Peninsula: After Bai Yueguang left, I went crazy killing people!

Chapter 1040

"Nominee shareholding?"

Upon hearing Li Yang's words, Li Chengzhu's smile involuntarily faded, and he said, "As far as I know, your mind is no longer on the entertainment company. Moreover, as far as I know, you don't actually hold as many shares as the outside world claims—a mere twelve percent. All the funds in the so-called bet were secretly transferred into Ningshi Fenghua, so you actually hold no more than four percent of the shares. Back then, you barely reached the threshold for entering the board of directors by disclosing your shareholding. And for you, these shares are far less important than converting them into cash."

As he spoke, he handed the glass to Li Yang, clinked glasses with him, took a large gulp, and returned to his office chair. He then smiled and said, "Even setting aside Ningshi Fenghua's current funding shortfall, as far as I know, Minister Song of the Nationalist government harbors a great deal of resentment towards you because of your past underhanded dealings. If you weren't making quarterly repayments, you might have already taken retaliatory measures. So, logically and emotionally, I don't think Li Yang has any reason to keep these shares. But I just don't understand why you're still clinging to these useless shares?"

Lee Sung-soo shrugged and said, "Besides, my price has already exceeded the limit by a full 20%. From my perspective, you don't seem to have any reason not to sell."

"Is CEO Sung-soo always so impatient and doesn't like to let people finish speaking?"

Li Yang chuckled, took a sip, and then said, "Drinking in broad daylight, does that mean you're in a good mood?"

As he spoke, he sat down opposite Lee Sung-soo, and then, under the former's gaze, slowly smiled and said, "First of all, the shares I hold are not four percent, but nine percent."

As soon as he finished speaking, Lee Sung-soo's smile suddenly froze.

“The initial capital of Ning Shi Feng Hua was not as large as you imagine. In addition, in the days before the start of the performance-based agreement, I also had to find a way to deal with the supervision of the creditors. So, when SM’s stock price was at its lowest point, I approached several of your company’s directors.”

Li Yang laughed and said, "Although it was higher than SM's stock price at the time, it should still be considered a huge profit now, right?"

He laughed easily, and the bright sunlight slanted through the window onto his somewhat lazy smiling face, making him look handsome and refined, like a male protagonist straight out of a comic book.

Lee Sung-soo felt a chill run down his spine, and then couldn't help but give Lee Yang a deep look.

when?
When exactly?
When did he manage to acquire so many shares without anyone noticing?
He clearly remembered that he had already swept up all the publicly traded stocks.

That's a full nine percent!

At the time, SM Entertainment was arguably the largest shareholder besides Lee Soo-man, Kakao, and Kim Jong-un, even surpassing Kim Young-min and himself.
If they were to defect at the last minute, the consequences would be unimaginable.

and also
It was already a foregone conclusion that Lee Soo-man would be forced to step down, but Li Yang did not reveal any information to the outside world.

So what is the purpose of retaining so many shares?
SM Entertainment should have no enemies now.

Or.
Is it to be wary of oneself?

Thinking of this, Lee Sung-soo looked at Lee Yang, who had an innocent smile across from him, and a chill crept into Lee Sung-soo's heart, like ink dripping into clear water, spreading rapidly.

If I remember correctly, we had a sweet working relationship back then, right?
He actually started from that moment
No.

It should be said that all of this was prepared from the very beginning.

"It must be one of the council members who have a good relationship with Zhuo Yongjun, right?"

It wasn't a question, but a statement of certainty.

Lee Sung-soo narrowed his eyes slightly. There were very few things at SM Entertainment that were outside his control now. However, due to considerations of face and the current situation, he had not yet considered taking action against the neutral parties, including Cho Young-jun.

Shares only pose a threat to senior management when a certain number of shares are acquired. Most of the people around Zhuo Yongjun hold scattered shares, which are relatively sparse. In addition, they rarely take sides within the company and only seek to protect themselves. Therefore, few people pay attention to them, which makes them very secretive.

So now, this seems to be the only way for Li Yang to obtain shares.

Thinking of this, Lee Sung-soo frowned slightly, and a hint of doubt crept into his eyes as he looked at Lee Yang.

He still couldn't figure it out.

If the intention was to hide it from the beginning, why did it suddenly reveal itself now?

"I didn't want to either, but there's this idiot who's so stupid it's heartbreaking." Li Yang almost instantly realized Li Chengzhu's suspicion, and couldn't help but rub his forehead and smile bitterly. At the same time, a beautiful figure singing and dancing in an oily environment appeared in his mind, and he couldn't help but shake his head, laughing and crying at the same time.

Immediately
He looked at Lee Sung-soo seriously and said, "I can entrust this portion of my shares to Sung-soo as his representative to hold on my behalf free of charge."

As soon as he finished speaking, Lee Sung-soo was visibly stunned for a moment.

But then, after hearing what was said next, he showed a thoughtful expression.

"Although it's free, there are still requirements."

Li Yang said, "I need a commitment from Nim to fully dedicate resources to supporting aespa over the next two years."

As he spoke, Li Yang tapped his fingers slowly on the table, a habit he unconsciously displayed when he was thinking. He quickly added, "Aespa needs to send a copy of each project to my email address. At the same time, I need absolute control over Aespa's planning."

Almost instantly after he finished speaking, Lee Sung-soo retorted, "No way!"

Soon, seemingly realizing that his attitude had been too harsh, he explained, "The company's strategic direction has already been set. And even if Li Yangxi has made achievements in TV dramas, web dramas, and live streaming, K-pop is a completely new field. I probably don't need to explain the serious consequences of an outsider interfering in an insider's work to Li Yangxi, do I?"

"So all I want is absolute control, not to send a team into your company to run it myself."

Li Yang, unusually, did not back down, but said, "It won't happen to me if an outsider interferes with an insider, but I need a certain amount of say to monitor in real time whether Representative Cheng Zhu will fulfill his promises."

Upon hearing this, Lee Sung-soo fell silent for a moment, and the air seemed to quiet down for a while.

half an hour.

Lee Sung-soo slowly shook his head and said, "It still won't work."

As he spoke, he looked up at Li Yang and said seriously, "I can open back doors in other places, but I cannot agree to the allocation of resources and power."

Lee Sung-soo spoke very firmly.

In fact, it is normal.

Peninsula's corporate culture has always had an obsessive obsession with the realm of rights; almost no one will allow their rights to be challenged.

Not to mention, resource allocation, strategic cooperation, and various project proposals all involve some of SM Entertainment's unique channels and secrets.

Once that door is opened...
So today it's Li Yang, tomorrow it could be Nan Suying, and the day after tomorrow it could be Zhuo Yongjun.
Just like a god who, once he reveals his health bar, is no longer a god.

Once a bottom line is broken, it's likely to be broken a second or third time.

Or
This is a consensus among almost all high-level officials worldwide.

Thinking of this, Lee Sung-soo looked at Lee Yang with a sincere expression and promised, "But I can guarantee on behalf of SM Entertainment that I will absolutely fulfill my promise to you."

Before he could finish speaking...

But Li Yang couldn't help but chuckle, then narrowed his rather long and dark eyes and said directly, "I don't believe you!"

After these words were spoken, the office fell silent once again.

Clearly, without the premise of trust, Lee Sung-soo couldn't think of a good way to deal with the situation at the moment. A short while later...

Lee Sung-soo seemed to have found his words, and then looked at him again with an unprecedentedly serious expression, saying, "You should know that SM Entertainment is at a very turbulent juncture, and I am determined to get your shares."

His tone was firm and forceful, but then, as if realizing the harshness of his words, he softened his tone and said, "Moreover, aespa is, after all, a group from our company. Whether from a professional or personal perspective, even without your request today, SM would still do its best to manage this group. After all, entertainment companies also need to generate revenue, and there is no reason not to make money."

He paused, then sighed softly, and said, "I know you're worried about SM's reputation, but right now, Aespa is, after all, an SM group, and Li Yang himself probably knows how difficult his situation is. He's surrounded by enemies. So if he really wants what's best for Aespa, is there any other way besides trusting SM?"

His words were delivered with great emotion, sounding like a harsh punishment followed by a sweet treat.

In reality, Lee Sung-soo's attitude was quite clear.

Now that they have discovered Li Yang's unusual attitude towards aespa and his deliberate exposure of his weakness, Li Chengzhu will obviously not let this opportunity pass, and the underlying threat is clearly visible.

This is the business culture of the peninsula.

In business, there's no room for sentimentality or transactions.

Li Yang, on the other hand, was not surprised at all, but rather looked as if he had expected it.

That's normal!
Li Yang would be surprised if the woman agreed so easily.

Of course, since they dare to say that, they must have their own methods.

As is well known, Li Yang never fights a battle unprepared.

Upon hearing this, Li Yang quickly turned to Lee Sung-soo with a half-smile and said, "Lee Sung-soo's position as the representative of SM Entertainment isn't so secure right now, is it?"

As he spoke, ignoring Lee Sung-soo's increasingly gloomy expression, he chuckled to himself, "Although Lee Sung-soo, who forced Kim Young-min out and seized most of the power, seems to be living a glamorous life to outsiders, I've heard that he didn't actually get the shares from Kim Young-min. Instead, he inadvertently facilitated a three-way equity cooperation agreement between Hybe and Kakao?"

As he spoke, Li Yang had already stood up and was leisurely walking outside. At the same time, he didn't forget to wave to the silent Li Chengzhu with a smile and said, "That's all I have to say. Now, I'll wait for the good news that Li Chengzhu represents."

After saying that, he walked out, not forgetting to thoughtfully close the office door behind him.

As we arrived at the SM building, the warm sunshine enveloped the earth, and a gentle spring breeze caressed our faces, as tender as a lover's hand.

Li Yang maintained his smile until he got into the car and left, showing no sign of worry whatsoever.

Because he knew that compared to the cooperation between Kakao and Hybe, if he added his own 9%, the total would exceed 50%, posing a threat of absolute control. His small request was like a mosquito bite.

It's a little itchy and uncomfortable, but at least it doesn't hurt.

In comparison, the former is more like a gluttonous maw; once completed, the SM representative's position will be completely transformed into a puppet.

And Lee Sung-soo clearly understood this much better than he did.

Especially for the ambitious Lee Sung-soo, he would not easily allow everything he had gained to be handed over to others.

Li Yang understood this point, so the content of the conversation was clear and concise, without any unnecessary elaboration.

He knew that Lee Sung-soo would eventually agree.

So what if I'm unhappy?

Li Yang learned from his very first lesson upon arriving at the Peninsula that when doing business here, one should never rely on so-called trust and character; rather, interests and threats are the most effective and long-term ways to maintain cooperation.

Soon, a pleasant cell phone ringtone began to echo in the car.

The moment Li Yang put on the Bluetooth headset, a smile appeared on his lips.

Soon after, he raised an eyebrow and smiled, "Then, Mr. Sung-soo, it's a pleasure to work with you!"

At six o'clock in the afternoon, the blazing sun finally sank below the horizon.

As night fell, a crescent moon began to reveal its outline.

Home.

Wearing an apron, Li Yang came out to open the door after hearing the knocking.

As soon as the door opens.

First, a slender figure wearing denim overalls skipped in, then casually collapsed onto the sofa, letting out a satisfied groan as she said, "Sleeping on Oppa's sofa is so comfortable."

Behind her, Liu Zhimin, dressed in a denim outfit and with her hair in a high ponytail, followed in. Upon seeing this, she couldn't help but raise an eyebrow and snort, "Is sleeping more comfortable, or is sleeping on something else more comfortable?"

Kim Dong-won, who was lying down, suddenly widened her eyes, looking betrayed, and said indignantly, "I haven't even reprimanded unnie for secretly coming to see oppa the other day, how can unnie say such a thing!"

As soon as she finished speaking, Liu Zhimin's pretty face flushed slightly, and she raised her small hand as if she was about to hit someone, seemingly embarrassed and annoyed.

Beside him, Li Yang brought out the last dish and, seeing this, couldn't help but chuckle and ask, "What's going on? Why is everyone so happy today?"

The two girls were playfully frolicking, radiating youthful energy, a stark contrast to their recent sorrowful expressions.

The words fell.

Just as Liu Zhimin was about to speak, Jin Dongtian spoke even faster, saying first, "The company is finally starting to value us. Today's meeting is about preparing to tailor-make an album for us!"

Recalling the content of the meeting in the conference room that afternoon, Jin Dongtian couldn't help but gently wave her little pink fist, looking extremely excited.

"Mo?"

Li Yang's eyes flickered slightly, and he said casually, "Isn't producing an album a normal thing? Why is it being taken so seriously this time?"

"Because the partner this time is an American music library studio!"

Liu Zhimin walked over and took the apron that Li Yang had taken off, explaining, "The Peninsula Studio's music library is actually mostly composed by the company's in-house composers. It's not that it's bad, but most of the quality is uneven. In contrast, the songs in the American studio are bought by the company at a high price, and the quality is much, much higher."

As she spoke, Liu Zhimin's lips couldn't help but curve upwards, seemingly because she was in a good mood.

Li Yang, who witnessed this scene, suddenly felt a strange sense of relief and satisfaction.

Looking at the two women in front of him, a sudden realization dawned on him.

so.
Is this the mindset of men after they get married?

Ok.

At once.
Seems pretty good?
(End of this chapter)