in the same film industry, you'd better wake up. Have you heard of YH Venture Capital? They hold the rights to Mr. Ahn's film. Oh, and by the way, I'm Lee Tae-Yeon! Actress Lee Tae-Yeon! Surely, you've heard of me?"

Lee Tae-Yeon tried to use her name and her husband's company to intimidate us, but Son Hyung-Tae responded with a light chuckle.

-Oh~ Ms. Tae-Yeon, is that you? Haha, it's been a while. This is Son Hyung-Tae.

"Son Hyung-Tae? Don't tell me... you're Mr. Son from CK?"

-Yes, this is Son Hyung-Tae, president of CK Entertainment. Haha, how long has it been since we last spoke?

At the sound of Son Hyung-Tae's confident voice, Lee Tae-Yeon's face contorted in dismay. She had realized her opponent was the president of Korea's number one film distributor and largest theater chain owner.

No matter how famous Lee Tae-Yeon was as an actress or as the wife of a venture capitalist, in front of Son Hyung-Tae, a royal figure in the corporate world, she was just another individual.

The flustered Lee Tae-Yeon stammered. "M-Mr. Son... How do you know Team Lead Jung?"

-Hahaha, we're friends.

The slight trembling of Lee Tae-Yeon's cheeks betrayed her agitation. "But... isn't there a big age gap…?"

-Well, I don't know the details, but I'll be taking care of Director Ahn's project. Since you invested some money, I'll stick to industry norms and compensate you with a penalty three times the original amount.

Lee Tae-Yeon bit her lip and retorted sharply. "Mr. Son, isn't that a bit much? We invested a lot of effort to secure the rights and prepare the production, and now you're doing this?"

Son Hyung-Tae subtly hinted that if she refused to let go, he could escalate the issue publicly.

-Ms. Tae-Yeon, let's be reasonable. The director doesn't want to work with you. And demanding a penalty ten times the amount? It sounds like you trapped an innocent director in a predatory contract. Wouldn't it be better to let it go before the media catches wind of this? It wouldn't look good for you either.

Refusing to back down, Lee Tae-Yeon attempted a counter-threat. "Are you threatening me right now, Mr. Son? Don't you know how bad it looks in the news when someone abuses their power these days? And for the record, CK isn't the only distributor in Korea. If necessary, we'll sell this film to LT Entertainment instead."

Lee Tae-Yeon's last comment visibly upset Son Hyung-Tae.

-Abuse of power, you say... Hahaha, it's been a while since I've heard that. Ms. Tae-Yeon, have you never experienced what real abuse of power looks like? Let me show you.

"Excuse me?"

Son Hyung-Tae took a deep breath and said coldly.

-If you don't transfer the rights to me, your film won't be screened in any CK-affiliated theaters.

CK Entertainment controlled 50% of Korea's movie theaters. Without access to their screens, the film's revenue would instantly be cut in half.

"Th-That's ridiculous..."

However, Son Hyung-Tae wasn't finished.

-One more thing. Starting today, every film YH Venture Capital submits for distribution consideration at CK will be subjected to extended reviews. As far as I know, there are about four projects submitted by YH. How does three years per film sound? Wouldn't that create some difficulties for your husband?

A delay of three years on YH Venture Capital's investments would result in enormous losses. Son Hyung-Tae was effectively threatening to cripple their film division.

Lee Tae-Yeon stood frozen with her face pale.

That's when Son Hyung-Tae delivered his final blow.

-Oh, and you mentioned selling the rights to LT Entertainment, right? Sure. Go ahead. The day you do, I'll make sure the headlines portray LT Entertainment and Ms. Tae-Yeon as unethical collaborators exploiting directors to produce films. How does that sound?

It was a devastating move impossible to withstand.

-So, what's it going to be? Will you hold onto the rights and endure another round of abuse of power? By the way, I'll be focusing on a story about you personally next.

Choosing Son Hyung-Tae as my investor was the perfect decision. He was the only person capable of turning the tables on someone like Lee Tae-Yeon.

After a long moment of trembling, Lee Tae-Yeon finally spoke in a strained voice. "I'll…transfer the rights."

It was my full victory.

Ristretto's Thoughts

Ristretto: It's my dream to have enough power to make threats like that LOL

Maggy: I want such powerful friends too

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