Upon returning to the meeting room, I immediately put on an act.
"I apologize. I hope we can meet under better circumstances next time."
If I showed an attitude of indifference, they would have no choice but to do so as well. It was only when both parties had laid all cards on the table would the real negotiations begin.
However, the demeanor of Ahn Ji-Yoon seemed off for some reason.
"Hold on a moment. Mr. Jung. I'd like to speak with you in private."
"With me?"
"Yes. Just the two of us."
I wondered what had transpired while I was away as her attitude toward me had completely changed.
"Why don't we just speak in here? At the end of the day, I still have to report everything to Mr. Gu anyway."
When I refused to leave the room, using Gu Seong-Cheol as my excuse, Ahn Ji-Yoon sighed and held out her phone.
"Is this you, Mr. Jung?"
On the screen of the phone that Ahn Ji-Yoon held out, my face appeared in a news article.
[Life-threatening car crash. The hero who saved Jang Jun-Hyuk.]
-Officer Kim Chun-Soo from Kangdong Fire Station revealed that the person who rescued Jang Jun-Hyuk was a Talent Agent at Hoop Entertainment.
-Today, talent agent of actress Jung Yoo-Jin, Mr. Jung risked a life-threatening collision on Cheonho Bridge to save top star Jang Jun-Hyuk.
-...Meanwhile, the talent agent of Miss Jung Yoo-Jin, known widely as the Burger Queen's Burger Maiden, had also recently saved...
(Comments)
-I saw it with my own eyes at the scene. He used his own car to block Jang Jun-Hyuk's car and rescued him. It was crazy! I thought my heart was going to explode.
-He looks more like a model than a talent agent. He's tall and dresses well.
-The celebrity is the beauty from Burger Queen in Cheonho-dong and the talent agent is just as handsome. What a pair.
-Is there no fan club for this talent agent oppa?
-Should I make one? A fan club for the handsome talent agent? Lol.
'Woah. The article is already up?'
Although the comments were full of nonsense, Ahn Ji-Yoon looked flushed after reading the article.
At that moment, Ahn Ji-Yoon made me a new offer.
"50 million won per year!"
But there was a condition attached.
"On the condition that Mr. Jung also appears in the advertisement!"
Ahn Ji-Yoon was looking at me with greed in her eyes.
But I firmly exclaimed.
"No way!"
When I immediately responded, Ahn Ji-Yoon looked puzzled.
"But why? If you and Miss Yoo-Jin both appear in the advertisement, we can offer the 50 million won that you wanted. And of course, we'll provide a separate advertising fee just for you as well."
But I shook my head once again.
"No. I have no intention of appearing in an advertisement."
Ahn Ji-Yoon sighed and looked at me sideways.
"Come on. Be honest. It's a good opportunity to get your face out there on TV. There are many talent agents who want to be on television."
'That's because they have other ambitions.'
Many talent agents used their broadcasting contacts to transition into entertainers or broadcasters.
However, I had no such intention—though the offer of an additional 5 million won in return for just my appearance was quite tempting.
"You really are impenetrable, aren't you, Mr. Jung? Fine. What's your price? Let's discuss."
"Shorten the contract duration to six months and maintain the advertisement fee of 50 million won. And if it's a series of advertisements, the fee will be renegotiated. In return, I promise Yoo-Jin won't appear in any bread-related ads."
Given that it might have been a steep condition, I specified that Yoo-Jin wouldn't accept any other bread ads.
"Not a year, but six months?"
"Yes."
Ahn Ji-Yoon was dumbfounded upon hearing the conditions I put forth and abruptly stood up.
"You are asking for way too much, Mr. Jung. This can't be done! Miss Yung-Sook. Let's go. Let's just look for another model."
"Oh, yes. Alright."
The startled Lee Yung-Sook stood up as well with a perplexed expression.
However, I continued with a smirk on my face.
"Sales of Burger Queen haven't been good recently, have they?"
Suddenly, Ahn Ji-Yoon, who was on her way out, stopped and flared up.
"That's not true! I don't know where you heard such baseless information, but our sales are excellent!"
Ahn Ji-Yoon didn't seem to have much talent for negotiation.
'They are trying to replace their main ambassador, Park Eun-Bin, within just three months of hiring her. Yet, she is claiming that sales are good? Who would believe that?'
Her flushed face and defensiveness were evident enough to convince anyone that she was lying.
"With Park Eun-Bin's declining popularity, the sales of burgers would have surely dropped as well. Doesn't your company need some kind of countermeasure?"
"W-why would you say such a thing?"
"You seem to be mistaken as we are not the ones who are at a disadvantage. I wonder if you're aware that Lotterina has also been reaching out to us."
Ahn Ji-Yoon's face turned a shade of red. Mentioning Lotterina was a bluff, but it seemed to have worked.
"Oh, and are you aware of the current state of comments left on Park Eun-Bin's social media?"
Each time an idol switched to acting, they often faced harsh criticism for one simple reason: they couldn't act.
In Park Eun-Bin's case, the situation seemed particularly dire. Comments like "pathetic acting," "the most cringe acting ever," and "just stick to singing," filled her social media page.
As I continued discussing the public's assessment of Park Eun-Bin, Ahn Ji-Yoon's face grew redder.
"I told you! That's not true!"
After fussing for a while, Ahn Ji-Yoon managed to calm her frustration.
"Huff, huff. I apologize. I got a bit heated. But Lotterina won't offer as much as us. Do you know how cheap their publicity department is?"
"Well, we'll see about that."
I sneaked a glance at Gu Seong-Cheol. Then, Gu Seong-Cheol cleared his throat and spoke.
'It's showtime.'
"Ms. Ahn. Yoo-jin will appear in a new drama in March."
"And?"
"Well, the writer of that drama…hm, should I say it or not? It's someone extremely famous."
Gu Seong-Cheol's relaxed tone began to soften Ahn Ji-Yoon's expression.
'Wow. Mr. Gu has excellent acting skills. A perfect ten out of ten.'
Ahn Ji-Yoon became more contemplative at Gu Seong-Cheol's ambiguous words.
Growing impatient, I subtly hinted to Gu Seong-Cheol.
"Mr. Gu, should we just eat at Lotterina tonight? Their new menu is quite good these days."
"Oh? Are you talking about the Double-Double? Yeah, my daughter loves it. Deputy Head Kim of Lotterina's publicity department sent me lots of free coupons. Might as well use them today."
At that moment, Ahn Ji-Yoon exclaimed urgently.
"Wait! Hold on, Mr. Jung!"