Rookie Talent Agent Knows It All

It was our second day in China.

I took a shower as soon as I woke up and checked my messages from Ju Yung-In and Ahn Yung-Hee.

[Ju Yung-In: Oppa, I'll give you a gift when we return to Korea.]

[Chief Ahn Yung-Hee: Yung-In just started her schedule. The people sent by President Lim from Korea have also arrived. And thank you for yesterday. If it weren't for you, Yung-In would've faced a lot of trouble.]

Being the top star she was, Ju Yung-In managed to keep up with her schedule despite the previous night's events—a situation that would have caused many other celebrities to cancel.

I sent a message back telling them to reach out to me if anything came up and then picked my clothes for a meeting later with Wang Long's father and Ling Ling's parents.

Wang Long's father was a deputy secretary in Shenzhen. Currently, he was already a powerful figure but would soon rise to become one of the most influential people in China.

As for Ling Ling's parents, I knew little about them beyond the fact that they ran a major business.

After contemplating the best attire for the occasion, I eventually opted for a suit I always wore.

-Are you up?

"Yeah, I just got up."

-Good. Head down to the hotel lobby when you're ready.

"Okay, I'll be right down."

I instructed Seo Yeon-Woo to bring the documents containing Ling Ling's training schedule and made my way down to the lobby.

There, Wang Long stood waiting with a few men dressed in black suits.

"Did you sleep well?" he asked.

I smiled. "Yeah, thanks to you."

"We sent Reporter Gu to the airport this morning."

"He... didn't suffer any injuries, did he?"

Wang Long flashed a grin. "We just made him kneel all night. That's all."

My eyes widened. "All night?"

"Yeah, so he left in a wheelchair. Oh, and we didn't let him use the restroom either. He might have wet himself a bit."

Wang Long laughed, explaining that he could have treated Gu Ji-Am even more harshly but had shown restraint.

It was at that moment that I truly understood the reality of dealing with the son of a powerful Chinese official.

As we stepped outside the hotel lobby, a Rose-Rise limousine, a Merciless Springer, and a convoy of security vehicles were waiting for us.

"What's all this?" I asked.

"Security detail. The Rose-Rise is from Ling Ling's father and the Merciless Springer is from my father."

Seeing the large vehicles and the lineup of security personnel, it finally hit me that I was on my way to meet some of the most influential people in China. ɽÄŊŐ₿ÊⱾ

***

After about a 15-minute drive outside of Shanghai, we arrived at a grand mansion that resembled a fortress.

As we entered the grounds, we were greeted by a beautiful and expansive garden reminiscent of the Palace of Versailles.

'This is incredible...' I remarked inwardly.

The garden stretching roughly 300 meters in each direction featured towering statues of the 12 Chinese zodiac animals each about five meters tall. In the center of the garden lay a vast artificial lake where large koi swam gracefully.

Having never seen a property of this scale, Seo Yeon-Woo glanced around in shock, trying to take in the overwhelming surroundings.

"Welcome. This way, please."

We were guided by the waiting butler to enter the mansion. Inside, artifacts like porcelain pieces from the Qing Dynasty were displayed in acrylic cases to showcase their historical grandeur.

The mansion was filled with items that could only be afforded by those with immense wealth.

"Everyone is waiting in the sitting room."

We followed the butler to a large and elegant room where several people were gathered.

In the center sat Wang Min, Wang Long's father who held the nickname "The Tiger of Shenzhen." Just like his nickname, he had a rugged face with a large and imposing build.

To his left was Wang Long's mother, a former famous celebrity whose beauty still shone through.

Beside Wang Long's mother were Ling Ling, Lily, and their parents.

They were all dressed in formal suits and dresses to welcome us.

'Good thing I wore a suit,' I thought.

Wang Long said, "We're here, Father."

I followed up with my own polite greeting. "Thank you for having me. It's a pleasure to meet you."

Wang Min rose and shook my hand warmly. "Thank you for coming. It's truly a pleasure."

Wang Long looked slightly bewildered as he interjected. "Father, what's with the welcome?"

"It's been a while since I've met a friend of my son's. Why shouldn't I greet him warmly?"

"When I brought other friends home ever since I was young, you never spoke a word to them and just frowned..."

"That's because they weren't friends. They were just lining up for favors from our family."

At that moment, Wang Long's mother smiled kindly and spoke. "Wang Long, your father just feels a bit awkward. You know the way he is. And Mr. Yoon-Ho, welcome."

"Oh, there's no need to be so formal, ma'am," I replied.

Wang Long's mother smiled. "Oh my, ma'am? I rather like how that sounds."

Wang Min cleared his throat and gestured toward Ling Ling's parents.

"Please greet our in-laws as well[1]. They've been looking forward to meeting you, Mr. Yoon-Ho."

Ling Ling's parents stood up and bowed politely. "Thank you so much. We are deeply grateful for saving our daughter's life."

I also introduced Seo Yeon-Woo to the couple, and they warmly welcomed him as he would be teaching their younger daughter.

After the lengthy introductions, Wang Min patted my shoulder.

I nodded. "Oh. Yes, sir."

"Just like I said over the phone, I hope you'll consider me as a father figure from now on. Feel free to reach out if you ever need anything."

Wang Long rolled his eyes at his father's long speech and grumbled. "Father, why don't we sit down first and chat?"

"Of course. Let's have breakfast first. Let's keep it simple since it's morning."

"Yes, sir."

When Wang Min gestured, the butler responded immediately and made a call. "Bring it in right now!"

As soon as the words left his mouth, it took less than three minutes for carts full of food to arrive.

Breakfast started off with delicate Chinese cold appetizers, followed by a clear bird's nest soup called qingtang yanwo. Then came roasted cod, Peking duck, an array of mushroom dishes, and even the famous Buddha Jumps Over the Wall. Each dish served was passed down through the family.

With more than 30 dishes being served, it felt more like a state banquet than a simple breakfast.

'He said he wanted to keep it simple...' I thought to myself.

There was a touch of the typical Chinese flair for grandiosity, but the genuine desire to show gratitude for saving his son's life was clear.

Feeling appreciative, I followed Chinese dining etiquette and enjoyed the meal.

Wang Min commented, "You seem quite familiar with table manners. It must be due to your work in the cultural field."

"You flatter me, sir."

It was actually due to my experiences in my past life, but Wang Min's favorable impression of me continued to grow throughout the meal.

***

Tea was served after the grand breakfast.

When I lifted the lid of the delicate Chinese porcelain teacup, a cloud of steam was released. The dark tea was pu-erh, which was known for its lack of strong aroma or flavor. It was a tea once favored by Qing Dynasty emperors.

I smiled and said, "It's been a long time since I've had pu-erh. This cup feels more like a precious treat than the feast we just had."

Wang Min looked at me in surprise. "Do people drink pu-erh in Korea too?"

"It's not common, but I've had the chance to try it a few times, so I thought I'd show off a bit."

In China, pu-erh tea was often synonymous with wealth. Aged pu-erh was typically not drunk, but rather used as a form of bribe or investment. Some well-preserved pu-erh from the 1920s could even sell for over 200 million won per block.

The tea we were drinking wasn't quite as valuable as the top-tier aged teas, but it was still clear that Wang Min had spent a considerable sum to procure it.

Just as expected, Wang Min spoke with a touch of pride. "This tea is a 1950 yinji pu-erh. A single block is worth around 100 million won, but its value could easily triple if you age it for another 50 years. If you like it, take a few blocks with you when you head back home."

I almost choked on my tea at his offer. 'What would I even do with a tea worth hundreds of millions of won?'

When I looked overwhelmed and troubled, Wang Long's mother lightly chastised her husband. "Instead of that, why don't you offer something more practical?"

"Ahem. Well, what's wrong with offering both tea and something else?"

"Dear!"

"Fine, fine."

Wang Min cleared his throat before turning back to me. "Ahem. So, have you given any thought to the request I mentioned earlier?"

I hesitated, unsure whether or not I should bring up my request. 'Asking him to help keep President Jiang Wei in check is no small favor.'

As I lingered in silence, Wang Min spoke again. "Hmm. It seems you're having second thoughts. How about this? We'll each tell you about the gifts we have prepared. Perhaps that will help you decide. Compare our gifts to something you have in mind before making a decision."

With that, Wang Min and President Li Kejun, Ling Ling's father, exchanged a knowing smile and began describing the gifts they had planned.

However, what they revealed exceeded anything I could have imagined.

***

First, Wang Min offered his gift with a smile. "I can arrange for one of your selected dramas or films to be aired here each year starting next year."

Countries around the world including South Korea saw China as a major market due to its massive population. However, gaining entry into the Chinese market wasn't easy.

It required navigating the strict Party censorship, enduring rounds of reviews and often leveraging bribes and guanxi (connections). Only after all that can a piece of content be released in China.

Wang Min was offering me a direct path, bypassing the usual restrictions even though it was amid the Korean Wave ban.

Not to be outdone, Li Kejun spoke up. "My gift isn't as grand as my in-law's, but I'm prepared to fund the establishment of an entertainment agency for you. If you set it up in Korea, I'll provide about 3 billion won in capital. If you choose to set it up here in China, I can offer up to 50 million yuan."

Li Kejun assured me that the initial capital would be a gift and he promised further investment at ten times that amount.

Despite the typical exclusivity of the Chinese, their offer to me was very generous as they saw me as part of the family.

'This is unbelievable...' I silently remarked.

I felt genuinely tempted. However, I couldn't accept their offers.

The presence of Kim Dong-Soo and his information team including Colonel Baek as well as the unpredictable moves of Choi Man-Sik made my priorities clear.

After taking a deep breath, I bowed my head respectfully toward the two men. "Thank you so much for your incredibly generous offers. But this isn't quite what I need right now."

Wang Min wore an intrigued expression as if he was interested. "Is that so? Then I'm curious to hear what you have in mind. President Li Kejun here and I put our heads together to come up with those offers... What could be so important that you'd turn them down?"

I took a moment to gather my thoughts and spoke candidly.

"If you hear me out and decide you're not interested, feel free to refuse. I didn't save Wang Long and Lily with any expectation of a reward anyway. It was purely a stroke of luck."

"Luck, you say..." Wang Min muttered to himself and took a glance at Li Kejun.

He added, "There's a saying: a wise general can't defeat an intelligent general, and an intelligent general can't defeat a lucky general."

Li Kejun nodded in agreement. "It seems we may have encountered a lucky general."

The two shared a satisfied look and nodded before turning their attention back to me.

Wang Min asked, "Are you familiar with this idea?"

I nodded. "It's from The Art of War by Sun Tzu, isn't it?"

Wang Min nodded. "Exactly. We Chinese tend to favor those who are blessed with fortune over those with mere skill. Whether you had a dream or you have special powers, it's true that you saved my son and daughter-in-law. So what if it was pure luck? what matters is the outcome, right?"

"Go on and tell us what you truly want. What can we do for you?"

With the two's encouragement, I finally voiced my request. "There's just one thing I ask... I hope you can help keep President Jiang Wei in check."

Out of all the adversaries I faced, Jiang Wei was the most formidable. He was backed by high-ranking and influential party officials wielding power.

I was concerned about Colonel Baek from Kim Dong-Soo's information team as well, but Choi Eun-Tae had agreed to handle that side of things.

If Wang Min could keep Jiang Wei in check, it would solve two problems at once: I could steer clear of Jiang Wei's attention while Kim Dong-Soo would struggle to afford Colonel Baek's high fees, making it harder for him to access critical information.

However, as soon as I made my request, I noticed Wang Min and Li Kejun's expressions harden.

***

For a few moments, silence settled over the room.

After about three minutes. Li Kejun eventually turned to Wang Min and spoke. "Mr. Wang, it seems our benefactor is more ambitious than we expected."

"Indeed. To ask us to keep someone like President Jiang Wei in check... that's quite a bold request."

When I was confused by their reactions, Wang Min turned to me. "I'll be honest with you. President Jiang Wei is a difficult opponent, even for me.

It made sense that Jiang Wei with his close ties to top officials within the Communist Party would be a tough adversary, even for Wang Min.

I felt the sting of disappointment but knew there was no choice but to withdraw my request.

"I apologize for making such an unreasonable request."

It seemed like I would have to think about alternative ways to deal with Jiang Wei.

However, Wang Min's next words caught me off guard.

"It seems you've misunderstood me. I said it would be difficult, not that it's impossible."

It was like a ray of sunlight breaking through storm clouds.

1. Wang Long and Lily aren't married yet, but Asians call each other in-laws once they are engaged ☜

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