Genius Manager Who Hears Voices - Chapter 68



Only Noblemtl

Episode 68

Hee-sung ends up wearing three Rollath watches on each wrist.

The diamonds and gold fittings were shining nonstop as they were illuminated.

Feeling bewildered and even absurd, Heeseong asked Seungik Joo and the members of Pierstar.

“Is there by any chance an exclusive broker within GEM Entertainment? Someone who specializes in selling only Rollath watches.”

“Oh, my, you’re right. It’s really just a coincidence. Do you think we would have given the same gift to all of Jeong Hee-seong? They’re all people who owe us a lot of money.”

The members of Pierstar also shook their hands and heads simultaneously, saying that it was unfair.

“We went to the store ourselves and bought it, Manager. We thought long and hard about what would suit you!”

“I heard that a product that is not available in Korea will be arriving in a few days, so I made time to go there again. Since I was going to give it as a gift, I wanted to give it as something much rarer and more valuable.”

“If we had known there were already two, we would have bought another one… … I really, really wanted it to be a special gift. Hehe.”

“It’s completely ruined. How can we all give the same gift… … Ugh.”

Not only Heesung, but also Seungik Joo and the members of Pierstar were equally absurd.

Because everyone had received so much help from Heesung, I wanted to give him an unconventional gift, but it ended up being a common gift.

Hee-sung said as he took off all his watches, feeling that his wrists were heavy and it was difficult to even use chopsticks.

“Well, even though the brand is the same, the design is different, so I think I can use them a lot. Anyway, I ended up owning three expensive watches that I’ve only ever worn once in my life. Unless my family goes bankrupt, I’ll never sell them and I’ll wear them for the rest of my life.”

“Hey, don’t say something like that. You should make a lot of money and live your whole life as a rich person. A watch like this is nothing!”

“That’s right, that’s right. I’m sure it will be like that. If you’re the manager! Hehe.”

So the story about the Rollath came to an end and while they were continuing their meal, Seungik Joo brought up a somewhat unexpected story.

“By any chance, Mr. Jeong Hee-seong, do you take on any special requests?”

“A request? What kind of request are you talking about…?”

“Since my job is a manager, it’s natural that it’s related to artists. Actually, we have some concerns.”

“What’s your concern?”

Joo Seung-ik nodded, putting down the chopsticks he was holding.

“We acquired a few labels a few years ago. As times change, we wanted to stop being too fixated on the image of a large agency and try new things. We bought shares and let them run things as they always had, but a big problem arose not long ago.”

“If there’s a problem… … ?”

“The president of our agency passed away. It was so sudden that it was a shock to us. We didn’t even know the cause of death.”

“What was the sign?”

“It was cardiac arrest due to drug overdose. So he had been addicted to drugs for years with the money he received after handing over his stake to us. By the way, that wasn’t a small amount of money.”

If there was any stake involved, it would have been worth at least several billion.

If most of that money was spent on drugs, Heeseong couldn’t even guess how addicted he must have been.

“Just how addicted were you… … . Isn’t it obvious just by looking at it? If you look at drug addicts, they all show similar symptoms.”

“As I said, I left the operational part to him and received most of the work through reports. That’s why I rarely saw him in person. And, just because he’s a drug addict doesn’t mean he’s outwardly unique. Unless you compare him to a few years ago, you can’t really tell the difference. At least when he’s not on drugs.”

“Hmm, I see. I don’t really have any opportunities to meet people like that.”

“That’s normal. Anyway, the problem is that the label itself is not that big, but there are still two teams left. One team’s contract is about to expire, and in this situation, there is no intention to push for a new contract. The problem is the kids who are left. They still have a lot of time left on their contracts.”

“Then why don’t you go to GEM Entertainment and get care there? After all, it’s a label acquired by GEM, so it’ll probably be the same.”

Joo Seung-ik shook his head, saying it wasn’t that simple.

“We at GEM already have a boy group in preparation. After all the debut members have been formed, we are now in the process of coordinating the album work and launching period. In such a situation, it is not easy to debut under GEM. Large agencies usually launch only one group every few years.”

Behind boy groups are girl groups, and behind those are boy groups.

It was a common routine for large agencies.

And it takes years and billions of dollars to debut that one group.

So, simultaneous launches are difficult.

“Another problem is that those kids haven’t even debuted yet. In short, they had just finished their trainee life and were on the verge of debuting, but this situation has come up, before the ink on the contract has even dried.”

“Hmm, so you’re saying that right after the debut members were decided and exclusive contracts were signed, the CEO suddenly passed away? And GEM Entertainment doesn’t have the capacity to take on those guys?”

“It’s not that we don’t have the capacity… … Well, it’s that we can’t break the unwritten rules. Also, if one company launches two groups at similar times, there will be problems with the fandom. As you know, it takes a very long time for a boy group to form a fandom.”

Heeseong, who had no interest in boy groups but not in girl groups, nodded his head while rubbing his chin.

“Oh, is that so?”

“Yes, that’s right. However, once a fandom starts forming, the ripple effect is incomparable to that of girl groups. Why do all the agencies want to launch boy groups? It’s because the profits when they succeed are enormous.”

Hee-sung turned his gaze slightly and glanced at the members of Pierstar as he saw Joo Seung-ik talking like this so nonchalantly.

However, the members continued eating their meals calmly as if nothing had happened.

“But why are you telling me this… … ?”

When Heeseong asked, Joo Seungik answered with a long sigh.

“Huh, in fact, there are two ways to go about this situation. Either fill the vacancy left by the death and continue to run the label, or disband it altogether. In my opinion, the latter is the right option.”

“Then what about the members?”

“According to the contract, the full takeover was to take place after three years. There was a condition that if a problem occurred during that time or if the contract could not be fulfilled, it would be completely invalidated. The remaining takeover amount was also to be processed at that time.”

“Oh, was there such a condition?”

“That’s why, in the current situation, my position is that we should consider the financial losses that have already occurred as unavoidable and settle them. It’s a matter of considerable investment to raise a group that hasn’t even debuted yet until a fandom is formed. Of course, as I said, we already have a boy group in preparation.”

It felt like a complicated story, but in short, it meant that there would be no legal problems with disbanding the remaining members.

The original intention behind acquiring the label was to discover artists of various colors in various environments.

But the president of the agency that was supposed to be in charge of that died from drug addiction, so there was nothing more to expect from a place like that.

Because it is unlikely that artists would be cared for under a systematic and elaborate system with a normal mindset.

It was a cool-headed decision, but in some ways I thought it was the right decision.

“But when I told him my opinion, the CEO brought up a completely different topic. He said, “How about leaving the members of the debut group to Jeong Hee-seong?”

“… … Yes? To me? Then could it be that the request you mentioned earlier was… …?”

“Yes, that’s right. In fact, today’s event is for the purpose of having a meal with the members of Pierstar, but there is also a reason why the company is formally requesting Jeong Hee-seong. I want Jeong Hee-seong to help bring the friends who have become duck eggs in the Nakdong River out into the open.”

I felt even more shocked than when I received my third Rollath watch.

Suddenly, they asked me to take charge of a boy group.

If it were a girl group, I would think about it since I have the knowledge I acquired during my two years in the military, but for a boy group, it’s almost like I’m completely ignorant.

I’ve never really been interested in boy groups, but I guess I’d be interested in a male solo singer with singing ability like Yoo Jae-wook.

And a group that hasn’t even debuted yet.

Even if it was a large agency that could offer the best conditions, Heeseong moved his lips to refuse, thinking that he would not be able to properly carry out this request.

At that time, Joo Seung-ik opened his mouth and spoke one step ahead.

“Of course, it’s not an easy task, so the CEO has also put forth some very unconventional conditions. The group’s successful debut, #1 on a music show, and a top 10 ranking on a streaming app. If all three of these are achieved, he will pay the entire remaining acquisition amount that was originally planned to be paid to Jeong Hee-seong. Doesn’t that sound quite appealing?”

Heeseong, who was about to reject it right away, had a question pop up in his head that he had never thought of because of the unexpected condition.

“How much is the remaining acquisition fee… …?”

“5 billion won. It’s a whopping 5 billion won. The only good thing is that the acquisition fee we paid when we signed the contract wasn’t that big. In addition, some of the capital we invested still remains in the company’s account. So if Mr. Jeong Hee-seong does well, this 5 billion won can be deposited in his account as a full compensation.”

“Oh, five billion?!”

I had to keep my composure, but I couldn’t help but roll my eyes.

Who wouldn’t? They’re offering a whopping 5 billion if you meet their desired conditions.

But that doesn’t mean you’re killing people.

Heesung, who had no interest in boy groups, suddenly became interested in them.

‘A true manager should not discriminate against any artist! Of course, that’s right.’

Hee-sung asked Seung-ik Joo, once again reflecting on the right mindset for a freelancer.

“So when will the contract be signed… …?”

***

A few days later, Hee-sung decides to meet with Han Jeong-woo and the other members briefly before leaving for the United States.

However, Hee-sung, who went to that place, couldn’t help but be surprised.

“Why are you here… … ?”

This is because among the members, there was a face that Heesung knew very well.