Side Story Chapter 5
I didn’t immediately understand what Goo Yangmo meant when he said that was all there was.
“What do you mean, that’s all?”
“Exactly what I said.”
“No company website.”
“No media coverage.”
“And the only investment record they have is JNC Entertainment.”
I frowned.
“They’re an investment company, but they only have one company in their portfolio?”
“That’s why it’s strange.”
Goo Yangmo pulled over a chair and sat down.
“So I went directly to the registered address for Haeseong Investment.”
“And it turned out to be a shared office.”
“A shared office?”
I couldn’t understand it.
The largest shareholder of JNC Entertainment, holding forty-five percent of the company, was operating out of a shared office?
“I asked one of the staff there.”
“They said they had never once seen anyone from Haeseong Investment actually come to work.”
“The rent is paid automatically every month, so there was never any reason for them to question it.”
“A textbook paper company.”
I muttered as I sank into thought.
“You think so too?”
“What about the person listed as CEO? Did you look into him?”
Goo Yangmo nodded.
“Nothing special.”
“He’s ordinary.”
“A former accountant.”
“And from the look of it, he’s clearly just lending his name.”
“Then there’s someone else behind Haeseong Investment?”
“That’s what I think.”
At first, I had assumed Haeseong Investment was the entity truly controlling JNC Entertainment.
But if Haeseong itself was merely another puppet controlled by someone else, things became much more complicated.
“Either way, if we can figure out where Haeseong Investment got the money it used to invest in JNC, and where that money has been moving since then, we might be able to identify whoever’s really behind it.”
Goo Yangmo sighed.
“But this is the point where I hit my limits.”
“Do you know anyone who understands investment firms and capital flows?”
Investment firms....
Ha Sangdo immediately came to mind.
Back when he had been Head of the Asia Investment Team at CAI, Inc. in the United States, he had received a recruitment offer from a Korean financial company around the time the Hanshin Media and Quantum deal was finalized.
After thinking it over, he accepted.
He was now an Executive Director at one of Korea’s leading investment firms.
“I know someone in the investment industry.”
“I’ll ask him to look into it.”
“Perfect.”
“Then I’ll dig a little deeper into the person listed as CEO of Haeseong Investment.”
“There may be something I missed.”
“Okay.”
“And be careful while you’re doing it.”
“You worry about yourself, Vice President Min.”
After parting with Goo Yangmo, I immediately called Ha Sangdo.
“Haeseong Investment?”
“I’ve never heard of it.”
“Where did that name come from?”
“You know JNC Entertainment, the talent agency?”
“It’s the corporation listed as their largest shareholder.”
“And why are you suddenly digging into the shareholder structure of a celebrity agency?”
Ha Sangdo sounded genuinely confused.
I laughed lightly and dodged the question.
“I’ll tell you why later.”
“For now, if you know anyone along those lines, could you discreetly ask around?”
Ha Sangdo paused for a moment before answering.
“Sure.”
“But give me a few days.”
“This isn’t urgent, right?”
“No.”
“Thanks, hyung.”
“Yeah.”
“It’s been a while since we saw each other.”
“Let’s grab a drink sometime.”
“Of course.”
“Oh, and Boyoung... no, my sister-in-law is doing well, right?”
“Give her my regards.”
“I will.”
“Then call me when you hear something.”
After ending the call, I couldn’t help but smile faintly.
Executive Director Ha Sangdo probably has no idea.
No idea how deeply he was once connected to Baek Ina....
Before my regression, Ha Sangdo had been the CEO of the film company Seungseung Janggu.
When the movie starring Baek Ina collapsed, the two of us had gone down with it.
But in the world created after my regression, Ha Sangdo was living an entirely different life.
And nowhere in that life did the name Baek Ina appear.
I was staring out the car window at the city when my phone suddenly began vibrating loudly.
It was Song Jaehyun.
“Yes, Director.”
I answered quickly.
“Kibaek.”
“Baek Ina just called me.”
Baek Ina called Director Song directly?
“How did he get your number?”
“He said he asked Boyoung.”
“And?”
“Well... he said he doesn’t think he can participate in the project.”
“He apologized.”
What?
I forced down my surprise and spoke quickly.
“Did he say why?”
“There has to be a reason.”
“That’s the thing.”
“Before I could even ask, he just kept apologizing and hung up.”
He rejected him outright without even giving a reason?
Something was wrong.
The Baek Ina I remembered before my regression was unusually polite for such a famous celebrity.
Not that famous celebrities were inherently rude.
But still.
For Baek Ina to reject someone like that?
And not some unknown rookie director, but Song Jaehyun, a filmmaker firmly established among the greats?
While I was lost in thought, Song Jaehyun continued.
“What should I do?”
“Should I call him again?”
“No.”
“I’ll contact him myself.”
“You have his number, right?”
“I’ll text it to you.”
“Thank you.”
“I’ll call him first and get back to you afterward.”
Not long after we hung up, Song Jaehyun sent me a text.
I immediately called the number.
The phone rang for quite a while before a familiar voice finally came through.
“Hello?”
I was certain it was Baek Ina.
But I pretended not to know.
“Ah, is this actor Baek Ina’s phone?”
