I Was Mistaken as a Monstrous Genius Actor

Chapter 451

Chapter 451: Speed ??of Light (3)

Translator: NovelBin

Choi Sung-geon stared blankly at Kang Woo-jin, who sat beside him, calmly proposing a bold idea without changing his expression. Sung-geon blinked in disbelief. Wait, did Woo-jin just say what he thought he heard? He couldn’t help but question his ears and asked Woo-jin to repeat.

"Woo-jin, what did you just say?"

Woo-jin held up the *Guest* script in his hand and replied simply, his tone low and straightforward.

"I suggested that you consider becoming the main investor for this movie, *Guest*."

"Me?"

"Yes."

"All of a sudden?"

"Yes."

"...Huh?"

Sung-geon blinked again, the surprise evident on his face. Meanwhile, Woo-jin’s steady gaze remained fixed on him. Sung-geon could sense the sincerity. This kid is serious, he thought, realizing Woo-jin wasn’t just joking around. Sung-geon released his tied-up ponytail, then firmly retied it, exhaling softly before speaking.

"Woo-jin, I get that *Guest* is a remake of *The Detective Agency*, and even though the production company is relatively new, the backdrop is still Hollywood. It’s a completely different playing field from Korea. The starting investment amount alone is worlds apart."

It was true. While Korean productions were advancing, Hollywood was still Hollywood. In Korea, a blockbuster budget might occasionally reach 40 or 50 billion won, but in Hollywood, that was just the standard. Meaning, being the main investor in a Hollywood production would be risking both their livelihood and the future of BW Entertainment.

"Sure, one big investment like this won’t immediately topple BW Entertainment, but if problems arise, it could definitely shake us up. That said, don’t think I’m disregarding your opinion here. BW Entertainment has become what it is because of you. Without you, we wouldn’t have reached this international level."

Sung-geon spoke with a calm yet serious expression.

"Still, BW Entertainment has grown to become one of Korea’s top five agencies, and it’s a major corporation with overseas branches. A lot of employees' livelihoods depend on us."

"I understand."

"And we have Chairman Yoshimura Hideki as a backer."

"That’s why it’s not easy to make such a hasty decision. But because it’s you saying it, I trust you. Still, isn’t it a bit sudden for you to ask me to become the main investor for *Guest*? Do you have a reason for this?"

Woo-jin’s answer was brief.

"I think it’s worth it."

"Worth it?"

"Yes."

"*Guest*?"

"Yes."

Sung-geon’s brow twitched slightly as he glanced at the surrounding team members, then leaned in closer to Woo-jin, whispering.

"Don’t tell me... you’ve got that gut feeling again? About *Guest*?"

If he answered truthfully, it might ignite all kinds of wild assumptions and misunderstandings. But Woo-jin decided it was better to lean into the hype.

"In a way, yes. I have a good feeling about this script."

Sung-geon’s eyes widened, and Woo-jin added more.

"Even without it being a remake of *The Detective Agency* or directed by Director Shin Dong-chun, I believe *Guest* as a standalone film has potential. It would be a waste to pass it up."

"Is that so?"

"Yes."

Sung-geon, who had come to not only trust but revere Woo-jin’s ‘instinct,’ couldn’t deny the results. Woo-jin’s choice of *Leech* had been the springboard to Hollywood, and now projects from Hollywood’s major studios were landing in his lap. Ignoring Woo-jin’s intuition would be foolish at this point.

Sung-geon’s gaze shifted from Woo-jin to the *Guest* script in his hands. He had skimmed through it as well. As for the total production cost? A minimum of 10 billion won.

‘At least 30 billion won, and up to 50 billion.’

A budget of 30 to 50 billion. Luckily, *Guest* was a smaller-scale production. If it were a blockbuster, the cost could easily exceed 100 billion won. Regardless, Sung-geon had to consider the maximum budget of 50 billion won. A colossal amount indeed.

‘Investing over 50% would grant us the title of main investor. But if we’re doing it, we might as well go all-in. With Woo-jin’s instincts in mind, putting in the full 50 billion seems worth it.’

After assessing his options, Sung-geon’s conclusion was optimistic.

‘I can make this happen.’

Numerous possibilities ran through his mind. Chairman Hideki was one option, and BW Entertainment had grown into a major corporation. It wasn’t impossible to secure the funds. Woo-jin’s calm voice interrupted his thoughts.

"CEO, isn’t our company expanding its business operations anyway?"

"That’s right."

"I’m aware that we’ve already started domestic investments, and that we’re preparing for overseas ventures."

That was a fact. Thanks to Woo-jin, BW Entertainment was expanding into Japan and Hollywood. They were establishing subsidiaries for talent scouting, content creation, social media management, and even music—an industry Woo-jin had proven his skill in. Given the scope of these plans, BW was looking at a decade-long commitment at the very least.

Woo-jin continued with composure.

"If Hollywood is part of the plan, *Guest* might be the right start."

"Hmm, it’s not an enormous project, and it does carry the symbolic weight of being a remake of your debut film."

The storyline was appealing: BW Entertainment, Woo-jin’s agency, stepping in to save *Guest* from the brink. And if *Guest* succeeded, it would give BW Entertainment an instant foothold in Hollywood.

"Well, then, it looks like there’s no reason to hold back."

Choi Sung-geon’s mischievous grin suggested he shared Woo-jin’s daring spirit.

"All right. I’m a little overwhelmed by where to start, but I’ll figure it out."

He gave Woo-jin a thumbs-up.

"Let’s go for it. You only live once, after all."

"If everything goes smoothly, I may not be able to star, but I can make a guest or cameo appearance."

Woo-jin added with a calm tone.

"And I’ll contribute to the investment myself."

After all, he had amassed quite a fortune by now.

---

One hour later.

Woo-jin and his team arrived at SPT Studios, where the massive *Beauty and the Beast* set awaited. While Woo-jin and the team prepared to head straight onto the set, Sung-geon was on the phone, already diving into arrangements for *Guest*. Watching him, Woo-jin gestured to his team, signaling it was time to head in.

The entrance of SPT Studios was bustling with *Beauty and the Beast* crew members, mostly foreign staff setting up equipment. After exchanging polite nods with the crew, Woo-jin turned back.

"Ye-jung."

He called out to Han Ye-jung, the head stylist following behind him. With her short, red-dyed hair—likely influenced by *Joker*—she turned to him.

"Yes, oppa?"

Woo-jin handed her the *Guest* script.

"Could you make three copies of this? You can ask the operations team for help."

"Got it. I’ll leave them in your trailer."

"Thanks."

Leaving the script in Ye-jung’s hands, Woo-jin joined the *Beauty and the Beast* makeup team. As expected, he would be donning a full-motion capture suit for the CGI effects.

Exactly one hour later, Woo-jin was back on set.

"Action!"

The Beast, clad in his motion-capture suit, began filming in the lush garden filled with blooming flowers in front of his castle. Present were the Beast and Belle, along with other Hollywood actors who would later play characters like the teapot, candelabra, and clock.

"Cut! Miley, try to give the Beast a more skeptical look."

"Got it, director."

"And Woo-jin—fantastic. Your expression is even richer than in the first shoot! Keep it up!"

"Understood."

The *Beauty and the Beast* production moved swiftly. Thankfully, Miley had fully immersed herself in her role as Belle and no longer laughed at Woo-jin’s motion-capture suit as she had on the first day. Occasionally, the iconic Disney OST would play loudly across the set.

Miley, as Belle, was now walking through the garden and singing. Although they planned to re-record the OST separately, Miley performed as if she were truly singing, blending her vocals seamlessly into her performance. Her voice filled the air on set, enchanting everyone.

Woo-jin, or rather, the Beast, found himself captivated.

‘Wow, Miley’s amazing. I know she’s a talented singer, but seeing her sing as Belle—it’s like I’m in a fairytale.’

That night, the *Beauty and the Beast* filming wrapped up late. As the crew began tidying up, the actors gathered by the trailers. Woo-jin, still dressed as the Beast, walked alongside Miley, who was still in her Belle costume. Her trailer was right next to his, so as they reached it, she waved at him.

"Good night, Woo-jin. Go change."

But he stopped her.

"Miley, wait a minute."

"Huh? Why? Grabbing dinner?"

"No, not that."

"What, you can’t even spare time for a meal?"

"I have another schedule."

"Geez, you’re busier than me!"

Woo-jin wasn’t joking; he had a shoot scheduled for his channel. After telling Miley to hold

 on, he entered his trailer, glanced at the stack of copies Ye-jung had made of the *Guest* script, and picked one up.

‘This movie is solid as is, but the bigger the success, the better for everyone involved—me, the main cast, the CEO, and so on.’

With a slight smile, Woo-jin grabbed one of the scripts, then put on a more composed expression before stepping back outside. Miley, who was chatting with her team nearby, noticed him approach and walked over.

"Got something to say? Normally you’d just go without a word."

Without a word, Woo-jin held out the script.

"If you’re interested, give it a read."

"What is this?"

"A script."

"...A script?"

"Yes. I heard you haven’t confirmed your next project after *Beauty and the Beast*."

"True, but a script? From you?"

"Why does that surprise you?"

"Because you never talk about your Hollywood roles, and now you’re suddenly handing me a script?"

Was that strange? Woo-jin shrugged, ready to pull the script back.

"You’re right. Forget I mentioned it."

"No!"

She snatched the script from him, squinting.

"I’m surprised, not rejecting it."

Woo-jin observed her calmly, amused by her reaction.

"Give it a read."

His smile was genuine and free of his usual facade.

"Let’s discuss it after you finish."

As he returned to his trailer, Miley blinked at him, clutching the script.

"Did he...smile just now?"

She had never seen him smile outside of acting.

From then on, Woo-jin’s schedule became an intense cycle of shooting after shooting. Two days in his motion-capture suit for *Beauty and the Beast*, followed by two days transformed into the Joker for *Piero: Birth of a Villain*. On some days, he worked on both projects.

As a result, he frequently found himself retreating into his “dimensional pocket” to manage the exhaustion.

"Oh man, I’m wiped out!"

While it was something he’d experienced often enough in Korea, the foreign environment of Hollywood somehow intensified the fatigue. But he couldn’t afford to let up. Only Woo-jin could handle this; only Woo-jin could make it happen.

After about a week, a headline began circulating:

> **“Columbia’s *Piero: Birth of a Villain* Rumored to Shake the Emmys, Almost Wrapped Up!”**

And during a break on the *Piero* set, Choi Sung-geon entered Woo-jin’s trailer with a smile. Woo-jin, in full Joker attire, looked up as Sung-geon spoke confidently.

"Woo-jin, the funds have been secured. We’re moving forward with *Guest*."