NIS Agent Reincarnated as a Genius Actor - Chapter 35

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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 35. Master Plan

Min-su nodded as he wrote down the working title of the scenario Yeon-woo mentioned in his notebook.

 

After contacting headquarters, Min-su headed to Chungmuro to do business.

 

Thinking that you should strike while the iron is hot, Min-su believed he needed to set up meetings as quickly as possible before casting was decided, so he appealed strongly and confirmed a meeting for the very next day.

 

The next day, Yeon-woo and Team Leader Jeong were riding together in Min-su’s car heading to Chungmuro.

 

Team Leader Jeong Hyeok had the best connections in the industry when it came to casting.

LN Enter’s reliable support had taken charge of Yeon-woo’s casting today and accompanied him as the person in charge.

 

“So Actor Ryu’s top priority target is the role of ‘Pierre Choi’, right?”

“Yes, Team Leader. I’d be grateful for any other role they might offer, but the ‘Pierre Choi’ role would be even better.”

 

Team Leader Jeong nodded but soon stroked his chin.

 

“I’ll give it a try for now, but Director Park Chan-hong is quite a star director with strong convictions. This movie is also quite a big production.”

 

Yeon-woo nodded at Team Leader Jeong’s words.

 

“I need to leave a strong impression. If you just create the opportunity, I’ll work hard at it.”

 

Team Leader Jeong smiled at Yeon-woo’s youthful spirit, as if it reminded him of old times.

 

“Okay. Let’s push forward once.”

 

 

They had arrived at a film production company in Chungmuro.

 

While Min-su parked, Yeon-woo and Team Leader Jeong Hyeok opened the door and went inside.

 

“Oh my, it’s been a long time. Director Park, CEO Han.”

“Haha. Nice to see you. Team Leader Jeong.”

 

As soon as they entered, Team Leader Jeong greeted them warmly and shook hands with both hands.

 

He was indeed famous for having wide connections in this industry.

 

Ryu Yeon-woo, who followed him in, also looked at the staff and greeted them.

 

“Hello. I’m rookie actor Ryu Yeon-woo.”

 

The production company CEO showed interest in Yeon-woo’s visuals as he greeted them energetically.

 

“Nice to meet you. Please have a seat.”

 

CEO Han Yoon-su offered seats to Team Leader Jeong and Yeon-woo.

 

As soon as Yeon-woo sat down, Director Park Chan-hong spoke up.

 

“I don’t know you well, but our casting director said we should meet once, so I called you here today.”

 

The atmosphere rapidly cooled at his first words, which weren’t particularly friendly.

 

Unfazed by such an atmosphere, Ryu Yeon-woo slightly stood up from his seat, bowed politely, and spoke.

 

“Thank you, Director. I’ve always been a fan, and as soon as I saw your scenario this time, I became so eager that I pestered my company about it.”

 

Director Park became somewhat interested in the young actor who didn’t get discouraged by his cold words and expressed his own convictions.

 

“Hahaha. That passion is quite good, isn’t it? Say, do you remember Chungmuro from twenty or thirty years ago? It reminds me of our younger days.”

 

Team Leader Jeong assisted Yeon-woo with good timing.

 

At his words, the staff briefly reminisced about their spirited younger days.

 

“It’s already been this long since I started eating movie rice. Hehehe.”

 

CEO Han lightened the mood with a gentle response.

 

“Hmm. Right. You said you became eager after seeing my scenario?”

 

Director Park’s low voice was heard as he interlaced his fingers and looked at Yeon-woo.

 

“Yes, Director. I’m confident I can portray the role of ‘Pierre Choi’ better than anyone.”

“Oho.”

 

Seeing Ryu Yeon-woo specifically mention the lead role in his movie, Director Park’s eyes showed slight interest.

 

According to the casting director, he was a rising blue chip these days, but Director Park had no intention of giving the lead role in his movie to a greenhorn who had only appeared in one drama.

 

Still, Director Park Chan-hong thought it wouldn’t be difficult to meet once with a young person who challenged so spiritedly.

 

If he liked the acting after seeing it, he could give him another role.

If he refused other supporting roles, that would be the end of their connection, and there was nothing to lose.

 

“Right. Then can I see it once? If you’re confident, you must have prepared.”

 

Team Leader Jeong Hyeok was flustered by Director Park’s words.

 

He hadn’t expected them to ask for acting on the spot at such a first meeting.

Although the script had come to the company about a week ago, Team Leader Jeong thought there was no way practice could be done since the script had only been passed to Yeon-woo yesterday, so he urgently spoke up.

 

“Well, Director. The script was delivered to the actor yesterday, so if you could give us more time…”

 

Yeon-woo gently covered Team Leader Jeong’s hand as he spoke urgently, stopping him.

 

“I prepared diligently. If it’s alright, I’d like to show you.”

 

Director Park nodded at Yeon-woo’s words.

 

Leaving behind Team Leader Jeong with his anxious eyes, Yeon-woo got up from his seat and stood in the empty space next to the sofa.

 

A film company employee distributed scenarios to the officials, and Yeon-woo waited holding the scenario he had brought.

 

Yeon-woo’s scenario had already turned black with notes.

 

“Then let’s take a look at scene 17.”

 

Rustle—.

 

At Director Park’s words, the scenario pages of the officials and Yeon-woo turned.

 

‘It’s the first appearance scene.’

 

It was the first appearance scene of ‘Pierre Choi’ who naturally slips away from his seat after pulling a con disguised as a deal with the Italian Mafia.

 

After checking the stage directions, Yeon-woo brought over a stool chair that was nearby and sat down.

 

“Scene number 17 will now begin.”

 

Putting the script down on the floor beside him, Yeon-woo began his acting.

 

Yeon-woo gazed at the imaginary mafia in front of him with a smooth but somewhat arrogant smile, then stood up.

 

“Devo andare in bagno, scusate.”

 

Natural Italian flowed from Yeon-woo’s mouth.

Among the officials watching Yeon-woo, everyone except Director Park looked back at their scenarios.

 

The stage directions were written in Korean as ‘(In Italian) Excuse me for a moment. It’s urgent business.’

 

Getting up from the chair and walking around the area once with confident steps, Yeon-woo took out his smartphone from his pants pocket.

 

The gentle smile that had been on his face throughout gradually changed like a gradation into a mischievous smile as the phone approached his ear.

 

“Oh, President Kim. Yeah. What could be the problem? Fooling these foreigners? It’s like eating cold porridge. Or is it eating cold pasta? Both would taste bad.”

 

Then Yeon-woo’s expression suddenly changed.

 

This time, from a mischievous smile to a devil’s smile, only one corner of his mouth rose menacingly.

 

“So, make sure to prepare what you promised. Otherwise, you’ll see hell.”

 

Yeon-woo continued spitting out his lines with a chillingly boiling voice.

 

“I take everything I have. And I only take interesting requests. If the next request wasn’t from President Kim…, that would be nice, wouldn’t it?”

 

The officials watching the performance had the illusion of feeling an aura of unapproachable charisma around Yeon-woo as he delivered his lines.

 

Having finished all his lines, Yeon-woo instantly returned to his original spirited young man self, picked up the script, and bowed his head.

 

“Thank you for watching my performance.”

 

CEO Han clapped softly while looking at Team Leader Jeong Hyeok and said.

 

“…You brought quite an impressive fellow, didn’t you?”

“Hahaha.”

 

Actually, this was Team Leader Jeong’s first time seeing Yeon-woo’s acting on set too, so he scratched the back of his head and laughed.

 

CEO Han then threw a question to Ryu Yeon-woo.

 

“Did you prepare the Italian at the beginning in advance?”

“I know Italian, so I improvised and modified it on the spot.”

 

Ooh.

 

Small exclamations burst out among the officials.

 

Director Park Chan-hong, who had been quietly observing with emotionless eyes from the moment Yeon-woo started acting until now, opened his mouth.

 

“I felt something from your acting, but what thoughts did you have when analyzing the character?”

 

At Director Park’s words, Yeon-woo pondered for a moment, organized his thoughts, and answered.

 

“When I read the director’s scenario, I strongly felt the atmosphere of ‘Roy Hill,’ a classic caper movie. So I thought ‘Pierre Choi’ was a character who walks the line between a con artist and a big shot.”

 

Caper movies are a genre of crime films that portray a romanticized image of crime.

 

Director Park Chan-hong nodded as if his expectations were correct and opened his mouth.

 

“A con artist and a big shot, you mean Condorff and Lonnegan?”

 

As if Yeon-woo’s thoughts matched Director Park Chan-hong’s, he immediately mentioned the characters from Roy Hill.

 

“Yes, that’s correct.”

 

After pondering for a few seconds at Yeon-woo’s answer, Director Park Chan-hong opened his mouth as if he had made a decision.

 

“I didn’t expect to see Condorff and Lonnegan in a young actor’s eyes. This role seems destined for you.”

“Thank you. I’ll work hard.”

 

At the mention of destiny, Yeon-woo immediately bowed energetically.

 

At Director Park Chan-hong’s words, the eyes of the officials and Team Leader Jeong widened.

 

Soon coming to his senses, Team Leader Jeong calmly made small talk.

 

“Wow, this movie is really going to do well. To think that the great Director Park would give such praise.”

“You’re absolutely right. He has such a blunt personality and expresses himself so little.”

 

Even CEO Han, who had worked with him for a long time, was surprised.

 

Once by Yeon-woo’s acting ability, and once by Director Park’s expression.

 

Team Leader Jeong told Yeon-woo to leave the practical matters to him and go back first.

He said he would probably have to negotiate through drinking sessions that would continue into the evening.

 

If they had captivated the stubborn Director Park Chan-hong like this, the scale of the contract between CEO Han and Team Leader Jeong had tipped toward Team Leader Jeong.

 

Team Leader Jeong, a veteran in this industry, was experienced in such contract negotiations and had full authority from the company, so he had nothing to fear.

 

Yeon-woo whispered to Team Leader Jeong asking him to take care of things, then greeted the officials and Director Park Chan-hong, creating a good atmosphere with handshakes before leaving the film company.

 

Min-su, who had been waiting by the door worried about disrupting the atmosphere, opened the door and asked.

 

“Actor Ryu, how did it go?”

 

Yeon-woo looked at Min-su and grinned.

 

He extended both hands to clasp them, just like at the officetel, and said.

 

“I told you I was confident about the audition. I got it. Pierre Choi.”

“Wow, as expected of our actor!”

 

He got in the car with Min-su, who was as happy as if it were his own achievement.

 

 

Team Leader Jeong Hyeok skillfully secured the contract with good conditions, and since casting wasn’t complete yet, the filming start date was still undecided.

 

Except for one magazine interview conducted during the week, there wasn’t much of a schedule yet, so he traveled between Daejeon and Seoul for attendance requirements, attending school as much as possible until winter break started.

 

On days when Son Jin-wook didn’t have filming, Yeon-woo would often visit Jin-wook’s house, spending time analyzing and practicing Director Park Chan-hong’s movie scenario.

 

During this time, Director Kim Han-su called.

 

“Yes, Director.”

– Ah, Yeon-woo. It’s late, but congratulations on getting good results on the college entrance exam. I saw it in the news.

 

Yeon-woo smiled at the warm contact from Director Kim Han-su.

 

“Thank you, Director. Thanks to you, I received good energy and had good results.”

– Haha. Yeon-woo, really. Such a young friend speaks so beautifully.

 

Director Kim Han-su cleared his throat and continued speaking.

 

– I’m calling about something else. The work ‘Spring Lovers’ that you helped with as an important cameo before has finished post-production, and we’ll be having a production announcement soon.

 

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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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