Devil’s Music - Chapter 54: Son Lin's Tactics

The shoot at Manjaedo concluded smoothly.

Tsuh Mei ended up staying for over a week and appeared in more than half of the footage. When news spread that she was finally leaving, tears welled up in the eyes of the staff and actors, including Geon, as they bid farewell. Her sunny and friendly nature had quickly endeared her to everyone in just a week.

Especially poignant was Tsuh Mei’s tearful goodbye, waving her hand with misty eyes before running back to hug Haejin, Seungwon, Chunho, and even surprising Geon with a quick peck on the cheek, sparking a whirlwind of attention. Unintentionally, a foreign star named Tsuh Mei was born through the variety show. The real-time search rankings from the airing of “Three Meals a Day” up to its second episode were as follows:

1st place: Kim Geon

2nd place: Cha Mama (Tsuh Mei)

3rd place: Cham Bada

4th place: Ham Chunho

5th place: Ham Chunho guitar price

6th place: Cha Mama recipe

7th place: Manjaedo Three Masters

However, by the third episode, Tsuh Mei astonishingly pushed Cha Mama to second place and took the lead. Her bright and clean image resonated strongly with Korean male fans. Despite her departure from Manjaedo straight back to China, Korean management companies pursued her heavily. Yet, as Geon had promised, she returned to school to focus on her art studies, soon fading from the public’s memory.

Geon, as planned by Fantasio before his variety show debut, became the center of attention. He managed to evade journalists who had been camping outside his house. This was partly due to Fantasio’s firm stance on legally countering unscheduled interview requests around Geon’s residence without prior agreements.

Fantasio achieved its initial goals but found itself facing unexpected challenges. What drew the most attention was Geon’s response to Chunho’s words upon returning from Manjaedo. Geon decided to postpone his upcoming appearance on “My Little Television” and immediately take the GED exam, aiming for the college entrance exam, which he successfully passed in one go, fulfilling his declaration.

The scene: Shanghai, China, Fantasio Square, 22nd floor.

Fantasio, as a financially robust company, owned a massive building. From the first to the tenth floors were shopping centers, cinemas, museums, while from the 11th to the 18th floors operated training centers, dance studios, recording and mastering rooms, acting classes, and an action school for trainees. The 19th to 21st floors were production offices, leaving the entire 22nd floor exclusively for two directors and the chairman. With just two secretaries each, the space was expansive, comfortable, and elegantly furnished in every corner.

“Boom! What are we supposed to do about this? Wasn’t it agreed upon for a proper six months of activity?” Chairman Wang Hao of Fantasio, in a navy Versace combo with a blue background and a white striped tie, shouted while tossing a report onto the conference table, which could easily seat 30 people. Despite being in his late fifties, his youthful years in the entertainment industry reflected in his 6:3 hairstyle, neatly combed over with waves, as he looked at the individuals seated before him.

In front of him sat two directors. One, a young man in his late thirties, wore a leather jacket and jeans, frowning.

“Ling, what’s going on here? I knew about the agreement in advance. I proposed to pay the contract fee and start work, but…”

Surprisingly, one of the directors was Son Lin, the person Geon had met from China’s CCTV. Tapping a pen on the table, Lin, with one hand on his chin, responded.

“Director Yan’an. If we had proposed the contract fee, Geon wouldn’t have accepted it. He didn’t want to be bound since he still has no intention of entering the entertainment industry.”

Fantasio acknowledged Lin’s capabilities in recruiting Kim Geon and spent a significant sum to transfer him from CCTV to Fantasio. Initially refusing, Lin agreed to Fantasio’s offer to hold a director position, and a week ago, he had decided to move to Fantasio Square.

Lin stood up and pressed the ‘On’ button on the large screen in the meeting room.

On the screen, there were images of Geon and diagrams resembling structures.

“Two days ago, we had a call with Byungjoon Lee, Geon’s manager stationed in Korea. According to him, Kim Geon is following a plan based on the advice of legendary Korean guitarist Ham Chunho to enhance his skills.”

As Lin operated the controller of the presentation, the screen shifted.

A picture of Ham Chunho appeared.

“Kim Geon, who passed the Korean GED exam, has dedicated an entire week to music lessons. He started with classical and acoustic guitar lessons at Ham Chunho’s studio, as recommended by Manager Lee. Apparently, Chunho, who taught Geon guitar during his stay in Manjaedo, offered to continue tutoring due to Geon’s remarkable learning ability.”

Lin manipulated the PPT controller again.

The screen displayed a middle-aged man with glasses.

“Here’s Tuesday’s schedule. The person on the screen is Yeon Namgoong. He’s a prominent drummer in South Korea, introduced through Ham Chunho. He sleeps with a metronome to improve his sense of rhythm. Chunho suggested drum lessons for Geon, introducing Namgoong, who happens to be the grandson of Yun Wan-seon, a close relative of former President Yun Bo-seon.”

Lin operated the PPT controller again.

On the screen was a man in a leather jacket with a rough look, sporting long hair and a goatee.

“Wednesday’s schedule. The person on the screen is Ahn Heungchan, the vocalist and bassist of the South Korean thrash metal group ‘CRASH.’ CRASH gained fame with producer Colin Richardson of the famous American metal band Fear Factory and even featured ‘Seo Taiji and Boys’ in the mid-90s. He’s currently learning bass guitar to integrate melodies with the drums, suggested by Namgoong.”

Lin operated the controller once more.

The screen showed a middle-aged man with a short gray mohawk and glasses.

“Thursday’s schedule. The person on the screen is renowned composer Kim Hyeongseok in Korea. Impressed by Geon’s song during a practice session, he offered to teach Geon the basics of music and producing.”

Standing up, Lin approached Yan’an and Hao while manipulating the controller.

A picture of a well-dressed man in his early fifties appeared on the screen.

“Friday is a bit peculiar. The person on the screen is South Korea’s baritone singer, Seo Jeonghak.”

Hao tilted his head curiously.

“What? A singer? The lineup seems understandable for the others, but why suddenly a singer?”

Lin, alternating between Yan’an and Hao, explained.

“I was initially confused too. But according to Manager Lee, it was recommended by composer Kim Hyeongseok. Seo Jeonghak achieved legendary status on opera stages in the US and Europe in the 90s. Surprisingly, he isn’t very famous in his home country. He’s teaching Ge

on the basics of vocalization and breathing.”

The presentation continued.

The screen displayed a young woman in her late twenties, holding a microphone.

“Finally, Saturday’s schedule includes a vocal instructor named Park Sumin. She’s known for tutoring K-pop idols and is currently teaching Geon to strengthen his vocals.”

Lin pressed the button, concluding the presentation.

“We’ve reached out to these individuals to ensure discretion. They all agreed upon keeping Geon’s activities confidential. Our aim is to have Kim Geon return to China, not as a celebrity but as a skillful musician. This way, we can leverage his talents without the constraints of fame, primarily to produce our own original songs and to boost the company’s music division.”

Hao nodded and leaned back in his chair.

“Son Lin, you’re impressive. This strategy is bold but could be highly rewarding if executed well. We’re relying on you for this plan. Let’s avoid any leaks and disruptions. I’ll support your budget and schedule requests. Make sure this all stays under wraps.”

Lin nodded in acknowledgment. Yan’an, in his leather jacket, silently assessed the presentation, looking thoughtful.

As the meeting adjourned, Lin remained seated for a while, contemplating the strategy and its potential pitfalls. The challenge lay in maintaining this clandestine and intensive schedule without arousing suspicion or curiosity from the media or fans. He scribbled notes on his tablet, pondering the next steps to ensure the success of this covert operation.

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