bookpower Chapter 286
Chapter 286
Times are changing.
And those who can’t ride the wave—or fail to even recognize it—are bound to fall behind.
Han Seongmun, CEO of Brilliant, really liked that sentence.
‘Catching the flow of society—that’s the heart of business.’
In 2012, the Korean school uniform market was worth about 400 billion won.
As of 2022, it’s around 200 billion.
The times no longer wanted uniforms.
The school uniform industry was clearly a sinking ship.
That’s why—
‘If there’s no sign of growth, drop it quickly.’
Han Seongmun shut down the school uniform business.
Articles claimed it had gone bankrupt or whatever.
But he didn’t really care.
Correcting them wouldn’t change anything anyway.
"Better to focus on a new business than one that’s already dead."
"Sorry?"
"I mean, let’s just focus on making good clothes."
"Got it!"
To his employee’s puzzled look, Han Seongmun replied casually, then briefly reminisced about the past.
– Ah man, you came all the way to this shabby little place. I’m so sorry.
– Of course I came. I was your only male school uniform model, after all.
– Ever since ⊛ Nоvеlιght ⊛ (Read the full story) we used Kim Donghu, no one else looked good enough.
– Haha, you’re really laying it on thick again.
A small farewell party to mark the end of Brilliant’s school uniform business.
A thank-you gathering for the people who supported them.
Back then, Han Seongmun was deep in thought about his next venture.
He’d shut down the school uniform line, but still wanted to stay in fashion.
The problem was, the big-name brands were massive.
He worried whether there was even room for him to sit in that narrow space.
But just then—
– I really liked how Brilliant’s uniforms felt custom-fit. That’s gonna be missed.
– ?!
The moment he heard Kim Donghu say that, an idea hit him like lightning.
Custom uniforms.
Custom clothing.
That was exactly what Han Seongmun did best.
‘The reason my uniform brand succeeded... was because Donghu wore it.’
People want to wear what celebrities wear.
They want to dress like the stars they admire.
It’s a universal feeling.
So what if he made custom clothes for celebrities — then released ready-made versions based on them?
The challenge was that you had to choose the right celebrity.
And you had to maintain perfect quality to back it up.
‘As long as I follow Donghu, why worry about choosing a celeb?’
Han Seongmun already had the best partner at his side.
So, he immediately called Choi Seokho.
Sold his car, mortgaged his house—just to match the signing bonus.
"Has it already been five years...?"
Looking back now, mortgaging the house was the best decision he ever made.
If that deal had fallen through, he wouldn’t be where he was today.
"Huh?"
"What do you mean ‘huh’? Give me the status report on the Physical 300 readymade set."
"Oh! Production is complete. Once Netflix drops Episode 1, we’ll launch it right then."
"Okay, good. That’s really good."
Han Seongmun glanced over his shoulder.
The CEO’s office.
Right behind his desk.
"The Physical 300 gear... it’s going to sell like crazy."
"How can you be so sure?"
"Executive Park, what’s our company motto?"
"To adapt and move with change..."
"No, not the public one."
"Always trust Kim Donghu."
"Exactly. That’s it."
Normally, CEOs decorate that space with giant windows or expensive decor.
But in Han Seongmun’s office, none of that mattered — the only thing on the wall behind his desk was a photo of Kim Donghu.
***
Three weeks before
Netflix launched a full-scale promo campaign, as if they’d been waiting for this.
They introduced the cast, and made 1-minute highlight videos for standout contestants.
There were 300 participants, so they couldn’t show everyone.
The goal was to focus attention on those who made a strong impression in the show.
And among them—
ᄂWhoa, even a marathoner? Sindre Halvorsen ????????
Sindre, who stood out in running.
ᄂThere’s a football player too?! And he’s active?! ????????
ᄂHow’d they even get him? How much money did they throw at this
ᄂThey just dumped the whole budget into this show ????
An active NFL linebacker, Kade Walker.
ᄂThere’s a strongman too ????????????????????
ᄂAngus has arrived ???????????????????? dude’s insanely strong
ᄂJust being able to go head-to-head with a strongman is already wild
2021 World’s Strongest Man — Angus the Highland Wall.
Those were the three.
The videos were streaming live in real-time.
No one knew who would show up next.
But most viewers started thinking— one of those three was going to win.
Then came the end of the clip...
Thud!
Suddenly, the screen changed with a booming soundtrack.
ᄂWhy does this feel like a FIFA player intro ????
ᄂThey’ve done this before, but they’re really flexing now
ᄂWho’s coming out for them to hype it like this?
ᄂAre they bringing in a real pro fighter or something?
Viewers got curious, wondering who it could be.
And right then—
『Actor』
The moment that first word appeared—
ᄂ????????
ᄂNo way no way no way no way no way
ᄂAre you serious, is he really showing up here? ????????????????????
ᄂgonnagoeatlunchgonnagoeatlunchgonnagoeatlunchgonnagoeatlunchgonnagoeatlunchgonnagoeatlunchgonnagoeatlunch
Everyone instantly knew who it was.
An “actor” worthy of being on
There was only one person that fit without needing to be named.
And then came the second caption—
『Boxer』
ᄂHe’s here he’s here he’s here he’s here
ᄂAnyone who said it was Tom—do you even have a brain? Anyone who said it was Tom—do you even have a brain? Anyone who said it was Tom—do you even have a brain?
ᄂAhh... welcome, GOAT
ᄂAh... the man who just shows up and delivers 30% viewership for dramas, 40%+ for films, Palme d'Or at Cannes—he IS a walking economic blessing ^
ᄂWhy is the Dong Mandala version so short now?
ᄂIt’s the updated version ???? Rewriting it again soon
People had already figured it out.
YouTube’s live chat was exploding.
A Korean program — but not having a Korean as a title contender had been a sad reality.
Westerners usually dominated physically, so people had given up hope.
ᄂBut what if it’s Kim Donghu?
ᄂKim!
ᄂDong!
ᄂHu!
ᄂBro you’re using ancient memes again, cringe boomer energy ????
ᄂMen are like wine
ᄂSure, sure—hello hello, bro is Tarzan and Batman
ᄂThat’s right, he pulled a biplane, remember?
And then a Korean.
Not just anyone—but framed as the final boss, the strongest contender.
The moment Kim Donghu appeared, everyone lost their minds.
『Kim Donghu』
And when the third and final caption appeared, people screamed—it really was Kim Donghu.
ᄂWhen the name popped up with his face, goddamn ????????????
ᄂKim Donghu is wine—how does he just keep getting hotter with age
ᄂHe doesn’t look like a boy anymore—just pure grown man vibes
ᄂCome. Into. My. Heart.
ᄂMa’am. Please calm down.
ᄂWait, was Kim Donghu still cutting weight here? He looks a bit smaller than the others
ᄂ???? Of course he does, how many of those guys aren’t juicing?
ᄂSome of the "notable" contestants actually tested positive
ᄂAnd let’s be real, most of them probably use stuff ???? Kim Donghu doesn’t, that’s why he looks smaller
ᄂYou think those veins pop out naturally? Y’all are way too naïve these days
ᄂThese days people have no shame, saying TRT isn’t roids ????
ᄂWhat’s TRT?
ᄂJust synthetic testosterone. It started as therapy but now it’s basically just doping
ᄂ???? Got it
The energy was burning hot.
And of course, as if on cue, articles started flying out.
The embargo was lifted thanks to the promo video.
So the media fired full blast.
『Kim Donghu in
『
『Epic entrance, feels like the emperor just arrived. Kim Donghu confirmed for
『
『How far will he go? Will Kim Donghu win
『Everything he touches turns to gold—Kim Donghu, the Midas without a curse. Will this one hit too?』
With articles flooding in, people just wanted time to skip ahead.
ᄂYou hype us up like this and make us wait 3 weeks? What is this torture
ᄂTime, please move faster!
ᄂJust hit this button
ᄂClick
Finally, time flew by—three weeks later.
Netflix dropped Episodes 1 and 2 of
All it took was a single YouTube promo.
Maybe it was the star-studded cast—
But the moment it dropped, it hit #1 globally on Netflix by default.
With contestants from all over the world, everyone rooted for their home country.
And with all that anticipation building—
– We will now begin the long-distance run.
The mission for Episode 1 was revealed.
The moment Kim Donghu’s hell train began to move.