Chapter 151 Chapter 151

Lee Hi's album celebration party was held at an exquisite French restaurant in Gangnam. The entire company, from Yang Hyun-suk, the planning team, to the makeup artists and dancers for the live performances, were all present.

TV" had already set up a camera in the corner early on - during her comeback, Lee Hi's every move would be recorded as a special feature, and this celebration party was no exception.

"Hello everyone, welcome to the celebration party for 'Veil'—" Lee Hi, delicately made up, beamed at the camera. While not an extrovert, she's now adept at livening up the atmosphere in front of the camera.

"This album's popularity is a result of the hard work of everyone at YG. First and foremost, I want to thank President Yang for his support—" The camera panned to the main table. Yang Hyun-seok smiled and gestured, "Thank you for your hard work, Xia Yi."

"And Lia unnie, who has been supporting me since the 'Kpop Star' days and later became my producer. Without the songs written by unnie, I wouldn't be who I am today. I hope we can continue to be together for a long time to come—"

Next to Yang Hyun-seok, Lia raised her glass and clinked it with hers. "Also, Nayeon-unnie and Si-an-oppa, who worked on the album visuals..." She continued to direct the camera, thanking them one by one. In the corner,

Ha Ji-hye looked at Yang Hyun-seok and Lia at the main table, her palms sweating slightly. Two days ago, Lia had asked her to draft a studio proposal, which roughly entailed: establishing an independent studio overseas as a YG producer.

The studio will lead overall operations, avoiding direct conflict with the company. Its core focus remains on supporting YG artists' albums, while also undertaking collaborative projects with independent musicians in Europe and the United States. Profits are rebated to the company on a proportional basis, allowing YG to more smoothly connect with overseas markets.

The paper was written perfectly, even listing the risks and countermeasures, making it seem both reasonable and far-sighted. But the core of the problem was clearly not here. The producer I had signed was going to start a new business.

This was a sensitive topic for any company. But the two people at the head table, one calm and the other chatting and laughing, showed no sign of agitation. If she hadn't come up with this proposal, she would have almost believed the harmony was genuine.

Yang Hyun-seok was naturally far from calm as he appeared. Upon receiving the proposal, his first reaction was to fly into a rage. In reality, the profit share allocated to YG in this proposal was quite substantial.

With the current staffing of YG's overseas department, it's difficult to provide Lia with higher-level support. Overseas studios can maximize her resources, and the document clearly states that works produced within three years will be given priority for YG artists.

He couldn't find any fault. The problem, however, lay in the ownership structure—Lia held 60%, with Sony and YG each holding 20%. While it appeared to be a three-way partnership, she actually held absolute control.

Sony's investment represents overseas channels. They do not want to dominate operations, but they have enough motivation to provide resources because of the profit sharing.

But for YG, this 20% is just a symbolic participation, a guarantee she provides under the constraints of the contract - she will not completely break away from YG and become independent in the short term.

This agreement may seem respectful, but it's actually arrogant. Even if she had proposed a 60/40 split with YG, Yang Hyun-seok wouldn't have been so angry. But she now has the capital to be so arrogant.

Veil's reputation and sales are there, and her network of collaborations with European and American producers is gradually forming. Even Sony is willing to pay real money to tie her up. Such a resume is worth everyone's attention.

Yang Xianshi stared at the line "Lia 60%" for a long time and felt a little strange.

It wasn't like, nor was it dislike. To some extent, he even had a faint admiration for her—not only did she possess the ability to match her ambition, but she had even caused him to stumble once.

So, after a fit of anger, he calmly accepted the proposal.

Aside from the expiring contract, he had nothing to bind Lia. Rather than trying to stop her, he should just go along with her offer. Otherwise, when the contract ended, he might not even have the chance to hold onto his 20% stake.

Thinking this, he smiled and raised his glass again, clinking it with Lia's. There was a small commotion at the entrance. Soon, Kwon Ji-yong appeared, having just arrived from an event, followed by Kush, who had just joined in the fun.

Yang Xianshi couldn't help but feel a little annoyed. Look at how worthless he is. What's the point of following him closely? He's about to run away. "President nim——"

Kush greeted respectfully and then disappeared to the next table the next second, so fast that no one could react.

He'd been on a bit of a spree lately, even going to Japan with Lia a while ago, and hadn't made any progress on his production. Seeing the president, he almost took three steps back. Yang Hyun-seok glanced at him calmly, frowning, but said nothing.

If inspiration doesn't come for a while, even if he is tied to a chair, he won't be able to write anything. Quan Zhilong also greeted him obediently and sat next to Lia.

He knew that Lia had handed over the studio's proposal to Yang Hyun-seok in the past two days. Judging from the current delicate atmosphere, the president had probably already heard the bad news.

He kept his eyes on his nose, his nose on his heart, and tried his best to avoid Yang Xianshi's gaze - after all, if he really asked, he already knew about this matter. "Have you eaten?" Lia asked in a low voice.

He shook his head. He'd taken off his makeup and rushed over as soon as the evening event ended. Only then did he start to feel a bit hungry. Lia raised her hand to call the waiter and ordered another set meal for him.

In front of her was a small, almost untouched portion of pan-fried duck breast. While the kitchen was preparing it, he simply moved it to his front and quietly began to eat. His other hand, hidden under the table, played with her hand.

Kush shot an accusing look across the table: "When I asked him to come over, I didn't tell him the president was there too." Unfortunately, Kwon Ji-yong was so engrossed in his meal that he didn't notice the resentful look from the side. Lee Hi also turned back.

The camera following her finally stopped filming, tactfully avoiding the area. "GD-senpai," she bowed politely. "Congratulations, Xia Yi," he smiled and congratulated, glancing at the camera that had moved aside.

He doesn't mind being photographed, and even hopes to be photographed - only by being in the same frame more often can his boyfriend status be confirmed.

Unfortunately, the PD standing nearby misunderstood his meaning and nodded at him with a firm look on his face, his face full of determination to "protect your privacy well." "......"

"Don't worry, senior. I've told the PDnim that if there are any parts that were accidentally filmed, they will pay special attention during the editing process." Lee Hi comforted her. "......"

Quan Zhilong was silent for a few seconds, forced a smile and nodded, then lowered his head to continue eating his duck breast. It was not as he wished. He had nothing to say. * With Yang Xianshi's approval, NeonL

The studio was soon registered in New York City. It chose an old building in Lower Manhattan that was once home to many artists' studios. The exterior retained its red brick and iron fire escapes, while the interior had been renovated.

The rented space is not big, but the ample glass floor-to-ceiling windows allow the entire space to be filled with light. The recording system uses the latest Pro Tools HDX, with a full set of Neumann microphones and Universal

Audio preamplifier is enough to meet most production needs.

Staffing is also very streamlined: strictly speaking, Lia currently has only one employee, He Zhihui, who oversees overall operations. Financial and legal matters are temporarily managed through Sony's network, which only provides support when necessary.

The creative partnership is completely open. She does not sign comprehensive contracts, but only invites relevant independent musicians and recording engineers to produce each project.

This is the best approach in the early stages: low risk, low cost, and the ability to adjust direction at any time. More importantly, everything in the studio revolves around her—her aesthetic, judgment, and choices are the only unchanging core.

So, by the end of 2014, NeonL Studio had quietly delivered a good answer.

In the Korean section, in addition to Lee Hi, the studio undertook the early production of some unreleased tracks for YG's new boy group Winner.

These works may not all be released to the public, but they are enough to confirm that she supports YG's output as she promised Yang Hyun-seok at the beginning.

Overseas, the songs from the Haim album she participated in producing received a good response after they were released online in the middle of the year, and even stayed on the Billboard Alternative Chart for several weeks.

The studio also hosted several small creative workshops led by Sony, bringing together over a dozen independent musicians to create demos and prototypes. Some of these works have been included on EPs for emerging American artists, while others have been selected for film and television soundtracks.

As expected from the beginning, this studio is a good carrier of the connections and resources she has accumulated over the years.

Although the scale is far from large, she completed the most crucial step within a year: this studio can simultaneously handle YG's internal productions and independent overseas collaborations, without neglecting either. The biggest response actually came from domestic media.

During that time, the Korean media seemed to have a disease called "Lia disease."

Lia Kim's participation in Haim's new album track sparked heated discussion, as witnessed by Billboard. YG's in-house production and Sony's collaboration... Lia Kim's "dual-track strategy"

Industry Comments: NeonL Studio May Become a New Trial of YG and Sony's Collaboration Model Lia Kim's 'Genius Producer' New York Studio Becomes a Gathering Place for Independent Musicians in Europe and America

With dazzling overseas achievements, NeonL Studio is no longer just a subsidiary of YG.

News about her is endless - from professional music magazines to Entertainment Weekly, from portal website homepages to mobile phone push notifications, new headlines can be seen every few days.

There is a subtle emotion between the lines: she is not only successful in Korea, but has also truly broken into the European and American markets.

This is an unspoken psychological projection: the European and American markets are always seen as the highest stage, and whoever can gain a foothold there will naturally be given an aura of "national pride." "Look, Korean Wave has finally made it to the US."

The media wrote this almost unanimously, ignoring one fact: Lia Kim herself is not fundamentally a Korean "export." When her studio went silent for a while, the topic quickly turned to her private life.

However, she has always kept a low profile when it comes to gossip. Most of the times she's been photographed, she's just discussing projects with colleagues in a conference room, or walking out of a recording studio late at night. Therefore, the only things the media can make a big fuss about are:

"YG's talented producer Lia Kim had dinner with Sony executives, sparking speculation" "Colleagues or lovers? Lia Kim and a hip-hop singer were seen together many times" "Music meeting or secret date? Lia Kim

Kim's photo with European and American producers was exposed. "'Mysterious itinerary' was photographed again, Lia Kim frequently visited an artist's studio in New York." "Walking out of the recording studio late at night, Lia Kim and the famous DJ

Are Foa "close"? ... True or false, the public buys the story. Any headline mentioning Lia Kim's name sends the buzz soaring. The media, naturally, is relentless.

With Christmas just around the corner, D agency even dispatched paparazzi Xiao Cuifei to New York, determined to uncover the talented producer's "mysterious boyfriend." No matter how low-key you are, you still have to celebrate Christmas, right? Or New Year's?

This young Cui once took an exclusive photo of Quan Zhilong sending Lia to the hospital, and he also won the first place in the couple's article for the second year in a row, which is an impressive record. For a long time, he thought that the two were really lovers.

But firstly, the situation was urgent, so the colleague's explanation made sense. Secondly... after that, no media had ever photographed the two of them together, so it was hard to believe they were a couple. But this time, Cui Yongyuan was determined to do it.

There is no love story that Dispatch can’t capture, Xiao Cui clenched his fist.

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