S111

Society Protocol 11

Rookie

Min-hyuk was momentarily flustered upon receiving the agency director's business card, as he had not expected it at all.

Since it was a scene he had never even considered, he had never prepared in advance what expression to make,

and his pure inner feelings were clearly revealed on his face.

The agency director looked at Min-hyuk's expression and intuitively sensed it.

[He took the bait.]

It was on a completely different level from getting caught on the hook while looking around the fishing rod, wondering whether to eat the bait or not.

It was similar to throwing a harpoon and plunging it into a fish that was just mindlessly swimming and playing in the water.

For Minhyuk, it was a situation akin to a traffic accident.

An accident could happen someday, and minor fender benders are bound to occur while driving.

As you travel the roads, you might see a minor collision somewhere,

an ambulance pass by, or a police car speed by with its siren blaring.

However, there likely aren't many people who drive while mentally preparing themselves for the fact that this could actually become their reality.

He was overjoyed enough to feel like he could fly just from the fact that a famous actor and director had called his name today.

His heart was floating. But to think it was an entertainment agency.

And not just any agency, but a top-tier one that had been acquired by foreign investors and was even launching entertainers into Hollywood,

and which boasted a roster of singers and actors.

And it wasn't just a road casting manager; it was a director who used to be a famous manager he had heard of somewhere,

who personally handed him his business card, making it hard to tell if it was a dream or reality.

Min-hyuk even forgot that he had to contact Mi-hee as soon as filming was over.

“Strike while the iron is hot. That’s a saying we both like, so let’s talk about this right away today. You must have cleared your schedule for filming, right? Isn’t that right, Minhyuk?”

“Right now?”

“Yeah. While there are cases where you grow attached to an actor the more you watch them, I think it’s difficult if they don’t have a charm that grabs you at first sight.

I mean, there are cases of late-blooming stars who became stars through sheer hard work.

But you need to have enough charm to keep getting opportunities.

I wanted to verify if you have that.

I think it would be best for both of us to meet with you first and make a decision. What do you think?

If it’s right, it’s right; if not, we’ll each find our own new paths right away. We don’t have time to waste. Let’s go straight ahead.”

To compensate for his lack of knowledge, he forced himself to start studying by reading books on proverbs and four-character idioms.

He was an entertainment agency director who had developed a late interest in studying.

Because he would forget what he had learned if he didn't use it constantly, he incorporated the four-character idioms he knew into his speech whenever he spoke; as a result, they had now become second nature to him.

During his school days, he used to get into fights, enjoy dancing and singing, ride motorcycles, and have fun with women.

He eventually met his current boss, who looked after him with an affection he had never received.

He helped him shed the label of being a troublemaker and a problem child, and he believed in his words.

Therefore, the director was always devoted to whatever the boss told him to do.

The proverb explanation book and the four-character idiom book were also things the boss had obtained for him.

He hoped to take an interest in people and become able to read their fortunes and physiognomy.

The CEO introduced him to a famous fortune teller, enabling him to study.

The director, who possessed an animalistic ability to sense what people liked and found interesting,

further developed his ability to read people through the books and teacher provided by the CEO.

And by genuinely caring for the celebrities with difficult personalities and demonstrating a willingness to handle even the unpleasant tasks,

he earned the trust of the CEO.

The steadily growing agency gained global attention due to the success of several singers and actors,

and by attracting overseas investors, it has now built a large building and become a company with significant scale and power within the entertainment industry.

Furthermore, the director was solely responsible for managing personnel, rather than launching new plans or projects.

And the newcomers discovered by the director became true superstars.

It is true that the agency has the privilege of initially making one's face and name known to the public.

However, continuously attracting public attention, maintaining popularity, and sustaining one's appeal depends entirely on the entertainer's ability.

The director began writing down whatever came to mind why some of the newcomers he had cast succeeded while others did not last long.

He also analyzed them using Saju(Korean Fortune Telling), which had now become his specialty.

Singers and actors may seem quite similar, but they are different.

The director believed that singers were actually closer to professional baseball players than to actors.

One day, he had mentioned to the CEO, hoping to receive praise and attention, that he was studying on his own how to spot successful entertainers.

At that moment, the CEO shared his thoughts.

“There are actors who get nervous when standing in front of the public. It happens more often than you might think.

However, professional baseball players never get nervous in front of the public.

That is because being with the public is ingrained in them.

Just as there is no baseball without spectators, and no singer without an audience, it is ingrained in them.

But actors are a little different. They often spend most of their time in front of the camera only with people they know.

Also, because they have to express even the most subtle emotions through facial expressions and actions, many of them are quite sensitive.

Wouldn't it be helpful if you could distinguish that?”

The boss always explained everything, but ended with a question.

The director, who could not tolerate taking orders from others or being subordinate to them,

said even greater respect and admiration for this approach of the boss.

His loyalty was akin to that of Luca Brasi from the movie The Godfather.

Anyone who has seen The Godfather will know.

He was so similar to that greatest villain who, despite being the scariest villain in the movie, was practicing while sitting in a chair waiting for his turn to send a congratulatory message for the marriage of the Godfather's daughter whom he respected.

If one were to speak ill of the boss in front of the director,

They would end up looking like the headless thoroughbred from The Godfather.

The CEO knew, having watched the current director since his troublemaking school days, that deep down he was tender-hearted and kind.

Furthermore, the world was overflowing with people who would follow you if you treated them well, only to turn completely different when the situation changed.

However, the director continued to show loyalty to him.

This created a positive loop that led the CEO to trust and entrust him with tasks even more.

Upon meeting Min-hyuk for the first time today, the director had an intuitive feeling that he would require more support than the average actor.

However, such a case might lead to internal backlash or leave a clear negative precedent and influence on existing artists under the agency.

The director felt that he could not judge that far on his own.

Therefore, he wanted the CEO to see him in person and hear his opinion, even if only for a moment.

Since the CEO was someone who actively supported whatever was needed if there was something he wanted to do or desired, and firmly blocked it if he thought it shouldn't be done, the director wanted to leave the decision to him.

Furthermore, the recommendation from Jae-min, whom he trusted more than his own intuition, was another factor that led him to consider active support.

Now, it was up to Min-hyuk's choice.

[You can lead a horse to water, but you cannot force it to drink. Even the Governor of Pyongyang can simply give up if he does not want to.](In the past, Pyongyang was famous in Korea as a place with many beautiful women.)

The director was someone who rationalized his thoughts using proverbs.

He thought that if Min-hyuk refused or showed even the slightest hesitation, the director would simply provide support to the extent of keeping him under his wing at the agency.

When the director suggested they go together, Min-hyuk answered immediately.

“Yes, I’ve been curious about a lot of things too. I really want to hear them.”

Seeing Min-hyuk’s face suddenly brighten as if he had recovered from the shock, the director was drawn to him.

The director was reminded of a scene from Hemingway's The Old Man and the Sea.

He recalled the scenario where he thought he had harpooned the fish, only to be dragged along by the marlin for quite a while.

The only people who could sway him were the boss, Jae-min, and his current girlfriend.

The director gestured for Min-hyuk to come along immediately and put him in his car. Then, he sent a text message to the boss.

[I am leaving now.]

The agency president, having received the director's text message, replied that he understood, picked up his glass of whiskey filled with ice again, took a sip, rose from the table, and walked toward the window. The setting sun was visible through the window.

“Shall I move aside?”

A beautiful woman sitting at the table looked at the owner and spoke in a low voice.

The owner slightly raised his right hand, forming an arrow shape with his index finger, as if to say, "Just a moment."

When the sun sets, the world becomes dark. It is most beautiful just before the sun sets.

And then, one could feel the presence of the sun directly.

When the sun rises in the morning, it is too blinding to look at, and during the day, it is so bright that one cannot perceive its presence.

However, when the sun goes below the horizon and the remnants of its light drift away, leaving a lingering afterglow,

it is only then that the presence of the sun can finally be felt.

Now, when night falls, darkness will come.

However, humans turn on lights and illuminate the world again with electricity.

Even if God temporarily removed the sun, humans create the light they need on their own.

That is what it means to be human.

The boss spoke to the woman sitting at the table, without taking his eyes off the sunset.

“So, what exactly is my job?”

The woman, seemingly finding it difficult to speak from a distance, stood up from her seat and approached the boss.

“We have received information that they have begun to gather. We do not yet know how far this will proceed. I will only say that one of our personnel has managed to infiltrate. We will have no choice but to take action once that person brings us information. It seems the time has come to put our heads together to analyze their intentions and resolve this issue. I request your attendance at the general meeting held in a few days.”

The president turned to the woman and stared intently at her.

“Is this a gathering exclusively for Korean members?”

“Since the matter is significant, we will hold a video conference via satellite after gathering by region.”

“The location will be the same as before, but what time is it?”

“It will be held at 1:00 PM Global Standard Time. That is 9:00 PM Korean time. We plan to gather in Korea beforehand for dinner, so please arrive by 5:40 PM. The Americas branch will be participating in person at the European General Assembly this time. Those who wish to attend together are welcome to go to Europe, but since there are preparations to be done within Korea as well, we recommend attending from Seoul if possible.”

He had only seen the entire group hold a meeting twice since he first joined about 20 years ago.

It seemed like this happened once every ten years.

Of course, parties, general assemblies, and seminars were held periodically every year.

However, the term "meeting" had been used exactly twice.

Although it was unknown to the world, they gathered whenever a crisis befell the Earth,

or rather, whenever a crisis befell humanity.

What they had done at that time was not known to any media outlet.

Some politicians, scientists, and a few investigative reporters wrote articles that approached the content similarly, but they were all hushed up.

People could not imagine an invisible illusion that lacked substance.

If one cannot imagine it, they do not take an interest.

If there had been a clumsy attempt to appease them, the matter would have festered and exploded instead.

The European leadership had given precise instructions.

[Do nothing. Do not offer any solutions. Hold your ground.]

If nothing happens to the person making the revelations, the conspiracy theory disappears.

On the contrary, the private life of the person who announced the conspiracy theory will be exposed, resulting in the self-destruction of their own life.

[They may brush past us at the intersections of life. However, it is impossible for them to grasp our whole selves. This is because even we do not fully know ourselves.]

The newly appointed Chancellor, who had been in office three years ago, shared his thoughts at a New Year's celebration party.

Those in attendance did not tell their families the truth about the gathering.

The moment they spoke, there was absolutely no danger or threat to be put in danger.

However, from the next moment on, they would lose all information and be deprived of the fruits of knowledge.

The fruits of knowledge have been delivered periodically.

This is because such information, knowledge, and judgment became the foundation for realizing the dreams one wished to achieve,

and because one's family also existed within those dreams.

[The moment you lose it, it will all become an illusion]

Ji Seo-hoon, the president of the agency, considered changing the schedule for the important company acquisition to be held next week, but decided to simply leave it to the director.

He did not know why they had asked to see him because of a mere rookie actor,

but the president had a mission to deliver directly to the director.

The director was to be promoted to president, and from now on, all agency operations would be handled by Lee Jun-hyun, the new president.

He had just heard from the woman that he would become the new president of the Korean branch.

Although he had a certain standing in Korea, he was merely the president of an agency whose name was just beginning to become known internationally.

However, within the global organization to which he belonged, he was practically a newcomer.

When a crisis strikes the organization, the first person to come to mind is the most outstanding individual.

Ji Seo-hoon was now just like a rookie player advancing to the organization's major league.