MC Bookstore Chapter 12 Model Taxi
Chapter 12 Model Taxi
Su Yu was still not fully awake when her phone alarm went off.
He reached under his pillow and felt around a couple of times before turning it off. The screen lit up; it was seven in the morning. It wasn't his usual wake-up time; he'd specifically set it for today. He hadn't slept well last night, tossing and turning, Shirley's words constantly echoing in his mind.
"The company decides what I eat, what I wear, what I say, and who I meet. I even have to ask them about dyeing my hair." She said this in a very flat tone, as if she were talking about someone else. But her hair was blown around by the wind, and when she reached out to press it down, she couldn't hold it in.
She thought of Cai Xiubin again. She leaned on the counter, buried her face in her arms, and muttered, "Am I not suited to be an actress?"
She'll come again, and she'll ask a sixth, a seventh, an eighth time. He doesn't want to answer anymore.
He couldn't help Sulli. She was still with SM Entertainment, her contract was finalized. He couldn't help Chae Soobin. She didn't even have a company, no opportunities. But he could start a company.
Su Yu sat up in bed. Water was still dripping from the basement ceiling. He stared at the yellow mold stain for a few seconds, then put on his slippers and went to wash up.
When Su Yu arrived at the convenience store, the owner, Mr. Park, was unpacking a package. Su Yu pulled on an apron and said she had to go out today. Mr. Park didn't even look up, "Go ahead." Su Yu took her passport and bank statement and went to the Gangnam District Registration Office.
The woman at the window, wearing reading glasses, paused when she turned to the page on bank balances, and looked up at him. Su Yu didn't explain, but handed her a pen. Yinguo Entertainment, legal representative Su Yu. Less than half an hour later, he had a piece of paper in his hand.
He stood at the doorway, smoking, staring at the piece of paper for a long time. Not out of excitement, but because he found it a bit absurd. Just a few days ago, he was moving bottled water, wiping counters, and listening to Boss Park's ramblings. Now he was the legal representative of an entertainment company. His phone vibrated, but he didn't look at it. It wasn't Shirley; Shirley didn't know what he was doing, and he hadn't told her. It wasn't Cai Xiubin either; Cai Xiubin didn't know what he was doing, and he hadn't told her either.
After leaving the registration office, Su Yu went to Dongdaemun. The landlord, wearing a plaid shirt, arrived on a motorcycle. The old man unlocked the door; the first floor was empty, the floor covered in dust. Sunlight streamed in through the dirty glass windows, dust particles swirling in the beams of light.
"Two and a half million a month, with a deposit of fifty million," the old man said. "Since you're a foreigner, the deposit will be higher."
Su Yu didn't haggle and signed a one-year contract on the spot. Before leaving, the old man asked him, "How did you, a Chinese man, come up with the idea of starting a company in South Korea?" Su Yu thought for a moment. "Someone needs it." The old man paused for a moment, then didn't ask any more questions and rode away on his motorcycle.
Su Yu stood on the empty first floor. Sunlight streamed in, but dust still swirled around. He picked up the broom and swept a few times, but it wasn't clean enough, so he gave up. He took out his phone and made a call.
"Hello, I'm Su Yu from Yinguo Entertainment."
There was a two-second silence on the other end of the phone. Then a woman's voice came through, a little hoarse, as if she had just woken up.
"Who?"
"Karma Entertainment. I'd like to buy your script."
"What script?"
"The one you wrote. The one that hasn't sold yet."
How did you know I wrote the script?
Su Yu leaned against the windowsill, the sunlight shining on his face, a little dazzling. "I heard about it."
"Who told you that?"
You don't know him.
There was a moment of silence on the other end. "You've seen the script?"
"no."
"So you want to buy it?"
I believe you.
"Are you out of your mind?"
Su Yu didn't refute. "Let's arrange a time to meet."
She gave him the name of a coffee shop and hung up. Su Yu put his phone in his pocket and walked out. Reaching the door, he glanced back at the dilapidated building. The dust on the walls was still there, the nail marks were still there, the floorboards were still warped. But his name was already on it. Yinguo Entertainment, Legal Representative: Su Yu.
The next afternoon, Su Yu went to that coffee shop.
Li Ying'en arrived. She was in her thirties, wearing glasses and a plaid shirt. When Su Yu sat down, she was looking at her phone. She glanced up at him, then down, then back up at him.
"You're Su Yu?"
"Um."
"How old are you?"
"Twenty-three."
"You own this company?"
"Um."
Lee Young-eun put down her phone and leaned back in her chair. She picked up her Americano, took a sip, and slammed the glass down on the table with a thud.
"You want to buy my screenplay?" she said. "I write independent films, the kind that don't sell for money."
"I know."
"So you want to buy it?"
"Just write one that can make money."
"I can't write that kind of thing."
"You will."
Lee Young-eun stared at him for a few seconds. "How did you know?"
Su Yu didn't answer. He pulled a piece of paper from his pocket—not a contract, but a few lines of writing. He'd written it last night; it wasn't a complete story, but a beginning. A story of revenge, a taxi driver seeking revenge for his victim. Not the full story of "Model Taxi," but the hook that would keep viewers glued to the eight episodes. He pushed the paper towards him.
Lee Young-eun took it and glanced at it, then glanced at it again. Then she looked up at him. Her eyebrows furrowed slightly, then relaxed.
"Did you write this?"
"No. Someone else wrote it."
"Who?"
"I don't know," Su Yu said. "I've never seen him."
Li Ying'en didn't ask any more questions. She lowered her head and looked at the few lines of text on the paper again. Her gaze swept from left to right, and then from right to left, as if confirming something.
"This story..." she paused, "...has anyone written it?"
"not yet."
How did you know?
Su Yu did not answer.
Lee Young-eun stared at him for a few seconds. She didn't ask any questions, picked up the pen on the table, wrote a line in the blank space next to the paper, and pushed the paper back.
"This is my number. Go back and wait for my message."
Su Yu glanced at the words, folded the paper, and stuffed it into his pocket. He stood up to leave.
"Your company," Lee Young-eun suddenly asked, "what's it called again?"
"Causal Entertainment"
"Cause and effect?" She frowned. "What do you mean?"
Su Yu thought for a moment. "You reap what you sow."
"You believe this?"
I believe you.
She picked up her Americano, took another sip, and gently placed the glass on the table without knocking it down. "Okay, I'll wait for your reply."
Su Yu pushed open the door and went out. The sunlight was so bright it hurt his eyes, and he squinted for a few seconds. His phone vibrated; it was a message from Shirley: "You didn't come to work again today?" Su Yu replied with three words: "Took some errands." She sent an eye-rolling emoji. Su Yu didn't reply.
He walked towards the bus stop. In his pocket were his business license, rental agreement, and Lee Young-eun's phone number. There was also a black hair tie, Shirley's; she had said, "Hold this for me," and never asked for it back. There was also a piece of paper with the three characters "Cai Xiubin" written on it, written carefully and meticulously while leaning over the counter. He hadn't lost a single one.