107: Chapter 106 Digging In

Choi Yena's nickname was "Duck" (due to a similar pronunciation). She was lively, cheerful, athletic, and sometimes a bit mischievous. Jiang Zhiyu stroked his chin, pondering for a moment before his eyes lit up.

"Hmm... for Yena-xi, pisces would definitely be the most suitable!"

"pisces?" Choi Yena blinked. She didn't have any particular like or dislike for that constellation; instead, she thought two fish were quite cute. "Oh~ that's not bad ˙ᗜ˙" She flashed a bright smile, not yet realizing the gravity of the situation.

"Right, right!" Seeing that she didn't object, Jiang Zhiyu became even more enthusiastic. He began to gesticulate wildly as he described the vision in his head. "pisces, two fish! It symbolizes flexibility, changeability, imagination, and a bit of romance! It's perfect for Yena-xi's multifaceted charm!"

Sounds pretty normal? Kwon Eunbi and Jang Wonyoung breathed a small sigh of relief.

But Jiang Zhiyu's next words caused them to hold their breath again instantly.

"In my imagination, the manifestation of pisces' ability..." Jiang Zhiyu narrowed his eyes, as if staring at an illusion in the void. His tone became ethereal and... full of vivid imagery. "It should be... two fish spinning around, and then—'pop'—they jump onto the shore!"

Kwon Eunbi/Jang Wonyoung/Manager: "Jump... jump onto the shore???"

How did this description sound... not quite right?

Choi Yena's smile also stiffened for a moment.

Jiang Zhiyu didn't notice the subtle changes in everyone's expressions at all. He was already immersed in his detailed (and bizarre) concept. His speech quickened, and his gestures became more specific.

"Yes! After jumping onto the shore, first, you have to use a wooden stick to knock them out with a 'bang'!" He made a swinging motion as if hitting something with a club.

"Then, while they're dizzy, quickly descale them! Swish, swish, swish!" His fingers simulated the action of scraping scales.

"Next, from the belly here, 'slash'—make a cut and neatly pull out the internal organs and everything!" He made a slicing motion with his hand, then a scooping motion.

"After cleaning it, carve several beautiful cross-hatched patterns on the fish to help the flavor penetrate."

"At this point, it's time to prepare the marinade! Cooking wine to remove the fishy smell, garlic for aroma, chili for heat, and ginger to warm the stomach..." He listed the ingredients as if he were actually in a kitchen.

The temperature in the conference room plummeted.

The smiles on the faces of Kwon Eunbi, Jang Wonyoung, Choi Yena, and even the Manager disappeared completely. They were replaced by shock, bewilderment, and a kind of fear that said, 'What on earth is this guy talking about?'

Was he describing a constellation ability... or explaining a grilled fish recipe?!

Jiang Zhiyu, however, became more and more invested, even subconsciously swallowing his saliva as if he could already smell the aroma of grilled fish.

"Marinate for about thirty minutes to let the flavors fully soak in."

"Then, put the fish on the grill. The charcoal fire must be strong! While grilling, turn it slowly to ensure even heating..."

"When the skin is slightly charred and golden, and starts to 'sizzle' with oil, use a small brush to lightly apply a layer of sesame oil. Sprinkle on some bright green scallions, fiery red chili powder, and the soul of it all—cumin powder..."

"Grill it for a bit longer until the aroma completely explodes. The fish meat will be crispy on the outside and tender on the inside, then you can..."

"Pre... President Jiang—???" Kwon Eunbi finally couldn't take it anymore. Her voice trembled with disbelief as she interrupted Jiang Zhiyu's increasingly specific and off-topic "grilled fish tutorial."

Jang Wonyoung had already covered her face with her hands, a look of despair showing through the gaps in her fingers. Choi Yena was dumbstruck, completely petrified.

Jiang Zhiyu, being interrupted, suddenly snapped back to reality. Seeing everyone's "seen a ghost" expressions, he realized he might have... strayed a bit far from the topic?

"Ah! Sorry, sorry!" He quickly patted his cheeks, trying to dispel the fragrant grilled fish from his mind. He wore an awkward but polite (and attempting to play it off) goofy smile. "Hehe, speaking of fish... I got a little hungry. My apologies, my apologies."

He gave two dry coughs and tried to pull the topic back.

"Ahem, let's get back to the main point! That... the grilled fish meat... ah, no!"

He almost slipped up again and quickly corrected himself.

"It's pisces! The characteristics of pisces are being lively, agile, and elusive! My, being lively is great!"

To emphasize the benefits of being "lively," he blurted out an extremely bizarre metaphor.

"The meat is chewy! („• ֊ •„)੭"

After saying that, he subconsciously made a chewing motion as if savoring the texture of the imagined grilled fish.

The conference room fell into a deathly silence.

Kwon Eunbi, Jang Wonyoung, and Choi Yena seemed to have had their pause buttons pressed. Their pupils shook, and their brains were overloaded.

Lively = Chewy meat???

What kind of logic was this???

The Manager had already silently taken half a step back, seriously considering whether to suggest the company re-evaluate the risks of cooperating with TG Entertainment. Was there something really wrong with this President Jiang's head?

Looking at everyone's completely petrified expressions, Jiang Zhiyu finally realized in hindsight that he seemed to have... messed up again?

He scratched his head, trying to salvage the situation. "That... what I mean is, Yena-xi's lively energy is full of vitality just like fresh fish meat(?). She'll have great 'elasticity' and 'explosive power' in the show! Yes! That's it! We can design some water(?)-related segments that require quick reactions and physical coordination to reflect this!"

He tried hard to pull the topic back to "water" and "lively," but that shocking "grilled fish theory" from earlier was already deeply etched into the minds of everyone present.

Choi Yena's mood at this moment was complicated to the extreme. She finally fully understood Jang Wonyoung's previous fear and Kwon Eunbi's recent despair. This PD Jiang's "creativity" was simply not within the realm of what normal people could understand! He could sprint all the way from pisces to a grilled fish tutorial and even conclude with the devilish equation of "Lively = Chewy meat!"

The way she looked at Jiang Zhiyu had changed from curiosity to deep awe (and a little bit of fear).

As for Jang Wonyoung, after the initial shock, a sense of "as expected" calm inexplicably rose in her heart, and there was even a hint of "thankfully it wasn't me this time" relief. See, Unnies, now you finally believe I wasn't exaggerating, right?

Jiang Zhiyu wiped non-existent sweat from his brow and decided to skip the detailed descriptions and move straight to the next agenda item. "In short, Yena-xi's pisces setting will be very interesting! We'll refine the specific details later! So, next, let's discuss the overall filming schedule and..."

He wasn't able to finish his sentence.

Because the conference room door was suddenly pushed open, and a figure rushed in like a whirlwind. It was An Yujin, who had just finished a schedule and, hearing that the Unnies had come to TG, came running over excitedly.

"Unnies! Wonyoung! I heard you guys were... huh?" An Yujin stopped mid-sentence, sensing the extremely bizarre atmosphere in the conference room.

Kwon Eunbi, Jang Wonyoung, and Choi Yena all looked at her in unison. Their eyes were filled with the sorrow of shared suffering, the exhaustion of survivors, and... a hint of "you can't escape either" pity.

An Yujin: "...???" What happened? Why did it feel like she had walked into some strange accident scene?

Seeing An Yujin, Jiang Zhiyu's eyes lit up again, as if he had seen new "inspiration material."

"Ah! Yujin-xi! You've come at the perfect time!" He waved enthusiastically. "Regarding your constellation and ability setting, I also have some preliminary ideas. Can you guess what it will be?"

An Yujin looked at the "run fast" hints from her Unnies' expressions, then at Jiang Zhiyu's sparkling eyes that looked like a hunter seeing prey. She suddenly had a very, very bad premonition.

The planning meeting for "twelve star envoys" continued in an increasingly bizarre and "appetizing"(?) atmosphere. Meanwhile, the members of IZ*ONE were collectively developing varying degrees of "Jiang Zhiyu PTSD" at an alarming rate.

The sun was bright in front of TG Entertainment's newly moved-in office building. Jiang Zhiyu and Kim Soo-yeon stood side-by-side, performing a "send-off ceremony" for the about-to-depart Lee Tima—if this could even be called a ceremony.

Lee Tima had specially dressed up today, wearing a light and cute casual outfit and carrying a small backpack stuffed with snacks (and possibly a rabbit headgear). Her small face was flushed with excitement. She was about to participate as a specially invited "young listener's perspective" in the pre-departure interview segment of the first episode of Kim Taeyeon's "music steps." For her, this was both a rare learning opportunity and a good time to expand her network—of course, it might also just be for fun.

Looking at her company's energetic maknae who always brought "unexpected surprises," Kim Soo-yeon rarely showed a hint of (exhausted) maternal gratification. She whispered to Jiang Zhiyu beside her, "Finally sent this rowdy child away... at least it'll be quiet for half a day today."

Jiang Zhiyu had one hand in his pocket while the other was placed pretentiously against his forehead. He gazed toward the direction where the van Lee Tima was to take was approaching, and in a tone full of tragedy and world-weariness, he faintly recited:

"The wind blows shrill, the Yi River is cold—"

Kim Soo-yeon: "...?"

She turned her head and looked at Jiang Zhiyu as if he were an idiot. "Oppa, Tima is going to participate in Senior Taeyeon's variety show. She's going to work, learn, and play, not to her death." She specifically emphasized the last few words.

Jiang Zhiyu lowered his hand and retorted with a serious face, "Actually, it's about the same."

Kim Soo-yeon: "???"

Her eyes, which were always calm and collected, widened a full circle in a rare display. She looked at Jiang Zhiyu in disbelief. "There's a huge difference!!"

One was going to record a warm and healing music travel variety show, and the other was going to die. How could they be the same?! Had Oppa's brain been assimilated by the "Lion Charge Duck Punch" and "grilled fish theory" of "twelve star envoys"?

Jiang Zhiyu sighed and began counting on his fingers. "Look, how serious is Senior Taeyeon about music? With Tima's flighty personality, what if she says the wrong thing in the interview or misunderstands Senior's meaning? Could she get 'frostbite' from a look? How big is Senior Taeyeon's fan base? If Tima doesn't perform well, will she be 'educated'? Also, Tima is going as a 'listener's perspective.' What if she thinks a melody Senior Taeyeon hums sounds like some nursery rhyme she's heard before and just says it..."

The more he spoke, the darker Kim Soo-yeon's face became. Although she knew Jiang Zhiyu was exaggerating, Lee Tima's "black hole" attribute and bluntness, when meeting someone like Kim Taeyeon who was extremely serious about her profession, did indeed seem to have a little bit of... "risk"?

Just as Kim Soo-yeon also began to worry, a black van stopped smoothly by the side of the road. The door opened, and a petite but aura-filled figure stepped out—it was Kim Taeyeon. She was also dressed very casually today, with no makeup and wearing a baseball cap, looking relaxed.

"Tima-ya!" Seeing Lee Tima, Kim Taeyeon showed a gentle smile and waved. She had a good impression of this quirky little sister from TG and felt that her perspective might indeed bring something fresh.

"Yes! Taeyeon Unnie!!!" Lee Tima immediately hopped over like a happy little bird. Her voice was crisp and loud, and her smile was so bright it was dazzling. There wasn't a trace of the tragedy of "going to her death."

Looking at Lee Tima's cloudless smile and Senior Taeyeon's gentle attitude, Kim Soo-yeon breathed a small sigh of relief. Maybe... she and Jiang Zhiyu were overthinking it?

But at the moment Kim Taeyeon appeared and Lee Tima ran over happily, Jiang Zhiyu's eyes suddenly lit up!

He quickly whipped out his phone and, with lightning speed, took a candid photo of the backs of Kim Taeyeon and Lee Tima as they walked toward the van.

In the photo, Kim Taeyeon was slightly turning her head as if saying something to Lee Tima, who was looking up with an incredibly bright smile. The scene was unexpectedly harmonious and sweet.

Then, Jiang Zhiyu's fingers moved rapidly as he sent this photo, along with a meaningful caption ["Your kid has left the house"], directly to someone in his contacts—IU (Lee Ji-eun).

His face wore a smug smile that was a mix of mischief, anticipation of a good show, and the success of "tattling."

Almost the very next second after the photo was successfully sent, Jiang Zhiyu's phone vibrated.

He looked down; it was a reply from IU.

There was no text, only a simple emoticon that accurately conveyed a complex mix of speechlessness, disdain, and "there you go again."

[IU]: =_=

Seeing this "=_=", Jiang Zhiyu didn't restrain himself but instead laughed even more happily, even muttering under his breath, "Jieun-xi must be very 'gratified.' Her 'music soulmate' Taeyeon-xi and her 'hand-picked little troublemaker' Tima are about to embark on a 'wonderful' musical journey together~"

Standing aside, Kim Soo-yeon took in everything: Jiang Zhiyu's candid photo, the message, and that cheeky smile after receiving the reply. She shook her head helplessly, feeling a deep sense of powerlessness toward her President's childish and pot-stirring behavior.

But she also knew in her heart that Jiang Zhiyu wasn't doing this entirely for mischief. Perhaps he was also using a unique way to maintain the important connection between TG and IU, or even... laying the groundwork for possible future cooperation? After all, letting IU know that Lee Tima was "learning" from Kim Taeyeon was, in a way, a "display of resources."

It was just that this method... was too annoying.

"Let's go, Oppa." Kim Soo-yeon pulled the sleeve of Jiang Zhiyu, who was still grinning at his phone. "We have to go back and finalize the planning details for IZ*ONE, and... think about how to explain the full concept of the 'Aquarius Transformation Device' to Jang Wonyoung so we don't scare her away again."

At the mention of IZ*ONE and the "Aquarius Transformation Device," the smile on Jiang Zhiyu's face vanished instantly, replaced by the focus of work mode (and a hint of hidden fanaticism). "Ah, right! There's also the action design for Eunbi's 'Lion Charge Duck Punch,' Yena's 'pisces'... ahem, lively segment setting... Let's go, let's go, back to the meeting!"

The two turned and walked toward the office building, their figures gradually disappearing inside the main entrance.

In the distance, the van carrying Kim Taeyeon and Lee Tima also slowly started and drove toward the first filming location of "music steps," beginning an unknown (hopefully not "wind blows shrill") musical journey.

The story of TG Entertainment continued to unfold in this way, amidst daily send-offs, nonsensical worries, childish "reporting," and an endless stream of "genius" projects that were never finished.