Chapter 414: Damang (3)

Translator: Santos

"If I decide, I’m confirmed as the lead?"

Across from Woo-jin, Joseph Felton wore a faint smile with a look of determination. Woo-jin kept his poker face steady, but inside, he was taken aback.

‘Whoa—no audition or screen test? Just a straight-up yes from me? Really?’

The shock was equally shared by Choi Sung-geon, who was sitting next to him. Sung-geon was visibly stunned, his wide eyes revealing his surprise.

‘So Woo-jin just has to say yes, and he’s got the lead role? Is he serious? Has Universal Movies really signed off on this?’

The other BW Entertainment staff felt similarly. Even though they weren’t Hollywood experts, they understood that Felton’s offer was unheard of. Major Hollywood stars like Chris Hartnett in *Piero: Birth of a Villain* or Miley Cara in *Beauty and the Beast* still had to audition. Yet, Woo-jin was being handed a free pass?

It was no wonder Sung-geon was shocked. A heavy silence settled over the conference room as Woo-jin and Felton exchanged looks for several long seconds. Finally, Felton spoke.

“Woo-jin, please understand that this is a very unusual offer. Of course, Universal Movies has given full approval, so I’m not acting alone here.”

Sung-geon gasped softly. The conditions Felton presented were likely unprecedented, even for Hollywood. If this news got out, it would make waves not only in Korea but across the entire Hollywood industry. This was the first time Felton, a prominent producer, was offering such terms.

Woo-jin could sense Felton’s resolve.

‘This guy is serious. He’s famous as a producer with a sharp vision.’

Various thoughts flashed through Woo-jin’s mind, from his first encounter with Felton up to now. Looking back, Felton had been the first in Hollywood to recognize Woo-jin’s potential. It all began with *Last Kill 3*, and since then, Felton had shown Woo-jin genuine support multiple times.

‘He even brought his team to the Bangkok set of *Beneficial Evil*.’

If Felton had secured a finalized script earlier, Woo-jin might have agreed to it without needing such high stakes. But the timing hadn’t been right.

‘I don’t think he expected me to rise so quickly in Hollywood. It’s probably frustrating for him, but it worked out well for me.’

If Felton had gotten to Woo-jin before Columbia or Disney, he likely wouldn’t have been able to offer this unprecedented deal, and an audition would have been required.

Regardless…

Woo-jin glanced down at the stack of papers—Felton’s script—and replied in a calm tone, “I understand.”

He kept his response short and unaffected to convey composure. While he was indeed surprised, he knew better than to show his excitement openly. Felton was about to speak again when suddenly—

“Also, aside from the conditions…”

-Whump.-

Woo-jin had subtly tapped the black tab on the script, bringing him into his dark storage space. Now, free of his “poker face,” he exhaled in relief.

“Whew—nearly gave myself away with that sudden entry.”

After stretching his neck, Woo-jin walked over to where several white boxes floated in the air. At the end of the line, he spotted recent scripts he’d been cast in.

- **[11/Script (Title: Piero), EX+ Grade]**
- **[12/Script (Title: Beauty and the Beast), EX Grade]**

And the latest:

- **[13/Script (Title: Unknown), S Grade]**
  - *[A highly refined movie script. 80% readability available]*

Felton’s project was the last one on the list, floating gently. Woo-jin crossed his arms, studying it.

“Still no title, huh? Nothing on the script cover, either.”

The cover of the script had been blank, with no title or director’s name, suggesting those details hadn’t been finalized.

What struck Woo-jin as odd was the completion level.

“80% complete?”

This meant the script wasn’t polished, probably an early draft still needing revisions. In Woo-jin’s experience, this sometimes happened when scripts were rushed to him as soon as they were available.

“He must’ve really been in a hurry.”

With no title, no director attached, and incomplete revisions, Felton had still brought it to Korea. Despite that, it held an S-grade rating, a strong indicator of quality. Though not quite at EX-grade, for an unfinished draft to reach S-grade was impressive.

“It’s bound to be a hit.”

Similar high-quality scripts he’d encountered, like *Lazy Profiler* (S Grade) and *Island of the Missing* (SS Grade), came to mind. If Felton’s project received final revisions, the rating might even go up, especially with Danny Landis, a Hollywood legend, potentially directing and Woo-jin himself starring.

As Woo-jin considered these factors, his mind raced. Having grown as an actor, he now evaluated scripts with the keen eye of a professional.

“Other factors are important too…”

Specifically, he considered the project’s impact.

Universal Movies joining in would mean Woo-jin had three of the Big Five studios under his belt—an unparalleled record for any actor, especially a Korean one. With Woo-jin leading, each film’s reach would be explosive.

“Will I ever get another chance like this?”

He realized there was no point in waiting for a similar opportunity in the future when he could seize this one now. His path to Hollywood stardom was wide open.

Smiling to himself, Woo-jin said, “Exit.”

Returning to reality, Woo-jin found himself back in BW Entertainment’s conference room. Time seemed to resume, and Felton continued speaking, unaware of Woo-jin’s brief absence.

“We’re confident. We’ve invested a great deal of time in this script, and when I read it myself—”

But Felton’s words fell on deaf ears. Woo-jin’s focus was elsewhere as he opened the script’s cover.

-Flap.-

Pages filled with English lay before him. As he flipped through the first few, he looked up and addressed Felton in a low tone.

“Joseph, this project… it doesn’t have a title yet?”

Felton paused, then nodded.

“That’s correct. We haven’t decided on one yet. I brought it as soon as the initial draft was ready.”

“So that’s why the script feels a bit incomplete.”

Of course, Woo-jin wasn’t actually bothered by it, but Felton’s eyes widened in surprise.

“…You could tell?”

“Yes.”

Woo-jin closed the script, then addressed Felton directly.

“I understand. I’ll read through the script and let you know.”

This part was genuine—he intended to review the script thoroughly.

After the meeting, Felton and his team entered the elevator. Felton ran a hand through his hair, chuckling to himself.

“Ha, honestly, I didn’t expect him to pick up on that.”

One of his team members, Robert, looked puzzled.

“On what exactly?”

Felton, gazing forward with a faint smile, replied, “The script’s completion level.”

“Oh.”

“It’s not a problem that we haven’t set a title yet, but I didn’t expect him to skim through the script and notice it wasn’t fully complete. The draft still needs revisions, but it’s rare for any actor to pick up on that just by glancing at it. That’s why we decided to bring it anyway. We were in a rush.”

As Felton stepped out of the elevator, he recalled Woo-jin’s composed expression, amazed by his keen observation.

“He flipped through just a few pages and instantly picked up on the nuances. My instincts about him were right.”

It was, of course, a bit of a misunderstanding.

---

Meanwhile, after parting with Felton, Woo-jin headed straight to Yeoncheon in Gyeonggi Province to resume filming for *Beneficial Evil Part 2*.

-Flap.-

In the van on the way, he began reading the script.

“Oh, this feels good right from the start. I definitely wouldn’t have been able to tell the completion level without my storage space.”

Keeping a neutral expression, he continued flipping through the pages. Choi Sung-geon, who watched him through the rearview mirror, joined in.

“Woo-jin, I know you’ll make the decision after reading it, but are you leaning positively so far?”

Woo-jin replied casually, “So far, yes. But if it’s not enjoyable, I’ll have to decline.”

However, he doubted it would come to that. The S-grade rating wasn’t given lightly. Even the initial pages had already captured his interest. When they arrived at the *Beneficial Evil* set, the hundred or so staff members were visibly curious about his meeting, and numerous reporters had gathered outside the set complex. Ignoring the commotion, Woo-jin focused solely on the shoot.

Meanwhile, the Korean press seized the opportunity to publish stories.

**Headlines:**

- *“World Star” Kang Woo-jin Draws Universal Movies Executive to Korea*
- *[Feature] Rumors Swell… Did Universal Movies Come Just for Woo-jin? A First for Hollywood?*

Hollywood also followed suit. Universal’s apparent interest in Woo-jin stirred up the industry, especially at Columbia Studios and Disney, both deep in pre-production with directors Ahn Ga-bok and Bill Roettner, respectively.

“Universal Movies… Yeah, they showed up at the *Leech* set before too. This isn’t just gossip. Hollywood’s about to go wild again,” Director Ahn remarked with amusement.

Bill Roettner, building the early sequences for *Beauty and the Beast*, marveled as well.

“Ever since Woo-jin arrived, Hollywood hasn’t seen a quiet day.”

The news swept through Hollywood circles, from executives to production staff, all the way to actors. Miley Cara and Chris Hartnett even posted about it on social media, fueling the hype further.

However, despite the widespread rumors, neither Woo-jin nor BW Entertainment commented publicly. Woo-jin quietly immersed himself in *Beneficial Evil Part 2* filming and his packed schedule, which only seemed to heighten the buzz. Articles about the Universal Movies visit, Woo-jin’s Emmy prospects for *Beneficial Evil*, his lead roles in *Beauty and the Beast* and *Piero*, and other headlines flooded the press.

Days turned into weeks, and soon, March ended and April began.

---

April 4th, Monday, early morning.

Sitting in the van, Woo-jin was intently reading through the script. Over the past few days, every spare moment had been spent reviewing it. Finally, he finished reading the entire script, carefully closing it. He looked up, meeting eyes with Sung-geon in the front seat, and nodded calmly.

Meanwhile, in LA, where it was afternoon instead of morning, Joseph Felton was in his office, gazing out the window while on a call. After wrapping up the conversation, he glanced at the date on his laptop, looking slightly anxious.

“…It’s been over a week. Should I call first?”

He was contemplating reaching out to Woo-jin when—

-♬♪

The loud ringtone of his phone startled him. As he checked the caller ID, his eyes widened. He quickly put the phone to his ear, his voice laced with excitement.

“Woo-jin, I’ve been waiting for your call.”

It was Kang Woo-jin.

---

A few days later, in the afternoon, Yeoncheon, Gyeonggi Province.

After finishing a morning and midday photo shoot, Woo-jin arrived at the *Beneficial Evil* set for filming.

-Thud.-

As he entered, he glanced down at his phone, where a fresh news alert had popped up.

**Headline:** *BBX: “Universal Movies’ New Film to Be Directed by Legendary Danny Landis! The First Time He’s Agreed to Direct a Script He Didn’t Write Himself”*

Woo-jin chuckled to himself, though only inwardly.

‘Joseph sure doesn’t waste time.’