Rookie Talent Agent Knows It All-Chapter 532: Back Side (2)

"It's HK Inc."

"HK?"

"Yes. I was threatened that if we don't cancel the production announcement, we won't be able to do any business related to HK Inc. going forward."

Since HK Inc. was the 12th largest conglomerate, they frequently held various events at the hotel. The revenue HK Inc. generated every year was so enormous that the hotel couldn't ignore their requests.

"Then do you happen to know who gave the order?"

"I don't know the details, but I'm certain it came from pretty high up."

At that moment, one person came to mind—Hong Seok-Joon, President of HK Electronics. As the third son of HK Inc., he and I had crossed paths a few days ago at Jinseong Resort in Gwangju. He probably misunderstood my relationship with Jin Ah-Ram, so there was a chance he was behind this.

However, since I couldn't be 100% sure he was the culprit, I decided to secure a different venue for the production announcement. After all, we might end up having to hold MBS's production announcement at the broadcasting station if KBC's Queen Jeong-Hee uses the hotel.

That's when Kim Taek-Gyun, who had been watching me cautiously, spoke carefully. "This might be awkward to say, but I also heard that HK Inc. has already influenced most hotels in Seoul."

"Understood."

"Then, what about me now..."

"You won't be reported. So until I contact you, please keep it a secret from HK Inc that I came here and asked questions."

"Ah, got it."

Since we had agreed to keep quiet about the corruption in exchange for this information, I didn't push further and went down to the underground parking lot.

Sitting behind the wheel, I called Oh Bok-Hee. Hearing what was happening, Oh Bok-Hee spoke in a flustered voice.

-Why is Hong Seok-Joon from HK Inc. targeting our drama?

"I think it's because of me. I'm sorry."

-How is this your fault, Mr. Jung? That jerk is just insane!

Most PDs would have blamed me no matter what. Yet, Oh Bok-Hee was firmly on my side.

"Thank you... really."

-No need for thanks between us. Sigh, but what do we do now? It's the start of the year, so most hotels are probably fully booked.

"I'll look for another hotel, but for now, let's keep this just between us. And we still need to confirm if Hong Seok-Joon is really behind this."

-Okay. I'll be waiting.

After ending the call, I called Jin Ah-Ram, because there was a Jinseong Hotel in Gangnam not far from the H Hotel in Samseong-dong.

As soon as the call connected, Jin Ah-Ram spoke in a surprised voice.

-I'm glad you called. Do you know that President Hong Seok-Joon is trying to sabotage the production announcement for Hwaranjeon?

"Yes. I know."

-What? How? I just found out.

'How? Everyday told me.'

I spoke as if I had my own informant.

"I have connections with hotel concierges in Seoul, so I heard it from them. But just in case, if you know anything more, please let me know."

-You already know the gist of it. And yes, this was led by President Hong Seok-Joon.

My suspicion was right.

"Is this retaliation for what happened at the resort?"

-It seems so. I'm really sorry, Mr. Jung.

"Well... could we possibly book the banquet hall at Jinseong Hotel in Gangnam?"

Jin Ah-Ram spoke in an apologetic tone.

-I'm sorry. My father warned me never to get involved in anything related to HK Inc.

Chairman Jin Dae-Woon of Jinseong Inc. had ordered everyone not to cause any conflict with HK Inc. It was probably because he was considering forming a marital alliance with HK Inc. Of course, since I knew the future, I knew very well that the two chairmen would never become in-laws, but that was something only I knew.

-Then what will you do now? Are you going to hold the production announcement at the MBS headquarters?

"No. I'm keeping that as a last resort. Queen Jeong-Hee is holding a grand launch event at a five-star hotel. If we do ours at a broadcasting station, wouldn't it look too shabby? I have no intention of starting this fight at a disadvantage."

I couldn't afford to lose the grand production announcement we had worked so hard to prepare.

-Then what's your plan?

One place came to mind that was out of reach from HK Inc.'s influence, despite them being the 12th largest conglomerate.

'Daechon Inc.'

Ranked 17th, Daechon Inc. was constantly clashing with HK Inc. in every business sector due to the bad relationship between their chairmen. Moreover, I had a decent relationship with Kim Ae-Ryeon, the Vice President of Daechon Inc., so I planned to ask her for help.

"I'm thinking of borrowing Daechon Inc.'s strength."

-If it's Vice President Kim Ae-Ryeon, she wouldn't care about HK's pressure. But... can you convince her?

"I'll make it happen."

-Alright. Be careful and I'll let you know if I hear anything that might help.

"Okay."

Thanks to Jin Ah-Ram, I was able to confirm the culprit. After ending the call with her, I called Kim Ae-Ryeon.

"Mrs. Kim, how have you been?"

-Oh~ Team Lead Jung. No, wait, you're Chief Jung now, right? Congratulations on the promotion. What's going on?

"Actually, I was wondering if it would be possible to book the banquet hall at Daechon Hotel in Gangnam for January 4th."

-Hmm~ it's possible, but how about we meet in person to discuss it? It's been a while since we last saw each other.

I didn't know why she insisted on meeting face to face, but I wasn't in a position to refuse.

"Then how about now?"

-Sure. Come right over. I'll be waiting.

After ending the call, I started the car and drove straight to Daechon Inc.'s headquarters.

***

Inside the chairman's office at Jinseong Inc., Chief Secretary Seok Han-Joong was reporting to Jin Dae-Woon about Jung Yoon-Ho's movements.

"We got a report from the intelligence team tracking Jung Yoon-Ho."

"Alright. What's that guy up to now?"

"He's been confirmed heading into Daechon Inc. headquarters."

"Did he have ties with Daechon Inc. too?"

"Yes, sir. Apparently, he's been acquainted with Mrs. Kim Ae-Ryeon for a while. It looks like he's there to meet her."

Kim Ae-Ryeon was effectively the real owner of Daechon Inc., standing in for her father, Honorary Chairman Kim Bu-Ho.

"A talent agent from an orphanage background having connections with a chaebol owner, huh... that's hard to believe."

The more they dug into Jung Yoon-Ho's background, the more unbelievable it seemed.

When he heard that Jung Yoon-Ho had played a high-stakes game worth hundreds of billions with Ahn Seok-Chun and won a few days ago, he had been impressed by Jung Yoon-Ho's guts.

But that wasn't all.

Jung Yoon-Ho gave up the hundreds of billions he had won as if it were scrap paper. Then, he even managed to win over Ahn Seok-Chun, who was practically his enemy. At just twenty-eight-years-old, he displayed surprising boldness, courage, and magnanimity, all of which were extraordinary.

"Huh... that guy. He's really tempting, but..."

The more he saw, the more he wanted Jung Yoon-Ho. However, Jung Yoon-Ho was a dangerous man. If his sons were wolves, Jung Yoon-Ho, though still young, already resembled a tiger cub. And it was this tiger cub that his daughter Jin Ah-Ram kept showing interest in.

If Jung Yoon-Ho were more like Hong Seok-Joon, the third son of HK Inc., he would have personally helped the two get together.

However, Jin Ah-Ram was just like Jin Dae-Woon himself—competent and ambitious. If Jin Ah-Ram and Jung Yoon-Ho joined forces, he would constantly feel the threat that Jinseong Inc.'s next heir might not be from the Jin family, but from the Jung family.

"Then what's Ah-Ram doing right now?"

"She seems to be leaking information to Chief Jung."

"That girl. If they get married, she might just give him the whole family fortune."

"Shall we intervene?"

"No. If we interfere clumsily, Ah-Ram's personality won't let it slide. But from now on, I want immediate reports on anything related to Jung Yoon-Ho."

"Understood. I'll personally report everything about Chief Jung."

At that moment, Jin Dae-Woon paused. "Wait a second. Did you say Chief? Not Team Lead?"

"Yes, sir. He got promoted as of January 1st."

"Isn't he in his second year?"

"Yes, sir."

"How did he get promoted so fast? Is he the hidden son of their company's president or something?"

Jin Dae-Woon knew Jung Yoon-Ho was an orphan, but the rapid promotion left him dumbfounded.

"I checked since the promotion was so exceptional, but there's no connection at all. He rose purely by his own merit."

Jin Dae-Woon let out a laugh. "Haha, that guy. He's something else."

After laughing heartily for a while, Jin Dae-Woon spoke again.

"Alright. That's enough, you can go now."

"Yes, sir."

Seok Han-Joong bowed his head and stepped out of the room.

Left alone in the chairman's office, Jin Dae-Woon showed a hint of regret "If only he were just a bit less capable, maybe I'd think differently..."

Since Jung Yoon-Ho had no parents, Jin Dae-Woon still toyed with the idea of taking him as a son-in-law. He even thought about marrying off Jin Ah-Ram to Jung Yoon-Ho, then making the smartest son they had the next heir of the Jin family. But with both of them being so sharp, they wouldn't likely follow his traditional thinking, which left him feeling deeply regretful.

Leaning back on the sofa, Jin Dae-Woon muttered to himself. "HK and Daechon... I hope both bleed out from this mess. Hahaha."

Jin Dae-Woon had created the JS Club card and incited a succession war among his children solely to make Jinseong Inc. stronger. If both HK and Daechon weakened, Jinseong's ranking would naturally rise. Hoping this situation would weaken both groups, he started savoring the sample of 'THE Best' coffee that Jung Yoon-Ho had blended.

The aroma and taste that filled his mouth were comparable to those of a top-tier barista.

"That Jung Yoon-Ho guy. He's going to make a lot of money. Hahaha."

As he sipped his coffee, another chuckle escaped him.

***

Daechon Inc. was ranked 17th with a vast array of subsidiaries spanning department stores, construction, and chemicals.

Currently, Kim Ae-Ryeon, the second daughter of Kim Bu-Ho, was in charge. She was the younger sister of Kim Ae-Ja, who had been eyeing Lee Tae-Poong. That's why, after I exposed Kim Ae-Ja's scandal, I helped Kim Ae-Ryeon become vice president. Thanks to that, I built a connection with Kim Ae-Ryeon.

When I entered the vice president's office, which took up the entire 49th floor of the 50-story building, Kim Ae-Ryeon was sitting on the sofa.

Kim Ae-Ryeon asked, "Why did it take you so long to get in touch?"

"I'm sorry. I've been really busy."

"I bet. Getting promoted to Chief in just two years isn't something you see every day."

"I'm sorry. Also, I apologize for not keeping my promise to Mr. Kim."

At the LML showcase we met at before, we had agreed to hold Yoo-Jin's LML show at Daechon Department Store. But the schedule didn't align, so the show kept getting delayed. On top of that, my meetings with Kim Bu-Ho had been repeatedly postponed. Part of it was due to my scheduling conflicts, but also because Kim Bu-Ho's health was unpredictable.

"It's alright. Things happen. My father understands as well. Oh, wait a second."

Beep.

-Yes, Mrs. Kim.

"Bring the prepared item."

-Yes, ma'am.

The moment the intercom cut off, the secretary opened the door and walked in. In his hand was a wooden case.

"Here it is, Mrs. Kim."

Click.

When the secretary handed over the oak-colored wooden case, Kim Ae-Ryeon opened it and showed me what was inside.

"Congratulations on your promotion. It's a gift."

Inside the wooden case, atop a blue velvet lining, was a watch. Upon closer inspection, it was a limited edition Peter Philip.

"A Chief should at least have one luxury watch, right?" freёnovelkiss.com

I smiled and declined her offer. "I appreciate the sentiment, but I can't accept this. Just looking at it, this thing must be worth at least a billion won. How could I walk around wearing this?"

If I accepted a gift like this, I didn't know how it might later come back to bind me.

Kim Ae-Ryeon grinned. "You really do have sharp instincts. Still, take it. Compared to how you helped me become vice president, this is a cheap gift."

"I'd be more grateful if you could just grant the favor I mentioned earlier instead of this."

Kim Ae-Ryeon closed the wooden case and asked, "Is that really all you want?"

The Daechon Hotel in Gangnam was a luxury hotel twice the size of the H Hotel in Samseong-dong where I originally planned to hold the event. However, there was a bigger issue than just the cost.

"But it's not just..."

Kim Ae-Ryeon smiled knowingly. "What? Do you think I'd be afraid of HK Inc.?"

She already knew that HK Inc. was targeting me.

"It's worse than you think."

I explained that I had played a role in getting Hong Sung-Beom, Executive Director of HK Apparel, arrested and had also gotten on the bad side of Hong Seok-Joon, President of HK Electronics, due to a misunderstanding.

Kim Ae-Ryeon nodded. "Hong Seok-Joon would totally do this. He's been hung up on Jin Ah-Ram for a long time. Even if it's not him, all the single heirs from the third and fourth generations are probably after Jin Ah-Ram."

"...Not that I'd know."

"Anyway, don't worry. I'm Kim Ae-Ryeon of Daechon, you know!"

With a loud and confident voice, Kim Ae-Ryeon spoke before cheerfully pressing the intercom.

"It's me. Clear out all the department store events at the Daechon Hotel in Samseong-dong for the 4th and reserve the place for MBS. They'll be holding the Hwaranjeon production announcement, so make sure everything's perfect."

Originally, a department store executive kickoff event was scheduled at the hotel, but she ordered it moved inside the department store instead, freeing up the banquet hall for me. She added that the employees probably wouldn't mind cutting the event short and getting bonuses instead.

As she continued speaking, I quietly checked my planner.

[Everyday V12.1]

[Date: January 4, 2021]

-12:00 p.m <Schedule Entry Deleted>

(Deleted Schedule Entry: [NEW. Jung Yoo-Jin] Hwaranjeon production press conference delayed at H Hotel. Emergency fire inspection. (Emergency meeting: MBS Headquarters at 5 p.m. Possible intentional delay by the hotel.))

Thankfully, the urgent matter was now resolved. All that was left was to return to MBS, inform Oh Bok-Hee that the venue had been moved, and notify the reporters about the change.

Just then, Kim Ae-Ryeon stopped me. "Then can you do me a little favor too, Chief Jung? It's nothing difficult."

"What would you like me to do?"

"Meet my father. He's on his way to the office right now."

Kim Bu-Ho, the founder of Daechon Inc. was coming to the office right now to see me.

"Right now?"

"Yeah. He said there's something important he wants to talk to you about."

The smile on Kim Ae-Ryeon's face seemed suspicious.

'What exactly does he want to talk about?'