The number one playboy on the Peninsula!

Chapter 249 Jiang Qingchun's Ambition
"Ah ah ah ah..."

The show was being re-recorded, and the recording studio was filled with hundreds of trainees and staff... A large number of trainees were cheering on the contestants who were being selected by their teams to compete for song slots...

Gong Cheng stood on the indoor track that had been cleared, holding a microphone and preparing to blow the whistle to start the race like a referee on a track and field stadium, when he heard a Japanese trainee about a meter away whisper a request.
“Tarot representative, please make way…”

"Okay." He smiled, took two steps back, and stood in front of the group of trainees who were cheering him on.

Just now in the lounge, the production team interviewed many of the competitors, including several who were 100-meter track and field athletes from their elementary or middle school days. He wasn't sure if they were true or not...

But why is Yabuki Nako competing in the preparation area of ​​the track where there are nearly 20 trainees?
Is this kid even 150cm tall? Compared to other trainees with long legs and "track and field" athletes, wouldn't these short legs be kicking like crazy?
"3~"

"2~"

"1!"

“xu~~~”

After the countdown ended, Gong Cheng picked up the prop prepared by the production team, put it to his lips, and blew the whistle!

It was his first time acting as a referee, and he was a little nervous, hoping there wouldn't be any dramatic kneeling incident...

"Aaaaaaahh ...

Upon hearing the whistle, the trainees on the track sprinted off in unison, their colorful uniforms creating a "beautiful" scene in the camera's view... Well, in Gong Cheng's eyes, it wasn't exactly beautiful, given the whole spectacle and the cheers from the various teams behind them...

It was a chaotic mess, like a vegetable market, but he trusted the post-production quality. He figured they'd give the trainees a slow-motion effect and some background music, and that would be perfect.

During the competition, the trainee who had previously asked Gong Cheng to let him have his way actually lost his shoe while running...

Oh dear, Gong Cheng thought Duo would be very strong, but he turned out to be last.

"Ya ya ya ya ya!~"

"..."

After the race ended, Gong Cheng's straight figure walked back into the camera's view. Based on the rankings of the race, that is, the running results, he began to call out, "Running 1st place, Matsui Jurina, please begin the designated opponent group."

There are a total of 16 teams in the group competition. The top eight teams have the right to choose a song. When they choose a song, they also have the right to choose their opponent group, but the selection is limited to the remaining eight teams that did not have the right to choose a song.

Matsui Jurina's group chose Red Velvet's "Peek-A-Boo." During the competition earlier, Miyako noticed that Miyawaki Sakura was also vying for this song, but she couldn't beat Matsui Jurina...

Dude, is Red Velvet really that popular?
"The pairing we're going to use against is Kim Yu-bin's trainee group," Matsui Jurina said after a brief moment of thought.

Gong Cheng nodded, glanced at the second place on the script card, and said, "Second place in running, trainee Li Caizheng, choose your designated competition group."

He mentioned the second-place finisher in the competition, and Lee Chae-jung's group also chose a familiar song, BLACKPINK's "Boombayah".

"Shall we choose the last group?"

"Ah...we want to choose them too..."

"..."

While Li Cai was discussing with her teammates, many trainees from other teams gathered together, whispering and discussing which team to face off against...

Only the six pure and innocent girls standing behind Gong Cheng were trembling slightly.

Because the last group everyone was talking about was them.

They were the weakest team in the entire competition, otherwise they wouldn't have ended up in a situation where no one would choose them. As a result, the representative they sent out was even slacking off during the race. After all, even if they won the race, who could they beat?
Therefore, they became the easiest target in the entire competition, and everyone wanted to take advantage of them to avoid relegation...

"..." Gong Cheng's tall figure turned to the side, his contrasting temperament and gentle eyes glancing at the last group behind him.

Meanwhile, many cameras were also pointed at them...

"Why is everyone targeting us...?"

The captain of the last shift spoke uneasily to himself.

Hearing this, Jiang Huiyuan, sitting to the side, actually broke into a foolish smile. "Ah~ really? We'll have to hide..." she said, covering her cheeks as if to hide her laughter, and then darted behind Gong Cheng, trying to use his tall figure to block the other trainees' eye-catching gazes...

"Please don't choose us..."

Chiba Eri, a fellow trainee from Japan, clasped her hands together and whispered a prayer.

"..." Gong Cheng glanced at Jiang Huiyuan, who was hiding behind him and still secretly grinning. He took a step to the left, and Jiang Huiyuan's surprised and embarrassed smile was exposed to the many trainees and cameras.

“Our designated team is the last group…” trainee Li Caizheng gave her answer.

After hearing the answer, Jiang Huiyuan and the others were stunned for a moment, then nodded awkwardly. The six of them walked over in a neat row, ready to meet the trainees who had already been divided into opposing groups.

But halfway there, Jiang Huiyuan and the others couldn't help but cover their faces and burst into tears.

The first-class pure girl lowered her head, her shoulders trembling, and covered her face with her hands. A trainee in the same group, who was shorter than her, put his arm around her shoulder and comforted her.

Hearing the cries of the group, the many trainees present all turned to look...

"Oh my god~ Did you really cry? Haha~"

"what happened?"

"I really cried, what should I do?"

The trainees were huddled together, some gloating with concern, others shocked...

After Jiang Huiyuan's group stood on the tiered seating for the group competition, the Japanese trainees at the front had tears streaming down their faces.

Gong Cheng watched as Jiang Huiyuan lowered her hands, her face a mixture of crying and laughing. He couldn't understand whether this F-rank was crying or laughing. At least there wasn't a single tear on her innocent face, unlike the team members before her who were sobbing uncontrollably...

"Why are you crying?" Gong Cheng asked, raising the microphone at the opportune moment.

When he saw the song "Boombayah", he knew that the girls in front of him, who were so pure and innocent, probably couldn't sing it. There were six people in the group, four of whom were Japanese girls, and the Korean rap part would be very difficult to handle.

But aren't there still two people from the peninsula?
"I feel like I can't sing 'Boombayah'..." Chiba Eri replied, her eyes red and her body trembling slightly.

"Is that so?" Gong Cheng nodded with a smile. "But in my experience, if you believe you can do it, this sincerity might just touch the audience and the national producers..."

While comforting the trainees, he glanced at the innocent-looking trainee who was sniffling and looked like she was really crying. Her eyes were glistening with tears, and her lips were pursed like a bitter gourd, giving her a bitter smile...

"No one can predict how the group competition will end. If you believe in yourself and do your best, maybe today's tears of sadness will turn into tears of joy tomorrow..."

"I am looking forward……"

Honestly, he felt that it was a good thing that the "first-class pure and innocent" group was chosen. At least they avoided the groups with strong overall strength like Miyawaki Sakura and Ahn Yu-ma. And their opponents, to be honest, were neither particularly strong nor weak among the trainees...

He's not much better than the others.

Through her teary vision, Jiang Huiyuan's nearsightedness made things blurry, but the comforting words spoken by that handsome senior inexplicably gave her a boost of confidence...

Representative, why do you always think so highly of me?

She secretly vowed that she would not let the representative and teacher down this time...

"Stay strong!"

One of the trainees in the crowd shouted, and everyone shouted in unison, as if cheering on the bottom-ranked group, or perhaps encouraging themselves.

"..." After this little incident, the group work continued...

"The last two teams that weren't selected will automatically be paired up as adversaries." Gong Cheng glanced at An Youzhen and Zhang Yuanying's team in front of him, then looked sideways at Miyawaki Sakura, Kim Minju, and the others...

Of the 16 teams, these two are the strongest on paper, but no one chose them...

……

Twenty minutes later...

The production team's recording is still ongoing, but right now in the venue, the trainees from the 16 teams are in various corners of the hall, studying the parts of each group's songs, and then practicing after they have divided their parts.

In the hall, which spans several hundred square meters, cameras and camera positions are clustered everywhere, with lenses and photographers following each trainee's group.

The trainees were either sitting cross-legged or lying face down on the carpeted floor...

"Oppa, you won't be able to come over for my birthday tomorrow, will you?" Son Chaeyoung asked abruptly after sharing her schedule with Gong Cheng, her coquettish tone perfectly matching her own. "Aren't you recording PRODUCE 48?"

Gong Cheng's slender fingers replied on the privacy screen, "Ani, I can make it there (grinning and laughing)."

He also planned to tell his senior brother after today's recording to let him leave work early tomorrow so they could go celebrate Little Tiger's birthday.

"Kenchana~ Tomorrow is my birthday live stream, I'll be getting off work really late (crying~)"

"So oppa doesn't need to come, he's very busy tomorrow~ But could you pick me up from get off work tonight? We can celebrate my birthday in bed tonight~ (hehe)"

Gong Cheng smirked, "You're disgusting!"

"?" Son Chaeyoung replied instantly, "I finish get off work at 10 PM, LUS radio station (location)."

"Okay." Gong Cheng checked the radio station location sent by Little Tiger, then turned off his phone. Since Little Tiger dared to contact him, it meant she had already completely charmed her fans...

A romantic getaway for two?
"What are you thinking about?" Jin Dayu walked over and handed Gong Cheng a glass of orange juice he had just ordered. "You're smiling so happily."

Gong Cheng asked in surprise, "Really?"

"Yes!" Jin Dayu nodded emphatically, then looked at the young man with suspicion and asked in a low voice, "You've talked to him?"

"?"

"I mean, you're dating?" Jin Dayu asked again, seeing the somewhat bewildered look on his face. It wasn't that he was being nosy; this kid had a history of this...

How could they not know their own artists?

He had an ex-girlfriend before his debut, and after his debut, he had countless scandals that never stopped. He was always surrounded by people like Park Chanyeol, Oh Sehun, and Park Jaybeom. Do you think this guy is any good?
But Gong Cheng kept it well hidden. He had always suspected that Gong Cheng was secretly dating other female celebrities, but he just didn't know who he was dating...

Just by looking at his face, he doesn't seem like the type to stay put...

Besides, the company president, Park Jin-young, had hinted at it to him quite a few times. If they were really going to talk, they should; it was about time they started talking to someone… The company had absolutely no objections, but strangely, this guy was very tight-lipped…

“Hey bro, think about it carefully, who have I spent the most time with in the past two years?” Gong Cheng put down his phone and asked.

Kim Daewoo pondered for a moment, then tentatively asked, "Me?" He pointed to himself, then fell silent.

"Otherwise what? I'm so busy, how would I have time to socialize?" Gong Cheng said, feigning a complaint. This Jin Dayu guy, he's been with me through thick and thin, supporting me every step of the way, for at least two years since our debut…

This guy went from a complete novice agent to a seasoned professional, with his business skills improving day by day. He's in his middle age, which is the perfect time for him to make his mark...

"Sigh...that's true..." Jin Dayu sighed. He genuinely cared about the kid's private life. After spending so much time together and watching Gong Cheng get to where he is today, he had developed feelings for him. Besides, he had also been making some investments outside and earned a lot of extra money.

There are feelings and interests involved...

"Xiao Cheng, listen to your brother, young people have time like a sponge, you can always squeeze some out..." He patted his beer belly with a touch of emotion, as if reminiscing about the past, looking back on his youthful days, "Back when I was your age..."

"Even the prettiest girl in class has to queue up to give your brother a love letter..."

"Brother, are you teaching me?" Gong Cheng sat on the sofa with a light smile, watching Jin Dayu's desolate expression. His beady eyes had lost some of the composure they had in recent years, replaced by a hint of melancholy and evasiveness...

As for why he dodged, he knew perfectly well—he was guilty.
This guy is great in every way, except he loves to brag a little...

"Brother, you're really ruthless..." Gong Cheng said with a sigh, his handsome face showing great emotion.

Kim Dae-woo waved his hand dismissively, feigning nonchalance and sadness, "I was indeed very handsome back then, but I let down that school beauty... but..."

"Oh, I mean, bro, did you end up on a cold operating table? Did the adjustment fail?" Gong Cheng bluntly exposed him, speechless. This guy always comes up with a different version of his boasts...

She was the class beauty just a moment ago, and now she's the school beauty.

"..."

"Does anyone in our group want to be the center position?"

"Then our center position belongs to Yi Ren..."

"..."

On set, the trainees from each team were dividing up the parts and determining the center position (C-position) for their team. Some teams that were progressing faster had already chosen their C-position and were practicing simple movement techniques on the spot...

Some groups are progressing slowly because each member wants the center position and they are still deciding on the candidate, with each member performing and voting internally.

Gong Cheng glanced at the "First-Class Innocent" group not far away. Goodness, he finally understood why the production team had given them so much screen time. Compared to the other groups' lively and enthusiastic performances, this group was practically silent...

The contrast with other teams is just too stark...

Six people sat in the corner, leaning against the wall, with the lyrics of "Boombayah" on the floor, but no one made a move. The Japanese trainees still had tears welling up in their eyes, but only Kang Hye-won sat there blankly, cross-legged, staring blankly at the other teams...

"Everyone... seems to have given up? Some members are still... crying, they're really lost, really... never expected it to be 'Boombayah'..."

At the photographer's urging, Jiang Huiyuan sat down at the interview spot near Gong Cheng, expressing her inner bewilderment...

Gong Cheng was speechless. "Besides being innocent, is all you can do is bewilderment?"
“When our group was discussing song selection, everyone wanted to avoid ‘Boombayah’…”

"Our captain, Xiaoyuan, really wants to do well, and she feels both grateful and apologetic..." Jiang Huiyuan slowly described the team's current situation. Their captain, Han Xiaoyuan, really wanted to try her best, but the members' low spirits were just...

As she spoke, she glanced awkwardly at Gong Cheng, who was sitting with his back to her not far away.

“This song has a lot of rap parts, and there’s no room for my innocent side at all… Also, because there are four Japanese people in our team, and the leader is also the center, there’s no way we can rap, so it’s just me…” Jiang Huiyuan tilted her head slightly, with a bitter smile on her face, as if she had a hard life to live…

She initially thought that practicing might improve her skills, but after hearing the opposing team's rap during the interview, she felt drenched in sweat and utterly hopeless...

The VJ, who was filming, asked a question.

"Rap? No problem, we have Tarot as our mentor, right? He'll help you during practice. He was really looking forward to your team's performance during the group battles..."

"Cough cough..." Gong Cheng was drinking orange juice when he almost choked.

Although he didn't know how good Yideng Qingchun's rap skills were, how could you expect someone who only had innocence and confusion to be good at anything else?

"..."

Jiang Huiyuan gave another unnatural, bitter smile. She added to the camera, as if speaking to the representative not far away, "Although I've never tried rap, and really don't want to, I think besides my innocent image, I should also have some talent for rap..."

"So confident?" the photographer asked.

"It's...it's alright..." Jiang Huiyuan said, forcing herself to speak. There was nothing she could do now. She was the main rapper in the group, and she couldn't very well tell the production team that she really had nothing but innocence.
She decided to give it her all and make a name for herself!
(End of this chapter)