Chapter 187: Update (2) |
When I stepped off the plane and arrived at Panglao International Airport in the Philippines, I felt the humid air saturated with moisture. It was so distinct I could immediately tell there was a beach nearby.
As I led the group out of the departure hall, there was Kim Chang-Jin, the chief of the publicity team from Cocari Sweat, waiting for us. He held a large sign that read 'Welcome Miss Jung Yoo-Jin' above his head.
"Right over here!" Kim Chang-Jin called out.
Having arrived three days earlier, Kim Chang-Jin was thoroughly tanned.
"Hello, Mr. Kim!" Yoo-Jin greeted him.
"You must have had a tough time coming all the way here," Kim Chang-Jin replied.
Yoo-Jin shook her head. "Not at all. The business class you arranged was incredibly comfortable."
"I'm glad to hear that," Kim Chang-Jin said with a smile.
After exchanging greetings with Yoo-Jin, Kim Chang-Jin knelt to meet eyes with Miso.
"Yes!" Miso exclaimed.
"You look pretty and smart. It would be perfect for you to star in our commercials if you become a celebrity when you grow up," Kim Chang-Jin remarked.
However, Miso's cheeks puffed up in displeasure.
"Miso, what's wrong?" Kim Chang-Jin asked.
"I am already a celebrity..." Miso muttered.
"Oh, r-really? I made a mistake. Sorry," Kim Chang-Jin apologized.
When the perplexed Kim Chang-Jin hastily apologized, Miso quickly forgave him. She was not one to hold a grudge, after all.
'Even so, isn't it a bit quick to forgive someone over just a PowerTuff Girl candy?'
We then followed Kim Chang-Jin out of the airport where a 15-seater van had been arranged for us. Before getting in the van, he introduced our guide, assistants, and security personnel for the next three days.
"This is Chris, the security officer. Anita, the assistant, and Big Sam, the guide."
Then we headed straight to the resort.
***
Virgin Island on Bohol Island in the Philippines was known for its crescent-shaped white sandbar that appeared during low tide. The pristine sandbar arched like a crescent appeared over the sea just once a day and was flanked by turquoise waters on the sides.
The resort where we were staying, Virgin Resort, was the closest to this Virgin Island. Upon our arrival at the Virgin Resort, staff from Marine Boy Agency whom we had met during a Burger Queen commercial shoot greeted us.
"Hello, Miss Yoo-Jin. It's been a while. The director is thrilled to work with you again."
"Where is Mr. Park?" Yoo-Jin asked.
"He went to scout the location," the staff replied.
Now booming thanks to the Burger Queen commercial, Marine Boy Agency had secured another advertisement with Yoo-Jin.
Director Park Bull-Chool, known for his versatility, was once again tasked with working with Yoo-Jin.
"Let's meet at the dinner meeting later," Yoo-Jin said with a sweet smile.
After greeting the staff again, we moved to the best two-story standalone villa in the resort, Villa No. 7. When I opened the brown wooden gate, the first thing I saw was a spacious 25-meter pool.
The large two-story building was constructed so close to the pool that one could step directly into it from any room.
"Wow! Uncle Yoon-Ho, can I go into the pool?" Miso asked excitedly.
"Of course," I replied.
I had packed Miso's swimsuit just for this.
Seeing Miso cheer, Yoo-Jin's face instantly brightened, adding a confident lift to Kim Chang-Jin's shoulders who found this place. After all, providing Miso with a business class seat and securing the finest accommodations was all to win favor with Yoo-Jin.
Yoo-Jin smiled and said, "Mr. Kim, this place seems too lavish for us."
"Not at all. Our headquarters know we managed to sign the contract with you early and were able to set a lower budget for the advertising fees. They instructed me to make a clear gesture of our sincerity," Kim Chang-Jin explained.
Kim Chang-Jin gave a proud smile and began detailing the schedule.
"Let's have our final review meeting during dinner. Tomorrow, we'll start shooting during low tide. The sun will be strong, so please apply sunscreen generously."
He pointed to his own sunburned self as a stern reminder.
We received the itinerary and started unpacking. After settling into our rooms, I called Lee Yung-Jin and Lee Mi-Ri to another room for a meeting. Thanks to thorough preparation, the operational meeting concluded in just 30 minutes.
"...Then Mdm. Mi-Ri, please double-check the outfits for tomorrow's shoot and for posting on Instargem. Let's make the most out of this trip," I instructed.
"Okay. I brought plenty of outfits just in case," Lee Mi-Ri replied, pointing to her large suitcase of costumes.
"Well done. And Yung-Jin, you'll meet with the Cocari Sweat team for a preliminary survey."
"Aren’t you going yourself, Mr. Jung?" Lee Yung-Jin asked.
"It's time you gained some field experience to be promoted to assistant manager, don’t you think?" I replied.
The seemingly touched Lee Yung-Jin nodded.
But I felt slightly guilty inside. While it was true I wanted him to gain experience, I also knew this place well from previous visits in my past life and preferred avoiding the harsh sunburn.
"I’ll make sure to cover everything. I’ll even record videos, so don't worry!" Lee Yung-Jin replied enthusiastically.
"Hey, hold on. Put on some sunscreen first."
"Oh, it's just a few hours; I'll be fine without it," Yung-Jin said dismissively as he grabbed his phone and disappeared.
"Uh-oh. He's gonna get terrible sunburns…" I muttered under my breath.
With Lee Mi-Ri gone to check the costumes, I finally had a chance to check my planner again.
[Everyday V10.1]
[Date: June 25, 2020]
-09:30 AM [NEW. Jung Yoo-Jin] Meeting with the Chief of Police in Bohol Island, Philippines.
As expected, nothing seems to have changed.
"What could possibly happen?"
The meeting with the police chief at 9:30 am suggested that something was expected to occur between tonight and dawn.
I decided to warn Yoo-Jin to be cautious.
The villa was so large it took a while to get from my room to Yoo-Jin's. When I knocked, Miso peeked out.
"Uncle Yoon-Ho, what is it?" Miso asked.
"I need to speak to your mom for a moment," I replied.
"Just a second!"
Miso's head disappeared back inside.
"Huh? What's going on?"
Moments later, the door opened again and there stood Yoo-Jin and Miso in blue and white rash guards.
The two both stretched out their hands with bright smiles. "Ta-da!"
"What's this?" I asked.
"Doesn’t it look nice?" Yoo-Jin asked, with her hair styled in a sloppy bun, which made me burst out laughing.
"It looks nice, but... maybe we should redo the hair? There’s no jet lag but why does your hairstyle look like that? Ha ha." I chuckled.
Yoo-Jin pouted. "Oppa, Miso did this hair for me."
"Oops!" I quickly shut my mouth, but Miso's lips were already pouty.
'Little did I know Miso had recently taken an interest in fashion alongside drawing!' I remarked inwardly.
"Mi-Miso, I was just joking," I quickly added.
Finding no way to appease the sulking Miso, I quickly changed the subject.
"That’s not important! Both of you, sit down."
As I beckoned them to sit down, they sat on the sofa in front of the room and focused on my words.
"We must be extra cautious when abroad. Miso, never follow strangers. Understand?"
"Okay!" Miso replied enthusiastically.
"Yoo-Jin, take good care of Miso. I'll look after her during the shoot as much as I can, but make sure to keep an eye on her the rest of the time."
After advising them of the potential dangers, I handed Miso a wristband equipped with an emergency whistle and told her to blow the whistle as hard as she could whenever Yoo-Jin and I were out of sight.
"Okay, Uncle Yoon-Ho!!"
"Do you want to try blowing the whistle now?"
Screeeek!
When Miso blew the whistle with all her might with her cheeks puffing up, the sound echoed loudly through the vast villa.
However, the schedule in my planner still remained unchanged.
'Is this not it? Then I might have to consider the possibility of a more severe scenario,' I thought hard to myself.
***
Widely known for its safety, Bohol Resort had its own security personnel. On top of that, we also had Chris sent by Cocari Sweat.
However, Chris' casual demeanor hardly seemed fit for a professional bodyguard. After much deliberation, I decided to call Choi Yang-Han, the president of TOP Security, who had made a mistake at Incheon Airport.
-Yes, Mr. Jung. Have you arrived safely in the Philippines?
"We've just arrived and are getting settled," I replied Choi Yang-Han.
-It's good to hear that. And I'm sorry about the mishap at the airport.
"Let's leave the past behind. More importantly, Mr. Choi. Do you happen to know any private security firms in Bohol, perhaps someone acquainted with the police chief there?"
-Yes, there's a company called BH International run by a guy named Jason. He’s well-connected with the Bohol police chief and highly competent.
Like Korea in the past, the Philippines was heavily influenced by personal connections.
"Then could you contact Mr. Jason to arrange for two security personnel to be on a 24-hour watch? We need them for two days until we leave the Philippines," I requested.
-Absolutely, I’ll make sure they send their top personnel. Don’t worry about the cost; we'll cover everything.
The cost of private security in the Philippines was significantly lower than in Korea.
I thanked Choi Yang-Han for his gesture to make up for the previous mistake.
"Then I'll see you when we return."
-Thank you, Mr. Jung. I'll prepare thoroughly to avoid disappointing you again!
"See you then."
I ended the call and awaited the arrival of the security personnel.
***
As 6 p.m. passed, the sun began to set and cast a dim light.
Thump.
Lee Yung-Jin returned from the site with his skin charred from the sun.
"Ugh…Mr. Jung." Lee Yung-Jin groaned.
"See? That's why I told you to wear sunscreen," I chided him.
"I didn't expect the sun to be that strong."
"Just apply some soothing cream."
As he slathered on the aloe vera cream I had brought, Yung-Jin's grimace brightened instantly.
"Ah~ that feels much better."
"How was the site?"
"Oh, the weather was great and the sea looked amazing. I checked the beach briefly and it was clean."
Hearing Yung-Jin confidently respond improved my mood. However, I needed to ensure everything was set.
"Yung-Jin, what about the sand raking?" I asked.
"Not yet," Lee Yung-Jin replied.
"We're shooting barefoot tomorrow. What if Yoo-Jin gets hurt? We need to rake the sand beforehand to avoid any injuries. Don't you think you took the survey too lightly?" I asked with a worried look.
Yung-Jin grinned. "Mr. Jung, Virgin Island disappears and reappears with the tide every day. What's the point of doing it today? Of course, we have to do it first thing when the path opens tomorrow."
"Wow~ I'm impressed."
"That’s why I’m planning to check it with ten staff members tomorrow."
"That's smart thinking."
Lee Yung-Jin confidently asserted, "I'm not the old Yung-Jin anymore. I'm the future Assistant Manager Lee Yung-Jin!"
At that moment, the intercom began to ring. It was a call from the desk informing us that Jason, the head of the local security company, had arrived.
I allowed him entry, and Jason appeared with four robust men in about five minutes.
Jason introduced himself first and explained that the guards beside him would protect us until we left the Philippines.
"We appreciate your help, Mr. Jason."
Thanks to the English lessons I took in my past life, simple conversations were no problem.
"Ha ha ha. Please contact me anytime if there's anything uncomfortable," Jason said as he handed over his business card, mentioning he was a friend of Choi Yang-Han.
After Jason and two of the guards left the room, only Ricky and Michael remained by our side. They both had rock-hard bodies and introduced themselves as experienced commandos who had earned their stripes in long battles with the Moro Islamic Liberation Front.
They announced they would start referring to me as 'Boss' and immediately commenced their duties.
Yoo-Jin looked at the stern-looking men and asked with a nervous expression. "Oppa, why are these men here?"
"Just in case."
"There isn't anything wrong, is there?"
"No, everything is fine. I just thought it would be better to be safe since Miso is with us too."
"What about Mr. Chris from Cocari Sweat?"
"He'll also provide security, but these professionals will take the lead."
After calming Yoo-Jin, I urged her to prepare for the final advertisement meeting.
When we gathered our essentials and exited the villa, Ricky and Michael from BH International followed closely.
"We were instructed to maintain close protection outside the bedrooms," Ricky said.
I nodded to Ricky's explanation that we have to move together even within the resort. After all, the updated schedule in my planner hadn't been cleared yet.
"Ricky, if anything happens, the priority is Miso, Yoo-Jin, and then the staff," I whispered to Ricky, making sure Yoo-Jin and Miso couldn't hear me.
"Then what about you, Boss?" Ricky asked.
"I'm last," I replied.
Ricky looked surprised. "Let me ask again just to confirm, Boss. You're last? Are you sure?"
When I nodded, Ricky and Michael conversed briefly in Tagalog. Despite English being an official language, actual usage was under 7% and Michael didn't seem to speak English.
After understanding my intent from Ricky, Michael bowed to me with an indifferent expression unique to him.
I checked my planner again, but the schedule persisted.
'What exactly is about to happen?'
Just then, Ricky, who had been vigilantly scanning the area, turned to me with a stern expression.
"Boss, I have a question..."
Unexpectedly, a crucial clue about the planner entry began to unfold from an unlikely source.
Ristretto's Thoughts
Oh my gosh, the author is so good at cutting the chapters at crucial moments
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