230: Chapter 217 TG Entertainment President's Office: Work, Live Streaming, and the "Silly" Girl

Meanwhile, in the IZ*ONE dormitory, the "Operation Protect the Duck" rear command center had already been activated.

Kwon Eunbi, Jang Wonyoung, An Yujin, and others were sitting around the living room with their phones in the middle, ready to receive "scout reports" from Jo Yuri and Kim Chaewon at any time.

"Yena has already set off," Kwon Eunbi said, looking at the location information on her phone. "Yuri and Chaewon are also in position near the restaurant."

"I hope everything goes smoothly..." Jang Wonyoung pressed her hands together and whispered a prayer.

Miyawaki Sakura sighed. "I don't know why, but I have a bad feeling about this..."

"Don't jinx it!" An Yujin glared at her.

But everyone knew that Miyawaki Sakura's premonitions were often very accurate.

This night, for Choi Yena, might be even more... exciting than she imagined.

Or rather, more "thrilling."

And all of this depended on Producer Jiang Zhi Yu, who was sitting in the restaurant waiting for her arrival.

Would he be soft-hearted?

Would he show mercy because of Choi Yena's cute outfit?

Or...

Would there be even more "surprising" arrangements waiting for her?

The answer would be revealed soon.

As the sun set, night was about to fall over Seoul.

And an operation named "Protect the Duck" was about to enter its most critical moment.

—

Inside the TG Entertainment President's office, Jiang Zhiyu was staring intently at his computer screen.

The screen displayed complex financial reports, project progress charts, and schedules for the next few months. His fingers tapped rapidly on the keyboard, occasionally stopping to record something in a notebook with a pen.

As the actual helm of TG Entertainment, Jiang Zhiyu's workload was staggering. Although Kim Soo-yeon was responsible for strategic planning and external cooperation as the Chairman, the vast majority of the company's daily operations, project execution, and personnel management fell on his shoulders.

The title of "Ultimate Support-type Talent" was perfectly embodied in him.

Not only could he create music, plan variety shows, and manage the company, but he could also handle various trivial matters—from budget allocation to filming location coordination, to artist schedules, and even employee birthday gifts—all organized perfectly.

Right now, he was reviewing the budget plan for IZ*ONE's next variety show episode.

"The prop costs are 15% higher than expected," he said into the microphone during a video conference with the finance department. "The reason is the increased maintenance cost for the 'Mechanical Meow King.' But this cost can be spread over the subsequent episodes, so it's not a big problem."

His voice was calm and professional, his eyes sharp, showing none of the gentle demeanor he had in Jeonju last night.

"I've approved the wardrobe team's budget application, but I require them to provide a more detailed procurement list. TG Entertainment won't be a pushover; every penny must be spent where it counts."

"Additionally," he switched pages, "I've reviewed the sponsor list for Choi Yena's solo branch filming. Filter out the three brands with low credibility; the rest can be followed up on. Remember, TG Entertainment's artists are not billboards; we must be responsible for the quality of the partner brands."

Every decision was precise and decisive, without any hesitation.

This was Jiang Zhiyu at work—efficient, rigorous, and not allowing for the slightest mistake.

But amidst such high-intensity work, his phone screen was lit up next to his computer.

On it was aespa member Kim Minjeong's personal live stream.

The volume was turned down very low, almost inaudible, but Jiang Zhiyu still kept the phone within his line of sight, occasionally glancing at it.

He wore Bluetooth headphones, listening to the finance department's report in one ear, while the other ear... could vaguely hear the sound of Kim Minjeong's live stream.

This was a small habit of his—or rather, a responsibility.

Having personally guided Kim Minjeong at SM and watched her grow from a trainee into aespa's main vocal, Jiang Zhiyu had always kept an eye on her.

Although they didn't have a direct mentor-disciple relationship, the feeling of "watching a child grow up" was very real.

Besides, Minjeong was... a bit of a dork.

Not stupid, but that pure, guileless kind of silly. She did things seriously, but sometimes she was too serious, which led to funny situations.

Jiang Zhiyu remembered back at SM, to practice a high note, Kim Minjeong could stay in the recording studio for a full eight hours. When she came out, her voice was hoarse, yet she still smiled foolishly and said, "I think I've made progress this time."

That dedication and purity toward music had left a deep impression on Jiang Zhiyu.

The live stream continued, and Kim Minjeong answered a few more questions about practice and the members' daily lives. Her answers were always accompanied by those characteristic silly interjections—"Eh~," "Mm...," "Ara~"—which, paired with her cute little face, were simply heart-melting.

Jiang Zhiyu processed work documents—he was currently looking at TG Entertainment's financial statements, checking last month's advertising revenue and expenditures—while being distracted by the live stream.

This ability to "multitask" was something he had honed over many years. As an "Ultimate Support-type Talent," he needed to handle multiple tasks simultaneously, coordinate various relationships, and ensure the smooth operation of the entire company.

And listening to Kim Minjeong's live stream wasn't just for "supervision" or "care," but also... so that if he were asked the next time they met, he would be able to answer.

"What did Minjeong say during her last live stream?"

"What has she been liking lately?"

"What's bothering her?"

If he were asked these questions when they met and couldn't answer, that sensitive little girl would surely be disappointed.

Jiang Zhiyu didn't want to disappoint her.

So no matter how busy work was, he would take the time to pay attention to these details.

And Kim Minjeong's live streams never disappointed.

On the phone screen, Kim Minjeong was sitting in her room, wearing comfortable loungewear, her hair tied casually in a ponytail, without makeup, but her skin was glowing.

She was seriously answering fans' comments.

"Is Unnie practicing any new songs lately?" a comment floated by.

Kim Minjeong blinked, her expression as serious as if she were answering an exam question. "Ne! I'm practicing a very difficult song! The high notes are especially hard; I've been practicing for a long time and it's still a bit unstable..."

As she spoke, she subconsciously cleared her throat, then suddenly realized she was on a live stream. She quickly covered her mouth, her eyes wide and round, her expression dorkily cute.

The comments immediately exploded:

[Ahhh, Minjeong is so cute!]

[Don't clear your throat! Protect your voice!]

[What song is it? Can you give us a hint?]

Kim Minjeong looked at the comments, hesitated for a moment, and then shook her head. "No, no, I can't tell you! It's a secret!"

She said this with a serious expression, but her eyes sparkled with a mischievous light.

While listening to the finance department's report, Jiang Zhiyu glanced at his phone, his lips curling up unconsciously.

This child was still so earnest.

"Favorite color?"

"Blue!"

"Favorite food?"

"Ice cream! But Manager Unnie won't let me eat too much..." She pouted.

"A book you've read recently?"

"Uh..." Kim Minjeong got stuck, her eyes darting around. "That... 'How to Study Efficiently'... but I only read half of it..."

Her voice grew smaller as she spoke, clearly feeling guilty.

The comments were full of [Hahaha].

Jiang Zhiyu couldn't help but laugh either.

This child was indeed still the same—she wanted to work hard, but her self-discipline needed improvement.

He remembered giving her a few books before; it seemed she really did go and read them, even if she didn't finish.

That was already progress.

"If you had a day off, what would you most want to do?" another question asked.

Kim Minjeong rested her chin on her hand and thought for a moment, then showed a look of longing. "I want to go to the beach! I want to sleep until I wake up naturally, then go for a walk on the beach, eat seafood, and watch the sunset..."

She spoke in great detail, as if she had already planned the day's itinerary in her mind.

Jiang Zhiyu made a note of it.

The beach.

Perhaps... he could arrange it next time?

But aespa's schedule was so packed, it would probably be hard to find a full day.

But he still kept it in mind.

"Minjeong Unnie, has anything happy happened lately?"