The Third-Gen Chaebol Becomes a Genius Actor - Chapter 131: Do you know why you got so much hate?

Chapter 131 <Do you know why you got so much hate?>

(Do you know why Yoo Yeon Seo got so much hate?)

“Because he’s rude? Because he has no talent?”

Sodong-hyun didn’t know why he suddenly asked that question, but his mouth opened involuntarily.

(He had a lot of people who didn’t like him. He acted like he was above everyone else, relying on his family’s influence, right after he debuted.)

Yoo Yeon Seo went to AST Entertainment when he was 18 and said he wanted to debut as an idol. He signed a contract on the spot.

He lived with the other members for six months of short training and debuted on February 14, 2011. AST Enter was a small agency that had never produced an idol before, but OneSeven received attention from the start. All because of Yoo Yeon Seo.

He attracted more interest than other idol groups that debuted around the same time, but he also became the number one target of gossip in the industry because of his dirty personality.

(But the rumors were exaggerated. He wasn’t that abusive.)

“Really?”

After witnessing his mother’s mutilation, Yoo Yeon Seo suffered from an unknown personality disorder. He had been struggling with mental problems since he was young, and he had no one to confide in. He isolated himself and his emotions gradually eroded.

What increased along with that was his dissatisfaction and irritation with the world. He felt angry for no reason, and he spat out harsh words even though he knew it was wrong. He blamed himself at first and tried to change, but it didn’t work.

(There are plenty of people with bad personalities in this business. Just look at what happened to SevenVisual’s Yoon Bo-ra. It was outrageous.)

He was rude, but he barely stayed within the line. And whenever he made a mistake, someone from Juseong would cover it up for him.

“What about the director who got assaulted?”

(That was impossible to shield.)

Sodong-hyun frowned.

“So, what are you trying to say?”

(Anyway, there’s a rumor that some force was behind the rumors and the image that Yoo Yeon Seo deserved to be hated.)

He was always a tempting prey. The third generation of Juseong, the son of Lee Hee-seo, who was still considered the top star. If they could get a scoop on him, it would be a jackpot.

“Hey, isn’t that just to counter JSENM?”

(That’s the business side of things. I’m talking about another force.)

“Some unknown force deliberately spread weird rumors?”

Choi Yoo-jin aggressively entered the entertainment business. He also entered the alley market of the conglomerates, which caused backlash from the existing industry people. So they tried to stop him. The media poured out negative articles, saying that the business would fail if the conglomerate touched it.

But Choi Yoo-jin made a hit out of every business he touched and invested capital generously, earning the recognition of the industry. The people who were unhappy with him targeted someone close to him instead of trying to shake him up. Someone who was a celebrity, whose name was known, and who had a bad reputation. His second son.

He thought it would be like pouring oil on the fire if he intervened then. Choi Yoo-jin’s excessive affection for Yoo Yeon Seo was also because he couldn’t protect him properly then.

“So what’s that famous incident? Is it related to that force?”

(It seems like it. Anyway, a while ago, someone I knew from a distance said he got hold of Yoo Yeon Seo’s psychiatric records from when he was young.)

“When, when OneSeven was a rookie? How?”

(I don’t know. But that person couldn’t have gotten those records by himself. No matter how much he was the grandson who came out then, medical records? And psychiatric records? I asked him where he got them. He said someone just gave them to him. A stranger.)

Could those records be true? Sodong-hyun went out of the office and took a seat on the emergency exit stairs.

“Does that make sense?”

(You think so too, right? But the interesting thing is, the person who gave him the data said this. ‘Go ahead and exaggerate. Make him suffer as much as possible and make him give up on the entertainment industry.’ After that, the rumors got worse.)

“That’s the force? Who is it? A grudge?”

(It could be. Anyway, the person who got the scoop wrote an article, of course.)

“But why do I feel like I’ve never seen it?”

(You wouldn’t have. It disappeared without a trace as soon as it was posted.)

The article was gone in less than a minute after it was uploaded. That meant the hospital records were true.

(After that, he never saw that person again. He disappeared from this industry.)

“······Isn’t that like an urban legend?”

(No. It’s a story that everyone who knows knows.)

Sodong-hyun felt a chill run through his body at the reporter’s words. But he pretended to be fine and rubbed his arm.

(After that, Yoo Yeon Seo suddenly left OneSeven.)

When Chairman Yoo found out about it, he called his grandson and pressured him to quit ‘that nonsense’.

“Did they touch the records… Did Juseong do it? To make him give up?”

(No way. It’s medical records. The records of his grandson who was hurt because of that incident. How could they? I think it has something to do with the succession fight there.)

“Hey, no. If that was the case, they should have made him stay in the entertainment industry. And the second generation succession is still not done.”

(Is that so?)

Besides, since then, the succession structure had already been fixed on Yoo Geon-min. It was because a huge group like Joo Sung would suffer more if it was torn apart by a succession fight.

“By the way, Han, you really did a lot of research, didn’t you?”

(I told you. I want to do one big story too. I’m itching for it. So don’t go there. I’ll die.)

“Hmm… Do you know the contact of the person who knows him indirectly?”

(Hey.)

“No, I’m curious. What was written that made the article come down right away?”

At that, the cold Han reporter didn’t stop So Dong-hyun.

***

Baek Seo-joon and Im Seung-hyun found the funeral hall of the super owner who was said to be dead. Baek Seo-joon preferred black clothes, and Im Seung-hyun always wore a suit, so they didn’t feel out of place.

“There are no visitors.”

“Yeah.”

The funeral hall was quiet, as if everyone who had to come had already left.

“Is that her?”

They cautiously approached a woman who was sitting in a corner wearing a mourning dress.

“Choi Mi-ri?”

The woman who was staring blankly at her father’s portrait raised her head.

“Who are you?”

“We’re the police. First of all, we pray for the soul of the deceased.”

At that, Baek Seo-joon and Im Seung-hyun bowed their heads politely. According to the records, the only family she had was her father. It was easy to hurt her if they touched her carelessly.

Choi Mi-ri frowned strangely as she looked at the police badge that Baek Seo-joon handed her.

“Why are you here?”

“We’re investigating the accident of Choi Nam-yoon.”

“I’ve already heard from the police… Did you catch the culprit?”

The accident was a hit-and-run, and the culprit was still at large. Was it really a simple hit-and-run? Baek Seo-joon was doubtful.

“We’re trying. But we’re looking at other possibilities.”

“Like what?”

“Do you think the deceased had a grudge against someone?”

“You mean…”

“We’re looking at it as a planned murder, not an accident.”

She thought it was a simple accident, but a planned murder? Who would kill her father… Choi Mi-ri rolled her eyes nervously.

“Uh… No, the father I know wasn’t that kind of person.”

“We’re just trying to find the culprit, so you don’t have to be so defensive. We don’t think the deceased did anything wrong.”

Not yet, anyway. As Baek Seo-joon smiled softly and talked to Choi Mi-ri, Im Seung-hyun looked around.

“Do you have a chronic illness? You look pale.”

“Yes…”

“Are you cured now?”

“I’m getting outpatient treatment sometimes, but yes.”

“You must have spent a lot of money on medical bills.”

At that subtle nuance, Choi Mi-ri glared at him suspiciously.

“What are you trying to say?”

“Mi-ri, you have to cooperate with us so we can catch the culprit.”

Baek Seo-joon’s lips, which had been drawing a line, became straight. Choi Mi-ri swallowed her saliva at the changed atmosphere.

“I’ve been sick since I was born, and I was in an incubator. I went to school by taking the GED… That’s why there’s no one to visit me.”

“You must have had a hard time.”

“My father suffered. He worked hard to pay for my medical bills…”

“Did you have any financial difficulties?”

Choi Mi-ri sighed. She felt guilty for making her father work harder because of her illness.

“When I was young, I had a serious illness. I needed surgery, but he seemed to have a hard time then.”

“Choi Nam-yoon?”

“Yes. But one day, he hugged me and said I could have surgery. I was curious where the money came from, but he just said he had a good sponsor…”

Choi Mi-ri, who had grown up in the hospital and matured early, said she was curious about the source of the money at that time. But she kept her mouth shut because her father was happy.

“A sponsor…”

Bak Seo-jun touched his chin and fell into deep thought. The letter sent by the prime suspect at the time, and the sudden death of Choi Nam-yoon. The timing was too perfect.

Im Seung-hyun narrowed his eyes as he saw a man briefly appear at the entrance of the funeral hall.

“Detective.”

“What is it?”

The man seemed to hide behind a wall as if he was running away from them. Im Seung-hyun jumped up at his suspicious movement.

“No, it’s nothing.”

He headed towards the entrance and looked around. The man was nowhere to be seen. Was it just a false alarm? Im Seung-hyun answered the phone call from Yoo Yeon Seo that was ringing at that moment.

“Yes, sir.”

(Check out Choi Nam-yoon first.)

Yoo Yeon Seo, who had been reviewing the memory he had synchronized until he recognized the person, finally remembered his name. Im Seung-hyun was shocked and widened his eyes as he heard the name.

“······We’re at his funeral right now.”

(What did you say?)

“He passed away the day before yesterday. In a hit-and-run.”

(Sigh······.)

Yoo Yeon Seo sighed as he heard that. Could it be related to that case? But the most important witness was already dead?

“What is it?”

Yoo Yeon Seo told him about the incident he had seen in his memory. Choi Nam-yoon, who had begged his colleague for money in a humiliating way because of his daughter’s hospital bills, and the nervous counterpart.

“Huh······ really?”

Where did that money come from? And who was the sponsor?

“It’s suspicious······.”

(What are you going to do?)

“······We have to find out more.”

(Wait······.)

Yoo Yeon Seo tried to say something, but Bak Seo-jun hung up the phone sharply and approached Choi Mi-ri again.

“Do you remember when that was?”

“Um······ I was about ten years old.”

“Ten years old, then, 1999?”

“Yes, around then.”

Bak Seo-jun and Im Seung-hyun glanced at each other.

“Do you remember which hospital you were admitted to?”

***

“Ah, really······.”

Yoo Yeon Seo frowned at the disconnected phone. Shin Ye-won, who had gotten out of the car behind him, came up to him. The dazzling light irritated his eyes.

“Was it an important call?”

“No. It wasn’t that.”

The actors of ‘National Bird’ lined up and waved their hands and smiled at the reporters. The ones who got the most attention were the lead actors, Shin Ye-won and Yoo Yeon Seo.

“Look over here!”

“Yoo Yeon Seo!”

A reward vacation in this situation. Yoo Yeon Seo blinked his eyes and tried to endure the flash baptism.