Rookie Talent Agent Knows It All

Chapter 150: Secretstargem (5)

As soon as I saw the entrance to Club BLUE, I let out a sigh, because the vivid memory of Choi Jun-Woo causing trouble came back to me.

"What is it?" Kim Jong-Hoon asked.

"Oh, it's nothing. It's just that I've been here before."

"Oh, are you talking about the Choi Jun-Woo incident?"

"How do you know about that?"

"Seon-Woo told me."

Sitting in the driver's seat of his Ramborghini, Kim Jong-Hoon seemed to have already known everything about me.

"Wow. I've been wondering why you weren't coming out of the basement. It turns out you weren't making music but listening to stories about me, huh?" I teased him.

"He he. I finally made a few friends. Of course I had to get to know them."

"What are you, a stalker?"

"Says the person who stalked me too," Kim Jong-Hoon replied with a cheeky smile, referring to the time I had gone to rescue him at the hotel.

I cleared my throat, dodged the question, and then got out of the car at the hotel entrance. After Kim Jong-Hoon handed over his car to the valet parking, we headed not to the club entrance but to the hotel desk since there was a separate entrance leading to the underground club.

When Kim Jong-Hoon, a top idol, appeared, the hotel guests who arrived first buzzed with excitement for a moment.

That's when a hotelier in his forties with a name tag reading 'Chief Kang Moo-Jung' rushed out.

"Long time no see, Mr. Kim."

"Do you have any available VIP rooms?"

"Of course. We have to make one available even if there isn't, especially since it's been a long time since your last visit."

Kim Jong-Hoon nodded in satisfaction. "Like always, don't let anyone in."

"Yes, sir."

Kang Moo-Jung nodded repeatedly and took a glance at me.

"Mr. Kim, may I know the name of the person accompanying you to..."

"Don't bother asking and just lead the way."

"Ah, yes. I apologize for my mistake. Please come this way."

The person Park Hyun-Woo told Woo Yeon-Hee to look for when she arrived at the hotel was Kang Moo-Jung. He was the manager taking care of Club BLUE's VIPs and also the one who was fraternizing with the local police chief.

When we followed Kang Moo-Jung, I saw a separate elevator leading down to the underground Club BLUE. While waiting for the elevator, Kim Jong-Hoon took out two 50 thousand won bills from his pocket.

"I heard the ZIZAK guys are here today. Is that right?"

Kang Moo-Jung took the money and responded, "Yes, sir. They're with the Golden Road members."

That was good to hear because I had to deal with Jang Eun-Yung anyway.

While I subtly turned on the recording feature on my smartwatch, Kim Jong-Hoon took out two more 50 thousand won bills and continued his inquiry.

"I heard the ZIZAK members made an appointment with Cherry Blossom today. Is that correct?"

Kang Moo-Jung looked troubled. "Ah, it's a bit difficult for me to share such matters with you..."

At that moment, Kim Jong-Hoon took out a few more bills.

"You better make the right choice unless you want to see me stop coming here."

Kang Moo-Jung awkwardly smiled and accepted the bills.

"Yes, sir. What you said is exactly right."

"What are they planning to do?"

"I'm not sure about the details, but you know that anything is possible for a VIP."

There were no security cameras in Club BLUE's VIP rooms. So technically, if someone were to die there, it would go unnoticed.

I felt my anger rising again hearing Kang Moo-Jung's words. But I tried my best to suppress my anger as we took the elevator and headed down.

Ding!

When the elevator doors opened, the loud music from the club reached my ears.

Kang Moo-Jung spoke through his walkie-talkie and then continued to lead us.

"The usual Room 1 is available right now. Let me take you there."

In Club BLUE, there were rooms with transparent glass walls allowing one to view people on the floor, and there were also rooms completely enclosed by walls. Kim Jong-Hoon whispered in my ear that Room 1 was one of the latter.

Upon reaching Room 1, Kim Jong-Hoon handed over money again to Kang Moo-Jung at the entrance.

"Don't come in no matter what happens."

"Don't worry. I'll make sure the employees ignore even urgent calls."

After his response, Kang Moo-Jung bowed as he accepted the bills.

"I'll bring in your usual drinks. Have a good time, sir."

After bowing once again, Kang Moo-Jung closed the door behind him and left.

The moment the door closed, VIP Room 1 became as quiet as if we had entered a recording booth. Simultaneously, Kim Jong-Hoon burst out a loud curse.

"Those fucking bastards..."

The fuming Kim Jong-Hoon fuming slammed the table with his fist.

"Jong-Hoon."

Kim Jong-Hoon turned his head at the sound of my low voice.

"Once the drinks come in, could you give me a moment alone?"

"I don't know what you're up to, but make sure you think it through. Your company isn't known for handling cleanups well."

Indeed, handling messy situations required a certain expertise. In Hoop Entertainment, only someone like Kim Dong-Soo could handle such tasks. Hoop Entertainment, following Kang Gam-Chan's philosophy of not getting involved in nor hiding dirty work, was known externally for being poor at handling cleanups.

When I smiled without a word, Kim Jong-Hoon patted my shoulder with a bitter expression.

"Well, you did save me when I was at my lowest. I'm sure you'll probably handle it well. I'll go check out the floor, so call me when you're done."

"Okay. And...thanks for your help."

"Don't mention it. Oh, and you know there are no security cameras here, right? The soundproofing is good too."

"Of course."

"Thought as much."

Having a wealthy friend turned out to be quite convenient in many ways.

The door opened and the waiter came in with the drinks and Kim Jong-Hoon followed the waiter out.

With the room quiet again, I took out Woo Yeon-Hee's phone and sent a text to Park Hyun-Woo who would be in Room 7.

***

The ZIZAK members were having a raucous time with Golden Road in the VIP Room 7 where loud music played through the internal speakers.

"Come on! Drink up! Chug! Chug!"

"Ha ha ha! Bottoms up!"

Park Hyun-Woo sat in the middle with Jang Eun-Yung wrapped in his arms. Park Hyun-Woo opened a bottle of whiskey and began to pour it into an empty glass.

"Alright, everyone. Pay attention here for a moment. Our sponsor today has something to say."

Jang Eun-Yung then lifted a glass that was half-filled.

"Great work today, everyone. Have fun, but remember we do have a schedule tomorrow. So no heavy drinking."

"Ah, come on. As if a few drinks would lead to heavy drinking. It's not like we're rookies, are we?"

"We'll just cancel the schedule if we get bad hangovers. What's there to worry about?"

Having debuted several years ago, this level of drinking was a piece of cake to both ZIZAK and Golden Road.

"Oppa. We just had our comeback today, remember? Canceling our schedule is not an option."

Park Hyun-Woo smiled and pinched Jang Eun-Yung's nose.

"Hey, who was it that called me here on the comeback day?" Park Hyun-Woo asked teasingly.

"Ah, forget it. Anyway, I'm not drinking more than three glasses," Jan Eun-Yung responded with a pout.

Park Hyun-Woo raised his hands and bowed his head. "As the sponsor wishes. Yes, princess~ we shall comply."

Jang Eun-Yung giggled and pulled Park Hyun-Woo back up.

Then, still in his arms, she looked at Yoon Ji-Hee.

"Ji-Hee, you just have one drink. It's your first time in a club, after all."

Yoon Ji-Hee smirked. "First time? I've sneaked in a few times before. And unnie, I can down a crate of soju and still be fine. A glass of whiskey won't even phase me."

"A crate of soju? You need to chill."

"Speak for yourself, unnie. Remember back in your school bully days? When you..."

Yoon Ji-Hee's teasing was abruptly cut off by Jang Eun-Yung's annoyance.

"Hey! If you're going to talk nonsense, go back to the dorm!"

"Why get so worked up? It's all in the past. Anyway, I'm sorry. Let's toast. Cheers."

Park Hyun-Woo laughed and broke up the argument between the two.

Buzz!

At that moment, Park Hyun-Woo's phone buzzed with a notification.

"What is it?"

When he checked his phone, it was a message from Woo Yeon-Hee.

[It's me, Woo Yeon-Hee. Chief Kang said there was an urgent matter and took me to the VIP area and then disappeared. I'm in front of Room 1, but I can't find where Room 7 is.]

Upon reading the message, Park Hyun-Woo gulped and stood up.

"Who is it?"

"It's Woo Yeon-Hee."

Jang Eun-Yung pouted. "Why do you have to go, oppa? Why not send one of the others?"

Park Hyun-Woo gently pinched Jang Eun-Yung's cheek. "Hey. Why cause unnecessary rumors by sending someone else? Don't worry. I'll go get her quietly."

Jang Eun-Yung smiled and responded in a playful tone. "Okay, but bring her back quickly. Okay?"

Park Hyun-Woo stood up with a grin and instructed his members to get ready.

"In-Sung and Sang-Jun, you guys get ready to take pictures when Woo Yeon-Hee and Eun-Bi arrive. Got it?"

Choi In-Sung and Cha Sang-Jun put down their glasses with a sly smile.

"Yes, we'll be ready."

Just as planned, they intended to take pictures in Room 7 once Park Hyun-Woo brought Woo Yeon-Hee and Yang Eun-Bi in. Although Cherry Blossom and Golden Road shared the same company, none of them cared about what might happen to Cherry Blossom.

Golden Road wished for Cherry Blossom to disappear from the scene as soon as possible.

After mentioning it might take a while, Park Hyun-Woo left Room 7.

***

With the door to Room 1 slightly open, I waited for Park Hyun-Woo to approach.

Clack clack.

It didn't take long before the sound of clicking heels approached.

"Where the hell did this bitch go? She said she'd be right here."

Park Hyun-Woo's irritated voice could be heard right outside the door.

The moment I saw him in the dim lighting, I grabbed him by the collar and pulled him into the room.

Park Hyun-Woo stumbled into the room.

"Whoa! Who, who are you?"

I quickly locked the door and shoved Park Hyun-Woo against the wall.

Bang!

"Ugh! Wh-what's going on?"

The room was well soundproofed, so there was no worry about noise leaking out.

"Whoever you are, you've picked the wrong person to mess with..."

The moment Park Hyun-Woo opened his mouth, I landed the first punch on his abdomen.

Thump!

Park Hyun-Woo's body bent forward like a shrimp after taking a punch to the stomach.

"Ke heuk!"

Known for being a UFC enthusiast, I could feel quite a bit of resistance from his abs.

"Pretty solid, huh? Oh, right. You used to work out, didn't you?"

Just as I was about to land a second punch to his abdomen, Park Hyun-Woo raised his hands to block my fist.

Smack!

The sound of bone hitting bone echoed in the room.

"What do we have here? You blocked my fist, huh? Then I'll make sure this one lands properly."

I put a bit more force and landed another punch.

Crack!

Park Hyun-Woo's guard broke under the successive punches. Then my fist found its way to his abdomen again, punch after punch.

Thud! Thud!

"Ugh!"

No matter how much of a fitness enthusiast he was, he was still an amateur. There was no way he could block my punches with his current skill level.

After taking solid hits to the abdomen and ribs, he finally knelt on the floor.

"Keuugh. W-w-who the hell are you?"

As Park Hyun-Woo groaned in pain, I held the note I was holding in front of him.

"What the hell were you thinking sending a note like this? Park Hyun-Woo."

Finally recognizing my face, Park Hyun-Woo gasped for air and scowled.

"Wait. Huff, huff. Don't tell me you're Cherry Blossom's talent agent?"

"You got it."

Park Hyun-Woo poured out a curse with a distorted expression.

"Fuck! How dare a mere talent agent pull this bullshit! Have you gone mad for real? Bring Woo Yeon-Hee here right now!"

"Go on. Keep talking."

Failing to read the room, Park Hyun-Woo threatened me again.

"You fucking asshole! Your life is done for now! How dare you lay hands on a celebrity? Do you have any idea which company I'm from!?"

Smack!

I punched Park Hyun-Woo's abdomen again for his insolent attitude.

"Gah!"

Park Hyun-Woo clutched his stomach and rolled on the floor.

"Keugh, this crazy bastard..."

I looked at Park Hyun-Woo and spoke kindly once more.

"Still not coming to your senses?"

I gave him another punch because he was being so annoying.

Thump.

Park Hyun-Woo, unable to take it anymore, finally backed away and sat down.

"Wa-wait. Just wait! Le-let's talk! Talk!"

"Sounds like a dog barking."

This was nothing compared to what he had planned for Woo Yeon-Hee and Yang Eun-Bi.

Park Hyun-Woo desperately waved his hands.

"No, no! That's all a misunderstanding! We weren't going to do anything! It was just to scare them a bit since Eun-Yung asked..."

'What? Jang Eun-Yung put him up to this?'

As much as Park Hyun-Woo was prone to lying, I could sense sincerity in his pain-distorted face.

'So was it all Jang Eun-Yung's plan from the start? She dared to target Cherry Blossom?'

That's when Park Hyun-Woo suddenly reached under the table and pressed a red button.

A beep sound filled the room—it was the emergency call sign to summon the guards.

"Ke ke ke! Do you know what this sound is?"

"What is it?"

"The sound of calling the guards. You're done for. How dare a mere talent agent lay hands on a celebrity?"

Park Hyun-Woo clutched his throbbing abdomen and snickered with laughter, fully believing that help was on its way.

I was about to give him a few more punches when I remembered I was recording, so I slyly baited him.

"Even if I'm done for, let me ask one thing before that. What were you planning to do by calling Woo Yeon-Hee here?"

Park Hyun-Woo spoke without hesitation. "He he. Are you an idiot? You really don't have any idea? It's obvious what happens when you bring a girl into a room full of guys."

"So that was your plan, huh...?"

"Duh! Even if Eun-Yung hadn't asked, Cherry Blossom is good enough to have fun with. Ah, but why aren't these guys coming?"

Park Hyun-Woo looked toward the door. He seemed uneasy as the guards were taking longer than expected.

I slowly approached the anxious Park Hyun-Woo. "They're not coming. I told them not to in advance."

"What? H-h-how did you do that?"

"Money talks, doesn't it? Everything works with money here."

Seeing my clenched fist, Park Hyun-Woo's face turned pale. He began to stumble and back away with fear in his eyes.

"W-w-wait! Just wait!"

"Round 2 starts now, you bastard!"

With a fierce curse, I threw my fist toward Park Hyun-Woo without hesitation.

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