The Famous Millionaire

Mansoo laughed loudly at Hyunwoo and said, “Ha ha ha. It’s my surprise gift to you, my brother.”

“Thanks so much, big brother. I’ll never forget your favor,” said Hyunwoo, expressing gratitude to him. Then, he handed his business card to Jinyoung.

“How are you? I’m Hyunwoo Jang. I’m your fan.”

Jinyoung was one of his favorite singers. Hyunwoo even respected him. Jinyoung was a man of courtesy. Receiving his card, Jinyoung also politely gave his to Hyunwoo and exchanged greetings with him.

“Producer Mansoo Kim told me about you. It’s nice to see you like this.”

Jinyoung was seven years older than Hyunwoo, but as he tried to think and act like a young man, Hyunwoo felt he was more old-fashioned than him. Besides, Jinyoung’s voice was cheerful, and his eyes glowed brightly, far from a disheartened man who failed in business.

“I heard you’re in animation business,” asked Jinyoung.

“Oh, please talk down to me, brother.”

“Ha ha, as this is my first meeting with you, I feel rather uncomfortable talking down. Next time let me try. By the way, you look like an extraordinary man.”

“Not at all, brother. I’m flattered.”

Both of them were of one mind in many respects. They had a great conversation, and both of them felt congenial to each other.

As if he had the same feeling, Jinyoung sat close to Hyunwoo during the whole evening.

Sometimes he moved here and there to fill the cup for someone but came back to Hyunwoo’s side. It was the same for Hyunwoo. Though Minhye and Youngsu gestured to him to pay attention to others, Hyunwoo didn’t care at all, only focusing on Jinyoung.

But Hyunwoo made a mistake in spite of himself. He touched on something that he should have not with respect to Jinyoung. It was about his entertainment company JYB that went bankrupt.

However, Jinyoung was not embarrassed at all. Rather, he was bold enough to make a big laugh and didn’t hesitate to tell Hyunwoo about the bankrupt company.

“I was just too immature at that time. I managed the company like a fool,” said he, looking at Hyunwoo. “Why do you think I failed, Hyunwoo?”

“How do I know?” Hyunwoo hesitated to reply. However, Jinyoung was adamant about getting his reply because he thought Hyunwoo might have analyzed why JYB went bust.

After all, Hyunwoo opened his mouth.

“It’s true that it’s more profitable to invest one billion won and make 1.2 billion won than making 200 million one by investing 100 million one,” Jinyoung’s curiosity was piqued by Hyunwoo’s analysis, “But that’s the case of those who ran a business and knew how to make money. It’s too reckless a business style for start-ups.”

Jinyoung nodded his head as if he already sensed what Hyunwoo was trying to say, “I think my judgment of you was right. You already know what I have learned from business failure.”

“Oh, don’t overestimate me, brother. Originally, someone who coaches others is a glib talker, as you know.”

Jinyoung was a broad-minded person. He was not bound by his past failures nor did he try to hide his weakness, which Hyunwoo felt might be his biggest strength.

That was what Hyunwoo wanted to learn from him.

“May I ask for your advice on my business sometimes?”

“Of course. Your call is always welcome. By the way, I know something about singing or dancing, but know nothing about animation. I’m afraid I won’t be of much help.”

“Well, just hearing your voice will be a big help to me.”

“Oh, I’m flattered by that. Ha ha ha.”

Hyunwoo was so delighted to have a drink with him tonight. That’s why he had already drunk a second and third round of drinking with him, but he didn’t want to leave yet.

“Do you have any appointment tomorrow? Shall we have one more drink of beer?”

“Well, I have a shooting schedule tomorrow, but let me just have one more drink.”

Both of them went to a beerhouse for the fourth round.

Hyunwoo brought up the topic of Jinyoung himself, such as episodes of his best times as a popular producer, etc. Jinyong reeled off the episodes endlessly.

Then, Jinyoung suddenly began to talk about AT Entertainment. It was about a fierce competition to grab a very promising girl singer between AT Entertainment and JYB.

In the end, AT Entertainment, backed by huge financial firepower, won it. The girl singer enjoyed great success, moving back and forth in the fields of singing and acting.

“Can you tell me who is she?”

“Well, she went bust now. After she was in the AT Entertainment owner’s bad books, she ended up going under very badly.”

Hyunwoo nodded his head, and then suddenly thought of Nami Yu. As her boyfriend Dukwoo said, the AT Entertainment president was a big womanizer, and Hyunwoo had to find a way to get Nami out.

“Brother, do you happen to know about Taesoo Ahn, the owner of AT Entertainment?”

“Which aspect?”

Hyunwoo briefly explained to him about Nami’s situation but didn’t reveal her name.

As soon as he heard from Hyunwoo, Jinyoung made a serious look on his face and said,

“Looks like she’s in trouble. That guy is a notorious womanizer. Once he sets his eye on a certain woman, he wants to satisfy his sexual greed by all means. Remember the girl singer I mentioned? That’s why she went bust when she was in his bad books.”

Hyunwoo’s face hardened. Dukwoo’s judgment was correct. Nami was in serious jeopardy now.

“What should I tell her then?”

Jinyoung had no magic solution, of course. Relationships with the opposite sex was something even parents can’t interfere with.

After some hard thinking, Jinyoung said, “Can I see her?”

Hyunwoo was glad to hear his proposal, but he was nervous at the same time. If Taesu Ahn smelled a rat, he could bear a grudge against Nami. It was a real possibility.

When Hyunwoo pointed this out, Jinyoung nodded, with a gloomy look on his face.

“I agree. I think it is too dangerous for me to see her at this time. Let me give it a hard thought and come back if I hit upon a good idea.”

“Sorry, brother. I wish I had not brought up this topic today.”

“That’s alright, man. We have to help each other in bad times. Shall we part?”

Hyunwoo wanted to stay with him more, but Jinyoung had a busy schedule tomorrow.

Jinyoung had a hectic schedule. He was active not only in sitcoms and entertainment programs but also in the music field. Sometimes, when Hyunwoo called him, he just repeated he couldn’t take time out because he was too busy.

Hyunwoo thought Jinyoung’s busy schedule was rather good for him because the Korean entertainment circles could get a morale boost if someone like Jinyoung was very active.

Hyunwoo also left no stone unturned to do better. After he signed off a contract with Mansoo, Hyunwoo was much busier. Though he had less than one month to go before he left Design Space, he was determined to do his best, assuming his work as if he was its CEO, until the last day of his employment with Design Space.

He wanted to keep personal ties with producer Mansoo Kim.

Hyunwoo also needed to get more contracts on sponsoring furniture in the soap drama settings.

Fortunately, it was much easier for him to meet the producers after Mansoo took the initiative in connecting other producers with Hyunwoo.

Frequent meetings with producers made Hyunwoo visit the shooting places night and day.

And a couple of times every week Youngsu, executive director of Space Design, had a drinking party with those in the broadcasting circles.

Hyunwoo was too busy to take a break, but he still loved his job. When could he ever get to know these broadcasting figures without this chance?

“You know Reporter Jaeyol Song, don’t you? Hyunwoo is the guy Jaeyol pays special attention to. That gives you some clue of what kind of personality he has, right?” said Mansoo to one producer.

“Really? Reporter Song is an established veteran reporter. It looks like he has smelled a rat. Hope I’m in your good hands, sir,” said the producer to Hyunwoo.

“Oh my god, it’s me who has to say that. I’m honored to meet you,” said Hyunwoo, exchanging business cards with him.

But Hyunwoo was not happy because of his concern with the future of Space Design.

“What should I do? I already pulled off a contract with Design Room,” said that producer.

“Well, the items that you are sponsoring are the same as the ones of the company I signed a contract with several days ago. I wish we had met much earlier,” said another producer.

Most of the producers present at the drinking party that night same about the same thing. Design Room got ahead of Space Design, winning all the contacts ahead of Space Design.

Hyunwoo, Minhye and Youngsu let out a sigh at the dark reality.

“I can’t believe former Assistant Manager Younghwan Koh had such a great sales talent!”

“It’s not just Younghwan. Design Room boasts over 20 salesmen. All of them are going out for sales now. On the other hand, we have got only three salesmen including Youngsu, the executive director. We can’t compete with them.”

“Why don’t we hire more salesmen?” said a salesman.

“Yea, that’s good. If we are defensive like this, there is no future for us,” said Youngsu.

Minhye asked Yonggu, “What do you think?”

But Yonggu was skeptical about it, “I don’t think it’s a good idea. It’s too late. Even if we hire more salesmen, we can’t take away the signed contracts.”

Hyunwoo seconded and said, “No matter how many cable companies there are, there is a limit on the number of soap operas that we can get the contract on. And sponsoring furniture for unpopular soap operas won’t have any effect.”

“I guess so. I think it’s my mistake. I think we should have concentrated on sales, not design, in the first phase of our business,” said Minhye with a sigh.

But Hyunwoo had a different idea.

With a satisfactory smile, he said confidently, “Well, I think Design Room is asking for trouble now.”

Everyone at the meeting gave him a curious look because they had no idea what he was talking about, including Minhye.

“What do you mean? How are they asking for trouble now?”