Peninsula: From Water Injection to Stardom

Chapter 129 Industry First Choice

On the night MAMA ended, there were various discussions in both South Korea and China's K-pop circles about the various stages and award ceremonies.

Regarding the stage performances, the collaboration between Kang Yeon and a JYP artist was particularly noteworthy.

From the perspective of casual observers, many people have gained a deep understanding of his ACE-level abilities.

"I always knew he was a great singer, but this is the first time I've realized he's also a very good dancer and rapper!"

"Passersby were shocked; this level of skill is definitely that of an ACE of all time!!!"

"Handsome and incredibly capable—does someone like that even exist?!"

"If you listen carefully at the beginning of his solo performance, you can tell it was a live performance with no backing vocals. His skill is undeniable, he's incredibly talented."

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Many casual fans initially thought Jiang Yan was a great singer and a songwriter.

But on this stage, they saw that Jiang Yan's dance skills were by no means weak, and his rap skills were no different from those of many well-known group rappers.

This is truly amazing.

However, besides Jiang Yan, everyone else on this collaborative stage has also been the subject of discussion to varying degrees.

For example, Hirai Momo's brilliant performance in her final DanceBreak solo segment also attracted a lot of attention.

Mina also gained some attention because of her unique, cool voice.

As for Jackson Wang and Park Jihyo, they received less discussion compared to the other two.

In short, this collaboration stage was undoubtedly a great success. Many people who didn't know TWICE became fans through Mina and the others, and then spontaneously searched for the other members of the group.

However, the most exciting thing that night was that VIP and Alice got into another argument.

However, the reason for the argument was not the distribution of the prize money.

Of the three awards this time, BIGBANG won two and EXO won one.

In terms of allocation, this is quite reasonable.

The problem was that at the end of the party, when PSY, the last performer, went to the guest seats to interact with the audience, the only remaining artists were Chow Yun-fat, BIGBANG, and a new group called Monk's Cross.

Not long after MAMA, VIPs spread rumors on social media that EXO disrespected their seniors, accepted the grand prize and left without any courtesy to their juniors.

EXO-Ls were not to be outdone, and they countered by bringing up the fact that GD was still looking down at his phone when PSY came over to interact with him.

It was the classic showdown between two popular groups, followed by the exchange of negative information, while everyone else watched and enjoyed the spectacle.

That said, there wasn't much discussion or posting about Jiang Yan winning the prize this time.

But this is normal, because his achievements match the award.

It falls into a category that is not surprising to everyone, and is given a very reasonable scope.

In Feli's opinion, although it's not a grand prize, winning Best Male Singer this year is still a form of recognition for him.

They never even considered the grand prize or anything like that.

Foreign soloists winning the grand prize? How could they even dream of such a thing?

However, the Chinese fans were exceptionally happy tonight. Jiang Yan sang the Chinese version of "LOVESCENARIO" on a large stage like MAMA and won the main award, which was like a New Year for them.

On the Chinese internet, whether on Weibo, Baidu Tieba, or fan forums, they were spreading the word and enthusiastically recommending Jiang Yan to curious onlookers in various comment sections.

When Yu Dingyan and her group returned to the hotel, they found, as expected, that Mina was not in her room.

They then learned from Son Chae-young that Mina had taken the game console to Kang Yeon's place and had not returned since.

Upon learning of Mina's whereabouts, the group showed no surprise whatsoever.

They had no doubt about the fact that the two of them were playing online games together again.

Park Jihyo, as the team leader, originally didn't intend to get involved, but the manager accompanying the team insisted that she go and check on the situation.

JYP is keeping a close eye on TWICE, and their manager has also received relevant supervisory assignments.

However, the supervision is not about preventing the nine members from dating, but about confirming each member's dating status and ensuring their right to know.

Often, companies aren't afraid of their idols dating, but rather of them dating secretly. They only find out about it belatedly when the media comes to demand hush money.

This puts the company in a very passive position, so to avoid this situation, agents take on this role.

JYP's requirement for TWICE is that no one in the group can be exposed to dating news for at least three years.

Therefore, even if it's just a hint, the team's agent needs to go and confirm it in person.

As the leader, Park Jihyo understood what her manager meant and had no choice but to take her along, going with Yoo Jeongyeon, who was originally going to bring snacks to Kang Yeon.

So the three of them arrived at Jiang Yan's suite, and Yu Dingyan knocked on the door.

Yoo Jeongyeon gently knocked on the door and said, "Oppa, open the door."

About ten seconds later, the door was opened from the inside, and Jiang Yan appeared in front of them.

"You're back. Where are my snacks?" Jiang Yan asked Yu Dingyan casually.

"I just bought some things at the convenience store downstairs," Yu Dingyan said, handing over a package.

As Jiang Yan took the bag, Park Jihyo asked, "Oppa, is Mina with you?"

Jiang Yan nodded, then opened the door wide and pointed behind her: "She's playing on the sofa. Are you calling her back?"

Park Jihyo followed the direction Kang Yeon pointed and saw Mina sitting on the sofa.

The latter, having heard the noise, got up and walked over with his game console in hand. Looking at the three people at the door, he nonchalantly asked, "What's wrong? Did you need something?"

Park Jihyo shook her head and said, "It's nothing. I just came to check on you since you weren't in your room."

Meanwhile, the manager who came along was secretly observing Mina and Kang Yan.

She noticed that both of their clothes were neat and without any strange wrinkles, and that Mina's face showed no abnormalities, which immediately dispelled some of her suspicions.

The two seemed to genuinely spend all their time together playing video games.

Surprisingly, the team's agent was slightly disappointed at this point.

As a seasoned professional in this industry, the other party is well aware that female idols will eventually fall in love.

Since they were going to talk anyway, Jiang Yan in front of her was, in her eyes, the perfect match in that regard.

He's handsome and a currently very popular singer.

He has a harmonious relationship with the company and can be considered a half-JYP alumnus.

Most importantly, the other party is an excellent producer, and the feedback from the conversation was positive for the entire group.

This is practically the top choice for female idols seeking a romantic relationship.