I Was Mistaken as a Monstrous Genius Actor-Chapter 357: Chain (6) - Edited

Chapter 357: Chain (6)

Translator: Santos

The title track of Miley Cara's new album, in which Kang Woo-jin participated, proudly topped the Billboard chart. Specifically,

- *[Billboard Hot 100]*

It was on the Hot 100 chart. For reference, there are two main charts on Billboard: the Hot 100 and the Billboard 200. The Hot 100 is similar to the domestic chart rankings, ranking individual title tracks. The Billboard 200 ranks entire albums that contain multiple tracks.

Both charts hold significant influence, but the Hot 100 is the more powerful one.

However, the Billboard 200 could not be disregarded either, and its number one spot was also currently held by Miley Cara's new album. In other words, she was dominating both the Hot 100 and the Billboard 200, and naturally, Kang Woo-jin’s name was included in that success.

The Billboard chart is the ultimate destination for pop stars and their fans around the world.

For a Korean actor to have his name on the Billboard chart, especially at number one, was undoubtedly a first, and it would be challenging to see such a thing happen again. Miley Cara was certainly aware of this. Smiling with her legs crossed, she showed her phone to her main manager, Jonathan.

“Right after winning Best Actor at Cannes, Kang Woo-jin can’t possibly be unaware of this. While it’s great that my album is doing well, I’m also excited about his promising future.”

Jonathan scratched his chin, noting her frequent smiles lately.

“Miley, you know you smile every time Kang Woo-jin comes up in conversation, right?”

Instantly, Cara wiped the smile from her face, clearing her throat and shrugging.

“What are you talking about? I smile often, even without him being involved.”

“...I don’t know. I’ve never seen it.”

“Forget it.”

She swiftly changed the subject, glancing back at her phone.

“But having five songs in the top ten is a bit disappointing.”

While the number one spot on the Billboard Hot 100 was occupied by her song, five of the top ten songs were hers as well. This was the undeniable momentum of a global superstar. What was even more impressive was that the music video featuring Woo-jin had already surpassed 300 million views.

“Well, it’s okay. There’s still plenty of time.”

She considered it just the beginning. After all, for the foreseeable future, Cara needed to focus on her new album’s schedule. Soon, Jonathan took out a tablet, seemingly struck by a thought.

“Speaking of which, they’re starting to leak hints about your involvement in *The Beneficial Evil.* I wonder if it’s too early for the agency or us. It might be better to wait until you’ve wrapped up your album schedule first.”

Cara, tucking her blonde hair behind her ear, replied,

“Whether it’s early or late doesn’t matter. If we go by what Kang Woo-jin said, it doesn’t seem like it’s an official announcement yet.”

“Hmm— that’s true, but I’ve never heard of such a flow before.”

She answered nonchalantly.

“It’s interesting, right? There’s fun in watching how things unfold.”

Meanwhile, back in Korea, in the office of the major media outlet *Power Patch*.

The editor, with his potato-shaped face, was looking at a photo from the Bangkok overseas filming location for *The Beneficial Evil* on his phone. It featured dozens of staff and filming equipment, including Kang Woo-jin. Yet the name that slipped from the reporter's lips, wearing rectangular glasses, was strangely Miley Cara.

This was due to the somewhat blurry profile of a blonde woman in the photo.

“Is this— Miley Cara?”

The editor, sharing the same thought, lowered his voice in response.

“Right? It’s a bit ambiguous, but that’s what it looks like to me. I thought the same when I first saw you.”

“Who wouldn’t think it’s Miley Cara?”

Moreover, the reporter with the rectangular glasses furrowed his brow, clearly struggling to understand.

“No— but... that doesn’t really add up, does it? Miley Cara? There’s no way she would be in *The Beneficial Evil*.”

“Logically, yes.”

“This blonde woman could just be a local staff member or a minor role they picked up separately, right?”

“That’s possible.”

“Moreover, Miley Cara appearing in a Korean project— she’d surely choose Hollywood films instead. What reason would she have to take on a Korean project? What’s in it for her?”

The editor chuckled softly.

“Even so, she looks like Miley Cara.”

“...”

“Plus, she’s close to Kang Woo-jin. Of course, Miley Cara is a global star, but Kang Woo-jin has also become quite the global power, hasn’t he?”

The reporter, realizing something from the editor’s expression, answered, half-awestruck.

“Are you suggesting we try to connect the dots, regardless?”

“The scenario is good, right? It’s not like we’re tearing down Kang Woo-jin. In fact, this photo is causing quite a stir over in Bangkok, you know? You can’t know for sure unless you break it down.”

The reporter’s mind started racing.

“...It’s not a bad idea. There’s no reason to complain about throwing out some suspicions. Honestly, if it benefits *The Beneficial Evil*, it can’t be a bad thing. It’ll create buzz.”

“Buzz? Dude, it’s Miley Cara. If she filmed a Korean project, it’ll not only grab attention domestically but could also explode in Hollywood.”

“Historically speaking, when Miley Cara came to Korea, she only appeared on Kang Woo-jin’s YouTube channel, and now, out of the blue, she’s featured in Miley Cara’s album. Plus, they marched together at the Cannes Film Festival. They’re definitely close. If we craft a story around that, the public and other media outlets will eat it up.”

Before long, both the reporter and the editor were smiling broadly. The editor said,

“If it’s not Miley Cara, we can just call it a mere coincidence.”

Lowering his voice further, he added,

“If it turns out to be true, we’ll have a groundbreaking scoop on our hands.”

However, the reporter with the rectangular glasses still seemed unconvinced.

“Eh— Miley Cara? Let’s just consider it a coincidence.”

Afterward.

Kang Woo-jin returned to Korea after wrapping up the hectic schedule for *The Stranger* in Japan. He and his team stepped off the private jet, unlike their usual routine. A dozen team members, including Jang Su-hwan and Han Ye-jeong, were in a frenzy.

“This is insane! It’s unreal!!”

“Wow— I never thought I’d ride on a private jet in my life!”

“I can’t believe it!! I’ve seen a few articles about it before! Incredible! Totally incredible!!”

“Oppa!! Woo-jin oppa! Isn’t it amazing?!”

Despite the ecstatic reactions from his team members, Kang Woo-jin walked calmly, wearing a solemn expression.

“Not really.”

“Is that it??! No, oppa! It’s a private jet! A! Private! Jet!!”

Of course, he was putting on an act for the concept. Most likely, he was the one most excited about the private jet. Since he had boarded the jet, he had been dying to express his amazement.

‘Damn, I want to take pictures! I want to tell my dad, mom, and friends! Wait, is this really my private jet??! Is this a dream???’

He would have loved to touch every corner of the private jet and snap hundreds of confirmation shots. But he held back, trying to ignore the slight twitch at the corners of his mouth. Fortunately, his team members were snapping pictures like crazy, so he could always get shared photos later.

No matter what, it was a historic day.

‘Does this mean I’ll be taking that private jet when I go overseas in the future?’

It was the day Kang Woo-jin got a private jet. He was amazed once again by Chairman Hideki’s generosity. To gift someone an entire plane—what a display of power for a conglomerate leader. The news of Woo-jin’s private jet had spread from the moment he was en route to the set of *The Beneficial Evil*.

A calm Han Ye-jeong confirmed this and reported it to Kang Woo-jin.

“Oppa, the article just dropped. About your private jet.”

There had already been quite a few articles released.

『[Star Photo] Kang Woo-jin returns on a ‘private jet,’ but his expression remains composed / photo』

『Already a private jet? Is he gearing up for overseas activities after Cannes...? Kang Woo-jin’s private jet.』

Perhaps it was birthed from the hands of the numerous reporters who welcomed Woo-jin at the airport.

『‘In his second year of debut,’ after winning Best Actor at Cannes, now riding in a private jet— Kang Woo-jin / photo』

Kang Woo-jin felt a swell of pride.

‘This will definitely let my dad, mom, and everyone else know.’

Han Ye-jeong would handle the announcement of the private jet. She planned to upload the photos of the private jet to Woo-jin’s social media. About an hour later, when Woo-jin arrived at the massive set of *The Beneficial Evil*, the staff rushed toward him.

“Wow!! Woo-jin! You got a private jet??!”

“You really went to Japan in a private jet?!!”

They seemed to be in awe as well. Even Song Man-woo, the burly producer known for dramas, joined in on the excitement. Although he

was a big shot in the drama world, he had rarely seen an actor travel by private jet.

“Did Chairman Choi prepare it? A private jet? Was this just a one-time thing?”

“No, it seems I’ll be using the private jet going forward.”

“Wow—”

The news spread like wildfire among the hundred or so staff members on set. Meanwhile, Producer Song Man-woo quickly regained his composure. He approached Kang Woo-jin, who was preparing for filming, and whispered.

“About that ‘she’ you mentioned— I leaked it, so we should be getting some bites soon.”

With that, Kang Woo-jin focused on the filming of *The Beneficial Evil*.

The filming continued late into the night, with standby scheduled for early morning. While outdoor filming wasn’t off the table, Producer Song Man-woo had decided to prioritize set filming first, so most of *The Beneficial Evil* was being shot on set.

At this time.

『[Issue Talk] ‘Kang Woo-jin’ takes over the Billboard chart with ‘Miley Cara’s new song!』

News of Miley Cara’s new album dominating the Billboard chart was spreading in Korea.

『Not only Cannes but now Kang Woo-jin’s name on the Billboard chart, his global recognition continues to rise.』

The buzz surrounding the music video’s hundreds of millions of views had already created waves, but now that there were clear results, the reactions from the media and public skyrocketed.

- *Miley’s new song is greatㅎㅎㅎㅎ*

- *I’m not even a fan of Kang Woo-jin, but wow, this song shocked meㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋI love it!*

- *Miley is amazing, but what’s up with Kang Woo-jin? Does he even have anything he can’t do?*

- *Wow... Kang Woo-jin’s voice... Please release a solo track, oppa...*

- *Was it Kang Woo-jin playing the piano in the middle?*

- *This song is going wild overseasㅋㅋㅋKang Woo-jin is really going to be a legend.*

- *The music video just surpassed 300 million views on YouTubeㄷㄷㄷㄷㄷ*

- *Streaming non-stop!!!*

- *At this rate, Kang Woo-jin might actually drop an album and dominate the Billboard chartㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ*

Watching these developments, Kang Woo-jin remained calm.

‘It’s amazing, but it’s still lower than the dinosaur.’

He had already received a DM from Miley Cara. Plus, he didn’t really know much about the Billboard chart, so his excitement was muted. Regardless, the domestic media and public were in a frenzy over the new issues that had arisen.

A few days later.

- *♬♪*

Kang Woo-jin’s phone alarm rang. It was around 5 AM. The location was Woo-jin’s home in Samseong-dong. As he groggily opened his eyes in the darkened room,

“...Ugh—”

He groaned. Yesterday, filming for *The Beneficial Evil* had ended around midnight, and he had gotten home by 1 AM. He fell asleep around 2 AM. Having slept for just over three hours, it was no surprise he felt like a zombie. Of course, he had a packed schedule today as well. He had to arrive at the shop by 7 AM, conduct two interviews with overseas media, a photoshoot, filming for *The Beneficial Evil* after lunch, and then a meeting for his YouTube channel “Kang Woo-jin's Alter Ego” in the evening.

“I might actually die.”

Muttering to himself while still curled up in bed, he finally forced himself to rise. He first pulled out a bottle of water from the fridge and took a few gulps before grabbing the script lying on the living room table. It was the script for *The Beneficial Evil*. He was preparing to enter the dimension.

“Let’s just take a quick break first.”

It was a choice for survival. After a while of lazing around in the dimension, Kang Woo-jin returned to reality. His complexion had somewhat improved. After a quick wash, he put on a hat and left the house.

- *Swoosh.*

While waiting for the elevator, he took out his phone. The number of messages piled up was enormous. He couldn’t check them all, so he only looked at the urgent ones. Among the accumulated messages, he noticed one from Choi Seong-geon and moved his thumb.

The content was brief.

- *(Link)*

- *An article has been published.*

Raising an eyebrow in curiosity, Kang Woo-jin touched the link that Choi Seong-geon had sent. Just then, the elevator doors opened, and his phone screen changed. It displayed an article that had just been posted a few minutes ago. Upon seeing the title, Kang Woo-jin couldn’t help but speak softly.

“Oh—”

It was, of course, an article he had been somewhat anticipating.

『[Exclusive] ‘Kang Woo-jin’ is going global, seen at the filming location for ‘The Beneficial Evil’ in Bangkok alongside ‘Miley Cara’... Is Miley Cara appearing in ‘The Beneficial Evil’?』 – Power Patch

The article featured a familiar photo. The slightly blurry profile of the blonde woman and Kang Woo-jin. Even though it was just a few minutes after it had been uploaded, the comments had already surpassed 100.

‘Snowball start.’

Recalling the media that would soon swarm in, Kang Woo-jin smiled to himself. He felt a swell of pride. At this moment, the elevator opened again, and Kang Woo-jin adopted a serious poker face. In the underground parking lot, a black van was waiting. As he approached, the side door of the van opened, and the burly Jang Su-hwan stepped out. Recently, he had been promoted while on the road.

“Hyung!! You’re here!”

Today, he greeted Woo-jin with high energy.

“Yeah, what about breakfast?”

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“You should eat at the shop!”

As Woo-jin approached, Jang Su-hwan suddenly flashed a thumbs up.

“Isn’t it finally happening?!!”

Knowing what he meant, Kang Woo-jin nodded dryly.

“Right.”

“Monitoring in Japan has started!!”

Jang Su-hwan pulled out his work phone and waved it. Today was Tuesday, October 26th.

“How does it feel?”

“It’s already making headlines! Of course, *The Stranger* took the number one spot for advance ticket sales!”

It was the opening day of *The Stranger*.