Peninsula: I created the golden age of girl groups

Only after So-yeon's repeated urging did Kang Woo-hyuk reluctantly drive away.

Although his heart was still with Su-yeon, he knew even more clearly that it was time to gather his strength and move on.

He can't stop.

At least not now.

He needs to make a name for himself before Soyeon joins T-ara.

This way, it can become her true support before a crisis arrives in the future.

Fortunately, he has recovered to a fairly good extent during this time.

Just thinking about the series of events that would follow him after he returned gave him a headache.

After taking a deep breath, he turned on the radio, trying to clear his mind for a while.

The moment the radio was turned on, a strong melody burst forth in the carriage.

"Ya wanna know what I think about you"

"You ain't nothing to me forget you"

"I'm over all your lies......"

The crisp rap, combined with the catchy rhythm, instantly brought Jiang Yuhe's somewhat scattered thoughts back.

Jiang Yuhe had never heard of this song, or rather... he didn't have much of an impression of it.

After all, countless groups debut in the Korean entertainment industry every year, some flops and some don't... Even he couldn't possibly know every song inside and out.

The song ended.

The radio host then began enthusiastically, "What we just performed is KARA's debut song, 'Break It'! Such a vibrant new force, we hope you'll all give them your support!"

KARA……

Jiang Yuhe's lips twitched instantly.

Is this debut song... so generic?

No wonder he didn't remember it.

However, to be fair, KARA did seem to be a bit of a flop when they first debuted.

As far as I can remember, it seems they won't truly rise to prominence until next year when the lineup changes.

Among those who joined was Goo Hara...

……

Night was falling.

Kang Woo-hyuk drove back to Seoul.

After thinking for a moment, he dialed Lee Sung-soo's number.

During his time back in Anyang, Lee Sung-soo contacted him the most, always asking when he would be back.

It's probably something to do with the new company.

The call was answered almost instantly.

"Sung-soo hyung".

"What? Our busy person has finally made time to come back?"

Lee Sung-soo's voice was tinged with laughter, making it impossible to tell whether it was teasing or a complaint.

Jiang Yuhe smiled and said, "Yes, that's right. I contacted you as soon as I arrived in Seoul."

"Really back? Where are you now?"

Jiang Yuhe rolled down the car window and peered out. The outline of the Hanjiang Bridge was clearly visible in the distance. "We're almost at the Hanjiang Bridge."

"Han River Bridge?"

Lee Sung-soo paused, then his voice suddenly rose, "That's perfect. Don't rush back yet. I'm at the Conrad Hotel in Yeouido right now. Come over quickly, we can have a meal together and chat while we eat."

"I just got back..."

"Stop talking nonsense and come over here right now."

Lee Sung-soo didn't give him a chance to refuse at all. After telling him the floor and the name of the private room, he hung up the phone without saying anything more.

Hearing the dial tone from the receiver, Jiang Yuhe shook his head helplessly, then turned around and headed towards Yeouido.

He arrived at the hotel quickly.

As dusk deepened, the landmark building standing on the banks of the Han River shone brightly in the night.

Jiang Yuhe walked straight into the lobby and took the elevator to the 37th floor.

The moment the elevator doors opened, a magnificent night view of the Han River rushed into view.

Outside the huge floor-to-ceiling windows, the starry sky adorns the Han River, which meanders quietly amidst the dazzling lights of Seoul.

A waiter immediately came forward and led him to a private room with an excellent location, according to the room number.

Pushing open the door, Lee Sung-soo was indeed already there.

Also present was Choi Seung-jun, who was leisurely holding a wine glass, gazing at the magnificent scenery outside the window.

"Sung-soo hyung, Seung-jun hyung."

Jiang Yuhe quickly stepped forward, "Are you just the two of you?"

"What do you think!"

Upon hearing this, Lee Sung-soo quickly stood up, smiled, and nodded, "What good are those other lazy dogs? As long as they can send money on time, they'll naturally get their share of the profits."

"What, are you interested in them? If so, I'll introduce you to them next time I have time."

As he spoke, he stepped forward, put his arm around Jiang Yuhe, and sat him down on the sofa. "Is everything settled over at Anyang? Is there anything you need my help with?"

"It's all taken care of, no need to trouble yourself, brother." Jiang Yuhe smiled.

He didn't tell Lee Sung-soo what it was about, and Lee Sung-soo didn't ask.

That's the unspoken understanding between them.

"That's good."

Lee Sung-soo nodded. "The reason I was in such a hurry to call you over is mainly because of the new company. All the preliminary work there has been completed recently, and the efficiency is quite good."

"So fast!"

Jiang Yuhe raised an eyebrow, inwardly marveling at the power of capital.

It hasn't been long... and everything is already done.

Lee Sung-soo smiled, seemingly very pleased with Kang Woo-hyuk's reaction. "So, next, I plan to move the entire Starshine over there first. After all... the basic production, economic, and management departments are already in place. Once everything is stable, we can add more people in."

"However, these things can be done step by step, it's just..."

His expression gradually turned serious, revealing a formality. "The most crucial question right now is... what's the next step for our new company?"

Jiang Yuhe smiled and didn't keep him in suspense, "Actually, we've already discussed the general direction before."

"SK acquired Seoul Records in order to integrate the entire channel of entertainment content production and distribution, thereby creating a closed loop."

"What we have now is a huge music copyright library that Seoul Records has accumulated over decades, as well as a considerable user base."

He paused, his gaze sweeping over Lee Sung-soo and Choi Seung-jun. "The key to the next step is actually already in SK's own hands. Even without our intervention, they probably planned all of this long ago."

"That's why I was surprised before that we were able to get in so easily and get a share of the pie."

Jiang Yuhe's smile was slightly bitter.

This is something he thought of during his time recuperating and reflecting on his experiences.

Upon hearing this, Lee Sung-soo subconsciously exchanged a glance with Choi Seung-jun.

This subtle exchange of glances naturally did not escape Jiang Yuhe's notice.

This further confirmed his suspicion that Choi Seung-jun... was indeed a member of the Choi family of SK.

As for why everything went so smoothly, it's highly likely that a powerful elder in the Choi family was paving the way for Choi Seung-jun!

They just happened to hitch a ride on this wave.

Seeing this, Lee Sung-soo smiled slightly. He knew that nothing had escaped Kang Woo-hyuk's eyes, so he said directly, "Alright, you know our identities yourself. Stop being mysterious and tell me what the next step is."

Meeting their gazes, Jiang Yuhe said in a deep voice, "Integrate MelOn, a subsidiary of SK Group, into the whole."

There was a moment of silence in the private room.

Immediately, Lee Sung-soo slapped his thigh and muttered excitedly, "So that's how it is! I understand!"

"With a music copyright library, readily available record production and distribution capabilities, and MelOn, a leading streaming platform..."

"With this... all the links in the chain are now fully connected. No wonder... no wonder SK was willing to invest so much!"

"You're really something, Woo-hyuk!"

"Alright, alright."

Choi Seung-joon, who had been listening in the background, finally smiled and looked at Kang Woo-hyuk with a meaningful look in his eyes.

The elders in his family did mention some related things to him, but they didn't specify anything; it seemed more like they were testing him.

It was thanks to Jiang Yuhe's explanation that he gained a deeper understanding of this concept.

"Yuhe rushed all the way here, how could you let him talk business on an empty stomach?" Choi Seung-joon said with a smile.

"Yes, yes, yes, look at my brain, I forgot when I got excited."

Lee Sung-soo then realized what was happening and quickly said, "Come on, Woo-hyuk, stop talking and eat something first. Let's eat and chat."

With one worry gone, the three of them looked visibly more relaxed.

After only a few bites, Lee Sung-soo suddenly seemed to remember something, put down his chopsticks, and asked, "Oh, right, there's something else important. Our new company can't still be called Seoul Records, can it? We need a new name, right?"

He turned to look at Jiang Yuhe, "Yuhe, you're quick-witted, do you have any good ideas?"

Upon hearing this, Jiang Yuhe was slightly taken aback, as he hadn't expected him to suddenly bring this up.

"What, do you have any ideas?" Lee Sung-soo looked at him expectantly.

Jiang Yuhe smiled and, almost without hesitation, said, "How about... we call her LOEN?"