novellhall Chapter 40 suggests creating a scandal with Girls' Generation.
Chapter 40 suggests creating a scandal with Girls' Generation.
Nine o'clock in the evening, at Mingming Chinese Restaurant.
After the mealtime, there were no customers left in the restaurant.
Li Zhixing sat alone in the corner, a laptop in front of him, typing intently on the keyboard.
A young man walked in as the wind chimes above the door rang.
The person who arrived was wearing a well-made casual jacket, was slim, had well-defined facial features, and exuded a casual and easygoing vibe.
Li Zhixing glanced at him sideways before looking away and continuing to type on the computer.
"Hey, hey, hey, as expected of a rising star with tens of millions in box office revenue, you don't even greet your seniors. Believe me or not, I'll expose you." The man deliberately dragged out his words in a teasing tone.
Li Zhixing waved his hand impatiently: "I'll finish up here. Find yourself a place to sit first."
The visitor didn't seem to mind, and walked familiarly to the freezer, took out two small dishes, and then sat down at the table by the window, starting to eat by himself.
This person is none other than actor Jung Kyung-ho.
The two met early last year on the set of director Lee Joon-ik's film "The Lover Is Far Away". Because they got along well, they quickly became close friends who would tease each other.
Speaking of which, this guy is quite an oddball in the Korean entertainment industry, as if he has a natural ability to "burn himself to light up others".
So Ji-sub became a huge star after playing a supporting role in "Sorry, I Love You"; Lee Joon-gi became incredibly popular after starring in "Time Between Dog and Wolf"; and the recent double male lead film "Running Turtle" was a box office hit, but the audience all went to praise Kim Yoon-seok.
He's a perfect "hit-making assistant," having starred in several hit shows, yet he always falls just short, remaining on the verge of becoming a top star.
Not long after, Li Zhixing finally pressed the Enter key.
He closed his laptop, sat down opposite Jung Kyung-ho, and said irritably, "Didn't you say you'd be right over? I've been waiting for you for hours!"
"Oh dear, I had an impromptu interview, I told you in a text message."
Li Zhixing leaned back in his chair and chuckled, "You act like you're so busy. Where do you get so many schedules? Are you trying to ride on Ha Jung-woo's coattails?"
"Hey, you brat!" Jung Kyung-ho's face flushed, and he grabbed the chopsticks on the table and threw them at him. "Could your mouth be any more venomous? I'm already down on my luck, go get some wine."
Li Zhixing spread his hands: "Pay up, and also pay for the two side dishes you just took, that's all."
"Hey, Li Zhixing, you're so stingy! You're a top-tier newcomer now, aren't you going to treat me to a nice meal?!" Zheng Jinghao's eyes widened.
Li Zhixing rolled his eyes: "Come on, so what if it's ten million? I didn't get a single extra penny in my salary."
"Huh, that shouldn't be the case. The production company made so much money this time, aren't they going to give you any bonuses?" Jung Kyung-ho asked, somewhat puzzled.
Li Zhixing shook his head: "There will definitely be a bonus, but it may not be much. Ji Jun was already in debt when he filmed 'Haeundae'. The money he earned this time will have to fill the hole and set aside funds for filming the next movie. There won't be much left."
"But you still have some, right? Hurry up and get the wine, and cook me a few snacks to go with it. I'm going to rip you off today. Wow, ten million! Do you know what ten million feels like? All my movies combined don't even amount to ten million..." Zheng Jinghao pounded his chest and stomped his thigh in frustration.
"I know, it's just so-so, nothing special." Li Zhixing shrugged.
"Hey, you brat!" Jung Kyung-ho was so angry that he got up to punch him.
At that moment, the door of the Chinese restaurant was pushed open again.
Lee Ji-eun, who had just finished a long day of travel, walked in. She knew that Lee Ji-hsing was returning to the country today, so she made a special detour to come and see him.
Upon seeing Lee Ji-hyeong, Ji-eun's tired face immediately brightened, and she happily ran over, exclaiming, "Oppa, you're back!"
Li Zhixing smiled and nodded.
A sour voice immediately rang out from the side: "Hey, hey, hey, you only have eyes for your oppa, huh? Can't you see there's Kyungho oppa here too?"
Lee Ji-eun then noticed Jung Kyung-ho and smiled sheepishly, "Kyung-ho oppa is here too."
Upon seeing Lee Ji-eun arrive, Jung Kyung-ho immediately pointed at Lee Ji-hyung and complained, "Look at your stingy oppa! I came all the way here to congratulate him on his movie surpassing 10 million, and he wouldn't even buy me a bottle of soju!"
Lee Ji-eun chuckled, turned around and grabbed a bottle of soju: "It's my treat, it's my treat! Today I'm treating Kyung-ho oppa to drinks!"
"Aigoo, our Ji-eun is so sensible." Jung Kyung-ho smiled and gave a thumbs up.
Seeing the undisguised weariness in his younger sister's eyes, Li Zhixing asked softly, "Grandma said you've had a lot of travel these past few days?"
Lee Ji-eun nodded happily, "Yes, I have so many schedules to keep me busy, and there are still a lot to come. It's all because of that rumor with Oppa that day; my popularity has increased a lot!"
Although she looked tired, the young girl was clearly happy and satisfied to have so much work to do.
Jung Kyung-ho, standing to the side, couldn't help but sigh: "Sigh, why don't I have any scandals to create? If I could create a scandal with a popular idol, maybe my popularity could soar."
Li Zhixing chuckled and suggested, "I suggest you go and create a scandal with Girls' Generation. You'll definitely be the top trending topic tomorrow."
Jung Kyung-ho rolled his eyes: "Don't give me that. How much younger are Girls' Generation than me? I don't want to be labeled a 'pedophile' too."
"Hey, Jung Kyung-ho!"
Li Zhixing instantly became furious and glared at him through gritted teeth.
Despite the commotion, Li Zhixing still got up and went into the kitchen to prepare two dishes to go with the drinks. Zhi'en followed him into the kitchen like a little tail.
Li Zhixing glanced at her: "You've had a long day, go back and rest."
"Okay, okay," Lee Ji-eun replied perfunctorily.
She watched Li Zhixing's skillful knife work, hesitated for a moment, and then asked, "Oppa, did you discover anything during your trip to China?"
Li Zhixing paused for a moment while chopping vegetables, then said in a flat tone, "What could be the problem? It's not like it's the first time we've been there."
Having received the expected answer, Lee Ji-eun's eyes darted around, and she tentatively asked, "So, has Seohyun contacted you recently?"
"No, I haven't seen her since the preview screening."
"Is that so?"
Lee Ji-eun wrinkled her nose, feeling a little strange.
Judging from Seohyun's reaction backstage at the preview screening that day, she was clearly very concerned about Oppa's situation and seemed to know a great deal about his past.
She had been feeling uneasy these past few days, but now it seemed that the other party had not come to see Li Zhixing again. Could it be that Xu Xian and Oppa were really just ordinary people who had met before?
She didn't stay long. After chatting with Li Zhixing for a few minutes, she obediently went home to rest.
Not long after, Li Zhixing returned to the table with some snacks to go with the drinks.
The two clinked glasses a few times, and Jung Kyung-ho casually chatted about gossip in the industry, but his words always veered towards Lee Ji-haeng's next plans.
After listening for a while, Li Zhixing suddenly put down his chopsticks and stared at him with a half-smile.
"Alright, you've been going around in circles all night. Just tell me, what are you here for today?"
Jung Kyung-ho paused for a moment, then awkwardly touched his nose: "You little brat, how did you figure that out?"
Li Zhixing rolled his eyes: "Your film 'Self-Singing Drum' just flopped so badly, you're already feeling incredibly down, how could you possibly have the time to come and celebrate for me?"
"Alright, I can't hide it from you. I really did come here with a mission today." Jung Kyung-ho put away his joking expression and said seriously, "Our NOA company's representative, Luo Bingjun, asked me to sound you out and ask if you would be willing to sign with our company."
Li Zhixing raised his eyebrows slightly but remained silent.
Jung Kyung-ho offered his bargaining chip: "The terms are pretty good. As you know, Representative Luo used to be a senior executive at SidusHQ. His skills and resources are top-notch. Although he can't offer you an exorbitant signing bonus like those smaller companies, he can definitely satisfy you in terms of contract length and profit sharing."
"Moreover, our company currently has big-name seniors like Ha Jung-woo, Gong Yoo, Lim Soo-jung, and Ji Jin-hee. If you sign with us, they can completely tie you to the movies and TV dramas they star in."
Jung Kyung-ho leaned forward, revealing his true trump card: "Jung-woo is about to team up with director Na Hong-jin and senior actor Kim Yoon-seok for the second time to film a new movie called 'The Yellow Sea,' which has an investment of over 10 billion won. The representative has said that as long as you sign the contract, you're guaranteed an important role in it."
Jung Kyung-ho looked at Lee Ji-hsing and earnestly advised, "Ji-hsing, if you haven't decided where to go yet, you should really consider it. Anyway, you and Jung-woo know each other, and once you join the company, they will definitely take care of you."
Li Zhixing remained silent for a moment, then lightly tapped his fingertips on the table.
It must be admitted that NOA offered very generous terms, not to mention a top-tier production like "The Yellow Sea".
However, after weighing the options in his mind for a moment, Li Zhixing shook his head.
"Please thank Representative Luo for his kind offer, but I don't plan to sign with an agency for the time being. I'll consider it after I finish my next film."
Jung Kyung-ho frowned: "Are you crazy? You're at the peak of your popularity right now, this is the perfect time to negotiate with your agency and get the best deal. What are you waiting for?"
"Do you think you'll be so lucky with your next project, landing a blockbuster like 'Haeundae'? If it flops and your popularity drops, I doubt any company will be willing to match your current conditions!"
Li Zhixing knew these were heartfelt words, but he remained unmoved.
He chuckled, then winked knowingly. "What if I'm just that lucky?"
Seeing his stubbornness, Zheng Jinghao knew that he had made up his mind, so he didn't try to persuade him any further.
"Alright, just think it through yourself. If you fail, don't blame your brother for not reminding you today."
The two drank for a while longer. Jung Kyung-ho, whose alcohol tolerance wasn't very high to begin with, was already a little drunk and his speech was becoming slurred.
Li Zhixing glanced at the time and asked, "Is someone coming to pick you up later?"
"Yes, my agent will be here to pick me up later."
Li Zhixing nodded.
Then, he got up, took a bottle of Chinese Erguotou from the liquor cabinet, and casually opened a can of chilled beer.
He took a large beer mug and poured both strong liquor and beer into it simultaneously, one in each hand.
Although Jung Kyung-ho was drunk, he still widened his eyes upon seeing this scene: "Wait, what are you doing? Don't you never drink explosive drinks? You get drunk after drinking them..."
Li Zhixing poured a large glass of strong liquor mixed with white foam and held it in his hand.
He looked at the bubbling bubbles in the glass, a hint of weariness flashing in his eyes: "It's good to be drunk, only when you're drunk can you fall asleep."
After saying that, he tilted his head back and downed the glass of spicy, throat-burning liquor in one gulp.
The high concentration of alcohol mixed with carbon dioxide hit his brain almost instantly. When Li Zhixing put down the glass, his eyes became glazed, and his breath reeked of alcohol.
Suppressing his last shred of consciousness, he instructed Zheng Jinghao, "Help me tidy up the table, and remember to lock the door when you leave. I'm going home now..."
Then, he pushed open the door of the Chinese restaurant and walked into the night.
Jung Kyung-ho was left sitting alone at the table, staring dumbfounded at his departing figure.
After a long pause, Zheng Jinghao finally let out a burp and mumbled, "What the hell's wrong with me?"
......