Chapter 980: Youth, Once Again! (5)
After receiving word that the unfilial son who had abandoned Kim Hyun-Ja was working at Hanullim Music, I quietly rose from my seat.
"Where are you going?"
"I think I'll pay Hanullim Music a visit."
"What for?"
"To collect some overdue money. Not a single cent has gone into Mrs. Kim's bank account in the last ten years."
My plan was simple. I intended to present everyone—from her son, Lee Joong-Heon, and daughter, Lee So-Jin, who had siphoned off Kim Hyun-Ja's assets and abandoned her; to Hanullim Music, which continued profiting from albums released under her name; and even Director Choi Sang-Myun, her former talent agent, who had betrayed her and tossed her nothing more than a five-million-won commercial—with a bill for every penny they had earned over the past ten years by trading on Kim Hyun-Ja's name.
After listening to me, President Kang Gam-Chan pondered for a moment before standing up as well. "I'll come with you."
At that moment, Kim Hyun-Ji, who had been holding Kim Hyun-Ja's hand, and Lee Mal-Soon also rose from their seats.
"I want to go too."
"Let's all go together. We might be able to help."
Everyone's eyes flashed as though they were ready to turn Hanullim Music upside down. Still, it would be easier if I handled this alone. Besides, there was something else I needed Kang Gam-Chan and the others to do.
"Mrs. Kim Hyun-Ja, Mr. Kang, and the two of you—I have something I'd like to ask of you, so please stay here."
As the four of them tilted their heads in confusion, I began making a request that would help me completely destroy those bastards.
'If I'm going to crush someone, I might as well do it properly.'
***
Hanullim Music was a trot music company with a history spanning fifty years, founded by Yuk Sung-Hwan, who had once been called the Prince of Trot in his youth. With a large roster of trot singers, it handled over seventy percent of the nation's nightclub and event performances, making it the undisputed number-one company in the industry for the past thirty years.
In the entertainment industry as a whole, it ranked around twentieth, but there were rumors that if measured by actual cash flow, it would easily place within the top ten. After all, cash earned from nightclub performances was easy to conceal and often never appeared in official company revenue reports.
I arrived at the ground-level parking lot of the massive building owned by Hanullim Music. The parking lot attached to the thirty-story building alone covered several hundred pyeong.
"Looks like Hanullim is making plenty of money."
The thought that there would be a lot more to squeeze out of them immediately improved my mood.
After parking in the spacious lot and stepping out, several Hanullim Music employees who had been exiting the lobby stopped and began whispering among themselves.
"Isn't that... Oh, he's not a celebrity. That's Chief Jung."
"So the rumor about Writer Lee Ji-Yeon giving him a Ventley was true?"
"Wow. A talent agent that young driving a Ventley? I thought some third-generation chaebol heir had shown up. Damn. Though that thing must guzzle gas. Is he really okay with that?"
"Hey. If you're jealous, just say so."
"What? Am I the only one jealous? Stop pretending you're not."
I found myself once again admiring Writer Lee Ji-Yeon's foresight in gifting me this car to elevate my standing as a talent agent. After giving the envious onlookers a polite nod, I strolled into the lobby.
Inside, the information desk was divided into two sections. One desk was dedicated exclusively to Hanullim Music, which occupied only the first and second floors, while the other served the companies leasing offices from the third through the thirtieth floors.
I headed toward Hanullim Music's private desk. The lone female employee standing there greeted me.
"Welcome Mr. Jung Yoon-Ho. Thank you for visiting, how can I help you today?"
Since she seemed to recognize me, I returned her smile and explained why I had come. "I came to see Mr. Choi Sang-Myun."
Choi Sang-Myun had been Kim Hyun-Ja's second talent agent and the person who had stayed by her side the longest. He was also the worst of them all, having exploited her and siphoned money from her for longer than anyone else.
"Do you have an appointment?"
"No. But please let him know I'm here. Tell him that if he refuses to see me now, he'll soon find himself in quite a difficult situation regarding Mrs. Kim Hyun-Ja."
The message was fairly aggressive, but I delivered it with a smile. The woman at the information desk wasn't at fault, after all. She fidgeted nervously before picking up the intercom.
"Since it's you, Mr. Jung... I'll try contacting him."
The receptionist relayed my message through the intercom. Whatever the person on the other end said, she nodded repeatedly.
"Yes. Yes. Understood."
Click.
After hanging up, she stepped out from behind the desk and stopped in front of me.
"Please follow me."
If the receptionist, who was supposed to remain at her station, was personally escorting me, then there was only one place we could be heading.
"To the third floor?" I asked.
She froze. The woman walking ahead abruptly turned her head and asked, "How... do you know that?"
Officially, Hanullim Music was known to occupy only the second floor. However, all the truly important conversations took place in a small room on the third floor. The executives called it a lounge, but right next door was the office of Sungsil Security, a company staffed by former members of the Sungsil gang. If trouble arose, help was only a few steps away.
Nothing had changed since my visit before the regression, which meant the information I knew was still useful. That realization made me even more confident as I addressed the startled receptionist.
"Aren't we going?"
"Y-Yes. Right."
She kept sneaking glances at me as she led the way. I calmly followed behind her while organizing what I wanted to say to Choi Sang-Myun. For the next little while, I would have to act like a ruthless debt collector.
'I'm here to collect a debt. Be prepared.'
***
As soon as I stepped out of the elevator and arrived in front of Room 301 on the third floor, I saw a sign on the door.
[Hanullim Music Executive Lounge]
Knock. Knock.
The receptionist who had escorted me knocked on the door and called out, "Sir, I've brought him."
-Come in.
Click.
Someone inside pressed a button, unlocking the outer door. I didn't enter immediately. Instead, I turned my head to the left. Just as expected, offices from Rooms 302 to 305 were occupied by businesses operating under the name Sungsil Security.
'Just like before.'
Reassured that nothing had changed from before the regression, I slowly stepped inside.
Click.
The thirty-pyeong lounge contained a massive Italian-made luxury leather sofa capable of seating twenty people, along with a huge solid-wood table. A high-end refrigerator stood against one wall, alongside a premium coffee machine with a built-in grinder.
Seated at the place of honor on the sofa was Choi Sang-Myun, fifty-seven years old this year and a trot-industry talent agent for thirty-five years. A gold Rulelex gleamed on his wrist as he lounged there with an arrogant expression.
However, two unexpected people were seated on either side of him. One of them was forty-five-year-old Director Lee Joong-Heon, and another was forty-one-year-old Managing Director Lee So-Jin. The very unfilial children who had abandoned Lee Taek-Hyun and Kim Hyun-Ja were sitting there without a shred of shame.
'This is even better. I can settle everything at once.'
Just as that thought crossed my mind, Choi Sang-Myun raised a hand. "Well, Chief Jung. What brings you here?"
Without even offering me a seat, he simply stared at me.
I answered in a calm tone, "Someone with your experience should already know."
There was no way a talent agent with thirty-five years in the business wouldn't understand what I was referring to.
After a brief staring contest, he slumped back against the sofa and grumbled. "Damn it. Fine. I saw the article. Hoop Entertainment signed Mrs. Kim, huh? You obviously didn't take her in without thinking things through. You're here for the unpaid money, right?"
It was just as I expected. For the past ten years, Hanullim Music had released albums under Kim Hyun-Ja's name every year. Some were part of the Kim Hyun-Ja Best Series, featuring collections of her greatest hits. On top of that, three of the ten most-sung songs by people over fifty in karaoke rooms were still Kim Hyun-Ja's songs.
While Kim Hyun-Ja never composed music herself, she had written the lyrics, which meant the royalties alone were substantial. I had verified all of that before coming here, and now I was here to collect.
I smiled. "I knew we'd be able to communicate."
At that moment, Choi Sang-Myun spoke. "Well, I hate to break it to you... But we've already paid. To those two sitting over there!"
The shameless bastard was trying to use her children as an excuse.
I snorted and dropped onto the sofa. "I just came from checking Mrs. Kim Hyun-Ja's bank account, so spare me the nonsense."
"What? Nonsense?"
The records showed that after Kim Hyun-Ja went overseas ten years ago, not a single deposit had ever entered her account. In other words, her children had been siphoning off the money from that point onward, making it much easier to demand payment directly from Hanullim Music.
At that moment, Lee Joong-Heon shouted, "We received all the payments that were supposed to go to Mom!"
I glared at Lee Joong-Heon and said, "Mrs. Kim says she doesn't have any children. Who exactly are you talking about?"
"What?"
"Why? Did I say something wrong? You abandoned an elderly woman suffering from dementia, and you dare call her your mother?"
Faced with my icy stare, Lee Joong-Heon visibly trembled. Even after several more exchanges, I didn't so much as blink.
Eventually, Choi Sang-Myun stepped in. "Damn it. Fine. Let's keep this simple before things get annoying. Five hundred million won. Considering our history with Mrs. Kim, we'll pay that much. Let's just think of it as contributing to her retirement."
"Five hundred million?"
"That's right. Mrs. Kim retired ten years ago. Ten years! Sure, we released albums during that time, but how many do you think actually sold? Don't you know the CD market is dead these days? Want me to show you how few CDs we pressed?"
Since he had already handed money over to Lee Joong-Heon and Lee So-Jin, he was trying to settle this as cheaply as possible. However, I snorted again. Before the regression, during a drinking session, he had personally told me what really made them money.
"What about the highway USBs?" I asked.
The confidence instantly vanished from Choi Sang-Myun's face. The biggest source of income for trot singers was, without question, nightclub performances. They sang three or four songs and earned anywhere from hundreds of thousands to tens of millions of won, often paid entirely in cash.
Yet, aside from those performances, the most profitable business wasn't karaoke. It was highway music sales, because tour bus drivers and trot fans over fifty bought them whenever they traveled. In the past, they were sold on CDs. Now, USB drives had completely replaced them.
More importantly, Hanullim Music not only produced those highway USBs themselves, but also handled distribution. The profits were enormous. And before the regression, after a few drinks, Choi Sang-Myun had spilled every detail to me.
"What? Did you really think I wouldn't know how much money you're making from those highway USBs?"
The moment I revealed knowledge of the revenue stream Hanullim Music had carefully kept hidden, panic flashed across Choi Sang-Myun's face.
"Damn... Everyone keeps talking about Chief Jung this, and Chief Jung that... I thought it was all hype... but you're better than I expected." He stared at me for a long moment before finally gritting his teeth. "So. How much are you thinking? Let's hear it and see if we can make a deal. What, one billion won?"
At that moment, I answered calmly, "Ten billion won."
Choi Sang-Myun shot to his feet. "Are you insane? Do you think ten billion won is some kid's name?"
"I know you've made over a billion won a year from her. So add compensation for emotional damages, and pay ten billion. Nice. And. Clean."
"You little bastard... Are you messing with me right now...?" Trembling with rage, he bent forward and reached toward the table.
At the same time, I issued a cold warning. "If you're thinking about calling the thugs next door, you'd better be prepared. Once I'm done sweeping those idiots aside, you're next. I'm sure you've read a few articles about me."
Choi Sang-Myun's hand froze halfway under the table. Then he stared at me blankly. It seemed impossible for him to understand how I knew there was a button beneath the table that could summon the men next door.
"Who... the hell are you...? How do you know that?"
'Who am I? A regressor. And before the regression, you were the one who showed it to me while drinking with me in this very room.'
As Choi Sang-Myun froze in shock, Lee Joong-Heon suddenly exploded. "How dare some brat barely out of diapers threaten Mr. Choi!"
Lee So-Jin jumped up as well. "That's right! This is extortion! Extortion! The money's already been paid, so what money are you demanding? Mr. Choi! Call the police right now! We'll testify for you!"
Watching the beasts who had discarded even basic family bonds, I clicked my tongue. "You two should be worrying about yourselves right now, not Mr. Choi."
Lee Joong-Heon clenched his fist and stood. "How dare you talk down to me, you punk—"
"I use honorifics for people. Not for animals."
Thinking about Kim Hyun-Ja wandering around lost earlier today made me want to smash his face in. However, I wasn't planning to stop with something so simple. I intended to strip them bare and leave nothing behind.
"And raising your fist against a former boxer? Are you confident you can beat me? Actually, why don't we each just take one punch?"
"You little—"
Lee Joong-Heon trembled with fury. Yet in the end, he dropped back onto the sofa and merely seethed. I had heard he had anger-management issues, but it turned out he was quite good at managing his anger when it mattered.
Lee So-Jin also frowned deeply and kept her mouth shut.
I turned back to Choi Sang-Myun and continued. "Mr. Choi. Let's get back to the point. Are you paying the ten billion or not?"
Choi Sang-Myun snapped back immediately. "No way. Even if you beat me to death, I won't pay it! One billion is my final offer!"
"Then I suppose there's no helping it."
I immediately called Kang Gam-Chan. "Mr. Kang, please begin."
-Understood.
Click.
After I hung up, Choi Sang-Myun blinked at me. "What are you planning?"
"You'll see."
The moment I said that, I set down my phone and opened a MeTube link.
[Mrs. Kim Hyun-Ja's Hospitalization at Gangnam Seven Stars Hospital (LIVE)]
On the screen, reporters gathered inside a conference room at Seven Stars Hospital, murmuring among themselves. A moment later, Kang Gam-Chan and Lee Mal-Soon walked out first. Then Kim Hyun-Ji pushed Kim Hyun-Ja's wheelchair into view.
Click. Click.
Camera flashes erupted as everyone's attention focused on them.
At the same time, Kang Gam-Chan stepped forward and began the interview.
-Since Mrs. Kim Hyun-Ja's health is not in the best condition, I'll be answering the reporters' questions on her behalf.
Just as I had requested, Kim Hyun-Ja's press conference began.
The moment Choi Sang-Myun saw the phone screen, he shouted urgently, "Chief Jung! What the hell are you doing?"
"The press conference won't last more than ten minutes. Mrs. Kim's health won't allow it. As for the time I'm giving you, you have three minutes starting now. So what's it going to be? Three minutes from now, should I have Mrs. Kim Hyun-Ja expose all the money Hanullim Music stole and everything you've done over the years? Or would you rather just pay the ten billion and keep things simple?"
The moment I warned him that Hanullim Music's actions would be exposed nationwide and that even the Minister of Culture would soon be meeting with Kim Hyun-Ja, Choi Sang-Myun began to tremble.
Tick.
Tick.
Time started slipping away.
***
Even after two minutes had passed, Choi Sang-Myun couldn't bring himself to answer. Then again, ten billion won wasn't exactly pocket change. In that case, I decided to make the decision easier for him.
When I stood up, Choi Sang-Myun flinched. "What are you doing?"
His hand instinctively moved beneath the table.
I warned, "Careful where you're putting that hand."
Choi Sang-Myun immediately brought it back up. "It's a habit. A habit! Just stay over there and talk."
"Really? You don't mind if other people hear about the things you've done?"
"..."
"Time's running out. Mrs. Kim Hyun-Ja is about to start answering questions."
"Damn it. Come here. Whisper it."
With so many skeletons in his closet, he finally called me over. I walked over slowly and whispered into his ear.
"The money coming in from the nightclubs in Gwangju and Busan, I know you've been skimming it behind President Yuk Sung-Hwan's back. Should I tell President Yuk? If that happens, I don't think the guys from Sungsil Security next door will be coming after me. They'll be coming after you."
Choi Sang-Myun had become greedy for the enormous cash flowing through the trot industry and had been taking kickbacks from nightclub appearance fees in Busan and Gwangju. Before the regression, I had personally seen him flaunting bundles of cash. I even knew exactly which businesses were paying him.
The instant a secret he believed only he knew was exposed, all color drained from Choi Sang-Myun's face. "Y-You... Who are you...? How do you know about that...?"
"It's a trade secret. More importantly, what are you going to do? Oh, and by the way, the Minister of Culture happens to be a fan of Mrs. Kim Hyun-Ja. If this explodes, both President Yuk Sung-Hwan and Hanullim Music will be finished."
Grinding his teeth, Choi Sang-Myun finally spoke. "Even if I pay the money, I can't avoid investigations by the police and prosecutors! So what exactly do I gain from cooperating? Tell me that!"
In other words, he was asking me to save him. I had expected that response, which was why I had prepared another card.
"If you pay the ten billion, I'll give you a clean way out."
"R-Really?"
From the very beginning, my goal had simply been to squeeze as much money as possible out of Hanullim Music. So I offered him an escape route.
"Yes. An excuse for President Yuk and an excuse for the public—everything. And once the money is paid, Hoop Entertainment won't file a lawsuit against Hanullim Music. What do you think?"
After a brief moment of consideration, Choi Sang-Myun hurriedly pulled out his phone. "You might change your story later, so let's record this first! I'll go first."
He immediately started recording.
"I, Choi Sang-Myun, Director of Hanullim Music, promise to pay ten billion won as compensation for Mrs. Kim Hyun-Ja's earnings over the past ten years! Now you talk!"
"I, Jung Yoon-Ho, Chief of Hoop Entertainment, agree that in exchange for receiving ten billion won, we will not pursue legal action against Hanullim Music."
It wasn't perfect legal language, but the intent was clear. After ending the recording, Choi Sang-Myun immediately sent me the file through Kk Talk.
"There. A recording counts as a contract too. No backing out later. Deal?"
With money overflowing through the company and countless dirty secrets hidden beneath the surface, he had chosen to pay.
'Ten billion secured...'
Now it was time to explain the solution that would appear to save Choi Sang-Myun. But in reality, it would send Lee Joong-Heon and Lee So-Jin plunging straight into hell.
'Lee Joong-Heon. Lee So-Jin. Get ready. You're next.'