Reboot the heyday

The night passed without a word, but there were sounds.

The morning sunlight streamed into the bedroom through the gaps in the curtains, and Snowball was already sitting energetically on the edge of the bed putting on her socks.

Wang Taika, with his messy hair and sleepy eyes, leaned against the bathroom door brushing his teeth. Actually, his back was still a little sore.

"Teacher, your service last night was quite good." Snowball tied her shoelaces, looked up at him, and winked, her tone slightly teasing.

Wang Taika, with a toothbrush in his mouth, mumbled, "How dare you! Is that something a teenage idol like you should say? And why does the word 'teacher' sound so sarcastic?"

After rinsing his mouth and spitting it out, Wang Taika asked, "Where are you going?"

"I have a morning radio show to go on, it's almost time. Actually, you can sleep a little longer, you don't need to see me off." Snowball straightened her clothes, wiped her hands, picked up her small bag, and spoke in a light tone.

Wang Taika wiped his face, trying to shake off the sleepiness: "No, I'll still take you there. It's been a long time since I got up this early, and it'll help me wake up."

Snowball smiled and did not refuse.

The two chatted and laughed as they tidied everything up. Wang Taika drove Xueqiu to work. The streets of Seoul were not yet completely congested in the early morning, and the air carried a slight chill.

We talked a lot yesterday, but not about work. We only started talking about serious things after all the happy things were done and the longing had subsided.

Looking at the street scene flashing past the window, Snowball said, "I have a lot of things to do next, but many of them are solo trips."

Wang Taika gripped the steering wheel and nodded: "Yeah, I know. By the way, in a while, the company will arrange for Hanhan to go to Europe and America to try his luck. Mainly Europe. Didn't you guys hold a concert there before? I didn't expect you to be so well-known in Europe."

f(x)'s unique style is not actually favored in the traditional K-pop market, and it is one of the worst among SM Entertainment's girl groups. We will not defend them.

But things turned out unexpectedly well; they found a considerable audience in the West, where K-pop's influence isn't as strong. However, while SM Entertainment wants to expand into the US market, they're reluctant to let f(x) do so.

There are many reasons, but the core reason is that we don't want the group to get out of control.

For any entertainment company, control is paramount, while profitability is secondary. This explains the allocation of resources and the underhanded tactics of suppressing its most popular groups or members.

Wang Taika didn't understand before, but he does now, because XB Entertainment does the same thing. There's no other way; it's not that the dragon-slaying hero ends up becoming the dragon himself, but rather that business is business, and they have no choice but to do it this way.

"Europe, hmm, it's pretty good." Snowball nodded thoughtfully.

"I didn't expect that f(x) would have such a large following in the West, where the influence of K-pop isn't as strong." Wang Taika said with a hint of sarcasm, "It's just that although SM Entertainment wants to break into the US market, they don't really want you guys to go."

"I know that too." Snowball laughed. Everyone knew how the company treated f(x). Especially after the leader started having resources in China, even though the contract hadn't expired yet, SM Entertainment had completely lost faith in the group.

It must be said that this captain is quite competent. If we really lose this captain, then the function will be completely abandoned.

From SM Entertainment's perspective, although this person is no longer the most popular in the group, their importance is indeed unique.

But why isn't it a Korean? SM Entertainment itself is also helpless. The lesson from EXO is still fresh; even though f(x)'s leader has shown sincerity, the company's executives still won't believe it.

From an operational perspective, anything that isn't 100%—even 99%—is still zero.

A combination that is completely out of control and too powerful poses a huge destabilizing factor for the company's overall strategy and profit distribution. Even if it can make more money, if that money is not earned securely, the company would rather not have it, or find a way to "prune" it to a controllable range.

This is the damn adult world. Wang Taika tapped his fingers lightly on the steering wheel, his eyes sharpening: "Don't worry, the future is definitely bright. Now we have a new direction, don't we?"

Snowball asked, "But this wasn't a company decision; it was actually influenced by you, teacher, wasn't it?"

Wang Taika nodded: "Yes."

"So I'm curious." Snowball changed the subject: "Teacher, did you do this because you really like the combination of functions, or because of me, or because of Crystal, or because of your master?"

I almost had to brake suddenly.

Wang Taika stared at Snowball, dumbfounded, and asked incredulously, "What?"

Snowball is so mean, doing it on purpose. She pouted and said, "You know who I'm talking about."

"No, these things happened so long ago." Wang Taika was truly helpless and exhausted.

Snowball pursed her lips: "They all say it's 'Empress Dowager' or something, but I think this is a better name."

Wang Taika hesitated for a long time before finally saying, "Well, let's go with the Empress Dowager. The Empress Dowager it is."

“In ancient times, she was always called ‘Empress Dowager Wang,’ meaning the queen mother of the king. Oh, teacher, your surname is Wang!” Snowball clapped his hands: “Okay, from now on I’ll call her Empress Dowager too.”

I suddenly don't want to chat anymore.

Snowball quickly tried to ease the tension: "Just kidding, um, but my question is real. Who did you do this for? Of course, it's a multiple-choice question."

Wang Taika thought for a moment and said, "At first, I also thought it might be because of someone. But your question made me think about it and realize that it's not really because of anyone. Or rather, it was because of you guys at first, who understood this group. Later, I've been with them all the way, and I didn't want to see them fall apart like this."

Snowball laughed: "So, teacher, you're still very naive. Actually, we idols all know that this is the reality of the idol industry. Behind the glamorous facade lies meticulous and even ruthless calculation and control. Idols, especially top idols, are, to some extent, the company's most expensive and most strictly managed assets. Only you still treat us as people with dreams."

Wang Taika shook his head: "I'm not that good. XB Entertainment does the same thing, and in some aspects they're even stricter than SM."

Snowball laughed: "I'm not that naive. Having dreams doesn't mean you have to be a fool. I've never known how to describe this feeling, but it just feels different. But I recently learned Chinese, and I think I've found a suitable explanation."

Wang Taika asked curiously, "What do you mean?"

"Knowledgeable yet not cynical," Snowball said with a grin. "That's the feeling, isn't it? Even though you understand all the conflicts, you can still retain your initial passion."

Wang Taika laughed: "You even know what 'disagreement' means? That's impressive. I don't think there's a word for that in Korean, is there?"

"Hehe." Snowball was a little proud, but then changed the subject: "However, it's best to have fewer people like teachers, and it's best not to appear in fan groups."

Wang Taika asked in confusion, "Why? If everyone had my level of awareness, there wouldn't be any sasaeng fans."

Snowball, however, hit a nerve: "But such rational fans wouldn't spend money to buy albums!"

Wang Taika was defeated: "That makes sense!" (End of Chapter)