Chapter 34: A Record of the Next Time Gyeongsang Has Such a Money-Giving Event...
After the sponsorship news broke, G-Dragon left a comment under SW's official post with two fist emojis representing hard work and a star emoji to verify the authenticity of the news.
This also acknowledges that they are following the updates of "Shining World". The star emoji is a secret communication between fans. Usually, when there is a phrase "Shining World", a star emoji is added to the end of the sentence. Thousands of starlight converge into a shining star, carrying the beautiful wish that the fans will shine brightly in the future.
The news that "G-Dragon has become a fellow fan" and that "it's not just polite talk, even the conventional symbols used in fandoms are known" still left fans in a daze. There's always a small group of unscrupulous people making the biggest noise online, while most people are still innocent and adorable people who don't get involved in disputes. Upon seeing this news, they felt both apprehensive and honored.
—It seems our show is really popular.
The rumors about Kwon Ji-yong being interested in a trainee in the audition program have gradually turned into the fact that G-Dragon's fans are so powerful that they can even become sponsors of the show! G-Dragon is the dream of countless G-Dragon fans!
Show fans are praising how well their show is done and how charming it is, while Dragon fans are praising how much their oppa cares about his juniors and is willing to give them more opportunities. The South Korean saint is at it again!
The conflict was hidden beneath a calmer surface, which could be considered a win-win situation.
Following this, quite a few celebrities in the entertainment industry expressed that they were also paying attention to "Shining World".
"A talent show with so many different races participating in a completely equal and non-discriminatory way was something I only dreamed of, but now it has become a reality."
"So far, I haven't seen a single bad performance. I'm glad to see that talent shows no longer rely on bad and funny performances to gain traffic. Only when good money drives out bad money can idols become better."
"Of course I have my picks, Jichae, Coldy, Sky... they're all pretty good."
Some people mentioned it in interviews, some mentioned it while chatting with fans, and some posted reports directly on social media. In the end, the fans counted the names and found that there were dozens of people on the list. Of course, there were also scheming celebrities like the one who secretly put their own country's contestant first, but it didn't matter much.
The artists who had previously appeared as guest performers on collaborative stages all cheered for the contestants. Song Yuqi directly and enthusiastically shouted, "Coldy, we're waiting for you to debut as the center!"
Although they wanted to say it was because their show was so good, given that these comments only appeared like mushrooms after rain after GD made his statement, fans couldn't help but marvel at GD's strong ability to promote products, turning their "SW" into a recent fashion item for celebrities.
Of course, the production team must have also played a part in this; they wouldn't pass up such unexpected traffic.
In short, the outside noise hasn't yet reached the ears of the contestants who are preparing for the final night.
The rules for the final night were announced. First, group stages were canceled. Second, all 30 contestants will have a solo stage. The top eight will have four minutes, contestants eight to eighteen will have three and a half minutes, and contestants eighteen to 30 will have three minutes. This has ensured that everyone has the opportunity to shine to the greatest extent possible.
Each person can choose their own song, and the production team will do its best to secure the performance opportunity.
This made Jiang Tinghan breathe a slight sigh of relief. Although her teammates wouldn't drag her down, it would be more efficient to prepare just one stage, and she wouldn't have to run around to both places anymore.
What excites the contestants the most is that the mentors will present a wonderful stage performance on the final night. Each mentor can invite one contestant to help them, and the choice is up to the mentor.
It's no wonder the production team invited so many big names! They actually managed to give these girls the opportunity to work with such renowned seniors even before their debut!
Of course, the lower-ranked contestants also understand that this opportunity will definitely be contested by the top few big names, but after all, there are so many mentors, maybe they can also get a share?
The time has come for the mentors to make their selections.
“I want…”
Most of the mentors came down from the stage and stood in unison next to Jiang Tinghan.
The lower-ranked players: "..."
Well, it's not surprising, this scene is all too familiar! Last time when the teams were formed for the third public performance, the other contestants were surrounding Coldy, this time it's the mentors!
Seeing the intense competition, the dance instructors have flexibly switched to other contestants. Yoon Ji-chae, Sky, and Wolchi Anri have all become very popular, while instructor Shin Yoo-mi has extended an olive branch to Audrey, whose vocals are unmatched.
Kany, who has always liked Coldy, Adam, who greatly admires Coldy, and Megan, Gary, and BewhY, who want to blow up the scene together, as well as CL, whose reasons are quite complicated.
Jiang Tinghan was momentarily overwhelmed by indecisiveness, and her first question was, "Can I only choose one?"
Gary immediately laughed: "How many more do you want to choose?"
Jiang Tinghan: "I just think that the mentors are all so outstanding, and the effect of their collaboration will definitely be great. It is not easy for 'SW' to bring the mentors together, and I would like to see them collaborate."
He praised everyone in one sentence.
Having spent several months with the mentors, the contestants grew bolder and started cheering, "Yeah, yeah, we want to see the mentors collaborate!"
"I'm going to have trouble sleeping tonight if I don't see a collaboration!"
"Even when I'm in my coffin, I'll sit up and shout that not working with my mentor on the final night is my lifelong regret!"
The mentors all laughed when they heard this. After some communication, the production team changed the rule to a maximum of two mentors choosing the same contestant.
The competition is still fierce!
If they were contestants, Jiang Tinghan would most likely let them compete among themselves, with the first and second place winners earning the right to collaborate with her. But as a mentor, she wouldn't dare to act so recklessly.
To be honest, she had a preference when it came to drawing lots. After much deliberation, Jiang Tinghan made her choice: "—Mentor CL".
“And…” Jiang Tinghan’s gaze lingered between Kany, Adam, and Megan: “Megan.”
She said in English, "I think many people would like to see the two mentors collaborate."
Queen VS Queen, it's not just girl crush, it's queen crush. Just putting the two names together is enough to imagine how explosive the stage will be.
Adam spoke first: "Then I hope we will have the opportunity to cooperate in the future."
Jiang Tinghan replied, "There definitely will be!"
Gary joked, "Looks like we lost because of our gender?"
Kany: "Then what am I?"
Jiang Tinghan quickly reassured her: "I hope to have a stage where I can collaborate with all the mentors at the same time, after all, I have already thought about the stage design for each mentor."
Gary continued to joke, "Oh? What design is that with me?"
Bewhy: "Don't make things difficult for them."
Jiang Tinghan was at her wits' end; the mentors were really hard to handle!
Megan was naturally delighted and patted Jiang Tinghan on the shoulder: "You have good taste!"
CL: "Then let's start discussing our stage tomorrow. Think carefully today about what surprise you want to prepare for everyone on the final night."
Jiang Tinghan nodded and said seriously, "Yes!"
The mentors, having chosen their partners, finally left the stage. Jiang Tinghan breathed a sigh of relief and began to think about her performance on the final night, looking at her laptop and phone.
She's already used her own composition once, and she doesn't know if it will work well if she uses it again. Besides, if she writes another song, plus the one she's going to dedicate to Kwon Ji-yong, she'll have two songs to write.
Let's just stick to choosing songs honestly.
If the song she collaborates on with her mentor is going to be very upbeat, then she should choose a quieter or more cheerful ballad instead.
No matter which practice room Jiang Tinghan went to, she was always followed by a few little tails. She didn't care and randomly chose one to go in. She found that Peaceminusone's integration was really everywhere. The originally empty and simple practice room was now decorated with a lot of decorations. In the corner, there was a huge blue bear from the Pmo×monamhee collaboration, which was probably as tall as a person.
The collaboration has not been officially announced yet, but it has been promoted for a long time in advance. The cushions on the sofa have all been replaced with daisies with missing petals, the blanket is pure black, and the English words "Peaceminusone×Shining world" are printed in the middle. The former has a horizontal line running through it, while the latter has a diagonal line. The combination is quite harmonious.
Even the tabletop was decorated, with a red pad printed with "peaceminusone" placed under a transparent rubber mat, as if announcing to the world that he was the sponsor of the show.
As soon as Jiang Tinghan entered the practice room, he felt as if he were surrounded by countless Kwon Ji-yongs. Even if he managed to steal a moment to look up, Kwon Ji-yong would seize the opportunity to make his presence known. He was practically everywhere.
This guy's name "FOX" is definitely right, he's so cunning.
These designs are simple yet beautiful, stylish yet cute, and harmonious and comfortable at first glance. They don't make people feel tense and suffocated, but rather arouse a sense of liking and an urge to buy them.
This must be G-Dragon's magic.
The fluffy plush toy was both cool and cute, with a neutral blue and black color scheme. Jin Ruixi and Kong Yanshu took several photos with this big bear. Jiang Tinghan sat on the sofa leaning against the daisy pillow with missing petals and also secretly took a picture. Then he began to seriously explore the ocean of selected songs.
The show is almost over, so we should leave something behind, right?
...I want to sing Chinese songs.
"Hey, Coldy!" Kong Yanshu crept over furtively, clearly wanting to share some gossip with her.
She whispered, "You have a super generous fan who's been all over your fandom for days now."
Jiang Tinghan crossed his arms: "Why are you paying attention to me instead of your own fandom?"
"You don't understand this kind of fun!" Kong Yanshu continued babbling, "What if my own fandom sees this and starts criticizing me?"
Jiang Tinghan: "So you're just watching me get insulted."
Kong Yeon-seo: "Oh, no way. Your fans will fight back against anyone who criticizes you. They're incredibly powerful, okay? I mean, he alone cast 500,000 votes for you. Tsk, he seems really rich."
"If the show didn't prohibit it, I would have cast a million votes for you in a heartbeat."
That's true; a few million is just pocket money for the young lady.
Jiang Tinghan was a little puzzled. What was this strange competitive desire?
"Keep your million votes for your own debut."
Kong Yeon-seo: "That won't do. If I rigged the votes to debut, everyone would criticize me. It's only reasonable to vote for you."
Jiang Tinghan cares about her fans quite a bit. She felt a little heartbroken to hear that someone had spent so much money on her, even though it was against the rules of voting. She wished the money from the votes could be transferred directly into her account.
She searched for related information online, and as she scrolled through the pages, a familiar ID caught her eye.
——J.yong18624——
"..."
Wow, not only did they cast 500,000 votes, but they also bought nearly 4,000 magazines. Where are they going to put all those magazines?
Jiang Tinghan really felt that Kwon Ji-yong's mind was a bit different from ordinary people.
First of all, it's unnecessary to spend so much money to contribute to an already predetermined victory. Secondly, he didn't even change the name when he placed the order. "J.yong" would make people who know Kwon Ji-yong immediately think of "Jiyong". Finally—this alternate account is followed by her!
If we follow the trail, we can take down most of their alternate accounts in SW!
Jiang Tinghan hurriedly clicked into Quan Zhilong's alternate account and saw that, thankfully, the following list was locked, and only a "1" could be seen. It was a private account, so it wasn't that foolish.
She was a little angry, but she didn't know why she was upset. It wasn't her money, and she had no right to tell others how to spend their money.
Jiang Tinghan attributed this to the fact that in the end, all the money went to the production team and the non-PMO brands, leaving her with a small loss and Kwon Ji-yong with a net loss, which made her very unhappy.
With over a million yuan, you could have kept it for yourself to eat or buy new clothes, but instead you used it for this. How can there be such a stupid person in the world!
Jiang Tinghan hovered his finger over the blacklist key a few times, but in the end, he decided against it and instead gave G-kitty a brand new deluxe Chinese note: "AAA is a stupid, rich, sucker."
No wonder his surname is "Kwon," he must be a real tycoon.
The messages he's sent these past two days have all been normal; you can't tell he's secretly done anything big. Haha, he's quite the actor.
She quit KKT, wanting to avoid seeing it.
Jiang Tinghanhua spent the whole day finalizing several songs, and when she went to communicate with the program team, the answer she received was indeed not to recommend them, mainly because they were afraid she would suffer losses.
Jiang Tinghan understood that it would be best to use Korean or English songs. One would win local favor, and the other would be a universally accepted language. Moreover, Chinese people often have a sense of shame about their mother tongue and a self-deprecating mentality that has degenerated into humility. They always feel that it would be embarrassing and shameful if Chinese songs were not understood by others on the international stage.
But on the other hand, not understanding the lyrics has its own charm. Plus, emotions are a universal language, so even if you don't understand the lyrics, you can still feel the emotions.
She used to enjoy listening to these foreign songs even when she couldn't understand Korean or English.
Jiang Tinghan debated with the production team for several hours, and the production team finally agreed to let her give it a try. Coldy is very unconventional, so maybe she can create a miracle?
The first thing she did when she got back to her dorm was to make a honeysuckle tea to reward her voice, the greatest contributor to her health that day. Then she casually checked her phone and found that someone had sent her several messages as if nothing had happened.
[AAA, the foolish, rich, and easily fooled CEO: Have you chosen a song today?]
Have you collaborated with any new players?
Am I fortunate enough to know this in advance?
What a clever and suggestive nickname! It's like a vision of "General Manager Wang of AAA Building Materials Wholesale".
The last message was sent a minute ago. Jiang Tinghan raised an eyebrow, maliciously blocked Quan Zhilong, and only released it a minute later.
Sure enough, the moment I unblocked her, countless messages popped up, like marbles falling to the ground.
[AAA is a foolish, rich, and easily taken advantage of person: ???]
【？？？？】
Why was I blocked this time?
Did you accidentally tap it?
He preferred to believe that Jiang Tinghan had accidentally triggered so many steps rather than believe that he had actually been blocked.
Jiang Tinghan: [As expected, he was spying on the screen]
[AAA_Foolish_Rich_Fool_Boss: Huh? Was it just a test to see if I was watching the screen the whole time? This doesn't need to be blocked, right? (Poor thing) (Poor thing)]
[I watched it openly and honestly, I wasn't spying (Penguin's solemn declaration.JPG)]
Jiang Tinghan couldn't help but look away; she really couldn't bear to look at it for too long, and she really wanted to laugh at the nickname.
The songs are still under discussion, but several have already been finalized.
She sent the song title.
A few minutes later, Kwon Ji-yong, who had searched for the song, replied: "Are they all Chinese songs? The melodies sound good (looking forward to it)."
[I prefer this one [image]. It sounds like a breakup song? The breath control is very gentle, making it difficult to sing. It's beyond the level of an idol; it requires the skill of a professional singer.]
Jiang Tinghan glanced at it and found that the song that Kwon Ji-yong picked was exactly the one she wanted to choose first, but when she sent it to Kwon Ji-yong, the song title was in the middle, and he did not guess it according to the order of the song titles.
Yes, these are for solo performances. There won't be any group performances this time, but there will be performances featuring collaborations with the mentors.
Kwon Ji-yong: [Wait a minute, don't tell me yet, let me guess who it is.]
[I'm guessing there's Rainbow Scale. If there are two mentors, maybe Megan too? If there are three mentors, then it'll be Adam or Bewhy?]
Jiang Tinghan's eyes widened slightly, wondering if Quan Zhilong was a mind reader, how could he guess so accurately?
Did you ask CL's mentor?
Kwon Ji-yong: [Am I the kind of person who would cheat? Oh, looks like I guessed right? How many mentors are there?]
Jiang Tinghan: [Two, CL and Megan]
Kwon Ji-yong: [I think three mentors would be the best combination, preferably with G-Dragon, and then we should choose one of GD's famous songs.]
Jiang Tinghan: [Shouldn't you add J.yong18624?]
After the message was sent, the other party fell silent for three minutes.
Then, cautiously, she sent a message: "[...What's wrong? I haven't logged into this alternate account in ages, and it's so boring seeing you never post anything.]"
This man has mastered an excellent technique of turning the tables, and has also thoroughly grasped Jiang Tinghan's saying, "blame others, not yourself."
Jiang Tinghan: [Oh dear, Oppa, you should check this right away. Did someone steal your account and order 3776 magazines and cast 500,000 votes?]
[AAA_Foolish_Rich_Bull_Boss: Oh? I just remembered, I did log into this account a few days ago and spent a little money.]
Jiang Tinghan: [Haha]
Kwon Ji-yong looked at that sarcastic smile and inexplicably shuddered: "Your fans must have been reincarnated as outstanding salespeople in their past lives. I get a strong urge to buy their little gadgets just by looking at them, and then I see they can break records, so..."
[I have deeply reflected on my behavior (crying cat emoji.JPG)]
Jiang Tinghan: [I didn't say anything, what is Oppa reflecting on? Remember to invite me next time there's a great money-giving event like this, I can provide my QR code for free.]
Kwon Ji-yong: [You can provide it now; the event is always open to Tinghan.]
Jiang Tinghan: [Haha]
Kwon Ji-yong: [Dear Ms. Tinghan, could we perhaps use a more varied language? Frequently sending "haha" can cause language function to deteriorate, leading to brain atrophy and physical damage. Therefore, we shouldn't send "haha," but rather send sentences with more than ten characters each, to exercise the brain and strengthen its immune system.]
Jiang Tinghan's fingers furiously tapped on the screen: 【Hahahahahahahahahahahahahaha】
Eleven characters, more than ten characters.
Kwon Ji-yong: "..."
[Han, your account... got hacked?]
Jiang Tinghan replied a minute later, sending several pictures with blue background and black text. The original text was probably in Chinese, but she thoughtfully translated it into Korean and sent the screenshots.
"Your hard-earned money is easy to transfer but difficult to get back. Please discuss with your family before making large transfers."
"Don't rush into transferring money; verify everything thoroughly beforehand. Unknown accounts pose a risk; think twice before acting to avoid being scammed."
"Protect your money by being cautious with every large transaction."
"Be wary of large transfers. Please download the National Anti-Fraud Center APP."
The word "haha" didn't appear in the chat box, but it came out of Kwon Ji-yong's mouth. He was amused by this inexplicable humor.
Okay, Officer Coldy, I got it.
Kwon Ji-yong silently repeated the title "Officer Coldy," and for some reason, he thought of the handsome rabbit from Zootopia.
Jiang Tinghan then sent a payment code that read: "Pay 10,000 Korean Won for one minute of talk time."
Kwon Ji-yong's eyes lit up, and he quickly transferred the money: [Can I make a ten-minute call by paying 100,000 won?] (540 RMB)
The other party quickly sent a message: "[Kwon Gyeong, your memory is as good as a goldfish's, but your vigilance is worse than a three-year-old's]."
He then quoted his question about a ten-minute call and replied: "[No, consider this 100,000 yuan a lesson learned.]"
[Certificate of Merit for Mr. Kwon's 100,000 Korean Won Donation for "Love Lunch"]
Kwon Ji-yong knew, of course, that Jiang Tinghan was testing him, but he couldn't resist the temptation to call. He felt extremely regretful when he saw Jiang Tinghan's reply, but a new smile appeared on his face when he looked at the charity certificate.
He argued forcefully and confidently: "This is a small transfer; what you're warning me about, Tinghan, is large transfers."
Besides, you're not a stranger to me.
Jiang Tinghan paused for a moment, cursing inwardly, "What a twisted logic!" But his heart was filled with uncontrollable restlessness.
After a while, a new message appeared in the chat box; it was an emoticon.
【C-serpent：凸(￣皿￣)凸】
"Pfft!" Kwon Ji-yong couldn't help but laugh, completely charmed by her cuteness.
A few minutes later, Kwan Gyeong-sik updated his Kakaostory (the Korean version of WeChat Moments), posting a donation certificate along with a very sweet smiley face emoji.
He's always intermittently aloof or enthusiastic. Sometimes he posts on KakaoStory frequently, and sometimes he doesn't post at all for months. Right now, he's in a period of inactivity on KakaoStory, making him a rare visitor.
Friends who come across this story either like it or comment on it.
[G-Dragon, have you finally forgiven KakaoStory?]
[Kwonjiyong0818: kkk just didn't know what to post before]
[It seems like GD has been quite active in charity work lately, that's great!]
【Kwonjiyong0818: (laughs) (laughs) I'm still working hard!
Hey... Gyeongdong, if you're having cash flow problems, you can talk to me.
[Kwonjiyong0818: Why do you say that? Hiong, I've been living a very comfortable life lately]
[Because it says 100,000 won on it, does that mean they're really not bankrupt?]
【Kwonjiyong0818:......? 】
There's nothing I can say to people like you who don't know how to show affection in public.
-----------------------
Author's Note: That's all for now. I'll finish the remaining few thousand words this afternoon or evening.
My original-price ticket is sold out (heart attack).
The scalpers are raising prices way too much! I'm considering whether to go to Mama's.
A single outfit at GD's concert cost $170,000. I desperately need a book on how to get GD's money into my pocket.
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