Peninsula Platinum Era

Chapter 100 The Soft Girl Who's Been Targeted (Part 2, Please Subscribe)
"I wish you guys were Pokémon."

Chen Shijun stroked the girl's slender neck as if petting a small pet, and the words he spoke made Zhimin's ears twitch.

"Pokémon? I like Pokémon too, but why should I be like a Pokémon?"

She looked at the man with some confusion. The thought of having to go back to the company to practice tomorrow suddenly made even the prospect of her debut seem less appealing.

"That way I can put you all into the Master Ball and not have to worry about anything."

Although his way of treating women is relatively energy-efficient, he doesn't need to spend a lot of energy figuring out their thoughts, because of the difference in status, they even need to try to figure out his thoughts in reverse.

But people are always unfathomable. Unlike novels and comics where a heroine's loyalty doesn't drop after you've won her over, they're like Pokémon that you can release when needed.

"Oppa, you're so mean! How could you treat me like a pet? But if I really were a Pokémon, what kind of Pokémon would I be?"

Is it the independent and stubborn Pikachu with its vivid emotions, or the gentle and sensitive Charmander, or the cold on the outside but warm on the inside Bulbasaur, or the loyal Squirtle?

If it's my teammate Kim Minjun, who's as cute and innocent as a little fire dragon when he's being silly, then what am I like in this man's eyes?

"You! You're an Arbok, and you look just like a femme fatale."

Although this guy is quite chubby, he is indeed very flexible as a trainee. Plus, he is fair and tender. He doesn't have the long legs and excellent proportions of Xiaoyuan, but no one can be perfect.

"I don't want to be Arbok, oppa, you're so mean, I'm not talking to you anymore."

The girls' playful noises made Chen Shijun laugh, and he couldn't help but rub his hands together. Dealing with young people always brings a sense of joy.

After Jimin reluctantly left, Chen Shijun temporarily put the young girl out of his mind. Min Xizhen indeed accelerated her demands for an independent label, but Bang Shihe remained unmoved.

"I copied it back. Luckily, I thought of that."

Secretary Li took out a USB drive, looking rather mysterious, which puzzled Chen Shijun. What had this guy been doing just now?

"That bitch bullied me at work. I went and copied out the surveillance footage so the data wouldn't be overwritten later."

Eunhye handed the USB drive to Chen Shijun as if presenting a treasure. The man weighed it in his hand, tossed it into the drawer, and realized that women are indeed more thoughtful.

"When there is a real need for this in the future, I will release the content and sue her for bullying. This is solid evidence."

If Yoo Jimin possesses the allure of a serpentine beauty, then Eunhye is like a seemingly docile golden python, whose elegant and obedient demeanor masks a ruthless and vengeful nature.

"Maybe that day will really come? To be honest, I'm actually kind of looking forward to it."

Regarding the recruitment of new group members, it is ultimately necessary to include some trainees who have not yet debuted; otherwise, if they are all familiar faces, there will be no sense of novelty.

Representative Su knocked on the door this time, clearly indicating that she had some ideas to discuss, especially regarding the new girl group project.

"In addition to our global auditions, we also searched for some hidden gems in the program 'PRODUCE 48'. Although they did not debut, their talents are quite good."

Now that the plan has been decided, Representative Su has begun to work on the group's planning. As for GFRIEND, who had been with him all along, this is undoubtedly another blow.

However, in his view, being able to continue releasing albums for them already shows a high level of care, even though costs for both promotion and song production have been reduced to some extent.

In the following months, he even prepared two comeback plans. If one plan failed, he would come up with another. Anyway, he could make money, so it didn't matter if he acted ugly.

The contract will expire by this time next year. In any case, this is a well-known top-tier girl group, so the signing fee can't be low.

In addition to these costs, the revenue sharing will also increase, and GFRIEND does not have as many die-hard fans as TWICE, so renewing the contract is not worthwhile.

After all, TWICE has a certain influence around the world, especially in the Japanese market. Their ability to mobilize audiences for their several tours is simply explosive, and everyone who sees it will be envious.

Even if they only had one-third of the other party's appeal, he would still be willing to keep these heroes who fought alongside him. If all else failed, they could go on tour to make money. Unfortunately, there are no "what ifs".

Another thing is that I feel the market is changing. GFRIEND's style is losing fans' enthusiasm, and the trend is hard to reverse. The transformation is also not going smoothly.

Although the company received some inquiries from member representatives, they have not responded, which has made the members even more anxious.

Chen Shijun's role in coordinating and supervising is gradually changing. It seems that the company is gradually regarding him and Source Music as a community, and the board of directors is gradually granting Chen Shijun more authority.

Not only for Team S, whose framework is about to be outlined, the shareholders also asked Chen Shijun to decide, based on the situation, whether Team N should remain with Source Music and debut.

For important positions such as music production and performance manager, Chen Shijun has the final veto power, which is why Min Xizhen chose to continue to endure after suffering a loss.

In the current situation, the prevailing opinion is still that Team N will continue to be Big Hit's first girl group, with Team S following closely behind.

During this private meeting, Representative Su poured out his grievances, expressing how reluctant he was to part with Team N and how difficult it was to recruit members.

"Currently, this trainee named Heo Yoon-jin is also on our recruitment list. She is a Korean-American with excellent English skills and can serve as the group's spokesperson. However, the prerequisite is that we promise her a debut spot."

He reached out and took the documents from Representative Su. He was 172.3cm tall, of the Hayang Heo clan, and was born in Gangnam District, Seoul. However, he immigrated to the United States eight months later and grew up there.

She returned to Korea at the age of 14 and briefly worked as a trainee at SM Entertainment. Later, she joined Pledis Entertainment and participated in Produce 48 with Xiaoyuan and Ahn Yujin, where she placed 26th.

“We contacted this girl at the beginning of the year, but Min CBO said she didn’t fit the N team’s concept, so we didn’t continue our contact.”

After being eliminated, the girl returned to the United States to continue her studies and now it seems she is preparing to attend university.

Representative Su stated that this was a relatively easy choice because Pledis and Source Music are both labels under Big Hit, and she has always maintained contact with them.

Team S's plan was authorized by Bang Si-hyuk, allowing them to use all of Big Hit's resources within a certain scope.

"Your family must be well-off, will you continue your idol career?"

Chen Shijun looked at the documents in his hand. The contents were very detailed and thorough, clearly indicating that a very diligent background investigation had been conducted.

This girl values ​​belonging very much. She was ostracized in the United States because she is Asian and in South Korea because she is an American citizen. She has been worried about her identity since childhood.

This reminded Chen Shijun of a cold-blooded princess who was the same age as him, who seemed to have been ostracized by local bullies when she was a trainee.

"Yes, the feedback from the other party is very positive. As long as we make a promise, she will quickly sign her name."

Representative Su appeared very confident, which Chen Shijun found very interesting. This group not only took over some of the members of IZ*ONE, but also gained trainees who failed to debut in IZ*ONE.

In addition, the selection committee also mentioned the name Lee Ga-eun. As a victim of the vote-rigging scandal, some people said that if she were given another chance, she might also generate a huge discussion in society.

"What?! We might as well bring over Kwon Eun-bi, who's a year younger than her."

Chen Shijun scoffed at this view, saying that while it might temporarily evoke sympathy from fans and generate some buzz, it was not suitable in the long run.

The first one is really too old. Born in 1994, he will be 27 or 28 when he debuts. Moreover, he had already debuted as a member of After School 8 years ago.

There's nothing new for the audience, which is why the potential is so low. Although the materials say the basic skills are solid, it doesn't actually improve the group much.

If she were a lead singer with excellent vocal skills, she might be given a chance to change her fate. Otherwise, she's just another one of many, and it's unlikely she could impress Chen Shijun.

"We're not here to help people who are down on their luck achieve their dreams. There must be at least three fresh faces in the debut positions."

It's worth noting that even AOA didn't debut as early as Lee Ga-eun. The members of Hello Venus, who debuted in the same year, even addressed her as "senior" on shows, making her a very senior figure in the industry. After six years as a trainee, she returned to training and ultimately ranked 5th, successfully making it into IZ*ONE's debut group. Unfortunately, due to director Ahn Joon-young's manipulation of the vote, she was dropped from 5th to 16th place.

After being excluded from the debut group, her exclusive contract with Pledis expired last year, and she also graduated from After School.

"Our domestic members are still focused on those few who manipulated the votes. We'll try to get as many of the double gold and one jo awards as possible, and also Miyawaki Sakura."

It's incredibly ironic that they've excluded the victims of the vote-rigging scandal while chasing after the beneficiaries.

However, from a business perspective, Chen Shijun is not some kind of righteous messenger. Although this group cannot realize his concept of a modular girl group, it still needs to get closer to that concept.

However, the acquisition of Paradox Interactive did bring Big Hit a breakthrough in label synergy, making the internal flow of some resources more convenient and efficient.

In addition, we need some completely new faces, secret weapons that have never appeared in public before, and these need to be rediscovered.

Furthermore, we must constantly consider the progress schedule with Team N. After all, we have invested so many resources, it would be a great pity if Source Music were to give up.

"Director Chen, Min Hee-jin's CBO sent an email expressing deep regret over what happened last time and requesting an in-person apology."

Secretary Li's words interrupted Chen Shijun's reverie and brought a very strange message, but it was also quite reasonable.

Perhaps having run into a snag with Fatty Fang, Ms. Min needs Chen Shijun's cooperation to realize her own value.

While it's not necessary to resort to sabotage and create unnecessary internal friction, even with adjustments made in some areas, Ms. Min cannot simply give up at this point.

On one hand, it's because of the contract, and on the other hand, it's a golden opportunity for Min Hee-jin to make a comeback, as she urgently needs to prove herself after leaving SM.

Even after leaving Source Music to establish a new label, Chen Shih-Chun's seat on the board of directors remains a real one, and after calming down, he made the decision to temporarily back down.

Although I sometimes act crazy, as long as I think things through, I will eventually calm down and make a decision.

Furthermore, the wizard said that Chen Shijun had a strong destiny and was a first-rate, unyielding person. It seemed that there would be no benefit in offending him, so it was best to be patient for the time being.

More importantly, she also approached Fang Shihe, who demanded that she respect this young internal director. Chen Shijun was not sent there as a subordinate, but rather as the head of the coordination group authorized by the council.

"Never mind her for now. Honestly, what kind of behavior is it to put on airs in front of me?"

In fact, Chen Shijun was not very willing to deal with mentally unstable people. He felt that such people were the opposite of himself, and he hated irrational behavior.

More importantly, it is indeed necessary to put on a show of authority in front of this woman, with the ultimate goal of getting her to follow her ideas and plans and advance Team N's plan at a faster pace.

Eunhye thoughtfully printed out a paper copy of the email, which explained that her stress was caused by medication and provided a detailed explanation of Chen Shijun's comments regarding her delays.

The list of items looked quite professional, but Chen Shijun didn't even glance at it. After saying goodbye to Representative Su who was leaving, he casually tossed the printed paper aside.

"Boss, are you standing up for me? I'm so touched."

Eunhye feigned excitement, but she knew in her heart that it was impossible. Chen Shijun also knew that she was faking it.

"Let's not talk about that unlucky woman. We were just discussing how to move forward with the signing of several members' contracts. Do you have any good ideas?"

Chen Shijun believes that one person's plan is limited, while two people's plans are more comprehensive. Sometimes it is necessary to listen to different opinions, which is why decision-makers sometimes need to set up secretarial offices.

Different staff members can offer different perspectives from different angles, and they can also perform their respective duties in the specific execution.

Sometimes, even a small organization with just a few people can lead various departments to carry out their work, but of course, I don't have that need right now.

The company's shareholding structure makes it difficult for a small company to acquire a large one, unless a major external event occurs, such as problems with share pledging or policy risks. However, Fang Shihe is currently quite safe.

"I do have a solution. If I were to try it, it might bring some surprises to Director Chen, but it could also backfire."

The secretary was actually quite cautious. Chen Shijun scratched his head, pondered for a while, and then pulled out a piece of paper from the drawer.

"Then you can give this a try. I've decided to add you to the negotiation team. Anyway, Kim Min-ju is already on the verge of the negotiations breaking down."

"We'll treat it as a last resort," Representative Su said, adding that he had already lost hope in Kim Min-ju, as the latter wasn't interested in the grand vision he was proposing.

They even refused a considerable signing fee, which really made it impossible to see any hope of success. The long and tedious negotiation process had already made the senior management, led by Chen Shijun, dissatisfied.

"Huh? Really? I'm just your secretary!"

Aside from administrative matters, I haven't actually handled any professional tasks like this. Although I talk a big game, it's all just talk.

"Go ahead and give it a try! I plan to focus on training you, and you'll take on more roles in Levvels in the future."

Chen Shijun felt that it wouldn't be a bad thing for this woman to grow a bit. There weren't many confidants in the company. Although the poaching of Dunamu had been ongoing, the saying "people strive for higher positions and water flows downhill" always holds true.

It is difficult to bring satisfactory talent to Big Hit, and Dunamu is also reluctant to release his core members, while his former subordinates have a brighter future.

Earnings at entertainment companies are certainly lower than at fintech companies, and Big Hit is unlikely to break its salary structure to poach talent. This results in a situation where, while there are enough available employees, trustworthy talent is relatively scarce.

"But you must remember, you are not allowed to use those vicious and insidious tricks, otherwise I will not let you off the hook."

Chen Shijun hadn't forgotten the strategies this guy had offered before, and under the current circumstances, it was fine to discard Kim Minju.

He felt it wasn't worth doing something immoral for Kim Minju, so he repeatedly emphasized this to Eunhye until he received her promise before he felt at ease.

"Then go ahead and do it. I'll keep an eye on your actions and let me see your potential."

If she can achieve a breakthrough when so many professionals are at a loss, it might give her more opportunities.

“I promise! I have some ideas. Maybe I should go with my team to meet with her first.”

This sudden trust thrilled her. Although she had never dared to say it out loud, the thing she was most proud of was gaining Chen Shijun's approval.

"Ahei! Ahei! Ahei!"

Kim Minju, who was practicing dance in the dance studio when there were no activities, suddenly sneezed several times in a row, prompting the eldest sister captain to pat her on the shoulder with concern.

I don't know if this woman was slacking off too much. When everyone's bodies are in a high-energy state during dance practice, it's amazing that she could catch a cold under these circumstances.

"I don't know! But I feel fine and don't feel uncomfortable at all. Maybe it's just an itchy nose."

He smiled somewhat embarrassedly at the captain and decided to take a hot shower later. Although there wasn't much activity in the current situation, he still needed to take care of his health.

He was already being hyped up because of his poor skills and was often jokingly called a "royal family" by fans. If he misses out on team activities due to a cold, the controversy will likely increase.

I don't know why, but I always have this feeling that someone is watching me. Maybe I'm just overthinking it.

Ultimately, a decision was made because I didn't really trust Big Hit's weak commitment, and I really didn't want to be an idol anymore.

When we meet again next time, let's decline the invitation in person. Minju felt that we shouldn't delay their recruitment plans, and we should give them a definite answer as soon as possible, whether it's feasible or not.

　The Minju strategy guide begins. Brothers, please subscribe! There's another long chapter coming up later.

　　
　
(End of this chapter)