Chapter 73
Taehyun Entertainment.
It was a major entertainment agency in South Korea, representing idols and actors.
Recently, rumors had been spreading that the company was providing idols and actors to the upper echelons of society in exchange for sexual favors.
And Mr. Gu Yeon-ha, who was standing before me, was investigating and reporting on it.
"...Th-that..."
"As I told you, it's fake. To be precise, it's a fabrication by an organized group."
It was fake news spread by people trying to manipulate the stock market.
People trying to profit from fluctuations in Taehyun Entertainment's stock spread the rumor, and Gu Yeon-ha was being used in the process.
"As a result of the articles Mr. Gu Yeon-ha digs up and publishes, two of Taehyun Entertainment's actors and one idol commit suicide. And the president is cleared of all charges."
"......"
As a result, Mr. Gu Yeon-ha becomes a cancerous presence in South Korea. He was only trying to do his job as a reporter.
"...I... do that?"
"Yes."
Taehyun Entertainment's stock plummets.
The families of the two actors who committed suicide wail in grief.
The president, who had exerted a positive influence on the entertainment industry, becomes completely disgusted and retires.
The idols under the agency cannot withstand the company's turmoil, and the quality of their next album becomes a complete mess.
That wasn't all.
The fans feel wronged, and not only Gu Yeon-ha, who published the article, but reporters as a whole lose all credibility.
Only one party laughs.
The group that planned all of this.
"......"
Gu Yeon-ha fell silent.
His face had gone pale.
"What... What should I do?"
"You shouldn't touch Taehyun Entertainment. If possible, I think it would be best to ask other reporters for help as well..."
Gu Yeon-ha would have a hard time handling it alone.
The group was moving far too covertly.
And entertainment-industry rumors were never easy to stop in the first place.
"But we can't just let this go, can we?"
Even if it wasn't him, plenty of reporters would target Taehyun Entertainment.
Gu Yeon-ha pointed that out.
"I know very well what a reporter's sense of duty is. Shouldn't we prevent people from suffering serious harm because of false information? So I'll ask the other reporters for their cooperation as much as possible."
"You certainly have a strong sense of justice."
"...Justice is why I became a reporter."
That was a surprising story.
But it wasn't a lie.
Looking at the past I had just seen, it was true that he had become a reporter for the sake of justice.
"But... Mr. Kang."
"Yes?"
"Why are you trying so hard to help Taehyun Entertainment?"
At his question about whether I had bought Taehyun Entertainment stock, I smiled bitterly.
"Someone I know works there."
"What? Someone you know...?"
Lee Seong-jin.
Lee Bin's son, and an actor who had escaped a crisis with my help last time.
The agency he belonged to was Taehyun Entertainment.
"It's hard to find a good agency, so there's no reason to leave it alone."
"I see..."
"And..."
I looked at Gu Yeon-ha.
"You wish to live justly, and you've actually lived a righteous life, haven't you?"
He was someone worthy of being called a reporter in a world overflowing with hack reporters.
He was not afraid to expose wrongdoing, and he refused things like bribes.
He had even firmly rejected the hospitality that other reporters had accepted once or twice.
I didn't want to watch someone like that confidently publish a false article and fall from grace.
"......"
Gu Yeon-ha did not say a word.
But his eyes were wavering.
"Am I... really someone of that caliber?"
"Yes. You are more than capable of being that kind of person."
***
A miracle.
A miracle had occurred.
More than ten people had been trapped inside a collapsed tunnel.
In a collapse this severe, at least half of the people involved would have died.
And the rescue operation itself could have been slow or failed, resulting in even more victims.
But they had been saved.
Only three days after the rescue began.
They had succeeded in rescuing everyone who had been trapped in the tunnel.
"This... really is a miracle."
Gu Yeon-ha rapidly typed on his laptop.
[A Miracle Has Occurred.
The collapse in Dundae Tunnel was a major accident, but thanks to the combined efforts of the outstanding rescue workers, the police controlling the scene, and the paramedics and doctors, they were able to save everyone facing death.
But even that alone would not have been enough to rescue them so quickly and safely.
The person behind this fantastical miracle was Kang Noah...]
...Sigh. Should I write this?"
Gu Yeon-ha deliberated.
He had spent three nights and four days at Dundae Tunnel, unable to wash or eat properly as he filmed and reported on the rescue operation.
At another accident site, the rescue operation would have continued for at least a week, or even several months.
But this time, it had taken only a few days.
They had succeeded in rescuing everyone in just a few days.
Without Kang Noah, this miracle would never have happened.
'The problem is that the world will go crazy if this becomes known.'
Would the people of the world really leave him alone?
There might even be people who would use him to satisfy their own desires.
Gu Yeon-ha knew that all too well.
He had seen special people crumble beneath the desires and jealousy of others.
'He needs to be protected.'
After deliberating for a long time, he let out a heavy sigh.
Let's not reveal that Kang Noah was behind this miracle.
Perhaps he wanted this too.
Gu Yeon-ha picked up his phone and sent Kang Noah a message.
Wouldn't it be better to leave your name out of this article?
A reply came back a short while later.
[Is there really any need to do that?]
Kang Noah was nonchalant.
He was not afraid in the slightest of the malice and desires that would come looking for him once he became known to the world.
Of course, Gu Yeon-ha knew that he was making himself known through his internet broadcast.
The commander of this rescue operation had also held a press conference saying that he had received Kang Noah's help.
But if his name became known through an article from a reporter like himself, his influence would grow even greater.
Even so, Kang Noah did not care.
"In that case..."
Let's tell them.
Let's tell the world about the person who creates miracles.
If his reputation grew, it wouldn't be entirely bad for him.
He rapidly typed on his laptop and produced a perfect article.
After getting it approved, he published the article immediately.
Perhaps because the incident was already attracting so much attention, the view count was rising rapidly.
-Kang Noah? Isn't that the guy?
-As expected, Noah hyung!! We knew we could trust you!
-What kind of fortune-teller does this...?
-The reporter's crazy... Using fortune-telling as a hook. The world's gone insane...
ㄴThis bastard? Noah hyung is the real deal! I mean it!
ㄴThose who don't know anything, pipe down!
A fight broke out in the article's comments.
A fight over whether Kang Noah was the real deal or a fraud.
This was exactly what had worried him and made him hesitate over whether to post the article.
But the article had already been posted.
Gu Yeon-ha let out a heavy sigh.
'That's not what's important right now.'
He had to check the next item.
He looked at the materials Kang Noah had given him.
They were exclusive scoops Kang Noah had prepared for him to use when he gave up investigating the sexual-favors scandal in the entertainment industry and rallied other reporters.
The first was an investigation into Jang Hong-tae, a two-term Seoul city councilman from Gangdong-gu.
He decided to persuade the reporters who had been investigating Taehyun Entertainment with him to give up on publishing their article and investigate this matter together instead.
He immediately rose from his seat and called the number Kang Noah had given him.
-This is Kang In-jeong of the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency's Criminal Affairs Division.
"Ah, hello. I'm Gu Yeon-ha, a reporter with the Korea Daily."
-Ah, hello, Reporter Gu. Mr. Kang told me you'd be calling.
"Yes. I heard you're going to investigate Councilman Jang Hong-tae..."
-Yes. Mr. Kang said Councilman Jang Hong-tae will be taking drugs at Sunbed Club at four today.
Drugs were being traded at Sunbed Club.
And Councilman Jang Hong-tae had been covering up the matter.
If they caught him in the act, there would be no way for him to deny it.
And if Gu Yeon-ha published an article during the investigation, his reputation would rise as well.
Gu Yeon-ha thought of Kang Noah, who had helped him with this.
"But why would Mr. Kang give me an opportunity like this?"
-Who knows? But perhaps he's reaching out because you'll be able to help him someday?
"Could I really be of help to him?"
-I don't know either. But...
Kang In-jeong spoke leisurely from the other end of the phone with a wry smile.
-Is there anything in this world that can't be of help?
***
Everyone who had been trapped inside the tunnel was rescued.
It was a fortunate outcome.
Of course, I had seen the future in which every one of them was rescued safely, but it still wasn't something I could take lightly.
There were photos on the online news of the rescued child and his father embracing each other.
There was a soldier crying with relief that his family had not all died because of him.
The various scenes shown on the news allowed me to smile in relief.
-Ring ring!
"Hmm?"
What the heck?
Why am I getting a call at this hour...?
When I checked, it was an unknown number.
"Hello?"
-Uh... Is this Mr. Kang Noah's number?
"Yes, it is. Who's calling?"
-I'm Jo Ha-gyun, president of Taehyun Entertainment.
"Ah. Ohhh, I see. But what is this about...?"
-I heard that you've been helping our company.
He had met Gu Yeon-ha and heard that a group was targeting his company.
He quietly said that he had been able to prepare quickly and prevent the group's attack.
"That's good to hear. Keep up the good work."
-Ahem. And the reason I'm contacting you separately is...
He was hesitating.
What does he want to ask me?
If this were a video call, I could see his past, but it was only a phone call, so that would be difficult.
After hesitating for a long time, he finally forced the words out.
-Our company is preparing auditions for trainees.
"And?"
-If possible... would you participate as a judge?
"Uh... I don't know much about singing or dancing."
-We can handle that. You, sir...
Jo Ha-gyun spoke very seriously.
-We'll make sure the compensation is generous. I'd like you to look into the personalities, pasts, and futures of the idols who will be auditioning this time.