Five Girls' Entry into China — The Music Contracts

Young-hoon got home a little later than the night before, but his mind was wide awake. Perhaps that was why Su-jin skipped her usual nagging tonight.

"You barely drank at all today? Hee-joo's family wants to have lunch together tomorrow—does that work for your schedule, big bro?"

"Sorry, sis. I've got an important commitment tomorrow, so I can't make it. Ask them if Sunday works instead."

"Fine. But tomorrow's a holiday... this isn't a date, is it?"

"Hey now, sis—curiosity can get you hurt. Anyway, good night."

"Tch. Night, big bro."

Su-jin shot him a look that said she didn't buy a word of it, but Young-hoon held the line with ironclad defense. Telling her the truth could wait a little longer.

Today was an enormously important day as far as Young-hoon was concerned. To push into China, Girin Entertainment had to sign music distribution contracts with Shanghai Music and China Music—the number one and number two companies in the Chinese music market. The meetings were scheduled for eleven o'clock, so he told the team to gather at ten.

Su-jin, Saturday being what it was, still seemed to be fast asleep. He threw together a light breakfast and headed for the office. It wasn't even ten yet, but everyone was already at their desks and waiting. President Lee Jae-man had only just finished moving and been told to arrive by eleven, yet there he was, already settled into his seat. The morning meeting wrapped up quickly—a refresher on the strategy they'd hammered out the day before. Now all that remained was to wait for the people from China Music and Shanghai Music. Kim Jong-seok and Team Leader Park had gone down to the first floor in advance to receive them.

Young-hoon had gifted a free bottle of the elixir apiece to Chairman Wang Chenchen of Shanghai Media Group and Chairman Xu Jiayin of China Media Group. Chairman Jang and Chairman Choi had reimbursed him for half the value, of course, but an unexpected expense still stung his wallet all the same.

At yesterday's joint banquet, Five Girls had received a tip for their performance—and Chairman Wang Chenchen had thrown in an extra five million yuan on top. Which gave Young-hoon an idea: he would play on the delicate rivalry between Wang Mimi and Xu Linhong to squeeze out even more ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠money.

"President Lee, how much in tips have the girls pulled in from those two Chinese chairmen so far?"

"Thirty million yuan. That's roughly 5.1 billion won by our standards."

"Then today I'll wring out another five million yuan, and we'll split it 1/N among everyone here."

"We've already received an astronomical sum, and you're going to extract more?"

"Leave the how to me. Call it about 170 million won per person."

Kim Jong-seok, who had been listening nearby, blinked in disbelief before adding his two cents.

"That's more than two years of my salary."

"We've all worked hard for this. You've more than earned it. Attorney Min—this money is a personal performance bonus. The firm's fees will be paid separately under the contract."

"Understood. At this rate, I may have to quit the firm and move over to your company."

"No need for that. Kim & Park won't have any choice but to keep doing business with us for years to come anyway."

"Sir, it's about time. Team Leader Park and I will head down now."

Once Kim Jong-seok and Park Sung-ho had descended to the lobby, the rest of the group took advantage of the lull for a short breather. Close to eleven, Kim Jong-seok came back up escorting Wang Mimi, her chief secretary Shi Xuan, two staff members, a lawyer, an interpreter—six people from Shanghai Music in all. A short while later, Park Sung-ho arrived with Xu Linhong, chief secretary Zhang Ruxin, and an entourage from China Music identical in composition to their rivals'.

Seventeen people in one room made the conference room feel packed to the walls. Yet nobody felt the least bit cramped—because the chill radiating between Wang Mimi and Xu Linhong was so thick it turned the air positively glacial.

Worried that a fight would break out if he left them alone, Young-hoon hurried to open the conversation.

"I trust both of you slept well?"

"Yes."

"Yes. Thanks to your thoughtfulness, I slept very comfortably."

Strangely enough, both women treated Young-hoon with the soft, deferential caution of mice before a cat.

"You must be tired. Please, refresh yourselves with the drinks we've prepared while we talk."

The moment the words left his mouth, both women reacted as if they'd been waiting for exactly this.

"Thank you, we will."

They looked for all the world like they'd have been hurt not to receive one.

After a proper tea time, the real negotiations began. Young-hoon laid out Girin Entertainment's position in full, and Wang Mimi and Xu Linhong both signaled their understanding. But there was still the matter of the finish line: who would take which songs, and how large the advances would be. After about an hour of exchanging views, Girin Entertainment, Shanghai Music, and China Music arrived at the following conclusions.

Both Shanghai Music and China Music had small reservations about the terms, but looking ahead to the future rather than the present, they had no choice but to accept. The lawyers of each country would review the contract one final time—and while the break lasted, Young-hoon set about rubbing salt in Xu Linhong's wounds, quite openly at that.

"Representative Wang Mimi, our girls asked me to pass along their thanks to Chairman Wang."

"Oh? Whatever for...?"

"They said he tipped them far too generously for the song yesterday."

Wang Mimi broke into a radiant smile and made a show of responding.

"Ah~ yes. I'll be sure to relay their thanks to my father."

In that instant, Young-hoon was studying Xu Linhong's expression. She had already intuited exactly what he was doing. This open display of gratitude toward Wang Mimi was a roundabout way of saying that China Music's courtesy had fallen short.

Xu Linhong excused herself for a quick trip to see her chairman, stepped outside, and called her father to confirm exactly how much he'd tipped yesterday.

And then—what on earth. That stingy old man had handed over ten million yuan as a tip. Which meant that Wang Mimi's father, that woman's father, must certainly have given fifteen million. She had nothing whatsoever to feel inferior to Wang Mimi about, yet here she was, disgraced over a mere five million yuan.

Fire lit in her eyes. Her father had failed to match the tip, so somehow, some way, she would have to make up the ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠difference herself—but no good method presented itself. Not knowing what to do, Xu Linhong could only stamp her feet in frustration.

Meanwhile, back in the office, Young-hoon sent a signal to Team Leader Park Sung-ho and had him step outside. Park caught the meaning at once and strolled out the door as if nothing were happening. The moment he did, Xu ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠Linhong thrust an envelope into his hands without a word of preamble, then ducked back into the office. It all happened in the blink of an eye.

Park took the envelope into the restroom and opened it: a check for ten million yuan.

That Kim Young-hoon. You really have to hand it to the man's cunning.

Park returned to the conference room with the perfect composure of a man who'd merely visited the toilet, and gave Young-hoon the OK sign. By then the lawyers had apparently finished their review, because they came in with the final version of the contract. Once each representative signed, the lawyer notarized it and copies were distributed all around—every contractual formality complete. Afterward, the three companies shared a simple lunch to celebrate the successful signing.

When the time came to part, Wang Mimi and Xu Linhong each pressed a business card into Young-hoon's hand and made him promise—promise—to keep in touch. There was something strange and heated ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠smoldering in their eyes, so much so that Young-hoon could barely meet their gazes. If any of the Five Girls members or PD Shin Hye-yoon had been there, he had no doubt he'd have gotten an earful.

The two women glared at each other like rivals before retreating to their respective hotels. Come evening, both would no doubt board the private jets they'd arrived on and fly back to China.

With the crucial contract wrapped up, Young-hoon's strength drained out of him all at once. Still, there was leftover work to tidy up. The Girin Entertainment staff gathered in the conference room and agreed to wind down the day's business over one last tea time.

"Team Leader Park, how much did you get from Xu Linhong?"

Park Sung-ho handed over the envelope. Young-hoon peered inside, then passed it along to Kim Jong-seok with a perfectly deadpan face.

"Director Kim, it's a check for ten million yuan. Exchange it Monday and wire everyone's 1/N share. And the rest of you, give Director Kim your account numbers."

"Sir... are we really allowed to keep this much?"

"It's a tip, plain and simple—a reward for all our hard work these three days."

"Thank you, Representative Kim. I'll put it to good use."

"You should be thanking Representative Xu Linhong, not me, Attorney Min. She'd be heartbroken if she knew."

Team Leader Park Sung-ho pounced on the opening like a man seizing a fault line.

"Honestly, our Representative Kim here has a real gift for shaking people down."

"Ahem. Attorney Min, you do remember you're our exclusive counsel, yes? What happened today stays between us. Deal?"

Somehow the air had turned conspiratorial, and everyone answered with spirit.

"Deal!!"

Once a thoroughly satisfied Attorney Min had gone home, only the Girin Entertainment employees remained in the office. It was time to get down to real company business. Young-hoon decided to push forward the plan he'd been mulling over and began issuing instructions.

"President Lee, once the advances come in from China, replace all the equipment in the girls' practice room with top-of-the-line gear, and bring Producer Yoo Sung-hoon into the company. Update the recording equipment to the latest models as well. If any money's left over after that, lease one more floor of office space. Director Kim will need a workspace there—and if there's room left, put in an office for me too, for later."

"There's more than enough money. Your office is already built on the sixth floor, and I'll take care of the rest immediately."

"Hmm, was that really necessary already? I was planning to stay put for a while... Well, since it's built, you take that office, President Lee, and give yours to Director Kim. Mine can wait until we lease the seventh floor—build it slowly. Director Kim, Team Leader Park—before you resign from LK Electronics, keep dropping by Girin Entertainment and get a feel for the place. And we'll need to run teams going forward, so start securing personnel. Director Kim, the follow-up on this China contract is your responsibility—take charge and see it through personally."

"Understood, Representative Kim."

At that moment, Team Leader Park turned to Young-hoon with a wounded expression.

"Representative Kim, and my office?"

"What does a team leader need an office for? Director Kim gets one because he's executive-level. Team Leader Park, find yourself a desk somewhere on the sixth floor."

"Representative, then can I bring Jin-man in?"

"That's for Director Kim to decide after he consults with Jin-man first. And finally—President Lee, please prepare the November settlement report for the beginning of next month. Team Leader Park is the star player when it comes to playing with numbers, so working on the statement together will do you good. From next month on, it's his job anyway."

"Ugh. Now I've been saddled with a double life I never signed up for."

"In exchange you get fat tips. 340 million won. Call it even. Besides, you get to work with Five Girls—the very girls you used to dream about."

"Honestly, that's the only reason I put up with it."

"Right then. Everyone, let's head over to the new office. We should buy the jajangmyeon while we're at it, no?"