Rookie Talent Agent Knows It All-Chapter 854: Choice (2)

-Ruling party candidate Chae Chi-Dong at 44.7%, opposition candidate Park Deok-Ryul at 43.8%. The ruling party leads by approximately 0.9%.

While both candidates outperformed previous polling, the gap between them remained unchanged.

Of course, this is just the exit poll and we'll have to wait for the final count...

Roughly five million people voted in the Seoul mayoral race today. A 0.9% difference translated to about 45,000 votes. And since exit polls from the three major broadcasters were usually reliable, the tension began to rise.

If the ruling party won Seoul, Assemblyman Park Sang-Gon—the man behind the campaign and a major contender for the next presidential race—might retain his position as party leader.

That was when the camera director sitting across the table, who had been following the political news on his phone, accidentally muttered aloud.

"Ahem. Looks like the ruling party's got Seoul in the bag."

Realizing he had spoken out loud, the director quickly lowered his voice. It was because PD Oh Bok-Hee had made it clear that politics had no place on set.

Scrape.

The camera director gathered his empty tray, pulled back his chair, and stood up.

"Eat lots, Chief Jung. I'll be heading back."

"Alright."

After saying goodbye, I pulled out my own phone to check the vote count. Just then, my phone buzzed.

Buzz~

[Notification: Fortune of the Day from Everyday has been uploaded.]

'Fortune of the Day? Now?'

The day was nearly over, but I checked it anyway. And what I saw made the corners of my lips twitch upward.

[Everyday V13]

[Date: April 7, 2021]

[Fortune of the Day: Nothing but good news today. There is no need to worry.]

I almost burst out laughing. Unlike the exit polls, this hinted that the ruling party's candidate, Chae Chi-Dong, would lose the Seoul mayoral race.

Just then, Oh Bok-Hee called out from across the set. "Alright, everyone. Let's leave the politics to the politicians and get back to work!"

The staff who had been watching the election quickly shut off their phones and stood up.

"Yes, ma'am!"

Rustle.

Everyone got up at once to return their trays. With Everyday, which had always been more accurate than exit polls, giving the nod, I stood up with a lighter heart alongside Jung Sang-Bong, Yoo-Jin, and Miso.

At that moment, my phone buzzed again.

Buzz~

[Caller ID: Choi Eun-Tae]

Chairman Choi Eun-Tae from Myeongdong was calling. It was obviously about the election.

"Sang-Bong. Take Yoo-Jin and Miso to the set ahead of me. I'll catch up after this call."

"Yes, Mr. Jung."

Jung Sang-Bong headed off with Yoo-Jin and Miso. I stepped off to a quiet corner of the set and answered the call.

-Just thought you might be worried, so I called. We've run some internal numbers and there's a strong chance. There's no need to stress.

"I'm not worried. You personally backed this campaign. There's no way it's going to fail."

The ruling party's 10-point lead turning into a nail-biter was entirely thanks to Choi Eun-Tae's efforts. His network and influence had thrown their weight behind the opposition.

That's when Choi Eun-Tae spoke again, his tone more pointed.

-Is that what Eun-Gi meant by your intuition or whatever?

Kang Eun-Gi apparently thought of me as some kind of shamanic mother figure, so that must have been what he meant.

"Yes, sir."

Choi Eun-Tae stayed silent for a moment, then spoke in a surprisingly cheerful tone.

-Alright. In that case, I guess it's time I got moving too.

"Sorry? What are you planning to do?"

-Hahaha. You'll see soon enough. I just need to wrap up a few things first, then I'll let you know.

Click.

Just like that, Choi Eun-Tae ended the call.

'What exactly does he mean by wrap up a few things?'

***

In Donghae, a Japanese restaurant located in Yeouido, members of Faithful excluding Park Sang-Gon's daughter, Park Sang-Ah, were gathered, watching the vote count on TV.

Until just moments ago, ruling party candidate Chae Chi-Dong had maintained his lead. But now, he had just been overtaken.

-The count is progressing faster than usual.

As of 11:59 p.m., over 80% of ballots have been counted.

Opposition candidate Park Deok-Ryul, who had been steadily gaining since the 70% mark, has now pulled off a dramatic reversal.

Both candidates are sitting at 43.9%, but Park Deok-Ryul is ahead by 101 votes.

Bam!

At that moment, HK Inc.'s Chairman Hong Moon-Gyu slammed the table, unable to contain his rage.

"Damn it!"

As Hong Moon-Gyu fumed, former Daecheon Inc.'s Chairman Sung Hak-Soo tried to calm him.

"Mr. Hong, please calm down. There's still 20% of the votes left."

"How can I stay calm? Look at those panelists on TV. Don't you see what they're saying?"

All three election analysts on screen wore serious expressions as they broke down the situation.

-The gap is widening. Chae Chi-Dong, ruling party: 43.9%. Park Deok-Ryul, opposition: 44%.

-Candidate Park Deok-Ryul's campaign has pulled unexpectedly strong numbers from Seoul's western districts.

-Mr. Kim, if the ruling party loses even the Seoul mayoral race, what does that mean for them?

-Other constituencies are already unfavorable. If they lose Seoul, it's a clean sweep. Then Assemblyman Park Sang-Gon, who led the campaign, will have to take full responsibility.

-Thank you. Mr. Choi, we're seeing a surprising gap forming in Jongno and Myeongdong. Any thoughts on that?

-The opposition's last-minute announcement of large-scale redevelopment projects in both districts likely appealed to local voters.

-I see.

-Not just that. A noticeable shift in young voter support toward the opposition is another unique feature of this election.

-Mr. Park, let me ask you this: why do you think youth voter turnout increased?

-There are reports that the campaign song played a key role. Adapting the theme from Project I.O.A into a campaign jingle seems to have struck a chord.

-Can a campaign song really make that much of a difference?

-Yes. In an election this tight, a campaign song can have a significant impact.

-Ah, and look at this! The gap is now 0.3%! If the opposition sweeps every district, Party Leader Park Sang-Gon's presidential ambitions could be in real danger.

Hong Moon-Gyu pointed at the screen, nearly shouting. "Look at this! Because of Chairman Choi Eun-Tae, even our strongholds like Myeongdong and Jongno are slipping away. How the hell are we supposed to turn this around?"

It wasn't just the redevelopment plans in Myeongdong and Jongno. The massive funding directed at Seoul's western districts, Park Deok-Ryul's base, was also a clear sign of Choi Eun-Tae's involvement.

"I thought the Myeongdong king had washed his hands of politics?"

"I only found out this morning. Damn it. I thought he'd retired from the scene for good."

Jin Myung-Gyu and Jin Myung-Hee were also in the room, but Hong Moon-Gyu's outburst had left them quietly watching from the sidelines.

Then, the door opened.

Creeeak.

In walked Park Sang-Gon's daughter Park Sang-Ah.

Immediately, Hong Moon-Gyu jumped to his feet and began pointing furiously at her. "Park Sang-Ah! Do you even know where you are?"

At Hong Moon-Gyu's booming voice, Park Sang-Ah snapped right back. "Calm down. The election's not over yet."

"Not over? Don't make me laugh. It's already over! Your useless father's finished too!"

Sensing the shift in power, Jin Myung-Gyu and Jin Myung-Hee began siding with Hong Moon-Gyu. If Park Sang-Gon stepped down as party leader, he would be just another lawmaker and nothing more.

"Hey, Park Sang-Ah. Who do you think you are, standing there all smug? We heard your fiancé, Choi Man-Sik, got arrested in Japan."

"Where do you get off acting like you still matter? Hand back all the money you blew through!"

Even Sung Hak-Soo, the Daecheon Inc.'s schemer, had picked a side.

"I think it's best if you stopped attending our meetings, Miss Sang-Ah."

This group, once dubbed Faithful after getting burned by Jung Yoon-Ho, had gathered with Park Sang-Gon's backing to take him down after the election. Yet with Park Sang-Gon now likely out of power, there was no longer any reason to coddle his daughter.

Hong Moon-Gyu roared from deep in his gut. "I'll take care of that bastard Jung Yoon-Ho myself. As for this joke of a group, let's just disband. I see no reason to continue with failures like you."

That's when Park Sang-Ah narrowed her eyes and fired back, voice low and threatening. "I get that you're angry, but it's already too late."

"Too late? What the hell are you talking about?"

"We're already on Chairman Choi Eun-Tae's blacklist."

"What the hell does that mean?"

Park Sang-Ah turned directly to Hong Moon-Gyu. "That one-trillion-won bond of yours, the one maturing at the end of this month, won't be renewed. Chairman Choi Eun-Tae made sure of it."

Even though HK Inc. ranked twelfth in the financial world, a one-trillion-won bond suddenly crashing down could rattle the entire company.

Nevertheless, Hong Moon-Gyu refused to believe Park Sang-Ah.

"You venomous little brat. Spewing nonsense again, huh? I already confirmed with our people in Japan before coming here today. And from now on, I don't believe a word out of your damn family!"

"Then go ahead and check again. I think we'll have more to talk about afterward."

Grinding his teeth, Hong Moon-Gyu grabbed his phone. Even if it was a slim chance, he couldn't ignore it.

"If I check and you're lying, don't expect to walk out of here."

Hong Moon-Gyu fumed as he dialed his company.

"Director Kim. That bond maturing in Japan at the end of this month is still on track, right? Before I left, I—"

-Ah, Mr. Chairman! I was just about to call you. We've received notice that the renewal on the one-trillion-won bond due at the end of April has been denied.

"What the hell are you talking about?!"

-It's from the Japanese side...

HK Inc.'s finance director confirmed that Park Sang-Ah's warning was no bluff.

Park Sang-Ah then revealed that loan renewals had also been blocked for Sung Hak-Soo's private construction firm, as well as for the private businesses run by Jin Myung-Gyu and Jin Myung-Hee.

"Mr. Hong's not the only one. The rest of you are going to have problems too. You should call and check."

Each of them dialed their respective offices and all came back with the same news. Their faces stiffened.

Park Sang-Ah let out a long sigh. "I don't know when exactly, but it looks like Chairman Choi Eun-Tae caught wind of our little group. I think he's been preparing for this and chose the election day to make his move. Also, my father wanted me to tell you something, Chairman Hong. Chairman Choi Eun-Tae... he's gone back to his old nickname."

At that, Hong Moon-Gyu swallowed dryly. "His old nickname... you mean the Snake?"

Choi Eun-Tae, once called the White Tiger of Myeongdong and the Loan Shark King, had built a legendary reputation in Korea's underground finance world. In recent years, he had stepped back, passing most of his operations to his adopted son Choi Man-Sik and his right-hand man Choi Yung-Ho, president of Daeheung Savings Bank.

But decades ago when he was personally pulling the strings, some called him by another name.

'The Snake.'

The snake—nimble, strong, and cunning—was so resilient it fed on venomous pit vipers like the Korean mamushi, earning the nickname 'king of snakes' among hunters.

Just like that, Choi Eun-Tae was formidable and silent. When he chose to strike, it was always in this quiet, suffocating way. He never left no trail, no evidence, nothing prosecutors or investigators could use to retaliate.

How Faithful even sensed something was off was thanks only to the remaining influence of Park Sang-Gon.

"Damn it. That old man's really going all in."

Realizing Choi Eun-Tae had come out of retirement and was now in motion, sweat began to drip down Hong Moon-Gyu's back.

Then Park Sang-Ah spoke up. "I know today's election is tough. I admit that. But my father still has serious connections. He's already working on backing from heavy hitters in Japan and China. Mr. Hong, we can help pull you out of this. All I ask is that you don't abandon my dad. I'm not just saying this as his daughter. There's no one else in the ruling party who can lead like him. Even if he stumbles for a moment, he will bounce back."

Hong Moon-Gyu didn't fully trust her. However, with Choi Eun-Tae now actively targeting them, they needed all the help they could get.

"What about the rest of you?" Hong Moon-Gyu looked at Sung Hak-Soo, Jin Myung-Gyu, and Jin Myung-Hee.

Sung Hak-Soo spoke first. "If it's true Chairman Choi is after all of us, we should stick together for now."

Everyone nodded.

"A sinking ship with holes, but we can't jump off. All we can do is patch it and ride it out."

Park Sang-Ah let out a small sigh of relief.

Then Hong Moon-Gyu furrowed his brows. "But why the hell is Chairman Choi Eun-Tae going after all of us? If he's got beef with Assemblyman Park Sang-Gon, then he should just go after your father. Why drag us into it?"

Park Sang-Ah's eyes flashed. "Why do you think so? It's because of Jung Yoon-Ho."

"What does Jung Yoon-Ho have to do with this?"

"Chairman Choi Eun-Tae treats Jung Yoon-Ho like a son. And when we went after him, he decided to wipe out not just my dad but all of us in the Faithful group too."

Park Sang-Ah twisted the truth, letting her personal grudge warp the facts. The fallout had come from her father targeting Choi Eun-Tae, but she laid all the blame on Jung Yoon-Ho.

Hearing that, Hong Moon-Gyu ground his teeth. He already had no intention of letting Jung Yoon-Ho, who had gotten his own kids arrested, go unpunished.

"Damn it. So that's how it is?"

"Yes."

Hong Moon-Gyu glanced around the room. "Then we'll just have to pay him back in kind."

Though Hong Moon-Gyu's status as a corporate chairman prevented him from getting his hands dirty, if he made up his mind, he had no doubt he could crush a single entertainment company.

Sung Hak-Soo's eyes sharpened. "Do you have a plan?"

"Yeah. Now that the election's over, HK is going to announce its full entry into the entertainment business. We're going to poach every last star from Hoop Entertainment."

"You're going in directly? Not through proxies like TNT?"

"The indirect route failed, didn't it? This time, we show them the brute force of a major conglomerate. That little punk Jung Yoon-Ho needs to be brought to his knees." Then he turned to Park Sang-Ah. "You said your father's going to secure big investors from Japan and China, right?"

"Absolutely."

"Then tell him to arrange the bond rollover and raise additional funds. With that money, I'll crush Jung Yoon-Ho myself."

Relieved, Park Sang-Ah let out a long breath and nodded. "Alright. I'll tell him exactly that."

"Good."

Just then, the TV announcer chimed in.

-With 85% of the votes counted, opposition candidate Park Deok-Ryul is widening the gap... now leading by 0.7%.

Hong Moon-Gyu exploded again. "Shit! Why the hell is nobody turning that thing off?!"

***

At 2:30 a.m., after Miso had gone back to Seoul for the night, I returned to the villa with Yoo-Jin following her wrap on set.

Hot spring water was filling the stone bath at the hanok-style villa about 80% full now. I had asked the hotel staff earlier to prepare it. After days of grueling filming, this soak would be the perfect way for Yoo-Jin to unwind.

"Yoo-Jin, about 20 more minutes and it'll be ready."

Yoo-Jin nodded. "Then I'll rest in the room for a bit."

"Okay."

She trudged up the wooden veranda and disappeared into her room, looking exhausted. I headed to the smaller guest room and lay down for a moment of quiet.

By 3 a.m., the final election results started coming in.

[(Breaking News) Final Results In: Seoul Mayoral Race Won by Candidate #2 Park Deok-Ryul with 44.1%. Wins by 0.9% Margin! (Candidate #1 Chae Chi-Dong at 43.2%)]

[Defeated, Park Sang-Gon Steps Down as Ruling Party Leader.]

Just as Everyday's fortune had suggested, there was no need to worry.

Buzz~

Choi Eun-Tae was calling again. This time, his voice was energized.

-Yoon-Ho. We did it.

"You've worked hard, sir. It's all thanks to you."

-Hard work, nothing. I actually called because I've got something to tell you.

"What is it?"

-Hong Moon-Gyu of HK Inc., Park Sang-Gon's daughter Sang-Ah, and the others—Sung Hak-Soo, Jin Myung-Gyu, Jin Myung-Hee—I've started cutting off their funding. I know they've been tormenting you for a long time.

'So that was the "final thing" he'd mentioned before.'

"They're definitely not my fans."

-Right. But while handling that, I discovered they're planning to enter the entertainment business together. Not through a shell like TNT Entertainment this time, though. HK Inc. is going all in, directly.

It was revenge. Hong Moon-Gyu was moving the entire conglomerate to crush me for having his sons jailed.

-They'll throw around a lot of money. But don't worry. I'll block them all. I won't let them touch you—

That promise to shield me was deeply appreciated, but I answered firmly.

"Mr. Chairman. Please let me handle the entertainment side myself."

Choi Eun-Tae hesitated with concern in his voice.

-Yoon-Ho... I don't doubt your ability, but HK isn't just any company. They've got capital you don't even see on paper...

I cut him off. Because I, and only I, knew what was coming. I knew the future of the yet-to-be-launched "HK Entertainment."

"Don't worry. Chairman Hong Moon-Gyu can never beat me."