Life is Easier If You're Handsome novel Chapter 328

Iron Core vs. working title – Arc V.

This setup was, from the fans’ point of view, news to welcome with both hands up.

From the perspective of existing Marvel fans—

“Wait, so there’s going to be another successor to Iron Man besides Iron Core?”

“They’re saying they’re unfolding the story centered around Kim Donghu?”

“It must be the multiverse, right? A completely different one?”

“But Loki already cut all the timelines... Can there still be another story coming out?”

“It’s a different multiverse from that... Multiverse is the universal click-fix anyway.”

Kim Donghu continuing Iron Man’s legacy — that was truly the best possible case.

Honestly, just remembering how jealous people felt watching Batman.

Not only did he hit fourth place in all-time Hollywood box office revenue, but with eight Academy Awards — including Best Picture — his momentum was surging.

Currently, every work coming out of Marvel might be high-quality, but was getting blocked by the wall of being a true blockbuster.

In this kind of situation, the guaranteed box office ticket backed by the Earth itself—Kim Donghu taking over Iron Man’s legacy?

“Is it coming back again... the Marvel era?”

“DC, are you afraid of Marvel’s return?”

Could it bring back that romance and fun we once felt?

With those thoughts rising—some people began digging into this situation with intense precision.

As a result—

“But honestly, there’s a really high chance this production might fall apart, right?”

They realized that working title – Arc V wasn’t actually in that great a condition.

The reason was that, at this point, Disney was already suffering heavy losses. They couldn’t just throw investment money at a story that hadn’t been proven.

“So what happens then?”

“They say it might get a smaller budget or something?”

“But then, wouldn’t it be better to just gather outside investors... like during Iron Man 1?”

“Back then Marvel did it with bank loans secured on IP... What happens now?”

They had accepted the foundation of the story. They’d granted the right to produce it. Frankly, they’d delegated full authority for the film. But when it came to actual budgeting—they hadn’t allocated anything yet.

So in a way, the production might end up being pushed way back. That was the kind of situation it was in.

And this was exactly the part that the Iron Core production team had aimed at. They were already busy handling the project they were producing right now.

Would they really have the budget to fund a rival project, too?

No matter how much money Disney had, it wasn’t like they had unlimited funds to toss around in hundred-million-dollar chunks.

‘In this case, they’ll naturally wait to fund it until the Iron Core series wraps up.’

‘This isn’t fear. Honestly, Rip said what he said because he knows that.’

Outwardly, they made it look like they were encouraging competition. As if they were giving permission for working title – Arc V to be made. But they weren’t actually offering any real support. They were just handing over a carrot that looked good on the outside.

You could say it was the result of the CEO adjusting the teams’ positions as best as possible within the current state of things.

‘Melvin, no matter how badly you want to write a new story... It’d be better to give up.’

In the end, without money, what can you do?

The Iron Core production team smirked bitterly as they thought of Melvin.

Trying to return to square one after already being acquired—

They thought of it as a dumb, desperate struggle.

And Melvin, the person being mocked—

“...Good. That’s just fine.”

—was smiling a deep smile at the corner of his mouth.

***

He couldn’t say he had planned everything from start to finish—but the moment he realized independence wasn’t an option, this was exactly what he had desperately hoped for.

‘As long as I get production rights. I can solve the budget myself.’

He understood why the Iron Core production team had done this kind of media play.

If they stirred things up like this, the current situation of working title – Arc V would be exposed to the world. Then people would start from the fact that the film was being made in a deeply disadvantageous position—and eventually it would spread that, in the long term, the film might not even get shot at all.

They wanted to shout out that risk for the whole world to hear.

It was a very clever tactic. So clever, he almost wanted to compliment them.

‘If only the lead actor weren’t Donghu Kim.’

They had forgotten the most important thing.

No matter how scared they were, they barked without even knowing who they were fighting against.

‘Do they still not know that Donghu Kim’s fandom isn’t just made up of ordinary people?’

Kim Donghu—is now just one giant collective of popularity.

Despite rumors that he had five lovers, his attitude made it look like he could take responsibility for all of them, earning him the “alpha male” label.

Because of that, he had a clean image. He could act. He had money. He was popular. He could fight. And even his fan service was top-tier.

He was someone so well-rounded, it was hard to find a reason to dislike him.

A man like that inheriting Iron Man’s legacy?

Then would the buzz stop at just the general public liking the news?

Melvin, long time no see. To be blunt... I want to stand beside Donghu Kim. I’ll send my audition video. Melvin! It’s me — hope you’ve been well? I know contacting you privately like this isn’t ideal, haha, but since this has to do with Donghu Kim, I just...

Actors.

Hello. I recently heard the news. I’ll get straight to the point —we absolutely want our company’s products to be featured in the movie with Donghu Kim. Murcielago — that car belongs to DC now. Marvel needs a new ride for itself... and Ferrari has a thoroughbred ready that suits Donghu Kim perfectly.

Corporations.

With the news that he would appear in the film—and whispers that the production budget might be short—people were gathering on their own.

Immersion.

I was going to become the main character in that world.

***

Roughly two months had passed since Harley had said he wouldn't give up. By the time I visited the garage again, he was gone.

“...Harley?”

With a sinking feeling, I headed to the corner of the workshop—to check the bunker door leading underground.

It had been sealed shut with three layers of locks. Locked down so hard no one could get in without a serious effort. But now—as if nothing had ever been locked at all, the door stood wide open, vomiting out the stale stench of the bunker.

“...Shit. No way...”

With dread in my chest, I stepped inside.

“He took the suit. That crazy bastard took the damn suit!”

Harley had suited up to become a vigilante.

Even worse—when I checked the still-powered-on computer nearby,

“...Morgan Stark? Don’t tell me... he even emailed Stark’s daughter? Asking her to ‘watch him’?!”

Normally, a random email like that would just get ignored. But somehow—Morgan Stark had actually opened it.

That lunatic. What the hell did he do? I had to find him. Immediately.

That thought stabbed through my brain, and my body burst out of the garage on instinct.

Where would he go, wearing that thing? I didn’t need to think hard about it.

I had a pretty good idea.

Every town's got at least one gang. And lately, ever since the Avengers' deaths, a bunch of new drug rings had popped up everywhere.

One of them was HateRip. He probably stormed their base by himself.

Why the hell does he always make life harder for himself? Muttering that, I sprinted.

The HateRip base wasn’t on Google Maps or anything, but every local knew where it was. So it wasn’t hard to find.

A decaying, abandoned factory. They’d fortified it like a damn fortress, so even the cops didn’t touch it unless they had to.

And he went in there alone?

“You fucking psycho...”

I was running flat-out when—

BOOOOM!

A deafening explosion ripped from the old factory.

“Uaaaaaaaah!”

A scream rang out right after. And naturally, the voice behind it was—

“Harley!”

Not a gang member. It was my friend.