Chapter 28: Are You Cheating, Sis?
Jiang Shu knocked on the door, even though Min Xizhen was still on the phone.
He couldn't just wait for her to finish, could he?
He wasn't Min Xizhen's subordinate, after all.
The knocking sound caught Min Xizhen's attention. She looked up, saw it was Jiang Shu, and immediately waved him in.
Jiang Shu pushed the door open and walked in, then immediately heard Min Xizhen's voice.
“If you can do it, do it. If you can’t, we’ll find someone else!”
Then he saw Min Xizhen hang up the phone.
“What made Director Min so angry?” Jiang Shu asked with a smile.
“The people below are a bunch of good-for-nothings,” Min Xizhen said, shaking her head. “It’s nothing major. Chairman Jiang, please have a seat.”
“Mm.” Jiang Shu sat down on the sofa.
“Regarding your company’s IVE, I have some questions I’d like to ask Chairman Jiang,” Min Xizhen went straight to the point, without any pleasantries.
“Director Min, please speak,” Jiang Shu nodded in response.
“Regarding IVE’s dual-C system…”
Min Xizhen asked three questions in one breath, each in Korean, but put together, Jiang Shu was completely lost.
What was this concept, that design?
What were all these things?
Seeing Jiang Shu’s bewildered expression, Min Xizhen was taken aback.
“Chairman Jiang didn’t understand?”
“To be precise, I didn’t understand what Director Min was saying at all,” Jiang Shu said, spreading his hands.
Min Xizhen: “???”
“Then how did you come up with IVE’s operating model and debut song design?” Min Xizhen asked, puzzled.
“Well… I just followed my inspiration,” Jiang Shu’s matter-of-fact expression and tone left Min Xizhen speechless.
She was about to say that launching a group was a time-consuming, labor-intensive, and serious matter, and how could it be so frivolous?
But then Min Xizhen thought of DM Entertainment’s situation. With a company like that, how professional could it be?
“Alright, what about the song? I’m also very interested in “I AM.” I wonder if I could discuss it with Chairman Jiang?”
“Of course,” Jiang Shu’s spirits lifted when it came to songs, and he started chatting with Min Xizhen.
The more Jiang Shu chatted, the happier he became, while the more Min Xizhen chatted, the more she felt something was off.
After a couple more sentences, Min Xizhen finally stopped the discussion.
“So, Chairman Jiang means that songwriting is purely based on inspiration?”
“Yes,” Jiang Shu nodded. “What else would songwriting rely on if not inspiration? Songs made with standard templates can’t become popular.”
But I feel like your song “I AM” was made based on a standard template.
However, Min Xizhen wasn't entirely sure.
There were indeed producers who wrote songs based on inspiration. These producers might not have as strong musical foundations as many top producers, but the works they created through inspiration were one more soulful than the last.
There was one such producer in Korea.
Gao Jin, who possessed both soulfulness and earthiness.
“Does Chairman Jiang plan to write IVE’s subsequent albums this way too?”
“Of course.” Jiang Shu’s self-assured demeanor left Min Xizhen flustered.
Songs… could be made like this?
A true expert reveals their skill at first attempt.
Min Xizhen had initially thought Jiang Shu was a genius concept producer and wanted to learn from his successful experience with IVE. But who would have thought that after a couple of sentences, she’d discover he was completely clueless, and even his songwriting relied on vague inspiration…
Was he another damned talent freak?
Min Xizhen pressed her hand to her forehead, feeling a bit helpless.
She herself was a very hardworking genius. Although she was already approaching forty, every achievement she had made was a result of her steady, step-by-step efforts.
But in the process of advancing, as a genius in the eyes of others, Min Xizhen inevitably encountered some geniuses in her own eyes.
It was precisely those two talented oddballs from JYP whom she encountered that made her realize a cruel truth.
In album production, talent truly crushed all effort.
“You really should get to know Park Jin-young and Fang Shihe,” Min Xizhen said, taking her hand from her forehead.
Jiang Shu’s expression shifted upon hearing this.
“Is Director Min referring to JYP Chairman Park Jin-young and JYP’s Art Director Fang Shihe?”
“Yes, those two damn genius producers,” Min Xizhen sighed.
Jiang Shu blinked. Why did Min Xizhen look so defeated?
Seriously, sis, where’s your explosive aura with Fang Shihe?
“Your IVE gave me quite a bit of inspiration,” Min Xizhen instantly regained her vitality the next second, a sight that left Jiang Shu stunned.
“Rainbow Girls’ path is wrong, or rather, the selection of members for this girl group was wrong from the very beginning,” Min Xizhen ignored Jiang Shu and spoke to herself.
“IVE’s dual-C members aren’t particularly strong, but their stage presence is terrifyingly powerful. This method of relying on stage presence to carry the entire performance might be the next trend…”
“No, that’s not right! The song itself is also a part of stage presence. The compatibility between the song and choreography can create a complementary effect. Blindly focusing on the members themselves while neglecting the work is just slow suicide.”
“The characteristics of the members are very important, and the work is also very important…”
“Perhaps we can experiment with this sequentially?”
Jiang Shu listened to Min Xizhen’s murmuring, his scalp tingling.
Is this big sister cheating?
She wouldn’t actually manage to create NewJeans so far ahead of time, would she?
No way, right?
This current Pinduoduo-version of IVE definitely couldn’t beat NewJeans at their peak. If she really did manage to create such a BOSS so early, then DM Entertainment’s path to dominance would collapse halfway through its journey.
No, no!
Self-improvement is important, but tripping up opponents is also extremely necessary!
“Ahem.” Jiang Shu interrupted Min Xizhen’s thoughts, quickly organizing his words as she looked over.
“Actually, I think Rainbow Girls’ path is indeed wrong,” Jiang Shu carefully chose his words, avoiding giving her any more ideas.
Although Rainbow Girls and Girls’ Generation were both nine-member groups, this group didn't have any members who could carry the team.
Whether it was Kim Tae-yeon, Lin Yun’er, or even Jessica Jung, or Kwon Yuri who carried Girls’ Generation in 2007, Rainbow Girls had none of them.
The nine members were very strong, at least strong enough to crush IVE’s six members, but being strong alone wasn’t enough. The right song compatibility and finding the correct development style were key.
Clearly, S.M. neither found the right way to showcase nine distinct personalities nor managed to create a positive chemical reaction among the nine members.
“I’ve seen the concept for Rainbow Girls; it’s a stunning idea.”
The concept of Rainbow Girls came from this madwoman right in front of him.
Jiang Shu’s praise did not cause any emotional fluctuations in Min Xizhen; she simply listened quietly to Jiang Shu’s next words.
“I can’t quite put my finger on what’s wrong with Rainbow Girls, but my inspiration tells me that girl groups shouldn’t be made this way, so…”
Jiang Shu paused.
“Director Min, would you like to collaborate with our DM Entertainment to launch a new girl group?”
Director Min froze in place.
Launch a new girl group?
While Rainbow Girls had only debuted a year ago…