Chapter 326: Double I
“The popularity is quite high,” Su Wan said with a smile to Jiang Shu beside her, listening to the sounds coming from all directions.
“You’ll get used to it.” Jiang Shu was already accustomed to it. “The scene in Korea was even bigger than this.”
It made him, even though he wasn't an artist now, have to learn to go out less like artists. With his current popularity in Korea, no artist below the first-tier had higher fame than him. This was nothing.
He waved to the tourists he could see along the way, which again drew a chorus of exclamations.
Upon entering the Cultural Center, the first thing that caught the eye was a dazzling array of albums displayed on stands embedded in the walls.
The Cultural Center had obtained authorization from DM Entertainment and S.M. Entertainment, giving it exclusive rights to sell related merchandise and albums in China.
The albums displayed on the walls were all from artists under DM Entertainment and S.M., each with the artist's autograph and a congratulatory message for the opening of the K-Pop Cultural Center, making them unique worldwide.
If Jiang Shu hadn't been the chairman of DM Entertainment, such albums would have been difficult to obtain.
The albums from S.M. Entertainment were personally negotiated by Jiang Shu and Li Xiuman. However, to accommodate some platforms that collaborated with S.M. Entertainment, the Cultural Center's online store only offered DM Entertainment-related albums and merchandise. S.M. Entertainment's products could only be purchased offline, meaning by visiting the Cultural Center. This also indirectly promoted the development of tourism, which was a good thing.
After a quick glance, Jiang Shu saw a group of people in business suits not far away.
...
Tunnel.
On the way from Shu County North Station to the Cultural Center, they had to pass through a two-kilometer-long mountain tunnel. Inside the dim bus, the seventeen members of IZONE and ITZY were scattered throughout, quietly discussing their upcoming itinerary.
Zhang Yuanying and Ahn Yujin sat in the front, near the bus door, their heads together as they looked at Ahn Yujin's phone screen.
“There’s not much to see at the scenic spots, but I’ve already compiled a lot of delicious food. Look, later we’ll go eat Mianpi, then in the evening we’ll have this Shu County barbecue, and then for a late-night snack we’ll go to…” Ahn Yujin pointed at the itinerary on the screen, introducing her plans to Zhang Yuanying.
Zhang Yuanying, beside her, nodded continuously, almost drooling, her eyes full of anticipation.
Shin Yuna and Shin Ryujin, sitting on the other side of the two, were not as excited as them. Shin Ryujin had already fallen into a “coma,” while Shin Yuna was quietly looking at her phone.
Behind Shin Yuna, the sisters Lee Chaeryeong and Li Caiyan were taking selfies, constantly snapping photos with their phones.
The others were also sitting in pairs, each doing their own thing.
Seventeen people, wasn't there one left alone?
Not left alone.
At the back of the bus, Sakura was communicating in Chinese with Director Jiao of the DM Group’s Administrative Department, who had come to pick them up.
This middle-aged woman in her forties spoke very fluently with Sakura, with no communication gap due to age.
“Kura, your Chinese is really good, I can barely hear an accent.” After a conversation, Director Jiao couldn't help but exclaim, a genuine compliment.
“The Chairman has been paying special attention to our Chinese level, so I’ve been practicing constantly,” Sakura said with a smile. “After this, we should have a dinner event, right?”
Artists attending such official events usually have to attend banquets, which is a common unwritten rule in the entertainment industry worldwide.
“Yes, but you don’t need to attend,” Director Jiao nodded and said. “The Chairman has already arranged it. After the opening ceremony, you can move freely. You don’t need to attend the dinner.”
Sakura instantly understood upon hearing this; Jiang Shu was protecting them.
Although Jiang Shu wouldn't arrange for them to go even if those officials had intentions, this was far more straightforward than a direct, complete refusal.
Sakura, or rather, the artists of DM Entertainment, still trusted Jiang Shu very much. In a circle where accompanying for drinks, entertainment, and even sleeping was common, their company's artists had not experienced similar situations to date.
The few instances Sakura had heard of were voluntary on the artists' part, not arranged by the company.
Such a company could truly be called a divine company.
“Okay.”
While they chatted, the bus had already arrived at the K-Pop Cultural Center.
The county itself was not large; it wouldn't take half an hour from north to south, let alone from the north to the county center.
With the arrival of the artists, the atmosphere at the scene reached its peak.
When tourists saw IZONE and ITZY, two groups representing the pinnacle of second-generation girl groups, step out of the bus, the already noisy scene instantly turned into a pre-concert atmosphere, with deafening sounds surging from all directions.
The members of IZONE and ITZY stood one on each side, bowing to greet the tourists in both directions.
It was very noisy at first, but after about half a minute, the fan chants became concentrated.
“IZONE! IZONE! IZONE!”
“ITZY! ITZY! ITZY!”
The synchronized cheers of hundreds, even thousands, of people drew curious glances from vehicles and pedestrians on the streets. Vehicles couldn't stop, but pedestrians all paused, craning their necks to look.
Upon inquiring, they learned that more than ten Korean stars had arrived. Thanks to over two years of exposure, the people of Shu County might not be deeply familiar with K-Pop culture, but they weren't completely ignorant. Therefore, upon hearing that Korean stars had arrived, they all raised their phones to post on WeChat Moments and Douyin!
As the artists arrived, Jiang Shu and his group inside the Cultural Center also returned to the plaza. Staff members, who had already prepared for the ribbon-cutting ceremony, stepped forward.
The ribbon-cutting ceremony was conducted by Jiang Shu and the deputy senior leader. As the ribbons were cut, the opening performance officially began.
The music of “Gee” resounded through the plaza.
Jiang Shu and his group stood to one side, blending in with the tourists, lightly applauding as they watched the performance.
Listening to the synchronized cheers of “Gee, Gee, Gee,” everyone except those from DM Entertainment was quite shocked. None of them had ever seen a live performance before, and most had not even seen live performances by Chinese artists. This meant that many people had no concept of what a live artist performance was like.
To be exposed to two groups representing the current highest level of K-Pop right from the start delivered an indescribable visual impact.
ITZY's chosen song was “Shoot.” While it wasn't ITZY's best-charting song, it was their most popular song in China, so it was selected for the performance.
When the double I performance concluded, Jiang Father, acting as the director of the K-Pop Cultural Center, announced its immediate opening.
The security personnel, who had been holding back the tourists, opened the passage. The tourists, who had been waiting for this moment, immediately swarmed in, eager to be among the first to explore the interior of the Cultural Center and perhaps encounter an artist.