Peninsula: I, who was originally a camera, suddenly became an internet sensation.

Chapter 13 Title Track Selection

By the time we finished our meal, it was already quite late.

The noise in the private room gradually subsided, and Li Yuan leisurely sipped his tea while chatting with the others.

I've eaten too much and don't feel like moving.

Who knew they ordered a ton of food, but only ate a few bites? One said, "I'm controlling my weight," another said, "I can't eat too much at night." Even Kang Seulgi, who had been clamoring to eat before coming, didn't eat much in the end.

The rest of the large table was taken care of by Li Yuan and his agent.

Li Yuan touched his slightly bulging belly and sighed silently.

That's just how the idol industry is; while enjoying the love of millions, they also have to endure hardships that ordinary people cannot bear.

It's not uncommon in the industry for people to give their all on stage and then collapse from exhaustion backstage; some even fall over on stage.

Li Yuan was powerless to change these things. On the one hand, the company had strict and almost harsh requirements for their body management; even a slight fluctuation in weight would result in a meeting. On the other hand, there was the "coercion" from the market—whatever the audience liked, the market would promote, and idols could only cater to it.

Especially in today's world where people are increasingly pursuing a "fair and thin" appearance, this trend will only intensify.

Although many people are calling for healthy aesthetics and rejecting abnormal thinness, the overall environment cannot be changed by a few appeals.

"Li Yuanxi, the company has already bought your plane ticket for the day after tomorrow." The manager, who had just gone out to make a phone call, came back in, putting away his phone as he said, "You can just go directly to the airport then."

Clearly, he had just heard Li Yuan's complaint that "I should have left today," and immediately had the company arrange his return trip.

"Big companies are indeed big companies; they've thought of everything so thoroughly," Li Yuan thought to himself.

Except for the stingy JYP.

"So the album for your next comeback isn't ready yet?" He put down his teacup and asked casually.

While chatting with Bae Joo-hyun earlier, he learned that Red Velvet's title track for this comeback seems to still be undecided. The comeback, originally scheduled for October, has had to be postponed again and again due to difficulties in song selection.

But if we postpone it any further, we might have to say goodbye to the comeback this year.

"Yes." Upon hearing Li Yuan's words, the agent's eyes finally lit up.

He spent the whole night eating with Li Yuan and running around taking care of everything, all just to wait for Li Yuan to say those words.

We were just waiting for this little darling to take the initiative to ask.

"We had already selected five songs as potential main tracks, but they were all rejected by President Lee and Director Min." The manager looked helpless and shrugged. "They said those songs didn't fit the concept and direction of this comeback."

"That woman Min Hee-jin hasn't left SM yet?" Lee Won muttered to himself.

He remembered that this year should be the year she left. Could it be that the timeline hasn't reached that point yet? Or is his memory playing tricks on him?

Never mind, it's not important.

"All five songs were rejected. Are you that picky?" Li Yuan raised an eyebrow.

SM's production team is already quite good, and they also collaborate with some international producers. With so many demos received every year, only the best can make it onto the shortlist.

If you can't even pass five songs, the standard is a bit too high.

"President Li..." The manager glanced at the tightly closed door of the private room, and after confirming that there was no problem with the soundproofing, he leaned close to Li Yuan and lowered his voice, "President Li wants to use this album to break through the achievements in Europe and America, and in this way, expand into the overseas market."

"Let's go to America," Li Yuan said casually.

SM's various girl groups, or rather all groups, have been striving to break into the US market, a trend that has become even more pronounced since the "ban on Korean entertainment."

There was nothing they could do. They could have thrived and made money effortlessly by relying on the huge Chinese market, but then that thing happened from above, cutting off their biggest source of income.

Lee Soo-man was probably cursing in his heart—that was a lot of hard-earned money!

Chinese fans are known for their strong spending power and are easily manipulated. Losing so much real money all at once is something no one could bear.

"Hehe..." The agent just smiled and didn't say anything.

With his limited understanding, he didn't really understand why the company was so insistent on Red Velvet's success in the US.

A few years ago, Red Velvet was considered the leader of fourth-generation girl groups, enjoying great momentum. However, two years ago, JYP's new girl group TWICE dominated Japan and South Korea, and this year YG's BLACKPINK is also showing signs of emerging as a dark horse.

At this time, abandoning the stable domestic market and sending Red Velvet to conquer the US market seems like putting the cart before the horse.

The leader only led the way...

But Lee Won could somewhat understand what Lee Soo-man meant, which was basically "if you can't beat them, just admit defeat."

Red Velvet positions itself as a "concept group," and while it holds an unshakeable position among its die-hard fans, it is indeed several levels below TWICE in terms of general popularity and national recognition.

In the past two years, almost all girl group comebacks have been operating in TWICE's shadow—their music charts, sales, and popularity have all been suppressed, leaving them with little room to breathe.

Unable to compete domestically, Lee Soo-man naturally turned his attention to the broader overseas market.

He could never have imagined that BLACKPINK, who rose to prominence this year, would soon be making a name for themselves internationally. Red Velvet's foray into the US market could at best only serve to "expand the market."

"If it's about venturing into America..." Li Yuan pondered for a moment, then reached for his phone. "I do have a few songs that would be suitable."

I registered a lot of songs with the China Quyi Artists Association in advance, just in case I showed them to someone and said, "Isn't this my song?"

When it comes to copyright, it's always good to do your homework beforehand.

He said this in a very casual tone, but it greatly excited his agent.

He just didn't show it.

"Does Lee Won-ssi want to go to South Korea, or should we send someone to China?" The manager's voice carried an barely suppressed urgency, but he tried his best to make his tone sound calm and appropriate.

As soon as those words were spoken, the expressions of several people in the private room changed.

Bae Joo-hyun remained expressionless, but her gaze inadvertently swept across Lee Won's profile before quickly looking away.

Son Seung-wan, on the other hand, wasn't so good at hiding it. She pursed her lips, as if trying to pretend that she didn't care at all, but her furtive sideways glances betrayed her.

The one with the most intense gaze was Kang Seulgi.

Her round eyes were fixed on Li Yuan; she dreamed of eating Li Yuan's cooking again.

Kim Ye-rin, on the other hand, looked very nervous.

She didn't want to hear any bad news from Li Yuan, and she didn't want to see him in the practice room.

The air in the private room was silent for a few seconds, and everyone's eyes were focused on Li Yuan.