Y Yang Yuli’s appearance came as an enormous shock to me.
Of course, her mere existence already speaks volumes.
Goodness, she’s actually the Demon Brain.
Are they planning on gathering here for some kind of New Religion assemble?
Or perhaps it’s some kind of New Religion Returns?
What’s more, this girl, as it turns out, doesn’t exactly lack confidence. Right from our first encounter, she loudly declared, “Getto da ze!”
I thought for a moment I had somehow become Siwoo-mon.
Though, I suppose one would need that sort of presence to create the somewhat bizarre combination of steampunk and Joseon. But anyone would agree that our first meeting was a bit unsettling.
However, when thinking calmly, even with Yang Yuli added to Flame, there wasn’t much that would change significantly.
There’s no reason to have a conflict between Orthodoxy and Martial Forest here, nor any particular need to sabotage the domains of the Orthodoxy. Therefore, all Yang Yuli can really do is write scripts.
Looking at her double shots with that other person alone is enough to stir up old traumatic memories, but I gave up on all that long ago, so I think I can endure this much.
So, the reason for my shock was actually something a little bit different.
The fact that a person named Yang Yuli existed here.
My assumption that the remains of Martial Forest were merely confined to the likes of Heavenly Demon seemed entirely off base with this revelation.
This feeling made me want to look something up online.
Perhaps there might be other famous people like Heavenly Yuah or Yang Yuli hidden somewhere.
And indeed, I found one.
There was a significant presence sitting right here.
“Changcheon Group. Namgoong Seokju.”
Changcheon Group, one of the top conglomerates in Korea.
The owner of this company, which occupies a large part of the domestic smartphone industry, was Namgoong Seokju.
Even hearing his name gives you some idea.
Knight King, Namgoong Seokju.
The head of the Anhui Namgoong Family, who was once the martial king, now resides as the chairman of a major company – Changcheon Group.
“Me not knowing this was quite the oversight, wasn’t it?”
Even though I’ve lived here for over twenty years, I had no idea the owner of Changcheon Group was a Namgoong.
Because I wasn’t interested.
If they don’t cause trouble and get their names in the news, why would anyone know who the CEO of a certain group is?
So, the problem here is not so much me, but those people who somehow ended up here.
“Seriously, why is the Namgoong Family over here in the Korean peninsula instead of China?”
What a shock.
A pillar of Orthodoxy, one of the Five Great Families, the Namgoong Family, is here in Korea.
The New Religion can be considered an outside force in Central Plains standards, but can the same be said for a Korean Namgoong Family? Have they crossed a line?
Still, somewhat fortunately, this is a world where terms like Orthodoxy and the New Religion have no real meaning anymore.
There’s no reason to shout “Evil demon sect, die!” and attack us.
We’re involved in the entertainment industry where the possibility of conflicts with a major conglomerate like Changcheon Group rarely arises.
Even if thoughts of the Martial Forest’s Namgoong Family provoke frustration, it’s best not to confront them.
Anyway, because this made me quite uneasy, I immediately switched my smartphone from the S&M Shinephone. But, between us, this kind of minor quirk should be forgiven, shouldn’t it?
“At least the entertainment side seems clean.”
After finding one big fish, I randomly searched for the names I knew.
Nothing substantial came up.
Even the major figures like the Three Respects, the Martial Forest Alliance leader, or the Four Knights didn’t seem to exist in any searchable form.
Still, this isn’t cause for relief just yet.
There were plenty of individuals within Martial Forest who didn’t use their real names, and there’s also the possibility that the localization patch has been applied to people like this one.
In a world where Yaruli has become Yang Yuli, how could anyone make a proper prediction?
“So in the end, it’s a situation where nothing would surprise me. The world truly is…”
In this state, if I ever happened to meet a known member of the Martial Forest, there’s probably nothing else to do but ignore them or simply accept them as they are.
To just naturally accept them as if they’re no one special.
I have no plans to act on this memory I alone possess, and it’s likely impossible in this situation. For now, this is the answer.
While I fought with the internet during my search, Yang Yuli and Heavenly Yuah had apparently dedicated themselves to revising the script.
Heavenly Yuah thought that some parts were slightly lacking and had Yang Yuli adjust them.
In contrast to some writers who vehemently oppose others touching their scripts, Yang Yuli naturally accepted the advice given.
This was actually somewhat unexpected.
Is this because she hasn’t yet fully developed her sense of writer’s pride, or is it due to her immense admiration for Heavenly Yuah?
Regardless, her open-mindedness to accepting script modification was quite pleasing.
“It feels cleaner.”
“Right? I feel like Yuah-ssi has a great eye for scripts. She seems to have keen insight.”
The revised script, with Heavenly Yuah’s help, appeared tidier than the original.
It was as if Heavenly Yuah’s advice was filling in for Yang Yuli’s still underdeveloped skills due to her lack of experience.
Thinking about it, Heavenly Yuah is truly talented in many ways.
Ah, except for singing and gaming.
“So, there are a few things I’d like to confirm.”
“What would those be?”
“I’m curious about how you’ll handle a few scenes, particularly the combat ones.”
“Ah…”
The two brought me the revised script to check whether the scenes aligned with what they’d envisioned, especially the action parts.
Yang Yuli wanted to use me due to the impression she got from watching the internet-famous Jelly Minion Elimination War. She wanted to confirm if I could handle the powerful swordplay action sequences she had in mind.
Finding it necessary, I readily accepted the request.
By brandishing the prepared wooden sword, I displayed an impressive sword skill.
“Wow~ this is even better than what I imagined. It has feel.”
“Right? Siwoo’s action is good, right?”
“It’s really good. I properly recognized you, Siwoo-ssi.”
“Also, Siwoo-ssi is good at emotional acting.”
“Oh, that’s even better. Is it really true that Actress Baek is participating in my work, right Unni?”
“Yes, since Siwoo-ssi agreed too.”
In no time, the two were addressing each other on first-name basis, and they went wild watching my swordplay performance.
Especially Yang Yuli, who even applauded like a seal, was quite the sight.
That conversation might sound like one where acting slaves are being bought and sold, but that’s probably just my imagination.
Still, it was slightly amusing how, even while stubbornly sticking to formalities with me, Heavenly Yuah had dropped those when addressing Yang Yuli after just a day.
Could this be a Heavenly Demon instinct?
She treats me like a thorn in her side, but feels comfortable with Yang Yuli because she sees her as her peer.
And that makes the strange situation where I stick to formalities with her instead of being casual even more interesting, though the three-year age gap between Yang Yuli and Heavenly Yuah isn’t that unusual, so it doesn’t seem overly awkward.
By the way, the admiration Yang Yuli and Heavenly Yuah show toward my acting prowess has been somewhat surprising, especially from Yang Yuli.
Yaruli of the New Religion, originally known for rejecting me, would always view me with distaste as some kind of foreign object attached to Heavenly Demon.
Here, though, she’s amazed by my acting skills and wants to use me in her projects, giving me a strong sense of generational change.
“Actor Baek, let’s have a long run, possibly forever. I’ve got the perfect feeling for you. You’re definitely going to skyrocket.”
Moreover, the somewhat lecherous way she looks at me gives me the odd sense of having pressed some sort of mysterious obsession button, making my spine tingle.
If Yang Yuli brings good scripts, there’s no reason not to work on several projects together, but I wish someone could do something about those obsessive looks.
Even Heavenly Yuah, slowly nodding with a serious expression, seems like she’s pondering something deeply.
Now, with even our manager caught up in this, I’m beginning to suspect that I’ll be sold countless times as an acting slave.
Still, our contract clearly states my right to refuse roles, but life doesn’t always flow according to the terms of a contract, does it?
It looks like I’ll need to keep my wits about me to safeguard my rights.
After making some revisions, Yang Yuli’s script, tentatively named ” Yun-san Gold Mine,” was handed over to Flame to oversee the situation.
It was only natural to offer her proper support now that Yang Yuli is part of our company.
Flame is going to address production concerns by visiting TV stations, OTTs, and production companies, solving one thing at a time.
In this area, actors like me and Heavenly Yuah don’t have much to do.
All we can do is wait.
“So, what now?”
“Volunteer work. Get ready immediately.”
“…Volunteer work?”
“Yes, volunteer work.”
There was still plenty of time left until the drama’s production was confirmed.
This was not a problem that could be resolved in a day or two.
During this time, Heavenly Yuah immediately took action.
She scheduled volunteer work, taking Yang Yuli and me along.
Even during her time at Heavenly Entertainment, Heavenly Yuah often participated in such volunteer work, and now with her transfer to Flame, she intended to carry on the tradition here.
“After working on the drama, we’re going to get busier, so this may be the only time we have.”
“That’s true. But where are we planning to go?”
“There’s a perfect place, so we’re going there.”
The destination for this volunteer work was the orphanage where Yang Yuli had recently resided.
It seemed that Heavenly Yuah was preparing a “return-with-glory” event for Yang Yuli.
“…Really? There’s no need to go to such lengths…”
“You said it yourself. You said you wanted to do a lot for the orphanage once you made lots of money.”
“Yes, sincerely.”
“Anyway, we might as well use the money for social work in a meaningful way.”
Miss Yuah, really something extraordinary in a different way from Heavenly Demon.
You’re quite talented at genuinely connecting with people, aren’t you?
Yang Yuli mentioned that the orphanage where she grew up was quite a decent place, and she felt she owed it a lot.
She wanted to give back in some way if she ever made a lot of money.
When Heavenly Yuah heard this story, she suggested that Yang Yuli settle her debts right away, and that’s how this volunteering project began.
Since they were already planning to donate funds anyway, they agreed it was better to use them wisely in valuable places.
With this development, Yang Yuli will have an even harder time extricating herself from Heavenly Yuah’s grasp.
It really is the case, even if I see it too.
How would one possibly leave someone who goes this far, especially when their first project turns out to be a hit? It just wouldn’t happen.
“Indeed, she’s a formidable woman.”
As someone who has greatly benefited from the company’s housing system, I can’t help but sigh.
Even recognizing that I’m in a dangerous state, I’m not exactly complaining, making me realize I might end up staying here forever.
Indeed, Miss Yuah, she’s quite the woman – truly not someone to underestimate.
