lovenovelstory Chapter 90 Chu River and Han Border
Chapter 90 Chu River and Han Border
Chapter 90 Chu River and Han Border
"Oh dear, I can afford it. I've calculated everything clearly, from the fallback plan to the compensation."
Yoona shook her head gently, a meaningful smile curving her lips, her doe eyes crinkling into crescents. "Besides, who am I? I'm Yoona, how could I just stand by and watch him become the company's outcasts because of us?"
Sunny's eyes twitched violently when she saw that all-too-familiar expression on her face.
She recognizes that expression; it's etched into her DNA.
Every time Yoona shows that confident smile, it means she has already laid out her plans, even paved the way out, and she will never reveal a single word to you beforehand.
"Okay, I won't ask anymore."
Sunny downed the glass of soju in one gulp, the spicy liquid sliding down her throat. She put down the glass, waved her hand, and looked utterly dejected. "You've always been like this, you can't even fart once you ask me."
"6
Yoona picked up the bottle and poured her another half glass, her voice sickeningly sweet: "Unnie understands me best."
"Don't give me that." Sunny rolled her eyes at her, but still picked up her cup and took a sip, suppressing her unease. "But I'm really curious, what kind of fallback plan did you find for him? Don't tell me you're planning to throw money at him to jump ship to JYP or HYBE."
"Ani-yo." Im Yoona shook her head, "It's better than that one, and it suits me better."
"More suitable?" Sunny raised an eyebrow in confusion, stared at her for a full ten seconds, and finally sighed in frustration. "Forget it, it's pointless to ask. Even you would say no, and you'd definitely beat around the bush with me later. I'm too lazy to rack my brains. Just keep it to yourself and don't get yourself involved."
Yoona smiled and didn't deny it. She picked up her bag from the sofa and stood up: "Unnie, I'll leave the rest of the members to you and Taeyeon unnie. As for me, I need to go home and get some rest. Tomorrow is going to be a tough battle."
The next morning at 10:00 AM.
Early April in Seoul still held a chill in the air, and the sky over Apgujeong was overcast.
A thin layer of mist condensed on the floor-to-ceiling windows of the SM building, blurring the bustling traffic outside and giving this entertainment empire a cold, icy feel.
Jiang Yan followed Lin Yun'er into the hall, carrying a heavy black briefcase.
It contained three things: a comprehensive risk assessment report for the "ReaI" project, demo discs of the three new songs, and a proposal from the artist script review panel.
The two walked towards the elevator one after the other, and with a ding, the elevator doors opened.
Two employees inside were chatting with their heads down when they glanced up and saw Lin Yoona and Jiang Yan walking in side by side. Their smiles instantly froze.
The two hurriedly bowed, their heads almost touching their chests. After Yoona nodded slightly in return, they immediately shrank to the corner of the elevator and exchanged glances frantically.
Without changing her expression, Lim Yoona raised her hand and pressed the button on the top floor.
The elevator numbers climbed steadily, with only a slight hum of operation in the enclosed space.
With a soft ding, the elevator doors slowly opened, revealing a deep, dark corridor covered with a dark gray carpet.
The conference room was at the end of the corridor. The heavy double solid wood door was tightly closed, and a female secretary in a black suit stood at the door.
Seeing the two approaching, she bowed slightly and pushed open the door.
The conference room was larger than Jiang Yan had expected.
A long walnut conference table occupied two-thirds of the room, its polished surface reflecting the cool white light overhead.
On the wall directly opposite the door hangs a huge SM Entertainment logo, black background with white lettering, simple and sharp, exuding an undeniable sense of oppression.
Lee Soo-man sat upright at the head of the conference table.
He wore a dark gray custom-made suit, no tie, and the top of his white shirt was casually unbuttoned, revealing faint blue veins on his neck.
This godfather-like figure, who single-handedly built the SM empire and dominated the Korean entertainment industry for over thirty years, was now observing the two people at the door with great interest through his sharp eyes behind his gold-rimmed glasses.
To his left is Kim Young-min, the current president of SM Entertainment.
The man in his early forties wore frameless glasses and had an ultra-thin laptop in front of him. His fingers were slowly sliding across the touchpad, and he looked nonchalant.
Next up is Kim Sung-hoon from the film and television department, who has finally returned after resting in the hospital for more than a week.
He was wearing a full suit today, which was unusual for him. His hair was neatly combed and shiny.
But the sinister look in his triangular eyes didn't diminish at all. The moment he saw Jiang Yan walk in, the corner of his mouth twitched, but he forced it down and returned to his expressionless face, though the hostility in his eyes was almost overflowing.
Kenzie was sitting to Lee Soo-man's right.
The top producer from SM Entertainment had a spiral notebook open in front of him and a black fountain pen in his hand. When he saw the two of them come in, he simply raised his chin slightly as a greeting.
There were two strangers sitting next to her.
A man in his early fifties, wearing gold-rimmed glasses and a sharp suit, looked like a lawyer who had been handling legal matters for many years.
The other was a short-haired woman in her forties, capable and efficient, with a nameplate on the table in front of her that read "Chief of the Legal Department, Choi".
Ahn Jung-hwan sat in the far corner, holding a cup of coffee in his hand.
Upon seeing Jiang Yan, he covered his mouth with his cup, quickly winked at him, and mouthed "Go for it!"
Jiang Yan nodded slightly in response, then withdrew his self-light and focused it back on Lee Soo-man, who was in the main seat.
"Please sit down."
Lee Soo-man gestured to the empty seat opposite him, his voice not loud, but carrying an undeniable authority that made the already somber atmosphere in the conference room even more somber.
Jiang Yan and Lin Chong'er sat down at the other end of the conference table.
This position is directly opposite Lee Soo-man, separated by a long conference table, much like the two sides about to face off at the Chu-Han border.
Kim Young-min closed his laptop, adjusted his glasses, and stared at Kang Yeon for two seconds before turning to Im Yoon-ah: "Yoon-ah, in what capacity are you attending this judging meeting today?"
Yoona slightly raised her chin, revealing a standard professional smile. "President-nim, first of all, I am Yoona, a member of Girls' Generation. Secondly, I am the exclusive partner of producer Kang Yeon."
The meeting room fell silent instantly upon hearing this.
Kim Young-min raised an eyebrow in surprise, his gaze towards Jiang Yan now filled with a hint of inquiry.
"A partner?" Kim Sung-hoon was the first to scoff, breaking the silence.
His gaze swept back and forth between the two like a venomous snake, his tone full of undisguised sarcasm: "Yoona, you're a top artist, talking about working with a rookie producer who's been with the company for less than a month? If this gets out, what will the media say? 'SM's leading lady has been bewitched by a newcomer?'"
Im Yoona suddenly turned her head, her professional smile vanishing instantly. She stared straight at Kim Sung-hoon and said, word by word, "Chief Kim, I'm not here today to discuss how to write press releases. If you're interested in this topic, I'll talk to you privately after the meeting."
Her tone was calm, yet it carried an undeniable confidence. After all, she was a senior at SM Entertainment who had been working there for nearly a decade. When she truly hardened her expression, her aura was something that Kim Sung-hoon, the head of the film and television department, could not easily suppress.
Kim Sung-hoon's expression changed, and he was about to lash out.
"Alright." Lee Soo-man tapped the table lightly.
With just two crisp knocks, everyone in the conference room fell silent.
He looked at Jiang Yan and said, "Jiang Yan, Kenzie told me you wrote a few good songs. Did you bring them today?"
"I brought it."
Jiang Yan took out a portable hard drive from his briefcase, stood up, bowed slightly, and said in a humble yet assertive manner, "Teacher Lee Soo-man, President-nim, this contains the finished demo of 'Rookie', as well as an adapted version of 'Lotto.' The third song, 'Zimzalabim,' is still undergoing final polishing and is expected to be completed this week."
Kenzie took the hard drive and plugged it into the audio jack in the conference room.
A few seconds later.
The highly recognizable intro to "Rookie" explodes in the air, its bright and lively melody instantly filling the entire empty conference room.
The catchy chorus, paired with the energetic arrangement, makes you want to nod along.
Jiang Yan's gaze swept across the entire room.
He clearly noticed that Kim Young-min's fingers, which were originally resting on the table, unconsciously tapped twice in rhythm.
Although he quickly regained his composure, that subtle gesture had already revealed his inner approval.
Kim Sung-hoon maintained his disdainful sneer, staring intently at Jiang Yan's face, but the smile grew increasingly stiff.
The song "Rookie" has finished playing.
Without giving anyone a moment to breathe, the intro to "Lotto" started playing the next second.
It's completely different from the lively style of "Rookie".
The heavy 808 bass strikes like a hammer blow, the aggressive drumming arrangement has a strong impact, and the unique timbre design in the chorus has a lazy yet dangerous magic that makes you unconsciously sway your body.