Chapter 45

Since he had already promised to treat everyone to Korean beef, there was naturally no possibility of going back on his word.

However, Korean beef was not the same as Australian beef, Chinese beef, or even American beef (which was considered garbage due to the anthrax issue, especially for beef from cattle over three years old, and had been consistently boycotted by the Korean public). Generally, 1+ grade Korean beef cost around 50,000 won per kilogram; if it was 1++ grade, it would start at 70,000 won. Of course, there were even more expensive options, like 1++ grade rib meat, which started at 100,000 won per kilogram.

Fortunately, this wasn't a formal banquet, just a casual gathering. As long as it was Korean beef, 1+ grade was already very good.

Of course, even so, with over fifty people in the "Autumn in My Heart" production team, a rough estimate would be about forty kilograms, which would cost around two million won. Adding other main dishes, vegetables, and drinks, when Li Zhengxi was happily chatting with everyone, the bill had already exceeded three million won.

Three million won wasn't a huge amount, but it wasn't small either. For Li Zhengxi, who expected to earn over ten billion won, it was acceptable.

However, when he took out his card to pay, he was stunned to find that he only had a little over one million won left.

It would be incredibly embarrassing if everyone found out that he had invited everyone to a feast but couldn't pay the bill. Li Zhengxi also remembered the mysterious appearance at the luxury hotel with Ha Ji-won and the new underwear, which clearly indicated that he had spent a lot that night, reducing his card balance from nearly ten million won to just over one million.

In the scorching summer, he was breaking out in a cold sweat. He awkwardly smiled at the cashier and then pulled Kim Tae-hee aside, saying in a low voice, "I don't have enough money!"

Although this cousin had just shot a commercial and was now playing a hotel employee in "Autumn in My Heart," she hadn't earned much yet. However, her uncle was a big shot in the real estate industry, so she wasn't short of money, at least not the small amount needed now.

"Who told you to pretend to be rich!" Kim Tae-hee had already noticed his predicament and gave him an annoyed look. Of course, she was more upset that this silly boy had been so captivated by a few words from that little fox and hadn't even tried to explain himself to her.

However, she wouldn't let him lose face in front of others. She took out her card and paid the bill, then pinched him, saying, "You've made me spend all my pocket money!"

"I'll pay you back right away!" Li Zhengxi stammered, "How about ten times the amount?"

It wasn't until Kim Tae-hee glared at him and said, "I don't want it!" that he realized his mistake and quickly tried to please her. "Well, autumn is coming soon. How about next time we go back to Seoul, I'll take you shopping for autumn clothes and shoes...?"

This idea came from his previous experience shopping with Alice, but it clearly worked. For most women, it would work. Kim Tae-hee pouted but reluctantly accepted, "Alright, but don't forget...!"

In her mind, she was quickly thinking: shopping, eating delicious food, watching a movie, maybe even going to an amusement park... If one day wasn't enough, then two or three days. After all, he had promised, and this was a rare opportunity.

The more she thought about it, the happier Kim Tae-hee became, and her happiness made Li Zhengxi happy too. After paying the bill and getting the food, the dinner began, and everyone in the production team was happy. For a while, the lawn outside the accommodation was bustling with activity.

At this moment, the instigator of today's gathering appeared again, or rather, Li Zhengxi, Park Dong-jun, Yoon Seok-ho, and a few main actors were naturally gathered together. In a country like South Korea, which values hierarchy and rules, this was a natural formation.

"Come, let me represent the entire production team and feed our generous benefactor today," Son Ye-jin clearly did this on purpose. When she wrapped a piece of grilled Korean beef in wild greens and offered it to Li Zhengxi, she glanced at Kim Tae-hee and teased, "Maybe, in return for my enthusiasm, our generous benefactor will treat us again in a few days...?"

Everyone laughed, but Kim Tae-hee was a bit annoyed. Li Zhengxi first whispered to Son Ye-jin, "Don't cause trouble," and then personally wrapped a piece of meat, added some sauce, and offered it to Kim Tae-hee.

This satisfied Kim Tae-hee, but Son Ye-jin pouted and said to Li Zhengxi, "Hey, what about mine!"

She was deliberately trying to upset Kim Tae-hee. She knew Kim Tae-hee was Li Zhengxi's cousin and could see how Kim Tae-hee felt about Li Zhengxi. She didn't intend to get involved.

To her, Li Zhengxi was just a good friend, perhaps good-looking, with a good family background, undoubtedly smart, and considerate to girls. If you added today's incident, he seemed to be good at making money... That was it; she really hadn't thought about anything else.

But Kim Tae-hee kept staring at her, treating her like a rival, which made her a bit annoyed.

In front of everyone, this was her subtle retaliation, and the others naturally saw through it.

However, most people didn't say anything at this moment. Fortunately, there was Park Dong-jun, who laughed and wrapped a piece of meat for Son Ye-jin, saying, "Actually, you are the main contributor to today's feast. I represent everyone in thanking you!"

He paused for a moment and then shifted the topic, looking at Li Zhengxi with curiosity, "To be honest, I'm really curious what Son Ye-jin said to you that made you so generous. But, thinking about it, it was probably when she heard about the 1.3 million box office. Could it be that you signed a performance-based contract with TUBE Entertainment...?"

This guy was indeed observant and smart, and even Li Zhengxi had to admire him. Because of his relationship with Park Dong-jun, he was considering poaching him from KBS to be the head of the television department at Empire Entertainment.

Park Dong-jun's professional skills were beyond question, and he had accumulated a network of connections over twenty years at KBS. He was also a good person, smart, and extremely respectful, not just to Li Zhengxi but to Yoon Seok-ho and the other actors as well. He rarely showed the harsh side of a producer, yet he was highly respected by the production team.

Therefore, with his contract details bound to be exposed eventually, Li Zhengxi nodded to show his trust in Park Dong-jun, but he didn't reveal the specific terms.

Park Dong-jun was also a smart person and didn't ask how much he had earned. However, this didn't stop others' curiosity. Then, Son Ye-jin, being young and not knowing the importance of being low-key, blurted it out after he admitted it.

This stunned everyone in the circle, including Park Dong-jun. Song Seung-heon, who was usually lively, quickly did the math and exclaimed, "That means you can earn at least ten billion won, and if the box office continues like this, you might even get twenty or thirty billion...!"

He had caused trouble. When Li Zhengxi glanced at her, Son Ye-jin knew she had spoken out of turn. However, it was too late to take it back, so she could only shrink back and look pitiful. Li Zhengxi was also helpless but tried to play it cool, shrugging and saying, "Well, theoretically, that's true, but who knows about the box office...?"

This didn't have much effect, as this was not a small amount of money. With their current fame, many people would need to work for many years to earn this much, and with the high commission from their agents, it would take even longer. So, everyone still looked envious, and it was unclear if anyone was jealous.

Even Yoon Seok-ho couldn't help but comment, "Is this the benefit of studying economics?" Then he smiled, "But aren't you afraid of losing everything?"

This comment was deliberately made to ease the tension, and the others also realized that even if they were offered such a contract, they wouldn't dare to sign it, and even if they did, their agencies would never agree, as it was too risky.

Therefore, Park Dong-jun added, "Yes, you signed a similar contract with our production team. To be honest, as long as the ratings are good, I'm only happy no matter how much you earn... ."

Li Zhengxi also smiled, first thanking Yoon Seok-ho with a look, and then continuing, "I was just lucky. Besides, I'm just a screenwriter, not a big star like all of you. As long as we all work hard to make this drama a success, when the ratings are good, you'll not only get your salaries but also various endorsements and commercial performances, which I don't have... ."

With this, the atmosphere became lively again, and Park Dong-jun raised his glass again, saying, "Come, everyone, let's toast to our ratings and everyone's success... ."