Korean Entertainment: My Reborn Self Shorts the Korean Peninsula

Chapter 11 | Big Black Entertainment

It was afternoon when I stepped out of the high-speed rail station in Seoul.

The sky was a bit gray, not exactly overcast, but the light was fragmented by the tall buildings. Cao Yisen pulled his suitcase out of the terminal, paused at the exit, and subconsciously looked up.

This isn't my first time in Seoul. But it's the first time, in this capacity.

The car entered the highway, and the city skyline gradually came into view. Outside the glass were dense buildings, signs, power lines, and overpasses, their colors faded yet deliberately renovated.

He leaned back in his seat, looking out the window, but another image popped into his mind.

Manhattan.

The crossroads of the world.

A steel forest, glass curtain walls, street corners that are always under construction, and those office buildings that look glamorous but are actually just as dilapidated.

He suddenly felt like laughing.

The two cities are actually not that different.

None of them are respectable; they all rely on layer upon layer of repairs to maintain the title of "center."

Seoul is probably a bit newer. At least it looks that way.

But in essence, it's quite dilapidated.

The car slowly came to a stop in the Jiangnan area.

When the navigation ended, Cao Yisen subconsciously looked around to make sure he hadn't misread the address.

This is...HYBE?

Or to be more precise—this was the old office location of Big Hit Entertainment.

There are no towering office buildings. There are no glass curtain walls.

There isn't even a clear storefront design.

It's just an ordinary neighborhood.

It's a low-rise commercial office building, two to three stories high, with faded exterior paint, and noticeably shorter than the surrounding five- or six-story buildings. It's the kind of building you see everywhere in Gangnam District, the kind you might walk past without giving it a second glance.

Cao Yisen stood by the roadside for a few seconds.

In his past life, he had seen too many company headquarters with "trillion-dollar valuations." Executives, security guards, receptionists—the entire floor reeked of capital.

This place is more like a small startup company.

Several people were already standing not far from the entrance.

Not an office worker, but a fan.

In twos and threes, some were looking down at their phones, others pretended to be passing by, but were clearly waiting for something. Some held cameras, others carried support bags; their postures seemed casual, but their eyes were always fixed on the doorway.

They seem to be hoping to bump into someone; this is a common sight at the entrance of entertainment companies.

As Cao Yisen pulled his suitcase forward, he deliberately slowed his pace. He was dressed simply today, but in a formal suit: a dark coat, a white shirt, and a sharp tailoring.

The scholarly air is very obvious.

It's not the polished sharpness of a trainee, but more like someone who's used to staying indoors and dealing with documents.

He wasn't short for a group of people. He was a little over 1.8 meters tall and very clean-cut.

As soon as he reached the vicinity of the door, someone noticed him, not intentionally, but just subconsciously glancing at him.

A female fan whispered, "Huh?"

The other person followed the gaze and paused for a moment.

"Who is that?"

The voice was kept very low.

"New here?"

"Staff?"

Someone quietly raised their phone, then quickly put it down.

"He looks a little unfamiliar."

One of the girls stared at him for a few seconds and whispered:

"...Could it be a new trainee?"

"He doesn't seem like it. He seems very refined."

"And he's dressed so formally, could he be some kind of high-ranking executive?"

"Her face is quite pretty."

Their voices were intermittent, mostly swallowed up by the noise of the street.

Cao Yisen obviously couldn't hear the specific content.

But that gaze was all too familiar to him. It wasn't scrutiny, just pure curiosity.

He didn't stop or try to avoid it; he simply walked in naturally, pressed the doorbell, and gave his appointment name.

The moment the access control opened, he glanced back.

Everything looks very small.

Whether it's Manhattan or Seoul.

The so-called center is often hidden in such inconspicuous places.

What truly determines the future is never the appearance, but rather—what is happening inside.

The interview room is on the second floor.

It wasn't large, just a long table, a whiteboard, and a window facing the low-rise buildings on the other side of the block. The lighting was rather cold; it was a typical "interior meeting room."

When Cao Yisen was led in by the staff, there were already two people sitting inside.

A man and a woman, from the finance department.

On the table were resumes, notebooks, and a printed financial model.

"Please sit down."

The other person spoke in a very professional tone.

Cao Yisen nodded, draped his coat over the back of the chair, and sat up straight.

He was only there for a finance interview today, so he wasn't too bothered by the process. Accounting, auditing, cash flow, consolidated financial statements—these things came naturally to him.

The interview started off very well.

"You studied Accounting at Pace, right?"

"Yes."

"Have you paid special attention to the financial structure of entertainment companies?"

"have."

Cao Yisen answered calmly, "It mainly focuses on copyright revenue recognition, artist settlement cycles, and internal transaction processing between the parent company and its subsidiaries."

The female interviewer was clearly taken aback for a moment, then looked down and flipped through the documents.

Do you have any relevant internship experience?

"I've done some investment analysis projects," he said vaguely. "I've also been in contact with entertainment companies, but not on the front lines."

The problem is becoming more specific.

How should accounts receivable be handled?

How to estimate the overseas copyright payment cycle?

If the parent company asks you to cut the budget, which area would you start with?

Cao Yisen's answer was almost without pause, without any boasting. He didn't say much.

Every point falls precisely in the position of "professional but not overstepping the line".

He could sense that the two people opposite him had gradually shifted from a "routine interview" to listening attentively.

Just then, there was a light knock on the door.

Then he was pushed aside, and a middle-aged man walked in.

His attire was simple: a dark coat, no tie, yet his aura was unwavering. It wasn't the kind of presence that demanded others make way for him; rather, it was as if he was born to be there.

The people in the finance department stood up instinctively.

"represent."

The tone of voice had clearly changed.

Cao Yisen then realized something was wrong.

represent?

The man waved his hand, his tone casual.

"I just happened to have some free time, so I came to check it out," he said. "You guys continue, don't worry about me."

He pulled out a chair and sat down beside him as he said this.

Like an observer.

The people in the finance department exchanged glances, clearly a little nervous.

At that moment, Cao Yisen felt a slight stirring in his heart.

Of course, he didn't know who the other person was.

But he could sense it—

This person is not from the finance department.

The interview continues.

Two more professional questions were asked, and Cao Yisen answered them flawlessly as always.

The "representative" remained silent.

He just leaned back in his chair, occasionally glancing down at his resume and then looking up at him.

His gaze wasn't sharp, but it was very focused.

It's like they're judging something.

Finally, after one question was finished, the person suddenly spoke.

"If a company now has a group that has taken shape, but growth is starting to slow down."

His voice was low. "What do you think is the most dangerous sign from a financial perspective?"

Cao Yisen paused, somewhat puzzled. It wasn't because the question was difficult, but because—

This is not a finance interview question.

He subconsciously looked at the interviewer opposite him.

The other person was clearly unprepared for this question, paused for a second, and then nodded to signal him to answer.

Cao Yisen withdrew his gaze and looked at the man who had just entered.

A thought flashed through my mind.

He thought for a moment, then spoke up.

"It's not due to increased costs."

He said.

"Instead, the income structure is becoming more homogeneous."

The man raised an eyebrow slightly.

"How so?"

"If a group's revenue is increasingly concentrated in one form, such as events, endorsements, or a single market."

Cao Yisen said in a steady tone, "That means its life cycle has entered the dependency phase."

"Financially, things look pretty good."

"But the risks have already begun to accumulate."

The room fell silent for a moment.

The man nodded, but did not immediately offer his opinion.

"What if you're not in finance, but working within the company?"

He continued, "What would you suggest doing?"

This time, Cao Yisen really stopped.

His first thought was:

—Didn't I come here for a finance interview?

—How did this turn into operations?

He even subconsciously wanted to confirm whether this was some kind of "boundary test".

But the other party's expression was calm, without any hint of being difficult.

It sounds more like a genuine inquiry.

Cao Yisen paused for a second, then answered truthfully.

"I would suggest breaking down the decision-making process."

He said.

"Finance should not directly interfere with creative work."

"But we can clearly tell operations and production which path has a steeper risk curve."

"It's not about telling them not to leave."

"It's to let them know what the price is for taking this path."

The man smiled this time, but it wasn't a polite smile. It was a very short, very light smile.

"interesting."

Cao Yisen then realized that what he had just said was completely out of the ordinary for a "fresh graduate interview".

He subconsciously added:

"Of course, this is just my personal opinion."

The man nodded, neither exposing the truth nor pressing further.

He stood up and looked at the people in the finance department.

"You can continue."

He said, "That's all I heard."

After saying that, he walked out of the conference room as casually as he had arrived.

The room was silent for several seconds the moment the door closed.

The two people in the finance department were clearly still not over it.

The female interviewer said in a low voice:

"...Why did you come here today, Representative?"

Cao Yisen sat there, his expression calm.

But in my mind, the conversation was already replaying itself.

represent.

They don't care about finances, yet they're so sensitive to operations and the group's lifecycle.

Moreover—the way he asked the question just now was more like that of a producer.

Not a professional manager.

Just then, the male interviewer looked at him, and his tone changed noticeably.

"That man just now was Han Sung-soo, the representative of PLEDIS Entertainment."

Cao Yisen silently clicked his tongue.

Han Shengshou.

Formerly with SM Entertainment, founder of PLEDIS. Early manager of BoA.

The driving force behind SEVENTEEN and After School.

Later, PLEDIS was acquired by Big Hit.

He retained only a small number of shares, yet he still sat in the most central position.

Cao Yisen then realized what was happening.

No wonder.

He lowered his head and smiled, a very subtle feeling rising in his heart.

Originally, I was just there to interview for a "laid-back finance position," but on the very first day, I was put in front of the most important person in the system.

Moreover—it wasn't his initiative.

This trip to Seoul is unlikely to be as he originally imagined, just a "peaceful and quiet work trip".

—---------------------------------

The CEO's office is at the end of the corridor.

The curtains were half-drawn, casting a soft light. There were no unnecessary decorations on the table, but the documents were piled up in an orderly fashion.

Han Shengshou sat behind the table, not speaking immediately, but flipping through the interview records handed over by the finance department.

The two interviewers from earlier were standing opposite me, and their tone was noticeably more cautious than it had been in the conference room.

Overall, their professional competence is not an issue.

The male interviewer spoke first, "You have a solid foundation in finance, your English is excellent, and your background is quite clean."

"Accounting major, Pace University, New York."

The female interviewer added, "If we only consider the job fit, you are actually qualified."

Han Shengshou flipped to the first page of the resume and paused his finger on the line "Studied in the United States".

"The one who studied in the US?" he asked, looking up.

The two people looked at each other.

"Yes, representative."

"That's the one from earlier."

Han Shengshou leaned back in his chair and nodded slightly.

What do you guys think of him?

The question was asked casually, but it made the two of them carefully consider their wording.

"From a financial point of view...it doesn't seem like a newcomer."

The male interviewer said carefully, "The answer is too confident, and it doesn't seem like you've memorized it."

"And for some problems, he didn't provide standard solutions."

The female interviewer continued, "It's more like they're looking at structural risks."

Han Shengshou smiled.

"I heard what he just said."

The two immediately fell silent.

"I'm not going there to perform."

Han Shengshou said, "It's not that I'm trying to prove myself."

"It's more like—observation."

There was a moment of silence in the office after those words were spoken.

"He sat there, but didn't say much."

Han Shengshou continued, "But when you mention the group, operations, and life cycle, his eyes light up."

That's not how a finance professional would react.

He closed the resume and put it aside.

"If this kind of person were placed in the finance department, they would quickly get bored."

He said, "But it's not suitable to push it directly into the core either."

The two interviewers did not refute it.

They actually sensed that this candidate didn't have the desire to "grab the position".

"What does that mean?" the male interviewer asked tentatively.

Han Shengshou did not answer immediately.

He stood up, walked to the window, and pulled the curtains open a little. Below was an ordinary street, with cars coming and going, and it was very quiet.

"Don't give him too high a position yet."

"Don't put them in positions that are too rigid."

He turned around and looked at the two of them.

"Isn't there a shortage of people right now for content operations and project coordination?"

The two interviewers were taken aback for a moment.

"Representative, that's not a core department..."

The female interviewer said it instinctively.

"I know."

Han Shengshou nodded. "He doesn't need a core member right now."

He paused for a moment, his tone flat.

"I want to see what he'll look at when he's standing on the edge."

"Would it be possible to know in advance which project would fail?"

"Could it be possible to sense, before anything even happens, who will start to get anxious next?"

This time, the two remained silent.

They suddenly understood.

This is neither "training senior executives" nor "reserve key personnel".

But -

Put someone who has a long-term vision in a lower position first.

Let him gradually integrate into the system.

"You can also lend your name to the overseas business support team."

Han Shengshou added, "Being good at English is a ready-made reason."

Give him some lateral space, but not power.

He smiled as he said this.

"If you give too much to this kind of person, they can easily become spoiled."

The male interviewer nodded.

"So, shall we proceed in this direction?"

"Um."

Han Shengshou responded, "Slow down."

He sat back down at the table, picked up the resume, and glanced at the name again.

Cao Yisen.

"I'm not in a hurry," he said. "He didn't seem to be in a hurry either."

The office door closed again.

The corridor returned to silence.

In an inconspicuous corner of the company, a newcomer who initially just wanted a "laissez-faire" work attitude had unknowingly been placed into a...

It allows you to see the overall location clearly.