Chapter Ten: With A and B

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Entertainment Is All Around Us (No Pop-Ups)

Story Time: November 2004

Recommended Song: Fish Leong – Swallowtail Butterfly

Disclaimer: This work is purely fictional. Do not relate any characters to real people; any resemblance is purely coincidental!

“Hey, Broken Cat, how did the commercial shoot go today? How are you feeling?” Li Ran called out loudly as he stepped through the door in the evening.

“I’m not even sure myself,” Jiang Yihan replied, setting the dishes on the table. “Honestly, it felt like I just went there, played for a while, and came home.”

“Huh? Brother, you just went to play?” Jiang Ziyi entered just in time to catch her brother’s assessment of the commercial. “And the commercial? They didn’t swap you out at the last minute, did they? With your looks and talent, that shouldn’t happen.”

“No, nothing like that. Today, there were a bunch of kids in the shoot, so I figured it’d be best to play with them first, get familiar, so the filming would go smoother later.” As Jiang Yihan spoke, he waved the two over to eat. “So I played ‘Eagle Catches the Chicks’ with them for about half an hour, and when I thought it was about time, I told the director we could start. But he said they’d already finished filming. I was completely baffled.”

Jiang Yihan’s expression was one of utter disbelief, which was mirrored by the other two.

“Uncle Park said that my interaction with the kids was exactly what he wanted, and he’d filmed it all. So…” Even Jiang Yihan sounded a bit unsure as he spoke.

“I don’t know if I should call you talented or just lucky,” Li Ran remarked, genuinely impressed. “Most people take a day or more to film a commercial, but you wrapped it up in an hour. The crew must have loved you for that. Ha! So, when does it air? We want to see how it turned out.”

“I’m not sure. Uncle Park said probably by the end of November.” Jiang Yihan thought back to Director Park Young-ho’s answer. “The company wants to do some pre-broadcast prep. They weren’t expecting the shoot to go so quickly, so some parts of the process haven’t caught up yet.”

“We’ll just have to wait and see, then,” Jiang Zihan said with an expectant smile at her brother.

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November 20 was both Jiang Yihan’s and Li Ran’s birthday. Yes, they shared the same birthday—no mistake there. The biggest surprise for Jiang Yihan that day was a phone call from Kim Jaejoong. After that call, the two of them often kept in touch by text, though Jaejoong’s mood had remained low. With his impending departure, everyone felt powerless, and Jaejoong felt lost, anxious, and stuck in a slump, uncertain about his future. Yet even at such a time, he remembered Jiang Yihan’s birthday, something that touched Jiang Yihan deeply. After much hesitation, Jiang Yihan decided not to mention the unpleasant matter, and the two chatted and laughed on the phone as if everything had been resolved, though both knew that was impossible.

Of course, birthday wishes came in from his mother in far-off Hungary and from other relatives at home, with the exception of his ever-absent father. But the real highlight was the family dinner that evening, just the three of them. Jiang Yihan walked home carrying the cake he’d just bought, only to find guests sitting in the living room. Li Ran was making awkward small talk with them, the atmosphere a bit chilly, but there was tea on the table, so they’d been there for a while. After a brief pause, Jiang Yihan greeted them, “Hello.”

He flashed an apologetic smile before Li Ran quickly pulled him into the bedroom. Sensing Li Ran’s tension, Jiang Yihan asked, “Who are they, Jin?”

“They’re here for you,” Li Ran replied, trying not to laugh at Jiang Yihan’s look of panic.

“I don’t have any friends in Korea close enough to bring home, except for those you know. How could they be my friends?” Jiang Yihan quickly denied it.

“Don’t panic, let me explain.” Li Ran suppressed a grin. “They’re talent scouts from two entertainment companies, here to see if you’re interested in becoming an artist. Looks like Yi and I have good eyes—we knew you’d suit the entertainment world.”

“Talent scouts? Why are they looking for me?” Now that he knew who they were, Jiang Yihan was less nervous and more skeptical. “And what companies? Two different ones? Couldn’t you have just turned them down for me? You know I’m not interested.”

“Of course I turned them down, but they wanted to talk to you directly. They’re from the trainee management departments—basically scouts and also a kind of manager for rookies. You remember the commercial you shot? Director Park Young-ho was so satisfied he took the footage to his friend’s company to show it off, recommend you, and word spread to several companies. They were all amazed by your potential, and Director Park was thrilled. So now two companies have sent scouts over. Now I’m dying to see what that ad looks like, if it’s got even the sharpest-eyed companies so excited. As for the companies, one is ours—MS. The other is ABNet.”

“MS I’ve heard of from you. But what’s ABC Company?” Jiang Yihan asked, not dwelling on why the companies were after him for now.

“ABC is basically MS’s rival. Not strictly, but in the business, there’s a lot of competition. Besides YG and JYP, ABC is another of Korea’s big old entertainment companies, and in some ways, their network is even broader than MS’s. They cover film, TV, music, advertising—pretty much everything, though that means their focus is spread out. In music, MS still has an edge. The thing is, a few years ago, ABC made some bad investments in the US and took a big financial hit. They haven’t produced any big stars in recent years, and most of their past top artists left after their contracts ended. So lately, ABC’s been quietly cultivating new talent, hoping to reclaim their place among the top agencies. Naturally, they can’t miss out on someone with your potential, so they came along with MS.”

As he finished, Li Ran started to lead Jiang Yihan back to the living room, then suddenly remembered something and pulled him back. “Oh, and the person from ABC is their president. That’s how much they value you!” He gave Jiang Yihan a meaningful look, then sent him back out—after all, it would be rude to keep guests waiting.

“This is Jiang Yihan,” Li Ran said, seating him.

“Hello, Jiang Yihan, I’m a representative from MS,” the MS rep said, handing over his business card. Jiang Yihan accepted it with an awkward smile. The MS representative looked young, about twenty-five, and his name was Cheng Shi. The ABC president handed over his card next. “Hello, I’m Li Tong, president of ABC Company. It’s a pleasure to meet you.” He looked to be in his early thirties, younger than Jiang Yihan had expected. “My good friend Park Young-ho spoke so highly of you he piqued my curiosity. Now I see he was actually being modest. Ha ha!” Li Tong seemed genuinely delighted.

“Uncle Park? So that’s why you’d come in person! Uh, well… so, you want to know if I’m interested in becoming an artist or a trainee at your company, right?” Jiang Yihan cut straight to the point before they could even voice their intentions. Both nodded, waiting for his answer. “Well, to be frank, I’m not interested in being an artist or a trainee—so… ha!”

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“Why not?” Cheng Shi from MS was clearly baffled. “Our company is one of the top in Korea—why wouldn’t you want to join?”

“I think you misunderstood me,” Jiang Yihan sighed. “It’s not that I’m not interested in your company—I’m just not interested in being an artist at all. If I don’t want to be an artist, it doesn’t really matter which company it is, does it?”

“Then why don’t you want to be an artist?” Perhaps buoyed by MS’s recent successes, Cheng Shi pressed the point, while Li Tong simply listened quietly.

“I’ll try to explain,” Jiang Yihan said, seeing that nothing less would satisfy them. “First, I’m really interested in my studies right now—I love my major and my current life. Second, my family doesn’t have the financial means to let me ‘play around’—most people who become artists don’t make money, which I’m sure you know. Third, I know enough from listening to others that being an artist is tough, even if I haven’t experienced it myself. I’m a lazy person—I don’t think this career suits me. Also, I’m already nineteen—just turned twenty today. If I spent a few more years as a trainee, I’d miss my prime, wouldn’t I?” Jiang Yihan wanted to vent his frustration with MS over the matter of Kim Jaejoong, but after struggling with himself, he decided against it—after all, Cheng Shi was just a junior agent and had no say in that.

“If those are your reasons, I’d like to respond,” Li Tong finally spoke after a moment of silence, while Cheng Shi’s face showed barely restrained anger. “I think you can balance your studies—Li Ran mentioned you’re in college, so that’s not a problem. As for becoming famous, that’s not for you to judge, but from my professional perspective, that’s definitely not an issue. As for your last concern—almost every profession is tough, you know that. You just have a prejudice against artists, don’t you? And age—unless you’re over thirty, it’s not a problem. You’ve just turned twenty, right?”

Li Tong was clearly a formidable negotiator, his arguments echoing what Li Ran had said before. Jiang Yihan quickly thought up a counter, his mischievous smile growing. “So, by your logic, I could propose a contract with these clauses: I won’t miss any of my classes; the contract can’t be long, so I don’t end up stuck with no results; and I have a say in my schedule, so I don’t get too exhausted. That about right?” He grinned even more, knowing these were unreasonable conditions no company would accept.

“What? Absurd!” MS contracts were always long-term, often ten years or more, and with MS’s recent success, Cheng Shi wasn’t used to being turned down—let alone facing demands he saw as arrogant. He shot to his feet. “You’re asking too much! We’re here because we think highly of you, but you’re getting cocky. Someone like you would only be a loss to us if we signed you. Forget it.” With a glare at Li Ran and then a glance at the unflappable Li Tong, he stormed out. One day, Cheng Shi would pay for his rashness.

“Jiang Yihan, you’re deliberately making things difficult for us, aren’t you?” Li Tong laughed, sipping his tea, not the least bit angry, his gaze steady and penetrating. “But you make good points. You’ve thought of your concerns and doubts, and while such a contract would be unreasonable for us, for you, it isn’t.” Li Tong’s smile made Jiang Yihan feel seen through. “How about this—you think it over, I’ll go back and discuss with the company, and I’ll come visit again soon. How does that sound?”

Jiang Yihan made a face and smiled helplessly, saying, “Actually, I don’t like MS Company—maybe even dislike it.” He grinned mischievously, which delighted Li Tong, who left thoroughly satisfied.