Chapter 83

Li Chong felt a headache coming on. He had really forgotten about this matter and hadn't even bought a gift yet.

He couldn't ask Sung Yuri to help him buy it, could he? He wasn't that foolish. Asking one woman to buy a gift for another woman would be crazy.

But he didn't have time either. After some thought, Li Chong thought of someone. So Ji-sub had a commercial event for a brand endorsement at noon, a fan meeting. Asking him to buy a gift after the event should be fine.

Li Chong immediately called So Ji-sub, "Brother Ji-sub, has the event started?"

So Ji-sub was in the mall's lounge preparing. Since it wasn't the weekend, the fan meeting was scheduled for the busy noon hour. Just before he was about to go on stage, Li Chong's call came in. "It's about to start. I won't be late for the press conference this afternoon," So Ji-sub thought Li Chong was reminding him about the afternoon press conference.

"Um, Brother Ji-sub, I need your help. I'm also getting ready for a styling session and will be attending the press conference as the lead actor this afternoon," Li Chong said. Zhang Xun and Li Chong had both mentioned these things to So Ji-sub before, but now the plans had changed, and Li Chong needed to prepare So Ji-sub.

"Ah, you're going on stage this afternoon too? What happened? And what kind of help do you need?" So Ji-sub was surprised; this didn't match the plan.

"A friend's birthday, can you bring a gift for me? Oh, and the friend is a woman. We can talk about it when we meet this afternoon," Li Chong was in a hurry to get his styling done.

Although So Ji-sub agreed to help Li Chong, he was busy and about to start the event. He couldn't go out to buy a gift now, so he asked his assistant to buy a gift of appropriate value.

After So Ji-sub finished his instructions, he went to the event, leaving his assistant to deal with the problem. What did "appropriate value" mean? 500,000 won? 1,000,000 won? As the assistant was struggling, a brand manager passed by and asked if he needed help. The assistant explained that So Ji-sub wanted to bring a gift for a female friend. The manager saw this as an opportunity to get closer to So Ji-sub and took on the task of buying the gift.

When So Ji-sub left the mall, a small gift box was already in his limousine.

By the time Li Chong arrived for his styling session, Sung Yuri had been waiting for some time. From the moment she hung up with Li Chong, Sung Yuri went to her favorite mall and chose a suit from a brand she had been eyeing for a while—a white suit. Although it was a bit expensive, the thought of Li Chong's crystal piano made everything feel sweet.

"Oppa, the suit is ready. Do you really need to dress so formally?" Sung Yuri asked as Li Chong sat down for his styling.

"I'm one of the lead actors in this movie. Do you think I can skip the styling and not dress formally?" Li Chong explained, somewhat helplessly.

"Ah, you're the lead actor? Weren't you the assistant director? When did you become the lead actor? Besides, you've never acted before!" Sung Yuri was surprised. This was a strange situation, a director becoming the lead actor...

"Do you think I wanted this? To save costs, Brother Zhang Xun included my salary in the movie's budget and made me the lead actor. I think he'd do anything to make this movie happen," Li Chong said, somewhat frustrated.

Sung Yuri thought about Li Chong's situation and chuckled, "Oppa, acting in a movie must be fun. I'll definitely come to the set."

Then she added, somewhat wistfully, "I've been in the entertainment industry for 5 or 6 years and haven't acted in a movie yet."

Li Chong was a bit worried. Seeing Sung Yuri like this, he guessed she wanted to make a cameo in Zhang Xun's movie. However, the female roles in this movie were all minor, and Sung Yuri's first movie shouldn't be like that.

"Don't worry, there will be opportunities. If I start a movie in the second half of the year, I'll see if there's a suitable role for you," Li Chong said.

Sung Yuri's face immediately lit up with a smile.

After an hour, Li Chong's styling was complete. The stylist had shaved his beard and given him a sunny short haircut, which suited his current demeanor. This made him look five years younger. With the white suit and peach-colored tie that Sung Yuri had bought, the overall look was simply stunning.

Sung Yuri's eyes were practically on fire as she touched him left and right. "Oppa, you look so handsome and stylish in a white suit. You'll definitely catch the attention of all the reporters," she cheered for Li Chong.

Li Chong knew that the afternoon press conference would likely be his solo show.

Kim Ki-duk wouldn't be there, Zhang Xun was a new director, and this was his first movie. So Ji-sub had no representative works and was considered a box office poison. Only Li Chong had the most topics, being the director of the hit movie "Chaser" and now the lead actor. Moreover, just as Li Chong's money arrived, Showbox announced that Warner had paid 1.5 million dollars for the rights to adapt "Chaser." So, the afternoon would have only one star: Li Chong.

At 3 PM, Li Chong arrived at the Shilla Hotel on time. He went in Sung Yuri's limousine because, dressed like this, driving his own small car wouldn't match. Li Chong was already considering whether to get a better car. Fortunately, everyone knew how close Li Chong was with the four F.I.R.S.T. girls, or there would have been a lot of romantic rumors between Li Chong and Sung Yuri.

By this time, most of the reporters knew that Li Chong's "Chaser" script had been sold to Warner Bros. A large number of reporters gathered at the press conference venue, ready to collect the first-hand information. Everyone was pretty sure that tomorrow's entertainment news headlines would be "The Movie 'Chaser' to Land in North America," "Hollywood Giant Buys 'Chaser' Adaptation Rights for a Fortune," "A Korean Director's American Comeback," and so on.

From the moment Li Chong got out of the car and entered the hotel, he received the treatment of a top star. The cameras clicked non-stop, and the flashbulbs kept going off. Many curious onlookers gathered at the hotel entrance, wondering if a top celebrity had arrived. They didn't recognize the man in the white suit, but he was indeed very handsome.

With the help of the hotel staff, Li Chong struggled into the press conference venue and sat next to Zhang Xun. "Why did you take so long? The reporters have been asking where you are!" Zhang Xun whispered. The press conference had already been going on for 15 minutes.

"Don't mention it. I was surrounded as soon as I got out of the car. It was a real struggle to get in. The enthusiasm is a bit too much!" Li Chong looked helplessly at the eager eyes below.

"Alright, since you're here, it's your time now. Remember to promote my movie," Zhang Xun saw the eager reporters and wisely handed over the time to Li Chong.