Peninsula: I can steal the luck of disgraced celebrities

Chapter 120 Kim Bum-soo

The recording was online for less than six hours before the topic surged to the top of Naver's real-time search rankings.

The audio clip of Choi Jong-hun swearing at people hit the nail on the head when public sentiment was about to explode.

The netizens' reactions were remarkably consistent: Who are you?

Although FTIsland has a loyal fan base, Choi Jong-hoon's personal popularity among the general public is actually quite limited.

Most passersby couldn't even recognize the face, yet it went viral for insulting low-level workers.

The comments section exploded.

"The light bulb exploding was an accident, but your outburst was intentional."

"Make a living off your looks? How much is your face worth?"

Do you even know how much the staff earn in a month? And you're yelling at them about how expensive their clothes are?

Some people even dug up clips of Choi Jong-hoon from a variety show and compared his gentle and polite demeanor on camera with his true colors in the recordings, creating a comparison image that was shared over 20,000 times.

FNC Entertainment, President's Office.

Han Seung-ho sat behind his desk, with three web pages open on his computer screen, all of them cursing Choi Jong-hoon.

Choi Jong-hoon stood in front of the desk, head down.

Han Shenghao didn't say anything, but first slammed a pen on the table.

The pen bounced and rolled to the ground.

Choi Jong-hoon bent down to pick it up and placed it back on the table with both hands.

"Now you understand etiquette and manners?" Han Shenghao slammed his hand on the table. "You yelled at the lighting crew for a full four minutes on set, to the point that they went home, recorded it, and posted it online. Explain yourself to me."

"President, at that time—"

"What? Did you lose your mind back then?"

Han Shenghao stood up.

He usually appears quite amiable at the company, but right now he's so angry that all the wrinkles on his face are knitted together.

"Do you know how many phone calls I received this morning?"

"Regarding GG, the contract for the GS25 was supposed to be renewed next month, but they said they'd think about it again. Do you understand what 'thinking about it again' means? It means they won't renew it!"

Choi Jong-hoon's lips moved slightly, but he didn't dare to make a sound.

"The production team just notified us that FTIsland's guest spot for next week's recording of 'Happy Together' has been cancelled. Do you understand what 'cancelled' means?"

"President, I apologize—"

"What's the point of apologizing to me? Will apologizing to me even make it to the trending topics?"

Han Seung-ho walked around the desk and stood in front of Choi Jong-hoon.

The two were less than a meter apart. Choi Jong-hoon was half a head taller than him, but now that he had hunched his neck, he looked shorter.

"How many years have I been supporting FTIsland? How much money have I spent on you since your debut?"

"I finally got a stable variety show appearance schedule, and you ruined it all with just one recording."

Agent Kim Sang-min stood at the door, wishing he could disappear into a crack in the wall.

Han Shenghao turned his gaze away.

"And you? What are you good for?"

Sweat poured down Kim Sang-min's face instantly.

"President, I tried to persuade him at the time. I told Chung-Hsun to forget about it and leave quickly."

"You tried to persuade him? If your persuasion was useless, what's the difference between that and not persuading him at all?"

"You're his manager, you can't stop him from causing trouble, so why would I hire you just to stand by and watch?"

Kim Sang-min's lips trembled twice, but he couldn't utter a single word.

Choi Jong-hoon finally spoke up: "President, it's my problem, it has nothing to do with Sang-min hyung."

"You still know it's your fault?" Han Shenghao turned back. "Tell me what exactly happened yesterday. Did you get into a conflict with someone backstage?"

Choi Jong-hoon's expression changed for a moment.

Han Seung-ho looked at Choi Jong-hoon, slowly sat back in his chair, and tapped his fingers on the table.

"What's going on?"

Choi Jong-hoon gritted his teeth and finally managed to squeeze out, "It's nothing, just a little scuffle with a stranger."

"What minor disagreement?"

"Well—I accidentally bumped into someone while passing by, and they reacted a bit too much."

Han Shenghao scrutinized him.

Having worked in this industry for over twenty years, I've seen all sorts of strange and monstrous things, and Choi Jong-hoon's words sound exaggerated.

"Accidentally bumped into"—who did you bump into? Was it a man or a woman? Why did the other person "react so strongly"?

But Han Shenghao doesn't have time to delve into these details right now.

The most important thing right now is to stop the loss.

"You should issue an apology statement from the recording team. Have the planning department write the wording for you. Make sure it's sincere and avoid any empty formalities."

"it is good."

"Then, starting today, all your personal announcements are suspended."

Choi Jong-hoon raised his head.

"President————"

"Um?"

"How long will the shutdown last?"

"Let's wait until the online noise dies down before making a decision. A month? A year? We'll see."

Han Shenghao leaned back in his chair. "You brought this on yourself, so don't try to negotiate with me."

Choi Jong-hoon's Adam's apple bobbed up and down.

He wanted to say something, but Han Shenghao was no longer looking at him. His gaze returned to the computer screen, and he began typing a reply to an email.

This is an order to leave.

the other side.

When Lin Chih-hsun pushed open the door of the "Murakami" coffee shop, he paused for a moment.

At the bar, Ha Joo-hee was chatting and laughing with a man, her arm linked with his, her whole body shaking with laughter.

The man was in his early forties, with a square face, squinty eyes, and his hair was neatly combed back.

Ha Joo-hee smiled and patted the man's hand. Before she could finish speaking, she said something else, and the man laughed along. The two were incredibly close.

He didn't even notice Lin Zhixun entering the room.

He stood at the door for three seconds, took a deep breath, and walked over.

"Americano, less ice."

Ha Joo-hee looked up and saw it was him; her eyes lit up.

She told the man, "Wait for me a moment," before going around to the back of the bar.

"Not having a latte today?"

"I'm not drinking anymore."

"What's wrong? Who upset you? Your face is as long as a horse's on Jeju Island."

"Nobody messed with me." Lin Zhixun leaned back in his chair, glancing at the man at the bar out of the corner of his eye.

He turned his gaze back. "What did you call me over here for today?"

He had planned to relax in his rented apartment for the day, but then he received a text message from Ha Joo-hee telling him to come over quickly.

Then another word was added: now, immediately, right away.

But when I opened the door, this is what I saw.

To be honest, he and Ha Joo-hee are not a couple.

He was clear about this, but being clear-headed was one thing, and having uncomfortable eyes was another.

Ha Joo-hee glanced at the bar following Lim Ji-hoon's gaze, then looked at his expression.

His lips were pursed, his chin was clenched, and his eyes were fixed on the sugar jar on the table, as if the sugar jar owed him five million.

She was as happy as a fox that had stolen a chicken.

"Are you jealous?"

"What's there to be jealous about?"

"You heartless bastard." Ha Joo-hee placed the coffee in front of him, leaned forward slightly, and lowered her voice, "That's my uncle."

Lin Chih-hsun's hand holding the coffee cup froze in mid-air.

"My own uncle."

He picked up the cup and took a sip.

It's hot.

His tongue was scalded, he frowned, but swallowed it without changing his expression.

"Why is it hot? I didn't mean it needed less ice."

"Yeah, less ice." Ha Joo-hee tilted her head to look at him. "I didn't put in any ice, isn't that less than enough?"

"

"Would you like me to make you another cup?"

"No."

Ha Joo-hee didn't say anything more, but she couldn't suppress the smile on her lips.

She turned and walked to the bar, grabbing the square-faced man's sleeve and pulling him over.

"Uncle, this is the Lin Zhixun I told you about."

The man stood up, spun around in the light from top to bottom, and then extended his right hand.

"Kim Bum-soo, Joo-hee's uncle."

Lin Zhixun shook hands.

"Hello, Mr. Jin."

Kim Bum-soo sat down opposite him and smiled for some reason.

Lin Zhixun was stunned by that smile.

He couldn't tell from their appearance that the two looked completely unrelated.

One has delicate, petite features, the other has a square face and squinty eyes.

But when Kim Bum-soo smiled, his eyes curved upwards, fine lines appeared at the corners of his eyes, and his entire face changed expression.

She smiles exactly like Ha Joo-hee.

They all look like a fox.

One is a vixen, and the other is an old fox.

"Why are you staring at my uncle?" Ha Joo-hee brought over three cups of coffee and sat down on the stool next to her.

"I think you two look quite alike when you smile."

Kim Bum-soo chuckled twice and slapped the table: "This young man has a sweet tongue; no wonder you always mention him."

He Zhuxi's expression froze for a moment: "Uncle, I don't often mention him."

2

"Okay, okay, I'll bring it up occasionally, every now and then."

"uncle!"

Kim Bum-soo stopped teasing her, picked up his coffee, took a sip, and turned his gaze back to Lim Ji-hoon.

"Joo-hee said you recently invested in a movie?"

Lin Zhixun put down his cup and glanced at Ha Joo-hee.

Heo Joo-hee raised an eyebrow at him. The meaning was clear: go ahead.

"Silenced," Lim Ji-hoon said, "is based on a true story from Inhwa School in Gwangju."

Kim Bum-soo hummed in agreement, tapping his right index finger rhythmically twice on the table. "I've heard of it. The subject matter is quite serious. Did it pass censorship?"

"It's done, post-production is almost finished."

"What about distribution? Have you negotiated the screening schedule?"

"There are some difficulties at the moment," Lin Zhixun said.

There's no need to pretend when it's time to speak the truth.

Seizing the opportunity, Ha Joo-hee chimed in, "Uncle, this movie is really good. I've read the complete script."

"But when it comes to scheduling and promotion—Shihoon, being an actor, really doesn't have enough connections."

As she spoke, she took Kim Bum-soo's arm again, lowering her tone by half a degree and softening it slightly: "Could you please help me out?"

""

Kim Bum-soo looked down at the arm that was being held, then looked up at Ha Joo-hee's expression.

"No wonder you were so attentive today, bringing coffee and snacks. Turns out it was a trap."

"What kind of trap is this? Uncle, you just came here for a cup of coffee and you're being wronged like this."

Kim Bum-soo tapped Ha Joo-hee's forehead with his index finger and jokingly scolded, "They might even be a husband-and-wife human flesh bun shop, with one playing the good cop in front and the other waiting to cut the meat in the back."

""

"Uncle!" Ha Joo-hee blushed, loosened her grip, and shrank back. "What couple? Don't talk nonsense."

Kim Bum-soo stopped laughing, leaned forward, placed his hands on the table, and looked at Lim Ji-hoon.

"I'm a businessman; I value transactions."

"Please speak."

You know KakaoTalk, right?

"Know."

KakaoTalk, an instant messaging software launched in 2010, gained over one million users in six months and approached twenty million by the end of 2011. In the South Korean internet community, this growth rate was phenomenal.

But KakaoTalk has never made a single penny so far, and it survives entirely by burning through investors' money. The more users it has, the more it loses.

Kim Bum-soo asked directly, "How do you think this can be monetized?"

Ha Joo-hee got impatient: "Uncle, aren't you making things difficult for me? You can't solve your own company's problems, and you're using them to audition an actor?"

Kim Bum-soo ignored her and squinted at Lim Ji-hoon: "Young people have a lot of ideas, and we old folks sometimes can't quite grasp them. It's always good to listen to them."

"Hmph!" Ha Joo-hee reached out and took the coffee away from Kim Bum-soo. "If you don't want to help, just say so. Why beat around the bush?"

Kim Bum-soo wasn't annoyed that his niece had taken his coffee; he simply leaned back in his chair and waited.

KakaoTaIk's current predicament is almost identical to that of QQ back then.

We have a large user base and established social networks, but the business model is still a blank slate.

Therefore, you can just copy Tencent's answer.

Or, to put it another way, this whole thing was copied by Tencent from KakaoTalk.

However, since Tencent is the second largest shareholder, copying itself doesn't count as copying.

Just like Honor of Kings and League of Legends.

"Kakao's most valuable asset is not its user base, but its social network."

"Everyone's address book, friend list, and chat history are all linked together, and users simply can't live without them."

"Integrate mobile games into Kakao's social account system, allow users to log in with their Kakao accounts, and enable ranking and competition among friends."

They exchanged physical strength.

"Game publishers provide the product, Kakao provides the traffic and entry points, and the revenue is split between the two. You don't need to develop your own games; you can just act as a platform."

That's it.

Ha Joo-hee held the cup of coffee she had snatched in mid-air, forgetting to drink it.

She looked at her uncle, then at Lin Zhixun, opened her mouth, but didn't say anything.

Kim Bum-soo leaned back in his chair, placed his hands on his stomach, and stared at Lim Ji-hoon's face for a long time.

The background music in the store changed to a slow jazz piano track.

"You studied business?"

No. Yonsei University, Faculty of Law.

Kim Bum-soo's lips moved slightly, as if he wanted to ask something, but then he stopped.

He sat up straight again, and the way he looked at Lin Zhixun changed.

It wasn't the kind of sizing up an elder would give when casually looking at the young man his niece brought home.

Instead, it's about assessing the value of the person in the business world.

"Regarding game distribution," Kim Bum-soo began, "Kakao has indeed been discussing mobile game entry points over the past two months, but all the proposals on the table so far are in-house developed; no one has mentioned creating a pure platform."

He paused for a moment.

How did you come up with that idea?

Lin Zhixun answered quickly: "Users use Kakao to chat, not to play games."

"Developing games in-house means Kakao has to compete with professional game companies for development capabilities, which is not Kakao's strength."

"But if it's a platform, Kakao only needs to provide what it does best: traffic and social relationships."

"Let professionals do what they do best. Kakao takes a cut in the middle. Those who have nothing to lose are not afraid of those who have something to lose, and those who have something to lose are not afraid of someone helping them with their shoes."

Kim Bum-soo remained silent for a long time.

Only the low sounds of the piano and coffee grinder remained in the coffee shop.

Then Kim Bum-soo suddenly laughed.

Her eyes curved upwards, the lines at the corners of her eyes crinkling together, and her entire face bore the same expression as Ha Joo-hee when she was smug.

"OK."

He took out a business card holder from the inside pocket of his coat, opened it, pulled out a card, and held it between two fingers, pushing it in front of Lin Zhixun.

The business card is simple, with white background and black text.

Kim Bum-soo. Chairman of the Kakao Council.

"Organize the stuff from 'Silenced' and send it to Joo-hee so she can pass it on to me." Kim Bum-soo stood up and buttoned his coat one button at a time.

"I'll handle the scheduling and promotion."

"Thank you, Mr. Kim." Lin Zhixun also stood up.

"Call him uncle."

"6

'

Lin Zhixun glanced at He Zhuxi, who turned her face away, her ears turning bright red, pretending to wipe a cup.

"Thanks."

Kim Bum-soo snorted, put on his gloves, took two steps, and then turned back.

"I've always treated Joo-hee like my own daughter."

"If you don't want to be an actor anymore, or want to do more than just be an actor, you can come find me."

"Kakao is missing a visionary leader."

"Of course, that's on the premise that we're family."

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