Chapter 186: Win!
Inkigayo, audience seating.
As another singer finished their performance, the camera suddenly cut to the audience, capturing Jiang Shu and the person beside him.
Jiang Shu was startled, but Zhang Yuanying, who was next to him, immediately reacted, waving generously at the camera, then raising the light board in her hand.
IU
Upon seeing Zhang Yuanying wave, the audience immediately erupted in thunderous cheers.
As the center of IZONE, the hottest girl group at the moment, her popularity transcended fan loyalties.
Fortunately, the camera only stayed on them for a few seconds before cutting away.
“You should have just stayed backstage,” Jiang Shu said helplessly.
“You came to the audience seats, President oppa, why should I stay backstage?” Zhang Yuanying asked with a smile.
“How can that be the same?” Jiang Shu had a bit of a headache. He had run into Zhang Yuanying when he was preparing to come over from the company. Zhang Yuanying, who rarely had no schedule, immediately pestered him to come along.
Jiang Shu originally thought, 'Fine, I'll bring her, but she'll stay backstage.' Who would have thought this girl would actually follow him to the audience seats?
The program director was also a master, even giving them a close-up shot.
“Won’t this delay your schedule later?” Jiang Shu asked.
“No, I told my ajusshi to pick me up at SBS at four o'clock,” Zhang Yuanying said with a smile.
Since things had come to this, Jiang Shu didn't dwell on the topic.
“President oppa, wait—”
Zhang Yuanying’s words were cut short as she saw Lee Ji-eun, dressed in her stage outfit, step onto the stage.
“Don’t talk yet, watch the stage.”
“Oh.” Zhang Yuanying also stopped talking and looked at Lee Ji-eun on the stage.
External factors aside, she quite liked listening to “bbibbi”; it was a very pleasant song, but she didn't think IU could beat Kim Hyun-a.
Lee Ji-eun on stage also saw Jiang Shu and Zhang Yuanying in the front row of the audience.
Noticing Lee Ji-eun’s gaze, Jiang Shu gave her a thumbs-up.
Lee Ji-eun nodded, took a deep breath, and waited for her performance to begin.
“Hi there~”
As the music started, Lee Ji-eun instantly dispelled negative emotions and got into character. And she didn't know if it was her imagination, but she felt her voice today was even more pleasant than in previous performances.
After Lee Ji-eun began her performance, Jiang Shu quietly took out his phone.
Zhang Yuanying noticed Jiang Shu’s action and curiously looked over, finding that his phone displayed Melon’s real-time chart, which was a bit strange.
The production team also understood program effect and traffic. Kim Hyun-a would perform right after Lee Ji-eun, with their performance times being second-to-last and last, respectively, precisely to satisfy the audience's anticipation.
Soon, both Lee Ji-eun’s and Kim Hyun-a’s performances concluded, and the first-place selection began.
Looking at Kim Hyun-a on stage, chatting with acquaintances and showing no concern about the first-place winner, Jiang Shu’s eyes held a faint pity.
He already had a grudge against Yang Hyun-suk. Kim Hyun-a’s participation in this performance was likely at Yang Hyun-suk’s instigation. If she were to be defeated and lose first place this time, with Yang Hyun-suk's temper, he would likely take his anger out on Kim Hyun-a.
At that time, could he instigate Kim Hyun-a to leave YG?
It wasn't that he wanted Kim Hyun-a; he had seen Kim Hyun-a's 'shamaness' image, and he had no interest in her whatsoever. But regardless of interest, Kim Hyun-a's money-making ability was still there. If she could be made to leave YG, it would be a huge blow to YG.
While Jiang Shu’s thoughts raced, the data for the first-place selection was announced.
According to the new rules established last year, the first-place selection was based on sales (5%) + digital music (60%) + broadcast frequency (10%) + popularity vote (5%) + search (20%), with the final data combined to determine the winner.
And then…
The moment the data was announced, the hosts and artists on stage were stunned, the live audience was stunned, and the audience in front of their televisions was also stunned.
The venue was silent; even the host had forgotten their lines, staring blankly at the data on the screen.
The data for both sides was extremely close, but!
Lee Ji-eun, with slightly higher scores in all five categories than Kim Hyun-a, won this first-place selection.
Kim Hyun-a on stage no longer bothered with chatting, her eyes wide, staring at the screen in disbelief.
Lee Ji-eun, the person in question, wasn't much better off. Her first reaction was, 'Did President oppa buy data?' rather than 'Did I really win?'
But fortunately, the director, who had already seen the data, wasn't stunned. At the director's urging, after a brief few seconds of silence, the host began presenting the first-place trophy.
“Win… won?” Zhang Yuanying’s mouth was slightly agape, her eyes filled with disbelief as she looked at the first-place data on stage.
Then she lowered her voice.
“President oppa, you didn’t buy data, did you?”
Jiang Shu, who was observing the various reactions and reveling in his 'everyone else is drunk, only I am sober' state, heard Zhang Yuanying’s words beside him and his face immediately darkened.
“Slandering your President oppa, what are you trying to do?”
Zhang Yuanying chuckled awkwardly.
“It’s just too shocking.”
“Hmph.” Jiang Shu sneered, “If you think that, others will too. If I really bought data, would YG be this quiet?”
The act of buying data sometimes couldn't even be hidden from outsiders, let alone from YG, one of the Three Greats.
Moreover, buying data is done in advance. YG’s silence until now means either both sides bought data and everyone is dirty, or they bought data but still couldn't beat IU, or neither side bought data.
“So, IU Unnie really won against Hyuna Sunbae?” Zhang Yuanying blinked, still feeling incredibly surprised.
“Heh, this is just a small victory. After this, she will continue to win.”
This was just the beginning; the promotional period was still long.
The promotional period is generally considered the time when one can participate in first-place selections. Although the first week after a song's release also involves promotions, Jiang Shu habitually refers to it as the 'digital music period' and does not consider it the 'promotional period.'
Zhang Yuanying instinctively wanted to question him, but then she remembered that Lee Ji-eun had won even during the most unfavorable period. As for what would happen next… it was truly hard to say.
“You should go.” Jiang Shu tapped his watch, telling Zhang Yuanying.
“What time is it?”
“Four oh one.”
Zhang Yuanying wailed and quickly got up; she would be scolded if she was late.
Jiang Shu watched Zhang Yuanying’s retreating back, then looked at Lee Ji-eun on stage, crying as she sang her encore performance.
The show had just begun.
Lee Ji-eun’s comprehensive victory over Kim Hyun-a in all five categories naturally led to Kim Hyun-a’s fans questioning data manipulation, but YG, Kim Hyun-a’s agency, remained silent, playing dead.
Subsequently, Kim Hyun-a continued her promotional activities, and Lee Ji-eun also competed alongside her.
Once, twice, three times…
After being defeated five consecutive times, YG could no longer stand it and announced the end of Kim Hyun-a’s promotional period, but remained silent on the data manipulation accusations made by fans.
It was only then that the public suddenly realized that Jiang Shu’s words back then truly weren't arrogant after all?
IU really won?