Rookie Talent Agent Knows It All-Chapter 512: Concert Accident (1)

I forced a smile as if nothing was wrong. "It's nothing. Don't worry about it. By the way, you all know there's the first rehearsal at the small theater tomorrow at noon, right? Then the next day, it's at DX Hall. Don't forget."

"Okay."

This joint concert was a large-scale event with an audience of 8,000 people. I had no intention of letting it fail or allowing my precious celebrities to get hurt.

"Ms. Baek, please take the girls back to their dorms and homes with Ran-Hee."

"Yes, Mr. Jung."

After entrusting Yoo-Jin and Miso to them, I rushed to the Performance Brothers' headquarters in Namyangju.

***

Performance Brothers, a company specializing in stage equipment, had its headquarters and prefab buildings spread across a 1,000-pyeong site in Namyangju. Large spaces were essential for storing and assembling stage equipment.

After parking the car, I headed toward the entrance of the prefab building. When I showed my ID to the young security guard, he guided me inside.

Inside the gray-painted prefab building, workers were busy assembling equipment needed for the stage setup. Since assembling everything on-site would take too much time, they did partial assembly here, transported it by truck, and finished the assembly at the venue.

Zing!

The grinding noise of tools and the sparks from welding rods filled the air as numerous workers focused on their tasks. The clanging of metal platforms, stage props, and trusses used for stage structures echoed, making my ears ring.

In one corner of the building, the two brothers who co-founded Performance Brothers—the older brother, Gong Sang-Min, and the younger brother, Gong Do-Hoon—were running around with safety helmets on, giving orders.

"Chul-Soo hyung-nim! Double and triple-check the welding!"

"Dong-Shin, take out the lights and check them again!"

"Han-Taek, you start with the speakers, amps, and microphones. After you're done, inspect the trusses yourself and don't forget to report back."

True to their reputation for being meticulous, the two brothers were giving instructions to check everything thoroughly.

Just then, Park Moon-Soo, the team lead of Performance Brothers, spotted me and quickly approached. Wearing a white safety helmet, he gave me a polite nod. "Mr. Jung, you're here."

"Hello, sir."

I mentioned wanting to inspect the equipment before installation, and there was no hesitation at all.

Park Moon-Soo turned to the security guard. "Mr. Choi, you can head out now."

"Yes, Mr. Park."

After the young security guard who guided me disappeared, Park Moon-Soo gestured toward the busy work site. "You must be worried, but rest assured. As you can see, our presidents personally inspect all the equipment themselves. They're incredibly meticulous and passionate."

Performance Brothers was currently ranked around 12th in the industry and was a relatively small company. However, before my regression, their dedication to safety and precision helped them grow into one of the leading stage production companies in Korea.

I said, "I know both presidents are thorough. Still, this is the first large-scale concert we're hosting, so I can't help but worry."

Park Moon-Soo pointed to a stack of stage platform blocks. "I completely understand. We'll triple-check everything. Ah, and lately, there have been a lot of slipping accidents on stage, so we've applied a special coating on the stage surface. Here, take a look."

I touched one lightly and immediately felt the difference. "This should prevent anyone from slipping. Also, please install sticky dust-removal mats at the stage entrances and throughout the venue to help clean the artists' shoes before they step on stage."

Park Moon-Soo quickly noted my request on his tablet, ensuring nothing was overlooked. "Understood. We'll place sticky mats on both sides of the stage and at various spots throughout the venue."

"And feel free to add the costs for these items to the final invoice."

"Oh, it's fine. Mats don't cost much anyway."

"No, everything I request today will be covered by us."

A smile spread across Park Moon-Soo's face. Most clients demanded extra services without paying additional fees, so my willingness to cover even small expenses was a pleasant surprise. I believed in compensating people fairly for their work, not shifting burdens onto them.

"Thank you for your consideration, Mr. Jung."

"There's no need to thank me. It's only fair to be paid for the work you do."

"If only every client were like you... Haha."

I patted Park Moon-Soo's shoulder sympathetically. Just then, the two brothers noticed me and approached.

Both men gave me a polite nod. "Mr. Jung, welcome!"

I bowed back and said, "It's reassuring to see you inspecting everything so thoroughly."

Despite the winter cold, Gong Sang-Min was sweating from running around the site. "Our company may be small, but we've never had an accident on-site. We'll make sure all safety measures are in place, so you can trust us."

Hearing this, Park Moon-Soo mentioned that I had offered to cover all additional costs. Gong Sang-Min's smile widened.

"Thank you so much for your generosity. We'll do our best to use the budget wisely."

"Don't worry about saving money. Safety is the real profit. Use more glow-in-the-dark stickers, direction indicators, and lights than you think you need. Just include everything in the final invoice."

Cutting costs often led to safety accidents. And since Everyday had warned me about Eun-Ah and Sae-Ri's injuries, I had no intention of skimping on safety expenses.

As the two brothers smiled brightly, I glanced at Everyday again. However, the schedule entry hadn't changed yet.

'Is this not enough?'

In the end, I decided to inspect the equipment myself. I asked, "Would it be possible to take a look at the equipment up close?"

Without hesitation, Gong Do-Hoon handed me a safety helmet and boots. "This way, please. I'll personally guide you."

"Do you have any work clothes as well?"

Gong Do-Hoon pointed to a corner of the factory. "There's a changing room and a shower over there."

"Great. I'll borrow a set so I can get a closer look."

"Of course. Follow me."

I followed Gong Do-Hoon, changed into a gray work uniform, and began inspecting the equipment.

***

Three hours passed.

Sweat soaked my back as I meticulously inspected the equipment, yet Everyday's schedule entry remained unchanged.

'Is this not the issue? No... Problems can still arise during installation at the venue.'

I decided to inspect the equipment again during the setup the following night.

Concealing my disappointment, I struck up a conversation with Gong Do-Hoon. "Your workers are all very meticulous."

"Yes. Everyone working here is a full-time employee."

"No wonder their work stands out."

Gong Do-Hoon grinned. "Ah, but tomorrow night, we'll need additional manpower to wrap things up. We'll be bringing in extra workers from an employment agency."

Equipment delivery was scheduled to begin at 10 p.m. on December 24th. With the stage assembly needing to be completed by the afternoon of the 25th, a sizable workforce was required.

"Understood. Feel free to hire more people and spend more if needed, but please ensure the same level of meticulousness during on-site assembly."

"Of course. There's no need to worry."

After a quick shower and changing back into my suit, I pulled an envelope from my inner pocket. "Here, please take this."

Gong Do-Hoon's eyes widened. "What's this?"

"Since you'll be working late tomorrow, treat your team to a good meal tonight to recharge. Just make sure they go easy on the alcohol."

"Ah, you really didn't have to go this far..."

Ignoring Gong Do-Hoon's protests, I slipped the envelope into his pocket. The better the on-site crew performed, the safer the performers would be. Seeing me hand over the dinner money, the surrounding workers' faces lit up with smiles.

After another glance at the planner confirmed no changes, I became certain the problem wasn't with the equipment.

'Looks like I'll need to inspect the venue as well.'

Putting my phone away, I bid farewell to the Performance Brothers' presidents. "See you tomorrow night."

"See you tomorrow, Mr. Jung."

Without hesitation, I headed straight for COEX DX Hall, where the concert would be held.

***

At COEX DX Hall, I met with Lee Dong-Min, who was already conducting an on-site inspection.

Together, we completed the fire safety inspection and checked various facilities. Yet no matter what I checked, the schedule entry in Everyday didn't change.

'What exactly is going to happen?'

Noticing the concern on my face, Lee Dong-Min asked, "What's wrong? Did you have a bad dream or something?"

After a brief moment of hesitation, I replied, "Yeah... I dreamt that the girls got into an accident."

Having heard before that I had a good dream right before Cherry Blossom's big success, Lee Dong-Min often asked if I'd had any good dreams lately. Each time, I had to subtly tweak the information from the planner and share it with him.

"What kind of accident?"

"I don't remember clearly. I just know they got hurt..."

After pondering for a moment, Lee Dong-Min asked, "Did they fall off a lift in your dream?"

A lift was a device that raised people from below the stage. At the very beginning of the joint concert, both Eun-Ah and Sae-Ri were supposed to appear on stage using separate lifts. The lifts would rise to about three meters high, so I had specifically checked their assembly at the factory.

"I did check them, and they seemed sturdy."

"Even if they looked fine at the factory, something could still go wrong during transport or reassembly."

Since Lee Dong-Min had more on-site concert experience than I did, I noted his advice.

"I'll have them double and triple-check the lifts at the venue as well."

"Yeah. Accidents could happen if something falls from the trusses or if someone falls from the stage itself. Either way, there's no shortage of things to watch out for."

Concert stages use aluminum trusses—triangular lattice structures that span across the stage—to support lighting and various equipment. These trusses often end up cluttered with lights, banners, and other devices, increasing the risk of falling objects.

Lee Dong-Min warned that anything falling from the trusses could cause serious injuries.

I nodded. "I've already asked the truss team to secure the lights and equipment more firmly than usual."

"Good. Still, if you're worried, why not double the security presence?"

One of the biggest remaining risks was the possibility of fans rushing onto the stage. But then another thought struck me.

"Mr. Lee, what if we install security cameras?"

Even with security guards patrolling, blind spots were inevitable. Security cameras would eliminate those blind spots.

Without hesitation, Lee Dong-Min agreed. "Okay, let's double the security and set up a security camera too."

"Thank you."

"Oh, there's no need to thank me."

Lee Dong-Min made a phone call right away to arrange the security cameras to be set up.

"Yes, Mr. Park. Please install the cameras during the stage setup at COEX DX Hall on the night of the 24th. Yes, and remove them on the night of the 26th. Alright, see you at the site."

After ending the call, Lee Dong-Min confidently announced.

"Luckily, they agreed despite the short notice. We'll have thirty cameras installed."

With all these precautions in place, I checked the schedule entry again. Yet Everyday still showed no changes.

'What on earth is going to happen?'

***

It was December 24th, 10:00 p.m, and equipment began arriving at DX Hall in Samseong-dong.

The crew from Performance Brothers, along with external laborers, started assembling the stage. They erected steel pillars, installed X-shaped beams between them, and began laying the stage floor panels.

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"Once the stage is done, get the truss team ready."

"Got it."

"Also, make sure to install the lifts while setting up the stage. Don't do it separately and handle it all at once."

"Understood!"

Screech! Creak.

Zing! Thud!

The sound of tools echoed throughout the venue as the stage floor panels were steadily lifted into place, reaching a height of two meters. Workers swarmed around the lifts, installing them with practiced efficiency.

After two hours of intense labor, the stage floor was complete. Now, it was time to assemble the truss structures on both sides of the stage and install the lighting.

I observed the setup for a while, then headed up to the control room, which offered a view overlooking the stage.

Inside the control room, Lee Dong-Min was chatting with a man sporting a ponytail. The man was Park Bon-Soo, the president of Clairvoyance Security Camera, responsible for installing the cameras today.

"Yoon-Ho, this is Mr. Park Bon-Soo," Lee Dong-Min introduced him.

Park Bon-Soo greeted me and explained the installation progress. "So far, we've installed twelve security cameras inside and outside the venue, including some under the stage. The rest will be set up after the stage is fully assembled."

I asked, "Could we check the footage from the cameras that are already online?"

"Sure. We were about to do a test run anyway."

Since cameras had been installed even beneath the stage, an area often overlooked, there should be no blind spots.

Park Bon-Soo walked over to a row of monitors in the control room and issued instructions through his radio. "Dong-Jin, let's test the cameras that are connected. Switch the feed on."

-Yes, sir.

At that moment, four of the eight monitors flickered to life and displayed live feeds from under the stage. Since lights had been installed beneath the stage as well, the footage was surprisingly clear.

"Only the stage cameras are active for now. Check the exterior connections too."

-We're still working on those. We'll get them online as soon as possible.

"Alright."

Just then, a figure appeared on Camera 2 near one of the stage lifts. The man wore a Performance Brothers hoodie, but his long hair, cap, and face mask obscured his identity.

"Wait... Who's that? Why is he under the stage?"

Instantly, my instincts screamed that the guy was the one who would cause harm to my celebrities.

'Who the hell are you?'