106: Chapter 105 Chicken Baby Chihuahua

Just then, the inner door of TG Entertainment opened, and Jiang Zhiyu's assistant walked out quickly with a warm smile on his face: "Wonyoung-xi, Eunbi-xi, Yena-xi, you're here! President Jiang is already waiting for you in the conference room. Please follow me."

Jang Wonyoung's body stiffened almost imperceptibly as she took a deep breath, as if she were about to step onto a battlefield. She glanced at the two Unnies beside her, then at the "fateful bottle of mineral water" in her arms. Finally, with the posture of a martyr, she took a step forward.

"Let's go." Her voice was barely audible, but her determination (or perhaps resignation) was clearly discernible.

Led by the assistant, the group walked toward the interior of TG Entertainment, heading for the conference room where Jiang Zhiyu's "brilliant idea" was said to be hidden.

Kwon Eunbi and Choi Yena exchanged glances, feeling both worried about the maknae's state and curious about the soon-to-be-revealed "new idea." Meanwhile, the Manager stayed behind, rubbing his nose and secretly thanking his lucky stars that he didn't have to go shout slogans in Myeong-dong. At the same time, he silently lit a candle for Jang Wonyoung in his heart—this child's "Jiang Zhiyu PTSD" seemed to be in its late stages.

At the end of the hallway, the conference room door was slightly ajar. From inside came the faint sound of Jiang Zhiyu humming an out-of-tune tune and the "shasha" scratching of a whiteboard marker.

Jang Wonyoung's pace slowed even further.

A meeting concerning the fate of the "star spring messenger" (and the bottom line of Jang Wonyoung's sense of shame) was about to begin. Jang Wonyoung's little expression of "facing death with equanimity" undoubtedly added a touch of tragic yet adorable comedic color to the meeting.

Jang Wonyoung practically scraped against the wall as she shuffled to the conference room door. Kwon Eunbi and Choi Yena were on her left and right, acting as both escorts and guards. The assistant pushed open the door and made a "please" gesture.

Inside the conference room, Jiang Zhiyu had his back to the door, scribbling on the whiteboard. It appeared to be some rough storyboard sketches and keywords: "Star Spring," "Purification," "Interaction," "Health," "Smile"... Next to them was a bright, smiling promotional photo of Jang Wonyoung for a mineral water brand (not the Orion version) that she had taken previously.

Hearing the door open, Jiang Zhiyu turned around. When he saw the three people standing at the door, he was clearly stunned for a moment.

Jang Wonyoung was fully armed with a wary gaze, looking as if she were ready to turn and run at any moment. Kwon Eunbi had a helpless yet inquisitive expression, and Choi Yena was looking around curiously... This combination was clearly beyond his expectations.

But who was Jiang Zhiyu? A smile even more radiant than the sunlight outside instantly blossomed on his face. It was warm, sincere, and even carried a hint of being "pleasantly surprised."

"Oh! Wonyoung-ah!" He took a few steps forward to greet them, his gaze first landing on Jang Wonyoung, who was holding the water bottle like a startled fawn. His tone was one of undisguised surprise, "You... you've given me a huge surprise!"

Jang Wonyoung/Kwon Eunbi/Choi Yena: "...???!!!"

The three of them were simultaneously dazed. Surprise? What surprise? Was bringing two bodyguards (?) a surprise? Jang Wonyoung even took a wary half-step back, suspecting this was a new confusing tactic from Jiang Zhiyu.

Jiang Zhiyu, however, seemed completely immersed in his own interpretation. He clapped his hands and said excitedly, "I was just thinking about how to better showcase the teamwork and purification theme of the 'star spring messenger,' and then you brought Eunbi-xi and Yena-xi! This is simply divine providence! The perfect prototype for a 'Star Spring Squad'!"

As he spoke, he motioned for the three of them to come in and sit down. His gaze swept over the water bottle in Wonyoung's arms, and his smile deepened: "You even brought a sample! Excellent! It seems we are of one mind!"

Jang Wonyoung's inner monologue: Who is of one mind with you! I was forced! And what on earth is a "Star Spring Squad"?!

Once the three of them sat down somewhat apprehensively (Wonyoung chose the seat furthest from Jiang Zhiyu and closest to the door), Jiang Zhiyu reined in some of his overly exuberant emotions, though the sparkle in his eyes remained brilliant. He returned to the whiteboard, cleared his throat, and began to explain the brilliant idea that had "flashed into his mind while showering."

"First, regarding the 'star spring messenger' Jang Wonyoung's storyline in 'twelve star envoys' and our deep cooperation with the XX mineral water brand," Jiang Zhiyu circled the words "Star Spring" and "Mineral Water" with a marker. "I have conceived a composite plan that can reflect the fun of the show, showcase the members' charms, and perfectly convey the brand's core values!"

He switched the PPT. The first page showed some joyful water-spraying shots from the "squirtle water gun battle" (deliberately avoiding the awkward footage of Im Yoona and Jiang Zhiyu pranking each other).

"The inspiration partially comes from our previously successful 'squirtle water gun battle'," Jiang Zhiyu said. Seeing Wonyoung's body visibly stiffen, he immediately added, "Of course! Not that 'mouth-spouting' mode! That's too unhygienic and completely inconsistent with our mineral water's 'pure and healthy' positioning!"

He placed heavy emphasis on "hygienic" and "healthy."

"What we are borrowing is its essence of joy, competition, and teamwork." He flipped to the next page, showing a sketch for a brand-new game setting: a shooting range designed with a starry sky theme. The bullseyes were shimmering constellation patterns, and next to them were beautifully designed special water guns that looked like star scepters. The water tanks of the guns were transparent, with clear mineral water sloshing inside.

"We will design a 'Starlight Shooting Range' segment. Wonyoung, as the 'star spring messenger,' can lead her squad members—like Eunbi-xi and Yena-xi," Jiang Zhiyu nodded toward Kwon Eunbi and Choi Yena, "using these special water guns filled with the designated brand of mineral water to engage in an elegant, precise, and fun target shooting game!"

"The rules could involve hitting constellation targets at different distances and scores within a time limit, or a team relay to complete a pattern drawing. The key is—it's safe, clean, and looks good! What the water guns fire will no longer be saliva, but crystal-clear mineral water that will refract beautiful light under the lamps, creating a very beautiful visual. This can intuitively convey the 'pure and clear' physical characteristics of the mineral water."

As Kwon Eunbi and Choi Yena listened, their eyes gradually lit up. This sounded... actually quite fun? And it wasn't as terrifying as Wonyoung had described.

Wonyoung, however, still had her brows furrowed. She felt that things wouldn't be this simple.

Sure enough, Jiang Zhiyu continued: "But this is only part of the variety show segment. As part of our deep cooperation, we will simultaneously move forward with a high-quality mineral water advertisement filming plan."

He pulled up several exquisite scene concept drawings: by a clear spring in the forest at dawn, a picnic on the grass under the sun, a replenishment moment after exercise... the visuals were fresh and natural.

"The core appeal of the advertisement is very clear, consisting of three phrases: a sweet smile, a healthy body, and the feeling of a bright mountain spring." Jiang Zhiyu pointed at Jang Wonyoung, "Wonyoung-xi, you will be the absolute protagonist. In different natural settings, you will showcase your most infectious sweet smile and vibrant healthy physique, drinking our mineral water to convey a brand image of 'natural, healthy, and pleasant.' I've even thought of the ad copy—"

He imitated an advertisement announcer's voice, saying in a gentle yet powerful tone:

"A sweet smile, a healthy body, XX Mineral Water gives you the feeling of a bright mountain spring~"

He even added a cute expression at the end.

It sounded... very normal, one could even say it was a very high-quality advertisement plan that fit Jang Wonyoung's image perfectly. Kwon Eunbi and Choi Yena couldn't help but nod, feeling that this cooperation was indeed very good.

Jang Wonyoung was also starting to waver. Could it be... that this time it really was a proper, good thing? Had she misjudged him?

However, none of them saw the almost imperceptible arc, a mixture of smugness and prankish excitement, that quickly flashed across the corner of Jiang Zhiyu's mouth as he turned to operate the computer and switch to the next PPT slide.

In his mind, a completely different script was playing out:

'Heh heh heh... Pure and healthy mineral water? A sweet smile? That's just the surface!'

'My true core inspiration is—'

'The Aquarius Transformation Device!'

'Imagine! At a critical moment in the show, Wonyoung picks up that special, shimmering bottle of mineral water. Instead of drinking it, she holds it high above her head like a Sailor Moon transformation brooch and shouts: "Star Spring Power, Transform!" Or something even more chunibyo like: "In the name of aquarius, purify the stars!"'

'Then, after a flash of special effect lights, the clothes on her body instantly turn into a set inspired by the streamlined design of a mineral water bottle, merging water droplets and star elements—a gorgeous yet futuristic Sailor Moon Aquarius Mineral Water Battle Suit!'

'The battle suit's color scheme will use the transparent blue of spring water and the brand's logo colors! The weapon will be that star spring water gun that can fire "Purifying Starlight Water Bullets"!'

'The advertisement can also intersperse these moments of "power awakening," hinting that this mineral water isn't ordinary water, but holy water that grants power to the "star spring messenger"!'

'As for Eunbi and Yena? They can be "Assistant Star Officers," also with relatively simplified "Aquarius Battle Suits" (if the sponsor pays more), focusing on a team transformation!'

'Ah! Just thinking about it gets my blood pumping! This is the ultimate form that perfectly integrates variety shows, advertisements, role-playing, and IZ*ONE's charm!'

Of course, Jiang Zhiyu would absolutely not speak this shocking (and extremely embarrassing) "inner theater" aloud during the first formal meeting. He needed to first get them to accept the "safe" shell of the "Starlight Shooting Range" and the "fresh advertisement."

Thus, the next PPT slide he switched to was merely a more exquisite conceptual rendering of the "Starlight Shooting Range" and a draft schedule for the advertisement filming.

He turned around, his face still wearing that professional, enthusiastic, and harmless smile as he looked at the three people with their varying expressions, especially at Jang Wonyoung, whose eyes showed slightly less vigilance but more confusion:

"How about it? Wonyoung, Eunbi-xi, Yena-xi, are you satisfied with the preliminary idea of combining the 'Starlight Shooting Range' with the 'health advertisement'? Do you have any questions or better suggestions?"

The more sincerely he smiled, the more the rhapsody in his heart about the 'Aquarius Transformation Device' and 'Mineral Water Battle Suit' surged with excitement.

Jang Wonyoung looked at the 'normal' proposal in front of her, then at Jiang Zhiyu's 'sincere' smile, momentarily falling into a state of immense confusion.

This Producer... which side of him is the real one?

Jang Wonyoung's suspicious gaze scanned back and forth like a searchlight between Jiang Zhiyu's 'sincere' smile and the 'normal' proposal. A mineral water advertisement sounded fine, and the Starlight Shooting Range sounded okay too... but considering this Producer's consistent 'criminal record' and the occasional flash of unnameable brilliance in his eyes, she always felt there was an iceberg hidden beneath the surface.

Jiang Zhiyu keenly captured Jang Wonyoung's doubts. He slightly restrained his overly outward enthusiasm, leaned forward a bit, and looked directly at Jang Wonyoung with a focused gaze. In those eyes that were usually filled with smiles or calculations, a rare kind of earnestness bordering on pleading now flowed, as if silently transmitting a message through his eyes:

'Please, you must believe me! This time it's really a win-win situation! Please!'

This look was too deceptive. Coupled with the proposal that indeed sounded reliable just now, the scales in Jang Wonyoung's heart began to tilt. Maybe... she really was 'once bitten, twice shy'? Maybe this time Producer Jiang really had turned over a new leaf?

She bit her lower lip, and under the slightly encouraging gazes of Kwon Eunbi and Choi Yena, she finally gave an extremely slight nod and said in a voice as faint as a mosquito's buzz:

"...Al...right."

There was still a hint of imperceptible hesitation in her voice, but she had finally relented.

"Great!" Jiang Zhiyu clapped his hands. His face instantly cleared up, and his smile became even more brilliant, as if he had conquered the most difficult level. He immediately shifted his attention away from Jang Wonyoung and toward the leader, Kwon Eunbi, who had been maintaining a steady, observant attitude.

"So, next is the part regarding Eunbi-xi!" Jiang Zhiyu's tone became passionate again, as if he had opened a new treasure trove of inspiration. He stroked his chin, looking Kwon Eunbi up and down, his eyes like he was evaluating some rare treasure (or rather, 'material' to be developed).

"As the leader of IZ*ONE, Eunbi-xi's leadership, sense of responsibility, and that Unnie aura of taking care of everyone are very prominent!" As Jiang Zhiyu spoke, he wrote keywords like 'Kwon Eunbi', 'Leadership', and 'Command' on the whiteboard.

"Such traits naturally bring to mind a certain zodiac symbol—" He deliberately elongated his tone and drew a heavy sketch of a lion's head with a marker.

"leo!"

Kwon Eunbi was stunned for a moment. She didn't have any particular knowledge of horoscopes, but leo certainly sounded quite imposing.

"leo: kingly style, open and upright, full of power and passion!" Jiang Zhiyu grew more excited as he spoke, quickly sketching beside the lion's head. "So, as the leo representative among the 'Star Envoys', what kind of 'Star Power' or exclusive combat style should Eunbi-xi have?"

He was completely immersed in his own conception and didn't notice that Choi Yena's expression beside him had become subtle.

"Lion... Charge Duck (Punch)! Yes! It must have that momentum of charging forward and tearing through the darkness!" Jiang Zhiyu suddenly clenched his fist, his eyes shining. "Therefore, Eunbi-xi's exclusive move can be named—Lion Charge Duck Punch!"

"Pfft—!" Choi Yena, who was drinking water, choked immediately and began to cough violently.

"Charge... Charge Duck Punch???" Choi Yena's face turned red from coughing as she repeated it in disbelief. Why did this name sound... weird? And, 'Duck'?

Kwon Eunbi also looked dazed: "Lion Charge Duck... Punch?"

"Exactly!" Jiang Zhiyu didn't seem to think anything was wrong at all. He even stood up and struck a slightly exaggerated but powerful uppercut pose, exerting force from his waist and swinging his arm upward, even adding sound effects. "Ha! Just like this! Condense the power of the stars, gather it in your fist, and strike like a brave lion! It can also be called—Lion Charge Duck!"

Maintaining that pose, he turned to Kwon Eunbi and explained seriously: "Imagine, in the show, when you lead the team and encounter an obstacle that's hard to break through, or when you need to show your leadership and settle the situation with one blow, you can strike this pose—"

He demonstrated again, the movement even more standard (and chuunibyou). He took a deep breath and then shouted forcefully:

"Li—on—Charge—Duck—Punch—!!!"

After shouting, he maintained the frozen punch pose, looking at Kwon Eunbi with piercing eyes, as if saying: Look, how cool! How imposing!

An eerie silence fell over the meeting room.

Kwon Eunbi's expression went from dazed to shocked, and from shocked to... a complex look of wanting to laugh but being too embarrassed to, while also feeling it was incredibly absurd. Lion... Charge Duck Punch? And she had to shout it out? This...

Choi Yena was already holding back laughter so hard her shoulders were shaking wildly, her face buried in the crook of her arm. She finally understood where that 'Duck' came from! It was 'Charge Duck'! It was her nickname 'Duck'! (Choi Yena's Korean nickname 'Duck' comes from her name's pronunciation). Producer Jiang was clearly dragging her into the mess too! This move's name was a total pun! What 'Lion Charge Duck', it was clearly 'Lion Charges (Choi Yena)'!

As for Jang Wonyoung...

Jang Wonyoung looked at Jiang Zhiyu's serious explanation of the chuunibyou move, then at her eldest Unnie Kwon Eunbi's face which looked like she'd been struck by lightning. The last sliver of fantasy in her heart that Jiang Zhiyu 'might have changed for the better' completely shattered.

Sure enough! He was still the same person! That 'Devil Producer' who could always come up with ideas that made one's toes curl with embarrassment!

But... for some reason, the 'victim' this time wasn't her, but the usually steady and reliable eldest Unnie, Kwon Eunbi...

The corners of Jang Wonyoung's mouth began to curl upward uncontrollably and extremely slightly. A complex mix of 'I knew it' sorrow, 'fellow sufferer' pity, and... an irrepressible hint of schadenfreude at seeing someone else about to fall into a pit (especially the Unnie who usually looked after her) intertwined on her beautiful little face.

The look she gave Kwon Eunbi was full of sorrow and pity (with hidden laughter), as if saying: Unnie, welcome to Producer Jiang Zhi Yu's 'creative world'. Now, do you understand how I feel?

Kwon Eunbi received Jang Wonyoung's gaze. Combined with the maknae's previous fear of Jiang Zhiyu, she instantly felt a chill rise from the soles of her feet. She seemed to... somewhat understand why Wonyoung was so afraid of him.

This 'Lion Charge Duck Punch'... did she really have to strike that pose and shout that slogan in public?

Kwon Eunbi, the reliable leader of IZ*ONE, was now also plunged into deep concern for her career (and personal image).

Meanwhile, the instigator, Jiang Zhiyu, was still immersed in his 'brilliant' idea, asking enthusiastically: "How about it? Eunbi-xi, are you satisfied with this exclusive setting? We can hire a martial arts director to design it to be even cooler! Oh right, we might also need a 'Leo Battle Suit' to go with the move. Hmm... how about gold and red as the main colors?"

Kwon Eunbi: "..."

She now only wanted to take back her earlier evaluation of Jiang Zhiyu being 'professional and reliable'.

The air in the meeting room was thick with Kwon Eunbi's despair, Choi Yena's suppressed laughter, Jang Wonyoung's complex gaze, and Jiang Zhiyu's oblivious, even rising, creative passion.

The 'special' project of 'twelve star envoys' had only just revealed a tip of the iceberg. And the members of IZ*ONE had already begun to foresee the widespread 'shame' and 'comedic effects' during future filming.

Seeing Kwon Eunbi's blank-eyed look, as if her worldview had been impacted, Jiang Zhiyu didn't feel anything was wrong. Instead, he put his hands on his hips, tilted his head back slightly, and a look of extreme self-satisfaction mixed with 'post-inspiration intoxication' appeared on his face, as if silently screaming: 'How can I be so awesome! To come up with such a brilliant idea like the Lion Charge Duck Punch that perfectly blends character traits and member gags!'

He even subconsciously straightened his shirt collar, which was already quite neat.

Kwon Eunbi swallowed hard and muttered in a barely audible voice, almost to herself: "Is it... too late... to breach the contract?"

Although her voice was small, Jiang Zhiyu's ears were sharp, and he caught it immediately. He instantly withdrew his narcissistic expression and switched to a slightly hurt and serious tone: "Eunbi-xi! What kind of talk is that! Our project is a high-quality plan where everyone wins. Breaching the contract requires paying a high penalty! Besides, I believe that after the show airs, everyone will definitely fall in love with the 'Lion Charge Duck Punch'! This is your unique highlight memory point!"

Kwon Eunbi: "..." (Highlight? More like 'high heat', the kind of 'heat' that makes your scalp tingle and your toes curl.)

Jiang Zhiyu didn't give Kwon Eunbi any more time to 'regret'. He quickly turned his gaze to the next 'victim'—Choi Yena, who had transitioned from suppressing laughter to curious observation.

"Next is Yena-xi!" Jiang Zhiyu rubbed his hands together, his eyes scanning Choi Yena's beautiful face that was always full of energy and a bit of boyish charm.