Chapter 915: Public Opinon War (2) |
At thirty-two years old, Reporter Go Se-Eun was the ace of Entertainment Big Bang, a third-rate tabloid that would turn anything into an article as long as it got paid.
However, she would become a specialist in hit pieces before long. A hit piece was an article commissioned for a hefty sum to drag a targeted celebrity down into ruin, and before my regression, she had even approached me with such an offer.
-Is there anyone you want to cut down, Mr. Vice President? Just say the word. I'll give you a discount for the first deal.
I rejected her offer outright, but Kim Dong-Soo had used her to completely destroy a rival girl group. And now, that very Go Se-Eun was standing in front of me, bringing up Project I.O.A.
'So this time, our kids are the target?'
The one who commissioned something like this was almost certainly either Director Hong Ah-Yoon of HK Entertainment or President Son Hyung-Tae of CK Entertainment.
Just as I was thinking I should break her down and trace the one behind her, Go Se-Eun suddenly raised her voice.
"Are you not hearing me? What makes Ling Ling and Seo Hee-Joo so special that they don't even have to participate in the competition that 132 others are sweating blood over? Or did you already handpick the rest of the I.O.A members too?"
Go Se-Eun subtly brought up the manipulation rumors circulating among some fans, trying to pressure me. Nevertheless, I brushed off her words lightly and walked toward the front of the tent.
At that moment, Reporter Choi So-Hye spoke sharply, "Hey, Go Se-Eun. Since when do you get to cut the line? You think you're the only reporter here?"
Then the others chimed in, glaring.
"Who does she think she is, asking questions whenever she wants?"
"What, we're just sitting here because we've got nothing to ask?"
"Hey, Reporter Go. Why don't you shut it for a second? Can't you see your sunbaes are waiting?"
As expected, the best way to deal with a reporter was with other reporters.Yet, perhaps because she had been paid well, Go Se-Eun didn't back down.
"If you won't answer, I'll just write it however I see fit."
At her provocative remark, I responded cleanly, "It's not those two receiving preferential treatment, but it's the entire Project I.O.A cast."
At that, the reporters inside the tent immediately started typing on their laptops.
Tap tap tap.
Go Se-Eun's eyes gleamed as if she had caught something. "How can you say something so harsh? Those kids are crying as they compete, and you're calling that preferential treatment? Now that Hoop Entertainment has become a major company, are you saying they should just be grateful for being selected?"
Ignoring her twisted words, I addressed the reporters. "Some of you may already know this, but Project I.O.A began as Hoop Entertainment's global idol project. It was designed to select additional members centered around Ling Ling and Hee-Joo."
The reporters nodded.
"That's true."
"Right."
"You didn't know that?"
"I just transferred to entertainment, okay?"
A few of the newer or less-informed reporters looked unfamiliar with the information. Those were exactly the kind of people Go Se-Eun targeted.
So I continued explaining calmly, "And through Project I.O.A, we selected 132 participants from Korea, China, and Japan through auditions. Not all of them will make it, of course. But throughout this process, a top-tier management team has been taking care of them, training them, and putting them through a full idol system."
The reporters pressed their lips together and nodded.
"Yeah. Hoop really raised them properly."
"It was already on the app, so we knew that part."
I nodded, then began explaining the part that had never been revealed to the public before. "And we didn't abandon those who were eliminated. Even those who didn't make it through the competition were given opportunities to join as trainees at Reverse Entertainment, SJ Entertainment, Shanghai New Media Inc., Japan AMOSE, and Hayoon Entertainment, with a path toward debut. From what I've heard, a few teams might even debut within this year."
The moment unreleased information started coming out, the reporters smiled and began typing rapidly. As I kept my promise, Choi So-Hye also typed with a bright expression, finally saying she understood.
"No wonder. Normally, eliminated contestants just leave bitter comments about the program, but Project I.O.A kept getting unusually positive ones. So that's why!"
In most audition programs, eliminated contestants posted grievances on social media. However, Project I.O.A was different. Most of the eliminated participants described it as "the best experience of their lives."
"Well, that is preferential treatment."
"Honestly, even big corporations ignore long-term employees after they leave, but you're looking after kids who were only on the show for a few weeks? That's definitely preferential treatment."
"Chief Jung, doesn't Hoop's PR team recruit former reporters? Take me with you too."
Now even the reporters were agreeing with me, saying the contestants had indeed been given preferential treatment.
Unable to hold back, Go Se-Eun shouted, "B-but compared to the ones competing, Ling Ling and Seo Hee-Joo are debuting ridiculously easily! If that's not preferential treatment, what is?"
'Easily? What a joke.'
I finally turned to glare at her and spoke sharply. "Who said they had it easy? Have you even seen how hard Ling Ling and Hee-Joo have worked?"
"Of course they practiced! But do you think they worked as hard as the ones competing every week under the fear of elimination?"
I let out a faint scoff and turned to Do Ran-Hee, who was holding my phone. "Ran-Hee. Hand them out."
Do Ran-Hee snorted and shouted loudly, "You reporters hit the jackpot today. This is an exclusive video file only for those who showed up."
She unzipped the bag under the table and handed out USB drives one by one. "Here you go. No viruses, so don't worry."
The file inside the USBs was a video titled [Ling Ling and Seo Hee-Joo: 60 Days of Record]. It contained footage documenting just how hard Ling Ling and Seo Hee-Joo had worked since joining Hoop Entertainment, divided into a full one-hour version and a five-minute highlight version.
"As you'll see, since Project I.O.A began, the two of them have trained to perfectly cover every competition song better than anyone else. As the ones who will lead I.O.A, they've undergone intense training up until this very morning so they wouldn't fall behind any of the 132 participants."
As I continued, showing the video filled with Ling Ling and Seo Hee-Joo's blood, sweat, and effort, the reporters nodded repeatedly.
"After watching that, I wonder if you can still say they received preferential treatment. I'm sorry, but I don't believe that at all."
After saying that, I waited while the reporters watched the highlight video. As expected, their reaction was even better than I had anticipated.
"Wow… this is no joke. Their dance lines are already pro-level."
"If I exaggerate a bit, they're on Cherry Blossom's level."
"At this rate, they're basically confirmed as the center of I.O.A."
As expected, admiration poured out for Ling Ling and Seo Hee-Joo's skills. And then, the reporters who had finished watching the video took their hands off their keyboards and began raising them one by one.
"Chief Jung, take a few questions."
"No need to drag it out—are Ling Ling and Hee-Joo appearing on today's broadcast?"
After watching the footage, their attitude had clearly turned even more favorable. Go Se-Eun tried to speak again, but before she could open her mouth, I addressed the reporters first.
"If you're curious, why don't you ask Ling Ling and Hee-Joo yourselves?"
"Themselves?"
I signaled to Do Ran-Hee, who was standing by the front exit of the tent. Do Ran-Hee nodded and gently opened the entrance flap.
"Come on in, girls."
Flap.
As the front of the tent opened, Ling Ling and Seo Hee-Joo stepped inside.
"Hello, reporters! I'm Seo Hee-Joo."
"Hello. I'm Ling Ling!"
The moment the reporters saw Ling Ling and Seo Hee-Joo, their faces lit up. They had not only received exclusive information, but also the chance to conduct a direct interview with future I.O.A members.
In that instant, the excited reporters raised their cameras and began snapping photos.
Flash.
Flash.
As the reporters cheered and kept taking pictures, I glanced over at Go Se-Eun. Things hadn't gone her way, and she was trembling with frustration. She might think this was the end of it, but it wasn't even close. Given her personality, she would definitely come after our girls again, relentlessly.
'Reporter Go. You picked the wrong client this time.'
***
Ling Ling, one of the I.O.A members, instantly captured the reporters' attention with her lively personality and fluent Korean. Meanwhile, Seo Hee-Joo responded to questions with calm composure and elegance, drawing warm smiles from them. The contrast between the two only made the reporters grin more as they carried on an enthusiastic interview for twenty minutes.
While that was happening, I briefly checked the portal's entertainment news page.
[Top 10 Entertainment Articles]
1. [Project I.O.A: Preview's real-time viewership on a record-breaking run!]
2. [Tonight at 10 p.m. KNET's Once More, Idol! premieres!]
3. [Seo Hee-Joo and Ling Ling greet viewers as members who will join the final I.O.A lineup. "We'll do our best not to fall behind."]
4. [Ling Ling and Seo Hee-Joo. Relentless effort as selected I.O.A members!]
5. [Bubbly Ling Ling and elegant Hee-Joo. Charm overflowing!]
…
The KNET articles that had filled the page were disappearing, replaced by Project I.O.A articles—eight out of ten. A complete victory in the media battle was now in sight. That meant it was time to wrap things up.
"All right. That concludes the interview with the two of them. Yoo-Jin is about to leave the set, and they've arranged to meet her before she goes."
At Do Ran-Hee's words, Ling Ling bent forward in a deep bow. "Reporters, see you again next time! I have to go see Yoo-Jin unnie. Zàijiàn!"
Ling Ling dashed toward the tent exit.
Startled, Seo Hee-Joo quickly bowed to the reporters. "I'm sorry, reporters. Ling Ling's a huge fan of Yoo-Jin unnie! We'll see you next time. Ling Ling! Ling Ling!"
With hurried steps, she chased after Ling Ling along with Zhou Shishi.
Choi So-Hye let out a small laugh. "She's like a mischievous little sister, and Hee-Joo's the older one trying to keep her in line."
The other reporters reacted positively as well.
"Ling Ling's full of energy, Chief Jung."
"Hee-Joo has this calming presence, just from the way she speaks and acts."
Satisfied with the interview, the reporters all seemed pleased.
"All right, then. Off you go, everyone. After watching Yoo-Jin's special MC segment, we'll be heading straight to Gyeongju by helicopter," I said.
The reporters jumped to their feet in surprise.
"Y-You should've told us that earlier!"
"If I don't get photos of Jung Yoo-Jin, I'm dead!"
"You've got a habit of saving the most important thing for last, don't you?"
"Hey! Move, move!"
At the mention of Yoo-Jin, the lead actress of Hwaranjeon, which had a 41% viewership ratings, the reporters hurriedly grabbed their cameras and laptops and rushed toward the front exit.
However, only Go Se-Eun, who had been picking a fight with me, quietly slipped out through the back. As expected, she hadn't come to cover Project I.O.A but she had come to target our girls.
To catch her immediately, I called out to Reporter Jang Moon-Ki, who was just about to leave after packing up his things.
"Mr. Jang. One moment, please. I have a favor to ask."
Since it was just Jang Moon-Ki and me inside the tent, I told him I had a favor to ask. Jang Moon-Ki stopped walking and glanced at me. "So, how much are you offering? Hmm, Mr. Jung?"
'A deal at a time like this? This is actually perfect.'
"I'll give you a separate batch of Yoo-Jin photos. And on top of that, I have one more exclusive to offer."
Jang Moon-Ki rubbed his hands together. "Go ahead, Mr. Client. Anything you need."
With only the two of us in the reporters' tent, I finally began explaining my request carefully.
***
After leaving the tent, Go Se-Eun headed toward the back of a parking management building some distance away. Spotting a crushed can, she kicked it with all her strength.
Clang!
The can rolled noisily across the ground.
"Damn it! Damn it!"
She had tried to frame Ling Ling and Seo Hee-Joo as beneficiaries of unfair advantages, only to be completely shut down by Jung Yoon-Ho's preparation.
"Not bad, Chief Jung. But don't think this is over."
Grinding her teeth, Go Se-Eun pulled out a cigarette pack from her pocket.
Tap.
However, the last cigarette inside was snapped in half.
"Fuck. What a shitty day, really."
Go Se-Eun crumpled the pack and tossed it to the ground.
Thud.
Just then, she heard a voice.
"What are you doing out here?"
She turned sharply. Standing there was Jang Moon-Ki, her former sunbae from the same company.
"I got pissed after getting screwed over, so I came out for a smoke. By the way, you got a cigarette? Mine's broken."
"I quit."
"Tch. Then why are you here if you're not even smoking?"
"To see you."
Go Se-Eun tilted her head. "Me? Why?"
Jang Moon-Ki glanced around before speaking. "Do you happen to know any sponsors?"
"Sponsors…?"
"Yeah. It looked like you were about to write a hit piece on I.O.A earlier. I've got something on Jung Yoon-Ho too, but if I drop it, I can't handle it alone. I'll need a sponsor."
For reporters, a sponsor meant someone who would cover legal risks like lawsuits and provide substantial financial backing. Usually, these sponsors were figures who stood to benefit from the article—business elites or political figures.
At that moment, Go Se-Eun's eyes gleamed. Her client had already promised a large sum if she could take down I.O.A, but if she could also bring down Jung Yoon-Ho, she could achieve both in one move.
Still, she couldn't trust Jang Moon-Ki so easily.
"But sunbae. You're close with Chief Jung, aren't you? Lately, you've only been writing articles about him."
"Hey. Since when do reporters have friends? Clicks are my friends and family. And come on, you know me. I'm Jang Moon-Ki, the master of fabrication and manipulation."
"That's true, but…"
"What, you don't have anyone? Then forget it."
As Jang Moon-Ki turned to leave, Go Se-Eun, not wanting to miss the opportunity, grabbed his arm. "Sunbae, if I introduce you to a sponsor, will you give me a referral cut?"
Jang Moon-Ki asked with a reluctant look, "How much?"
"Fifty percent!"
"Y-you're insane. Ah, forget it!"
Just as Jang Moon-Ki tried to shake her off, Go Se-Eun spoke up. "Ugh, fine. Just tell me the gist. I'll lower my cut."
"So you're just trying to skim off the core? Forget it. Do you even know how explosive this is?"
"Exactly. That's why you couldn't handle it alone and came to me for help. And I'm offering to help."
After a moment of hesitation, Jang Moon-Ki spoke carefully. "Fuck. Fine. It's about Jung Yoon-Ho's… woman problem."
Go Se-Eun's eyes widened. "Seriously?"
"Yeah. So just take 20%. Damn it, I'll need a lot of money just to cover myself after this drops."
Go Se-Eun nodded. She already had money promised from another deal anyway. "All right. Deal."
"Okay. So who's the sponsor?"
"Don't worry. It's someone reliable."
"Hey, tell me who it is. You know sponsors don't accept direct approaches for this kind of thing."
Deals with sponsors always went through intermediaries. This was because sponsors only met with the person they transacted with to avoid traps.
"You'll meet them later."
"Forget it. Do you think I'm the desperate one? You're the one who needs this."
As Jang Moon-Ki turned away in irritation, Go Se-Eun quickly grabbed his arm again. "Fine, fine. Why are you so impatient? You know Hong Ah-Yoon, right?"
Jang Moon-Ki stopped in place. "I do. But is there some kind of bad blood between her and Chief Jung?"
"How would I know? Anyway, she told me to wreck I.O.A. If it's you, she'll pay big. Maybe a billion won? No, I'll push it to two billion. Let's make a killing."
Just then, Jang Moon-Ki, who had been wearing a serious expression the whole time, suddenly broke into a grin.
"Reeeally~?" Something about Jang Moon-Ki's smile was off.
A chill crept up Go Se-Eun's spine as she asked, "Huh? Why are you smiling like that?"
Jang Moon-Ki let out a quiet chuckle. "You just got played."
"What? What did you say?"
Jang Moon-Ki suddenly turned his head and shouted, "It's done!"
At that moment, from behind the building, Jung Yoon-Ho stepped out. "Ms. Go Se-Eun. Shall we have a calm little talk?"
At the same time, Jang Moon-Ki casually pulled something out of his pocket. "Oh, and Reporter Go… you might not want to try denying anything."
On his phone screen were the words "Recording stopped."
A cold sweat began to run down Go Se-Eun's back.
'…Shit. I'm screwed.'