Rookie Talent Agent Knows It All-Chapter 741: Clique

Originally, the candidates who passed the China preliminaries were supposed to step off the chartered plane with smiles on their faces once the front door opened and the jet bridge connected. They were to express their excitement and joy at joining the audition program Project I.O.A.

However, during the flight, the kids had gotten into a fight and there was no way they could walk out smiling now.

Of course, a professional idol could be pulling hair in the van and then get out arm-in-arm, blowing cheek kisses. Yet these kids were just ordinary people who didn't know how to control their emotions.

What mattered more than that was the reason they had fought.

"Wait, why did they suddenly start fighting?"

-They found out the charter ban was because of Wang Lina. But once the news spread, the Beijing and Shanghai kids started calling Wang Lina a thief, and that's how it all blew up.

The ban on Wang Lina's entry had been lifted, which in turn lifted the ban on the charter flight. However, word got out that everyone nearly couldn't enter the country because of Wang Lina's theft charges.

It was a ridiculous situation, but canceling the airport shoot wasn't an option. After all, there were fifty reporters waiting just outside the VIP lounge.

'There's no way the press will let this slide.'

If the welcome shoot got canceled, they would definitely run stories blaming Wang Lina. That would cast a shadow over Project I.O.A. right from the start. The situation had to be smoothed over one way or another if the audition was going to kick off successfully.

Just then, something Wang Long said got under my skin.

"What do you mean by Beijing and Shanghai sides?"

-Ah, there's a Beijing faction centered around a kid named Yang Bing Bing, a Shanghai faction around Liu Lan, and the rest are kids Wang Lina looks after.

Among the thirty-three kids who passed the China prelims, some came from extremely wealthy and powerful families. Naturally, factions had formed around them. There were three factions: Yang Bing Bing's Beijing group, Liu Lan's Shanghai group, and Wang Lina, who looked after the isolated ones, had naturally become the head of another group.

Because China was so big, the qualifiers had all moved into dorms the moment they passed. And during that short period, these cliques had formed.

"Yang Bing Bing and Liu Lan—you can't handle them either?"

-Nope. Honestly, they're overwhelming.

Yang Bing Bing's father was a power player in Beijing, and Liu Lan's dad was a financial giant in Shanghai. Even for Wang Ling, it was impossible not to feel pressure.

"Okay. Now that I know what's going on, I'll go in myself after wrapping things up here."

-You're going in there to fix it?

"Yeah. Just sit tight and don't worry."

I ended the call. Then I called out to PD Ji Yung-Sik, who was filming the chartered plane door connected to the jet bridge.

"Mr. Ji."

Ji Yung-Sik turned his head, his face tense. "What is it?"

"Let's pause the shoot for a moment."

"Huh? The kids are about to come out."

"I need a word with you alone."

Realizing something was wrong, Ji Yung-Sik declared a halt. "Turn off the cameras for a minute."

The staff murmured as they hit the stop buttons on their cameras.

Ji Yung-Sik walked over to the corner of the lounge and whispered to me, "What's going on?"

"I need to go inside the plane. A faction fight broke out."

"A faction fight?"

"Yeah. It seems word got out about how they nearly couldn't enter because of Wang Lina."

"They're already fighting? And the show hasn't even started yet... Jeez. I'll go with you."

"No. If you go in there, Mr. Ji, the tension that's come to the surface will disappear as everyone starts walking on eggshells. That could make it blow up even worse later. I'll handle it quickly, so please give me full authority."

Ji Yung-Sik hesitated, then asked, "Can you really resolve this?"

"Just leave it to me."

"Understood." Having made his decision, Ji Yung-Sik turned to inform the staff. "Mr. Jung will head into the charter plane first to check on the kids. Let's hold for a bit."

The staff looked visibly thrown. "Mr. Ji, the schedule's already tight. Reporters keep messaging asking when they'll come out."

Ji Yung-Sik let out a derisive snort. "When have reporters ever not freaked out? Ignore them. Let's just do our jobs."

He calmed the staff down and began follow-up adjustments. Meanwhile, I made my way to the jet bridge.

***

Clunk.

The door of the chartered plane connected to the jet bridge opened. Staff from Shanghai New Media Inc., along with Wang Long and Lily, were waiting just outside.

"I've got no excuse to face you, Yoon-Ho," said Wang Long.

Wang Long hadn't been able to settle the situation easily because of the Chinese concept of guanxi—relationships. The families of the kids who caused trouble were closely tied with Wang Long's own family, so he couldn't act rashly.

I shook my head and reassured him. "It's fine. I get how things work in your country."

"Still, it's shameful."

"Don't worry about it. So, who led the charge? Yang Bing Bing from Beijing or Liu Lan from Shanghai?"

"Yang Bing Bing and the Beijing kids took the lead. Liu Lan and the Shanghai kids backed them up," Wang Long explained.

"Got it."

After hearing the details, I followed Wang Long and Lily into the plane. Inside, every seat was fitted in business class.

Rows 1 through 3 held Wang Lina and her group, all sitting with their heads bowed like criminals. Rows 5 through 8 were filled with ten kids from Yang Bing Bing's Beijing faction, frowning and sulking. And in rows 9 through 11, Liu Lan and the Shanghai faction were chatting away, acting like none of this involved them.

With auditions just ahead, it was clear they had been spoiled rotten to be acting like this.

"Wang Long, from this point on, neither you nor any Shanghai New Media staff are to say a word. They need to see that your authority doesn't work here in Korea, or they won't listen to us."

"Okay. I'll keep our staff in line."

While Wang Long and Lily reined in their people, I turned to the flight attendant near the door. "Please close the door."

With a bit of effort, she shut the front door of the charter plane.

Thud.

Once it closed, the inside of the plane was completely cut off from the outside world. And at that moment, I raised my voice at the kids still sitting in their seats.

"Why aren't you all standing up?"

Project I.O.A. required every participant to speak Korean, so all of them understood. I spoke in Korean deliberately to make them realize they had now arrived in Korea.

"Do you think you're on a school trip? When you passed the audition, I told you to greet anyone you meet respectfully. Did that sound like a joke?"

At that, Wang Lina shot up from her seat and bowed. "Hello, Mr. Jung! How are you?"

The others began murmuring, then scrambled to their feet. "Hello, Mr. Jung! How are you?"

They all greeted me, but I answered with a stony expression. "How am I? What do you think? You tell me."

Since the regression, I hardly ever raised my voice at any of the kids under my management. But the moment I saw the contestants divided into factions, I decided to tap into the old version of Jung Yoon-Ho—the one who would do anything for success.

I stared them down, then walked over to Wang Lina first.

Wang Lina had a clean and elegant beauty with long black hair. She stood around 170 cm tall and had the long limbs typical of northern Han Chinese. Her pale skin and large monolid eyes were especially striking.

"Wang Lina. Do you know why I'm not doing fine right now or not?"

Wang Lina immediately lowered her head. "I'm sorry, sir."

"You're sorry? Sorry for what? What did you even do wrong?"

"Well, I thought... because the entry got delayed because of me, you were angry, Mr. Jung..."

"Get a grip, Wang Lina. How is that your fault?" 𝘧𝘳𝘦ℯ𝓌𝘦𝒷𝘯𝑜𝑣𝘦𝓁.𝒸𝘰𝓂

"I'm sorry?"

"You're the victim here, falsely accused by a scammer. So why are you bowing your head? If you act like that, you're basically admitting guilt."

Kind and decent people often felt guilty just because others were affected by their situation. But in the brutal entertainment world, one couldn't survive with that kind of fragile heart. Every entertainer fought tooth and nail to become a star on limited stages with limited resources. So if they got a stage, they needed the grit to hold onto it no matter what.

I said with a stern expression, "Pull yourself together, Wang Lina. Being polite is fine, but don't go around apologizing for things that weren't your fault. The public will judge you based on how you act and speak. Got it? This industry is a jungle. You understand me?"

Wang Lina clenched her fists and shouted. "Yes, Mr. Jung! I won't let it happen again!"

The guilt in her face vanished, replaced by determined resolve.

'Good. That's better.'

"Alright. Square those shoulders."

Wang Lina's slouched posture straightened out.

I continued, "And don't worry. The scammer who filed that false report's already been arrested. The Korean talent agents and production team all know it wasn't your fault. You've got nothing to worry about."

As I spoke firmly, Wang Lina's face brightened even more. The other kids who had been in her group lit up as well.

"There are cameras waiting outside. Everyone check the mirror and practice smiling. Got it?"

"Yes, Mr. Jung!"

Their voices rang out, tight with discipline. Without pause, I walked straight to Row 5 where the leader of the Beijing faction and today's main culprit, Yang Bing Bing, was seated.

Yang Bing Bing was tall, around 174 cm, with a model-like figure. Her hair reached her shoulders, and her striking double eyelids and sharp features made her a classic beauty. Her father was one of Beijing's nine deputy mayors. So like a true daughter of a powerful man, Yang Bing Bing always wore a smug expression.

'Do you think this is China?'

If I didn't break her early, I knew she would only get more arrogant. So the moment I saw her, I cut her off immediately.

"Yang Bing Bing. Just go home."

Shock spread across Yang Bing Bing's face. "W-what did you just say?"

"If you're the kind of kid who stirs up trouble even before the show starts, we don't need you."

"You're... joking, right?"

"I don't have time for jokes. I said leave. Don't get off and just turn around with the plane."

Yang Bing Bing glanced at the Shanghai New Media staff for help. However, no one moved as I had already warned them not to interfere. When the staff didn't help, Yang Bing Bing played her last card—her father.

"Mr. Jung. Think carefully. If I.O.A wants to enter the Chinese market, you're going to need my dad's help."

'This isn't China, kid. This is Korea.'

"Oh yeah? Then I guess I'll just have to show you we can enter China without you."

"What?"

"Go back to China where your amazing dad can protect you. Whether you become an idol or an actress there, that's up to you."

I brushed off Yang Bing Bing's connections without a second thought, and she couldn't say another word.

Turning away, I spoke to Wang Long. "Wang Long. Cut her and send her back. Call up the first backup candidate in China."

"Y-yeah. Got it."

Even Wang Long looked at me warily as he answered. Only then did Yang Bing Bing realize I was serious about kicking her out.

The truth was, I wasn't doing this because her father lacked power. I knew that by the end of this year, he would get caught up in a Beijing mayoral corruption scandal and every deputy mayor would be ousted. No matter how powerful someone seemed now, they were nothing to someone who knew the future.

The only regret was that, apart from her dad's influence, Yang Bing Bing actually ranked second in the internal scoring of the China auditions.

'It's a shame, but there's no other choice.'

I didn't dwell on it and turned my eyes to the Beijing kids sitting near Yang Bing Bing. "So? What about the rest of you? If you want to go home with Yang Bing Bing, say the word. I'll send you all back."

The kids avoided my gaze.

"N-no."

"No, we want to... we want to do the audition."

I nodded. "Good. Then sit down and fix your expressions. The moment you step out, the cameras start rolling."

"Yes, sir!"

And just like that, the hastily built Beijing faction crumbled. Once I wrapped things up, I moved straight to Liu Lan in the back row.

Just then, Yang Bing Bing clutched both my arms.

Grab.

"What are you doing? Let go."

"I-I'm sorry, Mr. Jung. I was wrong."

Yang Bing Bing seemed to finally realize her power meant nothing here. Yang Bing Bing lowered her head, swallowing her pride. Maybe she was in shock after the Shanghai New Media staff and the Beijing faction turned their backs on her so quickly.

"I won't do it again. Please give me one more chance. Please, sir," Yang Bing Bing begged, desperate to hold on.

At the same time, a fierce desire to become an idol lit up in her eyes. That moment, I suddenly thought of Jang So-Yeon.

Before the regression, I had judged her just by her attitude, ignoring the situation she was in. Because of that, she ended up living a miserable life. It occurred to me that maybe Yang Bing Bing had her reasons too.

'Fine. Giving someone one more chance isn't the worst idea.'

After all, Yang Bing Bing was only nineteen. Nevertheless, I couldn't just let her off the hook.

I gently pried Yang Bing Bing's hands off my arms and gave her one last warning. "Then consider this your yellow card. And if I hear even one more word that you stirred up trouble like this again, you're out mid-audition or not. Got it?"

"Yes, Mr. Jung."

"Then get ready to head out too."

Yang Bing Bing bowed repeatedly. "Yes, sir. Thank you! Thank you!"

At that moment, Liu Lan and the rest of the Shanghai group also lowered their heads.

"We're sorry, Mr. Jung. We were just really scared. It's only 'cause we were nervous. We'll apologize to Wang Lina. Please forgive us, okay?"

Liu Lan was about 160 cm tall with a short bob, ranking third in the internal China auditions. With her big eyes and high nose, her doll-like face made you wonder how it all fit in such a small head. She had a cute voice and was full of charm. Since her Korean was intermediate at best, her words came out jumbled and awkward.

Normally I would have called her out on it, but there wasn't time. Still, I couldn't just forgive her so easily either.

"Liu Lan. You're on a yellow card too. Remember that."

"Okay! I'm sorry! Sir!"

They were all finally showing the discipline they should have had from the start. It looked like they were truly ready now.

"You've got three minutes. Check yourselves and get ready to go out!"

"Yes, Mr. Jung!"

The plane began to buzz with activity.

***

The thirty-three China prelim winners stepped off the jet bridge with flower bouquets in hand, passing through the VIP entry area. Afterward, they moved to the VIP lounge and filmed a short group interview.

Next came the Japan prelim winners, who apparently had no drama. Thanks to that, Assistant Manager Tetsuya from AMOSE smoothly brought in all thirty-three Japanese participants.

Once both the Chinese and Japanese groups were gathered in the VIP lounge, Ji Yung-Sik lined them up.

Then he looked to Ling Ling and gave her instructions. "Ling Ling, stand at the front and lead the greeting."

"Yes, Mr. Ji."

Ling Ling took her place between the two groups, clutching a bouquet tightly.

Ji Yung-Sik gave the signal. "Three, two, one. Action!"

『Dear fans, please choose your global idol! From this moment, Project I.O.A begins! We hope for your support!!』

Immediately, the kids behind Ling Ling echoed with energy.

『We hope for your support!』

And just like that, Project I.O.A took its first step. With only team assignments and dorm footage left to shoot in the studio, this plus the regional audition clips would fill out Episode 1.

"Alright, reporters are still waiting outside, so smile when you go out. Okay?"

"Yes, sir!"

The kids, now properly disciplined, checked their faces one last time before exiting the lounge.

Right then, AD Lee Tae-Eun from SBC came running up and whispered something to Ji Yung-Sik.

Ji Yung-Sik's face stiffened instantly, and he called out to me. "Information about Wang Lina and Minamoto Aoi has leaked. Reporters are waiting outside with their eyes practically glowing."

'Information leaked to the press?'

That meant the real culprit couldn't be President Yoo Kang-Seok. Even with a lawyer's help, there was no way Yoo Kang-Seok could have moved this quickly from jail.

I immediately responded to reassure Ji Yung-Sik. "Don't worry, Mr. Ji. I'll handle the reporters from here."

There was no way I would let Project I.O.A shake from the start just as the real mastermind had planned.

'Whoever that bastard is... I'll finish today's shoot first. Then we'll see.'