Chapter 33: The Top Fan Gets carried away with voting (Bonus chapter for 900 views) ...
G-kitty: Did you add my name to the list of arrangers and producers?
[C-serpent: Did you invest in our show?]
The two sent messages almost one after the other, and then answered each other's questions one after the other.
[C-serpent: Yes, please prepare the sheet music, audio files, work information, and identification documents for all authors, and submit an electronic application through KCC's "Copyright Registration System".]
[G-kitty: I didn't invest much, just a little bit. I suddenly became interested in investing, so I made a sure-fire deal.]
As they saw the newly popped-up message, their surprise slowly turned into smiles on their faces, one deep and one shallow.
Kwon Ji-yong saw Jiang Tinghan's message, which seemed to have been directly copied and pasted from the official website, and immediately replied in a flurry of words.
G-kitty: I only offered a few suggestions for revisions. I didn't create any entirely new melodies or harmonic structures that could exist independently of the original song, so I couldn't register the copyright with the Korean Copyright Commission.
Isn't this a perfect match for my major?
The other side still has countermeasures.
C-serpent: Let's wait until Universal Music Korea submits the registration to the Recording Industry Association of Korea.
Jiang Tinghan doesn't have a management company and doesn't want to sign an authorization agreement with the program team, since the agreement stipulates that the program team has the right to release and operate the song's audio through official channels during and after the competition. It's essentially selling the song to the program team and taking a cut.
Jiang Tinghan, as the creator, was obviously unwilling, so "Self-Eater" was released by Universal Music, the major sponsor of "SW," and it was just a cooperative relationship.
The registration requirements of the Recording Industry Association of Korea are not as strict as those of the Copyright Commission of Korea. As long as the recording company fills in the name of the arranger when registering, it is fine.
G-kitty: Tinghan, you know so much, but it seems we haven't signed a recording copyright revenue sharing agreement.
The rights of arrangers are quite complex. Generally, a legitimate arranger will receive an arrangement fee, plus neighboring rights protected by the Recording Industry Association of Korea, which are "performance royalties" generated when the song is played on radio, television, public places, and streaming platforms, plus a share of the recording copyright.
There are no guaranteed royalties from recording copyrights; you only get them if you sign a contract. Kwon Ji-yong was just teasing Jiang Tinghan because he knew she might not be aware of these things.
[C-serpent: You can sign now, I'll give you nine and you one]
Jiang Tinghan struggled to think for five seconds before making his decision.
G-Kitty: Wow...that's so many!
Kwon Ji-yong wasn't being sarcastic. Generally speaking, copyright royalties are calculated as a percentage, and those who receive more than 5% are considered super producers who play a decisive role in the song's success.
"Self-Eater" clearly does not meet this condition. When Jiang Tinghan played the song for him, it was already quite complete. However, his perfectionism was at play, and he offered some suggestions that would be better if changed, but would still be good even without changes. It can be said that he played a crucial role in the song.
Jiang Tinghan gave him 10% right off the bat; this silly kid is too generous.
The other party seemed to think he was being sarcastic, and soon sent another message: "Me, eight, you, two? That's the most I can do!"
This money-grubbing girl—she's a total bastard!
Kwon Ji-yong slightly raised the corners of his mouth and carefully instructed: "[Recording copyright royalties are relatively rare. If the arranger doesn't bring it up proactively, or if their attitude isn't firm and their reasons don't get your agreement, you don't have to give any. Even if you do, it's usually no more than 5%, and newcomers generally only get 0.5% to 2%."
After his debut, Jiang Tinghan will probably be extremely busy and won't have time to handle all the work himself. He will have to collaborate with many arrangers, and he doesn't want Jiang Tinghan to be taken advantage of.
Some arrangers call themselves seniors, but when they're short of money, they'll do anything. There are countless idols in the industry who have been scammed, and it wouldn't be good if they ended up with lawsuits afterward.
Classes started again late in the afternoon.
Jiang Tinghan replied instantly: 【Okay, then I won't give it to you】
That's truly putting what you've learned into practice.
Kwon Ji-yong found it very difficult to deal with, and said again: [(Sighs) Then am I not even as good as a rookie producer?]
Jiang Tinghan: [Because Oppa isn't G-Dragon, he's F0X]
Kwon Ji-yong: [Oh, so you think of me as a fox? Really that cunning?]
Jiang Tinghan replied with a resounding "Yes".
Kwon Ji-yong couldn't help but laugh.
Okay, okay, then I can only pray that Han's songs become even more popular, so I can get more neighboring rights benefits~
He also thoughtfully explained to Jiang Tinghan what neighboring rights are. Although she should be careful when collaborating with other arrangers in the future, she should not unknowingly miss out on any income that should have gone into her pocket if she were to arrange music for others.
Jiang Tinghan: [I understand (from Penguin Reading: "How to get all the money in the world to be deposited into my account").JPG]
Kwon Ji-yong seemed to be fiddling with something, and only replied two or three minutes later: [(How to Easily Get GD's Money into Your Account - Penguin Reading.JPG)]
Then he sent a new emoji, a cat with brown wings and two long antennae photoshopped onto it, with the text: "I'm willing to be with you, even... as a cockroach."
Although they haven't officially confessed their feelings yet, these subtle or overt expressions of affection have become a daily routine.
This line of text was still in Chinese, and Jiang Tinghan had no idea what Quan Zhilong had collected while surfing the Chinese internet.
There's no future between humans and cockroaches, and I hate cockroaches, Oppa.
Northern cockroaches are nothing to worry about, but Jiang Tinghan had seen some really big ones when he went to the south for competitions before. These creatures should probably be extinct sooner rather than later.
Kwon Ji-yong relentlessly sent a complete set of emojis, changing his identity from cockroach to mosquito, slipper, and all sorts of other bizarre and unusual ways, but never in a human way.
Jiang Tinghan ignored this and instead quoted Kwon Ji-yong's previous reply about investment, the part about money of which genuinely piqued her curiosity: "[In what way is this investment manifested—simply monetary or product placement?]"
Kwon Ji-yong was so open with her, as if he would tell her everything, that she didn't even realize that the issue had already crossed too far into her private life.
Even if a stingy man is very rich, he will hate it when others talk about his money. Fortunately, Kwon Ji-yong is not like that. When he is online, he often sees all kinds of conflicts between men and women during their dating period due to money. Then he is glad that he is rich.
If you can't win someone's heart even if you have money, wouldn't it be even worse if you don't have money?
[G-kitty: Because it involves multiple collaborations, it's hard to pinpoint which aspect it is. You'll see the changes in the show after your break.]
Jiang Tinghan: [Will I see an overwhelming expanse of daisies with missing petals?]
Kwon Ji-yong did not give a definite answer: "Maybe?"
Today is also the release date of Elle magazine, and Kwon Ji-yong's money has a new destination. In the few hours of waiting, he first tidied up his study, leaving enough space in advance. Since he did two magazine shoots this year, he decided to put the Coldy issue in the middle!
On the other hand, Jiang Tinghan was even more restless after learning about the surprise, as if this was just the beginning. She really wanted to travel to three days later to see the changes made by the production team.
If it were a deep collaboration, would Kwon Ji-yong have come to the show as some kind of fashion mentor for a one-day visit?
I'm both afraid he'll come and afraid he won't.
To her surprise, a delightful surprise arrived today.
Late at night, the voting ended, the usual announcement recording began, and there was even a late-night snack segment.
There will be no eliminations in the third round of competition; these 30 people will compete for the eight debut spots.
Kong Yeon-seo showcased her skillful piano playing, which was much better than her less impressive dancing and singing performances. The refined air she exuded from her early education in the upper class was fully displayed while playing the piano, which actually boosted her popularity vote, bringing her to 11th place.
Originally, the young lady, who was self-aware, was just here to have some fun, but now, seeing the debut spot so close at hand, she couldn't help but feel a surge of ambition to debut as well.
Jiang Tinghan encouraged her. From a friend's perspective, she naturally hoped that Kong Yanshu could debut. From a profit perspective, if Kong Yanshu debuted, their group's resources would be excellent.
The names of the top seven contestants remained unchanged, only their rankings kept changing. Of course, the perennial runner-up remained the same, as did the perennial runner-up. The crazy fans, along with casual viewers, cast more than six million votes for her. It was all money. It is said that the fans' goal was eight million votes because her birthday is in August, and she participated in the show in August.
After the announcement, the host asked, "Was tonight's late-night snack delicious?"
The activity room was filled with the aroma of fried chicken and barbecue. The adults sat at one table, and the minors sat at another. The adults even had beer on their table. How could the contestants say it wasn't delicious?
They all shouted at the top of their lungs, "Delicious!"
Host: "Want to know who's treating us to today's meal?"
The contestants: "Yes—"
As they indulged in the fragrant fried chicken, they wondered if it was sponsored by some beer and fried chicken brand.
Jiang Tinghan initially thought the same thing, wondering if it would really be appealing to have idols who were as thin as sticks advertising such high-oil and high-salt foods.
She quickly realized who their show's new sponsor was.
No way...
The host immediately gave the answer she had in mind: "It's GDxi!"
G-Dragon's name first appeared in a scene from "Shining World".
Jiang Tinghan immediately took a couple more sips of beer to calm his nerves. What was this all about, with Quan Shao paying for everything?
"In addition to that, we also have—new trainee outfits!"
The staff filed in carrying short and long outfits, one for each trainee, and many of them opened them immediately upon receiving them.
Inside, there were not only two sets of clothes, but also a wool hat and a metal clip that was all the rage a few years ago, in a very shiny gold color.
The short version consists of a white T-shirt and black sweatpants, while the long version consists of a black T-shirt and white sweatpants. The sweatpants have the program's logo "SW" and a slanted label on them.
The T-shirt also features the show's logo on the chest, while the back of the short-sleeved shirt features a large, gold, petal-less daisy with the brand name Peaceminusone. The yellow stamen in the center is reversed to white, and a simple smiley face is outlined in the circle of the stamen with a few black lines.
The long shirt features the program's logo on the front, while the back displays a square, distressed photograph of a pile of old-fashioned CD players in various colors and models—black, gray, blue, and red—stacked haphazardly in a yellowish-brown tone, creating a chaotic aesthetic reminiscent of G-Dragon. Below the image is the prominent "Peaceminusone."
A CD player needs CDs to work, so where do CDs come from? Naturally, they come from the albums they release after their debut. This design represents best wishes for each contestant.
"Is this like a gift from GD to us?"
"Oh my god, what an honor! The production team actually managed to get GD as a sponsor, that's amazing!"
"Our show already has a lot of powerful backers, haha."
"You're so kind, senior! PMO is always sold out, right? Even if we go to buy it, we might not be able to get it."
"They've put these new styles on us before they've even gone on sale?"
"I think I saw on the news that GD watched our show and got inexplicably nervous..."
"This must have been designed specifically for our show, right? It's not going to be sold to the public?"
Jiang Tinghan touched the cotton fabric in her hand, turned it over to look at the missing petals of the daisy on the back, and thought that these new products would be sold, but in the form of official merchandise from the program.
If the production team were to release their own clothing and price it at a few hundred yuan, they would probably be heavily criticized for ripping people off. But if they collaborated with PMO, it wouldn't be like that; both parties could work together to make a fortune.
It's unbelievable that Kwon Ji-yong, who sends her so many messages every day, actually did so many things in secret.
After returning to her dorm, Jiang Tinghan changed her clothes, took a selfie in front of the mirror, and sent it to the brand boss as a report.
Kwon Ji-yong replied with two sunny smiley faces, insisting that she choose her favorite between the long and short styles.
Jiang Tinghan thought about the problem carefully and finally chose the short version of the daisy with missing petals.
Looking at flowers makes me feel much better.
G-Kitty: This one just happens to be one I designed (laughs)
Jiang Tinghan had guessed some of it. Looking at the other party's reply and the smiling face, she could almost imagine Kwon Ji-yong's tone, which was eager for praise.
[Such excellent taste! (Applause) (Applause)]
G-kitty: It's alright~
Just that one tilde seems to convey his joy at the thought of jumping up and singing a song.
When Jiang Tinghan officially started work a few days later, he wore a short-sleeved T-shirt, a thick coat that his father had recently sent him, and a PMO beanie.
When Dad went online, he saw that Coldy was only buying small items that cost a few dollars or tens of dollars, so he bought her a few new clothes. Although they were all luxury brands, the first requirement for her coats was that they be fluffy and have excellent warmth, comparable to the thick floral print coats of Northeast China.
However, although the coat was thick, it didn't have a fur collar. Now that it's December, Jiang Tinghan put on the scarf that Kwon Ji-yong had given her. The coat was a designer brand, so no one would pay much attention to whether her scarf was expensive or not.
The upper body is warm, but the lower body is not. It's just ordinary jeans, but Jiang Tinghan wears them with the fashion sense of a model on the street. The most fashionable thing is the leather notebook in her hand. At first glance, it looks like she is holding a clutch from a high-end brand. A ballpoint pen hangs on the top of the notebook, and it is clipped to the side with a gold clip from PMO, so that it will not open even if it is accidentally dropped on the ground.
[I've been influenced by GD; it feels like it's been ages since I've seen PMO clips used in such a simple and unpretentious way.]
[kkk Me too, I was a little surprised to see Coldy using the clip to hold his notebook, I subconsciously thought it should be used to hold his head or hat]
Hey, so GD's sponsorship includes providing physical items too? A hat and clips. I remember buying a similar hat before, except the logo was a paperclip instead of "SW".
[I don't own this clip in this color yet! @G-Dragon, give me a straight answer, is this going to be released or not? I think this gold color is really pretty!]
The gold clip, brown cover, and pink nail polish complement each other quite nicely. It makes me want to buy a laptop to look cool too.
[Is that Coldy's lyrics and sheet music in the notebook?! It feels incredibly valuable! Unnie, couldn't you just accidentally drop the notebook and lay it out for us to see? Using a clip as a lock is so inconsiderate!]
[Coldy: I've happily accepted everything the sponsors gave me; once they've given me something, I'm going to make the most of it!]
【Our Coldy is a pragmatist】
[This Coldy is doing well now. Her coat is Lululemon, her scarf is Burberry, her hat is PMO, and her pants and shoes are Miu Miu. The former queen of affordable clothing is no more.]
[After all, we're idols who've graced the covers of high-end magazines; we can't always wear cheap clothes, or the industry will look down on us, right?]
Looks like she got paid for the magazine and went on a shopping spree.
Generally speaking, magazine shoots don't cost a penny, and celebrities might even have to pay out of pocket. I think it's because Kodak put in the effort; this outfit, except for the scarf, is all the latest style and wasn't cheap.
[Fun fact: The scarf is more expensive than this coat, costing 1.6 million won. The most expensive item, the plush coat, only costs 600,000 won. The shoes and pants together cost 4 million won. Coldy's strange spending habits.]
[KKK's plush coat is super thick. If she bought a more high-end brand, it would probably cost tens of millions. She probably can't afford it.]
This scarf is a top-of-the-line item at Burberry, I'm surprised Coldy would actually buy it.
[Save where you can and spend where you can. Maybe it was a gift from family. After learning about Coldy's background, I wouldn't be surprised to see her wearing clothes that are either very cheap or very expensive.]
[But I feel like she looks better in expensive clothes; daughters should be raised in comfort!]
The PMO sponsorship issue is being discussed not only by the trainees but also online.
[Peaceminusone has become one of the sponsors of Shining World?]
[Poster]
I saw some new photos of Coldy online, and I noticed he's sponsored by PMO; other people are even wearing PMO clothes. Is this GD's brand? Have they even hired a spokesperson? What kind of advertising can he get by investing in *SW* magazine? Their new products almost always sell out instantly; are they releasing clothes specifically in collaboration with *SW*?
【1L】
Future collaboration shoes with Nike.
【2L】
There's no need for advertising, right? As soon as the news comes out, people inside and outside the industry will go crazy buying it. PMO doesn't need to hire a spokesperson either. Which spokesperson can compare to fashion icon G-Dragon?
【3L】
Perhaps it's all about making money. In recent years, besides promoting brand collaborations, G-Dragon has only released one group song. It seems he's completely addicted to the business world.
【4L】
The Wolf of Wall Street: Seoul Division
【5L】
This is hilarious! I have no idea what he's up to. He suddenly invests in a charity event that's the same one as *SW* magazine. Can I say anything? I feel like *SW* magazine's participation in this charity event is completely out of place.
【6L】
I strongly suspect they're just trying to gain attention; is this some kind of publicity stunt for their debut, with the finale coming up soon?
【7L】
Charity and public welfare are just channels for the wealthy to create a persona. It feels like there's some behind-the-scenes capital operation involved in "SW," giving the show a boost in prestige. Maybe the show secured sponsorship through their silver tongue when communicating with G-Dragon privately.
【8L】
It seems GD has liked posts related to "SW" a few times? The show probably saw it as an opportunity to gain some exposure.
【9L】
Is GD releasing a new song too? I feel like this is just a mutual piggybacking effort. I doubt he'll be a guest performer on the finale night to release the song; that would be so low-class…
【10L】
No, he can go anywhere he wants—MAMA, MMA, TMA, Gayo Daejeon… The SW finale isn't exactly a great opportunity.
【11L】
Correction to post #8: GD kept liking Coldy's posts, and I really found it very ambiguous. First he liked them, then he sponsored them; it felt like GD's feelings for Coldy were written all over his face.
【12L】
I've tagged the person upstairs. Am I the only one who thinks male idols sponsoring talent shows is like a womanizer? It gives me a really bad impression.
【13L】
Is he really going to openly tell netizens that he's going to hunt for women? With his status and experience, if he really liked this show, he could easily date any of the contestants, right? Why would he need to go through all that trouble to get sponsorships?
【14L】
Stop overthinking it, okay? If you're going to say he's doing this to pursue someone, then sending money seems more like being a simp, right? Meeting privately and offering resources, a senior figure repeatedly showing you favor—few young girls could resist that.
【15L】
Male idol fans are disgusting; they portray dating as something like being kept by a sugar daddy.
【16L】
I'm not a fan of his... You can check his profile. I'm just offering an objective analysis. It seems like these successful male idols in their thirties don't really respect women much. They probably date whomever they want and have countless girlfriends in private.
【17L】
However, the logic of finding a talent show sponsorship to generate headlines for releasing a song doesn't hold water. He doesn't even need promotion for his songs; "returning after so many years" is the biggest form of publicity.
【18L】
It's been so many years since Lao Long (Old Dragon) has had a solo performance. Who knows if the public will still be interested? Maybe by the time he returns, all his fans will have left, and nobody will care about him anymore.
【19L】
Is the household registration book that's used to kick Long in the face only one page? Have you forgotten that your Long dad had nearly a million listeners on the first day of his comeback in the first half of the year?
【20L】
A casual sponsorship gets him all over the headlines; doesn't that prove he still has a huge following? His fans are just getting older, not dead; many will definitely come back if he returns.
【21L】
These older fans are so confident! Open your eyes, it's 2022! If it weren't for his participation in some charity event related to "SW," nobody would have even heard of him. That event barely got any shares or likes.
【22L】
Bigbang and his solo career are different; he can't leave the group, right? I don't understand why you fans are so insistent that he definitely doesn't need SW's popularity.
[23L]
The biggest joke I heard in 2022 was that Kwon Ji-yong needed to rely on his group. Are you crazy? I bet you want to see that Bigbang's group albums never sold as well as Kwon Ji-yong's solo albums, and it's your fans who have been trying to boost your show's popularity, okay? They're not even in the same league. In the end, talent shows are just self-indulgence within the industry. Do they have a single song that became a global hit?
[24L]
I'm laughing so hard I could die. A post started by a passerby, a fight was started by someone looking for fun, and now the fans are seriously arguing about it.
【25L】
It doesn't matter anyway, I can't figure out his real purpose. Let's just assume he's just saying he appreciates talent.
【26L】
I think what he said might be a valid reason. There's not much else to do at home besides scrolling through your phone, so watching a talent show to pass the time while eating is quite reasonable.
[27L]
Seeing so many stages might inspire him to want to go on stage too, right? Hello, bro, do you even remember your job?
【28L】
GD: Stop rushing me, stop rushing me, I'm writing it now!
[29L]
GD sponsored a show where CL is a mentor. Seeing these two names together really made me feel disoriented. The YG family of the past... is now completely broken.
【30L】
So many tears... Come back, my proud YG Family. I still vividly remember the YG Family special with strong hearts.
【31L】
Can I say this? Actually, I think GD and Coldy look quite well-matched. It's just a feeling, haha. I know their status is worlds apart, but they give me a similar vibe—the kind of people who are destined to become big stars.
【32L】
I actually think so too. They both have their own unique stage styles, developed through their own efforts rather than copying. Objectively speaking, a collaboration between the two of them would be absolutely amazing, and I'm really looking forward to seeing it.
【33L】
Stop lending money to your sister. She looks nothing alike. Why is this newcomer, who has only released one song, trying to ride on the coattails of a superstar? Does she deserve it?
【34L】
Neither the pairing nor the reputation deserves it, thank you. Your priority right now is to debut. You're having fun creating couple pairings in this talent show, so please don't try to take advantage of senior artists, okay? Okay.
【35L】
Older men, stop trying to ride on the coattails of younger female idols! Look at the age difference! Our female idols have six million votes, while you older men barely get any likes on your Instagram posts, let alone ours which have millions of likes. Don't you have any self-awareness about who the new generation of internet celebrities are? [Images][Images]
【36L】
LOL... Comparing these kinds of data is just empty popularity stuff, okay? How much value do likes have? How about comparing awards?
【37L】
How dare you compare yourself to trainees in terms of awards? Have you no shame...?
【38L】
What's wrong? Can't we compare? Wolong hasn't been working for nothing these past ten years.
【39L】
This thread is a complete mess, it's so great to feel like everyone's talking to themselves!
【40L】
Then drink it while it's hot!
*
Let's go back to the day Elle magazine was released and the popularity poll was conducted.
Although Coldy's fans spent a lot of money campaigning and voting for him, they usually didn't talk about it openly. But today, with the official release of this issue of Elle Korea featuring Coldy on the cover, capital has finally come out and is openly eyeing their wallets.
KOLs had been setting up stalls and making a lot of noise across all platforms for days in advance, and their enthusiasm was even higher on the day of the official release. This was the first real opportunity to show off their fans' financial power!
However, the inner pages feature a group portrait, which would attract fans of other idols as well. In addition, "SW" is just one of the special issues, and other special issues also feature the faces of other idols, so the sales are all mixed together, making it difficult to calculate individual sales.
The fans didn't care about anything else and were ready to buy it first.
As it turned out, they discovered that Yoon Ji-chae's agency, Hybe, had released a special bonus issue. Although ELLE prides itself on being high-end and doesn't shoot individual photocards with its publications, the agency could!
Yoon Ji-chae already had fans during her trainee days. Her fan club, proxy shopping sites, and other operations were much more sophisticated than theirs. By purchasing special edition magazines through partnered proxy shopping sites, she could get photocards and also keep track of sales.
The fans immediately felt like they were biting their towels, experiencing defeat for the first time.
We want a small card too, waaaaah!
Fortunately, when they were voting and buying paid votes, they also set up a purchasing agent station and bought a bunch of Korean snacks, milk and even cosmetics. They can still use them now, which is also a way to calculate their own sales.
Without the mini-card, we've already lost a layer! At the very least, we can't afford to lose in sales!
Fans were incredibly excited, buying everything as soon as it went on sale.
Meanwhile, people are still spreading the word and voting, and the voting can't stop. I'm giving Coldy the whole universe no explanation needed!
Within just one hour of going on sale, sales had already exceeded 150,000. This is the peak of Coldy's popularity, with fans' enthusiasm at its highest and their wallets fully prepared.
This data is quite terrifying. Some traffic sources can't even sell 150,000 copies in a whole day, not to mention that we are still in the era of the decline of print magazines. But fans can't buy anything about Coldy from any official channels, they only have this one lonely magazine, so they have to go for it!
This only counts the sales figures from Coldy's personal website. Some individual fans also purchased from the magazine's official link, and there were also passersby who were attracted by the magazine's beautiful cover. The actual sales figures are likely even more alarming.
To stimulate everyone's desire to buy, fan sites would release a battle report every time they reached 10,000 votes, and another every time they reached one million votes, making it as exciting as a real battle.
160,000, 170,000, 180,000... Sales were increasing every hour, and Coldy's beautiful pictures were everywhere.
Fans photoshopped the cover image of Coldy holding an umbrella in the rain into memes. Coldy already looked pitiful, and the text "Aren't you really going to take me home? (starry eyes) (starry eyes)" made it even more devastating.
Die-hard fans are so engrossed in placing orders for dozens or even hundreds of copies that they've lost all sense of time and energy, while casual fans are saying things like, "Baby, I'll definitely bring you home!" and are passionately pushing for higher sales.
Just minutes after Kwon Ji-yong's release, I found the official promotional post and saw it filled with comments like "XXX is so beautiful," "XXX is so handsome," and "Support XXX."
He silently liked all the comments praising Coldy, and then suddenly saw a comment saying that he could buy it through a proxy shopping website, which had prepared some small merchandise as a bonus.
The word "peripherals" immediately piqued Kwon Ji-yong's interest. Following the trail, he found the link, which included both Korean and Chinese sites, each with different merchandise items. What they all had in common was that the Coldy items on them were all very attractive.
He was completely bewildered by the various rules regarding Set A, Set B, Set C, and the full-gift-purchase system. Luckily, there was a group chat available to answer his questions, so he joined it using a secondary account.
————J.yong18624 has joined the group chat——
How do I buy a magazine?
The fans inside were incredibly enthusiastic: "Hey, the SetABC magazines are all the same, but the included souvenirs are different. Just order whichever set you like! If you join, you can participate in our lucky draw. We have a huge prize pool, including iPhones, bags, and snack gift packs!"
[If you buy 50 copies, there's a gift promotion. The Korean fan site gives you a custom-made Coldy suitcase, while the Chinese fan site gives you a photobook by the fan site admin. It has many photos of her going to and from get off work, doing promotional activities, and all the stage performances. The production quality is quite exquisite. There are also unicorn-themed items like water bottles, earphone cases, and thermos cups.]
[The details are all written in the long image of the group chat rules; you can check it out if you want.]
[J.yong18624: Is there a purchase limit?]
Fan: [No limit! You can buy them all! But remember to pay for shipping afterwards, otherwise we can't ship them!]
[J.yong18624: When will you add it?]
Fan: [Specific time will be announced later. These are all pre-sale items with production time. Please don't leave this group. We will tag everyone when the time comes!]
[J.yong18624: Good]
Kwon Ji-yong stared at the long image for a while, feeling that the fans had pretty good taste. Both the second and third versions looked good, and there were many practical merchandise items.
In short, I'm going all in.
By the time he was about to place the order, his fans were already excitedly chatting in the group about what record he had broken, and how he was just a little over a thousand books away from breaking other people's records.
Wow! Amazing! A rich woman bought two thousand copies, breaking another record!
[Is this a Chinese fan? I remember she went to every performance and took so many beautiful pictures of Coldy!]
[kkk I have to say, Chinese fans have much stronger spending power than Korean fans; many people buy hundreds of copies at a time.]
【We're doing pretty well too! I see a lot of European and American fans who are usually the least willing to spend money are buying it, as well as Indian and Vietnamese fans. It makes me so happy to see so many people like Coldy!】
Kwon Ji-yong silently entered numbers into each set, placed all the orders, filled in the information, and checked out with one click.
Then he silently returned to the group chat and stared—
A minute later, the group admin popped up: 【Wow!!! Someone here has ordered 1888 copies! Good heavens!】
[Are you a new sister here? A rich lady has arrived! @J.yong18624]
Kwon Ji-yong's lips curled up slightly as he thought to himself, "What's so special about this? This 1888 is just for the Korean site. I also want the freebies from the Chinese site, so I ordered 1888 copies as well."
[J.yong18624: I am a man]
[Worship the rich guy!!!]
[This guy is incredibly wealthy!]
[Haha, some Korean fans are really willing to spend money! Just as much as Chinese fans!]
[I see from the backend statistics that there are a total of 3776 copies. Did you also buy them on the Chinese website? Thank you for your support of Coldy~ We'll contact the Chinese website. Brother Fu, you don't need to pay for the shipping, just in case you're too busy and forget.]
[J.yong18624: Okay, thank you]
[@All members, there are only five hours left until voting ends! If you haven't voted yet, hurry up and vote for Coldy!]
Although we're currently in a commanding lead, we haven't surpassed the votes from the second performance. Coldy has already given her all on stage! Let's create a new voting record for Coldy!
[J.yong18624: Is it true that you can only cast one vote?]
No! You can create an additional account or ask friends to vote. You can buy voting tickets directly on Ment, or you can buy designated dairy products. Just scan the QR code above. XX brand products are available at offline convenience stores. If you buy them, remember to scan the packaging to get your vote.
【J.yong18624: OK】
[J.yong18624: How far are we from breaking the record?]
[Group admin: It should be around two or three hundred thousand votes?]
[J.yong18624: Good]
The group owner is a 25-year-old office worker who loves following celebrities. Only following celebrities can stimulate her energy and make her feel alive. This feeling has become even stronger recently after she fell in love with Coldy.
What a vibrant girl! She made me feel like I wasn't just a walking corpse anymore!
When the group admin saw the "good" message from the wealthy guy surnamed J, he felt inexplicably at ease. The warmth of money was so reassuring.
But surely the rich guy wouldn't go so far as to buy everything himself, that would cost tens of millions or even a hundred million won! But he's already spent tens of millions of won on magazines, so who knows!
More than ten minutes later, Fu Ge posted the picture.
[J.yong18624: I cast 500,000 votes, is that enough?]
The group admin saw the screenshot and realized that the number of votes had already exceeded five million.
Group admin: "Huh? -- You've added me?! Sesange..." (Really? Oh my god!)
Someone actually broke the record! That's unbelievable!
[Group Admin: Ahhhhhh, that's enough! Your love for Coldy is undeniable! Coldy himself would be incredibly grateful to you!]
The usually indifferent Rich guy finally showed some emotion: "Of course (laughs)"
After showing off, Kwon Ji-yong started to feel guilty.
Why did he buy so much in such a moment of excitement? Oh no, I definitely can't tell Jiang Tinghan about this, she'll surely criticize him for wasting money.
Very well, these things were all done by J.yong18624, not by Kwon Ji-yong.
Moreover, the milk he bought could be donated directly, and he had recently participated in a charity event.
It was clearly killing two birds with one stone; he did the right thing!
-----------------------
Author's note: We're not together yet, but I'm henpecked.
Actually, I have a sweet new cover idea, haha, I'll change it after I finish writing it.
Holy crap, Mama's here! Finally, I can go see it live again! (Rubbing hands together) A friend I know helped me snag a ticket for 2599, hehe [pleading face]
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