Chapter 437: Beast (6)

Translator: Santos

 

Despite the enormous offer he’d just received, Kang Woo-jin’s response was succinct.

*“Bring me the script first.”*

The executives at Columbia Studios were momentarily taken aback. A few even frowned.

*“Given the circumstances, I expected him to at least verbally agree…”*

*“He’s the first villain, the Joker! It’s a significant role and a point of pride for any actor, but it means nothing to him?”*

Their reactions were understandable. After all, the script for *Piero: Birth of a Villain* had come directly from Director Ahn Ga-bok, so this was the first time most of these executives were witnessing Woo-jin’s approach. Despite Woo-jin’s serious expression, he wasn’t overly concerned.

*“Sure, *Piero* turned out great, but who knows about the next ones? If they flop, why waste my time?”*

In Hollywood’s cinematic universe model, actors cast in franchise films often return to maintain continuity in their characters. The reasons vary—character pride, fan loyalty, and the potential for further career expansion through an established fandom.

But to Woo-jin, who had access to the “Otherworld” (*Agonggan*), these perks didn’t hold much value.

The Columbia side felt the pressure, though. Realizing this, the bald executive resumed the conversation.

“We plan to hand over the script as soon as it’s ready—but it seems Director Ahn was right about your decisiveness, Mr. Kang.”

“For me, the script is the only thing that matters.”

Nodding, the executive continued, outlining the studio’s plans for the next few years.

The gist was clear: Columbia Studios, one of Hollywood’s “Big Five,” had been developing its cinematic universe for years, with *Piero: Birth of a Villain* as the kickoff, introducing the Joker as its first villain. Following that, a hero would soon have to appear.

Therefore, the second film would focus on the debut hero, whose world would inevitably intersect with the Joker’s. The third film would introduce yet another hero, along with additional villains, all sharing the same universe, each film laying the foundation for a larger interconnected storyline.

This was just the beginning of Columbia Studios’ ambitious cinematic universe. Their goal was to release a total of three films by the end of the following year. Woo-jin, however, maintained his unbothered expression, though internally, he felt a spark of excitement.

*“Wow, the scale of this thing… it’s massive.”*

But his stone-faced professionalism convinced everyone in the room that he was still unimpressed.

*“Is it just the script he wants? Or does he need a higher offer?”*

Another executive chimed in.

“Mr. Kang, the projected figures for your pay are in the proposal. Have you seen it?”

Woo-jin glanced down, and his eyes landed on the staggering figure next to his name.

*“What the—?!”*

He almost let out a shout. The amount was even higher than what he’d been offered for *Piero: Birth of a Villain*. He was beginning to wonder if these numbers were even real. Choi Sung-geon, seated beside him, kept his poker face, but internally, he was reeling.

*“Hollywood sure doesn’t play around…”*

Woo-jin’s voice, however, remained steady and calm.

“Yes, I’ve seen it.”

After about an hour, the meeting wrapped up. Exiting the room with his usual calm demeanor, Woo-jin reflected.

*“Man, my value’s skyrocketing. If the script’s decent, I might as well do it.”*

Meanwhile, back in the conference room, the Columbia Studios executives were less optimistic. Woo-jin’s responses had been lukewarm at best.

“He doesn’t seem to be interested… this is complicated.”

“I think it’s his fee. Maybe it wasn’t high enough.”

“That might be true, but he also seems to care about the quality of the next film.”

“Ugh… we’ve already offered a pretty high fee. We can’t raise it any further.”

Various opinions filled the room.

“Regardless, we need to act before the year ends. His schedule for next year is already full with *Beauty and the Beast* and his project with Universal. If he gets locked into another role, he won’t have time for ours.”

“…We may need to consider another actor.”

“For the Joker?”

“We might need to be prepared, just in case.”

At that moment, the bald executive, deep in thought, recalled Woo-jin’s *Joker* performance at the audition and the intensity of his acting throughout *Piero* so far. Folding his arms slowly, he shook his head.

“Another actor? Who could possibly top Woo-jin’s Joker? We already know that no one else can come close. Our standards are sky-high now—not just for us, but…”

The bald executive smiled slightly.

“What about the global audience? Do you think they’d accept anyone else in that role after seeing Woo-jin’s Joker?”

“...”

“...”

The room fell silent. The bald executive shook his head, as if even thinking about it made his stomach turn.

“If we replace Woo-jin as the Joker, the overwhelming interest we’ve built up will tank. That would be the end of this cinematic universe we’re planning.”

Then, tapping on the part of the file listing Woo-jin’s pay, he added,

“In short, we have to keep Woo-jin on board. Even if it costs twice as much.”

Meanwhile, Woo-jin was riding in the studio’s van. His destination was the *Piero: Birth of a Villain* set. Although it was within Columbia’s lot, the sheer size of the place made walking impossible.

Woo-jin checked his phone as they drove.

*“This is still going wild.”*

News of his heroism in saving Miley Cara had exploded beyond Hollywood, stirring international buzz.

**“LA TIMES: Korean Actor Kang Woo-jin Saves Miley Cara—Similar Heroic Feats Reported in Korea!”**

Scrolling through articles, Woo-jin’s expression grew puzzled.

*“How did this leak, anyway?”*

It was a major story, one Miley Cara’s team had tried to suppress to minimize the fallout. But Woo-jin wasn’t particularly concerned. He hadn’t done it for any reward, and he had received a thank-you from Cara afterward.

She’d even bought him a mansion in LA, and for the first time in her career, she’d appeared in a Korean production, *Beneficial Evil*.

And besides…

*“I’ve grown closer to Miley Cara.”*

For Woo-jin, who had entered Hollywood without any connections, Miley Cara was now an invaluable ally. Satisfied with that outcome, he’d mostly forgotten about saving her.

But now, the once-hidden story had emerged for all to see.

**“CNM: Miley Cara Attacker Already in Custody—Cara’s Team Expresses Thanks to Kang Woo-jin”**

Hollywood had erupted. News stations across the country were broadcasting the incident, and every outlet, from newspapers to major networks, had latched onto the story, covering it non-stop.

Despite being an older event, the buzz was enormous.

After all, Miley Cara wasn’t just any actress. As one of Hollywood’s top-tier stars, her attacker’s arrest, and the fact that Kang Woo-jin—the hottest man in Hollywood, whether positively or negatively—had saved her, created a story that the world couldn’t resist.

Short videos and photos from the incident were circulating as well. Though they didn’t show the full scene, images of Woo-jin subduing the attacker, the woman’s weapon, the chaotic atmosphere of the music video set, and even Miley and Woo-jin together were unmistakable.

One interesting side effect:

**“BBX: ‘Tonight Show’ Controversy—Kang Woo-jin’s Heroic Story with Miley Cara Restores Image”**

The critical and hostile comments Woo-jin had been receiving after the *Tonight Show* scandal were shifting. The public’s response to him was noticeably more positive. As Woo-jin was sifting through these articles, his phone started buzzing. Miley Cara’s name flashed on the screen. Exchanging a glance with Choi Sung-geon, Woo-jin answered.

“Yes, Miley. It’s me.”

Her voice was calm, almost relaxed.

“Have you seen the articles, Woo-jin?”

“Yes, I’ve been following them since yesterday. Did this leak come from your side?”

It was a logical question since Cara’s team had initially covered up the incident. But her answer was unexpected.

“No, not from us. We only found out from the articles, too. We’re looking into where it leaked from, but the incident was a while ago, and with so many people on set, it’s hard to track down the source.”

“I see.”

“But I knew we wouldn’t be able to keep it hidden forever. We talked about this before, remember?”

She was right. They had both acknowledged that it was only a matter of time before the story surfaced. Woo-jin nodded as he listened.

“Yes, but the timing caught me off guard. Any concerns on your end?”

Cara’s response came with a hint of laughter.

“Shouldn’t you be asking if I’m alright instead of if there are any issues?”

“...Are you alright?”

“Now, that sounds more like you. No, there’s nothing to worry about. Everything that came out is true. We covered it up at the time because it was chaotic, but now it’s fine, right? How do you feel about it?”

Me? Same as before. The reveal of this incident didn’t affect Woo-jin negatively.

“I feel the same.”

“Then we’ll just let the media and the public enjoy the story for a bit.”

“Alright

.”

After Woo-jin’s straightforward answer, Miley changed the subject.

“Have you eaten? Oh—are you on set already?”

“Yes.”

“Make sure to grab something to eat when you get there.”

After chatting a bit longer, Miley ended the call. Woo-jin kept a neutral expression, though his heart was unexpectedly racing.

*“What’s with those last few exchanges? It sounded like we’re dating or something.”*

Choi Sung-geon broke in.

“What did Miley say?”

Reasserting his composed image, Woo-jin lowered his voice.

“It didn’t come from her side, and she’s fine with it.”

“Really? Huh. Odd. I was sure she’d leaked it. It just seems too perfect. Your image was getting a bit messy, and now a hero story comes out of nowhere? That’s a lucky coincidence.”

Choi Sung-geon scratched his chin, then shrugged.

“Well, as long as both sides are fine, let’s just let it ride.”

He smirked suddenly.

“Funny, though, isn’t it?”

“What is?”

“I mean, here you are, playing the Joker, the first villain in Columbia Studios’ cinematic universe, but in reality, the Joker saved Miley Cara’s life. It’s a strange twist, right?”

Grinning, Choi Sung-geon mimicked the Joker’s signature smirk.

“Once *Piero* releases, this story will come up again, for sure.”

And time flew by.

With all the Hollywood commotion, Woo-jin spent most of his days on set. He had numerous smaller obligations, but filming remained his primary focus.

“Cut, OK. Woo-jin, let’s try one more time—this time, improvise freely.”

“Understood.”

Director Ahn Ga-bok, now fully unleashed, was operating with newfound vigor. Nora’s visits to set had become less frequent.

Before they knew it, another week had passed.

It was already the third week of July, Monday the 18th. In the midst of Hollywood’s buzzing news cycle, Woo-jin stepped out of his LA mansion, cap pulled low over his face.

*Thud!*

He climbed into the waiting van, gave a low-toned greeting to Choi Sung-geon and the team, and picked up a script.

*“Let’s see…”*

It wasn’t the *Piero* script this time. It was for *Beauty and the Beast*.

Because right now, Woo-jin was on his way to the first script reading for *Beauty and the Beast.*