Chapter 89: I Need You to Participate

Chanyeol were there. Someone's phone was playing "History" on the floor, and they were dancing to it. Everyone was dancing with great intensity, each step hitting the floor with a thud as if venting...As Ki-seong entered the conference room, many eyes turned to him. While walking inside, he gave a slight smile and politely greeted familiar department heads and representatives. Under their enthusiastic nods, he walked over to the XO members' side and found an empty spot in the middle to sit down.

It's obvious the members purposely left a spot in the middle for him. He sat on the left with Park Chan-yeol and Kim Minjae, while Lee Seunghoon was on his right. The rest of them were sitting in the row behind them.

He wasn't the last one to arrive, and some staff members hadn't come yet because they were busy preparing documents. At this time, the company employees in the room were whispering and discussing things in small groups.

After Pooling Jingyuan sat down, he exchanged glances with the members next to him. They made eye contact but remained silent. The ten of them sat there quietly, not a sound could be heard. A palpable tension hung in the air around them.

This time, Tao's departure, EXO members including Park Chanyeol, didn't seem as furious and agitated as when Han left before. Everyone just seemed preoccupied and silent, with little desire to communicate.

On one hand, tao's popularity and influence within the team are far less than han's. He also doesn't have as strong of interpersonal relationships or social skills as han, and the discomfort he brings to others isn't as significant.

On the other hand, people who are familiar with xo likely expected this day to come.

Qi Jingyuan slightly tilted his head and glanced to the left with the corner of his eye.

He noticed it as soon as he walked in: the last summer country member, y, was sitting at the very edge of the back row. Although all five members were lined up, he clearly kept a distance from the others, even being half a meter away from xiu who was closest to him.

He sat there silently, like everyone else, not uttering a word. He kept his head bowed, playing with his fingers, but his eyes seemed to be unfocused, clearly lost in thought.

Although this half-meter distance is not long, it appears extremely obvious and glaring, like a severed trench cutting across the heavens.

I don't know if he pulled the stool himself, or if xiula did.

According to Chi Jingyuan's understanding of Xiu...

Actually, Tao and Yixing have been trying to communicate and negotiate with the company after Han left. They've been asking for more resources and requesting to open a personal studio, focusing more on activities in China. The other members of EXO are all aware of this.

Although these matters are highly confidential and the company has not made any public announcements, the members of XO are not fools. Having worked in the company for so long, they each have their own sources of information. Even if the specific details are unknown, they can still get a general idea of what's going on.

It is said that to retain the two members of Xia Guo, s company made many promises, including those in terms of resources, and made concessions on key issues such as setting up individual studios in Xia Guo. After all, for Xia Guo to continue to develop and perform, these two remaining Xia Guo le are quite important.

Although these were just verbal concessions and promises, with little follow-through, the difference in treatment has already become apparent.

This kind of royal family background, we can't compare to him. After all, he has both a strong background and considerable skill and talent. We didn't want to compete with him anyway. But why do these two people, who aren't very popular or noticeable, get this special treatment They wouldn't even dare to think about having something like a personal studio before!

This incident made many members very dissatisfied. The previous rift that had been barely covered up resurfaced.

Because they had always secretly cared about him, they also knew that Han had been doing very well in Xia Guo after leaving. In a short period of time, he had starred in TV dramas and movies, becoming one of the hottest new-generation stars. Originally, his popularity and fame in Mainland China were far behind Chi Jingyuan's, but now they were slowly catching up.

Seeing how former teammates have developed even better after leaving, I wonder, if they were tao and y, what would their choices be

After waiting for about ten minutes, everyone arrived and the rather rushed meeting finally began. The first order of business was a report and discussion on Tao's lawsuit against the group's withdrawal.

Although he spoke at length, everything Ji Jingyuan said ultimately boiled down to the same plan and rhetoric as before Han's departure: suppressing member opinions, preparing a statement from the company, controlling public opinion, and gauging the outside response.

It's almost exactly the same as before, but because of the different impacts, some aspects are even stricter than last time.

Moreover, judging by Lee Soo-man's expression and demeanor, as well as those of the department heads, they don't seem as frantic and rushed as they were three months ago. Apparently, they, just like the EXO members, seem to have anticipated this situation all along.

Lee Soo-man, whom they hadn't seen in a long time, didn't say much. He just sat there listening and nodding, seemingly quite satisfied with the solution the staff had proposed.

To be honest, s has quite a bit of experience dealing with members leaving the group. From farther away groups like .t. to TVXQ and even SJ, every pillar boy band has gone through this.

Closer are EXO's Han and Girls' Generation's Jung Soo-yeon. Even though the beginning wasn't smooth, it seems like they have gotten better with time.

This is nothing more than the company claiming innocence, pushing all the blame onto the departing members, and simultaneously guiding online sentiment to smear them, thereby lessening the negative impact.

When it comes to this, someone mentioned that tao's article on Weibo hinted at the company in Xia Guo favoring "high-popularity members."

This "popular member" is well known, whether it's fans, s-fans, or even xo members themselves.

Before Pool Jingyuan, no other EXO member dared to claim to be the most popular.

In fact, when Ji Jingyuan saw this passage in Tao's article just now, he was also speechless and didn't know what to say.

Why say such things when he's already left Is it to step on him, damage his image in the hearts of Yuan fans Or is it to make his departure seem more legitimate

At this time, Lee Xiu-man, who had remained silent throughout, finally spoke.

"The public opinion on this side must be controlled well. It can't cause more negative impact on Jingyuan, other members, and the whole EXO. When guiding online, you need to pay attention to the intensity and direction, and grasp it yourselves."

"After several department heads from the publicity department responded, Lee Soo Man nodded and looked to another direction. Instead of talking about Tao anymore, she began discussing EXO's next comeback: "EXO's comeback plan needs to be finalized quickly, and it has to be detailed. This comeback is very important for both EXO and the company, I believe you all know that."

"Don't be as mediocre as last time."

"Get it to me as soon as possible." He pounded on the table forcefully, looking rather displeased.

"Understood." His serious demeanor caused the several department heads who had been taking a subjective stance on this matter to stand up immediately.

After chatting for a while, the meeting drew to a close. Li Xiuman gave a brief summary and announced its end. He stood up, glanced at the EXO members one by one, and finally said, "Y, your matter will be discussed at the artist department meeting later. Jingyuan, come with me. The other members please go back to the practice room."

"...Y and Ji-won stood up and nodded, while the other members didn't pay much attention to Soo-man calling Ji-won over. After all, this kind of thing was too common; they were long accustomed to it. Besides, they had just mentioned their comeback, so Ji-won's participation was normal."

Their eyes were all on me, and a few of them exchanged glances, as if wondering what I had to say.

After bidding farewell to the staff and other members, Ji Jingyuan followed Li Xiuman, chatting as they walked towards his office.

It was still the luxurious and spacious office of the general manager. The overall decor remained largely unchanged from when Chi Jingyuan had last visited.

Lee Xiu-man hasn't been to the company for several months because of family matters, and Ji Jingyuan hasn't entered this office for a long time because the main person doesn't obstruct it.

"Sit."

Lee Hyo-man smiled and gestured to the sofa beside her desk. After placing the file bag on the table, she went over to the coffee machine and made two cups of coffee. Holding a cup, she walked over slowly and offered it to Ji-yeong, prompting him to quickly stand up and accept it with both hands, thanking her.

However, looking at Lee Soo Man's appearance, he didn't seem at all panicked or unhappy about the EXO members leaving the group. Instead, he seemed very calm, as if nothing had happened today.

"How is it, don't you feel a sense of familiarity when you come in Suddenly, I feel nostalgic about this place"

Sitting in her boss's chair, Lee Soo-man lightly blew on the steaming coffee before taking a sip and enjoying it. Her small eyes under the black frame glasses narrowed into slits, and she chatted with Park Jin-young in a casual and natural tone about everyday matters.

"That's true, I just subconsciously thought of the last time I was in your office."

Chi Jingyuan placed the coffee on the table without drinking it, then glanced around before replying.

"Yeah, me too." Lee Xiu-man also took a look around the office she had used for several years, touching the smooth and comfortable armrest of the chair and sighing: "It's been so long here, it's really hard to move."

Chi Jingyuan nodded lightly. This news had already spread within the company. He had heard that Company S was about to change its building, and the new address wasn't too far away, also in the Jiangnan District, around the Sanchengdong area.

There are also some reasons why Exo's dormitory is changed to a new place.

“But the new building and offices will be much better than this, you'll definitely be satisfied.” Li Xiaoman patted the armrest, her previous reluctance vanished, her tone flat with a hint of arrogance: “Just like changing to a new building, everything is developing in a good direction, s is still s, exo is still exo.”

Chi Jingyuan knew the other party wanted him to let go of Tao's departure and think long-term. He just smiled politely in response.

Lee Hyo-ri also hasn't communicated much with Ji Sung due to family matters for a long time. She wasn't in a hurry to discuss business at the moment, but instead pulled him aside to talk about some recent happenings. As they chatted, they ended up discussing "The Uncanny Counter": "You really picked a hot drama! I couldn't help but watch an episode yesterday."

Saying that, he squinted and nodded, giving a thumbs-up: "Jingyuan, you did a really great job in there. I watched it and thought it was fantastic. The positive reviews online are genuine, the company didn't really do much to guide them... And the script selection is also very insightful, I heard it was your idea"

"Back then, I found the script and setting quite appealing, and I was also pretty interested in trying out a workplace drama." Ki Do-won nodded and explained.

Li Xiuman burst into laughter upon hearing this, reaching up to push her glasses back up her nose: "Haha... To think you have such a good eye for scripts, Jingyuan. Would you consider taking on a position in the s film and television department, or maybe even at SCC, and offering some advice"

scc is one of the subsidiaries of s, acquired from Zhang Dongjian's a company a few years ago and renamed. It mainly signs up hosts c, comedians, and actors.

This subsidiary has many well-known actors under its wing, including Jang Dong Gun, Kim Ha Neul, Kong Hyo Jin, and Kim Soo Hyun.

The host side's lineup is also formidable. Ginger Tiger East, who returned to the entertainment industry after a year away due to tax issues, Shin Dong Yup, Kim Byung Man, and former EXO variety show MC, along with Quan Hyun-moo, who has collaborated with them many times, are all part of it.

"Well, I'm not refusing either," he said with a smile and hopeful eyes. "Then wouldn't Dong-gun senior be calling me Director Choi now"

"Hahaha…" As soon as Li Xiuman heard it, she laughed out loud, reaching out to poke Chi Kyeong-won and bursting into laughter.

Both knew it was a joke. There was no way he could offer his opinion. The company naturally had its own procedures, and those contracted actors all had their own teams, they wouldn't just do things his way because he had picked out a few popular drama scripts.

And Chi Jingyuan was actually quite uninterested in this as well.

The two of them smiled at each other with their eyes half-closed, their laughter echoing around the office, swirling endlessly. The atmosphere immediately warmed up, and the negative emotions caused by the departure of team members seemed to dissipate all at once.

After finishing the casual chat, Lee Soo-man smiled for a while, he took a sip of coffee and proactively brought up the main topic: “Regarding EXO's next comeback, it has been put on the agenda. I have been paying attention to this aspect since I came back. The planning department had proposed a plan before, but after I saw it, I felt it wasn't good enough so I rejected it.”

Saying that, he seemed to feel his vision was a bit blurry. He took off his glasses, took out the lens cloth and rubbed the lenses, while asking: "Jingyuan, you should know the company's situation and circumstances this year, right"

"Of course,池景源 knew this all too well. From the beginning of the year until now, there had been nothing but trouble. Starting with scandals involving groups like EXO from their heyday, to new girl group Red Velvet's disastrous debut and subsequent wave of criticism, every aspect of the company was struggling. The stock price plummeted, just as people online said they were experiencing a 'curse.'

"It's almost the end of the year, so there's definitely no chance this year... But next year is very important for both the company and EXO."

Lee Soo Man put on his glasses and nodded. "The company needs to satisfy shareholders and investors and reignite their confidence, stabilize the stock price and raise it again. To achieve this, there will definitely be a lot of planning meetings, with many groups scheduled to make a comeback... But even if other groups also make a comeback, in my heart only EXO is the best weapon to stimulate the stock price."

"And you definitely know, this regular album comeback is very crucial for XO."

Lee Soo-man is right, the next regular second album comeback is crucial for EXO.

Since the release of their regular one album last year, EXO has had an unstoppable momentum. They broke the long-standing record of million sales and their winter special album's ballads also sold very well at the end of the year. This year's mini album "Obsession" set a new high, with all songs becoming hits. It seems they are on the verge of reaching the top as an official group.

But starting from June, the situation took a sharp turn for the worse. First, Baekhyun's relationship was exposed, then popular member Han left the group, and now today Tao has also announced his departure. This string of blows has turned EXO, which was once unstoppable, into something with an uncertain future, casting a shadow over their prospects.

And to compensate for these, the next return is truly crucial. It hinges on whether XO can wash away this year's negative impacts and solidify the fanbase that has already been battered by storms and received a heavy blow.

Even whether they can return to the popularity before members left, or even go further, it all depends on this comeback.

The company will definitely place great importance on EXO's comeback and invest heavily in it. The members are also eagerly anticipating it. And countless fans, after experiencing several setbacks, feel a mix of sadness and pent-up frustration. They hope that EXO can prove that they won't sink as those who underestimate them, both haters and passersby, predict, and they will definitely open their wallets to support them madly.

If this comeback fails, EXO might truly lose their chance to reach the top as many have predicted. They could just become an ordinary top-tier or first-line boy group. But this is definitely not what the company, the members, and the fans hope for.

As for what will happen next, it's anyone's guess. The competition in the K-pop idol scene is fierce. Even if EXO could release another hit song and make a comeback, the market may not be as favorable to them anymore. Who knows if another group like EXO will emerge in the next two years, surpassing established boy groups at an unimaginable speed just like they did last year They might even overshadow EXO.

So, all our energy should still be focused on the return next time.

"This time for EXO's comeback, I personally oversaw everything and took on the role of overall producer. The company is also planning to hire renowned music producers from Europe and America to participate in the production, and Jingyuan, you'll be joining as a producer as well."

Looking at Jiyeong's thoughtful nod, Soo-man stood up and patted his shoulder, showing him great importance: "I've listened to some of the songs you put in the music library, and there are a few that are very suitable for XO. However, the specifics will depend on the style chosen after the project plan is finalized. You should also come up with a project proposal within these two days, including the comeback method, overall style, and song selection criteria. I will pay close attention to your suggestions."

"Hurry up."

Feeling the force on his shoulders, Chi Jingyuan pursed his lips and nodded.

Although the gesture was slight, Lee Xiu Man could feel the sincerity in his heart.

"Another point is about the December winter special. The company's original plan for EXO was to have a winter special comeback every December. Last year's "Miracle in December" had a very good response and sales."

Then Li Xiu Man said another thing: "But the situation this year is special, xo there are many things happening during this period, and the timing isn't right. Moreover, the next comeback is too important, all fans will definitely be looking forward to it and supporting it with all their might. If a winter special is released, it would somewhat weaken or waste the fans' enthusiasm, which could have a negative impact on the official comeback next year."

Ji Jingyuan also nodded in agreement upon hearing this, looking at him. He also felt that what Li Xiuman said was quite reasonable.

The current plan is to cancel the winter special this year, not releasing a physical album but releasing a digital single for winter. The song is tentatively set as "deceber, 2014". It is expected to be released through a music game produced by "superstarstown", and it will also promote the game at the same time. What do you think

I don't think it's very good.

After hearing this, Chen Yiyuan pondered for a few seconds. He didn't dodge the question but looked directly at the other person and truthfully said: "Even if we release a single, there should be accompanying videos (v) and more promotion. It shouldn't be publicly released just to promote the game, that would be a bit perfunctory."

It's really a big company. Besides their main entertainment industry, they are involved in many other industries. Now I don't know why they suddenly started developing games.

One thought leads to another.

“That’s true, I'm also thinking about it.” Seeing Ji Jingyuan’s straightforwardness, Li Xiuman also smiled and agreed. He waved his hand casually: "It hasn't been decided yet, Jingyuan, you can consider what plans you have, or what appropriate songs you can provide. If it's beneficial to the company and the group, I will adopt your opinion. However, if we want to release it in December, this matter needs to be finalized within these two days."

"By the way, you should check out the song "December 2014" in the music room sometime. I'll let them know you're coming."

"Understood, Teacher Li Xiuman. I will consider it."

Compared to the regular second issue next year, the winter special edition seems less important, but Park Ji-young doesn't want to treat fans too carelessly.

After seeing the various comments from online fans, he felt quite down. He thought that even if he released a song, he should take it seriously and at least express his current feelings and attitude through it.

"Well, I'm quite looking forward to your performance in the future..." Lee Xiu Man smiled and looked at him with a kind expression, offering a comforting word: "Filming must be tiring, you really worked hard."

"Thank you, Kang Sang-mi." Ji Jingyuan also smiled and returned the greeting.

Towards the end of the conversation, as if they had finished discussing the main points, Lee Xiu-man casually mentioned some family matters before suddenly bringing up the last summer vacation member of EXO:

By the way, what do you think about y's thing

He pushed his glasses up the bridge of his nose, his small eyes gleaming as he looked at Chi Jingyuan, seemingly wanting to hear the other's opinion for reference.

"If that were the case...

On this topic, Ji Jingyuan fell silent for a while.

Now, everyone pretty much knows deep down that it's only a matter of time before y leaves too, after han and tao have already departed. If tao follows the same path as han and continues to improve and do well, this departure might happen sooner rather than later.

He considered it for a long time, and finally let out a sigh from the bottom of his heart. He looked up at Lee Hyo-ri and said, "I think it's best to get all the bad things out at once, even if it might be a big blow to us and our fans. At least there will be no hidden dangers afterwards. We can try our best next time we come back and it is possible to fill all the holes from before. But if we run one today, one tomorrow, and maybe another one in a few days or at the next comeback... then..."

He spread his hands and didn't finish speaking, but Lee Soo-man clearly understood his meaning. She also seemed to agree, gently nodding in acknowledgement and making a promise: “I’ll consider it.”

…………

After chatting with Lee Hyo-ri for a long time, Ji Chang Wook presented several ideas and received several assignments before leaving her office. He got into the chauffeured car and headed to the set of the drama at Seoul Plaza.

Today's been one thing after another. After tao's departure from the group, we now have to deal with next year's comeback and the winter special. All of this involves pool kyeongwon.

But whether it's Lee Soo-man or s, they really value him. This level of involvement is something the other members wouldn't dare imagine at this time.

So Chi Jingyuan also felt that the task on his shoulders was quite heavy and needed to be carefully considered what kind of charter it should be.

Although our company has a lot going on, as the male lead, his filming schedule is definitely a priority. "The Untamed" has been very successful, and he wouldn't want to affect the crew or himself because of this.

After rushing back in the afternoon, Chi Jingyuan worked until after 10 p.m. before leaving the film set and returning to the company.

The filming progress in the past few days has been very fast, and the accumulated amount has gradually increased. The end time has been advanced relatively speaking.

And Jin Yuanxi might have known that Chi Jingyuan had been busy lately, so he specially moved the male lead's scenes forward to focus on shooting, allowing Chi Jingyuan to finish work earlier.

And he was indeed very well taken care of. Ji Jingyuan's heart was also quite grateful to him.

After returning to the company, he went straight to the music room. He had already made some private preparations for next year's comeback before this, and this time he needed to organize and improve the materials he had prepared earlier. He worked overtime these days to write a project proposal and submit it to the company.

He already had some ideas and drafts for next year's regular second edition.

It wasn't until close to dawn that Chi Jingyuan stretched and tidied up the music room, preparing to head back to the dormitory. He had an early call time on set tomorrow, so he needed to ensure enough rest for efficiency.

After putting on his backpack and closing the door, he got into the elevator to go downstairs. Just as the elevator started to descend one floor, it stopped at the third floor.

With a ‘ding’, the elevator door opened. Chi Jingyuan looked out in some surprise. At this time, a familiar figure stood outside, bowing their head. After hearing the sound of the opening door, they also raised their head and met his gaze.

First release on Chinese Novel Network in Gangnam District.Before EXO gained any recognition, and this comeback didn't exactly make a splash either. During their stage performance, Ji-Seung could clearly see that many in the audience had...