Rookie Talent Agent Knows It All - Chapter 252: Whatever the Opponent Does (2)

[So Yi-Yung of Festival of Money! Bold revealing preview!]

[So Yi-Yung’s first revealing scene! Festival of Money Episode 3. Airs August 5!]

[Lead actor Choi Tae-Kyung’s chiseled muscles revealed in Festival of Money]

Popular drama writers tended to use revealing scenes to boost viewership ratings regardless of the storyline. For example, there might be a random scene of the male lead running away from somewhere and encountering the female lead bathing in a mountain pond.

In any case, scenes of the main actors showing a lot of skin created a buzz and greatly increased viewership ratings.

So Yi-Yung had never acted in revealing scenes like that before, so the news of her doing one ended up causing a huge stir.

Every team member became tense after reading the article.

Lee Yung-Jin couldn’t hide his anger. He fumed, “Mr. Jung, skin exposure on a terrestrial broadcast? What is the Broadcasting Commission doing?”

“Well, they’ll probably just give a warning as always. But has the preview been released?” I asked.

“Yes, here it is.”

“Shall we watch it?”

Kim Mi-Hye played the preview of Festival of Money Episode 3 on the LCD screen in the meeting room.

In the preview, So Yi-Yung was sitting in a jacuzzi wearing a bikini and sharing a glass of wine with the male lead, Choi Tae-Kyung. She was wearing a light pink bikini with an X-strap style that highlighted her body, accentuating her curvy figure.

After watching the short preview, Lee Yung-Jin’s expression became even more serious. “This will definitely work.”

I immediately told the staff to check the netizens’ reactions.

While everyone was checking the netizens’ reactions, Jung Sang-Bong looked particularly worried. “Mr. Jung, will things be okay?”

“Don’t worry. Things like skin exposure scenes are just short-term solutions.”

Although I acted nonchalantly, I was actually nervous too because dramas or movies with So Yi-Yung’s revealing scenes had good viewership ratings even in my past life.

In the meantime, Kim Mi-Hye displayed the social media reactions she found on the LCD screen.

“Mr. Jung, take a look at this.”

(Real-Time Reactions)

-This is awesome, I must watch Festival of Money Episode 3 live no matter what.

-When is this airing?

-It’s a Wednesday-Thursday drama.

-I’m holding my breath until next Wednesday.

-LOL, they start stripping as soon as they lose in viewership rating. I’m disappointed in So Yi-Yung.

-So you’re not gonna watch?

-Are you crazy? I must own this video for life LOL.

-Here’s a collection of So Yi-Yung’s skin exposure photos until now <link>

The portal bulletin boards were on fire.

“This is just as expected,” I muttered.

Kim Mi-Hye pointed at a section of the monitor and said, “Look, it’s also trending in the live search rankings. So Yi-Yung’s first revealing scene!”

Lee Yung-Jin grumbled with a dissatisfied expression. “Seriously, it’s just a swimsuit. You’d think it was a sex scene or something…”

Looking stern, Kim Mi-Hye suggested a countermeasure. “Mr. Jung, should we also release another press release? We have plenty of newsworthy content.”

Currently, Yoo-Jin’s popularity was soaring due to the sell-out situation of this month’s Womans magazine and the responses to the first and second episodes of In the Name of God.

However, I shook my head.

“Any articles we release will get buried very quickly in a situation like this. Let’s not waste our energy and just wait.”

Reassuring the worried staff, I headed to the break room with a nonchalant expression.

‘I need to stay calm,‘ I told myself.

Originally, this was something the broadcasting station should handle and the entertainment companies managing the main actors of In the Name of God should be the ones to come up with a countermeasure.

Nevertheless, I started thinking of my own countermeasures too because I really wanted to ensure Yoo-Jin won an award with this project.

After a while, I came up with some ideas.

Then, I grabbed the coffee I made and headed to the meeting room with a bright expression.

“Alright everyone, let’s have a cup of coffee and get to work. I have some ideas, so don’t worry, okay?” I said brightly.

The employees perked up after receiving their coffee and started working again.

But soon after, Han Se-Hwa released the preview for tomorrow’s SBC Sunday entertainment show.

Interest in Festival of Money started to surge so much that articles about In the Name of God quickly disappeared.

As expected, they weren’t an easy opponent.

***

I headed to Lee Ji-Yeon’s house with Yoo-Jin and Miso after being invited for dinner. When we arrived, Kim Soll-Ip and Kim Soo-Hee were also waiting for us.

They had ordered a ten-kilogram King Crab for us.

As I was taking off my shoes at the entrance, Miso asked, “Uncle Yoon-Ho, what’s a King Crab?”

“It’s a crab that’s as big as you.”

“A crab? Woof woof?” [1]

Having never heard of a King Crab before, Miso tilted her head.

“No, it’s a crab. It has big pincers on both hands and they’re huge,” I explained with gestures.

Miso’s eyes widened, and she spread her arms as wide as her body. “Is it this big?”

“No, it’s even bigger.”

Miso spread her arms even wider. “Then this much~?”

“Yes, that much.”

Miso exclaimed with her mouth wide open, “Wow~~! Really?”

Seeing Miso’s bright smile, Lee Ji-Yeon couldn’t stop laughing. “You did so well starting from the first episode, so I’m giving you a special gift, Miso.”

Miso exclaimed while bowing, “Really? Thank you so much!”

However, Lee Ji-Yeon looked slightly dissatisfied.

At that moment, Kim Soll-Ip standing behind her giggled and said, “Ms. Lee is pouting because Miso didn’t give her a hug~.”

Lee Ji-Yeon snapped, “No, I’m not!”

At that moment, Miso took off her shoes and hugged Lee Ji-Yeon tightly around the waist.

“Ms. Lee, you’re the best!”

Lee Ji-Yeon also smiled warmly and hugged Miso back. “Really? You’re the best to me as well, Miso!”

Kim Soll-Ip shook her head with a smile.

At that moment, Kim Soo-Hee shouted from the living room, “Everyone, why are you still standing at the door? Come in quickly.”

We quickly took off our shoes and headed to the living room. While waiting for the crab to be delivered, we gathered on the sofa and started discussing the drama.

I didn’t join the conversation because I was checking articles on my phone. The entertainment news was still filled with articles capturing short videos of So Yi-Yung in a bikini.

On the other hand, there were no traces of articles about our drama and our two lead actors.

“Team Lead Jung, what are you looking at so intently like that?” Lee Ji-Yeon asked.

Her voice brought me back to reality.

“Oh, I was just a bit worried because the number of articles about So Yi-Yung’s revealing scene is increasing.”

“Don’t worry. Do you think viewership ratings will go up just because she shows a bit of skin?” Lee Ji-Yeon said bluntly.

Kim Soll-Ip quickly chimed in, “You have no idea, Ms. Lee. It’s creating a huge buzz right now.”

Then, Kim Soll-Ip turned to me and asked, “Mr. Jung, knowing your personality, I don’t think you’ll just sit back and watch. Do you have a plan?”

“Yes, I do.”

I informed everyone that Yoo-Jin had turned down being a Channy model and had become the advertising model for LM Clothing’s new luxury brand launch.

“First, let’s observe the social media reactions for now. If this continues and our drama doesn’t get mentioned, we’ll advertise on Monday when the third episode of In the Name of God airs. The headline will be something like, ‘Jung Yoo-Jin rejected Channy’s offer! L.M.L Clothing to be featured in In the Name of God.'”

Kim Soll-Ip nodded. “See? I knew you’d have a plan.”

Lee Ji-Yeon chuckled. “Yoon-Ho, you’re working hard doing things that should be handled by the broadcasting station and the production company.”

“Not at all. It’s not the time to differentiate between my job and others, right?” I replied.

“That’s easier said than done. I haven’t seen any talent agent go to such lengths except you, Yoon-Ho.”

I scratched my head at Lee Ji-Yeon’s compliment.

Kim Soll-Ip also praised me, saying there was no one like me.

Lee Ji-Yeon suddenly asked bluntly, “But Soll-Ip, why are you here uninvited? Aren’t you supposed to be writing right now?”

I thought Kim Soll-Ip had been invited since she had been here from the beginning. However, Lee Ji-Yeon said she had only invited Yoo-Jin, Miso, Kim Soo-Hee, and me.

Kim Soll-Ip shamelessly replied, “Why do you think? I came to get a free meal. You always treat yourself to the most expensive meal when your drama launches saying it’s a gift for yourself!~”

Lee Ji-Yeon looked at Kim Soll-Ip in disbelief. “Yes, Soll-Ip. It’s a gift for me, not for you. You should buy your own food. You didn’t even bring anything decent.”

“Oh, come on. I brought the strawberries you like,” Kim Soll-Ip rebutted.

“Just 1kg though…”

Kim Soll-Ip grinned. “Okay, fine. Next time I’ll bring 2kg. And don’t scold me, I’m finally home for the first time in so long!”

Lee Ji-Yeon raised both her hands in defeat.

At that moment, the doorbell rang with a ding-dong.

“Is the crab here?” Miso asked while blinking her eyes.

Kim Soll-Ip quickly got up. “Hold on, Miso. I’ll go check.”

“Okay~!”

Kim Soll-Ip checked the intercom screen and said in a disappointed voice, “Oh, it’s not the crab. It’s Mr. Kim Sung-Woon and Mr. Choi Tae-Hyun from MBS.”

Kim Sung-Woon, who was in charge of In the Name of God, had come with Choi Tae-Hyun, the headquarters chief of MBS.

At forty-five years old, Choi Tae-Hyun was on the verge of being promoted to a director’s position. He had initially been a producer of a drama department with no particularly successful dramas, but he had managed to climb the ranks by playing office politics. He considered the broadcasting station more powerful than actors or writers.

“Ms. Lee, what should we do?” Kim Soll-Ip asked.

“What do you mean what should we do? Open the door unless you’re planning to kick them out,” Lee Ji-Yeon replied.

When Kim Soll-Ip opened the door, the two men appeared carrying gifts in both hands. They had brought a fancy cake and expensive wine that Lee Ji-Yeon liked.

Despite that, Lee Ji-Yeon was not pleased with the uninvited guests and spoke bluntly. “Why did you bring these? We’re supposed to have dinner soon…”

“Hahaha. Come on, Ms. Lee. You can have it as dessert after dinner,” Choi Tae-Hyeon said.

“I’m on a diet, you know. But come on in since you’re here anyway.”

After that, Choi Tae-Hyun greeted us as well. Then he praised Lee Ji-Yeon’s drama that was currently airing and said he had high expectations for it.

“Enough with the flattery. So? Why are you here today?” Lee Ji-Yeon questioned.

Choi Tae-Hyun replied solemnly, “As you know, SBC’s Festival of Money is coming on strong.”

“And?”

“We can’t just let the momentum shift to them, can we? Once the momentum shifts, it’s easy for the viewership ratings to reverse.”

At that moment, Lee Ji-Yeon stared at Choi Tae-Hyun coldly. “What, are you saying I’ll lose to Hong Jang-Mi?”

Choi Tae-Hyun waved his hands and continued explaining again. “No, I didn’t mean that. I’m just saying it could happen… you know?”

“Stop beating around the bush and just get to the point! How do you want me to help?”

“Hahaha. Well, you know…”

Lee Ji-Yeon frowned. “This is why I hate meeting you, Chief Choi. You never get to the point!”

Choi Tae-Hyun kept beating around the bush while looking at us.

At that moment, I realized his intention.

‘Is this guy crazy?‘ I wondered.

It was clear why he was looking at me. He wanted us to counter with the same strategy. In other words, he wanted Yoo-Jin to act in a revealing scene too.

At that moment, Lee Ji-Yeon also realized the purpose of Choi Tae-Hyun’s visit and said to us, “Everyone except Team Lead Jung, go hang out in the script room for a while.”

Kim Soll-Ip tilted her head in confusion. “Are you sure? But you’ve never let anyone into the script room before.”

Lee Ji-Yeon’s house had a script room on the second floor where she kept her drafts and early works. Yet, she was now opening it to Yoo-Jin and Miso, though no one besides Kim Soll-Ip had been allowed in before.

“Hurry up and go,” Lee Ji-Yeon urged them.

“Yes, I got it.”

Kim Soll-Ip led everyone away except for me.

Then, Lee Ji-Yeon let out a short sigh and quickly changed her expression. She looked as cold and haughty as the day we first met after I traveled back in time.

“So, Chief Choi. What you’re saying is that you want our actors to undress on screen too, huh? Is that it?”

“Well, not exactly… It’s more like we should also take a strong approach since they’re coming on so strongly…”

Lee Ji-Yeon made a dumbfounded expression. “Why do we need to resort to such an extreme measure? Do you have a rival for your promotion or something?”

Choi Tae-Hyun scratched his head and answered, “Yes. Director Jang of the entertainment department has been performing well, so I’m a bit anxious.”

“So, what do you want me to do?”

“Please help me just this once. If I get promoted to director, I will never forget this favor.”

“Are you still anxious even with our high viewership ratings?”

“Yes. Director Jang’s entertainment programs have been doing quite well. The higher-ups seem to have plans to promote him to director immediately which would reduce support for our drama department. Please help me, Ms. Lee!”

When Choi Tae-Hyun brought up internal politics, Lee Ji-Yeon’s expression turned icy, and she spoke in clipped tones.

“So. Who do you want me to undress?”

“I think Miss Yoo-Jin would be the best candidate since she is very popular these days…”

If he were to become the station’s director, he wouldn’t care about someone like me. Even though my name had become known recently, I was just a team lead at a mid-sized entertainment company to the broadcasting people. Regardless, it was still outrageously rude to say such bullshit in front of me, Yoo-Jin’s talent agent.

Kim Sung-Woon made apologetic gestures, indicating that Choi Tae-Hyun’s remarks were his own.

Nevertheless, I had no intention of staying silent.

I was seething with anger. ‘How dare he suggest that to Yoo-Jin…‘

However, before I could even react, Lee Ji-Yeon exploded with anger.

“What?! You want an actress to undress for your own career? Are you fucking out of your mind???”

Lee Ji-Yeon’s sharp voice echoed through the living room.

1. Crab has the same pronunciation as dog in Korean ☜

Ristretto’s Thoughts

Wow, he’s awfully pathetic. He’s 45 and he wants to take advantage of an actress 20 years younger than him because he can’t manage to get a promotion himself??? Gross.