บท 475: Chapter 475: Please Explain
As I got closer to the filming location, the noise began to intensify.
This shouldn't be happening on a normal drama set.
In a controlled environment, only the actors' voices should be heard.
"Do you know what's going on…?"
Just as I was about to give Manager Ma instructions, an unbelievable sight caught my eye.
Men wielding axes and knives were threatening the filming staff.
Just in case, the bodyguards assigned to Cheon Ji-young were in a standoff with them.
Both sides had already sustained quite a few injuries; I could see several people rolling on the ground.
I quickly scanned the surroundings, but Cheon Ji-young was nowhere to be found.
Figuring I could find out what was going on later, my priority was to locate Cheon Ji-young.
"…First, clean this up here."
The staff members' expressions shifted immediately upon hearing my command.
They immediately joined Cheon Ji-young's bodyguards.
Although they were outnumbered by about half compared to the thugs, I wasn't overly concerned.
I walked towards the staff, spotting the director's face among them from a photo I'd seen.
However, I couldn't approach him directly.
A few men guarding the staff blocked my path and began rambling in Chinese.
I glared at them in silence, only to receive a barrage of curses in return.
"What the hell! Do you wanna die?"
They weren't worth responding to.
Manager Ma and a few staff members quickly subdued them.
I slipped past the subdued men and reached the director.
"Director Zhang Feng?"
"Yes? Yes?"
"Is this the situation we're in? Please explain what's happening, and where is actress Cheon Ji-young?"
"…Uh, um."
Zhang Feng stammered, lowering his gaze.
"Director Zhang Feng."
"I'm sorry! I'm sorry! I don't know anything!"
Zhang Feng, his head lowered and prostrate on the floor, babbled in fear.
This was getting us nowhere.
"Where's actress Cheon Ji-young's dressing room?"
Zhang Feng trembled and raised a hand.
I turned to where he was pointing.
There, amidst several trailers, stood a particularly large one that caught my eye.
"That must be it."
It would be a waste of time to keep talking to a trembling director.
I quickly turned and walked toward the trailer.
In the meantime, the fight seemed to be nearing its conclusion.
I didn't know where these guys had popped up from, but they were nothing but flunkies who stood no chance against our staff unless they were armed.
Near the area presumed to be Cheon Ji-young's trailer, men had gathered.
"What the hell are they really up to?"
It looked like they had come with a clear agenda; could it be because of me?
Just then, the trailer door burst open.
I saw two men and a couple of women being dragged out.
One was Cheon Ji-young, and the other was a woman I didn't recognize.
At that moment, a flame ignited in my eyes.
Cheon Ji-young's face was flushed with tears. Her pale cheeks bore distinct handprints.
Before I knew it, I had stepped forward a pace.
Manager Ma held me back, allowing me to regain my composure.
I looked up at Manager Ma.
To my surprise, there was a glint of ferocity in his eyes.
Confirming that I had stopped, Manager Ma strode directly toward Cheon Ji-young's captors.
There were five of them in total, including the two who had just emerged from the trailer, but Manager Ma seemed unfazed.
"What do you want? Who are you?"
The man with the cigarette asked, but Manager Ma continued walking without answering.
Just as Manager Ma reached the man and stood right in front of him.
"You bastard!"
The man spat out his cigarette and swung his hatchet towards Manager Ma.
Without even dodging, Manager Ma grabbed his wrist and halted the swing.
"Ah! Aaargh!!"
With a fierce grip, Manager Ma twisted the man's wrist.
The thug couldn't hold on; the hatchet fell to the ground as Manager Ma did not relent.
With a calm expression, he broke the man's arm.
"Aaaaah!! My arm!!"
The sickening sound of breaking bone echoed.
The man's arm twisted in a grotesque direction.
Wracked with extreme pain, the thug foamed at the mouth and trembled violently.
"You crazy bastard! You not letting go? Hey! Get him!"
The two men beside him rushed in aggressively.
Manager Ma swiftly kicked the man with the broken arm, blocking the attackers' line of sight.
Then he swiftly picked up the hatchet lying on the ground and slammed it into the shoulder of the attacker running in from the right.
The man didn't have a chance to scream as he collapsed lifelessly.
Right after, another thug appeared from the left, swinging a knife.
Manager Ma yanked the hatchet from the shoulder of the first man and ducked.
He swiftly turned and stabbed the attacker in the thigh.
"Aaah! Ugh!"
Blood gushed from the severed artery, spraying across Manager Ma's face.
The pained groans of the thugs filled the air.
Without flinching, Manager Ma wiped the blood from his face and approached Cheon Ji-young.
The man holding Cheon Ji-young's wrist froze in alarm.
Manager Ma lowered his hatchet hand and asked Cheon Ji-young,
"Miss, are you okay?"
Only then did Cheon Ji-young lift her head. She looked up at Manager Ma's face.
"Ah, Uncle…"
"Are you hurt at all?"
Hearing the familiar voice seemed to calm her, as tears welled in Cheon Ji-young's eyes.
The fact that Manager Ma was there meant I was too.
As Cheon Ji-young urgently looked around, our eyes met.
"These bastards! Who sent you? Do you know who I am?!"
The man gripping Cheon Ji-young's wrist spoke up, but Manager Ma remained silent.
He clearly showed no intention of engaging with riffraff.
Instead, he aimed his hatchet at the man's wrist.
His expression remained eerily calm.
The startled man released Cheon Ji-young's wrist and retreated.
It seemed Manager Ma had no intention of attacking him from the beginning; he simply pulled Cheon Ji-young behind him.
"Get Ji-young to safety."
I ordered a staff member who had stayed by my side.
The quick-witted employee dashed to reach Cheon Ji-young.
"Miss, let's go together."
"Wait, my sister! Oh no! My oppa is inside! My manager oppa…"
Instead of moving with the staff, Cheon Ji-young merely babbled about the trailer.
Even amidst the chaos, her concern for others drew a wry smile from me.
How could someone so pure-minded endure such adversity?
Still, it worried me that Cheon Ji-young kept mentioning her manager who was nowhere to be found.
Looks like she was trying to protect him and got caught up in things.
I addressed the staff nearby,
"Don't worry about me; go gather everyone and bring Ji-young. If you leave her like this, she won't be able to think straight and will just cause trouble."
"But…"
"It's fine. Just go. I'll manage here."
After repeating myself twice, the staff members dashed off rapidly.
In the meantime, I took a slow look around. It seemed the filming area had already been cleared; they were retrieving the injured.
"Oppa."
One of the staff members returned, bringing Ji-young and another woman.
As soon as Cheon Ji-young saw me, her face crumpled in sadness.
"Are you okay? What happened to your face?"
"I-I… My manager oppa… He's hurt trying to protect me."
Cheon Ji-young's voice shook. I gently soothed her shoulder and asked.
"Calm down. I'll sort this out. You trust me, right?"
I crouched down to meet her gaze.
Earlier, my mind had been consumed with rage; now, clarity filled my thoughts.
Understanding the situation was my priority.
"Ji-young, can you explain what's going on? I don't get it. Thugs wielding weapons stormed a drama set? Do you know who they are?"
The woman next to Cheon Ji-young answered.
"I'll explain it to you."
I straightened my posture and turned my attention to the woman who spoke with clumsy Korean.
Yet, my hand continued to comfort Cheon Ji-young's shaking shoulder.
The woman's face seemed somehow familiar.
I couldn't recall her name, but I remembered seeing her in Chinese dramas or movies.
"Do you know me?"
Feeling my gaze, she asked.
When I didn't answer, she frowned in disbelief.
"I'm Jo-mi. Jo-mi!"
Noticing her awkward Korean, I replied in Chinese.
"You can speak in Chinese. Right now, it's more important to explain the situation than to introduce yourself."
Speaking fluently, she widened her eyes.
Regardless, I pressed on.
"So who are they? Why do they want to take you and Ji-young?"
"…They're from the Triad."
"The Triad?"
Jo-mi nodded.
"Yes. They came to take Ji-young and me away."
"…"
Why on earth would the Triad want to take Ji-young and this woman?
Reading my expression, the woman hurriedly added.
"They're insisting we join the movie they're producing. I've turned down their offers, and Ji-young has too after discussing it following the last project we wrapped up."
"But does that justify barging in here and snatching you? They must be insane!"
Surely, even thugs wouldn't dare abduct actresses from a filming location?
Would authorities really allow that? I couldn't understand it at all.
Granted, there was a long-standing connection between the entertainment industry and gangsters in Korea.
In the past, issues like extortion and slave contracts had arisen, but now such activities had to be kept under wraps.
This truly was China, though. To think they'd attempt to kidnap actors in broad daylight among so many people.
Especially not just any actors, but Korean and Chinese celebrities.
Either they were fearless or they had some confidence backing them.
"With the Triad's involvement, it seems like they're not locals from China, but rather some who have crossed over from Hong Kong, right?"
"Yes. More specifically, they're based in Guangzhou. I believe they're a group operating throughout Macau and Guangzhou."
When Hong Kong was handed back to China, the Triads who had been active there expanded their operations into Macau and Guangzhou.
They appeared to be making an effort to clean up their act while trying to step into legality.
"What's their organization's name?"
"Officially, they go by 14K, but we refer to them as Yan Zi Fang."
"Yan Zi Fang…?"
This organization wasn't one I recognized. Jo-mi elaborated.
"I've heard they're quite a significant faction within the Triad. They've asserted substantial influence in both the Hong Kong film industry and China's. I've also heard that they have a solid relationship with the Chinese Communist Party."
"Thank you for the information."
While I was curious how Jo-mi had such thorough knowledge, that wasn't what mattered now.
I shifted my attention back to Cheon Ji-young.
"Are you feeling better now?"
The trembling in the hand I had resting on Cheon Ji-young's shoulder had subsided some.
"…Yeah. I'm calmed down now."
"So why does your face look like that?"
Even after a while, Cheon Ji-young's right cheek remained flushed.
"…"
Cheon Ji-young closed her eyes without responding.
I could tell what she meant without needing words.
"I see. And your manager?"
"Oh! My manager oppa! It's not the right time; Manager Ma…"
Cheon Ji-young's eyes opened suddenly, her voice rising with urgency. I calmed her again.
"I get it. Relax. Nothing's going to happen, Ji-young."
I issued another command to the staff beside me.
"Take Ji-young and the person here to where the head chef is. Keep them safe and prepare some tea to help them calm down."
Showcasing what could happen next wouldn't be beneficial in this situation.
I calmly smiled and turned back to Cheon Ji-young.
"Go stay with the head chef. He came a long way to prepare something delicious for you."
Cheon Ji-young looked at me with worry in her eyes.
Instead of responding, she simply gifted me a gentle smile.
"It's alright. I'll tidy things up and join you, so just wait there."
I exchanged glances with the staff.
"Miss, I'll guide you."
Cheon Ji-young and Jo-mi distanced themselves with the staff.
All traces of mirth vanished from my face as I headed toward Manager Ma.
"Manager!"
As Manager Ma organized the scene, he turned around.
"Yes, Boss."
"What about Ji-young's manager?"
Just then, the staff members who had been in the trailer emerged.
They were supporting a tattered-looking man.
It was Ji-young's manager. His condition looked quite serious. I furrowed my brows involuntarily.
"He's not dead, is he?"
The staff immediately helped the manager toward us.
Manager Ma asked the staff member.
"What's his condition?"
"Fortunately, he's not dead. However, we need to get him to a hospital after first aid because he's lost quite a bit of blood."
One person pressed tightly on the manager's stomach with cloths, but his shirt had already turned a deep crimson.
"Treat him and get him to the hospital immediately. We have to save him."
If that manager died, Cheon Ji-young would undoubtedly feel guilty.
Two staff members took the manager away. As they drove off, it seemed they were heading directly to the hospital.
Only then did I look over at the two men who had exited Cheon Ji-young's trailer.
I pointed to the two men who were kneeling on the floor and said to Manager Ma.
"Bring those two inside."
With that, I entered the trailer.
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