Chapter 16

Chapter Sixteen: Rookie

On the way, Li Yunzai followed behind the group led by Wen Zhenghe and encountered many trainees. Upon seeing Wen Zhenghe and his group, the oncoming trainees bowed deeply, some of them looking a bit nervous and glancing at Li Yunzai with puzzled eyes. The six of Wen Zhenghe also smiled kindly at them and nodded in acknowledgment.

"Brother Zhongzai, they seem to be quite afraid of you all!" Li Yunzai asked in confusion.

Park Zhongzai laughed heartily and said, "This isn't fear, it's respect. As long as you work hard and train diligently, you'll gain strength, and you'll receive this kind of treatment too! Today, I'll give you your first lesson in the company—perseverance!

You might see many trainees coming and going, but in fact, one or two people quit every day.

The reason is that they can't endure the high-intensity, monotonous, day-to-day, year-to-year training. Those who can persevere are truly remarkable. We, after years of intense training, have earned the company's recognition and can debut.

In short, in this company, if you have strength, you will be valued, recognized, and respected. Even if someone is older or more experienced than you, they will have to bow to you. In this building, only strength matters. With strength, you can achieve your dreams and have everything. But all of this ultimately depends on your ability to persevere, to endure the high-intensity training.

Only through hard work will you reap rewards!"

Li Yunzai nodded, seemingly understanding but not fully. Park Zhongzai's long speech boiled down to one thing—strength is paramount in the company, and the only way to gain strength is through perseverance.

"Yunzai, from now on, you are a trainee in the company, but remember one thing: you can only leave through the back door, not the main entrance, understand?" Wen Zhenghe instructed.

Li Yunzai was taken aback and asked curiously, "Why? Isn't the main entrance there for people to come and go?"

Kim Dongwan patted Li Yunzai's head and laughed, "You're new here, and there are many rules you need to learn. Don't think that just because Ahn-ssi smiles at you or the CEO values you, you can get away with breaking the rules. If you don't follow them, you'll have a hard time! Remember, in this company, learning how to behave is very important!"

"Dongwan, today is Yunzai's first day in the company, so don't say such ominous things. Yunzai, remember, there are many unwritten rules among entertainment agencies. For example, trainees and artists can only enter and exit through the back door. Don't ask why, because I don't understand either!

Since you seem likeable, we will take care of you... but our care is limited to reminding you what to do and what not to do, teaching you how to sing and dance, and helping you catch up. The rest of the training, you have to do on your own, step by step!" Wen Zhenghe patted Li Yunzai's head and said.

"Zhenghe-ssi, I understand... step by step... we need the spirit of a snail. Even if it's slow, it keeps moving forward, leaving a trail behind!" Li Yunzai seemed to have grown up a bit, saying something that surprised even Wen Zhenghe.

The spirit of a snail... The six of Wen Zhenghe were momentarily stunned, thinking, isn't it the spirit of a snail? Carrying a heavy shell and still moving forward, leaving a long trail behind.

"You're an interesting kid... I like it! The spirit of a snail, your mind is quite imaginative... interesting!" Lee Sunho patted Li Yunzai's shoulder and laughed heartily.

Li Yunzai rubbed his head, embarrassed. The spirit of a snail was just something he blurted out.

Exiting through the back door of S.M. Entertainment, they found themselves on a sloping road. Wen Zhenghe and the others led Li Yunzai to their dormitory on foot.

The dormitory where the six of Wen Zhenghe lived was in a nearby neighborhood, but it wasn't in great condition. There were several old high-rise buildings, with some exterior walls peeling and rusted window guards.

"Yunzai, don't be fooled by the old appearance of these buildings. They are actually quite good. And the most important thing is that they are close to the company. Do you know what the biggest expense for trainees is... they can eat less, wear cheaper clothes, but they can't save on transportation. The company provides a monthly living allowance of 100,000 won for better trainees and 50,000 won for the worst. This includes food and transportation. After deducting these expenses, there's nothing left.

Living here can save you a lot on transportation costs! In the future, treat the older brothers to some good food, remember!" Shin Hyesung said as they walked.

"Hyesung... aren't you embarrassed? You're so old, and you want Yunzai to treat you, not the other way around! Even a thick-skinned person has limits!" Kim Dongwan couldn't help but mock, then turned to Li Yunzai and said, "Yunzai, ignore him... take his words with a grain of salt, and let the rest go in one ear and out the other!"

Li Yunzai nodded, truly understanding this time.

Finally, the seven of them entered a ten-story apartment building. Fortunately, despite its age, the building had an elevator, so they didn't have to climb the stairs. Otherwise, the six of Wen Zhenghe, living on the seventh floor, would have to climb to their deaths, and Li Yunzai, with his small frame, would be out of breath after one trip, wasting a whole day's meal.

Entering the elevator and reaching the seventh floor, the hallway was relatively clean. Wen Zhenghe took out the key and opened the door. Li Yunzai was momentarily stunned by the sight of the shoes.

"Zhenghe-ssi... you guys are quite wealthy... you have so many shoes!" Li Yunzai exclaimed, seeing the shoe cabinet filled with shoes. It seemed the six of them had similar foot sizes, and they might even share each other's shoes.

Lee Sunho shook his head, "Yunzai, you're wrong this time... among us, only Zhenghe-ssi has a good economic situation. These shoes are all rewards we've won!"

Li Yunzai asked in confusion, "What kind of competition gives shoes as prizes?"

"You'll find out later. Every weekend at 3 PM in Dongdaemun, there's a singing competition. The top three winners receive gift vouchers. We're all guys, so we naturally buy shoes!

In the future, if you have the strength, you can also participate. If you win a top-three spot, you'll get some gift vouchers to buy clothes, shoes, and accessories in Dongdaemun for free. Before we debuted, we only had 100,000 won a month for living expenses, so we couldn't go shopping. This is a great additional income!" Shin Hyesung explained.

Li Yunzai nodded, looking at the shoe cabinet filled with shoes, thinking, the top three spots must be dominated by you guys... there are at least sixty to seventy pairs of shoes, more than he had ever seen outside of a store...

"Minwoo, Dongwan, Zhongzai, Sunho, Hyesung, clean up the empty room, move out the clutter, sweep the floor, and set up Yunzai's bed!" Wen Zhenghe instructed, then turned to Li Yunzai, "Yunzai, you can unpack your luggage later! I'll explain the dorm rules to you first!"

Dorm rules? Li Yunzai had never heard of such a thing before and was a bit puzzled.

"Yunzai, you must learn the dorm rules well. When the older brothers move to a new dorm, you must continue to uphold these rules, understand?" Shin Hyesung said earnestly, but his smiling face made it seem like a joke.

"Alright, go clean up... Yunzai, come with me, I'll explain the dorm rules!" Wen Zhenghe had Li Yunzai sit on the sofa, then pulled out a board from behind the fridge. It was covered with many words, and Li Yunzai squinted to see the two most prominent words—dorm rules.

Good grief... Li Yunzai shrank back, there were so many rules, it was hard to imagine.

"Alright... don't worry, the rules may seem many, but as long as you live a normal life, you'll find they are just for show!

First, two major principles: respect basic human rights and promote peace and friendship!

During rest periods, keep noise below 30 decibels (refer to the sound of a ladybug flapping its wings or hitting a wall from 1.5 meters away).

Keep the dorm clean, and take out the trash as soon as it's full.

No profanity or derogatory remarks in the dorm.

......................................................"

Wen Zhenghe spoke for about half an hour, explaining all the dorm rules. Li Yunzai only remembered the first rule, the rest was too much to take in. It was hard to imagine how someone could come up with so many rules.

"Don't worry, take your time to remember! As long as you have good habits, these rules are just for show!" Wen Zhenghe smiled.

Li Yunzai nodded, thinking that's why the inside was clean despite the clutter at the entrance.

An hour later, with the help of Lee Minwoo and the others, the room that was originally used for storage was cleaned out and became Li Yunzai's bedroom.

"Yunzai, this room is small, but it's just right for you! The bed, wardrobe, and fan are all ready. The conditions are a bit tough, with no air conditioning!" Park Zhongzai looked at their work with satisfaction. The once messy storage room had been transformed.

"That's fine... it's just a place to sleep, as long as it's clean!" Li Yunzai nodded indifferently, then put his clothes in the wardrobe, pushed the suitcase to the corner, and placed the guitar on the bed.

"Wow, Yunzai, you can play the guitar..." Shin Hyesung took the guitar out of the case, strummed a few chords, and said, "At your age, I didn't even know what a guitar looked like..."

"Brother Hyesung, your guitar skills are pretty good!" Li Yunzai praised.

"That's the result of hard training and learning in the company... you'll also have instrument training classes in the future... it will be tough!" Shin Hyesung reminded him with a hint of schadenfreude. He had made it, and now he was looking forward to Li Yunzai's journey.

At that moment, Wen Zhenghe entered the room with a new quilt and pillow, saying, "Yunzai, this quilt is new and unused. Even though it's summer, you should still use a quilt at night, especially since you're young and can easily catch a cold!"

Li Yunzai gratefully took the quilt and placed it on the bed.

"Alright, it's about time. Let's go down for dinner and then back to the company!" Wen Zhenghe clapped his hands, and soon the group gathered at the entrance, put on their shoes, and went downstairs.

Since many tenants in the neighborhood rarely cook, there were many small restaurants nearby. With the high population density, more and more restaurants opened in the area. Behind the neighborhood, a small street was lined with numerous small restaurants.

"Yunzai, let me teach you another survival tip! The monthly living allowance from the company is very limited, so you need to budget carefully. The food here is cheap and tasty. The company only serves kimchi and seaweed soup, which can make you sick of it! In the future, come here to eat, it's delicious and affordable!" Kim Dongwan, drawing from his years of experience at S.M. Entertainment, advised Li Yunzai.

Li Yunzai nodded, agreeing that one should never neglect their stomach. It's better to eat well than to eat less.

That noon, Wen Zhenghe generously paid for the meal, celebrating Li Yunzai's entry into S.M. Entertainment.

After lunch, it was not yet 2 PM, and the six of Wen Zhenghe were eager to return to the company. They had an hour before their appointment with Yoo Yongjin. Wen Zhenghe asked Park Zhongzai and Shin Hyesung to show Li Yunzai around the company, while the others went to the second-floor practice room to train.

Park Zhongzai and Shin Hyesung first took Li Yunzai to the basement. This place held many memories for them. They had worked tirelessly in this "dark and gloomy" place, practicing step by step, to achieve what they have today.

"Yunzai, let me explain the hierarchy among trainees... the basement practice rooms are divided into three levels: A, B, and C classes. Whether it's dance or vocal training, the classes are divided this way. As a new trainee, you'll start in the C class. Every month, there will be an exam. If you perform well and the teachers think you've improved, you'll move up to the B class. The A class, in other words, is for pre-debut artists. When the company selects debut artists, they choose from the A class. At that point, it's more about luck than strength. Those with good luck are chosen to debut, while those with bad luck continue training and wait for the next opportunity. But before that, don't have any侥幸心理 (侥幸心理 means侥幸心理), and focus on training to build a solid foundation!"

Li Yunzai listened attentively and nodded firmly. This was important information, and he memorized it well.

Led by Park Zhongzai and Shin Hyesung, Li Yunzai realized that the basement had many more rooms than he initially thought. There were several dance and vocal training rooms, as well as a room for storing instruments, totaling over ten rooms.

At that moment, each training room was filled with over ten trainees. In the dance room, trainees were repeatedly practicing the same dance moves, sweat streaming down their faces. Strangely, there were several plastic bowls placed against the wall. Li Yunzai was puzzled—were these bowls for eating?

"Brother Zhongzai, what are those plastic bowls for? Are they for late-night snacks?" Li Yunzai asked in confusion.

Late-night snacks... Hearing this, Park Zhongzai and Shin Hyesung couldn't help but chuckle.

"Yunzai... that's the ultimate secret of the dance class, usually not told to others! You'll find out when you start training!" Shin Hyesung smiled mysteriously, and Li Yunzai sensed a hint of schadenfreude in his smile.

At that moment, it seemed to be a break time in the dance class, and Li Yunzai noticed another peculiar phenomenon.

"Brother Hyesung... what are they doing..." Li Yunzai pointed to the trainees in the dance class, asking in confusion.

"Ha ha..." Shin Hyesung laughed and said, "The company strictly prohibits excessive contact between male and female trainees. So, during breaks, boys and girls separate. You'll naturally understand these rules in the future, there's nothing strange about it!"

Li Yunzai felt a bit down, thinking, does that mean he would have to keep his distance from BoA?

Soon, it was 3 PM, the time of their appointment with Yoo Yongjin. Park Zhongzai and Shin Hyesung had explained the company's internal situation to Li Yunzai, combining their years of experience and lessons. Although Li Yunzai was a bit confused, he remembered many of the rules.

They went to the third floor, where Yoo Yongjin's dedicated recording studio was. Wen Zhenghe and the others were already gathered in the studio, surrounding Yoo Yongjin as he operated the recording equipment. Seeing Li Yunzai and the others enter, Yoo Yongjin turned around.

"Yunzai, you now have a basic understanding of the company! From today, you will officially start your training. The training is monotonous and repetitive, day after day, even year after year. The heavy training load causes many trainees to quit and leave the company. If you want to quit now, it's still in time!"

Li Yunzai's gaze became increasingly determined, and he said, "Teacher... I'm willing to try!"

"Good!" A hint of approval flashed in Yoo Yongjin's eyes, and he said, "From today, you are a C-class trainee. It's summer break now, so you can use this time to adapt to the trainee life!"

C-class... Li Yunzai pursed his lips...

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