God of Money

Jung Jinsup loved women and booze. Woosung drank with him late into the night.

"It's great here, right? You better thank me for bringing you here. I didn't even tell anyone at KYLO about this place." Jung Jinsup boasted.

Woosung wanted to leave but stayed and agreed.

"Haha, thank you, bro."

"Hahaha, another drink! Now, why are you sitting like a monk? You look lonely there all by yourself. Grab a girl!"

Jung Jinsup groped a woman beside him. The woman moaned excitedly.

It was a disturbing scene. Woosung pretended to be drunk and asked Jung Jinsup.

"I want to be prepared for meeting Choi Gichul. Can you tell me what I need to avoid doing or mentioning? What does he hate the most?"

"That would be his big brother."

"You mean Choi Gitae?"

Jung Jinsup shook his finger. "No, the other one. The oldest, Choi Taemin. One time we were drinking, and he said that he wanted to kill his brother."

Woosung swallowed. Choi Gichul hated his brother so much he wanted to kill him. Woosung knew he meant it and if he got a chance, he would act on it. He stammered on purpose and replied.

"I…I see."

"So make sure to never mention the name Choi Taemin, okay?"

"Alright."

Jung Jinsup smiled in satisfaction and raised his glass. "Now, let's drink. The night is still young!"

Woosung had more questions he wanted to ask but he didn't want to look suspicious. Jung Jinsup was getting busy with the woman next to him. Woosung drank by himself with a troubled visage.

The next day.

Woosung sighed as he sat down in his office. He could smell the alcohol in his breath. Before they left the bar together, Jung Jinsup said to Woosung.

"Thanks for the drink."

He made Woosung pay.

The bill at the end of the day was about 10,000 dollars.

It was nothing to Woosung, but he hated spending money on Jung Jinsup.

'I will make sure he regrets his life.'

Jang Gwangchul walked into Woosung's room and asked, disappointment was all over his tone.

"Who did you drink with last night? You didn't take me with you. I'm sad."

"I didn't want to, but I had to."

"You drank for business?"

Woosung nodded; Jang Gwangchul grinned. "Welcome to the grownup's world."

"I don't want to be in such a dirty world." Woosung frowned. "By the way, did you get to talk to Lee Ari's management?"

"I did but they said they aren't sure if it's possible. The decision is hers."

"I see."

"Why not get someone else?"

"Then it would be meaningless. She is the best option."

Jang Gwangchul suggested thoughtfully. "There are a lot of great idols out there."

"But no one big enough to be a trendsetter like her."

"I understand Lee Ari is the biggest star, but if we don't have a backup plan, we might end up with no one."

"I will talk to her myself. Please arrange a meeting."

"Alright, I'll try."

After Jang Gwangchul left, Woosung started his research on Lee Ari.

The first thing Woosung did was web crawling.

He gathered as much information as he could on SNS, news, and various online communities.

He then sorted the data using R Studio.

Woosung was by now a pro at data analysis. He also knew Lee Ari's future.

As time went on, Woosung created a report.

In a black van on her way to a studio, Lee Ari sat with a reserved gaze. With her sharp bob, flawless skin, and slim body, she looked like a fragile Greek statue. In her hand was a report.

She stared at it as she asked her manager.

"Where did you say this came from?"

The manager worked with Lee Ari every day, but his heart pounded every time he saw her. He answered.

"It's from KND Corporation. They want to hire you to advertise their new app Coconut Talk."

"Oh…I remember."

The manager added carefully. "It's not a bad idea to meet with them. They are offering a lot of money too. Of course, I'm not saying you should do it for the money! Everyone knows you care about being a true artist, not money."

"Haha, yeah but I know money is important too!"

The manager replied with a smile. "Haha, of course. I heard they are offering more than $500,000, and it's not a TV commercial. You know what Facebook is, right?"

Lee Ari nodded.

"All they want is to record you using the Coconut Talk and upload the video on Facebook. The contract is for a year."

"Hmm…"

While Lee Ari pondered, the manager replied. "You do what you want. The boss wants you to be happy."

She was only 20, but she was a huge star. Her management company valued her as its biggest asset.

Lee Ari believed in being an artist, not a sellout, but the report was so intriguing. What it said resonated with her, more so than what her management company recommended for her career. Lee Ari asked her manager.

"What do you think?"

The manager scratched his head and answered. "Oh, haha. My opinion doesn't matter. It's your decision."

"But I want to hear your thoughts."

"Well…I think…"

He glanced at her. He wanted to come to the same conclusion as Lee Ari's. After thinking, he offered.

"I think you shouldn't do it. I think becoming a commercial model will negatively affect your image as an artist. Remember last time when there was a problem with the product you sponsor? You were partly blamed for it! It was unfair."

Lee Ari handed the report to her manager and replied. "Haha, you're right but have you read this?"

"Lee Ari."

"What she needs to do to become the world's biggest star."

It was a grand title. Manager nodded.

"Haha of course. I read it carefully before giving it to you."

"Oh, I see. So you did read it."

"It seemed like whoever wrote it didn't understand the entertainment industry at all. He said your current TV show is a wrong choice for you. Don't you remember how hard our boss worked to get you this job?"

Lee Ari was on her way to meet with the staff for her new TV series "Lovely Woman." The writer of the report, KND's Kang Woosung, suggested she should instead take the main role for a different TV drama titled "Intimacy."

As the title suggested, "Intimacy" was not a G-rated show.

Lee Ari was popular for her "innocent girl" image so it was decided by her management team that this show didn't suit her.

"I know how hard our boss worked to get me to where I am. I am very appreciative. I am also thankful to you, manager."

The manager smiled broadly. Lee Ari leaned back and thought.

'It's time to get a new manager.'

They worked together for a whole year, yet he didn't understand her at all. How could he not agree with the report?

Lee Ari was disappointed.

'The audience wants to see a different side of me. My fans and the media have already mentioned this before.'

The report was convincing, but she couldn't change to a different show because of a single report from a stranger.

Lee Ari thought carefully. She became a celebrity because she wanted to be loved. She never felt it from her own family, so she swore to become a top star.

The report promised to make her the beloved star of this country and the world.

"I don't think it's a bad idea to meet with him." She murmured quietly.