Ouyang Guang's fingers unconsciously tapped the rhythm of the drum set on his knees, and his voice was calm and clear: "The level of cultural courses in Seoul Arts High School is probably not even as good as that of the regular classes in our school." He looked directly into the eyes of Director Jin, "The Shenzhen Foreign Language School we attend is a provincial key high school."
The air conditioner in the office suddenly made a buzzing sound, and the bottle of mineral water in Li Xun's hand fell to the ground with a "pop", and the water droplets splashed on the hem of his suit trousers.
Director Jin calmly opened the contract and said, "We have cooperation with several international high schools in Gangnam District." He tapped the document with his pen, "We can arrange for you to join the class, attend classes as usual, and train after class."
He Zilin pushed his glasses: "Which schools are they specifically? How do you ensure the progress of the courses?"
"Seoul International High School, Yongsan International..." Director Kim's pen drew a few marks on the paper, "The company will be equipped with six professional tutors, who..." He circled the clause "If you fail the monthly exam, your living expenses will be deducted" with the tip of his pen.
"Can you accept such high-intensity study pressure?" He shook his head meaningfully.
Ouyang Guang's fingertips stopped at the "penalty" clause - 300 million won.
"Language barriers, cultural differences, and academic pressure." Ouyang Guang counted on his fingers, "At least 12 hours of training every day, and I have to stay up late to do homework." He looked directly at Director Jin, "Under such conditions, what is the probability of debuting that you just mentioned?"
The air conditioner made a dull hum. Director Jin suddenly smiled and took out a new contract from the drawer:
"Special A-level terms, three-way contract. Each member is guaranteed to return to their home country twice to visit their families, and the debut group is determined. The living allowance is raised to 1 million won, and the company will provide a dedicated Korean teacher." The pen drew a line at the penalty, "This can be negotiated."
"As far as I know, there seems to be no penalty for breach of contract for practicing." He Zilin said after reading the contract.
"This is when the employee signs a formal contract/is laid off by the company/is illegally abused by the company/and the guardian objects."
Director Jin smiled and turned another page. It read
If the trainee voluntarily withdraws from the company after the company has invested, the company has the right to demand compensation:
- Training fees (vocal music, dance, language lessons, etc.)
- Accommodation and activity management fees
- Expected loss of future earnings (if you have already made it to the debut group)
"We can sign a guarantee." Director Jin suddenly said, "As long as you pass the three-year basic training, the penalty clause will be automatically invalidated regardless of whether you debut or not."
His pen left deep marks on the paper. "This is the best offer I can make."
The neon lights outside the window suddenly changed color, dyeing Ouyang Guang's blond hair a strange purple. He stared at the newly added small words on the contract and remembered what his father often said: "Free is often the most expensive."
"Can we arrange an interview tomorrow? Let's wait until we pass the interview before we talk about it." Ouyang Guang pushed the contract back. "As for the practice contract, we need to discuss it with our parents after returning home before making a decision."
"Can"
Director Jin gently closed the contract, and the metal pen made a crisp sound on the glass table. "Tomorrow morning at ten o'clock," he glanced at the four young men, "you can come to the company for an interview."
"Bring your sportswear and talent show supplies." Lee Bo-hoon added hastily, "Go to the practice room on the third floor and find Secretary Park to register."
He Zilin's glasses reflected the gold-plated words on the contract: "What was the interview like?"
"Vocal music, dance, improvisation." Director Jin pulled out a black and gold card from his business card holder. "This is my personal number." His eyes lingered on Ouyang's blond hair for a moment. "If you are late, the opportunity will be given to others."
Chen Zheng's green hair stood up: "We must be there on time!"
As they exited the building, the night lights of Seoul were bright. Lee Seok-hoon chased them to the revolving door: "Remember to eat breakfast tomorrow! We have an interview to record..." He suddenly lowered his voice, "Director Kim hates it most when someone faints from hypoglycemia in front of the camera."
Ouyang Guang stuffed the contract into his backpack without answering. He knew that from the moment he stepped into the practice room tomorrow, his life would completely change.
As the taxi passed the Han River Bridge, a text message suddenly rang. Teacher Zhang Ming sent a text message: "You must return to the hotel before 10 o'clock." Ouyang looked out the window, and the towering Seoul Tower was like a sword piercing the night sky.
Ouyang Guang knows that tomorrow's interview is only the first hurdle, and there are still countless end-of-month evaluations, debut selections, and survival battles waiting for them.
At this moment, he just wants to remember Seoul at night - this city shining in the night sky, which is about to become the bet of his youth.
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