Chapter 79

As I stood with Chae Yeon, the guys who were nowhere to be seen suddenly appeared in the apartment lobby.

[ ······We like each other. ]

The moment I said that, they went berserk.

‘Ah, how embarrassing.’

I never thought I would say something like that.

But I didn’t want to say, ‘We met at a gathering,’ or ‘We’re just friends,’ in front of Chae Yeon.

And then.

A new quest popped up.

This time it was 《Leisure》.

──────────

The quest 《Brilliant 30s: Leisure》 has started.

『Eh, eh... It looks good.』

◇ Be selected as the ‘Best Dressed Couple’ at the influencer party <Midsummer Night’s Halloween>.

◇ Time limit: 3 days

◆ Reward: 500G

──────────

No, don’t get involved in other people’s relationships...

Anyway, now I have three ongoing quests.

First, the quest <Achieve 1000 daily sales> hinges on quickly setting up cold brew production facilities.

Second, the quest <Be selected as the Best Dressed>... I have little time to prepare, but I should at least discuss it with Chae Yeon.

‘What would be good? I’ve never been to a Halloween event before.’

And the last one is the most burdensome quest.

<Raise all the investment funds for the film production>.

I needed to know the exact scale of investment and hear the progress, so I scheduled a meeting with the production company today.

But from the start, something didn’t feel right.

A shabby commercial building, underground floor.

I opened the door with a ‘Seongsu Pictures’ sign and stepped inside, only to find a damp space.

‘Is this really it?’

The room was dimly lit with only orange lights, and there were old fabric sofas on either side of a long table.

‘It looks like an old video rental shop.’

The movie posters on the walls made it even more so. But the one next to the entrance was a movie I knew well.

The well-made romance, <Street of the Wind>.

‘I think I saw it in the theater right after the college entrance exam.’

I remember it was quite popular among bored high school seniors back then. It had around 3 to 4 million viewers.

<Street of the Wind> was beside other familiar movies. I hadn’t seen them, but they were often talked about during my college days.

But as I moved my gaze to the recent ones.

The more recent the movie, the more unfamiliar they became.

‘Did this actor appear in such movies?’

All of them were unknown.

In a nutshell, a string of flops.

“Director, here’s some juice, orange juice.”

I pulled the bag Yu Yeol had brought over and took out a disposable cup, pouring juice and handing it to them.

“Ah... Thank you. I’m showing you such a pitiful sight, even though you’re investing.”

I could see tears, snot, and juice on Baesung-su’s beard, so I tore off a tissue and gave it to him.

“No, making a movie isn’t an easy job. Calm down. Here’s a tissue.”

“Thank you...”

Okay, I’ve treated the scurvy.

Let’s start with the repairs.

“Tell me slowly. What are you unsure about?”

“Have you heard about our movie that was canceled before?”

“Yes, the writer told me.”

“The production cost we secured back then was 40 billion won. With 50% for marketing, the total production cost is 60 billion won.”

Even hearing it again, it was an enormous amount.

60 billion won made my hair stand on end and cold sweat pour down my back.

‘This is no joke.’

From the audience’s perspective, it’s just 1-2 hours of entertainment, but for the producers, it’s a matter of life and death.

For Baesung-su and Yu Yeol.

It was perhaps natural for them to feel so disheartened.

They wanted to do something they were willing to bet their lives on.

But the road ahead was long.

And when pushed, they lacked confidence.

Baesung-su blew his nose with a tissue and said,

“Do you know what the break-even point would be if 60 billion won is invested?”

“Of course, 1.7 million viewers, right?”

“Yes, 1.7 million is the break-even point...”

Baesung-su glanced at Yu Yeol with a heavy heart and continued,

“None of the recent movies we produced have surpassed 1 million viewers...”

“What about <Street of the Wind>? I remember it was really fun to watch in the theater.”

“That was 10 years ago.”

“Ah, ha... Director Baesung-su. What about the experience and expertise from making those movies? This script is really good. I found it very entertaining. It’s really great.”

Yu Yeol’s smile widened, but Baesung-su lowered his head.

“I appreciate that you found it entertaining... but after the cancellation, all the major investment and distribution companies have turned their backs on us. It means there’s no hope...”

No, this guy is really something.

Depression is highly contagious.

Wasn’t it because of this guy that Yu Yeol got sick from constant revisions?

I can’t let this go. I’ll throw them all into the water.

“Director, how about selling me the script? I’ll pay a fair price.”

“Oh, I’ve thought about that...”

Baesung-su turned to Yu Yeol.

Yu Yeol shook his head firmly.

“Even though he looks like this now... he’s someone who gets things done. And we’ve invested so much time into this. It’s not possible.”

I felt a tightness in my chest.

‘Ugh...’

We have a hit guaranteed by our system, and yet they’re saying they can’t make it.

‘What should I do?’

I’m not a psychiatrist.

I couldn’t heal them right away.

So, there’s only one way.

Artists need to be shown the money.

“Director, do you have an account for the production budget?”

“Yes, I do.”

“Write down the account number.”

I flipped over the printed material in front of me and handed it to him.

“Huh? We haven’t explained anything yet...”

“I’m definitely going to produce this movie.”

“Really?”

“Just write it down.”

Baesung-su hesitantly scribbled the number and handed the paper back. I copied the numbers onto my phone.

Zing─

Baesung-su’s phone on the table buzzed.

“Check it. 100 million won should have arrived.”

“Huh? No, this is...”

But the buzzing didn’t stop.

Zing─

Zing─

Zing─

Zing─

100 million won per buzz.

Five buzzes, how much is that?

Even a child could do the math, so Baesung-su didn’t even check his phone. He just gaped.

“Consider this a down payment. After hearing your briefing today, I might give more. That will speed up the production, right?”

“But... if you send it to a personal account...”

“I’ll set up an investment company soon. That’s a problem I’ll handle later. So.”

I leaned back in my chair.

“Are you going to explain, or not?”

Baesung-su closed his eyes tightly.

He rubbed his face with his thick hands.

Then, he finished the remaining juice in one gulp and stood up.

Bang!

The meeting room lights went off.

The projector lit up.

The moment the <Survival Insurance> project began.

*

The effect of the money was tremendous.

The giant began his presentation with a heavy voice.

Of course, it started with the money.

“Like I mentioned, the total production cost is 60 billion won, with a break-even point of 1.7 million viewers. After that, the profits are split 3:2 between the investment company and the production company. That means 60% to the investors and 40% to us.”

I raised my hand and asked.

I had to use what I studied.

“Is that the profit after deducting the production cost, theater fees, distribution fees, and the film development fund?”

“Yes.”

“Then what’s the current expected profit?”

“...”

Ah, I’m asking someone who doesn’t even think they can break even.

“I’ll change the question. How much profit would there be if 10 million people watched?”

“...10 million?”

“It’s a hypothetical. If 10 million people watched, what would the profit be?”

Baesung-su answered without hesitation.

“If we achieve 10 million viewers with our production cost, the profit would be around 30 billion won. That means 18 billion won for the investors and 10... 12 billion won for us. Theoretically.”

30 billion won profit from a 60 billion won investment, a 3x return?

Indeed, a hit is a hit.

Moreover, the return on investment for films is much faster compared to other venture investments.

I started to feel the excitement.

“Good. Please continue.”

“The production budget is allocated like this.”

Baesung-su continued his presentation without wavering.

Even I, who knew little about it, could understand his clear, kind, and systematic explanation.

His eyes showed a strong will to ‘really do this right.’

“We plan to cover the residuals for the director and actors based on performance.”

As I listened, a sense of déjà vu started to creep in.

Where have I seen someone change like this?

‘Ah, right! The computer shop owner!’

He also changed after a money show.

I wonder how he’s doing now. Has he found a job?

“The next part is the pre-production status.”

I refocused on Baesung-su.

The core was straightforward.

A movie that had already secured a major investor and distributor and was almost ready to start filming.

From concept art, scene list, and storyboard production.

To location scouting, set construction, staff, equipment, and team selection for CG, special effects, music, costumes, and props.

All the pre-production work was already completed.

“After three years, some adjustments will be needed, but the overall framework is in place. We can cut the pre-production period by more than half and complete it within two months.”

The key was the people.

While Baesung-su could quickly assemble the staff,

He had mutually agreed to terminate contracts with the actors due to difficulties in securing investments.

“...We plan to start casting from scratch.”

“That’s good. Three years is a long time in the film industry. Some faces will have changed, and new actors will have emerged.”

“Yes, but the problem is the direction.”

If the director changes, all the pre-production work becomes useless.

“Who’s the director? I haven’t heard.”

“At the time, it was Director Ko Yoo-taek.”

“Ko Yoo-taek?”

I’ve heard of him.

“Oh, is he the director of <The Square>?”

“Yes. He directed it right after our project was canceled.”

“Oh, that movie was really sophisticated.”

“Yes... He’s one of the top young thriller directors.”

<The Square>. A thriller that reinterpreted a novel with a modern setting.

I saw it on Netflix later and remember being on the edge of my seat.

Especially the scene direction was innovative yet not difficult to follow, and I was truly impressed.

“He would be perfect for this movie, right?”

“But... he’s quite unconventional, so it might not be easy to get him on board again.”

‘Unconventional’ is a nice way to put it.

From the way Baesung-su spoke, it seemed he had a bad temper and was eccentric.

‘It won’t be easy... especially after the success of <The Square>.’

But.

Baesung-su spoke with a firm voice.

“But I’ll try to make it happen. Just like three years ago, I still think Ko Yoo-taek is perfect for this script.”

“Oh, you’re confident?”

“I never back down once I make up my mind. If I start, I finish. If I cast, I cut.”

Wow, his face is scary when he says it like that.

“I see. By the way, I have something to say about casting.”

“Oh... Yes.”

“Director, don’t look at me like that. I’m not asking for a favor.”

There was something I wanted to mention during the meeting.

I forgot because the meeting started and threw me off.

“I showed the script to actors Im Hee-ju and Yu Si-sung.”

“Really?”

Yu Yeol reacted immediately.

“Yes, why would I lie, hehe.”

“I sent the script to Im Hee-ju before... but she declined due to a tight schedule.”