Rookie Talent Agent Knows It All

As I turned the corner of Cheonwang Lodge, the assailant was already entering through the second-floor emergency door.

I quieted my footsteps and hurried up the emergency stairs. Upon reaching the second floor, I witnessed the assailant trying to stab Go Jae-Soo who was holding him tightly.

I quickly lunged at the assailant's back, grabbed his neck and arms, and narrowly prevented Go Jae-Soo from being stabbed. At the same time, I twisted the assailant's arm backward and pushed him forward.

"Keuk!" the assailant groaned in pain but didn't let go of the knife.

Finally, I delivered a knee strike to his face.

Thud.

The assailant staggered, having been hit in the temple. "Ugh."

Not missing the opportunity, I swung my fist into his jaw again.

Pow.

Struck squarely in the jaw, the assailant lost consciousness and dropped the knife from his right hand.

"Huff, huff, huff…" I caught my breath and turned to Go Jae-Soo. "Are you alright?"

Still clutching the man, the startled Go Jae-Soo blinked and nodded. "Yes, yes... I'm alright."

Go Jae-Soo was still trembling.

I asked, "Do you have cable ties?"

"H-here they are."

After receiving a bundle of cable ties from Go Jae-Soo, I handed half to Lee Dae-Ho.

"Mr. Dae-Ho, there's one more person on the first floor. Go down and tie him up too."

"Yes, Mr. Jung."

Lee Dae-Ho quickly headed downstairs. After binding the hands of the unconscious man, I took out my phone to check my planner.

[Everyday V11]

[Date: October 25, 2020]

-12:50 p.m. <Scheduled Event Deleted>

(Deleted Scheduled Event: [NEW: Lee Tae-Poong] Emergency postponement due to injury. (Report details: 12:45 p.m., 119 helicopter take-off time. Emergency transport to Jinju Gyeongsang Hospital.))

'It's finally gone!' I exclaimed silently before letting out a deep sigh.

I closed the emergency door.

Click.

From the inside, it looked like a perfect wooden wall.

I turned and noticed Go Jae-Soo staring at me with an intense and flushed expression.

I cautiously asked out of curiosity, "Is there something on my face?"

At that moment, Go Jae-Soo gave an unexpected answer. "I…I'll pledge my utmost loyalty to you, Mr. Jung."

His sudden declaration caught me off guard. Nevertheless, I assured him I understood since dedication was always welcomed.

Lee Tae-Poong chimed in playfully. "Another one's fallen for Yoon-Ho hyung, huh?"

"What are you talking about?"

Tae-Poong laughed mischievously and reenacted my entrance. "Hyung, you just burst in and shouted, 'Don't touch my actor!'"

"..."

"Yoon-Ho hyung, what will you do with all this popularity? Soon, people might not even be able to see you!"

Suddenly, my face flushed.

Lee Tae-Poong seemed to be getting bolder by the day after having become a famous actor. His mimicking my earlier actions in front of everyone made me slightly embarrassed, especially since he kept doing it over and over.

"Tae-Poong, enough already. Haven't you had enough?" I rebutted.

When I imitated a famous line from an old movie, Lee Tae-Poong was disappointed that he couldn't keep teasing me and smacked his lips in mock regret.

Then, I gestured to the unconscious man. "Let's take him down to the first floor."

"Got it, hyung."

We carried the fallen man and headed down to the first floor.

***

The sound of the police helicopter's rotors echoed over the clearing in front of Cheonwang Lodge.

Twenty minutes had passed since I had sent Lee Dae-Ho to contact the police and emergency services on the path we had come from. The ground was relatively flat, allowing the helicopter to attempt a landing despite the tall grass.

The wind from the rotors bent the knee-high grass in all directions. As the helicopter descended and touched down, five officers disembarked with heads ducked.

The highest-ranking officer among them saluted us. "You have done very well. I'm Chief Superintendent Park Ill-Soo."

It was rare to see an officer of his rank with three hibiscus stars. After returning his salute, we handed over the two men we had restrained with cable ties.

Park Il-Soo instructed his men. "Take them away."

"Yes, sir!"

The two men tied with cables struggled, but they were no match for the officers.

Because the noise from the helicopter made it hard to converse, I briefly explained the situation. "They lunged at us with knives, so we had no choice but to defend ourselves."

I simultaneously handed over the two knives I had sealed in a transparent bag.

Park Ill-Soo accepted them with a smile. "It's fine. Both men are suspects in the Jinju family robbery-murder case. You shouldn't have any issues."

"The Jinju family robbery-murder case?"

"Yes. We confirmed they fled to Jiri Mountain during the chase… but we didn't expect them here. Thanks to you, we've prevented further loss of life. Thank you."

I had come down in a hurry because Go Jae-Soo's father was injured, so I hadn't known about the case. Both men were indeed murderers.

I shuddered. 'To think we had fought those criminals…'

Park Ill-Soo suggested we discuss the details after descending the mountain. "By the way, we would like you to come down with us on the helicopter to give a statement…"

"Could I do that later? We'll head down on the emergency helicopter once we finish up here."

"Then can you come to the Jinju police station please?" Park Ill-Soo requested.

"Yes, I'll go straight there after we're down," I said.

I continued, "Here's my business card. Contact me once you're down and I'll arrange a car."

With a case of this magnitude, reporters would surely swarm around. It was a prime opportunity to promote Jiri Mountain.

I quickly thought of a way to promote both the film and Go Jae-Soo. "Um, Mr. Park. Would you mind delaying any press release for a while?"

Park Ill-Soo hesitated for a moment before responding. "Hmm… alright. But please be as quick as possible. Reporters have already caught wind of it and we can't hold them off indefinitely."

"Understood. I'll contact you as soon as possible."

Park Ill-Soo took my business card and boarded the helicopter. The police helicopter gradually lifted and disappeared into the sky.

Only then did we all let out a long sigh of relief.

"I can't believe they were real murderers…"

Still shaken, we slumped to the ground.

Oh Tae-Wan leaning against the wall and rubbing his neck finally spoke. "You said you wanted to practice here, didn't you?"

Lee Tae-Poong nodded urgently. "Yes."

"Then go ahead. As for me, I think I'll take this chance to head down and rest for a month or two."

Having encountered murderers alone outside the lodge, Oh Tae-Wan seemed thoroughly shaken. He then turned his gaze to me.

"Thanks to you, Team Lead Jung, I'm alive. I don't know much about films, but if you need this lodge, go ahead and use it. It'll be empty for two months anyway."

"Are you sure?"

"Do whatever you want as long as you don't destroy the walls—paint it, replace the roof… just make it livable."

"Then I'll not only repair it but upgrade it!" I exclaimed happily.

The props team in film production could handle just about anything. Restoring this lodge would be a simple task.

Just then, Deuk-Gu wagged his tail as if in agreement.

Woof! Woof!

Go Jae-Soo also looked pleased and invited Oh Tae-Wan to stay at his house.

"Mr. Tae-Wan, why don't you stay with us for the next two months? My Dad's been homebound since he got injured and we have extra rooms anyway."

"Yeah, I was actually planning to visit hyung-nim."

Go Jae-Soo smiled as he said he was glad it worked out, knowing his father would enjoy the company.

At that moment, we heard the sound of the 119 emergency helicopter approaching.

"Let's all head down together."

Oh Tae-Wan might have had a concussion after having been knocked out by a blow to the back of his head, and I had cut the skin on my right hand from landing punches with bare fists. We were all sore and tense after facing murderers, so I had arranged for hospital visits just in case.

The large 119 helicopter landed and we helped Oh Tae-Wan aboard. Deuk-Gu came along as well.

Afterwards, the helicopter headed to the Jinju Gyeongsang Hospital.

***

Once down the mountain, I called the company to request revisions to the press release we had prepared. The story now emphasized that Go Jae-Soo had caught the suspect on Jiri Mountain.

I headed straight to the police station and gave my statement explaining what had happened, but we circulated the press release we'd prepared ourselves.

By the time I returned to the hospital, the news had started to break.

[Jinju Family Murder Case Suspect Captured by Top Star Lee Tae-Poong and Rookie Actor Go Jae-Soo of Hoop Entertainment]

[Main Cast of Jiri Mountain Apprehends Real-Life Killer During On-Site Research]

[Go Jae-Soo, Cast as Psychopathic Killer Oh Myung-Jin in Jiri Mountain, Catches a Real Murderer]

As the articles spread, Go Jae-Soo's name quickly climbed the real-time search rankings and hit number seven.

With his name gaining traction, I could finally receive some proper medical treatment.

***

It was 11 p.m.

Lee Tae-Poong, Go Jae-Soo, and Lee Dae-Ho entered my room 1202 after receiving their medical treatments. I had a bandage on my right hand.

All seven private rooms on the 12th floor were now occupied by people connected to Hoop Entertainment including Go Jae-Soo's father and Oh Tae-Wan, allowing everyone to move about comfortably.

The moment Lee Tae-Poong sat on the sofa, he started grumbling. "I didn't even do anything. Hyung, your name should've been in the article."

Lee Tae-Poong questioned whether it was the company's idea not to mention me.

I shook my head. "Of course not. I specifically told them to revise it."

"What? Why?"

"What's the point of a talent agent's name being out there? It's better for the actor's name to get exposure."

As expected, about seventy percent of the article's content was about Go Jae-Soo. However, in order to generate buzz, it was crucial to mention Lee Tae-Poong. That was why I kept my own name out to let the story highlight Lee Tae-Poong's role.

Though Go Jae-Soo looked embarrassed, he couldn't argue when I explained it was all part of our publicity strategy.

Creak.

When the door opened, Park Sun-Jae and Shin Jong-Ki entered.

"Team Lead Jung, are you alright?"

"Mr. Jung!"

Park Sun-Jae and Shin Jong-Ki had come all the way to Jinju upon hearing I was in the hospital.

"So everyone is here."

Though I had informed them that Lee Tae-Poong and Go Jae-Soo were also hospitalized, they had come to my room first.

I felt a surge of gratitude. "I'm fine, Mr. Shin, Mr. Park."

"But what happened to your right hand?"

"Oh, this?"

I explained that the bandage on my hand was just from a small scrape that bled a little which finally put them at ease.

Only then did the two sigh in relief.

"That's good to hear. And by the way, I saw the photos you sent of Cheonwang Lodge. Director Park also liked it, so let's change the location. I'll handle the arrangements."

Shin Jong-Ki even offered to rent a helicopter to make it easier for the crew to access the lodge.

"Thank you."

Shin Jong-Ki laughed heartily as he praised me. "There's no need to thank me. You've already started promoting the film on your own! I can't fall behind now, can I?"

Then he turned his attention to Go Jae-Soo. "So, you must be Mr. Go Jae-Soo!"

Go Jae-Soo stiffened nervously as he greeted him. "Ah, hello, Mr. Shin."

"Hahaha! Why is the actor who caught the killer so tense?"

"N-no… it's not that…"

Just as Go Jae-Soo was about to explain, I shook my head. I had already briefed Shin Jong-Ki over the phone, so he was pretending not to know on purpose. The same went for Park Sun-Jae.

However, Go Jae-Soo shut his eyes and blurted out, "I haven't even had the chance to show Mr. Park my acting yet. I apologize for all this before I have even secured the role."

Originally, we had planned a few days of intensive practice before making a final casting decision. However, the media was already referring to Go Jae-Soo as a main cast member of Jiri Mountain.

Shin Jong-Ki chuckled and patted Go Jae-Soo's shoulder. "With the articles already out, the game's over. How would we explain switching actors to the public now?"

Park Sun-Jae nodded in agreement. "I had already made my decision the moment Mr. Jung recommended you. I trust his judgment on your acting skills."

Shin Jong-Ki said, "Is that so? Me too! Hahaha."

It was only natural that neither of them wanted to pull out an actor who was making headlines. Go Jae-Soo looked stunned, but they both encouraged him to give his best.

"I-I'll do my very best."

With that, Go Jae-Soo officially secured the role of Oh Myung-Jin in Jiri Mountain.

Just then, the door slid open and there was a sudden commotion.

Click.

"Yoon-Ho oppa!"

"Oppa!"

"Uncle Yoon-Ho!"

The members of Cherry Blossom, Kang Ha-Na, Yoo-Jin, and Miso all rushed in at once.

"Are you alright?"

"Where are you hurt?"

"Oppa! W-what happened to your hand?"

As soon as they heard the news, the girls had come all the way to Jinju. Even though Cherry Blossom had an event in Busan tomorrow, Kang Ha-Na and Yoo-Jin didn't have anything scheduled. Yet they still came all the way down.

"I'm fine. It's just a small injury."

I reassured them it was only a minor scrape that needed some bandaging, but they didn't seem convinced.

On the verge of tears, Sae-Ri asked if I would never be able to use my right hand again, making the mood even more serious.

Eventually, I decided to remove the bandage and show them the wound to convince them. However, they wouldn't let me, causing more of an uproar.

As such, I just lay there under their concerned stares. I felt uncomfortable like I was lying on a bed of needles, yet my heart was swelling with joy.

Unlike my past life, my celebrities had come running as soon as they heard I was hurt. The thought of no longer being alone made me smile,

It further assured me that my decision to prioritize people over money was indeed the right one.

Ristretto's Thoughts

The fact that Jung Yoon-Ho was thinking about a way to promote Go Jae-Soo right after finding out that he just fought a murderer is insane LOL