Peninsula: The Deepest Affection in Jiangnan

Chapter 16 The Rise of Greed

"Oh, everyone's here, that's perfect."

The practice room was dimly lit, but Representative Li still came in wearing sunglasses.

He was holding a document and looked very formal, but this person was not a formal person at all.

Wearing a suit with the buttons undone, he exudes a rapper vibe, more casual than representing his true self.

"I've already discussed it with Shen Yu, Director Xu, and the remaining teachers. Based on the evaluations over this period and the company's operational plan, we now need to select the members for the debut group!"

The man standing in the middle of the practice room glanced at the four young girls. "The group's name is tentatively set as LimeLight, meaning that our group is a rising star that will be watched by the whole world."

When they realized no one was clapping, the four girls were nervous. Shen Yu didn't think much of it, and Xu Youqing didn't want to say anything.

She's also a veteran who came from YG. Although she's Lee's junior, her actual position in the company is there.

"Alright, those whose names I call, step forward. Ito Miyu."

She has a bit of a rabbit-like idol vibe, with round eyes full of liveliness, and a small, round face that exudes innocence. This girl actually looks quite like Jiang Ruixu, who is currently active in Kep1er.

"Then there's Kim Soo-hye."

Having participated in the talent show "After School Heartbeat," Kim Soo-hye had black hair back then, giving off a girl-next-door vibe. Now, with her blonde hair, she has a clean and pretty look, like a lively deer.

"Lastly, it's Wu Jia-yin!"

To be fair, although none of the four girls are tall and have youthful faces, Wu Jia-yin is the tallest among them and has the best body proportions.

She is about 165cm tall, with long limbs and a face that resembles the typical Korean actress.

Her appearance, a blend of coolness and elegance, gives her a cat-like feel. While her looks may not be as pleasing to the audience as the other two, her styling, combined with her figure and overall气质 (qi zhi - a combination of temperament, bearing, and style), makes her quite attractive.

"Alright, I'm planning to talk to them about the group. If Teacher Shen and Director Xu have something to do, they can come over later."

Shen Yu nodded and left the practice room with Xu Youqing.

Looking at the closed door, Shen Yu vaguely heard Xiao He crying.

"No, didn't he want to see me about something?"

Xu Youqing listened to Shen Yu's words with a sense of helplessness.

Representative Li did say that, but there's not much we can do about his sudden change of heart.

"Why don't you wait for him here, or should we go ahead..."

"Alright, Nuna, aren't you going to deliver some documents? You can go now. I'll wait for Representative Lee and then we'll go eat."

"Okay, I'll be going now."

Recently, besides picking up and dropping off Shen Yu, Xu Youqing has been quite busy with other things.

The company is about to debut a brand new girl group, and the entire 143 Entertainment is like a machine that has started running, with every gear turning.

Unlike Xu Youqing, whose engine speed is incredibly fast, Shen Yu is a typical idling gear.

There was no need to stand at the entrance of the practice room, so Shen Yu went to the vending machine at the main entrance, bought a bottle of sparkling water, and then found a spot to lean against the wall and look at his phone.

"Are you free tomorrow?"

Shen Yu posted this message.

"Oh, I thought someone was too scared to talk to me."

To my surprise, the message was replied to instantly.

"How could that be? I'm just very busy. I'm a professional photographer, and so many people want me to take their pictures."

Shen Yu smiled at the screen. Ji-soo is a very nice girl.

"I'll take a set of photos of you tomorrow as payment. How about that? You've hit the jackpot!"

"Oh? Is that so? You mean I have to pay you? Am I not a great model anymore?"

"I admit she's a pretty model, but I don't know if she's really good at it."

After making some tentative remarks, Shen Yu made an appointment with Choi Ji-soo on the other end of the phone for tomorrow, and then looked at the open door of the practice room.

Representative Li noticed Shen Yu and then remembered that he had something to ask him.

"By the way, Shen Yu, come with me."

Representative Li's office is on the top floor of this building, making it the only high-rise space in the building belonging to 143 Entertainment.

Shen Yu looked at the three girls who came up with them, but he didn't see Abe coming out of the practice room.

"He might still be in the practice room..." Shen Yu thought for a moment, planning to come back and check later.

Following him into Representative Li's office, Shen Yu glanced around. Black background with a lot of gold accents—oh no, it's the stereotypical image of a rapper.

The desk looks expensive, and there's an LV tote bag on it.

Shen Yu felt that the room didn't suit his personality, so he planned to finish talking to Representative Li quickly and leave.

"By the way, Shen Yu, this is the concept and specific settings of LimeLight. After you've read it, let's study the debut song together."

This is part of my job. After all, I'm an artist under 143 Entertainment, so it's not a problem for me to prioritize providing songs to the company.

"Also, this is a job offer from StarShip. Their girl group is planning to debut in Japan. They originally only planned to release a Japanese single, but after the copyright association found the song you uploaded, they want to have a more in-depth discussion with you."

Shen Yu nodded. His purpose in uploading so many songs was to attract attention, and it seems that the market is doing well so far.

"I recommended you to them and told them about your previous studies in Tokyo. Here is the producer's phone number; please add them and schedule a time with them."

"And, Representative Yang watched your video and really likes you. Honestly, why weren't you as quick to realize this before!"

After mentioning Yang Hyun-suk, Representative Lee affectionately put his arm around Shen Yu's shoulder, patted him, and said, "That's good. Instead of StarShip's invitation, why don't you go to YG sometime? Representative Yang is also planning to launch a girl group. If you can get involved in that, that would be even better."

Contrary to Shen Yu's expectations, compared to Representative Park's formulaic conversation, Representative Lee was more江湖气 (jianghu qi, a kind of chivalrous and unconventional manner), and of course, he also gave off a feeling that he was very familiar with Shen Yu.

"Okay, that's all. You're really something. Keep up the good work in the future. Oh, and you should also thank Teacher Shen. His recommendation was a plus for your selection."

"Thank you, Teacher Shen!"

Representative Li also took the opportunity to boost Shen Yu's popularity in front of the three girls.

"It's alright, it's all thanks to your own hard work. Okay, I'll be going now?"

"Oh, right, MIU and Shouhui, you can go back too. Jiayin, stay behind for a bit, I have something to tell you."

"..."

Looking at the two excited girls following behind him, and the girl who stayed in the office instead of leaving, Shen Yu had some thoughts in mind.

The main problem is that he doesn't seem to understand his own position.

From my conversations with CEO Park, I always felt like I was the type of person who was exploited by the company.

However, after talking with Representative Li, I felt that Shen Yu seemed to have something special about him.

If the memories in my mind don't provide the answers, then I'll just have to wait and see.