Chapter 353: A Date (4k)
“Big Hit?” Dr. Choi Min-soo’s face showed a look of surprise when he heard the name, and he didn't even have any information about this company in his mind.
He himself was not involved in K-pop, so his understanding of well-known K-pop companies was very superficial.
For example, the famous Big Four, and slightly less prominent ones like Cube Entertainment, Kakao Entertainment, etc., but this Big Hit…
What is it?
As if sensing Dr. Choi Min-soo’s confusion, Jiang Shu reached into the folder on the table and pulled out a document.
Dr. Choi Min-soo stepped forward and took the document with both hands.
“This contains some basic information about Big Hit Entertainment. Currently, Big Hit’s first girl group, NewJeans, is about to debut. After the failure of their first boy group, Big Hit has placed high hopes on this new girl group.”
Dr. Choi Min-soo listened to Jiang Shu’s narration while flipping through the document in his hand, gaining a certain understanding of Big Hit’s basic structure, and he saw a familiar name in Big Hit’s executive list—Min Xizhen.
In the industry, Fang Shihe’s reputation and Min Xizhen’s are actually quite similar. For outsiders, their recognition is also similar, except that the former is famous in one way, and the latter is equally unknown.
Aside from the chairmen of the Big Four, there aren’t many famous executives in the K-pop industry.
The main reason Dr. Choi Min-soo knew Min Xizhen was that her name frequently appeared when he was investigating Jiang Shu’s information.
The industry was abuzz, suggesting that this ‘Queen of K-pop Concepts’ seemed to have a deep relationship with Jiang Shu. Naturally, Dr. Choi Min-soo had specifically looked into such a woman.
“NewJeans,” Dr. Choi Min-soo murmured.
“This concept for the group was actually proposed by Min Xizhen and me when we were discussing girl groups. It’s just that I haven’t put it into practice yet, and Min Xizhen has already brought this group out first.”
Speaking of this, Jiang Shu sighed with emotion, never expecting the ‘Legal Beauties Five Sisters’ to debut under Big Hit after all.
Their debut environment, to some extent, was even more optimistic than the original situation.
IZONE, the big mountain pressing on all girl groups, was about to fall apart. The only two top-tier groups, ITZY and aespa, saw the former gradually fade into obscurity, while the latter remained formidable. However, with only one such group, there wasn't too much to worry about.
Counting it this way, the high-end of the current girl group market was actually vacant. The ‘Fifth Generation Five Constants’ had all reached top-tier popularity at their peak, but now only aespa has reached such a height. NewJeans debuting at this time could be said to have a bright future, as long as they don't clash with aespa.
“Do you need me to target this group?” Dr. Choi Min-soo looked up at Jiang Shu and asked.
“Business matters should be resolved through business means,” Jiang Shu smiled. “It’s just NewJeans; it’s not worth resorting to underhanded tactics.”
Jiang Shu was indeed a businessman who liked to use underhanded tactics, but as long as there was no conflict between the two sides, and the opponent didn't use them, he wouldn't take the initiative to use them either.
“Okay,” Dr. Choi Min-soo nodded. He was just asking. For him, as a qualified Vice Minister, targeting an artist group from a very small entertainment company was just a matter of a single word.
As the saying goes, ‘a local magistrate is better than a distant official.’
Although Dr. Choi Min-soo was in the Seoul District Prosecutor's Office, the lowest level of the prosecutorial system, it was still a level that could manage most people. Any higher-level orders also required people from the District Prosecutor's Office to carry them out.
For some matters, high-level officials were not as effective as those at the District Prosecutor's Office.
“Why don’t you stay for lunch? Our DM Entertainment cafeteria has received a gourmet certification,” Jiang Shu said with a smile.
“I’ve heard about it,” Dr. Choi Min-soo also smiled. “DM Entertainment’s cafeteria is hailed by K-pop insiders as the best cafeteria in the country, and it’s also the celebrity restaurant most desired by the public to visit.”
“Indeed,” Jiang Shu nodded proudly. The reason it held such a title was thanks to numerous industry insiders.
Outsiders were not allowed to eat at DM Entertainment, but when other companies came to DM Entertainment for business, they would usually be given a meal card at mealtime, allowing them to dine in DM Entertainment’s restaurant.
Although people from other companies didn't come every day, over time, the number of people who had tasted DM Entertainment’s cafeteria gradually increased.
Initially, it was just DM Entertainment’s artists mentioning in their live streams that their company’s cafeteria was delicious, and that everyone chose to eat in the cafeteria instead of ordering takeout.
Subsequently, many DM Entertainment employees also left comments online praising how excellent their company’s cafeteria was.
And then, people from other companies who came for business came forward to confirm it.
What truly made this matter popular was two years ago, at DM Entertainment’s annual meeting, when the cafeteria representative, a Chinese cuisine assistant chef, gave a speech on stage that was posted online, causing a heated discussion. Subsequently, DM Entertainment’s cafeteria became widely famous, and many people wanted to try what DM Entertainment’s cafeteria tasted like.
“Then I’ll have to savor it well this noon,” Dr. Choi Min-soo said with a smile.
“Mm.”
“When I arrived, I met Giselle, and she said she had something to see you about, Chairman Jiang,” Dr. Choi Min-soo said, seeing that their discussion was mostly finished, and shifted the topic to Liu Zhimin.
His eyes were fixed on Jiang Shu’s expression.
“Xiao Liu?” Upon hearing that Liu Zhimin wanted to see him, Jiang Shu raised an eyebrow slightly. “Is she outside?”
“Yes,” Dr. Choi Min-soo nodded with a smile.
“Then let Director Choi show you around our company. I’ll ask Xiao Liu what she needs,” Jiang Shu said to Dr. Choi Min-soo.
“Alright,” Dr. Choi Min-soo readily agreed.
Jiang Shu casually picked up the landline phone on the desk.
“Let Xiao Liu come in, and you take Minister Choi on a tour of the company.”
After Jiang Shu finished speaking, the phone was barely put down when a knock sounded, and then the door opened.
“Chairman, Minister Choi!” Liu Zhimin bowed and greeted them after entering.
This time, Dr. Choi Min-soo had no objection to her placing her greeting to Jiang Shu before his.
Before, he was annoyed because Choi Ji-yeon was a secretary he completely outranked. But now, he himself had shown respect to Jiang Shu, so it was perfectly understandable for him to be placed after him. In fact, if he were placed before Jiang Shu, he would feel uncomfortable, even apprehensive.
Many people dislike Korea’s seniority system, but many are also staunch supporters.
Supporters like Dr. Choi Min-soo, while looking down on and bullying those beneath them, can also accept being bullied by their seniors and those in higher positions, while simultaneously offering their respect.
This is just… absurd.
Liu Zhimin probably didn't even notice Dr. Choi Min-soo's change in mood or the order of her words. If she had, she wouldn't have needed Choi Ji-yeon to remind her.
Choi Ji-yeon followed Liu Zhimin in, greeted Jiang Shu and Dr. Choi Min-soo, and then left the chairman’s office with Dr. Choi Min-soo.
“What do you need me for?” Jiang Shu asked, looking at Liu Zhimin, who was looking around.
“To play, and to mooch a meal,” Liu Zhimin said, shaking her head.
“Mooch a meal?” Liu Zhimin’s words startled Jiang Shu. “Mooch what meal?”
“The cafeteria, S.M.’s cafeteria is really bad.”
“You don’t have any schedules today?” Jiang Shu asked in surprise.
“No, we’re about to have a comeback, so schedules have been much fewer recently.”
“Why don’t you go out and play with your members?” Jiang Shu asked again.
“Ningning and Giselle went back to their home countries to visit family, Winter is sleeping, and I don’t want to sleep or go home, so I came over.”
“What about your friends?”
“My friends are working,” Liu Zhimin pouted and said.
Her friends were mostly around twenty years old; not many were in college, and those who weren't went straight into employment, so most of them were already working.
“Then you really are bored,” Jiang Shu clicked his tongue twice. “Learn from Xue Yun; she never gets bored, she just plays games whenever she has free time.”
“I play too, but it gets boring if I play all the time,” Liu Zhimin shook her head and said. She didn’t have as strong a gaming addiction as Xue Yun.
Xue Yun could play from the moment she opened her eyes in the morning until she closed them at night, while Liu Zhimin would at most play for a morning before her head would explode.
“Then I’m free this afternoon; want me to play with you?” Jiang Shu said with a smile.
“What do you usually play?” Liu Zhimin asked curiously.
“Games, and occasionally some sports.”
“What kind of sports?”
“Swimming, golf, tennis, and so on.”
“Then let’s go swimming. The weather is quite hot, and golf and tennis would make me all sweaty. I hate sweating,” Liu Zhimin said, shaking her head.
“Sounds good. Let’s go to the Samsung Golf Club then. They have a pool, tennis courts, and golf.”
“Do they have a very private pool? I don’t want to swim in a public pool,” Liu Zhimin asked.
“Don’t worry about that. Members of the Samsung club generally require privacy, so the swimming pools are all separate, one pool per member.”
“That’s good,” Liu Zhimin nodded happily. “Then I won’t worry.”
“I’ll call and ask if there are any available venues.”
The Samsung Club doesn’t have many members, but it is a golf club after all, so there naturally wouldn’t be many swimming pools.
It’s better to ask beforehand to avoid going all the way there and finding no availability, making it a wasted trip.
Liu Zhimin watched Jiang Shu pick up his phone to contact the club, then turned to look at one side of the office desk.
The spot where the refrigerator used to be was now replaced by a cabinet, and the refrigerator had been moved closer to the TV.
Staring at the cabinet, Liu Zhimin got up and walked over.
She reached out and easily pulled open the cabinet door.
Inside were neatly arranged boxes of tea, four or five layers high, all gift boxes of various teas with Chinese characters written on them.
“Why so much tea?” Liu Zhimin muttered, picking up the nearest box of tea. Looking at the Chinese characters on it, she didn’t know what it was called.
“Everyone knows I’m Chinese, and then I was hospitalized because of drinking, so later, gifts were all tea. There was too much, so I just got a whole cabinet for it,” Jiang Shu said, walking over.
“Is there a spot?” Liu Zhimin looked up and asked.
“I’ve already reserved a venue for the entire afternoon,” Jiang Shu nodded and said.
Liu Zhimin made an OK gesture with one hand, then raised the tea box in her other hand.
“Which tea here is better? I’ll take it to give to my dad.”
“This one,” Jiang Shu took down a box of tea from the very top of the cabinet. “Special Grade Longjing. Longjing tea is one of the most famous teas, and its taste is suitable for people of all ages.”
“Is this expensive? If it’s not expensive, I don’t want it.”
“It’s alright, a few hundred thousand korean won per liang,” Jiang Shu said casually.
He didn't know if the tea was genuine, but judging by the grades of these teas, that price was indeed accurate.
“One liang is…?”
“50 grams.”
A big question mark appeared on Liu Zhimin’s forehead.
Hundreds of thousands of korean won for fifty grams?
Is this gold?
So expensive!
“I want something expensive, but this is too expensive,” Liu Zhimin swallowed and said.
“Good tea is basically all at this price,” Jiang Shu took out three more boxes of tea and placed them on the table. “These three boxes are quasi-special grade Longjing. Take them with you when you leave and give one box to each of your members.”
“Isn’t this too much?” Liu Zhimin said, but her small hands had already picked up the boxes of tea.
“If it’s too much, put them down,” Jiang Shu said with a smile.
“No way, there’s no reason to take back something that’s been given away,” Liu Zhimin hid the tea boxes behind her and shook her head.
“If you need tea, come get it from me. I have so much I don’t know where to throw it,” Jiang Shu chuckled. It would be good if Liu Zhimin could help him deal with these teas.
“Then I won’t be polite!” Liu Zhimin’s eyes immediately lit up.
“Although I allow you to take whatever you want, you should also consider who you’re giving it to. The cheapest tea here is tens of thousands of korean won per liang. Don’t give such good tea to just anyone.”
“I know, I’m not stupid.”
“Heh heh,” Jiang Shu smiled without speaking.
“I came by car, so should I put them in your car first? Then you can drive me home tonight,” Liu Zhimin said, holding up the tea boxes in her hand.
“Sure, I’ll drive you back then,” Jiang Shu nodded and handed the car keys from his waist to Liu Zhimin. “Just let the assistant go. You don’t need to make the trip.”
“You haven’t changed this car in years, have you?” Liu Zhimin took the car keys, glanced at the Mercedes logo, and said.
“I’ve thought about changing cars, but I don’t know what to change to,” Jiang Shu shook his head. “Do you have a recommendation?”
“I don’t know anything about cars,” Liu Zhimin shrugged, then stood up with the car keys. “Where’s the assistant? I’ll give him the stuff.”
“The desks opposite Ji-yeon’s are all assistants. Just call one of them.”
Let Liu Zhimin randomly pick a 'unlucky' person.
“Oh, okay,” Liu Zhimin turned and went to the door, calling a male assistant in.
“Take these things to my car,” Jiang Shu told the assistant. Liu Zhimin, at the right moment, handed over the car keys.
“Yes,” the assistant bowed to Jiang Shu, then greeted Liu Zhimin, and left the office with the car keys and four boxes of tea.
“Is Minister Choi staying for lunch?” Liu Zhimin asked, sitting back down on the sofa.
“Yes, everyone who hasn’t eaten at our company’s cafeteria is very curious about its taste.”
Liu Zhimin nodded in agreement.
“My family members have also told me they want to try it if they get the chance, but unfortunately, it’s just been talk so far; they haven’t come over.”
“That’s quite a shame indeed.”
Knock knock knock.