Possessed 10 Million Actors

The employees in the conference room exchanged glances, attempting to discern the meaning behind Honda's words.

However, it seemed no one grasped his intentions, and a silence lingered in the room.

"Um… Vice President?" One employee, relatively closer to Honda, gathered the courage to speak. Having heard Honda's murmurs a while ago, there was no one else to turn to but him.

"What exactly does it mean to ‘spoon-feed'?" the employee asked cautiously.

"Literally, it means spoon-feeding," Honda replied.

"So, that means…"

"Ugh, fine. Do I have to spell it out for you?" Honda sighed in frustration before starting his explanation.

"As you all know, no matter how much money we have, it's never enough when it comes to creating a piece of art. So, let's invest a reasonable amount in the project, add some color to it, and secure some shares for ourselves."

"Uh…"

"And considering the auditions happening in Japan, it seems the casting isn't finalized yet. With connections like Kang Jinseok, even if it's challenging for a male lead, securing a female lead or supporting roles should be a piece of cake, right?"

The employees diligently jotted down Honda's words as if determined not to miss a single detail. Whoever ended up handling this task, wanted to ensure it was done without any mistakes.

Seemingly satisfied with the sight of employees busily taking notes, Honda's irritation eased, and he spoke in a calm voice.

"First, find out the contact information for the person handling the investment or project at OS International. Since they've come to Japan, set up a meeting separately. No need to go through the hassle of finding the contact information of the person in charge."

"Yes, understood."

"It's not that difficult, so don't mess it up like an amateur. Got it?"

Honda spoke casually and then stood up, heading towards the door. Other employees followed suit, watching him leave.

"Vice President. There's… something I'd like to ask."

At that moment, a cautious employee raised his hand and called out to Honda.

"What is it?"

"Earlier, you mentioned securing shares either by investing in Katahiro's film or assisting with contacts on the actor's side."

"Yes."

"But what if Katahiro or the investors reject the idea? What do we do then?"

It seemed to be a question on everyone's mind, as they all looked at Honda with curious eyes. Seeing their anticipation, Honda shrugged.

"Surely, that won't happen, right? I've never seen anyone refuse money in my life."

"…"

"Let's contact them now. It should work out well."

***

[We don't need money.]

Katahiro's resolute voice echoed through the speakerphone. The employees in the conference room looked at Honda with puzzled expressions.

Honda took a deep breath and said, "No. He says they don't need money…"

Honda hadn't explicitly said, "Does that make sense?" but his tone carried a distinct nuance.

"If this is because of something our employees did previously, and it's affecting your mood, Director, that's not appropriate. I thought Katahiro was a professional."

[It's not about that. I genuinely don't need the money.]

"So, that makes sense—"

[1 billion yen.]

"?"

[OS International, or rather, OS Entertainment, has agreed to invest 1 billion yen in my project this time. With that level of investment, why would I need more money?]

A hush fell over the conference room at the mention of 1 billion yen. If that amount was indeed being invested, then it made sense to say he didn't need more money.

[Moreover, my work is the first original project for OS Entertainment, and they probably won't even allow external investment.]

"…"

[Since it seems like you have nothing more to say, I'll end it here.]

"Director, just a moment. There are still things to discuss…"

Click.

Before Honda could speak, Katahiro ended the call. Only a moment ago, Honda seemed confident when speaking with Katahiro on the phone, but things didn't turn out as expected.

Employees started avoiding eye contact with Honda. They hoped to avoid any sparks that might fly if they accidentally met his gaze.

After silently staring at the table for a while, Honda muttered.

"Who was the person we discussed casting with Katahiro before?"

"…"

"Am I talking to myself here? Why is no one answering?!"

As Honda raised his voice, a startled employee beside him replied.

"Yes! I, I was in charge of casting."

"Do you have the list of actors Katahiro said would audition? The one we discussed before?"

"If you mean their profiles… I probably have it. I need to check, though."

"Hurry up and check."

The employee quickly turned on their laptop and started searching for the file.

"Here it is."

The employee presented their laptop to Honda as if offering a gift. Honda snatched the laptop abruptly and scrutinized the profiles.

Tap, tap.

Tap, tap, Honda drummed his fingers on the table as he pondered for a while before exhaling and speaking.

"Contact the agencies of these actors and inquire whether Katahiro received audition offers for his project. If he did, advise them to decline. If they audition, make it clear that they won't be able to participate in any future films produced or invested in by our company."

"Yes, understood?"

"This applies not only to the actors but also to the production company. Inform the staff of ‘The Most Painful Predestined Relationship in the World' that they won't be able to work with us in the future."

Honda's firm instructions made the employees exchange uneasy glances.

Although Honda hadn't explicitly stated it earlier, he now seemed to sense the employees' confusion and began to explain the reasons behind his actions.

"As I mentioned earlier, if this project succeeds and gains recognition, our situation will look bad."

"Yes…"

"To be honest, I wasn't confident when I said that. It felt more like, ‘What if it succeeds?' But hearing about a 1 billion yen investment makes me believe it might not just end as a ‘what if.'"

"…"

"If it turns out to be my misjudgment, that would be great. But we need to be prepared for the worst-case scenario. So, even if it means resorting to somewhat dirty methods, make sure this project doesn't happen."

The employees, now understanding the gravity of the situation, nodded in agreement.

"Spoon-feeding failed, so now we have to overturn the table."

***

Two days later, in Katahiro's directorial office.

In this ordinary space filled with a desk, sofa, and shelves stacked with books and scripts, Katahiro spoke on the phone with a bewildered tone.

"No, look here, Shindo-kun. What does that mean? Suddenly saying we can't work together?"

[Sorry, Director Katahiro. I wanted to create a piece of work happily with you since you mentioned getting an investment. But then they threatened that if ‘Toho' collaborates with me, I should be prepared to leave the industry.]

"…"

[I have my employees and a family to support. If it were another company, I might have ignored it and worked with you happily. But you know, Toho isn't just any company, right? I'm really sorry. I'll end the call now.]

After apologizing and hanging up, Katahiro sighed. It seemed like he wouldn't call back, realizing there was no room for persuasion.

"These Toho guys. Why are they so desperately trying to meddle like this?"

Perhaps, when he spoke with Toho's vice president a few days ago, he had offended them with his lack of manners.

"Maybe it's revenge for my rudeness. But even if that's the case, it can't be just for such childish reasons. There must be another motive."

However, regardless of the reason, it was clear that Toho was going to great lengths to sabotage his work.

Katahiro ran his hand through his hair.

Having secured a substantial investment after being rejected for his previous work, it felt like experiencing a nightmare within a nightmare.

[Ah, Director, it's Kojo Uchida. I'm sorry to contact you like this suddenly, but it seems challenging for me to participate in the audition for your upcoming project.]

At that moment, a message arrived. Upon checking, it was one of the actors who had eagerly agreed to audition.

"Huh, actors too?"

He had been pleased when these actors accepted his audition proposal.

However, hearing that they now couldn't audition was a shock. The actor didn't provide detailed reasons, but Katahiro could guess.

"Probably for the same reasons as Shindo."

Exhaling heavily, Katahiro furrowed his brow deeply. The messages continued to flood in, each expressing an inability to audition.

"What should I do?"

No matter how much money there is, a director can't make a film alone. Even with a remarkable actor like Kang Jinseok, it's impossible to create a film with just one actor.

Fortunately, there has been no contact from Inoue, the one they are somewhat relying on after Kang Jinseok.

It's a "fortunate" situation, but only to a certain extent.

Knock, knock.

Someone knocked on the office door. Since they weren't expecting anyone today, Katahiro opened the door, curious.

"Who…? Oh, Team Leader Jang Sunho."

"Sorry for coming unannounced, Director. I was planning to contact you."

"It's okay. Please, come in."

Guiding Jang Sunho inside, Katahiro tidied up his disheveled hair. As Jang Sunho sat on the sofa, Katahiro asked, "But what brings you here?"

"I wanted to inquire about the audition preparations and if there's anything I can help with. Also, I heard some strange rumors before coming."

"Strange rumors?"

"Yes. Rumors that there's someone meddling with our project."

"How…?"

"I know everything about Kang Jinseok and the project because it's my job."

Though Jang Sunho spoke nonchalantly, Katahiro nodded with a sigh, indicating that the situation was troublesome.

"Hmm. It's the work of the Toho guys. They control over 40% of the Japanese film distribution, a major player in the Japanese film industry."

"Yes. So, how is Toho interfering with us?"

Katahiro explained the current situation, where Toho's control over Japanese production companies and pressure on actors had halted auditions.

Listening silently to Katahiro's explanation, Jang Sunho clenched his fist. His suit seemed uncomfortable as it swelled up in anger.

"It's a difficult situation. Have you had any trouble with Toho before this incident?"

"While it wasn't trouble per se, Toho did contact me about investing in the project."

"Investment?"

"Yes. Naturally, I refused. We have enough money, and honestly, I didn't want to give Toho any stake in this project. I don't know the exact reason, but that seems to be the cause. I apologize."

Lowering his head in apology, Katahiro was met with a reassuring gesture from Jang Sunho.

"You have nothing to apologize for, Director. If anything, you did well."

"Hmm…"

"More importantly, how are we going to resolve this?"

"I'll visit Toho once. If I need to apologize, I'll apologize, and we'll seek an amicable solution."

"No. Why should we apologize when we've done nothing wrong?"

Jang Sunho interrupted Katahiro, preventing him from continuing. Afterward, he fell into silence, lost in thought.

Katahiro observed Jang Sunho silently. Since their first meeting, he had suspected that Jang Sunho was not an ordinary manager.

"Director, if it's challenging to find a production team and actors in Japan…"

"Yes."

After a moment of silence, Jang Sunho spoke. With a glimmer of hope in his eyes, Katahiro responded with seriousness.

"If it's difficult to secure them in Japan, what about importing the production team and actors from Korea?"