Pen and Paper Translations

Bonus 2 of 2. <3

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I did everything I could to read Chairman Lee Jungho’s face and gestures, trying to figure out what he was thinking.

But as expected, he did not seem to have any will to touch an investment he was not sure about.

It is not that I do not understand Chairman Lee’s words.

With every big budget film failing at the box office, investing in my next project that needed more than twenty billion won would feel like a burden.

The real reason he asked me about was the reason we were working this hard, even hiring foreigners.

I had already talked about how much of the film market CG could take up later, but there was no way Chairman Lee missed that.

Then why ask again?

Was the answer not that important?

Or maybe he did not intend to listen in the first place.

“It is… as I said, because I believe CG could dominate the film market.”

“On what grounds? What we are seeing right now is moving in the exact opposite direction from what you predict, is it not?”

Chairman Lee tilted his head slightly, as if he could not understand, and voiced his doubt.

“You know too that blockbuster films that cost tens of billions have failed and taken down a few film companies.”

“Yes. I know.”

“Then why not just do what you are usually good at? I am asking why you would take that risk without a separate reason.”

“I am looking further into the future.”

The bigger future I was looking at.

Without directors like George Lucas or Steven Spielberg, the film CG market would be far lower in quality, and if that happened, we would not even be able to dream of a revival in the film industry.

Story matters, but what can seize the world’s attention is dazzling visuals.

In the end, this is one key to making films that go beyond language.

“What I cannot see, you can?”

“That is…”

I trailed off for a moment, buying time.

It was to protect Chairman Lee’s pride as a businessman, just in case.

“Enough. We can leave that. I want to judge with clear information. In my view, you are a man with good instincts. You were like that when I first met you too. But do you know what I think your biggest problem is right now?”

Chairman Lee stared straight into my eyes as he asked. His gaze felt like it was looking right through me, and a chill ran down my spine.

“I do not know…”

“It is that you have never failed. That is why I cannot trust you completely. You have made me quite a lot of money until now, sure, but trusting you and investing that kind of money right now is a separate issue.”

Failure.

At that word, my fist clenched tight.

The failures I used to commit as casually as eating, before the regression.

Failures in my family relationships.

Failures in the film world.

There were days when the thought haunted me all day, that if you could express the word failure as a human being, it might be me.

And now, Chairman Lee saying I had never failed.

That one line hit me with real weight.

Chairman Lee flicked his eyes over me, watching for my reaction, and I quickly came to my senses, loosened my fist, and forced an awkward smile.

“Haha… That is true.”

“If it sounded unpleasant, I apologize. But for you and for me, I thought it would be better than talking in circles.”

“Yes. I prefer this too.”

Chairman Lee nodded and asked,

“May I say more?”

“Yes. Of course.”

“From where I stand, you and Junseong are the same. Seeing how you created an entertainment company at Seonghyeon Productions and not long after even established a CG company… I cannot help thinking you may have been briefly blinded by your momentary success.”

“…”

“Ahem.”

Chairman Lee stood up and walked to where the whiskey was.

Then he jerked his chin at me and asked,

“It sounds like this conversation will run long. Will you have a drink? Junseong told me you can hold your liquor.”

“Ah… haha. No, I cannot.”

“Then you will refuse?”

“N-no. I will accept it gratefully.”

While he poured, silence stretched between us.

And in that silence, the air was quite cold.

“…”

Chairman Lee is a thorough pragmatist.

A man who hates taking a loss more than death.

Even when he first let Junseong start films, he probably thought investing about a billion won just to pull him out of the film world would be worth it.

“Here.”

“Yes. Thank you.”

When I swallowed a sip, a burning heat flowed down my throat.

Chairman Lee took a sip as well, then turned his glass and set it on the table as he said,

“I do not think your success and Junseong’s success are purely skill. Every success needs luck to support it. But most people, once they succeed, think it is all their own ability.”

Chairman Lee showed a faint smile for a moment.

It was an empty smile, like the kind that comes after recalling one’s past.

“I will not ask what you are thinking. But looking at what you have done at Seonghyeon Productions, have you not been expanding the business so much it is like you mistakenly believe you have Midas’s hands?”

“…”

An appropriate and cold interpretation for the situation.

If you did not know who Go Jinhun was, and did not know what Taylor could produce, it would be natural to think that way.

And right now, even if he mistook me for someone completely crazy, I would have nothing to say.

“Reaching for KMD at a time like this… If you were me, what would you do?”

“I would not invest…”

Ears completely shut.

It felt like no matter what I said, it would not be enough to open them.

The only way to open his ears was an offer that would never cause him any loss.

It would be a tremendous gamble for me, but I had no choice.

“If that is what you think, Chairman, then I will set a condition.”

“What?”

“If this project fails so badly that you cannot recover your investment, I will give you everything I have.”

At my words, Chairman Lee stared at me blankly for a moment, then laughed loudly.

Just as I felt certain that an opportunity had come, seeing his face as if his ears had finally opened, he asked,

“Everything you have. What, you are saying you will hand over even half of Seonghyeon Productions?”

“Yes. I will hand over all of my shares. The rights to <Night>, <Jawol>, <Muyok>, and whatever else will be created…”

“Hah, Director Gyeong.”

Chairman Lee cut me off.

“If I take your shares and you go somewhere else, then what? Seonghyeon Productions without you is nothing but an empty shell. How much can it earn from holiday special films and whatever plays on general programming channels? The numbers do not add up.”

Chairman Lee laughed once, as if it was absurd, then looked at me with an expression that seemed to expect something.

“Is that really all you have?”

“…”

Chairman Lee took a sip of whiskey and smiled.

I acted flustered, letting my hand tremble slightly.

But I had already expected this reaction.

That earlier offer was bait, meant to make Chairman Lee say that exact line with his own mouth.

When I saw he had taken the bait properly, my heart pounded even harder.

“I will make five more films at Seonghyeon Productions under Chairman Lee Jungho’s name. As a film director, you will trust my ability.”

Chairman Lee’s expression mixed interest and doubt, then he smiled and asked,

“Haha. You will make it so I do not take a loss? Whether I win or lose this gamble?”

He closed his eyes as if tapping out calculations in his head, and his finger tapped lightly against the sofa.

“It will be quite a large loss for you. Are you sure you can accept that?”

“Yes. Because I will win. Just like when I first came to see you three years ago.”

At my words, Chairman Lee laughed loudly for a long while.

“Is this a strategy you came up with together with Junseong?”

“Pardon?”

“I am asking if this is the strategy you and Junseong put together over the past few months.”

“…Yes.”

When Junseong first heard this proposal, his reaction was negative.

Just say you will become your father’s slave, you lunatic.

He stared at me like I was insane, but in the end, he agreed, thinking that nothing less than this would work.

“All right. Well, even if you just release five films on the strength of your name, we will avoid a deficit. Hah… But why go this far? Is it confidence that you can succeed?”

“Rather than confidence, I would call it desperation.”

It was the answer I gave because I thought someone who looked desperate would be better to Chairman Lee than someone drunk on success.

“What makes you that desperate?”

“…”

Because it was an answer I had not given expecting that question, I could not say anything for a moment, and Chairman Lee added,

“No, no. Forget it. I will hear it after this bet is over. If I hear everything now, it will not be fun. All right. Give it a try. I will speak to my board. And I will tell them what you just said as well. That is fine, yes?”

“Of course. Thank you, Chairman.”

I stood up and bowed to him, expressing my gratitude.

“No. It is not too late to thank me after you win the bet.”

---

The moment Gyeong Chanhyeon bowed and left Lee Jungho’s office, he put a cigarette in his mouth and began sorting out his thoughts again.

“Phew…”

Around the time the cigarette smoke spread out and faded, Lee Jungho thought once more about the look he had just seen on Gyeong Chanhyeon’s face.

The anger he had felt from Chanhyeon when he spoke about failure.

Had he really experienced failure? Lee Jungho could not understand the anger he had sensed in that brief moment.

A three-year run of success that began when he was twenty six.

A film director who had made three films succeed back to back, and then at Cannes, even if it was a non competitive section, became the first from Korea to win.

And yet he did not look intoxicated by success.

How was that possible?

As questions kept piling up, Chairman Lee let out a deep sigh and pressed the intercom button.

“Tsk. Secretary Park. Come in for a moment.”

-Yes, Chairman.

Soon the door opened, and a man entered, wearing a slick pomade hairstyle and a sharp suit.

Chairman Lee asked him with a smile that looked a bit bitter.

“You know what I always tell you, right?”

“Yes, Chairman. That failure is more important than success, I have never forgotten and keep it in my heart…”

“That is enough.”

Secretary Park stopped at Chairman Lee cutting him off, clasping his hands respectfully as he waited.

“What do you think? Do you think that is wrong?”

“…Pardon?”

Looking flustered, Secretary Park worked his brain to decide how to answer.

“You told me success is like a drug. And you said tasting that drug at a reckless young age is a poisoned holy grail. I have never once thought those words were wrong.”

At Secretary Park’s words, Chairman Lee folded his arms and said,

“I think I may have just found evidence that my words were wrong.”

At that, Secretary Park widened his eyes and asked,

“Director Gyeong Chanhyeon, sir?”

“Director Gyeong’s eyes were clearly the eyes of someone who knows failure. But it does not seem possible, so I called you in.”

Chairman Lee continued, his expression bitter.

“I thought he was expanding the business after falling into arrogance… but I am starting to think that might not be it.”

As he put the cigarette to his mouth, Secretary Park took a lighter, bowed from a step away, and lit it for him.

“Hah… Haha. Seriously.”

Was he looking forward to it, or was he worried?

Chairman Lee laughed at the emotion he had never felt before.

“They are ridiculous. They made a situation where I do not lose money even if I am wrong, and I do not lose money even if I am right. Truly…”