Become A Music Monster Overnight! [EN]: Chapter 106

Unlike YC Entertainment, which is experiencing a meteoric rise thanks to Youngchan’s return, the established top 3 entertainment companies were in turmoil.

The work Youngchan had done in China the previous year was now returning to haunt them as a major setback.

-The Chinese market, which initially appeared promising, was now revealing its hidden pitfalls.-

-The misfortune of LMS, former chairman of MS Entertainment, who had confidently touted himself as a China expert, was now evident.-

-Due to these missteps, even his position as a director was at risk of being challenged!-

-The decline of the top 3 entertainment companies, including MS Entertainment, was becoming increasingly apparent.-

This was largely due to the hasty investments made in China, hoping to capitalize on the Korean Wave [Hallyu], which ultimately faded without generating substantial profits.

Among them, MS Entertainment suffered the most significant losses.

LMS, the founder of MS Entertainment, had formally stepped down from his chairman position, but in reality, he still wielded considerable influence. Even as a member of the board of directors, he effectively controlled the company’s direction.

He had already amassed considerable wealth in Japan and China even before the Korean Wave gained significant momentum.

In particular, he had been quick to recognize the potential of the Chinese market.

“This is where the money is going to be,” he’d declared.

Observing the Chinese entertainment industry, he established an early foothold for entry.

As he aged, his ability to anticipate emerging trends diminished, making this venture a significant opportunity for him.

Whether through luck or foresight, the Korean Wave swept through China, and as his influence grew, he gathered as much capital as possible and initiated a full-scale expansion.

This aggressive entry into the Chinese market greatly boosted the company’s stock performance.

MS Entertainment’s stock price experienced a significant upward trend.

The stock price surge wasn’t limited to MS Entertainment alone. The other top 3 entertainment companies, GD Entertainment and PYJ Entertainment, also announced plans to enter the Chinese market, leading to a similar upward trend.

In particular, the previous year saw an even greater increase than anticipated, largely due to YC Entertainment’s success.

This was a ripple effect of Black Tiger’s successful concert tour in China and their breakthrough onto the Billboard charts.

The fact that “Brilliant Struggle” entered the Billboard Hot 100 and ultimately reached the number one spot was a historic moment for K-pop, requiring a re-evaluation of its potential.

But these remarkable achievements were just the beginning.

Not only did “Brilliant Struggle” hold the number one spot for six weeks, but YC’s collaboration with Marvin on “Painkiller” set an unprecedented record of 18 weeks, sending shockwaves throughout the global music industry.

Given this situation, YC Entertainment’s decision to remain unlisted meant that investment money naturally flowed into the top 3 entertainment companies as an alternative.

Normally, such an influx of capital would be a boon for these companies, but this time, the circumstances were different.

They funneled every available resource, including the new investments, into the Chinese market.

In hindsight, their decision wasn’t entirely unreasonable given the prevailing circumstances.

At the time, there were numerous investment opportunities, not only in singer-related activities like concerts but also in film and television productions.

However, the problem arose when the Chinese entertainment industry shifted its stance due to Youngchan’s agreement with Kowloon Entertainment.

“We can confidently rely on Kowloon Entertainment, so why bother partnering with the burdensome Korean Wave?”

It was only natural for those who feared becoming irrelevant figureheads to harbor such thoughts.

Moreover, the backing of Jangjin Group behind Kowloon Entertainment made them even more appealing.

Jangjin Group would provide them with a strong and reliable support system.

In particular, the Party [Chinese Communist Party] was growing weary of being influenced by the Korean Wave and threw its support behind Kowloon Entertainment, which was promoting Chinese artists to rival Korean idols.

As a result, everyone shamelessly turned their backs, and the resulting stagnation led to the current predicament.

Youngchan, upon belatedly learning of these developments, couldn’t hide his dismay as the snowball he had created turned into a far more devastating disaster than he had anticipated.

“At this rate, I can’t even think about keeping them in check.”

It became pointless to worry about how to manage the top 3 entertainment companies’ influence ahead of his full-scale domestic activities.

It wasn’t just the top 3 entertainment companies that were struggling. Most of the entertainment companies that had invested heavily in the Chinese market were faltering.

Among them, MS Entertainment was the most prominent and severely affected.

Its stock price had plummeted by more than 80% from its peak the previous year.

Even compared to the period before the Korean Wave boom, it was down 30%, and market analysts predicted that it could potentially fall twice as much again.

“MS Entertainment… In this case, acquiring them wouldn’t be a bad idea.”

There was no need to pursue the acquisition through YC Entertainment.

His personal capital, which he had already brought into Korea, was more than sufficient to finance the deal.

The technological landscape was also largely consistent with his future knowledge, and his domestic stock investments had yielded substantial returns, minimizing the financial burden.

The total market capitalization of MS Entertainment was currently around 400 billion won [approximately $300 million USD].

However, this figure was declining, and it could potentially fall to the 300 billion won range, or even the 200 billion won range.

This meant that acquiring MS Entertainment outright would require an investment of over 200 billion won.

While a significant sum, it wasn’t an insurmountable challenge for Youngchan at this point.

Thanks to the success of his domestic investments, the capital he had brought into Korea had grown to over 2.4 trillion won [approximately $1.8 billion USD].

Capitalizing on the rise in real estate and stocks, Youngchan sold approximately 300 billion won worth of stocks and instructed one of his investment corporations to gradually acquire MS Entertainment shares.

While the acquisition might seem sudden, MS Entertainment was worth the investment.

They were currently struggling due to the snowball effect initiated by Youngchan, but considering the future growth of the K-pop market, MS Entertainment’s potential influence would be immense.

Above all, there was the accumulated expertise and know-how within MS Entertainment.

Among the top 3 entertainment companies, their relatively systematic approach and the high-caliber talent they had cultivated could be acquired in one fell swoop, representing a significant advantage.

“If I’m not mistaken, it will grow up to 10 times in 5 years.”

If it were just MS Entertainment alone, a fourfold increase would be the best-case scenario, but with YC Entertainment’s infrastructure, it was definitely achievable.

* * *

While personally pursuing the acquisition of MS Entertainment, Alex Entertainment was acquired.

When this fact belatedly became known to the stock market, Alex Entertainment’s stock began to soar. It was already showing an upward trend due to YC Entertainment’s majority shareholding, so the acquisition was a natural progression.

However, with over 80% of the shares already acquired and nearly half of the remaining 20% held by Alex Entertainment’s directors, obtaining the remaining shares was an incredibly difficult task.

It wasn’t just these individuals who were celebrating. The fans of Red Pink, whose contract renewal was approaching, were also optimistic. Maintaining the group formally under a capable company was far better than seeing them disband due to the agency’s limitations.

In that regard, YC Entertainment was more than capable of providing Red Pink with a stable future.

Even if it wasn’t the fans, Red Pink themselves were expressing their willingness to extend their contract.

“We are expanding our influence in the acting field, so it’s worth it.”

Although they debuted as idols, the most sustainable path in the entertainment industry was to transition into acting.

Even if they took on supporting roles rather than leading roles, there were numerous opportunities available as they matured.

Moreover, there was an unspoken hierarchy within the entertainment industry.

The lowest rung was occupied by comedians. They could earn a substantial income, but due to the nature of their work, they often had to portray themselves in a self-deprecating manner, which was perceived negatively.

Of course, the perception improved if they excelled in the MC [Master of Ceremonies] field, but it was still considered the bottom tier.

Next were singers.

From the entertainment company’s perspective, they were the most profitable group, but they had to attend numerous events to generate income, making their position slightly better than comedians, but still not highly regarded.

Above them were actors.

The treatment of actors was far more delicate and attentive.

For this reason, idols who had experienced the world of acting would try to return to it by any means necessary.

The perception and treatment were incomparably better.

Also, if they achieved success, the income was considerable, making it a coveted career path.

More than half of Red Pink aspired to succeed as actors.

The remaining half were considering solo singing careers or variety entertainment.

Therefore, it was only natural for Red Pink to want to extend their contract with us.

“Actually, it’s reassuring to have seniors like Red Pink.”

The problem was that Alex Entertainment, their agency, was small. A larger entertainment company could have properly leveraged the value of a veteran idol group like Red Pink.

But the happiest person about the acquisition of Alex Entertainment was me.

“It’s been a while.”

“P, please speak comfortably, CEO.”

“Okay. I will.”

It was because of bringing in LALA LAND.

I was quite excited to meet Sera and LALA LAND after a long time. And the outcome was promising for LALA LAND.

“These are the songs I made for your comeback. They are quite challenging, but I’m confident you can handle them.”

“Comeback!”

LALA LAND’s faces lit up at the mention of their comeback.

It wasn’t hard to understand their excitement.

I had heard that their last album had been so successful that the pressure on their next comeback was immense, creating a dilemma as they couldn’t postpone it indefinitely. But when I told them that I had written songs for them and discussed preparing for a comeback, they couldn’t contain their joy.

“Thank you, CEO.”

An Ji-young, the manager who had guided LALA LAND’s successful comeback last time, was equally delighted.

As a founding member of Alex Entertainment and holding 0.4% of the shares, she seemed even happier about this than the recent stock surge.

Seeing this, I had a new realization.

‘I felt it last time, but there are definitely a lot of hidden talents.’

Jang Dae-hoon, the president of Good Night and former manager, and Lee Ji-woo and Go Woo-ri, former colleagues of Tokashi, were prime examples.

And in the case of An Ji-young this time, I couldn’t help but be impressed by her dedication and abilities.

After an enjoyable fan meeting, or rather, a gathering with LALA LAND, I met Lee Na-eun, who was rapidly gaining popularity in the acting field.

“Oh! It’s been a while, actress.”

“Sigh. It’s been a while, CEO.”

Lee Na-eun, whose profession as an actress might be as much of a natural enemy as a singer, or perhaps even more so, greeted me with a sigh, as if she still wasn’t entirely comfortable with it.

I wanted to tease her further because she looked so adorable, but I refrained from doing so, fearing she might explode.

There’s nothing more intimidating than a quiet person losing their temper.

So I went straight to the point.

“Acting is good, but you still have to sing, right?”

-Nod nod-

At my words, she nodded her head vigorously without uttering a word.

It seemed that she still didn’t find acting as captivating as singing.

‘It’s amazing how that timid girl transforms when she’s acting or singing.’

Of course, there are more people in the entertainment industry who undergo such transformations than I initially thought, but there are few instances where the change is as dramatic as a Jekyll and Hyde persona.

Anyway, I handed her a musical score.

“You’re going to sing it.”

“Huh?”

I chuckled at her bewildered expression and continued.

“I need to raise your profile in the United States a bit before Coachella. It’s already a high-profile event… I don’t want you to be overwhelmed.”

“…It’s different from ‘Bunny Bunny’.”

Perhaps the impact of “Bunny Bunny,” which I had given her at the time, was still lingering? She remained silent even after receiving the score, seemingly still affected by that experience.

“Of course. Even in Asia, that kind of song wouldn’t work in the United States… Or would it?”

Of course, it wouldn’t resonate with the general music market. But it’s a different story when it comes to children.

Cute and adorable music and videos like “Bunny Bunny” are bound to be loved by babies.

-Kwaang!-

I had to shake off my stray thoughts thanks to the sudden loud noise while I was contemplating that.

When I turned my head, I saw Lee Na-eun shaking her head vehemently, as if she couldn’t possibly do that.