Chapter 72

Jiang Minjing, along with Li Zhiyan and Park Jiyeon, were trainees at CCM Entertainment. However, she was more favored in the company than Li Zhiyan and the others. Known as the "Little Kim Soo-jung," Jiang Minjing had already attracted a large number of fans online due to her beautiful appearance even before her debut. The unofficial Café set up for her received six to seven thousand visits daily. Such a trainee would be a treasure even at the three major music entertainment companies, so how could she not be valued?

"Senior, I am a trainee from the same company as Zhiyan and the others. I admire your singing skills very much." Jiang Minjing looked innocent, but her personality was more outgoing than Li Zhiyan's.

Li Jingming was very pleased to hear someone praise his singing skills. The health practices from Wudang Mountain had laid a solid foundation for him, but this practice was much harder than singing. Even so, he had spent a lot of effort in the United States to hone his singing skills. Naturally, he felt happy when his efforts were recognized. Li Jingming immediately said, "You can just call me OPPA. Do you have any requests?"

Jiang Minjing had a bit of a mischievous side. Born in 1990, she was only eighteen, a lively age. "Can I call you 'Boppa' in front of so many fans?"

"I don't mind. How can I refuse a beauty?" Li Jingming's face was thicker than a city wall, so he didn't care. Even if other fans had objections, they wouldn't direct them at him, as they were all his fans.

Jiang Minjing pouted. "Then let's not. OPPA has so many fans. If they're unhappy with me, my life would be in danger. Let's just hug."

Jiang Minjing's admiration for Li Jingming went beyond that of an ordinary fan. She was very concerned about singing skills because the company had decided to debut her with a focus on her singing. Although it was a group, they were different from ordinary idols; they would mainly win popularity through their singing. She had listened to all the songs Li Jingming had sung, especially after a new video was uploaded recently, she was even more impressed. A man could sing Lee Sun-hee's "Inn" without any adaptation and still capture its essence, which was definitely a top-notch singing skill.

When Tiffany recorded Li Jingming singing "Inn" in the practice room on her phone, she hesitated about whether to share it online. In the end, her desire to show off won out. After confirming that nothing inappropriate appeared in the video, she uploaded it. The video was explosive. People who had doubts about Li Jingming's singing skills were once again amazed. The equipment in the practice room was easily recognizable, and there was no chance for any sound editing. This "Inn" was a solo, and Tiffany's lip-sync was clear, so once it was confirmed that Li Jingming was singing live in the video, everyone praised him as a true talent.

Jiang Minjing had always been a big fan of Li Jingming's singing skills, thinking he was as good as, if not better than, the singing teachers at her company. Now, she liked Li Jingming's voice even more. When she learned that Park Jiyeon was coming to the signing event to "repay" Li Jingming for the beef, she followed along.

Li Jingming was hot and had been greeting every fan who approached, so he was very thirsty and drank a lot of water. Drinking too much water meant frequent trips to the bathroom. Other things could be endured, but holding in urine could be dangerous. So when Li Jingming got up and walked around the table, the fans thought he was going to the bathroom again and didn't react much, just giving a friendly laugh. They thought Li Jingming was genuine and found it amusing that he drank so much water from talking to so many fans.

When Li Jingming hugged Jiang Minjing, the fans on the ground stopped laughing and started to murmur. The older fans waiting in line became restless. Although they were considerate of Li Jingming and didn't want him to be too tired, getting a hug was a delightful experience. Who could resist such a cute boy? Next, Li Jingming was swamped in a sea of fans, with about one in three female fans requesting a hug. Fortunately, Li Jingming's tall stature gave him an advantage. To speed things up, he stood up and hugged them over the table, showing that the gesture was enough.

The signing event was divided into morning and afternoon sessions, with a break in between. During the break, Li Jingming had a meal in an office at Lotte Department Store. Song Seok-jae prepared a sumptuous meal to reward him, as Li Jingming was indeed very tired that day. During this time, Kim Su-jeol came to check on him, only leaving after confirming that Li Jingming had no other requests. Although Li Jingming's surname was Li, the Kim family's business was ultimately run by Kim Jae-ryong and his brothers, who were almost fanatically devoted to Li Jingming and followed his every word. Therefore, the people working for the other families treated Li Jingming with special care.

While Li Jingming was eating, the LAD staff gave each fan waiting at the scene a bottle of Lotte Group's beverage, as long as they had Li Jingming's album. These beverages didn't cost much, and the money was provided by Li Jingming's grandfather, but the effect was significant. Li Jingming's fans were initially surprised, as they had only heard of fans giving support meals to artists, not companies giving drinks to fans. This increased their goodwill towards LAD. The LAD staff, all wearing T-shirts with the LAD logo, were easily recognizable. Fans didn't care about the money spent; they cared about the attitude. LAD was not like other companies that said fans were family but only cared about money. LAD set up tents for the fans and provided drinks, showing genuine consideration. People's feelings are mutual; if you treat others well, they will treat you well. Now, even though the fans couldn't see Li Jingming eating, no one left or caused a disturbance. They were quietly discussing the new entertainment company, LAD.

Two fans, who didn't know each other before, were chatting. "I'm also a fan of someone else. I went to a signing event before, and it was nothing like today. I've decided to stop paying the membership fee there and just support our Jingming."

The other fan chimed in, "It's that company. When I went to support at the entrance, the security guards even stopped me. Yesterday, when we went to the entrance of LAD, they were so considerate, talking to us nicely and asking if we were tired."

"It's not just about a bottle of water, but today was the first time I got one at a signing event, and it felt different, very heartwarming."

"I heard that LAD only hires graduates from the Sky Three Schools Alliance. No wonder it's so high-end, but it must cost a lot, and the salaries must be high."

"Exactly. My aunt's third cousin's fourth aunt's niece's boyfriend's best friend's older brother's cousin is a graduate of Seoul University last year, and she works at LAD Entertainment. Although she's just a small employee, she says LAD has a very relaxed American-style system, and she feels like she's in a family there..."

The afternoon session of the signing event went even more smoothly, but the six-hour event, split into two sessions, was exhausting for Li Jingming. Not only was he tired, but he was also "sick" of it. Korean women always put a lot of effort into their appearance before coming to public events, and the various cosmetics and perfumes had numbed Li Jingming's sense of smell. Especially in the second half, when many fans wanted hugs, the soft, warm feeling on his chest when he hugged them was initially enjoyable, but after hundreds of hugs, with different sizes, positions, and shapes, Li Jingming felt he could no longer appreciate it. At one moment, he even had the illusion that he had seen through the world and found everything trivial. If his family elders knew this, they would beat him to death.

The signing event was a great success, not only satisfying the fans' desire to interact with Li Jingming but also winning good reputations for LAD Entertainment and Li Jingming personally. While ordinary artists' signing events might not even get a decent report, Li Jingming's event was quite significant. He was the "big trend" in the scorching summer, a super rookie who had blown a fresh breeze. Many eyes were on him, and LAD Entertainment's considerate and humane approach was frequently mentioned online, causing a significant reaction to Li Jingming's signing event.

"Conscience of the Industry, Deservedly So" was the title of a post, a live-streaming thread where a fan at the scene continuously uploaded real-time updates and comments. The overwhelming popularity at the signing event, Li Jingming's consistent enthusiasm for six hours, and LAD Entertainment's thoughtful small gestures made everything seem so beautiful.

The main issue was the fear of comparison. Other established entertainment companies rarely did such "unappreciated" things, especially one that specialized in mysterious marketing. A music company playing the mystery card already made fans unhappy. Now, with LAD Entertainment as a contrast, the fans were even more dissatisfied.

However, the most heated discussion that night was not about the signing event but another topic about Li Jingming.

"Li Jingming and the Women of CCM" was a very eye-catching title, and with detailed content, it attracted even more attention. It quickly topped the search rankings. The post was rich in content and well-organized, not making any absolute statements but discussing the topic in a way that many people were willing to believe.

The post began with a photo of Li Zhiyan. Li Zhiyan was already a well-known face, and her information was easy to find online. She had gained some popularity after participating in the "Confession" MV, and it was known that she was a trainee at CCM Entertainment. On its own, this wasn't much, but the appearance of the next two people made it more intriguing.

The second person was Park Hyomin, also a well-known face who had written an article about her encounter with Li Jingming at Namsan Tower. This wasn't unusual, but she, like Li Zhiyan, was a trainee at CCM Entertainment. Many people didn't believe this was a coincidence. The most explosive part was a photo of Li Jingming and Park Hyomin standing side by side at the "Love Wall" at Namsan Tower. Both of their faces were clearly visible, and the "Love Wall" is a well-known place for couples in Korea. This raised questions about whether Park Hyomin's encounter was really a coincidence.

The third person was Jiang Minjing, who appeared at the signing event. The post clearly stated that this was the first time Li Jingming was asked for a hug. The first fan, Baek Da-ye, received a hug from Li Jingming, which was understandable as she was the first in line. However, after hundreds of fans only received signatures, Jiang Minjing was special. Li Jingming not only hugged her but "left his seat to hug her more closely," as the post stated. The post included a clear photo of Li Jingming standing by the table and hugging Jiang Minjing. Although the "hug giveaway" started later, it was only over the table, except for Jiang Minjing, who was also a CCM female trainee. This left much room for speculation.

Now, back at home, Li Jingming was having a headache. The two people he least wanted to see were sitting on the sofa in his LK haven. Since he returned, his haven was no longer peaceful.

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