Chapter 100

From the sales amount, deduct the commission.

Or pay a fixed amount as monthly rent.

Of course, I preferred the latter.

"The fixed usage fee would be disadvantageous to you, sir."

"But I find it more convenient. Please proceed with the fixed rental method."

After working with MarketKiller, I felt that the more I sold, the more commission was deducted, which was a waste.

And.

I planned to sell this one like wildfire again.

*

Meanwhile.

The auction proceeded to the artwork delivery process.

Kim Gyu-tae and the staff dispatched from Christie's came to my house.

Thanks to the schedule falling into place, we didn't need to transport it ourselves.

"The client, please sign here."

"Sure."

After signing, the Christie's staff carefully packed and carried away the <Smiling Knight>.

The delivery destination was Hong Kong.

This notorious forgery was scheduled to participate in the Christie's Hong Kong auction.

'Isn't there a lot of rich people in China?'

I remember that during the previous New York auction, the most bids came from Hong Kong by phone.

Besides, since anyone can bid by phone or online from anywhere in the world, there was no reason to insist on the New York auction.

'Ugh, I wonder how much it will sell for.'

I was already looking forward to it.

It seemed the same for Kim Gyu-tae.

"Client, will you attend the auction day? I'll book the flight in advance."

Kim Gyu-tae adjusted his glasses and asked.

He had been anxious to treat me to first class since last time.

However.

"I don't think I can go this time."

I found it difficult to attend this auction.

Even if I wasn't there in person, there would be no problem with the sales contract, and I was quite busy these days.

"Is that so? What a pity."

"Yeah, the situation is a bit complicated."

Most importantly, the prime property in Seongsu was the issue.

If I received a call from Han Gang-hee, I had to be ready to leave at any moment.

Didn't I get this house that way?

If I had replied 'I'll come and see it tomorrow,' someone else would be sitting here by now.

But.

Kim Gyu-tae seemed quite disappointed and said nothing.

'I knew it would be like this.'

It wasn't just because of the first class.

It was probably because he couldn't see the auction he loved so much.

"Client... thank you."

"You're welcome."

"If your schedule clears up, please come even on the day of the auction."

"Of course. I'll definitely come if I have the time. We had a great time in New York, didn't we?"

Perhaps Kim Gyu-tae was recalling that day.

We looked at each other and smiled contentedly.

To both of us.

The memory of Christie's New York.

Would probably be unforgettable for life.

*

A few days later.

Seongsu-dong shared office.

The kick-off meeting for the film <Survival Insurance> was held.

All the investors, producers, director, and key staff were gathered.

It was also a meeting to gather broad opinions on pre-production and casting.

"Let's start with self-introductions, one by one."

Following the lead of Bae Sung-soo, the representative of <Seongsu Pictures>.

People sitting on both sides of the long table stood up in turn to introduce themselves.

"Hello, I'm Song Tae-sik, the cinematographer for this project. I look forward to working well with everyone. Please take care of me."

Clap clap clap─

"Yes, I'm director Go Yu-tak. I don't know Tae-sik well. Nice to meet you."

Clap clap clap─

"I'm Kim Deok-san. I love the director's films so much that I ended up investing. Please take care of me."

Clap clap clap─

I chuckled even as I clapped.

It was funny how Kim Deok-san tried to hide his dialect.

His casual posture and the way he half-rose and half-sat down made him look like a neighborhood uncle, which was also funny.

Then, Kim Deok-san said with a sullen look.

"What's up?"

"Excuse me?"

"It's your turn, kid."

Laughter erupted from the surroundings.

Kim Deok-san nodded his thick chin, signaling me to stand up.

"Yes, Master."

I stood up and looked around.

Then I bowed.

"Hello, I'm Shin Yu-won, the main investor of the film <Survival Insurance>. Nice to meet you all."

Clap clap clap clap──

With even louder applause than before.

"Although this project has a history of setbacks, I believe this time it will be different. Please focus on making a great film without worrying about the budget."

I took my first step as a film investor.

Of course, the goal was.

10 million.

To me, misfortune and fortune.

A kick-off meeting is usually.

A gathering for key project participants to get to know each other and build team spirit.

"I'm Bae Sung-soo, the producer. I think everyone has gotten used to my rugged face, so I'll skip the introduction."

Clap clap clap─

However, our kick-off meeting was a bit different.

Just by seeing that we gathered in a conference room rather than a restaurant or bar, you could tell.

Bae Sung-soo's determination to rebuild this film.

And the tight production schedule.

"First, let's share the progress of pre-production. Hong PD."

"Yes, the overall progress is about 60-70%. First, let's look at the locations..."

This was a project that had already completed pre-production once.

It was more like renovating a house that had only finished the foundation, rather than building a house from scratch.

'Already over 60%?'

Thanks to this, the progress was much faster than expected.

Bae Sung-soo's bold promise wasn't an exaggeration.

[The pre-production period is also shortened by more than half, and I'm confident we can complete it within two months.]

He wasn't the big coward who insisted he couldn't make the film.

'Sure enough, you're doing well.'

I smiled and listened to Hong PD's briefing.

After all, my role was to listen well.

"The main location is Aeun University. The Songdo campus, which we had previously scouted, was used in <Introduction to Radiology>, so the director decided it would overlap with the visuals. And..."

Although I was the main investor, I was a complete novice in film production. I had no intention of interfering.

I just needed to watch with excitement.

The same went for Kim Deok-san.

"Wow."

Sitting with his arms crossed and leaning back.

This uncle would burst into exclamations of amazement from time to time.

Ignoring the gazes of others.

He was purely enjoying the film production process and was deeply into it.

"Keya, ji gi ne."

But it had a good effect.

Every time Kim Deok-san exclaimed in his thick dialect, the staff's faces would brighten.

'Is it because it's funny? Or because they feel recognized?'

In any case, he had some mysterious positive energy.

"Next, I'll hand over to the casting director for casting."

"Yes, I'm Shim Mi-jin."

Casting.

This was the core agenda of this kick-off meeting.

I had also received a hint from Bae Sung-soo before coming.

He said that getting the investors' confirmation for casting, especially the lead roles, was essential, so I should be prepared.

Sure enough.

Shim Mi-jin, the casting director, who was sitting opposite, looked only at me and Kim Deok-san.

It was a signal that she was reporting to us.

"First, the two lead roles are almost finalized."

However.

"The role of Do-hyun is set to be played by Yoo Si-sung, and the role of Do-hyun's mother, Jung Eun-hye, by Lim Hee-ju."

They were people I knew.

In fact, they were the two people I had shown the script to directly.

Shim Mi-jin glanced alternately at director Go Yu-tak and writer Yoo Yeol and said.

"It's agreed upon with the director and the writer. We considered other candidates, but ultimately, these two were the best fit. What do you think, Mr. Shin?"

In any case, it was their decision.

I had no intention of interfering with the casting.

On the contrary, it was good.

Lim Hee-ju had always been helpful to me.

And Yoo Si-sung, although I had only briefly met him on set, had actively promoted our café.

'Even aside from personal reasons.'

Just looking at the work, it was great.

Lim Hee-ju was a national actress who needed no verification.

Moreover, Yoo Si-sung.

'I saw it myself. He was the star of the show in <The Return of the King to Wei-hwa>.'

A hot topic figure who received more attention than Lee Seong-gye in <The Return of the King to Wei-hwa>.

With his sculpted appearance and overwhelming acting skills.

A genuine actor who turned the stigma of being an idol into a box office guarantee.

I nodded.

"Great. I'm happy with it."

But I was a bit worried.

'Are they just reading my mind?'

Just because they were the two people I had given the script to.

Did the investor prefer them, so they cast them even though they didn't want to?

At that moment, Go Yu-tak, who had been listening quietly throughout the meeting, spoke for the first time.

"Both of them are hot right now, aren't they? They're hard to get, even if you want to. But guess what? They contacted us first, saying they wanted to work on this film."

Ah, so that's how it went.

"As soon as I received the call, I slapped my knee. This is it, this film is going to work. But Mr. Shin."

Go Yu-tak shook his head and asked.

"Did you plan all this?"

"What do you mean?"

"You only showed the script to two people, right? Lim Hee-ju and Yoo Si-sung."

"Right."

"No, it doesn't make sense. These two actors, who are so perfect for the roles and currently the hottest, just happened to have their schedules open. And you only showed the script to them?"

Ah, I sent a coffee truck to the set as instructed by the "Letter of Fortune," and that somehow...

'Huh? Wait a minute.'

Is that how it all connected?

Was there more than one "Letter of Fortune"?

That's why the event end message hadn't appeared yet?

'Jackpot!'

I thought the coffee truck that day had greatly promoted our café and cold brew, and that was the "Fortune."

'One more step was left!'

The connections made that day.

The script binders exchanged that day.

And the words that suddenly came to mind, spoken by Lim Hee-ju.

[That's not just a casual favor.]

Come to think of it.

The "Letter of Misfortune" was about Yoo Yeol.

...Could it be that "Misfortune" and "Fortune" intertwined to bring about a greater "Fortune"?

At that moment.

A message appeared.

──The "Letter of Fortune" event has concluded.

──As a reward for "Fortune Amplification," 5,000G will be refunded to you.

While "Misfortune" was overcome,

"Fortune" was amplified.

Or, can misfortune be overcome and fortune be amplified? What kind of life is this?

'I'm going crazy...’

And another message.

──The second "Letter of Fortune" has arrived.

──Please check the <Store>.

While I was gaping.

The mischievous Go Yu-tak said with a serious look.

"Even if I had been involved in casting, these two would have been my top choices. Their profiles fit perfectly. Plus, they played mother and son recently, which is perfect for the story. But... do I have nothing to do now?"

"Ha-ha, you were just lucky."

"No, the lucky ones are Seongsu and Yoo Yeol over there. It's not just luck. It's divine luck. Where do you find such an investor? And they even came to you?"

Go Yu-tak's playful joke made Bae Sung-soo and Yoo Yeol blush and laugh awkwardly.

Especially Yoo Yeol, who was a huge fan of Lim Hee-ju, looked like the happiest person in the world.

'Back then, it felt like the last minute before death, hehe.'

And Go Yu-tak's final decision.

"Since Mr. Shin has also approved, let's go with these two for the lead roles. Shim Caddy, please contact them and confirm."

"Yes."

"Then, let's give a round of applause to Mr. Shin, who has both financial power and keen insight!"

Go Yu-tak raised his hand and clapped playfully, and another round of awkward applause followed.

'Well, well.'

But Master.

Why do you look so displeased?

"Very well, very well."

Kim Deok-san pouted and reluctantly clapped.

"Anyway, this kid, I don't like it."

*

After that, the kick-off meeting concluded smoothly.

"Any other issues? Okay... everyone, thank you for your hard work."

Bae Sung-soo bowed.

I stood up and said.

"I'll treat everyone to a meal. Hong PD, please find a place. Don't worry about the cost."

"Wow, got it!"

Cheers and whistles erupted from the staff. They must have found the meeting quite tiring.

'...I found it interesting, though.'

When else would someone like me get to participate in film production?

But there was one particularly interesting piece of information.

The role of 'Sua' would be cast through a public audition.

This was entirely pushed by Go Yu-tak.

[There are many actors who can play that role, so it's fine. The real issue is Sua.]

[Oh, right. The mother and son meet in the latter half of the film, and Sua has to lead the first half.]

[So, let's go with a public audition. The more I read the script, the more I feel that no established actor fits. We need a new face.]

[Oh... Is that possible with the current schedule?]

[We have to make it work.]

I could fully understand Go Yu-tak's intention.

'Sua' is a character who suddenly removes her mask and actively approaches 'Do-hyun's family issues.

As the story progresses, she becomes both the biggest supporter and the biggest threat to 'Do-hyun'.

'A mysterious and complex character. That's why she's so appealing.'

So I also requested to be invited to the audition.

I was so curious about who would play Sua and how they would handle the role that I wanted to see it with my own eyes.

'This feels like I paid to see behind-the-scenes footage, hehe. It's fun.'

In any case, the staff moved to the after-meeting venue first.