228: Chapter 215

Lee Chaeyeon sighed: "Actually, I think PD Jiang is a pretty good person... although his ideas are a bit... well... special. But he wouldn't actually hurt an artist, would he?"

"He wouldn't physically hurt them," Honda Hitomi said, "but what about mental trauma?"

Everyone fell silent.

The mental trauma caused by Jiang Zhiyu's "creative ideas" was already enough for all the members of IZ*ONE to go see a psychiatrist together.

Yabuki Nako suddenly raised her hand: "I have a suggestion."

Everyone's eyes focused on her.

Yabuki Nako said seriously: "Let's form a 'Protect Yena Special Task Force'! When Yena and PD Jiang go out for dinner tomorrow night, we'll send people to the restaurant for 'reconnaissance' to ensure Yena's safety."

This suggestion made everyone's eyes light up.

"Good idea!" Kwon Eunbi nodded. "But what should we call it? A special task force needs a code name."

Everyone started thinking.

"Operation Save the Duck?" An Yujin suggested.

"Too blunt," Kim Chaewon shook her head. "Besides, 'Duck' is Yena's nickname; it's not very good to use a nickname, is it?"

"Then... Project Protect Yena?"

"Too ordinary."

"Ducky Guard?"

"..."

The discussion hit a stalemate.

Just then, Kim Minju, who had been sitting quietly in the corner, suddenly spoke up.

Her voice was soft but clear:

"How about calling the meeting 'Protect the Duck'?"

The air instantly froze.

Ten pairs of eyes looked at Kim Minju in unison, their expressions filled with shock, fear, and disbelief.

"Minju-ya..." Kwon Eunbi's voice was trembling, "Have you been infected by PD Jiang?!!!"

That word "Duck," that familiar, mischievous, and teasing term coming out of Kim Minju's mouth, was practically as if Jiang Zhiyu had possessed her!

Kim Minju herself was stunned. She blinked, seemingly just realizing what she had said, and her face instantly turned red: "I, I just thought... this name is simple and easy to remember, and... and Yena's nickname was originally 'Duck' to begin with..."

She stammered, but that name was already echoing in everyone's minds like a curse.

Protect the Duck.

Protect the Duck.

Protect the Duck.

"Wait..." Jang Wonyoung covered her face, "It actually sounds... kind of appropriate?"

"And it has an inexplicably cute feeling," Miyawaki Sakura added in a small voice.

"But this is too embarrassing!" An Yujin protested. "If PD Jiang finds out we came up with this name, he'll definitely laugh himself to death!"

"And he'll tease Yena even more intensely!" Lee Chaeyeon added.

But Kwon Eunbi fell into deep thought.

A few seconds later, she looked up, her eyes determined: "We'll call it 'Protect the Duck'."

"Eunbi Unnie?!" everyone exclaimed.

"This name, though embarrassing, is very apt," Kwon Eunbi analyzed. "Moreover, if we ourselves accept this 'Duck' persona, the effect will be weakened when PD Jiang uses it to tease us. This is called... turning the tables!"

What she said made a lot of sense.

If you mock yourself first, how can others laugh at you?

"Besides," Kwon Eunbi continued, "this name is short and easy to remember, which meets the requirements for an operation code name. It's settled—'Operation Protect the Duck'."

The leader had made the decision, and the others could only accept it.

Even though the process of acceptance was filled with conflict and shame.

"So... what are the details of the operation?" Honda Hitomi asked.

Kwon Eunbi began to deploy: "First, we need someone to go to the restaurant for reconnaissance tomorrow night. This person needs to be good at observing, quick-reacting, and low-key so they won't be discovered by PD Jiang."

Everyone's eyes instinctively turned toward Jang Wonyoung and Kim Minju.

These two had the most outstanding appearances in the team, but they were also the easiest to notice. Pass.

An Yujin and Lee Chaeyeon were too prominent. Pass.

Miyawaki Sakura and Yabuki Nako might have language barriers. Pass.

Finally, the focus narrowed down to a few people.

"I'll go," Jo Yuri said softly. "I'm small and not easily noticed."

"I can go too," Kim Chaewon said. "I'll wear a hat and a mask."

Kwon Eunbi thought for a moment: "Two people should go together to look out for each other. Yuri and Chaewon, is that okay?"

The two nodded.

"Secondly," Kwon Eunbi continued, "we need a rear command center. That'll be here at the dorm. The scouts will report the situation in real-time, and we'll analyze the situation here and take action if necessary."

"What kind of action?" Kang Hye-won asked blankly.

"For example..." Kwon Eunbi thought, "If PD Jiang makes an excessive request, we'll pretend there's an emergency and call Yena to tell her to come back."

"Or send someone to 'accidentally run into' them," An Yujin added.

"Right," Kwon Eunbi nodded. "In short, our goal is—to ensure Yena's safety and dignity without ruining her job opportunity."

This goal sounded simple, but it was very difficult to execute.

They had to protect their member without offending the producer, while also considering the team's long-term development...

"It feels so hard..." Honda Hitomi sighed.

"But we must do it," Kwon Eunbi said firmly. "IZ*ONE is a team; we have to protect each other."

These words warmed everyone's hearts.

That's right, they were a team.

From PD48 all the way here, they had experienced debut, music shows, variety shows, concerts... they were already more than just colleagues; they were family.

Protecting family was only natural.

"Operation Protect the Duck, officially begins!" Kwon Eunbi announced.

Although the name was embarrassing enough to make one want to crawl into a hole, at this moment, everyone felt a sense of mission.

"Then..." Jang Wonyoung suddenly remembered something, "Should we set some code words? For example, if the situation is safe, send 'Duck is normal'; if there's danger, send 'The duck is about to be cooked'?"

"Pfft—" someone couldn't help but laugh out loud.

"Wonyoung-ya..." Kwon Eunbi said helplessly, "Has your brain also been influenced by PD Jiang?"

Jang Wonyoung stuck out her tongue.

But code words were indeed necessary.

After some discussion (and roasting), a code system was finally established:

Safe: (Duck Emoji)

Mild Danger: (Duck Question Mark)

Moderate Danger: (Duck on Fire)

High Danger: (Duck Skull)

Need Rescue: SOS

The meeting lasted until late at night.

The operation plan, personnel division, emergency procedures... every detail was repeatedly scrutinized.

When the meeting finally ended, it was already one in the morning.

Everyone dragged their tired bodies back to their respective rooms, but their hearts were exceptionally heavy.

Tomorrow night, Choi Yena would have to face that "Devil PD" alone.

And they would be acting as "Duck Protectors," guarding her in the shadows.

"I hope everything goes smoothly..." Kwon Eunbi lay on her bed and prayed softly.

In the next room, Choi Yena was sleeping soundly with a smile on her face, completely unaware that her sisters had planned such an "embarrassing" yet warm protection operation for her.

Moonlight spilled into the dorm through the window, illuminating the sleeping faces of the girls.

This night, the IZ*ONE dorm was filled with worry and tension, but also with unity and love.

And tomorrow, an operation named "Protect the Duck" would quietly unfold in a restaurant in Seoul.

PD Jiang, please be careful.

What you are facing is no longer just a simple Choi Yena.

But the protective heart of the entire IZ*ONE.