Chapter 781: The Price of Arrogance (4)

"Mr. Jung is right... I was the one who asked my dad to come that day."

Go Eun-Seo shut her eyes tight as she admitted she had called her father herself.

'

That's unexpected

.'

She wasn't the Go Eun-Seo I had known before the regression. A simple lie would have earned her a huge advantage, yet she gave it up so easily.

As I watched in quiet surprise, the flustered Variety Department Head Park Han-Jong hurried to persuade Go Eun-Seo. "No, Eun-Seo. If you say that, we'll have no choice but to deduct points. Memories can be... unreliable, right? Think again, carefully."

It was absurd to hear him blatantly urge her to lie about something that had happened just a week ago.

Embarrassed, Go Eun-Seo suddenly shouted, "I'm telling you, I did it!!"

'

She still hadn't completely shed her prickly nature, I see.

'

Realizing how loudly she had just yelled, Go Eun-Seo glanced at me nervously. "I'm sorry for raising my voice..."

I appreciated Go Eun-Seo's honesty, but this was a time when even small missteps needed to be corrected before they became habits. So I didn't let it slide.

"Don't look at me. You need to apologize to Mr. Park!"

Go Eun-Seo straightened her posture and bowed to Park Han-Jong at a full ninety degrees. "I'm sorry. I got flustered and spoke too harshly."

As Go Eun-Seo's tone tamed from the earlier outburst, her apology caught Park Han-Jong off guard. "N-No, it's... it's understandable."

"But I don't want my score changed either. If you get a hold of my dad, please tell him I'd rather he didn't come again."

During the

Project I.O.A

program, unless it was a health emergency, the kids at the dorms weren't allowed any outside contact.

Speaking to Park Han-Jong about her intention, Go Eun-Seo straightened her back and spoke with confidence. "Then may I be excused? I need to practice more if I want to make up for today's deduction."

When Park Han-Jong hesitated to respond, CP Kang Dae-Woong stepped in. "Sure. Let's make it up during the live show, okay?"

"Yes, sir! I'll do my best!"

Go Eun-Seo bowed deeply once more. With her worries shaken off, she walked out of the meeting room with confidence.

Her shoulders, once slumped, were now square, and each step carried purpose.

'

Well done, Go Eun-Seo

.'

Before the regression, one of my biggest regrets at Top Entertainment was having to stand by as adults ruined Go Eun-Seo. Her powerful, indulgent parents always caved to her whims. Kim Dong-Soo and the agency staff, always watching the parents' reactions, let her get away with everything. On top of that, Industry insiders always took her side just because of who her parents were. Those adults had robbed her of the chance to grow up right.

Yet this time around, Go Eun-Seo was starting to change maybe because I had taken a firmer stance from the beginning. I couldn't say for sure if this would last, but at least today, Go Eun-Seo showed a side of herself I wasn't ashamed to present to the public.

I looked over at Park Han-Jong, who now seemed smaller than Go Eun-Seo. "Mr. Park, do you have anything else to say?"

"No!"

"Then please make sure the guests coming today are properly informed."

At that moment, Park Han-Jong shot me a glare and sprang from his seat. "They're coming with the President later, so you deal with them!"

Shouting in frustration that things didn't go his way, Park Han-Jong stormed out of the meeting room.

Kang Dae-Woong scratched his head awkwardly. "Our chief's just trying to ride the right line to get promoted. I hope you can understand, Mr. Jung."

I didn't respond but just smiled calmly. After all, I already knew Park Han-Jong's career was about to end.

Just then, PD Ji Yung-Sik tilted his head and asked curiously. "By the way, Mr. Jung, how did you manage to fix Eun-Seo—no, I mean, how did you handle her to get such a drastic change? I've been watching her for the past week, and she was totally uncooperative because she thought she was all that."

The broadcast staff had been treating Go Eun-Seo with kid gloves all week. She had been the most talked-about contestant since the preliminaries thanks to her looks and skills, and as the daughter of top actress Han So-Ye, everyone was anticipating the birth of a second-generation star.

However, I had ignored all of that and treated Go Eun-Seo strictly as a prospective member of I.O.A. That approach was what had produced this changed version of Go Eun-Seo.

"I just treated her fairly," I answered.

"What if she couldn't adjust and got eliminated?"

"Then she gets eliminated."

"But she's Go Eun-Seo. You'd let the most talked-about candidate go?"

"Yes. Even if someone else becomes a member of I.O.A instead of Eun-Seo, I'm confident I can make I.O.A a success."

Ling Ling and Seo Hee-Joo were already holding their positions firmly, so I didn't even blink. My resolute attitude left Ji Yung-Sik and Kang Dae-Woong staring at me with their mouths agape.

Then Ji Young-Sik shook his head and said first. "Well, you are the 2.5 billion won man... I guess we have no choice but to believe you. Damn it, let's go! We'll stick to Chief Jung like gum no matter what."

Kang Dae-Woong looked at him in disbelief. "Hey, why'd you drag me into that? Am I gum too?"

"What, you don't like being called that?"

"Who said I don't? Gum comes in all kinds. And if it's Chief Jung, I'd gladly stick to him for life. I'm all in."

They were clearly teasing me on purpose now.

I looked at them and said, "Aren't you going? You've got a broadcast to run."

Gum Number 1, Ji Yung-Sik, jumped up. "Whoa, I can't believe it's already this late. Let's go. We wasted too much time because of our dear chief."

With that, Ji Yung-Sik rushed out. I also headed to the monitoring room with Gum Number 2, Kang Dae-Woong, wishing for a successful broadcast.

***

On the main screen in the monitoring room, the first half of week two's

Project I.O.A

broadcast was wrapping up. Just as the footage of the trainees' tearful and joyful week at the dorm came to a close, the camera panned to MC Kim Jung-Joo on stage.

Kim Jung-Joo stood on the performance stage, gripping the mic with excitement in his voice.

-Over the past week, you've watched the fierce efforts of 132 contestants vying to become Asia's top idol group, I.O.A. Now, we'll reveal the pre-recorded scores accumulated over the week. First place is...

With the sound of a drumroll, the live chat window of the app exploded as each name was called.

[PROJECT : I.O.A]

[Live Chat]

-Of course, Sung Na-Ra is first!

-Expected. Sung Na-Ra being Number 1 makes sense.

-Totally agree. Sung Na-Ra was in FIVE Angels, after all.

-Honestly, isn't this unfair? This is cheating. Sung Na-Ra's already an idol joining an idol audition.

-But there were no restrictions. Sung Na-Ra's my pick. I loved her even in FIVE Angels.

-I hate her. She's the reason FIVE Angels disbanded!

-I picked someone else. Not Sung Na-Ra.

-Song Mi-Hee and Han So-Won are climbing the ranks too, huh?

-My pick is Song Mi-Hee. Just surviving ten years as a trainee is an elite mentality.

-Yang Bing-Bing's fashion sense is killer. I'm voting for her.

-Kudo Minatsu for me. She's the cutest. I wonder if she's really like that in real life?

-Minamoto Aoi just seems like a nice kid. LOL

-Look at leader Han So-Won's political finesse. She's got that whole Team 1 in check~

-Han So-Won for the Blue House!

-What? Go Eun-Seo is ranked 13th? Seriously?

-She acted all arrogant in the PR video, and now she's dropped. She's not idol material.

-Doesn't this make it hard for Go Eun-Seo to even join Team 3?

-Go Eun-Seo's gorgeous, but something about her just doesn't click. My pick is Han So-Won!

...

Only the dorm footage from the past week had aired so far, so Go Eun-Seo's transformation hadn't been broadcast yet. Still, thanks to her beauty and recognition, her name kept popping up just as much as the top-ranked trainees.

Then, Kim Jung-Joo wrapped up the first half with his closing remarks.

-That concludes the first half. In the second half, we'll bring you live performances from all 132 contestants. Don't change the channel, and get ready for live voting!

As Kim Jung-Joo pointed at the camera, Ji Yung-Sik shouted. "Commercial break!"

"Yes, sir!"

As commercials rolled on TV, the first half of the broadcast wrapped up.

Ji Yung-Sik immediately checked the viewership ratings. "What's the rating?"

Engineer Jang Dae-Joon delivered the final number in a trembling voice. "6.5%! And that's just for the first half. It matches last week's highest rating!"

The monitoring room began to buzz with excitement. It was the highest real-time viewership ratings ever recorded in the history of audition shows.

"Okay. Let's prepare for the second half of the live broadcast and break 7% today."

"

Oh

come on, Mr. Ji! 7%? Let's push for 8%, even 9%!"

Everyone had worried that Go Eun-Seo's drop in ranking might drag down the viewership ratings with it, but now they were all laughing.

'

We pulled it off.

'

Fans had been checking in all week on [PROJECT : I.O.A], consuming news and video content, and that interest was now converting directly into viewership ratings.

And the one who deserved the most credit was none other than Sasuke, the manager from Japan monitoring the broadcast beside me. After all, the app and the voting system were adapted from an idea Sasuke would come up with in the future.

"Thanks, Sasuke."

Sasuke turned to me, puzzled. "I'm sorry?"

'

Sasuke. You're the one who'll invent this system in the future

.'

I kept the real reason to myself, smiling as I patted his shoulder. "Thanks to your hustle, the Japanese trainees seem to be getting good feedback too."

"

Oh

, there's no need to thank me. I'm just doing what I'm supposed to."

"Speaking of which... if you ever produce a similar audition show in Japan, feel free to use the same format or app we used in

Project I.O.A

. I won't charge any licensing fees, so don't worry. Just under one condition though—it has to be a project you personally lead."

"Really?"

"Of course."

"Thank you!"

Sasuke looked at me with something like reverence in his eyes, which made me feel a bit guilty.

'

I owe you big time, Sasuke. I'll repay this debt properly.

'

As I smiled at the thought, I noticed a group in the corner of the monitoring room who weren't smiling. It was two members of the National Assembly's Science and Broadcasting Committee—Lee Sung-Hwan and Jang Joo-Seok—brought in by SBC's President Kim Gab-Soo. Both were first-term assemblymen: one from Incheon, the other from Bucheon, and aligned with Assemblyman Go Joon-Taek.

"

Ahem!

"

As they cleared their throat from behind, Ji Yung-Sik turned with a puzzled look. "Is something wrong, Mr. Assemblymen? Are you feeling unwell?"

Lee Sung-Hwan, the assemblyman from Incheon, glared at us. "You're laughing? Even though the most popular contestant just dropped to 13th place!?"

Ji Yung-Sik shrugged. "You must mean Eun-Seo, right? Thirteenth is still a high rank. And once the rankings are out, she's no longer the most popular, is she?"

The moment the first half's 6.5% viewership ratings came in, no one at the station sided with the two assemblymen. Even Kim Gab-Soo, who had reluctantly escorted them, didn't take their side.

"Our goal with

Project I.O.A

is to ensure a fair process for all participants. Wouldn't it be better for the public if you supported that fairness? Even if an assemblyman's daughter and a top actress's daughter can't reach first place, that's how it should be."

"Still, even so..."

As the two assemblymen grumbled, I turned toward Wang Long, who was standing by.

Catching my cue, Wang Long stepped forward and casually dropped a name. "Mr. Assemblymen. When my father visits Korea next month, how about joining him for a meal at the Blue House?"

Both assemblymen, who had just learned who Deputy Secretary Wang Min was, swallowed nervously. Facilitating a connection between Wang Min and the President would be a huge career boost for any politician.

"R-really?"

"Yes. Just leave your business cards and I'll pass them on. Our company is the biggest investor in

Project I.O.A

, so my father takes a keen interest."

The two assemblymen exchanged glances. In no time, they changed their tune and addressed Wang Long with sudden warmth.

"

Haha

, well of course. Even if Eun-Seo is the assemblyman's daughter, she needs to earn her rank fairly. No doubt."

"Y-Yeah, and elimination doesn't even start until next week. Thirteenth isn't a bad rank at all.

Hahaha

."

With that, the two assemblymen handed over their business cards and made a hasty exit, citing urgent business. But as soon as they were gone, Wang Long casually crumpled their cards and tossed them in the trash.

"You weren't going to pass them along at all?" I asked.

Wang Long shook his head. "Nope. My dad's not even coming to Korea next month."

He hadn't used his father's name to threaten them, but it had been a bluff from the start.

"What if those guys come back later and try to hold you accountable?"

Wang Long just shrugged. "I'll tell them to sue me."

He smiled, knowing it wouldn't be easy for them to take legal action against a foreigner. Meanwhile, it was time for the second half of

Project I.O.A

to begin.

"Alright, Mr. Kim Jung-Joo, mic standby. Three, two, one, cue!"

-Hello! This is Kim Jung-Joo, MC of

Project I.O.A

, bringing you part two of tonight's show!

As Kim Jung-Joo's energetic greeting rang out, all 132 contestants took the stage, signaling the start of part two.

***

In part two of

Project I.O.A

, all 132 contestants from Korea, China, and Japan performed the song 'IDOLS,' which they had practiced together for a week. The synchronized 'IDOLS' choreography, danced by all 132 on the massive stage, was a truly spectacular sight. With dedicated cameras for each of the 33 teams, fans could stream each team's performance individually through the app.

And as part two ended, the engineer monitoring real-time viewership ratings let out a cheer. "Mr. Ji! We closed at 7.9%!"

Ji Yung-Sik clenched his fist with triumph. "Let's go!"

At that moment, the final scores and team reshuffling results from part two were released as news articles.

[Project I.O.A Week 2 Results Announcement!]

-Based on the combined scores from pre-recorded evaluations and live performances, team reshuffling occurred according to the new rankings.

-Week 2 voting yielded surprising upsets and unexpected team reshuffling, and the atmosphere on-site was electric.

[Team 1]

Sung Na-Ra (164 points: 86 pre + 78 live, Korea 1st)

Song Mi-Hee (163 points, Korea 2nd)

Yang Bing-Bing (154 points, China 1st)

Minamoto Aoi (148 points, Japan 1st)

[Team 2]

Han So-Won (162, Korea 3rd)

Choi Yeon-Mi (158, Korea 4th)

Wang LiNa (149, China 2nd)

Kudo Minatsu (147, Japan 2nd)

[Team 3]

Go Eun-Seo (153 points: 65 pre + 88 live, Korea 5th)

Ye Sung-Yeon (151, Korea 6th)

Liu Lan (147, China 3rd)

Nagai Haruko (146, Japan 3rd)

...

Go Eun-Seo, who everyone had worried might be eliminated, bowed and apologized before the live show began. She admitted she had been arrogant and asked for another chance to prove herself. With her all-out performance, she won praise from judges and viewers alike, scoring 88 points. That allowed her to barely secure a spot on Team 3 as Korea's 5th-ranked contestant.

The program had scored solid viewership ratings, and the promising contestants were now clustered in the top teams.

Seeing this, Ji Yung-Sik addressed the crew with satisfaction. "Great work, everyone! Next week, during Week 3, we'll see our first eliminations. So let's all be at our best."

I left the monitoring room with Director Lee Dong-Min and the talent agents from Hoop Entertainment.

I said, "I'll be heading home first."

Lee Dong-Min suggested I rest at the on-site dorms since it was past midnight. "It's late. Why not just sleep here?"

"No, I need to be at the office early tomorrow morning."

Tomorrow morning was the long-awaited day of the IPO demand forecasting. There was no way I could miss it.

Just then, Team Lead Baek Hee-Yung offered to give me a ride. "Mr. Jung, come with me."

After thanking the Singer Division 2 talent agents, I headed down to the first floor. At that moment, the contestants who had just finished the live performance were filing into the dormitory corridor, chatting as they went.

"

Ugh,

I thought I was going to die."

"I should've done a little better."

"Even if they asked me to do it again, I couldn't. I thought my heart was going to explode."

Suddenly, the kids spotted us and immediately stopped to bow. "Thank you for your hard work!"

I smiled. "Well done. Get some good rest tonight. Elimination starts next week, so don't let your guard down if you're on a top team, and don't give up if you're on the bottom. Got it?"

"Yes, Mr. Jung!"

𝑓𝑟𝑒𝘦𝓌𝑒𝑏𝑛𝑜𝘷𝑒𝘭.𝒸𝘰𝑚

Then Go Eun-Seo stepped forward from the group, met my gaze, and called out with flushed cheeks. "I'll work really hard from now on!"

Acknowledging Go Eun-Seo's slightly changed demeanor, I gave her a nod and waved at the others before heading to the parking lot.

***

We had just merged onto the Gangbyeon Expressway in Baek Hee-Yung's car when my phone buzzed.

Buzz~

It was a call from Lee Yung-Jin. I picked up wondering what was going on, and his urgent voice came through.

-Mr. Jung! President Bang Sang-Yung is having drinks right now with Chief Choi Eun-Seok from Division 1 and the team leads!"

It looked like Bang Sang-Yung was trying to poach Division 1's Choi Eun-Seok and the rest of the team leads. Just as Lee Yung-Jin feared, if the talent agents from Actor Division 1 left Hoop right before the IPO, it would be catastrophic. If a talent agent left, the stars they managed often followed. And that would publicly signal to the market that Hoop Entertainment's revenue was about to drop.

However, I had already predicted Bang Sang-Yung would try something like this.

"Don't worry. I've already taken care of it."

After all, I had already planned to take down both Bang Sang-Yung and TNT Entertainment together.