Peninsula: From Water Injection to Stardom

On September 9th, Yuehua Entertainment and CUBE Entertainment, which had been quiet for some time, announced something on their respective social media accounts.

[Artist Kang Yeon is confirmed to make her first comeback on October 8th with her second mini-album, "Next Step."]

However, apart from releasing this news, no further materials have been released.

The first teaser PV will not be officially released until a week later.

But as soon as this news came out, Felix's fan group naturally went wild.

"Aaaaaah, they finally announced it officially!!"

"October 8th? That means we have to wait another month??"

"Yuehua, you better hurry up and produce more content! I'm so anxious!!!"

"I cried. I've been watching Yanbao's old videos over and over again for the past few months. I'm so glad he's finally making it back."

"When will pre-orders start? Have the specifications been released yet? How many versions are there? Damn it! Why aren't they saying anything?!"

"Ladies, my wallet is ready, you know what I mean, right?"

"..."

Felix's excitement is understandable, after all, he had been waiting for two or three months before finally hearing the official confirmation.

After officially announcing their comeback, Yuehua Entertainment even bought a trending topic on Weibo that same day.

This sparked considerable discussion on South Korean forums, with many people, besides fans, also concerned about Kang Yeon's upcoming return.

That being said, Jiang Yan is actually quite a special case in the eyes of these passersby.

He started out in a small, obscure company, experienced significant negative public opinion, and still managed to go solo with a Chinese green card.

If you have even one of these three debuffs, it will be extremely difficult for you to become popular.

But Jiang Yan, who possesses all three qualities, unexpectedly gained fame with his self-composed songs.

This experience is just like that of a protagonist in a novel; it's inspiring no matter who you are.

Although Korean men still occasionally criticize Kang Yeon on Korean online forums, their comments are often buried in other topics and no one pays any attention.

As for why this has happened, the reason is simple: people's tolerance for singer-songwriters is completely different from their tolerance for idols.

"That's What I Like" is now ranked third on Melon's international annual chart, and its YouTube streaming count is approaching 2 million.

Overseas platforms such as SoundBreaking have consistently remained in the TOP100 list, showing no signs of slipping down.

As the creator of this song, Jiang Yan is no longer seen by many as a "solo idol from a washed-up group," but rather as a "talented young producer."

The public is very tolerant of talented people, and this is similar in every country.

Just like GD, whether he brings out a bed at his concert to dance intimately with his female backup dancers, or he frequently reveals a relationship to his fans, there are still people who continuously support and praise him.

That's the confidence that comes from having real achievements; you don't have to worry about not being liked.

Therefore, many people are looking forward to Jiang Yan's new title track upon his return.

Of course, there will still be South Koreans who want to boycott or reject, which is normal.

Anyone with a foreign green card will be excluded; it's simply a matter of the size of the pool.

Let alone pure-blooded Chinese green card holders like Jiang Yan, even mixed-race Koreans face a lot of resistance from South Koreans.

But these things don't really need to be taken too seriously, because they won't stop people who are meant to be famous from continuing to be famous.

The better one develops, the more famous one becomes, and the more fans one has, the more haters will naturally grow like weeds.

There will always be people who don't like you, and this applies to every celebrity.

……

The collaboration with Lawson officially began in September. From the 1st, all stores in the China region erected standees featuring Jiang Yan's image and set up a special merchandise sales area at the entrance.

On September 12th, a Saturday, Jiang Yan and his team arrived in Shanghai in the morning.

At 2 PM today, he will serve as a "one-day store manager" for two hours at the flagship store in Shanghai.

The car arrived near the designated store, and through the car window, Jiang Yan could already see that the store entrance was crowded with people.

I wouldn't say they're all Felix, but at least 90% of them are; the rest are just bystanders who're there for the spectacle.

"Tsk tsk, so many people have come," Jiang Zhennan remarked after glancing out of the car.

Although there were crowds surrounding me when I did a flash mob in South Korea before, it was nothing compared to the scene today.

But it's normal for there to be a lot of people, after all, it's in China.

"You should call and ask the person in charge at Lawson where we should enter from."

"Okay, I'll make the call."

Jiang Zhennan took out his phone, searched for a moment, and then pressed the dial button.

After more than ten minutes, led by the person in charge, Jiang Yan entered the store through a small passage opened on the side.

He made no attempt to conceal his presence as he walked, and the fans waiting outside immediately erupted in cheers upon spotting him.

Everyone quickly took out their phones and started taking photos and videos at the store entrance.

After Jiang Yan entered, he was led by the store manager to a separate area next to the cashier.

There was a long table covered with a white tablecloth, and next to it were a bunch of co-branded merchandise and several markers.

After the store manager explained the process, it quickly came to 2 PM, and the event officially began.

Jiang Yan walked out of the store with the host in charge of today's event. The host, holding a microphone, said, "Hi, fellow Felix fans, let's welcome Lawson's most handsome store manager today with a round of applause—Jiang Yan!"

As soon as he finished speaking, excited shouts immediately came from all around.

After taking the microphone from the staff, Jiang Yan greeted everyone, "Hello, I'm Jiang Yan. I'm very happy that Lawson invited me to be the store manager today. Everyone, please have a great time."

After the greetings, the next step is the indispensable Q&A session.

"Have you ever been to Shanghai before, Jiang Yan?"

"I came here for tourism when I was a child, but in recent years I've only been able to come here occasionally because of work."

"Where did you visit before when you came here?"

"Um, the Bund, I think. I climbed the Oriental Pearl Tower, and I remember there was a revolving restaurant there that was a bit pricey."

"So, after today's activities end, do you have any plans to go anywhere?"

"Yes, but I haven't decided where to go yet. Do you have any recommendations?"

After Jiang Yan finished speaking, he pointed the microphone at the fans who were blocked by the barricades in front of him.

Suddenly, the fans who were being mentioned started shouting out various places all at once.

Some said the zoo, some said the aquarium, and others more abstractly said her home.

After briefly lightening the mood, the host skillfully took charge of maintaining order and then asked Jiang Yan some questions.

After another ten minutes or so, the Q&A session ended, and Jiang Yan was led back to the store to prepare.

Soon, the staff removed the barriers, and the first group of fans were allowed to enter the store.