Chapter 2149: Asking for Help

As a person from SM Entertainment, no one knew better how miserable TVXQ had been recently.

Apart from a few hours of sleep each day, they were running schedules all the time, without any rest, and even had to eat in the car.

Max Changmin was already injured, but he had to wear a mask and perform on stage, which was utterly pitiful.

Their fans were sitting in protest near SM Entertainment all day, and some posted tearful messages online.

But none of that made any difference.

SM Entertainment still exploited them like laborers.

What was even more frightening was that someone had secretly approached TVXQ earlier, trying to poach them from SM, but after this incident, no matter how Park Yuchun and the others tried to contact that person, they were met with silence, as if nothing had ever happened.

You see, that person was no ordinary figure.

Baek Chang-ju, a well-known gangster in the Korean entertainment industry, had once been sentenced to three years in prison for threatening Lee Byung-hun.

That's right, at the time he was Lee Byung-hun's manager.

Heh, the ins and outs of that—any smart person would understand at a glance.

The Korean entertainment industry has always been tied to gangsters; those underworld figures, politicians, and successful businessmen always like to extend their tentacles into it.

Baek Chang-ju was just one of them.

However, he was very good at maneuvering, backed by some force, and naturally ambitious, wanting to gain the operating rights of Korea's hottest boy band, TVXQ.

As for TVXQ themselves, SM Entertainment indeed had management issues.

Even capitalists exploiting workers had gone too far.

A week off per year, the rest of the time sleeping only three to four hours a day, constantly shuttling between China, Japan, and Korea, selling 500,000 albums, each person earning less than 60,000 RMB. If they failed to meet the target, they might not get paid for the next album.

What's worse, the contract lasted thirteen years, plus military service, a total of fifteen years.

If they terminated the contract, the penalty was hundreds of billions of Korean won.

As a manager at SM, Song Qian's manager, though not knowing the specifics, had heard some rumors and naturally knew that the reason TVXQ was suffering so much recently was because they had offended a big shot.

"You mean, this is...?"

The manager pointed at Song Qian's phone and asked with a trembling voice.

He really hadn't expected it to be that person.

Song Qian smiled bitterly and nodded.

She naturally knew how miserable TVXQ was now, but the problem was that she wasn't close to them, and she couldn't possibly speak up for them.

Song Qian could still distinguish between close and distant.

On one side was her compatriot, Zhao Fusheng, who had greatly helped her; on the other were senior colleagues from the same company, TVXQ, with whom she had no connection.

Unless she was crazy, she wouldn't help TVXQ.

Except for Jung Yunho, who seemed like a decent person, the rest were not good.

Womanizing, fighting, harassing female trainees.

Some even said that when they went to nightclubs, they would call a bunch of female fans and play a game of 'selecting concubines.'

The chosen female fans could spend the night with the idols.

Honestly, when she heard this rumor, Song Qian was completely stunned, never imagining such things could happen.

Those guys were utterly despicable!

"Oppa, call the company. I think our schedule might need to change," Song Qian said after thinking for a moment.

"Okay."

The manager naturally dared not delay and quickly called his superior at SM.

When the news reached Lee Soo-man's ears, he was also shocked.

Kim Young-min had already been driven out and was no longer the representative director. He was originally just a proxy for a shareholder, so he was qualified to stay at the company. Now that he had offended Zhao Fusheng, being kicked out was only natural.

Even if the person behind him wanted to protect him, they would have to consider the reaction of Hanxing Investment.

If Liang Jingyu got really angry and launched a hostile takeover, SM would be helpless.

After all, Hanxing Investment had nothing else but money.

"What's going on?"

Lee Soo-man sat there somewhat troubled, muttering to himself.

He didn't quite understand why Zhao Fusheng suddenly sought out Song Qian and what he wanted to do.

"Director, what should we do?"

At that moment, the trusted subordinate standing before him asked Lee Soo-man.

There was no choice; this matter could be big or small, but the key issue was that it involved that person.

No one could predict that big shot's temper. If they angered him, the new girl group, which hadn't even started, would become another TVXQ, and that would be disastrous.

You see, Zhao Fusheng had sent word: within a year, squeeze out all of TVXQ's remaining value, then send them all to the military for service.

For Korean celebrities, especially male artists, going to the military was more terrifying than death.

As everyone knows, South Korea has a mandatory military service system. Male citizens aged twenty to twenty-eight, except for special circumstances, must serve in the military, with the shortest service period being twenty-four months.

Such a long time was almost devastating for popular male artists.

The competition in the Korean entertainment industry is fierce. Many male stars, after completing their service, might be forgotten by few and have to start from scratch.

However, that was only one reason why Korean male stars were reluctant to serve.

More importantly, because of their fame in the entertainment industry, male artists receive special attention in the military. Sometimes they face superiors abusing their power, such as being woken up in the middle of the night to call or video chat with the superior's family, hosting private family events for superiors, or even being asked to perform songs.

There was also the common issue of bullying and collective harassment in the Korean military, and even more serious cases like peeping at artists while they showered and posting their photos online. Stars who were adored outside became animals in a zoo in the military.

Moreover, Koreans are particularly picky. If a male star served as a public service worker due to health reasons like a car accident, everyone would say it was celebrity privilege.

South Korea's military service is divided into active duty and public service. Public service refers to those who do not serve in the military and have it easier. For example, member Kim Hee-chul, who had been in a car accident and was in poor health, served as a public service worker and was criticized after his discharge.

Of course, some stars were assigned to more arduous service due to the so-called power of example. For instance, Hyun Bin joined the tough Marine Corps after enlistment, while Song Joong-ki went to the grueling Hwangryong Search Battalion.

Actors were okay, but for idols, if they served during their peak, they would basically be out of the mainstream circle upon return.

Everyone knew that.

So, Zhao Fusheng sending TVXQ to military service was clearly a way to completely block them!

Lee Soo-man had no solution either; after all, it was Max Changmin who had brought it upon himself by offending Zhao Fusheng.

If he hadn't offended Zhao Fusheng, things wouldn't have come to this.

Gritting his teeth, Lee Soo-man said to his trusted subordinate, "Tell Song Qian to stall Zhao Fusheng. I'll be there immediately."

"Chairman!"

The subordinate was startled, looking at Lee Soo-man in surprise, not understanding what he meant.

Lee Soo-man sighed, "We have to face him eventually. If this isn't resolved quickly, it won't be good for us."

The fact that Hanxing Investment was targeting SM was no secret in the industry.

Although Zhao Fusheng hadn't expressed his stance, precisely because he hadn't, the orders Liang Jingyu gave, Park Sun-young had no intention of stopping.

Lee Soo-man didn't want to wait any longer.

He knew well that the Korean entertainment industry was full of wolves, tigers, leopards, and all kinds of monsters. If he let things continue like this, he would likely suffer a great loss in the end.

Not to mention others, Park Jin-young and Yang Juk-ok, his two old rivals, would definitely take the opportunity to do something.

By the time they replaced him, it would be too late to act.

No matter what, he had to make Zhao Fusheng forgive him.

At the very least, he couldn't let Hanxing Investment continue to blacklist SM in the entertainment industry.

With that thought, Lee Soo-man stood up, "Let's go."

The trusted subordinate quickly followed behind him, already starting to make phone calls as they walked.