Peninsula: The sharp-tongued producer is forced to work.

The soundproof door slowly closed in front of me, completely shutting out the cool figure in the hoodie from my sight.

Kim Minju leaned against the wall, still clutching the lyric book tightly in her hand.

Her eyes were still red, but she had forced back her tears. Like a primary school student reciting a text from memory, her lips moved rapidly, silently repeating the melody of the scolding she had just received.

Kwon Eun-bi rubbed her throbbing temples. As the team leader, she had rushed up to defend her earlier with great force, but now, looking back, Liu Yu's words, "Do you think I got this job by cursing people?" felt like a resounding slap in the face, shattering her anger.

Being less skilled than others is the most despairing reality.

"Um... kids." Choi Ye-na peeked into the closed recording studio door, trying to break the suffocating silence with her cheerful tone.

"Let's look on the bright side. At least he didn't look at us like we were trash when he was singing, right? That means he still had a lot of feeling when he sang!"

"Unnie, your joke isn't funny at all," Kim Chae-won retorted expressionlessly, but her usually smiling eyes were filled with disbelief.

Just as the girls were falling into a state of collective withdrawal, their accompanying manager, like a thief, approached them and whispered mysteriously.

"Kids, don't take it too seriously. That Liu Yu... he's no ordinary sound engineer."

The girls' attention was instantly drawn to it.

Ahn Yoo-jin whirled around, her eyes wide like saucers: "Oppa! Do you know something? What kind of monster did that guy just spring from?!"

The agent cleared his throat, his eyes scanning the corridor warily, his nervous demeanor suggesting he was recounting some urban legend:

"Let me tell you, this isn't exactly a secret in the industry. Do you know how he got into KZ Studio?"

"How did you get in? Did you make the interviewer cry by swearing at them?" Choi Ye-na's imagination ran wild.

"Go away, go away, what nonsense are you talking about?" The manager waved his hand. "I heard that when he came for the audition, Representative Choi was struggling with a really difficult song. The song had a very wide vocal range, and several vocal coaches had auditioned him, but none of them could achieve the effect the representative wanted. And guess what happened?"

"Did he sing it up?" Kim Minju asked softly, her voice still nasal from crying.

"It's more than just singing high notes!" The manager slapped his thigh, so excited he almost lost control of his voice.

"I heard he didn't even take off his coat before walking into the recording studio and nailed it in one take! Not only did he perfectly hit the high notes, but he also casually corrected a few dissonant chords in the arrangement. Representative Cui slammed the contract on the table after hearing it and hired him on the spot!"

"Wow..." Ahn Yu-jin exclaimed, scratching her head in surprise. "Is it really that exaggerated? Even dramas wouldn't dare to portray something like this."

Zhang Yuanying sat leisurely on the edge of the bench, her legs elegantly crossed. A sweet, heart-stopping smile played on her lips, and her fingers gently caressed the hem of her skirt.

"Ahem, it's a bit of an exaggeration, but it's basically true."

A deep voice suddenly came from around the corner of the corridor.

Everyone was startled and turned to look, only to see Mr. Cui, the owner of KZ Studio, slowly walking over with a glass of iced Americano.

"Representative!" The girls and their manager quickly stood up straight and bowed respectfully in greeting.

Representative Cui waved his hand, indicating that they didn't need to be so polite.

He walked to the huge glass window of the recording studio and looked at the black figure still slumped in the chair twirling a pen, and curled his lip in disdain.

"That kid dresses like some kind of shady Batman all the time. I spent so much money hiring him, and he doesn't even give me a smile." Representative Cui took a sip of coffee, his tone full of a boss's helplessness towards a troublesome employee. "However, your agent was right earlier. Liu Yu's musical intuition and talent are the most terrifying I've ever seen in years. He can pinpoint every single flaw after just one listen."

Hearing this, Ahn Yu-jin finally couldn't hold back any longer. She took a step forward and asked loudly, "Representative! Since he's so amazing, and looks... well, even though you can't see clearly through those ugly glasses, his physique is pretty good, why doesn't he debut? He's stuck here as a shady recording engineer, torturing us every day. What's in it for him? Wouldn't it be better to be a big star and make big money?"

This question reflects the sentiments of everyone.

Even Kim Min-ju looked up at Representative Choi with curiosity.

Representative Cui's smile gradually faded.

He paused for a few seconds, glanced at the recording studio door, and pondered, seemingly considering his words.

"Debut? Become a big star?" CEO Choi sneered. "Do you think I didn't try to dissuade him? I even prepared a solo debut plan for him, and promised him maximum freedom. And what was the result?"

"What happened?" Choi Ye-na asked impatiently.

"Then that kid threw the proposal into the shredder right in front of me, and told me that if I forced him to go on stage again, he would immediately quit and go back to his hometown to farm." Representative Cui sighed, a hint of regret in his voice. "He has his reasons. That kid... he's more afraid of crowds than flashing lights. He can stay in the recording studio alone for three days and three nights without coming out, but if you make him stand on a stage with more than three people to sing, he'll go crazy."

Stage fright?

Kwon Eunbi was stunned. She turned to look at the cold, seemingly emotionless man inside the glass window, and couldn't associate the word "fear" with him at all.

"Alright, let's not talk about his gossip anymore." Representative Cui changed the subject, her gaze sharpening as she scanned the girls before her. "You all, don't you think he's very sharp-tongued and cold-hearted?"

The girls looked at each other, and although they didn't dare to nod, their expressions said it all.

"Isn't this a good thing for you?" Representative Choi's voice became sterner. "Your debut song 'La Vie en Rose' achieved such great results. Do you think your looks and dancing alone are enough? The quality of the audio, the control of the emotions—if Liu Yu hadn't stayed up all night in post-production to edit and adjust your recordings, do you really think you sang so perfectly?"

Kim Minju's face flushed bright red instantly. She lowered her head in shame, her fingers gripping the lyric book even tighter.

"You are idols chosen by the people, possessing popularity that ordinary people can only dream of. But in this industry, popularity is meaningless; only talent is the real currency." Representative Choi pointed to the recording studio door. "Do you really want a producer sitting inside who, no matter how badly you sing, will smile and give you a thumbs up, saying 'OK, great!' That kind of person is ruining you!"

The corridor was completely silent.

Kwon Eun-bi took a deep breath. Representative Choi was right; although Liu Yu's sharp tongue was unbearable, his high standards and strict requirements were the stepping stones for them to reach a higher stage.

"I understand, on behalf of you." Kwon Eunbi stepped forward and bowed solemnly. "I'm very sorry, I was too impulsive just now. We'll adjust our state."

Representative Choi nodded in satisfaction at Kwon Eun-bi. He glanced at the recording studio door again, his tone softening slightly: "Alright, hurry up and go in. This guy's got a sharp tongue, but he's not a bad person. As long as you meet his passing grade, he won't say anything. Go on, don't keep this kid waiting too long, or he really will clock out right away."

After saying that, Representative Cui strolled away down the corridor with his coffee.

The manager clapped his hands: "Alright, kids, did you all hear that? Cheer up! Minju, can you still manage?"

Kim Minju suddenly raised his head. Although his eyes were still a little red, his gaze had already refocused.

She nodded vigorously, her voice soft but full of strength: "I can do it! I'll sing until Teacher Liu is satisfied!"

"That's more like it!" Ahn Yu-jin grabbed Kim Min-ju's shoulder and pumped her fist like a protagonist from a shonen manga. "Let's go! We'll go in and confront that shady Batman! We're not leaving until we finish recording this song today!"

"Hey! west... Ahn Yu-jin, keep your voice down, or you'll get yelled at again!" Choi Ye-na quickly covered Ahn Yu-jin's mouth.

Kwon Eun-bi looked at her sisters, who had regained their energy, and finally a smile appeared on her lips. She walked to the door, raised her hand to grasp the doorknob, and took a deep breath.

"IZ*ONE, prepare for battle!"

The soundproof door was pushed open again, and the girls, with expressions of resignation, stepped back into Liu Yu's absolute territory.