Peninsula: Starting with the nation's first love, the white moonlight

Time slips away quietly.

A week later.

LOEN Company Planning Department.

Li Luran had just finished compiling a report and was sitting in a chair, letting his mind wander.

His life has been very regular this week.

I attended classes at school in the morning, and also dealt with Park Ji-hoon's various unreasonable demands.

I arrive at the company on time in the afternoon to organize documents, or I get dragged by Lao Pu to help listen to various demos.

He is a slow-to-warm-up person and doesn't compete or fight for anything in the workplace. His colleagues' most common comments about Li Luran are that he is polite, proper, and has excellent professional skills.

As the saying goes, gold shines no matter where it is placed.

Old Park walked over with a stack of documents. "You're quite something! The analysis report you wrote for the Overseas Department yesterday was just reviewed by the Minister himself, and he gave it a very high rating."

"I was lucky, I just read the news a lot," Li Luran replied modestly.

"Alright, stop being modest in front of me."

Old Park patted him on the shoulder, "Not only the report, but also the demo that Old Li sent yesterday, if you hadn't noticed a pitch off in the bass part, the mixing and post-production might have had to be completely redone, and the company would have lost a lot of production costs."

"Hey Lu Ran, honestly, with your ears and your market intuition, being an intern is a waste of your talents."

Old Park lowered his voice, "Once your probation period is over, I'll apply to the department head to have you officially work with me in artist planning. If there's an opportunity in the future, I might even recommend you for a professional music production role."

"Then thank you very much for your guidance, senior." Li Luran nodded politely.

Just as the two were chatting, a commotion broke out outside.

"Ji-eun-ssi, have you recovered?"

The noisy planning department fell silent instantly, and everyone put down what they were doing and looked towards the door.

Li Luran also looked up.

Lee Ji-eun, wearing a light blue sweater and skinny jeans, walked into the planning department accompanied by her manager and assistant.

After a week of rest, she looked much better, and her eyes were much brighter than before.

She greeted her colleagues with a smile as she walked straight toward the minister's office.

Just as she passed Li Luran's workstation, their eyes briefly met.

Lee Ji-eun did not stop walking, nor did her expression change.

But after she walked over, when Li Luran was about to sit back down, she found a brown box on her desk that had appeared out of nowhere.

Li Luran was stunned for a moment, then opened the box and saw several chocolates neatly arranged inside.

When Li Luran looked up again, he could no longer see Li Zhi'en, but without asking, he knew who had put it there.

This must be to repay the pot of porridge I cooked for her that day, right?

Li Luran put the box in his pocket and put his headphones back on to prepare for work.

Perhaps this is what they mean by "a smile can erase all grudges."

……

In late November, with the arrival of several cold fronts, Seoul entered early winter.

At this moment, a large conference room of LOEN Company was filled with the company's senior executives.

Lee Ji-eun has now fully recovered, and subsequent work will be carried out gradually.

Today she was wearing a beige turtleneck sweater, her long hair casually draped over her shoulders, and she sat quietly at the end of the conference table.

"Everyone, the popularity of Ji-eun right now is obvious to all."

The head of the department spoke first, his tone somewhat excited, "We've already reached the limit of the benefits from 'A Good Day.' The problem we face now is how to maintain Ji-eun's popularity in the next phase and help her firmly establish herself."

After the topic was raised, everyone began to discuss it in hushed tones.

Old Li from the production department cleared his throat and said, "Of course, we should continue to consolidate our position in the music market! While the hype is still going strong, we should record a few more songs in a similar style. I think that's the safest approach."

"No, we absolutely cannot put all our eggs in one basket!"

The head of the publicity department immediately retorted, "Any kind of popularity has an expiration date! As a solo artist, you must develop in multiple areas! You know, there are tons of production teams and variety shows begging us, Ji-eun, to appear on their shows. I think we should go on every variety show we can, and even play a supporting role in some popular dramas to get exposure!"

The two argued fiercely, each sticking to their own version of events, while many people below also chimed in with their opinions; neither was willing to back down.

Lee Ji-eun rested her chin on her hand, her gaze unfocused, completely oblivious to their discussion, seemingly lost in her own world.

"I know I'm grateful."

The head of the department tapped on the table, and the meeting room gradually quieted down.

"Regarding the focus of the next stage of development, as someone directly involved, could you share your thoughts?"

Lee Ji-eun snapped out of her thoughts and looked up at everyone in the conference room.

She had considered the topics they were discussing, but her conclusions differed from theirs.

But if she directly refutes him, she will inevitably appear somewhat impetuous.

Although these people are all serving her, there are still rules in the workplace, and one cannot do everything according to one's own preferences.

At that moment, a scene suddenly flashed through her mind.

That person was clearly just an intern, yet dared to speak so frankly in front of so many people, even saying things so bluntly.

But then, in a flash, the scene shifts to him sheltering her from the wind and rain on that rainy night, along with a bowl of steaming hot porridge.

Such a gentle person, yet he pretends to be so cold. He's such a stubborn person with a soft heart.

Lee Ji-eun's lips curled up slightly as she casually said:

"Actually, everyone's points are valid."

"However, I heard that a new intern from China recently joined the planning department. He seems to have a very discerning eye. Why don't we hear his opinion?"

Upon hearing this, the executives who had been arguing fiercely instantly fell silent, their eyes widening in disbelief.

The people sitting here have all been working in this industry for over a decade, and they're arguing heatedly about her future.

The person in question actually requested to hear an intern's opinion at such an important meeting?

This is not only absurd, but it is also a direct rejection of the work abilities of everyone present!

The managers' faces instantly turned very ugly. If it weren't for the fact that it was IU who spoke, they probably would have cursed her out on the spot.

The room leader noticed the change in everyone's emotions and quickly stepped in to smooth things over.

"Haha... Since Ji-eun has said so, and young people have more active minds, it's good for us to hear the opinions of fresh blood once in a while."

The department head turned to the planning department staff, "Go, call that intern over. Oh, by the way, what's his name again?"

"His name is Li Luran."

Before the planning department could answer, Lee Ji-eun blurted it out naturally.

"Oh, right. Li Lu..."

He paused for three seconds, then gave Lee Ji-eun a strange look.

This girl often forgets even the department head's name, how can she remember an intern's name so clearly?

But he didn't ask any more questions and quickly waved his hand: "Hey you, Lao Pu! Go and call Li Luran over here!"

Three minutes later, Li Luran was hurriedly pulled inside by Lao Pu.

Li Luran stood in front of the conference room table, still somewhat bewildered.

"Li Luran, right?"

The room manager looked the young man up and down; he was simply dressed but had a handsome face.

"Jie-eun just recommended you. What are your thoughts on her next phase of development plans?"

"Don't be nervous, just speak freely."

Although the room leader spoke politely, he could sense that the other people's gazes were not friendly.

Lee Ji-eun was facing him directly, with a faint smile on her face, her big eyes staring straight at him, and a hint of expectation in them.

Li Luran took a deep breath and understood her intention. He placed his hands together in front of him and expressed his opinion.

"Since you seniors are willing to listen, then I will dare to say a few words."

Li Luran's voice was calm and steady, without a trace of fear.

"First of all, IUxi is currently in a period of rapid growth, but objectively speaking, its foundation is not yet stable."

The popularity of "Good Days" was phenomenal, but to maintain its popularity, it certainly can't rely on songs of a similar style, since the public's ears can get tired of the same old thing.

"So my personal suggestion is that the company needs to change its marketing strategy starting with the next album, and let IUxi try writing her own lyrics and composing her own music."

These words caused an uproar in the room.

"Are you crazy? Create your own work? How old is she?" Old Li questioned sharply.

"Age is never a reason to limit talent."

Li Luran calmly interrupted him, "If IUixi can transform from the nation's little sister into an all-around singer-songwriter by composing her own songs, it will not only break the stereotype that idol singers have short lifespans, but also earn her the respect of the entire music industry."

"Secondly, regarding variety shows."

"IUixi is no longer the rookie she was when she first debuted, who needed to grab all sorts of attention."

"Her value has changed. So, the era of scrambling for every resource is over; we need to learn to say no."

"She can appear on variety shows, but only those with high influence, like Running Man. Going on them to boost her popularity is enough. Excessive exposure will only diminish her commercial value."

Li Luran spoke eloquently, and the conference room grew increasingly quiet.

Many of the executives who were waiting to see him make a fool of himself put away their contempt and began to listen attentively.

Finally, regarding acting.

"My advice is, absolutely do not rush things."

Li Luran looked into her eyes and said seriously, "Don't force yourself to take on those leading roles just for the sake of popularity. She can't handle it. Forcing herself to act will only invite ridicule from the entire internet and ruin her public image."

"You can prioritize scripts that are within your comfort zone."

"For example, some quirky or similar supporting roles. They don't need complicated acting skills, just likable ones."

"Use these roles to gradually hone your sense of camera presence and accumulate experience."

"I believe that with IUxi's talent and understanding, she will definitely be able to find her own path in the entertainment industry."

After saying the last sentence, Li Luran took half a step back and bowed politely.

This only represents my personal opinion.

"If I have offended you, I hope you will forgive me."

There was a ten-second silence in the meeting room. Li Luran's analysis was clear, logical, and well-organized.

From persona transformation to variety show selection, and finally to script planning, is this something an 18-year-old intern could come up with?

Lee Ji-eun rested her chin on her hands, looking at Lee Lu-ran across from her, her big eyes sparkling.

How many more things about this guy are I unaware of?