Episode 451: Speed of Light (3)

Choi Sung-geon's eyes widened as he stared blankly at Kang Woo-jin. He had just heard something utterly outrageous, yet Woo-jin's expression remained completely unfazed. For a moment, Sung-geon blinked in confusion.

'Wait... What did he just say?'

Doubting his own ears, Choi Sung-geon cautiously asked, "Woo-jin, what did you just say?"

Without hesitation, Woo-jin, still holding the 'Guest 'script in his hands, answered in the same calm, low tone.

"I asked if the CEO would consider becoming the main investor in this movie, Guest."

"...Me?"

"Yes."

"Suddenly?"

"Yes."

"...Hah?"

Choi Sung-geon blinked again, his mind scrambling to process the absurdity of the suggestion. Meanwhile, Woo-jin remained eerily composed, his dry gaze locked onto him with unwavering seriousness.

And then it hit him.

'Oh no... He's dead serious about this.'

A deep sense of foreboding settled over Choi Sung-geon.

Something insane is about to happen.

"-Argh."

Choi Sung-geon untied his ponytail, ran his fingers through his hair, and tied it back again, tighter this time. Then he let out a small breath and spoke.

"Woo-jin, even if Guest is a remake of Detective Agency—even if the film company is small and new—the setting is still Hollywood, right? That's a completely different world from Korea. The scale of investment isn't even comparable."

He was right. No matter how much Korean content had grown, Hollywood was still Hollywood. These days, Korean blockbusters might have budgets of 40 to 50 billion won, but in Hollywood, that was a small change. Of course, there were smaller films, but even those operated at a different baseline.

Simply put, investing in a Hollywood film was a massive financial risk, one that could impact BW Entertainment's future.

"Well, it wouldn't bankrupt BW Entertainment," Choi Sung-geon continued.

"But if things go wrong, it'll be enough to shake us. Of course, I respect your opinion—let's be real, Woo-jin, our company has grown this much because of you. But BW Entertainment isn't just about you. We have Hye-yeon, other actors, and an entire company with employees relying on us."

Choi Sung-geon hummed thoughtfully, his face serious but calm.

"BW Entertainment is already one of the top five agencies in Korea. We've grown into a major company with overseas branches. This means that any financial risk we take affects a lot of people."

"I know," Woo-jin said simply.

There was also Chairman Hideki Yoshimura to consider.

"That's why this isn't an easy decision," Sung-geon continued. "I trust your instincts, but this is so sudden. Why are you suggesting we be the main investor in Guest?"

Woo-jin's answer was short.

"Because I feel sorry."

"Sorry?"

"Yes."

"For 'Guest'?"

"Exactly."

Sung-geon frowned slightly and glanced around at the team members before leaning in closer to Woo-jin, lowering his voice to a whisper.

"No way... you're intuition went up again? By Guest?"

If Woo-jin answered now, the myth of his supernatural intuition—already legendary—would only spiral further out of control. But at this point, what was the harm?

'When madness becomes a pattern, it turns into art.'

Might as well embrace it.

"That's exactly it. I like this script."

"!!!!!!!!!"

Sung-geon's eyes widened. Woo-jin continued.

"Forget the fact that it's a Detective Agency remake. Forget Director Shin Dong-chun's involvement. I just think "Guest" is a great film, and I'd hate to see it go to waste."

"You're serious?"

"Yes."

Sung-geon exhaled, his mind racing. He had believed in Woo-jin's bizarre, almost supernatural intuition before. And time and time again, Woo-jin had been right. The Cannes-winning Leech, his explosive Hollywood debut—everything had been a result of this unexplainable instinct.

Could he really ignore it now?

Sung-geon's gaze dropped to the 'Guest' script in his hands. He had read it himself.

'How much would the production cost?'

At least 10 billion won.

Realistically, between 30 and 50 billion.

A staggering amount. Fortunately, 'Guest' was a relatively small-scale film. If it were a blockbuster, the budget would easily exceed 100 billion.

Still, 50 billion was an enormous investment.

'If we put in over 50%, we'd be considered the main investor. But if we're going to do it, we might as well go all in.'

With Woo-jin's insane intuition backing it... 'Could we raise 50 billion?'

Surprisingly, Sung-geon's conclusion was: 'Yes. It's possible.'

There were multiple avenues—Chairman Hideki, BW Entertainment's resources. If he scraped together everything he could, it wasn't impossible.

Just then, Woo-jin's deep voice cut through his thoughts.

"Sir, wasn't our company already expanding into new markets?"

"That's right."

"I heard domestic investment projects have started, and overseas investments are in the works too."

That was true. Thanks to Woo-jin, BW Entertainment had transformed into a powerhouse. The company was already expanding investments—not just in Korea, but in Japan and Hollywood, where Woo-jin's presence was growing rapidly.

Talent scouting, project development, social media, YouTube, even the music industry, where Woo-jin had also made an impact—BW Entertainment was laying the groundwork for a massive 10-year expansion plan.

And now, "Guest" had appeared in front of them.

Sung-geon swallowed.

'Was this just another step forward? Or was it an even bigger leap?'

Kang Woo-jin remained incredibly calm.

"If BW Entertainment is planning to enter Hollywood anyway, "Guest'' would be a good first step."

"Hmm... It's not a massive production, and it carries the symbolic weight of being a remake of your debut film."

A struggling project on the brink of collapse—Guest—would be rescued by BW Entertainment, Woo-jin's agency. The storytelling was already compelling, but if "Guest" became a hit, as Woo-jin envisioned, BW Entertainment's Hollywood branch could expand its influence in one bold move.

This was an opportunity.

"This... is actually not a bad deal."

Even Choi Sung-geon, who had been smiling brightly, now had the same reckless no-fucks-given attitude as Kang Woo-jin.

"Whew—there's a lot to figure out, but fine. I'll make it work."

He flashed a thumbs-up.

"Why not? We only live once."

Woo-jin, as nonchalant as ever, threw in another curveball.

"If things go smoothly, I probably won't be able to take the lead role. But I could do a cameo or a guest appearance."

And then, casually, he added:

"Oh, and I'll put some of my own money into the investment too."

Because, at this point, he had more than enough to spare.



One Hour Later---

Kang Woo-jin and his team arrived at SPT Studio, the massive filming site for Beast and the Beauty. While the others headed straight to the set, Choi Sung-geon—now burdened with this major investment deal—was already on his phone, making calls to set things in motion for "Guest".

Watching this, Woo-jin gestured for his team to move ahead.

First, he made his way toward the trailers. The entrance of SPT Studio was bustling with foreign crew members, all preparing for the day's shoot—lugging equipment, setting up lights, checking scripts.

Woo-jin, greeting people in passing, suddenly called out:

"Ye-jeong."

Han Ye-jeong, his stylist, looked up from behind him. Her once-signature short hair was now dyed red—probably influenced by Joker.

"Yes, Oppa?"

He handed her the "Guest" script he had been holding.

"Make three copies of this. let the operations team know."

"Got it. I'll leave them in your trailer."

"Thanks."

With that handled, Woo-jin disappeared into the makeup trailer, where the Beast and the Beauty crew was waiting. It was another long day of special effects makeup, complete with skin-tight costumes for CGI work.

"Action!"

The cameras rolled.

Or rather, the intense-eyed Beast—aka Kang Woo-jin—had stepped into character.

The filming location was a breathtaking garden in front of the Beast's castle, overflowing with vibrant flowers. The main cast was on set: Beast and Belle the Beauty. Hollywood star Maria Armas stood waiting on the sidelines, alongside other prominent actors.

In the background, supporting characters were preparing for their scenes—the enchanted kettle, candle holder, and clock.

"Cut!!"

The director's voice rang out.

"Miley! Try looking at the Beast with a little more suspicion this time."

"Yes, Director!"

"And Woo-jin—great job! Your expressions have gotten even stronger since the first shoot! Keep that up!"

Woo-jin simply nodded, already slipping back into character.

The camera rolled again.

And the Beast came to life once more.

The Beast and the Beauty set was moving at a fast pace. Fortunately, Miley Cara was now fully immersed in her role as Belle the Beauty, no longer struggling to hold back laughter at Kang Woo-jin in costume—unlike their first day on set.

At times, loud music filled the air.

-♬♪

Since this was a World Disney Pictures production, there were numerous scenes where the actors had to sing live on set. Right now, Belle was strolling through the garden with The Beast. In other words, Miley Cara was singing passionately.

Of course, the official OST was recorded separately, but Cara seamlessly blended the song into her performance, making it feel as if she were actually singing in the moment.

Her ethereal voice floated through the air, wrapping the scene in magic.

"......"

Kang Woo-jin—or rather, The Beast—watched in silent admiration.

'Damn. This is insane... I knew she could sing, she's Miley Cara, after all—but hearing her as Belle? It's like stepping into a real fairy tale.'

That day's shoot for Beast and the Beauty stretched late into the night.

Crew members began packing up, and the actors returned to their trailers to change before heading home. Kang Woo-jin did the same, stepping out of costume just as Miley Cara reached her own trailer next door.

She turned to him with an easy wave.

"Bye, hurry up and change."

But Woo-jin, ever the cheeky one, stopped her.

"Miley, wait a second."

"Huh? Why? Are we grabbing food on the way?"

"No, not that."

"Then can I still get food?"

"I have another schedule after this."

"Wow—do you know you're busier than me?"

Woo-jin chuckled but didn't answer. Instead, he disappeared into his trailer, leaving Miley curious.

Inside, his gaze landed on the stack of papers resting on the table—the 'Guest' script copies he had asked Han Ye-jeong to prepare.

'This script is already solid, but if we could turn it into a huge hit... it'd be a win-win. For the lead actor, for me, for the CEO, for everyone.'

A brief, amused smile crossed his face before he smoothed out his expression, picked up a copy, and stepped back outside.

Miley was chatting with her team members, but when she noticed Woo-jin approaching, she took a few steps closer.

"What's up?" she asked. "This is usually where you just say 'bye' and leave."

Woo-jin, his expression unreadable, held out the script.

"If you don't mind, give this a read."

Miley blinked, taking the papers.

"What's this?"

"A script."

"...A script?"

"Yeah. I heard you haven't signed on to anything after Beast and the Beauty."

"That's true, but... wait—you're giving me a script?"

"Why do you sound so surprised?"

"It's just—it's so sudden. You're not the type to push casting or suggest Hollywood projects, and now you're handing me a script out of nowhere?"

Woo-jin tilted his head slightly, then—without a word—took the script back.

Miley stared at him, baffled.

"...Wait, are you seriously taking it back?"

"I see. Then let's just say it never happened."

"No!"

Cara snatched the script from Woo-jin's hands, narrowing her eyes.

"I was just surprised. I never said I wouldn't take it."

For the first time, Woo-jin found himself wondering—was Cara... kind of cute?

"Just read it."

He spoke with a faint, almost innocent smile. No theatrics, no persona—just a simple, genuine request.

"I'll come back to you with more details after you finish it."

With that, Kang Woo-jin turned and re-entered his trailer.

Cara, still holding the script, blinked in disbelief.

"...Did he just smile? That wasn't acting, was it?"

It was the first time she had seen him smile like that.

The days that followed were a blur of non-stop filming.

For two days, Kang Woo-jin was encased in motion-capture tights for Beast and the Beauty. The next two days, he transformed into Joker, wreaking havoc on the set of Perriot: Birth of a Villain.

One day, he even filmed for both projects.

In between scenes, whenever exhaustion set in, Woo-jin would slip into subspace.

"Ugh—I'm dead. For real!!"

It was a familiar feeling from his days filming in Korea, but being in Hollywood made it even more exhausting. Still, there was no choice. If it wasn't Kang Woo-jin, no one else could do it. And because it was Kang Woo-jin, it had to be done.

Days blurred into nights, and before he knew it—

『CNM: Columbia's Perriot: Birth of a Villain Creates Buzz at the Emmys, Nearly Ready to Wrap Filming!』

The end of filming for Perriot was just around the corner.

And then, during a rare break on set, Kang Woo-jin's trailer door swung open.

Choi Sung-geon stepped in, grinning from ear to ear.

Inside, Woo-jin—still in full Joker makeup—looked up at him.

Sung-geon's voice was firm, brimming with confidence.

"Woo-jin."

He didn't waste time.

"The funding is secured. We're starting 'Guest' right away."