Big Life

Chapter 261. Don’t Provoke Me (2)

— Mr. Ha Jae-Gun appeared at the meeting?

“Yes, I was told that only Assemblyman Kwon Sung-Deuk and the deputy minister would be present, so I was surprised to see him there. I think something must have happened between both Mr. Ha and Assemblyman Kwon Sung-Deuk as well.”

Lin Minhong was on the phone with Mao Yen, standing next to a telephone pole with flyers pasted all over in the middle of a restaurant street somewhere in Seoul. A few passers-by looked at him with interest as he spoke fluent Mandarin.

“...Then Mr. Ha stood up and left out of the blue. I chased after him.”

— What is Mr. Ha doing then?

“He asked me to join him for dinner. We’re now at the restaurant.”

— He must be feeling down, so bring him to a nice place.

“Um, he has already decided on a place...” Lin Minhong trailed off as he looked up at the signboard of the shabby restaurant before him. They were at a restaurant specializing in soondae soup, a dish he had yet to try in Korea.

“I’m thinking of taking this dinner as a chance to talk about The Breath.”

— Will things go well after that hiccup earlier?

“I believe Mr. Ha is not someone easily led by his emotions. Don’t worry and leave it to me.”

A sigh came from Mao Yen.

— Alright, I’ll believe in you, Department Head Lin Minhong.

“Thank you.”

— You don’t have to be concerned about Assemblyman Kwon Sung-Deuk anymore. I’ve already finished talking it out with the head of the Central Publicity Department, Liu Bao, as well. Mr. Ha is Teencent’s top priority now.”

Lin Minhong hung up the phone and entered the restaurant, spotting Ha Jae-Gun taking the table in the corner. The two bowls of soondae soup they had ordered earlier had already been served on the table with hot steam rising from it.

“Sorry for making you wait, Mr. Ha.”

“No, it’s fine. I should be the one at fault for holding you back and asking you to join me for dinner. Please, have a seat.”

Lin Minhong took the seat across from Ha Jae-Gun.

Ha Jae-Gun handed Lin Minhong a spoon and said, “Soup and rice is always the first dish that comes to my mind when I get hungry. I’m not sure if you’ll like it, but please try it.”

“I eat anything, so it must be delicious,” Lin Minhon replied.

Ha Jae-Gun took huge spoonfuls of salted shrimp and chopped garlic into his bowl.

Lin Minhong asked as he watched Ha Jae-Gun, “Are you alright?”

“I like spicy food, so I usually add a lot of these.”

“Um, I’m not referring to your seasoning, but about Assemblyman Kwon.”

Ha Jae-Gun smiled as he mixed the seasoning in his bowl. Seeing how calm Ha Jae-Gun looked made Lin Minhong worry even more.

”Mr. Ha, I believe you know that politicians are unpredictable. We don’t know what they’ll do to interfere with your work, so please be careful.”

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“I will keep that in mind.” In fact, Ha Jae-Gun wasn’t afraid at all, as he did not have thoughts of letting anyone else grab hold of anything that could become his weakness in the first place. He wouldn’t need to distance himself even if Kwon Sung-Deuk decided to make some sort of attack on him in the future.

“Anyway, Department Head Lin Minhong.”

“Yes, Mr. Ha. Please speak.”

“You may have heard this from President Kwon, but about The Breath...”

“Ah... yes.” Lin Minhong put down his spoon and cleared his throat. He had planned to bring it up when he saw an opportunity, but Ha Jae-Gun had brought it up first.

“Since we’re having dinner together, why don’t we talk about The Breath if there’s anything you want to bring up? I think it’s something that I can know about first, even if President Kwon isn’t around.”

“I understand.” Lin Minhong nodded with a cautious look. He felt conflicted at this important moment. Lin Minhong finished his cup of cold water and officially began. “It’s about the movie adaptation of The Breath.”

”I have been expecting it.”

”Can you sign with Wizardry Pictures?”

Ha Jae-Gun fell into thoughts as he chewed on a cube of radish kimchi. He was familiar with the U.S. film production company Wizardry Pictures. It was the same company that had their eyes on The Breath a long time ago. He was also aware that Teencent Pictures had invested large amounts of money in the company with plans to expand into Hollywood.

“Compared to Hollywood, China's CGI technology is still lacking. Unlike the Records series, The Breath is a full-on fantasy story. And Wizardry Pictures is the best in the industry in Hollywood in that area.”

With Mao Yen backing him up, Lin Minhong continued with enthusiasm, “We are desperately hoping for your positive decision. If you could leave The Breath in the hands of Wizardry, the results would definitely exceed expectations. I'm not saying all the good things just because I've devoted all my time and effort to this company for its benefit. This is the only film production company I am confident in recommending to you.”

However, Lin Minhong still felt anxious as he added, “That was why we placed our trust in them and invested in their company in the first place.”

“I hear you. Let me ponder over this as we dig in.”

“Ah, I’m sorry. Let’s dig in before the food gets cold.” Lin Minhong picked up his spoon. He was just as hungry since they weren’t able to have a proper dinner yet. It didn’t take long for the bowl of soondae soup to be bottomed out.

“Let’s go with it.” Ha Jae-Gun finally made his decision as he pushed his bowl away upon finishing his meal.

Lin Minhong looked up instantly, his face was all smiles. “Thank you so much for coming to a decision so quickly, Mr. Ha. We will definitely not disappoint you.”

“I should be the one thanking you. You have produced movies from countless masterpieces, and it was an irresistible proposal for me. However...” Ha Jae-Gun had a look of doubt as he tilted his head to one side. “Did CEO Mao Yen worry a lot over this?”

”Um... She seems afraid of your rejection whenever she asks you for something. Ah, please don’t tell her that I told you this. Please keep this a secret for me.” Lin Minhong seemed to be struck with fear. Ha Jae-Gun burst into laughter, finding Lin Minhong’s reaction funny.

”I will let CEO Mao Yen know of your decision then. And I’ll make sure to arrange a date with the representative of Wizardry Pictures in charge of license purchases as soon as possible.”

“Sorry, but I think that’ll be difficult.”

”I-I'm sorry? What do you mean...” Lin Minhong stuttered.

Ha Jae-Gun smiled. “Can you put this off until after my wedding? It’s coming soon, and I also have a honeymoon to go on, too.”

“Ahh, sure. I thought it was something else... Ahaha, I understand. I will definitely attend your wedding. Thanks for sending me the invitation.”

“Shall we go, then? The weather’s hot too. Shall we get a glass of refreshing beer nearby?”

”Sounds great, Mr. Ha. Since you bought me dinner, I’ll buy you a drink for the second round.”

The two men stepped onto the streets. As they walked in search of a suitable bar, Lin Minhong quickly sent out a text message.

Moments later, a delighted reply came from Mao Yen, making Lin Minhong clench his fist in excitement.

***

The sun was beating down hard at noon. Jung So-Mi stood before the full-length mirror in the order of the room, checking herself out. She had purchased the white blouse and sky-blue skirt she was wearing just for this day.

‘Nothing looks off, right? Is my makeup too thick?’

Jung So-Mi checked out her makeup after checking her clothes meticulously, then turned around. Just as she picked up her shoulder bag and put on her heels, her phone rang.

“Yes, President. I just finished putting on my shoes, and I'm about to leave the house. I’ll make sure to reach on time. Yes, see you later.” Jung So-Mi stepped out of her house and hopped into her car, which was parked in the car park.

The interior of her car was akin to a microwave after being exposed to the sun for a long period of time. She turned on the air conditioner right away, and then she grabbed the steering wheel. She didn’t forget to input the address to Ha Jae-Gun’s house in the navigator.

‘The writers at the office are holding an afterparty, so I can just leave my car at the office. There’s Eun-Young unni and Bong-Yi there, so I can stay over. Wait, I should probably decide after looking at the situation.’

All sorts of thoughts went through Jung So-Mi’s mind while she was driving, her mind was actively coming up with something to think about, otherwise, it would be a very difficult day for her to go through. But it wasn't just today; she had been this way for over the past few weeks.

Distracting thoughts would occupy her mind dozens of times every day.

‘Today is the end of it...’ Jung So-Mi’s lips twitched while convincing herself that she would forget all the pain and feel refreshed after today.

Jung So-Mi soon arrived in front of Ha Jae-Gun’s house. Almost twenty cars were parked around his house, and there were also security guards pacing around the entrance. Jung So-Mi parked her car at the far end.

“Hello, you’re Ms. Jung So-Mi, right?” A voice spoke from behind her.

Jung So-Mi looked up and saw Hong Ye-Seul in front of her. Her long, voluminous locks suited her pink flare dress. Feeling intimidated, Jung So-Mi greeted Hong Ye-Seul, looking down.

“Yes, hello.”

“You arrived around the same time as me, I saw your car in front of mine from earlier when we turned in from the main road.”

“Ahh, I see...” Jung So-Mi hooked her hair behind her ears. What was she supposed to talk about with Hong Ye-Seul? She was in fact flustered to see Hong Ye-Seul suddenly striking up a conversation with her.

“Wow, so many people are here already.”

“Yeah.”

“I wonder where Ha Jae-Gun oppa is.”

“...” Jung So-Mi looked at Ha Jae-Gun’s house. She envied Hong Ye-Seul all of a sudden for being able to address Ha Jae-Gun as "oppa" so casually. She wondered if her distance from Ha Jae-Gun could be narrowed if she did the same.

Bzzt!

Just then, the phone vibration from her phone gave her a sense of relief. Jung So-Mi pulled out her phone but bit her lips soon after. The name on the caller ID showed her mom’s name, who was all the way in Donghae. Jung So-Mi would have answered it in delight at other times, but she was hesitant this time, as there was only one thing her mom would call her to talk about.

Jung So-Mi eventually turned away reluctantly from Hong Ye-Seul and answered the call. “Yes, mom?”

— My cute daughter, I called now because you said you needed to turn in early to wake up early today. Did you enjoy your breakfast?

“Of course. What about you, Mom?”

— I had moray eel soup with your dad. What did you eat? Not ramyun, right?

“I had some side dishes. And stop doing this Mom; I’m not a kid anymore.”

— Of course, you're still a kid. Regardless of whether you’re thirty or forty, you’ll always be a kid in my heart.

“Mom, I’m out somewhere for work, so I’ll call you again later.”

— Okay, I got it. Happy birthday, my daughter. You must come back next weekend.

“Okay, goodbye.”

Just as Jung So-Mi slid her phone back into her bag, a sigh escaped from her lips. It was the first time in her life that she had realized that there was a type of joy that couldn’t be reconciled with one another.

Today was her birthday, and it was also the day of that dazzling person’s wedding. Jung So-Mi stood in a daze as she recalled the two lines she had written on the memo pad last night: "It’ll become a memory that I’ll keep for the rest of my life."

The tip of Jung So-Mi's nose tinged, and the bright sun wasn't the reason her eyes were turning red.

‘Oh my... What’s wrong with me again?’ Jung So-Mi thought of herself as pathetic at how she was still wavering even on his wedding day. Jung So-Mi pulled out a piece of tissue and wiped the corner of her eyes carefully before turning back around. Hong Ye-Seul was still with her, but the expression on her face had changed slightly.

“Ms. Ye-Seul...?”

“Oh, it’s nothing. Something must have gotten into my eyes.” Hong Ye-Seul rubbed her eyes which were filled with tears. She then hopped back into the car she came in with the excuse of going to fix her makeup.

Hong Ye-Seul began sniffling even before the car window had rolled up.

Jung So-Mi noticed it, but she turned a blind eye to it as she headed into Ha Jae-Gun’s house.

***

“Don’t lose him! Chase after him! There’s probably more than a couple who have their eyes on this!”

“Stop nagging, senior. Don’t you know that there’s no one else in our company with better driving skills than me?” a junior reporter grumbled as they held onto the steering wheel. The two reporters were chasing down a luxurious foreign car on the road. More accurately speaking, their target was the famous American movie director in the car.

“Wow, this is quite an unexpected harvest from a car that wasn’t originally newsworthy. Chris Nolan, in Korea? What brings him here?”

“I wonder too. There’s no official news either. Is he actually here on holiday?”

“You foolish kid, he should be here with his family or lover if it was a holiday. Did you forget that CEO Mao Yen from Teencent Pictures was with him? Ah, the traffic light changed. Step on it. We have to cover this piece of news somehow.”

The foreign car kept running without slowing down once, seemingly having noticed that they had a tail, but it was lucky for the two reporters.

“Huh? This road looks familiar.”

“Yeah, where is this bringing us again?” The two reporters tilted their heads as the road before them narrowed.

A few minutes later, they spotted a huge detached house in the distance, and the reporters’ mouths dropped open at the same time.

“Isn’t this... Writer Ha Jae-Gun’s house?”

“I just thought of it too. We came here a few times together, didn’t we?”

“Wait...! Then is Chris Nolan...?”

They were nearing Ha Jae-Gun’s house, and they finally saw the latter's house a minute later. There was a procession of cars and people around Ha Jae-Gun's house.

“Hey, Dong-Suk. Is something happening at Writer Ha Jae-Gun’s house today?”

“I’m not so sure. I haven't read anything in the news... Huh?!” The junior reporter’s eyes suddenly grew wider. He noticed the outfit of the guests gathering outside Ha Jae-Gun’s house and naturally came to a conclusion. He quickly reached out for a notepad in the backseat. “Senior, call the chief.”

“Huh? What?”

”It’s an exclusive! This is Ha Jae-Gun’s wedding!”