How can you become a star without money?

Chapter 220: Some people have brains, but not many.
The concept of "national first love" originated from Jun Ji-hyun's "My Sassy Girl".

She became famous throughout Asia as a result and was hailed as a gem among actresses in the Korean film and television industry.

This "gem-level" doesn't refer to acting skills, but simply to influence and cultural symbolism, and she became the first Korean actress to have global box office influence.

In reality, Jun Ji-hyun's fame far exceeds her talent; she is a typical example of a goddess created by good luck. In the dark entertainment industry of Korea, Jun Ji-hyun has indeed not suffered much hardship.

Compared to her contemporaries like Son Ye-jin, Song Hye-kyo, and Han Ga-in, who fought their way up through sheer hard work, Jun Ji-hyun's success has been remarkably smooth.

Early fame and a smooth career can give people the illusion of being invincible. After failing to break into the Hollywood market, she dared not disdain the competition from her domestic peers. While others consistently produced 1-2 works per year, she only dared to release one work every 2-3 years, and even then, the reviews and box office results were mediocre.

Just as Jun Ji-hyun was contemplating a career change or retirement, she met her boyfriend Choi Joon-ha, who had just returned from Wall Street. Choi Joon-ha's maternal grandmother was the most famous fashion designer in Korea and the first Korean to enter the international fashion world. She started her business by incorporating elements of Hanfu (traditional Chinese clothing) into Hanbok (traditional Korean clothing).

Although not a major conglomerate, the family is still quite influential. Choi Joon-ha is a typical returnee from overseas, looks down on Koreans and despises conglomerates. After the two started dating, Jun Ji-hyun was also influenced by him and insisted that her failure to break into Hollywood was entirely due to the company's incompetence. So, under her boyfriend's instigation, she thought about changing her career path. It was at this time that she received the film "Snow Secret" and wanted to use it to get rid of SK Entertainment, the company that had cultivated her into the nation's first love.

However, after learning that her co-star was Li Bingbing, she had some reservations. She felt that Li Bingbing's status was not as high as hers, and that it was unfair for her to be the second female lead. She also felt that Li Bingbing's success was entirely due to China being a major power. She thought that if she were Chinese/Japanese/American, she might have already made it into Hollywood.

Extreme inferiority complex can make a person rude.

Especially for those born in Goryeo, a place with no history of its own, where history is fabricated, they instill a sense of self-esteem in students by creating the 'Goryeo Empire' in history books.

However, when students grow up and come into contact with real history and the world, they find that it is completely different from what they learned when they were young, which leads to cognitive confusion. But because of their stance, they have to brainwash themselves.

This is the fundamental reason why Koreans are always like diodes; otherwise, they would easily suffer a cognitive collapse and become 'pure haters,' and Jun Ji-hyun is one of those people.

Goryeo calls Changbai Mountain "Baekdu Mountain" and has an unusual obsession with this mountain. During the 07 Olympics, there was even an event where athletes showed the world that "Changbai Mountain belongs to Goryeo." But in reality, Changbai Mountain is located to the north, and Goryeo people would have to find a way to cross that line if they wanted to steal it.

However, this 'knowledge point' has been implanted in the minds of Koreans since childhood, which is why Jun Ji-hyun suddenly provoked Li Bingbing on this issue. Her purpose was to annoy Li Bingbing and see if she could create some public opinion to ruin the "Snow Secret" project, because she dared not offend Deng Wendi and Wang Ying, but she did not want to play a supporting role to a Chinese actress.

This would garner support from Koreans and gain them goodwill, while also indirectly causing a major problem for SK Entertainment and facilitating the contract termination—a win-win situation.

But she never expected that Lu Shuying and Li Fuzhen would appear at the dinner party today, and even more unexpectedly, these two people would stand against her and support a group of Chinese people.

She wasn't stupid; on the contrary, she was quite shrewd. She just misjudged the situation and Wang Yao's influence. Fortunately, she wasn't without any trump cards.

After leaving the dinner party, Jun Ji-hyun rushed home to discuss the matter with her boyfriend, Choi Joon-ha. Choi Joon-ha seemed somewhat panicked that Jun Ji-hyun had offended two core members, SK and Sam-sung.

Although he looked down on these fellow townsmen, he was unwilling to offend them. After all, helping Jun Ji-hyun get rid of SK Entertainment required the help of three stars and CJ. However, since things had come to this point, he had no choice but to bite the bullet and start the fight.

That evening, Korea's most famous media outlet, Dispatch, published a news report pointing out that SK Entertainment had been wiretapping its artists' phones, and listed evidence that Jun Ji-hyun's manager, Jung Hoon, had hired a private investigator to monitor Jun Ji-hyun's text messages and phone calls around the clock by copying her SIM card.

Furthermore, this practice is not unique to SK Entertainment; most companies engage in similar surveillance practices on their artists.

The entire Korean entertainment industry was thrown into turmoil. If Jun Ji-hyun, one of the most influential female artists in Korea, was treated this way, one can only imagine what happened to others. Fans and netizens immediately began to condemn the various entertainment agencies.

The first to be affected is SK Entertainment, currently the largest entertainment agency in Korea. It not only represents Jun Ji-hyun, but also top actors such as Song Hye-kyo, Jo In-sung, and Lee Byung-hun.

When Wang Yao learned of this news, he immediately understood that Jun Ji-hyun's actions yesterday were not a whim or a curse, but rather a deliberate act.

Jun Ji-hyun is likely trying to break the deadlock using this method. She doesn't care who owns Baekdu Mountain, but if she gets blacklisted by her company because of this, she can use her 'correct stance' to retaliate against SK Entertainment.

With the wiretapping incident now confirmed, it's possible that many established actors will join forces to start their own businesses, taking the opportunity to dismantle the control of the Korean entertainment industry by conglomerates. There must be a new conglomerate supporting them behind the scenes. Undoubtedly, the impact of this incident will not be less than the previous tragic events in the Korean entertainment industry and the Jang Ja-yeon incident.

The combination of these three events could potentially lead to a major reshuffle of the entertainment industry in Korea.

"There's a master here." Wang Yao frowned and fell into deep thought.

"What kind of expert is it?" Kim Ji-won, wearing only a loose T-shirt that revealed her long, fair legs, poked her head out from the kitchen.

Recently, she has become obsessed with cooking for Wang Yao because she knows that Wang Yao doesn't like the food in Korea.

"It's nothing." Wang Yao went over and patted her head, then called Deng Wendi.

"I was just about to call you, but Jun Ji-hyun is no pushover," Deng Wendi commented.

"We underestimated them; they are both brave and resourceful," Wang Yao chuckled.

"The people at SK Entertainment are a bunch of idiots. There are far more outrageous things in Hollywood that haven't been exposed. They can't even control their own artists. How dare they call themselves a conglomerate?" Deng Wendi complained.

"When the water temperature can't be controlled, it's either because the temperature is too high or someone has added water," Wang Yao said with a smile.

"What good will this do us?" Deng Wendi asked in return.

"If 'Snow Secret' terminates its contract with Jun Ji-hyun at this time, it will probably be boycotted by Korean netizens for colluding with SK, and it won't be easy for Fox to capture the Korean market in the future," Wang Yao said with a smile.

"I don't care about Fox, as long as it doesn't affect Ms. Theoretically, we should support Jun Ji-hyun. Damn it, is this woman just lucky or does she actually know something?" Deng Wendi's tone was somewhat agitated.

Jun Ji-hyun's attempt to use the weak to suppress the strong definitely hit Deng Wendi's weak spot. The MS platform is positioned as fair and just, especially to give a voice to the disadvantaged.

Yesterday they threatened to blacklist Jun Ji-hyun, but today they've been outmaneuvered. It's really upsetting.

"SK can't possibly have taken no countermeasures at all, can they?" Wang Yao asked.

"Lu Shuying said that Zheng Xun had been dating Jun Ji-hyun for 13 years, but he found out at the beginning of the year that Jun Ji-hyun was cheating on him, and that's why they broke up and he wanted to terminate his contract. SK is probably trying to use this to divert attention," Deng Wendi said.

"That's a lose-lose situation, isn't it?" Wang Yao stroked his chin. "Who is the person you're having an affair with?"

“He’s a second-generation rich kid with some connections,” Deng Wendi said.

"This is actually a good thing for us," Wang Yao smiled.

"How so?" Deng Wendi asked with great interest.

"It doesn't matter if Koreans cause a ruckus, Ms. (KMT) will report fairly and impartially. On the one hand, she supports the protection of personal privacy, which is a convenient opportunity to attack the traditional telecommunications industry, led by SK Group. She'll amplify the drawbacks of SIM cards and advocate for the security and convenience of mobile communication. KT will likely break into the mainstream. On the other hand, she criticizes Jun Ji-hyun for abandoning her boyfriend of 13 years and cheating on her with a wealthy man. Regardless of whether the breakup was due to Jung Hoon's controlling nature, the two key points of a 13-year relationship and her current rich boyfriend are enough to spark discussion among netizens."
After the controversy, have Lu Shuying and Li Fuzhen pull together their resources to remove all of Jun Ji-hyun's endorsements, letting her experience firsthand what it means to "destroy the old and build the new." Wang Yao curled his lips into a playful smile.

"Tsk, your analysis is indeed a good thing. Should we replace 'Snow Secret' with her?" Deng Wendi laughed.

"Change it. Send her comments about Changbai Mountain from yesterday to China and Japan, which will directly cut off her future development in both countries. Her comments may be useful in Korea, but they are a joke on the international stage."

"Japan has just been suppressed by Korea in public opinion, and the two sides are currently in dispute. This gives Japanese netizens an opportunity to be sarcastic." Wang Yao's smile deepened.

The previous fire at the sacred toilet sparked a joint attack by Korea and its allies on Japan, which fueled the animosity between the two sides. Now that a female celebrity representing Korea has made such outrageous remarks, Japanese netizens are unlikely to let this opportunity pass.

The friendship between China and Japan relies on Korea.

Moreover, not all Koreans are like diodes; there is still a large portion of them who are rational and objective. If Jun Ji-hyun's remarks are truly criticized by many parties, under the objective facts, it will be difficult for her reputation to recover.

Although it would be perfectly reasonable for her to terminate her contract with SK, she would absolutely lose all market share.

If you want to overturn the rules, you should first weigh the chips you have.

But Jun Ji-hyun may have overestimated things, or she may have thought it was just a standoff with SK Entertainment, trying to negotiate, but she didn't expect it to turn into a complete loss.

To dare to start a group despite having a dirty past, Wang Yao can only say that they have brains, but not many.

However, if Wang Yao hadn't been there yesterday, perhaps Jun Ji-hyun would have gotten what she wanted.

In her past life, Jun Ji-hyun used this wiretapping and surveillance incident to join forces with CJ Entertainment and her wealthy boyfriend. Not only did she successfully terminate her contract, but she also almost dismantled SK Entertainment. After she terminated her contract, Song Hye-kyo, Jo In-sung, and others also terminated their contracts. Other top artists in Korea followed suit and established their own studios, leaving Korea without a leading entertainment agency.

It even affected the decision to terminate TVXQ's contract.

"Won't Ms's traffic be soaring again?" Deng Wendi couldn't help but laugh out loud.

“Let’s replace Jun Ji-hyun in ‘Snow Secret’ because she was caught in a media storm. The two points of infidelity and vanity are enough to convince the audience. Let’s give her role to Han Hyo-joo,” Wang Yao said with a smile.

"What? Is this your new target?" Deng Wendi teased.

“Han Hyo-joo has good acting skills, and with her background, she can help KT. If we promote her in the future, she can become their face,” Wang Yao explained.

"I'll go ask," Deng Wendi agreed.

Jun Ji-hyun's move was a risky gamble that would result in heavy losses for both sides, completely different from the situations of Qu Shou/Feng Jiao. Qu Shou and the others were simply victims, but Jun Ji-hyun was also a victim.

However, the relationship involved a 13-year romance, with the other party not only being a company executive but also her exclusive agent, suggesting an exchange of power and sex. In addition, she cheated on him with a wealthy second-generation boyfriend. Although she was a victim of being 'controlled,' this was not a reason for her to cheat.

This risky move is not worth considering, especially now that Wang Yao has intervened, she is facing a comprehensive blockade. However, the main question is whether Li Fuzhen can persuade her cousin, CJ Entertainment, to step in and defend their monopolistic rights.

If CJ Entertainment is willing to side with Jun Ji-hyun, then it's really hard to say.

However, this is all a matter for the Koreans themselves. Wang Yao simply wanted to correct the issue of the ownership of Changbai Mountain.

Wang Yao had breakfast with Kim Ji-won and took her to the reading session for the "Silenced" drama series. Although the incident with Jun Ji-hyun happened yesterday, it did not affect the progress of Wang Yao's projects.

Wang Yao then went directly to Kakao to find Kim Fan-joo.

After KT's user base surpassed 2 million, Kim Beom-joo moved out of the small studio where a dozen or so people were crammed together. The company's staff has now grown to around 100, but there is still a shortage of manpower. Especially now that the user base has exceeded 6 million, and the company plans to expand into Southeast Asia and Japan, it urgently needs to raise funds.

After learning that Wang Yao had already won over Lu Shuying and Li Fuzhen, Jin Fanzhu finally breathed a sigh of relief. With over 500 million users, KT's monopoly on the mobile communication market was a foregone conclusion.

The only difficulty is facing the targeting of the three major telecom operators. If they join forces to stop KT's value-added packages or raise data prices, that would be a real fatal blow.

Jin Fanzhu originally wanted to bring in Western capital to put pressure on Wang Yao, but this method would inevitably be met with extreme price pressure from investors. However, after hearing that Wang Yao could resolve this risk through internal disintegration and that the company had raised a valuation of up to 2 million US dollars, Jin Fanzhu felt that it was really worth it to bring Wang Yao on board.

"Is it really resolved?" Jin Fanzhu invited Wang Yao to a private meeting room, his face full of excitement.

“This is the letter of intent for the DLL Fund (jointly established by Deng, Li, and Lu), a 20% stake worth 40 million US dollars. Afterwards, Lu Shuying will facilitate a deep cooperation between SK Telecom and KT to launch a dedicated VoIP service package. The monthly data allowance will be much lower than it is now, and it is estimated that it can reduce operating costs by about 10%,” Wang Yao said with a smile.

"Mr. Wang, you're a genius! Everyone else solves their problems by sending women, but you directly win over their women. You're amazing!" Jin Fanzhu kissed the letter of intent twice.

In this way, although KT did not accept the control or investment of local conglomerates, it could indirectly influence the decisions of local conglomerates. This new foundation, composed of two typical local conglomerates, Lee Boo-jung and Noh Suk-young, is equivalent to a relationship of 'the vassal of my vassal is not my vassal'.

This is far less risky than introducing Western capital and local conglomerates.

"But can Lu Shuying really influence SK? Isn't she not involved in the company's operations?" Kim Bum-joo asked doubtfully.

"That was before. You'll know when the news comes out." Wang Yao smiled. The news of the SK Group's marital breakdown was still confidential.

“Okay, no matter what, this financing has laid the foundation for KT’s rapid development. Even if it doesn’t work out later, we’ll still have the capital to wear them down for a while,” Kim Beom-joo grinned.

The smartphone penetration rate in Korea is less than 40%, and the number of users is less than 20 million, which has not directly affected the interests of traditional operators.

However, once KT's user base reaches tens of millions, the valuation will be determined by the market, and future financing will not be as passive as it is now. This money is indeed very important.

Wang Yao discussed the future development of KT Group's entertainment and e-commerce lines with Jin Fanzhu again. They had already discussed this plan a few months ago, but now, because Wang Yao's development speed is too fast, KT has to catch up as well.

Upon hearing that he was to invest 2500 million yuan directly, Jin Fanzhu hesitated, wondering, "Wouldn't that make a mistake in prioritizing the main investment?"

With only 1500 million left for operations and R&D, the user base can be increased to a maximum of tens of millions.

“I’ve found a new revenue stream for KT,” Wang Yao said with a slight smile.

"Oh?" Jin Fanzhu raised an eyebrow.

(End of this chapter)