Peninsula: I'm the Top Streamer

Chapter 643 Money Crisis? Party Invitation

Filming is still ongoing.

On the film set in the afternoon, the air was filled with the sounds of caffeine and the faint electrical hum of the cameras.

A scene between the characters played by Kwon Hyun-hyuk and Han Hyo-joo has just ended.

Director Ahn Gil-ho sat behind the monitor and watched the playback several times, his brows sometimes furrowing and sometimes relaxing.

"Xuanhe, you controlled that look at the end very well, the suppressed feeling was spot on."

Director An looked up and shouted into the walkie-talkie.

“However, we need to adjust the rhythm of Hyojoo walking in. Lighting crew, for this reshoot later, I need the light to create a stronger contrast between light and shadow on her face.”

"Yes, director," the lighting technician responded, and the sound of equipment being adjusted immediately filled the set.

Kwon Hyun-hyuk took the water bottle from his assistant, unscrewed it, and took a sip.

Although he was praised for his eyes, he knew that these kinds of scene transitions that the director requested to be adjusted were commonplace, so he just had to wait.

At that moment, a file sent by Park Jung-jung was sent to my phone.

With the signing of the official confirmation letter for Sixth Sense's 20% investment in the Tomb Raider project, the heavy notification of fund transfers followed.

Kwon Hyun-hyuk looked at the bank deduction information that Park Jung-jung had just forwarded to him on his phone.

The sheer reality of those enormous figures reminded him more clearly than any investment agreement's terms.

A large amount of working capital has truly disappeared.

The funds were disbursed in batches, accounting for 20% of the investment, while the total expected investment amount was 17 billion.

That translates to an investment of 3.4 billion yuan.

Subsequently, the funds were invested separately by him and Park Jung-jung, based on their different shareholdings.

Quan Xuanhe's working capital suddenly decreased.

It's worth mentioning that Kwon Heonhyuk has earned a lot of money in the three years since his debut.

His total income from each drama's salary, advertising endorsements, and previous fan meetings has long exceeded 10 billion Korean won.

That translates to more than fifty million.

And because his strategy has always been to refuse low-quality advertising endorsements, his income has not yet reached that exaggerated level.

As mentioned before, he didn't put the money he earned in the bank, but instead entrusted it to his parents for stock investment. After all, his sixth sense could still detect business opportunities in snippets of information.

With all the money invested, there wasn't much liquid capital. Suddenly withdrawing 2 billion Korean won definitely made my wallet feel much thinner.

Kwon Hyun-hyuk had just put down his phone after reading it when it rang, and Park Jung-jung's name appeared on the screen.

"Xuanhe, the funding has been confirmed."

Park Jung-jung's voice came through the receiver, and the background sounded like someone was driving.

"The money has been transferred to the designated account as agreed, and Showbox has also copied me into the confirmation email."

"Yes, I saw it," Quan Xuanhe replied.

The investment was part of the plan; this money was a necessary step that he and Park Jung-jung had to take after repeated deliberation and consideration.

"but……"

Park Jung-jung then abruptly changed the subject, revealing a manager's instinctive keenness regarding the artist's financial situation and a hint of barely perceptible worry.

“Once this money goes through, the cash on hand will be a bit tight.”

Clearly, Park Jung-jung was aware of his financial situation, after all, he was Kwon Heon-hyuk's manager and knew all the cash flow.

Kwon Hyun-hyuk didn't speak, gesturing for him to continue.

“We are now receiving a lot of endorsement and business offers from outside, including top luxury brands, fast-moving consumer goods, electronics, and daily necessities... with astonishing prices.”

Park Jung-jung's voice rose a few decibels, "Strike while the iron is hot and take on a few more high-quality, high-return endorsements to recoup the shortfall in investment for 'Breaking the Tomb'."

"Most importantly, when it comes to making money, no one ever thinks they have too much money."

As Park Jung-jung said, he was a walking money-printing machine and a topic-generating machine at that time. Brands flocked to him, and his endorsement fees were enough to fill the financial hole caused by the investment in "Broken Tomb" in a very short time.

This is true.

Korean celebrities don't really care about quality when it comes to endorsements; quantity is king. Whoever gets the most endorsements is considered to have the highest commercial value.

Byun Woo-seok, who later became a huge star with "Running with Seonjae on My Back," immediately landed nineteen advertising endorsements.

At his peak, Kim Soo-hyun was even more shameless; his greed was downright blatant.

In addition to Louis Vuitton, Dior Beauty, Chaumet, Porsche, and a Longines endorsement that is currently just going through the motions, Kwon Hyun-hyuk now has five high-end luxury endorsements.

In fact, there aren't many other advertising endorsements. There are Samsung credit cards, NH Agricultural Cooperative Bank, The North Face, and a chocolate and coffee brand. These were all renewed when the brand was very popular last year, and they are all about to expire.

The quality is very high, with a total of ten, five of which are high-end luxury brands. The quality of the brands he endorses needs no further explanation.

On another note, Kwon Heonhyuk's advertising rate for a single Instagram post is very high, exceeding $500,000 per post, and the exposure alone can generate at least hundreds of millions of views.

Since they have the idea of ​​making money, the next step is naturally to start considering selecting some suitable endorsements.

Since everyone says he has high commercial value, let's open the floodgates and select some more.

Of course, while he says he's open to accepting endorsements, the quality won't be low, and he certainly doesn't lack endorsement offers these days.

The problem is that he's been so busy filming that he hasn't put much thought into commercials. Otherwise, if he took on too many projects, he would have been swept up in the commercials.

"Okay, Uncle, you decide. Show me the list later."

Kwon Heon-hyuk was reassured by his uncle Park Jung-jung's competence and let him go ahead to negotiate.

Incidentally, business resources don't always attract a flood of advertisers just because a certain level of popularity is high; sometimes there are tricks to it.

Examples include the covert operations of resource exchange and personal networks, and the implicit binding of capital chains and communities of interest.

With the money matter temporarily put aside, Quan Xuanhe then moved on to other things.

His phone screen was still filled with congratulatory messages, but Kwon Hyun-hyuk began carefully selecting the list of people to invite to his private party.

He first dialed Lee Byung-hun's number.

The call connected. "Hello? Xuanhe?"

Lee Byung-hun is currently filming "Concrete Utopia," which is nearing completion.

After Kwon Hyun-hyuk briefly explained his purpose to him, Lee Byung-hun readily agreed and hung up the phone.

After making the appointment with Lee Byung-hun, Kwon Hyun-hyuk's gaze fell on another name: Han Ji-min.

Quan Xuanhe dialed the number, his voice tinged with amusement, "Are you busy?"

"Hyuk!" Han Ji-min's voice immediately became cheerful.

"Oh my god, Baeksang Arts Awards Best Actor."

Han Ji-min and Han Hyo-joo were equally good at teasing him, which made him laugh.

"I'm planning a party soon, do you have time to come?"

"Of course, how could Xuanhe not have time?"

Han Ji-min's attitude couldn't be better.

The friendly "Baeksang Arts Awards Best Actor" greeting came out naturally and casually. This natural familiarity largely stems from the recent hit drama "Our Blues," which has garnered countless fans and sparked much discussion.

In the drama, the couple Kwon Heon-hyuk and Han Ji-min is arguably the most charming and popular romance in the entire "Our Blues" series.

The screenwriter portrayed this "older man/older woman" relationship with delicate and touching detail, and the subtle chemistry between the two exceeded the words in the script, sparking a delightful chemistry on screen.

Kwon Heonhyuk's repeatedly mentioned "super strong CP feeling" was once again perfectly proven with Han Jimin.

During the airing of "Our Blues" and even for a period after the series ended, the on-screen couple pairing of her and Kwon Heon-hyuk continued to generate buzz.

The online and offline discussions surrounding this "most visually appealing blues couple" have generated a real and tangible impact.

Han Ji-min has truly experienced the immense benefits of partnering with Kwon Heon-hyuk, especially as a couple in the drama.

The power of a large number of young fans who ship her as a couple is no joke, which has boosted her personal popularity and discussion, and has also led to higher market expectations and investor interest in other projects she has participated in.

Therefore, Kwon Heon-hyuk, an excellent partner who has helped her achieve success in her career and brought her significant benefits, is the kind of man that a woman in her thirties craves.

Han Ji-min not only gladly accepted the invitation, but also brought with her genuine congratulations and appreciation.

If only she had gotten together with Kwon Hyun-hyuk first, otherwise Han Hyo-joo wouldn't be around now.

"it is good."

Kwon Hyun-hyuk chatted with Han Ji-min for a few more minutes, then quickly hung up the phone after she vaguely hinted that she wanted to launch a surprise attack on him.

Even the strongest kidneys can't withstand the constant partying on set with Han Hyo-joo.

He then called Lee Jung-jae, whose directorial debut was about to be released, and Lee Jung-jae readily agreed, not forgetting to tease him for stealing his Best Actor award.

What could he say? He could only give a vague smile.

Afterwards, Kwon Hyunhyuk called out to his former co-stars with whom he still keeps in touch, including his own Hyunhyuk faction, Lee Do-hyun, and Kim Young-dae.

Kwon Hyun-hyuk thought about it again and decided to invite Lim Ji-yeon as well.

After all, his role in "Dark Glory" caused Lee Do-hyun and Lim Ji-yeon, a popular on-screen couple, to miss out on a potential pairing.

After exchanging numerous phone calls and messages for quite some time, a serious problem finally arose.

Should we call all of them over, all of them so beautiful?

After much deliberation, Quan Xuanhe decided to treat everyone equally and summoned them all!
Shura field?
He will absolutely not allow it to happen again!
Kwon Hyun-hyuk opened the call log and his finger stopped at the name of Minatozaki Sana.

He pressed the dial button, listened to the busy tone, and was still calculating in his mind the complicated situation that the invitation list might cause.

I should call my wise wife and strategist first.

The call was answered quickly, and a cheerful voice came from the other end.

"How come you have time to call me? Aren't you busy celebrating right now?"

In the background, Sana Minatozaki could be faintly heard laughing and talking among other girls.

Quan Xuanhe cleared his throat: "I definitely called you first thing. You can ask Ziyu if you don't believe me."

Sana Minatozaki was about to retort when she heard this, but she was silenced by what Kwon Hyun-hyuk said next.

"I'm planning a private party next week to celebrate. I've invited a lot of people, you should come too!"

"Ah~ a party?" She paused for half a second, slowing down her speech.

"It's our TV King's celebration party, who will be going?"

Sana Minatozaki quickly accepted the news and then asked.

"Some of my predecessors, and you all."

"You? Us? Who are we?"

"You, Tzuyu, and any of your members are welcome to come."

"Well, then what?"

Clearly, Sana Minatozaki had grasped the key point. When she heard this, she didn't offer her opinion yet, but patiently continued to ask him questions.

“Miyeon, and Jisoo, Jimin, Minjung, Yuna, and Yoojung.”

Kwon Hyun-hyuk was afraid that Minatozaki Sana would be furious after hearing this, so he also included Shin Yoo-na and Kim Yoo-jung, who weren't very close to each other, to avoid making her overthink things.

In fact, when Sana Minatozaki heard the name Miyeon Cho, her heart skipped a beat, and she didn't pay much attention to what happened afterward. The brief silence on the other end of the phone seemed to stretch out, and Kwon Hyun-hyuk could even imagine her slightly puffed-out cheeks, her expression a mix of annoyance and helplessness.

"Are they crazy? Putting these two together, are they trying to start a war?"

Sana Minatozaki lowered her voice, which carried a hint of disbelief and resentment.

The relationship between Chao Mi-yeon and Chou Tzu-yu is already quite awkward. If they meet again now, they might just clash head-on.

“If I only invite one person and not the others, it will be very awkward.”

Kwon Hyun-hyuk's words conveyed a sense of "I'm in a difficult position too."

"Wouldn't that seem even stranger? Deliberately avoiding anyone will make others notice something's off, and it will only make things more awkward, like I'm treating them differently."

He paused, then his tone became sincere.

"Sana, you're my smartest strategist...you have to help me."

"Otherwise, wouldn't my embarrassment be your embarrassment as well?"

Sana Minatozaki fell silent.

"Ah!" Sana Minato was taken aback by his words, feeling both angry and amused. This guy had kidnapped her again.

"I'm speechless."

She let out a long, resigned sigh, a hint of frustration on her delicate face.

Kwon Hyun-hyuk is right; it wouldn't be good to deliberately leave anyone out.

Moreover, from a practical point of view, she also understands Kwon Hyun-hyuk's desire to share this important celebratory moment with all his close friends.

This was indeed a bit dangerous.

"Sigh..." Sana Minato rubbed her temples on the other end of the phone, feeling even more exhausted than running a concert tour.

"I understand. I really don't know how I owe you that."

Sana Minatozaki's brain started working at lightning speed.

She thought that she had almost been discovered by Chou Tzu-yu, and this might help her clear her name of any remaining suspicions.

"Has the location been decided? What's the specific time?"

Sana Minatozaki then asked.

"We've already found a party company, and BH is helping with the setup. The date is tentatively set for this weekend."

"I'll send you the specific address later," Quan Xuanhe added.

"Um…"

Sana Minatozaki gave a vague reply.

"Okay, that's settled for now. I'm really not happy," she said, half-jokingly and half-seriously.

"OK, my Sana, it really is No Sana No Life, I will always love you."

Upon first hearing Kwon Hyun-hyuk's cheesy words, Minatozaki Sana felt a little uncomfortable.

I'm used to always bickering and arguing with him, so hearing sweet words from him suddenly makes me feel a little strange.

"Why say such cheesy things? It's weird."

Sana Minato muttered something to herself, and then hung up the phone before Kwon Hyun-hyuk could react.

After hanging up the phone, Sana Minatozaki stared at the frozen chat screen on her phone and pouted helplessly.

Although he complained about the trouble, his heart was filled with concern for Quan Xuanhe and his desire to help him solve the problem, which ultimately overshadowed his reluctance.

She put down her phone and began to seriously think about the scene at the party.

How can we create an invisible yet gentle buffer zone between Miyeon Cho and Tzuyu Chou?
This tested her adaptability and interpersonal skills more than any other occasion.

True social skills.

On the phone screen, Liu Zhimin's name was lit up.

A few seconds later, the call was answered, and Yoo Jimin's voice, tinged with surprise, immediately came through: "Oppa?"

In the background, there were faint echoes of the music's rhythm and the girls' panting after practice, clearly indicating that she had just finished practicing.

"Yeah, Jimin." Hearing her energetic voice, Kwon Hyun-hyuk's lips unconsciously curled up.

"Oppa! I saw the news, and your Instagram post too!!! (Congratulations!!)"

Liu Zhimin's voice was filled with undisguised excitement and admiration; one could almost picture her sparkling eyes and the way she wanted to jump for joy.

Who can be more amazing than her boyfriend?

Liu Zhimin is three years younger than Quan Xuanhe, so she makes no attempt to hide her feelings for him; admiration is admiration.

"I knew Oppa could do it! It's unbelievable!!!"

Quan Xuanhe could even picture her holding her phone, her face flushed and rosy.

"Our Jimin has such a sweet tongue."

"How's practice going? Are you tired?"

"Ani, you just finished practice and are resting."

Liu Zhimin's voice carried a hint of coquettish laziness.

Quan Xuanhe got back to the point, "Right, let's get down to business."

"Mo?" Liu Zhimin's voice suddenly became focused.

"I'm planning to throw a private party this weekend to celebrate, and I'd like to invite you and your friends to come and have some fun."

"Really? Oppa's throwing a party?"

Her tone still carried surprise, but compared to the pure cheers just now, there seemed to be a hint of cautious inquiry, and her voice was lowered, as if she was avoiding others.

The background music and laughter seemed to fade into the distance.

"Yes, the place has been found, this weekend."

Kwon Hyun-hyuk's voice remained steady as his gaze swept over the filming schedule adjustment sheet that his assistant had just handed him.

“If you want to invite members, that’s fine too.” He broadened the invitation to include all aespa members.

"Wow...that's great." Liu Zhimin's voice finally rose, genuine joy overshadowing the hint of inquiry.

“I’ll tell them.” She even started imagining how the practice room members would react when they heard the news.

"Okay, I'll send you the specific time and address later, Kakao."

Quan Xuanhe paused, then, recalling the possible scenarios that might follow, added.

"I've invited some senior colleagues and friends from the production crew this time, so there might be a bit of a mixed group. Please feel free to relax and have fun when you arrive." He tried to make arrangements in advance.

"I understand, oppa," Yoo Jimin replied crisply.

She was no stranger to occasions where her seniors were present, and she didn't feel pressured. On the contrary, she was happy to have more interaction with his work circle.

This is something an ambitious woman should think about!
"Oppa, do you want to see me?"

At that moment, a faint calling sound came from the background.

"Ernie?"

"Ah, the members are calling me!" Liu Zhimin's voice was apologetic.

"Oppa, I have to go practice."

"Go ahead and practice diligently," Quan Xuanhe instructed.

It's fine to practice seriously, at least make your singing and dancing look decent. You can't expect someone to never speak live like an AI.

“Yes! I will!” Liu Zhimin replied in a bright voice.

"Well... goodbye oppa, get some rest!"

"Okay, goodbye." After hanging up, Kwon Hyun-hyuk unconsciously rubbed the edge of his phone with his fingertips.

Liu Zhimin's reaction was as expected; her happiness was genuine, and she did not delve into the list of invitees.

That pure joy made him feel a little relieved.

After hanging up the phone, the sweet smile on Liu Zhimin's face had not completely faded. Her fingertips subconsciously swiped open KakaoTalk, and the profile picture of Quan Xuanhe, who was pinned to the top of the chat, seemed to still carry the warmth of his voice from just now.

She took a deep breath, raised her voice, and told the members about it.

"Children!" Liu Zhimin's voice instantly drew Ning Yizhuo and Gisele's attention.

“Xuanhe oppa just called and said he’s hosting a private party this weekend.”

She paused, then looked around at the members with emphasis, "They've invited us. Does anyone want to go?"

"Qinjia?" The group was quite surprised upon hearing this.

"He mentioned that he would be visiting many senior colleagues he had worked with before, as well as friends from the film crew. The industry might be quite complicated, so Oppa told us to be casual and just relax."

Kim Dong-won, who had been sitting quietly in the corner, perked up his ears the moment Yoo Ji-min spoke her first words.

The undisguised sweetness in Liu Zhimin's tone, as if she were announcing good news like a "real girlfriend," pricked at her heart like a fine needle.

Those were the embarrassments and frustrations he suffered in the head of the department's office.

She thought she had something on Liu Zhimin to report, but little did she know that the company's higher-ups were already aware of it and even tacitly approved of it.

The shame of being seen through in an instant, despite her cleverness, still burned fiercely in her nerves.

"not bad."

Ning Yizhuo nodded after hearing this and said with a smile.

"But do we have time for that?"

Giselle's words were like a bucket of cold water poured on her, causing Liu Zhimin to pause for a moment before immediately opening her recent schedule and looking at the dates.

"Yes, it almost scared me to death."

Seeing that there were no plans on the schedule, Liu Zhimin's anxiety subsided.

"Oh, I see. Then I'll have time to go."

Jin Dongtian naturally picked up the conversation, hiding his inner thoughts and acting as if nothing was wrong, even joining the topic with concern.

"Yes, so, shall we go together then?"

"But we don't know many people, won't that be a little awkward?"

Gisele then politely offered a reminder.

Kwon Hyun-hyuk is an actor, while aespa is just a rookie idol who debuted less than two years ago. He only knows idols from his cohort, so how could he know anyone in Kwon Hyun-hyuk's circle?

The saying goes, "Different circles, no need to force yourself to fit in. You might just be punished by being made to stand in the corner."

"Oh, these are minor issues. Isn't the point of a party to meet more people?"

Liu Zhimin waved her hand, seemingly unconcerned.

She was even thinking about what to wear when she went. She couldn't miss such a good opportunity. She had to make a stunning appearance and be the most dazzling person next to Quan Xuanhe.

(End of this chapter)