The recording of the world's first title track was not smooth, but it was finally completed with some bumps, and Lee Ji-eun went to rehearsal a few minutes after finishing the recording.
Lee Ji-eun, who had been promoting for several days, still needed two more days to be eligible for the first-place selection, while IVE had just started their calculation period.
In fact, many entertainment companies had already started deciding not to promote during the first seven days, as promotions cost money and by default, they couldn't participate in the first-place selection anyway, so they would just wait until they were eligible.
DM Entertainment also had such plans, but considering the concentrated comebacks of DM Entertainment's groups and artists recently, and the need for IVE to cooperate with many marketing activities, they decided to have IVE participate fully.
DM Entertainment still lacked money, but they were not stingy when it came to paying for promotion stages; spending money effectively where it was needed would lead to better profits.
Ordinary people can indeed save money, but if a company is constantly thinking about saving money, how can it develop?
I'm talking about you, JYP.
Being so stingy, your financial statements might look good, but your reputation is ruined.
Before Jiang Shu's transmigration, apart from TWICE, not a single girl group under JYP had a positive evaluation; several girl groups were messed up by the money-saving strategy, and the most regrettable was the monster rookie ITZY at the time, as for NMIXX...
NMIXX had a 'make-do' vibe from the moment of their birth.
In plain terms, JYP didn't treat them as a new group for the company at all; their minds were completely focused on TWICE.
From the current perspective, investing in TWICE was indeed a profitable approach, but in the long run, this was overdrawing their future.
TWICE is popular, but how long can they stay popular? TWICE might survive the seven-year itch for girl groups, but what about two seven-year periods? Three? Expecting one group to be popular for a lifetime is pure fantasy for an idol-economy entertainment company.
Even Loen's Lee Ji-eun, that's because Loen has Melon, a money-printing machine; without Melon, one Lee Ji-eun couldn't support the entire company. The Korean Entertainment market is right here, and it's only this big.
Each circle has its own market environment; Korean Entertainment and Chinese Entertainment are completely incomparable in scale. Yuehua can rely on one Wang Yibo to support the company's economy, but Korean Entertainment just can't do that; the market is too small.
Even Big Hit, which got its start relying on BTS, expanded crazily after BTS's massive success. BTS fans heavily criticized the company, but from the company's perspective, this was the most correct strategy.
Facts have also proven that even with all BTS members enlisted, Big Hit, or rather Hybe, is still the K-Pop company with the highest market capitalization.
Without a successor and relying only on TWICE, JYP, you're not a small company; you're purely digging your own grave.
The more one understands these K-Pop entertainment companies, the more one realizes that this world is a huge makeshift operation; once the filter is removed, you can see that these scoundrels are all more greedy than the last.
Music Core audience seats.
Previously, Jiang Shu watched Lee Ji-eun's debut stage backstage; this time, for IVE's first comeback stage, Jiang Shu came out from backstage and into the audience seats.
"Chairman Jiang!"
As soon as Jiang Shu appeared, he was immediately recognized by IVE's fans.
On "Running Man" before, the interaction between Jiang Shu and Zhang Yuanying not only allowed the obscure ultraman to break the fourth wall and interact with K-Pop, but also spread the memes of Jiang Shu and Zhang Yuanying throughout K-Pop.
Coupled with Jiang Shu's high-intensity updates of face-revealing videos over the past month, jointly promoted by DM Entertainment's public relations and marketing departments, Jiang Shu's popularity in the industry quickly caught up to the well-known K-Pop company leaders, Li Xiuman and Park Jin-young.
"Hello everyone," Jiang Shu smiled gently and waved to the fans.
The fans, who had been sitting quietly, all stood up. Except for the fan site masters who were filming the artists rehearsing on stage, the other fans all stretched their necks, trying to get a clear look at Jiang Shu who had come to the audience seats.
After all, as the chairman of an entertainment company, and also the chairman of IVE, Jiang Shu benefited from his own little group, and was arranged a separate seat by Music Core, even further forward than the first row of audience seats, in the empty space between the audience seats and the stage. Security personnel stood behind Jiang Shu, preventing fans from climbing onto the stage, but from a visual perspective, these security guards looked more like Jiang Shu's bodyguards.
Jiang Shu came to the first row of audience seats and shook hands with the fans who extended their hands towards him, one by one.
"Chairman Jiang, you're so handsome in person!"
"Thank you, you're very beautiful too."
"Chairman Jiang, which member of IVE do you like the most?"
"I like them all."
"Chairman Jiang! Can you put more photocards in the albums!"
"We'll consider it."
"Chairman Jiang..."
Fans excitedly shouted all sorts of questions, and Jiang Shu patiently answered them after hearing them.
A photographer stood behind him, holding a camera, faithfully recording everything.
Soon, staff members came over to stop the interaction because the live broadcast was about to begin.
Jiang Shu sat down in the "special seat" prepared for him by the production team. Having been filmed by cameras for over a month, even without learning how to capture the lens, Jiang Shu had developed the ability to sense being targeted by cameras.
He looked up to his right, and saw a sliding camera pointed directly at him.
Jiang Shu smiled at the camera. Just then, his phone vibrated in his pocket.
He took out his phone; it was a call from Choi Ji-yeon.
The venue was noisy, and he couldn't leave easily, so he chose to hang up directly and then sent a message to Choi Ji-yeon.
Shu: What's up?
A moment later, Choi Ji-yeon's message came through.
Choi Ji-yeon: Chairman, an agency contacted us, saying there are five trainees from China who want to audition.
Jiang Shu was momentarily stunned when he saw the message from Choi Ji-yeon.
He knew about agencies; most entertainment companies didn't have overseas branches. Only the Three Greats like S.M, JYP, and YG, as well as some other companies, had overseas branches that could directly recruit trainees abroad. DM Entertainment, wanting to recruit foreign trainees, needed to rely on agencies.
Agencies would select suitable trainees, then contact entertainment companies that those trainees were interested in to request audition slots.
These agencies basically profited from both ends: trainees had to pay, and if a trainee was accepted by an entertainment company, the entertainment company would also give the agency a commission, earning from both sides.
DM Entertainment also had partnerships with agencies. The famous Lalisa was snatched by the original owner from an agency; originally, Lisa wanted to go to YG, but the original owner tricked her into coming over by offering to debut her at any time.
It was also this time that Yang Hyun-suk learned about Lisa.
Looking at the message from Choi Ji-yeon, Jiang Shu couldn't help but raise an eyebrow.
Chinese trainees?
Could Song Yuqi be among them?
It's hard to say. DM Entertainment already has Xu Suizhen and Zhao Meiyan. At this point, two of (G)I-DLE's six members are already here, so it's entirely possible it's Song Yuqi.
It probably won't be from the 'free wind' (referring to trainees from Hong Kong, Macau, and Taiwan); agencies usually specifically mark trainees from those three regions. No mark means all five are from mainland China.
Shu: Send me the information.
Choi Ji-yeon: 【File】
Jiang Shu received the file and began browsing.
The first one, not a person, skipped.
The second one... Hmm?
Jiang Shu looked at the name in surprise, then at the photo.
Big Chest Cheng Xiao?
It really was her.
Jiang Shu blinked. What was Cosmic Girls' bond again?
He had never played the Cosmic Girls deck in any of his five playthroughs. He could clearly remember the ones he played often. He had seen the Cosmic Girls deck, but he had forgotten it.
Should he take her?
Jiang Shu looked at Cheng Xiao's profile. Born in '98, she wasn't old, only twenty years old now, but where would he put her if he took her? He wasn't going to form Cosmic Girls. Are you kidding? Cosmic Girls' leader, Chu So-jung, was thriving in the producer circle now. She'd be crazy to come lead a group and debut as an idol.
Moreover, Cosmic Girls had too many members. He'd rather form TWICE with that effort than Cosmic Girls.
But...
Looking at Cheng Xiao, twenty years old and in her prime, Jiang Shu hesitated.
It would be a pity to give her to someone else.
Forget it, keep her. Maybe she'll be useful later.
Thinking this, he scrolled down.
The third one he didn't recognize, the fourth one...
Jiang Shu's eyes instantly lit up, and he shot up straight in his seat.
Ning Yizhuo!!!
Good, good, good!
Counting Kim Minjeong, only King Gigi was left for the Four Stopwatches. As for how to find King Gigi... Wasn't that simple?
Her aunt was Li Xiuman's girlfriend!
Looking at Ning Yizhuo's profile, Ning Yizhuo's bond simultaneously appeared in his mind.
Ning Yizhuo (A)
Bond: Stopwatch (4), Sub-Vocal (1).
Thinking of Ning Yizhuo's bond, Jiang Shu's thoughts drifted to another person.
Kim Minjeong.
Kim Minjeong (A)
Bond: Stopwatch (4), Small Ingenuity (1).
Small Ingenuity: Kim Minjeong's exclusive bond.
Effect one: Enhances the positive effects of the Four Stopwatch bond, but increases conflict between her fans and her teammates' fans.
Effect two: When she sparks a hot topic, greatly increases fan loyalty, but also significantly increases anti-fans.
Sister Qiaosi's bond effect is actually quite strong. Anti-fans might sound intimidating, but it depends on the person.
Which group is my Kim Minjeong in?
aespa!
If you ask which fifth-generation group is the most popular, everyone will have their own opinion, but if you ask which fifth-generation group has the most anti-fans, our Aespa says there's no one who can beat us.
While the other five permanent members were being mocked, our aespa had already fought their brains out.
This is our invincible Four Stopwatch!
The negative effect of Kim Minjeong's Small Ingenuity bond can be completely ignored. Looking only at the positive effect, she's practically a walking hot topic.
Tsk.
Maybe under his hand, the century-long battle between Little Lemon (Ning Yizhuo fans) and Little Ice Cube (Kim Minjeong fans) could reappear?
He scrolled past Ning Yizhuo's profile and saw the fifth girl's information, and Jiang Shu's mouth curved into a wild grin.
She's here! She's here! She's here!
Song Yuqi (A)
Bond: (G)I-DLE (5/6), Libra (1).
Libra: Song Yuqi's exclusive bond.
Assesses the current entertainment market.
If assessed as K-Pop, greatly increases affinity with Korean fans and expands the general public's base, but limits the growth rate of Chinese fans.
If assessed as Chinese Entertainment, greatly increases affinity with Chinese fans and expands the general public's base, but limits the growth rate of Korean fans.
A card with two states, and also a treasure that can conquer both the Chinese and Korean markets.
Although the assessment result will limit the growth rate of fans in the other market, switching between assessments will not clear existing fans. This means that while the fan growth rate might slow down, the total number of fans will continuously accumulate.
Even if she's not placed in (G)I-DLE, Song Yuqi alone can be managed.
He now had three (G)I-DLE cards. He only needed to get one more, and then he could wait for Jeon Soyeon to arrive.
Jeon Soyeon's card not only leads (G)I-DLE but also has the effect of boosting ITZY.
(G)I-DLE is not in a hurry to debut; first, he needs to sort out ITZY before dealing with (G)I-DLE.
ITZY was now complete, just waiting for Jeon Soyeon to be in position, but where was Jeon Soyeon?
Jiang Shu glanced at the stage and typed a message to Choi Ji-yeon.
Shu: Ning Yizhuo and Song Yuqi are to be exclusive trainees, Cheng Xiao as a regular trainee, and the other two will go through the audition as a formality and then be eliminated.
Choi Ji-yeon: Understood.
Shu: Find a trainee named Jeon Soyeon in all major companies, including the small ones.
Choi Ji-yeon: Okay.
Jiang Shu knew that his method of selecting trainees based solely on their profiles was very purposeful, but he didn't care. Besides him, no one else knew about the existence of bonds. Even if they knew he had a purpose in selecting people, what could they do?
The trainees Jiang Shu selected had no commonalities. Others would rack their brains trying to figure out his criteria for selecting people based on their profiles. At most, they might try to snatch someone or trip him up when he wanted them.
But it didn't matter. If they couldn't form bonds, they would realize that these trainees were just ordinary. Over time, they would consider it Jiang Shu's unique skill and naturally stop caring.
This was also the real reason why he didn't bother to hide his intentions when recruiting trainees; since they couldn't figure it out anyway, why should he care?
Putting down his phone, Jiang Shu looked up at the boy group performing on stage. The song didn't sound very interesting, but since the camera was on him, he still pretended to watch the stage attentively.
One stage after another passed, and soon it was IU's "good day."
Looking at Lee Ji-eun's outfit on stage, a blue short-sleeved top paired with a gray pleated skirt, Jiang Shu's eyes lit up, and his body, which had been leaning back in his chair, couldn't help but sit up straight.
Having participated in several music show stages, Lee Ji-eun's stage presence was gradually loosening up. Nervousness, in the face of practice making perfect, could easily be overcome.
Behind him, many cheers erupted. Jiang Shu looked back and saw many fans holding IVE, Karina, and Zhang Yuanying light sticks waving them and shouting IU's fanchants.
Seeing Jiang Shu turn around, the fans became even more excited, shouting even louder.
Jiang Shu chuckled and gave a thumbs-up to the fans.
The advantage of a good song was evident at this moment: even if the singer wasn't very famous, as long as the song was good enough, it could completely carry the person.
The cheers from the audience were incredibly enthusiastic. Even Jiang Shu was swept up in the surging emotions, feeling somewhat excited himself.
When the song ended, Jiang Shu was the first to applaud, and the fans and audience behind him followed suit, clapping their hands.
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