Chapter Twenty-Four: The X-Files (Part Two)
Page 1/3
Entertainment at Hand
Story takes place: January 2005
Recommended song: FTISLAND – “Words to Say” (K-drama On Air OST)
Disclaimer: This is a work of fiction. Any resemblance to real persons is purely coincidental!
The next evening, on the 21st at 7 p.m., Li Ran drove Jiang Yihan to the barbecue restaurant owned by Shin Ji and Lee Sung-jin. As soon as they got out of the car, they saw Shin Ji waiting at the entrance.
“When you’re done, call me and I’ll come pick you up,” Li Ran instructed before driving off.
“Yihan, you got an invitation too?” Shin Ji greeted him cheerfully.
“Yes, I’m here on behalf of our company,” Jiang Yihan replied, shaking hands with her. “Shin Ji, are you alright after what happened?”
“Me? I’m fine,” Shin Ji laughed boisterously. “They just said I’m a drunk with bad manners, and that I’ve had cosmetic surgery and liposuction. I don’t care at all.”
Jiang Yihan looked at her in surprise, unsure if she really was unaffected.
“Don’t worry about me,” Shin Ji assured him, patting his shoulder. “Most of what they said is true, and I have nothing to hide. Some things are exaggerated, but as entertainers, we have to get used to slander. The whole thing was blown out of proportion, but compared to others, what they said about me was mild. I’m not bothered at all. Ha!”
“Really?” Jiang Yihan was still doubtful. They chatted as they walked into the restaurant. After helping him settle in, Shin Ji went back out to greet more guests.
There weren’t many people there yet; just a few newcomers scattered around. No one was as fresh as Jiang Yihan, whose debut could be counted in days. So everyone else was a senior, and Jiang Yihan kept nodding and greeting them, maintaining a smile until his face grew stiff.
As time passed, more recognizable celebrities arrived—most wearing hats and sunglasses to keep a low profile. Since the organizers themselves were highly respected seniors and superstars, and seniority matters so much in Korea, almost no one was late. By eight o’clock, the nearly 500 guests had filled the restaurant to capacity.
Jiang Yihan was stunned by the array of famous faces around him. The event was organized by several elders of the Korean Entertainment Association, along with industry veterans like Jang Dong-gun and Shin Seung-hoon. Few artists had escaped involvement in the incident; the organizers were some of the rare exceptions. The guest list included stars from TV, film, music, advertising, and magazines—virtually every field.
“Ding ding ding.” Someone tapped a glass at the main table, drawing everyone’s attention. It was Jang Dong-gun, who could be considered the top star in Korea at the moment, respected by both the government and the public. In this incident, his reputation remained untarnished, even praised, which spoke to his influence. Hence, even the most senior guests accepted him as the main organizer.
“Hello everyone, I’m Jang Dong-gun.” His voice was gentle and steady, putting people at ease. “We all know the recent events have had a serious impact. Whether you were directly involved or not, the public now sees us all as part of the ‘sinful’ entertainment world. We have to fight back to restore our reputation. Tonight, I hope we can discuss how to respond. Let’s first talk in small groups for twenty minutes, then we’ll reconvene for a broader discussion.”
His concise, powerful introduction made it clear: like it or not, everyone was involved, and the only way forward was to work together.
The room erupted in discussion. Jiang Yihan, surrounded mostly by other newcomers who were too timid to speak freely, found himself with no one he knew to talk to. He scanned the crowd for familiar faces but couldn’t spot Lee Hyori. Instead, he noticed all five members of TVXQ and caught sight of Kim Jaejoong.
Page 2/3
Twenty minutes passed quickly. Jang Dong-gun took the stage again. This time, many more stars had arrived, and Jiang Yihan spotted people he’d only ever seen on television: Lee Byung-hun, Rain, Song Hye-kyo, Choi Ji-woo, Jun Ji-hyun, Shinhwa, Jang Woo-hyuk, and others. Opinions quickly split into three camps: the hardliners, the opposition, and the observers. The hardliners advocated going straight to court, the opposition felt the real issue was self-discipline within the industry, and the observers suggested waiting before taking action.
Noticing the divide, Jang Dong-gun spoke up, making things awkward for some: “There are quite a few ‘First Planning’ artists here—that’s why some feel it’s our own fault, or want to wait and see.” He was clearly addressing the opposition and observers. “My stance is firm: we must fight back. That’s my view.”
He continued, “Most of us here are veteran artists and know this industry well, which makes us cautious. But I’d like to hear from a newcomer, someone fresh to our world, to remind us of the real impact of this incident.”
He scanned the crowd. “Anyone who debuted this month or last month in TV, film, or music, please raise your hand.”
Jiang Yihan hesitated, looked around, and slowly raised his hand—only to find he was the sole one. Startled, he quickly lowered it, but Jang Dong-gun, smiling, gestured for him to stand.
“Hello, everyone. My name is Jiang Yihan. I’m a rookie singer who debuted on the 16th. Greetings, seniors.” He bowed politely.
“Only debuted a few days ago? Perfect. You’re the ideal person to share your thoughts,” Jang Dong-gun encouraged him.
Jiang Yihan nodded, pushed aside his nerves, and began to speak confidently. “Just a few days ago, I was an ordinary person. I’m only here because I just debuted. This whole incident, I feel more like an observer than a participant. From my perspective, if it happens once, it will happen again. If we don’t take a strong stand, the harm will only get worse. Today, ‘First Planning’ can ‘leak’ others’ information; tomorrow, they could ‘leak’ ours. No one is immune. Maybe we have flaws—bad tempers, cosmetic surgery, breakups, unhealthy habits, or a less-than-perfect past—but so what? Did we do something wrong? Not at all. We’re human. It’s only because we’re entertainers that our flaws are magnified. If I’m sick and don’t smile at someone, does that mean I have a bad temper? Is that reasonable? The core issue isn’t how serious the leaks were or how great the impact; it’s that these files should never have existed or been leaked in the first place. Now that they have, and the consequences are severe, we must fight back and prevent it from happening again. Firm resistance is our first and only choice.”
As he finished, Jiang Yihan realized he’d spoken passionately. Embarrassed by all eyes on him, he scratched his head, feeling awkward for having “blurted out nonsense” in front of so many seniors.
Applause broke out, led by Jang Dong-gun, followed by warm clapping all around. In that moment, Jiang Yihan spotted Lee Hyori beaming and applauding, along with Kim Jaejoong, Shin Ji, and Kim Jong-min. He suddenly felt reassured—perhaps he’d done the right thing.
“Jiang Yihan is absolutely right—I completely agree,” Jang Dong-gun concluded. “If we don’t fight back today, the next leak could be even worse.”
His words hung in the air, and after a brief silence, the room erupted into lively debate again. After nearly two hours, the meeting concluded. Almost 400 artists agreed to jointly sue ‘First Planning,’ while over a hundred declined to sign for various reasons.
The meeting ended in a flurry of activity, but no one knew what tomorrow would bring.
As the gathering dispersed, Lee Hyori and Jang Dong-gun came over. With a smile, Lee Hyori formally introduced them. “Yihan, this is Jang Dong-gun.”
“Hello, sir, it’s an honor,” Jiang Yihan stammered, shaking hands.
“No need to be so formal,” Jang Dong-gun smiled. “You’re new, but you spoke your mind in front of all these seniors. I was worried a newcomer would be too nervous to say anything.”
Jiang Yihan scratched his head shyly, making Jang Dong-gun laugh. “You did great. If you ever need anything, just come to me.”
The three of them chatted as they walked outside, only to be met by a barrage of flashbulbs and a cacophony of voices.
Page 3/3
Reporters swarmed the entrance. Every media outlet had sent someone, but since none could enter, nearly a hundred journalists crowded outside the restaurant. As the biggest stars emerged, the flashes exploded relentlessly.
It was Jiang Yihan’s first time experiencing such a scene. The bright lights left him momentarily blinded, and the noise around him was overwhelming—he could barely distinguish the questions, just a constant buzzing. Instinctively, Jiang Yihan reached out for someone, and fortunately, the person beside him put an arm around his shoulders. After almost twenty minutes of struggle through the throng, they finally made it out. Once inside a car, Jiang Yihan shook his head and gradually regained his vision. Turning, he was startled to find himself next to Jang Dong-gun.
“Not used to it, are you? The media’s always like this—the flashes are unbearable,” Jang Dong-gun said with a smile. “Hyori took her own car home. If you’d gone with her, there’d be rumors about you two tomorrow. Better you came with me!”
Jiang Yihan laughed at his teasing. “Thank you, Mr. Jang.”
“Still calling me ‘Mr.’? Just call me ‘brother,’” Jang Dong-gun said, loosening his tie. “To be honest, the industry’s a mess these days—music, television, film, everything’s declining. If we don’t stop incidents like this, who knows what disaster will come next. I heard from Hyori that your songs are good, and your company is grooming you for film and TV as well. I think you have great potential. Really, you’re the one doing me a favor by letting me call you my little brother!”
They exchanged a glance and burst out laughing.
For Jiang Yihan, the greatest gain from the gathering was meeting Jang Dong-gun. He realized that the man before him was resolute, charming, decisive, and exuded the charisma of a mature man with excellent relationships in the industry. No wonder he had emerged from this scandal unscathed.
The day after the gathering, ‘First Planning,’ owner of the “Artist Black File,” issued a statement claiming, “The contents were based on rumors, not facts.” However, in an online poll conducted by a prominent Korean website on January 20th (with 22,322 participants), 80.2% believed the “Artist Black File” was credible.
On January 22nd, under intense scrutiny, the Korean ad agency ‘First Planning’ tried to salvage its reputation by publishing an apology titled “Deepest Regret” in two newspapers (“Morning News” and “Sports News”). Yet their apology only angered artists further, as ‘First Planning’ blamed the incident on the leak, not on the creation of the files themselves.
By shifting all responsibility onto the leak, ‘First Planning’ infuriated both artists and their management agencies. That same day, 59 artists filed lawsuits with the Seoul Central District Prosecutor’s Office against ‘First Planning’ and DSR Research, demanding legal action to halt magazine and newspaper reports and to stop netizens from disseminating the files online. Ten top magazines and journalists also took civil action to boycott those companies.
On the morning of January 25th, 365 artists from 45 entertainment companies, through an emergency response committee, held a press conference. They declared their intention to sue ‘First Planning,’ DSR Research, and ten interviewed journalists, and to boycott all advertising and events associated with ‘First Planning.’
In the end, the scandal erupted suddenly and was resolved just as swiftly. Entertainment companies worked hard to contain the situation and minimize the damage, and the artists’ lawsuits resulted in compensation exceeding ten billion won, closing the chapter on this absurd and frightening episode.
Officially, the incident was over. All related materials vanished online, and even overseas reports were suppressed. But who could truly predict the full impact? At the very least, none of Korea’s entertainment agencies could.
Having entered showbiz just days before this storm erupted, Jiang Yihan was deeply impressed by the industry’s dangers. Today he was just an observer, but if he wasn’t careful, his own name could appear in the next “report.” Glancing at Li Ran busy at work, and then at Jiang Ziyi and Kwon Ji-yong playing chess, Jiang Yihan smiled and headed for a shower.
A few words from the author:
First, the entire outline of this book is complete, so don’t worry—it won’t be abandoned.
Second, regarding Jaejoong’s future plot—of course he’ll be back! Why else would he appear so early?
Third, about updates: as a new writer, I’m doing my best to keep up—two chapters daily, each over 4000 words. Sometimes I hit writer’s block, so if there’s an occasional day with only one update, I hope you’ll understand.
Fourth, about taking time off: I just received my student visa and will be studying abroad from August 11th. It may take a week or more to settle in and get online. But I promise, once I’m connected, updates will resume as before. Even offline, I’ll keep writing.
Fifth, about foreshadowing: most introduced characters serve a purpose, but as a beginner, sometimes I might forget a clue or two—please bear with me!
Finally, thank you all so much for your support!