novellhall 18. Openly seeking employment
18. Openly seeking employment
"Li Jingcheng, could you tell me why those thugs are specifically targeting you? Is someone instigating them, or did you have a previous conflict with them?"
Upon hearing this question, Lee Kyung-sung's composed smile faded slightly, and his heart skipped a beat. This was precisely the question he feared most. He wasn't afraid of reporters pressing him for answers, but he was terrified that Bae Joo-hyun would see the interview and press him about it. Moreover, he hadn't yet won over either Bae Joo-hyun or Im Yoon-ah. If this matter involved Im Yoon-ah and was exposed, and if either Bae Joo-hyun or Im Yoon-ah knew he was pursuing two people at the same time…
You can't have your cake and eat it too; you can have them separately.
He quickly calculated in his mind that he absolutely couldn't mention Lim Yoona in front of the camera. If he exposed Lim Yoona's date with Lee Seung-gi, Lee Seung-gi would benefit, and he wouldn't gain anything. On the contrary, it would completely disrupt his strategy.
Without delay, Lee Kyung-sung quickly composed himself, a calm smile returning to his face. He casually changed the subject, not giving the reporter a chance to press further, "I don't know either, because I don't know any of them at all. The police interrogated them separately. The Seoul police are highly professional; they have already investigated and found out. If anyone is interested, they can consult the police station staff."
After saying this, Li Jingcheng didn't hesitate at all. Taking advantage of the reporters' momentary daze, he quickly darted towards the roadside.
By the time the reporters behind him realized what was happening, Lee Kyung-sung was already several meters away. Several reporters quickly chased after him, cameras and microphones in hand, repeatedly calling out, "Lee Kyung-sung-xi! Please answer a few more questions!"
"Could you please provide more details about the police investigation?"
No matter how hard they chased, they could only watch Li Jingcheng's figure grow smaller and smaller in the distance; they simply couldn't keep up with his speed. The paparazzi nearby also hurriedly grabbed their cameras and gave chase, the shutter clicking incessantly, but they could only capture his hurried departing figure.
"This guy is really fast."
"No wonder this guy can take on five people by himself."
"Five isn't the limit. Didn't you watch the video? He took on five so easily. Even if there were more, they wouldn't be a match for him."
"He could take on at least ten!"
The reporters exchanged a few pleasantries and, as if on cue, headed towards the police station entrance together.
The police officers on duty at the door, who had been enjoying the commotion, felt a chill run down their spines when they saw the scene. They quickly stepped forward and reached out to stop the interviews, saying, "Please wait a moment! The case is still under investigation, and we are not accepting interviews at this time."
But the reporters weren't about to give up so easily; they immediately thrust their microphones forward and bombarded the reporters with a barrage of questions:
"Has the police opened a case and begun an investigation?"
"What is the police's current stance on the one-sided statement made by the person involved?"
Have the individuals involved in the case been apprehended?
Will a formal briefing be held later?
The flashes of cameras lit up the sky, and the noise of people completely blocked the entrance to the police station.
"That kid in the video is so skilled, is he a retired special agent?"
"He took on five opponents so easily, has he ever fought in underground boxing matches?"
"Were those people who were beaten up in retaliation by organized crime?"
"The person involved is pushing all the blame onto the police. Did they already inform the police beforehand?"
"His skills are so exaggerated, could he be from a special department?"
The police officers on duty at the door were suddenly shoved with microphones and shouts in front of their faces, "Please step back! Interviews are prohibited here!"
"The case is still under investigation, and we cannot answer any questions at this time!"
"Please do not crowd or obstruct official business!"
"Please apply for an interview through the official spokesperson!"
At the same time, he turned to the walkie-talkie and shouted urgently, "Reporters are crowding around here! Quickly call someone to come and help! Also, notify the public relations department to come and handle this!"
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Fortunately, Lee Kyung-sung, who had successfully evacuated, was unaware of what was happening at the police department next, and instead encountered new problems.
Looking at the unfamiliar streets, Lee Kyung-kook decisively picked up his phone. Besides Bae Joo-hyun, Lee Hyeri had also sent messages. Bae Joo-hyun and Im Yoon-ah used text messages, but Lee Hyeri sent hers via KakaoTalk. He paused for a moment, then realized that he hadn't really had a proper chat with her yet.
"Wow, my photo with Oppa has gone viral! And today, my company even received an invitation to audition for the drama 'Delicious Life'!"
His fingertip paused on the screen, and he smiled as he typed a line of text:
"Oppa just helped you to show your talent, which you couldn't hide anyway, a little bit more to others."
"You are naturally beautiful, and your temperament is clean and eye-catching. It is only natural that the crew would choose you at first glance. These are all your own advantages."
Then came several text messages from Bae Joo-hyun.
"You can eat it if you want, but wait patiently and see when I'm in a good mood!"
"Is the statement taking not finished yet?"
"By the way, Jingcheng, do you know those people?"
"Dafa, the account I registered posted your video, and now it has 4 followers."
"It's been thirty minutes already, is it still not over?"
"Do you think I should take our photo together and ask them?"
"Forget it, the company doesn't allow people to open social media accounts without permission. All exposure must be arranged by the company."
After reading through each text message, Li Jingcheng instantly understood.
Although she said "forget it," she couldn't hide her concern at all. If she didn't care, why would she have brought it up in the first place?
But this is just fine; it allows us to change the subject. It's all that Lee Seung-gi's fault, he'll have to suffer the consequences.
Of course, Bae Joo-hyun is still the most important person right now.
"Judging from these messages, you're probably secretly getting anxious again."
"Right now, your company doesn't have any girl group projects planned. With your talent, you're the kind of person who's always been right in the center; it's just that the time isn't right yet."
"Don't worry about debuting, and don't be confused. I'm here for you. At worst, my oppa will help you debut as a solo artist."
I found a taxi on the roadside and told them where I had parked earlier.
Lee Kyung-sung got into the taxi, leaned back in his seat, and let out a long sigh. So much had happened that day, and he was quite mentally exhausted. However, meeting Im Yoon-ah, Bae Joo-hyun, and Lee Hyeri all at once, and making good progress in his pursuit of them, gave him immense satisfaction.
He opened Me2day and was surprised to see the number of followers jump to 10. A flicker of astonishment crossed his mind. While it couldn't compare to the millions of followers he'd seen overnight in China in his previous life, the sheer number of fans on the Korean Peninsula was undeniable. With such high popularity, it was the perfect time to find a suitable talent agency.
Thinking of this, Li Jingcheng opened Google and began researching some of the more well-known companies in the Korean entertainment industry. He couldn't help it; Korean entertainment novels were mostly about idol companies, like the familiar "Big Three."
The actor agencies I found included KeyEast, Sidus, Namoo, SOOP, and BH.
However, the information available online is extremely limited. Core details such as contract revenue sharing and internal resource allocation are completely absent. At most, one can see data on each company's past film and television projects and a list of representative actors. As for scandals and negative rumors, they are almost nonexistent.
Since he couldn't find any in-depth information, he had to change his search strategy. For him, the size and reputation of the company weren't that important. The key was that there were no competitors whose career paths and ages overlapped with his, and that they would dedicate all their top resources to him and single-mindedly promote him.
Instead of queuing up for opportunities at giant companies, it's better to find a company that needs young male leads and is willing to pour resources into him, provided it's not too small.
Suddenly a window popped up on the phone screen.
"Damn, I just woke up and your posts are everywhere! Bro, you've totally taken over my screen!"
SMS sender's note: Lim Yoona