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

Chapter 261 Seoul Sweetheart Gwangju Princess and Kang Jae-hoon's Blank Check

At 1:17 AM, starlight fell into the deep blue.

As Kang Jae-hoon slowly parked his car in front of Kim Ji-won's apartment building, the leaves were rustling softly in the night breeze.

The window is half down.

The scent of gardenias mingled with the moisture from the Han River, dispelling the lingering allure of Paris.

"arrive."

He tapped the steering wheel lightly with his fingertips and turned to look at the passenger seat—

Kim Ji-won's head bobbed up and down like a chick pecking at rice, her long eyelashes casting faint shadows under her eyes, her breathing even and long, as if she had fallen into a light sleep due to the fatigue of returning home.

Kang Jae-hoon's knuckles gently brushed against her cheek:

"If he doesn't wake up soon, I'm driving back home?"

"……no……"

She mumbled incoherently, her eyelids heavy as lead.

Kim Ji-won only snapped out of her daze when Kang Jae-hoon bent down to unbuckle her seatbelt, her fingers instinctively gripping his tie.
"……what time is it?"

"Enough time for you to have a sweet dream."

The moment the car door opened, a gust of cold wind, carrying the crisp chill unique to Seoul, rushed in. Kim Ji-won huddled closer to him, instinctively seeking warmth in her half-asleep state.
"...Oppa, will you escort me upstairs?"

A glance that outshines the lights of the Han River:

"...I'll deliver it to your door."

Kang Jae-hoon's Adam's apple bobbed as his fingertips dug into the soft cashmere coat draped over her shoulders.

Are you testing my willpower?

The motion-activated lights in the hallway turned on one by one.

She rested her forehead on his shoulder, softly humming "Into the New World," until they reached the doorway, at which point Kim Ji-won turned around as if waking from a dream—

"Goodnight kiss..."

Her tiptoeing posture resembled that of a child asking for candy.
"I want the kind that Paris didn't offer."

Moonlight streamed through the window at the end of the corridor, casting a moist sheen on her lips.

……

Next Scene office building, 03:19AM.

The desk lamp on the desk was the only light source on the entire floor, and the blue light from the computer screen reflected the bloodshot veins in Kang Jae-hoon's eyes.

The "Witch Wearing Cartier" project is taking shape.

The sketches of the scene where the protagonist, wearing a Chanel de Cartier necklace, pushes open the editor-in-chief's office door; the close-up storyboard of the interns vying for "Miranda's coffee cup"; even the makeup and styling plan that best suits Bae Suzy...

The scratching sound of the pen nib on the paper was suddenly mixed with the tapping of high heels—approaching from afar.

A gust of night wind blew in when the door was suddenly pushed open.

The scent of lychee perfume instantly filled the entire space.

Bae Suzy stood backlit in the doorway, before Kang Jae-hoon could even speak—

She has already sprung into action like a gust of wind.

Behind the sofa in the rest area?
air.

A hidden compartment in the bookcase?

The dull thud of knuckles striking the wall proves it's solid.

Even when he bent down to check under the desk, the ends of his hair brushed against Kang Jae-hoon's trousers, sending a slight shiver down his spine.

"It was hidden quite well—"

Her lipstick was slightly stained when she straightened up, and her tone was colder than a winter night on the Han River:
Are you reminiscing about the European moonlight in the dead of night?

Kang Jae-hoon paused in his hand, which was twirling the pen:
"...You came to my office at three in the morning to catch me cheating?"

"Otherwise what? You come back to China and don't report for duty—"

Bae Suzy snatched the documents from his hand: "You probably want to..."

The words suddenly caught in my throat.

The bolded title "Starring: Bae Suzy" on the bottom of the cover of the "The Witch Wearing Cartier" project booklet gleamed brightly under the light.

The air froze for three seconds.

"Snapped!"

The file was closed tightly.

Bae Suzy straddled his thighs with such force that the office chair's wheels creaked under the strain.

Her jade-like fingers hooked his chin, forcing Jiang Zaixun to fall into her star-filled eyes, her red lips parting to exhale a breath as sweet as honey:

"Give it to me?"

"Like it?"

"How did you take it?"

"Trade secret~"

Kang Jae-hoon's smug, drawn-out manner made Bae Suzy's eyes crinkle into crescent moons.
"You finally made a profit! You've got a conscience!"

This should have been a tender moment—

If her hand hadn't suddenly slipped under the hem of his shirt.

"wait wait wait……"

Cool fingertips slid along the lines of her abdominal muscles, Bae Suzy's canine teeth gleaming coldly under the light:

"So many days in Europe..."

His breath sent a shiver down his spine as it hit his ear.
"You really didn't steal any food?"

Kang Jae-hoon's Adam's apple bobbed:
"That live lie detector monitors people 24/7..."

Before he could finish speaking, he suddenly groaned – Bae Soo-ji's fingernails were scraping against the soft flesh of his waist.

"What you say is unfounded."

She slowly unbuttoned his third button:

"I have to do it myself..."

The finger suddenly moved down and pressed on the belt buckle:
"……test."

The "click" of the metal buckle popping open was deafening in the quiet office.

Kang Jae-hoon looked up at the sky in despair.

The office chair beneath him creaked and groaned in agony as the woman deliberately ground against him.

—Retribution came too fast, like a tornado.

……

The morning light in Seoul is broken into the folds of the skyscrapers, while the night in Paris has just solidified into velvet.

The beauty and chaos of two days ago had been compressed into a pale blue hue under Jiang Zaihun's eyes.

now.

The high-definition conference screen projected a solemn scene from the Cartier headquarters conference room in Paris.

Silver-gray walls, a long table with a strong geometric feel, and the serious yet slightly curious faces of several executives opposite.

Thanks to the grand vision he articulated in Paris with his silver tongue, coupled with the 67-page, meticulously detailed "The Witch Wearing Cartier" project proposal that the Next Scene team worked tirelessly to produce—a document so comprehensive it could be considered an industry benchmark—

“We greatly appreciate Next Scene’s deep exploration and poetic interpretation of the connection between the brand’s core values ​​and the Asian market.”

The next thirty minutes.

It is an interweaving of rigorous legal provisions and strategic cooperation terminology.

When Ms. Lefebvre, representing Cartier, said, "Cartier is honored to have reached a strategic partnership with Next Scene Films for in-depth sponsorship and joint promotion of the 'Witch Wears Cartier' project."

The suppressed cheers in the meeting room almost broke through the soundproof glass.

Jin Dayuan led the applause.

The employees exchanged relieved yet excited glances.

……

Cartier's video feed had just gone dark.

The relaxed atmosphere in the meeting room was instantly replaced by the high pressure of the next topic.

The projection screen switched to the classic opening logo of "The Devil Wears Prada"—Anne Hathaway holding a coffee cup from behind.

"Cartier's ship has docked."

"Now is the time to breach the fortress—"

"We acquired the remake rights to 'The Devil Wears Prada'."

The planning manager in charge of the initial IP research immediately stood up and switched his iPad screen to sharing mode:

"President-nim, the favorable situation is like a gift from heaven."

The screen switches to a concise yet information-bomb-like headline.

—"Digital Wave Impacts Traditional Media Giants, Accelerating 'Slimming Down'" - The Wall Street Journal

—"FOX Accelerates Divesting of Non-Core Assets, Focusing on Sports and News" - Financial Times
— Streaming subscription fees plummet, Fox Sports' monthly fee drops to a record low of $0.23 - Bloomberg

"As you can see."

"The rise of streaming media has dealt a devastating blow to traditional cable television services, just as the internet crushed radio and print media in the past."

The planning manager circled the data point "Sports TV 1 unit, monthly fee $0.23" twice with his laser pointer:

“The value of traditional content distribution channels is being rapidly diluted. FOX, which holds a large number of film and television copyrights, is strategically undergoing a radical restructuring under the leadership of the Murdoch family, divesting non-core assets that are not in line with its future strategic plans—especially those individual film IPs that cannot be extended into a super universe.”

The scene switches to a poster for the movie "The Devil Wears Prada," alongside posters for "X-Men" and "Avatar."

"And The Devil Wears Prada... is a typical example of a 'gold-level non-core asset'."

"It has been extremely successful and its appeal has not diminished over the past decade."

"But unlike X-Men or Avatar, it has no mutant genes, no Pandora, and no foundational setting that can be infinitely expanded to support a vast universe of derivatives and sequels. For the new FOX, which needs to recoup its cash and focus on a large IP universe, it is no longer a 'strategic fortress'."

"therefore--"

"There is a huge room for negotiation!"

Turn to the last slide—

The above is an analysis of the price range of copyright transactions for remakes/remasters of similar classic Hollywood films (such as "Pretty Woman" and "You've Got Mail") over the past five years—strikingly concentrated in the range of $30 to $80.

"Based on the above market background, FOX's strategic shift, and the nature of the film itself, our data analysis team predicts—"

"We'll do everything we can to secure the global remake rights for under $50!"

All eyes were focused on Kang Jae-hoon's face.

He lowered his eyes, his fingertips swiping rapidly across the iPad screen—

Above is a compilation of the full Wall Street analysis, relevant excerpts from FOX's financial report, and the glaring news push notification, "Fox Sports Channel 1 monthly fee drops to $0.23," compiled by the planning director.

Kang Jae-hoon frowned slightly, then looked up after a moment:
"In other words—how impressive the final number can be is my battleground?"

The planning manager nodded respectfully:
"That's right, President."

"With the president taking action, success is guaranteed!"

The meeting room was immediately filled with flattery.

in the corner.

A high-ranking executive wearing gold-rimmed glasses and a beaming smile suddenly interjected:

"President-nim! This trip to the United States... the situation is not very stable!"

"Especially those cities on the West Coast, you know, without a few reliable bodyguards around, what if—"

He made a "bang" gesture:

"If it were to collide with any freely flying bullet, or a fanatical 'zero-yuan purchase' enthusiast, that would be truly..."

In an instant——

Hannah's accurate French translation;
Kim Jin-min's lightning-fast skills;
Even the driver Lao Pu's elusive and unpredictable pick-up and drop-off skills flashed through his mind like a revolving lantern.

...and then the moment was frozen in time that night in Paris.

When the 8000 euros were handed over, Kim Ji-won's eyes shone with adoration.

"cough!"

Kang Jae-hoon suddenly stood up, slamming the documents on the table and knocking over his coffee cup.

"I have my own plans for this! Meeting adjourned!"

--boom!

The president's office door was slammed shut with a deafening bang.

Kang Jae-hoon loosened his tie and sat in a swivel chair, the floor-to-ceiling window reflecting his clenched teeth as he dialed a number.

Negotiations in the North American market are governed by the law of the jungle. The sharks on Wall Street will reflexively raise their offers as soon as they smell "Asian buyers," not to mention the headache-inducing security risks on the streets of Los Angeles...

As soon as the call connected, I could hear Yoona's soft laughter:

"You missed me so soon?"

The noise from the Huaxia dressing room could be faintly heard in the background.

“Um…” Kang Jae-hoon’s thumb rubbed against the “Extreme Situation Handbook” left by Han Na on the table: “European trip security team…”

"They've disbanded, haven't they?"

The crisp sound of Lim Yoona biting into a potato chip traveled through the airwaves:

"Someone spent 8000 euros to buy their freedom!"

"..."

"how?"

She suddenly lowered her voice: "You want to renew the contract now?"

An eerie silence fell over both ends of the phone call.

Kang Jae-hoon stared at the patches of light filtering through the blinds and suddenly realized that the stripes looked exactly like the folds in Kim Ji-won's skirt that night—

It was just as bright and dazzling.

Dazzling.

They mocked his predicament, his predicament of being caught in a dilemma.

……

Los Angeles flights.

At an altitude of 30,000 feet.

Outside the porthole, the clouds stretched out like cotton candy.

Hanna stood expressionless beside Jiang Zaixun's seat, calmly reading her routine report in her usual indifferent voice:

"Landing in Los Angeles at 18:30 local time, check-in at Beverly Hills Hotel at 20:00..."

Kang Jae-hoon suddenly raised his hand to interrupt:
"Hanna-xi".

"What is your aspiration?"

Hannah's movement of pushing up her glasses froze in mid-air, the frame tilting and wedged against the center of her nose—this was the first time in her career that she had such an obvious loss of composure.

The meticulously arranged schedule on the tablet is still automatically turning pages.

The light reflected off her face, making it appear to flicker between light and shadow.

"President-nim, I don't understand."

"It's very simple."

Kang Jae-hoon loosened his tie and leaned forward slightly:
"Take off that business suit, shed your assistant persona. What do you, Hanna, most want to do?"

At cruising altitude, we encountered turbulence, causing the aircraft to shake slightly.

Hannah's tightly pursed lips finally loosened amidst the trembling:
".younger sister."

"I graduated from Seoul Arts High School and want to study acting."

She seemed somewhat surprised as she finished speaking—how did the words just slip out of her tongue?

Kang Jae-hoon's lips curled into a slight smile, and he suddenly snapped his fingers:
"How is National Central University?"

Hanna suddenly looked up.

Chung-Ang University, the top arts school in South Korea and a core member of the Global Drama Schools Alliance, is considered the Seoul National University of the arts world in terms of its difficulty.

"I just happened to have done Dean Li Yongguan a small favor."

Hannah's breathing became noticeably rapid.

silence.

a long time--

"What's the price?"

"You need to establish a long-term, exclusive employment relationship with me."

He took out a blank check and lightly tapped it with his pen:
"The price is up to you."

The air pressure inside the cabin seemed to drop suddenly.

A series of data-like spots flashed across Hannah's glasses—she was calculating, weighing, and dismantling this sudden power game.

finally--

"At Miss Lin's place"

She was still making a final test.

Kang Jae-hoon smiled.

“You can continue reporting, but the content—I will dictate it.”

With the crisp sound of a pen being set down, Hanna slowly took off her glasses.

This time.

The warmth of a human being appeared in her eyes as she looked directly at Kang Jae-hoon.

"Deal, boss."

Outside the window, the clouds suddenly dispersed.

The brilliant California sunshine poured in like golden sand, making the signed check gleam.

……

The City of Angels shed its last layer of disguise as the sun molten gold at sunset.

Kang Jae-hoon stood in his hotel suite at the end of Sunset Boulevard, gazing through the floor-to-ceiling windows at the city lights gradually illuminating the city.

Hannah silently pushed the food cart through the door.

The crisp sound of bone china cups colliding with silver cutlery was particularly clear in the quiet space.

"Still the same response from the president at the golf course?"

He didn't look back.

Hannah poured the black tea into a cup, the steam blurring her glasses.

"Today the reason has been upgraded—his Chihuahua needs acupuncture treatment."

Kang Jae-hoon's knuckles tapped against the window frame with a dull thud.

The next morning.

The glass walls of Fox Studios headquarters reflected the blinding sunlight as intern Emma—a young girl with purple highlights and a temporary name tag—timidly led them into the smallest conference room.

"I'm sorry, Mr. Smith from the Legal Department is..."

Before she could finish speaking.

Kang Jae-hoon went straight to the coffee machine and poured himself a cup of coffee.
"I'm guessing? He's giving his cactus marriage counseling?"

Emma blushed with embarrassment.

Day three.

When the slicked-back General Counsel Smith finally appeared, carrying a folder, his first words caused Hannah's translator to pause for half a second—

"Two million dollars, no bargaining. After all..."

He looked at Kang Jae-hoon's Ziozia ready-to-wear clothes with a mocking expression.

"What do Koreans know about fashion?"

The teacup shattered on the glass table with a thunderous crack.

"Keep the copyright as a family heirloom!"

As Kang Jae-hoon stood up, the overturned chair slammed onto the carpet with a dull thud. Hanna's translation was as precise as a blade.

"I will buy the rights to the original novel and make a film called 'The Devil Wears Prada 2.0'!"

Smith had just opened his mouth—

"Change the name, but keep the same kernel!"

"A lawsuit that lasts three to five years? That'll be perfect for global promotion of my movie!"

"I just hope that when my movie is released, your logo hasn't been pried off the Hollywood Hills yet."

Before the other person could finish saying, "What are you doing...?"

Kang Jae-hoon had already slammed the door and left!

……

Fox parking lot.

A sweltering afternoon.

Hannah's high heels tapped out a crisp rhythm on the marble floor:

"Should we make an appointment with Ms. Lauren Weisberg now?"

How about I take you to Disneyland?

Hannah's lips curved upwards at a rare 5-degree angle:
"Psychological warfare?"

"clever."

As Kim Jin-min opened the car door, Kang Jae-hoon caught a glimpse of a figure rushing out of the Fox Building out of the corner of his eye—

Emma, ​​the intern, was running towards them, phone in hand.

"Wait, wait a minute! Vice President Wieland suddenly has some free time!"

Kang Jae-hoon tapped his fingers lightly three times on the car door before turning around with an air of condescension.

"Tell him"

The setting sun cast a long shadow of him.

"My golf coach suddenly has free time too—"

As the Porsche roared away, Emma's frozen figure was reflected in the rearview mirror, and—

Director Smith smashed his phone in a fit of rage.

……

over the Pacific Ocean.

The twilight enveloped the aircraft like thick, melted caramel.

Outside the porthole window.

The sea of ​​clouds was dyed a molten gold-like orange-red by the last rays of the setting sun, before slowly sinking into the indigo night.

Inside the cabin.

The warm yellow reading light cast a soft glow on the edge of Hannah's tablet, reflecting the slightly upturned corners of her mouth.

After this textbook-perfect psychological battle.

Next Scene Films successfully acquired the global remake rights to "The Devil Wears Prada" for a base copyright fee of $30 plus a 10% share of domestic box office revenue. Fox's legal department ultimately compromised 12 hours earlier than Kang Jae-hoon had anticipated.

"Watching you work is a pleasure."

Hannah's praise was unusually warm.

Kang Jae-hoon casually turned a page of a financial magazine, but the upward curve of his lips betrayed his current satisfaction.

After all, even a cold-faced secretary's praise is a valuable commodity.

Hanna looked down at her tablet and continued to report the following itinerary:
The nominees for the Baeksang Arts Awards have been announced.

"You were nominated for both Best New Actor (Jo Tae-oh for Veteran) and Best Supporting Actor (Park Moo-taek for Himalaya)."

"The popularity award has a 47.8% vote share, leading the second place by a wide margin of 29 percentage points."

Kang Jae-hoon hummed in agreement.

Not surprising.

"and--"

"You will be the host of the awards ceremony, working with Ms. Bae Suzy and Mr. Shin Dong-yup."

Kang Jae-hoon finally looked up from the magazine, his eyebrows slightly raised.

"besides."

Hanna swiped the screen and continued:

"Train to Busan premieres at the Cannes Film Festival's Midnight Screenings section. Director Yeon Sang-ho invites you to walk the red carpet on May 17."

"but--"

"The opening ceremony for 'A Taxi Driver' is scheduled for May 18 in Gwangju."

Hannah's lenses reflected fluorescence:

"The schedules for Cannes and Gwangju are completely in conflict."

Kang Jae-hoon remained silent for a moment.

His gaze shifted to the porthole.

Under the clouds.

The outline of the East Asian continent is faintly visible.

He tapped his thigh twice with his slightly bent knuckles.

He suddenly laughed—

"We need to go back and discuss this with Princess Gwangju."

(End of this chapter)