Chapter 55

Villain Only Acting 055

More is Better? Too Much is Better? (4)

[Special Cookie Scene Unveiled at the Premiere!]

[Will there be a Sequel to The Vault?]

[Who is the Scene Stealer, or Rather, the Scene Hijacker?]

-Don't search for The Vault. Don't read the articles. Don't even look at the titles.

-Damn, these reporters are spoiling everything from the titles. So, you guys are the spoilers, huh 😭

-Don't search for The Vault, don't read the articles, just go straight to the cinema!

-You gotta go now 😭😭😭😭

-Just everything is spoiled, all of it. Just go see the movie first.

[The Vault, 2 million cumulative viewers in 3 days!]

[Word of mouth is getting intense.]

[Will Hwang In-joon finally become a 10 million viewer director?]

[The substitute who came in as a last-minute replacement stages a hilarious rebellion.]

-^| Stop spoiling it, damn it 😭

-What's the point of doing this from the title, damn reporters

[The Vault, 1.1 million daily viewers on the 4th day! 3.3 million cumulative!]

[Break-even point of 4.64 million, surpassed on the 6th day!]

[From the 7th day of release, it's all profit!]

[The Vault, sweeping the screens! 10 million is already a certainty!]

"Keep climbing! Keep climbing!"

"10 million? Let's aim for 12 million, 13 million!"

***

Back in time, right after the internal premiere.

Hwang In-joon received a call from Park Si-hong.

"Director Hwang, it turned out well. I think this movie will do great."

"Thank you."

"I especially liked the scene where you burn the Lamborghini."

"Yes, thanks to that, Seo Hoon had a grand premiere in front of the audience."

"Is that good?"

"Of course. The first scene of Seo Hoon in the movie will be talked about for a long time. It's even better that such an important scene came out so beautifully."

Hwang In-joon rubbed his hands together in his heart, flattering him.

"It's all thanks to the representative's bold decision. Burning a 7 billion won supercar... That's never happened in Korean film history."

"Really? Foreign films burn a lot of Lamborghinis and Ferraris."

"There's a huge difference in budget. If someone in Chungmuro said they were going to do that, investors would immediately rise up."

In fact, Hwang In-joon was nervous inside.

'He's not going to ask me to add the Lamborghini's value to the production cost now, is he?'

If so, the production cost would jump from 304 billion to about 309 billion. Considering depreciation, he had set the Lamborghini's value at around 5 billion.

"But it was a bit disappointing at the end."

"What do you mean...?"

"Kim Chan dying so miserably after being betrayed, while Kim Su-jin, that woman, flies to America with tens of trillions and lives well. It made me feel bad. It felt like you were telling my story."

He must be talking about the girlfriend of a girl group sponsor cheating on him.

"Kim Chan's role is small in the first half, but after the National Intelligence Service and the customs office scenes, he finishes the movie with Kim Su-jin, right?"

"Yes, that's right."

"The script was a bit different from the original. It wasn't just a role swap."

"That's right. Kim Chan in the affair and Kim Chan in the original can't be the same. That's why we added the kissing scene."

"I feel a bit disappointed. It would be perfect if Kim Chan turned out to be alive and came back to take revenge on Kim Su-jin in the sequel."

Hwang In-joon shivered slightly, feeling a chill.

Park Si-hong looked at him with a puzzled expression.

"Are you cold? Why all of a sudden?"

"Actually, there's a cookie scene I shot to include in the director's cut Blu-ray."

"Cookie? There wasn't one today?"

"Yes. It's an unreleased cookie scene. It's not in the official release."

The investor's instincts were strongly stirred, and Park Si-hong sharply ordered.

"When can I see it?"

The difference between 'Can I see it?' and 'When can I see it?'.

It's the tone of someone who naturally thinks the world revolves around them.

"Right now. It's on my phone. It's only a few seconds long."

"Turn it on. Hurry."

Hwang In-joon quickly turned on his phone and showed the cookie scene, and Park Si-hong stared intently.

He didn't just watch it once; he repeated the cookie scene several times.

Hwang In-joon clenched his fist, shouting 'Yes!' in his heart.

Park Si-hong turned to Hwang In-joon with a wicked smile.

"You sly dog. You were hiding this?"

"I often hear that I'm sly."

"Why didn't you show this right away? Do you think a 130 billion investor is a joke?"

"Nothing was confirmed yet."

"There are still two days before the official release. Can you add this in the meantime? It's already distributed nationwide, right?"

"These days, everything is digital. It's been a long time since film screenings. It won't take a day, not even an hour to redistribute. We just need to insert the cookie scene in the middle. Rendering will be quick."

"Add this immediately. And produce a sequel."

"But the production cost I'm thinking of..."

"I'll invest 400 billion. If the first one surpasses 10 million, I'll invest up to 500 billion."

It's almost impossible to produce a film without a distributor in the film industry.

In South Korea, large distributors control franchise theaters, so without their investment, securing screens is always a disadvantage.

Park Si-hong knows this well. That's why he couldn't invest more even if he wanted to.

"I'm not saying you shouldn't get investments from others. I'm guaranteeing that you can shoot without worrying about money and to your heart's content."

"I understand, sir."

It's not a demand to take all 400 billion, but a promise to guarantee up to 400 billion, encouraging him to go wild.

Up to 500 billion if it surpasses 10 million.

"Before that, there's something you need to do today, or rather, right now."

"Get Seo Hoon."

"Bring him in. No, it's better to call him since he's doing the premiere stage greetings. Call him now."

"Yes."

Hwang In-joon eagerly called Seo Hoon.

-Yes, Director.

"Seo Hoon, do you remember the cookie scene we shot?"

-Of course. You said it would be included in the director's cut Blu-ray...

"I've decided to add it to the release version. So, I need your confirmation. Will you appear in the sequel?"

"Director Hwang, that's not how you negotiate roles. Switch to speaker mode."

"Oh, right. Seo Hoon, Mr. Park is also here. Should I switch to speaker mode?"

-Yes.

As it switched to speaker mode, Park Si-hong spoke as if Seo Hoon were right in front of him.

"Director Hwang, how much did you pay our actor Seo Hoon?"

"500 million. It's A-grade treatment for a supporting actor."

The quick-witted Hwang In-joon immediately chimed in.

"What's the going rate for a lead actor these days?"

"Usually, for a B-grade lead actor..."

"Just tell me about S-grade."

"S-grade is 7 billion plus. A base fee of 7 billion, plus additional running guarantees based on box office performance."

"Actor Seo Hoon."

Park Si-hong called out in a gentle voice, and Hwang In-joon felt a slight chill.

To think that the voice that once threatened to ruin the movie could change so much.

"Our Director Hwang is guaranteeing 7 billion plus. Will you appear in the sequel?"

-I will.

"Since we're both busy, we can't write the contract right away. I'm guaranteeing the highest industry standards, and as an investor and witness, I'll make sure of it. Actor Seo Hoon, you won't change your mind later, right?"

-Of course not. I've already promised to star in Director Hwang's next project.

"Great. We'll finalize the contract later. Oh, and I'll invest in the sequel too."

After hanging up, Park Si-hong made a haughty gesture with his chin.

"What are you doing? Get to work quickly."

"I'm going right now!"

Actually, there was nothing to edit.

He had already prepared it.

***

[Kim Chan is coming back.]

[Rising Star Seo Hoon to Star in The Vault 2!]

[Kim Chan Returns, Hunting Down Kim Su-jin?]

-^| Stop spoiling it, damn it 😭

-You say that, but they spoil it even more. These damn spoilers

-I went to see it on the opening day and I'm the winner 😆

-Because of the reporters 😭 I saw it spoiled, but it was still amazing. It would have been even better if I hadn't known.

-Those who saw it at the premiere must have been shocked 😭

-It was shocking 😆 When Seo Hoon said 'Finally,' the music cut off and the cookie scene started. It was thrilling 😭😭😭

-It looks like the director planned it 😆

-Right, the way he allocated time for the actors' greetings and the moment Seo Hoon paused with 'Finally' before the cookie scene—all directed by the director. No doubt, I'm right.

-Even the stage greetings were so meticulously directed. No wonder a master is not just anyone 😆

[The Vault, 10 million cumulative viewers in the third week!]

[The golden tower rising without a pause!]

[Seo Hoon, what are the conditions for The Vault 2?]

[Director Hwang In-joon, "I can't disclose the detailed contract conditions, but I signed him with the highest industry standards. Seo Hoon is no longer at the rookie level. He is a complete actor and will show even more evolved performances next time."]

[The Vault! 11 million viewers!]

-For heaven's sake, at least proofread the title. To get a 100 million viewer movie in Korea, we need to change the population 😭

-Even the comma is wrong 😆

-Sigh, these damn reporters. I'm still shaken by the spoilers 😭

***

"Hey. Why didn't you make a 10 million viewer promise?"

Jeong Su-yeon's question puzzled Jeong Seo-hoon.

"10 million viewer promise? Is there such a thing?"

"Actors make small promises to their fans. If it reaches 10 million, they'll do something; if it reaches 12 million, they'll do something else. But you just breezed past 10 million."

"I didn't know such a thing existed. Should I do it now?"

"It's a bit too late now. It's about to hit 12 million. Making a 13 million promise now would look a bit off, wouldn't it?"

"Then, what about a 15 million promise?"

"How about this? If it surpasses 15 million, you'll stroll around Gangnam in Kim Chan's outfit. Famous actors often do things like this."

"Hmm, I'll think about it."

"You need to decide quickly, not just think about it. If you announce a promise after it surpasses 15 million, it'll look like you're just trying to pump up the numbers at the last minute."

"Strolling around is a bit... I'm shy, and I can't do it."

More importantly, it would be overwhelming with so many people around, affecting his sense of presence.

Now, he's trained enough not to feel uncomfortable in daily life, but it's still a bit challenging with a large crowd.

He felt a bit overwhelmed even during the stage greetings, but he managed to hold it together.

"Wait a moment. I have a call from writer Kim Sang-hee."

"Okay, go ahead."

Jeong Su-yeon got up, and Jeong Seo-hoon answered the call.

A cheerful voice greeted him warmly.

-Congratulations on surpassing 11 million. It looks like it will easily reach 13 million, right?

"Thank you."

-I saw the movie. It turned out well. By the end, I had completely forgotten about the first half and Choi Sung-bin. Watching the second half, it felt like Seo Hoon was the main character.

"Still, the screen time was quite low."

-By the way, how much did you get paid? I won't tell anyone. If it's uncomfortable, you don't have to say.

There was no doubt that Kim Sang-hee was asking out of genuine concern.

"I got 500 million. Please keep it a secret."

-That's too little. If it weren't for you, it would have probably stopped at 700 million or 800 million.

"No, that's not true. It would have surpassed 10 million even without me."

-What about running guarantees? Oh, 500 million is A-grade treatment for a supporting actor, so it's natural that there were none. Director Hwang really took advantage of you.

"In exchange, I got good conditions for the sequel."

-Can I ask about that?

"Base fee of 7 billion plus running guarantees."

-That's S-grade treatment. Still, it seems Director Hwang is trying to make up for what he couldn't give in the first part. That's great. Congratulations.

Kim Sang-hee's voice always conveyed genuine sincerity.

That's why she always has good people around her.

She is competent, diligent, and has a bright and healthy personality. People naturally gravitate towards her.

-Seo Hoon, do you want to have a drink with a rich and talented older sister? I have something to talk about too.

"When can I see you?"

-When are you free?

"I'm available right now."

-Then today. Come to my place. I'm already having a drink, so come whenever you're comfortable.

Her cheerful laugh echoed brightly.

-I'll buy you very expensive drinks, so you can look forward to it.