Chapter 114 (1/2)
Chapter 114: What Comes and Goes Beneath the Water, a Trade (1)
TL: emptycube / ED: Isleidir
Star Search. Star Search.
It was an unfamiliar name. Though I had met, directly and indirectly, with hundreds of reporters during my work, and though there were dozens of names saved under the 'Reporter' category on my phone, I had never heard of a publication called Star Search.
A scandal involving a top actor like Yoon Taekyung or Park Dojin, and it wasn't something cute like a dating scandal but a big deal like a drug scandal. For a small-scale, unknown publication to publish a huge scandal like that?
Just in case, I indirectly asked Team Leader Park and Reporter Park Woojeong if there were any rumors about Yoon Taekyung or Park Dojin, but there weren't any that would deal a blow to their image. There was nothing about drugs either.
That meant that Star Search exclusively collected and published this scandal.
I suppressed my questions and first searched Star Search on a portal site. I should at least know their address before taking any measures. There could be an article about me being crazy if I just blindly entered their office and interrogated them.
I needed to think hard if I wanted to come with a decent plan, but thinking furiously was enjoyable compared to when I was gloomy with no straws to grasp at.
But something was weird.
No matter how much I searched, there wasn't a publication known as Star Search. It was the same when I searched through the portal news category. A publication known as Star Search wasn't even registered.
Did I mishear the company name? No, that wasn't possible.
Then why wasn't it there?
”Team leader, have you heard of a publication known as Star Search?”
I asked Team Leader Park as soon as I arrived at work. Team Leader Park gave me a surprised looked.
”Star Search? What about that d.a.m.n publication? Where did you hear about them?”
Her reaction a.s.sured me. Fortunately, it wasn't a non-existent company.
”I heard about them from a reporter I know, but I couldn't find them when I searched online. There wasn't a single article from them on the portal site either.”
”Of course, they aren't on a national portal site. They are a publication specializing in paparazzi in Hong Kong.”
What? Where?
”Hong Kong?”
”Yeah. Well, it is time for you to be concerned about overseas publications since Songha's getting more known in China, so be more careful from now on. That place is much more cutthroat than here. They publish articles that we can't here in fear of lawsuits without worry. Especially Hong Kong, it's worse than Hollywood.”
Wait, wait. Let me think for a second.
If Star Search was a publication in Hong Kong, how could I approach them? It wasn't like I could get on a plane to Hong Kong right now, and even if I did, I wouldn't be able to communicate with them. There were tons of publications in the country, yet why did have to be one in Hong Kong?
Team Leader Park frowned as she continued to speak,
”Star Search especially doesn't like Korean stars very much so they write a lot of scandals regarding them. Those leeches. Of course, the more vicious leeches are the tabloids in this country that sell information and pictures to them.”
My ears perked at her words.
”Tabloids in our country sell information and pictures? Star Search isn't independently digging around?”
”While many publications do that, since Star Search specializing in the paparazzi, they usually buy them. Most of the information regarding Korean stars in the country are sent from here. You see, there's a lowlife company that deals with Star Search.”
I immediately asked,
”Where is it?”
DM Media.
When I searched up the name Team Leader Park gave me, a registered publication popped up.
On their homepage, which had multiple adult ads, there wasn't even the common interview article. All they had were entertainment spamming articles, revealing celebrity photos, and provocative tabloid articles that only used initials.
I looked around for a long time before I found their address. Deumcheon district. It wasn't that far.
Before I left, I went to find Kim Hyunjo and told him,
”Chief, I'm going to have Kwanwoo handle today's schedule and go meet with a reporter.”
”A reporter? What reporter all of a sudden? Are you doing an interview?”
”No, I heard that there was a bad news item. I wanted to check up on it since it seemed troublesome.”
Kim Hyunjo's expression became sour.
”Since it's you were talking about, it feels uneasy.”
”Since it's not certain, I'll talk to you about it after I confirm it.”
I stated ambiguously. The scale this time was too big for me to discuss it without taking any measures, especially since I wasn't certain which of the two caused the problem.
Yoon Taekyung and Park Dojin were big shots whose contracts reached the billions of won, and Well-Made Production and Chinese investors were also entangled in this situation. In other words, if I said something wrong and a problem arose, it would be a very serious matter.
”Okay, go check it. Call Team Leader Park or me immediately if there's something to it.”
”Yes.”
I handed Lee Songha's afternoon schedule to the recruit and immediately drove my minivan to DM Media's address.
Hoping there would be an answer there.
Geumsan Building, Gasan Neighborhood, Geumcheon District. Unit 301.
The address was correct, yet I couldn't even the company, let alone an answer.
There wasn't a sign outside the building, and unit 301 on the information panels in the first-floor lobby and elevator was empty.
It was the same when I arrived at the third floor. There was something that looked like an office, but there wasn't a sign and the door was firmly locked. I couldn't even tell if there was someone inside or not. There wasn't even a reaction when I knocked.
Even when I called the phone number on their homepage, it would simply ring with no one answering. I tried sending an email to the email address, but even that was immediately returned. At this point, I wondered if this even was a properly functioning publication.
So this was a paparazzi company.
How could I casually meet DM Media reporters? I pondered after returning to my minivan and looking up at the third-floor window, which had its blinds down.
Then I decided to change my method.
I entered the building again. This time, I took off my sungla.s.ses and revealed my face. I planned on using myself as bait so that they would come to me since I couldn't find them.
I hoped that I looked appetizing to the paparazzi.
First, I went to the coffee chain on the first floor and ordered a cup of coffee.
The employees and the customers recognized me. I had fled last time, but this time, I sat at a table. Once I responded friendlily to a customer who acted familiar as he approached me, more people started conversations with me.
Slowly, news began to spread throughout the building, to the point where people on other floors came down to see me. Things were going as planned. If I kept at it, DM Media should hear about it too since they were a paparazzi company.
After brooding over coffee for an hour, I went to the second-floor oriental medical clinic.
My shoulders ached so it was a good opportunity. I received acupuncture, cupping, and electrotherapy and saw black blood clots. That was how I spent two hours in the building. I hadn't even seen the shadow of a paparazzi yet.
Just as I was thinking of another way to approach them, my phone rang. It was an unfamiliar number.
”h.e.l.lo?”
-Excuse me, is this perhaps Mr. Jung Sunwoo?
It was an unfamiliar woman's voice. She sounded a bit fl.u.s.tered.
”Yes, that's me.”
-You're the owner of the white minivan, correct? I'm sorry. I hit your van slightly by accident while parking.
Oho? Was it this?
I left in the middle of my physiotherapy and immediately went down to the parking lot. A young woman who was partly crouched and examining the back of my minivan jolted up.
She wore a short skirt that emphasized her curves, slightly transparent coffee-colored stockings, and high heels. She gave off a different feeling from the female reporters I had seen until now.
She was suspicious.