From A Producer To A Global Superstar-Chapter 310: Deeper troubles

Dayo and Min-Jae were done talking and were walking downstairs.

Min-Jae was the first one to notice the reporters.

He didn’t say it loudly. He didn’t even stop walking. He just glanced ahead, then glanced at Dayo like he had just found a new way to annoy him.

Dayo was already stepping toward the quiet side route when Min-Jae reached out and caught his wrist.

"Where are you going?" Min-Jae asked, smiling.

Dayo narrowed his eyes. "Don’t start."

Min-Jae pointed forward with his chin. "You always escape. Today, you’re not escaping."

Dayo looked ahead properly.

The entrance area was not crowded like an award show, but it was crowded enough to be trouble. Cameras. Microphones. Two vans parked awkwardly. People standing like they had been waiting for hours.

The moment one reporter saw Min-Jae’s face clearly, her eyes widened.

"CEO Min-Jae!"

Another voice followed immediately.

"Director Dayo!"

That one hit harder.

Dayo stopped for half a second. He didn’t even know the Media would recognize him so fast.

Min-Jae leaned closer and whispered, "I got you."

Dayo breathed out slowly. "You’re wicked."

Min-Jae laughed. "Go and greet them. You said we are clean. So act clean."

Dayo wanted to turn and walk back inside, but it was already too late. They had been spotted. People were already rushing forward.

Security moved fast, but reporters moved faster.

A mic pushed close to Dayo’s face.

"Director Dayo, are you confirming that the viral clip was fully manipulated?"

Another mic came from the side.

"Is Virex behind the smear campaign?"

A third voice cut through.

"Are you taking legal action?"

Dayo raised a hand slightly, not aggressive, just a signal.

"Easy," he said, calm. "One person at a time."

They didn’t listen. They never listened.

Min-Jae stayed beside him, hands in his pockets, watching like he was enjoying the chaos he created.

Dayo turned his head, scanning faces.

They were not random bloggers. These were real press people. Some had press tags.

One woman leaned in again. "Director, the public is asking. Was that man in the leak chain truly connected to Virex?"

Dayo kept his voice polite. "I’m not here to accuse anyone today."

A reporter frowned. "So you won’t deny it?"

Dayo’s eyes held steady. "I won’t confirm anything I didn’t confirm myself."

Another voice shouted, "Why did JD label go live from different locations? Who planned it?"

Dayo looked at the mic. "I planned it."

That surprised them.

"Why?" someone asked quickly.

Dayo answered simply. "Because people don’t trust speeches anymore. People trust what they see."

A reporter tried to push closer, almost stepping into Dayo’s personal space.

Dayo’s expression did not change, but his shoulders tightened slightly. He was used to pressure, but didn’t like this kind of crowd pressure. He liked one-on-one conversations. He liked calm questions.

This one felt like noise.

Min-Jae noticed it and leaned in.

"Okay," Min-Jae said loudly. "That’s enough."

The reporters ignored him too.

A man shouted, "Director, are you still releasing the movie on schedule?"

Dayo nodded. "The movie is still coming out on schedule."

"Date?" the man pressed.

Dayo hesitated. He wasn’t trying to give them extra fuel, but he also knew silence would create another headline.

He gave them the safest version.

"In a week time as scheduled nothing is changing," Dayo said.

Some of them laughed like he was dodging.

One lady tried again. "Director, why do you have so much influence inside JD Label? Who are you really?"

Dayo’s mouth twitched slightly, almost a smile.

"I’m an employee," he said. "I work."

They didn’t like that answer.

Someone shouted, "You’re not just an employee!"

Dayo nodded once. "Maybe. Still, I work."

A camera flashed close.

Security finally pushed forward properly, forming a stronger line.

Min-Jae turned to one of the guards. "Get him inside."

The guard nodded and stepped toward Dayo.

Dayo didn’t fight it. His patience was already thinning.

A reporter tried to throw one last question.

"Director, if Virex is innocent, why is their assistant’s face being mentioned everywhere?"

Dayo looked at her. He kept his tone calm.

"Ask Virex."

That was the last line they got from him.

Min-Jae grabbed Dayo’s sleeve and pulled him back toward the entrance doors.

Dayo muttered under his breath, "You set me up."

Min-Jae laughed quietly. "You needed fresh air. You got it."

They got inside.

The doors closed.

The noise reduced instantly, but it didn’t disappear. You could still hear voices outside, muffled, like bees trapped behind glass.

Dayo rubbed the back of his neck once.

Min-Jae looked proud of himself. "See? You survived."

Dayo stared at him. "Next time I’m trapping you."

Min-Jae smirked. "Nah you will never again."

Dayo walked off without another word, heading deeper into the building.

Min-Jae watched him go, then turned to security.

"Keep them out," he said. "No pictures inside."

The guards nodded and moved.

***

Inside Virex, the assistant was sweating.

He didn’t sweat because of work. He didn’t sweat because of meetings. He was sweating because his face was everywhere.

He sat in his office, staring at his tablet like it was insulting him.

Replay clips.

Screenshots.

Zoomed-in comparisons.

Side-by-side pictures of him standing behind the Virex CEO in past events, next to the leak chain image.

The comments were not gentle.

"That’s him."

"Why is he in the leak chain?"

"So Virex really pushed the clip?"

He kept scrolling, hoping it would stop.

It didn’t stop.

His mind kept flashing back to one name.

Kang Min Ho.

A paparazzi.

A man who lived by selling moments.

He had bought from him before.

He thought he was smart. He thought he was careful. He thought he had power.

He forgot paparazzi people recorded everything, even their breathing.

His tablet almost slipped from his hand.

He stood up suddenly his head felt hot again he remembered his bosses voice if you don’t find a solution you’re finished.

The assistant didn’t go home.

He went straight to Kang Min Ho’s place.

He didn’t plan it. He didn’t even think. His body moved on anger and panic.

He knocked hard.

No answer.

He knocked again.

Still nothing.

He knocked the third time, harder.

The door opened slightly.

Kang Min Ho didn’t even check properly. He just opened it like he was tired.

The assistant pushed the door wider and stepped in.

Kang blinked. "Ah. You."

The assistant’s eyes were red. "How dare you record me?"

Kang leaned back like he expected it. "Record you? You want to buy videos and you think I don’t record my buyers?"

The assistant grabbed his collar. "You ruined me!"

Kang shoved his hands away. "You ruined yyourself .you threatened me and ecpect to go scout free you wihs and now You came with your arrogance to my house.

The assistant stepped forward like he wanted to hit him.

Kang’s friend stood up from the couch.

The assistant didn’t notice the phone in his hand at first.

Kang laughed. "Hit me. Do it. Then your face will trend again tomorrow."

The assistant froze.

He finally saw the phone.

The friend was recording.

The assistant lunged for it. "Give me that!"

The friend stepped back quickly.

Kang grabbed the assistant’s shirt and pushed him hard.

They stumbled.

The assistant tried to push back, but Kang was used to messy streets. Used to fights. Used to chaos.

They crashed into a table.

A glass fell.

The assistant lost balance and hit the floor.

Kang stood over him, breathing hard.

"You people think money makes you untouchable," Kang said. "You forget the street has eyes."

The assistant stood up quickly, embarrassed and furious.

He pointed at Kang. "You’re finished."

Kang pointed at the door. "Leave."

The assistant was shaking. His pride was bleeding.

He didn’t say anything again. He rushed out.

Kang locked the door and leaned on it for a second.

His friend lowered the phone slowly. "You see why I said we should leave Korea?"

Kang exhaled. "Not yet."

The friend frowned. "Kang, this footage is gold. But your face is in it."

Kang nodded. "Blur your face. Blur my face. We sell it."

The friend hesitated. "To who?"

Kang’s eyes narrowed. "To the ones that can pay."

He called the investigator the one that framed him and got the record for free.

The investigator answered calmly.

Kang spoke fast. "I have something bigger."

The investigator didn’t sound surprised. "Talk."

Kang lowered his voice. "The Virex assistant came to my place. He attacked me. He said too much. He mentioned his CEO’s name during the fight. It’s all on video."

Silence for a second.

Then the investigator asked, "What do you want?"

Kang swallowed. "Money. Enough to disappear."

The investigator replied, "How much?"

Kang paused.

Then he said a number that sounded bold.

The investigator didn’t argue. He just said, "Wait."

He ended the call and called Dayo.

Dayo was still resting.

He answered on the second ring.

The investigator spoke plainly. "Kang Min Ho has new footage. Your competitor’s assistant came to confront him. It turned physical. The assistant mentioned his CEO during the fight. Clear audio and video."

Dayo didn’t speak immediately.

He was quiet for a moment, calculating.

Then he said, "How much?"

The investigator said, "He wants big money."

Dayo answered calmly, like he was ordering food.

"Pay him ₩30,000,000."

The investigator paused. "You sure?"

Dayo replied, "Yes. Pay him. Get the footage. Tell him to disappear after."

The investigator nodded even though Dayo couldn’t see him. "Understood."

Dayo ended the call.

He didn’t look stressed.

He didn’t look excited.

He looked like someone who just picked up the final piece on a board.

Because Virex had pushed too hard.

And now the next hit would not be a rumor.

It would be proof again.