Prologue
What would you do if you were given the chance to go back in time ten years?
Win the lottery
Acquire stocks with prior knowledge and become rich
Purchase a large number of bitcoin at a low price
Reverse all most regretful decision that you made
If you chose one of the options, let me go ahead asking you another question.
If you chose the first option, do you remember the number of the lottery ticket that won first place ten years ago?
Hm, I certainly don't.
Perhaps option two would have been the better option because even I know of a few companies whose stock prices are rising.
What about option three, purchasing Bitcoin at a low price?
One could make a lot of money if the timing was right—but still, making money didn't give me much joy.
In any case, I made a lot of money in my first life. However, that life was too painful and pointless. Even though I did make a lot of money, I was never able to sleep in comfort after the day my life changed completely.
Therefore, when I was given the chance to go back in time, I chose option four.
Having returned to the past, I was given the chance to rebuild my life—thanks to the planner containing the schedule of my future ten years, which returned to the past with me.
Thanks to this planner, I was able to see the impact of my actions on the future.
Oh, but please don't get me wrong. Of course I'm still going to make lots of money.
This is my second life. Wouldn't it be weird if I failed to make money while doing the same job as in my past life?
Let me begin the story of the rookie talent agent who returned to his first year of work.
Chapter 1: Return D-30
[Vice President of Top Entertainment: Jung Yoon-Ho]
The appreciation plaques that filled one side of the shelf were engraved with my name in vivid silver color.
[For contributing to the development of Korean movies…]
[For contributing to Korean idols' overseas expansion…]
[As an ambassador for K-pop…]
[The youngest to promote the culture to…]
I spoke to myself while reading the words written on the appreciation plaque.
"Wow, Jung Yoon-Ho. You really did succeed."
It's been ten years since I started working in the entertainment industry at the age of twenty-eight. Not only had I become the vice president of Top Entertainment—the number one entertainment company in the industry— I had also married a top actress, Ju Yung-In.
Given the fact that I lived in Jamsil LT Tower overlooking the Han River, anyone would think that I lived a successful life.
Yet, in spite of my apparent success, there had always been a void in my heart.
On that fateful day' ten years ago, I lost the people precious to me by making a wrong choice in a moment.
"Sigh…"
I let out a deep sigh and shifted my gaze to the photo I had placed on one side of the shelf.
[Hoop Entertainment's 7th Retreat.]
Inside the red-colored frame was a photo of the employees and actors of Hoop Entertainment gathered around President Kang Gam-Chan, sporting bright smiles.
"That was such a good time…"
Hoop Entertainment was the very first company I worked for. It was a company that valued the character of its actors, and the managers and the actors got along well like a family.
However, three years after this photo was taken, Hoop Entertainment took a downturn.
President Kang Gam-Chan suffered a stroke and Kim Dong-Soo, the 3rd division talent chief at the time and the president of Top Entertainment now, left with eighty percent of the actors and staff, leaving the company in shambles.
I decided to leave Hoop Entertainment with Kim Dong-Soo and this was how Top Entertainment was created.
Top Entertainment was starkly different from Hoop Entertainment.
Top Entertainment was infamous for its bad-tempered actors and indifference to scandals as long as the actors generated profit.
Consequently, I had no choice but to promote and train celebrities regardless of their character until I became the vice president.
Flinch!
A twinge of pain struck the upper part of my chest as if I'd been stabbed when I recalled those old memories.
Recently, I had been suffering from chest pains whenever I was under even a little bit of stress.
'It's been a while since I last had a checkup because I was too busy. I should visit the hospital tomorrow.'
Buzz!
Suddenly, I received a notification of today's schedule from Everyday, a schedule management application that I had been using for ten years.
[Everyday V10]
[Date: November 12th, 2029]
[Current time: 04:30 AM, LT Tower(home)]
-(Reserved schedule D-30: Bundang Memorial Park, Miso.)
-5:00 AM: Top Entertainment Conference Room (7F,) Hwangryong Film Association day meeting.
-09:10 PM: Episode 11 of 'Top Star with My Hands.' Min Gyu-Ri.
...
"Is it already this late?"
It was 4:30 AM and I had a lot to prepare as today was the day of the Hwangryong Film Association meeting and I received a secret call from one of the executive members of the Hwangryong Film Association, whom I met at 11 PM last night.
"Vice President Jung, I think a red dress would be perfect for Gyu-Ri's outfit tomorrow."
Min Gyu-Ri was the lead actress of the movie The Best Bride, which had garnered 8.33 million viewers this year.
Top Entertainment had made a deal with the executive member to mention the color red if she was confirmed for the award for the best actress of the year.
Now that I had received the signal, it was my responsibility to ensure Min Gyu-Ri was prepared to receive this prestigious accolade, including having the best make-up and dress, fitting of her soon-to-be-crowned title. I also had to contact the reporters in advance to publish articles around noon with titles such as 'Min Gyu-Ri is the leading candidate for the best actress of the year.'
I was rushing to leave the house for work as I had made all my staff report to work an hour early to prepare for the award ceremony.
Drag.
The sound of my slippers dragging against the floor could be heard as I rushed into the dressing room. I would had been worried about waking up my wife if she were in the bedroom, but she was not home yet.
"Tsk. I wonder who she's with at this time…"
Right when I was about to call my wife, my phone rang.
[Caller: President Kim Dong-Soo]
"Huh? Why would Dong-Soo hyung call me at this hour?"
When I answered the phone, I heard Dong-Soo's urgent voice.
"Yoon-Ho, we are in big trouble. Burp!"
Dong-Soo hyung was stumbling over his words as if he had been drinking with the investors.
"You always say that. What is it? What happened this time?"
"The reporters are after Gyu-Ri's sponsor scandal. They are going to publish articles early tomorrow morning!"
"What?"
The situation was dire as Min Gyu-Ri was on the cusp of receiving a major award.
I felt my face heat up with anger.
"Are you kidding me right now? I thought you said Gyu-Ri had no sponsor! What are you talking about all of a sudden!?"
"Well, it happened, so do something about it. The party involved is someone high up. We will be in huge trouble if the reporters publish articles on it."
"Who the heck is that high up? I have to know who that person is!"
"Hey, do I have to explain everything to you? Just do what I tell you to do! Burp!"
The consequences of recruiting celebrities without considering their character were showing.
I felt like I was about to throw up, perhaps because of stress. I held on to my throbbing chest and caught my breath.
"Huff, huff. Okay, fine. How many reporters are after her?"
"Three. And they are…they are…"
I comforted Dong-Soo Hyung, who was still drunk and rambling on, and checked the list of newspapers several times.
"All right. I'll try my best to negotiate with them. I'll talk to you later."
"You know the negotiation price, right?"
"I know, I know. I'm hanging up!"
As soon as I hung up the phone call with Dong-Soo, I called the Managing Director Gu Ji-Suk, my right-hand man.
"Yes, Mr. Jung."
"I'm sorry, but I think I'll be late for today's meeting. You'll have to be in charge of Gyu-Ri's makeup, dress, and accessories—make sure they are top-notch. It seems like she will win a big award today."
"Yes, Mr. Jung. What should I do about the reporters?"
Gulp.
My mouth went dry as I considered the ramifications of failing to prevent Min Gyu-Ri's sponsor scandal from being published.
If I failed to block even one of the reporters, the news article would be replicated by every other entertainment newspaper company in less than an hour.
"Just wait until I call you back. I have to take care of some things first."
Once I ended the call, I called the entertainment newspaper company Dong-Soo Hyung told me about.
'Let the negotiation begin.'
"Hello? Oh, yes. It's me—Jung Yoon-Ho from Top Entertainment. Yes. About the scandal the reporter Jung Sang-In is after… ah, come on. Don't come out so feisty right away. Why don't we go with the same as usual? One and a half?"
One and a half meant paying them 150 million won.
But the other party answered in a cocky voice, "Come on, Mr. Jung. You know that's not gonna do it. You're gonna have to give me at least two this time."
Such negotiations were a routine part of the entertainment industry's daily grind.