Chapter 56: The Mysterious Recording

There were three important scenes to be filmed today.

The first scene was the first meeting between the protagonist Seo Sang-hyuk, played by Kim Min-kyung, and the young police officer Yuan Jae-seok, played by Qi Huai.

Yuan Jae-seok, full of passion and eager to prove himself, is assigned to a lazy slob with a scruffy beard as his superior. The superior slurps his sticky jjajangmyeon, crunches loudly on pickled radish, and, without even looking up, says to Yuan Jae-seok, “Oh! It’s good for a young man to have ambition. Then go ahead and organize the files on the table. Aigoo, with so many white papers next to me, I have to be careful when I mix my jjajangmyeon~”

The second scene was Seo Sang-hyuk meeting the righteous journalist Song Hyun, played by Baek Soo-kyung, during lunch to inquire about his recent investigation, revealing the protagonist’s hidden plans.

The third scene was the police station suddenly receiving a tip-off that an illegal organization was conducting a transaction. Due to a shortage of manpower, Seo Sang-hyuk and Yuan Jae-seok were temporarily summoned to join the chase.

To show off his abilities, the hot-headed Yuan Jae-seok, relying on his youth and stamina, charges forward recklessly, relentlessly confronting the members of the illegal organization, even getting stabbed in the process.

The lead, Seo Sang-hyuk, on the other hand, cries out, “Aigoo, aigoo, I can’t keep up, wait for me,” while actually playing the fool to catch the tiger. Relying on his familiarity with the terrain, he secretly trips up the members of the illegal organization.

The two, one hard and one soft, one overt and one covert, cooperate with each other and, in a chase full of comedic atmosphere, successfully arrest several members of the illegal organization.

This chase not only allowed the audience to understand the main tone of the film and showed the personalities of Seo Sang-hyuk and Yuan Jae-seok, but also, after the arrest, when the doctor was bandaging Yuan Jae-seok, Director Baek kept giving instructions.

“Doctor, remember to unbutton Actor Qi’s shirt completely. Open it wider. Actor Qi, you too, make more noise when the doctor is bandaging you. Tense your abs. Makeup artist, help spray some sweat beads. Lighting, pay attention to the light and shadow. Yes, yes! Just like that!”

Daebak…

The staff on set couldn’t help but sigh in admiration: As expected of the critically and commercially acclaimed Director Baek. You really know what the audience loves to see. A sexy body and a deep voice—absolute audiovisual art!

Qi Huai, with his shirt open, playing the injured party, didn’t know whether to laugh or cry at Director Baek’s little scheme. Good thing I’ve only been seeing Nam-hyuk on video calls lately, he thought. Otherwise, the marks on my body would definitely be very obvious.

The System tsk-tsked: [Good thing the president isn’t here, otherwise he’d have such a sour look on his face.]

At the same time, many pairs of eyes were focused on Qi Huai.

For example, Kim Min-kyung, who secretly thought that Qi Huai was truly a perfect lover—polite, emotionally stable, unlike himself, who would lose his temper at the drop of a hat and was very difficult to serve.

Being with someone like this, you must be in a good mood every day, right? He’s the type suitable for a long-term relationship. Even someone as incredibly picky as Yoon Nam-hyuk has fallen for him.

What about Chul-woo?

Does he like this type too?

And then there was Park Seok-jin. He felt that Actor Qi, whom he hadn’t seen in a long time, was even more dazzling, having transformed from a lustrous pearl into a brilliant diamond.

In the past, he felt that although the pearl was beautiful, it was not easy to obtain. Now, well, he seemed to have a chance. That’s why he had used the excuse of visiting the set to come with Baek Soo-kyung.

In contrast, Baek Soo-kyung no longer had the heart to notice how much attention Qi Huai was getting. He only saw that Seok-jin sunbae’s eyes seemed to be glued to Qi Huai, impossible to pry away.

On the vast film set.

These figures, who seemed so glamorous in the eyes of others, were actually all harboring their own ulterior motives. They were like a food chain and a symbiotic circle, interdependent, each for themselves.

At this moment, Baek Soo-kyung no longer felt a shred of jealousy. His mind was filled with a survival crisis.

His backer was Park Seok-jin. His manager was also Park Seok-jin’s man. More and more staff members were realizing his unspeakable relationship with Seok-jin sunbae. Even if someone wanted to help him, they had to act according to Park Seok-jin’s wishes.

His debts were paid off, the pressure was gone. He had thought he could stand taller, but a new problem seemed to have appeared.

Eun Chul-woo watched all of this from afar.

When he saw Baek Soo-kyung’s complicated expression, he suddenly remembered something.

Oh… it’s him.

The little artist who worked for Choi Min-jun. Although he’s young, he’s quite capable.

“Good afternoon, Actor Baek.”

Baek Soo-kyung came back to his senses at the sound. He composed his expression, put on a smile, and turned to see that the person talking to him was actually RC’s Chairman, Eun Chul-woo.

He was very surprised. “Chairman Eun? Hello, long time no see.”

“Yes, long time no see,” Eun Chul-woo said with a sigh. “The last time we met was at the dinner party after the script reading. You left a deep impression on me. A very smart and articulate artist. You also did well at the audition. The director praised you for having a lot of potential.”

Baek Soo-kyung was flattered. “You’re too kind, Chairman Eun. I still have a lot of room for improvement. I need to learn more from the seniors at RC.”

He had no idea that on the day of the audition, in order to talk to Qi Huai, Eun Chul-woo hadn’t even attended his audition. These praises were all fabricated.

Eun Chul-woo smiled. “I remember you and Qi Huai have a good relationship. You seem to have the same manager, right? That day when he was drunk, you said you would take him home, but President Yoon suddenly appeared and took him away. Their relationship is so good, why did they suddenly terminate the contract?”

Aish…

Is he a gossip?

Baek Soo-kyung’s mouth twitched. “Ah… I don’t know the details either.”

“Is that so?”

Eun Chul-woo smiled and changed the subject. “Then let me ask another question. Do you want to become an artist like Min-kyung, Actor Baek?”

What?

Baek Soo-kyung was stunned.

Kim Min-kyung, the youngest Blue Dragon Best Actor, a role model for young Korean artists. Almost every actor envied him and wanted to be him, even an extreme narcissist like Park Seok-jin.

What did he mean by saying this to him?

Did he want him to terminate his contract and switch companies?

Eun Chul-woo leaned in close. “I heard you used to be Choi Min-jun’s artist, and now you’re with Park Seok-jin. It’s a pity you’re too young and don’t know some things. That person, Park Seok-jin… it’s very difficult to make a name for yourself under him. It would have been better if Choi Min-jun were here, but unfortunately… he’s not.”

These words hit a sore spot for Baek Soo-kyung. He stood there, speechless, as Eun Chul-woo continued, “Where there’s cooperation between companies, there’s competition. Relationships are not static. Just like RC and Woosan, when we encounter a good script and a good director, we cooperate. When we encounter a potential artist, we compete. You didn’t know that Min-kyung is President Yoon’s childhood friend, did you? Few ordinary artists know this. It’s only an open secret in the chaebol circles.”

A storm raged in Baek Soo-kyung’s heart.

Best Actor Kim and President Yoon are childhood friends? Then… then why did he sign with RC?

Eun Chul-woo chuckled. “You can look into the situation at the Yoon family. The internal strife is fierce. The real founder passed away many years ago, and the company’s golden age of development is over. It doesn’t matter to top artists like Park Seok-jin, who have reaped all the benefits. But a young artist like you, who needs support, should keep your eyes open.”

“Sigh…” Eun Chul-woo sighed. “Min-kyung has a good family background, but he’s lazy. So RC needs fresh blood. I originally thought Qi Huai was good, but his relationship with Yoon Nam-hyuk is a problem. We business operators like to evaluate investment returns. We don’t like to attract trouble.”

Baek Soo-kyung’s eyes darted around. He mustered up his courage. “Do you mean you want me to switch to RC?”

“Well, I still have to evaluate that.” Eun Chul-woo smiled and handed him a business card. “Actor Baek, RC’s goal is to replace Woosan and become number one. This is not a goal I can achieve alone. In the past, I had Min-kyung and Director Baek by my side. In the future, I will need more partners. My standards for choosing partners are very strict. It’s not enough just to be good at acting. You have to be useful, and you have to surprise me more. Actor Baek, I know your relationship with Park Seok-jin is unusual. It must be very tiring to be with someone like that. Don’t worry, you’ll be free soon.”

Baek Soo-kyung was completely bewildered. By the time he wanted to ask for more details, Eun Chul-woo had already left.

He stared at his back, lost in thought. What does he mean? RC wants to compete with Woosan for the top spot? Can he do it?

He clutched the business card Eun Chul-woo had given him, feeling that it was both an opportunity and a hot potato.

For the next few days, the filming went very smoothly.

Park Seok-jin left after filming his few-second role. He only said hello to Qi Huai before leaving the set. Unexpectedly, he didn’t stick around and show off in front of Qi Huai. The System nicknamed this period his “solidified butter phase.”

Eun Chul-woo barely appeared. When he did, he looked tired, as if he was very busy and had been through a lot.

Kim Min-kyung was still his lazy self, like a big fox basking contentedly in the sun. The hickeys on his body were endless. Every time there was a fight scene where his costume got torn, the makeup artist had to cover them up with concealer. The director was extremely annoyed.

“Kim Min-kyung! Can’t you restrain yourself a little! Every day?! Isn’t filming my movie tiring enough? The makeup artist is chasing you around with concealer! The setting powder is being applied non-stop! Don’t cosmetics cost money?! How much time have you wasted!”

Kim Min-kyung was unfazed. “Aigoo, I know, Director. I’ll ask my dear to be more careful. He’s been really clingy lately. When people are driven by hormones, they don’t think so much. Right, Actor Qi?”

Qi Huai chuckled. “Min-kyung hyung and his lover have a very good relationship.”

Kim Min-kyung was stunned. “Lover? …Not to that extent.”

A manhwa man. Loves muddle-headedly, a scumbag with clarity.

If Yoon Nam-hyuk dared to be like this, Qi Huai thought, I would definitely lock him up, spank him, and put a chastity belt on him until he cried and begged for mercy, promising never to do it again.

And so, Qi Huai had a few quiet days. But the storm seemed to love brewing in silence.

An old news story about an artist’s suicide was suddenly dug up by an entertainment reporter and linked to Woosan Entertainment’s top artist, Park Seok-jin.

《Woosan Entertainment Idol-Turned-Actor Go XX Suspected of Being Sexually Coerced by Famous Artist Park XX, Suicide Note Destroyed by Manager Tae XX After Death》

This news was explosive. Although the names and photos of the parties involved were censored, in this day and age, as long as someone searched for the image, they could immediately find the news reports from that year and the relevant personnel who had been investigated by the police.

Go Eun-bin, after failing his idol debut, had signed with Woosan Entertainment. His manager was Choi Min-jun. His parents had died in an accident when he was 20, leaving behind a seriously ill grandmother and a younger brother and sister who were still in school.

His family had originally been happy and harmonious. Although he himself had failed his debut, he was not discouraged and was planning to work part-time while studying, dreaming of entering acting school.

But a sudden accident shattered his dreams. His grandmother’s medical bills, his siblings’ tuition, his own tuition, and the living expenses of a family of four—each layer was like a wet towel covering his face, making it harder and harder to breathe.

He could have managed by relying on their savings and gritting his teeth, but things didn’t go as planned. The news of his parents’ death eventually reached his grandmother. The old woman was devastated and was rushed to the emergency room. Although she escaped death, the family’s savings were halved.

Life became more and more difficult. Go Eun-bin had to give up his dream and even considered borrowing from loan sharks. It was because of this that when Choi Min-jun offered him a contract, he accepted almost without hesitation.

After signing with Woosan, Go Eun-bin lived in the artist dormitory and sent money to his siblings every week. His 17-year-old brother and 15-year-old sister, although still in school, were already able to take good care of themselves and their grandmother. They were happy that their brother had finally achieved his dream. Even their grandmother had smiled again and regained her vitality because of this.

During this period, Go Eun-bin had played small supporting roles in some famous TV dramas. Although his acting was still raw, his characters were likable, and he played them cutely, gaining some fans.

Whenever the TV drama aired, his grandmother and siblings would gather around to watch it seriously. Even if their busy brother couldn’t be with them, the Go Eun-bin on the TV was the light of the family and the life-extending medicine for his grandmother.

His brother had become famous, the family had an income, his siblings’ education was not interrupted, and his grandmother’s illness, though not improving, was stable. It seemed that everything was developing in a good direction.

Until two years later, when Go Eun-bin suddenly committed suicide, without even leaving a suicide note. Public speculation swept the internet. Some said he had depression, some said he was bullied, some said he was murdered…

It was only then that his siblings realized that because their brother had come home so rarely, and even when he did, he was as gentle and sunny as ever, they had no idea what his life was like in the entertainment industry, who he knew, or why he had chosen to die.

And so, his grandmother died from the shock. The cause of his death became a mystery. The police investigation concluded with suicide, and everything was left unresolved. All that remained were cold internet search results and the bloody scars that lingered in the hearts of every family member.

The above content was all from Go Eun-bin’s siblings’ accounts, a tragic old news story that had been reported N years ago.

But today, N years later, this article that had suddenly swept the internet also included a new, mysterious recording.

In the recording was the voice of the “perfect man, Park Seok-jin,” very familiar to the Korean public. His diction was always very good, so even without subtitles, it was very clear.

He said:

“Oh, that fool. I’ve already forgotten his name. I think it was Go something? Always going on about dying.”

“He had already served many people before he met me. Choi (bleep) is now considered an elite manager by everyone, but he had a lot of tricks back then. You’re luckier than him. You met me not long after you signed.”

“Why do you keep bringing him up? His death has nothing to do with me. I can’t be responsible for him for the rest of his life, can I? It’s not like I forced him to do those things… He even tried to threaten me with suicide. Aish, really… leaving such ambiguous words.”

“Anyway, let’s not talk about this anymore. How could I possibly keep such a cheap life in my heart? Of course, you’re different from him~”

This recording was like a stone that caused ripples in a calm lake. The entire exposé involved N people: one was the owner of the voice, Park Seok-jin; one was the manager who destroyed the suicide note, Tae XX; one was the bleeped-out Choi XX; and the last was the person who made the recording.

Far away in Seoul, Park Seok-jin was furious. He picked up his phone and frantically dialed Baek Soo-kyung’s number, wanting to ask him why he did this. Weren’t the three of them in the same boat? Was Baek Soo-kyung a fool? Did that guy think he had no leverage on him?!

On the set, Baek Soo-kyung was terrified. His face was pale, his mind in a turmoil. He shrank into a corner, staring in horror at his constantly vibrating phone. He didn’t understand why, even though Choi Min-jun was in jail, this recording would still leak out…

Who was it?

Who did it?

Choi Min-jun is gone. Who else can protect him?