Top Management - Chapter 138

Chapter 138

Chapter 138: Chief Jung, Your Actors are a bit (3)

TL: emptycube / ED: Isleidir

A rotten arm shot out .

This was only the start . Zombies poured out from the building entrance .

Zombies even jumped off the roof and through the shattered windows .

The party of survivors narrowly got in a delivery truck . The tires spun in place against the shattered concrete . Dust filled the air . The tsunami of zombies charged at the survivors .

“What are you doing?! Drive!”

“Quickly, quickly! At this rate, we’re all going to fucking die!”

Shouts, screams, and the roars of zombies jumbled together .

“It’s quite a sight, isn’t it?”

The production producer said with a bright smile .

“It’s difficult to see something like this in a film from our country . ”

The group of people in suits stretched their necks out to watch the monitor . They were from corporations that had or were planning to invest in Alive as well as sales reps that exported Korean content overseas .

“It’s really thrilling . It’ll be amazing to see this on the big screen . ”

“Right? It’ll be quite a sight seeing this after they’ve added music and retouched the scene . ”

“The zombies look realistic . It really shows a lot of money went into this . ”

“I was worried because it would release at the same time as Hollywood blockbusters, but this might be worth competing against them . ”

Positive comments continued . The production producer was all smiled as he said,

“The cast is top-notch and so is their chemistry . ”

The monitor displayed the party of survivors fighting desperately against the zombies .

The marketing employee from SBE Film, Kang Minjeong, added,

“It’s only possible to cast such actors because it’s Director Choi Sungwon’s scenario . You can’t cast a lineup like this just by waving money at them . You know that, right?”

“There’s nothing more to say about the actors . They are all top stars . ”

“They also sell a ton of tickets . ”

“I hope the movie poster is a full shot of the cast . Making sure their faces are visible . ”

The production producer and marketing team employee smiled at the scent of money .

*

After the long escape scene was over and while the investment team was meeting the party of suits, the production producer stepped back and wiped off his smile .

“… They’ve opened their pockets, right?”

Kang Minjeong chewed on her red lips .

“Yes, their reaction isn’t bad, but it’s not as much as we expected . ”

“Ah, damn it . ”

The producer pulled his curly hair .

“The CEO told us to knock their socks off!”

“It seems they expected this much . I thought that seeing the shoot would push us beyond expectations, but I didn’t expect their reactions to be lukewarm from seeing around 100 people dressed up as zombies . With this sort of reaction, it’ll be difficult to squeeze more investments from them . ”

“Is there some other way? We pretty much have no other way to get money than this . ”

“What we can show them… What did you say the next scene was?”

“Scenes 24 and 25 . It has Lee Kihwan and Lee Songha as well as the appearance of an unknown actor . ”

The production producer replied . A complicated sigh followed after .

Kang Minjeong quickly flipped through the scenario she had held under her arm .

Soon, she too sighed .

“Damn it . ”

“I know . ”

“The unknown actor appearing in this scene, it’s him, right?”

“That’s right . The rookie Chief Jung Sunwoo brought on . ”

Kang Minjeong closed the scenario and asked,

“That actor, what is he doing right now?”

*

The minivan’s doors were wide open .

A strange mood hung in the air .

Lee Songha was staring at the passenger seat with eyes dripping with longing . To be precise, she was looking at Nam Joyoon, who was sitting in the passenger seat . To be even more precise, she was looking at the lunch box in his hands .

Under her uncomfortable gaze, Nam Joyoon had a difficult expression .

He handed her his lunch box .

“Would you like some?”

“No, I don’t steal other people’s food . ”

She refused with a sorrowful face .

Nam Joyoon’s lunch box was filled with thick grilled short rib patties and side dishes . There was even a fried egg on top of the perfectly-cooked multi-grain rice .

Lee Songha looked down at her unique lunch box .

It had pieces of chicken breast and greens around it with no dressing . She had been eating this for the past two months . Tormented by it, Lee Songha secretly asked,

“Then should we trade a single bite? Two of my chicken breasts for a quarter of the short rib patty…!”

“You can just eat it . I can’t eat all of it anyways . ”

Lee Songha held her breath back .

“You can’t eat all of this? How can you not eat all of this?”

“Not eating much has become a habit of mine . ”

Nam Joyoon said while scratching his neck .

Lee Songha looked at him . Her wary gaze had completely disappeared, instead, she looked like she was looking at a comrade whom she would even share half a bean with .

“Hey, you can’t!”

Her stylist quickly intercepted just before her chopsticks touched a patty .

“Songha, I’m going to tattle on Chief Jung . Hurry up and eat your food . ”

“This isn’t food . ”

Lee Songha grumbled in a gloomy voice .

“This is feed . Dogs eat better than this . ”

“I heard that Chief Jung got up early in the morning to personally make it for you . ”

Lee Songha’s eyes widened .

“If you’re not going to eat it, pass it here . Let’s have a taste . ”

“It’s mine!”

Lee Songha hastily took possession of her lunch box .

Her stylist giggled . Then she whispered to Nam Joyoon,

“I’m letting you know now because the two of them had a scandal, but you can consider Lee Songha as more of a fanatic . ”

“A fanatic?”

“She has this pseudo-religion she believes in . Call the Church of Jung Sunwoo . ”

Nam Joyoon cracked a smile .

Just then, Lee Songha, who had been gazing at her lunchbox like it was a treasure box, blinked . She had been staring down at her lunchbox like she was going to wolf it down, yet she suddenly put her chopsticks down .

“What? Why? Are you not going to eat it?”

Lee Songha smiled happily as she replied,

“If I touch it, the heart will be destroyed . ”

“Heart? Where’s the heart?”

“Look closely . From here to here . A heart . ”

Her fingers outlined a crooked circle . It was the shape of the veggies surrounding the pieces of chicken breasts . The stylist examined her lunch box with a strange expression before looking at Nam Joyoon .

‘Does that look like a heart to you?’ She asked with her gaze .

Nam Joyoon shook his head .

“How is it? Does it taste okay?”

Jung Sunwoo asked as he suddenly got in the minivan .

Lee Songha was surprised, and because of it, the lunch box in her hands lurched . Lee Songha quickly looked back down at her lunch box before she despaired like a person who had lost her country .

“Ah, she kills me!”

The stylist rolled over laughing .

A faint smile hung on Nam Joyoon’s lips as well .

Only Jung Sunwoo looked at them with lost eyes .

*

“… Chief Jung Sunwoo’s actors . ”

Kim Minjeong said as she looked at the white minivan in the distance .

“Don’t even have a sliver of tension . ”

“I know, right? They are the only ones that seem like they’re on a picnic . ”

The production producer agreed with a dispirited laugh .

“Considering they are about to do an emotional scene, they are excessively easygoing . ”

“Even if we give Lee Songha a pass since she’s the type to get in character quickly, that rookie, Nam Joyoon… What gall… On his first day to boot . ”

Kim Minjeong clicked her tongue as she came to a decision .

“I’ll bring the investors somewhere else . ”

“Pardon? Still, it’ll be difficult to convince the investors with-“

“The next scene is one that could be almost completely edited out depending on the shoot . If we disappoint them by showing a rookie we’re not confident in, it’s worse than not showing them the shoot . ”

Kim Minjeong resolutely said,

“It’s better not to show the investors the next scene . ”

“Can’t we watch the next scene before we leave?”

Kim Minjeong’s smile crumbled at one of the people from an investment company’s question .

“Team leader, there isn’t much to see in the next scene . ”

“I heard that, but I’m still curious . ”

It wasn’t just one person . Other people were curious as well .

Kim Minjeong barely managed to smooth out her frown as she asked,

“What… are you curious about?”

“The actors aren’t leaving after finishing their shoot . ”

“Sorry?”

“They are apparently going to leave after seeing this scene?”

Kim Minjeong and the production producer hastily turned around .

‘Starcraft’ vans{1}, as well as other vans, were still parked despite their actors having finished filming for the day . The two also saw actors gathered behind the director’s chair, talking with Director Choi Sungwon .

Their expression crumbled .

Scene 24 was an inside shoot .

A monitor reflected Lee Songha and Nam Joyoon, who were checking positions . The actors who were done filming for the day were sitting in the chairs with their names on the back as they looked at the monitor . Each of them had a bag of chips in their hand .

“He looks different from what I expected reading the script . ”

“Since Lee Songha leaves a strong impression from head to toe, I thought he’d be similar . But he looks normal . ”

“Obviously, people like Lee Songha aren’t common . ”

Director Choi Sungwon chuckled when he heard them discussing like middle-aged women at a laundromat .

“Why are you all like this? Putting pressure on him . ”

“We’re going to leave after checking the beginning . We just want to see how he is . ”

“Let us see . Little old me wants to feel some thrills . ”

The actors said as they planted their butts in their seats .

A few steps away, the investors whispered,

“Nam Joyoon? I thought I’d know his face even if his name was unfamiliar, but it’s my first time seeing him . ”

“His role also has quite a few lines . Isn’t his popularity too low?”

“Right? There are much better actors I know…”

“Let’s talk to SBE Film after the shoot…”

Their voices were tinged with dissatisfaction . The production producer and Kang Minjeong, who overheard their conversation, let out frustrated sighs . Looking around, Kang Minjeong went to a man standing with his arms crossed .

“Chief Jung, there are a lot of people watching . ”

“That seems true . ”

Chief Jung Sunwoo nodded .

“We aren’t worried about Ms . Lee Songha . We already know she’s great at acting and have seen how hard she worked preparing for her role . However, we are a bit worried about Mr . Nam Joyoon . ”

Kim Minjeong’s eyes narrowed .

“Can we believe in him?”

“They both worked hard for their roles . ”

He said with a meaningful smile .

“So please believe in them . ”

Gazes with various thoughts focused on the monitor .

Just then, the slate smacked together .

*

The living room was a mess .

A child flopped on the floor sniffled . The female high schooler Lee Yeonwoo checked up on the child with quick glances . She did this while her hands moved all the objects blocking the way to the bathroom .

A man’s faint voice seeped out from behind the slightly opened door .

{… This was the only place to hide because the front door was broken . }

{At first, I thought people trapped a monster in here from the sounds . How could people leave someone here alone…}

{I couldn’t ask them to bring me along when even the lives of perfectly healthy people were at risk . }

The weak voice gradually gained strength .

{It was bearable . It’s a bathroom so there’s a toilet, water from the sink, and they left some food for me . }

Soon, the objects in front of the bathroom door were completely cleared . Just as Lee Yeonwoo stretched her hand out to grab the doorknob, the door flung open . Lee Yeonwoo retreated in surprise . The man, who she had been talking to just now, was standing at the entrance .

{I thought I’d die like this . }

The man smiled brightly like someone who had been rescued from hell .

The hallway was quiet thanks to all the zombies having gone outside .

Lee Yeonwoo took the lead . She held the child with one arm and hung a bag with foods like instant noodles and canned hams and other necessities .

A man limped behind her . He too was carrying a heavy bag .

What broke the silence was when they discovered someone approaching them from across the hall .

{Mister!}

{Oh, Yeonwoo! Why are you- Did you remain as well?}

Jang Taeyoung, a well-built man in his thirties, came over with a surprised look .

A young woman stuck behind him with slumped shoulders .

{I escaped with Jinjoo, but we ended up having to hide . How about you?}

{I found a few other survivors on the higher levels so I came to save them . }

{I also found one . Here-}

Jang Taeyoung abruptly turned his gaze .

The hand tightly gripping his clothes fell away . The woman, who had followed behind him as though she would be in trouble if she didn’t keep up, stood still with a pale-white face . As if she saw something terrifying .

{Th-that person…! It’s him! The crazy guy I told you about!}

Her trembling finger pointed at the man standing behind Lee Yeonwoo .

{He killed people! We trapped him…!}

The moment the flustered Jang Taeyoung hesitated and the moment the man’s lips curled upward, Lee Yeonwoo acted as quick as lightning . She threw the bag she was carrying and ran with just the child . She managed to take five steps by the time the man caught up and pulled her long hair . She let out a suppressed groan .

{I wasn’t crazy . }

The man said, seeing their shocked faces .

{Some things are inevitable in situations like this . That was all . }

{Yeonwoo! You bastard! Let her go!}

Jang Taeyoung finally overcame his shock and began running towards him .

The man flung his bag . It smashed through the window in the hallway, and shards of glass fell . Lee Yeongwoo crouched her body . Seeing this, Jang Taeyoung stopped for a moment .

The man snatched the child away from Lee Yeonwoo .

“Urrk . Urrk . ”

The child’s frightened cries leaked from his mouth .

Grabbing the child by his collar and sitting on the window sill, the man said .

{After being trapped in that cramped, damp, and dark place for so long… I feel like I might actually be crazy now . I feel suffocated like I’m still in there . }

He didn’t look angry .

He wasn’t threatening or mocking them . At a glance, the man’s expression seemed no different from before . He seemed calm like this was just a normal day . However, something was different . His voice, eyes, everything about him felt disturbing .

The young woman, who had taken a few steps back, turned around and fled .

The man looked outside the open window and mumbled .

{How long will it take to go down to the first floor? Will 30 seconds do?}

{What?}

{I’m throwing in 30 seconds . If you’re quick, you should be able to catch him . }

{Just what are you!}

{One, two, three…}

The man began to count .

When he reached seven, Lee Yeonwoo, who struggled as her hair was tightly held by the man, shouted .

{Go! Mister, go quickly!}

{Damn it!}

Jang Taeyoung, who was hesitant, unsure whether he should charge at the man or run down, turned around with a distorted expression on his face . His footsteps quickly grew distant . The only ones remaining in the hallway was Lee Yeonwoo, the man, and the crying child with snot dripping from his nose .

The man counted past 20 .

Lee Yeonwoo charged at him, clung to him, and even pleaded, but he didn’t react to any of them . The man finally reached 30 . And still, Jang Taeyoung hadn’t come out of the building yet .

The man said as if this was troublesome .

{He runs slower than I expected . }

{Don’t do it . Wait, please wait a litt-!}

Before Lee Yeonwoo could finish her words, he tossed the distressed, crying child out the window .

*

The marketing team employee, Kang Minjeong, took a few steps back .

Only then did she take in her surroundings .

The vision widened, and she heard someone gulp .

She slowly moved her eyes .

Director Choi Sungwon was looking at the monitor with shining eyes . The crinkling sounds of chip bags had stopped long ago . Even the actors who were talking with each other had shut their mouths .

It was the same for the investors .

They all looked entranced as they stared at the monitor like an audience staring at the screen in a dark theatre .

Within this seemingly black and white scene, the only one moving was Chief Jung Sunwoo .

He observed people’s reactions .

Kang Minjeong exhaled the breath she had been holding .

“Chief, about Mr . Nam Joyoon . ”

“Yes . ”

“I wish he didn’t have any interviews with reporters before the movie releases . ”

He looked back at her .

“…Interviews?”

“We are going to remove him from marketing material as well, and we won’t put him in the trailer either . ”

Slowly, Chief Jung Sunwoo’s lips curled upwards .

Kang Minjeong gulped before saying,

“That actor, I wish the audience met him for the first time on the big screen . ”

{1} No relation to the game . A company that modifies Chevrolet Express vans that are commonly used by Korean celebrities .