Chapter 108 5.5 Billion

m.”"Oh, it's a shame. He's EXO's top idol, so popular. We're just little trainees. I don't even know if we'll ever debut, let alone be friends with him. I heard he's hard to get close to..."Hearing Ko..."I got the moves like Jagger."

"I got the moves like Jagger."

"Okay, let's take a break for now..."

As the music in the practice room stopped and on the dance instructor's cue, the group finished their end pose. They all let out a collective sigh of relief. After standing up and smoothing her hair, Bae Joo-hyun stood up straight. Before the few male idols behind her could smile and greet her, she pursed her lips, bowed politely without a word, and walked to the side. Without making a sound, she picked up the bottle of mineral water she had placed there earlier and took a few sips.

And while Ginger Shiqi and Park Soo-young are standing on one side, Ja and Fite are from the same economic company. However, ** also has a stake in it, so they're kind of distant relatives.

This kind of collaborative stage where several artists from different companies perform together is usually planned with rehearsals at the practice room of one of the participating companies. Of course, managers and assistants will always be present, and these past two days have been at **'s side. The company has made a large practice room on the second floor available for them to use.

Red Velvet haven't had any schedules recently and have been spending their days at the dorm and practice room, playing games all day. They are very much looking forward to having a chance to appear on SBS Gayo Daejeon, and the members are putting quite a bit of importance on this collaboration stage.

And since these few collaboration groups' idols had already met several times backstage, after spending every day practicing together for this short period, they became quite familiar with each other. Aside from Jennie who was relatively unfamiliar and spoke less, the other members were already quite close to each other.

After all, they debuted in the same year and are about the same age, so they probably get along well. There's a chance some of them even went to school together, so their connections could be established easily.

During the break time, some people went to the restroom. The others sat in their places, sipping water and chatting quietly.

Pei Zhuhyun sat cross-legged on the floor, holding a bottle of mineral water and staring at the floor in front of her, lost in thought. She didn't know when she heard the name "Yuan" beside her, which instantly caught her attention. She glanced sideways and saw that it was Jiang Shiqi and a few others chatting with several girls from Lovelyz. Their voices weren't very loud.

After withdrawing her gaze for a moment, Bae Ju-hyeon took the water cup and looked at the floor. Her little butt shifted slightly towards Sun Seung-wan's direction and she sat down not far from him, pretending to listen casually.

"Is it really true that XO's Yuanxi earns this much a year" Lovelyz's Lee Ji-won's voice was full of surprise, her hands and feet gesturing as if she were trying to express something unbelievable.

"What's wrong with Jingyuan Why is he so high up" Jiang Sheqi and Sun Shengwan heard this and looked at each other, a little puzzled, not knowing what she was talking about.

"It's the program "List Revealed 2014" that aired yesterday, right It exposed the income rankings of Korean artists this year, listing the top earners. EXO's Yuanxi came in second place, just behind the first-place winner, Kim Soo Hyun... Did you watch it"

Li Meizhu swallowed the mouthful of water she had just taken, looking at the two of them in surprise. Didn't they know about the news that was so hot online today

Interestingly, one member of Lovelyz shares the same name as the practice room leader from **.

"Yeah, it's been trending all day today, super hot, a lot of people are discussing it…" Liu Zhiyuan nodded vigorously and then looked up thoughtfully: "First is Kim Soo-hyun, second is Yuanxi, many people were really surprised, how much did he earn in the show this year..."

"I've forgotten the exact numbers," Liu Zhiyuan pointed at the two of them, "Can you use your phones You can check online."

They are lovelyz, and they just debuted a month ago. They're still in the most controlled period of their careers, where their manager doesn't let them use their phones at all during usual activities.

"Now then... I think it's okay..." Kani Shiki glanced at Jeon Hyeon-young who was standing on the side, chatting with GOT7's manager. She said it uncertainly and then pulled her phone out from her bag next to her.

Sun Shengwan also stealthily took out her phone. She noticed that someone had sat down at some point but she didn't know who it was.

To her side, Pei Zhuxuan blinked and made some space, holding up her phone to watch together.

"In the program "List Revealed 2014," which aired on December 14th, the most rapidly rising stars from the peninsula were revealed. Actor Kim Soo-hyun emerged as the champion after surpassing everyone else."

Sun Sheng finished opening the webpage and found this hot search, directly clicked it open and looked at it while quietly reading it aloud. Pei Zhuxuan next to him also squeezed over to seriously watch together.

After his rise to fame this year, Kim Soo-hyun's value has skyrocketed. He's been inundated with advertising offers and his earning potential is unmatched. According to our program's statistics, Kim Soo-hyun earned 6.5 billion Korean won by holding fan meetings in various Asian countries this year, and during the first half of this year, he was rumored to have earned as much as 500 million won for appearing on the Chinese variety show "The Brain."

Besides, Kim Soo-hyun has filmed over thirty commercials in China alone. Adding to that, his advertising revenue from the peninsula is projected to reach over 40 billion KRW in six months and 90.9 billion KRW for the whole year, surpassing all other celebrities on the peninsula.

"Wow 900 billion won" Park Soo-yeong couldn't help but gasp. This amount of money was simply unimaginable for a girl group who had just debuted and were on the verge of disbanding, having never even received their first cut from profits.

"This isn't bad, Kim Soo-hyun is after all a top actor in the first half of the year. He’s really hot overseas… Look at what’s next," Liu Zhiyuan took a sip of water and raised an eyebrow at her.

"What are you guys talking about" A few members from both boy groups saw the commotion and walked over, smiling and asking. However, their question was met with Sun Seongwan continuing to read the news aloud.

After actor Kim Soo-hyun, to our surprise, ranking second was Yuan from ** company who debuted as an idol from EXO. Yuan not only excels in the music industry but is also very successful in his acting career. This year's first half saw him rise to fame thanks to the hit drama "The Heirs" which swept across Asia, and as an EXO member, he enjoys immense popularity in Asia, particularly in China.

"In the first half of the year alone, he received over twenty brand endorsements within China. He also received high-quality endorsements like becoming the spokesperson for all LG Electronics products in Korea. According to statistics, Yuan's income in the first half of the year exceeded 30 billion Korean won, reaching the same level as Kim Soo-hyun."

"Thirty billion" Jiang Shiqi repeated, feeling a bit incredulous.

"It's not over yet…" Sun Seung-won continued, reading on with enthusiasm. She glanced at him and wrinkled her nose before saying, "However, Yuan reduced his schedule in Asia in the second half of the year, which led to his overall income being pulled away by Kim Soo-hyun. According to our program team's estimation, Yuan's total annual income is roughly between 50 billion and 55 billion won. This doesn't even include his share of EXO's earnings, nor the copyright revenue from popular songs like 'Roar' that he created. To achieve this level in just two and a half years since his debut is truly unexpected by many. He lives up to his title as 'Born Idol', one of the most popular idols in the Korean music scene."

"Furthermore, as the male lead of the massively popular and influential drama "The Untamed," Yuan's recent popularity has soared again, and it is no surprise that his endorsement income has reached new heights."

"Ranking third is the equally Asia-conquering actress Jeon Ji-hyun, who partnered with Kim Soo-hyun..."

"Ranking fourth is Lee Rae-jin, who rose to popularity through the reality show "Three Meals a Day" and starred in "A Good Day" ..."

The fifth is traveling between various large and small variety shows, the hilarious female star Lee Gook-joo who shines brightly in the Korean variety show "Roote" ...

The sixth is actress Kim Hee-ae, who starred in the Korean drama "Secret Meeting"...

Next, Sun Shengwan lost interest and didn't continue reading. She reread the passage, her gaze lingering on where Chi Jingyuan's name appeared.

"5.5 billion Jingyuan... he's that rich" After being surprised, Sun Sheng's expression changed, and he clicked his tongue with an appearance of wanting to take advantage and eat off a wealthy patron.

"This is too much, ranking second among all artists on the peninsula... We won't say anything more, I wonder if EXO could even achieve this level of revenue in a year." Jiang Seob

.

Qi was still a little hard to believe. Before, she only knew that her contemporaries were popular and endorsed many things, but she didn't have a real feeling about it. Now that she saw the specific numbers, she suddenly realized that it was even more astonishing than she imagined.

"EXO's group income should be around that amount, maybe even a little higher. Didn't there used to be a website that tallied and released the revenue rankings of male idol groups in the first half of 2014 I remember seeing it back then, EXO was ranked second with over 30 billion won in the first half of the year..." Park Soo-young mentioned an old news article she had seen, looked up for a moment, and hesitantly said something, then sighed helplessly as if there was something she wanted to say but couldn't bring herself to.

But Li Mei-zhu obviously understood her meaning and sighed, "Our share...forget billions...we don't even know when we'll get it..."

"By the way, Seqi, are you guys close with Yuan" Liu Zhiyuan asked curiously.

"She's really good-natured, and both Endy and I are the same age and close friends. He just started working here not too long ago and they already knew each other." Mentioning this, Jiang Sheqi laughed out loud, puffing out her cheeks looking a bit smug, but mostly there was a genuine innocence about it.

"Jia Then tell us about Yuan. What's his personality like... Wow, several members in our group are his fans..."

"As usual..."

A few girls huddled together, whispering amongst themselves. Meanwhile, the male idols who had just joined them seemed a little awkward. Even though they were seniors, being of the same sex made things different. It's difficult to genuinely admire someone who surpasses you in every aspect—skill, popularity, and even revenue—they exist on a whole other level. Let alone discussing their affairs with relish.

$5.5 billion, that's too far off. Some people haven't even received their share yet.

While Pei Zhuhyun listened to a few girls whispering about Ji Jingyuan, her heart was still silently repeating the number she had seen in the news just now. She couldn't tell what she felt at this moment.

She should have been happy for him, but...

Thinking back to my own initiative in the park that time, and the recent interactions we had over the phone, I suddenly felt a mix of emotions.

But still, congratulations to him, ranking second among Peninsula artists.

Pei Joo-hyuk pursed her lips and blinked, changing her posture to lean against Son Seung-wan. She felt a little more comfortable.

After a short break, they resumed practice and continued until dinner time. The four groups' members and the teacher bowed in respect and prepared to have something to eat before returning for more practice in the evening.

Since there were so many of them, it was naturally impossible for all of them to eat together. However, it was perfectly fine for them to go out in groups.

Red Velvet was walking in the front, while Ji-hye and a few others were chatting softly with two Lovelyz members who had gathered by the side. Seulgi listened to them while leading the way ahead.

When it came to discussing the topic of pool scenery, income, or something like that, everyone from NER and GOT7 seemed a bit unenthusiastic. Like "Ah, Anihaseyo... Senior Anihaseyo..."

Whether it was Red Velvet, Lovelyz, or even the two male groups, everyone felt a little surprised. Just as they were talking, Ji Kyoung-won suddenly appeared before them.

And after seeing today's hot searches, when they saw this artist senior, it was hard not to associate him with 55 billion won.

Although bowing and showing respect, many people stole glances at Chi Jingyuan in the distance. Their eyes showed a mixture of joy, surprise, envy, and resentment.

"……"

Just as the two were engrossed in their conversation, they were interrupted by a sound. They turned to face the group of people. A flicker of amusement disappeared from Li Xiu's face, replaced by a faint smile. She nodded slightly without saying a word.

Ji Jingyuan just turned around and caught Pei Zhuhyun sneaking a glance at him. Their eyes met in the air, lingering on each other's sparkling gaze for a moment before he laughed and nodded politely at them.

"What a coincidence" Ji Jingyuan glanced at them and saw the members of Red Velvet taking the initiative to speak.

one sentence.

Even Sun Seung-wan, in front of Lee Soo-man, didn't dare to say much. He smiled and nodded along with Kim Se-bi.

Seeing these combinations, both of them hesitated to move forward. Ji Jingyuan smiled in his heart and whispered something to Lee Soo-man, then turned to nod at the several members of Red Velvet before walking out with Lee Soo-man.

"Oh my, I felt so much pressure standing in front of them that I couldn't even speak." Seeing the two leave through the side door, the tense atmosphere just moments ago instantly lifted. You could hear several people letting out sighs of relief. Li Meizhu patted her chest and felt a strange sense of emotion.

"Senior Yuan... how well is he acquainted with Director Lee Soo-man" Liu Zhiyuan, looking at the side of the defense line, leaned closer and whispered to Jiang Seqi.

"I don't know either, I guess so..." Jiang Seqi blinked, a little uncertain.

She of course knew that Chi Jingyuan enjoyed royal treatment at the company, but she didn't know the specifics. Today, this was an eye-opener.

While Pei Zhuhyun watched Ji Kyeong-won disappear from her field of vision, she bit her lip and remained silent.

…………

"Is this really true"

Chi Jingyuan and the other person didn't run far, they just chose a Western restaurant next to them. Just after ordering their food, his phone buzzed. He took it out and saw that it was a message from Jennie.

Before he could even ask what was true, the other person sent another message, this time with a screenshot of today's trending topic: "Park Jeong-won's revenue reaches 55 billion won, ranking second among Peninsula artists."

Seeing these two messages, he thought of the surprised expressions on Pei Zhuxuan and the others' faces when they saw the news, and suddenly burst out laughing. He shook his head and replied, "Fake."

"Then he posted again: "I haven't actually tallied the numbers myself. The exact income won't be known until the company calculates the split later, and even I don't know. How did this program crew find out"

"Like that..." Pei Zhuxuan, who was sitting at the dining table waiting for the food to arrive, nodded slightly, recalling the scene they had just met. She pouted her lips and felt inexplicably upset. She sent another message: "Don't you want to ask what a few of our groups are doing in the company"

Upon seeing this message, Chi Jingyuan blinked.

Need I say more Four idol groups from different companies are gathered at **, it's clearly a practice stage for a year-end collaboration.

Not only Red Velvet, but also EXO has a lot of collaborative stages like this every year at the end of the year. This year, they collaborated with F(x) separately, and there was also a stage where EXO, F(x), and Beast collaborated together.

But XO only used three people, Ji Jingyuan didn't participate.

After some thought, she still asked as she wished: "Well, what do you guys do in the company"

"It's nothing."

Three simple words, yet he sensed the hint of displeasure in her heart.

It's really cute.

Just as Ji Jingyuan was thinking about how to reply, Pei Zhuxuan sent another message. When he opened it, he found a selfie. In the photo, she seemed to be sitting on a restaurant stool, looking slightly upwards at the camera with her nose wrinkled, revealing her current mood.

Pool Jeong-won has found out that Pei Joo-hyuk, this sister, has a rather strange habit of taking selfies privately. She seems to like taking pictures of her nose from bottom to top. I don't know how this quirk developed.

After looking at the selfie for a while, Ji Jingyuan felt a surge of joy in his heart. He told Li Xiuman and stood up to walk over to him. He took the phone from Ji Jingyuan and took a picture together with both of them, mimicking the angle and perspective of the original photo taken by Park Chanyeol. The camera was angled upwards at an angle, focusing on their noses.

After I sent it to her, I quickly received a reply, an utterly speechless ellipsis:

"… "

First release on the Traditional Chinese Novel Networkeir final moments before going on stage, and soon Chi Jingyuan received replies from each other."Come on!!" Zhou Tzuyu repeated the message Ji Jingyuan had sent her, adding several exclamation marks a...