Chapter 17

Chapter Seventeen: The Young Calf

In 1997, S.M. Entertainment, relying solely on the success of HOT to make money, had just managed to stabilize its position, but in reality, the company's internal cash flow was not abundant. Now, they were planning to launch a boy group and a girl group, which would require a massive amount of funding.

According to industry insiders, it costs about 150 million won per person per year to train a group. Under Lee Soo-man's foresight, S.M. Entertainment, following the success of HOT, began to strongly cultivate two new groups, totaling nine members, with an average training period of about three years, costing 4 billion won.

Although HOT was currently very popular, the cost of training was so high that even HOT's earnings could not sustain such expenses. Additionally, the regular expenses and the costs of training other trainees meant that S.M. Entertainment's financial situation was still not good.

Therefore, under these circumstances, the number of trainees at S.M. Entertainment was not large. However, it was precisely because of this that the remaining trainees were mostly elite. All trainees received training in three areas: dance, singing, and instrumental music.

Class C was a general term that included dance, singing, and instrumental training. Those who made significant progress would be promoted to Class B, while those who did not improve much, could not endure the hardships, and could not withstand the monotony of training would choose to quit.

Similarly, if a Class B trainee regressed, they would be demoted to Class C, and a Class A trainee would be demoted to Class B, and so on.

Although S.M. Entertainment did not yet have the capability to specialize in training each trainee's strengths, they had developed their own training system. As a result, most of the artists trained under this system were all-round performers, the forefathers of future idols.

It was natural for Li Yunzai to be assigned to Class C. He was not BoA, and Lee Soo-man had not yet given him special attention. He did not have a private practice room or a dedicated teacher, and he ate the same food as everyone else. Without any dance foundation and needing to improve his singing, his instrumental skills were the only area where he was relatively better than his peers. Therefore, starting his training in Class C was a prudent and normal approach. Lee Soo-man had already given special treatment to BoA, and if he gave special treatment to Li Yunzai, it would cause complaints from other trainees and create internal unrest. During S.M. Entertainment's rapid development phase, Lee Soo-man would not allow any small disturbances.

On the afternoon of that day at three o'clock, Li Yunzai, led by Shin Hye-sung, arrived at Class C. This was Li Yunzai's first time entering a practice room, with large mirrors on the walls, a sky-blue background, and a clean, smooth floor...

Class C had ten trainees, all aged 14 or older. With Li Yunzai's addition, the number increased to eleven, making him the youngest among them. Among these eleven, there were several talented individuals. Yu Yong-jun had his reasons for placing Li Yunzai in Class C.

Li Yunzai was still young, and this was the best time to build a solid foundation. If Yu Yong-jun were to personally teach him, it would be like pulling up the seedlings to help them grow, which would not benefit Li Yunzai and might even hinder him. Enduring some hardships was also a form of training. To stand on stage and receive countless applause, to appear on the front pages of newspapers and popular TV shows, one must first endure the difficult and lonely training.

"Teacher Han... I've brought him to you, so I'll be on my way!" Shin Hye-sung said to Teacher Han, who was guiding the trainees in dance.

"Sure... You're about to debut, so you must work hard!" Teacher Han said with a smile of satisfaction.

Shin Hye-sung nodded vigorously.

The trainees in the classroom looked at Li Yunzai with surprise, not expecting him to be so much younger than them. Li Yunzai also looked at them curiously, seeing a group of cute boys and girls who were as adorable as Park Soo-young and as beautiful as BoA, but without BoA's natural charisma.

"Li Yunzai, right? Welcome. From today on, you are the eleventh member of Class C. You must work hard from now on... If you can't handle the pressure of training, you can choose to quit!" Teacher Han said firmly.

Li Yunzai looked at the middle-aged man and nodded vigorously.

"Have you ever practiced dance before?" Teacher Han let the trainees continue their training and then asked Li Yunzai.

Li Yunzai subconsciously shook his head.

Teacher Han seemed unfazed and led Li Yunzai to the corner, where there were bars of varying heights. He placed his hand on a bar and said, "Alright, today we'll start by getting used to it and learning a simple leg stretch!" He then stepped back, lifted his leg, and placed it on a bar at an appropriate height, demonstrating the movement for Li Yunzai.

"This movement can help stretch your legs and shoulders. As a beginner, you can start by holding onto the bar beside you!"

After retracting his leg, Teacher Han gestured for Li Yunzai to try. Li Yunzai held onto the bar, lifted his foot, and placed it on a bar at what he thought was a suitable height. Teacher Han frowned, grabbed Li Yunzai's foot, and placed it on a higher bar.

"Don't think that your endurance is limited. Sometimes, you need to push beyond your limits to gain new experiences. I won't go easy on you just because you're young and a trainee personally selected by the CEO and Producer Yu. That would be harmful to you. I will give you special attention, but it will be to help you break your limits!"

Li Yunzai winced, and after just a few minutes, he already felt the pain deep in his bones. Following Teacher Han's instructions, Li Yunzai repeatedly performed the shoulder and leg stretches. Under strict requirements, each of his movements was textbook-perfect, but the direct effect was intense pain.

"This is just the first step. Since you're young, we'll start with one set, then rest for ten minutes, and continue. Do ten sets a day, with 250 repetitions per set, alternating legs."

Li Yunzai thought he had misheard when he heard Teacher Han's words, but looking at his stern, square face, it didn't seem like he was joking.

"Don't think I'm joking. You're doing 250 repetitions per set, while they do 500! I've reduced your training volume by half because you're young and physically weaker!" Teacher Han pointed to the trainees who were still training and said firmly.

Li Yunzai suddenly understood why so many trainees couldn't endure and were eliminated. This wasn't training; it was torture...

"Everything you learn is for yourself, not for me. I won't tell you not to be lazy. Training relies on self-discipline. Count silently, and after one set, you can rest for ten minutes. When you finish, you can go to sleep tonight." Teacher Han walked away, no longer paying attention to Li Yunzai.

Li Yunzai gritted his teeth and performed the movements meticulously, even if it took longer. Each leg stretch felt like a cramp, and the pain came in waves. It took him nearly an hour to complete one set. For him, this was an extremely difficult training, and the difficulty was not just high but also due to his lack of prior training. With practice, the pain would gradually diminish, but Li Yunzai was far from that level. It would take at least half a year to see some improvement.

After resting for ten minutes, Li Yunzai lifted his left foot, his right foot wobbling slightly. He grabbed the bar and started stretching his leg again. Although the pain in his left leg had not subsided, his movements were still precise, with only occasional minor errors. Notably, with the experience of 250 repetitions, he completed the set much faster, in just 50 minutes.

Although Teacher Han was constantly scolding other trainees, hitting and kicking them for their improper movements, he was still paying attention to Li Yunzai's progress. The training task he assigned to Li Yunzai was indeed challenging for a ten-year-old, but it was intentional to test Li Yunzai's resilience. So far, his movements were within the acceptable range.

By the time Li Yunzai completed the third set, he was drenched in sweat. Despite the air conditioning in the practice room, which made it much cooler than outside, he was under both physical and mental pressure. After the third set, he stood in the corner, massaging his calves, afraid to sit down, as he wouldn't be able to stand up again.

When Li Yunzai finished the third set, it was already six o'clock. However, there was no fixed mealtime for the trainees. All eleven trainees, including Li Yunzai, were still training. By 7 PM, after completing the fourth set, Li Yunzai could no longer endure the hunger. Most of the trainees had gone to eat, leaving only three or four in the practice room. Li Yunzai wiped the sweat from his forehead and, with trembling legs, walked out.

The cafeteria was a place that many S.M. Entertainment trainees and artists did not want to visit but had to. The menu hardly changed: kimchi, a small piece of pork rib, radish soup, seaweed soup, and bean sprout soup, year-round. One could endure it for a month or two, but after a year or two, even a glance would make one feel nauseous.

When Li Yunzai entered the cafeteria, he attracted considerable attention. Most trainees at S.M. Entertainment were 14 or older, and someone as young as Li Yunzai was rare. He scratched his head and walked to the serving window.

There was already a queue at the serving window. Li Yunzai wanted to see what was being served and took a step forward, but his next step was tripped by something. His legs were already trembling, and this unexpected trip caused him to fall forward, just as a trainee was walking by with a tray of food.

With a loud clatter, the tray of food hit the ground, and Li Yunzai fell face-first, covered in food, with debris on his head and in his mouth.

Ha ha ha...

The trainees in the cafeteria burst into laughter at Li Yunzai's awkward situation. They had known that Li Yunzai was a trainee personally selected by the CEO and producer, and they felt some jealousy. Seeing him in such a pitiful state, they couldn't help but laugh, and the cafeteria was filled with laughter.

"He's in trouble now, messing with Yoo Myung-dragon. He's in for a rough time..."

"Shh... Less talking, let's watch the show!"

Although Li Yunzai had fallen, he heard every word. It seemed that all the trainees didn't take him seriously and were completely unafraid, showing no restraint.

"Newcomer, can't you watch where you're going?" Yoo Myung-dragon glared at the fallen Li Yunzai, "What bad luck... If you weren't so young, I'd beat you up... Go get me a tray of food and clean this up!"

Li Yunzai struggled to stand up, spat a few times, and brushed off the food debris, shouting, "What are you laughing at? There's nothing to laugh about! Didn't you see I was tripped? Bullying me because I'm young? What's the point of that? I'm not afraid of you!"

Suddenly, the cafeteria fell silent. The trainees who had been laughing had their mouths open wide, and their smiles froze. They had heard that a young calf is not afraid of a tiger, and now they were witnessing the spirit of a young calf.

"Newcomer, you weren't watching where you were going. Who tripped you? We didn't see anyone... Knocking over a senior's tray without apologizing, you have no manners!" A 15-16-year-old trainee in the queue said sternly.

"Exactly... We all saw you trip and fall on your own. Can't you even walk? Have you been weaned yet... Ha ha ha... Go home and drink milk!"

"Hey, newcomer, are you still in diapers... Ha ha ha..."

"Don't say that... Who hasn't worn diapers before..."

Hearing the constant ridicule, Li Yunzai clenched his fists, feeling angry. He had come to eat, but now he had no appetite.

"Hey, kid... Where are you going...?" Yoo Myung-dragon grabbed Li Yunzai's collar as he tried to leave.

Li Yunzai struggled and said, "I'm not eating, okay... You're all bad people... Bullying me because I'm young, there's no one good here!"

"Ha... For a kid, you have a big mouth... Knocking over my food and getting away with it? That's too easy! I was going to make you pay for one tray, but now I want you to pay for one tray and five pork ribs..." Yoo Myung-dragon chuckled, clearly trying to make things difficult for Li Yunzai.

The five pork ribs were equivalent to five meals in the cafeteria. Most people couldn't afford to eat meat regularly and could only indulge when they received their monthly salary.

Li Yunzai glared at him angrily, took out some money, and threw it at him. He didn't want to bully others, but he also didn't want to be bullied. The person making things difficult for him was not a good person either.

Sigh...

Everyone sucked in a breath. Yoo Myung-dragon was the most promising trainee in Class B, with a high reputation and strong abilities. At 15, he was already qualified to enter Class A.

Sure enough, Yoo Myung-dragon's face darkened, and he looked extremely displeased.

"Hehe... This newcomer is in for it... Ha ha ha..."

"Yoo Myung-dragon isn't someone to mess with... Last time, a Class C trainee bumped into him and apologized, but still got slapped!"

"Who wouldn't be respected? He's experienced and strong, and the Class B teachers value him highly... He's already planned to move to Class A..."

"This newcomer has the spirit of a young calf, but calves always need to be disciplined to become obedient!"

The trainees from Class A and Class B watched coldly, finding some entertainment in the monotony of their training. The Class C trainees seemed to ignore it, eating with their heads down.

"Brat, I never hit kids who haven't been weaned. Apologize, or this won't be over!" Yoo Myung-dragon controlled his anger and shouted.

"I've already given you money, what more do you want! The money I gave you is enough to buy ten pork ribs. Five for the food, five for the apology, isn't that enough!" Li Yunzai met Yoo Myung-dragon's gaze defiantly.

"You brat..." Yoo Myung-dragon bared his teeth and grabbed Li Yunzai's ear, "No respect for seniors? Is this how you treat your seniors? It seems no one has taught you manners. I'll give you your first lesson in S.M. Entertainment: respect your seniors!"

Yoo Myung-dragon twisted Li Yunzai's ear hard. Although Li Yunzai was young, he didn't dare hit him, so he just scolded him.

"Seniors are just for show... What's so arrogant about it... You're just bullying people and acting like a senior. I spit on you!" Li Yunzai refused to back down.

Yoo Myung-dragon was furious. He had never encountered a junior who dared to openly defy a senior in the company. Juniors always showed respect, and no one had ever been so "arrogant."

Just as Yoo Myung-dragon raised his hand to strike, a clear voice came from the cafeteria entrance: "Yoo Myung-dragon, what are you doing!"

Yoo Myung-dragon's hand froze in mid-air, and he grinned, "Sister Jeong... This junior is disrespectful, and I'm just teaching him a lesson!"