Just before filming began.
Robert stood before the camera with a smirk on his face.
The crew around him looked on with worried eyes, but he remained unbothered, maintaining a relaxed smile.
“Mr. Robert. Are you really okay…?”
Ryan, who played the role of the assistant detective, asked cautiously, clearly deeply concerned.
“I’m fine. Better than fine, actually.”
“……”
Ryan couldn’t shake the image of Robert walking away earlier, pelted with tomatoes.
Covered in dripping tomatoes and eggs, he had looked like a disaster, yet he hadn’t lost that smile.
“Do you also think I’ve started using drugs again?”
“That’s how the media is framing it… and this project is very important to me too. It absolutely cannot fall apart.”
“That won’t happen.”
Despite Robert’s confident answer, Ryan couldn’t help but worry.
The character Robert played, Detective Graser, was no ordinary man.
According to the script, he was extraordinary, but he was also a loose cannon who always looked as though he were in a daze.
Much like how Sherlock Holmes was a morphine addict, Graser gave off the impression of a drug addict.
And Ryan feared that Robert, while acting as a drug addict, might have actually relapsed.
Ryan’s anxiety began to grow without bounds.
“You said this is your debut work, right?”
“Huh? Yes….”
“Do you know what the most important thing is for a movie’s success?”
At Robert’s question, Ryan shifted his eyes, appearing to think.
“The story? Or maybe the direction?”
“Those are important, of course. But those are important for the artistic quality. They aren’t what’s important for success.”
Robert continued with a sly smile.
“It’s about getting people to know about it. You realize that interest in this movie has skyrocketed now that news of my relapse is spreading, right?”
“…Yes.”
“No matter how much I deny it, people won’t believe me easily, will they? Just like you right now.”
Ryan nodded at Robert’s words.
“But what if what people take for granted is actually a lie?”
“The fallout would be huge…? It would cause a controversy.”
“That’s exactly what I want. I want my image to be completely flipped on its head.”
“But the reporters already….”
At Ryan’s worried remark, Robert chuckled and shook his head.
“Those guys just create stories that sell. Once it’s proven that I’m not doing drugs, they’ll come crawling back on their own.”
“……”
Ryan couldn’t understand the smile lingering on Robert’s lips.
‘Is this the seasoned composure that comes with age…?’
Thinking about it, Robert’s acting career had been more turbulent than anyone’s.
Compared to Robert, who had gone through so many experiences during those ups and downs, Ryan felt like a mere fledgling.
That thought put him somewhat at ease.
“Do you get what I mean now?”
“I’m not entirely sure… but I’ll trust you.”
“Good. Just trust me and follow my lead.”
As the conversation wound down, Gyeong Chanhyeon shouted.
“Starting the shoot! Everyone, wake up and focus!”
The next day.
The atmosphere became incomparably more serious than before.
All of Hollywood was ablaze with news regarding whether Robert Penn had relapsed.
Along with that, the possibility of Detective Graser being scrapped followed the controversy.
“Even the production press conference for Detective Graser is being brought back into the spotlight.”
Contrary to the negative reactions, Junseong wore a satisfied smile as news about Detective Graser, which had been buried, surged back to the surface.
“Your friend is getting trashed, and you’re smiling?”
“I feel like an enemy is getting trashed, so I feel great.”
[CEO Lee Junseong. Friction with Director Gyeong Chanhyeon. New work eventually leads to disaster….]
[Detective Graser Director Gyeong Chanhyeon. Defends Robert Penn even at the production press conference….]
[A gamble by an Asian director stemming from ignorance of the Hollywood scene. Resulting in complete failure….]
“They’re saying everything I wanted to say right here. Phew, what a relief.”
“Are we even on the same side?”
“We are, aren’t we?”
“I feel like you’ll be the one regretting it when the situation flips.”
At my question, Junseong replied with a smirk.
“Instead, the movie will be a smash hit. How’s the filming going?”
“The atmosphere is chaotic. But the results are good. Mr. Robert is definitely holding the center well.”
At my words, Junseong asked curiously.
“Is Robert okay? I feel like he’d lose his mind seeing articles like these… though you don’t seem to care much….”
“Yeah. It seems like Mr. Robert is enjoying it.”
Junseong let out a short laugh.
“Enjoying it?”
“Yeah. He said he’ll be making his move soon with that guy Philip.”
“So the counterattack begins?”
“Rather than a counterattack… let’s call it the start of a fact-bombing campaign that will flip Hollywood upside down.”
A few days later.
The Editor-in-Chief’s office at Starlight Hollywood Newspaper.
“Philip. What on earth are you doing?”
Philip responded to the Editor-in-Chief’s irritated voice.
“Did I do something wrong?”
“You’re keeping your mouth shut even with a golden opportunity like this. You should be the one writing the Robert Penn story. Do you plan to hand all the prey over to the nobodies?”
The Editor-in-Chief couldn’t understand.
Up until the production press conference, Philip had spoken as if he would ruthlessly crush Robert Penn.
Yet now that he was in a position to stomp him down so hard he could never rise again, Philip was taking no action, which was irritating to the point of frustration.
“When everyone else is throwing stones, what difference does it make if I add one small pebble from the side?”
“Why are you suddenly like this? Do you think your articles have the impact of a pebble? The circulation of newspapers covering Robert Penn is exploding right now! If you just put out one well-written piece….”
At the Editor-in-Chief’s words, Philip chuckled and shrugged.
“I’m saying that an article bashing Robert Penn right now would be nothing more than a pebble, Chief. Look at the articles in the other papers bashing Gyeong Chanhyeon and Robert Penn. They’re all putting it on the front page, just fighting for provocative attention.”
“That’s what you’re best at!”
“I appreciate you recognizing my talent, but… hmm… I was devising a more creative method.”
The Editor-in-Chief glared at Philip with a frown.
However, Philip did not avoid the Editor-in-Chief’s gaze and maintained a relaxed smile.
“Haa… fine. Do you have something?”
“Yes. I have an article ready that will beat the other newspapers to a pulp. The groundwork is all done.”
“Groundwork?”
“Robert Penn’s drug test results. I’ve obtained them.”
At Philip’s words, the Editor-in-Chief’s eyes widened.
“What…? What? How did you…?”
“I’m a reporter. I can’t tell you my sources, even if you’re the Chief.”
“…Anyway, is it negative or positive? That’s the most….”
The Editor-in-Chief trailed off, staring at Philip’s relaxed smile.
Then, he jumped up from his seat and spoke.
“Right, damn it. Why didn’t I think of that? It’s negative, right? Negative?! Damn. This is a total jackpot….”
“Yes. It’s an article that will blow away all these inflated fake stories in one shot.”
The Editor-in-Chief looked at Philip with a hollow laugh, as if he found the situation absurd.
“But are you planning to protect Robert Penn now?”
“Not exactly. Well, it’s for the sake of the Starlight Hollywood Newspaper. You know my loyalty to the company, right? You know what happens once this scoop breaks.”
As Philip waggled his eyebrows playfully, the Editor-in-Chief nodded with a smirk.
“Good lord… haha. Fine, do whatever. Unbelievable… alright. For now, we keep this a secret, right?”
“Yes. Very few people know about this. I was going to keep it a secret from you too, but I’m telling you since it’s going to break soon anyway.”
At Philip’s words, the Editor-in-Chief laughed loudly and clapped.
“Crazy. Just crazy. This is why they say ‘Philip, Philip.’ I knew our Philip had something different!”
“What about the irritation from earlier?”
“My dear man. Irritation? As a senior? Huh? Wasn’t it just because I was worried?”
The Editor-in-Chief gave an awkward smile and even massaged Philip’s shoulder.
Then Philip stood up and said,
“Then I’ll be going now.”
“Right. Be careful. Let’s keep this between us until the first draft is out.”
“Of course.”
After leaving the Editor-in-Chief’s office, Philip immediately called Gyeong Chanhyeon.
—What.
“You lectured me about manners, yet this is how you answer the phone?”
—I’m busy. What’s your business? I’m just about to start filming.
“Is the set even functioning right now?”
—That depends on the director’s ability. A film set is a place that keeps rolling if you force it to.
Philip chuckled at Gyeong Chanhyeon’s answer.
It was simply amazing that he was a director with enough skill to keep the set running in this situation.
“The article will be out by tomorrow. Get Robert Penn’s press conference ready immediately. If we’re going to expand the stage, we have to do it properly.”
—Right. Anything else?
At Gyeong Chanhyeon’s question, Philip lit a cigarette and exhaled a deep cloud of smoke.
“Delete my photo.”
—That can’t happen.
“A shame. Trust is something that only grows after mutual weaknesses disappear.”
—Don’t be ridiculous. I think you’re misunderstanding our relationship. We don’t need trust between us.
A deep wrinkle formed between Philip’s brows at Gyeong Chanhyeon’s answer.
—You and I aren’t in a relationship based on trust. It’s a relationship between a tool and a user.
“What? You’re calling me a tool….”
—But you’re gaining plenty of profit even as a tool, aren’t you? Once that article goes out, your position will rise far more than before.
Philip tried to argue, but it was true.
Once this article was published, he would be the only reporter to have landed the scoop.
The thought that he could monopolize a status incomparable to before brought a natural smile to Philip’s lips.
—The real reporter who crushed the fake news. The reporter who speaks his mind instead of riding the tide of public opinion. What better news for a reporter than to be given a title like that?
“……”
—Just take the bait I throw you. There will be plenty of things to flip Hollywood upside down in the future. I’ll provide those to you first.
“What? Do you know something more?”
Philip swallowed hard and asked, struck by the conviction in Gyeong Chanhyeon’s voice.
—If this relationship continues, that is. The article you’re putting out today? I can bring you news that makes that look like absolutely nothing.
“Bluffing… doesn’t suit you. A guy who just arrived in Hollywood….”
—Bluffing? Do I look like that kind of person? I was the first to know that Robert Penn quit drugs. And the same goes for your photo. I have sources that your sources can’t even compare to.
“……”
As Philip remained silent, Gyeong Chanhyeon spoke with a hint of laughter in his voice.
—I’ll be counting on you for things like this in the future. I’ll keep your photo safe, so don’t worry. I’m hanging up now.
Click.
“Damn bastard.”
Philip muttered a few more curses to himself and put out his cigarette.
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