The man who holds the power

After the director left the area, stating that he needed to go for auditions for various roles, Manager Sangwoo couldn't help but congratulate Sae-ri on securing the role in all smiles.

He remarked. "Sae-ri-nim, Director Wooseok's movies always performed exceptionally well, with the past two films in the franchise selling at least 10 million tickets each. They were ranked among the top 20 highest-grossing films in the domestic market. This one also surely will make a high grossing movie. This is a perfect movie to earn Baesang Arts Award." Sae-ri, however, had a calm smile as if she expected that much and responded, "I guess I'm lucky."

Then, turning to Sungjun, she instructed, "Jun-ah, Follow Sangwoo-ssi to the CEO's office. With my recommendation, you'll definitely get the job."

Sungjun smiled with a slight nod. "Thanks, noona," he said before following the manager out.

As they walked together, Manager Sangwoo offered some words of caution, "Sungjun-ssi, before we go, I want to remind you something."

"Hmm? What is it?"

"The CEO has a pretty erratic personality. He might approve you because of Sae-ri-nim's recommendation, but every time something goes wrong, he'll remind you that you got the job because of her. He doesn't hesitate to blame employees' qualifications for any mistake. And… he has a short temper. If you argue with him, he won't care if others are around—he'll scold you in front of everyone." The manager explained.

Sungjun listened carefully before smiling. "Then don't tell him I'm Sae-ri's brother. Just say that she recommended me and leave the rest to me."

"Eh?" Sangwoo was visibly surprised but nodded in understanding. "Alright."

Soon, they arrived at the CEO's office. The secretary sitting at her desk outside the office looked up and informed them, "CEO-nim is currently in a virtual meeting. Please wait."

As they sat down, Sangwoo leaned in and whispered, "There's no meeting. CEO-nim just likes making employees wait on purpose."

Sungjun simply nodded, understanding this CEO's personality. He already knew how to deal with people like him.

He waited in patient silence for twenty minutes and did nothing but texting to someone, before the secretary finally looked up and said, "You may go inside now."

They nodded and rose from their seats. Just before stepping inside, Sungjun murmured under his breath, "Neo, disable the cameras inside." The AI in his contact lens flickered briefly, acknowledging the command. Then, without hesitation, they stepped into the office.

There, a man appeared in Sungjun's sight, sitting at his desk. He seemed like a man in his 50s with a well-groomed, sharp appearance. He has short, dark hair, styled neatly, and a somewhat serious expression.

Manager Sangwoo greeted the CEO with a deep bow and a goofy grin, while Sungjun offered only a slight bow as if he doesn't acknowledge the latter's status. CEO Park Sangnim's eyes flicked between them, his frown deepening. "What is it?" he asked, his tone clipped.

Manager Sangwoo cleared his throat. "CEO-nim, this is Sungjun-ssi. He comes recommended by Sae-ri-nim as a road manager."

The CEO's frown deepened even further, his gaze scrutinizing Sungjun. He leaned back in his chair but didn't say a word for a moment. Then, exhaling sharply, he gestured toward Sungjun. "Let's hear it from you. What are your qualifications? Experience?"

Sungjun met his gaze without hesitation. "None. Zero experience in this field," he said plainly. "Before this, I was a legal consultant for the Egmor Group in Moscow."

A flicker of surprise crossed the CEO's face, but he masked it quickly. His fingers drummed against the polished desk as he scoffed. "A legal consultant for Egmor Group wants to be a road manager? You expect me to believe that?" He narrowed his eyes. "Why the sudden career change?"

Sungjun remained composed. "Korean laws are too stringent for me to practice law here immediately. And secondly, my daughter wants to become an idol and later, an actress. By the time she debuts, I want to have enough industry experience and connections to support her career."

A beat of silence. Sangwoo turned to Sungjun, his expression a mix of confusion and intrigue. The CEO, however, let out a sudden bark of laughter, leaning back even further as he propped his feet up on the desk. "How in the hell did a fool like you pass a Bar exam and even work for a company like Egmor Group?" His smirk widened. "Do you think anyone can become a celebrity manager and have wide connections just by working hard? Do you think anyone can just become an idol? Even the best talents get tossed aside in this industry—competition is cutthroat, stress is crushing. And you—" He gave Sungjun a once-over, shaking his head. "You barely look like you're in your mid or late twenties. How old is this daughter of yours? Three? Four? Seven? What kind of dogshit story are you feeding me?"

Sungjun's voice remained steady. "She's fourteen."

CEO Park jerked forward so abruptly that his chair nearly toppled over. "Fourteen?!" His disbelief was palpable as he stared at Sungjun, eyes scanning his face for any trace of a joke. "And how old are you, then?"

"Thirty-three."

Silence. CEO Park blinked. Then again. His fingers curled slightly, as if re-evaluating the man before him. "You're telling me a thirty-three-year-old man wants to restart his career as road manager, where average rookie age is 24?" He shook his head, scoffing. "You must be insane. And you expect me to appoint you? What do you think this company is, a charity? Hiring someone like you would be a joke. It'd tarnish the company's reputation."

Manager Sangwoo opened his mouth, about to interject, ready to reveal Sungjun's sibling connection to Sae-ri as even the CEO cannot just offend the A+ listed actress by insulting her brother—but before he could get a word out, Sungjun raised a hand slightly, cutting him off. His gaze never left the CEO. "Sangwoo-ssi, leave us alone for a minute."

Sangwoo hesitated, taken aback. CEO Park raised an eyebrow, intrigued but unimpressed. Then, after a moment, he waved a dismissive hand. "Get out," he ordered.

Sangwoo hesitated for only a second before nodding and stepping out of the room, closing the door behind him.

As the heavy office door clicked shut behind Manager Sangwoo, an uneasy silence settled in the room. CEO Park Sangnim folded his arms, watching Sungjun with a scowl of irritation. "Okay, what do you want to say?"

Sungjun, however, didn't respond to it yet. He slid his phone from his pocket, his fingers moving swiftly over the screen. The soft tap of the keyboard filled the air.

The CEO's frown deepened. "What the hell do you think you're doing?" he snapped, stepping around his desk. "You come in here, demand a job, and now you're ignoring me? Stand up when I'm talking to you, you bastard!"

Sungjun didn't even look up. Instead, he let out a calm breath and muttered, "Sit down."

Park Sangnim's face turned red. "You arrogant little—" He lunged forward, ready to grab Sungjun by the collar.

Just then, the CEO's phone buzzed violently in his pocket. He took it out and the name on the caller ID made his blood freeze.

Chairman Song Byungho.

Sangnim swallowed hard, his fury instantly dissolving. He straightened up and wiped his palms on his suit before answering. "Ah! Chairman Song—yes, sir! What a pleasure to receive your call—"

Fifteen to twenty seconds passed. Whatever the chairman was saying, it made the CEO's face shift from tense to downright pale. He hesitantly glanced at Sungjun, who sat back lazily, watching him with an amused expression.

"Yes, sir. Of course. I understand." His voice wavered slightly. "Please don't worry. I'll personally handle it. You have my full trust on this matter."

The call ended with a soft beep. CEO Sangnim stood frozen for a moment before slowly lowering his phone. His throat bobbed as he swallowed, then he turned to Sungjun with a forced smile, the arrogance from earlier completely wiped away.

"Sir, if only I had been informed about your visit beforehand, this scenario wouldn't have risen at all. I apologize for my earlier tone," he said, his voice suddenly respectful. "There was no need for you to come in person for a job like this. A simple call would've been enough."

Sungjun tilted his head, feigning innocence. "Where's the fun in that?"

The CEO let out a nervous chuckle and quickly shook his head. "You're right, of course. I'll make sure everything is arranged for you immediately."

Sungjun stood, slipping his phone back into his pocket. "Good. I'll get started, then."

As he turned toward the door, CEO Sangnim sprang up and gave him a deep, ninety-degree bow. "Thank you for your time," he said, his voice filled with forced politeness.

Without another word, Sungjun walked out.

In the hallway, Manager Sangwoo stood waiting, a puzzled look on his face. "How did it go?"

Sungjun gave a small smirk. "I got the job."

The manager blinked, then laughed, shaking his head in disbelief. "Well, that was fast. What did you do that changed CEO-nim's mind? Did you reveal who you are?"

Sungjun mysteriously smiled. "Something along the lines."

Together, they walked down the corridor, heading back to Sae-ri's side.

Meanwhile, inside the office, CEO Sangnim exhaled sharply and sank into his chair. His hands trembled slightly as he redialed the chairman.

"Chairman-nim," he said carefully. "I've taken care of the matter as you instructed."

"Good." A simple reply came from the other side.

After a brief pause, in a hesitant voice, he asked, "May I ask… who exactly is that young man that even Chairman-nim cannot offend?"

Chairman Song's voice was unreadable. "I don't know his full identity either. But what I do know is that the company backing him is Royal Gold Corp."

CEO Sangnim's breath hitched.

"The biggest investor in Vesta Group," the chairman continued. "They own over thirty-eight percent of the company's shares. If they want, they can just remove my position any time they want, but they largely maintained non-interference so far. And I want to keep it that way. Understood?"

Sangnim's lips parted in shock. That was enough to wield enormous influence over the entire organization.

"And you know what's the most troubling thing? The CEO of Royal Gold Corp called me personally," Chairman Song added, his tone growing firm. "He made one thing very clear—Sungjun is an important figure for them. We are to cooperate with him fully."

The line crackled slightly before the chairman gave his final warning.

"Never—under any circumstances—offend that man."

A cold sweat ran down CEO Sangnim's back as the call disconnected. He slumped forward, running a hand over his face.

"Why…" he muttered to himself, staring blankly at the ceiling. "Why the hell does someone like that have to show up now, just when I was about to leave this agency and move back to the parent company?"

He let out a shaky breath, rubbing his temples.

Trouble. That man was nothing but trouble.