Chapter 4

# Episode 004

Garo Entertainment.

Seong Pil had never heard of such a management company.

‘If it’s a new company, it must have been established not long ago, right?’

He had boldly asked for the authority to participate in production, but it was absurd to join a company he knew nothing about.

Of course, he had heard a rough outline of the situation from Hanguin. Still, there was a world of difference between seeing something with your own eyes and just hearing about it.

Seong Pil, riding in Hanguin’s car on the way to Garo Entertainment, suddenly had a question.

“How did you find out about me?”

Seong Pil had been headhunted.

If he had been job hunting around, it would have made sense, but he was still working at Success Entertainment, so it was surprising to receive an offer.

“I found out about you from a book called ‘Entertainment Business Management.’”

“Oh.”

Two years ago, a professor he had met at the Open University wrote the book.

Seong Pil had helped provide information on the practical aspects of management in the book.

While it sounded professional, it was essentially a collection of Seong Pil’s experiences.

“Did you read it?”

“Yes. I read it as soon as it was published. At the time, I had little knowledge of this industry, so I hoped to learn from the book.”

Learning about the entertainment industry from a book?

It was a difficult concept for Seong Pil to grasp.

How could someone with so little knowledge become the director of a management company?

“What did you do before this?”

“I worked at a venture capital firm.”

“……”

It seemed to be a completely unrelated field to the entertainment industry.

While it was not uncommon for venture capitalists to invest in management companies, it was surprising for someone from that world to move directly into a management company.

“Here we are.”

Garo Entertainment occupied an entire three-story building.

The first floor was entirely made of glass, but tinted so that the inside was not visible. The second and third floors had an open structure.

Seong Pil marveled at the modern building as he followed Hanguin inside.

The first thing he saw was a desk.

‘No one’s here.’

They climbed the stairs to the second and third floors.

There was no sign of anyone on the way, but the hallway was clean, indicating that the cleaning was well-maintained.

Just before Hanguin knocked on the door to the CEO’s office, a loud shattering sound came from inside.

Seong Pil looked at Hanguin with a serious expression, but Hanguin knocked without hesitation.

“CEO, we’re coming in.”

As soon as the door opened, a woman’s back was visible.

The woman, dressed in a business suit, was staring at a broken flower pot and muttering to herself.

“Shit!”

She roared at the ceiling and swept everything off her desk with her hands.

Fortunately, the items were light and did not break when they fell.

Except for the monitor, which had separated from its stand.

“Fucking bastards, they said they’d invest, but they took all the money! What do they think I am…!”

The woman turned to face Hanguin and Seong Pil. When she saw Seong Pil, she froze.

She looked far too young to be the CEO of a management company.

She could have passed for a recent graduate.

“CEO. I’ve brought Mr. Park Seong Pil.”

“Oh, right.”

“Mr. Seong Pil, this is CEO Hong Gyu Heon.”

“Pleasure to meet you, CEO.”

“Oh, yes….”

Hong Gyu Heon looked around the mess on the floor. She tried to tidy up the scattered items but gave up, clicking her tongue and then ordered Hanguin.

“Director Han, bring some drinks to the reception room….”

“I’ll bring the drinks.”

Seong Pil finished his greeting without showing any signs of discomfort, but he was inwardly afraid.

No matter how angry someone was, what kind of person would smash things around randomly?

“Nice to meet you. I’m Hong Gyu Heon.”

She approached with a confident stride and extended her hand. When Seong Pil shook it, a chill ran through his veins.

“My hands are a bit cold, but my heart is warm.”

“Oh, I see.”

Hong Gyu Heon withdrew her hand and smiled awkwardly.

“Follow me.”

The reception room had a similar atmosphere to the CEO’s office.

It was surprising that there was a reception room of similar size to the CEO’s office, even though the company had a CEO’s office.

While Success Entertainment had grown quite large, it did not have separate representative offices and reception rooms.

“Alright.”

The drinks arrived, and Hong Gyu Heon crossed her legs.

It didn’t seem like she was deliberately ignoring Seong Pil; it was more of a habit.

“Have you made a decision?”

“I wanted to see the company first.”

“The building is nice, isn’t it?”

Hong Gyu Heon stroked the armrest of the high-end sofa.

The building and interior were indeed impeccable.

“How many employees do you have?”

“Well, um, right now, there are none. There were, but now there aren’t.”

It sounded like there was a story behind it.

Hong Gyu Heon tried to change the subject but sighed and looked Seong Pil in the eye.

“To be honest, Garo Entertainment is starting over from scratch. We had an idol group until recently, but it failed.”

“Was it because it wasn’t profitable?”

“Yes. When a group fails, it usually means that. We released three albums, but it never took off.”

She had made the cold-hearted decision to disband the group.

“I’ve never run a management company before.”

It sounded like she had run other companies.

“I tried to bring in industry people to see what could be done, but it didn’t work out.”

“Management companies are high-risk, high-reward, right?”

“I know. But isn’t everything? I was a bit naive, I guess. What should I say? I used to like idols when I was young. There was a producer of an idol I liked who didn’t have a job. I brought him in to be the general manager… that bastard.”

Seong Pil flinched at the sudden curse.

“He was a composer. He brought in a bunch of so-called artists. The company was filled with pretentious art lovers. The worst part was that I didn’t realize how bad it was at the time. Sigh… Yes, it was my fault. As the CEO, I should have known better. Do you smoke?”

“Yes.”

“Want one?”

She took out a pack of foreign cigarettes that Seong Pil didn’t recognize.

Seong Pil lit the cigarette she gave him.

“Ugh!”

The strong smoke made him gag.

‘How much tar is in this?!’

Hong Gyu Heon, on the other hand, was calmly exhaling smoke. Seong Pil, trembling slightly, took small puffs.

Even though they were smoking the same cigarette, it seemed like the smoke was only from Hong Gyu Heon.

The room itself felt dominated by her.

“As you can see, Garo Entertainment has a weak foundation. That’s why I’m counting on you, Mr. Seong Pil….”

“Connections in the entertainment industry?”

In other words, connections.

It was difficult for outsiders to enter the entertainment industry due to its closed network.

Hiring someone who had worked in the industry for a long time was a basic requirement for entering the business.

“That will be necessary later. What I want more is….”

Hong Gyu Heon’s gaze shifted around. She looked away, as if embarrassed to say it.

“To be blunt, I want to do this properly, but I lack funds.”

“Do you plan to get investments later?”

“Investments are necessary, but that’s only possible when the group is close to debuting. Who would invest in someone like me with no track record?”

“What about the initial costs?”

“I have a paper factory. The annual revenue is around 20 billion won.”

20 billion won.

It’s not a small amount.

With that money, you could start a girl group with determination.

However, Hong Gyu Heon referred to it as revenue, not profit.

“If I use it wisely, I can invest 1 to 2 billion won in Garo Entertainment. The profit will be steady. My brother… or rather, a family member runs a publishing company. It’s unlikely to go under.”

“I understand.”

Hong Gyu Heon wants to create a ‘proper’ group.

But she doesn’t have enough money.

The majority of the initial costs for creating an idol group are for selecting and training trainees.

“Selecting just the right number of trainees for debut is risky. Even if you find a promising trainee, they might not fit later.”

The group’s style, concept, individual personalities, and effort levels. To create a good group, you need a large pool of trainees.

That’s why major management companies have a lot of trainees.

“But you can’t have many trainees, can you?”

“Exactly. Ridiculously, I have to create the best group with the minimum number of trainees. I have to bring the trainees I select to debut.”

“You plan to invest as much as possible in them.”

“Yes, I’ll use every penny I have. I want to create the best with the investment. This is my last chance.”

“So, you want me to help with selecting trainees.”

“Plus, I’d like you to gather key staff. Not all at once, but as needed. That’s what I’m asking of you, Mr. Seong Pil.”

Hong Gyu Heon placed the almost finished cigarette in the ashtray.

While the smoke was being sucked into the ventilation, Seong Pil pondered her offer.

‘I can guess why she specifically chose me.’

A founding member of Success Entertainment, which started from the ground up.

He had worked in various roles, from road manager to sales, trainee casting, and marketing. There were few areas he hadn’t touched.

He wasn’t an expert, but he had worked in various fields out of necessity.

In any case, Seong Pil had built a wide network through his long career as a manager.

‘Hanguin said he found out about me from the book ‘Entertainment Business Management.’ Hong Gyu Heon must have read it too.’

Seong Pil was the manager featured in the book written by the Open University professor.

It was enough to inspire trust.

“If you’re asking if I can do what you want, yes, I can.”

It wasn’t just because of his experience as a manager.

Seong Pil knew what would happen over the next ten years.

He could predict who had talent.

Some of them had disappeared due to unfortunate events. Bringing them in would guarantee their talent as idols.

“I also have conditions.”

“Please, go on.”

“I want to participate in production.”

Hanguin had suggested he meet CEO Hong Gyu Heon, implying that he couldn’t make the decision alone.

Sure enough, Hong Gyu Heon looked thoughtful.

Seong Pil secretly hoped she would accept.

No, he wanted to work with her.

‘She said she would use all her money to invest in trainees and that this was her last chance.’

This meant that even if the group failed, she wouldn’t burden the trainees with debt.

In Korea, there are many people who make failed group members pay for training and management costs, leaving them with millions of debt and forced into society. But Hong Gyu Heon implied she wouldn’t do that.

‘Such a person is rare.’

She was someone who maintained a minimum level of morality even in the face of money.

Seong Pil had seen many people who didn’t even maintain that minimum, which made him more attracted to Hong Gyu Heon.

After a moment of thought, Hong Gyu Heon frowned.

Seong Pil read her expression and stiffened to hide his disappointment.

“That’s… a very reasonable request.”

But what came out of Hong Gyu Heon’s mouth was unexpected.

“The company will operate with a small team until our business is on track. Haha, last time I hired too many people on a whim. We might continue with only 10… no, 5 or fewer employees. So, of course, everyone will be a producer.”

“…Your answer is a bit ambiguous.”

“Oh, is it? Then let me promise you this. I’ll give you a vote in major decisions.”

She promised him a vote.

In other words, she recognized him as part of the management.

Bringing in an outsider directly into the management was a bold decision.

Of course, Hong Gyu Heon added a condition.

“Of course, you need to have the ability to match.”

“Ability?”

“I know about your experience, but that’s from elsewhere. Build it here too.”

“You want me to prove my worth.”

“It’s not a pretentious condition like proving your worth… it’s about building trust together. Once trust is built, you’ll be involved in important decisions, even if you don’t want to.”

In the end, she wanted him to show the ability to match the conditions.

Seong Pil also wanted that.

“I understand.”

“Good. Do you have any other requests?”

“No.”

Seong Pil answered confidently.

He really had no other requests. The salary Hong Gyu Heon offered was more than enough.

‘For me, production is the most important.’

The right to build an idol group from scratch.

While it was a vote, not a final decision, Seong Pil was confident he could convince Hong Gyu Heon.

After all, he knew in advance what kind of group would succeed in the future.

Hong Gyu Heon smiled broadly at Seong Pil’s answer.

“Let’s do our best.”

* * *

Hanguin.

After graduating from one of Korea’s top universities, he worked as an intern at a venture capital firm in the United States for two years.

Despite good performance and a regular job offer, he chose to return to Korea.

It was because of his dream.

“I want to be a founding member of any company and eventually turn it into a large corporation.”

He had no interest in already established companies. Moreover, he received a very tempting offer in Korea.

One of his father’s friends was the chairman of a group.

The group’s main business was cultural, and the chairman’s youngest daughter was starting a new business.

“Work with her.”

The youngest daughter was Hong Gyu Heon. She boldly started a management company.

The entertainment industry, with its closed structure, is very difficult for new entrepreneurs to enter.

“Is it possible?”

“Of course it’s possible. What do you think of me? I run my factory well on my own.”

Instead of taking over a good business like a brother, Hong Gyu Heon deliberately chose a difficult path.

Hanguin was excited by her ambition.

A few years later.

“Damn it!”

Hong Gyu Heon had changed.

She, who had never smoked, now smoked heavily in her office and often drank strong liquor.

It was because the first idol group had failed.

Even trying to make a comeback, it was impossible without the general producer and his team.

“Run it by the seat of your pants or cut it off.”

Hong Gyu Heon gathered the group members and, after much deliberation, announced the disbandment.

You can’t save a dying person, she decided.

If so, she had to start over.

“What do you think of Park Seong Pil?”

“He’s more of a manager than a creator.”

What Hong Gyu Heon wanted from Seong Pil was his industry connections.

Moreover, as someone who had worked from the ground up at Success Entertainment, he would have a lot of useful knowledge for Garo Entertainment.

“Right, we’ll see how it goes working together.”

Hong Gyu Heon sighed, filled with worry and anxiety.

“From what you investigated, Park Seong Pil seems like a good person. It will work out. Yes, it has to work out.”

Hanguin had already investigated Seong Pil.

He had found out everything, from his career and personal information to the places he frequently visited.

In the end, Hong Gyu Heon thought it would be fine to work with Seong Pil.

“Yes, he’s a diligent person.”

Hanguin agreed. And that diligent person, Seong Pil, was currently in a room salon.

* * *

“I’m quitting the company.”

Silence filled the room.

Kim Tae Hoon’s eyes widened in surprise, and Yoon Sang Yeol snickered.