The number one playboy on the Peninsula!

Chapter 255 Grand Prize Reform, Recording

"You can touch it first, Zhenying, I'm leaving..."

On April 29th, after Gong Cheng landed in Seoul in the early morning, he went back to his dormitory and lay down until noon. He had only been at JYP for a short while when Park Jin-young pulled him to the office, where he held several Grammy Awards and stroked them back and forth.

The paint is almost completely rubbed off...

Gong Cheng's three Grammy Awards (in his own name) and one Grammy Award (in the name of the group Bombardment Meteor)—a total of four Grammy Awards—were displayed on the president's office desk. The transparent, reflective glass reflected the golden light emanating from the trophies. He looked up excitedly, "Aren't you coming downstairs with me?"

He also planned to go with Gong Cheng to the trophy exhibition hall in the lobby on the first floor to display the four Grammy trophies there.

"I'm not going to join the fun." Gong Cheng shrugged and took a sip of water. The exhibition hall was already almost overflowing with just his wall. In his third year since debut, he had won all sorts of trophies, big and small, from the Japanese music scene and the Korean music scene. "There are quite a few fans here today, too many people, so I won't go down. I'll go to the cafeteria for lunch later, and then I'll go record PRODUCE 48 this afternoon."

Park Jin-young thought about it and agreed, but seeing that Gong Cheng was about to leave, he quickly called out to stop him, "Hey, you kid, why are you in such a hurry? Take a picture with me!" As he spoke, he stepped forward and pulled Gong Cheng, and then called over the staff who were passing by in the corridor outside the door.

The two sat down on the long sofa. On the coffee table were four Grammy Awards. Gong Cheng's helpless smile and Park Jin-young's excited expression were captured in the camera.

"..."

"Junior brother..."

"Ha, brother, don't call me that. I don't know what's going on when I hear you call me junior brother..." Gong Cheng shrank back and moved to the side. In front of him was Park Jin-young's smiling face, his bright face was like an old chrysanthemum, full of wrinkles, with a roguish look.

Park Jin-young picked up his Heineken beer, took a sip, and his face visibly flushed. "Junior brother, how about that [ATM] project? The planning guy's almost finished." As he spoke, he glanced at the Grammy Award trophy on the table...

"You know, Chuangmei has always been a knot in my heart..."

"..." Gong Cheng listened silently to Park Jin-young's rambling for a long time. At least before, he would hint at it, but now he was being blatant and undisguised...

After expressing his feelings, Park Jin-young downed the can of beer in one gulp, saying, "Junior brother, bottoms up!" After that, he stopped dwelling on the matter. He also knew that the [ATM] project would have to wait a while longer. "If we're going to Gyeonggi Province to record a program, let's bring those trainees from our company along."

"Hwang Ye-ji and the others?" Gong Cheng looked at him in surprise. "Weren't they supposed to debut next year? Have the debut lineup been decided?"

As far as he knew, the project for the company's new girl group [ITZY] originally had two guaranteed debut spots, Somi and Hwang Yeji. However, Somi's contract termination with the company is almost finalized, and she will soon leave JYP. It was precisely because of this that the [ITZY] project was temporarily suspended not long ago.

But I didn't expect the company to adjust so quickly...

Park Jin-young leaned back on the sofa. “It’s not finalized yet, but it’s pretty much the same few trainees over and over again. I’ve already spoken to Hwanji, and they’ll give you a few shots and boost your exposure when they go. But that’s not the main thing. When you go back to China in a few days, have them help you out and get familiar with the trainees first.”

"Recently, the company has been busy with many projects and the release of individual data, so we're short-staffed. However, ITZY's debut is no later than March next year, and now all the companies are launching new groups..."

"Understood." Gong Cheng nodded, having no objections. Taking Huang Lizhi and the others on a trip wasn't out of the question. Park Jin-young had done plenty of things like appearing on shows to gain exposure; Huang Lizhi and the others had even made a brief appearance on Mnet's boy group survival show "Stray Kids" last year.

Park Jin-young stroked his chin, then suddenly straightened up and smiled. "There's something else. The various local award ceremonies, like Melon, Golden Disc Awards, and Music Awards, are currently considering adding new awards: Best Male Group and Best Female Group, two in total."

"Is it really necessary..." Upon hearing this, Gong Cheng immediately understood what was going on and curled his lips speechlessly.

"You're practically killing the K-pop scene..." Park Jin-young chuckled. The matter of adding awards to the awards ceremony had been discussed at the beginning of the year, with the organizers of various award ceremonies contacting professors from local music academies to hold meetings.

The main reason is that since Makoto Miyamoto debuted in 16, he has almost swept all the major awards at the Bombardment Meteor that year. Last year, he won all the major awards by himself, leaving most groups and artists with only some minor awards that were not very prestigious.

With a Grammy to his name since 17, and his recent record-breaking 1.2 million streams on the first day of "God's Plan," even the top five male and female artists in the Western music scene can't beat him in terms of streaming numbers, let alone K-pop.

Even if Gong Cheng doesn't release any songs this year, with "God's Plan" topping the Billboard charts, he'll still win all the awards at next year's award ceremonies!

After Gong Cheng entered the center of the world music scene, he truly brought greater exposure to K-pop worldwide, which is a good thing for the development of K-pop. The organizers of award ceremonies will not offend him because of how many awards he wins.

But you should at least leave some room for other artists, right? Take last year's album released by TWICE and Bombardment Meteor, for example. The quality of the songs and the sales of the music were overwhelmingly superior to other groups, but they were overwhelmingly overshadowed by Makoto Miyazaki... which resulted in them not winning any major awards in their home country, and only winning minor awards.

If this continues, the organizers are worried about the ratings. After all, there are only a few major awards: Song of the Year, Album of the Year, Artist of the Year. If you win every year, who will watch without something new? Besides, now that Gong Cheng has the Grammys, he might not attend these award ceremonies, or he might not even care about them. The organizers are unsure of what to expect...

So they thought of adding two awards: Best Male Group and Best Female Group, specifically for K-pop male and female artists and groups.

These two major awards are definitely more prestigious than the existing Best Actress and Best Actor awards—after all, you can have your Album of the Year, Song of the Year, and Artist of the Year, Gong Cheng, but we're going to stick to fairness and impartiality…

You could share the Best Male Group award with Bombardment Meteor, but you can't possibly win the Best Female Group award again, can you?

"That's great." Gong Cheng thought for a moment and smiled. Adding awards is a good thing for all the entertainment companies, including JYP. After all, K-pop is mostly about groups, and even the most popular groups need awards to boost their popularity.

It doesn't matter to him. He no longer needs the Grand Prize to prove himself; on the contrary, the Grand Prize needs him to prove its value.

……

TWICE has a busy schedule today...

Gong Cheng sat in the empty practice room chatting with Kim Daewoo about things outside of work, including the property he had asked him to help purchase at the beginning of the year and other miscellaneous matters. Thinking about it carefully, the large apartment in Cheongdam-dong was now ready to be moved into.

He was thinking that once he returned from China, he should take his girlfriend, nicknamed Rabbit, to see it and stay for a few nights. He knew that Lim Nayeon had been looking forward to it for a long time...

"I heard from a friend at a loan company that Ryu Jun-yeol recently took out a loan of 52 billion won." Kim Dae-woo said casually, recalling this incident. When he and Gong Cheng were bored, they would often chat about gossip from inside and outside the entertainment industry to pass the time.

Or it's about investments. In the past two years, he has invested in some projects and acquired some stocks with Gong Cheng. Although his share was relatively small, he has always made a profit.

Gong Cheng looked at him in surprise, “Ryu Jun-yeol?” He remembered this person. He had met him a few times at the Baeksang Arts Awards last year. Moreover, after becoming a sensation with “Reply 1988,” this person is now one of the rising male actors promoted by Chungmuro ​​and has been making a push into the film industry in the past two years.

He's currently enjoying a surge in popularity in the entertainment industry. His girlfriend is Lee Hyeri, a member of the girl group Girl's Day and also the female lead Deok-sun in "Reply 1988."

"Is it real estate speculation? Or investment?" Gong Cheng asked, guessing. In the peninsula, real estate speculation is considered a serious offense, especially for celebrities, because they enjoy the privilege of high-interest loans, up to 90% of the property value. Investment is better; for example, Wu Shixun bought two buildings in recent years and just left them there to rent out, allowing them to appreciate in value slowly.

Kim Dae-woo took a sip of coffee. “Who knows? I heard from a friend that he later added 6 million won to buy a piece of land in Gangnam. Recently, he’s been looking for a loan of 17 billion won to demolish the existing buildings on the land and rebuild a new building.”

"..." Gong Cheng nodded in agreement. He bought a building for 58 billion, borrowed 52 billion, and then borrowed another 17 billion to rebuild it. Rebuilding would definitely cost more than 17 billion, but given the high proportion of loans, he could probably only spend a few hundred million more at most. So he just spent over a billion Korean won? "Isn't he not interested in financial management?"

He remembered that Ryu Jun-yeol had actually previously cultivated a public persona of being uninterested in financial management...

"Tsk tsk, in which part of Jiangnan, in which building?"

"Near Yisandong," Kim Dae-woo said with a chuckle. "If they're in such a hurry to build a high-rise, they're probably speculating on real estate. The loan-to-value ratio is just too high; it's hard not to suspect something..."

Gong Cheng took a sip of orange juice. "Well, I guess it's because the property and land prices in Gangnam are already at a relatively high level..." Gangnam is a bustling area of ​​Seoul, and the demand for real estate has been strong in recent years. After all, it's such a small place. In addition, with Ryu Jun-yeol's demolition and reconstruction, the value of the newly built properties will definitely be higher than the value of the land before reconstruction. Plus, Ryu Jun-yeol's status as an artist can attract potential customers in the market.

Like Lu Han in China, although he doesn't speculate on real estate, according to what I understand, in the past two years, this guy and others have established a fund. The general operating model is to use his influence to bring attention and resources to the fund, attract projects that meet the investment direction to actively seek cooperation, and then make some changes and exchanges of options...

"..."

A moment later, footsteps could be heard outside the practice room.

Hello, senior!

Huang Lizhi and the others came in and greeted him. They had received a notice from the company that they would be recording a program with this senior colleague.

"Let's go, have a meal together first, then head to Gyeonggi Province."

Gong Cheng glanced at the five pretty trainees standing in front of him: Huang Lizhi, Shen Liuzhen, Shen Youna, Li Chaeryeong, and Cui Zhixiu. As expected, these were the trainees the company had decided would debut...

He glanced at Lee Chaeryeong. If he remembered correctly, her sister was Lee Chae-yeon from PRODUCE 48, right?
……

Today's recording for PRODUCE 48 was a rehearsal for their first performance. The venue was an indoor stadium in Mapo-dong. Unlike the theme song performance, there was no audience present during that recording. However, for the first performance on the 1th, a large number of audience members and fans will be present to watch the trainees perform.

Today is the rehearsal day at the venue.

An hour later, Cha Gun-ho arrived at the venue in Mapo-dong in his van, where many fans were still gathered on the way home from get off work.

After the car came to a stop, Kim Daewoo, sitting in the passenger seat, kindly reminded the five trainees in the back seat, "Yeji, do you remember everything the training instructors taught you when we go inside to record?"

"We know, Daewoo oppa." Hwang Yeji and the others nodded nervously, like chickens pecking at rice.

Gong Cheng, sitting to the side, couldn't help but chuckle. "Aigoo, it's alright, just two things: manage your expressions and be polite to your seniors." Today, he brought Huang Lizhi and the others along, so instead of driving the Maybach, they came in a van. Huang Lizhi and the others were quite curious about it the whole way…

They were chattering away, but he's still the younger brother, after all! Having known each other for so long, there was no airs of a senior, and nothing serious happened. The trainees were all on edge, while Gong Cheng was resting with his eyes closed…

"Come on, stop cowering. Shin Ryujin, learn from Hwang Yeji. Why are you walking so slyly?" After getting out of the car, Gong Cheng glanced speechlessly at the trainees beside him who were looking around, as if they had never seen anything like it before...

Shen Liuzhen looked at his good-natured senior with surprise, then leaned forward like a silly goose, pointing at himself, "Me? Perverted?"

“It’s even more sleazy now…” Gong Cheng shook his head and chuckled, then saw the staff member who came to lead the way.

Upon meeting director Lee Huan-ji, he smiled and said, "Senior, these are the trainees that Brother Zhenying mentioned. The company's idea is to give them a couple of shots, so as not to delay the recording of PRODUCE 48..."

Hwang Yee-ji and the others greeted him tactfully, "Director-nim..."

Although Shin Yuna was the youngest in the group, she fawned over Gong Cheng, taking the baseball cap and jacket from him, looking just like a little maid who had studied in the palace...

She knew perfectly well that their practice teacher had already informed them to go home in the next couple of days to pack their bags, as they were going on a business trip to China in a couple of days to assist this senior colleague, perhaps as a stage designer...

"The new girl group's debut lineup?" Li Huanzhi glanced at the trainees behind Gong Cheng and couldn't help but ask. The kids in front of him all looked youthful and beautiful, no wonder they came from a big company.

Gong Cheng smiled but didn't respond. Li Huanzhi immediately understood and stopped asking. "Let's not talk about that. Aigoo, you really won the Grammy! You're now the most famous alumnus of Yonsei University!"

"Oh, I haven't graduated yet."

"It's even more awesome that he won a Grammy before graduating!" Li Huanzhi and Gong Cheng walked towards the recording venue, chatting and laughing along the way, with Huang Lizhi and the others following behind Gong Cheng...

Shin Ryujin realized that filming would begin after they went through that door, so she straightened her back and couldn't help but secretly ask Hwang Yeji next to her, "Unnie, am I really a pervert?"

"By the way, junior, the school anniversary celebration is about to start. Didn't the school invite you?"

"I looked, but I didn't have time. I haven't been in Seoul much lately, and it might be autumn soon..."

……

Stepping into the rehearsal hall, dazzling spotlights greeted me, and pink light filled the stage, which was neither too big nor too small. The stage was about the same size as the ones I usually perform on music shows. The large screen behind me flashed the pink logo of PRODUCE 48. A group of trainees had just finished their rehearsal performance and stood on the stage, which changed with the lighting. At first glance, they really did look like a girl group...

"Xiao Cheng, congratulations..."

"amazing……"

"..."

As several trainees on stage covered their mouths in shock and stared at Gong Cheng as he entered the rehearsal hall, several mentors sitting below the stage also looked over and quickly greeted him warmly.

“Noona, Youngjun hyung…”

Gong Cheng chuckled and greeted the mentors, then introduced Huang Lizhi and the others following behind him, "Huang Lizhi, our company's ace trainee..."

"The female lead in the previous music video?" May J Lee immediately remembered and asked curiously.

Gong Cheng nodded, and Huang Lizhi and the others quickly greeted the seniors. Meanwhile, the trainees who had just finished their performance on stage stared at Huang Lizhi and his group with suspicion, sensing that they were up to no good...

Ace Trainee, huh?

Zhang Yuanying, An Youzhen, and the others watched them from the stage...

"Senior, I saw my unnie, can I go talk to her?" Lee Chaeryeong approached Gong Cheng and asked obediently. The trainee teachers hadn't come with them for this recording, and they didn't have managers either…

Therefore, the company specifically instructed Kim Dae-woo to take care of them and to follow Gong Cheng's orders in all actions.

Gong Cheng followed the gaze of her finger and saw another group of trainees preparing to perform on stage at the edge of the stage not far away. It was Miyawaki Sakura's group, and Lee Chaeryeong's older sister, Lee Chaeryeong, was in this group, responsible for performing "Very Very Very".

"Go on, hurry up, they should be rehearsing soon, don't delay them." Gong Cheng, sitting in the mentor's chair, gave a reminder, then began recording, his gaze fixed on Zhang Yuanying and the others on stage...

The other teachers were commenting on their performance...

……

After Zhang Yuanying and the others left the stage, Miyawaki Sakura's group didn't waste any time and went straight onto the stage to begin their performance of "Very Very Very".

The accompaniment and singing from the speakers began, and the dazzling lights started to create a mesmerizing effect.

"Oh no~ Be careful~"

Wearing a headset, Miyawaki Sakura sang the lyrics...

"..."

Pei Yunjing opened her mouth, staring at Miyawaki Sakura with a surprised expression. Miyawaki Makoto also sat expressionlessly in his chair, watching the performance on stage. How could the lyrics be wrong right at the beginning?
"Why did men treat women that way during that period...?" (Mistake/Error)

A series of mistakes...

"..."

After the performance, complete with trembling vocals, Huang Lizhi and the others stole glances at their eldest brother, who was sitting in the judges' seat with a serious expression. Even they could hear several rap mistakes and pitch errors in the performance...

Lee Chaeryeong couldn't help but worry about the unnie on stage... Her performance just now was really mediocre.

Shin Yuna nudged the unnies' shoulders in surprise and muttered under her breath, "How come their skill level is only this low..."

In her opinion, their dance coordination wasn't as good as the others' singing and dancing...

"Miyawaki Sakura, were you in charge of the rap?" Rap mentor Cheetah pointed at the trainees on stage, holding the microphone, and said bluntly, "I can't understand a word of your rap, and I don't understand what you're saying..."

Zhaoyou spoke up, "Today, your group 2 was extremely unfocused!"

Gong Cheng gazed at Miyawaki Sakura, who stood gracefully on the stage. Her red lips were tightly pursed by her earpiece, and her face, framed by her high ponytail and berry-red hair, seemed about to burst into tears again. He asked, "Are you the center of your group now?"

He remembered suggesting to this group that they change the center position before going to New York, but he didn't know who the final center position would be. Judging from the performance just now, he guessed it would be Miyawaki Sakura.

However, the style of this group is completely incompatible with this song. Among the short people, the tallest one should be chosen for the center position, but instead, Kim Minju stands on the side with an insecure look.

"Right now, because of the center position and Sakura, your group's dance, singing, rhythm, and everything else are all messed up." Gong Cheng pointed out their shortcomings seriously, feeling somewhat helpless. He had said a couple of days ago that this group's overall strength was clearly stronger than Zhang Yuanying's group... but it turned out like this. "Their pronunciation is bad, their dance is half a beat too fast, their singing rhythm is off, and then they have to rap and be the center. They try to do everything, but they can't do anything well. How can they be the center?"

Sakura Miyawaki clenched her hands, her red-rimmed eyes tilting her head back. Tears were about to spill over, but remembering the words of the same person who had offered both criticism and encouragement during the theme song rehearsal... she forced back her tears, tilting her head back...

Seeing her expression, Gong Cheng smiled, his face which had been expressionless.

Huang Lizhi and the others standing behind him shrank back. This guy's words were too direct. He was practically pointing at the trainees on stage and saying they weren't qualified for the center position... but their performance really wasn't great...

"Are there any suitable candidates for the center position?" Miyako asked, picking up the microphone. She wondered how they made their choice. If Miyawaki Sakura were to be the center, the performance would be tomorrow, and the rehearsal just now was considered a stage accident.

He forgot five or six lines in one rap segment; he's not good enough to wait for the stage.

Even though the performance is tomorrow, given Miyawaki Sakura's current level, if they don't change the center position again, their vote share for tomorrow's performance might be the lowest among the 16 teams.

"I think the initial round is more suitable for the center position than me," Miyawaki Sakura said, fighting back tears. She had no choice; none of the other members wanted to change the center position, and in the end, they voted for her. But the few days of practice, changing parts, practicing Korean lyrics, and dancing put immense pressure on her...

Kim Cho-yeon, the original center of this group, was glanced at by Gong Cheng, who then looked at Kim Min-ju, who was standing silently on the side, and asked, "Kim Min-ju, do you want to take the center position?"

Soyou and Bae Yoonjung nodded, "I also think Minju would be more suitable for this song..."

"Teacher, I feel that I am not capable enough..." Kim Minju nervously gripped the microphone and stammered, his flustered face showing little confidence.

Huang Lizhi glanced at the girl on stage who looked somewhat like Tzuyu, a senior in the company, in surprise. "And someone who doesn't want to be the center?"

……

An hour later, after watching all the teams' rehearsals, Gong Cheng went to the backstage dressing room and glanced at Jiang Huiyuan, who was eating a sandwich. "Seriously, I even invited the original singer for you guys, and you haven't improved at all. You're still so innocent..."

Afterwards, he led Huang Lizhi and the others to the rest room of Miyawaki Sakura's team. A sobbing sound came from inside. Miyawaki Makoto stopped and started crying again.

But then, Miyawaki Sakura's voice came through, seemingly not the one crying. "It's okay, we can do it!" Her tone sounded like she was comforting someone else. "Tarot-sensei said before that crying is useless. It's better to shed tears of joy when we successfully debut. Let's cheer each other on..."

"Really? That's what Teacher Tarot said?"

"Okay, if we didn't do well, we'll keep trying. The performance isn't until tomorrow, so we still have time..."

Outside the door, Huang Lizhi and the others looked at Gong Cheng curiously, "Senior, why are you suddenly so strict? During the recording, you were not like the person we know."

In Hwang Ye-ji and Shin Yuna's hearts, this senior had a very good temper and was very kind to the trainees. He never put on airs like a senior, and sometimes when they bumped into each other in the cafeteria or in private, he didn't like them to be so polite by bowing to him...

"You guys? Aren't you my little brothers? I'll protect you both at the company and outside, isn't that normal?" Gong Cheng joked, then shrugged. "This is a talent show, they're here to debut. Do you really think their performances are good enough to go on stage?"

"If the public's standards were that low, you guys would have debuted long ago..."

“That makes sense…” Huang Lizhi thought it made a lot of sense.

Five minutes later, Gong Cheng's tall figure pushed open the door to the lounge and asked bluntly, "Have you chosen the center position yet?"

"We've chosen our teacher, so let's stick with the initial training..." Miyawaki Sakura's team of trainees seemed to have composed themselves; their eyes were still a little red, but they weren't crying. They looked like they had been quite devastated...

Gong Cheng walked in and sat on the sofa, looking at the group in front of him. "The performance is tomorrow afternoon. Changing the center position at the last minute is indeed a bit rushed, but it's not too late. So you don't need to go to the second and third rehearsals. Just practice here. When we have the last rehearsal tonight, you can go to the stage to find your positions and familiarize yourselves with them. Understand?"

“Yes…” they all responded in unison.

"Reiji, say hello." Gong Cheng looked at Huang Reiji and the other four beside him. This was a suggestion from the production team's director, Li Huanzhi, to have a few JYP trainees practice with Miyawaki Sakura and the others, and to give them some guidance, which would also give them some screen time.

At first, Lee Huan-ji was worried that Hwang Ye-ji and the others didn't have the ability to teach Miyawaki Sakura and the others. After all, among the five trainees from JYP, the oldest, Hwang Ye-ji, was born in 2000, while Miyawaki Sakura's group, apart from Kim Min-ju born in 2001, were all born in the 90s. Could they do it?
But Gong Cheng confidently agreed, and he heard Huang Lizhi and the others greeting him with laughter, "Annyeonghaseyo, I'm Huang Lizhi, a trainee from JYP."

"Annyeonghaseyo, I'm Shin Ryujin, a trainee at JYP Entertainment..."

"...I am Shin Yuna..."

“...Choi Jisoo..."

"...Lee Chae-ryeong, Lee Chae-yeon is my unnie..."

"Have you learned the dance to 'Very Very Very'?" Gong Cheng asked Huang Lizhi. Logically, these popular girl group songs are almost mandatory for trainees at various entertainment companies, especially the top three. That's why he confidently agreed to Li Huanzhi's suggestion. He particularly admired Huang Lizhi and the others' dancing; aside from Choi Jisoo, the other four seemed to have inexhaustible energy when they danced…

Sometimes when Park Jin-young dragged him to the trainee department to check the trainees' abilities, he wondered if Hwang Ye-ji and the other three were former soldiers who had become trainees.
Even the youngest member of the group preparing for debut, Shin Yuna, is tall and her dancing is incredibly beautiful and visually striking.

Huang Lizhi and the others nodded quickly, "Yes, yes..."

“Then let’s practice with them.” Gong Cheng said with a smile, then turned to look at Li Chae-yeon, “Chae-yeon, you know JYP’s standards, right?” Li Chae-yeon was a trainee who came from JYP, and she was very familiar with the dance skills of the trainees in the company.

Lee Chae-yeon: "I know, teacher."

“According to Huang Lizhi and the others’ standards, if Kim Choyeon is currently in the center position, I’ll give you twenty minutes to adjust and familiarize yourselves with the parts again…” Gong Cheng said, explaining his practice plan for the group of trainees in front of him.

It was convenient that Huang Lizhi and the others were here, making it easier to correct their dance moves.

After they finished speaking, the two groups of trainees each gathered in a small group and started looking at the lyrics.

Sakura Miyawaki and the others kept glancing at Reiji Hwang and the others sitting next to Makoto Miyawaki not far away, feeling a pang of sadness in their hearts. "How come they already have such a strong star aura even though they haven't debuted yet..."

On the other side, Gong Cheng glanced at Shen Youna and asked, "Have you grown taller again?" He felt that Shen Youna had grown a little bit taller than she had in the past two months, but the feeling was not very obvious, since he was already slightly taller.

Just as the fans online have said, JYP's "giant maknae" (youngest member) is indeed Tzuyu, and right now, she's like Shin Yuna...

“It grew 2cm.” Shin Yuna nodded with a smile, but she didn’t just chat. She stood there fidgeting with her body, recalling the dance to the song “Very Very Very”.

They all saw the command in Gong Cheng's eyes, as if he were saying, "Go, give them a little Audition Online shock..." The younger brothers, of course, would not hesitate to do so, to continue JYP's glory...

Therefore, Huang Lizhi and the others were extremely focused and serious at this moment, wishing they could kill the guys on the other side later. After all, there were so many cameras around, and they couldn't let their boss and the company down.

……

The music of "Very Very Very" begins to play.

Huang Lizhi and the others stood in two groups in the open space of the lounge with Miyawaki Sakura. Miyawaki Makoto sat on the sofa, watching the performance of the dozen or so trainees in front of him. With the addition of the "little brothers", Miyawaki Sakura's group was obviously under a lot of pressure and felt a great sense of urgency.

Even the dance moves became more powerful.

Huang Lizhi and the others, following their usual positions practiced at the company, danced to the song "Very Very Very" with relative ease. Their dance looked quite energetic and inspiring...

……

The following day, April 30th, Huang Lizhi returned to his hometown in Jeonju to pack his luggage, while Shen Youna, Shen Liuzhen, and the others went back to their respective homes to prepare for their plane tickets to China the next day.

After spending some time cuddling with Sana Minatozaki in the composition room, Makoto Miyako arrived at the PRODUCE 48 first performance venue in the afternoon.

There were quite a few audience members, and backstage, there were 16 trainee teams, and the tension was palpable.

The Miyawaki Sakura group made significant progress in their final rehearsal last night, thanks to the hands-on guidance and choreography assistance from Huang Lizhi and others. However, the choice of center position and the overall team composition don't quite match the style of the chosen song, and in Miyawaki Makoto's opinion, this group is destined not to get a high score.

The main group is Jang Won-young and Ahn Yu-jin; the overall style of the members is an exceptionally good match for the pure and cute style of "Very Very Very".

"Welcome, everyone, to PD48's performance..." As the first performance began, Gong Cheng, as the representative of the national producers, picked up the microphone, stood in the center of the stage, and acted as the host.

The audience erupted in a deafening scream, and the trainees backstage, who were preparing, were filled with anticipation.

Gong Cheng's tall figure, clad in a simple suit, and his smiling eyes were reflected on the big screen as he introduced the first group of trainees to appear...

……

The song competition segment featuring "Boombayah".

Group 1's performance garnered a lot of applause from the audience, but unfortunately, there were some obvious mistakes. Gong Cheng stood in front of the entrance passage, holding a microphone and watching the trainees on stage, then yawned.

Jiang Huiyuan and the others, who were extremely nervous, stomped their feet in panic.

"Hey, we're about to go on stage, what's the use of being nervous now?" Gong Cheng looked speechlessly at Jiang Huiyuan, who was wearing a black cropped t-shirt, denim mini-skirt, long Doc Martens, and a collar around her neck. "Can't you calm down? Go look at the other teams' trainees when they're preparing, none of them are like you..."

Impressed!

Jiang Huiyuan took a deep breath, lifted her long, flowing hair and innocent face, and asked, "Teacher, can you cheer me on?"

"Fight on! I believe you can surpass the original singer..." Gong Cheng said dismissively, and Jin Zhenni was speechless at the sight of the "first-class purity".

He heard from Park Chae-young that during the video tutorial that day, Kim Jennie taught Kang Hye-won several times, but she still couldn't learn it. She didn't dare to speak harshly to Kang Hye-won because no matter what she said, Kang Hye-won just kept grinning...

It leaves you feeling incredibly angry with nowhere to vent...

Jennie Kim's sharp comment: "I've never seen anyone with such stiff limbs, it feels like she's a pure anti..."

"Stop lingering, hurry up and get on stage." Gong Cheng glanced at Jiang Huiyuan and the others, who were practically a "coward" group. "Go on, go on, trust my judgment, I think you'll win." He gave them a nonsensical encouragement.

Of the 16 teams, this one is the funniest...

How can it not be considered "excellent"? Hmm~
Hearing this, Jiang Huiyuan and the others felt much more at ease. The six of them huddled together, heads touching, and raised their hands, shouting in unison, "Stay strong!!!"

Gong Cheng pursed his lips in disapproval.

……

The intro to "Boombayah" begins...

Jiang Huiyuan and the others walked onto the stage with their heads held high and took their positions—the other five trainees half-squatted on the stage, while Jiang Huiyuan stood in the center. She suddenly raised her head to the beat, spread her hands, and let her hair fall loose, looking like a female ghost. Then, she stretched out her hand, as if counting soldiers, and began to stroll around the stage.

"BLACKPINK in your area~"

"Been a bad girl I know I am~"

Jiang Huiyuan stood at the edge of the group and faked kicking one of the members, causing the remaining members to dramatically fall over...

"Tsk tsk, that's really hard work, really hard memorization!" Gong Cheng stood in the waiting area watching the "first-class pure" rapper on stage. It seemed like they were going all out, a complete mess of dancing. However, Jiang Huiyuan's movements were indeed unusually stiff and unnatural...

The audience was quite supportive; some even screamed.
Ha ha……

“Click clack badda bing badda booom~~”

"..."

"~"

Gong Cheng chuckled. He no longer cared how well this group performed; as it stood, it was already considered an innovation for the song "Boombayah"...

BLACKPINK, take a look at the troops you've led!

That's a great lesson!

However, judging from the audience's reaction, it was pretty good. Who knows, he might actually win with his "comedic" stage presence... After all, it's a talent show and the audience's votes are what make it a program, so hard skills are both important and not important. Looks, stage presence, and other aspects are all pluses in the selection criteria for debut...

Like~

"..." Gong Cheng turned to the director Li Huanzhi beside him and said, "If this girl can really debut, I don't recommend giving her more parts..."

"Why?" Li Huanzhi asked.

Gong Cheng smiled and said that there was a reason why some members in a group had fewer parts: "It's a way to protect her."

……

After the two performances of "Boombayah" ended, Gong Cheng walked onto the stage. The 12 trainees from both groups stood on his left and right sides, each speaking and appealing to the audience for votes...

Gong Cheng glanced at Jiang Huiyuan, who had her hands behind her back and looked like she had messed up, and praised her, "Well done, very good."

It was awful as it was, but after all these days of instruction, "First-Class Innocence" just couldn't sing. There was nothing she could do; her talent was limited. Her performance just now was actually better than her practice sessions...

"Really...really?" Jiang Huiyuan looked up at Gong Cheng's profile illuminated by the spotlight, her eyes reddening, and tears welled up in her eyes, as if she had finally been accepted...

Gong Cheng nodded. "Really, you've made great progress. Hurry up and campaign for votes."

Hearing "First-Class Innocent" sobbing, Gong Cheng sighed. Ha Jiyuan, you rascal, you smile when I criticize you, and burst into tears when I praise you?
……

After the first round of voting, based on the audience votes, the "Boombayah" competition was decided. It's unclear whether it was due to a mistake by Group 1 or because Group 2 was too funny, but Group 1 had an average of 65.2 votes per person, while Group 2 had 74.7. Kang Hye-won's group won.

"Very Very Very", Jang Won-young and Ahn Yu-jin's group received an average of 73.3 votes each, while Miyawaki Sakura and Kwon Eun-bi received 59.3 votes each...

……

At 11 p.m., Gong Cheng, Jin Dayu, and Che Qianhao were having a late-night snack at a barbecue restaurant near Gangnam. "Your flight is for tomorrow afternoon, right?"

"Yes, 5 PM, direct flight to Shandong." Jin Dayu and Gong Cheng clinked glasses of soju. Gong Cheng's first concert in China is about to start tomorrow. Other staff members sent by the company, such as stylists, have already gone to the local department to coordinate.

Gong Cheng took a sip of his drink and smiled. "I understand. I'll give you all bonuses after the concert is over."

"..."

……

"Daily Gossip: Tarot and Suzy are suspected of rekindling their old flame. Suzy appeared on a variety show and said that the male actor she most wants to work with is Baeksang Arts Awards Best Actor Tarot, and even said she wants to film a kissing scene with him..."

"Tarot【CP Collection】: Established CPs【SungHyun】,【Honey Fish Ice SungHyun】,【0 Suck o1o】, [...], Emerging CPs【Sa Sung Bak】,【Strawberry Palace Master】, [...], Unusual CPs [...]"

(End of this chapter)