402: Chapter 457 Phantom Thief Zhimin (23)

The SM Building stood tall in Gangnam District, Seoul, its glass curtain walls reflecting a cold luster under the afternoon sun. This was one of the temples of the South Korean entertainment industry, where countless top idols had emerged and where the dreams of countless fans had taken root.

When Zhiyu pushed through the revolving doors and walked inside, he was carrying two large bags of bread. One bag contained the plain bagels, chocolate muffins, and cream cheese Danish pastries specified by Kim Minjeong. The other bag held the strawberry Danish pastries, matcha puffs, and Pavlova that Karina had spent a long time picking out, along with a few canelés and madeleines she had added on a whim.

The plastic bags swayed gently by his side, making a rustling sound.

Karina followed behind him, looking at his tall, straight back while still replaying those words from the bakery in her heart. "Meeting you, I knew I would be happy"—that sentence had been spinning in her head the whole way, and her cheeks burned every time she thought of it. She kept her head down, trying hard to make her expression look normal.

When the girl at the front desk saw him, her eyes instantly lit up: "President Jiang! You're here!"

Zhiyu nodded to her, offering a polite smile. The smile was just right—not too warm, not too distant, as if behind a thin veil. The front desk girl's face flushed slightly, and she subconsciously tidied her hair.

Several staff members nearby also noticed him and nodded in greeting. Zhiyu responded to each one, but his pace did not slow.

However, as his gaze swept across the lobby, it became somewhat different.

The front desk staff were looking down, organizing documents. Several boys and girls who looked like Trainees sat in the waiting area holding audition number tags, their faces full of tension and expectation. Staff members occasionally hurried through the corridors clutching thick proposal folders. The electronic screens on the walls scrolled through the latest updates of their artists—the teaser for aespa's new song, variety show clips of Red Velvet, and tour posters for NCT.

Everything looked orderly, as calm as a pool of stagnant water.

But Zhiyu's gaze was not at all what a "visitor's" should be. He narrowed his eyes slightly, a faint smile playing on his lips as his gaze lingered on every detail, as if he were sizing something up, or perhaps calculating something.

That look was very much like a lion surveying its territory. Composed, arrogant, with a certainty that said, "Everything here will belong to me sooner or later."

But it was more than just that.

There was something else in that gaze—a deeper, more dangerous quality. It was as if he were enjoying something. Like he was admiring the silence before a storm, savoring the palpable tension in the air. Just like the Joker in Batman, standing in the middle of an empty street, arms spread wide, head tilted back to breathe, with that bone-chilling smile on his face—

Soon. Soon. It's about to begin.

Walking beside him, Karina keenly sensed that something was "off" about him. He wasn't like this when he usually came to SM. Normally, he was gentle, polite, and humble, like a normal business partner. But today—

The aura around him had completely changed.

Karina suddenly felt a slight chill down her back.

"Oppa?" she called out softly.

Zhiyu didn't respond immediately, his gaze still slowly drifting across the lobby. The front desk staff was answering a phone call with a respectful tone, likely from someone important. The Girls Generation poster on the wall had been replaced with the latest aespa comeback concept photo. A few girls who looked like Trainees passed through the corridor; they froze for a moment when they saw him, then bowed and greeted him with flushed faces.

Everything was as usual. Everything was in order.

Zhiyu watched all of this, the curve of his lips deepening. Soon, he said silently in his heart. Very soon, this place will become different. Those quiet and orderly routines, those step-by-step processes, those souls framed by rules—soon, they will all be broken. And he would be the one to light the fuse.

Karina called out again, her voice a bit louder this time: "Oppa?"

Zhiyu finally withdrew his gaze and turned to look at her. That mysterious smile was still on his face, but his eyes had softened a bit.

"In a moment," he said, his voice very light yet carrying a sense of certainty, "SM is going to get busy."

Karina blinked. Get busy? What did he mean? She tilted her head and thought—there were no comeback plans today, no major announcements, no sudden trending topics...

Then her face turned green.

It wasn't the kind of green from turning red with anger, but a sickly, pale green from suddenly realizing something.

"guardian of princess wonyoung"—the account that made the entire Korean entertainment industry tremble with fear. "Pig 51"—the anti-fan nickname that had caused her social death across the internet.

She suddenly remembered what he had said before—

"In a bit, I'll use the 'guardian of princess wonyoung' account to call you 'Pig 51'."

Karina's face went from green to red, red to white, and white back to green.

Shibal.

This was SM!

This was her company!

This was where her Managers, her juniors, her seniors, and countless staff members worked every day!

He was going to use that anti-fan account to call her "Pig 51" right here in the SM Building, in front of everyone?!

She was standing in the SM Building right now, right next to the bastard who was about to open fire. And the reason he had been sizing up the surroundings with that lion-surveying-its-territory look was because—he was about to start a new round of blood and gore right here, on SM's turf, using that damned account.

Karina took a deep breath, then another, and another.

"Oppa~~~"

Karina's voice changed instantly. From the previous confusion, it turned into a resentful, aggrieved, drawn-out whine, like she was questioning a heartless man. She dragged out the "pa" sound for a long time, her voice trembling at the end as if she had suffered a great injustice with no one to turn to.

The staff members in the lobby all stopped what they were doing at the same time.

The lady at the front desk's voice hitched mid-call, the employees passing through the corridor froze, and even the security uncle at the elevator, who had seen it all, couldn't help but turn his head. Everyone's eyes snapped toward Karina, then followed her gaze to Zhiyu.

That look—that tone—that "Oppa~~~"—

Why did it sound so much like she was calling out a heartless man?

Zhiyu felt the gazes from all around, and the corner of his mouth couldn't help but twitch. But he quickly regained control, his face still maintaining that mysterious smile.

"Stop calling me like that," he said in a low voice.

Karina looked even more aggrieved: "Then don't do that..."

Looking at her face which was practically screaming "this is too hard for me," Zhiyu finally couldn't help but chuckle a few times. The laughter wasn't loud, but it was exceptionally clear in the quiet lobby.

He cleared his throat and raised an eyebrow at her: "Let's talk about it in the Practice Room."

With that, he turned and walked toward the elevator. Karina bit her lip and quickly followed. In the lobby they left behind, there was silence for about three seconds. Then, the sound of hushed discussions rose like a tide.

"Was that Karina from aespa just now?"

"Yes! Who's the guy next to her? So handsome..."

"You don't know him? That's President Jiang Zhiyu of TG Entertainment! The one who planned 'twelve star messengers'."

"What's his relationship with Karina? Why are they at SM together?"

"Didn't you hear her call him Oppa just now? They must be very close."

"More than just close... didn't you hear how she said 'Oppa' just now? Tsk tsk..."

"That look, that tone, I felt bad for her just listening to it."

"Don't you know? They've known each other for years. President Jiang used to be a producer at SM; he watched those aespa kids grow up."

"Oh—no wonder. But Karina's expression just now really looked like..."

"Like what?"

"Like a female lead abandoned by a heartless man."

"...You should watch fewer melodramas."

"I'm serious!"

"So what actually happened? Why did Karina call him in that tone?"

"Did those two have a fight?"

"Doesn't look like it. It's more like Ji-min is acting spoiled, but not in the usual way..."

"Then what is it?"

"How should I put it... It's that feeling of, 'You did something wrong to me, but I can't bring myself to actually be angry.'"

"Wow, that's a very detailed analysis."

"Professional instinct."

"What profession?"

"Single-since-birth observer."

"..."

The Receptionist put down the phone and joined the discussion: "I saw President Jiang's expression just now, and it felt strange. The way he looked at our building was like he was looking at his own property."

The Security Guard shook his head. "The world of the rich is beyond our understanding."

In the corridor, several girls who looked like Trainees were still standing there, staring blankly toward the elevators.

"President Jiang is so handsome..."

"Senior Ji-min is so lucky..."

"Don't you think the atmosphere just now was very subtle?"

"Very subtle +1."

"Very subtle +2."

"By the way, what was he carrying in his hand? Bread?"

"Looks like it, two big bags."

"Who did he buy them for?"

"Who else? It must be for aespa. President Jiang is really good to aespa..."

"I'm so jealous..."

The moment the elevator doors closed, all the gazes and gossip from outside were cut off.

Only Jiang Zhiyu and Karina were left in the elevator car.

Zhiyu stood in front, facing the elevator doors, still carrying those two large bags of bread.

Karina stood behind him, her gaze becoming increasingly resentful.

She didn't speak; she just stared at him like that.

With that 'I know you know I'm looking at you' kind of look.

With that 'You know exactly what you did' kind of look.

With that 'If you dare to post that, I'll take you down with me' kind of look.

Zhiyu endured those two burning gazes, staring straight ahead at his own reflection on the elevator doors.

His expression was very calm.

Very serious.

Very innocent.

He looked straight at his reflection on the elevator doors, trying his best to maintain a calm expression.

But inside—

That little devil inside him was already dancing wildly.

Soon.

Soon he would use the 'guardian of princess wonyoung' account to post and call her 'Pig 51'.

Right inside the SM Building.

Right on her home turf.

Right under the noses of her and countless staff members.

When you're sneakily doing something bad, it's hard to hold back a laugh.

Especially when the victim is standing right behind you, looking at you with that pitiful gaze.

That feeling was like a child clutching a piece of candy, knowing they should give it to someone else but unable to resist taking a lick first.

The elevator numbers were ticking up.

3rd floor.

4th floor.

5th floor.

Karina's voice sounded from behind him, eerie and low:

"You laughed, didn't you?"

Zhiyu didn't turn around.

"No."

His voice was very calm.

But the corners of his mouth were already curling up.

Karina stared at the back of his head and saw his shoulders twitch slightly.

"You definitely laughed."

"I really didn't."

"Your shoulders are shaking."

"It's the elevator vibrating."

Karina gritted her teeth, just about to say something—

"Pfft."

A snicker escaped from Zhiyu's throat, sounding particularly clear in the quiet elevator car.

Karina's face instantly turned red.

"Yah!!!"

Karina's voice exploded in the elevator, sharp and loud.

She lunged forward, her small fists starting to pummel his shoulder again.

"You really are the owner of that account! You really are going to post and insult me! Zhiyu, you jerk!!"

"And you said you didn't! You said you didn't!"

Zhiyu laughed as he dodged, his laughter becoming more and more uncontrollable.

"I really didn't!"

"You clearly laughed just now!"

"That was—that was—pfft—"

Another one.

Karina got even angrier.

"Jiang Zhiyu!!!"

Zhiyu laughed while being hit, doubling over as the bread bags in his hands swung back and forth.

"Stop hitting, stop hitting, the bread is going to fall!"

"Let it fall! It's for Minjeong anyway!"

"There's some for you too!"

"I'm not eating it!"

"Then I'll eat it myself."

"You—!!"

Karina got even more furious, her fists hitting harder.

Zhiyu dodged with a laugh, and the two of them made a scene in the elevator.

"You laughed! You're still laughing! You're going to post that, aren't you! You just want to post that!"

"I didn't—pfft—"

"And you still say you didn't!"

"Okay, okay, I'll stop laughing, I'll stop laughing—"

"You're still laughing!"

"I'm really not laughing—"

"The corners of your mouth are still curled up!"

Karina's fists became more frequent. Zhiyu laughed until tears almost came out, his back hitting the elevator wall as he curled into a ball. Karina chased him around, and the two of them fought from one end of the elevator to the other.

The elevator mirror faithfully recorded this scene—the leader of aespa, the cold and domineering Karina on stage, was currently chasing a man a head taller than her all over the elevator; the President of TG Entertainment, the calm and wise Jiang Zhiyu at the business negotiation table, was currently laughing like a child who had stolen candy.

The elevator dinged. The doors slowly opened.

In the corridor, several SM staff members happened to be passing by. When they saw the scene in the elevator, their footsteps stopped simultaneously. Zhiyu was standing in the corner of the elevator, his clothes a bit disheveled, his hair a mess, and a laugh he hadn't had time to pull back still on his face. Karina stood in front of him, one hand still clutching his sleeve, her cheeks flushed, panting for breath.

The air froze for a full three seconds.

Zhiyu was the first to react. He nodded to the staff outside the door and said with a smile, "Good afternoon." His tone was as natural as if nothing had happened. The staff members nodded mechanically in response, "G-good afternoon."

Karina also instantly retracted her fists and stood up straight, the "I'm going to kill someone" expression on her face switching instantly to a "I'm a lady" smile.

Zhiyu picked up the bread bags and walked out of the elevator. Karina followed behind him, her head lowered.

The staff members watched them walk away and then huddled together, whispering: "Was that... a fight?" "Doesn't look like it, more like... flirting." "President Jiang's clothes were all messed up." "Ji-min's face was so red, something's definitely up." "Stop guessing, they just have a good relationship."

At the end of the corridor, aespa's Practice Room was right in front of them.

Zhiyu walked in front, and Karina followed behind. She could hear the occasional, heavily suppressed laughter leaking from his throat. She stared at his back, the resentment in her eyes deepening, but beneath that resentment, there was a trace of a smile she hadn't even noticed herself.

This jerk.

The Practice Room door appeared before them. Zhiyu stopped and turned to look at her. Traces of his laughter still remained on his face, the corners of his eyes slightly curved, his lips forming an arc.

Karina looked at that face and suddenly didn't know whether to be angry or to laugh.

Zhiyu lowered his voice and leaned into her ear: "Wait a bit, I'll post one first to test the waters."

Karina's fists clenched again. But looking at his bright eyes and that smug, punchable smile he couldn't hide—

She took a deep breath. Forget it. She couldn't stop him anyway. Besides... it wasn't the first time she'd been insulted by him.

She glared at him. "Don't go too far."

Zhiyu blinked. "I'll try my best."

"Jiang Zhiyu."

"Hmm?"

"If you dare to call me a pig-head, I'll drink all of your milk tea."

Zhiyu paused for a moment and then laughed. This smile wasn't the playful, punchable one from before, but a gentle one, carrying a hint of indulgence.

"Okay," he said, "then I'll also try my best not to call you a pig-head."

Karina huffed and pushed open the Practice Room door.

Inside the Practice Room, Kim Minjeong was curled up on the sofa scrolling through her phone. Hearing the door, she looked up, and her eyes instantly lit up: "Oppa—!"