250: Chapter 233 Still a Transitional Commercial Chapter

The black sedan smoothly drove away from the KBS building, merging into the afternoon traffic.

In the backseat, Kim Soo-yeon handed the draft of the cooperation agreement provided by KBS to the legal director beside her, then picked up her tablet.

The screen lit up, and she habitually opened several major news and social media apps, quickly browsing the real-time trending topics.

The hashtag #TG Entertainment President KBS# had quietly climbed to the seventh spot on the entertainment trending list at some point.

She raised an eyebrow slightly and clicked on it.

As expected, the source was blurry photos or short video clips taken by some staff members who had encountered her in the KBS parking lot or internal corridors.

In the images, she was wearing an ivory suit, walking through the corridor surrounded by assistants and staff, her profile cold and aloof, her gait composed.

The resolution wasn't high, and the angles were casual, but that aura, which transcended her age, and her impeccable appearance were still incredibly striking.

The captions were varied, but the core speculation was highly consistent:

"Shock! That legendary seventeen-year-old president of TG Entertainment appeared at KBS today! Is she there to negotiate the exclusive broadcasting rights for 'twelve star envoys'?" (Entertainment Blogger)

"Sighting! She's even more stunning in person than the rumors suggest... Is this really the president and not a newly debuted actress? I feel like the KBS executives are going to be stunned by her visuals!" (KBS Internal Staff Burner Account)

"Business Instinct: TG Entertainment is currently riding high, and 'twelve star envoys' is a hit before it even airs. Now that the president has personally gone to KBS, it looks like they're aiming to secure a prime-time slot on a terrestrial network? This is a huge leap for both IZ*ONE and TG!" (Finance & Entertainment Crossover Analyst Account)

"Rational Discussion: Given the muscle TG has shown so far (hit song production capability + drama reputation + innovative variety shows), if KBS is smart, they shouldn't let this potential stock slip away. Whoever lands the exclusive rights may signal a shift in the variety show landscape for the next few years." (Veteran Media Personality)

The comments were even more lively:

"Wow! This President-nim! Please debut on the spot, okay?! This face, this aura, this figure!"

"Seventeen years old... What was I doing at seventeen... She's already a president..."

"KBS! Secure 'twelve star envoys'! I want to watch IZ*ONE's constellation adventure on TV!"

"Am I the only one who finds this scary? To have this kind of aura and achievement at seventeen... Her background definitely isn't simple."

"TG Entertainment is truly god-tier. The president has top-tier visuals, the President (Jiang Zhiyu) is a genius producer, and there's also Lee Tima, the little music genius... What kind of divine company is this?"

"Rumor: I heard the negotiations went very smoothly, and the KBS executives were convinced by the President. Waiting for the official announcement!"

Kim Soo-yeon scrolled through them calmly, her face devoid of any embarrassment or smugness from being the subject of heated discussion. Her gaze lingered for a moment on the speculations regarding "business negotiations," "potential stock," and "landscape changes."

Then, the corners of her mouth curved up into a very slight, yet much more genuine, arc.

Very good.

She locked the tablet screen, placed it on the empty seat beside her, and relaxed, leaning back into the leather seat.

"President, should we return to the company next, or..." the assistant in the front row turned around to ask.

Kim Soo-yeon looked at the flowing urban landscape outside the window; the sunlight filtered through the car window, casting faint light and shadows on her perfect profile.

"We won't go back," she said, her voice carrying a hint of relaxation after completing a phased task. "Go to Yeouido. Find a quiet, good-tasting Italian restaurant."

The assistant was slightly surprised but immediately replied, "Yes, President. Should I make a reservation in advance?"

"Yes, choose a window seat," Kim Soo-yeon added, her gaze still fixed outside the window.

The sedan turned smoothly at the intersection ahead and drove toward Yeouido by the Han River.

Kim Soo-yeon closed her eyes to rest briefly. However, in her mind, she was clearly calculating:

The trending search on KBS, whether driven by interested parties or naturally fermented, had already successfully released the signal that "TG President personally negotiated" and "KBS attaches great importance." This was equivalent to doing free and highly persuasive pre-promotion for TG Entertainment, especially for the "twelve star envoys" project.

In the upcoming meetings with MBC and SBS, the other parties would inevitably notice this public opinion. This would invisibly raise TG's bargaining chips and make the final decision that "exclusive rights have been determined to be given to tvN" appear more significant—it's not that we couldn't get the opportunity on a terrestrial network, but that we chose a more strategic path of cooperation.

Utilizing the "momentum" of KBS to increase composure and initiative in subsequent negotiations.

Perfect.

As for the exclamations about her appearance and age... she didn't care. Beauty can be a weapon, or it can be a distraction. And she had already proven with her performance in the KBS conference room just now that she possessed far more than just beauty.

The car drove onto the Han River Bridge, the broad river surface sparkling in the sunlight.

Kim Soo-yeon opened her eyes again and looked at the river view. The busy negotiations, the clash of data, and the strategic maneuvering had temporarily come to an end. At this moment, she allowed herself to enjoy a moment of tranquility and a good lunch.

After all, the upcoming MBC and SBS would only be more similar battlefields. And she was already prepared.

"President, we've arrived at the restaurant," the assistant's voice sounded.

Kim Soo-yeon withdrew her gaze, straightened her suit jacket, and pushed the door to get out of the car. The bustling yet elegant streetscape of Yeouido came into view. She walked toward the Italian restaurant with warm yellow lights and floor-to-ceiling windows, her pace still unhurried, as if the person who had just caused a small stir on the internet wasn't her.

It was just that the imperceptible smile remained faintly in her eyes when she stepped into the restaurant and the waiter respectfully led her to her seat. Everything was proceeding according to plan.

The restaurant's interior was elegantly decorated, with warm yellow light spilling through exquisite glass lamp shades, falling onto dark wooden tables and soft leather seats. The air was filled with the rich aroma of freshly baked bread, grilled meat, and black truffle sauce, mixed with the faint scent of coffee. Soft jazz flowed in the background, creating a soothing and private atmosphere.

Kim Soo-yeon chose a booth by the window, half-covered by heavy velvet curtains, which ensured privacy while allowing a glimpse of the slightly leisurely streetscape of Yeouido in the afternoon. She took off her suit jacket and draped it over the back of the chair, wearing only that well-tailored white silk shirt, with the cuffs slightly rolled up, revealing a slender, fair wrist.

A simple bread basket and a dish of olive oil and vinegar had already been served. She didn't eat immediately but took another document from the assistant's hand. At the same time, the assistant placed a thin, portable projection device on the corner of the table and adjusted it to a brightness suitable for two people to watch.

"President, this is the preliminary outline for the new project sent by the President this morning. He hopes you will review it as soon as possible and provide your revisions," the assistant lowered her voice and pushed a neatly bound script outline in front of her.

The cover was simple, with white text on a black background, featuring only one word: "the crab".

Kim Soo-yeon picked up the outline and turned to the first page. Her reading speed was extremely fast, her eyes focused, and occasionally she would gently tap a paragraph on the paper with her slender index finger. The light and shadows outside the window danced on her lowered eyelashes.

Meanwhile, at a table two booths away diagonally, another set of guests had just sat down.

"Wow, the view here is really good!" Moon Ga-young, wearing a goose-yellow knit sweater, sat down happily. She was dressed in a fresh and sweet style today, with a bright smile.

"It's not easy to clear half a day," Kim Yoo-jung, wearing a light blue shirt dress, said with a gentle temperament. She handed the menu to Moon Ga-young. "See what you want to eat? I heard the seafood pasta and black truffle risotto here are very famous."

The two were friends in the industry, similar in age, both former child stars, highly recognized for their acting, and had a close personal friendship. It was rare to coordinate a common free time, so they arranged a small gathering at this well-regarded Italian restaurant.

They ordered their food and began to chat easily, from movies they had recently watched and books they had read to the scripts they were each considering, laughing and whispering in a pleasant atmosphere. The restaurant's privacy was excellent, the tables were spaced moderately, and their conversations did not interfere with each other.

Until...

On Kim Soo-yeon's side, although the discussion was deliberately lowered, in the relatively quiet restaurant environment, certain keywords inevitably drifted over. Especially when the assistant began to use the tablet to display some concept images and explain them in conjunction with the script content.

"... So, the President's core setting is that the protagonist, codenamed 'Withe,' is the ace of the former top international mercenary squad 'Ashes.' Due to physical and mental exhaustion and some unspoken trauma, he chooses to retire, returns to his hometown of Ulsan, and just wants to be an ordinary fishing boat mechanic to spend the rest of his life." The assistant's voice was steady, but when mentioning key plot points, her tone unconsciously carried a hint of tension.

Moon Ga-young was just lifting her water glass when she heard the words 'mercenary,' 'ace,' and 'Ulsan,' her movements pausing slightly. She wasn't listening on purpose, but an actor's professional sensitivity made her naturally attentive to words like 'script' and 'setting.' She subconsciously lifted her eyes and glanced toward the source of the sound, only seeing the elegant silhouette of a young girl in a white shirt and an assistant bowing her head to record seriously.

"But the peace is soon broken," the assistant continued, her fingers sliding on the tablet. "A vicious murder occurs next door to the old apartment where Withe rents. A casino manager with gang connections is brutally murdered. Because Withe happened to have a brief conflict with the deceased the night before (the deceased was drunk and harassing neighbors, and was stopped by Withe), and his status as a veteran and his cold attitude attracted attention, he became the prime suspect."

Kim Yoo-jung also noticed that the table next to them seemed to be discussing very 'professional' content. She was more cautious than Moon Ga-young and just lightly signaled with her eyes. Both of them subconsciously lowered their chatting voices, but their ears... inevitably diverted some attention over there.

Kim Soo-yeon flipped through the outline and asked without looking up: "Police line?"

"Yes. A detective from the Ulsan Metropolitan Police Agency's Major Crimes Unit, 'Jung Jae-yoon,' a young police officer who believes in evidence and logic but is marginalized and suspected due to his family background (his father was a minor gang leader and has passed away). He intuitively feels that Withe is not simple, but he also cannot find conclusive evidence. The two have been in a cat-and-mouse confrontation from the beginning."

"Gang line?"

"The 'Ulsan Union,' to which the murdered manager belonged, is a local snake that has been entrenched for many years. At the same time, another major gang, the 'Busan Tide,' which competes with them for port smuggling business, has also been drawn into it. Both sides suspect the other is responsible, and both want to find Withe—the Ulsan Union wants to silence or find the 'true culprit,' while the Busan Tide wants to win over or utilize them. Withe is forced to survive in the triple gap between the police and the two gangs."

Kim Soo-yeon finally raised her head and pointed a finger at a page of the outline: "Here, what exactly does President Jiang mean by the 'mole network' he wrote?"

The assistant leaned forward slightly, her voice dropping lower but becoming clearer: "This is the most brain-burning part of the script. The President set it up so that moles or informants planted by each other exist within the upper echelons of the Ulsan Metropolitan Police Agency, the core of the Ulsan Union, and even inside the Busan Tide. Officer Jung Jae-yoon's direct superior might be a protector for the gangs; the gang leader's most trusted strategist might be a police informant; and the destruction of the 'Ashes' squad, which Withe once served in, seems to be related to a multinational criminal organization hiding in Korea, whose tentacles may have already reached Ulsan... Withe not only has to escape the immediate pursuit but also needs to find the truth behind the squad's destruction and the tragic deaths of comrades, as well as the mysterious 'employer' who has been hiding behind the scenes and seems to know him/her."

Moon Ga-young had unknowingly forgotten to drink her water. Her fingers unconsciously rubbed the side of her cup, her eyes fixed on the salad in front of her, but her mind was entirely on the tense plot description at the next table. Mercenaries, hometown, murder case, triple pursuit, Infernal Affairs-style mole network, the truth of a dust-covered tragedy... These elements combined, just listening to the framework made her spine tingle slightly. This was definitely not an ordinary action movie, but a deep combination of psychological suspense and hardcore action. She even began to simulate in her mind, what if she were to play the role of 'Withe'...

Kim Yoo-jung was equally attracted. She was more concerned with character relationships and psychological portrayal. A former ace who just wanted to live anonymously but was forced to pick up killing skills again, a detective struggling on the edge of good and evil, and that intricate, everyone-is-suspicious mole maze... This kind of ensemble drama and inner drama was a huge challenge for actors, but also extremely tempting. She couldn't help but take another look at the young girl diagonally opposite—the other person was slightly frowning, quickly marking something on the outline with a pen, her side profile focused and calm. Who is this girl? A producer? A screenwriter? Such a young script doctor?

"Action design philosophy?" Kim Soo-yeon asked the key question.

"The President emphasizes 'realistic, sharp, and adaptable to local conditions.' Ulsan is not New York or Hong Kong; the action scenes must combine the terrain features such as ports, fishing boats, abandoned warehouses, seafood markets, and winding, steep old neighborhoods. Withe's combat style is efficient and lethal military martial arts, but flaws will appear due to old injuries and changes in state of mind. The car chase scenes must utilize the characteristics of the Ulsan coastal road and the foggy weather. Emphasize a sense of actual combat and suffocating oppression, rather than flashy techniques."

Kim Soo-yeon nodded, seemingly quite satisfied with this point. She flipped through a few more pages and saw more details: for example, the scene where Withe uses a wrench and steel pipe to fight multiple thugs in a fishing boat repair shop; the night chase in the humid pier container maze; the ultimate showdown with the final villain on the top floor of an abandoned lighthouse overlooking the entire Ulsan Port...

"Script completion status?"

"The President says the core plot and key scene dialogues are 70% complete, but character biographies and some subplot details still need to be filled in, especially the logic chain of the mole network, which needs more rigorous scrutiny. He hopes you can help him polish the overall structure and the rationality of character motivations."

Kim Soo-yeon closed the outline and pondered for a moment: "The story framework is very solid, and both commerciality and suspense are sufficient. The code name 'the crab'... does it mean the protagonist is like a crab, walking sideways, out of place, yet possessing a hard shell and aggressiveness? Or does it refer to Ulsan's seafood specialty? Or... does it mean something else?" A flash of thought crossed her eyes, "This metaphor can be further deepened. In addition, Withe's trauma and sequelae can be represented more concretely, such as PTSD flashbacks triggered by specific smells or sounds; this can not only increase character depth but also create plot twists at critical moments."

Her critique was incisive, completely at the level of a top-tier content controller. Moon Ga-young and Kim Yoo-jung exchanged a look, both seeing surprise in each other's eyes. This young girl was definitely not just 'taking a look.'

At this moment, the assistant seemed to remember something and added: "Oh, also, the President specifically mentioned that regarding the gender setting of the protagonist 'Withe,' he said the script was written as 'gender-neutral,' and there can be great flexibility in actor selection. I heard from Xiao Zheng (Jiang Zhiyu's assistant) privately... the President seems... to have an intention to approach Girls Generation's Im Yoona to play the role."

"Im... Im Yoona?" Kim Soo-yeon was cutting a small piece of grilled cod, and upon hearing this name, her movements noticeably paused. She raised her head, showing a slightly stunned expression for the first time in the discussion. It wasn't that she looked down on Im Yoona; Im Yoona was a national-level idol, her appearance, popularity, and audience appeal were all top-tier, and her acting skills, polished over many years, could be considered skilled and natural, especially in comedy and romantic genres. But...

"An actor who has debuted for many years, with a sweet image, deeply rooted in people's hearts for idol dramas and variety show sense..." Kim Soo-yeon's tone carried a hint of unbelievable amusement, her gaze falling on the assistant, "To play a former mercenary ace who is physically and mentally exhausted, with blood-stained hands, struggling to survive in mud and darkness? To play the protagonist of this extremely hardcore, brain-burning, and high-intensity action crime film?"

The assistant was obviously also 'shocked' by this idea of Jiang Zhiyu's. At this moment, under Kim Soo-yeon's gaze, she could only smile awkwardly and whisper: "The President's ideas... are always quite unexpected. Xiao Zheng also said that they haven't officially approached Im Yoona yet; it's just the President's personal... inclination."

Kim Soo-yeon put down her knife and fork and picked up a napkin to gently wipe the corners of her mouth. She suddenly seemed to have figured something out, and on that face that was always calm and self-possessed, a very faint but genuine smile appeared. The smile carried understanding, and even a hint of helpless amusement.

"I guess..." She shook her head slightly, her voice carrying a rare teasing tone, "Oppa (Jiang Zhiyu) must be trying to 'revenge' Im Yoona."

The assistant was stunned.

"The two of them, from 'weekend special' to the 'destined kim hyo-soon' special episode, and then to the 'squirtle water gun battle'..." Kim Soo-yeon's smile deepened, her eyes bright, "Are the recognized 'bickering couple.' Im Yoona hasn't 'teased' him less in the programs, and he is always thinking of 'getting back at her.' Making a top female idol who always has perfect image management play a mercenary who rolls in mud, has a face covered in blood, and is on the verge of mental breakdown..."

She didn't finish, but the meaning could not be more obvious. This was less of a casting decision and more of another eruption of Jiang Zhiyu-style 'naughty humor' and 'desire for challenge'—he wanted to see just how much Im Yoona could subvert herself, and also wanted to give everyone a huge 'surprise.'

After hearing this, the assistant could only offer a dry smile in agreement again, not daring to respond at all. The President's 'personal grievances' and 'creative ambitions' were not things she could comment on.

However, this conversation drifted clearly into the ears of the two young actresses diagonally opposite.

Moon Ga-young and Kim Yoo-jung had completely stopped their own conversation.

"the crab"... Mercenary protagonist... Gender-neutral casting... President Jiang... TG Entertainment... Im Yoona?!

The amount of information was huge!

Moon Ga-young's heart was pounding. She had just been imagining the possibility of herself playing 'Withe,' and now hearing Im Yoona's name, she suddenly felt a strong impact and... a trace of unwillingness? It wasn't jealousy, but a professional desire ignited. This role was too charming! If she could really set aside gender limitations... She subconsciously tightened her fingers.

Kim Yoo-jung thought deeper. TG Entertainment? That dark horse company that produced 'destined kim hyo-soon' and is currently producing 'twelve star envoys'? President Jiang Zhiyu, that legendary 'genius producer'? This script sounded of extremely high quality, and the production company clearly had ambition, ideas, and was unconventional. Inviting Im Yoona was certainly an explosive topic, but... was it really the most appropriate? What about herself? Could she handle that kind of complex, gloomy, and powerful role?

Both of them lost their appetite. The exquisite dishes in front of them lost their appeal, and their minds were completely occupied by the script named 'the crab' and that mysterious and professional young girl at the next table.

Kim Soo-yeon seemed not to notice the subtle gaze from not far away. She picked up the outline again and said to the assistant: "Tell Oppa, I will give him the polishing and structural suggestions for the script within a week. As for casting..." She paused, her smile carrying a deeper meaning, "I don't care about his 'naughty humor,' but the final decision must be based on the most responsible professional judgment for the project and the actor themselves. If Im Yoona really has an intention and can provide preparation and performance that convinces us, TG's door is of course open. But the premise is that she must truly 'become' Withe, not 'play' Withe."

"Yes, Chairwoman." The assistant noted it down solemnly.

Kim Soo-yeon then picked up her knife and fork again, ready to continue enjoying her slightly cooled lunch. Her gaze inadvertently swept across the window, and the sparkling light of the Han River reflected in her clear eyes.

And diagonally opposite, Moon Ga-young and Kim Yoo-jung silently exchanged a look. In that look, there was shock, curiosity, a professional urge to give it a try, and a deep inquiry into that company called TG Entertainment and its young helmsman.

This originally relaxed gathering of girlfriends had completely changed its atmosphere because they had inadvertently overheard a high-quality project discussion. A spark of some kind of competition had perhaps already quietly ignited in their hearts.

As for who will eventually get 'the crab,' and who will play Withe, at this moment, it is still an unknown full of suspense and attraction. But what is certain is that TG Entertainment's next work has already dropped a bombshell in the hearts of the two talented young actresses in advance.