Chapter 146: The Fate-Deciding Negotiation
YG Entertainment.
In the parking lot, Jiang Shu looked up at the YG building. This was his second time here. The last time, he came as a subordinate, but this time, he came as a “loser.”
Jiang Shu’s lips curved slightly, then he walked into the YG building with a solemn expression.
Conference room.
Jiang Shu met with some of the entertainment companies involved in this operation against IVE.
He didn't recognize many people, but seeing Yang Hyun-suk at the head of the table, the others didn't matter.
He sat down opposite Yang Hyun-suk.
“Tell me, how can you let IVE go?” Jiang Shu spoke directly, showing weakness.
“Impossible,” Yang Hyun-suk shook his head and said, “IVE must die.”
“Then there’s nothing to discuss,” Jiang Shu said, then stood up as if to leave.
“If you leave this time, you still won’t save IVE, and your company will be dragged down with it,” Yang Hyun-suk’s smiling voice came over.
Jiang Shu’s steps faltered, his hands clenched into fists, but a moment later, like a deflated ball, his whole body slumped. He turned around again and sat back down in his chair.
Seeing this, everyone present smiled.
“IVE must disband. It has already blocked everyone’s path, and after all the effort we’ve put in, it’s impossible for it to leave alive,” Yang Hyun-suk said. “But I can guarantee that in the future, we will not do similar things to your company’s girl groups.”
Jiang Shu sneered.
“That’s what you’re saying now. What’s your guarantee?”
“You can choose not to believe,” Yang Hyun-suk spread his hands and said.
The reason he gave Jiang Shu this option was to prevent Jiang Shu from impulsively choosing to go for broke.
Young people are prone to getting hot-headed and doing things without considering the consequences, especially when this young person holds great power, the consequences will be even greater.
DM Entertainment is already a major company in the industry, knowing many industry secrets that cannot be told to outsiders. Many things cannot be weighed, and if they are, they are too heavy to stop. They are also afraid that Jiang Shu will go for broke, so they cannot push him too hard at once. Boiling a frog in warm water is the best way.
Jiang Shu’s expression flickered, seemingly engaged in an intense internal struggle.
A moment later…
Jiang Shu looked coldly at Yang Hyun-suk.
“I can agree to this, but if any of you dare to touch a group from my DM Entertainment again, even if I quit, I will make you pay the price!”
“Don’t forget, I am Chinese. If I don’t do this industry, I can just go back to China, but you can’t.” Jiang Shu’s chilling words sent shivers down the spines of many entertainment company President nims, and even Yang Hyun-suk nodded seriously.
Jiang Shu’s words were not alarmist. If he really went for broke with them, even a Three Greats-level company like YG would suffer heavy losses.
“You can rest assured on that point. We are very clear about the consequences of doing so,” Yang Hyun-suk, representing these people, nodded and agreed.
“However, the scope of our promise only includes girl groups. Boy groups are not included in this promise.”
Jiang Shu frowned.
“You’re going too far!”
“You have no choice,” Yang Hyun-suk smiled. “Anyway, your DM Entertainment doesn’t have boy groups. Since you like to do girl groups, we won’t interfere with you. Go ahead and do it.”
Jiang Shu silently looked at Yang Hyun-suk, then placed his phone on the table.
“I’ve recorded this. Remember your promise, otherwise…”
Yang Hyun-suk frowned. In such negotiations, everyone tacitly agrees not to record, which is also an unwritten rule of the industry. Jiang Shu’s move displeased him greatly, but considering that he was almost pushed to the brink of explosion, Jiang Shu doing this was not a big problem.
If he dared to tell Jiang Shu to delete the recording, Jiang Shu, who was already on the verge of rage, might choose to go for broke with all of them today.
After weighing the pros and cons, Yang Hyun-suk nodded and agreed.
“No problem, but you need to announce IVE’s disbandment as soon as possible.”
“Okay,” Jiang Shu stood up with a swish. “Remember your promise!”
With that, Jiang Shu turned and left.
This time, Yang Hyun-suk did not call out to Jiang Shu, letting him leave.
“President Yang, we’re not restricting him from making girl groups. What if, after IVE is gone, another girl group comparable to IVE, or even more popular, emerges?” After Jiang Shu left, someone raised a question.
“One IVE is already the limit for DM Entertainment. How could they have so many IVEs? Moreover, surpassing IVE, even our YG wouldn’t dare say we could produce a girl group that could surpass IVE,” Yang Hyun-suk said disdainfully.
Everyone also felt it made sense. How could a top-tier girl group be so easy to produce? They were overthinking it.
On the other side, Jiang Shu, with a gloomy face, walked all the way to the parking lot. It wasn’t until he got into the car and closed the door that the gloom on his face was replaced by a smile.
Looking at the recording on his phone, Jiang Shu was grinning from ear to ear.
At this moment, President nim Yang Hyun-suk still didn’t know what kind of monster he had personally unleashed.
With this recording, Jiang Shu truly possessed something that would make YG hesitant to act.
Exposing industry secrets was a table-flipping move Jiang Shu really didn’t want to do and didn’t want to stay in Korea for. He wouldn’t do it unless absolutely necessary.
Yang Hyun-suk and the others thought he might do it because Jiang Shu made them think so; in reality, he would try his best to avoid it.
But the recording in his hand was different. This thing didn’t require flipping the table; it was simply a conflict between the YG Alliance and DM Entertainment, not involving the entire industry’s upheaval, so it naturally wouldn’t overturn the entire industry.
This was a shackle he put on YG and these entertainment companies, preventing another IVE incident from happening.
However, their DM Entertainment shouldn't be too high-profile. They still needed to let other companies get a piece of the pie. If they wanted to monopolize everything, if there was no YG Alliance, there would be an S.M. Alliance, a JYP Alliance.
Jiang Shu thought for a moment and already decided who to drag into this, but before that, he still needed to finalize the matters of IVE and Xu Suizhen.
He picked up his phone and dialed Li Duohui’s number.
“President nim.”
“Contact the best lawyer in the bullying field to sue Seo Shin-ae for spreading rumors of school bullying on behalf of the company. Also, issue an announcement to disband IVE.”
“Is it really necessary to disband IVE just because two insignificant members left?” Li Duohui hesitated.
In her opinion, although two minor members had left, the core twin stars were fine. The impact was significant, but it shouldn't lead to disbanding IVE.
“Do as I say.”
“Alright.”
Hanging up the phone, Jiang Shu placed it aside.
If he didn't disband this anomalous version of IVE, how would his IZONE and aespa suddenly emerge?
Everyone thought IVE was the peak of the girl group golden age, so he would show them what a true girl group golden age was!
He started the car and drove towards the company.
