How can you become a star without money?

Chapter 225 Free-range Chickens and White-feathered Chickens

In a society like Korea where hierarchy is so openly displayed, it's really hard for those in positions of power not to develop an arrogant attitude. No wonder workplace bullying is such a serious problem.

"Hello, we met at the banquet last time." Wang Yao smiled and nodded to the members of WG.

“I didn’t know Mr. Wang was also attending. If I had known, I would have asked you to look after these kids.” Park Jin-young smiled and pointed to the other side: “This is our company’s newly launched international group, miss A. Two of them are from Mr. Wang’s hometown.”

Park Jin-young introduced the two Chinese members, Meng Jia and Wang Feifei, and then led Wang Yao upstairs into the office.

"Wow, he's even more handsome in person than in photos, I'm speechless."

Did he glance at Suzy a couple of times just now?

"With legs that long and fair skin, is this kind of man really a tycoon?"

"We don't have conglomerates in China. Mr. Wang is an entrepreneur. Do you know 520?"

A group of young girls were left behind whispering among themselves.

"President Wang must be very troubled by his appearance. Even when he stands with his artists, there are always rumors about him. Unlike me, even when we go shopping together, people say we're father and daughter," Park Jin-young said casually while pouring tea.

“That’s alright. I don’t appear on camera often, unlike President Park who has to manage the company and be an artist at the same time,” Wang Yao smiled.

"There's no other way. If I don't go out and show my face in public, I'm afraid I won't be able to support these kids," Park Jin-young said with a wry smile.

"It can't be that bad, WG is doing so well, they're the number one second-generation girl group," Wang Yao said.

"I wouldn't dare say that, I can only say it's in the top three." Park Jin-young waved his hand: "It can't compare to SM. My company is loosely managed. The kids get wild as soon as they achieve a little success, and they're hard to manage."

While Park Jin-young's family-run business model fosters strong cohesion, its drawbacks are also obvious. Because it respects the personal wishes of each artist, it misses out on many opportunities.

He wanted to use this to discourage Wang Yao from investing.

“On the contrary, I think it’s great. In China, we say that the master leads you through the door, but the practice is up to you. The arrangements made by elders are not always correct. A gardener-type boss like President Park might be more likely to reap surprises.” Wang Yao smiled.

“Then I’ll take Mr. Wang’s good wishes.” Park Jin-young scratched his head.

"I heard that JYP is planning to collaborate with Bae Yong-joon on a TV series?" Wang Yao asked.

There are two representative figures in the Korean acting world who have made a career transition.

One is Lee Byung-hun, whom I met yesterday; his personal studio has developed into a company.

Another is Bae Yong-joon, who used his financial acumen to transform himself from an actor into an entrepreneur through capital operations, and even used his fame to influence stock prices.

Bae Yong-joon is a rising star and the best partner for JYP Entertainment. The two parties hit it off immediately and collaborated closely in the music field in the early stages.

Recently, Bae Yong-joon responded to the call for Korean culture to go global by transferring shares between his company KE and JYP Entertainment, preparing to develop the "artist education institution" industry. He plans to open "idol schools" in Korea and around the world, which will both collect tuition fees and cultivate promising talents.

Bae Yong-joon approached JYP Entertainment to prepare for the filming of a drama of this genre, "Dream High," for promotional purposes.

Wang Yao heard about this yesterday while chatting with the CEO of SK Entertainment. They were also involved in the project and had arranged for IU, their top idol, to play the lead role.

He felt that this model might not work in Korea because the trainee system already had overlapping functions, and Korea didn't have any educational requirements for idols. However, it was quite suitable for the domestic market.

When it comes to the economics of art exam preparation, who can compare to the Huaxia Market?

"Indeed, it's in the works. Is Mr. Wang interested in this project?" Park Jin-young raised an eyebrow slightly.

“I’m quite interested in this topic, and KT Entertainment will also be involved in artist development in the future.” Wang Yao smiled and got to the point: “But I’m here today to talk about investing in JYP.”

Park Jin-young's heart sank, but he maintained his smile: "Mr. Wang wants to invest in us? But we don't have any plans to go public anytime soon."

“It’s alright. What I value is President Park’s management style and JYP’s potential. If President Park doesn’t intend to side with SK or CJ, KT Entertainment is a good choice.” Wang Yao smiled slightly.

"Mr. Wang is here representing KT Entertainment?" Park Jin-young was taken aback.

He might be somewhat interested if Wang Yao represented Chinese investors, but he was less willing to accept this newly emerging KT, since Bae Yong-joon was enough for this type of emerging capital.

"President Park should have used the KT software before," Wang Yao said with a smile.

“Of course, the group chat function and voice input are very useful. Our company now relies on this for all communication.” Park Jin-young nodded.

"KT is about to expand overseas to Japan and East Asia, and may develop into a sizable company in the future. Moreover, as an internet company, we will also be involved in online video platform business in the future. Currently, our music show activities in Korea rely entirely on television stations."
If JYP continues to remain neutral, it will definitely suffer in terms of development. Moreover, KT Entertainment has strategic partnerships with Skyfire Entertainment and AKS from Japan. Since JYP wants to expand into China/Japan, it needs a suitable international partner, doesn't it?" Wang Yao smiled.

Park Jin-young was speechless for a moment because Wang Yao had laid out all the difficulties JYP might encounter in the future.

If KT truly has the capability to resolve the issue, then he wouldn't object to a collaboration.

"Moreover, the [Genesis 101] project is an opportunity that will inevitably change the landscape of the Korean idol industry. If JYP doesn't choose the right side, it may be left behind." Wang Yao took a sip of tea.

"Mr. Wang, this isn't a discussion at all," Park Jin-young said with a wry smile.

【Genesis 101】There are a total of six spots. SM and YG will definitely reserve 2 to 3, and the rest will be reserved for small and medium-sized companies like them.

This project is an international project touting "cultural export," and its prestige is off the charts. Getting a spot is like getting a chance to ascend to a higher level.

“I just took a look. Although Bae Suzy is young, she has good potential. It’s hard to say whether keeping a child like her at JYP will bring good or bad fortune.” Wang Yao’s tone was subtle.

Park Jin-young's expression changed. Bae Suzy was a promising talent they were heavily investing in; WG's decline was practically inevitable, and they were relying entirely on her to bridge the gap. "What does President Wang mean by this?" Park Jin-young frowned.

“In the past, everyone could get along with each other, but now SK and CJ are preparing to consolidate the market. Companies that are unwilling to express their opinions are basically unlikely to develop easily. KT valued JYP at $6000 million, and we will take 30% of the shares for $1500 million.” Wang Yao stated his terms directly.

Park Jin-young's mind raced. This valuation was surprisingly fair, even somewhat overestimated.

WG underwent personnel changes last year, their new album sales were sluggish this year, and they are already showing signs of decline under the double pressure from Girls' Generation and Tara. Although the boy group 2PM is doing well, they are far from reaching the level of top boy groups.

Moreover, the entertainment industry has been plagued by scandals in recent months, and the entire cultural and entertainment sector has been affected and underestimated. He himself feels that JYP's current valuation is at most $4000 million.

He had initially thought Wang Yao was going to bully him, but he was surprised by his fairness and didn't know how to react.

How can there be any good people in this financial world?
“Mr. Wang, this…” Park Jin-young scratched his head.

"Furthermore, after KT's investment, Skyfire can also cooperate with you in the film and television sector. The Dream High project can be directly incorporated into the [Sanqing] film and television sector and developed into an international project." Wang Yao offered another benefit.

Park Jin-young was unsure of what to do, so after seeing Wang Yao off, he quickly called Bae Yong-joon to discuss it, since he was the expert on issues involving capital.

"What are you hesitating for with such good terms? This Mr. Wang probably doesn't know much about the Korean market, so he gave a premium. Moreover, he doesn't interfere with your business operations and only invests. What are you hesitating for when you meet an investor like this? It wouldn't be excessive for the company to give him the money." Bae Yong-joon retorted.

He was pondering how to get in touch with Wang Yao. He had already started paying attention to the entire financial industry. Recently, Tianhuo Entertainment's stock had been performing very well. If he could get some inside information from Wang Yao, he should be able to make a fortune.

Wang Yao naturally wouldn't put all his eggs in one basket with JYP; it's just one of the best options, and there are many other companies of the same type.

The second company that Kim Yong-woo introduced to him was called Pledis Entertainment. This company was not large, but the quality was very high. Its famous girl group was called After School, also known as the girl model group. The average height was over 168 cm. After being selected according to the model standard, they quickly broke through the competition with their sexy route.

The overall quality of this group is comparable to that of top artists in the Tianwang Model Department. One of the members, Nana, has the qualifications to be a top-tier artist. However, Wang Yao values ​​another member, Park Ga-hee, more. At 30, she is definitely considered an older idol in the idol industry, but her strengths lie in her professionalism and management skills, making her very suitable for roles as a mentor and trainer in talent shows.

Pledis Entertainment is a small company founded in 07, with its first girl group debuting in 09. Its overall valuation is only around $200 million, and the company doesn't have much access to information about the top-level inner workings.

But President Han Sung-joo is a smart man. Since Lee Yong-woo became popular with "Superman" and with the success of the Chinese variety show "Fairy Robe", he has become the most influential variety show producer in Korea besides the three major TV stations. Moreover, his company HIC has just been acquired by KT, and it has obviously become part of the emerging capital.

The investor introduced by Li Rongyu must be a force to be reckoned with. Han Chengzhu directly gathered the After School members and invited Wang Yao to visit their new album's pole dance rehearsal.

Seeing the lingering satisfaction on Wang Yao's face, Han Chengzhu's smile deepened: "Mr. Wang, our group debuted late, so we could only try out the sexy route, but the kids are all very pure and hardworking. They started training at the company when they were fourteen or fifteen, and they've been wholeheartedly devoted to the stage."

The implication was to tell Wang Yao that despite their mature and sexy appearance, they were actually just innocent little girls, highlighting the contrast between them.

"President Han has a good eye for talent." Wang Yao nodded with a smile, his gaze shifting from the smooth, white legs.

"Is President Wang optimistic about the Korean idol market?" Han Chengzhu only knew that Wang Yao was the president of Huaxia Fire Entertainment.

It is unclear what the connection is between Skyfire Entertainment and KT Entertainment, which has since changed its name.

“No, I want to bring the Korean incubation model back to the Chinese market.” Wang Yao shook his head.

Han Chengzhu was taken aback. What did this mean?
"President Han must have his own model to have cultivated the team to this level in just two years. The Chinese market is huge, unlike the small Korean market where it takes five years of meticulous training to debut. I hope to debut a batch of people in one to two years. After looking around, President Han is the only one who meets my requirements," Wang Yao said with a smile.

Given the tolerance of Chinese audiences and fans, there's no need for carefully raised free-range chickens; white-feathered chickens fed commercial feed are sufficient.

Han Chengzhu nodded: "I understand what Mr. Wang means. You want to provide a training model that is suitable for the Chinese market."

“However, I won’t interfere with President Han’s business in Korea, as long as it doesn’t suffer serious losses. I’ll offer $1.5 million for 70% of the shares, on the condition that I take the After School business with me. It will still nominally belong to Pledis Entertainment, but the operation rights will be handed over to Skyfire,” Wang Yao said.

The 11 members of the AS female model group generated less than $20 in profit last year. The individual earnings for each of them were less than $2, which is even less than the annual income of a mid-tier model under Skyfire Media.

It can only be said that Korea is too small and the idol industry is too competitive. After Wang Yao took them away, he took the route of professional online shopping + part-time idol, which can generate at least 3 to 5 times the income. Nana and Park Ga-hee can generate 100 times the income. This is the real bottom-fishing.

Han Chengzhu was shocked when he heard this. Although 150 million US dollars was a lot, his expectations for the AS girl group were not limited to that. More importantly, because of the lack of funds, the company had just started recruiting for its second-generation girl group, which meant that the company had a two-year gap.

“Mr. Wang, I’m afraid that won’t work. AS is currently the company’s only girl group. If we give up the fans and market we’ve worked so hard to gain, it might be too late to launch another group later,” Han Chengzhu quickly explained.

"President Han, listen to me." Wang Yao waved his hand with a smile: "What I mean is that AS just won't need to devote themselves entirely to the idol industry for music shows and commercial performances anymore. I'll arrange more valuable work for them. As for the market and fans, you don't need to worry. As long as there's enough exposure, they won't leave."

I will arrange for Nana (Im Jin-ah) to have a debut spot in Produce 101, but Park Ga-hee may have to leave the group or graduate; I have other plans for her.

Han Chengzhu gasped upon hearing this.

Upon hearing that Wang Yao could secure a position within Genesis 101, his mind immediately clicked!

This means that AS will no longer lack 'topics', and those who debut later can also ride on the coattails of Nana's junior status and inherit a portion of the exposure and popularity. If they can get through this year, they might be able to launch a girl group that leads three generations and makes a comeback against big companies like SM.

However, although he knew that Tianhuo Entertainment was a member of the [Sanqing] Alliance, it only controlled the quota in China, right?

"Mr. Wang, is this spot for Korea or...?" Han Chengzhu asked, barely containing his excitement.

“Of course they’re from Korea. All the teams in Genesis 101 are required to be from Korea,” Wang Yao said with a smile.

This guy is a big shot who can compete with SK and CJ for meat!
Han Chengzhu's eyes lit up, and his tone turned serious: "Thank you for your favor to our company, Mr. Wang. We will be entrusting these AS kids to you from now on."

Goryeo Entertainment cultivates idols so that one day they can be noticed and recruited by a big shot to achieve financial freedom. Although selling them for $150 million was a bit of a loss, Wang Yao still left them some profit.

If Nana can debut in Produce 101, she will instantly become a top-tier girl group member. This gimmick will attract countless trainees for Han Sung-joo, cultivating the next Nana!

sold!

(End of this chapter)