The number one playboy on the Peninsula!

Chapter 327 Liu Zhimin: I miss you~ (Seeking monthly votes)

On November 12th, the "Tarot" Cashflow World Tour set sail for Malaysia, and everything is proceeding smoothly.

Meanwhile, Seoul's K-pop scene is in turmoil this month. Since last year, "Tarot" has rarely performed on music shows. Apart from a few comeback stages with Bombardment Meteor, they haven't participated in any music shows this year...

As the year draws to a close, various entertainment agencies and their artists are making a flurry of comebacks this month, creating a chaotic battle between boy and girl groups. IZ*ONE, WJSN, GOT7, Hyuna, and D.O. are all promoting their new albums this month...

Following closely behind are EXO's release of the album "Don't Mess Up My Tempo" this month, TWICE's sixth mini-album "Yes or Yes" and their comeback in Japan... Wanna One, as a limited-time group, is officially scheduled to disband this December, and has been promoting aggressively recently, with their final comeback event scheduled for November 19th...

"..."

Gong Cheng sat in his hotel room watching the chaotic K-pop battle at the end of the year. He found it quite interesting; it had been a long time since he had seen such a chaotic scene with so many comebacks, and fans of different groups discussing and tearing each other apart online.

If not, his world tour at the end of the year will be expanding to Europe and America, including a European tour. Faced with invitations from the three major television networks, he personally felt that it wouldn't hurt to participate in the music awards or something similar. Speaking of which, he hasn't appeared at any domestic events in a long time...

In addition, the various year-end awards in the Peninsula music scene have also begun. The first one to arrive was the Mnet Asian Music Awards at the beginning of the month, where he swept the awards for Artist of the Year, Album of the Year, and Song of the Year. Stray Kids, who debuted this year under his company, and IZ*ONE, who came from PD48, each won the Best New Artist Award.

Best Male Group: Bombardment Meteor; Best Female Group: TWICE...

"Drip drop~"

After glancing at the message Jennie had sent on his phone, Gong Cheng replied. He then opened Instagram and reposted Jennie's newly released solo single, "Solo." Jennie debuted solo today, so he was just doing his friend's good job promoting it.

It was posted dynamically, but only a few minutes later...

Gong Cheng looked at the comments on Instagram and his face turned green!
I seriously suspect that YG's Yang Hyun-suk hired online trolls. His single was being promoted normally, but the comments were all saying "【Nyan Palace Asks the Heavens】is the best!"

However, individual fans of the four BLACKPINK members were subsequently drawn into the comments section and began to criticize and attack each other.

The remarks were quite violent!
……

On November 13th, in the southern part of Kuala Lumpur, the capital of Malaysia, Gong Cheng held a concert at the Bukit Jalil National Stadium. In the stadium under the night sky, tens of thousands of light sticks shimmered like a drop in the ocean, swaying like a sea of ​​flowers in the darkness...

The stadium, with a capacity of 8.7, was packed to capacity. It is the fourth largest football stadium and the eighth largest stadium in the world. Local Chinese and some European and American tourists were screaming enthusiastically from their seats. Gong Cheng, a tall figure, stood in the center of the stage on all four sides, sweating profusely. Together with tens of thousands of people in the inner field, they stood on tiptoe and raised their hands.

"Ah ah ah ah ah!"

"..."

Amidst the overwhelming heat and screams, Gong Cheng's carefree smile was reflected in the LED screen. The media and he himself were simultaneously experiencing how his influence and appeal were steadily rising throughout this long world tour...

If we're going to be specific, singers can be categorized into many levels. For example, some studio singers have great songs, but their live performances are so small that they can't fill a venue with tens of thousands of people. That's not a big deal. But many singers shamelessly label livehouses with hundreds or even thousands of people in bars as concerts on their ticketing websites.
Therefore, during the long world tour, Tarot's singing skills, stage presence, and most importantly, his box office appeal were laid bare before the world...

"..."

……

The following day, Bukit Jalil National Stadium in Kuala Lumpur was still enveloped in waves of cheers. The stage lights pierced the night sky, and the cheers of tens of thousands of spectators almost lifted the dome. The large-scale tour, which had lasted for several days, was still in full swing, and every drumbeat resonated in the hearts of the fans...

Meanwhile, thousands of miles away on the peninsula, as the concert in Kuala Lumpur reached its climax, JYP Entertainment's official website in Seoul suddenly released an announcement. Immediately afterwards, official accounts on major social media platforms simultaneously posted the announcement, sending shockwaves through the music industry like a thunderclap:
[Announcement: Our artist Tarot (Gong Cheng)'s second full-length album, "The Lovers," has released 8 singles.]

Below the text is an album cover with a black and gold theme. Within the circular structure of a gold record, Gong Cheng wears a striking red suit. Behind retro sunglasses, his handsome face is framed by a slightly upturned jawline at a 45-degree angle. His black, tousled hair is tousled by the wind, while the diamond earring in his left ear glitters in the hazy light that blends fashion and retro charm. The cover, with its strong sense of visual extension and its unrestrained and captivating atmosphere, makes it seem as if Gong Cheng is in a dimly lit corner of the city, subtly exuding loneliness and unrestrained freedom...

The album title "THE LOVERS" is simply outlined in black and gold at the bottom of the film with gold lettering. The intertwined black and gold silhouettes are like two souls entangled by fate, mysterious, retro, and with a fatal attraction.

"Daaaa! Our oppa is always so handsome!"

"Looking at the cover, it has a strong dark and retro disco vibe. This album cover feels even more intense than the previous singles releases. It's impossible for the remaining two singles to be more intense than 'STAY' and 'Seorita,' right?"

"Waaaaah! JYP, you idiots, have finally shown some humanity! They know to promote Oppa's new album in advance... Our Oppa is popular, but can you please stop releasing singles without any prior promotion like before? Don't you know that affects your 24-hour performance?"

"No, sis, your oppa is already this famous, why would he care about 24-hour results? These streaming and physical sales are simply terrifying, especially now that the physical album market has shrunk so much. It's like going back to 2000..."

"Milk-skinned TTTT World's most handsome man AAA 3 Grammy Awards RRR★ World's number one OOO streaming fog TTTT Human sun & Fan-loving maniac TTTTarot falls in love with TTTTarot, you'll also think I'm a lucky woman \()/"

"Kpop, stop fighting~ Your sincerity is here!"

"Aish... I seriously suspect that the reason why the men of our Great Hanming Kingdom have small penises is all because of Tarot!"

[Special Announcement: Tomorrow at 12:00 PM, the remaining two core singles, "Blinding Lights" and "Trip," will be officially released for *The Lovers*. The physical and digital albums will be available simultaneously across all channels at that time.]

Track Listing:

1. *Blinding Lights*

2. STAY

3. *Seorita*

4. Soft Lips

5. The Only One

6. *In My Blood*

7. Exile

8. OFF My Face

9. Go Crazy

10. Trip

[Coming soon]

As soon as JYP's news broke, their official website servers were instantly overwhelmed by the surge of traffic, causing them to lag. Hashtags such as #Tarot2ndAlbum#, #TheLovers#, and #TheReasonForJYPopIsSmallHasBeenFound# shot off at lightning speed to the top of the trending topics list...

Among the eight singles released so far, there are ballads that continue his signature style, as well as R&B tracks. The lyrics, which subtly hint at "love and redemption," "breakup and reunion," and "the intertwining of love and hate," have generated immense anticipation for the final two singles.

The album cover, in particular, with its dark style and retro feel, has a strong 1970s and 80s vibe...

On JYP's official website, in addition to the album's specifications and related merchandise, there is also a limited-edition poster in the announcement section.

Like the album cover, it features a retro black and gold color scheme, but the main color is noticeably darker. In the horizontal poster, a Mercedes sports car that has never been seen before is parked on a neon-lit road at night. The surrounding darkness and streetlights reflect a dazzling array of colors, like stars shining. It has a retro feel like an old movie, but also a touch of futuristic cyberpunk style. For a moment, it evokes the wildness and absurdity of the streets of Los Santos in GTA5, full of tension.

Gong Cheng leaned casually against the Mercedes door, his posture languid yet exuding an undeniable aura. His tall frame was slightly turned to the side, one hand resting loosely on the shifting light and shadow on the roof… The night light sculpted a play of light and shadow on his face, his red suit jacket fluttering in the wind, creating a striking contrast with the car's sharp lines…

Behind the retro sunglasses, her gaze went straight to the camera, her chin slightly raised, and the diamond stud in her left ear sparkled and looked stunning in the neon light!

Standing nearly 190cm tall with its low-slung Mercedes sports car, it seems to have grown out of this nightscape where retro and cyberpunk elements intertwine, blending in yet carrying a sense of incongruous detachment...

A strong sense of story unfolded the moment the poster caught the attention of many fans.

"Damn! Is this poster a limited edition? How can I get it?!"

"JYP, can you please release a photocard with the original image? I'm willing to pay any price for it!"

"Gorilla, if this picture isn't in the photocards for your new album, you're as good as dead!"

"Don't try to scare our little gorilla. Don't you know that [Kujiro Gorichi] is currently the 17th most popular couple?"

"What the hell are you brat upstairs?! Stop sending those disgusting things. Sorry, yesterday Oppa retweeted our Jennie's solo single, and our [Nyanko-sensei] has surpassed your [Kujiro-sensei] again! You're now ranked 18th~ Hehehe~"

"You two bCP bluck fans, shut up!"

"..."

TWICE sat backstage at Music Bank. A few days ago, they released their sixth mini-album, "Yes or Yes," and were currently promoting their comeback. The members, who seemed to be doing nothing, were in the dressing room, watching the announcements posted on the company's official website.

"Has anyone heard that guy's last two singles?"

"Just looking at the quality of this album cover and the poster, it feels like the highlight of 'The Lovers'!"

Yoo Jeong-yeon scratched her short black hair, her tone quite curious, but then she thought about it and found it unbelievable, "But now that STAY and Seorita are so popular, it would be hard to surpass them even in terms of streaming, right?"

On the Billboard charts, since Na Ge started releasing singles from his second full-length album in the second half of the year, the two title tracks, "STAY" and "Seorita," have almost taken turns topping the number one spot, constantly breaking some streaming records.

The number of effective streams for "STAY" on its first day was truly staggering. In addition to the two title tracks from the second full-length album, Makoto Miyazaki's single "In My Feelings," which was released simultaneously at her Seoul concert, went viral on multiple social media platforms such as Douyin and YouTube due to its hand gesture dance and car door dance. It also topped the Billboard charts on recent days, but only maintained its momentum for one week before being strongly pushed off by "STAY" the following week.

The top three on the Billboard charts are now completely these three songs, with the order constantly changing.

"Have not heard……"

"However, the music video seems to be very well made. It was filmed in New York, apparently at the Empire State Building."

Lim Nayeon grinned, showing off her rabbit teeth. She wore a black suit with a white shirt underneath, and her slightly wavy long hair was draped over her shoulders. She wore cross-shaped earrings, looking beautiful and youthful.

She thought the company designed the stage outfit quite well, so she took out her phone, snapped a selfie, and posted it in the "TWICE: Loving Each Other" group chat. She said she was just saving the picture for the group, but actually secretly wanted to show it to her boyfriend…

Private messages are so boring! She loves the thrill of secretly being happy and carefully showing off!
It has a kind of genius vibe, like being the only one sober while everyone else is drunk.
"The production cost of this music video is outrageous..."

Mina seemed to remember something. She was also wearing a black women's suit, but the collar was decorated with white silk flowers, making her look like a little white lotus. The way she bit her lip made her look even more pitiful.

"how much is it?"

Hirai Momo asked curiously, "Several hundred million Korean won?"

1 million Korean won is roughly equivalent to 51 RMB. Where would a typical music video cost that much? Let alone hundreds of millions. Some less successful groups might only receive about that much in revenue sharing after a year of activities.

So, in Hirai Momo's view, how high can the cost of a music video be? It's not like making a movie or a TV series.

"……hehe."

Mina gave an awkward laugh. She'd already said it was outrageous; were several hundred million won really outrageous? Well, it certainly was. She raised her fair face and glanced at the many curious members. "Tens of millions..."

"US dollars, please."

She didn't know the exact amount. Right now, among the members in the lounge, besides herself, only Nayeon unnie, Sana-chan, and Tzuyu probably knew about these things. After all, the four of them flew to Paris and London with Gong Cheng to complete the signing of LV and Burberry.

They learned about Gong Cheng's signing with Mercedes on the plane, and the astronomical annual endorsement fee was something they couldn't even dream of. Girls like Jeongyeon and Dahyun also knew that Cheng had signed with Mercedes, and many high-ranking executives within the company were also fully aware of the news.

But since it hadn't been officially announced yet, no one was making any wild guesses. What Cheng-chan and Daewoo Oppa were talking about was that Mercedes wanted to use a single's music video as a promotional method to facilitate the official announcement, and to release the MV globally. This was a trade secret, and those in the know wouldn't divulge it...

But now that the music video is about to be released, there's nothing wrong with saying it out loud.

"...? You must be kidding!"

"How is that possible? We've been active for three years now, and how much have we earned in royalties?" Yoo Jeongyeon suddenly jumped up from the sofa. "How could the company be out of their mind to spend so much money on a music video?"

Park Jihyo was browsing the online CP rankings when she discovered that her CP with Gong Cheng, "Qingcheng Yixiao," was at the bottom of the list. It didn't even have the popularity of "Gong Teng Xingyi" or "Nian Gong Wentian," and it was being dragged down by many people, which made her furious.

But upon hearing about the production cost of Gong Cheng's music video, his eyes widened like Thomas's, "Really?"

"Mina is probably right. It might be more than ten million US dollars, but nobody knows the exact amount."

TWICE's manager chuckled and remarked, "For Tarot's music video, Mercedes handled the location and props, and the director... but that's not the main expense. The sports car in the poster alone cost over a million dollars. The main thing is the promotion and distribution of the music video..."

"Mercedes will be conducting a global tour tomorrow to officially announce their new global brand ambassador."

"Does that mean this music video will be displayed on famous LED screens around the world?" Yu Dingyan stared, her eyes revealing a mixture of envy and shock.

"Therefore, the publicity and promotion costs take up the majority of the budget. The new sports car in the poster is also one that Mercedes is about to launch, which will not only help Tarot's new single, but also let people all over the world know about their new spokesperson."

The agent nodded.

The TWICE members chatted amongst themselves in the dressing room for quite a while.

Sana Minatozaki looked at the members' amazed expressions, especially Dahyun, whose mouth looked so big it could fit an egg!

Thankfully, the members didn't know how much their boyfriend's annual endorsement fee was, otherwise they would have felt incredibly inferior. Back in London, after hearing Mercedes' offer for the young actress for the first time, Sana Minatozaki felt a strange sense of powerlessness...

It's true that comparisons are odious. She knew the profit-sharing ratio between Xiaobaicai and the company. The endorsement fee was only for one year. Even if she worked for ten years, she probably wouldn't be able to earn that much money.

Mina didn't join the members' chatter and shock. She scrolled through the comments on the company's official website and suddenly caught sight of one: "The reason why the men of our Great Han Kingdom have small penises is all because of Tarot!"

She gasped. She recognized Cheng-chan's features. In the videos from before, he had some principles and refused to let anyone see what was underneath. No matter how she threatened him, he wouldn't fall for it, making her look like some kind of female demon who was "forcing a good woman into prostitution".

“…Um,” Mina’s cool eyes flickered with curiosity, and she couldn’t help but nudge the sleepy Chaeyoung beside her, asking in a low voice, “Chaeyoung, Makoto-chan, is it really that exaggerated?”

Hearing this, the little tiger, who was resting with its eyes half-closed, turned its head to look at Mina with a strange expression.

She couldn't understand this unnie; what had happened to her? Shameless! She was such a repressed pervert! She twitched her lips. "Unnie, is it really appropriate for you to ask me something like this?"

"Just curious."

Mina smoothed her hair; her ears were burning hot.

"...I'm not telling you!" Son Chaeyoung huffed arrogantly and turned her head away. But after only two seconds, she couldn't help but peek back, grinning with her little tiger teeth, and muttered softly, "Very Big!"

As soon as the words were spoken, the two women looked at each other, their faces flushed, and lowered their heads.

One person felt, "How could I ask such a question? My image is about to crumble!"

She was secretly annoyed at herself for not being able to control her mouth! How could she tell her love rival something like this?
"..."

……

Meanwhile, the Malaysian night was bathed in a humid warmth, while the Petronas Twin Towers in the distance were already ablaze with dazzling lights...

After finishing his second tour show in Kuala Lumpur, Gong Cheng drove back to his hotel.

The final two singles from "The Lovers" will be officially released tomorrow at midnight, after which the comeback will be completely over. However, "Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse" will also be officially released next month, and the theme songs from his second mini-album will also be released immediately.

It can be said that from the second half of the year to the end of the year, Gong Cheng was very busy with music-related activities. He was quite curious about what kind of Easter eggs the Sony production team had left for him in the movie.
"..."

After having a simple dinner at the restaurant, Gong Cheng returned to his suite and glanced at the unread message on his phone from [Execution Department Dragon].

He clicked on it and saw, "Oppa, I'm sick~ (crying)", followed by a picture of him receiving an IV drip at the hospital. He was sitting on a bench with an egg-shaped face, and there was an IV stand on his left. Ning Yizhuo and Xiao Shaban were sitting on his left and right, laughing and waving.

"Did you get injured during practice?"

Gong Cheng asked with concern, explaining that he was initially annoyed by the daily concern and sharing of daily life from his little fans, but later found the trainees' daily lives quite interesting.

For example, Liu Zhimin would often boast about her monthly performance review results, share some interesting anecdotes from the company, and what she ate for lunch.

Ning Yizhuo didn't have a very close relationship with me, but she would ask me for advice on vocal techniques.

As for Kim Minjun?
She always subtly praises herself while putting Liu Zhimin down. For example, at the end of last month, the executive department's leader had just told her how amazing her monthly evaluation was, but in the blink of an eye, this little washboard praised her own performance and cleverly revealed that Liu Zhimin had made a mistake while dancing and was scolded by the practice teacher...

They even went so far as to say, "I feel so sorry for unnie~ She only made a few mistakes in her positioning~ Is it really necessary for the practice teacher to make such a fuss?"

"Drip~"

[Dragon of the Executive Department]: "No, Oppa, I caught a bit of a cold recently and have a fever~ I'm getting an IV drip~ (sadly)"

"Drink more hot water..."

……

At the Seoul hospital, Yoo Jimin sat between Ning Yizhuo and Kim Minjung, glancing at the reply on her phone. Her oval face crinkled into a smile, "Look! Oppa is concerned about me~"

As she spoke, she patted Kim Minjung's shoulder in an old-fashioned manner, "Minjung~ could you get me a cup of hot water?" She winked smugly, then glanced at the back of her hand where she was getting an IV drip, looking weak and pitiful!

"Oh~"

Kim Minjung was utterly exasperated! When did you start drinking hot water? We Peninsula people shouldn't drink iced water, we have coffee, right?! Nevertheless, she dejectedly went to find a place to get hot water, and within a few minutes, she returned with a cup of scalding hot water…

I'll burn you to death!

Showing off? What a braggart!
Upon returning, Kim Minjun handed her a water glass, but Yoo Jimin simply placed it aside perfunctorily, focusing intently on chatting with her oppa on the other end of the phone. Ning Yizhuo, bored, watched from the side, and she also curiously leaned over.

"Oppa~ Guess what kind of IV fluid I got?"

Liu Zhimin pursed her lips, somewhat shyly edited a message, and sent it.

[Future Old Palace]: "?"

"Thinking of you on nights~ (blushing)"

Liu Zhimin bit her lip, her face burning, her eyes fixed on the reply on the other end of the phone.

Kim Minjung rolled her eyes, feeling a bit nauseous, and said sarcastically, "Oh, unnie, you really have a fever~ It's pretty high..."

That's really burning money! Always bringing up that big bomb, haha!
Ning Yizhuo sighed. The nickname "Future Old Palace" and such a silly thing to say, it's all just a wild dream.

[Future Old Palace]: "~~I wish you could be by my side~~~ (microphone)" With a "whoosh", the message popped up. Kim Minjung, who had been looking somewhat ecstatic, froze on the spot and suddenly stood up from his chair!
No way~ what makes this shrimp-headed girl so special?

Liu Zhimin rubbed her eyes in disbelief, her wrist trembling slightly as she gripped her phone. She turned to Ning Yizhuo with excitement, "Ningning~ did you see that?"

"Is Oppa confessing to me?! Aigoo... Minjung, Ningning~ I'm going to date Oppa!"

She gestured animatedly as she spoke, completely oblivious to the needle slipping from the back of her hand...

Two people, one scratching his head and stomping his feet in deep regret, as if he had missed something, and the other roaring with unbelievable excitement, wishing he could fly to Malaysia immediately!

Ning Yizhuo, however, felt quite embarrassed and raised her hand to cover her pretty cheek, not daring to look at the other people in the hospital who were scanning her back and forth.

It's so embarrassing...

However, she quickly stood up to calm Liu Zhimin's wildly excited state, "Unnie~"

"Um... um, this doesn't seem to be a confession... actually, it's a lyric from a Chinese song, you guys seem to have gotten it wrong~"

"Lyrics?"

Kim Minjung, as if grasping at a lifeline, grabbed Ning Yizhuo's wrist and asked.

"Inside……"

Ning Yizhu recalled the message she had just seen: "~~How I wish you could be by my side~~~ (microphone)" followed by a microphone emoji, and with Jimin unnie's incredibly cheesy line "Thinking of you tonight~", wasn't that a perfect lyrics match?

"Thinking of You at Night" by Guan Zhe is a hit in China, so there's no reason she wouldn't have heard of it! Moreover, as a trainee, she has always been trained as a lead vocalist, so she has a wider understanding and appreciation of various types of songs.

"Song... lyrics?"

Liu Zhimin froze on the spot, then quickly shook her head and laughed, "Impossible~ I think it must be a confession, hmph~" As she spoke, she picked up her phone again and glanced at the chat box... Sure enough, just as she was gesturing and swaying her dragon-like body, [Future Old Palace] shared a Chinese single with the lyrics "Thinking of You at Night".

"Haha~!"

Kim Minjung stood in front of Yoo Jimin, hands on her hips, and burst into laughter. "I knew it! How could you possibly win over Oppa so easily?" Her emotions had been on a rollercoaster, from initial sorrow and heaviness to current pure joy.
"Unnie~ It's okay, after your IV drip is finished~ I'll treat you and Ningning to barbecue~"

She was in a great mood and generously treated everyone to a meal. Ning Yizhuo nodded happily. These two sisters, apart from their tendency to boast and their many ulterior motives, are actually quite nice people. It's just that they have this problem.

Kim Minjung scratched his head, chuckled for a while, and then sat down, unable to resist looking at Yoo Jimin and saying, "I missed you so much~"

"I've already treated you to barbecue, you can't possibly punish me, can you?" For a moment, she crossed her legs, looking rather smug!

"..." Liu Zhimin glanced at Kim Minjung silently, then replied in the chat box, "Oh, it's lyrics~ I thought Oppa was going to confess to me~ Minjung almost gave me his blessings~"

After sending the message, she shamelessly looked at her two friends and said, "What do you know? Even if it's not a confession, only close friends would say something like that~ Oppa shared a great song with me~"

"Who knows, maybe this lyric is what Oppa really thinks? Hehe~"

Ning Yizhuo's lips trembled slightly as if she wanted to say something, but she was too weak and wise to utter a word. There's no saving a simp... I was just sharing a song with you, look how happy you are!
When did I wish you well?

Kim Minjung was so angry she almost twisted her mouth when she saw the rambling messages from this unnie on the screen. She was too shy to be so direct with her oppa in private, but through their conversations this year, she believed he understood that she greatly admired and even adored him…

How could this person spread such baseless rumors?!

What if Oppa thinks I don't like him anymore? Or even... what if he thinks I'm fickle, not loyal, and not a woman who's easily swayed by affection?
"..."

……

The next day, Gong Cheng got up early in Kuala Lumpur to prepare for his last concert in Malaysia. Compared to the previous venue inspections and rehearsals, which had already been held for two days, today's preparations were a bit easier.

The most important thing is the equipment inspection...

"..."

At noon Seoul time, amidst the anticipation of fans worldwide, JYP officially released the final two singles from "Tarot's" second full-length album, "Blinding Lights" and "Trip," with their music videos already available globally.

Furthermore, Mercedes-Benz officially announced this globally on its official website and various social media accounts:

We are proud to announce that singer and actor Tarot (Gong Cheng) has been appointed as our global brand ambassador, marking a legendary encounter. This is not just a typical business collaboration, but a resonance of souls between a century-old automotive legend and a Gen Z music pioneer—when the three-pointed star meets Tarot's musical notes, two unrestricted genes collide to create a unique brilliance.

[Attracted by appearance, loyal to character, and captivated by talent, when "appearance" becomes the perfect facet of the brand image, "character" forms the solid foundation of values, and "talent" transforms into the wellspring of innovative energy, this collaboration truly breaks through the boundaries of traditional endorsements, becoming a legendary encounter that goes from the surface to the core, from the shallow to the deep.]

Meanwhile, official posters announcing the new "Tarot" have been displayed in Mercedes stores worldwide...

Gong Cheng stood before the soon-to-be-launched sports car, its streamlined body resembling a low-slung, stationary "beast." The striking contrast between his red suit and the matte black exterior of the car was eye-catching... The backdrop was the city skyline at the cusp of dawn and dusk, half bathed in the morning mist and half enveloped in the shimmering light of neon lights...

According to industry insiders, Tarot's appointment as Mercedes-Benz's global brand ambassador has been a long-planned move! The annual endorsement fee is a staggering $40 million USD, with a three-year contract covering the entire Mercedes-Benz product line.

"Tarot sets a new record for endorsement fees with the highest commercial return on investment. Mercedes-Benz, Aston Martin, Louis Vuitton, Burberry, Armani, Dior, and the highest-paid singer in history have all signed on. His commercial value surpasses that of major football stars and actors. Preliminary estimates suggest that Tarot's total annual endorsement fees will fluctuate around $150 million."

Swiss media reports that Tarot is about to become Rolex's global brand ambassador.

"..."

Amid a barrage of trending topics, major sections around the world instantly erupted in excitement. "Tarot" topped the trending list, and its enviable commercial value, along with the flood of media reports and revelations, made the hearts of countless Akana and their peers pound!

"Are you kidding me? 4 million US dollars a year?"

"Oh my god! No wonder Mercedes appears so often in Tarot's new album."

"Wait, buddy, are you still dominating the charts at the end of the year?"

"...Stop talking nonsense, guys! Go watch the leaked video from Times Square in New York, as well as the music video and promotional videos for the Tarot from major LED screens around the world. They've done a global ground promotion!"

"Oppa, you're awesome~ This is—TTTTTarot!"

"..."

……

Inside the practice rooms of SM Girls' Generation, EXO, Ryderbabe, and the trainee department.

"Ningning, Minzheng... let's go."

Liu Zhimin glanced at the videos circulating on Twitter on her phone. Some were in China, some in Times Square, New York, and some in Paris. The scale and scope of Mercedes-Benz's operations were unprecedented.

Meanwhile, the image of that oppa appeared on the LED screens of major shopping centers in Seoul at the start of the 12 o'clock time.

"Let's go to the nearby COEX shopping mall to see the LED version! Phone screens are too small and boring!"

The executive director, overwhelmed with emotion, pulled up his two friends. COEX Shopping Center, located in Gangnam District, is the largest shopping center in Seoul, boasting a 70-meter-wide curved screen with extensive coverage, making it a landmark screen in the heart of Seoul's commercial district.

Many trainees shared the same idea, planning to skip class to watch, but Liu Zhimin cleverly said, "Hurry up~ let's go now, they won't catch us. If they go too, the trainee teacher will definitely be furious~"

Ning Yizhuo and Jin Minzheng nodded and stood up. The three of them tiptoed out of the practice room.

"If the practice teacher finds out later, remember to say that I fainted during practice and my fever hasn't gone down yet, and you guys took me to get an IV drip, understand?" Liu Zhimin instructed.

Ning Yizhuo and Jin Minzheng answered earnestly, "Yes, sir."

……

"Wow! This is incredible!"

Kim Tae-yeon and Lee Soon-kyu sat on the sofa in the practice room like empty-nest elderly people, looking at the trending topics on the webpage all being #Tarot#. As for Yoona, who didn't understand her leader's words, she was still busy filming on set!
"We've been doing this for so many years, and we haven't even earned 4000 million US dollars, have we? Even Yoona is far behind..." Lee Soon-kyu muttered to himself after calculating for a moment.

Yoona is considered the highest-earning member of Girls' Generation. According to her understanding, even though Yoona has been busy with group activities and filming in recent years, including filming in China a couple of years ago, she has still accumulated a considerable amount of wealth since her debut!

But it's definitely not as high as the endorsement fee Mercedes-Benz paid Gong Cheng for a year!

"I don't know. Gong Cheng's earning power is beyond our reach. Our entire group combined probably doesn't earn as much as he does in a year," Kim Tae-yeon replied, scratching her nose. "Just his villa in Itaewon alone is worth tens of billions of won. How much did Girls' Generation earn in a year when we were at our peak?"

"Damn... this kid is way too rich!"

"We have to wait for him to come back and treat us to drinks..." Lee Soon-kyu said without any ambition.

She glanced at Kim Tae-yeon with a suspicious look, and couldn't help but think of Yoona's lovesick face. She figured that, judging from the current situation, it was only a matter of time before Yoona was seduced by that guy. He was muscular, rich, talented, and beautiful.

So many people in the industry would be willing to throw themselves at him. She guessed that if her uncle were a female club president, he would be eager to lie in her bed and beg that guy to do SM. But thinking about it, it was impossible. Since last year, her uncle has stopped considering such unrealistic things.

...Moreover, Lee Soon-kyu always felt that, given that kid's personality, even if his Yoona, including the short-statured captain who was currently distracted, were to be taken advantage of by Gong Cheng, it would be for nothing.

A philanderer who is rich, talented, and good-looking—how could he possibly have a normal relationship with just anyone? Although she wasn't sure how much of a womanizer Gong Cheng was, she guessed that with a flick of his wrist, many female celebrities in the industry would willingly become his mistresses and be kept by him.

Leaving aside the chaebols, even among the high-ranking TV station executives, company shareholders and directors, or certain movie stars in Chungmuro, which one of them doesn't have mistresses and keep extramarital affairs?

It's not that they haven't been exposed before, but nothing really happened. Take the Best Actor in Chungmuro, for example. He started by making a series of moves, then "seriously" apologized at a press conference, took a year or two off from acting, found a good script, won an award, and his fans and the public loved him again.

That's why Chungmuro ​​(the area around Chungmuro) has always been shrouded in legends. Veteran and middle-aged film stars have made headlines for all sorts of things—drug use, prostitution, concubine selection, domestic violence, infidelity, being kept by sugar daddies, and unspoken rules—yet they're still doing fine...

Not to mention, Gong Cheng is practically surrounded by an aura of brilliance. In the eyes of the public, even if it's something like 'hooking up,' everyone still thinks that this guy is manly, carefree, genuine, and unpretentious...

The most ridiculous comment she'd seen this year was, "Tarot has slept with all the women in our Great Hanming Kingdom, so he must be one of us!"

Male fans are proud of their idols being "sexed" by their male fans, while female fans are frustrated, wondering why they weren't the ones being "sexed"...

Tell me, can you stand this?

……

At COEX Shopping Center in Gangnam District, Bae Joo-hyun and Kang Seul-gi stood in a corner of the plaza wearing hoodies, while the open space under the long box-shaped LED screen was crowded with people. As the center of local fashion and trends, the shopping center is connected to Samseong Station on Subway Line 2, and students, white-collar workers and tourists come and go in dense crowds.

Meanwhile, the constantly flashing music video on the screen, and the song title "Blinding Lights" in black and gold lettering appeared before the crowd in front of them on the dark screen.

"Buzz~"

Bae Joo-hyun was wearing a white hoodie when a vibration came from the back pocket of her jeans. Curious, she picked up her phone, glanced at the familiar contact name "Cheater Bro," and unlocked the screen with annoyance. She then looked at the message he had sent in the chat box.

[Cheater]: "Hyuna~ How have you been lately?"

"I miss you so much in Kuala Lumpur. The song I wrote for you, 'Blinding Lights,' was released today. If you have time, you can listen to it; consider it a parting gift..."

Bae Joo-hyun's face, framed by a white mask, showed a slight pout. Her eyes, which had recently brightened considerably, were fixed on the message from the "cheating guy." She hadn't paid much attention to the first few sentences.
"And a song written for me?" She wondered if the "cheating guy" had said the same thing to Zhao Meiyan. "Meiyan baby, this song is for you~"

But then she read the last sentence, "Consider it a breakup gift..." Bae Joo-hyun's eyelids twitched. She sat on a long stone bench in the square, first sending a "?", then adding, "What does it mean?"

A breakup gift?

Suddenly, her heart started racing. "Hey, you cheating guy, didn't you say a one-sided breakup doesn't count? What does this mean?"
Do you really want to cut all ties with me?!

÷Life!
"..." Kang Seulgi stood silently to the side, watching the two's conversation, sighed softly in her heart, and glanced at her unnie!

I have a feeling this woman has fallen for that kid's trick again!
Why did you panic after just a few words from them?

"..."

……

At this moment, Gong Cheng was squatting on the edge of the stage at Bukit Jalil National Stadium, holding his phone and chuckling as he looked at Daegu's girlfriend's reply!
Your heart is in turmoil, dear!

Immediately afterwards, he typed a message in the chat box with great emotion: "Hey, a breakup gift~ The background of this song is actually..."

"Just like the day we broke up, I didn't dare tell you about Miyeon. I was afraid and uneasy. I was afraid you would leave me and uneasy that we would break up... So many times, I woke up in a fright in my dreams that you had found out everything and then left... Later, I wrote this feeling of fear and unease into the song."

"(Bitter smile) I never thought it would come true. I thought the songs I wrote and those nightmares that troubled, embarrassed, and hurt me were enough to make me sad (forced a strong smile), but I never thought that after we really separated..."

"Only during this time did I realize that reality is more painful and distressing than nightmares."

"So, countless times I wanted to tell you the truth, but my worries... always led me to remain silent when I shouldn't. That feeling suffocated me in the darkness, making it hard for me to fall asleep..."

Gong Cheng believes this confession was extremely sad and very moving!

For a moment, he couldn't help but empathize with her. Well, it was all half-truths, half-joking truths. At the end of the message, he typed a few words with a melancholy expression, "Joohyun-ah~ Mia-nae, I don't really want to admit it, but I have to..."

"Are you stupid? You've fallen for a coward."

After sending the message, Gong Cheng breathed a sigh of relief.

My buddy used to be brave, but he almost got slapped across the face by Kim Jisoo...

However, he admitted that his approach was problematic, but it was also the first time he had been involved with so many people and fallen in love with so many girls. He was inexperienced and had to learn by trial and error.

...If, Hagi Cheng, you ever meet another girl you like, you absolutely must never do anything like this again!

He silently reminded himself, "You've grown up!"

In fact, Gong Cheng had thought about it carefully these days. Why did he choose to deceive and hide it in the first place? First, he was not skilled and had no experience. Second, in the past, he was not as successful as he is now. It was obvious that he had no social status and was nothing. So why should he?

But now, with his wealth and status, he's very successful, but relatively speaking, it's all pretty useless. The girl is with you, not for those things. That being said, you can't really be without them...

After much thought, it was all a jumbled mess. There was no right or wrong in these things, and dwelling on the past was pointless. He wasn't one to get stuck on things, so Gong Cheng stopped thinking about it and focused more on the present and the future. If he were to find a woman he liked again, he wouldn't act the way he used to—it was exhausting…

I told Kim Jisoo to open her eyes and see for herself that I was going to rise from the ashes, and I wasn't just talking about it!
However, what's still worrying now is the potential for future problems within TWICE.
……

At the bottom of the COEX shopping mall plaza, Bae Joo-hyun sat on a secluded outer edge, blinking her eyelashes as she stared at several messages on the screen. She took off her mask, lowered her head, and took a deep breath of fresh air, feeling a mix of indescribable frustration and a hint of happiness.

She didn't know why she was happy.

Happy for the cheating guy's confession? These past few days, she's repeatedly relived her time with Gong Cheng, projecting herself into his shoes, imagining herself dating Zhao Meiyan while simultaneously keeping it a secret from her...

Just thinking about it makes Bae Joo-hyun feel suffocated and exhausted!

She had always thought Gong Cheng was a greedy and audacious person, but gradually she began to realize what he meant on the day they separated. He was unwilling to let go of her, nor was he willing to leave Zhao Meiyan…

How can a boy like that not be considered greedy and daring?

But now, in the chat box, with its dark, inky text, Bae Joo-hyun seemed to sense the unease and fear emanating from the words "coward" between the lines...

"...To be involved in two relationships at the same time, sigh, that's really...not easy?"

Kang Seulgi glanced at the news about the "cheating guy" and sighed quietly.

"I always thought you were a greedy person..."

Bae Joo-hyun replied hesitantly, her mind a jumble of thoughts, yet his words, "breakup gift," kept replaying in her mind: "Do you really want to break up with me?"

[The cheating guy]: "It is greedy, but... Noona, you still don't really understand me..."

"As for breaking up? Didn't Nu break up with me a long time ago?"

"6!" Bae Joo-hyun's eyes widened instantly. She glanced at Kang Seul-gi, pointed at her phone screen, and exclaimed in disbelief, "It's not Seul-gi! How could this person be such a jerk?!"

[Cheater]: "However, I've already said it before, Nuna's words don't count. A relationship is a two-way street, and I still can't live without you~"

"That's all for now, noona, I need to get ready for the concert, remember to listen to the songs!"

"..." Seeing Gong Cheng's reply, Bae Joo-hyun's heart, which had been hanging in suspense, settled down.

You have some conscience!

She blurted out, almost as if possessed, "You're a bastard, you son of a bitch, Gong Cheng!"

"I'll listen to the song, but I hope you won't tell Zhao Meiyan that it was also written for her, haha..."

[Cheater]: "Thanks for the reminder, Nuna~ I'm going to be a jerk for life~!"

The complex emotions that Bae Joohyun had just felt vanished instantly after those words. Seeking validation, she tugged at Kang Seulgi's wrist, "Seulgi, is this even human language?"

"What do you mean, 'I'm going to be a jerk for the rest of my life'? You're not planning to change?!"

"Hehe..." Kang Seulgi gave a dry laugh, not knowing what to say. You two have already broken up!

Why are you letting him lead you by the nose, unnie!

She sat down and pointed to the long, box-shaped LED projection screen in the crowded space not far away, where the music video for "Blinding Lights" was playing. "Let's watch the music video first, unnie~ to get a better understanding of the emotional journey of the [cheating guy]..."

"Don't call him 'Cheater Bro'!"

"6!"

At that moment, the words "Blinding Lights" in black and gold lettering on the LED screen vanished like a streak of light...

(End of this chapter)