Chapter 78 GD Signs with WK1 (Mostly forum posts | Two people...)
[Today's top K-pop news: How do you evaluate Lao Yong marrying into Wake One, bravely pursuing true love?]
[Poster]
Reposted from Korean website: "It is reported that Hallyu superstar G-Dragon (Kwon Ji-yong) has officially signed with the agency Wake One."
The terms of this collaboration are extremely generous. To recruit this international superstar, Wake One not only offered a record-breaking signing bonus of 10 billion Korean won, but also gifted G-Dragon company shares worth an additional 10 billion Korean won.
This move signifies that G-Dragon, while remaining an artist under Wake One's management, has also become a significant shareholder, truly achieving a deep alignment of interests with the company. His addition is expected to bring Wake One a tremendous brand effect and market influence.
Old Long is disregarding his fans' well-being and insists on becoming Coldy's son-in-law. Now, it's exciting to see how the fans of both sides will react.
【1L】
This seems like WK1 really overpaid, totaling 108 million. And recently, thanks to Lumera, WK1's stock price has been soaring. They're also going on tour next year. This deal is guaranteed to be profitable for Lao Long.
【2L】
I hate these 208s! They make so much money just by clicking their fingers.
【3L】
Your cynicism is misplaced. This 108 million is entirely deserved by Lao Long. He's not like those low-level celebrities in the Chinese entertainment industry who earn millions a day without even memorizing lines. He has international recognition, and Lao Long's mansion is worth 26 billion. This money is just icing on the cake.
【4L】
You have to admit Lao Long has a good eye for investment; he can pick up girls and make money at the same time—it's a win-win situation!
【5L】
Before, wasn't Juanbian criticized for having a harem at the company, pulling in any young male idols she fancied for her own use? Well, now the real senior-junior saga is just beginning. The thought of these two being all lovey-dovey and kissing in the company building is infuriating for fans.
【6L】
The rumor-mongers are as stupid as pigs. How could someone like Juanlian, who's all bravado on the surface but a little girl at heart, possibly like a young man with hardly any knowledge? You can tell at a glance that she likes older men with impressive resumes; a few grand pronouncements from an older man and she's completely smitten.
【7L】
Old Long certainly has a knack for hooking up with rich guys, and his taste seems pretty consistent. Does he like those unique girls who seem aloof and unapproachable, the kind you feel like you owe them a million dollars the moment you meet them? Cat-like?
【8L】
They all seem to like the "black cat" type, so Asian fans can rest assured. At least Lao Long hasn't dated any foreign women; his aesthetic is still very East Asian. Even more reassuring is that he found a Chinese woman and hasn't been flying to Japan. Those who frequently fly to Japan know what that means.
【9L】
This is hilarious, it subtly insults a lot of people. Old Dragon always talks things out directly, right? If you want to find someone who likes PC games, go find Old Dragon's teammates who end up in court. The pimp isn't just talking nonsense.
【10L】
It's alright, actually. I understand why Juanlian was able to get a collaboration with Laolong after he joined WK1; WK1 probably acted as the go-between. I believe Juanlian likes Laolong; after all, he was once the dream of countless girls. But Laolong probably doesn't like this fifth-generation newbie; he's too green.
【11L】
There's an idiot here. Tell me, what about WK1, besides Coldy, attracts Lao Long? WK1 isn't one of the Big Four record labels. If you're after Lumera's potential, why didn't Lao Long just join Hybe? They've got so many popular groups! The timeline is clearly: Lao Long contacted Coldy first → Coldy received a commission from WK1 and extended an invitation → Lao Long agreed to sign. It's likely the collaboration track came first, which gave WK1 the opportunity to contact Lao Long.
【12L】
It's probably because WK1 isn't under a particularly big company in K-pop that Lao Long was interested. WK1 was basically left to its own devices by its parent company, CJ, but they had a brief resurgence thanks to Lumera, and their resources are pretty good now. I think it wouldn't be bad for Lao Long to join WK1.
【13L】
Can these two bastards just get out of here together? Being their fan is the worst luck imaginable. Kou tries to create a perfect persona, but then can't wait to announce to the world that she has a husband.
【14L】
I also think you've gone crazy. For an idol on the rise to get involved in a relationship is really limiting their career path. I'm guessing you'll end up driving a truck downstairs at WK1 and your popularity will plummet.
【15L】
What a joke! Yesterday, WK1 officially announced that Lao Long had joined the team, and Ni Kou's Instagram followers surged by 100,000 in one day, while Lao Long's Instagram followers surged by 200,000 to 300,000 in one day. If many of Lao Long's fans hadn't stopped using social media, the increase would have been even greater. The number of people shipping this couple is beyond my expectations.
【16L】
Let me analyze this. Longtime fans generally have a high opinion of Coldy now. Even if Dream Girls want to compete with Coldy, they have to admit she's incredibly talented and hasn't betrayed him. DKJJs dislike Coldy because he's trying to steal their women, and there's the issue of his past relationships. But from the perspective of the general public, one is a former all-around superstar, and the other is a current top idol—both have good public personas. Coldy's interactions with others are considered scandalous, but when he talks to GD, the situation changes completely. Not to mention, many current Coldy supporters were previously GD fans.
【17L】
To sum it up, talking to other men is a side effect, but talking to you, Long, is like saying, "My unnie is so charming, she even got GD."
【18L】
The fans' self-consolation in laughing so hard is just that—a mentality they're having. The fandom of Lao Long (GD's nickname) is also quite distorted; everyone who loves him is crammed into his fandom, endlessly doting on his teammates and even his ex-girlfriend, constantly extending their affection to everything related to him. Dating Lao Long is truly all benefits and no harm; at most, you'll get some criticism from his female fans and toxic solo stans, but once you get the resources, why fear those insignificant criticisms? After making a fortune, you can even use the excuse of being "attacked by GD's mindless fans" to buy a false sense of sympathy. So, being Lao Long's girlfriend is pretty awesome!
【19L】
As a former fan who followed Khalil Fong a few years ago, let me tell you, you should be grateful to have a girlfriend like that. At least she's never mentioned him publicly. Wait until she appears on a show and makes baseless accusations about his infidelity, then you'll see what the power of a girlfriend is. I stopped being a fan this year when he announced his contract renewal with YG. I've never seen such a saint. If you dated him, he wouldn't say a single bad word about his girlfriend.
【20L】
The official announcement of Lao Long's WK1 announcement was 100% funny, and the promotion of Lao Long's "good boyfriend" image by his former fans was 10000% funny. He really is a man who is a playboy on the surface but a pure lover on the inside. He's a Korean man, so what kind of good thing can he be? (I'm not saying that Chinese men are good). Who knows how many girlfriends he's had in private, but only a few have been exposed.
【21L】
What's the meaning behind the comments from the old K-pop fans who are subtly praising but criticizing in the post? It's implying that Coldy can ride on Old Dragon's popularity. Older fans, shut up! Times have changed. Coldy is the hottest K-pop star now, okay? Who needs to piggyback on an old man's fame?
【22L】
Talking to Coldy is a huge win for Lao Long (a popular Chinese singer). Even a nobody like him could become famous just by associating with Coldy. He can set trends with any small accessory he wears, sell out any brand he endorses, and every song he releases becomes a hit. His albums have no obscure tracks, and he's practically dominating the year-end charts.
[23L]
Uh, these are all things that G-Dragon has already done, right? Singer-based idols are one thing, fashion icons are another, and they're even calling someone a G-Dragon lookalike. Besides, what's the point of K-pop these days? Everyone knows how much of those global hits are inflated. "FB" and "BBB" are enough to overshadow them, no explanation needed.
[24L]
Wow, wow, that's so domineering! Just because Kwon Ji-yong has played with others, does that mean no one else can? He didn't teach my songwriting, he didn't cultivate my fashion sense, what does it have to do with him? I really urge older fans to open their eyes and see the world. It's 2023, almost 2024, not 2013 or 2014. Is it so hard to accept that your era is over? Let me tell you what a global hit is. If I told you "Utopia Tonight" was on the Billboard Hot 100 Songs, wouldn't you be blown away? If I told you "The Wave" and "Always You & Me" were both on the Billboard 200 Albums, wouldn't you be even more blown away?
【25L】
It's like everyone's been on the Billboard 200 albums before; offline popularity is a completely different story from empty online data.
【26L】
I'm too lazy to argue with you guys. Comparing my brand, Koko, to Old Dragon is already a win for Koko. But let me clarify, Koko has never released any marketing materials for "Little G-Dragon".
[27L]
Coldy is Coldy; she doesn't need to associate herself with anyone to gain popularity.
【28L】
I'm laughing so hard... Please stop fighting! How can this be so funny? The two fan groups are already arguing about who's riding whose coattails in this relationship. Are we just going to accept them being a couple? Still arguing about who's more popular is the biggest joke of the year. Anyone with depression can have a laugh here.
[29L]
Uh, isn't it because no matter how the fans refute it, you just don't believe it? You only exaggerate the facts every day. In fact, you can count the number of interactions between the two on one hand. They've only been in the same frame twice and interacted on Instagram twice. Doesn't that prove that the two of them are actually not familiar with each other at all?
【30L】
Why not mention that one of their photos together was GD deliberately inserting it into Coldy's interview, and the other was GD taking photos of Coldy? Why not mention that their Instagram interaction was GD helping Coldy pursue her idol, Lin, and that one sent a daisy and the other sent a star to show their support? This is such a master of subtle wordplay!
【31L】
So good! (Delicious!) (Delicious!) It's not about quantity, it's about quality, you know? Even if you force a lot of hard-to-ship couples together, it'll still taste awful. GD only needs a few interactions to make me ship them to death.
【32L】
I can relive one of those videos all the way back to 2026; the two of them acted like a married couple, and all their dance interactions were as natural as breathing.
【33L】
It was as if I had done it on my phone (heart) (heart)
【34L】
This time, the CP I'm shipping is really different. Those who have followed Long Ge for a long time should know that you need him to dance seriously. This time, Cha was already at a very high level of effort. It looked easy, but every move was done perfectly. I can't think of any reason for Long Ge to put in so much effort except for his wife being there.
【35L】
After many years, I've fallen for RPS again. RPS, you really have a lot of bad influences. If RPS hurts me again this time, I'm going to announce my retirement from the RPS community.
【36L】
Mysterious, listen to me... Mysterious, I won't be fooled by RPS again! Don't worry, our GC package is authoritative, and our two leaders are so well-matched they could pilot Unit-01, okay?
【37L】
They're quite similar in many ways: both are team leaders, the kind who are dedicated to their teams, write their own songs, are favored by brands, are known for their scandals, and are both all-around ace performers—singing, dancing, and rapping. It would be a shame if they weren't together.
【38L】
Anyway, quite a few fans are using Coldy as a substitute for GD, so you guys can just treat him like GD's narcissus to help you get some nutrition.
【39L】
If you're going to push a watermelon, some will roll, some will crawl, okay? I've said it eight hundred times: Coldy isn't anyone's substitute. She's just herself. Her songwriting style has absolutely nothing to do with yours. If you want a substitute, there are already so many little GDs out there, why are you sticking to our Coldy? What's the meaning of that?
【40L】
Thinking about it this way, WK1 is really making a killing! The company is so lucky; it'll be so easy for future talent shows to get performance rights for Big Bang's songs, and even easier to get GD's own songs. They've brought a copyright powerhouse under their wing!
【41L】
And what about Lumera and Coldy's songs? What have WK1 done to deserve this? Where's the progress of your campaign against Coldy? Can't you arrange Coldy's work schedule reasonably and treat her like a human being? Are you just trying to fleece Coldy's fans by pricing merchandise so high?
【42L】
WK1 is incredibly lucky to have Coldy; they even managed to bring GD on board, which is truly remarkable. They were already building a empire thanks to Coldy, and now they're probably preparing to upgrade their status and build another empire.
【43L】
It's a husband-and-wife shop, right?
【44L】
(Thumbs up!) (Stunningly delicious.JPG)
【45L】
I'm only concerned about what will happen to Fox. The thought of Fox and Lao Long waiting outside while you're recording makes me want to laugh.
【46L】
Ahhhh, I'm so excited! I love the battle royale mode the most! Could you please release the surveillance footage so we can all have a look?
【47L】
FOX fans can retreat now; FC fans are utterly defeated. Guess what I found? Look closely at Coldy's jacket; isn't it tied backwards? But after examining the screenshot frame by frame, I found the front of the jacket, and then I searched online—it seems to be the same style as Mardy's. [Image]
Mardy is a South Korean streetwear brand known for its relaxed French style and vibrant colors. Anyone with eyes can see what the print on it is!
—It's a daisy!
Although it's not a daisy with missing petals, this pattern has already shocked my whole family. Coldy is wearing a daisy on his body, and there's someone standing next to him who is heavily dependent on daisies. This isn't a daisy, it's someone's possessiveness. What's the difference between this and an official announcement?
【48L】
No? Huh? What does that mean? Did Coldy buy these clothes herself, or did she wear GD's clothes?
【49L】
(laughs) (laughs) Do you really think such a common gray sweatshirt would belong to GD? GD wears hoodies very few times, right? Besides, if Coldy bought the daisies himself, wouldn't that be a direct declaration of love?
【50L】
Exchanging clothes is practically a way of showing affection! Do you guys wear each other's clothes when you're filming? The way this young couple swapped clothes to dress each other up was so cute! So sweet!
【51L】
I now truly believe these two have a great relationship. Even if they're not a couple, they're like close siblings. Has GD ever exchanged jackets like this with any other woman before? Has Coldy ever exchanged jackets like this with any other man before? No, right?
【52L】
It's just a coat, what's the big deal...
【53L】
The person upstairs must have been gritting their teeth when they said that, right? Let's put it another way: what male idol would swap clothes with a female idol?
【54L】
Even if Coldy really bought a daisy-print jacket, so what? Does G-Dragon monopolize daisy prints? It's not like it's missing a petal; it could just be a coincidence. Mardy's daisy-print knitwear is really popular.
【55L】
This is devastating! This news was devastating enough, but then there was a "little surprise" in the comments! What does that mean, WK1? Are they just laying their cards on the table? Does it mean that if fans don't accept it, there's nothing they can do—either unfollow or force them to become fans?
【56L】
How can WK1 control this? You should scold those two people who had an affair. I'll scold them for you, okay? Shameless old man, you're messing with young idols. Please leave us K-pop newbies who have only debuted for a year alone. I'm so disappointed in you because you're so love-obsessed (crying) (crying) (crying). Think about your original intentions. What are we fans to you?
【57L】
It's got that vibe; go out for a walk and you'll see thousands of similar comments, but fans will just console themselves. Anyway, since there's no official announcement, it's all just the CP fans entertaining themselves.
【58L】
This is hilarious! Coldy's "fan-loving" persona has completely collapsed. It's all just about your money, don't you understand? Still foolishly and willingly giving away money? I have Coldy's QR code for receiving payments.
【59L】
When will I understand that people are multifaceted? Coldy is indeed good to her fans. The experience of following Coldy is far superior to 99% of idols, okay? She's ambitious, her makeup and styling are amazing, her stage performances are phenomenal, she's incredibly entertaining on variety shows, winning awards left and right. She sings Korean for Korean fans and Chinese for Chinese fans, and her attitude at autograph sessions is so good that many other fandoms' fans have to go on tours for her. But it's also clear that GD treats her differently, which really hurts me. But after thinking about it for a long time, I realized that GD is also better to her than others, especially since GD has had such a rough year, it's quite pitiful.
【60L】
Two heartthrobs are together! Could you find a better brother-in-law in the entire Korean entertainment industry than GD? He's rich, handsome, charming, popular, and treats his girlfriend well. GD doesn't have to leech off Coldy, which is much better than other sons-in-law who have to support their families. Next year, he'll bring Coldy to the Chanel fashion show!
【61L】
I can't bear to see my two idols being so sweet in front of me; it breaks my heart to become a fan of the clown.
【62L】
I knew that following celebrities wouldn't be smooth sailing. The two of them have already made their fans feel good 10,086 times with their successful careers. Lao Long is 35 this year, and his fans can't stop him from dating. They've all become indifferent to it. Koko's fans should also be more indifferent. From the moment Koko first appeared until now, it's all been a story of pure enjoyment. They've gained so much emotional value from it. You should just curse them to break up quickly so that both of them can release a masterpiece album. That would be such a win for them!
【63L】
It's okay, I don't believe it. I only believe what Coldy said himself.
【64L】
If I give 10 billion out of 20 billion to Kou, I'll agree to the marriage.
【65L】
You're still thinking about Coldy at a time like this? I'm so sorry, you should make him give 10 billion to his injured fans.
The news of "GD signing with WK1" exploded for several days, and the mysterious relationship between GD and Coldy was repeatedly pushed to the forefront. Fans were both cursing and following. Your love life is a bit explosive, but your career has made up for it. Recently, the number of views for "Hate" has increased a lot, and it has returned to the top 20 of the gossip chart.
This surge in popularity also caused another piece of news to see a sharp increase in attention.
On December 21, South Korean broadcaster JTBC apologized to G-Dragon and his fans and announced that G-Dragon plans to establish an anti-drug foundation.
For a time, GD's "kindness" and "apologizing to GD" became very hot topics. In the past two months, out of remorse, the public's tolerance for GD has reached an unprecedented peak, and even Coldy, who firmly supported GD at the time, has become very fond of him.
The most obvious example is the album "Wildfire," whose sales had been gradually declining. This week, its sales doubled compared to last week, and it is now approaching four million copies sold. This growth rate is even faster than that of "Waves."
Furthermore, she announced a group endorsement and a personal endorsement for Lumera. The group endorsement is for BHC, one of the four major beer and fried chicken brands with extremely high national recognition in South Korea, while the personal endorsement is even more significant, for BMW's iX series.
BMW released a promotional video featuring Kwon Ji-yong for the launch of the BMW NEW XM earlier this year, so it's obvious who facilitated it.
Having only joined for a few days, the "resource powerhouse" buff has already taken effect.
Netizen: "Coldy guessed right again."
This feels like a script about a sugar daddy keeping a celebrity, doesn't it? Wait a minute, our GC is all about pure love!
Korean celebrities are finding it hard to accept this endorsement, after all, it's BMW! Car companies generally don't favor Korean celebrities, and those who can endorse BMW are extremely rare!
You should accept this "handout" and use it to create a business image to brag about, okay?
After announcing G-Dragon's addition to the company and two high-profile endorsements by Coldy, WK1's stock price rose by more than 20%, increasing its market value by 100 to 200 billion won. As a shareholder, G-Dragon obviously benefited as well.
There have been too many shocking news stories this month, but this one still really shocked netizens. They have so much money that they can't even keep up with it anymore, and it seems like they don't even recognize money anymore.
Are these two stock market gurus? How are they so good at venture capital?!
Contrary to many people's expectations that Coldy would lose fans, he has reached another career peak, and with the concert approaching, fans' enthusiasm is growing even higher.
As expected by fans, Lumera's first concert finally arrived on December 30th!
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Author's Note: A good man has a virtuous wife.
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