Rookie Talent Agent Knows It All-Chapter 598: Moral Laws in Family Relationships (3)

[Everyday V12.2]

[Date: March 7, 2022]

-10:00 p.m. <Entertainment Everywhere>. "Actress Baek Eun-Joo sues Director of Gangnam A Plastic Surgery Clinic for surrogate surgery." (Note: Compile a list of celebrities who had surgery at 'Kind People Plastic Surgery' and place it on Chief's desk.)

Baek Eun-Joo was from Ace Entertainment, a young actress who had just turned 23. With her round shaped face and well-defined features, she was known as a natural beauty who hadn't had any procedures like Botox. In truth, she had undergone minor procedures.

As in my previous life, Baek Eun-Joo had landed her first lead role in Princess Lotus Blossom. Filming was scheduled to begin next month, and soon she would undergo a minor revision for her often-loosening inner double eyelids, as directed by the agency.

It was such a simple procedure taking only thirty minutes that no one worried. But Director Han Joon-Tae, who lacked surgical skill, handed the procedure over to a medical equipment sales rep known as the Golden Hands.

At first, everyone praised how perfectly the surgery turned out. But within a week, problems arose: Baek Eun-Joo lost the ability to fully close one eye. As a result, she was left with a permanent disability and retired from the entertainment industry.

The reason I hadn't recognized Han Joon-Tae as the culprit sooner was because the hospital had a different name when the article came out.

It wasn't Beautiful People Plastic Surgery back then, but it was Kind People Plastic Surgery.

Thanks to Baek Eun-Joo, I remembered the incident and now planned to confront Han Joon-Tae. I was determined to make him give up his stake in Mirinae and ensure he never approached his parents again.

And while I was at it, I intended to save Baek Eun-Joo's life too. After all, she had simply followed her agency's orders in getting the procedure done.

Remembering everything, I immediately sent a Kk Talk message to Bank President Choi Yung-Ho.

[Chief Jung Yoon-Ho: I think this is sufficient information on Han Joon-Tae. Please help me a bit more on Han Joon-Hee and Han Joon-Sik.]

[Bank President Choi Yung-Ho: Got it. And reach out anytime you need.]

After replying, I called Choi So-Hye from Star Exclusive. She answered with a cheerful voice.

-Chief Jung. Is Yoo-Jin willing to forgive me yet?

After her clickbait article about Jiri Mountain, Yoo-Jin had refused to give her interviews, leaving Choi So-Hye deeply anxious. Especially since Hwaranjeon surpassed 24% viewership ratings by episode 6, she was desperate to interview Yoo-Jin.

"If you help me out with this favor, I'll arrange an interview with Yoo-Jin."

-Deal! Just say the word!

"I need you to investigate a surrogate surgery incident at a plastic surgery clinic."

-Surrogate surgery?

"Yes. I've heard a sales rep performed surgery instead of the doctor at a certain clinic."

I informed her that the clinic director had money, and his younger brother was a lawyer. But Choi So-Hye dismissed concerns about lawsuits, saying she wouldn't be a reporter if she were scared of that, and asked for the clinic's name.

-A doctor who has someone else do surgeries? That kind of place deserves to be exposed. What's the name? Just tell me!

Given her eagerness, I felt it was safe to reveal the name.

"It's Beautiful People Plastic Surgery in Gangnam."

-Okay. And what's the name of the sales rep doing the surgeries?

"I don't know his real name. He's got the nickname Golden Hands. I plan to ask Baek Eun-Joo about it."

-Baek Eun-Joo? Why her?

"There are rumors Baek Eun-Joo got a minor procedure from him."

-Huh? Isn't Baek Eun-Joo supposed to be a natural beauty?

"She never had surgery, but I do know she's had some treatments. Like Botox."

-Oh~ really?

As soon as I mentioned entertainment gossip, Choi So-Hye perked up.

"Ms. Choi. It wasn't surgery, so let's keep that part off the record, okay?"

-Well, that's not what matters. Okay, got it.

"Anyway, in case Baek Eun-Joo doesn't speak up, please also check which of the sales reps frequenting that clinic is nicknamed Golden Hands."

Before the regression, the sales rep who botched Baek Eun-Joo's procedure caused the accident about a week from now. But I couldn't remember the name of that sales rep at all, so I had no choice but to start tracking him down now.

-Got it. I'll look into which medical equipment reps go in and out of that clinic.

"Thank you."

After hanging up with Choi So-Hye, I tried to contact Baek Eun-Joo. But Ace Entertainment, led by Kim Dong-Soo, seemed to be blocking all communication between their actors and me. Even after ten calls and texts, there was no response.

Just as I was debating whether I should reach out to Kim Dong-Soo directly, Choi So-Hye contacted me faster than expected.

-Chief Jung. Turns out there's more than one Golden Hands!

Choi So-Hye said she had reached out to all her connections. Surprisingly, there were over seven medical equipment reps nicknamed Golden Hands. Apparently, every company had one.

I hadn't imagined surrogate surgery was so widespread in this industry.

"This is more serious than I thought."

-We might've stirred up a hornet's nest.

"So, are you giving up?"

Choi So-Hye chuckled.

-Giving up my butt. I'm going to dig into this with Kang sunbae starting now.

She told me not to worry and asked again about Baek Eun-Joo.

-Any luck getting in touch with Baek Eun-Joo?

"Not yet."

-Okay. If you find out who the Golden Hands guy is, contact me right away. We should publish this story as soon as possible.

"Alright."

If we wanted to stop these surrogate surgeries from happening even now, we had to move fast. After hanging up, I had no choice but to send a final message.

[Chief Jung Yoon-Ho: If you continue ignoring my calls, I'll have no choice but to reveal to the press that Baek Eun-Joo isn't a natural beauty, Mr. Seo!]

Since they weren't responding, I had to resort to a threat. And it worked.

As soon as I sent the message, Baek Eun-Joo's talent agent, Seo Dong-Joon, called and said we needed to talk immediately.

***

I entered Room 7 of Café J located in Cheongdam-dong, where every seat was partitioned for privacy.

Baek Eun-Joo and Seo Dong-Joon were already seated, waiting for me. Perhaps because they felt threatened, the atmosphere between them was tense.

Baek Eun-Joo sat silently with sunglasses on, and Seo Dong-Joon's face was flushed red.

"Chief Jung. I don't know who told you, but surgery? Do you want to see her high school graduation photo? Eun-Joo is 100% natural. What's wrong with you?"

Seven years older than me, the flustered Seo Dong-Joon was doing his best to protect his actress.

I tried to calm him down. "You wouldn't respond to my messages, so I had no choice but to send that text. Please forgive me, Mr. Seo. I know Eun-Joo only had a minor procedure and never had surgery. And I won't leak that to the media."

When I spoke politely, Seo Dong-Joon tilted his head. "Then... if you're not trying to expose anything about Eun-Joo, why did you go that far to meet us?"

"I want to know who performed the procedure on Miss Eun-Joo at Beautiful People Plastic Surgery."

Seo Dong-Joon's face stiffened. "Come on, Chief Jung. Admitting that would be acknowledging she had a procedure. The public doesn't know the difference between surgery and treatments. Are you trying to ruin her career?"

Seo Dong-Joon looked like he might stand up at any second, ready to pull Baek Eun-Joo out of the room.

That was when I said, "Are you okay if a surrogate surgery scandal breaks soon?"

"W-What?"

"A reporter I know is already planning to publish an article exposing that a medical sales rep at that clinic performed a surgery."

"Which...Which reporter?"

"Someone I know. They told me the rep who did the surrogate surgery is the same person who treated Eun-Joo. That's why I came. I don't want her life, which is just beginning, to be ruined."

I spoke of the future I knew as if it were information a reporter had given me.

At that moment, the color drained from Baek Eun-Joo's face. It was clear she had never imagined that the person who had worked on her face might not be a doctor but a medical device sales rep.

Seo Dong-Joon was equally stunned, speechless with shock. "T-That's ridiculous..."

As Seo Dong-Joon began to falter, I turned directly to Baek Eun-Joo. "Eun-Joo, you know a botched procedure can ruin your career, right?"

Baek Eun-Joo nodded. Even at her young age, she understood that there were many actresses who had been forced into retirement due to failed surgeries.

"If I really meant to expose this, I wouldn't have come here like this. So just tell me who that rep was for your own sake. Okay?"

Some people chose plastic surgery on their own, but many were pressured into it by their agencies. When I saw that Seo Dong-Joon still didn't know what to do, I spoke sincerely again.

"Mr. Seo, I came to help. Please, listen to what I have to say."

Seo Dong-Joon and Baek Eun-Joo looked at each other, then nodded.

Finally, Baek Eun-Joo looked at me and began to speak. "I think the person you're talking about is Mr. Park Yi-Joon. I've been getting procedures from him at the clinic since a year ago. He was better than the hospital director, so people called him Golden Hands. But... is he really just a medical device rep?"

"Yes. He didn't even go to med school and he learned from MeTube. The skill comes naturally."

Baek Eun-Joo's face turned ashen. She looked like she couldn't believe she had been getting procedures from someone unqualified.

Now that I finally had the name of Golden Hands, I immediately sent a Kk Talk message.

[Chief Jung Yoon-Ho: Ms. Choi, his name is Park Yi-Joon.]

[Reporter Choi So-Hye: Got it! I'll track him down right away.]

After sending the message, I urgently checked my planner.

[Everyday V12.2]

[Date: March 7, 2022]

-10:00 p.m. <Schedule Entry Deleted>

(Deleted Schedule Entry: <Entertainment Everywhere>. "Actress Baek Eun-Joo sues Director of Gangnam A Plastic Surgery Clinic for surrogate surgery." (Note: Compile a list of celebrities who had surgery at 'Kind People Plastic Surgery' and place it on Chief's desk.))

I let out a sigh of relief without realizing it. I had just averted a crisis that could have destroyed Baek Eun-Joo's life.

I looked at Baek Eun-Joo and Seo Dong-Joon. "For now, cut ties with that clinic right away. I'll meet the reporter I know and ask her to leave Eun-Joo out of the story."

"Who's the reporter? Come on, tell me."

If I told them in advance, it might interfere with my plan, so I couldn't.

"I'll personally make sure she keeps quiet. So don't worry too much."

"Hmm... fine. But make sure it stays quiet."

"Of course. And I apologize for calling you out so rudely today, Mr. Seo."

Seo Dong-Joon cleared his throat. "No, it's okay. You went this far for Eun-Joo. I was being a bit narrow-minded. I get it now."

"It's all right, sir."

Since I had acted solely for the sake of the actress, I was able to reconcile with Seo Dong-Joon.

Just then, Choi So-Hye sent another Kk Talk message.

[Reporter Choi So-Hye: Chief Jung. That bastard just went into Beautiful People Plastic Surgery. I'm on my way now-meet me out front.]

It seemed Park Yi-Joon was heading in for another surrogate procedure. I stood up and grabbed the coffee receipt.

"I'll pay for this."

Grab.

Seo Dong-Joon grabbed my wrist. "Chief Jung. That's not right. Let me pay."

"It's forty five thousand won though."

For a moment, Seo Dong-Joon's hand trembled slightly upon hearing the price. "I-It's fine. Really."

He clearly didn't look fine, but I couldn't refuse his gesture of appreciation.

And as always, Cheongdam-dong prices—past, present, and future—never failed to make my eyes bulge.

***

A ten-story building near Exit 7 of Gangnam Station was owned by Han Joon-Tae, and from the 7th to the 10th floor, it was occupied by Beautiful People Plastic Surgery.

The 1st and 2nd floors had a pharmacy, a café, and a restaurant. From the 3rd to the 6th floors, there were internal medicine and dental clinics-your typical medical building.

When I arrived in front of the building, Choi So-Hye of Star Exclusive and her co-president, social affairs reporter Kang In-Han, were already there. They were both dressed more professionally than usual, clearly intending to go undercover for their investigation.

"Chief Jung. You're here."

"Thanks for the tip, Chief Jung."

Both of them looked slightly tense. They had realized just how widespread surrogate surgeries were in this industry.

After greeting them, I stepped in closer.

Choi So-Hye said, "Our teammate Hee-Yung just went in to check if Park Yi-Joon is there."

"Understood. And just so you know, we got that name from Eun-Joo, so her name absolutely must not appear in the article."

Choi So-Hye nodded. "Don't worry. I already told Kang sunbae that Eun-Joo's the source."

Kang In-Han nodded as well. "Yes. This is a social issue, not tabloid gossip. I promise not to use her name. And you know better than anyone that we never reveal our sources. Ever."

Only then could I truly feel relieved. After all, these two were the kind of reporters who would rather die than expose their sources.

Just then, Choi So-Hye's phone vibrated.

Buzz.

When she answered, her face lit up with excitement.

"He's there? He just changed into his gown? Got it."

After ending the call, Choi So-Hye looked at Kang In-Han.

"In-Han sunbae, what do we do? Do we barge in right now?"

"We're almost certainly going to get hit with an obstruction of business charge..."

"So? Are we backing out?"

"Who said anything about backing out? I wouldn't have dressed like this otherwise. Okay. Let's get that exclusive."

The two of them took deep breaths, ready to face even a holding cell if it came to that.

Watching them, I said, "Don't worry. Han Joon-Tae won't be able to press charges against you."

"Huh? Why not?"

"Because I'll stop him."

Parents would do anything for their children, which also meant they knew everything about their children. That included Han Joon-Tae's weaknesses.

"So trust me and go in with peace of mind. I'll take full responsibility."

They tilted their heads in curiosity, then nodded.

"Alright. When has Chief Jung ever talked nonsense anyway?"

"Exactly. Let's go get him."

Kang In-Han hid a camera in his bag, and Choi So-Hye concealed a hidden camera in her brooch before walking toward the elevator.

Choi So-Hye pressed the up button.

Ding!

The elevator arrived right in front of us. And just like that, we stepped into the elevator, heading to catch Han Joon-Tae.

Whir~

Ding.

The elevator arrived on the 7th floor.

As the doors opened, the dazzling entrance of Beautiful People Plastic Surgery greeted us in all its flashy glory.

But of course, it had no idea it might all come crumbling down like Sodom and Gomorrah.