Chapter 71

Signings in South Korea are usually not grand affairs, as Koreans treat celebrities very "rationally." They don't even use the term "celebrity" but call them "artists." For artists who can be encountered on the street every few minutes, Koreans won't even give them a second glance unless they are their favorite, so signings essentially become fan gatherings.

Today is Saturday, and most of Li Jingming's fans are either at home or in their dorms on break. Many people left messages on the official website saying they would come to the signing, totaling over two thousand. Don't underestimate the number two thousand; some people would rather sleep at home than go to a signing, even if they are registered fans on the artist's official website. The crowded and uncomfortable atmosphere of a signing, combined with the scorching summer sun, means that having two thousand people show up is already far beyond Li Jingming's expectations.

Korean artists are different from Chinese celebrities. When signing, they often add some words of blessing and are very warm and polite to their fans, shaking hands and greeting them, rather than just signing a name and passing it over. This effort wins the hearts of fans, which is why many Chinese fans prefer Korean artists and look down on so-called big names in China. These big names are too high and mighty, making it hard for people to approach them, and getting too close might even result in a beating from their bodyguards.

Assuming a handshake takes three seconds, asking for information takes five seconds, writing the message and name takes seven seconds, and saying thanks and goodbye takes another five seconds, Li Jingming would spend twenty seconds on each person at the signing. For two thousand people, that's forty thousand seconds, six hundred and sixty-six minutes, or over eleven hours. If "Li Jingming" were a group of ten people, it would take only an hour, but unfortunately, Li Jingming doesn't have the ability to clone himself or sit for over eleven hours just signing, so today, some fans might leave disappointed.

However, the most exhausted today won't be Li Jingming, but rather the group led by Li Shengmin. Although it's not the chaotic era of the past, safety is still the top priority. It's no exaggeration to say that if anything happens to Li Jingming, the entire Republic of Korea would be in turmoil.

Li Jingming's mysterious style is the main reason why his first signing as a newcomer is more grand than those of other popular artists. Everyone is curious about him, so this "first intimate contact" opportunity is particularly precious.

After tidying up his appearance, Li Jingming stood on the stage that had been set up, picked up the microphone, and cleared his throat. Before starting, he wanted to exchange a few words with his fans, a common practice among all artists.

As soon as Li Jingming stood where everyone could see him, the long queue erupted in cheers. Liking someone is irrational, and the same goes for fans' affection for artists. As long as you have the ability to make others like you, they will support you unconditionally. Li Jingming didn't say anything, but he stood on the high platform and bowed deeply for twenty seconds, causing the people in the queue to scream even louder.

"My first words today are to apologize to everyone. Due to various reasons, I haven't appeared on many programs or been online much since my debut. It's rare to interact with everyone, and I feel very sorry for keeping you all waiting. I feel a bit guilty to all the fans who have been concerned about me." Li Jingming's approach of starting with an apology was very clever. Recently, he has become quite popular, and this success is a symbol of his rising fame. As the saying goes, "fame brings trouble," and people who don't like him have already started criticizing him as "the least hardworking artist." In reality, he has only been in the industry for a week, and it's too early to talk about appearing on programs or interacting with fans. However, who would have thought that his popularity would already be so high?

Others might not have a thousand official fans even after years in the industry, but Li Jingming had over thirty thousand people pay to join his fan club in just one week. Cases like Li Jingming's "mysterious" rise to fame have already caused many people to envy him. He only has a few videos online, uploaded by others, and has only appeared on one radio program, yet he has achieved such success. How can other artists, who work tirelessly to get on a program, feel about this? Li Jingming won't bother with those envious and jealous artists, but he still needs to leave a good impression on his fans. From the on-site reactions, his actions have won the hearts of the fans.

"In the future, I will try to have more opportunities to meet everyone and bring you better works. I hope you will continue to support me." Li Jingming didn't say much; the signing is the main event. The schedule is determined based on the actual situation. Li Jingming's team, from LAD Entertainment, was counting the number of people in real-time. Although two thousand people said they would come, many were just saying it, some had sudden matters, and some planned to come later. In total, one thousand one hundred people showed up, which is still a significant number, making the signing much more lively than those with only a few hundred fans.

Worried about the time, Li Jingming didn't perform any programs but started signing directly. The first person to step forward was a young woman, elegant and vibrant, wearing a white lace-collar shirt and a neat pair of trousers, exuding a modern urban woman's charm. After receiving the album, Li Jingming took the initiative to shake her hand and asked, "Hello, what's your name?"

"My name is Baedoyi, and I'm your fan." The woman smiled very gracefully, making others feel at ease.

"Of course, I know you're my fan; otherwise, why would you be here so early? You must have come very early today, Nuna." Li Jingming joked, "You're the first one, how about I give you a special service? What would you like?"

"That would be great, a hug, please." Baedoyi said very generously. Although Li Jingming is twenty-three, his youthful appearance makes him look like a big boy, which many older female fans love.

Seeing the first person get a hug from Li Jingming, the queue erupted in envious exclamations. Almost ninety percent of the people in the long queue were women, and almost ninety percent of these women were older female fans. For them, getting a hug from Li Jingming was a great thing. However, older female fans and devoted fans are considerate and wouldn't actively ask Li Jingming to do anything, or he would be hugging people all day.

"Special blessings for the special Baedoyi Nuna. May you always be young and beautiful. Li Jingming, June 16, 2007." After writing these words on the album cover, Baedoyi nodded in satisfaction. Li Jingming and she bowed to each other before she left. At signings, it's not just the artists giving fans benefits; it's also the fans showing their support. Many fans queue for hours just to shake hands and get a signed item, but many signed items can be bought from merchandise. Most fans come to the signing to show their support and make their favorite artist feel their love. Fans are the most adorable people.

Some people held albums for Li Jingming to sign directly, while others took out photos from the albums for him to sign. Each had their own requests, and Li Jingming varied his blessings. Initially, it was fine, but after ten o'clock, the sun became scorching. Li Jingming realized the problem but didn't want to sit inside the Lotte Department Store to sign while his fans were in the sun. So, he didn't move but had two large fans installed under the canopy to help his fans.

During a break to drink water, Li Jingming made a call. He called Kim Su-jeol, one of the managers of the Lotte Department Store. Soon, a group of staff arrived with equipment and set up a long canopy, the kind used for outdoor promotions. The Lotte Department Store had many in storage, and they were now put to good use. After the canopy was set up, the fans had a place to shelter from the sun and were very satisfied. Song Seok-jae hadn't thought of this initially. Although he was a high-achieving student from a prestigious university, he had no experience with signings. It's unrealistic to expect everything to be perfect the first time, but the quick action of the Lotte Department Store staff increased the fans' good feelings towards Li Jingming and LAD Entertainment.

"How is it you?" Li Jingming looked up to see the little foodie, Park Ji-yeon, who had competed with Jessica.

"OPPA, you bought me beef, so I came to repay you. I was worried that no one would come and you would lose face." Park Ji-yeon glanced at the long queue behind her, seemingly realizing her presence didn't make much difference, "But who knew there would be so many people. Did you buy them beef too, OPPA?"

"Are you fifteen? You look like you're five. Buying people beef to get them to support you, are you crazy? The album price is lower than a serving of beef (a serving of beef in Korea is 120 or 150 grams, priced between 40,000 to 60,000 won)." Li Jingming laughed at the foodie, who seemed to think only about eating. Lady Kim Run-shi, who knew Li Jingming's thoughts, would have laughed again. This guy had the nerve to criticize others when he had done many ridiculous things for food.

"Then how did so many people come, OPPA? You're still a newcomer." Park Ji-yeon glared at him, dissatisfied, "YangPa's signing didn't have this many people."

YangPa is also a solo artist and has been famous for many years, debuting in 1997. However, there's a strange phenomenon in Korea: women's popularity can't compare to men's. Registered fans need to pay membership fees and participate in various activities, and those willing to pay and have the time are mostly women, who are generally fans of male artists. This results in many female artists like YangPa who are well-liked but don't have high sales.

"What should I write? I'll write it for you. There are still so many people behind you." Li Jingming didn't dare to talk to Park Ji-yeon for too long, as the fans behind her might get upset.

"Write whatever. I don't know. One of these is for Ji-hyeon Nuni, who was too shy to come." Park Ji-yeon handed over two albums.

Li Jingming was amused. Was she treating him like an idiot? He had already signed a special album for Lee Ji-hyeon and had it delivered. As the female lead in his MV and a friend, he wouldn't be so stingy as to not give her an album, "Hey, be honest. I already gave her a signed album, even with a special number."

"It's for Eun-jung Nuni, but Ji-hyeon Nuni bought it. Eun-jung Nuni is short on money, so Ji-hyeon Nuni paid for it. Doesn't that count as her buying it?" Park Ji-yeon argued.

"Just say it's for Eun-jung. I know her. She was sitting next to me at dinner." Li Jingming finished signing the two albums and handed them over, "Go on, the people behind you are waiting."

Park Ji-yeon huffed, "The people behind me are also from our company. They won't blame me, hmpf."

Was she talking about the CCM Entertainment trainee? When Park Ji-yean moved aside, Li Jingming saw the person behind her, a very beautiful woman.

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