The number one playboy on the Peninsula!

Chapter 377 This is Reputation, HEARTBREAK ANNI (Seeking Monthly Tickets)

At 13 Myeongkan-dong, Gangnam-gu, Gong Cheng drove his black Bugatti, his head spinning, to the two-story building he had rented. It was supposed to be a practice room for Somi to use temporarily, but the second floor had a recording studio and a composition room, though the equipment was a bit lacking and the space was a bit small.

Maze Entertainment's recent recruitment interviews are also being conducted here. During the previous few days of hedonistic living, Gong Cheng received many phone calls from Bae Soo-ji complaining about the progress of the renovation of the company building in Gangdong District and the office space in front of him.

From her phone call, I learned that another shareholder of the company was quite interested in this matter.

Thinking of this, Gong Cheng got out of the Bugatti and closed the door, sighing, "That dear senior of mine really is a businessman..."

You recovered from TWICE's "blow" so quickly, unlike yourself?
Still wallowing in sadness...

The capitalists of the trenches~
Gong Cheng walked through the company lobby, encountering several employees who had already joined the company. He smiled and nodded to them all. He arrived at the practice room at the end of the corridor, the door of which was ajar.

Inside the door, Somi was practicing in front of a huge full-length mirror. Her white T-shirt had no extra patterns and the collar was slightly loose. Every movement she made was neat and powerful. Her T-shirt was damp with sweat, but her fair waist and curvaceous figure exuded a vibrant youthful energy.

Hearing the door open, Somi immediately saw Gong Cheng's smiling figure in the mirror. Her previously focused face twisted slightly, and she greeted him with a smile, "Oppa~"

"Are you getting used to it?" Gong Cheng nodded with a faint smile, then stepped onto the sofa next to him and asked curiously.

If he wasn't seeing things, Somi looked much thinner than when they last met. The chubby cheeks that used to puff up when she smiled were now lighter on her bright mixed-race face. However, overall, her proportions were still quite good, considering she was 173cm tall.

Jeon Somi nodded, naturally knowing what he was asking. The company's current situation was indeed somewhat casual: "It's a habit~ Sohee unnie and Suzy unnie take good care of me."

She spoke with a smile, saying that since signing the contract, she often saw her former boss, Bae Suzy, rushing over here, as well as Han So-hee, a newcomer to the film and television industry in the last two years.

Gradually, Jeon Somi realized that these were all artists of the company. However, Suzy, having been famous for so long, had a contract with President Gong that wasn't so simple. She was also one of the company's shareholders, although her shareholding was very small. No matter how you looked at it, the whole company was thriving.

"It sounds like those two have been going to the company quite a bit." Gong Cheng clicked his tongue. Everyone was quite dedicated. But Han Su-hee had already joined another production since the beginning of the year. On the other hand, Bae Suzy had nothing to do. She had just finished filming one drama and had been working at the construction company recently.

Jeon Somi picked up a towel and wiped the sweat from her neck. Facing the easy-going and handsome oppa in front of her—no, he was her boss now—she wasn't so reserved. Instead, as if she had just remembered something, she exclaimed in surprise, "By the way, oppa, you and Chaeyoung, are you very close?"

"She's close to me. Didn't she ask me to take care of you when we were recording PD48 last year?" Gong Cheng leaned back on the sofa, lazily glancing at the warm sunlight outside the window. "Why are you asking this?"

Somi, who is standing next to me, is a close friend of Jeon Somi. They have known each other since their trainee days. Strictly speaking, Jeon Somi has had three successful or near-successful debuts since 2015, making her career path quite bumpy.

However, during their time with IOI, they were indeed very outstanding and had great popularity. They were hailed by the media as "two shooting stars that streaked across the peninsula's music scene in 16." Besides the top-ranked artists, it was IOI. However, after their one-year promotional period ended, they were eliminated.

The 11 members of IOI have gone their separate ways. To put it bluntly, when they were together, they were like a sky full of stars; when they're apart, they're all struggling. Many members have gradually faded into obscurity over the past two years…

Jeon Somi scratched her head, her fair face glowing in the lazy sunlight: "She knows I signed with Oppa's company, and she's been asking me these past few days if I've seen you."

As he spoke, his eyes were filled with curiosity and gossip.

The main issue is that recently, it wasn't just Chaeyoung who inquired about Gong Cheng's information from her; some other unnies she knew, but wasn't very close to, like Momo unnie, Sana unnie, and Nayeon unnie~
They were all unnies who competed with each other during the "SIXTEEN" era, but compared to each other, she was closer to Son Chaeyoung.

"I see?" Gong Cheng nodded in sudden realization, but didn't say much. He then stood up and smiled as he looked at Somi's figure as she stood up as well. He felt that she had been working hard and losing weight recently, but this was also because when he signed her, he had a brief talk with Jeon Somi about her future career path.

To be honest, the sweet image that IOI used back then doesn't suit her...

“I’ve been thinking about your debut recently. If it’s your debut album, let’s release a single. The date will still be this summer.” Gong Cheng explained another reason for his visit today, which was about Somi’s debut. “As for the song, let’s do it next month. I will contact Jihyun Nona then, and she will be in charge of choreographing for you.”

Upon hearing the confirmation of her debut, Jeon Somi's previously listless face immediately lit up with excitement. When she heard Lee Ji-hyun's name, her tone became cheerful again: "Ji-hyun noona?"

"Yeah, I spoke to her on the phone a couple of days ago," Gong Cheng said with a laugh. Then, as if remembering something, he looked at Somi and joked, "By the way, I've always wanted to poach her. When she comes, remember to whisper in her ear often, telling her about our company's benefits, treatment, and work environment~"

Lee Ji-hyun, May J Lee – served as a dance mentor on PRODUCE 48 last year and also choreographed for Jay Park's new song. In terms of experience, he also choreographed for TWICE in his early years and for their group, so they are quite familiar partners.

Currently working as a choreographer and dance instructor at 1MILLION DANCE STUDIO, these dance instructors, like composers, not only work in dance studios but also frequently choreograph or teach dance to artists and groups under various agencies. These are highly flexible professions.

Jeon Somi, who was a special MC for last year's "PRODUCE 48", was quite familiar with Lee Ji-hyun, but when she heard Gong Cheng's teasing tone, she couldn't help but make a face: "Oppa, is our company's environment really attractive to others now?"

As she spoke, she glanced meaningfully at the practice room and the corridor outside, noting that the rented space was indeed somewhat inconvenient.

"Weren't you drawn here?" Gong Cheng shrugged, then prepared to go upstairs to the composition room, but he turned back, glanced at his watch, and said, "I'll treat you to dinner tonight, anyway..."

He stopped speaking at this point.

But Jeon Somi blinked curiously: "Anyway what?"

Anyway, he was bored by himself... But Master Gong wouldn't say such hurtful things to a girl so bluntly. He gave her a warm smile, closed the door of the practice room, and went upstairs.

...Upon arriving at the composition room, Gong Cheng opened the refrigerator, took out two bottles of beer, and then opened the composition software on his laptop, his fingers plucking the electronic keyboard and various synthesizer sound effects on the connector.

He took a sip of his drink, then raised his hand and patted his bewildered mind. Good news.

Even while creating the song, Gong Cheng remained focused, and he even downed a large glass of wine, a rare moment of joy, before immersing himself in the world he was creating.
I want to create a place that only has...

In the headphones, low-frequency instruments were continuously connected into one sad melody after another, while the bright sunlight outside the window gradually dissipated... In the gloomy sky, the streetlights of various streets in Jiangnan flickered one after another.

Those who frequently work like oxen and horses know that sometimes excessive focus on a task can lead to entering a "zone." Haji Cheng had entered a special realm at this moment. When he stretched and loosened his muscles, he realized that the sky outside the window was getting dark.

The feeling of fulfillment and exhaustion was better for Gong Cheng than the emptiness and numbness he felt at that moment. He leaned back in his office chair, staring at the lyrics and arrangement in front of him, put his headphones back on, pressed play, and listened to the suddenly loud intro of the arrangement, checking if there were any parts that needed to be changed or modified.

...The opening malfunctioning electrical noise and dull piano music are just like Gong Cheng's mood and poor physical condition; he seems to be really about to break down!
Against a heartbreaking backdrop, the R&B drumbeats gently seep in at a frequency close to a heartbeat, with low-frequency vibrations of "thump-thump" appearing and disappearing, not like a rhythmic support, but rather like a sigh suppressed in the chest.

Gong Cheng nodded in agreement; this was exactly the feeling he needed. My heart—felt heavy…

Women, what about you?
“ooh~”

The balloon is deflating!

"I think they look as lifeless as I do."

Gong Cheng stared intently at the lyrics he typed in his notebook, singing softly, but with a faint sadness in his eyes. The song was based on his own experience of heartbreak, and he had refined the "heartache that comes back every year on the same day" into a melody.

He was extremely melancholy; he couldn't have written about this feeling without mentioning a female relative.

"You said you loved me, but your love was fleeting..."

"..."

Five minutes later, Gong Cheng typed the song title "HEARTBREAK ANNIVERSARY" into the music source of the arrangement, marking the anniversary of his heartbreak!
It hurts so much...

After withdrawing from the "world he created," Gong Cheng got up, turned off the composition equipment in front of him, put on his denim jacket, and glanced at the night outside the window. It was already 10 p.m., and he seemed to have forgotten something.

At this time, the employees have already left work.

The tall figure descended the stairs in a few steps, and the large living room on the first floor was pitch black.

The only light still on was in the practice room I visited that afternoon.

Gong Cheng walked over, then slapped his forehead as he did so, only to remember that he had made an appointment to treat Somi to dinner that afternoon, but he had completely forgotten...

The door creaked open.

Jeon Mi-so, who had taken off her shoes and was lying on the sofa, was scrolling through her phone listlessly. Her long, well-proportioned legs were crossed in the air, and her white ankle socks were hooked around her instep and arch, twitching slightly.

After hearing the door open, she put her legs down, yawned, and grimaced, complaining, "It's really not easy to wait for Oppa to treat me to dinner."

As she spoke, Jeon Somi quickly sat up, tied her brown hair up, put on her canvas shoes, and began to organize her things.

"Oh dear, I was so busy I forgot~" Gong Cheng said honestly, then couldn't help but laugh as he watched her put on her baseball cap and get ready to go for dinner. He was right, still so honest and friendly with his employees~
That's what character and reputation are all about!
If it were another company president inviting an artist out, the artists would probably be terrified, fearing they might be subjected to unspoken rules or exploitation.
Jeon Somi, with a pitiful little face, walked to Gong Cheng's side with her slender and tall figure. Her tone was urging and a little coquettish: "Let's go, Oppa, I'm really hungry~" Facing Gong Cheng, who was only a few years older than her, she didn't have the slightest distance between a president and an artist.

We've known each other for a long time; our relationship has been good since 16, when we were just starting out.

This guy used to take good care of me when he was with JYP.

...Gong Cheng led Jeon Somi to the parking space outside the door. Somi looked at the Bugatti in front of her with surprise, but as soon as her little bottom sat in the passenger seat...

Suddenly, Gong Cheng, who was in the driver's seat, glanced at Quan Zhaomi, who was taking a selfie with her phone: "Are you over eighteen yet?"

Upon hearing this, Jeon Somi's face instantly froze, and her hand, which was raised in mid-air to take a selfie, trembled slightly... Wasn't she supposed to be eating?

Does this mean we're going to a hotel? Lost in thought, Somi pursed her lips and met Gong Cheng's slightly reddened eyes. Our president looks so impatient?

But being with a man like the company president isn't necessarily a bad thing.

This is exactly her ideal type: tall, handsome, and talented...

“Yes, it’s full, but the legal age of adulthood in the peninsula isn’t…” Jeon Somi was saying, but then she turned her head and thought about it. She wasn’t from the peninsula, and the oppa in front of her wasn’t either. Besides, the legal age of consent in the peninsula is…

Gong Cheng stared at her biting her lip, and asked in surprise, "Why aren't you saying anything?"

"What I mean is, do you have a driver's license? I only remembered this afternoon after drinking..." he said helplessly. Although the legal age of adulthood in the peninsula is not eighteen, it is still an age to get a driver's license.

Somi debuted in 16 and obviously has savings. According to him, her family is well-off. At her age, she should have a driver's license for convenience, right?

"That's it?" Jeon Somi's expression changed again.

"if not?"

As Gong Cheng spoke, he unbuckled his seatbelt and added, "It's okay if you don't have a driver's license, we can just take a taxi." As he spoke, he remarked that this must be setting a good example for his artists.
Like that senior, Park Jin-young, who pays a lot of attention to the qualities of his artists. Gong Cheng thinks we can learn from his experience to avoid becoming like YG, a company full of lawbreakers, turning into a prison, with every artist having a stain on their record.

The recent "Burning Sun" scandal has had a ripple effect, bringing to light the misdeeds of other artists under YG Entertainment.

Jeon Somi was secretly annoyed at herself for her wild thoughts just now; they were really embarrassing. But she quickly composed herself and nodded, saying, "I have a driver's license, but..."

As she spoke, her expression turned somewhat awkward, but her eyes gleamed with excitement as she looked at Gong Cheng and the steering wheel in the car: "But I've never driven a Bugatti before."

"Kenchana, you'll get used to it gradually. Everyone has a first time."

Gong Cheng responded, opened the car door, got out and switched seats with Quan Zhaomi. He then sat in the passenger seat, carefully explained the driving instructions to her, and adjusted the seat height for her.

Soon, the Bugatti drove onto the road. At first, Jeon So-mi had a tense expression and gripped the steering wheel tightly with both hands.

A sports car worth billions of Korean won—if it gets scratched or involved in an accident, even if she works in the industry for several years, she still wouldn't be able to pay it off. Not to mention Gong Cheng sitting next to her; our president's life is truly precious.

"Relax." Gong Cheng looked at her serious face and chuckled, "Shall I take a picture of you? To show your good friend Chaeyoung?"

He found it quite interesting because he had heard Chaeyoung talk about her before. This friend, who was two years younger than him, was outstanding during the "SIXTEEN" era, but her personality was already very mature and sophisticated back then. She had also matured a lot.

Quan Mizhao intently observed the road conditions, smiled, and nodded, saying "Yes."

But the more she drove the car, the more comfortable she became. She wasn't the type to be timid or hesitant, otherwise she wouldn't have resolutely decided to terminate her contract with JYP and join Gong Cheng's company. She slowly pressed the accelerator and began to accelerate. The driving experience gradually began to soar with the speed and the feeling of being pushed back in the car.

Somi excitedly turned her head and grinned brightly at Gong Cheng's camera, "Oppa, this car is awesome!"

Gong Cheng chuckled, ignoring the nonsense. A sports car worth billions, even if it's just a pile of scrap metal, is still a very expensive pile of scrap metal. He sent the photo he had just taken to Sun Caiying, smiling as he edited and sent it: "Having dinner with Somi."

He then put away his phone, gazing at the street scenes of Jiangnan and the gradually increasing speed of the car. Gong Cheng exclaimed in admiration, "Your driving skills are much better than some idiot's!"

"Who is it?" Jeon Somi asked curiously, then raised her finger and comfortably started playing music.

Gong Cheng chatted with her with a smile, the delicate face of a certain silly clown flashing through his mind: "Kim Jisoo~"

"Back then, she drove me home in my sports car. Goodness gracious, on that road in Jiangdong, where there's absolutely no traffic, it took her half an hour! Even an electric scooter could go faster than my sports car, tsk tsk..." He said, then couldn't help but laugh again: "I think my sports car must have been badly damaged back then~"

……

Meanwhile, TWICE, who were in Tokyo for activities, had just finished their schedule and were having dinner at the hotel restaurant. Yoo Jeongyeon poked Kim Dahyun's waist, then looked at the members in front of her with a very emotional expression, and couldn't help but whisper, "How long has it been since we all sat down and had a proper meal together?"

The nine people stood in neat rows, but remained almost completely silent. Even their occasional conversations were confined to designated members, forming small cliques.

"Oh, it's better to be busy, at least the unnies won't be fighting outside, saving us from having to mediate." Kim Da-hyun whispered, sharing her feelings. What does it matter to me if my sisters-in-law fight to the death?

Anyway, Da Shuai has already told them all~ It's not certain whether you'll become my sisters-in-law in the future! Recently, she's been enjoying some peace and quiet, but she's still a little worried about Da Shuai, who jumped off the "ship" and disappeared without a trace.

Little Strange Tofu believes that after the last time bomb "beep beep beep" exploded, Big Brother has become less enthusiastic towards his wives.

Of course she understood how tired our handsome guy was, so she let him rest without disturbing him. But why does it seem like the more he rests, the less he seems to exist? Lately, he hasn't even sent a single message...

She said she was packing her luggage at the company dormitory, but she never went there. If she hadn't cleaned it, it would have been covered in dust by now.

Son Chaeyoung sat next to Chou Tzuyu, smiling as she watched the photos sent by her boyfriend in the chat window. She cautiously observed the actions of the other girls around her and replied, "Oppa~ You have to be nice to Somi, don't exploit her~ We have a great relationship~"

Somi left JYP to join her boyfriend's company, and she was quite at ease with that. At least she was certain that her friend's future career wouldn't be too bad. As for Gong Cheng and Jeon Somi spending time alone together, the little tiger wasn't jealous at all.

I asked this friend a few days ago, and she hasn't seen oppa much lately, which shows that they don't keep in close contact. She's not like Nayeon unnie, Sana unnie, Mina unnie, or Momo unnie—she's never nosy about who her boyfriend spends time with!
When her boyfriend was still an unknown actor, Son Chaeyoung was already dating him, so she had a lot of confidence in the relationship.
Unlike those mentioned above, Third Sister, who spends her days overthinking and making wild guesses.
Tzuyu glanced at the photo in Chaeyoung's chat window and couldn't help but whisper, "Why is oppa with Somi?"

"Oppa had dinner with her." Son Chaeyoung, keenly aware of the stares from the other members, sighed helplessly and truthfully said, "Isn't Somi signed with oppa's company?"

"You all know that, right? Can't I even ask oppa to take care of my friend?" She raised her eyebrows unhappily in the face of their aggressive gazes.

Hirai Momo asked warily, "Have you two broken up or not?"

"You shouldn't be asking that, Momo," Minatozaki Sana snorted. Looking closely at this group of naive girls, she realized she was the one who had suffered the most. They were all incredibly shrewd. She had been too impulsive back then.

Moreover, Xiaobaicai hasn't bothered her lately. According to her observation, that bastard doesn't seem to have been contacting Momo and Nayeon much either.

"Jihyo, bring the rice!" Yoo Jeongyeon slapped her forehead, sighing that it was about to start again, and quickly got up, picked up the small pot of rice that Park Jihyo handed her, scooped two scoops into her bowl, and then turned her head around to watch their performance.

Kim Da-hyun habitually picked up a toothpick and started picking her teeth.
After the sisters-in-law erupted in protest, the once-unbreakable "Alliance of Medical Integrity" fell apart...

Nayeon, who had been silent all along, put down her chopsticks. As if remembering something, she stared blankly at Chaeyoung, who was about to retort to Sana Minatozaki and Momo Hirai: "Somi is your friend, right?" She knew it, but she still wanted to confirm it.

“Yeah.” Son Chaeyoung pouted, and then she heard Mina’s raised voice: “How dare you let your friend be alone with Makoto?”

Nayeon nodded eagerly, grinning with her rabbit teeth, and said incredulously, "Yeah, isn't it chaotic enough, Chaeyoung?"

"Moragu?"

Sun Chae-young was taken aback by the sudden turn of events and didn't know what they were talking about.

Hirai Momo was several beats slower to react and looked completely puzzled.

Sana Minatozaki is the same...

Lim Nayeon raised her slender fingers and rubbed her face, which was full of collagen. Then she looked at Son Chaeyoung speechlessly and said, "I'm speechless!"

Under Yu Dingyan's watchful gaze, the big star looked at her with exasperation and said, "Don't you know he's a friend's assassin?"

"Huh?" Yu Dingyan.

"Huh?" Son Chaeyoung...

"Mo?" Hirai Momo.

"Huh?" Chou Tzu-yu.

"Huh?" Minatozaki Sana

Amidst the puzzled expressions of the others, Lim Nayeon sadly picked up her knife and fork and poked at the steak on her plate: "Friend killer!"

"Assassin!!!" she said, raising her knife and fork and gesturing in the air twice.

This was a pattern she accidentally discovered while crying one night after separating from Gong Cheng... Just like the modus operandi of a "serial killer" on TV, the targets they targeted had very obvious characteristics.

However, it's hard to say what characteristics a man has in a relationship with a woman, and it doesn't depend on things like appearance or figure.

Just like Mina and Chaeyoung's tiny airports, Nayeon sometimes wonders, "Miyako, don't you find it uncomfortable?"
However, they are not entirely without commonalities, for example...

Lim Nayeon cleared her throat, her eyes filled with sorrow and gloom, and said, "Does 'friend killer' mean that you guys didn't notice that he always dates people in groups? For example, he dates Cho Mi-yeon, but who is Cho Mi-yeon's friend?"

She asked and answered questions in a humorous way.

Mina, the class's "toughest girl," raised her hand and answered, "Kim Jisoo!"

"Yes!" Lim Nayeon raised her eyelids with a heavy expression and looked at the members: "Where is Kim Jisoo's friend?"

“…You.” Kim Da-hyun was shocked, her soft face trembling.

How did you find out about my sister-in-law when I didn't even notice?
Nayeon nodded, picked up her steak with her knife and fork, took a big bite, and then corrected herself, adding, "Not only me, Jisoo also has a friend she only got to know last year, Joo-hyun! They were really close for a while."

After saying that, she pointed to herself and asked, "Who is my friend?"

"Your reasoning doesn't hold water~ Your friend is me~" Yu Dingyan never expected that one day she would be reduced to becoming a "special witness" to clear the name of her former good brother Haji-sung.

But Lim Nayeon smiled awkwardly: "Besides Jeongyeon, there's also Sana." Then, she looked at Minatozaki Sana: "We were quite close for a while, weren't we?"

Sana Minatozaki nodded thoughtfully. "Yes."

Then, she looked up, dumbfounded, "So my best friend is Mina, Momo?"

Nayeon and Mina nodded wisely.

Then, Mina sighed softly, her cool eyes glancing at Son Chaeyoung, who was sitting a few seats away. Their current positions were practically reserved for Sung-chan's female friends, with an unimportant member always standing between them: "When Sung-chan first came to the company, besides being close to Sana and Momo, Chaeyoung, besides being close to Tzuyu and Dahyun, we were also quite close, right?"

“…Hmm.” Son Chaeyoung bit her lip and nodded. It was true. Back then, besides the food group and all the other unnies, she was only close to Lim Nayeon, who was also a “Gangdong woman,” and her closest friend was Mina.

That's why she tolerated this unnie again and again. Even when she found out that Mina unnie was seducing her own boyfriend, she silently endured it. Two is two, so be it.

Park Jihyo's mouth dropped open as she listened.

Yu Dingyan clicked her tongue: "Aigoo, a perfect closed loop? Holy crap, what kind of logic is that? But it really makes sense!"

"..." Upon hearing this, Zhou Ziyu slightly parted her lips, her small, white teeth gently biting the inside of her lower lip, revealing a hint of her pearly white teeth. So that's how it is? No wonder even though she learned from "Empresses in the Palace" and managed to defeat the other members, she and her brother still made no progress.

She then pulled out her phone and started taking notes seriously: "Becoming friends with the brothers' girlfriends will allow you to become one of their girlfriends..."

But she's a good friend of Chaeyoung and Dahyun...

"Isn't this the 'best friend killer'?" Hirai Momo belatedly realized what was happening and exclaimed in astonishment!
Master, what kind of strange quirk is this?

After Lim Nayeon shared her speculation, she couldn't help but look at Yoo Jeongyeon, who was munching on rice, and hugged her tightly: "So I'm so glad, Jeongyeon, you didn't fall into the tiger's den!"

Just as Yoo Jeongyeon was about to swallow her rice and reply with a word of comfort, she met Lim Nayeon's surprised and suspicious gaze: "You really didn't sleep with him?"

Mina gazed intently at Chaeyoung's bewildered expression: "So, Chaeyoung, now you know what a foolish decision you made, right?"

"If I remember correctly, Somi was born in 01, right?"

"What does age have to do with it?" Son Chaeyoung felt increasingly stupid as she listened. If oppa really was a best friend killer, then would Somi really have to sleep in the same bed and share a bed with her? Was she going to make up for the regret of not being able to debut together with SIXTEEN in this way?

Chou Tzu-yu put down the notes she had just made, clenched her little fist and placed it near her mouth to clear her throat lightly: "If I remember correctly, my brother seemed to have said that he always likes the latest styles. I wonder if he was referring to you unnies?"

She felt a strange sense of crisis rising within her as someone eager to stir up trouble.
Am I not the youngest?
"Tzuyu, don't talk nonsense, oppa isn't that kind of person~" Little Strange Tofu quickly spoke up to smooth things over, but she was also a little unsure of herself when she said it.

Wow, you've got a terrible reputation!
Yu Dingyan nearly choked on her rice, coughing several times before suppressing a laugh and asking, "He's not that kind of person?"

She completely believed Lim Nayeon's deduction—that he was a close friend who was a killer—and looked at the members in front of her who had been lured into bed by him. This was what reputation was all about.

Sana Minatozaki vaguely remembered that a certain jerk had shared a song with eight female friends, saying, "Baby~ this song is for you, saranghae~" Wasn't that a mass message? Damn you, Makoto Miyamoto!
That's what reputation is all about...

...Mani had personally witnessed Haki Makoto playing games with her while replying to messages from various female relatives.

Therefore, she deduced very early on that Gong Cheng had a strange fetish for female friends.

"If you like the latest style, I was the last one here, so I should be the newest, right? You bunch of outdated stuff." Hirai Momo grinned smugly, then her IQ suddenly soared. She playfully raised her hands, clasped them together, and earnestly pleaded with the "seniors" in front of her: "Seniors, please, stop Oppa from going to find a new girlfriend~ That way I'll always be the newest~"

"Oh my god~ This is outrageous!"

Upon hearing this, Sun Caiying rolled her eyes in anger: "You, who arrived last, think you're right? I arrived first, so does that make me worthless?"

Yu Dingyan listened to their conversation in a daze: "Aigoo, you guys are really good at internalizing things, aren't you?"

Shouldn't we cut all ties with that guy forever?

As she was speaking, her phone, which was on the table, suddenly rang. Yu Dingyan looked down and saw that it was a call from Ha Jicheng, her former sworn brother who had severed ties with her.

Lim Nayeon glanced quickly at the contact name in the address book, her eyes narrowing instantly. Her gaze towards Yoo Jeongyeon was dangerous. She grinned, revealing her rabbit teeth, and her suspicions flared up again: "Honey, tell me honestly, did you two sleep together or not?"

"I can handle it..."

"Ani, I can't stand you guys. My relationship with him is completely innocent." Yu Dingyan rubbed her hair in despair before answering the phone.

……

In a restaurant in Gangnam, Seoul, Gong Cheng sat by the floor-to-ceiling window, listening to a phone call while taking a sip of orange juice.

Jeon Somi sat opposite him, taking small bites of pasta.

"What's wrong?" Yu Dingyan's voice came through the receiver.

Gong Cheng smiled faintly and said, "Oh, can't I call you if there's nothing wrong?"

……

Lim Nayeon stared wide-eyed at Yoo Jeongyeon, then pointed at Yoo Jeongyeon towards the other members, as if to say, "I told you so!"
Yu Dingyan stared wide-eyed at the contact name on her phone screen, utterly incredulous. "Damn it, why are you being so ambiguous?" she thought. "Please don't say anything that could be misunderstood..."

Kim Da-hyun felt that these words sounded familiar.

"I have nothing to say to a scumbag like you!" Yoo Jeongyeon looked at the members with a tearful expression.

We're such good buddies!

Gong Cheng's nonchalant tone came through the receiver: "Come on, Jeongyeon, do you think you can just cut off our relationship like that?"

Mina bit her lip in astonishment!

Makoto-chan...

Hirai Momo rubbed her face with both hands. "The latest model, isn't it?"
Hey, you idiot!

She had no doubt that her beloved teacher was capable of such a thing, because that's what... reputation is all about.

Gong Cheng's teasing laughter rang out through the receiver before he spoke seriously: "Hey, Yu Jung-yeon, how about having Somi record an episode of your 'I Live Alone'?"

"Somi?" Yoo Jeongyeon's expression gradually softened.

"Hey, can you handle this? I don't need to call the TV station, do I?" Gong Cheng's doubtful voice came again.

Yoo Jeongyeon was immediately displeased. "Who do you think you are? I'll talk to the director when I get back to Seoul tomorrow. I don't think there will be any major problems." After saying that, she glanced at the surrounding members' gazes, as if they were looking at prey, and quickly hung up the phone.

She quickly waved her hands in protest, "I'm really not the latest model, ladies..."

……

In Gangnam District, after having dinner with Somi, everyone went home.

……

Several days passed, and Gong Cheng recorded the audio for "HEARTBREAK ANNIVERSARY". He also produced the debut song that he had originally planned to prepare for Somi next month.

He arrived at the practice room and happened to see Bae Suzy and Han So-hee, who had come to catch him.

They are all artists under Maze Entertainment. With Bae Suzy and Han So-hee going back and forth to the company, they have become familiar with each other. The current artist structure includes Gong Cheng and four others.

The music industry, "Tarot", "Somi", actors, Han So-hee, Bae Suzy, and others had previously created a group chat on Kakao called "Maze" for artists, and they would chat occasionally.

After Bae Suzy and Han So-hee learned that Gong Cheng had gone to this temporarily rented office, they rushed over.

“Let’s debut with this digital single, ‘DUMB DUMB.’” Gong Cheng handed the printed lyrics to Jeon Somi, who was chatting with Han So-hee and Bae Suzy. The style of this song also determined Somi’s debut style. She already looked incredibly stylish, with a Western girl vibe.

Bae Suzy had heard before that Gong Cheng was going to produce a song for Somi, but she had just heard it was supposed to be next month. "So efficient?" She raised an eyebrow.
"Yes~ I'm planning to leave Seoul next month." Gong Cheng answered truthfully, sitting down next to Han Suxi with a smile. Underneath his long black trench coat was a black pencil skirt, revealing his slender legs in red-soled high heels and black stockings.
"Hey, once the company building is renovated, shouldn't we take a family photo?"

Han Suxi's face was lightly made up, except for her lips, which were glossy and shiny. She thought the suggestion was pretty good, so she nodded.

Somi was looking at the lyrics with delight. As for the arrangement, her oppa had already sent it to her, but she hadn't had a chance to listen to it yet. However, she asked curiously, "Why?"

"Because of you, Suzy unnie~" Gong Cheng picked up a glass of orange juice handed to him by Bae Suzy, shook his head, and said with a funny expression, "To put it arrogantly, our company's Kayan~"

Now that all the artists under the company are here, he can directly feel that, apart from their looks, Bae Suzy, Han So-hee, and Somi all have great heights.

Of the three, Han So-hee is the shortest at 165cm, Suzy is 168cm, and the last one is 173cm.

Bae Suzy, wearing a hoodie and jeans, chuckled twice, her signature buck teeth showing, before snapping back to reality and staring wide-eyed at Gong Cheng: "Aigoo, you're not kidding me, are you? You're leaving Seoul, and the company has so much going on!"

"Aren't there professionals handling this?" Gong Cheng said casually. He planned to go abroad to relax next month, or after celebrating Mina's birthday the day after tomorrow, and also to find a reliable doctor to take a look.

He really felt like he had won!
Of course, Hajime is never one to give up on himself; he sees a doctor when he's sick, so there's nothing to be ashamed of, but he's still feeling down inside.
"..."

After a flurry of chatter, Bae Suzy stood up with a smile and, looking at Jeon Somi who was explaining how to sing some lyrics, suggested, "President Gong~ how about a dinner party at Maze Entertainment tonight?"

……

In the evening, the four of them went to a private room at a nearby barbecue restaurant, where the smoke from the grilling filled the air.
The smell of Han Suxi's cigarettes lingered in the air. Gong Cheng sat facing her, the wine bottles on the table being poured into glasses with a "clatter" and then down into their stomachs.

Bae Soo-ji took a sip of her drink, and under Jeon So-mi's curious gaze, she pulled out her phone and showed Somi and Han So-hee photos and videos she had recently taken while supervising the construction of the company's new building in Gangdong-gu: "The renovation progress is going quite well..."

As Han Suxi watched, she stubbed out a thin cigarette between her teeth, the smoke drifting across her cold and beautiful face. Her legs were crossed under the table, her high heels dangling in the air, and she was secretly rubbing against Gong Cheng's legs.

Gong Cheng glanced at Bae Suzy beside him, his expression unchanged. He continued talking about work on the phone: "[Daily Gossip] isn't worth that price. Let's talk some more. If that doesn't work, then bring out all the defamatory news they've done against me in the past and see them in court. I'll contact the prosecutor and lawyer."

"But weren't those details leaked to [Daily Gossip] by us?" a subordinate asked, sounding puzzled.

Gong Cheng pursed his lips and took a sip of his drink: "I did reveal it, but did I ask them to publish it? Do they know it was me who revealed it?"

He gave a few instructions and then hung up the phone.

Now that he had established his own agency, he naturally needed his own "mouthpiece," and he had always felt that "Daily Gossip" was a good option...

(End of this chapter)