Baek Ji-hwan's office occupied the entire top floor of the Baek Group headquarters, a sprawling expanse of glass and marble that offered panoramic views of Seoul's financial district. From here, he could look down on the city below—on the buildings his family owned, on the companies they controlled, on the empire that had been built over three generations of ruthless ambition.

He sat in his leather chair, a glass of thirty-year-old Scotch cradled in his hand, the amber liquid catching the afternoon light. On the massive screen mounted to the wall, financial data scrolled in real time—investment returns, venture capital influx, subsidiary profits. The numbers were impressive, even by his standards, and they were growing.

"Another quarter, another record." Baek Ji-hwan observed, taking a slow sip of his drink. "The AI subsidiary alone has attracted three new major investors this month. Everyone wants a piece of the future."

Baek Min-seok lounged on the leather sofa across from him, his own glass half-empty, his posture deliberately casual. At twenty-six, he was the embodiment of a new generation of wealth—tech-savvy, ambitious, and convinced that traditional business models were obsolete. He was Baek Ji-hwan's nephew, the son of his older brother, and had been positioned to lead the family's expansion into artificial intelligence and digital ventures.

"It's not just about the money, Uncle." Min-seok replied, swirling his drink. "It's about what we're building. Our AI technology can generate content—movies, music, advertising—at a fraction of the cost of traditional production. We're not just competing with other studios. We're redefining the entire industry."

The two men were not alone. Each had company—a beautiful woman whose presence was as decorative as it was functional. Baek Ji-hwan's companion was a striking woman in her mid-twenties, with flawless skin, carefully styled hair, and a dress that cost more than most people earned in a year. She sat on the arm of his chair, her hand resting lightly on his shoulder, her attention focused entirely on him.

Min-seok's companion was equally stunning—a petite woman with an innocent face that belied her experience, wearing a silk slip dress that clung to her slender frame. She sat curled against his side, her fingers tracing patterns on his thigh, her eyes occasionally drifting to the financial data on the screen with practiced interest.

"The potential is unlimited." Baek Ji-hwan agreed, setting down his glass. "Investors are lining up because they see what we see—traditional entertainment is expensive, inefficient, and limited by human creativity. AI doesn't have those limitations. It can produce content faster, cheaper, and at a scale that no human studio can match."

"Exactly." Min-seok sat up slightly, his enthusiasm evident. "We're already in talks with several streaming platforms about exclusive content deals. Once our technology is fully deployed, we'll be able to flood the market with high-quality productions at a pace that will make traditional studios look like they're standing still."

The woman at Baek Ji-hwan's side spoke up, her voice soft and carefully modulated. "I heard something interesting earlier today. A rumor about Chae-won."

The name drew immediate attention. Chae-won was one of the most sought-after actresses in the industry, an A-list star whose projects generated massive buzz and box office returns.

"What about her?" Baek Ji-hwan asked, though his tone was indifferent.

"She's apparently in negotiations with LUNE." The woman continued, her fingers absently toying with the fabric of Baek Ji-hwan's suit jacket. "People are saying she's planning to sign on for their next major project. Something big, with a budget that could rival any studio production."

For a moment, the office was silent. Then Baek Ji-hwan set his glass down on the marble coaster with a deliberate, measured motion. The sound echoed through the room, sharp and final.

"LUNE?" He repeated, as if testing the word, rolling it around his mouth to see if it left a bad taste. "That small production company? The one that's been making waves with a few successful independent projects?"

"They've been growing." Min-seok observed, though his tone was dismissive. "They've got some decent talent on their roster, and they've been getting attention for their unconventional casting choices. But they're still a minor player. Nothing compared to what we're building."

"It's not about their size." Baek Ji-hwan's voice had dropped, become colder. "It's about who's involved. If Chae-won signs with them, it gives them credibility. It draws attention to their projects. And it creates competition where there shouldn't be any."

He took another sip of his drink, his eyes narrowing as he considered the implications. "But what really annoys me is something else. Something personal."

The room waited, the women exchanging glances, Min-seok watching his uncle with cautious interest.

"That bitch Yura." Baek Ji-hwan spat the name as if it left a bad taste in his mouth. "The one who left me, who humiliated me publicly, who took half her assets and walked away as if our marriage meant nothing. She's involved with someone from LUNE. I don't know the details—I never bothered to look into it, frankly. Why would I? I don't concern myself with the affairs of insects."

He swirled his drink, watching the amber liquid catch the light. "But if her new man is part of LUNE, and if Chae-won is signing with them… it's all connected. It's a small world, and somehow, she's managed to crawl into a position where she could potentially cause trouble for me."

Min-seok considered this, his fingers absently stroking his companion's thigh. "So LUNE isn't just some random small company. They're connected to Yura, which means they're connected to someone you have a personal grudge against." 𝘧𝑟𝑒𝑒𝘸𝘦𝘣𝑛𝑜𝘷𝑒𝓁.𝘤𝘰𝓂

"Exactly." Baek Ji-hwan took another sip, his expression darkening. "And I don't like it when personal matters bleed into business. It's messy. It's undignified. And it's something I prefer to resolve quickly and decisively."

He set down his glass again, the motion deliberate. "So what do we do about it?"

Min-seok's response was immediate, his confidence unwavering. "We crush them. We use our AI technology to create content that outperforms anything LUNE can produce. We flood the market with high-quality productions at a pace they can't match. We make them irrelevant before they even get started."

"And how exactly do we do that?" Baek Ji-hwan asked, though his interest was clearly piqued.

"CG, special effects, automated production pipelines." Min-seok counted off on his fingers. "Our AI can generate realistic characters, create complex action sequences, even write compelling narratives—all without the need for expensive actors, lengthy shoots, or human directors. We can produce a movie in weeks that would take a traditional studio months or years."

He leaned forward, his eyes bright with enthusiasm. "And here's the best part—we can tailor our content to market demands in real time. We see what's trending, what audiences respond to, and we adjust our productions accordingly. Traditional studios are still working on old models, making content based on guesses and intuition. We're working with data, with precision, with algorithms that know exactly what people want before they even know they want it."

Baek Ji-hwan was silent for a moment, processing the possibilities. The idea appealed to him on multiple levels—financial gain, market dominance, and the opportunity to humiliate a former wife who had dared to defy him.

"It's ambitious." He acknowledged finally. "But if it works, it could revolutionize the industry. And it would send a clear message to anyone who thinks they can challenge us."

"It will work." Min-seok's confidence was absolute. "Our technology is already ahead of anything else on the market. We've been testing it internally, refining the algorithms, and the results are extraordinary. We're not just competing with traditional studios. We're rendering them obsolete."

Baek Ji-hwan nodded slowly, his decision made. "Then let's move forward. Allocate the necessary resources, greenlight the projects, and let's see what your AI can do. I want to see results quickly—I want to see LUNE struggling to keep up before they even realize what hit them."

"Consider it done." Min-seok lifted his glass in a toast. "To the future of entertainment."

"To the future." Baek Ji-hwan echoed, raising his own glass.

Their glasses clinked together, the crystal ringing through the office, but before they could drink, the door opened and a man entered, accompanied by his own companion—a striking woman in a tailored dress who carried herself with the poised elegance of someone accustomed to high-stakes environments.

Lee Kang-hoon, the CEO of the company that had once belonged to Lee Seo-yeon, now firmly under Baek Group control. He was a man of average height and unremarkable appearance, but he carried himself with the arrogance of someone who believed he was more important than he actually was.

"The transfer is complete." Lee Kang-hoon announced without preamble, crossing to where Baek Ji-hwan sat. "All funds from Seo-yeon's former company have been successfully moved to Baek Group accounts. The paperwork is finalized, the regulatory approvals are in place, and there's no paper trail that can be traced back to us."

He gestured to his companion, who handed a tablet to Baek Ji-hwan. The screen displayed financial data—account numbers, transfer amounts, confirmation codes. Everything was in order.

"Excellent." Baek Ji-hwan scanned the information, satisfying himself that the transfer had been executed properly. "You've done well, Kang-hoon. This brings us one step closer to consolidating our control over the sector."

"It was my pleasure." Lee Kang-hoon replied, though his satisfaction was clearly personal rather than professional. "Seo-yeon never appreciated what she had. She thought she could run that company without me, without the family's guidance. She was wrong."

He accepted a drink from a server who had appeared silently in the room, taking a sip before continuing. "Now that the funds are secured, we can move forward with the AI venture without any financial constraints. The capital infusion will accelerate development, attract more investors, and position us to dominate the market."