Top Star by Luck

Chapter 76

CEO Goo In Mo growled.

“I’m the type to avoid a dog covered in filth, but if that dog goes crazy and tries to bite people, there’s no choice but to swing a stick.”

His voice was filled with determination and hostility.

If anyone heard him, they would be alarmed enough to think it should be reported to the police immediately.

They said he had a rough start when he first entered the industry, and it seemed to be true.

Even Lee Min Ki himself flinched, but CEO Goo In Mo continued speaking.

“I didn’t want to get involved, but this time, we need to establish some discipline.”

Hearing this, Director Seo Jung Woo spoke as if he’d been expecting it.

“CEO, under no circumstances should violence be used.”

“I know. Do I look like a gangster? Do I seem like someone who would throw punches?”

Honestly, he did.

However, since he was the company’s CEO, it wasn’t something Lee Min Ki could say directly. So, he tried to answer tactfully.

“That’s the part that seems gangster-like.”

Director Seo Jung Woo went ahead and said it.

“Hey, Jung Woo, you.”

“Don’t trouble the actor needlessly.”

“When did I trouble him?”

“Right now. How can an actor be honest with his own agency’s CEO? If you only hear what you want to hear, how are you any different from Dong Zhuo sitting in his palace?”

Powerful.

Seo Jung Woo, known for his gentle demeanor among the employees, was now standing up to CEO Goo In Mo in a firm manner.

It was reminiscent of Manager Park Han Mo’s assertiveness.

“…Is that so?”

Surprisingly, CEO Goo In Mo seemed to yield.

“Yes, from your clothes to your behavior, you’re far from inspiring trust.”

“Ugh.”

With a groan, CEO Goo In Mo scratched his head, clearly irritated by the barrage of criticism.

After a brief moment of silence, as if he had nothing more to say, he got up and spoke.

“Alright, enough. Since the topic came up, I’ll go settle things with the person in question. Actor, just focus on acting well. Jung Woo, you take good care of the actor.”

“You can leave that to me.”

Just when it seemed like the conversation was wrapping up, a curious thought crossed Lee Min Ki’s mind, and he raised his hand slightly.

“Excuse me, may I ask one thing?”

“Hm?”

“How exactly are you planning to handle things with Daon?”

While it wouldn’t matter if things ended here since the CEO said he’d take care of it, Lee Min Ki was still curious about the method.

After all, there wasn’t any clear evidence that what happened to him was Daon’s doing.

Even if there were to be an argument, he wanted to know how it would be handled.

‘So that I have something to say if I run into Daon’s actors.’

As that thought crossed his mind, CEO Goo In Mo smirked and replied.

“An eye for an eye, a fist for a fist.”

Startled, Lee Min Ki responded.

“…A contract killing?”

“What?”

“You said ‘a fist for a fist.'”

“Actor, seriously, what do you take me for? That’s a bit much.”

CEO Goo In Mo frowned deeply and said.

“It’s not something I can go into detail about with the actor, but both Daon and our side have plenty of mutually assured destruction weapons that would cause a lot of bloodshed if revealed. I’ll just give them a little sniff of it.”

Mutually assured destruction?

Was it some scandal that both sides kept hidden from the public?

Or maybe business corruption.

Something they both knew about but kept quiet as a professional courtesy within the industry.

“That kind of thing.”

CEO Goo In Mo stood up completely as he spoke.

“CEO Hwang In Goo and I go way back, to when we were nobodies scrounging for scraps, not even close to where we are now. If we start a mudslinging contest, we could take each other down to the very bottom.”

“For example?”

“Actor, you’re really persistent.”

“Oh.”

Lee Min Ki realized he had gone too far for a moment.

But CEO Goo In Mo just chuckled lightly and continued.

“Actor, from this point, it’s top-secret, so just know that such things exist.”

“…”

“I’ll handle it like a gentleman. A real gentleman.”

It seemed he wasn’t going to reveal any more details.

However, the confidence in CEO Goo In Mo’s words made him seem completely trustworthy.

Mutually assured destruction wasn’t called that for nothing.

Threatening others also meant being willing to accept the same threat to oneself.

CEO Goo In Mo’s words were a promise to risk the life of his company and see it through to the bitter end.

“For now, nothing will happen, so don’t worry about it. If you stress out and damage your skin, it’ll be a loss for everyone. Jung Woo, I’m leaving now.”

“Please contact me when you’re done.”

“Right. By the way, Jung Woo, where’s that baseball bat signed by Yoo Jae Bin from the Yotuns?”

“It’s by your desk, CEO.”

“Good.”

And just like that, CEO Goo In Mo left as suddenly as he had arrived, like a storm.

The meeting room fell silent.

“Shall we head back too?”

“Ah, yes.”

As Lee Min Ki got up with Director Seo Jung Woo, a thought popped into his head.

‘A weak spot, huh.’

Every company had a weak spot.

‘No, they absolutely have one.’

In fact, Lee Min Ki knew quite a bit.

He could easily count a few ways to tighten a leash.

He didn’t even have to look far—there were several things he could think of right now.

‘At this point, there’s that stock fraudster. And the real estate speculation scandal should still be ongoing. There’s also the case where celebrity C stole a restaurant name.’

After all, even though Lee Min Ki was a failed industry professional, he was still part of the industry.

And when it came to information, he knew just as much as others.

However, he had kept his mouth shut, not because he wasn’t someone to nitpick at others’ faults, but because he suspected there might be victims like Joo Ha Na.

Rumors tend to be exaggerated.

For example, wasn’t the restaurant theft case actually a situation where the celebrity was the victim?

‘The initial accusations of abuse were actually part of the store owner’s media play, taking advantage of the celebrity’s image sensitivity.’

Still.

If there was even a chance that a genuine offender existed…

As his thoughts reached that point, he wondered.

Could it be that Daon had no weak points?

What if Daon was connected to the entertainment scandal that had rocked the industry?

If that were the case.

“….”

Perhaps the one holding the knife’s handle wasn’t Daon, but this side.

With that thought lingering, Lee Min Ki followed Director Seo Jung Woo out.

Gradually realizing that time was on his side.

At the same time, he decided to wait and see, now that the CEO had made the first move.

However.

At this point, Lee Min Ki still didn’t know.

That events were unfolding in a completely different direction than what he imagined.

* * *

A month passed after the incident.

There was nothing special to report, and time flowed peacefully day by day.

It was hard to believe that there had been such a major incident not long ago.

‘The CEO must have really done something.’

Maybe because he had made such a bold declaration.

Word had it that he stormed into the other company and caused chaos, under the guise of negotiating.

[From what I heard, he went to the empty CEO’s office and smashed Hwang In Goo’s desk.]

It seemed a bit excessive.

[Excuse me?]

So that’s why he was looking for a baseball bat out of the blue.

Who would’ve thought he took it to smash someone’s desk.

Feeling a bit dizzy, Director Seo Jung Woo put a finger to his lips and spoke.

[Someone at Daon told me. Please keep it confidential.]

He said he wouldn’t use violence.

He said no violence, but did that just mean no violence against people?

Was breaking furniture okay?

[Daon just let that go?]

[CEO Hwang In Goo and CEO Goo In Mo have a complicated relationship. When our CEO goes to say something, how can anyone stop him?]

That wasn’t all.

Apparently, the CEO had also said that if even one more incident occurred on their end, he would put a huge stain on Daon as a company.

No one knew exactly what that stain would be.

But it was clear that whatever it was, it would be “real.”

[Once the CEO declares he’s going to do something, he does it. He’s that kind of person. Even if it means ruining the company or going to jail, he follows through.]

Director Seo Jung Woo had absolute faith in CEO Goo In Mo.

As a CEO, he seemed utterly untrustworthy.

But as a person, Seo Jung Woo trusted him infinitely.

‘He’s like a captain of action. A captain of action.’

It was truly something to behold that such a person was the head of a large group like JC.

Was this industry really okay with that?

It was doubtful.

He said he’d settle things gently.

But instead of sophisticated CEOs toasting over drinks, it was just blunt force.

However, having such a wild card on their side was reassuring in its own way.

Because, after all, even if he was a rare madman, he was their madman.

At any rate.

Considering the current circumstances, it seemed right that the immediate danger had passed.

Over the past month, Lee Min Ki had been thoroughly enjoying the surge in popularity from his work in *Café del Dia* and a

coffee advertisement.

[Lee Min Ki’s Coffee]

[Actor Lee Min Ki’s recommended coffee recipe for today]

[If the coffee tastes off, try adding a pinch of salt.]

The advertisement was a huge hit.

A literal smash.

The character he played, *Sung Jin Woo* from *Café del Dia*, had perfect chemistry with the coffee ad.

Even now, it could be heard on the TV in the living room.

[Just like all wines aren’t the same, not all coffees are the same.]

[It’s different. *Beomcheon*.]

It wasn’t just the TV ad.

[Lee Min Ki Blending]

Even *Beomcheon*, which owned a coffee franchise, had launched a new blend under his name.

Recently, he was basically being treated as an exclusive model for *Beomcheon*, his face plastered wherever they could.

‘At this rate, it’d be better to sign me as an exclusive model. Not that I mind since it’s fattening up my bank account.’

Barista Kim Hee Kyung was also fully booked with private classes, and she’d even been invited on media as a coffee expert, saying she was so busy she barely had time to breathe.

Demand for premium coffee had skyrocketed.

[The beans that appeared in *Café del Dia*!]

This was the phrase most frequently attached to catalogues at shopping malls these days.

Lee Min Ki felt it.

He felt that he and society were interconnected.

‘My actions have impacted society.’

Just like a butterfly flapping its wings on one side of the globe could stir a storm in Texas, the flapping of his wings had brought a breeze of change to the world.

How many people, he wondered, ever got to feel this?

‘Almost no one.’

Perhaps only revolutionaries might experience something like this.

The emotion he was feeling was unmistakably that.

‘It’s rewarding.’

Rewarding.

It filled his chest so fully that even a light prick would make it burst.

He felt a solid sense of fulfillment.

It was so overwhelming that even just sitting still made him grin uncontrollably.

Things were going well.

Could anything be better?

“Min Ki.”

As he smiled, Kim Tae Yang approached, carrying a basket full of laundry.

“Something good happen?”

“Hmm.”

Lee Min Ki thought for a moment about how to answer in a way that would sound plausible and finally responded in his most serious tone.

“Same as always.”

“I see. Then could you help with the laundry?”

Ah.

That was a hint.

“Ahem.”

Lee Min Ki quickly got up to help with the laundry.

No, to be exact, he was just about to start helping.

*Bzzzzt.*

His phone suddenly vibrated violently.

“Just a moment.”

With the laundry basket still in his arms, Lee Min Ki answered the call.

The screen showed it was Director Seo Jung Woo.

Since the director rarely contacted him outside of work, Lee Min Ki wondered what this could be about as he answered.

“Yes, Director, what’s going on?”

And after just a few seconds of conversation.

Lee Min Ki’s eyes widened.

“…Understood. I’ll get back to you soon.”

So, it turns out.

The world is interconnected in such a way that things often stray far from what one expects.

And this time was no different.

‘A double interview.’

The reason Director Seo Jung Woo had contacted him was for an interview.

A recent request from a media outlet eager to interview the hot rookie actor.

An interview in itself wasn’t strange.

But the problem lay elsewhere.

This wasn’t just any interview.

It was a double interview.

The request was to interview Lee Min Ki alongside another rising mid-tier actor who had been gaining popularity recently.

The concept was to interview two of the industry’s next big stars.

But the issue was with the actor who was to be interviewed alongside him.

‘Kim Do Ha… so we’re connected like this.’

Kim Do Ha.

He was at the center of the celebrity scandal involving entertainment and nightlife.

In other words.

He was the person at the heart of the explosive scandal from his previous life that Daon had managed to slip out of.

And now, he was suddenly barging into Lee Min Ki’s peaceful life.