Chapter 3

"Quickly, quickly!" Amidst the shrill screams and shouts from the crowd, urged on by the manager's constant prompting, the members of Fin.k.l, led by their captain Lee Hyori, hurriedly got out of the nanny car, bowed and waved to the fans around them, and quickly entered the DSP headquarters building.

"Phew~~ The fans are really too enthusiastic!" Upon entering the DSP headquarters building, it was clear that the four members of Fin.k.l all heaved a sigh of relief. The youngest member, Sung Yuri, patted her chest and sighed.

"Naive girl, you still have the nerve to say that. If there were no fans, we would really have no tears to cry!" Hearing the youngest member's words, Yoojung couldn't help but laugh and affectionately ruffled Sung Yuri's hair.

As the motherly figure in the Fin.k.l group, Yoojung always treated Lee Jin and Sung Yuri with great care and affection.

"Forget it, this is what we deserve. After all, we've shed so much sweat and tears for it. At the same time, we cannot be content with the status quo. We must work even harder and more diligently to live up to the fans' support."

Yoojung played the motherly role in Fin.k.l, while Captain Lee Hyori was undoubtedly the strict father figure. Hearing Yoojung and Sung Yuri's words, she waved her hand, interrupting them with a commanding presence, and while speaking, she pulled Lee Jin, who hadn't had a chance to speak, towards the elevator.

It must be acknowledged that Lee Hyori's grand and domineering personality was something the other three members of Fin.k.l had deeply experienced from the first day they met her. Given that Lee Hyori was also the captain and the oldest, the three of them didn't dare to say anything about her domineering nature, or perhaps they were already used to it.

Seeing the three of them who hadn't spoken, Lee Hyori sighed helplessly. The three younger sisters might think she was carefree, but was she really such a carefree person?

To put it bluntly, if Lee Hyori were really so carefree, lacking in brains and vision, she wouldn't have achieved the great success in her solo career after the group's disbandment, becoming the most successful solo artist among the members of the supergroup. In this aspect, even Kim Jong-kook couldn't compare to Lee Hyori.

Lee Hyori was very clear about the weakness of herself and her three younger sisters: they had been forced to debut prematurely without undergoing complete and systematic training due to a series of changes and circumstances.

It's important to know that such a premature debut without proper preparation is extremely dangerous and can easily lead to failure, with consequences that the artists cannot bear.

Fortunately, the four members of Fin.k.l were all very talented and hardworking. Despite the rushed debut, they still achieved great success and were now on the verge of becoming the top female group in Korea, overshadowing groups like SES and Baby.V.O.X.

But Lee Hyori was very clear about their weakness: they lacked professional and comprehensive training, making their foundation much weaker. If they didn't practice with all their might, the four of them might be eliminated in the fiercely competitive entertainment industry.

Thinking about this, Lee Hyori couldn't help but envy the trainees currently under DSP Entertainment. Supported by the four sisters and Sechs.Kies, they didn't have to debut prematurely like Fin.k.l and Sechs.Kies. They had enough time to train and practice, which would definitely lay a solid foundation for those who aimed to debut and become singers.

Of course, who was Lee Hyori? She was the invincible Lee Hyori. Although she felt a bit envious, she would never think that she and her three good sisters were inferior to the trainees who had undergone systematic training.

"Unnie, do you know why the CEO called us back this time? Could it be that the heavens have finally heard my prayers and shown mercy!" When the elevator doors closed, and only the four members of Fin.k.l and their manager were inside, Lee Jin, who had been silent, asked curiously.

"Tsk~~ What mercy? I think we're probably busy at the company too!" Clearly, Sung Yuri, the youngest member, didn't think much of Lee Jin's words.

"Tsk~~ What do you know, girl? Even if the company is busy, it's still better than running around on schedules. Today could be considered a day off."

In response to Sung Yuri's rebuttal, Lee Jin firmly suppressed her without hesitation. If it weren't for the fact that Lee Hyori, the leader, doted on the youngest member, Lee Jin would have considered taking action directly.

"Um~~ You're right!" Hearing Lee Jin's words, Sung Yuri thought for a moment and had to nod her head, admitting that Lee Jin was right.

Indeed, for the currently popular Fin.k.l, DSP Entertainment needed them to constantly run schedules, increasing their visibility and influence through endless activities. Of course, more importantly, it was to make money.

In fact, the main source of income for DSP Entertainment currently came from the earnings of Sechs.Kies and Fin.k.l. Among the two groups, Fin.k.l undoubtedly brought more benefits to the company.

It's no exaggeration to say that Fin.k.l was the cash cow and the foundation of DSP Entertainment. If anything happened to Fin.k.l, DSP Entertainment would likely suffer catastrophic damage and could even go bankrupt.

Since Fin.k.l's successful debut, the four members' lives had become abnormally simple: constantly running schedules, with no time to return to the company. Even when they did return, it was usually to prepare for new singles or practice new dance routines. Otherwise, Fin.k.l rarely returned to the company.

Therefore, when Sung Yuri heard Lee Jin's words, although she habitually wanted to argue, she had to admit that Lee Jin was right. No matter what the company had in store, it couldn't be more tiring than running schedules, and it could be considered a day off.

"Alright, you three, behave yourselves. We'll know what's going on soon. We can ask Yoon Ji-won oppa later." Lee Hyori waved her hand, interrupting her three younger sisters who were about to turn into chatterboxes, and said calmly and composedly.

"Right, right, Yoon Ji-won oppa has been recording the fourth album recently and has been at the company. He should know what's going on." Sung Yuri jumped in again, seemingly afraid of being ignored.

But this time, Lee Hyori was finally impatient. While she doted on the youngest member, she couldn't let her be too presumptuous. In the midst of Lee Jin and Yoojung's sneaky laughter, Sung Yuri pouted in frustration as Lee Hyori, like a gang leader, put her hand on Sung Yuri's shoulder and forcibly led her out of the elevator.

"Oh, Hyori, you're back!" It was really a coincidence. As soon as the four members of Fin.k.l stepped out of the elevator, they saw Yoon Ji-won and Jang Su-won, both dressed in practice clothes, walking over.

"Oppas, do you know why the company called us back this time?" Lee Hyori, who was also a bit impatient, didn't even greet them and asked directly.

"Um~~ You don't know!" Seemingly understanding Lee Hyori's personality, Yoon Ji-won and Jang Su-won didn't feel abrupt but looked curiously at the four members of Fin.k.l. Seeing that they really didn't know, they couldn't help but laugh and shake their heads.

"Ah~~ It seems you four have been really busy lately. You don't even know about such a big event at your own company. The company called you back because the final round of the 'One in Ten Thousand' trainee selection is about to start. As the most successful group of DSP Entertainment, you four will be the judges for the final round."

Yoon Ji-won, being a straightforward person, immediately smiled and gave the answer after confirming that the four members of Fin.k.l really didn't know.

Lee Hyori: "One in Ten Thousand!"

Yoojung: "Trainee Selection!"

Lee Jin: "Final Round!"

Sung Yuri: "Our Company!"

The different reactions of the four members of Fin.k.l revealed their personalities. The other three sisters were fine, but the youngest member, Sung Yuri, was a bit confused and didn't quite understand what was happening.

Their reactions made Yoon Ji-won and Jang Su-won smile helplessly. Facing the four members who were staring at them, especially with Lee Hyori's queen-like aura rising, they didn't dare to joke around and nodded affirmatively.