Peninsula: From a supporting actor to the best actor in Chungmuro

Chapter 207 Jiang Feng's Hair and the Next Eight Years

Kang Jae-hoon drove around the underground parking lot at a low speed, feeling quite satisfied. The sense of power was transmitted through the seat, and the precise feedback from the controls excited him.

But soon.

This small space felt too cramped.

You have to stop as soon as you press the accelerator a little harder; it's just not satisfying.

The wheels came to a stop in front of Lim Yoona.

Kang Jae-hoon stretched out his long leg and lifted the helmet visor:

"Come on up, I'll take you for a spin."

Im Yoona immediately shook her head, her body instinctively leaning back a small half step:
"No."

Experiencing the roar of that mechanical monster up close and the oppressive feeling of its rapid charge is a shock that goes far beyond just the visual.

"Fear?"

Kang Jae-hoon raised an eyebrow: "Then why did you ask me if I had seen 'Roman Holiday' back then?"

"Ok?"

Im Yoona was taken aback.

Obviously, they didn't remember that joke.

Kang Jae-hoon calmly reminded him:
"Two years ago, on my birthday, you specifically asked me if I had seen 'Roman Holiday.' Wasn't the subtext of that question that you wanted to experience a motorcycle ride like Princess Anne's—free, romantic, and even a little dangerous?"

The fragments of memory were pieced together.

Lim Yoona covered her mouth with her hand, her shoulders shaking slightly with laughter, and then frankly clarified:
"What I really meant was that I wanted to experience a 'Roman Holiday'-style one-day romantic getaway with you, you idiot! I didn't mean to go for a ride!"

Kang Jae-hoon slapped the top of his helmet in feigned annoyance:
"Tsk! What a pity! I only regret not understanding that meaning back then!"

With a gentle smile in her eyes, Lim Yoona asked again:

"If you had understood... would you have agreed back then?"

Kang Jae-hoon looked thoughtful for a few seconds, but then shook his head decisively.
"will not."

"why?"

"I'm afraid you'll play with my feelings."

Before he could finish speaking, Yoona's little pink fist had already punched his shoulder blade.

"Pooh!"

Kang Jae-hoon seized the opportunity to grab her small hand and caress it in his palm:

"I guarantee the speed will absolutely not exceed 60 miles per hour! I swear."

After much pleading and cajoling, Yoona finally gave in.

Overwhelmed by indulgence and trust in his safety, she sighed helplessly, and with a sense of tragic heroism, carefully climbed onto the back seat.

Om-! ! !
The engine roared again.

This time, the sound burst free from the confines of the underground parking garage and exploded across the city streets.

The stares from pedestrians and the high rate of people turning their heads to look were unavoidable, but the full-coverage helmets and the cover of night firmly locked away their true identities.

Lim Yoona wrapped her arms tightly around his waist. Her heart was pounding in her chest, and she couldn't tell whether it was fear or excitement.

The locomotive steadily drove onto the Hanjiang Bridge.

The city lights cast shimmering reflections on the river. The evening breeze, carrying the cool scent of the river, finally soothed the engine's heat and the tension in my nerves.

Kang Jae-hoon parked his motorcycle in a relatively sparsely populated area at one end of the Han River Bridge.

The river flows quietly beneath my feet, as if the hustle and bustle of the city is isolated on the other side.

Lin Yoona took off her helmet, leaned on the railing, looked out at the river, and suddenly chuckled softly.

"What are you laughing at?"

Kang Jae-hoon imitated her by leaning against the railing.

Lim Yoona pointed to the shadows at the end of the bridge:
"There. Eight years ago, on the eve of her debut, Taeyeon unnie clung to the railing and shouted—"

She imitated that clear, desperate voice:

"I will definitely do it!"

Kang Jae-hoon looked in the direction she was pointing:

"She did it."

"Yes."

Yoona's voice conveyed a complex mix of emotions.

There were feelings of emotion, hardship, and of course, pride.

Eight years.

Long enough to show the fine lines around the eyes in the practice room mirror, yet short enough to look like you just missed a beat in your debut song yesterday.

The river breeze blew Lin Yoona's hair and brushed against Kang Jae-hoon's neck.

He instinctively reached out and tucked a few stray strands of hair behind her ear. Moonlight mingled in his eyes, reflecting a rare depth of affection.
"Eight years ago, you were Yoona from Girls' Generation."

The sound, broken up by the wind, was fed into her ears:

"Be yourself, Lim Yoona, for the next eight years."

"Make mine too."

This statement is too direct and too emotional.

Lim Yoona turned her face to the side.

The neon lights on both sides of the Han River came into her view.

The shimmering light is complex and difficult to discern.

Surprise, emotion, and perhaps even deeper feelings were surging beneath the surface.

The oxygen in the air seemed to have been sucked out, leaving only their intertwined breaths and the intense, unspoken emotions in their eyes; the distance between their lips shrank to the millimeter level—

The romantic atmosphere was suddenly shattered by a hand pinching his cheek.

"Be honest!"

Im Yoona narrowed her eyes and twisted her fingertips threateningly halfway around:

"Have you been hanging out with Park Hyung-sik again lately? You've mastered the art of flirting!"

This time, Kang Jae-hoon didn't try to shift the blame.

These are my heartfelt words.

He grabbed Yoona's small hand that had been used to commit the crime and pressed it against his heart: "Did you hear that? It all came from the heart."

"whispering sound."

Yoona clearly didn't believe it completely.

But the slight upturn of her lips and the softening of her eyes betrayed the fact that she had been pleased.

Believe it or not, she eventually moved forward an inch.

Her soft lips pressed against his.

It was like a reward for those half-true, half-false sweet words, and also like a soft period to the beautiful moment that had just been interrupted.

"Let's go."

After the kiss, Yoona gracefully put the helmet she had been holding on her head.

Kang Jae-hoon quickly snapped out of his daze and also fastened his helmet:

"Where?"

"Let's go look at the house."

"it is good."

The engine roared, tearing through the night and carrying the two of them into the streets of JB. In the rearview mirror, the cables of the Han River Bridge, like harp strings, gradually disappeared into the city's light pollution.

……

The stairwell of the rental building under construction still smelled of sawdust.

Outside the gate.

A spare key lay in a simple, small plastic box nailed to the wall—placed for construction workers to enter and exit at any time.

open the door.

Moonlight streamed in through the floor-to-ceiling windows that had no curtains.

Kang Jae-hoon fumbled for the light switch on the wall, and with a few clicks, the energy-saving light bulbs in the room lit up one by one, dispelling the darkness and illuminating the space where the activity was taking place.

The walls have been painted a clean white base coat, and the simple ceiling frame is taking shape. The water and electricity pipes have been neatly embedded in the walls or floor, leaving clear traces of their routes.

A transitional phase of "rough initial assembly".

It will take some time before the final presentation, but the basic spatial framework is already clearly visible.

Lin Yoona's stilettos stepped over the dust cloth, bent down to check the tile joints, ran her fingertips over the leveling layer on the windowsill, and even had to stand on tiptoe to check the ceiling joists.

At this moment, she doesn't seem like the perfect idol on stage, but rather like a shrewd... landlady.

"We need to add sound insulation cotton here."

She suddenly pointed to the wall in the master bedroom: "Otherwise..."

He glanced meaningfully at the thin wall connecting to the next room.

Kang Jae-hoon was leaning against the uninstalled cabinet, watching her. The light traced the beautiful curve of her back as she bent over, and he suddenly felt that this "inspection" was well worth it.

When Yoona turned around, she realized that someone wasn't listening to the construction advice at all.

She raised an eyebrow and lightly kicked his shin with the tip of her high heel.
"President Jiang?"

"Did you listen to the inspection feedback?"

Jiang Zai Xun used the opportunity to pin him against the newly inspected and approved load-bearing wall. The dust cover slipped off in the struggle, raising fine dust that danced in the moonlight.

"He is putting it into practice..."

His knee shoved into the hem of her skirt.

"Confirm soundproofing requirements..."

Unspoken words turned into silent gasps.

finally.

Reality has put the reins on.

After all, this was still a half-finished construction site, and the air was filled with the mixed smell of quicklime and sawdust. The two straightened their slightly disheveled clothes and decided to leave this alluring, unfinished place bathed in moonlight.

Next is the routine project inspection.

They then inspected several other properties.

Progress is uneven.

In the old house in Ahara Ward, the moldy wallpaper had just been removed, and the air was filled with the chemical smell of formaldehyde remover. In the apartment in Domine Ward, underfloor heating pipes had been installed, the black pipes winding like snakes across the concrete floor.

The slowest place hadn't even had a bricklayer arrive; the walls were bare, with gray cement exposed, and sand and bricks piled on the ground.

Jiang Zai Xun silently calculated the time in his mind, his brows unconsciously furrowing slightly.

The project was launched in the sweltering heat of July, and now it is the cool season of September.

It's been two months.

Even for these properties that are progressing the fastest, after the complete renovation, they still need to be appraised by a professional appraisal agency before they can apply for a mortgage loan from a bank. After that, they need to post rental information, screen tenants, and sign contracts, which can take at least a month.

The complete turnover cycle of a house can take as long as four months.

How many four-month periods are there in a year?

At most, it can complete three rounds of this snowballing cycle of "acquisition → renovation → valuation and mortgage → rent collection → re-acquisition".

So what about the final profit?
In the most ideal scenario, after deducting all operating costs, interest expenses, taxes, etc., it would be around 300 million Korean won.

Honestly.

This rate of return is actually quite considerable.

With a starting capital of 20 billion Korean won and a net profit of 3 million won in one year, this is an impressive result for any rational investor.

The problem is that the starting point was too low.

Two billion won is an astronomical sum for ordinary people, but it's far too little in the world that Kang Jae-hoon wants to enter. This "not much" return is still as wide as the Han River as his goal.

therefore.

An idea quickly took shape in Kang Jae-hoon's mind and became clearer and clearer—since the current snowball is rolling too slowly, why not switch to a set of wheels that spin faster?

"Yoona... perhaps we could adjust the operating mode?"

Upon hearing this, Lim Yoona turned her head, signaling him to continue.

"Limited by the amount of capital accumulated, this turnover is too slow."

"What if we bought a house directly with a 30% down payment? Once we got the house, we could immediately find tenants. Then we could use the cash flow generated from the deposit on the first house as leverage to make down payments on the second and third houses. Then we could rent them out... The snowball effect and leverage would be much faster than what we're doing now!"

Simply put, it's about transforming the "depth" of money renovation into the "breadth" of the number of properties purchased.

Instead of pursuing high-premium mortgages on a single property to cash out, they leverage their asset size by purchasing more properties and continuously depositing funds, while enjoying the potential benefits of overall price increases.

"No."

Yoona denied it almost without hesitation.

"why?"

"This plan sounds appealing, and the leverage effect is tempting, but it's completely unrealistic."

She stretched out her fair fingers and curled them up one by one:

"First, housing prices have stopped rising and have even fallen slightly. Banks have lowered their valuations and their loan quotas are insufficient, which has broken the chain of down payments for newly acquired properties."

"Second, if loan interest rates are raised, the monthly mortgage payments for each property will increase sharply, the fragile rental income will be instantly disrupted, and the cash flow will immediately break down."

"Third, if any one of the properties in the chain cannot find tenants in the short or long term, the cash flow will be disrupted, and all the properties in the chain will collapse."

What would be the consequences if this bubble burst?
It's a foreclosure auction, and it's a huge debt.

What about the legal representative listed on the contract?
It's impossible for Lim Yoon-ah to gamble her own sister's wealth and reputation on such a high-risk, high-leverage game.

Moreover.

Although they are currently taking advantage of the current housing prices and interest rates, the core reason is that they firmly hold onto high-quality real estate that has been renovated.

Even if the market outlook changes drastically, the worst outcome would be being forced to temporarily halt expansion, or even selling a project at a slight loss.

But this results in a loss.

At most, the loss would be a portion of the renovation costs or short-term interest costs for a particular project, which is within a manageable range and will not cause serious damage or affect others.

Yoona comes from a wealthy family, and her own income is astonishing.

She has long since passed the stage where she needs to gamble everything to accumulate initial wealth.

The core of her investment philosophy is steady growth.

of course……

There is an even deeper reason.

—Yoona Lim definitely doesn't want to see Kang Jae-hoon achieve wealth far exceeding his acting career earnings in a short period through overly aggressive and potentially out-of-control financial leverage. The power of money can distort the balance of relationships.

Seek wealth while maintaining stability.

It's not just about investment strategies.

It was also a practical choice for her to maintain a certain delicate initiative...

Kang Jae-hoon did not insist any further.

Putting aside the emotional entanglements between the two, from a purely practical perspective of their collaboration, he couldn't bypass Yoona's autocratic implementation of that high-leverage strategy.

Compromise is not a pleasant experience.

But the soft, warm lips of Yoona that pressed against hers, carrying the sweet scent of peaches, instantly dispelled the bitterness of a shattered economic blueprint.

It is both a reassurance and a gesture of appeasement.

This is also a reward for his pragmatism.

"Let's go."

She grabbed his arm: "It's past midnight, let's go home and celebrate our baby's birthday~"

"Is the baby talking about me?"

Jiang Zai Xun asked the question knowing the answer already.

When Yoona's eyes swept across the room, even the way her eyelashes fluttered seemed to have hooks in them:

"Or is it that money tree by the door?"

"hey-hey."

A silly laugh rolled out from Kang Jae-hoon's chest.

Looking at him, who was like a large dog that had been stroked so easily, Lim Yoona suddenly felt incredibly soft-hearted. This man had been navigating the world of fame and fortune for many years, yet he still retained such a simple and easily pleased nature.

A simple "baby" can make his eyes light up; if he uses an even more intimate term—

She nipped the idea in the bud as soon as it popped into her head.

Some boundaries are too early to cross.

……

A sliver of pale sunlight forced its way through the gap in the curtains.

Kang Jae-hoon unconsciously reached his arm to the side.

The mattress was cold to the touch.

There was nothing around me.

Only a few thin strands of black hair were scattered on the pillow, along with the lingering sweet scent of peaches.

Abstinence order?
It's just a birthday privilege.

When Yoona rushed to the music show stage in her high heels, her waist probably still bore the marks of his uncontrolled fingernails from the previous night. The price of this indulgence was now reflected in the faint bluish shadow of the ice pack in her dressing room, and the hidden soreness rising deep in every joint of her body.

Take advantage of your high energy levels in the early morning.

Kang Jae-hoon did several sets of bodyweight exercises.

The rise and fall of the push-ups engaged my back muscles, and beads of sweat, warm from my body, fell onto the floor.

The calico cat perched atop the cat tree, its glassy pupils slowly moving with the cat's repetitive, undulating movements. The tip of its tail tapped the support frame almost imperceptibly.

……

The to-do list alarm on my phone went off.

Kang Jae-hoon set off for his first event of the day—LG Home Appliances' Autumn New Product Exhibition.

The event proceeded smoothly.

As a brand ambassador, it is his duty to cooperate in promotion and explain the advantages of the products.

Shaking hands, smiling, taking photos with the products, answering the host's questions... everything proceeded smoothly.

It was only at the end of the booth activities.

The brand representative, with a smile, delivered a beautifully packaged "surprise"—a brand-new side-by-side smart refrigerator.

"Happy birthday, Kang Jae-hoon! This is a special birthday gift prepared for you by our brand."

Kang Jae-hoon's face immediately lit up with a flattered smile.

Of course he won't be polite.

Why not take advantage of capital when it's too good to pass up?

The address on the delivery slip was written in fluent, elegant handwriting by Kang Jae-hoon: No. B1-2001, Seobingku-dong, Yongsan-gu. Lee Sung-kyung would like the gift, although she would most likely stubbornly insist it "takes up space."

The morning's activities have been completed.

There are still a few hours before the afternoon's Kaisi Beer Festival event.

Kang Jae-hoon's mind raced.

He turned the steering wheel and drove straight to Huang Zhengmin's residence, which he knew very well.

Knowing the place well, he confidently entered and headed straight for the room next to the living room, which housed many fine items. With a clear objective, he "selected" two bottles of simply packaged but absolutely exquisite wines.

Hwang Jae-woo peeked out from behind the door frame:

"My father said that stealing wine would get his legs broken..."

"How can this be called stealing? This is called legitimately inheriting the sect's legacy."

Jiang Zai Xun remained expressionless, casually ruffling the child's hair while promising, "When you grow up a bit, I'll teach you how to drink it."

Done.

Without any hesitation, he stuffed the two bottles of fine wine into his backpack.

Carrying his "spoils of war," Kang Jae-hoon rushed to the next location without stopping—

The scene of Kaisheng Beer's first beer festival held in Xincun.

The main road in the new village has been temporarily closed for several hours.

The area is lined with white sunshades and food stalls, and the Kaisheng Beer logo is visible everywhere.

The crowd was full of people.

The clamor almost lifted the ceiling off our heads.

Crowds of people, holding enormous beer mugs, thronged together, their faces beaming with festive relaxation and a tipsy flush. Loud music blared hits from popular bands, adding to the energy of the street revelry.

The scene outside the stadium was quite different.

Outside the cordon.

The dense crowd had already completely blocked the outer streets.

Countless eyes gazed eagerly into the depths of the activity area, almost all of them young faces, especially young women.

Holding support banners and phones, they stood on tiptoe, anxiously and excitedly peering out. Every second of the wait seemed to stretch on, but their fervor remained undiminished.

Everyone is waiting for the central figure who will take the stage today.

When that tall figure finally appeared on the makeshift platform—

Wow! ! !
The pent-up energy exploded instantly, with a deafening roar comparable to a giant wave crashing against the shore, almost drowning out all the sound effects on site!
Countless arms were raised high.

The phone screen lit up like a shimmering sea of ​​stars, and the support banners were waved and fluttered loudly.

Although Kang Jae-hoon was already used to the flashing lights and the attention.

But the pure, fervent wave of popularity that was hitting him at that moment still made him feel suffocated for a moment.

Then a professional smile bloomed on his face.

Under the spotlight.

He picked up the microphone, and his brief greeting triggered another round of screams. Then, with a hearty smile, he picked up a freshly poured mug of draft beer from the tray and raised it high towards the densely packed crowd below:
"Thank you all for your enthusiasm! Cheers to a cool September and to Kaisheng beer!"

The audience responded with thunderous cheers.

"cheers!"

Countless beer glasses rose in unison, colliding in the air to create a crisp symphony. The exhilarating act of tilting one's head back and drinking heartily instantly ignited the highest point of emotion in the entire venue.

This scene was captured by countless mobile phone cameras.

Before he could even swallow his second glass of beer, the hashtag #KangJaeHoon-KaiShiBeerFestival# quickly climbed to third place on the trending topics list, accompanied by candid photos taken by fans at the event.

In the photo, he stands in the spotlight, raising his glass, with an endless sea of ​​people and overflowing enthusiasm in the background.

The effect of trending topics is terrifying.

People who were originally at home scrolling through their phones, shopping in the nearby business district, or even just passing by changed their destinations without hesitation after seeing the news.

An even larger influx of people poured into this already overburdened neighborhood from all directions.

Subway and bus stations were instantly packed.

The streets were completely submerged.

The density of people reached an alarming level in a short period of time.

The temporary fence erected by the organizers groaned under the pressure of the crowd, and the security personnel maintaining order were instantly overwhelmed by a crowd several times their size. They tried to shout to maintain order, but their voices were drowned out by the huge sound waves.

The situation has far exceeded the limits of the initial road closures and security plans.

The organizer's face turned pale, and his back was soaked with sweat.

In a hurry.

They had no choice but to urgently seek assistance from the local government.

The sound of sirens quickly grew louder as they approached.

Police cars arrived one after another with sirens blaring. Fully armed officers quickly got out and formed a human wall to forcibly divert and guide the extremely congested crowd. They used loudspeakers to give instructions, and the oppressive atmosphere and chaos on the scene were finally stabilized with great difficulty under the strong intervention.

Although the organizers paid a considerable amount of extra fees for using public resources as a result.

But this breathtaking scene before them clearly and powerfully proved to them the astonishing and tangible top-tier popularity that Kang Jae-hoon possessed!
This overwhelming appeal is the strongest endorsement of commercial value!
original.

Kaiss Beer's endorsement contract with Kang Jae-hoon will officially expire at the end of this month. Following the brand's usual practice, they would typically seek out a new popular celebrity for a new quarterly or annual contract.

However, a problem remains—

Looking at the current landscape of young male actors in the Korean entertainment industry.

Although the nationwide movie-going frenzy sparked by "Veteran" has subsided slightly, the huge topicality and lingering public awareness brought about by Kang Jae-hoon's portrayal of the "mad chaebol Cho Tae-oh" still support his market value.

Among young male actors under the age of 30 today.

Indeed, it's hard to find an artist who can directly compete with Kang Jae-hoon in terms of popularity, media attention, and national recognition.

then.

The event had barely come to a close.

As soon as the subsequent media interview session ended, the brand manager of Kaisheng Beer couldn't wait to talk to Kang Jae-hoon about renewing his contract.

The typical annual contract fee for a top male spokesperson for Kaisa Beer is around 8 million Korean won. Therefore, the brand hopes to adjust the new contract to 2 million Korean won per quarter.

"Okay, let my agent discuss the specific terms with your team."

This quick and decisive agreement surprised and delighted the person in charge.

Jiang Zai Xun was well aware that if Kim Dae Won were to handle the negotiations, it would be possible to secure 2.5 million or even maintain the original price of 3 million.

This is by no means a trivial amount of money for him right now.

But is it worth it?

worth it.

worth.

In the fiercely competitive entertainment industry.

Especially when endorsement resources are limited.

This concession of 100 million won wasn't about buying the money from the current contract; it was about buying the weight and reputation of the name "Kang Jae-hoon" in the eyes of the entire industry, brands, and platforms.

A high-value artist who knows when to advance and retreat, understands the big picture, is not arrogant because of his popularity, and knows how to cooperate in a win-win manner.

Reputation and long-term evaluation are the most valuable assets in this industry, even more valuable than gold.

……

After dealing with the uproar following the renewal of his endorsement contract, Kang Jae-hoon was finally able to extricate himself from the frenzied crowds and business negotiations and return to his apartment in Seongsu-dong.

Once inside.

Kang Jae-hoon then noticed the neatly organized clothes in the suitcase in the center of the living room.

Sunscreen and commonly used medications were packed in a clear, sealed bag; the charging cable was neatly coiled; even the socks were rolled into small balls according to the date. He suddenly remembered the sticky notes Lee Sung-kyung had packed in his suitcase when he first went to Thailand to film:
Change your underwear every day, don't be lazy.

The aroma of seaweed soup wafted from the kitchen.

He hugged her from behind, burying his nose in her hair. The scent of lavender mixed with cooking fumes filled his chest, more comforting than any expensive perfume.

Lee Sung-kyung let him hold her, her hands never stopping turning the bottom of the pot.

"You smell terrible... Go take a shower."

His arms, which had been encircling her, didn't loosen; instead, they tightened even more. Jiang Zaixun turned his face, his hot breath brushing against her sensitive earlobe with a playful insistence, his deep voice almost a whisper:

"Together."

"No."

Today is my birthday.

"So what if it's your birthday?"

She complained, but ultimately didn't push away the human-shaped pendant that had stuck to her back.

Just as Jiang Zai Xun was pushing his luck and tried to reach under his clothes to touch the soft flesh of his waist, a "smack" was made, and the back of a wooden spoon covered in soup tapped his hand lightly.

"The water's cold."

Lee Sung-kyung glanced at the wall clock in the corner of the living room, which pointed to eleven o'clock, a tacit opening remark.

Perhaps it's because of this special day.

Or perhaps it's because of the impending separation.

Or perhaps it was simply because of her indulgence towards him.

……

The bathroom is cramped.

The moisture quickly filled the frosted glass door.

Lee Sung-kyung leaned back against the cool, damp tiles, tilting her head back to receive a barrage of kisses landing on her neck and collarbone. The hot water from the showerhead poured over her head, washing away the foam and the last vestiges of her symbolic resistance.

Her tightly closed eyelashes trembled, like wet butterfly wings in the mist.

She dug her fingers into his soaked short hair, unsure whether she wanted to push him away or pull him closer.

The sound of flowing water drowned out their gasping for breath.

The night outside the window at Seongsu Cave is serene.

Kang Jae-hoon's 26th birthday was redefined in this small space by the sound of rushing water, the rising heat, and a tacit, half-hearted physical entanglement.

(End of this chapter)