Chapter 140
Without bothering to knock or ask for permission, Seon Taeyang plopped down on the VIP sofa in Cheon Jong-hoon’s office, crossed his legs, and said, “Hey, long time no see.”
Cheon Jong-hoon found the situation fascinating but tried his hardest to feign indifference. “Are we really at the point where we exchange pleasantries? Truth be told, I wasn’t exactly eager to see your face after all this time.”
“Well, if you wanted to avoid this, you should’ve managed your people better. It’s not my fault that it turned out this way, right?”
‘Does this punk actually know who leaked the info about Jin Yeoreum?’
He must have taken a good guess, since he decided to come straight to the SS and Cheon Jong-hoon’s office like this. But for Cheon Jong-hoon, that was a hard pill to swallow.
He had kicked Seo Soo-yeon out, but he knew her abilities better than anyone. She wasn’t the kind to fumble around and get caught easily.
If he hadn’t been watching her methods closely for so long, even Cheon Jong-hoon wouldn’t have figured out so quickly that she was the leak.
For now, Cheon Jong-hoon decided to confirm his suspicions.
“Managing subordinates? I have no idea what you’re talking about. If this is about the issue you’re facing with Jin Yeoreum, then the SS….”
“Let’s not play dumb, shall we? I already know everything. You probably know it all too.”
Seon Taeyang casually munched on the snacks laid out on the table without asking for permission and chuckled, “Oh, are you serious? If you really didn’t know just because you’re incompetent, I’d understand.”
“…”
‘That guy truly lacks manners.’
But he had to admit, he was entertaining.
The overwhelming emptiness that had filled him vanished without a trace.
In any case, judging by Seon Taeyang’s attitude, pretending not to know wouldn’t be worth it.
“So?”
“So what?”
“What brings you here?”
“…Ha, do I really have to explain myself while making a ruckus in someone else’s office?”
“In that case, go deal with the disaster at home instead of coming here to argue with me.”
Seon Taeyang always had a way of showing up unexpectedly. Despite appearing to act impulsively without a thought, he had a meticulous plan and keen judgment, revealing hidden cards in his hand.
“If my subordinate exposed that Sunny from Girl Revolution is actually Jin Yeoreum, then what? Are you planning to hold someone accountable and file a lawsuit over the leaked information? If so, you might as well lay your cards on the table. Go ahead and do as you please. Isn’t it your right? …But by the time any results come out, Girl Revolution will probably have shut down.”
“The revolution seems to have closed its doors.”
Cheon Jong-hoon wanted to see that scene one more time.
He wanted to confirm that this guy wasn’t the type to crumble under a single crisis.
That would be someone who could truly ignite Cheon Jong-hoon’s competitive spirit.
“The fundamental reason behind experiencing a crisis in the first place is that member Jin Yeoreum carries an excessively large risk factor. So, I guess you’ll just have to deal with this crisis. Well, as someone in the same industry managing a girl group, I extend my sincere condolences.”
Cheon Jong-hoon leaned back against the plush chair, looking at Seon Taeyang, and said.
“…So, is our business done? Take care. You can take the snacks with you.”
“Can I interpret that as you having no intention of taking responsibility?”
“Why would I take responsibility for TwoBear going under? That’s for you to handle.”
Upon hearing that, Seon Taeyang openly laughed at Cheon Jong-hoon.
“In that case, let me make you take responsibility.”
Seon Taeyang tossed a cheap silver USB at Cheon Jong-hoon.
Cheon Jong-hoon caught it without much difficulty and asked.
“…What is this?”
“It’s a video. Let’s watch it.”
Though suspicious, Cheon Jong-hoon connected the USB to his desktop and played the video that popped up.
‘Han Gyeoul. Are you joking right now? When I told you to change the dance formation to diamonds, how did I say to move?’
‘…You said to move backward.’
‘Right, you remember well. But moving to the left while I have to move to the right means you want to collide with me, right? Or were you just trying to mess with me?’
‘Sorry, unnie. I’ll make sure not to mess up next time.’
‘Next time? How?’
‘….’
‘I asked how you’re going to do it next time!’
What appeared was a scene of Yoon Jeong, a member of Alcest, blatantly tormenting Han Gyeoul from Girl Revolution.
“….”
Seeing Cheon Jong-hoon blankly watching the video without being able to say a word, Seon Taeyang spoke lightly.
“Wow, I guess since I stayed quiet without threatening you separately, you forgot about that? Or maybe you just didn’t hear? I didn’t storm into SS and go crazy for no reason.”
“…Then why bring this up now? Ah, I see. You were waiting for Alcest to debut so that this would become your strongest card.”
“If that were the case, I should have brought it up right after Alcest debuted. It’s not like we’re in a situation where Girl Revolution and Alcest are splitting the fan pie together.”
That was a valid point. There was a more appropriate timing to bring out that desperate arrow.
“To be honest, I didn’t plan on using it. Even though I knew Team Leader Cheon was trying to block my career.”
“Why is that? If we make that explode, the current configuration of Girl Revolution and Alcest would have been flipped.”
Seon Taeyang replied as if it was obvious.
“Because we can win without using it.”
At that response, Cheon Jong-hoon chuckled.
Well, if Seo Soo-yeon had asked for permission to explode the card of Jin Yeoreum, he would have refused. And his reason was exactly the same as that man’s.
“I think you now understand what I meant. If you don’t want to go down together, just open the door. That wasn’t a bluff.”
“…Yeah, it wasn’t a bluff.”
Seon Taeyang shrugged and asked.
“What would happen if that exploded?”
“It would have a decisive negative impact on Alcest’s brand image. School violence and bullying are like taboos for idols in this society. However, SS’s legal team wouldn’t just sit back and watch. They would mobilize every legal method possible…”
“A lawsuit? Go ahead.”
In response to Cheon Jong-hoon’s protest, he gave a familiar answer.
“But by the time the results come out, Alcest will likely already have taken down their sign.”
Cheon Jong-hoon finally faced the situation head-on. This wasn’t a situation where he could look down and watch the opponent’s crisis. This was a chicken game, both speeding toward each other in their cars.
“What do you think? Should we go down together? Or will you take the responsibility?”
But the opponent was already in a car crash, showing no signs of lifting their foot off the gas.
“It’s only been four hours since the incident broke out. Yet somehow, during that short time, that guy has figured out all the causes of the incident and is prepared to checkmate his opponent.”
That man named Seon Taeyang was always like that.
From the moment he suddenly made a call and initiated the negotiation, before he realized it, he found himself caught up in that man’s pace. It was an experience he was completely unaccustomed to, as he always achieved whatever he aimed to do.
It was unsettling. But in another sense, it was amusing. So, Cheon Jong-hoon burst out laughing. If Seo Soo-yeon, who knew his usual demeanor, had seen him, she would have been so shocked she might have forgotten to breathe.
Seeing him laugh, Seon Taeyang had a look that seemed to say, ‘Why is that crazy bastard acting like this?’ but Cheon Jong-hoon, who was getting into the mood, didn’t care much.
“Alright. I will take responsibility. What do you want?”
“First, I want to hold Seo Soo-yeon responsible for this incident.”
“I acknowledge that. Originally, I was planning to wrap it up by sending her back to her family, but I’ll have her transferred instead. If she finds out where she’s going, she’ll probably submit her resignation herself. And I have two other things I’ve thought about. I recommend you choose one of those two. Just know that it’s the best card I can pull, not considering any business interests, so why don’t you give it a listen?”
“I’m going to pull out a card, so why not listen once?”
Seon Taeyang nodded as if to say “go ahead.”
Cheon Jong-hoon, who inwardly cursed him as ‘that rude brat’, continued speaking.
“The first option is to create a more provocative issue that can quell the current situation regarding Jin Yeoreum.”
“And what might that be?”
“There’s an idol recognized as a legendary artist from SS who dabbled in drugs. Although it’s not habitual, there are two who have just tried it. We should expose those clowns.”
Seon Taeyang nodded slightly and said, “That’s strong. But it won’t completely overshadow the Jin Yeoreum issue.”
“For that to happen, a crazy issue would need to explode—enough to open the gates. And that’s beyond my ability. However, this alone should buy some time for Girl Revolution to secure its fanbase. Weren’t you also trying to shine a light on that girl Jin Yeoreum someday?”
Cheon Jong-hoon continued as he watched Seon Taeyang, who was deep in thought with arms crossed, perhaps weighing the value of it all.
“The second option is to get DJs from overseas, especially in the US, to play Girl Revolution’s song.”
“…If that could happen, shouldn’t they have played Alcest’s songs by now?”
“It’s not something I can do all the time. It would probably only happen once. Once that’s done, any debt we had to those guys will be erased. Think of it as SS’s hidden card.”
With the value calculated, Seon Taeyang’s eyes sparkled strangely. Then he asked as if it was the most natural question in the world, “Can’t we do both?”
‘…What a crazy kid.’
Taken aback by such audacity, Cheon Jong-hoon replied weakly, “You do realize that you’ve already pressured me into the biggest conditions I could possibly call for, right? Even one of these would be a huge wound for SS. To be honest, if you go for both, it could completely skew SS’s succession line, not to mention my position would vanish.”
“Well, that might be true.”
“….”
Then Seon Taeyang began to ponder.
Watching him, Cheon Jong-hoon thought, ‘The first option is stability, and the latter is opportunity.’
If the drug issue gets exposed, Girl Revolution would avoid serious damage and stabilize. But they’d never reach the top; the blow to their image would remain.
Getting the DJs to play their song was a wild card. They could hit a massive jackpot, or it could fizzle out and be forgotten quietly.
Cheon Jong-hoon was very curious about which of the two Seon Taeyang would choose.
And after some thoughtful consideration, Seon Taeyang opened his mouth.
“I choose…”
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