Rookie Talent Agent Knows It All-Chapter 557: Merge (3)

"I'll give you 3% of my shares in Hoop Entertainment for free when the company goes public."

Everyone in the small theater looked at Choi Eun-Tae in shock.

Even in terms of pure value, 3 percent was staggering, but owning 3 percent also came with numerous legal rights under corporate law. Those rights ranged from officially inspecting the company's business and financial status to monitoring its management activities.

In other words, with 3 percent, you could get involved in management.

At that moment, Choi Man-Sik, who had planned the employee stock ownership scheme, jumped in alarm. "M-Mr. Chairman, that... that's not okay."

Choi Eun-Tae responded, "What's not okay about giving something I own?"

"3 percent... that's practically a special favor."

Choi Eun-Tae calmly nodded. "Exactly. It is a special favor."

"Excuse me?"

"If you treat someone with outstanding results the same as everyone else, isn't that more unfair?"

"That's..."

"People who deliver results deserve proper compensation. Otherwise, why would anyone work hard? Unless, of course, you're denying that Chief Jung was key to Hoop's success?"

"..."

"You can't deny it, can you? That's why a monetary reward isn't enough. Chief Jung cared for and built Hoop more than anyone, more than even the shareholders. So... I won't be changing my decision."

Choi Eun-Tae had deliberately stayed distant from both me and Hoop Entertainment to avoid alarming Choi Man-Sik. Even when he had to get involved, he limited his comments to the bare minimum. But now, Choi Eun-Tae was actively participating in the management of Hoop Entertainment.

'Mr. Choi... why are you doing this all of a sudden?'

I was curious about his sudden change in behavior, but I couldn't ask now.

Choi Eun-Tae then told me not to refuse. "Chief Jung, take the shares. This isn't just about you. It's to show others that if they perform like you, they'll get fair rewards."

The employees in Actor Division 2 and Singer Division 2 were overjoyed as if they were receiving the reward themselves. Meanwhile, those from Suhyaejong stared at me with envious and jealous eyes. If I refused the shares here, our side's morale would surely plummet.

"Understood. I'll gladly accept them, sir."

Only then did Choi Eun-Tae let out a relieved sigh. "Good. You made a wise decision. And from now on, don't worry about Hoop Entertainment running out of money."

Except for Actor Division 2 and those on Kang Gam-Chan's side, most of the Suhyaejong's line had already spent their year-end bonuses. That was because Gu Seong-Cheol and the team leads of Actor Division 2 had actively spread malicious rumors.

So now, even if Choi Eun-Tae said such things, the chances of employee's stock ownership going more to Kang Gam-Chan's side had increased.

"I thought you had no interest in Hoop Entertainment, Mr. Chairman. I misunderstood. Thank you."

Choi Eun-Tae let out a hearty laugh and nodded. "I'll be taking more interest now."

He then turned to Choi Man-Sik.

"President Choi, do you have anything else to say? I have other matters to attend to."

The trembling Choi Man-Sik replied, "No, the event is almost over. I just need to give a few words to the chiefs."

"Then let's wrap up here."

"Yes, understood."

Choi Eun-Tae looked at me. "And Chief Jung, come with me for a moment. I need to explain a few procedures for transferring the shares."

The fact that he called me separately meant there was more he wanted to say.

"Yes, sir."

Then Kang Ji-Yung announced the official end of the merger ceremony. "Then that concludes today's New Year's kick-off and merger ceremony. Thank you for your hard work."

Murmurs rippled through the crowd. The mood remained chaotic due to the bombshell announcements.

Kang Ji-Yung took the mic and spoke in place of Choi Man-Sik. "Now, all division chiefs and above, please gather in the executive conference room on the 7th floor. Everyone else, please return to work."

As Kang Ji-Yung's voice echoed through the small theater, I followed Choi Eun-Tae toward the exit.

***

We exited the small theater and headed toward the VIP parking lot on the first floor. A black Rose-Rise stood imposingly, flaunting its size.

Choi Eun-Tae told me to get in for a moment. I opened the rear left door, which opened in reverse, and took a seat inside. Once Choi Eun-Tae sat down and pressed a button, the heavy door quietly closed on its own.

Click.

Then Choi Yung-Ho got into the driver's seat. Unlike usual, there was no chauffeur.

Choi Eun-Tae looked at me and brought up the earlier scene. "Chief Jung, were you surprised when I suddenly offered you the shares?"

"Yes. You've always kept your distance because of President Choi Man-Sik. Why the sudden change?" ƒreeωebnovel.ƈom

Choi Eun-Tae had been keeping his distance from me to hide the fact that Kang Eun-Gi was his son, and it felt strange to see him act so differently now.

At that moment, Choi Eun-Tae smiled slyly. "We've finished preparing to take down Assemblyman Park Sang-Gon. So there's no need to worry about that bastard Man-Sik anymore."

"Is that true, Mr. Chairman?"

"It is. The operation will begin after February. We're planning to go all in around the time of the by-election."

A strategy was about to unfold to take down Assemblyman Park Sang-Gon, the ruling party leader and frontrunner for the presidency. Things that I couldn't even dare to get involved in before the regression were now happening right in front of me.

"That's why you should focus on acquiring shares of Hoop Entertainment."

I was about to say I could handle it on my own. "I can manage on my own..."

However, Choi Eun-Tae cut me off. "No. Things are different now."

"What do you mean?"

"Do you know about A1 Entertainment, the Japanese subsidiary of Hoop Entertainment?"

"Yes. It's a management office in Tokyo, right?"

A1 Entertainment in Tokyo was a small management company with five full-time employees, established for Hoop Entertainment's Japanese business. Currently, Hoop owned 100 percent of the shares, and Golden Road along with Chief Cha Sang-Jin were working in Japan under A1's management.

Choi Eun-Tae continued, "Actually, that's the company that manages my slush fund in Japan. It's probably in the trillion-won range."

"Excuse me?? What do you mean?"

A1 Entertainment was such a small company that we usually didn't even stop by during business trips. Instead, its employees would come to the hotel to handle things.

And now I found out it was the hub managing Choi Eun-Tae's slush fund in Japan.

I asked, "But... why are you telling me this?"

"I wanted you to understand the true value of the shares you're receiving."

Choi Eun-Tae had just promised to give me 3 percent of Hoop Entertainment's shares—a company that owned such a subsidiary.

"So that's why Choi Man-Sik is so obsessed with Hoop Entertainment?"

"At first, he probably just wanted Hoop Entertainment for lobbying purposes. But recently, he discovered that one of Hoop's subsidiaries manages my slush fund."

"Then isn't A1 Entertainment in danger? It only has five employees."

"Right now, Hoop has ten foreign subsidiaries, A1 through A10, in Japan, China, and the U.S. No one knows exactly which one holds the money. And all the subsidiary employees are absolutely loyal to me."

So far, Choi Man-Sik didn't know which of the subsidiaries actually managed the money.

"That's a relief."

Choi Eun-Tae looked a bit sheepish. "I'm sorry for not telling you earlier."

"Oh, no. It surprised me, sure, but it's your money, not mine. There's no need to apologize to me."

"Thank you for understanding."

"Um... but I do have a question. If Hoop Entertainment goes public, won't the existence of these subsidiaries come to light and cause trouble?"

"No, not at all. I've already made the necessary arrangements. Even if we go public, the general public won't find out. And if there's ever a real issue, I can quietly move it somewhere else."

"So Choi Man-Sik is a different story, huh?"

"Exactly. Legally speaking, he's still my only son."

That's when a chill ran down my spine. I finally understood why Choi Eun-Tae was revealing all this now.

"Don't tell me... this means your safety might be at risk?"

"When you mess with politicians, you never know what'll happen. If something does happen to me, a large portion of my assets will be transferred to Eun-Gi. I'd like you to help him out then."

Choi Eun-Tae was preparing for the worst. Helping Kang Eun-Gi was a given, but I wasn't sure if I was capable of handling something like this. This was on a whole different scale, even bigger than anything I dealt with before the regression.

"I understand your wishes, Mr. Chairman, but wouldn't Mr. Kang be more suitable than me?"

Choi Eun-Tae grasped both of my hands and asked earnestly. "I actually met with him yesterday, but he said you're the right person. He admitted that it's beyond his capacity. He insisted Chief Jung is the one for this job. So please, just until we deal with Choi Man-Sik... protect Hoop Entertainment."

I was already planning to fight for control of Hoop Entertainment, but now I had a stronger reason. And it felt like Kang Eun-Gi's fate also depended on the outcome of this war.

In the end, I slowly nodded. "All... right."

Choi Eun-Tae's face, which had looked a little grim, suddenly lit up. "Hahaha. Now I feel at ease."

He laughed, saying he wasn't going to go down so easily. But then, a brief shadow crossed his face. He still couldn't contact his biological son Kang Eun-Gi, and his adopted son was threatening his legacy.

I couldn't help but feel for him, so I decided to share what I knew about Kang Eun-Gi. "Sir, Eun-Gi is doing well. Yeon-Sil is also healthy. Please don't worry too much. When Eun-Gi comes back, I'll make sure you two meet. So don't lose heart. You need to stay healthy to see him again."

Choi Eun-Tae smiled gently and nodded. "Thank you. I'm glad I have you, at least."

At that moment, I sensed that this year would be far more intense than the last.

"Well then, I should get going. I've got things to do."

"Yes, Mr. Chairman."

As I stepped out of the car, Choi Yung-Ho spoke from the driver's seat. "Chief Jung, don't worry about Hope Hospital. Mr. Choi will take care of it."

Choi Eun-Tae gave a soft smile. "As long as hope doesn't vanish from Hope Hospital, I'll make sure it's protected."

A man with an endless well of wealth made me a promise.

I smiled. "Then, to make sure that well doesn't run dry, I'll have to help you with what you asked."

Choi Eun-Tae burst out laughing. "They say good deeds bring blessings and it seems that's true. Hahaha."

With Choi Eun-Tae's laughter echoing behind me, I stepped out of the car.

Vroom.

The heavy Rose-Rise drove off with a deep engine growl. Watching it disappear, I bowed my head.

No matter what kind of life Choi Eun-Tae had lived in the past, the fact remained—he was now giving many people a future and hope.

***

Back at Hoop Entertainment, I headed straight to the executive meeting room as Choi Man-Sik had just finished the meeting and messaged me to talk one-on-one.

When I entered the office of Kim Gwan-Woo, only Choi Man-Sik was there.

"You son of a bitch. What the hell are you to the old man?"

The moment Choi Man-Sik saw me, he growled. I could now understand his aggressive push for control over Hoop Entertainment, after learning about the massive secret tied to the subsidiary.

I shrugged and said, "We're nothing to each other."

"Nothing? And yet Mr. Chairman handed you shares he wouldn't even give me?"

"I was just as surprised as you."

Choi Man-Sik, unable to contain his fury, suddenly said something outrageous. "Give me those shares. I'll buy them off you at a good price."

His intentions were crystal clear, so I shook my head. "Why would I hand over my shares to the enemy?"

"What? Enemy?"

"Yes."

Choi Man-Sik's eyes narrowed like a snake's as a chilling warning slipped out. "You... are you seriously thinking about fighting me?"

He looked at me like someone who wouldn't blink after killing a man, but I had no intention of backing down.

Unlike before the regression where I lived and died alone, I now had solid allies: Kang Gam-Chan and the Hoop Entertainment family, the two heirs of Jinseong Inc, Kim Ae-Ryeon of Daechon Inc, who offered to open the door to entertainment for me, Wang Min, Deputy Secretary of Shanghai, Li Ke-Jun, Ling-Ling and Lily's father and CEO of RedPay, a multibillion-dollar electronic payment platform listing in Shanghai, Jang Ji-Hye, President of Womans, and Ahn Seok-Hoon, President of Yetterang.

With their support, I had no fear of clashing financially with Choi Man-Sik. Besides, he still had to manage political funds, so he wouldn't be able to dedicate himself fully to Hoop Entertainment. Meanwhile, I could focus entirely on Hoop. That gave me a clear advantage.

I rose from my seat, signaling the end of the conversation. "Let's see what you've got."

Choi Man-Sik stared at me with burning eyes. "Fine! Know this—on the day I take full control of Hoop Entertainment... that'll be the day you die!"

I shrugged casually. "Will that day ever come?"

'If Choi Eun-Tae succeeds in bringing down Park Sang-Gon, you're next, Choi Man-Sik.'

Once, Choi Man-Sik felt like an insurmountable threat, but not anymore. I left the room to discuss the future with Kang Gam-Chan, leaving behind Choi Man-Sik shouting furiously.

At that moment, the world seemed just a little bit smaller.

'You've grown up, Jung Yoon-Ho.'

***

Kang Gam-Chan promised to support me, saying I was the right person for the job.

And just like that, I ended up carrying the future of Hoop Entertainment on my shoulders. It was a heavy burden, but it also filled me with pride because it meant people believed in me.

After wrapping up the follow-up conversation with Kang Gam-Chan, I ended a whirlwind of a morning and went straight to Ace Entertainment to terminate Park Sang-Gyu's contract. Fortunately, Kim Dong-Soo hadn't officially assumed his role as president yet, so it was still possible.

I had a preliminary agreement with Park Sang-Gyu, and we decided to sign the formal contract after his audition for Doppelgänger tomorrow.

Then I visited Reverse Entertainment to give advice on how to best allocate the actors and talent agents who had transferred from Ace Entertainment after the split.

Ju Yung-In also established her own agency, JU Entertainment, after separating from Ace Entertainment. As a result, Ace Entertainment shrank significantly, losing 40 percent of its actors and talent agents, and dropped to the fifth-ranked agency in the industry.

The next day arrived. To attend the Doppelgänger audition, I arrived at SUN Film in Hongdae with Park Sang-Gyu. As we entered the waiting room, I saw actors so famous that even their names carried weight.

There was Choi Yang-Seop from Ace, who once competed with Lee Tae-Poong for the lead in Beyond the Boundary, and Ahn Dong-Hee, a critically acclaimed actor from Reverse who moved the nation with Escape from Unemployment.

I also noticed Baek Sung-Hyun of TK Entertainment, who won the Hwangryong Film Association's Grand Prize for Drift Ice, a thriller about a string of murders in an Arctic expedition, and Choi Jae-Myung, star of Like a Brother, which told the story of a terminally ill man and his two friends.

There were four S-class actors. Because of their presence and the subtle tension they created, the less-famous actors sat quietly in corners, going over their scripts.

Nevertheless, Park Sang-Gyu wasn't intimidated. Instead, he watched them with the calm interest of someone observing celebrities on TV.

I wondered if, like during his supporting role days, he would passively watch instead of competing. So I gently encouraged him to adopt the mindset of a protagonist.

"Hyung-nim, today you have to go for the lead. Think of it like going to war with them and don't let your guard down."

Park Sang-Gyu smiled and replied, "Don't worry. Today, I'm going to land that lead role no matter what."

"I'm sorry, Hyung-nim. I might have overstepped with my advice."

I bowed my head, but Park Sang-Gyu quickly lifted me back up. "No, no. Honestly... I feel this way because the best talent agent in Korea is standing by my side."

He smiled warmly and patted my shoulder.

Creak.

At that moment, the door to the waiting room opened, and in walked Kang Sang-Joon, the star of Iron Blood from Gwanwoo Entertainment, who had won the Hwangryong Film Association's Grand Prize five years ago.

Alongside him was Baek Sang-Beom, now the chief of Actor Division 5. Oddly, Baek Sang-Beom, who I initially saw as a rival, gave me a sly smile.

'Chief Baek... what are you scheming this time?'

At that moment, Kang Sang-Joon spotted me and walked over with deliberate steps.

And what he said was something completely unexpected.

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