Chapter 84 Chapter 84 Industry Catfish, I’m here to take you in…
Kwon Ji-yong accompanied Xing Ai to meet with the team in London and signed an overseas contract with RA label under Sony Music. This is the first artist of neon company to sign a personal overseas agency contract, and also the first artist of the company to take the lead in preparing to expand overseas.
Evans was a manager in RCA Music Production and did not participate in the operation of artists, so Xing Ai got an overseas agent - a lady named Louise who was also a good friend of Evans. After signing the contract, they made an appointment to meet in LA. Evans happened to have a new song arranged for Xing Ai to collaborate on.
Before dealing with overseas affairs, Jeon Xingai finally returned to South Korea, and there were many jobs waiting for her in the country.
After returning to Seoul, the teammates first took Quan Xingai back to the dormitory to celebrate. Were they envious of signing overseas contracts? Of course they were, but this envy also turned into worry after they knew that the captain was about to go to war with those water army companies and unscrupulous media.
As partners who have watched Star Love grow up, they know most clearly how difficult Star Love went through those years, and how excessive the stories fabricated by those unscrupulous media were, which almost led to the disbandment of Riot Dolls. Fortunately, Star Love regained its confidence and found strength in music. It is even together with its senior GD. The two look loving and harmonious as if they have been together for three lifetimes.
"Don't worry, Xing'ai, don't talk nonsense about separation. RIOT DOLLS will always be one, okay?" Park Jinwen, who is currently at the bottom of the popularity list, knows the importance of a team the best.
"Don't worry, we will support you. GD senior can't participate directly, but can't our teammates support you? Just do it boldly." Kim Eun-mi also spoke. She didn't have strong ambitions. She was originally a middle-class person in Gangnam District. With her family as a backing, she was not afraid of the media.
"Thank you. Tomorrow I will officially issue a statement to sue those companies. I don't know how things will develop next, but just in case, you don't have to speak up for me."
"But now public opinion is actually that the media is spreading false information to smear Xing'ai, and the public and netizens still mainly sympathize with Xing'ai. In addition, the final trial of the former president is about to come out, so I have complete confidence in Xing'ai!" Although Yin Yanzhen and Xing'ai have both served as captains in the eyes of the outside world and have the attributes of rappers, they are completely positioned as competitors. People who like to have fun always like to make the two of them have a relationship where they are not in harmony with each other.
But in fact, Yanzhen and Xingai have been roommates for a long time. Maybe she did feel jealous and resentful towards Xingai for a period of time, but when the gap in talent was too big, that kind of resentment had long since turned into habit and admiration. After all, Xingai really walked on the line of death.
She really admired the man who turned around from the bottom of the valley and led the team to the top of the mountain again, and was unwilling to admit defeat and fear death in his pursuit of justice for himself and fought against the unspoken rules of the industry.
"Hehe, I deliberately didn't clarify or refute it, just to let the guy behind it be arrogant for a while." Quan Xingai leaned on Yanzhen and smiled cunningly.
"It's good that you know the answer, but Xingai, guess who is the person who has been issuing press releases behind the scenes? It's true that President Fang is the big boss of the water army company, but I think President Yang hates you even more. He kidnapped senior GD and interrupted Blackpink's path to the top. Blackpink was already half-dead and relied on Blackpink for support, but we have emerged as a dark horse in the domestic music source and have taken away a lot of traffic. Now, Xingai's popularity has suddenly expanded overseas because of the huge traffic from F1." Yanzhen analyzed.
"Hehe, Star Love You has been away for the past half month, and President Moon and Hyun-ho have been busy with a lot of things. Coachella will finally be held again next year, and we are on the invitation list, not Blackpink." Eun-mi smiled quite proudly.
"Huh? Why isn't BLACKPINK here?" Quan Xing Ai asked curiously. Honestly, after more than a decade of cultivating connections in Europe and America, Wai Ji's network is quite impressive. CL Cailin, in particular, knows quite a few producers and backstage staff in both Europe and America. As the first post-pandemic Coachella, next year's event will be quite significant. Did Yang Xianshuo actually not include BLACKPINK in the show's management?
"My gossip is that 2NE1 is going to be on stage next year. If Zushi Nai is on stage, then there will be no place for BLACKPINK." The well-informed Jin Wen gossiped in a low voice.
"!! Oh my, CL is coming back?" All of Xing'ai's eyes widened. Li Cailin has been in the United States in recent years and seldom returns to Korea. Xing'ai is not familiar with her. When she worked part-time as a vocal teacher in Waiji, CL was still a child and had never come to the company. Later, it was because of Zhilong that she got to know her and gradually became familiar with her.
But compared to their competitor Blackpink, she certainly has a better impression of 21.
"Come to think of it, you should know more. Why don't you just ask GD senior?" The teammate's tone suddenly became ambiguous, and he poked Xingai to start the gossip session about the girls' dormitory.
"Tell me, tell me honestly, a two-week 'honeymoon' in England, a sweet one-time affair, is that enough?"
"Tsk tsk, she even put on the ring."
"Oh, my dears, why do you all look so fierce? How's your male model boyfriend, Yeonjin? How's Eunmi's childhood sweetheart? And Jinwen, if it's just ambiguity without falling in love, shouldn't you take action?" Quan Xingai was not afraid at all and fought back one by one.
"Look at Xing Ai. They were already at the top level the first time they started dating. Now it seems like their love quotient has instantly improved a lot. Oh my, this relationship is so worth it. Are you very happy?"
The girls were laughing and gossiping with each other, talking about work and various new things in the circle from time to time, staying up late openly.
The next day, the four of them had a meeting at the company and got into the nanny car with dark circles under their eyes and half-closed their eyes, and returned to the company. As RD is becoming more and more popular, especially All Star Love, Wu Xianhao only needs to be responsible for the team's management, and will no longer be responsible for Star Love's personal management affairs. The four of them will also be assigned their own exclusive agents.
Xing'ai's new manager is a Korean-American man named Kang Sang-yoon, who's about the same age as Mingzhen. He's well-suited to Xing'ai's current overseas career path. During the meeting, Xing'ai had already exchanged contact information with her new manager. As they got to know each other better, she discovered he was a cheerful guy, and with the agility of a Sagittarius, Xing'ai felt she'd be a good match for him.
Jiang Shangrun was born in the United States. Due to his parents' work, he attended elementary and junior high school in Shanghai. He followed his parents back to South Korea to graduate from Korea University. Therefore, he is also very good at Chinese and is very familiar with flower planting.
At the conference, Oh Hyun-ho happily announced that the second half of the year will still focus on solo activities. They will release a comeback song before their F1 concert in September, and will be guest stars at the F1 Monza concert at the end of September. In April 2022, they will perform at Coachella for the first week. In May, RIOT DOLLS will hold their first concert at the Gocheok Sky Dome.
For Xing Ai, her main task in the second half of the year is her solo album. Most of her energy will be spent on songwriting and music production. She has probably been flying back and forth between Seoul and the United States throughout the year.
After the company meeting, she and Kang Sang-yoon immediately went to K1 Law Firm to meet with their long-lost lawyer, Kim Soo-sun. After Dispatch first photographed her and Cha Eun-woo in a hotel parking lot after their rebirth on "Star Love" in 2019, she sought out Kim Soo-sun for advice on media credibility, online rumors, and the use of online trolls. They then began a long-term collaboration, quietly gathering evidence.
This time, Lawyer Jin also sent a message to Xingai, asking her whether she wanted to file a lawsuit because next year will be the year of the presidential change.
"Thank you for your help all the time, senior. Please release the content at 6 pm today, especially D agency and these water army companies that jumped the highest. The one who stepped on me the hardest was indeed President Yang. He didn't care about his own new boy group and let Blackpink go. Even he himself has retired behind the scenes, but he still holds a grudge against me and lets the media hype up the scandal between me and Zhilongxi every other day. It's really a good trick of using the opponent's strength against him." Quan Xingai sat in the meeting room with the lawyer. After looking at the evidence and the complicated network of relationships between those companies, they found that the one who contributed the most was indeed Yang Xianshuo.
Waiji's marketing fee includes the item of blackening the opponent, right? If they really want to tear each other apart, it would probably be malicious competition, but Quanxingai didn't go to that step. She mainly wanted justice for herself, and the law firm alone could not defeat the three major Kpop companies. After seeing the culprit, she took the initiative to discuss with the lawyer to change the strategy, and directed the spearhead at Yang Xianshuo personally and those water army companies and unscrupulous media, not targeting Waiji or Hibi. This time she would be a good person "scavenger" to help the Kpop circle clean up the water army.
"Xing Aixi is really smart, but President Yang still has a lot of power. In the short term, you probably won't get any exposure or positive public opinion in the media." Lawyer Jin listed the possible consequences for Xing Aixi one by one.
"Arasso, I have thought about the consequences thoroughly. It's okay. He can't block me. Crushing me will only make me bounce back higher next time." Quan Xingai smiled freely.
"Okay, since Xing'ai has this confidence, I will do my best to help you." Although Lawyer Jin is an elite in Gangnam District, she really admires and likes a girl like Quan Xing'ai who was an orphan and relied entirely on her own abilities to reverse public opinion and struggled to this point with music. So whether out of justice or selfishness, she wants those who have cyberbullied her to get the punishment they deserve.
After completing two meetings, Quan Xingai felt exhausted. She looked at the time and it was almost five o'clock. There was no need to call, as she knew Zhilong must be making music in the production room. She got in the car and asked the driver to take her back to neon.
Returning to the company's top-floor production room and opening the most luxurious door, the figure wearing a hat and an old vintage outfit that was almost patinaed from ten years ago, who else could it be but Kwon Ji-yong.
"Why do you look so tired, Nuna?" Quan Zhilong took off his headphones and held Xing'ai on his lap. After Sarah had a second life, Quan Zhilong was most happy that Nuna's height was no longer 178 cm. Wearing high heels all the time was also tiring.
"We've been in meetings all day, how can I not be tired? Oh no, speaking of meetings, we're going to Coachella next year!" Quan Xingai was originally feeling lazy, but when she thought of the meeting, she remembered Coachella and quickly told Quan Zhilong excitedly.
"Congratulations to our Xingai, congratulations to RD for finally going global." Kwon Ji-yong is very happy for Xingai. The current RD was completely saved by Xingai's trilogy, so Kwon Ji-yong is also extremely concerned about the group that his girlfriend has worked hard for.
"Oh, and there will be 21 performances at Coachella next year. Is Cailin back? Is she going to reconcile with Waiji?" Quan Xingai quickly asked about the gossip she was curious about.
Quan Zhilong sighed and shrugged, saying, "Yes, Cailin loves the group very much, and 21 has a deep bond. None of the four of them gave up on the group. Cailin took the lead and had a good talk with President Yang, and they've temporarily reconciled. They plan to reunite at Coachella, but this isn't a comeback, it's just fulfilling Cailin's wish. She's still resentful that President Yang put her on ice."
"Then Cailin and I have a lot in common. I also hate President Yang. The good show will start at 6 o'clock." Quan Xingai raised his eyebrows, quite excited.
She has been a good child for too long, but she is still rebellious at heart. This time, breaking the shackles makes Quan Xing'ai full of expectations. No matter whether it is worse or better, she does not want to struggle in a place full of low-level means, nor does she want to forgive those depressed sinners on behalf of Xiao Xing'ai.
"There are still 15 minutes left! Baby, I will give you strength!!" Quan Zhilong became nervous. He hugged Xing Ai and kissed her forehead, then tightened his arms to hold her tightly.
While fans were still happy that their idol, who had been missing for half a month in London recording songs and music videos, had finally returned to China, and were still looking forward to her new schedule, new look and new songs, at 6 pm, her personal IG and K1 Law Firm jointly issued a righteous letter of complaint.
——
Since June 2017, the plaintiff, Quan Xingai (hereinafter referred to as the "Plaintiff"), has been subjected to organized and systematic online violence, false news dissemination, and offline harassment by the defendants. The defendants have defamed the plaintiff for five years by fabricating chat logs, maliciously editing videos, spreading false romance rumors, and fabricating false information such as "bullying teammates" and "having a chaotic private life." Specific actions include, but are not limited to:
Black fan marketing companies (including but not limited to xxx, xx, etc.) and rumor fabrication companies (including but not limited to xxx, xx, etc.) organized a large number of fake accounts through social media platforms (including but not limited to Twitter, Instagram, and YouTube) to continuously publish insulting tags, fabricated "black material," and maliciously photoshopped images targeting the plaintiff, and artificially manipulated trending topics;
NYK (edited), Dispatch, and other media outlets and self-media outlets have repeatedly published unverified false news (e.g., "Quan Xing Ai is suspected of secretly dating xx" and "Quan Xing Ai suspends activities due to mental health issues") under the guise of "informed sources" and "industry insiders." They have also amplified the negative impact through repeated reprinting and exaggerated headlines.
Some of the defendant's employees and hired personnel have been tracking the plaintiff offline for a long time, secretly photographing him, and harassing his relatives and friends, seriously infringing on the plaintiff's privacy and personal safety.
The above-mentioned behavior caused the plaintiff to suffer from long-term online violence and seriously damaged his mental health (the plaintiff was diagnosed by a professional institution as suffering from severe anxiety and depression since August 2017). He was forced to interrupt his performing activities many times and suffered losses from commercial endorsements totaling more than 12 billion won. His personal image and career development suffered a devastating blow.
…
This case is not only about defending one's own rights, but also a direct declaration of war against the vicious competition in the K-pop industry and the decline of media ethics. We implore the court to render a fair ruling and to burn away all lies with the fire of law.
…
The moment the lawsuit was released, the entire internet was in uproar, and the fan club was completely bewildered. Such a big thing, and they had absolutely no prior communication! They had just quietly done such a huge thing all by themselves!
In an instant, Naver, Melon, Twitter and other apps #全星爱訴# directly became the hot search trend list of the social section, and the entertainment section was even more exaggerated.
#Quanxingaifang filed a 200-page complaint
#AllStarAi demands 17 billion won in compensation
#AllStarLoveDepressionDiagnosis
#AllStarLoveLawyers: We have evidence of a company president's connection
*
The lawsuit statement jointly issued by Quanxingai and K1 Law Firm caused a huge uproar, dropping an atomic bomb on the boring entertainment industry in the post-epidemic era. Major media and forums suddenly revived and started various discussions.
As fans, they were first shocked, then heartbroken, and immediately stood with their idol in support. After Quan Xing Ai issued a statement, three teammates directly liked the post, clearly demonstrating their stance. As a result, the majority of the group's fans also sided with Xing Ai. The fan club issued a statement fully supporting Xing Ai's rights protection efforts and resolutely saying no to malicious competition, slander, and defamation.
[My eyes are filled with tears. We have waited for five years and finally this day has come... Xing Ai, you have suffered so much.]
[Compilation] Timeline of the Xingai Rights Protection Incident and a Summary of All the Evil Deeds of the Defendant Water Army Companies and Media (Continuously Updated)]
The line in Star Love's indictment, "burn the lies with the fire of law," is so cool, it's like a rebirth from the ashes!
【Everyone, please go to the official cafe and S's account to leave a message of support! Let her know we are always here! 】
[Did you notice the censored evidence behind the statement mentioning the president of a certain company? Who?]
I also want to know which company it is.
Today, a media outlet published the article, "Quanxingai's 200-page indictment directly targets Yang, the former president of Company Y."
[Ah, it really is Yang Xianshuo! ]
[Petition, demanding a thorough investigation and an end to malicious competition in the industry! Signature link is here!]
…
Compared to the fans' support, most people are just watching the show. The media also reported in depth on this unprecedented prosecution. Compared to the general public who just watched the show, the media was much more professional. They searched for information and read the 200-page indictment, and analyzed the evidence. For several days, the news and hot searches were all about:
"All Star Love Depression Diagnosis" "Lawyers: We Have Evidence of Connection to President Y" "Seoul Star News Closes Comment Section" "President Y Directly Points to Former Waiji President Yang Xianshuo, Yang Xianshuo Remains Silent"
The comments on the comprehensive portal sites are also full of surprise and curiosity.
-【Hot】Wow, this S thing is really an unprecedented event in entertainment history, right?
Is the 17 billion yuan compensation that Quan Xing Ai is asking for too much? It's tragic, but can they really get that much?
-Now they say it was a frame-up. Were all those revelations at the time false? There's no smoke without fire, right?
-No matter what, it's really pitiful that she was depressed by cyberbullying. I hope she can win.
-[Deep Dive] Let me tell you why Yang Xianshuo hates Quan Xing Ai so much, and you will know why.
-Kidnapped GD. BP, which was extremely popular in the past few years, has been silent in China in the past two years because RD is too popular. How can we not hate it? Moreover, Waiji’s business situation is really bad now.
-You're so dramatic. Could it be that he can't write a song and is trying his best to gain some sympathy?
-Did they force her to have scandals? That's hilarious.
-Her law firm is famous for its hype, and it’s not certain whether it can win the case.
-It took five years to file a lawsuit? If the evidence was so strong, they would have filed a lawsuit long ago. Why wait until now?
…
In addition to being a spectator, there is another group of people who have keenly noticed that the K-pop industry is undergoing a huge change. If All Star Love sues Seungri, it may change the way K-pop marketing and public relations are played.
-[Industry Earthquake] If they win the lawsuit, will the way KPOP’s PR battles are played completely change?
L: - I'm just curious, how do water army companies operate? Can they really target a person with such precision as the indictment claims?
Yang Xianshuo is already under tax investigation. If this is confirmed, the company's stock price will plummet again, right? His artists will also be affected.
-I hope this can become a benchmark case to crack down on unscrupulous media and online violence.
…
Overall, Jeon Star Love has attracted a lot of attention throughout May. People are no longer focusing on her various "fake news", but on whether she can successfully bring down the "big bad guy". The scandal from 5 years ago was finally brought out again. This time, there are some objective media saying that the "scandal" of that year was indeed false, but the later one is not false either, because Jeon Star Love and Kwon Ji-Dong do have a close relationship.
Title: So, Quan Zhilong didn’t leave because Yang Xianshuo went too far, right?
Content: I don't really care about all the negative news surrounding Jeon Sung-ae. I just want to point out that the key point here is the reason why Kwon Ryong left, and how he met Jeon Sung-ae. I think he met Jeon Sung-ae at some point, and then discovered that she was the same person Yang Xianshuo had harmed years ago. He felt guilty about this, and then he got to know her, and she was eventually abducted to Neon.
Yang Xianshuo hated Quan Xingai so much because he lost his wife and his soldiers, right?
I think my logic is correct!
1L: I think the version you mentioned is very logical.
2L: After five years of suffering, none of those who hurt her can escape!
3L: Just wait for the reversal and watch what happens in the entertainment industry. Don’t take it too seriously.
4L: 17 billion won... the largest artist reputation rights claim in Korean entertainment history, right? Regardless of the outcome, this is commendable courage.
5L: Her team is really awesome. This wave of fan abuse will directly solidify her fan base, and maybe even win her some popularity among passersby.
6L: Honestly, after a few days of listening to gossip, I feel like there's a lot more going on. If Yang Xianshuo is really behind this, that's terrifying.
7L: Those past few years were indeed very tragic. It was really amazing that Blade 2 was able to collect evidence for such a long time and then prosecute.
8L: This wave is really a self-sacrifice to blow up the cesspool.
9L: Can we win?
10L: Yang Xianshuo’s tax investigation doesn’t seem to be ideal, and now to make matters worse there are accounts from the water army company. I think Dao 2 is very smart in choosing this timing!
11L: The media has been quite interesting recently. Some media outlets are still using a rather negative tone, which shows that they have received a lot of money from Yang Xianshuo.
12L: It's not that he accepted the money, it's that Xiao Han is in cahoots with him. Dao 2 directly exposed the unspoken rules of this industry. It's not good for anyone. The women lost their jobs, and the media lost their channels for extra income. I'm afraid Dao 2 is finished now.
13L: She doesn’t seem to be in any hurry at all. She still goes to neon on time every day, and the lights in the production room on the top floor are often on all night.
14L: She is emotionally stable, knows what she is doing, and has Moon Eun-joo as her backer.
15L: So Lao Long didn’t support you this time?
16L: This is the strangest thing. Why didn’t my good friend stand up this time?
17L: Lao Long liked her statement and also liked the lawyer's comment. Isn't that called taking sides? And one is her former boss and the other is her current so-called "friend." What do you want him to say?
18L: Lao Long is leaving for the United States tomorrow, it seems to be related to his new album.
19L: Ahhhh, okay, okay, things have been a bit rough for Xiao Han lately, it’s better for him to stay away from trouble.
20L: So Yang Xianshuo is the matchmaker between the two of them?
21L: ...Hahahahahahahahaha, then Yang Xianshuo will be even more angry!
…
The public opinion on the Internet was just as Quanxingai had expected. Because Yang Xianshuo was preoccupied with himself and other companies were taking advantage of his misfortune, the situation was under control. In addition, Quanxingai only targeted Yang Xianshuo and some water army cosmetics companies, and the specific target was only Yang Xianshuo. Therefore, several other companies, especially HiBi, turned their guns on Waiji and Yang Xianshuo and took advantage of their misfortunes.
The catfish Quan Xing Ai has indeed muddied the waters of K-pop, and some unexpected incidents have also occurred at the same time. Some K-pop artists from small companies who have been harmed by large companies have also expressed their support anonymously, and a few brave ones have also sued several water armies and self-media, which continues to cause shock in the industry.
For the upper echelons, the declining support rate due to the epidemic has diverted attention because of this sudden accident. The Supreme People's Procuratorate has announced that it will thoroughly investigate the malicious incidents of water army companies spreading rumors, cyberbullying and even extortion in the past five years.
The greatest significance of this incident is that the cyberbullying that Park Jin-ri and He-ra had suffered was once again brought to the surface. Although it was a belated justice, it finally exposed those shameful crimes one by one.
Everyone finally realized that their opinions and positions were actually determined by those KOLs with ulterior motives and unscrupulous media. It turned out that many artists who were cyber-bullied did nothing wrong and were not guilty of serious crimes. Even Park Jin-ri almost died of depression due to rumors and malicious slander.
When everyone was lamenting and looking for the whereabouts of the truth that had faded from sight for several years, she posted a status on SNS and uploaded several photos.
[I have always known that Xing Ai is the bravest warrior. Holding a sword, she does not need others to save her. On the contrary, she will save many people.]
She released a lot of photos, each of which was a photo with Xing Ai, from selfies wearing the same pajamas, to the moments when the two of them cooked together, and photos with Xing Ai holding a camera at the beach.
Everyone finally knows who Jeon Seong-ae was with when she was quarantined in Japan that year. No wonder she never said it and no wonder she always kept a low profile and didn't talk about her companions. It turns out that she wanted to protect Park Jin-ri.
The power of support increased again at once, and this time many second-generation girl group fans also joined in. This massive lawsuit seemed to unite all the artists in the entertainment industry who had been rumored and maliciously slandered. Even the artist Waiji himself liked and supported the lawsuit openly and secretly.
It was also nicknamed the "FIRE incident" and the love of the whole star ignited this flame.
A single spark can start a prairie fire
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