6: Chapter 6 The Shadow of Security

The train sped through the snow, the scenery outside constantly receding.

Liu Zijun leaned against the window, looking at the email Emily had sent on his fourth-generation iPad.

The email detailed Choi Sulli's recent situation.

She was a member of the group f(x) under SM Entertainment, having debuted in 2009, serving as the sub-vocalist and visual of the group.

Although the group's popularity wasn't low, she personally had begun to face some online criticism, though it hadn't yet reached a significant scale.

The entire group was also the type that was neglected and unloved by the company.

Choi Sulli had cut her hair short because she had just finished filming a TV drama.

The email also included the current status of T-ara; the group was deeply embroiled in the "Bullying Scandal," and the members' entertainment careers had taken a heavy hit. As the leader, Park Soyeon was under immense pressure.

Even after getting into a car accident, she resumed activities shortly after.

Liu Zijun's eyes narrowed slightly; these idols on The Peninsula were truly treated like beasts of burden, earning little and being worked to death.

At the end of the email, Emily attached a scanned document—a residence visa for The Peninsula, which had been processed through special channels and was valid for five years.

There was also the entry code for a house in Seoul's Gangnam District, not far from SM Entertainment Company.

"Quite efficient."

Liu Zijun muttered softly and put away his phone.

Emily always worked so quickly; whether in his past life or this one, she always made things so worry-free.

His goal for this trip was clear: to enter SM Entertainment Company and become someone who could get close to her.

Become an idol? That would be harder than taking his life.

A Manager? He hadn't considered that either.

Those tedious chores—arranging schedules, handling PR, coordinating resources—just thinking about them was a hassle; he didn't have the patience.

A bodyguard seemed to be the best choice; it just so happened that SM Entertainment Company was hiring recently.

He could openly appear by Choi Sulli's side to protect her safety without having to deal with all that mess; focusing on "guarding" her would be enough.

The snow in Seoul was lighter than in Busan, melting as soon as it hit the ground.

After leaving the station, Liu Zijun took a taxi directly to the house Emily had found for him.

The house wasn't small; it was a duplex on the top floor of Building 7 in a high-end residential complex. It was very large and well-decorated.

He didn't know how Emily had found it, nor did he care much; he would just stay there.

Early the next morning!

Below the SM Entertainment Company building, although the building itself wasn't much, the area was quite bustling.

The streets were filled with fans chasing stars, all just to catch a glimpse of their idols.

Fashionably dressed trainees and staff members went in and out from time to time, the place exuding the glamour and bustle of the entertainment industry.

Liu Zijun made a phone call downstairs, and after a while, a staff member in a security uniform came out and led him into the building.

They went straight to the security department's office.

In the office, several security personnel in uniform were chatting; seeing Liu Zijun, a strange foreigner, walk in, they stopped talking and sized him up.

"Who are you looking for?"

A middle-aged man stood up; he was a team leader in the security department named Kim Young-chul, his tone carrying a hint of wariness.

Liu Zijun walked to the desk and said in his still somewhat awkward Korean language, "I am Liu Zijun, here for the security job interview today."

Kim Young-chul was stunned for a moment, then laughed; to him, a Chinese person applying for security at SM was simply unheard of.

As a top entertainment company on The Peninsula, SM Entertainment had many artists; security personnel not only needed to be skilled but also familiar with the rules of the entertainment industry and, more importantly, keep their mouths shut.

Mainly, this guy was too handsome, no worse than the male idols in the company, which made him feel a bit annoyed.

Liu Zijun ignored his disdain and simply took a simple resume out of his pocket and placed it on the table.

Then he said softly, "It seems the person I'm looking for isn't you, Kim Young-chul, but Section Chief Park Woo-sik of the company."

Kim Young-chul picked up the resume, glanced at it, and sneered, "So what? Every one of our security guards here is a veteran. What makes you think you can do it?"

"By strength."

Liu Zijun's tone was flat, yet it carried an indisputable certainty.

Kim Young-chul was provoked by his attitude and waved his hand. "Fine, I'll give you a chance. There's a training room downstairs. Our Taeyong is former Special Forces; if you can beat him, I'll take you to see Section Chief Park Woo-sik."

He was certain Liu Zijun was just all show and no substance, wanting to make him back down.

Liu Zijun nodded and followed Kim Young-chul to the training room downstairs, which was small but adequate.

In the training room, a burly man was hitting a sandbag, every punch carrying a whistling wind; it was Lee Taeyong.

Seeing Kim Young-chul bring Liu Zijun in, he stopped his movements and wiped his sweat. "Young-chul Hyung, who is this?"

Kim Young-chul said, "He's here to apply for security and says he's skilled. I want you to spar with him."

Lee Taeyong sized up Liu Zijun; seeing his upright posture but not looking like a martial artist, he waved his hand dismissively.

"Come on then, let's keep it light."

Liu Zijun rolled his wrists, and without any nonsense, walked straight toward Lee Taeyong.

Lee Taeyong struck first, a straight punch aimed at Liu Zijun's face, extremely fast and carrying the sharpness of a veteran.

But in Liu Zijun's eyes, this speed was as slow as a snail.

He tilted his body slightly, easily dodging it, while simultaneously reaching out to grab Lee Taeyong's wrist and twisting it.

Lee Taeyong only felt a sharp pain in his wrist, and his body leaned forward uncontrollably.

Liu Zijun then kicked the back of his knee, and he fell to the ground with a "thump," unable to resist at all.

The entire process took no more than three seconds.

Lee Taeyong's eyes widened, his face full of disbelief.

He was a fighting expert from the former Special Forces, yet he was subdued in one move by this Chinese man?

Kim Young-chul and the others were also so shocked their mouths hung open; the scene just now was so fast he almost didn't see it clearly, only seeing Lee Taeyong being taken down instantly.

Liu Zijun let go, stepped aside, and said calmly, "Want to try again?"

Lee Taeyong stood up, rubbing his wrist, the contempt on his face long gone, replaced by admiration.

"No need, I lost. Your skills are very impressive."

Kim Young-chul snapped out of it and quickly put on a warm expression. "Mr. Liu Zijun, I am truly sorry; I failed to recognize your greatness just now. I will take you to see Section Chief Park Woo-sik right away!"

Park Woo-sik was a capable middle-aged man, currently on the phone communicating something, looking a bit excited.

Seeing Liu Zijun enter under Kim Young-chul's lead, he had just hung up the phone and slowly calmed his mind, looking at this young and handsome man with some curiosity.

This man was not simple; a high-level official from Yongsan had actually reached out just to request a security position for him.

After some pleasantries, and with Kim Young-chul mentioning Liu Zijun's combat strength, he was officially hired.

When asked if he had any other requirements, Liu Zijun directly stated his condition.

"Everything else is fine, but I want to be solely responsible for the security of the group f(x)."

Liu Zijun looked at Park Woo-sik, his tone firm.

Park Woo-sik was stunned for a moment, then said with some hesitation, "f(x) already has dedicated security personnel...

But it's fine, I can make adjustments. However, Mr. Liu, I'm a bit curious, why must you choose f(x)?"

"It's nothing, I'm just more familiar with the members of this group!"

Liu Zijun made up a random excuse; he couldn't very well say he came to protect Choi Sulli.

Park Woo-sik didn't ask further; it was normal for security personnel in the entertainment industry to have artists they favored.

Besides, this man's background and everything else were very clean.

He immediately said, "Then welcome to SM Entertainment, Mr. Liu Zijun! Follow Young-chul; let him take you to handle the onboarding procedures. You can officially start tomorrow, primarily responsible for f(x)'s schedule!

By the way, Mr. Liu Zijun, when our security work involves going out, driving is sometimes required, and when f(x) has no schedule, you might need to assist other personnel."

Liu Zijun nodded, indicating he understood.

Leaving Park Woo-sik's office, he was one step closer to Choi Sulli.

From today on, he was a security officer for SM Entertainment and the personal bodyguard for the ragtag group f(x).

The wind in Seoul blew through the streets of Cheongdam-dong, fluttering the hem of Liu Zijun's clothes.

Behind the glamour of SM Entertainment lay too many hidden currents—cyberbullying, industry infighting, and the complexity of human nature—all waiting for him to face.