RPAGF Chapter 98 Taking Down Lee Soo-man
Chapter 98 Taking Down Lee Soo-man
"Isn't this the end of the world?"
Lin Yuan slapped his head in frustration.
Xia Yuan thought he was unwell and anxiously called out, "Young Master!" Then she tried to contact the hospital.
"I'm fine."
Lin Yuan smiled and shook his head.
Then he suddenly remembered that Xia Yuan lived right across from Li Zhi'en, so he could just ask her directly.
"Damn, they're as stupid as pigs!" he cursed under his breath.
But let's talk about that later. Right now, let's try to recruit Lee Soo-man first. That old man is probably going to be a tough nut to crack!
As they spoke, the two followed the waiter to the door of the private room.
The moment the door opened, their hands separated, and Xia Yuan suddenly felt an emptiness in her heart.
Inside the private room, Lee Soo-man sat at the tea table, enjoying his tea.
Opposite them was a beautiful tea master dressed in ancient costume. Upon seeing Lin Yuan and his companion, she immediately stood up and bowed.
Upon seeing Lin Yuan enter, Li Xiuman didn't even stand up; he simply put down his teacup, making a soft, crisp sound.
"Young Master Lin has really kept us waiting," Lee Soo-man said with a forced smile, his tone laced with sarcasm.
"He was chatting and laughing with Kim Min-young at a dinner party one minute, and the next minute he asked me, an old man who had been kicked out of his home, to meet him alone. Young Master Lin's methods are truly astonishing."
Lin Yuan didn't mind his cold face. He smiled and waved his hand, signaling the tea master to leave, leaving only him, Li Xiuman, and Xia Yuan at the scene.
Xia Yuan took over the position of tea master.
As the door to the private room closed again, the atmosphere instantly became somewhat awkward.
Lin Yuan pulled out a wooden chair, sat down leisurely opposite Lee Soo-man, and personally picked up the teapot to refill Lee Soo-man's cup of tea.
"Director Li, the business world is like a battlefield."
Kim Min-young wanted power, and I wanted benefits; it was a perfect match. You've weathered so many storms over the years; you should understand this better than anyone.
Lin Yuan took a sip of tea and chuckled softly.
"Hmph, profit?"
Lee Soo-man sneered, his eyes turning cold: "What does that idiot Kim Min-young know about following trends? If we hand SM over to him, he'll squander it all sooner or later!"
Young Master Lin prides himself on his discerning eye, yet he chose to support a puppet. It's unclear whether he valued Kim Min-young's obedience or something else entirely.
When he mentioned "something else," Lee Soo-man's gaze lingered on Lim Won's face for a moment, his expression subtle.
Clearly, news of Bae Joo-hyun's actions last night had reached his ears.
Lin Yuan rubbed his nose, not embarrassed at all, but instead burst into laughter: "Director Li is quite well-informed."
However, if I don't support Kim Min-young making a big fuss, how could you, the "Emperor Emeritus" of SM, possibly be willing to hand over your shares and completely abandon SM and leave the company?
Lee Soo-man's fingers, which were tapping on the table, suddenly stopped, and his brows furrowed: "What do you mean by that?"
"The meaning is very simple."
Lin Yuan picked up the teacup, lifted the lid, gently blew on it, and then took a sip.
"Actually, everything I've done has only one purpose, and that is—Director Li!"
"Me?" Lee Soo-man didn't believe it and smiled disdainfully: "What do I have that's worth all this trouble for you?"
Lee Soo-man had lived half his life and seen all sorts of storms. In his eyes, Lin Yuan was nothing more than someone who wanted to make a name for himself by virtue of his family background. Plus, with a scoundrel like Kim Min-young by his side, it was just a matter of the two sides conspiring together.
As for his nonsense, only a fool would believe it.
Lin Yuan didn't expect to convince him with just a few words, so...
Summer Garden.
Xia Yuan nodded and took a document out of her bag.
Lin Yuan gestured for her to hand it over to Li Xiuman.
Although Lee Soo-man was puzzled, he still accepted it.
"Take a look, and we'll talk after you've seen it."
[Big Hit Project Proposal]
Lee Soo-man glanced at it dismissively, inwardly scoffing, "Ha, all flash and no substance!"
But the further he looked, the more something seemed off, and his initially disdainful expression turned extremely serious.
After a long while, he put down the documents, took off his glasses, and rubbed his temples.
When he looked up again, there was no trace of disdain in his eyes: "What's written on this...?"
"It's all true."
Lin Yuan leaned back in his chair, and Xia Yuan came up behind him to massage his temples.
"I have already acquired a controlling stake in Big Hit. If you just give your approval, the position of vice president of Big Hit will be yours."
Furthermore, I know you can't let go of your "Wilderness" concept, so I allow you to create your own independent label under Big Black.
Funding, resources, distribution channels—you can have everything handed to you. Isn't that better than you clinging to SM Entertainment? Not to mention, no one's competing for power and profits with you; it's your label, you call the shots.
The private room fell into a deathly silence.
Lee Soo-man stared intently at the terms of the contract.
He had to admit that Lin Yuan's offer had hit him right where it hurt.
At SM Entertainment, he had had enough of the board's meddling. Here, however, he not only had the backing of a top boy group but also the absolute freedom to run his own label.
While Big Hit may not be as strong as SM Entertainment yet, they're already showing signs of catching up. Haven't you seen how BTS has already begun to shine? Not to mention the Big Three's long-held dream of achieving success, which they've accomplished effortlessly.
"Young Master Lin has quite the magnanimity."
Lee Soo-man let out a long breath, his tone finally softening, "The conditions are very tempting, I agree to join. However... I have one condition."
"Go ahead," Lin Yuan said, raising an eyebrow.
"SM currently has several promising talents who I personally selected, and they are the core of my future concept."
A hint of resentment and ambition flashed in Lee Soo-man's eyes. "Yoo Jimin, Ning Yizhuo, Kim Dong-won, and Gisele. I must take these four trainees with me, but Kim Min-young will definitely not let them go. I need Young Master Lin to help me resolve this."
Lin Yuan felt a slight tremor in his heart upon hearing these four names.
Isn't this the future super popular girl group Aespa?
Lee Soo-man, that old fox, even on his way out, he managed to undermine the future foundation of SM Entertainment.
"Okay." Lin Yuan agreed without hesitation. "I'll handle Kim Min-young's side. The contracts for the four trainees will be available to you tomorrow."
Lee Soo-man stood up and extended his hand to Lin Yuan. The gloom on his face vanished, replaced by the sly smile of a cunning old fox reborn.
"Well then, it's a pleasure to cooperate with you, President Lin."
"It's a pleasure to work with you, Vice President Li." Lin Yuan extended his hand to shake hands, and the two smiled at each other, each with their own thoughts.
"I still prefer people to call me teacher."
Lee Soo-man feigned dissatisfaction.
Lin Yuan cursed inwardly: This old man is quite particular.
On the surface, he still respectfully addressed him as "Teacher Lee Soo-man!"
Early the next morning.
While Seoul was still asleep, a massive earthquake quietly struck the entertainment industry.
Big Hit Entertainment suddenly released a joint announcement:
Former SM Entertainment director Lee Soo-man has officially joined Big Hit Entertainment as vice president and will soon launch his own independent label, ushering in a new era for music.