(Heavenly Yuah, Chief Representative)
As people left, the conference room was left with only two people.
In the midst of the silence, the Chief Representative spoke first.
The plan was to start with some light and relaxed conversation before diving into the main topic when the atmosphere felt right.
The Chief Representative had a negative stance on investing in this project and, given the sensitive discussions expected, was approaching the matter cautiously.
“Regardless, it looks like we’re working on the same project with White Siu.”
“I wished to collaborate on the same project, but not like this. The ‘double-top billing’ feels a bit overwhelming, doesn’t it?”
“You seemed rather calm about it though.”
“Perhaps I’m confident, but it’s true—I proposed it since I believe it could work well. Still, this situation isn’t entirely to my liking.”
While Heavenly Yuah thought appearing in the same production with White Siu could be fine, this wasn’t the scenario she had envisioned.
She had expected White Siu’s role to be something more like a significant supporting or secondary character.
She acknowledged his talent but believed his experience was insufficient. To Yuah, he should have at least two or three more projects under his belt before taking on a leading role alongside her.
“So, why don’t we pass on this project and look for another one first?”
“That’s a bit difficult considering we’ve already involved Yuli from our company. Siu seems to like this project too. Once the script starts floating around without proper direction, delays become inevitable, and when delays happen, many people just set it aside.”
“It’s a surprisingly superstitious world. Many people believe it’s bad luck when a script floats aimlessly.”
“Exactly. Once we start, we must move forward. So, let’s just invest and make this happen.”
“Oh…”
Slowly progressing with the conversation, the Chief Representative had intended to suggest avoiding investment, but was caught off guard by Yuah’s sudden attack.
This clever young woman had already read through his plans.
Given the situation, it was time to go back to fundamentals.
Investing in this drama carried significant risks. If absolutely necessary, they should seek co-investment with others instead of taking on the full burden themselves.
“To be honest, we’re not in the best financial position. While not impossible, this would require a large portion of our resources.”
“Yes, it’s likely that pulling funds from Sunny Investment is out of the question.”
“Yes, if our main office had supported us, Finesse wouldn’t have rejected this project.”
“So, you’re not being too stingy, huh?”
“They surely have their reasons, but from our perspective, it’s an unfavorable judgment.”
S&M was quite serious about the media industry and owned significant shares in the world-renowned OTT, Finesse.
With the script submitted under Flame’s name, it wouldn’t have been hard to move into production if the main office had provided just a bit of cooperation.
However, the main office pressured Finesse to reject it, leaving Heavenly Yuah without her trusted trump card.
The reason for Yuah’s determination stemmed partly from this.
“Is it impossible using Heavenly Financial’s funds?”
“It’s possible, but if the project fails, the fallout could be substantial.”
“More than substantial, I’d say.”
“Yes, the recent expenses have been high, including this building. Even if we use all the available funds, there is no guarantee we can cover everything. If this fails, we may have to liquidate a significant portion of our existing assets.”
“But if it’s possible, that’s good news.”
If funds from Sunny Investment couldn’t be used, then Heavenly Yuah would have to handle the matter personally. Thankfully, Heavenly Financial could potentially cover it, but no one could guarantee the success of a drama, so the worst-case scenario had to be considered.
The Chief Representative stayed by Heavenly Yuah’s side precisely to avoid such a situation. It was his duty to candidly advise her.
“Perhaps it’s worth considering collaborating with other investors. This could be better than having all production costs come solely from Heavenly Financial. As you know, Finesse…”
“…if we produce this show as well, it’s hard to imagine we’ll avoid unfavorable scheduling due to pressure from the main office.”
“They will undoubtedly apply that pressure. If we move forward with the production, minimizing the risks will be crucial.”
The Chief Representative argued that they could pull part of the investment from Heavenly Financial to start production and secure the remaining funds from external sources. Given the likelihood of Finesse rejecting the project, minimizing risks was essential.
However, Heavenly Yuah’s response was somewhat negative.
“How about having other investors come in and interfere with the show? That would be even more frustrating. If it were someone else’s money, I might tolerate it, but if we spend our own and such an issue arises, how can I endure it?”
“Well…”
“Besides, once production begins, getting it aired won’t be that hard.”
“Why do you think so?”
“It’ll be an explosive hit. If they have any sense, they won’t reject it.”
To Heavenly Yuah, hearing about scripts and explanations was entirely different from personally witnessing the finished product.
If their drama became a killer content that could shake up the OTT market, the other side would have no choice but to come crawling.
As usual, her confident answer left the Chief Representative speechless, and all he could do was sigh.
“Even if they reject it…”
“That’s unlikely. I think that Finesse will eventually pick it up.”
“Finesse?”
“Even though our main office holds considerable sway over them, Finesse is not a subsidiary of S&M, nor does S&M hold the majority stake in Finesse. And they’re not stupid enough to miss out on such a game-changing production. Eventually, this project will likely end up with Finesse.”
“They’ll probably regret not being able to acquire it cheaply as part of their original content and will have to buy it at a higher price.”
It might be entertaining to see the faces of Finesse’s executives when that day comes.
Even with significant pressure from the main office, Finesse wasn’t under S&M’s direct control. Given the opportunity for an incredible kill-content, it was highly likely Finesse would take the project.
“How much do you think this production is worth, considering it removes the nightmare for Heavenly Yuah?”
“Hmm…”
“I’d say the value is easily over 30 billion won, am I wrong?”
“Not even close. Not even that much comes close to covering the cost of eliminating the nightmare.”
“That’s why we’ll set aside the discussion about money.”
“…Understood.”
With the immense benefits already garnered from White Siu’s contributions to the company, it was wiser to leave the money talks aside as per Heavenly Yuah’s warning.
The Chief Representative had nothing to argue against this and simply bowed his head. No matter what, if Heavenly Yuah decided to proceed, it would happen.
Having provided all the necessary advice for a worst-case scenario, the Chief Representative considered his obligations fulfilled.
There is no doubt that this production will go forward using the company’s investment.
If Heavenly Yuah says she will do it, it will get done.
In a way, she’s practically cast a ‘Help Me!’ spell on the company, but it’ll probably turn out fine.
They don’t appear short on funds, so it’s likely manageable.
And more importantly, this actually stands a good chance at succeeding.
With ample investment, they can improve the somewhat lacking CG quality and truly capture the steampunk aesthetic.
The audience’s potential hesitation with the unfamiliar steampunk genre and the accompanying issue of viewer acquisition will be covered by the presence of a major star like Heavenly Yuah.
“There’s simply no way this can fail.”
So if the company can maximize their profits by making this investment,
“Production and the actors can remain free from outside interference, and the company can still secure their gains.”
This will lead to a happy ending for everyone involved.
“So, I’ll just focus on reviewing the script.”
The script featuring Heavenly Yuah was already largely completed.
In fact, it was an old script that Yang Yuli had carefully preserved.
While some modifications would be necessary, it was possible to confirm the story and characters in the meantime.
That’s why I asked Yuli for a copy.
What I needed to verify from this script was the extent of any changes in the storyline and what kind of character Heavenly Yuah would portray.
I was particularly interested in Yuah’s character.
“So… Violet?”
Violet Randal.
A freelance private detective from Pinkerton Detective Agency.
Dispatched to Joseon by the Arcane Goldberg Company to assess the profitability of the Yun Mountain Gold Mine.
“Ah, so the Arcane Goldberg Company owns some of the mining rights. That’s the original story.”
The biggest criticism of Joseon Gold Rush* was the quality of its CG.
It was an unavoidable issue due to budgetary constraints.
However, another heavily criticized aspect was the historical accuracy.
The mining rights for the Yun Mountain Gold Mine were clearly bought by the United States, so people questioned how Joseon, Qing, and the Japanese Empire could be embroiled in conflicts over it.
Frankly, while the steampunk setting of Joseon already stretched historical accuracy to its limits, many still expected a minimal level of authenticity. This caused some debate.
Had there been any mention of the U.S. selling the mining rights to Qing or Japan, it might have been less criticized. But there wasn’t a word about this in the original story.
In the original plan, the story involved sending a protagonist to check the profitability for the U.S.
“So… Heavenly Yuah… Is she an American?”
Violet Roberts is a blonde, blue-eyed female private investigator.
Since Pinkerton detectives were almost at war mercenary levels, she excels at combat, reconnaissance, and searches.
She’s also a seasoned veteran who has traveled across many countries and accomplished great deeds.
Her weapons of choice are dual revolvers and a Gatling gun.
“…A Gatling gun?”
So, Heavenly Yuah is a striking blonde private investigator who wields a Gatling gun?
“Isn’t this a bit too intense?”
I thought Lee Myung, who wields a sword amidst the steampunk setting, was the madman around here, but it seems there’s another level of madness.
Goodness, a Gatling gun?
What exactly has Yang Yuli created here?
I was loudly cheering her on, expecting her to power through, but now I’m taken aback by how formidable the opponent really is.
