Chapter Thirty-Two: LOEN and SM (First Update)

"That's not it. As for the entertainment industry, I've already decided to join," Chen Zhe shook his head, dismissing Kim Jung Min's guess. After all, he'd made up his mind about entering the entertainment industry since yesterday.

"Then why can't you accept for now, Chen Zhe?" Slightly taken aback by his words, Kim Jung Min looked at him with a hint of surprise, as if he couldn’t quite grasp his thinking.

Chen Zhe didn’t answer immediately. Instead, he took another sip of his tea. Meanwhile, Chen Yuqi, unnoticed by Kim Jung Min, nudged Choi Sooyoung with her elbow, signaling it was her turn to step in.

"President Kim, Zhe has been invited to visit SM Entertainment tomorrow. Director Lee Soo Man himself extended the invitation!" Receiving the signal from her best friend, Choi Sooyoung knew it was time to act as planned.

Last night, after Chen Zhe’s parents finished their call, Chen Yuqi had phoned her best friend Sooyoung, and the two discussed how to secure the greatest benefit for Chen Zhe. Their strategy was to have Sooyoung use SM Entertainment’s name as leverage with LOEN, and then, once at SM Entertainment, Yuqi would use LOEN’s name as leverage there.

After obtaining the most favorable terms from both companies, they would compare the offers and sign with the one that benefited Chen Zhe most.

The reason they dared to proceed this way was simple: both companies were vying to recruit Chen Zhe, not the other way around.

"Visit SM Entertainment! Sooyoung and Director Lee are quite resourceful!" Kim Jung Min’s pupils contracted slightly at Sooyoung’s words. He hadn’t expected SM Entertainment to react so swiftly and enter the fray so quickly. He gave Sooyoung a meaningful look, his tone layered with implication.

He now realized the generous contract he’d intended for Chen Zhe might not be enough. He’d need to consult the board again, especially since SM Entertainment was involved; he’d have to raise the stakes.

Otherwise, his company—dependent almost entirely on IU—could hardly compete with SM Entertainment, the leading giant of Korea’s entertainment industry. Anyone would naturally prefer the latter.

"So, Chen Zhe, when can you make your decision?" Kim Jung Min thought to himself that, after sending these three off, he'd have to convene the board once more to discuss Chen Zhe’s contract.

"President Kim, the day after tomorrow. Zhe will give you an answer then," Chen Yuqi, acting as guardian, responded instead of Chen Zhe.

No matter how Chen Zhe answered, it would leave a less-than-ideal impression, so it was best for him to remain silent and let Yuqi speak on his behalf.

After spending another hour at LOEN, discussing further matters and politely declining Kim Jung Min’s invitation to dinner, the trio left LOEN.

"I actually think the chances of Zhe joining SM Entertainment are slim." Sitting in Sooyoung’s car, silence lingered until, after passing another intersection, Sooyoung suddenly spoke.

"Oh? Why do you think that, Sooyoung?" Chen Yuqi looked curiously at her friend, certain she wouldn’t say such things without some insider information.

Hearing Sooyoung’s words, Chen Zhe, who had been gazing out the window, turned his attention back, evidently interested in the topic.

"Based on our current assessment, we’re positioning Zhe as a singer-songwriter with strong creative abilities, right?" Sooyoung didn’t answer directly, but posed a question to Yuqi.

"That’s correct. According to our previous analysis, the entertainment companies want Zhe precisely for that reason," Yuqi nodded, feeling a little puzzled by the sudden inquiry.

"But as far as I know, SM Entertainment is currently investing all its resources in a new boy group," Sooyoung revealed the news she’d recently learned from within the company.

"Sooyoung, you mean...?" Hearing her words, Chen Zhe recalled how, in 2012, SM Entertainment had indeed launched a new boy group—EXO—who would later become a top-tier idol group. But what did that have to do with whether he joined SM or not?

"Listen carefully—all their resources are being poured into the new boy group!" Sooyoung repeated herself, emphasizing the word 'resources.'

"Resources?" Chen Zhe echoed, and the reminder made something click in his mind.

If all the resources were going to EXO, even if he joined SM Entertainment and debuted quickly, he wouldn’t receive their support.

Without SM’s promotional resources to boost his popularity, he’d have to rely entirely on his own fame and momentum. In that case, joining SM would become meaningless.

"If you join SM Entertainment, Zhe, I see four possible outcomes: one, you join a sub-unit of the new boy group and wait for a chance to go solo; two, you replace one of the new group’s members and wait for a solo opportunity; three, you continue as a trainee, hoping to join the next boy group or debut solo; and four, the worst outcome—debuting solo without much resource support, relying only on your own popularity," Sooyoung laid out the options after pondering for a moment.

SM’s expertise lies in boy groups, while Girls’ Generation is a miracle that can’t be duplicated. Naturally, SM prefers boy groups—they’re the fastest moneymakers, attracting fans and quickly generating revenue.

"Then our trip to SM Entertainment is really just a tour," Chen Zhe exhaled softly, shaking his head with a wry smile. None of the four scenarios Sooyoung mentioned were what he wanted. If things were as she predicted, LOEN might actually be the best option for him.

"Don’t be discouraged. These are just my personal guesses. The company might invest resources in you and push you to debut—after all, both Director Lee and President Kim value you highly," Sooyoung offered gentle reassurance.

She urged him not to worry too much. After all, her predictions were based on recent information and shouldn’t be taken as definite outcomes.