Rookie Talent Agent Knows It All-Chapter 574: One Sip Milk (4)
Chapter 574: One Sip Milk (4)
As I approached Yang Ah-Jin with my fist clenched, he quickly dropped to his knees.
"W-wait a second!"
His voice trembled, and even his speech shifted from informal to polite. However, someone like Yang Ah-Jin only responded when properly put in his place.
So I kept pressing him.
"You barged in here so boldly, and now what's with the sudden change? Come on, get up. This time I'll hit first."
With that, I rotated my wrist as I walked toward him. Still kneeling, Yang Ah-Jin scrambled backward. "I-I'm sorry! Please, just give me one more chance! I swear I'll stay out of trouble and live a decent life!"
Yet I couldn't believe him. After all, people like him usually lay low just long enough to get revenge later.
I shook my head and said, "Save your breath. Now get up already, will you?"
At that, Yang Ah-Jin hastily pulled out his phone. "H-here! Take this and please trust me!"
I paused and asked, "And what would I do with that phone?"
"I-I recorded the calls I had with Director Yoo and it's all saved here! Every last one!"
Because he was in sales and deliveries, Yang Ah-Jin's phone was set to auto-record all calls. With something like that, things were about to turn.
He rushed to add, "I'll even leave town after this. Please, just give me a break. Okay?"
Despite his rough appearance, he was clearly scared.
"Is that true?"
"Yes! I can't make a living here anymore, especially after being on the news. One Sip Milk is probably going to terminate my authorized dealer contract too. I only came here out of anger, but I'll just forget all this and start over."
Yang Ah-Jin promised to leave town and go back to his hometown without looking back. If he was serious, then maybe this was enough punishment. After all, my real target was Yoo Moon-Ho.
"All right... let's listen to the recording first, then we'll talk."
I took the phone from Yang Ah-Jin and played the recorded file. Yoo Moon-Ho's voice came through clearly.
-Turning Han Woo-Hyuk into an abusive celebrity? That's easy. Just send some milk to his parents and say we're counting on them going forward.
-Old folks are greedy, so they'll end up drinking it out of guilt anyway.
-What? They didn't drink it today? Man, people are too damn cautious. Go back tomorrow and tell them it'll spoil if they don't. They'll drink it.
-All that matters is getting them to drink it! Once they do, we'll run an article saying Han Woo-Hyuk's side demanded it as a bribe. Just be ready for a press conference.
Yoo Moon-Ho openly admitted his whole scheme over the phone.
I nodded. "This should work nicely. All right. I won't press charges, but in return, will you submit this recording as evidence and agree to an interview?"
Yang Ah-Jin nodded eagerly. "Yes. That bastard Director Yoo is the reason I'm in this mess... I'll do whatever you say!"
Determined not to go down alone, Yang Ah-Jin was ready to drag Yoo Moon-Ho with him.
I turned to Han Yoo-Sik. "Mr. Han, can we call the KBC reporters back?"
"Of course!"
Han Yoo-Sik grabbed his phone and called back Chae Chi-Soo's team who had just left the orphanage.
"They said they'll be back in ten minutes."
'Ten minutes, huh?'
That meant there was one more thing to do. I spoke to Yang Ah-Jin, who was glancing around nervously. "Before the reporter arrives, there's one more thing you need to do."
"W-what is it?"
"Apologize to Jin-Han."
Nine-year-old Woo Jin-Han was nearly taken to the police after being falsely accused of stealing by Yang Ah-Jin. I wanted to take this opportunity to help heal the emotional scar left on Woo Jin-Han's heart.
Yang Ah-Jin looked at me, then eventually lowered his head. "A-Alright."
I turned to the orphanage director. "Could you please bring Jin-Han here?"
The orphanage director nodded vigorously. "Yes, Mr. Jung!"
***
Before the KBC's reporters returned, the director personally brought Woo Jin-Han back to the director's office.
Even though Woo Jin-Han saw Yang Ah-Jin kneeling on the floor, the moment he laid eyes on him, he froze in fear. Then he glanced around and quickly hid behind the director.
Yang Ah-Jin watched me, then carefully bowed his head. "I-I'm sorry, kid."
Woo Jin-Han blinked in confusion, unsure how to respond to Yang Ah-Jin's apology. But soon, his body started to tremble. All the resentment he had bottled up for days suddenly surged to the surface.
'I used to be like that too.'
Orphans were usually the first to be suspected whenever something happened. People assumed they stole because they have no parents, or that they're damaged in some way. That kind of injustice left a deep, soul-crushing wound.
However, what was even worse was what came next. Even when the real culprit was found, there was no apology because orphans had no one to get angry for them or demand justice. So most grew up never receiving an apology. Naturally, they never learned how to forgive either.
Like most orphans, Woo Jin-Han didn't know what to do with his anger once he got an apology. He was just overwhelmed with emotion and couldn't process it.
'I'll have to help him.'
If I hadn't had my mother, I wouldn't have learned how to forgive either and I would have lived a life trapped in negativity. So I decided to teach Woo Jin-Han what my mom once taught me—how to forgive. It wasn't for Yang Ah-Jin's sake, but for Woo Jin-Han's.
I slowly approached Woo Jin-Han, knelt down, and met his eyes. Then I gave him a big smile.
"Jin-Han."
Still fuming, Woo Jin-Han looked up at me. "Yes...?"
"I'm an orphan too."
Woo Jin-Han's eyes widened. "Really...?"
"Yeah. I grew up in a place called Angel Orphanage in Gwangju, Gyeonggi Province."
That's when Woo Jin-Han began to look at me with less suspicion.
"Jin-Han, you really hate that mister, don't you? You're really angry."
Woo Jin-Han glanced at me and nodded.
"Yes..."
"But even if you hate someone, if they recognize what they did wrong and bow their head in apology, you can forgive them."
"Why...? Even though I'm this mad...?"
"If you never learn to forgive, that anger stays in your heart forever and grows into something dark. Jin-Han, do you want to live your whole life with that dark feeling inside you?"
Woo Jin-Han shook his head. "No..."
I smiled and gently patted his head. "If you don't want that, you have to practice forgiving. Want to try it once? It's really not that hard."
Woo Jin-Han glanced at Yang Ah-Jin. Yang Ah-Jin, completely defeated, couldn't even meet his eyes.
At that moment, the orphanage director pointed at me and spoke. "Jin-Han~ If you want to become someone cool like your favorite Uncle Woo-Hyuk, or like the gentleman here, you need to learn how to forgive. Don't you want to be like that, Jin-Han?"
Woo Jin-Han glanced at me shyly and slowly nodded. Then he worked up the courage.
"What do I have to do... to do that?"
"It's simple. Just say that you forgive him."
"That's it?"
I nodded. "Yup."
The start of releasing negative emotions began with the word 'forgive' leaving one's lips.
"Okay..."
Yet, Woo Jin-Han still hesitated, unable to quite say the word. To help him out, I pushed Yang Ah-Jin once more.
"Mr. Yang, you're apologizing to Jin-Han, right?"
Yang Ah-Jin read the room and gave a quick nod. "Y-yeah. I'm really sorry, Jin-Han."
Woo Jin-Han looked at Yang Ah-Jin and said, "I still hate you... but I'll forgive you. Since you apologized first."
Finally, the word 'forgive' came out of Woo Jin-Han's mouth.
At that moment, tears welled up in Woo Jin-Han's big eyes and began to fall.
Drip drip.
"Huh?"
As if the knot in his heart was melting away with his tears, Woo Jin-Han was overwhelmed by emotion. I opened my arms and embraced him as he trembled.
Just like my mom had done for me, I patted his back and said, "You did well, Jin-Han. You really did well."
As I patted his back, Woo Jin-Han began sobbing in my arms. "M-mister... I..."
Unable to put his feelings into words, Woo Jin-Han began to cry, letting the pain melt away in tears.
At last, Yang Ah-Jin looked ashamed of what he had done and spoke again to Woo Jin-Han. "I really... I am really sorry, Jin-Han."
Thankfully, we were able to pull out a nail that might have otherwise stayed lodged in Woo Jin-Han's heart forever.
Then, right on cue, KBC's reporter Chae Chi-Soo entered the director's office.
Creak.
The moment she saw Yang Ah-Jin kneeling, Woo Jin-Han crying in my arms, and the orphanage director clutching his chest in shock, she snapped into professional mode.
"C-camera! Start rolling now!"
And just like that, the second interview began.
***
On the 11th floor of One Sip Milk's headquarters, Yoo Moon-Ho was nervously fiddling with his phone. Ever since Yang Ah-Jin had promised to handle it, he hadn't heard anything back.
"Damn it, why isn't he picking up!"
Yoo Moon-Ho couldn't take it anymore and was about to call. But just then, Assistant Manager Oh Hyung-Joo sitting beside him gave him an uncomfortable look.
"Assistant Manager Oh. Why are you looking at me like that, huh?"
"Sir. You should watch the news."
"The news? What news?"
"KBC."
"What now?"
"You'll see."
That's when Yoo Moon-Ho noticed the eyes of the promotion staff in the office. They were all looking at him like he was some kind of bug.
'What the hell is with them...?'
A chill ran down his spine, and he quickly pulled up the KBC news on his computer monitor.
Ten minutes earlier, a report had aired showing Yang Ah-Jin with his face blurred and voice altered, giving testimony about the abuse of power.
Though Yoo Moon-Ho's name was censored with a beep, everyone at the headquarters immediately recognized it was him. After all, there was only one promotion director responsible for contacting authorized dealers.
[KBC Today Noon News]
...
-(Reporter Chae Chi-Soo): So you're saying someone from One Sip Milk tried to frame Mr. Han Woo-Hyuk? And it was the promotion director?
-(Manager Yang): Yes, that's right. He said that just because a celebrity was acting all high and mighty, he'd teach him a lesson.
-(Reporter Chae Chi-Soo): Then were the spoiled milk deliveries also ordered by that director?
-(Manager Yang): Yes. The headquarters executive wanted it, so I had no choice. But after seeing the director's interview, I couldn't ignore my conscience anymore. That's why I agreed to this interview.
-(Reporter Chae Chi-Soo): Can we trust what you're saying? I mean, your local reputation is terrible. Are you sure you're telling the truth?
-(Manager Yang): I've done wrong, and I plan to take full responsibility by shutting down my shop. But that's separate from the truth—this was all ordered by that director. I even have proof.
When Yang Ah-Jin took out his phone and played the recording, Yoo Moon-Ho's voice came out, giving explicit orders to frame Han Woo-Hyuk as an abusive celebrity.
At the bottom of the screen, bold red letters appeared: [Exclusive: One Sip Milk, Evidence of Abuse of Power!]
Yoo Moon-Ho's face turned pale. He was about to take the full fall for everything.
"T-That bastard!"
Just as Yoo Moon-Ho stood up, determined to go find Yang Ah-Jin, the glass door to the 11th floor burst open.
Clatter.
A sturdy young man and four men in suits stormed in and shouted, "Director Yoo! Have you lost your damn mind?"
The man in front was Ahn Chang-Soo, One Sip Milk's President Ahn Tae-Jin's son. The 35-year-old third-generation chaebol was infamous for being violent and hot-tempered.
Yoo Moon-Ho stuttered, "Sir! I... this is all just a misunderstanding..."
As Yoo Moon-Ho tried to explain, Ahn Chang-Soo kicked him in the shin.
Thud!
"Argh!"
As Yoo Moon-Ho dropped to his knees in pain, Ahn Chang-Soo shouted, "Are you trying to ruin our company, you bastard?!"
Then he turned to the men in suits behind him.
"Hey! Audit team! Bring everyone in and scrape together every dirty thing this bastard's done. Report it all to the prosecutors!"
"Yes, sir!"
Yoo Moon-Ho wailed in pain as he realized he was falling deeper into disgrace. It was the downfall of a man who tried and failed to abuse his power.
***
Having resolved everything, I donated to Taewon Orphanage and promised to visit often. I also called Han Woo-Hyuk to let him know that everything had been taken care of.
Feeling grateful for the help from the Taewon Orphanage director, Han Woo-Hyuk promised to make regular donations from now on. His parents also promised to volunteer at the orphanage, recognizing how much Taewon Orphanage and Woo Jin-Han had helped during this ordeal.
After wrapping up all the business, I headed to JU Entertainment with Han Yoo-Sik to work on the office renovation estimates. I entered the code Yung-In Ju had given me at the entrance and went up to the third floor.
While we were sketching out rough estimates inside the completely empty office, apology articles from One Sip Milk's headquarters started popping up.
[(Exclusive) One Sip Milk's President Ahn Tae-Jin Holds Emergency Apology Press Conference]
-President Ahn Tae-Jin expressed shock that one of the company’s directors pressured an authorized dealer manager to target an actor.
-He promised to take measures to ensure such incidents would never happen again.
The video included in the article showed Ahn Tae-Jin and Ahn Chang-Soo bowing at a 90-degree angle.
Watching the video, Han Yoo-Sik burst into laughter. "To think I'd live to see those arrogant bastards apologize like that."
I agreed. "I honestly didn’t expect things to go this far either."
The incident where a major corporation tried to crush an actor simply for not being submissive after a four-year hiatus had already created a massive scandal. In the end, even the highest-ranking executives had to come forward and issue an apology. Following that, news articles began to surface.
[(Exclusive) Civic Group Files Complaint Against One Sip Milk for Misleading Advertising: Deceiving Consumers with Ineffective Functional Milk]
-Civic group KAN: One Sip Milk's products lack essential elements for bone health compared to standard products.
An issue that was expected to arise in February surfaced earlier than anticipated. Today's events were made possible thanks to Han Yoo-Sik's extensive network at KBC, and I expressed my gratitude to him.
"It's all thanks to you, Mr. Han. Today wouldn't have been possible without your help."
"Haha, what are you talking about? I merely made the introductions. You did all the work."
As we were exchanging compliments, a notification sound from Kk Talk chimed from Han Yoo-Sik's phone. He asked for a moment and checked the message, then let out a short sigh.
"Sir, is something wrong?" I asked.
"It seems we'll need to find a new male lead for Haze."
TNT Entertainment had sent a message stating that unless more money was offered, their actor would not participate, insisting on handling things legally. It was disappointing, because finding an actor like Sung Gyu-Hwan wouldn't be easy.
However, I had no intention of clinging to someone who declined. I smiled and reassured Han Yoo-Sik.
"Well, there's nothing we can do. I'll look for a new actor. Let's find someone even better and make them regret their decision."
"Haha, yes, let's do that!"
Just then, Han Yoo-Sik's phone rang.
[Caller ID: Sung Gyu-Hwan]
Sung Gyu-Hwan was the male actor from TNT Entertainment who had just declined the role in Haze.
"Huh? Why is he calling now?"
"You should answer. Maybe he's calling to apologize."
"Alright."
Han Yoo-Sik answered the call from Sung Gyu-Hwan, and soon, his expression turned to one of surprise.
"Wait... are you serious about that?"
'What on earth is going on?'
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