Peninsula: Aiming for a Grand Slam

Chen Jixian lay on the bed and scrolled through his phone for half an hour.

He watched the entire online battle between Yoo Jimin's fans and Bae Joo-hyun's fans.

then,

He didn't say anything.

He didn't respond to Liu Zhimin—anything he said now would only cause her trouble.

He didn't respond to Bae Joo-hyun—he couldn't let his creditors trend on social media again because of his messy affairs.

"Silence is the greatest protection for them."

His analysis was very logical and reasonable.

Every analysis precisely lands on the impeccable moral high ground of "how to protect women from public opinion."

He was almost convinced by himself.

Then he laughed.

"It's one thing to lie to others, but don't lie to yourself too."

"You're just greedy; you want both."

Chen Jixian covered his face.

He was embarrassed for himself!

Yoo Jimin, the captain of aespa, has earned more than her father in less than a year since her debut, even though the company takes a large cut.

Bae Joo-hyun, leader of Red Velvet, has been in the industry for seven years and has several endorsements. Her annual income... well, let's not get into that.

Sister Pei lent him 80 yuan without batting an eye, not only because she trusted his character, but also because—in her eyes, 80 yuan was not a small amount of money, but it was not a huge sum either.

What about him?

I won an ITF junior championship, which is worth five million Korean won, or more than 20,000 RMB, but it's not even a tenth of the loan I borrowed.

He can't even support himself, yet he's already eyeing two female idols—each of whom can support an entire team.

Still thinking about it.

I want both!

"Staying in bed for so long really makes you start dreaming even in broad daylight..."

Pay me back first.

Get your driver's license first.

First, become an adult.

First, become the person who "deserves it".

……

……

on Monday.

Morning self-study.

Chen Jixian had just sat down when he saw Wang Hao give him a look: Good luck to you, kid.

really,

I hadn't been reading for even a minute when someone came over.

"Xiao Chen, are you and Irene really just senior and junior colleagues?"

The whole class was silent for a fraction of a second, then started making a fuss at the same time.

He sighed:

"He's just an acquaintance who gave me a ride because he was going the same way."

The whole class booed him at the same time.

On the way

It's almost become a meme.

"So, are you going to apply to Seoul National University?"

"I haven't decided yet."

Do you think you can beat Kim Sung-jun next year?

"It's hard to say. What if they feel ashamed and then try harder?"

"Why are you all asking about tennis?!" one girl slammed her hand on the table in frustration. "Let him talk about the trainees' gossip!"

"He's not a trainee."

"He knows the former trainee."

"Alright, alright, don't you need to read?" Chen Jixian quickly interrupted.

"Morning self-study doesn't count as class time."

Chen Jixian continued reading.

Less than three minutes later,

The homeroom teacher arrived.

Tell him:

"The reporters outside refused to leave. The principal suggested that if it was convenient, they could go and say a few words, as the school simply couldn't handle it anymore."

Chen Jixian: ...

This time, he had no choice.

Firstly, when he was being cyberbullied, the school not only didn't expel him, but also shielded him from over a hundred petition emails; he had to repay that favor.

Secondly, given the style of these reporters, if they can't catch him today, they'll come back tomorrow; if they can't catch him, they'll try to catch his classmates or teachers.

In the end, Chen will still have to pay the price for the resentment of the entire school.

Rather than letting them continue to harass us, we should just say what we need to say all at once.

The location was chosen to be an open space to the side of the school gate, some distance from the main gate.

"J.Chen, what exactly is your relationship with Irene? Is it true that she said she was going that way and wanted to give you a ride?"

He knew it.

This problem is bound to occur.

As for Liu Zhimin?

Don't worry,

There's a high chance they're lying in ambush behind us.

Chen Jixian waited a while, until the clicking of camera shutters became less frequent, before he spoke:

"Irene-senpai, you helped me during my most difficult time."

"Whether you bring me food or give me a ride on your way, it's because she knows how difficult it is for someone to live alone abroad. Please don't bother her because of me."

The reporter then asked, "Did you know that Karina was watching your match on live stream? Do you two keep in touch privately?"

look,

coming.

All Xiao Chen could say was:

"Karina spoke up for me before the finals because she believed that hard work should not be denied by one's background."

"She didn't just say these words to me alone."

He did not use the distant honorific "xi".

Bae Joo-hyun brought him food and took him to his hotel; this is probably known even in China.

If he uses unfamiliar honorifics, he will be instantly labeled an ingrate.

Along with,

Liu Zhimin had no choice but to upgrade her treatment.

Otherwise, Bae Joo-hyun's fans would swarm her and ridicule Yoo Jimin, saying, "You're just an outsider."

really,

He still needs to treat everyone equally.

That's too auspicious.

A reporter wearing glasses moved the recording pen forward half an inch.

His tone was more cautious than any of the previous ones.

"J.Chen, I have a question for you about Karina."

He paused for a moment.

It's as if they're confirming the wording:

In 2020, SM Entertainment issued an official statement denying the authenticity of the chat logs about Karina circulating online and took legal action.

"But Karina herself has not publicly responded to this matter so far. Do you think she should clarify it to the public herself?"

The school gate was quiet for a moment.

This problem is different from the previous ones.

Instead of asking "What do you think about this?", they asked "Does she owe the public an explanation?"

The core message is simple: Are you a member of the Pei faction or the Liu faction?

Xiao Chen cursed inwardly.

MD

Which reporter?

Once I become successful, I'll definitely blacklist you!

The current situation is,

He couldn't say "he should apologize" because SM had already denied it, and Xiao Chen couldn't stab Liu Zhimin in the back.

He couldn't support Yoo Jimin either, as that would anger Bae Joo-hyun's fans and embarrass the young lady.

He just wanted to do nothing.

You won't make a mistake if you don't do it.

Chen Jixian did not answer immediately, but thought about it carefully for a while.

He spoke slowly:

"SM's official statement is public, and I will not make any statements beyond that statement on her behalf."

"Whether she chooses to discuss it publicly is her own right."

He paused for a second.

Addendum:

"It's not something I can overstep my bounds to do."

Saying it is the same as not saying it.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs is forever a god.

……

……

The school bell finally rang.

Chen Jixian could finally breathe a sigh of relief.

The last time I longed for the school bell to ring so much was back in China, when I had three math classes in a row.

Under the streetlights on the side of the school gate, a black Mercedes-Benz was parked. In the setting sun, the car body looked as heavy as a piece of unshielded iron.

A man in a dark gray suit stood beside the car, with a driver wearing sunglasses beside him.

The man walked over.

He opened his mouth and said:

"Don't swing your arm, use your wrist... Remember?"

Xiao Chen was taken aback.

After yesterday's final, the uncle who taught him how to give away autographed balls?

He wasn't wearing a baseball cap today, and his hair was neatly combed.

"This morning it was a reporter, at noon it was the whole class, and this afternoon it was an older man."

Xiao Chen mumbled something in Korean.

then,

He switched back to English:

"You're here to ask me if this is on your way?"

Kenji Sato smiled:

"Let's chat on the way, about your next stop."

"There are too many people coming and going here; it's not the place to talk. We can chat in the car, or I can go to your place."

Chen Jixian crouched down and crawled into the back seat.

The moment the car door closed, the noise from the school gate was completely shut out.

The carriage was quiet; the engine's low hum was barely audible. The seats were dark gray leather, softer than his hotel bed.

A display screen is embedded in the back of the front seats. There are no unnecessary decorations on the instrument panel, and even the aromatherapy is very restrained.

Without a word, the driver started the engine, and the black Mercedes silently glided into the lane.

"So, what's the matter?" Chen Jixian asked.

Kenji Sato took out a business card and handed it over.

It has the official ATP logo printed on it.

His title is "Director of Player Development for Asia Pacific".