53: Chapter 54 Banned from Music Stage

Apgujeong, Yunmengze Building.

Qian Xu stood at the doorway of the meeting room.

He watched the backs of the six people as they left.

Jeon Bo-ram turned back and smiled at him.

He smiled back.

His phone vibrated once.

It was a message from Ham Eun-jung.

"Mr. Qian, the representatives from the three major networks are coming to the company tomorrow morning."

"To discuss the application for music show stages."

Qian Xu replied.

"Okay, I will attend."

The next day, nine in the morning.

Yunmengze Building, meeting room.

Qian Xu walked in.

Representative Kim was already inside.

Ham Eun-jung sat beside him.

She was wearing a black formal suit.

Her expression was serious.

"Mr. Qian, they have arrived."

Representative Kim stood up.

"They are waiting downstairs."

"Let them come up."

A few minutes later.

Three men walked into the meeting room.

They were all men in their forties.

They were wearing suits.

Their expressions were cold.

The man walking in front.

Wore gold-rimmed glasses.

He introduced himself.

"I am Park Jung-soo, the PD of KBS Music Bank."

"I am Lee Dong-wook, the PD of SBS Inkigayo."

"I am Kim Tae-ho, the PD of MBC Music Core."

Qian Xu nodded.

"Please, sit."

The three men sat down.

The atmosphere in the meeting room was somewhat oppressive.

Ham Eun-jung sat up straight.

Representative Kim opened a folder.

"Three PDs, we at Yunmengze Entertainment."

"Are formally applying to the three major networks."

"For T-ARA's comeback stages."

"The time is set for mid-May."

Park Jung-soo pushed up his glasses.

"Representative Kim, we have received the application."

"But after discussion."

"KBS has decided to reject it."

The meeting room went quiet.

Ham Eun-jung was stunned.

"Rejected?"

"Why?"

"T-ARA hasn't been active for six years."

Park Jung-soo's tone was flat.

"KBS believes."

"Their market appeal is insufficient."

"It is not worth giving them a music show stage."

Ham Eun-jung clenched her fists.

"Market appeal is insufficient?"

"T-ARA has a huge number of fans in China."

"The Chinese single has already been produced."

"Exclusively licensed by Tencent Music."

"Is this not enough?"

Lee Dong-wook shook his head.

"Ms. Eun-jung, we understand how you feel."

"But SBS has also decided to reject it."

"The reason is the same."

"Insufficient market appeal."

Ham Eun-jung stood up.

"You..."

"Ms. Eun-jung."

Qian Xu spoke up.

His voice was very calm.

"Sit down."

Ham Eun-jung was taken aback.

She looked at Qian Xu.

"Mr. Qian..."

"Sit down."

Qian Xu repeated it.

Ham Eun-jung bit her lip.

She sat down.

Qian Xu looked at the three PDs.

"Three gentlemen."

"Can you tell me the real reason?"

Park Jung-soo was stunned for a moment.

"What?"

"The real reason."

Qian Xu smiled.

"Insufficient market appeal."

"This reason is too perfunctory."

"T-ARA at their peak."

"Were a top-tier Korean girl group."

"'Roly-Poly' won nine consecutive crowns on Music Bank."

"'Lovey-Dovey' won eight consecutive crowns."

"With such achievements."

"You say their market appeal is insufficient?"

The meeting room was silent.

The three PDs looked at each other.

Kim Tae-ho spoke up.

"Mr. Qian, since you asked."

"Then I will be straightforward."

"It is not a matter of market appeal."

"It is a political issue."

Qian Xu raised an eyebrow.

"A political issue?"

"Yes."

Kim Tae-ho looked at him.

"T-ARA is going to sing Chinese songs."

"They are going to hold concerts in China."

"This does not align with the interests of the Korean entertainment industry."

"KBS, SBS, and MBC."

"The three major networks have reached a consensus."

"We will not give T-ARA any music show stages."

Ham Eun-jung's face turned pale.

"You..."

"This is a ban."

"Yes."

Park Jung-soo nodded.

"It is indeed a ban."

"T-ARA was blacklisted by the entire internet back then."

"It was forced by you."

"Now they want to make a comeback."

"And you still want to ban them?"

Ham Eun-jung's voice trembled.

"Why?"

"Because they want to sing Chinese songs."

Lee Dong-wook's tone was cold.

"A Korean girl group singing Chinese songs."

"Going to China to hold concerts."

"This is betrayal."

"Betrayal of the Korean entertainment industry."

Ham Eun-jung stood up.

She slapped the table.

"Betrayal?!"

"How much has T-ARA sacrificed for the Korean entertainment industry?!"

"Ten years!"

"A full ten years!"

"When we were blacklisted by the whole internet."

"The company didn't care about us."

"The media didn't care about us."

"The fans didn't care about us."

"Only the Chinese fans."

"Have always been supporting us!"

Her eyes turned red.

Her voice choked with emotion.

"Now we want to make a comeback."

"We want to sing Chinese songs."

"We want to go to China to hold concerts."

"And you call this betrayal?!"

"Based on what?!"

In the meeting room.

Everyone was quiet.

The three PDs lowered their heads.

They did not speak.

Qian Xu stood up.

He walked to Ham Eun-jung's side.

He patted her shoulder.

"Ms. Eun-jung."

"Calm down."

Ham Eun-jung took a deep breath.

She wiped away her tears.

"I'm sorry."

"I lost my composure."

"It's okay."

Qian Xu smiled.

He turned to look at the three PDs.

"Three gentlemen."

"I understand what you mean."

"The three major networks will not give T-ARA a music show stage."

"Is that right?"

Park Jung-soo nodded.

"Yes."

"Good."

Qian Xu nodded.

"Then that will be all."

"The three of you can leave now."

The three PDs were stunned.

"Just like that?"

"Yes."

Qian Xu smiled.

"Aren't you angry?"

"No, I'm not angry."

"Aren't you going to resist?"

"No resistance."

Qian Xu looked at them.

"Because I know."

"It's useless to be angry with you."

"It's useless to resist you."

"You are just executors."

"Not decision-makers."

He paused.

"Go back and tell the people above you."

"T-ARA will make a comeback."

"And they will succeed."

"When that time comes."

"I hope you won't regret it."

The three PDs looked at each other.

They stood up.

They walked out of the meeting room.

The door closed.

In the meeting room.

Only Qian Xu, Representative Kim, and Ham Eun-jung remained.

Ham Eun-jung sat in her chair.

Lowering her head.

Her shoulders were trembling.

She was crying.

"Ms. Eun-jung."

Qian Xu squatted down.

He looked at her.

"Don't cry."

"But..."

Ham Eun-jung looked up.

Tears flowed down her cheeks.

"Without a music show stage."

"How can T-ARA make a comeback?"

"How can we let the Korean public see us?"

Qian Xu looked at her.

"Who said that without a music show stage."

"You can't make a comeback?"

Ham Eun-jung was stunned.

"What?"

"The music show stage."

Qian Xu stood up.

"Is just one of the promotional channels."

"It is not the only channel."

"If the three major networks won't give us a stage."

"Then we will build our own stage."

Ham Eun-jung was stunned.

"Build our own stage?"

"Yes."

Qian Xu walked to the window.

He looked at Seoul outside the window.

"Hongdae."

"There are many Livehouses."

"Rent a venue."

"Do a T-ARA exclusive comeback show."

"It's freer than a music show stage."

"Sing whatever you want to sing."

"Dance whatever you want to dance."

Ham Eun-jung was stunned.

"A Livehouse?"

"Yes."

Qian Xu turned back to look at her.

"A Korean girl group holding a comeback show in a Livehouse."

"There is no precedent."

"But we can create a precedent."

"The three major networks are banning us."

"We will walk our own path."

"Let the fans come to the venue."

"Let the fans spread it on the internet."

"It will be more effective than a music show stage."

Ham Eun-jung stood up.

Her eyes lit up.

"Mr. Qian..."

"Are you really going to do this?"

"Really."

Qian Xu smiled.

"T-ARA's comeback."

"Will not stop."

"Because of the three major networks' ban."

"On the contrary."

"The ban will only make us stronger."

Ham Eun-jung looked at him.

Tears fell again.

But this time, they were happy tears.

"Mr. Qian."

"Thank you."

"You're welcome."

Qian Xu smiled.

"Go back and tell the members."

"Prepare for the comeback show."

"Okay."

Ham Eun-jung nodded vigorously.

"I'll go right now."

She walked out of the meeting room.

Her steps were much lighter.

In the meeting room.

Only Qian Xu and Representative Kim remained.

"Mr. Qian."

Representative Kim spoke up.

"A Livehouse comeback show."

"This plan is feasible."

"But it takes time to prepare."

"How long?"

"Two weeks."

Representative Kim thought for a moment.

"Venue, sound, lighting, promotion."

"Two weeks time."

"Is enough."

"Good."

Qian Xu nodded.

"Then in two weeks."

"Hongdae Livehouse."

"T-ARA comeback show."

"Increase the budget to 500 million won."

"If we're going to do it, we'll do it the best."

"Okay."

Representative Kim nodded.

"I'll go and arrange it right now."

Representative Kim walked out of the meeting room.

Qian Xu stood by the window.

He looked at Seoul outside the window.

The sunlight was very nice.

The leaves of the plane trees were rustling.

He remembered what the three PDs had said just now.

"Political issue."

"Ban."

"Betrayal."

He smiled.

A ban?

In the Korean entertainment industry.

The three major networks do have a lot of say.

But Qian Xu is not Korean.

He is Chinese.

His stage.

Is not just in Korea.

His phone vibrated once.

It was a system notification.

[Korea's favorability towards China: 27.5%]

He was stunned for a moment.

It went up again?

He clicked on the details.

A line of text popped up on the screen.

[Cultural output event: T-ARA's comeback plan obstructed]

[Influence: +0.1%]

[System prompt: A ban will not stop cultural output]

[Instead, it will attract more attention]

Qian Xu smiled.

Even the system says so.

He put away his phone.

He looked at Seoul outside the window.

The three major networks are banning T-ARA.

Thinking they can stop their comeback.

But they were wrong.

T-ARA will not stop.

Yunmengze will not stop.

Cultural output will not stop.

He smiled.

He turned and walked out of the meeting room.

Laughter could be heard from downstairs.

It was the members of T-ARA.

In the practice room.

The singing drifted up.

It was the chorus of "restart".

Over and over again.

He stood at the top of the stairs.

Listening.

He smiled.

A ban?

Bring it on.

We are not afraid.