At the Woosan Entertainment cafe.

Qi Huai, leaning back in his chair, sipping an iced americano while scrolling through his phone, was a sight to behold. The surrounding stares and whispers didn’t affect him at all. He was browsing rental websites while talking to the System. “This current place seems a bit small. I can’t even stretch my legs when I eat. I can’t even fit a hot pot table.”

The System made a series of sarcastic sounds: 

【Hot pot? What kind of hot pot are you planning, Oppa? A small one for one person, or a half-and-half one for two?】

“…”

Qi Huai: “Has the relationship status between Baek Soo-kyung and Choi Min-jun been updated?”

The System slowly opened the mission panel, its face instantly lighting up with joy: 【Host Oppa, you are truly a master strategist! Their relationship has changed from “Ambiguous” to “Broken”! Hehehe~】

Achieving pure love and salvation would take time, but changing the relationship from a 1v2 to a 1v1 was partly due to Choi Min-jun’s own bad luck in getting caught in the crossfire.

“Qi Huai hyung.”

A panting Baek Soo-kyung stood in front of Qi Huai. He pulled off his scarf, revealing a fair face flushed from the cold, his doll-like, bright, and moist eyes looking at Qi Huai apologetically. “I’m sorry, Qi Huai hyung, for messaging you so early. Have you been waiting long? Have you had breakfast? Can I buy you a sandwich? The crab and scrambled egg sandwich here is delicious.”

He was about to go and order a sandwich when Qi Huai stood up and grabbed his arm. “No need. I already ate this morning.”

Qi Huai’s hand was very large, and his body temperature was very high. Baek Soo-kyung’s wrist felt as if it had been scalded, and his whole body turned red. He lowered his head shyly. “Th-then we won’t eat now. I’ll treat you to lunch later.”

Qi Huai didn’t respond, instead asking, “What did you want to see me about?”

“Um… well, it’s like this. You’ve probably heard about what happened with Manager Choi, right, hyung?” Baek Soo-kyung clasped his hands together, his tone nervous and anxious. “Although it’s not the best time to talk about this, it’s only a matter of time before the company assigns us new managers. So I wanted to ask you, hyung, do you have any plans?”

Baek Soo-kyung wanted to test the waters. If Qi Huai seemed confident, he would go with the flow and beg him for help. If he didn’t have a plan yet, then…

“Wow! Isn’t that Qi Huai?”

The tall and charismatic Choo Min-young, the goddess Choo, strode into the cafe in her high heels. Perhaps because of Qi Huai’s striking appearance, she spotted him the moment she entered and immediately took off her sunglasses to greet him.

“Don’t take the recent events to heart. It’s inevitable that people will talk. President Yoon will take care of things like stock prices and reputation, right?” She leaned in close, nudged his shoulder with her elbow, and then winked. “A person like Choi Min-jun is nothing to be sad about. Out with the old, in with the new. You and Soo-kyung both have a brighter future ahead of you. The company will definitely not treat you unfairly, don’t worry~”

Her tone was mysterious, as if she knew some secret. Before Qi Huai could speak, Baek Soo-kyung keenly sensed it and said urgently, “Min-young sunbae, have you heard something?”

“Uh… well.” Choo Min-young, who was notoriously straightforward, realized she had let something slip and looked a bit troubled.

Baek Soo-kyung’s eyes were pleading, his hands clasped together. “Min-young sunbae, please.”

Choo Min-young cleared her throat and said hesitantly, “Actually, there’s nothing to hide. The news about the new manager assignments will be out by the day after tomorrow at the latest. I only found out about it by chance.”

She glanced at Qi Huai. “You know I wanted to sign you for the clothing photoshoot? Because of what happened with Manager Choi, and because I needed the model pictures urgently, I had my assistant ask the management department directly. The department head, Director Lee, only got back to us after more than an hour, saying we could talk to Assistant Yoo directly. So I understood.”

Baek Soo-kyung was stunned.

Assistant Yoo, Yoo Ji-hoon? Wasn’t he one of President Yoon’s most capable assistants? What did this mean? Qi Huai would be Assistant Yoo’s artist from now on? Didn’t that make him President Yoon’s direct artist?

He had soared to the heavens in a single leap.

There was no other way to describe it.

“I’ve also heard about Soo-kyung’s manager,” Choo Min-young said, nodding at him. “Although she’s not a very famous manager, she is very capable and has a lot of potential. As a new artist, it’s a good thing to grow with a manager like that. That’s how my manager and I started out. Woosan will provide a great environment for everyone, so don’t worry, Soo-kyung.”

Choo Min-young, who had climbed to the top of Woosan step by step, gave them a “fighting” gesture.

Qi Huai smiled and nodded. Baek Soo-kyung forced a smile and thanked her in a low voice.

After Choo Min-young left, Baek Soo-kyung stared blankly at the lemon slice in his water glass, his fingertips, which were clutching the glass, turning slightly white. His voice was as soft and gentle as ever. “You don’t seem very surprised, Qi Huai hyung. Did you already know?”

“I was just about to tell you. I just hadn’t gotten the chance yet,” Qi Huai said, looking at Baek Soo-kyung seriously. “I know what you’re worried about. The debt is putting a lot of pressure on you, giving you a sense of crisis, so you want to find a shortcut. That’s normal. It’s human nature. But think about it carefully, Soo-kyung. Are your sacrifices and rewards really proportional?”

Want to find a shortcut.

Although Qi Huai’s tone was gentle, the words were so direct they were almost harsh. Baek Soo-kyung pressed his lips together and didn’t speak, his eyelashes trembling slightly.

Qi Huai’s soft voice continued, “Soo-kyung, the situation isn’t as complicated as you think. It’s just two problems: your current debt and your future career. I told you I would help you with the debt. There’s 100 million in this card. You can pay off a portion of it first, then tell your creditors you’ll pay back the remaining 500 million within two months.”

He covered the bank card with a napkin and pushed it across the coffee table to Baek Soo-kyung, to prevent others from seeing their transaction and causing unnecessary gossip.

“Your creditor changes from a loan shark to me. The debt is still 600 million. Although it might not sound like much of a difference, rest assured, I’m not in a hurry for the money, so I won’t set a repayment deadline for you, nor will I charge you any additional interest.”

“As for your future,” Qi Huai said, “Woosan Entertainment is a good company. I also asked about your new manager. Her name is Byo Yoon-jung. She’s said to be very capable and reliable, one of the managers the company plans to cultivate. At least in terms of film and television resources and commercial deals, you don’t have to worry about being treated unfairly.”

From now on, the only thing Baek Soo-kyung needed to do was be patient, work hard to hone his acting skills, build up his strength, and become an artist who could stand tall and earn a living with dignity.

【Sigh, our poor little Soo-kyung is only 19. He’s a hard worker, and his acting improves so quickly. Once he pays off his debts and starts earning his own salary, he’ll probably be able to afford a big house in Seoul in just a few years~ And then he can find a better partner than those two guys, Choi Min-jun and Park Seok-jin. I think a refined man like Assistant Yoo would be a good match~ President Yoon’s choice, hehehe.】

“Byo Yoon-jung?” Baek Soo-kyung suddenly laughed. “I’ve heard of her. I think she’s only 26. She’s practically a rookie who hasn’t even made a name for herself.”

His tone was full of dissatisfaction.

Qi Huai frowned slightly. “Soo-kyung, age isn’t everything. The company has strict standards for selecting and hiring people. If you have questions or concerns about this manager, I suggest you have an honest conversation with her. At the very least, you can understand her future plans for you, and then you can both make a decision.”

Assistant Yoo had sent Byo Yoon-jung’s personal file to Qi Huai that morning. Perhaps Yoon Nam-hyuk had given some instructions, because attached to her resume was a document outlining her personal views on Baek Soo-kyung and a rough plan for him.

Manager Byo thought Baek Soo-kyung had a lot of potential and room for improvement. She was willing to sacrifice short-term gains to arrange more developmental classes for him and to fight for more high-quality resources, including leading and second-lead roles in mini-series.

But Qi Huai felt it wasn’t his place to relay these plans, nor was it appropriate for him to communicate them on behalf of the manager. The best way was for Baek Soo-kyung to talk to her himself.

Unfortunately, at this moment, Baek Soo-kyung was not in a listening mood.

He stared at the card on the table, a huge sense of disparity growing in his heart. Qi Huai’s new manager is Assistant Yoo, who is second only to the president, while my new manager is a nobody whose name I’ve barely even heard, he thought.

He wasn’t asking for a new manager to be as good as Choi Min-jun, but he couldn’t be that much worse, right? Was it because he didn’t have enough potential? Not enough skill? Or no connections? Now that Choi Min-jun was gone, was he going to be sidelined by the company?

He forced a smile and said to Qi Huai, “Qi Huai hyung, how experienced can a 26-year-old manager be? Can you talk to President Yoon for me? Get me a more senior manager. I’m not asking for someone like Min-jun hyung, but at least not so…”

“You can only find out how experienced she is by talking to her face-to-face, right, Soo-kyung? If you still feel it’s not a good fit after talking, then we can find another solution with a valid reason.”

Qi Huai looked into Baek Soo-kyung’s eyes as he said this, showing great patience in trying to persuade the young man.

Baek Soo-kyung’s eyes widened as he stared back at Qi Huai, his nostrils flaring, his chest heaving rapidly, as if he were about to cry.

【Wh-what’s wrong…】

The System thought to itself. Host Oppa is making perfect sense. Even actors have to audition. It’s too hasty to say a new manager isn’t a good fit without even meeting them.

But Baek Soo-kyung was thinking something else entirely.

That’s right, he thought, why should Qi Huai help me? We just had a fight a few days ago, and I even explicitly warned him not to compete with me for Seok-jin sunbae.

Seok-jin sunbae is my ladder. I was afraid Qi Huai would steal him, so I was very nervous. President Yoon is Qi Huai’s ladder. Isn’t he afraid that I’ll steal President Yoon from him?

After all, President Yoon is much more valuable than Seok-jin sunbae.

If that’s the case, is this Manager Byo that Qi Huai mentioned really good, or is she a reject that Qi Huai intentionally set me up with? And that bank card with 100 million won… who would be so kind as to pay off someone else’s debts for no reason? The company is currently investigating every transaction that Min-jun hyung handled. Even someone like Choi Min-jun couldn’t escape financial crimes. What about me?

Is this 100 million won life-saving money, or a down payment on my life?

Since getting to know Choi Min-jun and Park Seok-jin, Baek Soo-kyung had become smarter, but also more complicated. But with his limited perspective, looking up from the bottom, the more he looked, the more confusing everything became.

He had a strong feeling that this was the most significant turning point in his life. Which manager he chose, who he chose to believe, would have an infinite impact on his future.

But at this moment, there was no “Choi Min-jun” to appear and teach him what to do. He had to choose for himself.

He was free, but also lost.

If Choi Min-jun were still here, and he took the wrong path, boarded the wrong ship, he could comfort himself by saying he was forced into it. But it wasn’t like that now. If he made the wrong choice, he would hate himself for the rest of his life.

Then he remembered what Choi Min-jun had said: Soo-kyung, you need to think carefully about what you want. Otherwise, this is the closest you’ll ever get to success.

What do I want? Baek Soo-kyung asked himself. Is it just to pay off the 600 million won debt? Or more?

Baek Soo-kyung was silent for a long moment, then said to Qi Huai, “It’s okay, Qi Huai hyung. I’ll figure out the manager situation myself. Thank you.”

With that, he stood up and left, leaving the card Qi Huai had given him untouched. This move left the System utterly confused.

【Huh? What does that mean? So the protagonist shou is going to accept Byo Yoon-jung and not switch managers? What does he mean, he’ll figure it out himself? Is he going to try and terminate his contract with Yoon Nam-hyuk?】

Qi Huai sighed. “He’s gone to find Park Seok-jin.”

【Huh?】

Baek Soo-kyung didn’t have many cards to play. Now that Choi Min-jun was in prison and their relationship was “Broken,” the biggest ace he had left was Park Seok-jin.

If Baek Soo-kyung had been willing to accept Qi Huai’s help, his future options would have been much broader. But for some reason, the pitiful little protagonist shou didn’t trust him.

Was it because he wasn’t kind enough?

Or because their relationship wasn’t close enough?

Qi Huai had already done his utmost to help Baek Soo-kyung, including but not limited to improving his acting, giving him audition tips, soothing his daily anxieties and the emotional baggage from his family, and he had even gotten into a fight for him and was willing to pay off his debts.

What more did he want?

Did he have to act like he was head-over-heels in love with the protagonist shou before the other would trust him, get close to him, and then reluctantly accept the 600 million won he was offering?

I’m here to complete a mission, not to experience the life of a simp. Spare me, you psycho.

Qi Huai frowned and drained the coffee from his mug in one gulp. “What a crappy world. Even the character profiles are wrong.”

Bringing up old wounds, the System, the source of the bug, began to feel guilty again: 【Host Oppa … so what do we do next? Should we break up the protagonist shou and Park Seok-jin? Their stage is already “Ambiguous.” If they continue to develop, will it be hard to clean up?】

Qi Huai closed his eyes and thought.

After a long moment, he said slowly, “It’s not necessarily hard to clean up. The mission objective is ‘pure love salvation 1v1.’ Whether they can achieve pure love salvation, I can’t say for now. But at least the 1v1 has been achieved.”

Failing to prevent Park Seok-jin and the protagonist shou from getting acquainted had indeed been a wake-up call for Qi Huai.

No matter what, he had to prevent Baek Soo-kyung from getting to know the other love interests. Otherwise, the constantly changing relationship stages between the protagonist shou and the N number of love interests would be the most troublesome thing for him.

“First, I’ll block his chances of developing feelings for the other love interests, and then I’ll focus on solving the issue with him and Park Seok-jin… Oh, right.” Qi Huai suddenly remembered. “Isn’t it about time for the protagonist shou and Gong Dog Number Four to meet?”

The System opened the control panel: 【Oh! You’re right, Host Oppa! The time is the day after tomorrow, at the nightclub Heaven, which is run by Gong Dog Number Four, Kim Min-kyung!】

Gong Dog Number Four, Kim Min-kyung, the winner of the latest Blue Dragon Film Award for Best Actor, was also the illegitimate son of Chief Prosecutor Kim Joo-hwan. Because he had been brought into the Kim family at birth, few people knew he was illegitimate.

He had an older brother and a younger brother, both of whom were his father’s legitimate sons. The older brother, Kim Min-seong, was a member of the National Assembly, and the younger brother, Kim Min-soo, born in the same year as him, worked at the Busan Prosecutor’s Office.

A family of power-holders.

This was the most important reason why Kim Min-kyung’s grey-area nightclub could operate in Seoul.

His encounter with Baek Soo-kyung was, again, a clichéd drugging scenario. Baek Soo-kyung, dragged to the bar street by a few actor friends to broaden his horizons, was secretly photographed by a club promoter and shown to a VIP due to his cute and dazzling appearance. He happened to catch Kim Min-kyung’s eye.

The boss nodded, the promoter drugged him, and that night, a groggy Baek Soo-kyung was sent to Kim Min-kyung’s bed for a night of entanglement.

Kim Min-kyung, having had a taste, discovered that Baek Soo-kyung was a new artist from a rival company, which piqued his interest even more. From then on, a flirtatious drama between the top actor sunbae and the unknown rookie began…

Qi Huai’s job was to prevent them from meeting. If he could make Baek Soo-kyung never dare to go to the bar street again, that would be even better.

---

Choi Min-jun had far more artists under him than just Qi Huai and Baek Soo-kyung, and most of them were well-regarded.

Some of these artists followed the company’s arrangements, while others found their own high-quality managers to partner with. In a few days, this major reshuffling of managers was coming to a close.

The latest list of artist and manager assignments was placed in a folder on Yoon Nam-hyuk’s desk by Assistant Yoo.

Yoon Nam-hyuk flipped through a few pages and was suddenly surprised. “Hmm? Baek Soo-kyung is under Tae Sang-won now?”

Assistant Yoo nodded. “Yes. It was Manager Tae’s own request. Besides Actor Baek, he also took on two of the newest signed artists.”

“Three new artists…” Yoon Nam-hyuk sneered. “That old geezer Tae Sang-won hasn’t taken on any new artists in years, has he? He always says he’s busy, but he’s really just been coasting on Park Seok-jin’s success. Baek Soo-kyung… a very capable rookie, to be able to move a lazy bum like Tae Sang-won. Park Seok-jin must have pulled a lot of strings, right?”

Assistant Yoo pushed up his glasses. “Actor Baek and Actor Park are said to be on good terms.”

Heh.

Yoon Nam-hyuk laughed coldly.

That idiot Qi Huai. One moment he’s worried about Baek Soo-kyung going down the wrong path, the next he’s worried about him not getting a good manager. He even wanted to pay off his debts for him.

Heh.

Does he even need it?

He looked down on the manager the company arranged for him and found a better one himself. Only a certain idiot is still putting in all this effort, foolishly trying to help!

“Do we need to talk to them again?” Assistant Yoo asked for instructions. “President, I personally don’t think Manager Tae Sang-won and Actor Baek are a good match. Most of his resources are outdated. Although he has a big name, he hasn’t been in touch with the front lines for too long and doesn’t really understand the new generation’s popular trends or emerging brands. Their pairing might not be a good thing for a young artist like Actor Baek.”

“None of my business,” Yoon Nam-hyuk said, tossing Baek Soo-kyung’s resume onto the table. “One is willing to hit, the other is willing to be hit. If he thinks he’ll get preferential treatment under Tae Sang-won, then let him be.”

The next second, Yoon Nam-hyuk glanced at Assistant Yoo. “Does Qi Huai know about this? What did he say?”

“Uh, Actor Qi didn’t say anything,” Assistant Yoo said, carefully recalling under Yoon Nam-hyuk’s intense gaze. “He seemed to have anticipated Actor Baek’s plan. He just said to let Actor Baek do as he wished.”

Yoon Nam-hyuk snorted. “Was he sad?”

“?” Assistant Yoo shook his head. “No, he was smiling.”

“Is that so?” A small smile touched Yoon Nam-hyuk’s lips.

At least he has some sense.

Ring, ring—!

Yoon Nam-hyuk waved his hand, dismissing Assistant Yoo, and then answered the phone. “Hello? Min-kyung.”

“It’s me~ busy man,” a lazy voice came from the other end. “Free to hang out tonight? How about my bar? You’re not going to turn me down, are you, President Yoon?”