Chapter 53: Division (3)
“Choi Dae-ho… you mean the production team’s Choi Dae-ho?”
“Yes.”
“Why him…?”
Si-woo laid out the ‘Piggy Call 100’ theft.
Secretary Lee Hong-jun jumped in with excuses.
“But that’s just speculation…”
“Speculation? Then why did the host suddenly claim it was ‘in production’ the next day?”
“Still, legally—”
Si-woo’s face darkened.
“My videos are legal. Why can Chocolate do it, but I can’t?”
“That’s not—”
“Quiet!” Park Dae-kyu barked at Hong-jun.
“Sorry, sir.”
Park tried to buy time.
“We’re prepping the next video. Can we talk after?”
“Take your time. Food’s still here.”
Park’s mind raced.
Choi Dae-ho had been with Chocolate from day one—instrumental in its growth.
Cutting him loose? Unthinkable.
“Any way to end this cleanly?”
“Delete ‘Piggy Call 100’. Dae-ho posts a public apology admitting theft. I stop.”
Park exhaled.
‘Damage control.’
“Cut Dae-ho, keep the format?”
“Do what you want. You have ‘5 days’.”
Park stood.
“I’ll head out.”
“You’re paying, right?”
“Of course.”
As Park left, Si-woo called after him:
“Oh—and handle Dae-ho quietly. Noise means I get louder.”
***
Chocolate Entertainment – CEO’s Office
Park stormed to production.
“Where’s Team Leader Choi?”
“Out on business.”
Park dialed.
“Choi. Where are you?”
— “Just stepped out—”
“Stealing another idea?”
— “What are you talking about?”
“Come to my office. Today.”
Click.
Park gathered ‘Piggy Call 100’ files.
— “Same day as Si-woo’s pitch… and not even Dae-ho’s name on it. Classic cover.”
He’d seen this before—Dae-ho’s “borrowed” ideas.
Results were good, so Park looked away.
But the company had grown. He thought Dae-ho stopped.
***
Nightfall
Knock knock.
“Choi Dae-ho.”
“Enter.”
Dae-ho shuffled in. Park glared.
“Why the death stare?”
“You knew why Kim Si-woo’s targeting us.”
“How would I? The YouTubers messed up, not me!”
Park hurled the ‘Piggy Call 100’ docs.
“His idea!”
Dae-ho stared, then looked up.
“Yes. I stole it. So what? This industry runs on it—you know that. I’ve stolen hundreds. You turned a blind eye because it worked. You’re in that chair because of it!”
BAM!
Park slammed the desk.
“Then stop.”
But Dae-ho didn’t flinch.
“They’re different. Genius ideas—dozens a day. We’ll never catch up studying. So I took it. I wanted success. Recognition. We had nothing.”
Choi Dae-ho exploded, spilling years of inferiority.
“Stop! By tomorrow, delete ‘Piggy Call 100’ and post an apology—or you’re fired and blacklisted.”
“Why me?!”
“Because Kim Si-woo wants it.”
“That punk says jump, you ask how high?!”
“I’m the CEO. My job is minimizing damage. I don’t want to lose you.”
Firing Dae-ho was the cleanest fix, but Park chose loyalty.
Dae-ho had no creative spark, but his editing and eye for hits were elite.
Park believed he could rebuild—even with the hit.
‘His mistake.’
“No. Cut me if you want. I won’t stay quiet.” Dae-ho snarled, storming out.
Park clutched his head.
“Dae-ho… why did you change?”
***
5 days passed.
No word from Chocolate.
Si-woo never expected compliance.
If Dae-ho apologized, this wouldn’t have started.
Park’s refusal to cut him proved Dae-ho’s value.
But that was Park’s problem.
“Deadline’s up. Post the apology video.”
“Yes, sir.”
Si-woo uploaded his fake apology—then prepped the ‘final strike’.
“Script 7 ready?”
“YES!”
***
Chocolate Ent: Chaos
“Where the hell is Choi?!”
Dae-ho had vanished since the ultimatum.
Just as Park prepared termination papers—
BZZT. BZZT.
Two messages:
1. Si-woo’s “apology” video.
2. Dae-ho: “If I go down, the company burns. I’ve got years of dirt.”
Park stared, pale.
“That lunatic…”
Dae-ho’s blackmail files—embezzlement, tax evasion, rigged deals—could end Chocolate.
‘Checkmate.’
***
Revenge Film Studio
Final shoot.
Lead: Shim Ji-young.
She’d stayed silent, waiting for the ‘coup de grâce’.
“Thought the finale would take longer,” she grinned. “Thanks, gangster YouTuber.”
His car-smashing stunt had supercharged attention.
(He was now facing real jail time—probation violation.)
“Perfect acting, as always.” Si-woo said.
“Leave it to me.”
— “Action!”
Ji-young became an MCN production head—stealing ideas, twisting them, riding success…
Until exposure ruined her.
The set fell silent.
Her presence erased every other actor. When “Cut!” hit, staff and cast swarmed:
“Sunbaenim, autograph?!”
“Photo too?!”
Some rookies watched from afar, hollow-eyed.
‘Relative deprivation.’
‘Could I ever reach that?’
Si-woo smiled inwardly.
‘Good. They’re serious.’
‘After this, I’ll rebuild the acting team.’
Ji-young approached.
“Penny for your thoughts?”
“Post-revenge plans.”
“Then plan something that isn’t work. Go somewhere. Go live. You sleep, write, repeat—that’s not rest.”
“I’ll… consider it.”
***
Days later.
Title: “The End of Theft”
Uploaded.
The finale.