Chapter 112: Pei Linlin’s Anomaly
Sun Shengwan left when she saw that Bae Joo-hyun was fine, giving Bae Joo-hyun some space.
Bae Joo-hyun glanced at Sun Shengwan’s retreating back and then looked down at the phone in her hand.
She was startled; the message was from her manager.
Clicking on the message, Bae Joo-hyun’s expression froze.
Red Velvet Management Group (6)
Manager: @Irene, President Li of DM Entertainment has a temporary engagement today, so Chairman Jiang of DM Entertainment came personally. Please inform the members and make sure not to neglect Chairman Jiang.
The management group only had a few people in charge, and among Red Velvet, only Bae Joo-hyun, the leader, was in it.
But that wasn't the main point.
Jiang Shu is coming?
A hand appeared in Bae Joo-hyun’s mind.
“Welcome to DM Entertainment.”
When she shook that hand, she felt as if she had grasped the whole world.
However, after arriving in Seoul and joining an entertainment company, when she was truly preparing to debut, she discovered that the impact of her age was much greater than she had imagined.
The public’s resistance to older trainees was something she had not anticipated at all. They say there are two sides to every story, but she couldn't find a single comment supporting her online.
This extreme phenomenon kept tormenting her. Was her insistence on debuting truly the right choice?
The promises Jiang Shu made when he signed her were gradually being fulfilled, and she was about to debut. But the thought that her debut might affect the entire Red Velvet and even DM Entertainment increased the pressure in Bae Joo-hyun's heart by several points.
Unless you reach her age, it’s truly difficult to comprehend the pressure she is under.
In an industry where the average debut age is eighteen or nineteen, she is twenty-seven…
Although DM Entertainment’s solo singer IU is also not young, she is a solo artist and not an idol, so age doesn’t have a significant impact.
Now, seeing Jiang Shu’s name again, Bae Joo-hyun instinctively wanted to avoid him, feeling a sense of fear in facing Jiang Shu.
This feeling came out of nowhere but was genuinely present, as if she had failed Jiang Shu’s trust. That sense of guilt surged towards her like a tide, enveloping Bae Joo-hyun’s sensitive heart.
Ding-dong.
The phone’s notification sound rang again, and Bae Joo-hyun looked blankly at the phone in her hand, which was still lit up.
Manager: @Irene, the DM Entertainment team will arrive around 10:30. Get ready and reply when you receive the message.
Bae Joo-hyun’s eyes gradually focused.
Irene: Received!
She put down her phone and suppressed the chaotic negative emotions in her heart. She was afraid to see Jiang Shu, but she had no choice but to. She was Red Velvet’s leader, and they couldn't do without her.
“Girls.”
The four members of Sun Shengwan seemed far from Bae Joo-hyun, but in reality, they had been watching her. As soon as Bae Joo-hyun spoke, they immediately gathered around her.
“What’s wrong, Ouni?”
“We…”
…
S.M. Entertainment parking lot.
Min Xizhen stood at the very front of the crowd, one hand in her pocket. Behind her stood the producers of the Red Velvet debut team.
“They’re here,” said Park Jin-yeon, Min Xizhen’s secretary.
The first thing that came into view was Jiang Shu’s tall figure. Behind him, Yin Huilin and other DM Entertainment Red Velvet team producers followed closely.
Min Xizhen, wearing high heels, clacked forward with S.M.’s staff to greet them.
“Chairman Jiang.”
“Director Min.”
Jiang Shu and Min Xizhen shook hands, officially meeting.
“Long time no see,” Jiang Shu said with a smile.
After the formal greetings, they conversed as friends.
“Not that long, we just met last month.” Min Xizhen also smiled, not because her relationship with Jiang Shu was particularly good, but mainly because all the industry executives who could converse with her on equal terms were uncles or old men. Jiang Shu, being so young and handsome, was one of a kind.
Everyone prefers to deal with handsome men and beautiful women.
“A few days apart feel like three autumns,” Jiang Shu said with a chuckle in Chinese, then explained the meaning of the phrase.
“Then Chairman Jiang can come to our S.M., and we can see each other every day,” Min Xizhen said with a smile.
Both parties were stunned by the remark. Yin Huilin looked at Min Xizhen with a strange expression.
Jiang Shu would have to be crazy to go from being an emperor at DM Entertainment to a marquis at your S.M., not even a prince.
But the other people from DM Entertainment became nervous, fearing that their Chairman would impulsively agree, and then they would become headless flies.
Our boss ran away!
“Hahaha, Director Min, why don’t you come to our DM Entertainment? We at DM are in need of an excellent concept queen like Director Min.”
Now it was S.M.’s turn to be nervous.
DM Entertainment’s treatment was famously good in the industry. This young Chairman seemed to have no regard for income at all, pouring all the money he earned back into the company and its employees, which was simply outrageous.
If Min Xizhen left, those who sided with Min Xizhen within S.M. would either follow Min Xizhen or be purged by Li Xiuman and Kim Young-min.
“I appreciate Chairman Jiang’s kind offer, but I currently have no plans to leave S.M.,” Min Xizhen said with a wry smile.
“Currently no” doesn’t mean “never.”
Both of them understood the subtext of Min Xizhen’s words and did not expose it at that moment.
“Chairman Jiang, this way, please.”
“Director Min, please.”
The group took the elevator upstairs. Jiang Shu, Min Xizhen, Yin Huilin, and S.M. executives took one elevator, while the others squeezed into another.
If you didn’t squeeze, you’d have to climb the stairs.
Upon arriving at the conference room with the S.M. entourage, the Red Velvet team was already waiting there.
They all stood up as the group entered.
“Chairman Jiang! Director Min!”
Jiang Shu glanced at the members of Red Velvet; their mental states were not very… Hmm?
Jiang Shu paused, looking at Bae Joo-hyun, who was bowing.
“Chairman Jiang, please sit here,” Park Jin-yeon said to Jiang Shu. Seeing that Jiang Shu didn't respond, she looked over in confusion.
“Bae Joo-hyun,” Jiang Shu said. Instantly, everyone’s gaze converged on Bae Joo-hyun.
Bae Joo-hyun trembled when she heard Jiang Shu call her name, and she bowed low to Jiang Shu with her head down.
“President nim…”
Jiang Shu frowned and glanced at Min Xizhen.
Min Xizhen looked bewildered. She knew what Jiang Shu’s gaze meant, but that’s precisely why she was bewildered.
She certainly didn’t think highly of Bae Joo-hyun, but Bae Joo-hyun was, after all, a DM Entertainment artist, and a trainee personally brought in by Jiang Shu. No matter how little she thought of Bae Joo-hyun, she wouldn’t treat her differently; Bae Joo-hyun hadn’t offended her.
But now, Jiang Shu felt that Bae Joo-hyun was being mistreated at their S.M.?
WTF?
Could it be the people below her?
Min Xizhen looked at the S.M.-affiliated Red Velvet team members, pondering her suspects.
“Bae Joo-hyun, come out for a moment.” Jiang Shu decided to ask what was going on.
After speaking, he turned and walked out of the conference room.
Seeing this, Bae Joo-hyun also quickly followed him.
Once Jiang Shu left, Min Xizhen’s expression also turned cold.
“What did you do to Irene?”