From A Producer To A Global Superstar-Chapter 269: Scene at the Hospital

He tried to say something, but the words got stuck in his throat as he was about to speak.

The man stood.

He didn’t rush. He simply stepped closer, close enough that Min Ho instinctively stiffened. The man placed his foot down firmly beside Min Ho’s chair, the sound sharp against the quiet floor.

Then he leaned down and whispered.

It was brief. Quiet. Precise.

Min Ho’s face drained of color.

He swallowed hard, nodding once without meaning to. In that moment, he understood something he hadn’t before. He wasn’t dealing with a client. He wasn’t even dealing with an enemy.

He remembered when the man warned him that if he messed up, he would regret it.

Min Ho could have sworn that he saw death, and as his mind was spinning, an idea struck his mind and he spoke almost instantly.

"Please wait."

The man paused and looked at Min Ho, giving him the go ahead to speak.

Min Ho scrambled to compose himself and said shakily,

"The footage could be edited. Context could be destroyed, and you can do almost everything with technology. This is not hard."

The man paused, thoughtful.

"Go on."

"Thank you. With AI, you can do a lot with that video. Alter it and make it look like the opposite of what it is."

The man grinned and said,

"And what if the media finds out?"

Min Ho smiled slyly.

"It doesn’t matter. The deed would already be done. Some people wouldn’t even believe the truth even if you showed them proof."

This made the man smile.

"Fine. Since it’s your idea, execute the video manipulation. When you’re done, inform me and we’ll meet here again."

Min Ho nodded as a feeling of relief passed through him. He vowed never to make deals with people he didn’t know again.

After about a day of tampering with the footage, Min Ho created a video capable of igniting the industry.

Then he made the call.

Min Ho swallowed as he watched the man view the video.

The man straightened and smiled faintly.

"I’ll take it," he said.

Min Ho smiled, satisfied.

"As for the price, I want twenty million."

"I’ll take it," the man said, "but not for what you think it’s worth."

They negotiated briefly. Min Ho tried to push for more. The man shut him down instantly.

"Half the price," the man said. "Or you leave with nothing."

Min Ho hesitated, remembering that this man could take it without paying. He gritted his teeth, then nodded.

Money exchanged hands. The real footage changed ownership.

Min Ho walked away uneasy but richer.

And somewhere else, a different version of the video began to take shape.

This was how the video came to be.

Dayo remained completely unaware.

The next day passed quietly for him, almost peacefully.

He spent the time with his family, keeping his promise to treat them to Korean food. He cooked, laughed, explained dishes, and watched Deborah and Janet react dramatically to unfamiliar flavors. They explored together afterward, moving through streets, shops, and small restaurants.

It was one of the rare days where work didn’t exist.

By evening, everyone was exhausted.

Dayo dropped them off at home.

He took a quick shower and dressed again.

"Where are you going?" his mother asked.

"I’ll be back later," Dayo replied. "Just checking on someone."

He didn’t check his phone. He believed it was his day off, so there shouldn’t be anything important.

Dayo had muted everything earlier that day. No notifications. No calls. No messages. He wanted silence.

He drove to the hospital alone.

As he parked, something felt off. 𝒻𝑟ℯℯ𝑤𝑒𝑏𝑛𝘰𝓋𝑒𝓁.𝒸𝑜𝘮

There were too many unfamiliar faces outside. People lingering. Phones raised. Whispers filling the air.

Dayo frowned but didn’t stop.

He walked in.

As he climbed the stairs toward Dae Seok’s room, the noise grew louder. Voices overlapped. Questions echoed.

When he turned the corner, he froze.

The hallway was crowded.

Cameras.

Microphones.

Reporters.

They were packed tightly around one room, Dae Seok’s room.

Dayo’s heart dropped.

He pushed forward instinctively.

"What’s going on?" he muttered.

The moment he stepped into view, everything shifted.

Cameras snapped toward him.

Voices rose.

"Director Dayo!"

"Is it true you insulted your actor after the injury?"

"Did you verbally abuse Dae Seok on set?"

"Do you believe actors should be blamed for on set accidents?"

"Are the rumors about your behavior true?"

The questions came fast. Aggressive. Sharp.

Dayo stood there, stunned.

But he remained composed. Years in the industry had taught him not to wear his emotions on his face.

He stayed calm, giving the media no reaction.

Reporters crowded closer.

"Do you deny calling him useless?"

"Is this how you treat people beneath you?"

"Will you apologize?"

Though calm on the outside, Dayo’s mind raced as he tried to understand what was happening.

"What are you talking about?" he asked, genuinely confused. "What rumors?"

No one answered.

Microphones were shoved closer.

"Director, respond!"

"Is this bullying?"

"Are you abusing your authority?"

Dayo turned toward the room door, trying to understand why they were there.

Inside, Dae Seok looked just as shocked. That meant it wasn’t his doing.

So what was going on?

Dayo picked up his phone and called the hospital doctor.

"Doctor, what is happening? Why is Dae Seok’s ward filled with people?" Dayo’s voice was cold enough to send chills down the doctor’s spine.

"I I am just finding out now so I"

Dayo cut him short.

"If this nuisance doesn’t leave this place in the next five minutes, you will receive a call from my lawyer."

He ended the call immediately, giving the doctor no chance to respond.

Less than a minute later, security swarmed the hallway and forcibly escorted the reporters out.

"This is wrong! We are trying to get the truth!"

"We will write bad articles about your hospital!"

"I am from a major news agency!"

"Stop dragging my hair!"

The security staff replied coldly.

"This is a hospital. You are disturbing patients."

"If you try anything else, we have you on camera. Maintain yourselves and leave."

They pushed the media out of the hospital entirely.

The hallway finally became quiet.

The doctor walked in nervously.

"Director Dayo, concerning this I"

Dayo waved his hand.

"I won’t sue, but this is unacceptable. You can leave us."

The doctor bowed repeatedly.

"Thank you. Thank you."

He knew he was wrong. Even if Dayo didn’t win a lawsuit, he could still lose his job.

Dayo turned to Dae Seok.

"What happened?"