Chapter 21

The filming of "The Curse" was still ongoing. Currently, they were shooting the scene where Eun-ju, played by Ha Ji-won, suddenly opens her eyes in the morgue. It was a simple scene; all they needed to do was set up the lighting and apply the appropriate makeup to her eyes.

However, perhaps because the previous scene of sewing the eyes was so realistic and shocking, and because the atmosphere during filming was deliberately made to be eerie, the room was deathly silent, and even the breathing seemed lighter, making the atmosphere particularly heavy and oppressive!

Suddenly, the ringtone of a mobile phone rang sharply in the spacious and quiet room, startling everyone. Ha Ji-won even screamed and sat up from the box, looking as if she had just recovered from a shock.

Scaring someone can really scare them to death. Lee Jung-hui pulled out his phone from his pocket, looking embarrassed, "I'm really sorry..." Then, under Ha Ji-won's murderous glare, he quickly slipped out.

It was good news. Zhang Dongguo had called, and after almost a month of no contact, Lee Jung-hui thought the deal with Son Ye-jin was off. But now, she said she was considering joining their company, though she wanted to meet him first.

This was no problem. He didn't have much to do on "The Curse" anyway, and today's filming was almost over. So, he immediately informed Ahn Byung-ki and quickly headed to the company.

On the way, he was extremely happy, thinking about the system rewards and luck points he had just received.

The effect of luck points, in simple terms, is to increase the success rate of something, such as competing for an Oscar or the success of a work in terms of reviews and sales...

One luck point represents a 1% increase in success rate. However, the maximum is 50%, meaning that even if you use 100 or more luck points, you can only increase the chance by 50%.

However, 50% was enough to satisfy Lee Jung-hui, and it also added another layer of security for his future escape.

The office of Empire Entertainment was in Jongno District, near Chungmuro, not far from the filming location. Lee Jung-hui arrived in less than ten minutes.

He chose this location because the rent was cheap and it was close to Chungmuro, which was convenient. As for the coveted Gangnam District, Empire Entertainment could only dream about it for now.

When he went upstairs, there were only a few people in the company, which was about a hundred square meters. The receptionist was there, and she was quite pretty. Seeing him, she greeted him with a smile, "Hello, Writer Lee!"

He was called Writer Lee. Although he was the owner of the company, to keep a low profile, his public identity was the first writer signed by the company. Of course, he and the company's representative, Zhang Dongguo, had a good relationship.

After greeting a few administrative staff, Lee Jung-hui entered the meeting room on the side of the large office. At that moment, Son Ye-jin was chatting with Zhang Dongguo, and she was holding a contract in her hand.

"I kept you waiting!" Lee Jung-hui greeted her politely. Son Ye-jin turned to look at him, lifted her wrist to check her watch, and smiled gently, "I thought you would need at least half an hour!"

Lee Jung-hui smiled, noticing the relaxed tone in her voice, and he became more casual, even joking, "Well, I actually wanted to act a bit more reserved, but after our last chat, I already revealed everything!"

Seeing her cover her mouth and chuckle, he shrugged, "Yeah, maybe I should say that this is actually our company's style—high efficiency, great service, and fast speed...!"

"Go on!" Son Ye-jin bit her lip, trying hard to suppress a laugh, teasing him.

Lee Jung-hui chuckled, feigning helplessness, and shrugged, "Alright, now it's my turn to listen!"

Although Son Ye-jin was only eighteen, she was much more mature than most girls her age, and her words were very skillful. "After I got the lead role in 'Blue生死恋' (Blue生死恋), including senior Kim Hye-soo, many agencies have approached me. I'm a bit confused and don't know how to choose..."

After pausing, she looked at Lee Jung-hui seriously, without the previous smile, and continued, "Now, I want you to give me a reason to choose your company!"

"Very simple!" Lee Jung-hui smiled calmly, then raised his right index finger and said firmly, "Freedom!" Then, seeing Son Ye-jin's surprise, he continued, "What is freedom? It means that, apart from your work, you have complete control over your personal life. When you become famous and wealthy, you will understand how precious this is. Of course, we will give you some advice to avoid mistakes in your daily life..."

Son Ye-jin was really stunned. After all, she was only eighteen, and she was at the age of dreaming, wanting to become a big star and make money.

She came here because, among all the people who approached her, only this place offered a five-year contract with a low commission. However, the situation she saw after joining the company made her hesitant, so her question was actually to get more promises and benefits.

Who knew that Lee Jung-hui would give her such an answer!

But she was still at the age of dreaming. Seeing his passionate and seemingly reasonable words, she felt that such a company was great!

These two! Zhang Dongguo sighed helplessly on the side. He understood Son Ye-jin's thoughts, smiled inwardly, and then joined the conversation, "Miss Son, what Jung-hui just said is really important. You can check it out yourself. Other agencies have a lot of restrictions on their artists, such as needing their permission to date, and reporting all your private life. In severe cases, they even monitor all aspects of your life..."

At this point, seeing Son Ye-jin's shock, he smoothly connected it to her previous thoughts, "Of course, our company's advantages are not just these. Our contract period is short, and the commission is low. Also, even though we are just starting, once you sign with us, we will arrange for you to learn acting and dancing, which will help your performance in the drama. We will also handle all your public appearances, provide a chauffeur, assistant, makeup artist, and so on. You don't need to worry about anything; we will take care of everything to ensure your comfort..."

These were the promises Son Ye-jin wanted to hear. Moreover, for a new artist, it was rare to have a makeup artist, let alone an assistant.

After hearing this, she had no more demands. Or rather, the conditions were so good that if she didn't know Lee Jung-hui and that he was a Harvard genius, she would have thought he was a scammer.

However, interestingly, it was precisely because of this that Son Ye-jin hesitated for a moment, then suddenly looked at Lee Jung-hui and said solemnly, "Well, I will only sign with you..."

What did she mean? Lee Jung-hui was taken aback but quickly understood, and couldn't help but laugh. Zhang Dongguo, on the side, scratched his head and smiled bitterly, "Do I look like a wolf now?"

Son Ye-jin also chuckled, but her gaze on Lee Jung-hui was firm. Not only did he seem more reliable, but he also looked much easier to bully...

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