Rookie Talent Agent Knows It All

Chapter 330: Table of Mukbang (2)

Chapter 330: Table of Mukbang (2)

The lawyers from CK Entertainment who handled all of Jo Jae-Kyung's affairs were huddled in his office, racking their brains over the situation.

They couldn't hide their frustration, as no viable solutions emerged to resolve the matter.

Jo Jae-Kyung refused to admit wrongdoing and was stubbornly unwilling to offer compensation.

Eventually, Park Sang-Cheon, the head of CK Entertainment's legal team, took the lead and spoke up. "Mr. Jo! We can't resolve the issue like this. The overdue directing fees must be paid, and you need to settle the assault case with the talent agent. That's the simplest way!"

Jo Jae-Kyung smirked while digging his ear. "How much are those directing fees anyway? Just whip up some documents and cover it up! We can use the LA branch like last time."

"If you do that, it will only escalate the situation."

"Didn't we handle the company funds that went into the casino smoothly back then? You guys are getting paid to handle stuff like this, aren't you?"

Park Sang-Cheon had broken into a cold sweat trying to cover up the previous incident where the CK Entertainment LA branch had recklessly filled in the financial gaps. After all, it was a clear case of the owner's family member committing an illegal act.

Of course, one of the CK Inc. lawyers' duties was to keep the owner's family's scandals from going public.

"That's why we fired everyone at the LA branch after that! We even had to give them extra severance pay to keep them quiet!" Park Sang-Cheon lamented.

Jo Jae-Kyung looked at him with eyes full of annoyance. "So what? Are you saying you can't do it?"

Park Sang-Cheon gritted his teeth and tried his best to hold back his anger. Despite being a scoundrel, Jo Jae-Kyung was still part of the owner's family.

Park Sang-Cheon tried to compromise by suggesting they resolve at least one issue. "Then let's at least settle the smaller matter. With the talent agent's two-week medical certificate, it's barely worth a lawsuit. We can handle it quickly if you pay around 10 million won in settlement. Their lawyer will likely be satisfied with that amount."

"10 million won?" Jo Jae-Kyung scoffed. He ground his teeth and lashed out angrily, "Do you think I'm made of money? There's no way I'm paying! Absolutely not! Especially not to that bastard—not a single penny, got it?"

Just then, Park Sang-Cheon received a call on his phone. Upon seeing the caller ID, Park Sang-Cheon immediately stood up to answer.

The call was from Son Hyung-Tae, the president of CK Entertainment.

"Yes, sir. Yes. Understood."

After hanging up, Park Sang-Cheon let out a sigh. He then turned to the other lawyers present. "We've been ordered to return to headquarters."

The other lawyers looked puzzled. "But what about Mr. Jo's case?"

"We're to halt everything and head back immediately. It's the president's order, so let's get moving."

Hearing that it was the president's order, Jo Jae-Kyung looked shocked and hastily asked, "Wh-What about me?"

Park Sang-Cheon struggled to suppress a smile as he replied, "You're to settle the issues today and go to the company tomorrow. Otherwise, it seems like Mr. Son is prepared to sever ties with you. If you have doubts, feel free to call him yourself."

After delivering Son Hyung-Tae's message, Park Sang-Cheon bowed one last time.

The other lawyers began closing their laptops and packing up.

Jo Jae-Kyung asked with a trembling voice, "What? Are you seriously... leaving?"

As the lawyers bowed and exited, Jo Jae-Kyung finally realized that the situation was far from ordinary. "What the hell... Who the hell is this Jung Yoon-Ho anyway?"

***

[Caller ID: Legal Division Team Lead Kwak Moo-Hyuk]

The anticipated call came through.

"Yes, Mr. Kwak," I answered the call.

-Luckily, Son Hyung-Tae acted as you predicted.

"Thank you for your hard work."

-Hard work? Not at all.

Through Kwak Moo-Hyuk, I conveyed the message to Son Hyung-Tae that I would unconditionally settle the assault case involving Jo Jae-Kyung. I also included a belated apology for not considering Son Hyung-Tae's dignity earlier.

-But Team Lead Jung, you missed out on a chance to make some big money.

"What could I get from settlement money with just a two-week medical certificate anyway? Ensuring Haru doesn't face unfair treatment in the competition is far more important."

-Right. Anyway, you'll need to meet with President Son tomorrow, so contact me as soon as the competition wraps up.

"Understood, Mr. Kwak."

As soon as I hung up, I clenched my fist tightly.

Jung Sang-Bong beside me asked, "How did it go?"

"We'll probably get an update soon. Let's wait and see."

Shortly after, the phone of Lee Yoo-Yung, the head writer inspecting the set, rang. "Yes, yes, sir. Ah, understood. I'll inform PD Jo Han-Ill as well."

Nonetheless, Haru continued cooking steadfastly with an undeterred expression.

There was only one minute left on the clock.

Haru began plating his charcoal-grilled pork on a rectangular plate.

'There are only 30 seconds left now,' I thought.

Sweating profusely, Haru carefully transferred the well-simmered aged white kimchi stew onto a round plate.

Ding~

"Time's up! Please take your hands off your dishes now."

Just as time ran out, Haru lifted his hands from his dishes, which signaled the end of the competition. Haru was drenched in sweat from head to toe after having cooked two main dishes within an hour.

'You did very well, Haru,' I remarked inwardly.

Regardless of the outcome, I was determined to congratulate Haru for his hard work.

Baek Jong-Suk took a moment to gaze at the dishes prepared by the four contestants before heading first to Lee Jin-Taek's dish.

Lee Jin-Taek's pork dish was an exquisite steak that you'd expect to find at a top-tier restaurant.

Lee Yung-Jin whispered a small complaint as he observed the situation, "It probably just looks good, nothing more."

However, Baek Jong-Suk's evaluation went against Lee Yung-Jin's expectations. Baek Jong-Suk cut a piece of the steak and took a bite, nodding with satisfaction.

"As always, it seems like the Master of Mukbang audition was a turning point for you, Mr. Jin-Taek. Your food has transformed entirely. This is a magnificent dish that's well worth paying for," Baek Jong-Suk commented.

Lee Jin-Taek bowed his head. "Thank you."

Culinary researcher Lee Soon-Ja and Yeo Won-Hee, the president of the Traditional Food Preservation Association, also nodded in agreement before offering praise.

Next, it was Jung Jin-Soo's and Park Joon-Seo's turns to be evaluated.

Though their evaluations were slightly below Lee Jin-Taek's, they were commended for showcasing their unique styles.

Finally, it was Haru's turn.

Baek Jong-Suk licked his lips in anticipation and approached Haru's table. "It's been a while since I've had charcoal-grilled pork. Let's give it a try, shall we?"

Haru's table presented a traditional Korean set meal with steaming white rice, charcoal-grilled pork, aged white kimchi stew, and a few side dishes.

On the rectangular plate, the charcoal-grilled pork was garnished with shredded green onions and pickled onions, while the round plate featured aged white kimchi stew with pork wrapped in cabbage, served with a light broth.

Haru pointed to the sauces as Baek Jong-Suk approached to taste his dish. "You can dip the pork in the sauces. You can also wrap it in fresh kimchi or lettuce."

Baek Jong-Suk smiled. "Which sauce do you recommend, Mr. Haru?"

After hesitating for a moment, Haru pointed to the soybean powder sauce. "I recommend you try it with soybean powder."

"Alright, then I'll eat it as you suggested."

"And please make sure to have it with the green onions and the pickled onions. It's best that way."

Baek Jong-Suk nodded in agreement. He placed some green onions and sliced onions on the soy-marinated charcoal-grilled pork, then dipped it generously into the yellow soybean powder sauce before bringing it to his mouth.

"Hmm~"

With the first bite of the charcoal-grilled pork, Baek Jong-Suk crossed his arms and slowly savored the taste.

Moments later, he exclaimed, "Huh, this is interesting!"

The judges beside him nodded in agreement.

Lee Soon-Ja promptly concurred. "Right? It looks just like charcoal-grilled pork... but I can't quite put into words how it tastes."

Yeo Won-Hee also agreed. "It looks like regular pork bulgogi, but the seasoning is entirely different."

At that moment, Baek Jong-Suk grinned and picked up his spoon. "This seems like it would pair perfectly with rice. Just a moment."

Baek Jong-Suk scooped a generous amount of rice into his mouth, followed by another piece of pork dipped in the sauce.

At that moment, his face instantly lit up with delight. "Everyone, try it with rice."

However, Lee Soon-Ja and Yeo Won-Hee decided to try it differently, wrapping the meat in lettuce and perilla leaves. "Wow~ this is definitely a dish that makes you crave more rice!"

Baek Jong-Suk then turned his attention to the aged white kimchi stew. "Alright, now let's try the aged white kimchi stew. This is quite a rare treat..."

He picked up the neatly rolled piece of aged kimchi with pork and popped the whole thing into his mouth.

Chewing thoughtfully, Baek Jong-Suk's expression shifted to one of pleasant surprise. "Oh, my goodness."

Simultaneously, Lee Soon-Ja and Yeo Won-Hee who had just swallowed their bites exclaimed in unison, "Oh my! Oh my goodness!