Chapter 129: Sworn Enemy
"You can't do it."
Jiang Shu wouldn't just humor Kim Xia Yan because he wanted to get Taeyeon; he genuinely didn't think Kim Xia Yan had the talent for it.
"Oh."
Kim Xia Yan responded with a touch of disappointment.
Jiang Shu ignored her and looked at Taeyeon, who had her head bowed.
"What's Taeyeon-xi's answer?"
Hearing Jiang Shu's voice, Taeyeon finally lifted her head, but after seeing Jiang Shu's gaze, she lowered it again.
"I want to try."
Her voice was soft, but it was exceptionally clear in the quiet optical shop.
Jiang Shu's lips curved into a smile, and he extended his right hand towards Taeyeon.
"Welcome to DM Entertainment."
Afterward, Jiang Shu and Liu Zhimin politely declined Kim's father's invitation to dinner. After agreeing to take the family to Seoul to see the company tomorrow, the two left together.
"Our car can't fit that many people, can it?" Back in the car, Liu Zhimin looked at Jiang Shu and asked.
"They're driving themselves; I'm not taking them," Jiang Shu said, pulling on his seatbelt.
"Oh, oh."
Liu Zhimin nodded.
"Are you hungry?"
"A little."
"Then let's go eat first, and then head to the hotel after dinner."
"Understood."
After searching online, they found a local specialty restaurant for dinner, and then checked into the only five-star hotel in the area, though it was one they had never heard of.
Most international hotel groups are concentrated in Seoul, or rather, if you take away Seoul and Busan from Korea, the prosperity of other cities is not even comparable to an ordinary county town in China.
Seoul alone accounts for a quarter of the entire country's GDP; for one city to have a 25% economic share is quite absurd.
A night of hard work.
The next day, Jiang Shu and Liu Zhimin lingered in bed until past nine before getting up.
They had gone to bed early after dinner last night, but young people are energetic; getting into bed doesn't mean they'll sleep. If they're not playing on their phones, they'll be doing what primitive tribes loved to do at night.
After a simple breakfast, they met with the Kim family, who had been waiting for a long time.
Goodness, a family of four! Except for Kim Ji-yong, who had already married and moved out, the entire Kim family was there.
Jiang Shu drove in front to lead the way, and Kim's father followed behind. The two cars drove on the highway, arriving at DM Entertainment in Samsong-dong, Seoul, just before noon.
"Daebak!" Taeyeon looked up at the DM Entertainment building, and Kim Xia Yan's exclamation came from beside her.
She had been to Seoul before, but the distance between Jeonju and Seoul was not short; at most, she would come once or twice a year and had never lived there.
Looking at the five-story building in front of her, and thinking that for at least a year she would be living in such a place, her mood couldn't help but feel a little excited.
There was actually nothing wrong with staying home at twenty-nine; Taeyeon had previously felt her life was quite perfect.
She could be with her family every day, never lonely or bored.
But when she appeared in front of the DM Entertainment building, looking at the logo shining brightly in the sun above the building, a strange stir of emotion rose in her heart.
This was a feeling she had never had before, as if... she was meant to be here.
Her complacent, laid-back attitude of staying home quietly shifted a bit at this moment.
Perhaps her life shouldn't be like this?
"Taeyeon, don't space out."
Her mother's voice pulled Taeyeon out of her dreamy thoughts. Seeing Jiang Shu and Liu Zhimin already walking towards the entrance, she quickly followed.
"President!"
"President nim!"
"Hello, President!"
Jiang Shu nodded to the employees who greeted him.
"Our company's first floor has a gym and a cafeteria. The gym is free for everyone to use, and for the cafeteria, employees and artists receive meal subsidies, so each meal won't cost more than 200 korean won, while trainees eat for free."
As he spoke, Jiang Shu led the family to the cafeteria.
It was lunchtime, and many employees and trainees were eating in the cafeteria.
Thanks to IVE's massive success, DM Entertainment now has over a hundred employees, which is considered medium-sized among Korean companies.
Currently, there aren't many groups, so the demands on employees aren't as high. But as more groups debut in the future, the need for employees will also increase.
For example, an artist team with fewer than ten people would find it very difficult to work, and that's for a solo artist like Lee Ji-eun. If it's an idol group like IVE and Red Velvet, it's not surprising for a team to have twenty or thirty people.
Group managers, individual managers, group assistants, individual assistants, and then further subdivided into lifestyle assistants, work assistants...
Compared to artist teams, the number of people in company departments isn't as high, but there are enough departments that the total number isn't small.
"Let's try the food in our company's cafeteria. We have various cuisines from Chinese, Western, Japanese, and Korean, but mainly Chinese food, because I am Chinese, which is a bit of my personal preference," Jiang Shu said with a smile.
The Kim family all laughed along.
Such an approachable President is rare.
Liu Zhimin stood beside Jiang Shu without a sound, staring at the counter, thinking about what she would eat later.
Suddenly, a familiar figure came into view.
Liu Zhimin's eyes lit up, and she reached out to tap Jiang Shu.
"Oppa, look at IU Unnie."
Jiang Shu looked in the direction Liu Zhimin was pointing, and Lee Ji-eun, who was with her manager, came into view.
He raised an eyebrow, then turned to look at Taeyeon, who was standing beside Kim's father and curiously observing the cafeteria. A strange smile appeared on his lips.
"Go call her over."
"Alright!" Liu Zhimin quickly walked away, while Jiang Shu looked at the Kim family.
"Coincidentally, our company's first solo singer is also here. I've asked Xiao Liu to call her over. I'll introduce her to Taeyeon later," Jiang Shu said with a smile.
"Chairman Jiang, that's very thoughtful of you."
Before long, Lee Ji-eun and her manager came over with Liu Zhimin.
Lee Ji-eun looked at Jiang Shu and the Kim family beside him, who were clearly a bit reserved and unlike the relaxed employees around them. After a brief glance, her gaze fell on the sisters Taeyeon and Kim Xia Yan.
After a brief distinction, Lee Ji-eun looked at Taeyeon.
Compared to the younger Kim Xia Yan, who seemed more like a trainee, her intuition told her that the girl who looked to be around her age was the main person of interest.
"IU, our company's first and only solo singer."
"Kim Tae-yeon, the company's new exclusive trainee."
Jiang Shu introduced them from the middle, smiling as he watched the two women's gazes meet.
"Hello, Taeyeon-xi."
Lee Ji-eun smiled and nodded to Taeyeon.
"Hello, IU senior."
In response to Lee Ji-eun's greeting, Taeyeon bowed.
After straightening up, their eyes met.
Looking at themselves in each other's pupils, a sense of rejection arose in both their minds simultaneously.
Lee Ji-eun / Taeyeon: She seems difficult to get along with.