60: Chapter 60 I'm starving

Location: Mapo-gu, Seoul, the basement of an old office building.

The air was thick with the faint scent of mold and dust. In the narrow space of less than thirty square meters, there were only two second-hand desks, a few chairs, a humming old desktop computer, a mini-fridge stuffed with instant noodles and fast food, and several unopened cardboard boxes piled in the corner. The only light source was a flickering fluorescent tube on the ceiling, barely illuminating a piece of A4 paper newly taped to the wall, its ink seemingly not yet dry:

[TG Entertainment]

CEO/Producer/Manager/Planner/Promotion/Finance/Janitor: Jiang Zhiyu

Vice-President/Sole Signed Artist (Pre-debut): Lee Tima

Company Philosophy: If a person has no dreams, what is the difference between them and a salted fish?! — Jiang Zhiyu

Lee Tima—currently without her rabbit headgear, wearing an obviously oversized gray hoodie with "SM Cafeteria Commemoration" printed on it (of suspicious origin)—sat cross-legged on one of the office chairs. She held a cup of noodles (seafood flavor), her small face scrunched up as she glared at Jiang Zhiyu, who was sitting behind the opposite desk with his brow furrowed at the computer screen.

"So," she slurped a noodle, her electronic voice somewhat muffled because her mouth was full, "this is the first step of your 'Five-Year Entertainment Empire Plan'? Starting from a basement that's smaller and smellier than an SM restroom stall?"

Jiang Zhiyu didn't look up, his fingers tapping rapidly on the keyboard. "This is a strategic 'low-key start.' I just came back from my 'business trip' at SM, so I'm laying low for a while. Meanwhile, I've thrown the proposal for the second season of the 'weekend special' to them to study slowly. This is our 'secret base' and the starting point for the future TG Entertainment. The sparrow is small, but its organs... are being gathered with effort."

"Organs? I don't even see a 'stomach'!" Lee Tima slammed the noodle cup onto the desk. "You promised to set up our own shop and rebuild TG Entertainment? This is it? There isn't even a proper recording studio! Am I supposed to record my debut song in a place like this? The echo is louder than my high notes!"

"Don't be in a hurry; Rome wasn't built in a day." Jiang Zhiyu finally looked away from the screen and toward Lee Tima. His eyes lacked their usual coldness or calculation, replaced instead by a light that was almost fanatical. "Infrastructure can be added slowly. But now, we have the most critical thing—"

He picked up a thick folder with a handwritten cover from the desk and slapped it onto the table between them.

On the folder's cover, written in elegant yet slightly childish handwriting, was:

destined kim hyo-soon》

— First Draft: Full 64-Episode Script —

Author: Lee Tima (Tianxuan Continent Version)

Earth Adaptation: Jiang Zhiyu

Lee Tima's gaze fell on the title, and the hand holding the noodles trembled imperceptibly. She reached out, her fingertips lightly brushing the familiar title. The dissatisfaction and disdain on her face vanished instantly, replaced by a mixture of complex nostalgia, pride, and... an almost unnoticeable trace of sadness.

"Kim Hyo-soon..." she whispered, her voice no longer electronic but her original, slightly milky, youthful voice. "You... you brought it over?"

"Not just 'brought it over'." Jiang Zhiyu opened the folder, revealing a densely packed, neatly printed Korean script interspersed with modification suggestions and Earth localization notes in red ink. "I spent nearly two months comparing it with the original Tianxuan Continent version and adapting and optimizing it systematically based on Earth's—especially Korea's—cultural background, social hot topics, and audience tastes. The core storyline, character growth arcs, and..."

He paused and flipped to several chapters in the middle and latter parts of the script, specially marked with colored tabs.

"...those 'special chapters', I've kept them all. Especially the 'Elf Girl Lim Ying-er' part."

Lee Tima's eyes widened slightly. She certainly remembered those "special chapters." Back when they were filming Kim Hyo-soon on the Tianxuan Continent, the atmosphere on set was so good that she and her best friend at the time—the "Elf-like" genius child actress Lim Ying-er, who had come to visit—had a sudden whim. While the director and screenwriter were dozing off (?), they secretly snuck several segments into the script that were completely detached from the main plot and purely for their own amusement. The content was absurd: Lim Ying-er played an elf who claimed to be an "angel" but was clumsy and always made things worse, and her interactions with Kim Hyo-soon (played by Lee Tima) were full of laughs.

At the time, everyone thought these segments were too eccentric and would likely be cut during broadcast. But in the end, perhaps because the chemistry between the two was so interesting, or perhaps because the director felt like having some fun too, these segments were not only kept but also gained unexpected popularity after airing, becoming the most unforgettable "Easter eggs" and "sources of joy" in that long family drama. Lim Ying-er even received a nomination for that year's "Best Cameo Award" based on those few short scenes.

That was one of the purest, happiest, and most cherished times in Lee Tima's acting career.

"You even kept those..." Lee Tima's voice was a bit raspy.

"Of course." Jiang Zhiyu closed the folder and looked at her with burning eyes. "Because that's one of the reasons Kim Hyo-soon succeeded—it's not just a serious family drama about a girl's growth; it also carries the inspiration, passion, and... playfulness of the creative team, especially yours. Those seemingly nonsensical 'special chapters' are precisely the most vital parts of this drama, breaking the dullness of conventional narrative and making the characters and story more vivid and three-dimensional."

He pushed the folder toward Lee Tima. "This is TG Entertainment's first project after its founding, and it will be your 'debut work' on Earth—restarting destined kim hyo-soon."

Lee Tima picked up the folder and held it tightly to her chest, as if holding a lost treasure. She lowered her head, silent for a few seconds. When she looked up again, her large, round eyes were no longer filled with doubt or complaints, but with unprecedented seriousness and... a burning will to fight.

"But," she began, her voice regaining its usual clarity and a hint of pride, "will Earth audiences accept it? For such a long family drama, fast-paced mini-series and web dramas are what's popular now. And what about investment? Actors? The directing team? Just the two of us and this basement?"

Jiang Zhiyu stood up and walked to the flickering fluorescent light on the wall. The light cast shifting shadows over his face, making him look very much like an ambitious mastermind about to start a pyramid scheme—scratch that—a grand blueprint.

"So, we need a 'blast point'." He turned around, leaning forward with both arms on the desk, moving closer to Lee Tima. "We can't pull off a massive 64-episode production right at the start. We need to make a 'Proof of Concept Short Film' first."

"A short... film?"

"Yes." A shrewd light sparkled in Jiang Zhiyu's eyes. "From the original script, we'll select the most representative, warmest, and most skill-showcasing core plot points from episodes 1 and 2, and condense them into a standalone short film of about 30 minutes. At the same time—"

He pulled out the script marked "Special Chapters: Elf Girl Lim Ying-er."

"We'll film this as an 'Easter egg' or a 'spin-off' alongside it. The former will demonstrate the drama's quality and your strength as a lead, while the latter will showcase the unique fun and buzzworthiness of the show."

"Investment?" Jiang Zhiyu smiled. "I still have some savings from the royalties I earned from SM and IU. It's not much, but it's enough to film a high-quality short. Actors? You're the female lead, of course. For other roles... we can find theater actors with potential who aren't famous yet, or talented newcomers. Costs will be controllable. For the director and crew, I can handle part of it personally, and then use the connections I built at SM to find some reliable industry friends who are willing to take on side jobs or are interested in the project."

"Most importantly—" He held up a finger, "distribution and promotion channels. We don't have them yet. But we can 'borrow momentum'."

"Borrow momentum?"

"What is the core of Kim Hyo-soon? It's 'family', 'growth', 'warmth', and 'nostalgia'," Jiang Zhiyu analyzed. "This is exactly the part that is overlooked in today's fast-food entertainment but always has a huge market demand. We don't have to aim for major TV stations first; instead, we can start with online platforms and film festivals or independent film exhibitions."

"We'll give the short film a cinematic quality and submit it to influential international independent short film festivals, like the Busan International Short Film Festival or the Seoul International Women's Film Festival. Winning an award, or even just being nominated, would be excellent endorsement and exposure." Jiang Zhiyu's logic was terrifyingly clear. "Meanwhile, we'll set up a 'TG Entertainment' official channel on platforms like YouTube and Naver TV to upload the short film, accompanied by a series of behind-the-scenes footage, lead actor interviews, and even... a 'Finding the Earth Version of Lim Ying-er' interactive event."

"Earth version... Lim Ying-er?" Lee Tima was stunned.

"Exactly." A fox-like smile curled on Jiang Zhiyu's lips. "In the original version, the reason Lim Ying-er's character succeeded, besides the interesting script, was her real friendship and chemistry with you. On Earth, we might not find another 'Lim Ying-er', but we can find a 'young actress with a similar Elf-like aura, comedic talent, and good chemistry with you' to play the role. We can even turn the casting process into a mini-variety show or a series of vlogs as part of the pre-promotion."

He looked at Lee Tima with a serious gaze. "Tima, this project isn't just about making your debut or making money. It's TG Entertainment's 'manifesto'. We're going to prove to everyone that even starting from a basement, even with only two people, we can create works with soul, quality, and market vision. Kim Hyo-soon was the starting point and pride of your acting career; here, it will also become the starting point and pride of TG Entertainment."

Lee Tima held the script and didn't speak for a long time.

In the basement, there was only the hum of the old computer's fan and the electrical buzz of the fluorescent tube.

After a long while, she looked up, her face breaking into an unprecedented, brilliant, and slightly arrogant smile:

"Jiang Zhiyu."

"Hmm?"

"Even though you're arrogant, sharp-tongued, calculating, and always causing trouble..." Lee Tima listed his faults, but her eyes were incredibly bright. "But this time..."

She stood up, her small body seemingly exploding with immense energy as she slammed her small hand onto the desk:

"I'm in!"

"So what if it's a basement? When I was a bit player on the Tianxuan Continent, I slept in cardboard boxes on set and ate the crew's leftovers! This is nothing!"

"Kim Hyo-soon is my treasure! If anyone dares to ruin it, I'll be the first to go after them—including you!"

"Tell me, what's the first step? Revise the script? Find actors? Or should we go replace this crappy fluorescent light first? It's making my eyes hurt!"

Seeing Lee Tima suddenly full of fighting spirit, as if she had returned to being that fearless little child star on set, a very faint, almost gratified smile flickered in Jiang Zhiyu's eyes.

"First step," he also stood up, walked to the mini-fridge stuffed with cup noodles, opened it, took out two cans of the cheapest energy drink, and tossed one to Lee Tima. "Finish your noodles first. Then, we'll work through the night to finish the storyboard and budget for the short film."

"Second step, tomorrow morning, we go to the second-hand market to scavenge two decent chairs and a light that doesn't flicker."

"Third step," he popped the tab of the can, the bubbles hissing, "start making calls and contacting people."

"TG Entertainment's war officially begins tonight."

"For Kim Hyo-soon," Lee Tima also opened her drink and raised it heroically.

"For TG Entertainment." Jiang Zhiyu clinked cans with her.

The two cans made a crisp clinking sound in the dim, flickering basement.

Even salted fish have dreams of turning over.

And the first step of a dream often begins in the most inconspicuous corner, with the craziest determination.

In a basement in Mapo-gu, Seoul, an entertainment empire that might one day shake the world was quietly born amidst the smell of cup noodles, mold, and the hum of a computer fan.

Its first battle was titled—

destined kim hyo-soon: Restart Project》.

Legend, I shall write its new chapter.”