Chapter 4

When the four members of Fin.K.L, along with Yoon Ji-yoon and Zhang Shuiyuan, were led by the staff to the venue for the highly competitive trainee selection, they were surprised to find that almost all the senior executives of DSP Entertainment were present. Since the selection had not officially started, they were chatting with each other in low voices.

Seeing this, Fin.K.L and Yoon Ji-yoon's group dared not say anything. Despite being popular idols outside, in the presence of so many company executives, they were nothing. It's no exaggeration to say that in the entire hall, apart from the staff who were busy setting up and checking the music, Fin.K.L and Sechs.Kies, these two super groups, were the ones with the lowest status.

They kept bowing and greeting people, and under Yoon Ji-yoon's lead, Fin.K.L's group finally managed to sit down a few rows behind the company executives. They subconsciously looked at the executives in the front row and breathed a sigh of relief.

The other members of Sechs.Kies, who had already arrived, did not greet Yoon Ji-yoon, Zhang Shuiyuan, and Fin.K.L's group as they usually would. They merely smiled and nodded.

It must be said that in any Korean entertainment company, the management of artists is extremely strict. The scenes where artists are seen joking around with the president in various settings, as if they are friends, are simply impossible.

Therefore, whether it was Sechs.Kies or Fin.K.L, all ten of them sat quietly on their chairs, not daring to exchange any words.

Lee Ho-yeon, of course, saw Fin.K.L's arrival but did not say anything. Although he liked Fin.K.L, it was only to that extent. At the moment, Lee Ho-yean had no time to care about the four members of Fin.K.L. Instead, he was having a quiet conversation with Lee Hyun-kyung, the vice president of DSP Entertainment.

"Brother, this time DSP is making a big move, hoping to find satisfactory and suitable trainees. Otherwise, DSP will suffer a huge loss."

Thinking about the one-in-ten-thousand trainee selection organized by DSP Entertainment, Lee Hyun-kyung couldn't help but sigh.

DSP is not S.M., which has a huge group's financial support. Currently, everything DSP Entertainment has needs to be planned by itself. For example, the one-in-ten-thousand trainee selection, all the expenses involved were entirely borne by DSP Entertainment, with Lee Ho-yeon insisting and gritting his teeth to push it through.

For DSP Entertainment, just the venue fees, food expenses, promotional costs, and the travel, accommodation, and food expenses for the trainees coming to Seoul for the final selection from various regions of Korea, were a huge expenditure.

As Lee Hyun-kyung said, if the right trainees could be found, all the efforts would be worth it, even though the cost was high. But if, despite such a high cost, no suitable trainees were found, it would have a serious impact on DSP Entertainment, possibly affecting the company's planning and development for the next six months.

Despite DSP Entertainment's current success in competing with S.M. Entertainment, it lacks the support of a large group and sufficient financial backing. Plus, with Lee Ho-yeon's competitive nature, DSP must match S.M. in every aspect, showing no retreat.

This clearly has a significant impact on DSP Entertainment's financial situation. Currently, DSP Entertainment's finances are not in great shape, akin to earning ten yuan and spending nine yuan, leaving little room for savings.

The reason Fin.K.L is so busy is also because DSP Entertainment has little money and can only rely on Fin.K.L, their flagship group, to work more to bring in income for the company.

"No problem. This one-in-ten-thousand trainee selection by DSP is more grandiose than S.M.'s. This selection covers almost the entire Korean region, and the promotion has been done very well. I believe this selection will not disappoint us."

Hearing Lee Hyun-kyung's words, Lee Ho-yeon nodded, acknowledging the truth in them, but then confidently reassured Lee Hyun-kyung, indicating that there was no need to worry.

Seeing Lee Ho-yeon's reaction, Lee Hyun-kyung couldn't help but smile bitterly. Fortunately, he had confidence in the company's staff and was sure they would not bring a group of useless candidates. Even if they didn't find the one-in-ten-thousand, as long as they could bring a large group of talented and potential trainees, it wouldn't be a loss, at least not a significant one.

Half an hour passed quietly. Seeing that all preparations were ready and the staff confirmed that all participants in the one-in-ten-thousand trainee selection who had come to Seoul for the final assessment were present and waiting in the lounge, Lee Ho-yeon rubbed his eyes and waved his hand, signaling the start of the one-in-ten-thousand trainee selection.

The senior executives of DSP Entertainment were well aware of the company's current situation and what this one-in-ten-thousand trainee selection meant for the company, as well as the sacrifices made for it.

Therefore, when they saw Lee Ho-yeon wave his hand to start the assessment, everyone immediately perked up and reminded themselves to stay focused and not to relax at all.

Kim Yoo-chan sat in his chair, watching the various reactions of his peers as they were led one by one into the hall a few meters away for the assessment. Some were dismissed in just a few minutes, and some in less than half a minute, leaving them dejected and even crying. Kim Yoo-chan couldn't help but frown and think.

Clearly, this one-in-ten-thousand trainee selection by DSP was very strict, so strict that even the assessment teachers were exceptionally serious and direct with the eleven- and twelve-year-old children, showing no leniency. This was why almost every child was made to cry or scared to tears.

Thinking about this, Kim Yoo-chan began to consider how he could successfully catch the attention of the senior executives of DSP Entertainment and what he needed to showcase to impress them without affecting his future treatment after debut.

After some thought, Kim Yoo-chan made his decision: to impress the senior executives of DSP with his voice, singing techniques, and strength.

As for the most direct and significant bonus point, original songs, Kim Yoo-chan decided to forgo it. If he revealed his songwriting skills to the senior executives of DSP Entertainment now, his contract would definitely include related content, and his future benefits would be significantly reduced.

By hiding his songwriting (plagiarism) skills, he could ensure that the company would give him the maximum leeway and benefits in songwriting after his debut, due to their lack of knowledge about his true capabilities.

It's important to note that even for singers without songwriting skills, their contracts still include clauses related to original song copyrights, usage, and income. After all, they are singers, and this is their bread and butter. Even if they don't write songs now, they might develop the skills over time. Revising the contract later would be too troublesome.

For singers who do not showcase their songwriting talent, the company is often very generous with original song rights. This is partly to reassure them, showing that the company has made significant concessions in the area of original song creation, so they shouldn't complain about other income aspects.

Secondly, it serves as an encouragement, showing the lucrative songwriting contracts and urging the singers to create music, promising them substantial earnings.

Clearly, this is what Kim Yoo-chan values most, which is why he decided to temporarily hide his songwriting (plagiarism) skills and rely solely on his singing skills for this assessment.