NIS Agent Reincarnated as a Genius Actor - Chapter 195

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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Episode 195. New Project

CEO Jeong Hyeok took the report that Gong Min-jeong had submitted and went down to the 3rd Floor Cafe with Yeon-woo.

Perhaps because it was approaching closing time, the cafe was quiet.

 

They took seats in a corner of the cafe and Jeong Hyeok began reading the report.

Then Kim Ju-seong, who had made fresh fruit juice, set it down in front of Yeon-woo and Jeong Hyeok and took a seat.

 

“It seems Actor Ryu is planning his next project?”

 

Yeon-woo looked at CEO Kim Ju-seong’s words.

 

“How did you know?”

“This is the first time you two have come down to the cafe together alone.”

 

Then Jeong Hyeok looked at Kim Ju-seong and complained.

 

“No, CEO. When I come down, you tell me it’s bothersome and to go back up quickly, but when Actor Ryu comes, you sit at the table?”

“Then don’t come down during busy cafe hours. If you do come down, at least help with the dishes while asking questions.”

 

Having played around for nothing and not even breaking even, Jeong Hyeok naturally turned his gaze away and looked back at the report.

 

The report was explaining actor Ryu Yeon-woo’s success by comparing it to business theory.

 

“First mover and fast follower…”

 

As Jeong Hyeok nodded while reading the report, CEO Kim Ju-seong asked.

 

“Isn’t that business theory?”

“Yes, that’s right. I instructed a new employee to analyze the reasons why Actor Ryu’s works have been successful.”

 

CEO Kim Ju-seong rested his chin on his hand, thought for a moment, then nodded.

 

“That makes sense.”

“You haven’t even read the report yet?”

“You just said it, Hyeok. First mover.”

“You grasped the entire content of the report just from hearing that?”

 

Actually, Yeon-woo had also roughly grasped what kind of report it was after hearing those words.

 

‘First mover…’

 

Yeon-woo recalled the penguin story.

 

Antarctic penguins must eventually dive into the sea to find food.

 

However, since there are leopard seals and various predators in the sea targeting penguins, entering the sea requires determination.

 

Unable to decide whether to enter the sea or not, most penguin flocks hesitate.

At this time, one penguin throws itself into the sea first.

Then countless penguins begin entering the sea all at once, following suit.

 

‘That first penguin that dives into the sea first is called the “First Penguin.”‘

 

In business theory, it explains that when the ‘first mover,’ playing the role of the first penguin, succeeds in market development despite taking risks, the fast followers who come later follow suit.

 

For example, when a company that first develops smartphones emerges, other companies spring up like mushrooms after rain and jump into that market.

 

This report would be explaining Yeon-woo’s career path by comparing it to that first mover.

 

“Do you think so too, CEO Kim Ju-seong?”

“I think it makes perfect sense. Every time Actor Ryu succeeded with new attempts, countless fast followers imitated similar genres and similar attempts. But the one who achieves the greatest success is always the first mover.”

 

Listening to Kim Ju-seong’s story, Jeong Hyeok added his words.

 

“Looking at Actor Ryu’s career, it was actually a series of challenges, wasn’t it?”

 

He attempted “Stars Beyond the Stream,” a fusion historical drama with romance, on KBC1, whose main target audience was older viewers.

 

And when he had become a fairly successful actor, he began filming a low-budget independent film about overseas adoptees, who are social minorities.

 

A domestic fantasy drama that everyone opposed and thought had slim chances of success.

And now, even though he had become an actor sought after by Hollywood, he chose the small theater stage.

 

Looking at Yeon-woo, Kim Ju-seong smiled.

 

“Viewers accept not just the content of those movies or dramas, but also the adversity faced from the production stage and the ‘courage to take the first step into unknown territory’ as one big narrative.”

 

And that was the reason that made Kim Ju-seong trust actor Ryu Yeon-woo and make a new start called ‘Saebyeol.’

 

CEO Kim Ju-seong looked at Yeon-woo with interested eyes.

 

“But Yeon-woo.”

“Yes.”

“Are there still markets worth pioneering? I was thinking that the time to act as a first mover might be over now.”

 

Indeed, there were hardly any new markets left now.

Yeon-woo hadn’t made these moves to pioneer new markets.

He had simply chosen projects that appealed to his heart.

 

“Well, I’ll have to think about that.”

 

Jeong Hyeok nodded at Yeon-woo’s answer.

 

“I’ll also think hard about it with Director Yoon Mi-yeon.”

 

***

 

After that day, Yeon-woo came down to the 3rd Floor Cafe every day, took a seat in the corner, and observed people.

 

Even when working as an agent, when he couldn’t get a clue about a target he was tracking or needed some creative ideas, he would go to places where many people gathered and listen to others’ conversations.

 

“By any chance, among the SBC variety show PDs, there’s that person…”

“Unnie, that man I said I was going to meet last time…”

“Did you see that stock I recommended last time went up? Hehe, my intuition these days…”

 

Countless stories reached Yeon-woo’s ears.

 

From work-related conversations to personal chatter.

 

Strangely enough, a cafe is an open space where others can easily eavesdrop if they listen carefully, but when many people are talking at once, the appropriate noise level in the space makes people feel their privacy is protected.

 

Perhaps because of this, people share personal stories more easily, so when eavesdropping on others’ conversations like this, he would hear stories that deviated from his usual life patterns and thought processes, often sparking new ideas.

 

“I ordered this coat. How does it look?”

“Wow, it’s pretty. But I have something similar too.”

“Really? They say this style is trending again for this S/S, so take it out and wear it again.”

 

Two staff members looking at their smartphones and talking about clothes came into Yeon-woo’s view.

 

‘They were probably PR Team staff who had been there since LN.’

 

Unaware that Yeon-woo was watching, they were absorbed in their conversation about clothes while looking at their smartphones.

 

“The design is similar to this, but I bought it a few years ago.”

“Oh, coats are fine. Fashion trends always come and go anyway.”

 

Hearing the conversation, something occurred to Yeon-woo and he opened his laptop.

 

‘Trends come and go.’

 

He began searching for something on his laptop.

 

‘Hmm… 90s domestic dramas, recent Japanese animations, webtoons and web novels.’

 

Yeon-woo, who had been examining trends through YouTube, began searching for articles.

 

‘Recently, the number of pro league fans among domestic women in their 20s has exploded…’

 

As he compiled various materials, he began to understand this genre.

 

‘If I use this as the base and mix it well with current trends as seasonings, it might turn out pretty good?’

 

Yeon-woo closed his laptop and stood up from his seat.

Then, as he went up to the 4th Floor CEO Jung Hyeok’s Office, he picked up his smartphone and called Director Yoon Mi-yeon.

 

– Yes. Actor Ryu.

“Ah, Director Yoon. Would it be possible for the three of us to have a brief meeting with CEO Jung Hyeok?”

 

Director Yoon responded to Yeon-woo’s words in a bright voice.

 

– Do you have a project you want to work on?

“No. I thought of a genre that might be good as a milestone for our company.”

 

After hanging up, Yeon-woo went to the 4th Floor CEO Jung Hyeok’s Office, and soon Director Yoon Mi-yeon came up.

 

The three people sitting at the round table in the CEO office exchanged glances.

Then CEO Jung Hyeok spoke first.

 

“Actor Ryu. What is this genre you’re talking about?”

 

Yeon-woo picked up Gong Min-jeong’s report from one side of the table and said.

 

“I’ve been thinking about first movers and fast followers.”

 

The two people focused on Yeon-woo’s words.

Feeling their gaze, Yeon-woo continued.

 

“How about a slow follower?”

“Pardon? A slow follower?”

 

Yeon-woo nodded at Director Yoon’s question.

 

“I was sitting in the cafe and someone said that trends come and go. When fashion that hasn’t been worn for years starts trending again, isn’t it because someone was the first to take that item out of their closet and wear it?”

 

Like the penguin that jumps into the water first.

 

The two people who understood what Yeon-woo meant thought for a moment and then nodded.

 

“So you’re talking about a genre that was popular before but hasn’t been seen much recently?”

“Hmm, what would that be…”

 

Saebyeol Entertainment currently had many young actors.

 

And for those actors to appear together in one drama, romance with few central roles would be difficult, and to minimize problems from Baeksol’s threats, they needed a genre that could proceed with minimal external actors, so historical dramas or fantasy would also be difficult.

 

A genre where many actors appear and young actors can be well utilized.

 

“Sports dramas. For example, how about subjects like amateur volleyball or basketball?”

 

Jung Hyeok immediately understood what Yeon-woo was talking about.

 

“Ah, when I was young, basketball dramas were almost a syndrome. It was the mid-90s, and it’s been almost 30 years already.”

 

He knew well.

Yeon-woo’s previous life was also during that school period.

 

“Hmm, sports dramas… It sounds interesting because it reminds me of the basketball dramas that were popular in the old days, but if handled wrong, it might seem outdated.”

“Of course, I’m not thinking of doing just an ordinary sports drama. We’d have to go with a sophisticated scenario that matches today’s sensibilities. Recently, among Japanese animations, sports shows about volleyball and basketball have been quite popular among young people in Korea, regardless of gender.”

 

Jung Hyeok nodded as if something came to mind at Yeon-woo’s words.

 

“Animation… I’ve seen related videos on the internet before.”

“And before I came up here, I did some research at a cafe and found that professional basketball and professional volleyball have become quite popular among young women domestically recently.”

 

After hearing Yeon-woo’s words, Jeong Hyeok and Yoon Mi-yeon began to seriously consider the possibility of success.

And Yeon-woo opened his mouth again.

 

“Separate from that, there’s one more project.”

“Yes?”

“How about operating a NeTube channel at the company level? Let’s film our own NeTube variety show so our actors can get closer to each other. We’ll have all our actors appear in it.”

 

In fact, while the actors gathered now were centered around Yeon-woo, since they were actors Yeon-woo had met in different productions, there was an awkward feeling between them.

 

While there were actors like Han Byeol and Seo Ji-eun who quickly became close, actors like Son Jin-wook and Jung Su-yeon didn’t have much interaction with the other actors.

 

“NeTube variety show…?”

 

Director Yoon Mi-yeon, who had been thinking for a moment, opened her mouth.

 

“From sports content to our own NeTube channel, both are beyond what I had imagined.”

“I didn’t deliberately look for only those kinds of things. I just wanted to try them.”

 

And after looking back and forth at the two people’s faces, Yeon-woo carefully opened his mouth.

 

“And also, I want to do a movie separately.”

 

At Yeon-woo’s words, Director Yoon Mi-yeon raised her voice and CEO Jeong Hyeok shook his head.

 

“What?! You’re going to do dramas, variety shows, and movies too?”

“No, Actor Ryu. Did you die from overworking in your previous life?”

 

Hearing Jeong Hyeok’s words, Yeon-woo felt a pang.

 

‘I can’t say no to that. Still, saying I died from overwork makes me feel a bit hurt…’

 

Yeon-woo gave an awkward smile.

 

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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