359: Chapter 335 updated today (2)

The collaboration between TG Entertainment and Cube Entertainment was progressing at a near-rocket launch speed, driven by a tacit understanding—Xu Suizhen's intention to leave the group, though not yet officially stated, was almost a foregone conclusion. Both sides knew this might be the last chance for (G)I-DLE to have large-scale variety show exposure as a 'complete group,' making it a situation where value and urgency coexisted.

At this moment, in Cube Entertainment's meeting room, which carried an air of old-fashioned shabbiness, the first official seminar for '(G)I-DLE naughty kids operation' was underway. Besides the hum of the aged air conditioner, the air was filled with a subtle sense of opposition and wariness.

This wariness was largely directed at the person across the conference table—the TG President, Jiang Zhiyu, who looked excessively young and had a gentle, harmless smile.

The experience of the last 'negotiation' at the hot pot restaurant had left a deep psychological shadow on all members of (G)I-DLE (except for the then-silent Xu Suizhen) and their Manager. It was supposed to be a collaboration talk, but Jiang Zhiyu first used a long, hollow 'concept hypnosis' to make them starve until their stomachs were touching their backs. Then, just as they were looking at the last serving of top-tier Wagyu beef with green light in their eyes, he snatched the meat slices with lightning speed and provocatively announced, 'The negotiation begins now.'

That scene made them thoroughly understand what it meant to have 'filthy thoughts and dirty methods.' What 'young and promising president'? He was clearly a 'Devil PD' who would stop at nothing to achieve his goals, calculating even over a mouthful of meat! Consequently, seeing Jiang Zhiyu's innocent smile now gave them a reflexive PTSD reaction, making them feel like this man was going to cause trouble the very next second.

"'This crappy meeting room...' Jiang Zhiyu glanced up at the mottled ceiling and muttered in a voice only he could hear, 'Damn, the ceiling isn't going to suddenly fall and hit me, is it?' He wasn't truly worried; he was simply speechless at Cube's pathetic office environment.

The meeting content itself was efficient and creative. Jiang Zhiyu led the explanation of the core concept of 'naughty kids operation':

The core selling point is 'Infinite-style house escape.' Each episode will feature a closed or semi-closed scene with a specific theme (such as the planned seaside cottage for this episode). Members must find hidden clues, solve puzzles, and collect scattered specific materials within a limited time. These materials can be used to reinforce the house's defenses (to deal with external 'enemies' or 'disasters') or to craft equipment to arm themselves.

The game emphasizes realism and the 'unlucky' attribute. The mechanisms must be real, the punishments must be tangible, and accidents should happen frequently. The goal is to recreate the authentic state of 'naughty kids'—their terrifying destructive power, their whimsical (and often misguided) ideas, and their frequent tendency to suffer the consequences of their own actions. The puzzle-solving segments, in particular, require thinking outside the box, using unconventional or even absurd methods.

The first episode's theme is set as 'Summer Beach Survival,' and the target location is a carefully selected, 'modifiable' detached guesthouse on Jeju Island. The plan is to combine elements like 'tidal raids,' 'mysterious sea monsters (played by staff),' 'resource shortages,' and 'internal puzzles' to create a summer adventure that is both thrilling and hilarious.

The proposal was explained clearly, and the segments were interestingly designed. Even the (G)I-DLE members, who had been wary, couldn't help but have a spark of eagerness flash in their eyes upon hearing some specific game settings and potential 'comedic effects.' On a professional level, Jiang Zhiyu was beyond reproach.

The meeting drew to a close in an atmosphere that was harmonious on the surface but subtle underneath.

Just as the Cube Manager was about to give the closing remarks and adjourn the meeting, Jiang Zhiyu suddenly clapped his hands. A TG assistant immediately walked in carrying several exquisite thermal bags.

“To celebrate the smooth start of our collaboration and to thank everyone for taking the time today,” Jiang Zhiyu said with a pleasant smile, gesturing for the assistant to take the items out of the thermal bags one by one. They were several beautifully packaged white paper cups that looked like they came from a high-end beverage shop, with no markings on the cups except for the logo. “A small token of appreciation to quench everyone's thirst.”

The paper cups were placed in front of each member, the Manager, and the Cube attendees. The cups were tightly sealed, and the contents were invisible.

The atmosphere in the meeting room instantly became a bit strange. Everyone who had just been discussing 'traps' and 'pranks' felt alarm bells go off in their heads as they looked at the 'mysterious liquid' before them.

Jiang Zhiyu's goodwill? Could this be filled with chili water, bitter melon juice, or something even weirder? After all, this president had a 'criminal record'!

Everyone looked at each other, and no one was the first to touch the cup. Their eyes were full of wariness and suspicion. Even the most lively one, Song Yuqi, looked hesitantly at the cup and then at Jiang Zhiyu's smiling face, her heart thumping.

Seeing this, the Cube Manager frowned slightly. He knew that TG was an important partner now. For Jiang Zhiyu to personally show goodwill, whether it was sincere or not, rejecting it to his face would definitely be unwise. He coughed lightly and scanned his artists with an unquestionable hint: Drink. The TG President's 'goodwill' concerned future cooperation and development; they should weigh the importance themselves.

The pressure was now on (G)I-DLE.

Song Yuqi took a deep breath. As the team's 'social terrorist' (in a good way), she knew she should step up at a time like this. Steeling herself, she picked up the cup, tore off the seal, closed her eyes with an expression of a hero facing certain death, and took a cautious sip.

The moment the liquid entered her mouth, Song Yuqi's body visibly froze. Her expression shifted from being ready for death to an extremely complex distortion. Her eyes widened as if confirming something, and then...

An indescribable, brain-piercing, unique flavor—a mix of sour, stale, and strangely refreshing tang—exploded in her mouth!

“Ugh—!”

She almost vomited on the spot, but forced herself to swallow it. Her face turned green, and her heart was already a river of tears: It's Douzhi! Authentic Old Beijing Mung Bean Milk!!!

Seeing Song Yuqi's reaction, the others were even more terrified to move. What kind of poison was this?!

At that moment, Jiang Zhiyu, with his signature harmless smile, spoke slowly, his voice clearly reaching everyone in the room:

“Ah, I forgot to introduce it to everyone.” He pointed to the cups. “Our Chairwoman Kim Soo-yeon went to Beijing yesterday to discuss a technology cooperation project. I suddenly remembered that Yuqi-xi is from Beijing.”

His smile deepened as his gaze swept across everyone's suspicious and uncertain faces. “So, I specifically asked Chairwoman Kim to make sure to bring back a few cups of the most authentic ‘specialty beverage’ from Beijing when she returned this morning. I thought I'd let everyone in (G)I-DLE have a taste of the delicacies from Yuqi's hometown.”

He deliberately emphasized the words 'delicacy' and 'specialty.'

“This was brought back personally by Chairwoman Kim from thousands of miles away. Besides representing my little bit of heart,” Jiang Zhiyu leaned forward slightly, his tone still gentle but carrying an invisible pressure, “it also contains Chairwoman Kim's goodwill and high regard for this collaboration and for all of you.”

He looked around, his smile unchanging. “I assume no one... would want to disappoint Chairwoman Kim, who traveled so far and specifically brought back the ‘taste of home’ for everyone, right?”

He was truly twisting the knife!

Not only did he bring up TG's Chairwoman Kim Soo-yeon, who had an even stronger aura and tougher methods, but he also directly pressed down with the weights of 'collaboration goodwill,' 'hometown sentiment,' and 'the President's face'!

Song Yuqi's hand was shaking as she held the cup of Douzhi. Her current state could no longer be described as 'teary-eyed'; it was 'a mix of grief and indignation'! Looking at Jiang Zhiyu's smiling face, she finally deeply empathized with Jeon Soyeon's feelings during the 'concept hypnosis' last time.

She forced a stiff smile that looked worse than crying, raised her cup toward Jiang Zhiyu, and squeezed the words through her teeth: “Then... President, cheers?”

“Sure.” Jiang Zhiyu raised his cup readily, but his cup seemed a bit different from everyone else's? He didn't mind and looked at the others. “Everyone, join in. Don't be shy.”

The Cube Manager's face turned pale, but he could only be the first to raise his cup. He forced a sip, and instantly his facial expression control failed, his features scrunching into a ball.

Leader Jeon Soyeon took a deep breath, closed her eyes, and gulped some down. Her face turned from white to green.

Minnie and Cho Mi Yeon looked at each other and drank it as if facing execution, then simultaneously covered their mouths with pained expressions.

Ye Shuhua's curiosity got the better of her, and she drank a bit too fast. She almost sprayed it out, but forced herself to swallow, her small face scrunching up like a steamed bun.

Even Xu Suizhen, who had been in low spirits, silently took a small sip under the pressure of the Manager's and teammates' gazes. She then tightly pursed her lips, her brow deeply furrowed.

In the entire meeting room, except for Jiang Zhiyu, everyone's face turned a kaleidoscope of colors. They all looked like they wanted to vomit but didn't dare to, enduring the nausea and questioning their lives.

And just then, as if he had just suddenly remembered, Jiang Zhiyu let out a soft “Ah” and spoke in a somewhat apologetic tone (though his eyes clearly held the light of a successful prank):

“Ah, look at my memory. I forgot to tell everyone that on my end, because I'm not quite used to the flavor of Douzhi...”

He shook the paper cup in his hand, which looked identical to the others, and opened the lid. Inside was a milky-white liquid with a faint sweet aroma.

“So, mine is sweet soy milk.”

“...”

Dead silence.

All members of (G)I-DLE, along with the Cube Manager, stopped all movement and stared in unison at Jiang Zhiyu. Their eyes were filled with disbelief, shock, and a burning rage!

Ya! This son of a bitch!!!

As expected! They knew he was up to no good! This was blatant revenge! Humiliation! Taking a personal grudge into public business!

The roaring internal monologues were almost physical.

Then, their gazes turned simultaneously, with despair and a final sliver of hope, toward their own Manager.

Their eyes conveyed the same crystal-clear meaning:

Oppa/Unnie... this variety show...

Can we not do it?!

Is it too late to run away now?!

Jiang Zhiyu seemed completely oblivious to these murderous glares. He took a sip of his sweet soy milk with satisfaction, then raised his cup with a brilliant smile toward the pale-faced Cube Manager and the group of (G)I-DLE members who looked like they had just survived a chemical weapon attack:

“Happy collaborating.”

In the meeting room, the unique and overbearing 'fragrance' of Douzhi wafted around, mixing with silent anger and tearless despair.

The curtain for '(G)I-DLE naughty kids operation' was officially raised in such a unique and 'mellow-flavored' specialty treat. And everyone, especially the members of (G)I-DLE, had come to the sobering realization: they were facing not just a variety show PD, but a deep-thinking, 'dirty-handed,' and vengeful 'Devil Producer.'

The upcoming filming days would likely be even more 'sour and stimulating' than that cup of Douzhi.

—

In the early summer of Jeju Island, the sea breeze blew across the beach with a salty, damp scent. The sun was not harsh, shining just right on the detached guesthouse that had been booked out by the TG logistics department.

With a blue roof and white walls, the yard was planted with a few palm trees that were slightly tilted by the sea breeze. This was about to become the main filming site for the first episode of (G)I-DLE's 'naughty kids operation.' Currently, TG logistics staff were inside and outside the house performing final equipment debugging, mechanism testing, and 'atmospheric detail decoration'—in Jiang Zhiyu's words, every corner needed to exude a 'weird naughty kid aura.'

On the second-floor balcony of the guesthouse facing the sea, Jiang Zhiyu occupied the only rattan round table with a sunshade.

The laptop screen reflected slightly in the sunlight. He squinted, his fingers sliding quickly on the trackpad. The split-screen windows were like data flowers in bloom, simultaneously handling the progress of at least five different projects.

The 'the crab' crew had a few days off, but he had no vacation.

Im Yoona sent a message saying she was back at the dorm continuing her physical training, along with a selfie of her sweaty forehead. He replied with 'get some rest' and filed the image into a folder named 'Character Status Tracking.' The draft framework for the SM collaboration that Kim Soo-yeon sent last night was still waiting for his review. The words 'Taeyeon Noona Collaboration Model' marked in red ink made his eyelids twitch. He deliberately ignored it for now and opened Park Jin-young's email first.

The stubborn yet naive President of JYP had finally, after much back-and-forth, basically agreed to TG's 'Package A Full Service' model. Jiang Zhiyu noted at the end of the document: Artists and team leadership belong to TG, copyrights belong to TG, JYP enjoys first-run rights and profit sharing, annual fee-based authorization. His handwriting was sharp, conveying an unquestionable sense of control even through the screen.

Autumn comeback. TWICE's new variety show. aespa's single project. SM deep collaboration candidate proposal.

He was like a tireless chess player, simultaneously calculating over a dozen games in his mind, with every move precisely weighing the gains and losses three turns ahead.

Down on the beach, Cho Mi Yeon, wearing a floral dress, was holding up her phone, the camera pointed at the distant seagulls, muttering to herself: “Vlog material, first day of relaxing on Jeju Island, the weather is great, the sea breeze is comfortable, it's just...” She paused, and the camera unconsciously tilted upward, sweeping past the slender figure faintly visible on the second floor of the guesthouse.

The sea breeze suddenly picked up, blowing the white shirt drying on the balcony—no, it wasn't drying; it was the clothes Jiang Zhiyu was wearing.

At that moment, the sun happened to peek through the clouds, outlining his silhouette as he sat sideways. Beneath the hem of the shirt lifted by the wind, his waist and abdominal lines flashed by—firm and smooth. His skin had a near-jade-like warmth in the backlight. It wasn't an exaggeratedly scary muscle mass, but the kind of lean muscle form maintained by constant training, moving slightly with his typing.

Cho Mi Yeon's mouth formed an 'O' shape, and her hand holding the phone froze in mid-air, forgetting that the vlog was still recording.

“Unnie? Unnie, what are you filming?” Ye Shuhua leaned over and looked up in the direction of her gaze. “Ah, President Jiang. What's there to film... Huh? Whoa!!! Are those abs?!”

“Shh!!!” Cho Mi Yeon frantically covered Ye Shuhua's mouth, and the two of them huddled together on the beach like thieves.

In the distance, Minnie and Xu Suizhen sat side by side, quietly watching the sea and talking occasionally, their voices drowned out by the waves. The shadow of leaving the group was like an undissipated cloud; the rain hadn't officially started yet, but everyone knew it was only a matter of time. Jeon Soyeon sat on the steps of the guesthouse entrance, clutching a seashell found from somewhere, her fingertips unconsciously stroking its edge, her eyes fixed on the figure focused on work on the second floor, lost in thought.

Meanwhile, Song Yuqi, holding a cup—she had confirmed it was an Iced Americano, not any suspicious fermented drink—slowly approached the balcony.

She had her plan.

"Stealing techniques." This was her code name for the operation.

Since that Douzhi incident, the PTSD index of all (G)I-DLE members toward Jiang Zhiyu had soared. However, Song Yuqi had to admit a complex fact: this man, although his methods were outrageously "dirty," his talent was real, his brain was real, and his face... was also real.

He was twenty. She was older than him. But at this moment, her posture as she carried coffee upstairs was inexplicably like going to submit a self-reflection to the dean.

"President Jiang," she cleared her throat and placed the coffee on the only empty corner of the round table.

Jiang Zhiyu looked up, those clear eyes that countless netizens had fawned over moved from the screen to her face, then back to the screen, as he gave a faint "Mhm."

Song Yuqi: "..." Where are your manners! Ah, wait, he said "Mhm," so that counts as manners. Last time during the hotpot negotiations when he tortured them with "conceptual hypnosis," he didn't even give them an "Mhm."

She didn't leave, just stood there, casually glancing at the screen—too far, couldn't see clearly. She inched forward two steps. Jiang Zhiyu didn't react. Two more steps. Still no reaction. She simply moved behind him to his side and blatantly began "learning."

Project management timeline. Budget allocation table. Prop procurement list. Sponsor product placement node design. Process reverse-verification table.

Every document was like a textbook. The more Song Yuqi looked, the more startled she became, and the more eager she felt. This wasn't some variety show planning; this was clearly a whole set of replicable entertainment industry production line tactics.

She was engrossed when Jiang Zhiyu suddenly spoke, without looking up, his voice slightly raspy after continuous work:

"Little Song."

Song Yuqi was startled: "...Yes?"

"Are you planning to become a Cube director?" He continued typing, his tone as casual as asking if the weather was nice, "Or are you planning to open your own company?"

Song Yuqi's expression management almost collapsed. She instinctively denied: "I, I'm not! I'm just curious..."

"Curiosity is good." Jiang Zhiyu finally turned his head and glanced at her. That gaze wasn't sharp, even carrying a hint of a half-smiling warmth, yet it made her feel inexplicably guilty. "Management is a practical discipline; you'll never learn just by watching. You need to get into the field yourself."

He looked away and continued typing, as if that insight just now was just a casual remark.

Song Yuqi froze in place, her heart beating a bit fast. Not because of a crush—she had no extra feelings for him besides PTSD and professional respect for now—but because of that feeling of being completely seen through.

"Also," Jiang Zhiyu suddenly spoke again, this time with a hint of genuine amusement in his voice, "you seem to have an objection to that form of address just now?"

"Huh?"

"'Little Song'." He repeated, his finger stopping on the trackpad as he tilted his head to look at her. "You muttered just now, saying it sounds like an elder calling a junior."

Song Yuqi: "..." She thought she was just complaining in her head. Did she actually say it out loud?!!!

"You're older than me, right?" She caught the key point, trying to regain the initiative. "I'm a 1999-liner, are you 2000? Or 2001?"

Jiang Zhiyu didn't answer directly, just curled his lips: "Then what should I call you? Yuqi-xi? Too distant. President Song?" A flash of mischief crossed his eyes. "In case you really do open a company in the future, it's good to get used to calling you that in advance."

Song Yuqi took a deep breath, deciding not to argue with him over the title. She pulled over a nearby rattan chair, sat down, and placed the Iced Americano in front of herself—since he wasn't drinking it anyway—and said seriously:

"President Jiang, what you said about 'returning to China to develop'..."

Jiang Zhiyu glanced at her, not denying that he had said something similar.

"Are you serious? You think (G)I-DLE..."

"It's not 'think'." Jiang Zhiyu interrupted her, his tone still calm but carrying a certain settled conviction. "It's a fact."

He swiped the trackpad and pulled up a folder, but didn't open it for Song Yuqi to see, just paused while looking at the filename.

"The relationship between the Chinese and South Korean entertainment markets, the policy trends for the next three to five years, the capacity ceiling of the local South Korean market, the growth speed of the local Chinese idol industry—does your company have a dedicated analysis department? Have they done career planning simulations for you?"

Song Yuqi was silent.

If Cube had this kind of foresight, they wouldn't...

"How many years are left on your contract?" Jiang Zhiyu asked.

"...Over two years."

"Two years." He nodded. "Just right."

He closed the folder and turned to her, his gaze becoming a bit more serious, no longer in that teasing posture from before.

"TG has already established a liaison office in Beijing. Chairwoman Kim Soo-yeon went to Beijing yesterday not just to talk about tech cooperation, but to meet with several potential culture and tourism investors. We're not in a hurry; we'll lay the infrastructure first and wait for the policy window."

He looked at Song Yuqi, emphasizing every word:

"You're well aware of (G)I-DLE's current situation. In two years, your contract will expire. By then you'll be 28. In the Chinese idol market, at that age, you can be a mentor, a variety show regular, or a producer—your variety sense is your core asset, don't waste it."

He paused, as if he had thought of something.

"By then, TG can completely cooperate with you. Not an oppressive cooperation like a management contract, but a more flexible, project-based deep binding." His tone carried a sense of planning for the future. "We can even link up with Ningning."

Song Yuqi's eyelid twitched: "Ningning?"

"Mhm." Jiang Zhiyu's fingertips unconsciously tapped twice on the table. "Her contract is also with SM Entertainment. If we can negotiate it by then..."

He didn't finish. But Song Yuqi already understood his meaning.

Dual-line operations in China and South Korea. Coordination among returning artists. Using TG's early layout in China to open up resource channels.

This wasn't just a "suggestion" said in passing. This was a strategic layout that was already being implemented.

She suddenly felt a bit of dry mouth, took a sip of coffee, the cold liquid sliding down her throat, yet unable to suppress that shiver rising from the bottom of her heart.

It wasn't because of fear.

It was a kind of... premonition.

"You..." she carefully chose her words, "you've thought very far ahead about these things."

Jiang Zhiyu didn't answer. He looked back at the screen, swiped a few times on the trackpad, and pulled up a new document.

"The cooperation with SM Entertainment..." he muttered to himself, his tone suddenly becoming subtle, as if switching from that rational business negotiator just now to a more private, darker channel, "Taeyeon Noona's cooperation model... Aish, if only I could just acquire SM Entertainment directly."

Song Yuqi's cup almost slipped from her hand.

She thought she had misheard. But Jiang Zhiyu's next words, word for word, clearly entered her ears:

"By then, whether it's Noona, or..." A flash of extremely fast and deep gloominess crossed his eyes. That look wasn't simple ambition, but a nearly obsessive, absolute desire for control. His Adam's apple bobbed as he uttered a blurred syllable that was scattered by the sea breeze, but Song Yuqi clearly saw the movement of his lips.

Joo.

Not the "Joo" from Seohyun.

It's...

Bae Joo-hyun.

"...and aespa." Jiang Zhiyu retracted that momentary loss of control, his tone returning to calm as if nothing had happened just now. "They'll all be in my hands."

Song Yuqi froze on the rattan chair, her fingers unconsciously tightening around the cup, her knuckles turning white.

The sea breeze was still blowing, the balcony umbrella swayed gently, and in the distance came the sounds of Ye Shuhua and Cho Mi Yeon laughing and playing, the waves regularly washing over the beach. Everything was as usual.

But in her mind, a stormy sea had already erupted.

Acquire SM Entertainment?

Did he just say acquire SM Entertainment?

Not a joke, not an exaggeration, not just something said in passing—that look in his eyes, that tone, was real.

Song Yuqi hadn't never seen ambitious people. The entertainment industry was never short of the desire to climb upward. But Jiang Zhiyu's expression for those few seconds was different from desire; it was... certainty. It was a nearly obsessive certainty that had already identified a certain goal as a fact that would inevitably happen in the future.

And that name he uttered.

The name she hadn't heard clearly but had completed using his lip movements.

Bae Joo-hyun.

The leader of Red Velvet, the iconic figure of SM Entertainment's fourth-generation girl groups, publicly recognized in the industry for her sense of distance and cold temperament—Bae Joo-hyun.

Her and Jiang Zhiyu? When? What relationship? Why had she never heard any rumors? No, she had heard some. There seemed to be some vague rumors in the circle, but they were all kept silent by the parties' nearly perfect "professional distance." She had always thought it was just fan fiction.

But now...

And "Noona." He used "Noona" just now instead of "Sunbaenim." That way of addressing her wasn't the politeness of a business partner; it was something closer, more private...

Song Yuqi took a deep breath, trying to keep her expression normal. She placed the coffee cup on the table, her movements three beats slower than usual, giving herself time to digest the information.

Jiang Zhiyu seemed to have completely returned to a working state, his fingers tapping on the keyboard, the light from the screen reflecting on his profile, his features clean and his expression quiet. No one could tell that for those few seconds just now, such a startling darkness had crossed this man's eyes.

"That..." Song Yuqi spoke dryly, "President Jiang, you said 'Noona' just now, that's... Taeyeon Sunbaenim, right?"

She was testing him.

Jiang Zhiyu's fingers tapping the keyboard paused. A pause of a fraction of a second.

"Mhm." He didn't look up. "Kim Taeyeon Sunbaenim. The first choice for deep cooperation with SM Entertainment, a full-scale music project collaboration." His tone was businesslike and flawless.

Song Yuqi said "Oh" in her heart.

Liar.

That mouth shape, she saw it clearly. It wasn't "Tae." It was "Bae."

She didn't expose him. She didn't dare to. She didn't even know what level of "secret" she had stumbled upon. She only felt the Iced Americano in her hand felt inexplicably cold and stinging in the midsummer sea breeze.

"As for aespa..." She changed the subject, trying to make the atmosphere less eerie. "That pig head incident with Ji-min last time, you arranged that, didn't you?"

The corners of Jiang Zhiyu's mouth lifted slightly. This time it was a genuine smile.

"You saw through it?"

"It was way too obvious, okay!" Song Yuqi finally found a bit of relaxation, her tone becoming lively. "With Ji-min Unnie's personality, how could she possibly run off to steal offerings herself? And the way she tried to debunk it in the live stream was clearly a cover-up! Most importantly, SM Entertainment hasn't made a single move until now, not even a symbolic 'investigation'—if the two companies hadn't coordinated in advance, I'll chug that cup of Douzhi!"

Jiang Zhiyu chuckled and didn't deny it.

"She did a good job," he said, his tone carrying a hint of... satisfaction? Appreciation? That Song Yuqi had never seen on his face before. "Variety sense needs someone to light the fuse. She is a very good fuse."

Song Yuqi: "..."

So Karina, the leader of aespa and the head of SM Entertainment's next-generation girl group, was just sold out by you as a "variety fuse," incidentally creating a trending topic that the whole internet went crazy for, promoting the movie, and saving TG tens of millions in marketing fees?

She suddenly felt a bit sorry for Karina.

And also felt a bit lucky that she was only a "potential future partner" and not one of those existences he wanted to take into his possession, the ones that made him show that kind of look.

She lowered her head and took another sip of coffee. Most of the ice had melted, making it bland and tasteless.

Jiang Zhiyu was already immersed in work again, the speed at which he switched between split-screen windows making her dizzy. This man was like a precision instrument that was always overclocking, even bringing his desk along on vacation.

Song Yuqi looked at him, suddenly a bit curious.

What exactly was this person's brain made of? Where exactly were the boundaries of his ambition? He said he wanted to acquire SM Entertainment—he was serious, she was sure of it now. Then when he said "They'll all be in my hands," how many people did that include? How many things? How many of those chess pieces he quietly buried in various parts of the board were already moving according to his simulations?

She suddenly remembered someone online saying that TG Entertainment wasn't a traditional management company at all; it was a system, a system trying to redefine the rules of the Korean entertainment industry.

And Jiang Zhiyu was the core coder of that system.

The sea breeze rose again, blowing her loose curly hair. Song Yuqi stood up, the rattan chair making a slight scraping sound on the floor. Jiang Zhiyu didn't look up, only said softly, "Thanks for the coffee."

Song Yuqi was stunned for a moment before realizing he was talking about the cup she had brought up. She opened her mouth to say something, but in the end, only gave an "Mhm," turned, and went downstairs.

At the corner of the stairs, she couldn't help but look back.

In the light and shadow of the balcony, Jiang Zhiyu was still sitting in that rattan chair, his back straight and his profile quiet. The sea breeze blew the collar of his shirt, revealing a small section of skin on the side of his neck—there seemed to be some faint mark there, like a finger mark or something else, mostly hidden by the collar and not clearly visible.

Song Yuqi looked away and tightened her grip on the handrail.

Don't ask what shouldn't be asked. Don't know what shouldn't be known.

She said to herself.

Going downstairs, Cho Mi Yeon approached: "What were you doing upstairs? What did you talk about with President Jiang?"

"...Nothing much." Song Yuqi forced a smile. "Just asked for some career planning advice."

"What did he teach you?"

"He suggested I open a company in the future."

Cho Mi Yeon: "...Huh?"

Song Yuqi didn't explain, walked to the sofa, threw herself into it, and closed her eyes.

The scenes from just now replayed repeatedly in her mind.

Whether it's Noona, or...

Bae Joo-hyun.

They'll all be in my hands.

She suddenly snapped her eyes open, staring at the wood grain on the ceiling, her heart still not having completely calmed down.

Outside the guesthouse, the tide rose and fell. On the second-floor balcony, the sound of the keyboard continued regularly, like some silent, never-ending countdown.