Chapter 368: Power (5)

Translator: Dreamscribe

The topic in one of the meeting rooms at ‘Columbia Studio’, which had been dominated by discussions about Kang Woojin, suddenly shifted to Miley Cara. It happened in an instant, when one executive abruptly brought it up - that the news about Miley Cara appearing in a Korean production seemed to be true.

To this.

“Hmm? Wasn’t that already concluded as a baseless rumor?”

“What are you talking about all of a sudden?”

“The media may still be making a fuss about it, but public opinion hasn’t believed it at all.”

The foreign executives tilted their heads in confusion, and the foreigner who had spoken shrugged his shoulders and pointed to his laptop screen.

“But this article is too confident to just be another baseless claim.”

Soon, all the executives who had been talking about ‘Pierrot’ gathered around the laptop. The laptop was still displaying the article.

『LA TIME/‘Miley Cara’ confirmed to appear in a korean production!』

The headline boldly declared it as if it were a confirmed fact.

“Huh- if this was written based on speculation, it wouldn’t be strange if Miley Cara sued them.”

“Wait, wait, let’s look at the contents first.”

The executives skimmed through the article. While reading the not-too-long but not-too-short text, a foreigner man with a brown beard read a particular part aloud.

“Excited Korean reporters? At a party held in Korea, ‘Cannes Man’ Kang Woojin directly announced that Miley Cara would appear in ‘Beneficial Evil’?”

"Is it saying Kang Woojin himself directly confirmed this? Is this true?"

“There’s a photo, at least.”

“Hold on, let’s read a bit more.”

One of the executives read another part of the article aloud.

“‘Beneficial Evil’ is a Korean drama being produced as a Netflix original, and Kang Woojin is the lead actor currently filming. Photos of the overseas location shoot in Bangkok were leaked, creating buzz not only in Korea but also in Hollywood, because a blonde woman captured in the photos resembled Miley Cara. The issue stirred up speculation, but no one believed it, until Kang Woojin himself confirmed in Korea that Miley Cara would appear......”

The article was filled with Kang Woojin, ‘Beneficial Evil’, and Miley Cara. And it definitively stated that she would appear in ‘Beneficial Evil’. The accompanying photo showed Kang Woojin being interviewed by hundreds of reporters. It was the first time a Korean actor, who had not yet officially debuted in Hollywood, had been mentioned this extensively.

At any rate.

“Huh- if Kang Woojin said it himself......”

“What about Miley Cara? Has she made an announcement too?”

“No, there’s no mention of Cara confirming it.”

“Then this might still be a false report.”

"Well. Kang Woojin isn't stupid, would he make such an absurd joke?"

“Are there other articles?”

One of the astonished executives operated the laptop. He checked for other articles related to Miley Cara.

“Wow, it’s already spreading.”

Similar reports from foreign media were already emerging in large numbers.

『CNM/Kang Woojin in korea directly confirmed, “It’s true that Miley Cara is appearing in my project”』

All of them cited Korean sources.

Meanwhile, in New York.

In a large broadcasting station located in downtown New York, a spacious waiting room was filled with many foreigners. Among them, a familiar blonde woman stood out. Her long blonde hair was tied back, and she wore a black dress that revealed her shoulders. It was Miley Cara, in full makeup.

She was waiting for the recording of a famous American talk show.

As she spoke with her team members, Cara’s gaze shifted to the phone in her hand.

“The news broke in Korea not long ago, but it spread incredibly fast. I think the timing and place Kang Woojin chose were perfect.”

Her main manager, Jonathan, a large man standing beside her, replied.

“Well, it was a luxury brand party, and there must have been plenty of foreign officials in addition to the Korean reporters. Thanks to that, the media over here were able to act quickly.”

Miley Cara, skimming through the foreign articles, crossed her long legs and smiled faintly.

“This kind of strategic media play is quite entertaining in its own way.”

“It’s not common. This case exploded appropriately because the right design and issues mixed together.”

“Anyway, Kang Woojin’s movie is currently showing in Korea and Japan, right?”

“That’s what I heard.”

“I’ve heard it’s already doing well, but this should bring in even more audiences, don’t you think?”

"That must have been one of the intended effects."

Putting on the jacket draped over the chair next to her, Cara spoke again.

“Our side is going to join in on this media play too, right?”

Jonathan, already holding his phone to his ear, nodded.

“Of course, this case benefits us as well.”

This meant it would wield powerful influence, including boosting Cara’s new album, which was already sweeping the Billboard charts. Soon, Cara sent a DM to Kang Woojin. The message was simple, starting with ‘That was a fantastic interview.’ After sending it, she moved to her own SNS and began writing a new post.

“Now it’s my turn.”

She was planning to add more fuel to the fire, following Kang Woojin’s move.

Afterwards.

After finishing the luxury brand event, Kang Woojin boarded the van nonchalantly, but internally, he felt quite a wave of fatigue.

‘Ah- damn. This is seriously exhausting!’

Throughout the event and even after it ended, he had to field countless questions, from hundreds of reporters, attending celebrities, and so on. Most of them, of course, were related to Miley Cara. Regardless, the van carrying him departed for the next schedule, and while Kang Woojin remained calm and composed, his team of over a dozen people was in a frenzy.

“Oppa! The impact is insane!!”

“Look at this!! Foreign media is already running articles about it!!”

These were people who already knew Kang Woojin was going to make this bombshell announcement, and since they had been monitoring both domestic and international reactions, their excitement was only natural.

“Ah! Miley Cara posted on Instagram!”

“The timing is perfect! Did you two coordinate this?”

Ignoring the team members jumping with excitement, Kang Woojin quietly picked up his phone. First, he checked the SNS post Miley Cara had uploaded.

‘She posted that super fast? Were they monitoring this in real time too??’

Her post was roughly about how it was true she was appearing in 'Beneficial Evil' and that there were circumstances preventing her from revealing it earlier. Of course, she also added that working with Kang Woojin had been a joy. The post had already set off a nuclear explosion. Half-crazed fans were swarming to it.

‘Whoa- what’s with the number of comments?? This is insane.’

Comments in various world languages flooded the post like a tidal wave. After skimming through them for a moment, Woojin’s fingers moved again, this time to check the foreign articles.

『LA TIME/‘Miley Cara’ confirmed to appear in a korean production!』

As expected, the name Miley Cara was more than enough to shake Hollywood and the global stage. Articles were pouring in. Her immense influence, her globally successful new album, the Cannes Film Festival buzz, and many other factors played into this outcome. But undoubtedly, the power of the twist had a major role to play here.

After all, when something people thought impossible turned out to be true, it naturally drew more attention.

The quietly observing Kang Woojin was inwardly wearing a satisfied smile. The picture he had envisioned was unfolding perfectly. The foreign media was kindly introducing 'Beneficial Evil' for him.

‘Sure, they’re mentioning my name, but 'Beneficial Evil' is being brought up like crazy. The plan was brilliant.’

The articles emphasized details like how this was a project starring Kang Woojin, the man who had taken Cannes by storm and declared war on the Academy Awards. They mentioned that the drama was being produced by Netflix Korea, that it wasn’t limited to Korea but aimed at the global market, and so on.

Global promotion for 'Beneficial Evil' was happening for free.

Of course, the same went for Kang Woojin’s name.

Given the international frenzy, how could the domestic situation be any different? Ever since Kang Woojin attended the luxury brand event, news portals had been completely dominated.

『[Breaking News] Hollywood Superstar ‘Miley Cara’ Confirmed to Star in ‘Beneficial Evil’... Kang Woojin Personally Acknowledges It!』

『Kang Woojin Attending Luxury Brand Event: “It’s True Miley Cara Is in ‘Beneficial Evil’, and Her Filming Is Already Finished.”』

『Is Miley Cara Really in ‘Beneficial Evil’? Kang Woojin Calmly Confirms It / Photos』

Hundreds of reporters who saw Kang Woojin in person, as well as both major and minor media outlets that only grasped the situation belatedly, were charging forward like mad.

“What the hell is this?!! It’s real??!”

“Looking at the content, it seems like Kang Woojin confirmed it himself???!”

“Damn it!! Why is there never a quiet day with Kang Woojin!! What are you doing? Just scrape together other articles and throw something out!”

“Got it!”

With articles spreading at a manic speed, it didn't take long for many people to check the content. The entire entertainment industry including broadcasting stations, film companies, production companies, and entertainment agencies was drawn to the topic.

“Wow- wasn’t this just a rumor? They actually managed to get Miley Cara?”

“How on earth did they cast her......? Her fee alone must be astronomical.”

“Was it Netflix’s doing? But it’s not even the main branch, how does Netflix Korea have that much power?”

“Kang Woojin’s involved, right? He looked close to Miley Cara at Cannes, didn’t he? Could something be going on between them?”

“......Maybe they made a deal while working on the album together. Whatever it is, this is Miley Cara. ‘Beneficial Evil’ is going to blow up, both domestically and internationally.”

The public reaction, essentially the sentiment of the masses, could best be described as fervent and wild.

“Whoa- did you see this? Miley Cara is actually in ‘Beneficial Evil’?”

"Y'all falling for it again? That's a lie."

“No no, they’re saying Kang Woojin confirmed it himself.”

“Huh?? Kang Woojin? Look here. Whoa- insane?? Is it true that Miley Cara is really in ‘Beneficial Evil’??”

“Cara posted on Instagram too! She confirmed it!”

The debris from the fireworks thrown in the late morning was everywhere by the afternoon of the same day. Articles, SNS, YouTube, radio, blogs, communities.

-[Breaking] Miley Cara Confirmed to Appear in ‘Beneficial Evil.’ news

-Kang Woojin, Miley Cara latest news. jpg

-Foreign Media Reaction After Kang Woojin’s Confession!!

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Since this was an unprecedented situation, the public frenzy was not surprising. It was the first incident of its kind, occurring not long after Kang Woojin had become a legend at Cannes. And once again, he was the main player this time.

-(Link) ㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋThis is freaking crazyㅋㅋㅋㅋ

-Isn't this the first time a Hollywood actor is filming a Korean project???

-↑ Yup. And Miley Cara is literally top-tier even in Hollywood.

-Can’t believe I’m alive to see an ultra top-tier Hollywood actor appear in a Korean production.....

-Beneficial Evil is gonna be so lit ㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ

-Wow.... as excited as I am, I’m also curious about how much they paid Miley Cara.

-So the leaked photo was Miley Cara? How the hell did they keep this secret ㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ

-Kang Woojin and Cara must be super close ㅋㅋㅋㅋ. They walked the red carpet together at Cannes and worked on an album together. This must’ve been a similar route, right?

-Some people in the comments are acting like this is no big deal, but it’s huge. Why would a global superstar at Cara’s level bother filming something Korean??

-Just by having Cara join, 'Beneficial Evil'’s global recognition skyrocketed.

While the issue was burning brightly, as if they had been waiting for the right moment, the 'Beneficial Evil' production team made an official announcement.

『[Official] Netflix Korea: “‘Beneficial Evil’ Will Be Released in Two Parts... Part 1 Is Expected to Premiere Early Next Year”』

It was clearly intentional.

The next day, Friday, November 12th.

The location was bw Entertainment. In the early morning, when the domestic scene was still in turmoil over Kang Woojin, 'Beneficial Evil', and Miley Cara, a meeting was underway in the bw Entertainment conference room. Present were several team leaders, including the ponytailed Choi Sung-gun. Although it wasn’t yet office hours, an emergency meeting had been called. bw Entertainment, already overwhelmingly busy in recent days, had no choice but to gather.

After all, it was a meeting about Kang Woojin.

From 'The Eerie Sacrifice of a Stranger' and ‘Leech’ to 'Beneficial Evil', Hollywood ventures, the fast-approaching year-end, and more, critical schedules revolving around Woojin were endless. So, it was inevitable that an emergency meeting had to be convened.

The meeting, which began before 8 a.m., wasn’t wrapped up until after 9:30 a.m. The team leaders exited the conference room in a rush, immediately calling on their team members, who had already begun arriving, before scattering in all directions.

Choi Sung-gun was the last to leave.

The entire bw Entertainment office was in utter chaos. Nonstop ringing phones, dozens of employees speaking urgently on calls, the endless sound of keyboards clacking, and teams communicating frantically. Watching this marketplace-like frenzy for a brief moment, Choi Sung-gun thought to himself.

‘Time for me to move too, there’s no time to space out.’

He first headed to the CEO’s office. After organizing things and holding a few meetings with some companies, he planned to go to Kang Woojin, who was in Yeoncheon, Gyeonggi.

-Swish.

It was as he stepped into the CEO’s office.

"CEO-nim!"

A hurried male voice came from behind him. Turning around, he saw the head of the overseas team running toward him. He approached and showed Choi Sung-gun a tablet he had brought.

“'Columbia Studio' has sent a request.”

The Hollywood film giant 'Columbia Studio', producing 'Pierrot', had made its move. They wanted to meet with Kang Woojin as soon as possible. Director Ahn Ga-bok had likely passed on the message, but from here, communication would need to take place between 'Columbia Studio' and bw Entertainment.

At that moment,

“And also. A script has come in.”

“A script? Ah- 'Pierrot'? Did 'Columbia Studio' send it again?”

“No, it’s not that.”

The overseas team leader's expression grew serious.

“It’s from another Hollywood film company. 'World Disney Pictures'.”

“Ah- 'World Disney Pictures'? Yes yes, another impressive place......"

Choi Sung-gun, who had been responding casually, suddenly paused, blinking his eyes.

“...Wait, hold on. From where???”