Rookie Talent Agent Knows It All-Chapter 497: Insider and the Outsider (3)

The meeting of team leads began with introductions of the newly appointed ones.

Kang Gam-Chan pointed at the team leads lined up in a row. "Baek Sae-Gi, Nam Pan-Gyu, Yeon So-Hee, Baek Hee-Yung, Ahn Yoo-Seon—these five have been recruited at the team lead level. Let's all give them a warm round of applause."

"Nice to meet you."

"Wow, Team Lead Baek. You're here too?"

"Haha, well now. Weren't you at the chief level? Did you apply for a team lead position?"

As expected, out of the five team leads, everyone's eyes were on Baek Sae-Gi since they were well aware of his exceptional abilities.

Anyway, the team leads recruited before the merger with Gwanwoo Entertainment were all non-Suhyaejong graduates. Perhaps because of that, the team leads from Suhyaejong didn't look too pleased.

Of course, Kang Gam-Chan didn't care. "I've assigned the team leads at my discretion. And since Team Jung will soon be upgraded to a division, we'll call it 'Division Jung' for now."

Although it wasn't an official division yet, Kang Gam-Chan began referring to it as 'Division Jung.'

"Nam Pan-Gyu, Yeon So-Hee, and Baek Hee-Yung will be part of Division Jung."

The three newly recruited team leads bowed their heads toward me.

Kang Gam-Chan continued, "Next, Ahn Yoo-Seon will be assigned to Actor Division 1, and Baek Sae-Gi will be assigned to Actor Division 3…"

At that moment, the flustered looking Baek Sae-Gi spoke up. "Mr. Kang, this isn't what we agreed on. You clearly said I'd be assigned under Team Lead Jung, didn't you?"

Kang Gam-Chan cut him off firmly. "I know. But right now, Actor Division 3 is in a more urgent situation. I'm well aware of your skills, so I need you to help stabilize the priority first."

Baek Sae-Gi quickly looked at me. I simply feigned ignorance, acting as if I had no idea what was happening.

Realizing his plans had gone awry, Baek Sae-Gi furrowed his brows and protested again. "Please reconsider, Mr. Kang. To be honest, I joined Hoop Entertainment because I wanted to work with Yoon-Ho. If not for that, I wouldn't have come here."

Kang Gam-Chan raised his voice slightly. "Team Lead Baek. I'm sorry, but circumstances have changed. For now, show what you can do in Actor Division 3. Once Chief Kim Dong-Soo returns, I'll transfer you in the next personnel adjustment."

Kang Gam-Chan was buying time for me to deal with Baek Sae-Gi.

However, Baek Sae-Gi was adamant. "I specifically said I wanted to work with Yoon-Ho and you agreed. This is a breach of contract!"

Kang Gam-Chan glared at Baek Sae-Gi. "Are you saying my decision is unfair?"

"Yes."

At that moment, Kang Gam-Chan responded as if he had been waiting for this. "Fine. If you really can't accept it, let's terminate the contract by mutual agreement. You won't have to pay a penalty."

"Pardon me?"

"I understand your position, but the company doesn't always run the way we want. Besides, this doesn't even count as a breach of contract."

Kwak Moo-Hyuk nodded. "That's right. Mr. Kang only stated his intention, not a binding promise. If that was critical to you, you should have requested written confirmation. That would have prevented any misunderstandings."

That's when Ju Ho-Sung, who had been watching, also interjected. "Mr. Kang. Once Mr. Kim Dong-Soo returns from suspension, Actor Division 3 will stabilize. Why do you say we're struggling? We're capable of managing just fine without Team Lead Baek."

Things were unfolding just as I had anticipated. One of the reasons I pushed Baek Sae-Gi into Actor Division 3 was precisely this—Baek Sae-Gi and Ju Ho-Sung had never gotten along at Ace Entertainment.

If Baek Sae-Gi was placed in Actor Division 3, he would be constantly obstructed by Ju Ho-Sung, leaving him no room to operate properly. Every move Baek Sae-Gi made would be met with interference, giving him no time to focus.

Just like the plan, the tension between the two flared up from the start.

Kang Gam-Chan waved his hand dismissively. "Team Lead Ju. Actor Division 3 is in the worst shape performance-wise, yet you say you're doing well? That's quite surprising. Aren't you ashamed?"

As Kang Gam-Chan raised his voice, Ju Ho-Sung started stammering. "Uh, well, that's..."

"Then how about you just close your mouth for now?"

Since Kang Gam-Chan's directive wasn't unreasonable, there was no room for argument. Baek Sae-Gi and Ju Ho-Sung gritted their teeth and bowed their heads.

It was the moment Baek Sae-Gi's plan fell apart.

***

After the meeting ended, Kang Gam-Chan rose from his seat. "December is going to be several times busier than usual, so stay sharp. Actor Division 3: For now, Team Lead Baek and Team Lead Ju should coordinate roles among yourselves. If any issues arise, report them to Director Kang Ji-Yung."

With that, Kang Gam-Chan signaled the end of the meeting and left the meeting room.

Creak.

Once he was gone, the newly appointed team leads greeted each other and headed off to their respective divisions. The team leads assigned to me—Nam Pan-Gyu, Yeon So-Hee, and Baek Hee-Yung—walked toward me.

Oddly enough, Baek Sae-Gi, who was supposed to go to Actor Division 3, was also approaching me. "Yoon-Ho, can we talk for a moment?"

"Alright."

I told Nam Pan-Gyu, Yeon So-Hee, and Baek Hee-Yung to meet me in our floor's meeting room later, then followed Baek Sae-Gi into the hallway.

***

At the end of the empty hallway, Baek Sae-Gi spoke to me in a pleading tone. "Yoon-Ho, I heard you're close with President Kang. Can't you step in and ask him to change it? Wouldn't it be better for everyone if I joined your division? Don't you agree?"

He wanted me to go to the company president on the very same day and overturn his decision, which was made in front of all the team leads. I almost burst out laughing at the sheer absurdity of it.

Barely holding back my laughter, I responded, "Hyung. For now, just follow the order. I'll look for an opportunity and try talking to him later."

Suddenly, Baek Sae-Gi's expression hardened and he pressed me aggressively like a multi-level marketer badgering a childhood friend. "Hey, Jung Yoon-Ho. I switched jobs to Hoop Entertainment because of you and you can't even do this for me? If you're going to act like this, I'm seriously disappointed."

It became clear how well Baek Sae-Gi had been acting in front of me all this time. At the same time, I felt whatever lingering attachment I had toward him completely vanished.

"Hyung, if you really want to help me, go to Division 3. That division is filled with Suhyaejong alumni and they're pretty hostile toward me. You supporting me from there would actually be the biggest help."

Baek Sae-Gi glared at me menacingly. "You've changed a lot, haven't you? Have you already forgotten that I helped you out more than your own company's team leads did?"

Of course, I had changed. I had literally turned my life around after regressing. There was no way I hadn't changed.

However, so had Baek Sae-Gi.

I said, "You've changed too."

"What did you say?"

"If you really planned on joining my division, you should've called me first. That way, I could've negotiated with the president or done something about it!"

When I raised my voice, Baek Sae-Gi's eyes widened in surprise. I had never spoken harshly to him before, likely because of our seven-year age gap.

Baek Sae-Gi trembled with anger as he glared at me. "If you keep acting like this… I won't think of you as my little brother anymore."

Now that he wasn't getting his way, he resorted to threats.

Nevertheless, I nodded without the slightest hesitation. "Then I guess I'll just have to consider myself down one hyung from today."

Maybe because my response was too quick, Baek Sae-Gi looked genuinely taken aback. "W-What?"

Nonetheless, I didn't call him "hyung" again. "If you have nothing else to say, I'll be going now, Mr. Baek."

My heart ached. As much as I had once liked Baek Sae-Gi, I erased all the emotions I had left for him, turned around, and walked toward the elevator.

Ding.

The elevator doors opened.

As I stepped inside, I made up my mind. No matter who was backing Baek Sae-Gi, I would make sure they fell just like him.

And from this day on, Baek Sae-Gi, my older brother, no longer existed in my life.

***

As Jung Yoon-Ho took the elevator down, Baek Sae-Gi was left standing alone in the hallway near the meeting room.

"That bastard was never the type to cut ties so easily… Shit. What do I do now?"

Jung Yoon-Ho who once followed him like a real family had suddenly changed too much. Because of that, all the carefully laid plans had crumbled. The original plan was to join the newly established Division Jung and gradually siphon off its actors one by one. Since getting into Division Jung had failed, he had no choice but to activate Plan B.

Baek Sae-Gi let out a short sigh and called his backer.

"Mr. Choi Man-Sik, I failed to get into Actor Division 2."

Just as expected, a harsh voice came through the receiver.

-Hey, Baek Sae-Gi. I thought you had Jung Yoon-Ho completely figured out!

"That bastard changed a little. But don't worry, I've got other ways."

-What ways?

"At this point, I need to be promoted to chief as soon as possible. When the merger with Gwanwoo Entertainment happens, you have to push me up to chief."

-You've got some nerve asking for a promotion after failing. Are you out of your damn mind?

"I can't stir up trouble under him anymore, so at the very least, I need to keep him in check. Isn't getting rid of Yoon-Ho the ultimate goal?"

Choi Man-Sik fell silent for a moment, then spoke with a warning tone.

-If you fail again, I won't let it slide. You know my temper, right?

His voice was colder than ice, but Baek Sae-Gi remained unfazed.

"Understood. But in return, make sure I get plenty of support."

-Fine!

After ending the call, Baek Sae-Gi stared at the elevator where Jung Yoon-Ho had disappeared, unable to hide his complicated emotions.

"Jung Yoon-Ho… that bastard..."

Once, he had considered him a cherished younger brother. Nevertheless for Baek Sae-Gi, nothing mattered more than money.

"Well, it's not like we were a real family anyway."

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With that, Baek Sae-Gi cut the last remaining thread of attachment in his heart. And then, he made another call to a different backer this time.

"Hello. It's me, Mr. Im."

The person on the other end of the call was none other than Im Sung-Hak, the president of Ace Entertainment.

-What? You failed to get under Jung Yoon-Ho?

"Don't worry. I still managed to get into the company."

Baek Sae-Gi had originally planned to move to Hoop Entertainment under Choi Man-Sik's orders. However, when he heard that Im Sung-Hak was also having trouble dealing with Jung Yoon-Ho, he saw another opportunity.

So he went to Im Sung-Hak as well and proposed to act as a Trojan horse. In exchange for success, he was promised five hundred million won and a return to Ace Entertainment as a director.

Since both Choi Man-Sik and Im Sung-Hak wanted Jung Yoon-Ho gone, for Baek Sae-Gi, it was just one job—except, he was taking money from both sides.

After ending the call, Baek Sae-Gi smirked. "What the hell did Yoon-Ho do to make so many enemies…? Well, thanks to that, I have a chance to make big money, so I'm not complaining."

Staring at the closed elevator doors where Jung Yoon-Ho had disappeared, Baek Sae-Gi sneered.

"Alright then. Before Chief Kim returns, I should take full control of Actor Division 3 first."

Unaware that Jung Yoon-Ho already had him completely figured out, Baek Sae-Gi burned with ambition. His ridiculous plan was to seize control of Actor Division 3 and drive Jung Yoon-Ho out.

***

After buying myself some time by sending Baek Sae-Gi to Actor Division 3, I headed to the meeting room to meet the newly recruited team leads.

Inside, the new team leads and Team Jung's talent agents were waiting for me. Naturally, Team Lead Park In-Ki, who would soon be joining Division Jung, was also present.

"I'll start by introducing myself. I'm Jung Yoon-Ho and I'll be your chief. It's a pleasure to meet you all."

Applause filled the meeting room.

After finishing my brief introduction, I turned my attention to Team Lead Nam Pan-Gyu. At thirty-five-years-old, Nam Pan-Gyu had been scouted from Freddy Entertainment.

Standing around 180 cm tall with a muscular build, he always wore a stoic expression and lacked social skills, making it difficult for him to network with PDs and CPs at broadcasting stations to promote his actors and singers. Because of that, Freddy Entertainment treated him as a useless asset. Generally, team leads were expected to secure roles for their actors in dramas and variety shows, but he was completely incapable of doing that.

However, despite that shortcoming, he had a major strength. Contrary to his appearance, Nam Pan-Gyu was incredibly meticulous when it came to managing actors' schedules and conditions. Thanks to him, none of the actors under his care had ever caused a major issue. Even the notoriously difficult Min Gyu-Ri had been manageable under him.

He was also someone who never made empty promises and always completed the tasks given to him. That's why I recommended him for Team Jung.

I asked, "Mr. Nam, could you introduce yourself?"

Nam Pan-Gyu hesitated for a moment before asking me a question instead. "Before that, Mr. Jung… I took the offer because it sounded good, but can you tell me why you scouted me? To be honest, if this offer hadn't come, I was planning to switch to freight transport. I even got my large truck license."

Before my regression, Park Nam-Gyu had actually left the industry and later returned. After all, there was no job in the world that didn't involve sales in some form in the end. Even in freight transport, he needed to secure deliveries to keep the business running.

"You may not be good at sales, but you excel at detailed actor management."

"I manage them decently, but… without sales, I'd only be half a team lead, wouldn't I?"

I shook my head. "Someone like you is better suited for handling top-tier actors rather than rookies. That's why I brought you in. From now on, don't worry about sales at all."

Before the regression, Nam Pan-Gyu had only managed top-tier actors who didn't require any sales efforts. And every one of them had praised him as the best. At this point, I was probably the only one who truly recognized his value.

Nam Pan-Gyu hesitated before asking, "Are you really saying… I only need to focus on management?"

"Yes. I'll take care of all the sales. Just focus on taking care of the actors."

At that moment, the stiffness in his face eased slightly and the corners of his mouth twitched upwards just a bit. "Thank you. I'll take care of that without fail."

Nam Pan-Gyu expressed his gratitude repeatedly before finally turning to greet the rest of the team.

"Nice to meet you all. I'm Nam Pan-Gyu," his deep, low voice resonated through the meeting room.

Acting as the mood maker, Lee Yung-Jin clapped his hands. "Welcome, Mr. Nam!"

The others followed suit and applauded as they welcomed him.

I said, "Alright. Next up, Ms. Yeon. Please introduce yourself."

Team Lead Yeon So-Hee stood up. At 170 cm tall, she had exceptionally pale skin. She wore a neatly styled short haircut and a navy blue suit.

Yeon So-Hee was a highly competent figure known for her sharp execution. In an industry where most people relied on intuition, she was one of the few who operated purely based on data.

However, at thirty-three-years-old, she had repeatedly failed to get promoted to team lead at her previous company, FNK Entertainment. The reason was due to her straightforward attitude and, absurdly enough, the fact that she was a woman.

That was something that would never happen in Team Jung. Or rather, in Division Jung. I only cared about hiring capable people. That's why I scouted her as a team lead.

At that moment, Yeon So-Hee turned toward me just as she was about to introduce herself. And unexpectedly, she made a request I hadn't anticipated.

"Mr. Jung…"