Peninsula Platinum Era

Chapter 231 Is he playing hard to get?
"You want to meet me? Is that really necessary?"

Chen Shijun felt that this woman had only met him once, yet she was already so familiar with him? It was like she was taking advantage of him.

He was unaware that GFRIEND, the legendary group from Source Music, was already in a very difficult situation, or rather, he didn't understand their plight.

Captain Shaoqing may want to seek some justice, but the capital market has always been ruthless. The cruel treatment a product faces after it has lost its recognized value is both unfair and reasonable.

"Then refuse..."

"Then let's meet her. Have her come to my office, and you can accompany her as a third party and take notes."

Women's organizations have been quite active in recent years, so Chen Shijun doesn't dare to trust an idol whose contract is about to expire.

After all, there are no rearview mirrors in the office... and no security cameras in the office, so the women's organizations won't listen to reason, and if something really happens, it will be impossible to resolve.

Shaoqing felt that she had become increasingly bold lately, daring to meet with Chen Shijun alone. However, it was quite respectful that a high-ranking director like him was willing to take the time to meet with her.

I stepped into the elevator with some trepidation, feeling like a thief, even though there was really no need to hide anything.

After receiving permission, she pushed open the heavy solid wood door. The office was simpler than Shaoqing had imagined. The mahogany desk felt imposing, and the huge floor-to-ceiling windows provided excellent natural light.

A faint scent of cedarwood wafted through the air. After handing over the coffee, the secretary quietly sat down and opened her laptop, seemingly intent on taking notes.

Shaoqing felt a little uncomfortable. This businesslike distance made her slightly uneasy, but seeing the smile on Chen Shijun's face, she seemed to be in a good mood.

He took a deep breath, walked to the table, and sat down, keeping his back ramrod straight, trying his best to maintain some decorum.

"Didn't I make myself very clear on the phone? Shaoqing came to see me this time because she thinks I can change something?"

Chen Shijun's directness almost choked Shaoqing. The tactful opening remarks she had prepared instantly became useless. Her nails dug into her palms, bringing a clear pain, which she hoped would help her stay calm.

However, since the matter had already been brought up, Shaoqing didn't need to beat around the bush anymore. She simply gritted her teeth, raised her head, and stared intently at the man in front of her.

"Director-nim! I want to know where the real difficulty lies! GFRIEND has brought glory to the company, and we have a fan base."

The more she spoke, the more pressure she felt being released. Shaoqing felt a slight, uncontrollable tremor in her voice, but she still managed to keep her tone from turning into a plea.

"We don't understand! We believe our commercial value hasn't completely dropped to zero, so why won't they even give us a chance to try and renew our contract?"

Chen Shijun crossed his arms in front of him. What this woman said was actually quite reasonable. Although he didn't think renewing GFRIEND's contract was very important, disbanding them was definitely not his idea.

"When evaluating the value of a group, the company does not only look at past achievements and current fan base, but also considers future profit potential and the company's strategy."

In fact, Chen Shijun also knew that his plan to separate Team N had already triggered a chain reaction, and the idea of ​​keeping GFRIEND was growing stronger in Representative Su's mind.

This was why he and the GFRIEND leader had been patiently waiting, but the other party clearly didn't believe him and had come to inquire about it from him. "But...but...but our members have a unified vision for their future, and renewing the contract doesn't present much difficulty or risk!"

Revealing your hand is actually a very unwise move, but at this point it seems there's no time to worry about that. Only if the other party is willing to renew the contract will there be an opportunity to negotiate terms. If the company believes that dissolving the company is the most efficient option, then that would undoubtedly be the worst outcome.

Chen Shijun could see the struggle and resentment on the other person's face. He leaned back slightly and suddenly remembered another captain he knew, Eunbi, who was about the same age as him and had a similar personality.

"Why am I so fixated on Source Music? Maybe I'll have better opportunities for personal development in the future... acting, variety shows, and so on."

In reality, Chen Shijun was just saying nice things. Even he felt that compared to Kim Minju, who was obsessed with being an actress, this tall girl was less suited to be one. Obviously, she was also aware of her own limitations.

In reality, Source Music's plans for the members' individual development were a mess. As a small company, it obviously didn't have the resources to do so. Moreover, from the company's perspective, not allowing them to have outstanding popularity was the right choice.

As the saying goes, a small temple cannot support a big Buddha. Even if there were a Bae Suzy or Lim Yoona, it would probably be difficult to handle. Strictly speaking, Su Chengzhen's series of decisions were not problematic. The failed transformation was because the label on this group was too heavy.

“I haven’t thought about any of that. GFRIEND is my everything.”

Shaoqing felt utterly disheartened, thinking about how to pry some information out of Chen Shijun, but to her surprise, he remained tight-lipped, and the lack of progress both online and offline was very frustrating.

"Besides, this matter is handled by Representative Su, and he is also responsible for making the specific decisions. I am a director of HYBE and have the power to supervise Source Music, but I am not responsible for these specific details."

Chen Shijun felt there was no point in continuing the conversation, so he asked Enhui to see the guest out. Before leaving, he gave the guest some advice to continue trying to communicate with Representative Su, but the guest misunderstood his meaning.

"He's not in charge of specific tasks, but he has the power to oversee things. Does that mean he can exert influence over Su Chengzhen?"

However, this communication confirmed something again: there is still room for maneuver in the contract renewal process. Perhaps it is hinting at something?
Shaoqing shivered inexplicably. As En Huili escorted her out of the office, she turned back to bow. Under the light, Chen Shijun's glasses gleamed with a dangerous cold light, making him look like a python observing its prey.

"Shaoqing, if you have any needs in the future, you can contact Director Chen through me in an official way. Otherwise, as you know, the secretary's job is also very difficult."

Eunhye's words were actually reasonable. Even Shaoqing felt that it was against the rules to contact Chen Shijun directly, but they met by chance, and he was willing to meet her.

"I understand, I will definitely pay attention next time."

I don't really know if there will be a next time. After all, the contract is almost over, and I might be kicked out of the company soon and then look for opportunities in some unknown small company.

She even considered checking out YouTube to see if being a content creator was a good business, but that industry was incredibly competitive, so the best solution was to continue working as an idol within GFRIEND.

This secretary, being Chen Shijun's mistress, spoke in a somewhat sarcastic tone, but she herself had no intention of taking shortcuts; the secretary was overthinking things.

Eunhye was indeed overthinking things. When she first met Shaoqing, she keenly noticed the strange look in Shaoqing's eyes. As a female secretary, she naturally knew that this was an interpretation of her relationship with Chen Shijun.

But the facts are the facts, and it's not something your idol can speculate on. Don't you know what it means to be a lowly official even in front of a prime minister? Even so, the good-natured Secretary Eunhye only gave a slight reminder.

(End of this chapter)