Chapter 354: Chain (3)

Translator: Santos

 

The Hollywood movie series *Jurassic Land*, centered around dinosaurs, had been a blockbuster for decades. The film *Jurassic Land* was such a massive hit that it became known to almost everyone, including Kang Woo-jin.

What can I say? It brought imaginations to life through the medium of film, right?

Even though it's an old movie, the CGI still holds up remarkably well, and the story and direction were handled by some of the top talent in Hollywood.

*Jurassic Land* was one of Kang Woo-jin’s cherished memories.

As a child, he had watched the movie with his mouth agape, and even as an adult, whenever he felt nostalgic, he would often revisit the *Jurassic Land* series. Both *Jurassic Land 1* and *2* had been huge successes, not just in Hollywood but worldwide.

However, for some reason, a third installment never came.

Then around 2016, news suddenly broke in Hollywood that *Jurassic Land 3* was in production, and it premiered exactly two years later. Of course, the director, crew, and cast were entirely different, but the foundation remained the same. Naturally, the technological advancements were significant. However, its box office performance was merely average. Still, *Jurassic Land 3* evoked nostalgia for many domestic fans.

Kang Woo-jin had also seen *Jurassic Land 3* in theaters.

After that, there was no news about *Jurassic Land 4* for several years. Perhaps the global box office performance was not as strong as expected. But now, the script for the legendary *Jurassic Land 4* was in front of him.

*“Wow—this is insane. Is this for real??!”*

Kang Woo-jin couldn’t believe his eyes. This was the script for *Jurassic Land 4*, specifically for the casting of actor Kang Woo-jin. At that moment, a mix of excitement and wonder exploded within him.

*“Is this real?!”*

Reality felt surreal. The film *Jurassic Land*, which had only existed in his memories, on TV, or in his imagination, was now reaching out to him? This was beyond imagination. 

- *Swish.*

Kang Woo-jin went over the various scripts and scenarios handed to him, including the *Jurassic Land 4* script. More specifically, he checked the black squares attached to the scripts. Fortunately, all the black squares were filled in.

At this point.

“Does the script catch your eye?” 

Choi Seong-gun chimed in from across the table.

“To be honest, I was surprised to see the title *Jurassic Land* too.”

*“I admit, me too.”* Woo-jin murmured inwardly, still holding the script, and he asked.

“When did you receive this?”

“I got *Jurassic Land 4* yesterday. Well, the scripts and scenarios came in just a few days after Cannes.”

Choi Seong-gun smiled slightly.

“I thought Cannes was really Cannes. You exploded as ‘Best Actor,’ but I didn’t expect to get a bite from a legendary series like *Jurassic Land*. At first, I thought it was a prank. But after confirming, it’s for real. It’s definitely a sequel to the *Jurassic Land* series.”

“......”

“Right after receiving it, I did some digging regarding *Jurassic Land 4*. There’s nothing available. It’s natural that there’s no news in Korea, but even Hollywood is still silent. It seems they’re keeping it all under wraps. The proposal also contained some sort of confidentiality clause.”

“What’s the content?”

Choi Seong-gun pulled out a few transparent folders he had brought along. He opened one of them and continued.

“There’s a formal script, and since they’re currently casting, it looks like they’re in the early stages of pre-production? They haven’t specified most of the details, including the director. The proposal they sent indicated that they want you to be cast and they’re requesting a meeting. However, they labeled the role as a supporting character.”

“A supporting character.”

“Right. But right before the meeting, they sent over the formal script and expressed their strong desire to cast you in the email. So, you could say there’s about an 80% certainty. They likely sent the casting proposal after verifying your credentials.”

After finishing his remarks, Choi Seong-gun handed the transparent folder to Woo-jin. It contained information regarding *Jurassic Land 4* and the film company’s proposal. The original English text and a translation were included, and Kang Woo-jin casually read through the original English version.

*“Hmm—there seems to be some ambition in the proposal?”*

Ultimately, the proposal for *Jurassic Land 4* indicated a strong desire for a meeting with Kang Woo-jin. It was obvious that the aftermath of the Cannes Film Festival had influenced this.

*“But I never expected to receive an offer from a movie of this caliber.”*

However, the fact that it was a “supporting role” hung a bit heavily on Kang Woo-jin. In reality, if other actors saw this, they would definitely be rushing to arrange a meeting. After all, it was the sequel to the legendary *Jurassic Land* series. Kang Woo-jin would likely be the first Korean actor in the series, and if this were revealed to the world, it would surely create a sensation.

Generally speaking, landing a supporting role in the *Jurassic Land* series would be an immense opportunity.

At this point, the thought of *Last Kill 3* flashed through Woo-jin's mind.

Sure, the *Jurassic Land* series was incredible, but was it worth going all in?

*“Hmm—that’s not the case.”*

He might be criticized for being crazy, but to be straightforward, Kang Woo-jin felt that a supporting role was somewhat disappointing. It seemed Choi Seong-gun shared the same sentiment, as he scratched his tied-up hair and opened his mouth.

“This feels like... Am I crazy, or is my sense of reality fading because of you? No matter how much of a sequel it is, I think it’s a pity for you to be a supporting character. Ah, even as I say this, I wonder if I’m making sense. But honestly, that’s how I feel.”

Choi Seong-gun seemed to be experiencing a bit of cognitive dissonance.

“Conversely, from the perspective of a company representative, *Jurassic Land 4* does hold significant influence. If that gets out and the truth about it comes to light, they’ll really be pointing fingers here and in Hollywood.”

“......”

“Of course, the choice is ultimately yours, but what do you think?”

As he lowered the transparent folder, Kang Woo-jin replied casually.

“Every project is the same for me. If it has no meaning, I’ll let it go.”

It was around 9 AM.

The black van Kang Woo-jin was in was nearing the massive filming complex for *Beneficial Evil* in Yeoncheon, Gyeonggi-do.

- *Vroom!*

It would take about ten more minutes to arrive. Inside the van, several members of his team were present, and Choi Seong-gun, who usually sat in the passenger seat, wasn’t with him today. He would join them soon, but for now, he had a lot to handle. The workload from the past ten days at Cannes had piled up significantly.

Anyway, Kang Woo-jin sat silently, checking the stack of papers. These were the five scripts and scenarios he had received from Choi Seong-gun in the morning. Although he had already received explanations for all of them, Woo-jin first skimmed through the basics of the scripts and scenarios, including their titles and relevant content.

Ultimately.

*“They all seem interesting.”*

All five scripts were intriguing in their own right. It wasn’t just from an actor’s perspective but from the perspective of a grounded citizen like Kang Woo-jin. Two French films, two Hollywood films, and one TV series. As he pondered, he mused to himself.

*“Hmmm—honestly, it doesn’t matter what I do, but I guess Hollywood has more influence than France?”*

One of the Hollywood scripts was for *Jurassic Land 4*, and the other was a rather mellow family story. The TV series felt like a success story of a singer-songwriter. The proposals indicated that while the French scripts wanted to cast Kang Woo-jin as the lead, the Hollywood films and the TV series were offering supporting or minor roles.

Regardless of which direction he chose, having verified the contents, it was now time for the next step.

- *Swoosh.*

Kang Woo-jin discreetly moved his finger to poke the black square.

Soon.

- *Puff!*

Kang Woo-jin’s view, which had been dark, transformed into a pitch-black void. As he entered the void, he released the intense atmosphere he had been holding, turning his head to the sides.

“Ugh—I’m a bit tired. I should rest while I’m at it.”

He walked toward the area where the white squares floated. He was about to check the ratings of the five works. After all, it would feel uncomfortable if he didn’t, right? First, to see the information on the film he had chosen, he stopped in front of the white squares. Among the various works, the one at the very end was the one Kang Woo-jin had selected.

- *[11/script (Title: Jurassic Land 4), B-grade]*

- *[*This is a highly complete script. 100% readable.]*
  
The first verification was, of course, for *

Jurassic Land 4*. As soon as he saw it, Woo-jin couldn’t help but smile slightly.

“B-grade? Ha—this feels so ambiguous. But does this rating include both domestic and international?”

Whether it was one side or the other, a B-grade was considered average. Moreover, the proposal from *Jurassic Land 4* was for a supporting role. Slowly, the weight of this opportunity began to tilt toward the lesser side for Woo-jin. If only the rating for *Jurassic Land 4* had been at least A-grade, he might have been more tempted. But being B-grade made him think, “Do I really need to?”

“The hype would be huge, but if the film itself succeeds quietly, that could be a problem. My filmography might take a sudden nosedive.”

There was a hint of disappointment, but Kang Woo-jin brushed away the current feeling and selected the white square for *Jurassic Land 4*. Regardless of whether he took the role or not, he had two clear objectives at this moment.

One was.

“Anyway, a chance to see freaking dinosaurs in person. This is something I can’t resist.”

Experiencing the existence of dinosaurs firsthand was enticing, and the other was.

“Let’s see—the character’s name is probably ‘Juan Gonzalez,’ right?”

The speculation about the new ability being ingrained. The character in the work, ‘Juan Gonzalez.’

And his lines contained:

*["‘E: Juan Gonzalez’ preparing for reading...]*
  
*["A new language other than the basic language has been detected. ‘Spanish’ will be learned first."]*

It included “Spanish.”

How much time had passed?

The space in front of him was entirely dark. It was Kang Woo-jin’s world. It was humid. And hot. A considerably high temperature touched his skin. A strange smell filled the air. A mix of green scents and something else. He could hear insect sounds by his ears. Not the usual buzzing. It was a rustling sound. Was it an insect?

There was also some kind of clattering noise coming from above.

Was it a bird? Or something else? In general, all of Kang Woo-jin's senses were heightened. Familiar yet unfamiliar. The ground felt muddy. His heart was racing.

Kang Woo-jin opened his eyes.

- *Swish.*

The black view shifted to gray before fading away. Colors began to fill his vision. The most intense color was green.

Yes, he was in a forest.

As Kang Woo-jin opened his eyes, he slowly turned his head. A forest? Was this really a forest? His eyes were saying yes, but his brain was rejecting it. There were so many plants he had never seen before. How about the trees embedded in the ground? Each was so enormous it seemed they could touch the sky. They must have been at least a thousand years old.

Kang Woo-jin stood in a gathering of those trees and unfamiliar grass.

“......Wow.”

A mix of awe and astonishment slipped from his lips. Not in Korean, English, or French, but in Spanish. Kang Woo-jin was currently inhabiting the world of ‘Juan Gonzalez.’ Another world seen through the eyes of his ingrained character. The heart of Kang Woo-jin or ‘Juan Gonzalez’ was pounding nonstop.

So intense that his ears and head felt like they were buzzing.

“Whoosh—ha, is it really there? Is it?” 

As he murmured, beads of sweat streamed down his cheeks. He wore a safari hat, a short-sleeved shirt, and jeans. In one hand, he held a black camera.

- *Swish.*

With tension and anticipation flooding him, he took a step forward, sticking to the massive tree in front of him. The width of the tree looked to be at least five times larger than a person’s torso, and it was so tall that the top was invisible. Such trees were scattered all around him. This was certainly no ordinary forest.

With the camera in hand, Kang Woo-jin snapped pictures of the vast forest and the trees.

As time passed, sweat poured down like rain. His heart rate soared to the point he could hardly breathe. Was the air lacking here? But he held on. The adrenaline was already surging in response to this magnificent sight.

At that moment.

- *Thud!*

A sharp prickly sensation hit his right arm, sending shivers down his spine. Naturally, Kang Woo-jin turned his head to the right.

“Ahhh!”

He was startled. A palm-sized insect with wings had landed on his forearm. It resembled a mosquito but was the size of a human torso. After shouting, Kang Woo-jin swung his arm wildly and fell on his butt. Thanks to the soft ground, the pain was minimal, but he could vividly feel the cold moisture seeping into his backside.

- *Thud!*

Once he saw the monstrous mosquito rise into the air, he felt relieved.

“Ha—damn it.”

His hands and feet were trembling. He noticed the camera he was holding had fallen to the ground. As Kang Woo-jin wiped the sweat from his face, he reached out to pick up the camera.

At that moment.

- *Rip!*

A powerful presence emerged. Following that, he heard the noise of grass being struck.

Then, the ground shook with a tremendous rumble.

Startled, Kang Woo-jin slowly turned his face backward. But before he could react, massive figures brushed past him on either side.

- *Roar!*

An extraordinary sound erupted. Kang Woo-jin froze, staring as a gigantic creature loomed over him. Its limbs were quite short, but its head was about the same size as the previous triceratops. It suddenly let out a roar.

- *Gyaaahhh!!!*

Kang Woo-jin instinctively leaped up and ran.

“Ahhhhhh!”

It was a Tyrannosaurus Rex.