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Lee Jae-soon returned quietly to his seat.

He had confirmed that the notebook was real, and with the realization that he needed to offer a better offering, there was no reason to remain outside. Also, the displeasure stirred by his senior had faded away, likely due to the security provided by the ‘notebook’ nestled in his arms.

“Hehehe. With this notebook, I can…”

By offering a sacrifice to the notebook, he could obtain information.

And what does a journalist need information for?

It’s both a lifeline and a path to success.

If he could obtain valuable information, it would only be a matter of time before he soared high, not stuck in this trivial place.

Lee Jae-soon was convinced of this.

“Wait a minute. Valuable information, huh…?”

But suddenly, something flickered through Lee Jae-soon’s mind.

It was the question of whether the information just given to him by the notebook was truly worthless.

“Actor Jung Hoon-sang has been able to see ghosts since childhood.”

“Being able to see ghosts… That’s the kind of information fans would probably love, but it’s a bit weak for just an article…”

If the information the notebook provided was true, then it wasn’t entirely without value.

At the very least, the fans of Jung Hoon-sang would consume this article.

And if he wrote a few favorable pieces about Jung Hoon-sang, he could naturally approach him and build connections, broadening his network through him.

Right.

It wasn’t bad.

Not bad at all.

But deep in Lee Jae-soon’s heart, it felt as if the information from the notebook was whispering that it was worth much more than this.

“Yes. This notebook is the real deal. A true artifact that gives me information in exchange for sacrifices! I don’t know if it’s a divine object or an artifact, but either way, it’s absolutely awesome!”

There’s no way such an extraordinary item would yield information of only this one-dimensional caliber.

Lee Jae-soon thought and thought again.

How could he utilize the information from the notebook in a valuable way?

How could he leverage this information in a sophisticated manner befitting the master of the notebook?

“Wait a minute. Ghosts, ghosts… Now that I think about it, I feel like there was something related to that talked about in an old variety show.”

Was it thanks to his frantic thinking?

A clue grabbed hold in his mind.

He began to scour the internet, collecting information on Jung Hoon-sang.

News articles, memes, wikis.

He even joined Jung Hoon-sang’s fan cafe to skim through the materials there.

Thanks to that, Lee Jae-soon was able to gather excellent materials.

“Jung Hoon-sang’s great-grandmother was a famous shaman. Because of this, the family supposedly lived quite affluently.”

“Jung Hoon-sang’s great-grandmother suffered from dementia in her later years. One day, escaping the eyes of her caretaker, she went home and passed away beneath an ancient tree in the family graveyard. The family thought she had chosen that spot as her resting place, so after cremation, they buried her well beneath the tree. Even now, Jung Hoon-sang’s family performs simple rituals when visiting the grave.”

“Jung Hoon-sang’s grandmother had once been contacted on Namsan. Before North Korea’s collapse, an infiltrating spy was captured, and Jung Hoon-sang’s grandmother’s name was on the list that the spy possessed. The reason was that Jung Hoon-sang’s great-grandmother was a famous shaman, and they thought Jung Hoon-sang’s grandmother might also be of use.”

“Jung Hoon-sang’s maternal family is a celebrated military clan. It’s customary that every son born is sent to the army, and nowadays, daughters are sent as well. If one doesn’t wish to serve, they are given only minimal assets and kicked out, without proper inheritance being distributed.”

“From childhood, Jung Hoon-sang heard his maternal family say things like, ‘Aren’t you supposed to serve in the army?’ Each time, his paternal family dismissed those remarks, saying, ‘This kid won’t be going to the army.'”

“Once when he was young, a monk reputed for his strong spiritual powers told Jung Hoon-sang, ‘This child will be loved by many, but if he stays in a place that doesn’t suit him, he may encounter great misfortune. Please be careful not to approach places filled with sharp objects, those overflowing with yang energy, or those dominated by yin energy.'”

“Actor Kim Se-hoon: ‘Hoon-sang is quite a peculiar fellow. It seems he’s the type to walk a thin line between being a shaman or a celebrity. If he hadn’t become a celebrity, he would’ve probably become a shaman and raked in money.'”

“Jung Hoon-sang: ‘What was the hardest part about filming a horror movie? Haha, maybe it was the ghost commotion? They say works featuring ghosts are smash hits, right? I firmly believe this one will be as well.'”

“Look at this?”

The materials were intriguing.

From a famous shaman existing in Jung Hoon-sang’s family tree, to the peculiar incidents that followed, and an oddly sharp edge inherited seemed evident.

There were abundant stories that added uniqueness to Jung Hoon-sang, yet the path to the core was skillfully obscured.

“This bastard doesn’t have the spirit vision, does he?”

Right.

It was nowhere to be found.

There was no information about Jung Hoon-sang possessing spiritual vision, nor any mention of the struggles he faced because of it.

It was not present anywhere.

“This must be a secret he wants to keep hidden, huh? Let’s see, he couldn’t have kept it completely under wraps… The family probably knows, and the agency might too… Hmm… Wait a minute…”

Lee Jae-soon felt as if puzzle pieces were coming together, transforming into a picture.

Right.

It was a picture.

A very neat, beautiful, antique picture of great value.

A picture that would elevate him to those lofty heights!

A splendid picture that would stomp on the noses of those colleagues who had laughed at him today!

“Wow. Truly amazing. This isn’t worthless information at all. It’s definitely a treasure!”

With a triumphant smile, Lee Jae-soon began to feverishly click away.

To write an ‘outstanding’ article using the precious information he gained from the notebook.

“This is the first article that signifies my success!”

This article would serve as his first step.

A first step toward soaring high!

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“Actor Jung Hoon-sang, turns out he’s a capable person with spirit vision!”

“Anonymous Soldier: ‘Jung Hoon-sang could have used his talent for something more worthwhile. It’s such a pity.'”

“Rising Star Jung Hoon-sang, turns out he’s born with a silver spoon… Paternal family’s rich, maternal family’s military clan?”

“Netizens demand Jung Hoon-sang fulfill his noble obligation… they believe he could help at the DMZ with his abilities.”

“Actor Jung Hoon-sang controversy, avoiding using his abilities is a cowardly act. True patriotism means using one’s abilities for the country.”

“Military: ‘The army of Unified Korea operates under a volunteer system, so enlistment cannot be forced.'”

“Military, Jung Hoon-sang might be appointed as the army’s public relations ambassador.”

“Military: ‘The border at the DMZ is fortified. Appointing actor Jung Hoon-sang, who possesses spiritual vision, as our ambassador could showcase our sturdy defenses.'”

Headlines that make one dizzy just by looking at them.

“Even though I gave him simple information…”

The entertainment news section on the internet that Jinseong was viewing was plastered with articles about Jung Hoon-sang. The entertainment section, which should have been filled with scandals and glimpses into celebrities’ private lives, blazed like it had just taken a bombardment, with article views and comments skyrocketing in real-time.

“Hmm.”

The common points of these articles were twofold:

They drew a correlation between ‘Jung Hoon-sang’ and ‘the army,’ causing controversy.

And the name of the journalist who wrote the articles was none other than Lee Jae-soon.

“Let’s see. Creating a huge uproar to grab everyone’s attention and elevate his own status… Yeah. That’s textbook, a very textbook method.”

It wasn’t a bad strategy.

Isn’t that the nature of a journalist?

But there was one problem.

And that was the complete lack of consideration for the subject of the articles, ‘Jung Hoon-sang.’

A selfish outlook that only wished for his success.

That sentiment oozed from the articles.

“Let’s see. By reading these articles, it would make Jung Hoon-sang seem like a coward. This one leaves a subtle doubt about his sexual identity, while this one raises questions about his avoidance of the army due to conflicts with his maternal side, and this other one invokes thoughts about a lack of patriotism by dragging in unrelated incidents, and this piece gives a vibe that suggests his family relations aren’t good… Hehehe.”

The articles were truly cunning.

Manipulating the timeline and arrangement to make Jung Hoon-sang appear unlikable was fundamental, pulling quotes he had made to distort his image. Additionally, if necessary, they would create fabricated events or statements attributed to Jung Hoon-sang to enhance the narrative.

It was an apparent intent to completely bury a single person.

Furthermore, the more incredible part was that the article left gaps open.

It was as if it were signaling to other journalists, “Hey, there’s a tasty morsel here. I’m fine with sharing, so come quick and join in!”

“Rising Star Jung Hoon-sang leaves viewers aghast with his controversy…”

“Jung Hoon-sang’s military controversy turns the spotlight on the drama he’s currently filming.”

“Director Cha Jung-joo: ‘I have no interest in the controversy. Jung Hoon-sang’s lead role is secure.'”

“Anonymous tip… Jung Hoon-sang made derogatory remarks about military service in private.”

Of course, the journalists could not let this delicious morsel pass by.

Would they just sprinkle some sensational flavoring on the material and post it without capitalizing on it? No way!

Starting with Lee Jae-soon, other journalists quickly began to publish their articles, and soon, the entertainment section was wholly dominated by pieces related to Jung Hoon-sang.

Unsurprisingly, most of the articles had a critical tone towards Jung Hoon-sang.

It was almost a festival.

A feasting frenzy of sharks, disguised as journalists, devouring the prey known as Jung Hoon-sang.

“I thought someone would catch on to his past and write it up. Hehehe.”

Jung Hoon-sang.

A rising star with a charming appearance.

But in reality, he was a despicable criminal, notorious enough that even Park Jinseong recognized his name.

 

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