NIS Agent Reincarnated as a Genius Actor - Chapter 44

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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 44. Doll

Soon, Yeon-woo slightly lifted his hips and squeezed next to Ma Seok-do, pushing his way in front of the monitor.

 

“Ah, it’s cramped! You elephant.”

 

Ma Seok-do matched the rhythm of Yeon-woo’s confident start, which seemed to have definitely changed somehow.

 

The large frame was comically pushed aside by the slender Yeon-woo.

 

“Oh my, good grief.”

“Good grief? Oh my goood griiief?”

 

Pierre Choi glared at Kwak Ji-cheol while drawing out the end of his words.

 

Ji-cheol flinched at the deadly sharp gaze, then stammered in defiance.

 

“St-stop bullying me! Good grief. Really.”

“Hahaha.”

 

Pierre Choi suddenly laughed like a madman, turning his head with a cracking sound.

 

His face transformed into a terrifying expression as if possessed by a demon, radiating charisma.

 

“Hey, Kwak Ji-cheol.”

 

At Pierre Choi’s low voice, Kwak Ji-cheol’s neck shrank like a turtle despite his large frame.

 

“Do you think the payment you offered can cover the fees for the team members I brought? That deer over there won’t even move for less than five grand.”

 

Pierre Choi pointed at the monitor as he spoke.

 

Jennifer on the monitor had just escaped from Park Gang-woo’s grasp and was walking to the water cooler to drink, giving the middle finger to the CCTV camera.

 

“Why did I accept this job, to rob those guys? Well, that’s part of the reason too.”

 

Yeon-woo pointed at the small fries on the monitor and nodded, then looked back at Kwak Ji-cheol.

 

“…I thought you helped us because you pitied our family’s situation.”

 

Kwak Ji-cheol folded his large frame as much as possible, making space and giving more of the chair to Yeon-woo.

 

“Pitied? That’s ridiculous. In the world I live in, kids don’t even tell their parents about such low-level bullying.”

“…But sir, what does using the chair widely have to do with this…?”

 

Pierre Choi suddenly pulled out a pistol from his pocket.

 

Greatly startled, Kwak Ji-cheol stepped back and raised his hands high.

 

In fact, Ma Seok-do was genuinely surprised by the unexpected development, and his expression was captured realistically on screen.

 

“Kwak Ji-cheol. This instructor orders you. Assume the push-up position!”

“Y-yes sir!”

 

Since the camera frame was set based on a sitting position, when Ma Seok-do got down on the floor in push-up position, only his large back and buttocks were caught on camera.

 

That actually made the situation even funnier.

 

“There’s only one reason I accepted this job. Dear customer Kwak Ji-cheol.”

 

Click—.

 

When Pierre Choi pulled the trigger of the pistol he was holding, a pathetic lighter flame rose from the barrel.

 

“It’s fun, isn’t it? A joke.”

 

One corner of his mouth lifted as he looked at Park Gang-woo inside the CCTV.

His mischievous smile had an untouchable aura about it.

 

“Okay! Cut!”

 

An okay after half a day.

 

Applause and cheers erupted on the filming set at Yeon-woo’s conscientiously ‘planned’ ‘improvised’ acting.

Meanwhile, Yeon-woo hurriedly helped Ma Seok-do, who had been doing push-ups at his command, to his feet.

 

“Seok-do hyung, I’m sorry.”

“Sorry for what, but when did you prepare this? You surprised me.”

 

Seok-do’s mood lightened with the refreshing okay cut, and he patted Yeon-woo’s shoulder.

 

“I think the scene came out well. Good job, Yeon-woo.”

 

Yeon-woo smiled, grateful to Seok-do who had received his ad-lib well as intended.

 

 

Director Park Chan-hong looked at the assistant director beside him and spoke.

 

“An actor’s creativity sparking on set. Today this young actor took another step forward.”

 

This was exactly why this director respected working as an assistant director under Park Chan-hong.

 

Though it did seem like he slightly passed the buck to actors during important scenes.

 

 

Meanwhile, an hour earlier.

 

“Do they even sell those things these days? Where on earth would you find that.”

 

At Yeon-woo’s desperate request to get a toy lighter gun, Min-su drove away from the outskirts where the set was located toward downtown Paju.

 

They had already visited four places – convenience stores, stationery shops, and large discount marts – but the staff all gave the same answer that they hadn’t seen any in quite a while.

 

Having watched Yeon-woo struggle continuously since the morning filming, Min-su’s heart was burning with anxiety.

 

Ryu Yeon-woo was no longer just an actor he was in charge of.

 

He was such a kind younger sibling and the best employer who personally gave him plenty of bonuses separate from the monthly salary from the company.

 

That’s why Min-su’s heart grew impatient, wanting to help him somehow.

While driving through an alley toward another store, he spotted one particular shop.

 

“Huh? …What if it’s there?”

 

He hastily parked the car on the roadside and rushed into what was a claw machine arcade that had sprung up like mushrooms after rain during its heyday a few years ago before suddenly dying down.

 

“Please, please.”

 

Min-su began examining the claw machines while desperately praying.

 

While quickly scanning the interior of the shop, he discovered a doll with a lighter gun attached to it.

 

“Wow! It’s there. It’s there!”

 

He wanted to shout ‘jackpot.’

 

However, the prize inside the claw machine wasn’t his yet.

 

He exchanged a bunch of money at the unmanned currency exchange machine and tried several times.

But since most of those items are bait products, it wasn’t easy to grab.

 

Several minutes had already passed and he had uselessly pulled up three dolls that were near the lighter.

 

“Ah, this is almost impossible with the claw machine.”

 

Then he noticed some text written on the wall.

 

「If the machine breaks down or you experience any problems, please call the contact number below.」

 

Min-su hurriedly made the call.

 

– Yes. Hello?

“Ah, you’re the owner of the doll shop, right? We’re filming a movie and urgently need the lighter gun among the prizes inside. I’ll pay you plenty, so could you take it out right away?”

 

Then a troubled voice came through the phone receiver.

 

-Ah, what should I do about this. I’m quite far away… I was going to go anyway, but it’ll probably take about 40 minutes?

“Ah, then I’m sorry, but please come as quickly as possible. I’m begging you.”

 

As soon as he hung up, Min-su exchanged all the bills in his wallet and stacked them next to the claw machine.

 

“Damn it. Let’s see who wins.”

 

Min-su had been targeting only one item for 30 minutes, attacking with the scrawny three-pronged claw.

 

“Yes! That’s right, right there.”

 

Finally, the claw attack that dug between the yellow rubber band tying the lighter and doll together.

 

The doll tied to the lighter gun came up, dangling precariously.

 

“Ooh. Please!”

 

Whirrrr―.

Thunk―!

 

The doll with the lighter attached fell to the entrance with a heavy sound.

 

“Waaaaah!”

 

Min-su screamed like crazy in the claw machine arcade where he was all alone.

 

After 30 minutes of fierce battle. Min-su achieved victory 50 minutes after leaving the filming set.

 

“No, this isn’t the time for this.”

 

Min-su hurried back to the car.

 

Since he had already won the dolls, he gathered up all the dolls he had caught and ran to the car with an armful.

 

***

 

After successfully finishing that day’s filming, Yeon-woo got into the car heading home with his exhausted body.

 

He grasped Min-su’s hands with both of his and repeatedly expressed his gratitude with sparkling eyes, as Min-su was the hero of the day.

 

Even he felt that today’s experience seemed to have elevated his acting skills by one level.

 

But… were these things in the car before?

 

“Min-su hyung, were there always this many dolls in the car?”

 

“Hah, that’s a long story to explain.”

 

Min-su’s car headed from Paju to Seoul.

 

***

 

The cherry blossoms that had bloomed brightly were now gradually withering as mid-April arrived, and the movie filming proceeded without a hitch.

 

Of course, the filming didn’t proceed in scene number order, but according to the scenario, it was about the middle part.

 

 

According to information collected by the informant ‘Junk Dealer’, there’s a big player in the industry called ‘Chairman No’ who used to back Park Gang-woo when he was doing organized crime work in Incheon.

 

Park Gang-woo owed Chairman No money due to problems managing the establishment’s finances and missed the payment deadline, falling out of favor with Chairman No who prioritizes trust above all else.

 

Park Gang-woo’s reckless expansion into Gyeonggi Province, making requests to Kwak Ji-cheol and threatening him, was also an unavoidable choice by the Gang-woo Gang whose funding had become unstable.

 

Pierre Choi collected voice recordings of Chairman No’s associates, and Kwak Ji-cheol used a program to convert them and create voice modulation.

 

Then, through Park Gang-woo’s SIM card that Jennifer had switched, Kwak Ji-cheol succeeded in smartphone hacking and called Park Gang-woo with a different caller ID showing up.

 

Ring ring―. Click.

 

– Oh, Manager Gu! It’s been a while.

 

The call connected and a highly excited voice came through as if pleased. It was Park Gang-woo.

 

Pierre Choi opened his mouth to the microphone along with Kwak Ji-cheol’s okay sign as he wore headphones.

 

“CEO Park, or should I say Chairman Park now. I heard the news that you’ve been reborn as a construction company.”

– Haha. What do you mean chairman? I’m scared Chairman No might hear that.

 

Pierre’s voice was perfectly modulated and transmitted as the voice of Chairman No’s right-hand man ‘Manager Gu’.

 

“Then I’ll address you as CEO Park. CEO Park, there’s going to be the Chairman’s banquet this time.”

 

A party where people sponsored by Chairman No gather to exchange information and have meetings. Being invited to that party was tantamount to Chairman No offering his sponsorship.

 

The banquet invitation was something Park Gang-woo had never received even when he was actually receiving Chairman No’s support.

 

– ···To me, mentioning the banquet means···?

“The Chairman said this should be enough and ordered me to call CEO Park again. Didn’t Chairman No especially care for you, CEO Park?”

– Oh my, it’s an honor. Please convey my feelings well, Manager Gu.

“Yes, CEO. Then I’ll send someone soon. You know well, right? You must keep quiet about the banquet and attend alone.”

 

Park Gang-woo actually had no way of knowing if such a rule really existed, but filled with hope that he could re-enter the mainstream of the Underground World after falling out of Chairman No’s favor, he kept bowing toward the unseen phone.

 

– Yes. I’ll keep that in mind.

 

Click―.

 

The call ended, and Kwak Ji-cheol, who had been conducting real-time surveillance of the conversation from the side, reached out for a high-five with Pierre Choi, happy about the operation’s success.

 

Pierre Choi also faced him with a grin and reached out his hand, then suddenly pulled it back and changed it to a fighting gesture as a prank.

 

Kwak Ji-cheol, who had high-fived the air with his large muscular arm, scratched his head while closing his mouth awkwardly.

 

“Geez, how embarrassing. I’m not a kid.”

“Geeez? Kid?”

 

Now seemingly adapted to Pierre’s renewed word stretching, Kwak Ji-cheol naturally put his headset back on and muttered.

 

“Geez, there’s a mountain of work to do.”

 

Watching such Kwak Ji-cheol, Pierre Choi also chuckled.

 

“Okay, cut!”

 

At Director Park Chan-hong’s okay sign, Ma Seok-do took off his headset and opened his mouth.

 

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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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