Chapter 8: New Member Joins the Team
Zhang Yuanying!
Yuan Shen!!!
“Holy crap!” Jiang Shu couldn’t help but exclaim, drawing a glance from Choi Ji-yeon beside him.
Jiang Shu waved his hand, indicating that everything was fine, and picked up Zhang Yuanying’s profile to read.
Zhang Yuanying was designated as a B-level trainee at YG not because of her exceptional dancing or vocal skills, but because of her good looks.
For an idol, singing and dancing are secondary requirements; the primary consideration is appearance!
Good looks can greatly reduce the demands in other areas. If you don't look good, no matter how strong you are in other aspects, you can't be an idol, unless you follow the path of a producer like Jeon Soyeon.
But following Jeon Soyeon's path isn't as quick as plastic surgery. The profession of a producer is something you either know or you don't; it can't be learned.
Although fourteen-year-old Zhang Yuanying didn't have the styling she had in IZ*ONE in the real world, and looked a bit immature, pretty is pretty. Even if the styling was bad, as long as Zhang Yuanying wasn't greasy, she was truly Yuan Shen!
If he had only found Zhang Yuanying, this S-card, Jiang Shu would have been excited, but he wouldn't have lost his composure. The real key was Zhang Yuanying's bond attributes!
Zhang Yuanying (S)
Bonds: Illustration (6), C-position (2), Yuan Oil Club (1).
Six Illustrations: IVE exclusive bond.
Effect: When activated, stage visual appeal is enhanced, but stage performance is weakened.
Yuan Oil Club: Zhang Yuanying exclusive bond.
Effect varies depending on the situation.
When styling is suitable, idol charm greatly increases. When styling is unsuitable, Zhang Yuanying enters a negative state—Oiling.
Illustration and Yuan Oil Club are not important; the key point is the C-position!
This C-position bond usually only appears in the ace cards of high-level cards. Jiang Shu thought it would be enough to find a trainee at YG with a bond like “Crazy Horse Empress” that could be activated by a single person. He hadn't even considered the C-position bond.
As far as he knew, there were only about ten high-level cards with this bond.
Ten cards sounds like a lot, doesn't it? But this is the total number of C-position bonds across all K-pop idols.
Jiang Shu never expected his luck to be so good that he could find another one at YG? And it was Zhang Yuanying!
Looking at the photo on Zhang Yuanying’s profile in his hand, Jiang Shu couldn’t help but smile.
This damned luck even made him laugh.
Liu Zhimin and Zhang Yuanying form a C-position bond that inherently brings top-tier popularity. As long as the bond exists, the top-tier popularity is undeniable.
It's just these two as teammates...
Jiang Shu couldn't smile anymore.
What a heretical combination.
Zhang Kaixue, should I try to get Xue Yun to come over and assist these two?
Forget it, forget it. Let's get Yuan Shen in place first.
Placing Yuan Shen’s profile aside, as long as Zhang Yuanying could be successfully brought into the company, the new group would already be complete.
Dual C-positions, Liu Zhimin + Zhang Yuanying, plus lead vocalist Lily and the remaining Dark Three Kings as four accessories.
No, Lily hasn't contacted him yet. She might be flying away.
Then he still needed to find a lead vocalist. He couldn't rely on those three Kings for the group's singing, could he?
Jiang Shu continued to flip through the remaining trainee profiles. With Zhang Yuanying as a fallback, Jiang Shu was no longer as cautious as before.
Soon, Jiang Shu had selected three trainees.
ISA, Heo Yunjin, and the most important, Zhang Yuanying.
He met Secretary Li again and handed him the selected profiles.
“Okay, Chairman Jiang, are you planning to choose one from these three trainees?” Secretary Li asked with a smile.
Jiang Shu was stunned.
“I want all three, not one out of three.”
Secretary Li smiled and shook his head.
“The Chairman means, one for one.”
Jiang Shu’s face instantly darkened.
“Is Yang Hyun-suk playing me? He said three slots, and now he’s changing his mind?”
“The Chairman said, you can choose not to trade,” Secretary Li said confidently.
He clearly understood DM Entertainment's current operating situation, changed his mind temporarily, and was preparing to extract more benefits.
Jiang Shu silently watched Secretary Li.
Not long after arriving in this world, this real Korea showed him what the face of capital was like.
Fairness?
This only exists in situations where both sides are equally strong. If their strengths are not equal, how much you get completely depends on how much the other party bestows upon you.
Jiang Shu's mindset underwent a subtle change at this moment.
“Then it’s Zhang Yuanying. Take me to see her,” Jiang Shu suppressed the anger in his heart and said coldly, looking at the other party.
Secretary Li smiled slightly and made a gesture to invite him.
...
Zhang Yuanying (currently 14 years old) was very confused.
She had just arrived at the company today and had only been practicing for less than half an hour when she received a message from the manager, informing her to come to the office.
Didn't the company just form a debut group? Was she going to be selected? But she was only a B-level trainee, and the debut group would only choose from S-level and A-level trainees.
With doubts in her heart, Zhang Yuanying arrived at the manager’s office.
As soon as she entered, she sensed that something was wrong; the atmosphere was off!
The manager, who usually swaggered in front of the trainees, stood behind a man in a black suit like a servant. She recognized this man; he was the company chairman’s secretary.
Secretary Li was sitting nearby, smiling, and on Secretary Li's other side was a young man with a cold expression but who was remarkably handsome. Even Zhang Yuanying, who had high standards, couldn't help but exclaim, “So handsome!” when she saw him.
Immediately after, Zhang Yuanying noticed that the young man's stern face softened when he saw her.
Jiang Shu looked at the fourteen-year-old girl, whose height already surpassed Liu Zhimin’s, and a look of amazement appeared in his eyes.
Just like the first time he saw Liu Zhimin in person, when these living idols truly appeared before his eyes, the stunning feeling, different from what he saw in videos, was hard to describe.
Zhang Yuanying still had her initial baby face at this time, and her girlish charm was fully on display. Her simple long-sleeved shirt and jeans outfit looked exceptionally stylish under her captivating youthful face.
Good, good, good!
As expected of our Yuan Shen!
Jiang Shu’s face softened.
“Hello, I am Jiang Shu, the Chairman of DM Entertainment,” Jiang Shu stood up and walked over to Zhang Yuanying, introducing himself.
This scene, in Secretary Li's eyes, was undoubtedly a self-abasement, and the disdain in his eyes grew stronger.
As a company chairman, to actively introduce himself to a trainee was truly demeaning.
Zhang Yuanying was initially confused, but after hearing Jiang Shu's self-introduction, her two big eyes widened instantly.
Chair... Chairman?!
Girls mature early, and at fourteen, she knew many things, despite her lack of social experience.
A company chairman actively introducing himself to her?
This made Zhang Yuanying feel an unprecedented sense of flattery and she was momentarily at a loss.
“You... Hello! I am Zhang Yuanying!”
If nothing unexpected happens, it will be updated daily with 6k words, 4k at 7 AM and 2k at 2 PM.