Chapter 198: Making An Appearance (3)

The film set was instantly thrown into chaos.

Dubbing? Did he say dubbing?! The synchronized sound recording had been in use for over twenty years already, yet this so-called director of Code wanted to utilize an outdated technique like dubbing?!

“Crazy son of a...!”

What a crazily great idea that was!

Jo Gyu-Min shrugged his shoulders nonchalantly. “Something that doesn't work will never work no matter how much you slave over it. So, finding an alternative should take priority. Since Mister Jin-Ho looks good on camera, all we gotta do now is to find the best footage where his lip movements match the most optimum line reading we want, then dub right over said footage. Since the sound technology has come a long way, I'm sure you'll have no problem perfecting the sound mix so that the voice won't stand out weirdly against the background noises.”

Jang Hak-Seon looked utterly stupefied as he listened to Jo Gyu-Min's explanation, then silently turned his head to stare at the sound director.

The sound director hurriedly nodded away. “Yes, that's doable! Completely doable! Even if it's not, I'll make sure it does!”

“Huh..” Jang Hak-Seon muttered quietly. Since a perfect solution presented itself from an unexpected source, he should feel like he was on cloud nine, but...

Instead of feeling pleased, he...

'Why do I feel like crying right now?'

What was the point of all those hours he had spent losing his sh*t on Kang Jin-Ho?! What was everyone's reward for working like dogs over this situation, then?!

'If only I thought of that solution sooner...!'

The atmosphere in the film set had become somewhat weird. The crew members wanted to blame someone else for failing to come up with such a simple, elegant solution. But all they could do was sigh, knowing they were also that 'someone else' in this situation.

“Does that mean we're finished here?” Kang Jin-Ho flatly asked as if he had absolutely no desire to read the room.

Jang Hak-Seon could only make an unreadable face and nod in silence.

Jo Gyu-Min spread open a blanket he got from somewhere and wrapped it around Kang Jin-Ho's shoulders. “Don't you know how precious this young actor's physique is? So, how could you overwork him like this? Please be more careful next time!”

Next time? Did this dude really say next bloody time?!

'I'll change my name to Kiss My Ass first before calling on Kang Jin-Ho again!'

Jang Hak-Seon inwardly yelled. What next time was Jo Gyu-Min even talking about here? After everything he had gone through, the PD was willing to rip up the script and flush it down the toilet if it called for more of Kang Jin-Ho's appearance. Yet, this damn manager was talking about the next time... Even though Kang Jin-Ho merely cameoed in the first bloody episode!

The urge to reveal his inner thoughts into the open nearly overcame Jang Hak-Seon, but he managed to hold them in. He knew that such behavior was the epitome of being an ungrateful brat. So, he forced the corners of his unwilling lips to curl up into a cramped smile. “Understood. This won't happen next time, I assure you.”

Indeed, this would never—ever happen! Since Jang Hak-Seon had no desire whatsoever to work with Kang Jin-Ho again, the repeat of today would never happen!

Jo Gyu-Min smiled brightly, then bowed his head. “Now that the filming is done, and the hour is late, we'd like to get out of your hair and go home. Well, then. Take care and good luck with the rest of the production.”

“...Ah, of course...” Jang Hak-Seon mumbled a goodbye, then watched Kang Jin-Ho and Jo Gyu-Min walk over to Kang Eun-Yeong in the distance. The exhausted PD muttered in a hollow voice to no one in particular. “Well, it feels like I've seen everything now..”

***

“That must've been hard for you, Mister Jin-Ho,” said Jo Gyu-Min with a grin as they neared Kang Jin-Ho's car. Kang Eun-Yeong still had other scenes to shoot, so she could only return to Seoul the following day, which left the two men on their own as they went home. Jo Gyu-Min glanced at the red supercar and grinned even more. “I'm sure you're feeling tired by now, so allow me to drive you home.”

“Mm? What about your own car, Mister Gyu-Min? The one you drove to get here?”

“I can always use a proxy to bring it back to Seoul. Alternatively, I can also ask someone from the branch office nearby to drive it back when they need to get to the head office.”

Kang Jin-Ho narrowed his eyes slightly. “There's no need to do that. We can travel separately in our own vehicles.”

“Mister Jin-Ho!” Jo Gyu-Min suddenly spoke in a firm voice, his eyes set ablaze now. “When will I ever get another chance to drive a Lamborghini?! So, please!”

“...Okay. Drive me home, please.”

Jo Gyu-Min rejoiced gleefully while pulling out a fresh cigarette from his packet, then pressed it between Kang Jin-Ho's lips.

Click!

He even lit it up, allowing Kang Jin-Ho to take a deep puff without lifting a finger. He slowly released the gray smoke back into the atmosphere.

“You know, that PD's face was something to behold, wasn't it?” Kang Jin-Ho smirked a little while glancing at Jo Gyu-Min.

Jo Gyu-Min in serious mode was very serious indeed, but he retained a certain mischievous streak as well. And the way he stepped up to deal with situations like this showed how good he really was.

In a way, Kang Jin-Ho should count himself truly lucky for meeting Jo Gyu-Min and Hwang Jeong-Hu after returning to the modern era. Money could be acquired from plenty of other 'sources' than Hwang Jeong-Hu. However, would finding trustworthy people like Chairman Hwang or Jo Gyu-Min be easy? Kang Jin-Ho didn't think so.

Jo Gyu-Min glanced at the film set and asked, “Did they still force you into it even after you said no?”

“Basically, yes.”

“Kekeke.” Jo Gyu-Min suddenly broke into a cackle. “You sure pranked them real good, didn't you?”

“Pranked them? What do you mean?” Kang Jin-Ho tilted his head. N0v3l--B1n was the first platform to present this chapter.

“I mean, you must've been trying to... prank... uh...” Jo Gyu-Min instinctively swallowed back the rest of his sentence after noticing Kang Jin-Ho's expression. It said, “What are you talking about?”

So, the production crew wasn't faking it. This young man, his acting... really sucked!

“I-in any case. Please get in.” Jo Gyu-Min urged while making a cramped smile.

Kang Jin-Ho continued to tilt his head even as he climbed into the passenger seat.

Rumble, vroooom!

Jo Gyu-Min enthusiastically blipped the throttle several times before slotting the car into the first gear and setting off.

Vroooom!

“Mm? Mister Gyu-Min, that's not the exit, though?” Kang Jin-Ho cocked an eyebrow as he looked outside the window.

“We should say a proper goodbye before leaving, don't you agree!” Jo Gyu-Min smirked while driving the Lamborghini toward the film set. He then lowered the driver's side window and extended his hand outside to wave at the onlookers. “Take care of yourselves!”

The sudden appearance of a flashy Lamborghini obviously drew enormous attention to its driver, Jo Gyu-Min. He simply smirked at them once and drove out of there like a gust of wind.

“Keuh~! Now, this is what I'm talking about!”

“...Hmm.” Kang Jin-Ho could only sigh at length, thinking that Jo Gyu-Min could be quite indecipherable sometimes.

***

The next morning...

Kang Jin-Ho got ready to head out as the morning sun rose.

Baek Hyeon-Jeong stopped her son as he stepped into the living room. “Don't you want breakfast, son?”

“...I'll have it at my destination, Mother.”

“It's early morning, you know? Where will you find a filling breakfast so early in the day? I've already prepared it, so have a bite first before going, Jin-Ho.”

“...Understood.” Kang Jin-Ho grimly nodded, then headed to the kitchen. After taking a look at the food on the dining table, which had become his penance full-course meal, he suddenly had a revelation and carefully pondered it.

'Wait. Maybe Mother is preparing such a lavish meal every single time because I keep finishing them all?'

Having arrived at a likely conclusion, Kang Jin-Ho slowly nodded, then directly addressed his mother, “Mother, if I'm being honest... Eating this much for breakfast is a little too much for me.”

‘And if I'm being even more honest, Mother... Never mind breakfast, this much food is just overkill for human consumption regardless of whether you eat it during the day or not!’

Unfortunately for him, Baek Hyeon-Jeong responded with a loud unimpressed tut. “What are you even talking about, son? Look how skinny you are despite how much I've been feeding you! Decrease your food intake, and you'll end up as a skeleton in no time, son!”

“...Huh.” This was the first time in Kang Jin-Ho's life that he began cursing his physique capable of automatically maintaining its most optimum state.

Baek Hyeon-Jeong pointed to the food. “Now, eat!”

“Yes, ma'am!” Kang Jin-Ho's expression hardened from the determination as he picked up his spoon.

***

“...So, that's why.” Jo Gyu-Min stared at Kang Jin-Ho's swollen belly, then slowly shook his head.

'Well, Mister Jin-Ho does kinda look a bit skinny, but...'

Of course, Jo Gyu-Min was fully aware of the fact that under Kang Jin-Ho's clothes were finely-honed muscles packed so tightly they might cry out,?“We're gonna suffocate in here!”?Even so, he couldn't deny that Kang Jin-Ho outwardly looked just a bit skinny. Still, it was perfectly fine in Jo Gyu-Min's book. However, Baek Hyeon-Jeong probably thought that her son was starving to death.

“In any case, can you tell me what's going on, Mister Gyu-Min?” Kang Jin-Ho asked as he glanced around the corridor leading to Chairman Hwang's office. He had heard last night on his way home that Hwang Jeong-Hu wanted to speak to him, so he made the appointment for this morning. Well, he had nothing better to do these days, anyway.

“I think it's not my place to discuss this matter with you. For now, let's head inside first,” said Jo Gyu-Min.

“Alright.” Kang Jin-Ho nodded, then headed to the chairman's office.

The personal assistant guarding the doorway noticed Jo Gyu-Min and Kang Jin-Ho, then quietly sent the word inside the office before pointing at the door. “Please go straight in, gentlemen.”

“Thank you,” said Jo Gyu-Min with a slight bow. Hierarchy-wise, he occupied a higher rung on the ladder, but the personal assistant was older than him. He was doing his best to remain courteous to his elders even if he was their superior.

Once they stepped inside the office, Hwang Jeong-Hu welcomed them with a slick grin. “Feels like it's been a while, Jin-Ho.”

“Yes, it seems that way.”

“How have you been so far? Any noteworthy events?”

Kang Jin-Ho slightly cocked an eyebrow while staring back at Hwang Jeong-Hu. “I thought you have been receiving all the reports about me?”

“This fella! We're just exchanging pleasantries here, so no need to be so stiff. Now then, take a seat.”

“Alright.” Kang Jin-Ho settled into a spot on the couch. The personal assistant immediately brought in coffee for everyone.

Hwang Jeong-Hu urged Kang Jin-Ho to enjoy the drink, waited until the young man took a sip, then got down to the business at hand. “Indeed, I've heard about things happening around you.”

“I see..” Kang Jin-Ho nodded slightly.

“We tried to investigate more about the ones from China, but nothing of note has come up so far. Turns out they are quite secretive.”

Kang Jin-Ho nodded again, this time a little more contemplatively. Jaegyeong was certainly a powerful corporation, but it wouldn’t be able to deal with the likes of Martial Union if that organization was as powerful as Jin Bao had alluded to.

“Stop investigating them, please,” said Kang Jin-Ho. His sudden request made Hwang Jeong-Hu stare back at him with a slightly confused gaze. “Carelessly approaching this matter can lead to the destruction of Jaegyeong. Please leave them be.”

Hwang Jeong-Hu's eyes twitched a little just then. Jo Gyu-Min, silently observing this exchange nervously gulped back.

'Who would dare say such stuff in front of Chairman Hwang?!'

To Hwang Jeong-Hu, Jaegyeong was basically his life. And he was everything to Jaegyeong, as well. He was the corporation named Jaegyeong, and Jaegyeong was Hwang Jeong-Hu... So to openly say Jaegyeong could be destroyed? What a bold thing to say that was. No one alive would want to be subjected to Hwang Jeong-Hu's fury, after all.

However, this young man still brazenly said those words out loud in front of Hwang Jeong-Hu!

“Is it dangerous to do so?” Hwang Jeong-Hu quietly asked.

“Very much so.” Kang Jin-Ho nodded affirmatively.

Hwang Jeong-Hu furrowed his brow and remained silent for a little while before nodding away. “Very well. We won't proceed any further on this matter. If you say it's dangerous, it must be.”

Kang Jin-Ho responded with a brief nod, but Jo Gyu-Min was taken aback by what just happened. As it turned out, Hwang Jeong-Hu's trust in this young man ran far deeper than Jo Gyu-Min had bargained for.

'At this point, calling Kang Jin-Ho the second-in-command both in name and in reality is not an exaggeration.'

People in the loop obviously had a feeling that this was the case. However, now that Hwang Jeong-Hu was openly acting this way, though... There could be no other clearer acknowledgment than this. Even the 'official' second-in-command, Director Baek Yeong-Gi, would never dare to mention the destruction of Jaegyeong so carelessly.

This meant that a young man without some lofty position in the corporation but a lowly intern on paper had become the second most influential individual in this company.

This acknowledgment shouldn't come as a surprise to Jo Gyu-Min, but he still felt stunned by the implication behind this conversation.

Kang Jin-Ho took another sip of the coffee before asking a question. “Did you call me to discuss that topic, sir?”

“A part of it, yes. This matter is not what you'd call ordinary, after all.”

“That is true.” Kang Jin-Ho leaned back and crossed his arms while slowly nodding away.

'Looks like our points of contact are gradually increasing...'

Kang Jin-Ho had already half-expected something like this to happen—the more he came in contact with other martial artists, the more danger his family and acquaintances would face. The matter with Jin Bao had taught him that. And Kang Jin-Ho didn’t wish for that.

Hwang Jeong-Hu continued, “You won't have much problem dealing with whatever comes your way, but that won't necessarily be the case for the rest of us. It's not like you can stick to everyone around the clock and act like their bodyguard, now can you?”

“You're correct.”

“As such, I'd like to provide the first layer of protection by having people monitor the situation from the surroundings. Without alerting the folks being watched, of course. I thought I had to discuss this with you before proceeding, and that's why I called you here.”

Kang Jin-Ho furrowed his brow. Having guards meant you were trading freedom for safety. And to have people protect you without you realizing it? It was definitely not as romantic as some fairy tales might suggest. Your every single move was being laid bare to a complete stranger, after all.

Kang Jin-Ho rubbed his chin. “I'll have to think about this first.”

“I understand. However, it'd be better to make a quick decision.” Hwang Jeong-Hu nodded. He obviously didn't want to see Kang Jin-Ho's family get caught in the crossfire. Not because he felt some kind of affection or attachment to them, but because he was just worried about how Kang Jin-Ho would react if something bad happened to his family.

To calm the violent storm called Kang Jin-Ho—Hwang Jeong-Hu was prepared to do anything and everything in his power.

Kang Jin-Ho asked again, “Is that all?”

“No. Let's get to the main topic,” Hwang Jeong-Hu leaned forward and replied, causing Kang Jin-Ho to narrow his eyes in suspicion. However, Hwang Jeong-Hu smiled deeply instead. “Fella, do you have any thoughts of running your own business?”