Chapter Forty: Choosing a Debut

were clasped together in front of her, her eyes flitting back and forth around Ji-seong but always returning to him as if focused on a single point. At the same time, her right foot kept tapping res...Li Xiuman's face was kind and gentle, as if she were looking at her younger generation.

"I am very grateful to Teacher Lee Hyo-man for her trust. I do have this intention, and coincidentally, I had an unfinished piece of music before. These days, I've finished producing it into a demo for you to listen to."

Qian Jingyuan immediately expressed his gratitude. Li Xiuman's words were exactly what he wanted to hear, and it saved him from having to bring it up himself.

"Great, I'm looking forward to it. After you're done with Deo, just give it to me straight away."

Lee Xiuman nodded happily, paused for a moment before adding: "Jingyuan, the songs and styles of other groups' comebacks are all decided by the company, and the members have very little say. That is to say, you are really excellent. In EXO's style, I think you have the ability to put forward your own opinions."

"Inside, it's all thanks to the company's cultivation, I'm very grateful for Teacher Li Xiuman's recognition of me." Ji Jingyuan stood up and bowed, expressing that he understood.

"Well," said Lee Xiu-man, patting Ji Jingyuan's shoulder in appreciation.

The two chatted for a while longer, and just before ending the conversation, Lee Soo-man added one last thing:

"Park Ja-hyeon already started working yesterday, I've placed him in your EXO manager team as your assistant. Lee Seong-hwan is better off staying with the main group, it wouldn't be appropriate for a team leader to follow you around all day."

“For the resources you obtain through your own network or abilities, the company is open-minded. Jingyuan, your development prospects are very broad, and I don't want you to limit yourself to just being an idol.”

In a suit, Lee Soo-man looked imposing but lacked aggression at this moment. His manner of speaking was rather heavy with meaning.

"I understand, I'll try my best." Chi Jingyuan understood the other person's meaning.

"Hee hee..."

As Chi Jingyuan was leaving the office, Li Xiuman patted his back forcefully, her encouragement and admiration evident in her gesture.

As soon as Chi Jingyuan left, Li Xiuman's smile gradually disappeared from his face, leaving only two gleaming eyes. He returned to his boss's chair, picked up the internal phone, and the friendliness he had shown towards Chi Jingyuan just moments ago vanished completely. His tone was now very severe:

"Get me SJ's manager and Kangin here."

……

After Pool Jingyuan went back, the practice room was empty. All the members had left.

The decision to go on hiatus has just been announced, and even the most dedicated members probably won't have the heart to practice anymore.

The practice room was empty and silent. The wooden floor, slick with countless beads of sweat, glistened like a mirror. The blue sky and white clouds on the wall remained unchanged.

Everything looks exactly the same as before, but something feels off about the practice room now.

Chi Jingyuan naturally didn't mean to practice, he didn't want to dance anything for the next few days.

However, there's still a Music Bank stage on the 25th. Even if the members aren't in the mood, they still need to come back and continue practicing.

Ji Jingyuan didn't want to stay in the practice room for another second today. He called Park Jae-hyun and made a date at a coffee shop next to their company.

This shop called GEEKCoffee is located near the ** building, within 500 meters straight. It's not high-end but its European-style decoration attracts young white-collar workers in the area.

The cafe was filled with the mellow sound of piano music, accompanied by the warmth of the sunlight. A soft, lingering atmosphere permeated the entire room.

Ji Jingyuan sat in the corner, waiting for less than 5 minutes when Park Bo-gum walked in. After scanning the room, he quickly came over here, greeted them, and pulled a chair to sit down.

He was dressed in the standard attire of an office worker, with a shirt, tie, trousers and leather shoes. Because the temperature was relatively high, he did not wear a suit. He held a briefcase in his hand, looking very formal.

Park Jin-hyun is 30 years old this year. He doesn't have an outstanding appearance, but his eyes are very expressive. He has been working as an assistant to his older brother, Ji Kyeong-seok, for several years and has recently joined the ** Entertainment management department, specializing in assisting Ji Kyeong-won. In terms of his position, he is considered a manager.

Compared to an artist's manager, his attire is more like that of a stockbroker or insurance salesman.

"How are you still wearing the same old clothes, Xian Ge You act like you're working in an office"

Qi Jingyuan glanced up and down, his tone resigned.

"Well, I'm still getting used to it,"

Park Jae-hyun let out a hearty laugh and brushed his shirt casually.

He used to drive mainly besides being an assistant, always in a suit following Park Kyung-seok around. However, managers rarely dress like this; they mostly go for a more casual and comfortable style.

He and Chi Jingyuan are already very familiar with each other, and their interactions are more casual.

After chatting casually about his experiences when he first joined **, the two of them got down to business.

Pu Zai Xian placed the briefcase on the table, took out two prepared booklets, handed one to Chi Jingyuan, and took one himself, opening it while introducing:

"Because you have expressed an interest in developing a career in the film and television industry, I have compiled some information on recently announced television dramas, including several that are currently in pre-production and casting actors."

"Your uncle-in-law used to work in high-level positions at SBS, managing the film and television department, so he has a wide network of contacts in the entertainment industry. Much of this information was given to me by his assistant."

"You can take a look and see if anything interests you."

Chi Jingyuan nodded, took the book and flipped through it, asking as he read, "If I'm interested, can I star in it"

"Acting is easy because I have enough connections and favors."

"However, the importance of roles and the amount of screen time are hard to say. Some productions have already confirmed their main actors, making it difficult to replace them. Others are productions that the television station places a high priority on, with certain requirements for the status and popularity of the lead actors."

Saying that, Bok in-hyeon carefully observed Chikyeongwon for a moment, then hesitated: “After all, Jingyuan, you haven't officially debuted as an actor yet. You haven't proven your acting skills, and your name isn't well-known.”

Seeing that Ji Jingyuan wasn't speaking, Park Bo-geon was worried he was unhappy, so he quickly added:

Of course, if we really had to force our way into the performance, we could probably manage it, but…

"Forget it..." Chi Jingyuan said casually.

He knew he could leverage his family connections and his uncle's network to force his way into becoming the leading man in some high-quality television dramas, but it would come at a price.

But he has just debuted and doesn't have much filming experience or acting training, so there's no need to do that.

"Do you have any recommendations" Pooling over the television drama information in his hand, Ji Jingyuan glanced at Park Bo-hyun.

“Yes, I’ve already marked them.” Park Jae-hyun nodded, holding his booklet and pointing to introduce it to Ji Seong: “This ‘Ghost’ is one of SBS’s major productions this year. The male lead is Soo Ji-sub. But the main roles are already cast and filming has started. It will be released on May 30th. However, we can arrange a small role for you as your debut role.”

“There's also this drama "Big," which is a KBS Monday-Tuesday drama. It's a new work by the Hong sisters this year, starring Gong Yoo, Lee Min Jung, and Bae Suzy. However, it has already been filmed.”

"These two are fine, it wouldn't be fun to squeeze in."

Chi Jingyuan waved his hand and looked at the other person in surprise: "Brother Xian, you still know the Hong sisters. It seems you've done a lot of homework."

"Haha, of course! Being your assistant definitely requires preparation."

Pu Zai Xian smiled faintly.

Since he took on this job, he has been researching the peninsula film and television industry, including directors and some well-known screenwriters. He is quite knowledgeable about it now.

He then introduced a few other TV series:

“Since the main roles have already been cast and filming has begun, it’s not suitable to add a new drama. This "GoldenTi" is an MBC Monday-Tuesday drama scheduled to air in July. It's a recent popular medical drama theme, with Lee Sanghyun confirmed as the lead actor. The supporting roles are still being selected.”

"And I would recommend this film, Faith, more."

“This is SBS's main push drama for the second half of the year, and the lead actors have also been confirmed. It's Lee Min Ho and Kim Hee Sun, this lineup is considered pretty good. Because it's an SBS drama, we can get some perks, so we should be able to get some pretty substantial supporting roles.”

"Next up, this is...《To a Beautiful You》, it's a drama that your ** company and SBS collaborated on. It's a self-produced drama based on a manga. The leads are Choi Siwon and Choi Sulli, and there are also quite a few artists from your company making cameos."

"If you're interested, we could try you for the male lead role in this play. It wouldn't be a problem."

First published by the Traditional Novels Network him, "By the way, the company has almost finished discussing the endorsement with LG. I estimate that the contract will be signed soon. There will be many advertising and publicity schedules then, Ji...