Rookie Talent Agent Knows It All-Chapter 504: Rumor and Rumor (5)

[Cherry Blossom Yoo Eun-Ah. The birth of an acting idol!]

-Yoo Eun-Ah, currently appearing in Ballerina of Time, praised for her fearless acting.

-Director Na Hyung-Joon: "Meeting actress Yoo Eun-Ah was a stroke of luck for me."

-Yoo Eun-Ah, a successful transformation into an actress!

-(On-site still cuts photos 1, 2, 3)

...

As promised, Choi So-Hye framed Eun-Ah as an acting idol in her first article. It might seem like a simple article praising Eun-Ah, but in reality, it was part of a media strategy. We needed to establish Eun-Ah's image as a talented actress first to have an advantage when the media battle escalated later.

At that moment, Sung Ji-Yeon and the girls from Hoengseong Girls High School eagerly shared the article link in their group chat.

Soon after, comments started pouring in under the article.

(Comments)

-Eun-Ah Love 24/7: Eun-Ah, let's conquer the acting world too!

-Winter Cherry Blossom: I knew Eun-Ah had acting talent ever since her cameo in Master of Mukbang.

-Ballerina Wannabe: I must watch the movie when it comes out! I heard it premieres at the end of February!

-Boxing Day: Lead actress Jo Yoon-Jung's acting is also impressive.

For idols and actors alike, earning genuine recognition from the general public was essential for long-term success. That was the reason I usually avoided giving fans direct instructions for this kind of media push.

However, this time was different. If controversies about Eun-Ah's personality, abuse of power, or acting skills surfaced just as she was starting out as an actress, the public would form prejudices before even watching the movie. Right now, blocking that was more important than anything else.

Thanks to the flood of comments from Cherry Blossom fans in such a short time, Choi So-Hye's article quickly climbed the real-time search rankings.

Soon after, Eun-Ah's name appeared in real-time search rankings as well.

'The start is good at least...'

Not only Eun-Ah's name but Cherry Blossom and Ballerina of Time all entered the top 10 trending searches.

Following that, Jang Moon-Ki from Weekly Star and Han Yeon-Hong from Star Patch published articles as well.

[Yoo Eun-Ah. The goddess smile lighting up the Ballerina of Time set!]

[Director Na Hyung-Joon's Ballerina of Time, Yoo Eun-Ah's film debut!]

Both reporters quickly published the pre-prepared press releases I sent them. Even Jang Ji-Hye, the president of Womans, posted an article online using screenshots from the video I provided.

With the flood of favorable articles about Eun-Ah, smiles bloomed on the faces of Choi Eun-Seon and Na Hyung-Joon.

"Hahaha, Reporter Choi wrote it up so nicely!"

"Right? Your interview was prominently featured too, Mr. Na."

At that moment, my phone buzzed with a stream of Kk Talk messages from advertisers making offers.

Eun-Ah had already secured eight consecutive music show wins with 'My First Love Story' as part of Cherry Blossom. Now that the set's reactions confirmed her acting talent, advertisers were scrambling to secure her.

Nevertheless, Eun-Ah's solo commercials had to wait until after the movie's release. If the movie succeeded, Eun-Ah's value would skyrocket even more.

For the next 30 minutes, entertainment news was dominated by articles about Eun-Ah. Then, at 2:50 p.m., a different kind of article began to surface.

'Now the second phase begins.'

In an instant, a chill settled over the once-bustling film set.

[(Exclusive) Ballerina of Time filming site. Bullying incident involving Miss L and Miss A. Victim Miss Y.]

The victim, Miss Y, despite being a top idol, always remained courteous and gave her best like a rookie on set.

However, Miss L and Miss A harassed Miss Y out of jealousy.

It was revealed that their actions were instructed by A Entertainment, the top company in the industry.

(Follow-up article: Shocking testimony from anonymous on-site staff!)

(Comments)

-One Shot One Kill: Damn, it's obvious Y is Yoo Eun-Ah, L is Lee Dong-Ju, and A is Ahn Hee-Soo!

-Strawberry Mochi: This is crazy... Bullying Cherry Blossom's Yoo Eun-Ah just because she's a rookie?

-HyeokGeoSe: Wow, bullying someone like Eun-Ah? Are they insane?

-Fake News: Looks like they're asking to get destroyed by Cherry Blossom fans.

-Ice World: Ace Entertainment has guts. Guess they're frustrated because Hoop Entertainment is beating them lately.

As soon as the exposing article dropped, comments exploded. At the same time, Sung Ji-Yeon and the Hoengseong Girls High School girls started typing furiously.

Tap tap tap.

The four of them shared the article link at lightning speed with their fingers flying across their screens. As a result, the article climbed the real-time search rankings even faster than the previous ones about Eun-Ah.

Unable to ignore the commotion, one of the on-site staff called Choi Eun-Seon. "Ms. Choi, you need to see this."

Choi Eun-Seon's face turned pale as she prepared for the next scene. It wasn't just the bullying incident being leaked that shocked her but also the article exposing Ace Entertainment's involvement.

Panicked, Choi Eun-Seon rushed to Na Hyung-Joon with her phone. "Mr. Na! Please take a look at this!"

Choi Eun-Seon's reaction made the rest of the staff check their phones too. When they checked the article, their faces twisted in disgust as they glared at Lee Dong-Ju and Ahn Hee-Soo.

The bewildered Lee Dong-Ju and Ahn Hee-Soo stammered.

"W-What?"

"Why are you all staring at us like that?"

After reading the article, Na Hyung-Joon exploded in anger. "Damn it! Chief Choi! Where's Chief Choi?"

The flustered Choi Han-Jong ran to Na Hyung-Joon and desperately exclaimed, "Mr. Na, this is ridiculous! Why would our company do this?"

"Then why the hell is this article out?"

"The reporters must be writing baseless rumors!"

"Did you just call it a rumor? Huh?"

Just then, another article popped up, and it further fuelled Na Hyung-Joon's fury.

[(Exclusive) Ace Entertainment's Miss A suspected of habitual propofol abuse? (Star Exclusive)]

[(Exclusive) A staff member at the plastic surgery clinic Ace Entertainment's Miss A frequented: "Miss A is addicted to propofol from repeated cosmetic surgeries." (Star Patch)]

[(Exclusive) Ace Entertainment's Miss B exposed for shocking polyamorous relationships—three-timing, not just two! A club Devil MD's firsthand account. (Weekly Star)]

(Comments)

-Alpaca Hunter: So A is Lee Dong-Ju from Ace Entertainment, and B is Ahn Hee-Soo. Right?

-Alarm Clock: Wow, Lee Dong-Ju is shameless. Always bragging about being a natural beauty on TV when her whole face is surgically altered.

-Crazy Bunny: This is insane. And Ahn Hee-Soo? Are we sure it's only three? She practically lived at Club Devil.

Using the materials I provided, entertainment reporters launched a full-scale attack on Ace Entertainment. Even outlets that didn't receive my materials copied the articles from the three leading tabloids, amplifying and spreading them further.

Sung Ji-Yeon and the Hoengseong Girls High School girls relentlessly shared the articles on social media, making it impossible for Ace Entertainment to contain the situation.

Na Hyung-Joon glared at Choi Han-Jong with his expression ice-cold like an Arctic glacier. "Did you really cast these kinds of actors in my movie, Chief Choi?"

"N-No, sir. It's not like that..."

"What? Are you going to lie again?"

"N-No, I mean, this is..."

"Enough. If this isn't handled immediately, both of them are out of this project. I mean it!"

It was now 3 p.m. A reporter from Baro Star backed by Ace Entertainment was supposed to arrive any minute.

'They should be here by now...'

Just then, Reporter Ahn Myung-Sung from Baro Star quietly entered the set and grinned excitedly as he took pictures everywhere.

'There he is.'

Just as I expected, the tabloid reporter was jumping on the bandwagon, eager to write an article that would ride the wave. After all, entertainment outlets prioritized views above all else.

After taking several photos, Ahn Myung-Sung approached the visibly furious Na Hyung-Joon. "Mr. Na, what's going to happen to Lee Dong-Ju and Ahn Hee-Soo now? Did they really bully Miss Yoo Eun-Ah? With all these scandals, will you still keep them in the film?"

Na Hyung-Joon frowned deeply. "Who the hell are you?"

In an instant, staff members surrounded Ahn Myung-Sung.

"Get out!"

"What do you think you're doing without permission?"

Even as he was being dragged out, Ahn Myung-Sung waved his camera. "Mr. Na, you'are replacing them, right? I'll write it like that!"

The moment I executed my plan to shift public opinion, everything started to unravel for Ace Entertainment. No matter how much money Ace Entertainment spent now, they couldn't reverse the tide.

This was a perfect victory for me.

***

[(Exclusive) "Their Lies Echoed Across the Film Set!" (Baro Star)]

-Ballerina of Time filming site.

-Anonymous on-site staff: "Lee Dong-Ju and Ahn Hee-Soo spread malicious rumors about Cherry Blossoms' Yoo Eun-Ah!"

-Director Na Hyung-Joon doesn't deny replacing the two actresses!

Bang!

Im Sung-Hak slammed his fist on the table after reading the article. "What the hell is going on? I get the others, but why the hell is Ahn Myung-Sung writing this crap?"

Im Sung-Hak had paid Ahn Myung-Sung from Baro Star to publish favorable articles about Lee Dong-Ju and Ahn Hee-Soo. Yet, Ahn Myung-Sung wrote an article that completely backfired on them.

Park Chan-Hyuk, the real power behind this plan, hung his head low. "I... I'm sorry. Jung Yoon-Ho moved faster than us..."

"How the hell do we keep losing to that guy? Huh? He's just one person, and we're an entire company!!"

No one dared to respond to Im Sung-Hak's outburst. By now, the nickname "Star Jung the Fortuneteller" no longer felt like a joke. It was as if Jung Yoon-Ho could see right through them, thwarting every move they made.

Jang Sung-Min asked cautiously, "Mr. Im, reporters are calling to ask about this. What should we say?"

"What do you mean? What should we say? Deny everything!"

"But the testimonies are too detailed to dismiss."

Not only Baro Star but also Star Exclusive, Weekly Star, and Star Patch were continuously publishing articles. There was no way to contain the situation. On top of that, Cherry Blossoms' Yoo Eun-Ah had already cemented her image as kind, courteous, and talented in acting.

A few articles wouldn't be enough to overturn the tide. Even reporters who had taken money from Ace Entertainment began publishing articles siding with the majority opinion. Their entire media strategy had crumbled.

Unable to contain his anger, Im Sung-Hak shouted, "Damn it! Fine, then pin everything on those two! Say they acted on their own, using the company's name without permission! Call them in and pay them off handsomely to keep their mouths shut."

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"Understood."

Im Sung-Hak decided to cover up the situation by blaming the two actresses and offering them substantial hush money in return. Still, they lost a considerable amount of money, two promising supporting actresses, and even failed in their attempt to attack Jung Yoon-Ho and Yoo Eun-Ah. The damage was immense.

"Jung Yoon-Ho... that bastard..."

The longer the fight with Jung Yoon-Ho dragged on, the more Im Sung-Hak felt like he was sinking into quicksand.

***

With articles flooding in nonstop, filming on set came to a complete halt.

Unable to endure the glares from the staff, Lee Dong-Ju and Ahn Hee-Soo disappeared with Choi Han-Jong.

Meanwhile, Na Hyung-Joon was discussing the aftermath with Choi Eun-Seon. However, there was only so much Na Hyung-Joon and Choi Eun-Seon could handle on their own. In the end, they called me over as they knew I was close with Shin Jong-Ki of LT Entertainment.

I approached Na Hyung-Joon as if I had been waiting for this moment.

Na Hyung-Joon sighed with a troubled expression. "Sigh... It seems one of our staff members tipped off the press. I'm sorry. Eun-Ah getting tangled up in something like this isn't good at all..."

Since the article mentioned an anonymous staff member as the source, Na Hyung-Joon didn't seem to suspect me.

"It's okay, Mr. Na. So what are you planning to do now?"

"I don't think we can keep Lee Dong-Ju and Ahn Hee-Soo on board... Could you talk to President Shin about it?"

Replacing the two actresses would mean adjusting the schedule and increasing production costs. Na Hyung-Joon knew about my close ties with Shin Jong-Ki, so he was asking me to smooth things over with Shin Jong-Ki.

After pretending to consider for a moment, I nodded. "Understood."

I called Shin Jong-Ki right away.

Shin Jong-Ki had just heard the news in the middle of a film investment meeting and was already agitated.

-Team Lead Jung, what the hell is going on? Why would Lee Dong-Ju and Ahn Hee-Soo bully Eun-Ah?

"Calm down, sir. I have a solution."

-What solution?

"Let's remove the two actresses from the film. I'll find replacements right away."

Shin Jong-Ki's tone softened slightly.

-Of course we need to drop them. But what about Director Na?

"He's also considering replacing them."

-Good, that's how it should be. But...

Knowing what was coming next, I cut him off.

"And I'll arrange the replacement actresses. Plus, their fees will be covered entirely by a running guarantee. There won't be any immediate additional costs."

What Na Hyung-Joon and Shin Jong-Ki wanted most was to finish the film on time without spending more money.

-Is that so? But if the release is delayed, the losses will be huge...

"You can sue Ace Entertainment for that. Managing an actor's image is the agency's responsibility, isn't it?"

-Ahem... That's true.

Eliminating Shin Jong-Ki's worries instantly calmed him down. I then added something that would definitely make him happy.

"Also, I'll secure additional paid advertisements from Jinseong Foods."

-From Jinseong?

Jin Sung-Joon, who would soon be appointed as the president of Jinseong Foods, had told me to reach out anytime for product placements in films or dramas. I had just confirmed it with him via Kk Talk moments ago, so I brought it up.

Shin Jong-Ki burst out laughing.

-Hahaha! Talking to you always makes things so easy, Team Lead Jung. Okay, let's do it. Is Director Na there with you?

"Yes, I'll hand him the phone."

When I passed the phone over, Na Hyung-Joon answered.

"Mr. Shin, this is Na Hyung-Joon."

-Ah, Director Na. You've been through a lot.

Shin Joong-Ki's tone was cheerful with all the issues now resolved, and Na Hyung-Joon responded with a relieved smile.

"My apologies, sir. I never expected Ace Entertainment's actors to cause such trouble."

As the two chatted pleasantly, the tense atmosphere on set seemed to ease. However, my work wasn't finished yet.

After ending the call, Na Hyung-Joon thanked me, "Thank you so much, Team Lead Jung."

"No problem sir. All you need to do now is just focus on your film."

"Got it. When can we expect the replacement actresses?"

"I'll bring them to the set within three days."

The actresses I had in mind were Choi Jin-Yung from Actor Division 1 and Ahn Sung-Hyun from Actor Division 3. Both were talented actresses known for their captivating performances, even in villainous roles.

Their experience and skills surpassed Lee Dong-Ju and Ahn Hee-Soo, bringing a wide smile to Na Hyung-Joon's face. "Oh~ Ms. Jin-Yung and Ms. Sung-Hyun? They'll be perfect."

"Then we'll head back to the company for now."

"Sure, we can't continue filming today anyway."

When Na Hyung-Joon announced the wrap for the day, I left the set with Eun-Ah and the others, heading straight to Seoul.

This time, I was ready to go on the offensive against Ace Entertainment.

'Your turn is over, President Im. Now, it's my turn.'