Chapter 292: Showcase (3)

"How about it? Do you admit that I just helped you?"

I was left speechless at Kim Ae-Ryeon's playful tone.

I gathered my thoughts and replied, "I could have handled it on my own."

"You're so prickly all the time. Anyway, since we've met, I have a proposal for you."

I was wondering why she had stopped me, and it turned out she also wanted Yoo-Jin.

"I want Jung Yoo-Jin to appear at our department store event," she added.

With Kim Ae-Ja out of the picture and Daechon Department Store now in her hands, there was much she needed to take care of. She mentioned that a large-scale marketing campaign was necessary to cover the accumulated losses from her sister's reckless management.

However, I subtly changed the subject since I didn't want to get involved with Daechon Inc.

"Well, it's such a sudden proposal that I'm not sure if her schedule will allow it. She's so busy with drama filming that we barely managed to squeeze in today's runway."

"Then when is she free? We could clear out the entire department store for three hours to match her availability," said the persistent Kim Ae-Ryeon.

Daechon Department Store's main branch generated over 5 billion won in daily sales. Assuming they operated for about twelve hours a day, that was more than 400 million won per hour.

Clearing out for three hours would mean giving up over 1.2 billion won in revenue. It might seem like a huge loss, but I knew Kim Ae-Ryeon wasn't the type to suffer any losses.

In other words, she had already calculated everything. Then, she asked, "Are you wondering why I'm doing this?"

I responded directly to her rhetorical question. "No. I already know why."

"Really?"

"You must have concluded that having Yoo-Jin in the show will bring in more revenue than your investment."

Seeing Kim Ae-Ryeon's greedy eyes, I immediately knew I was right.

She grinned. "As expected, you catch on quickly. This is why I want you so badly."

Kim Ae-Ryeon admitted that she had read all the articles about L.M.L and regretted not securing Yoo-Jin earlier. That's why she had come here to see the situation for herself even though she was busy cleaning up the mess left by Kim Ae-Ja.

"I appreciate the proposal, but I don't think it's something I can decide on immediately. I'll need to discuss it with the higher-ups back at the company," I replied.

Kim Ae-Ryeon stared at me intently. "Giving excuses, huh? You're almost as young as my daughter, yet you are so shrewd. I know you have full decision-making authority."

Kim Ae-Ryeon had two children. Her eldest daughter, Lee Ha-Yoon, was 22, and her son, Lee Sang-Yoon, was 20.

Grumbling in frustration, Kim Ae-Ryeon continued as if she had no other choice. "I hate beating around the bush, so I'll be straightforward. The proposal to have Jung Yoo-Jin at the department store event came from my father. So I need to get a commitment from you today no matter what. You know how my father is, right?"

I mulled over her words. '

Honorary President Kim Bu-Ho of Daechon Inc., the living legend in the business world, personally selected Yoo-Jin?

'

Kim Bu-Ho was known for his bulldozer-like personality, always following through on what he said by any means.

Kim Ae-Ryeon continued, "My father has been closely monitoring L.M Clothing's growth. And you remember what I said last time, right? That my father mentioned wanting to meet you?"

Now that she mentioned it, I vaguely recalled hearing something like that.

Kim Ae-Ryeon had casually said Kim Bu-Ho wanted to see me, but I hadn't responded at the time because I had no intention of agreeing to a one-sided proposal.

Nonetheless, if I outrightly rejected this offer, I might end up making an unnecessary enemy.

'

What should I do?

' I wondered.

I fell into deep thought. I had to be careful in this situation since it was a scenario that hadn't happened in my past life.

After all, I had essentially ousted one of the sisters vying for the queen's throne with my own hands.

That's when Kim Ae-Ryeon spoke again. "Don't worry. My sister can't do anything now and I'll be the next president soon. The succession of shares has already begun."

"Not vice president, but directly to the president's position?" I asked.

"Yes. It wouldn't look right if I were vice president and my brother-in-law were president, would it?"

With Kim Ae-Ja imprisoned, her husband, the current president of Daechon Inc., had also lost his position.

Given that, I figured it might be wise to maintain a good relationship with Daechon Inc. Kim Ae-Ryeon wasn't the type to reach out to celebrities like her sister anyway.

I thought for awhile and replied, "Well, I'll meet with Mr. Kim Bu-Ho first, and then we can discuss the details later."

Kim Ae-Ryeon clapped her hands. "Okay, then I'll set up a meeting with my father. There's no backing out now, alright?"

"Okay."

In the end, I agreed to meet with Kim Bu-Ho of Daechon Inc.

***

When I returned to my seat, Hong Sung-Beom of HK Apparel was nowhere to be seen.

Asking Wang Long where he went, he said that Hong Sung-Beom had left with a scowl on his face.

A moment later, Kim Ae-Ryeon of Daechon Department Store took over Hong Sun-Beom's vacant seat.

'

Wow. She really is something else,

' I remarked inwardly.

In the meantime, the lights dimmed again and the second part of the showcase began. The second part of the show focused on bags and accessories.

As the show started, Yoo-Jin and Lily came out together to showcase the new bags.

Yoo-Jin was holding an ivory-colored tote bag with pink floral patterns while Lily held a pink tote bag adorned with white floral designs.

The sound of cameras flashing furiously filled the room when the two struck a pose back-to-back.

Many models displayed bags and accessories following them, successfully wrapping up the second part of the show.

As L.M.L's brand showcase ended successfully, all the models gathered on stage to take a bow.

At the center of the stage were Lee Yung-Ah and Lee Mi-Ri, who were introduced as special guests who had contributed significantly to today's event.

When the models surrounded them and applauded, Lee Mi-Ri bowed her head with a grateful expression.

I also clapped in support hoping that today would remain a cherished memory for her.

As the event concluded, the audience and reporters began to leave en masse.

However, the key buyers remained and waited for their meetings. As they enjoyed the refreshments prepared by Lee Yung-Ah and Moon Yung-Mi, L.M.L began making verbal agreements with the buyers for product sales.

At that moment, Yoo Hyun-Ah, the head of Channy Korea, quietly approached me.

Since Lee Yung-Ah and Moon Yung-Mi were busy with the buyers, there were no L.M.L representatives around me.

"Hello. I'm Yoo Hyun-Ah, the head of Channy Korea."

I exchanged a brief greeting after she handed me her business card. "Oh, hello. I've heard a lot about you."

"Well, I'm not doing so well. Seeing a model who rejected Channy doing so well makes me lose sleep at night from jealousy."

Though her words had a bit of an edge, I responded calmly. "I'm not doing that well either. I still think it was a big mistake to turn down Channy."

Yoo Hyun-Ah smiled with her eyes and responded in a playful tone. "You're quite the joker. Anyway, let's work together sometime if the opportunity arises."

However, I politely declined her offer. "I'm sorry, but Yoo-Jin is too deeply involved with L.M.L to take on any additional work from other brands."

Yoo Hyun-Ah smiled mischievously. "Is Miss Yoo-Jin the only star under your management, Mr. Jung? I think the Cherry Blossom members are quite beautiful..."

My eyes widened. "Oh!"

Yoo Hyun-Ah revealed that she was eyeing Cherry Blossom as potential models for their ads. "Though it might sound a bit opportunistic, we will proceed only if they have a successful comeback."

I nodded in agreement. "Of course, that makes perfect sense."

"To be honest with you, I got a big scolding at headquarters for missing out on MIss Jung Yoo-Jin. So I'm trying to get ahead this time."

"I'll keep that in mind."

After finishing my conversation with the head of Channy Korea, other representatives from international luxury brands started approaching me and passing me their business cards.

Some even asked how long Yoo-Jin's contract with L.M.L would last, but they quickly retreated as soon as Lee Yung-Ah shot them a fierce glare.

Lee Yung-Ah huffed, saying she couldn't let her guard down. "Don't even think about signing with anyone else, Mr. Jung. Got it?"

I reassured her. "You're worrying over nothing. As long as you continue to take care of Yoo-Jin like you do now, we'll never consider leaving."

"Don't worry about that part."

After securing a firm promise, she turned to me with a bright expression. "By the way, we hit the jackpot today. A massive one!"

She explained that the number of contracts signed that day was thrice the expected volume. They had swept up orders from department stores, home shopping networks, as well as from international markets.

With successful contracts in hand, the L.M.L brand showcase concluded perfectly.

***

At 5 p.m., an early dinner gathering was held at Hanwoo Myungga to celebrate the success of the show as promised by Moon Yung-Mi.

After some joyful conversations celebrating the success of the showcase, the meal began.

Having fasted since the previous night, Yoo-Jin and Lily eagerly devoured the beef but had to decline the invitation for a second round. Lily's party needed to return home tomorrow, and there were still things to take care of before leaving.

After expressing our gratitude to Moon Yung-Mi and Lee Yung-Ah, our group headed straight home.

Meanwhile, articles about today's successful showcase began to surface on the internet.

[L.M.L Brand Showcase! Jung Yoo-Jin's Stunning Transformation!]

[Acting Genius Jung Yoo-Jin. Is She Now Debuting as a Model?]

[New Brand L.M.L. Successful Launch! Praises from International Reporters!]

[China's Rising Model Lily Walks the Runway with Jung Yoo-Jin.]

[L.M.L Announces Major Department Store Plans. A Successful Start in Business!]

Yoo-Jin's name once again topped the live search rankings while Lily was also making her presence known in Korea.

When I mentioned today's articles with a proud smile, excitement filled the car.

Recalling Yoo-Jin and Lily's performances at the show, Ling Ling shouted enthusiastically, "I knew it! Yoo-Jin unnie, you were truly amazing on stage today!"

I dropped Yoo-Jin and Miso off back at the house in Cheonho-dong,

"Huh? Aren't we all staying together tonight?" asked Yoo-Jin.

I responded, "No, they'll go to the hotel. I need to run an idol test for Ling Ling now."

Since Wang Long, Lily, and Ling Ling had to return to China tomorrow, tonight was the only time I could test Ling Ling's talents.

Yoo-Jin and Miso expressed their disappointment.

Then, Yoo-Jin suggested, "In that case, let's all have a meal together before you leave tomorrow! We'll go to the hotel."

Lily and Ling Ling nodded eagerly. "Alright, Yoo-Jin!"

"Yes, definitely!"

After watching Yoo-Jin and Miso go inside, I turned the car back toward the company.

During the drive, Wang Long and Lily continued to express their opposition to Ling Ling becoming an idol in Korea. Their reasoning was that it was unacceptable to send a 16-year-old alone to Korea.

Ling Ling argued back that Cherry Blossom's Sae-Ri had already released three albums, so she felt she was already behind. Nonetheless, her argument didn't convince Wang Long and Lily.

Since I could quickly assess her potential through the test, I remained silent and focused on driving.

***

When we arrived at the company, we headed straight to Singer Division 2.

I asked one of the staff members, "Have you seen Mr. Lee Dong-Min?"

"Oh, Mr. Lee is in the underground recording studio room 4."

"Ah, I see. Thank you."

I led the group to the underground recording studio, where we found Bang Seon-Woo humming a tune while composing a song.

"Oh, hyung?" he remarked upon seeing us.

Dark circles under his eyes clearly indicated that he had stayed up all night working again.

"Where's Mr. Lee?" I asked.

"Oh, he went to meet with Mrs. Park Seon-Nyeo for Cherry Blossom's new song."

"I see."

I considered waiting for Lee Dong-Min, but decided to ask Bang Seon-Woo to conduct the test since we were already here. With his perfect pitch, he could accurately assess Ling Ling's potential.

Before that, I introduced Ling Ling to Bang Seon-Woo. "Seon-Woo, this is Ling Ling. She wants to become an idol. Could you give her a vocal test?"

"Sure."

Ling Ling bowed deeply with a strong and enthusiastic voice. "Thank you for your time, sir!"

Flustered, Bang Seon-Woo flinched. "Oh, uh, there's no need to call me sir... You can just head into the recording booth."

"Okay."

After Ling Ling entered the recording booth, Bang Seon-Woo took his place at the control panel.

When I asked her to pick a song through the microphone connected to the booth, she immediately chose Kang Ha-Na's 'New Beginning.'

"I'll sing 'New Beginning' by Ha-Na unnie!" Ling Ling said enthusiastically.

Bang Seon-Woo hesitated for a moment before speaking, "Could you sing with your own voice instead of mimicking Ha-Na's? It's hard to evaluate properly if you're just imitating."

"Okay!"

With confidence, Ling Ling grabbed the microphone and began to steady her breath. "Okay~ let's start."

As the song began, Ling Ling's clear and pure voice filled the room.

'

Her voice is so clean and clear, probably because she's still young,

' I silently noted.

She wasn't quite at a professional level yet because she wasn't professionally trained. However, she was well above the standard that entertainment companies sought. After all, her appearance alone far exceeded expectations.

As I listened to Ling Ling sing with a sense of relief, I noticed that Wang Long and Lily, who had been opposed to her ambition until now, were holding each other's hands tightly with nervous expressions.

It seemed their opposition was due to Ling Ling's young age rather than the idea of her becoming an idol.

However, Bang Seon-Woo's expression was growing increasingly serious as he listened to Ling Ling sing.

'

What's going on?

' I wondered.

I wanted to ask him immediately what was wrong, but his expression was so serious that I decided to wait until the song ended.

After a while, Ling Ling's song came to an end.

Inside the recording booth, Ling Ling was waving her hands enthusiastically with a flushed face. She seemed quite confident in her performance.

I pressed the microphone button that connected to the recording booth and spoke. "Ling Ling, wait a moment. We might need to hear another song."

-Okay~

I bought some time and then turned off the microphone.

Now, our conversation couldn't be heard inside the recording booth. Only then did I turn to Bang Seon-Woo to ask what was going on. "Seon-Woo, why do you look like that? Is there a problem?"

Bang Seon-Woo still couldn't shake his serious expression and hesitated as he glanced at Wang Long and Lily beside me.

"It's okay. They should hear this too. They're family," I urged him.

Only then did Bang Seon-Woo speak up with a troubled expression. "I don't think Ling Ling should be singing."

'Huh? How could Ling Ling, who was destined to become one of China's top idols, be told she shouldn't sing?'

I wondered.