Peninsula Platinum Era

Chapter 22 The Cat Arrives
"Source Music's global talent show reveals that there are so many ways to recruit trainees."

Chen Shijun looked at the proposal Su Chengzhen sent him. In today's market environment, expanding overseas influence by relying on diversified trainee selection standards is something that all entertainment companies are doing.

The Southeast Asian market, in particular, is quite large. The Australian-Vietnamese girl recruited this year is a prime example. The demand in the Southeast Asian market has given this girl an extra advantage.

As long as they don't perform too poorly in the future, they will most likely be included in the debut list. Although this is not fair to many talented trainees, the company naturally prioritizes its own interests when selecting trainees.

For the initial selection, you only need to submit a video on the official website, including a self-introduction, talent demonstration, and a front-facing photo. Qualified candidates will receive an email notification for an offline second interview.

Only Australia, the UK, the US, and the mainland have set up in-person testing centers, where these trainees will undergo further evaluation.

So far, we have received many resumes, including quite a few unsuccessful candidates, as well as some very pretty girls. Representative Su has to consider many factors.

“Some girls are very young and don’t look particularly attractive, but they will grow up and develop their looks, or there are some details that need to be refined, which can be achieved with minor adjustments.”

Some pretty girls were rejected outright, not only because they didn't demonstrate talent and excellent speaking skills in the videos, but also because of the risk of having an unattractive appearance.

As for talent, it's nothing more than singing, dancing, and rapping. As for whether these kids are talented or not, Chen Shijun can't tell. These professionals naturally have their own set of standards.

"They're all pretty average, none of them have that eye-catching quality like Zhang Yuanying."

Chen Shijun wasn't praising his sister, but she simply didn't have the same stunning beauty as Xiao Yuan, the kind of beauty that made her seem like the perfect female lead at first glance.

"Of course. Zhang Yuanying and An Youzhen are rare talents. They are promising talents with star potential. But they are basically hard to come by."

Unexpectedly, Representative Su is quite hands-on in these matters, which is a habit she has developed over the past ten years in managing the company. She also has her own unique vision for discovering new talent.

"In the future, we can establish regular recruitment channels, accept resumes from new talent, and build a database. Further on..."

Those who make it this far have basically already had their resumes screened. These days, there are many young people who want to make a living as idols, and it has a strong appeal even overseas.

"This one is pretty good. It looks just like a kitten. I think a lot of fans would like it."

Just as Chen Shijun was feeling bored, a rather unique face suddenly caught his eye. Although the person looked very young, there was a strange sense of "world-weariness" in their eyes.

Her oval face looked very small and firm, with fair skin and smooth contours. Her almond-shaped eyes had slightly upturned corners, and her lively eye shape had both depth and clarity.

What's even more remarkable is its pointed ears and heart-shaped face; its overall profile makes it look like a cat that has come to life, giving it a unique and distinctive appearance.

“I learned the traditional folk art of ‘Pansoli’ during my childhood, which cultivated my vocal abilities. In 2018, I started learning basic dance at a dance studio.”

Representative Su looked at the contents in front of him and nodded, adding the girl named Jiang Xielin to the offline interview list.

This cat-like beauty is very popular in South Korea. From the early days of Ahn So-hee, the "Nation's Little Sister," to Jennie of BLACKPINK, who is currently the most popular member, to Hwang Ye-ji of ITZY, a monster rookie who became a sensation in South Korea, there has basically been a representative of this type in every era.

“Min CBO and I have basically confirmed the members of the debut group, and there will be replacements later. The current list is far from the final debut lineup.”

Representative Su explained the situation to Chen Shijun one by one. Kim Min-ji, the girl who was injured that day, was considered one of the safest candidates, as she had been a trainee at JYP in her early years.

JYP is known for its rigorous selection process, and Kim Min-ji's ability to pass the selection demonstrates her outstanding potential from an early age, truly living up to its reputation as the "Whampoa Military Academy" of the entertainment industry. Source Music's training methods are extremely grueling, and CEO Su remarked that this girl possesses an innate, superhuman physique, unlike girls her age who have boundless energy and exceptional physical abilities—she could practically be sent to a mine to work as a miner.

Chen Shijun was speechless. How could anyone talk about a girl like that? However, a strong physique is indeed a prerequisite for being an idol, otherwise it is easy to fall ill during high-intensity training and the schedule after debut.

There are only two possible outcomes if someone falls ill: either they will be unable to keep up with team activities due to recovery, or the competitiveness of an understaffed team in the market will be greatly reduced.

Another type is those who barely manage to maintain their current state but can't deliver a good performance, and eventually leave the group for various reasons. There really aren't many popular idols who are as fragile as Lin Daiyu.

This is similar to the path of competitive sports; a physique that is not prone to injury is fundamental to becoming a superstar, and Kim Min-ji has already achieved half of her goal with this alone.

"But she expressed her desire to continue her studies, and we wanted to persuade her to drop out and transfer to an arts high school, but she didn't seem willing."

Representative Su felt that since they were just entertainers, what difference did it make whether they went to an arts high school or a regular high school? They wouldn't go to university anyway, so they might as well choose something more relaxed and free.

Chen Shijun nodded noncommittally. That was indeed the logic. Although it was hard for him to accept that this happened to Xiaoyuan, a trainee he had only met once or twice should just obediently become the fuel for the company's progress.

It would be even better if there were more of these "superhuman" types. Their dancing skills are also quite good, making them practically the most standard modular girl group member. Unfortunately, such talent is indeed rare.

Especially considering the relatively demanding practice mode of Source Music, the accommodation conditions are not very good either. The office buildings are all underground, and it's already considered good if you can have a semi-underground dormitory to live in.

"She has a certain passion for her studies, but she's pretty much resigned to her fate. However, the entrance exam for the arts high school is coming up soon, so she should be able to get into the arts high school."

The two girls, who were a few months older than Xiaoyuan, seemed to have completely different attitudes toward their studies. Jin Wenji, who was unprepared, even paid for a teacher to provide entrance training for an arts high school.

Trainees in the idol industry face pressure and career uncertainty, and it is difficult to return to a normal life after neglecting their studies. Some even have to pay the company's training fees, which brings a heavy economic burden to their families.

Of course, Big Hit is a large and powerful company, and Source Music can no longer transfer operational risks through strict terms. If it is going to industrialize, it should be fully industrialized and a more reasonable guarantee system should be established to maintain the process of industrialization.

After holding one seminar after another with Su and Min, the crisis of division seemed to have been temporarily averted. However, Chen Shijun felt that this middle-aged woman was not going to give up so easily and might be plotting something.

According to the relevant plan, the debut of "N Girl Group" is expected to take place in a year and a half, but the control of the plan is gradually shifting away from the right direction.

"Phew! It's quite cold. I still prefer summer."

With Christmas fast approaching, the weather was already freezing cold, and light snow was falling. Even though Chen Shijun was in pretty good physical condition, he shivered and lit a cigarette to warm up the car.

A tall figure with a backpack walked out, head hunched. The girl felt the snowflakes getting into her neck and shivered as she pulled the hood of her coat over her head.

"You are that Jin..."

He forgot the name of the girl he was discussing that evening, even though he had mentioned her several times during a meeting with Min Seok-jin after checking a few recruitment samples with Representative Su.

The girl with the sacred body of the ox and horse was clearly startled. Seeing Chen Shijun beckoning to her, she didn't dare to delay and rushed over to bow at a ninety-degree angle.

(End of this chapter)