Chapter 28: Singing Competition at Dongdaemun

The atmosphere in the office instantly relaxed as Yoo Young-jin and Kim Sung-ju let out long sighs of relief after learning about Lee Soo-man's plan. The company had been in operation for nearly three years, and although it had successfully launched the HOT group, it was far from being complacent. They needed to proceed cautiously and avoid any decisive mistakes. Fortunately, Lee Soo-man's plan was perfect; otherwise, S.M. Entertainment would have faced a crisis, which it could not afford at the moment.

"Looks like the talent resources of YG and Tae Hong Entertainment aren't too bad, otherwise they wouldn't have approached us to buy trainees!" Kim Sung-ju rubbed his chin and said lightly.

"It's the golden age of entertainment, and they are newly established agencies, so they naturally want to establish themselves quickly and make a profit during this golden period. However, what they lack most are elite trainees. It's more cost-effective for them to buy a few from other agencies with rich talent resources rather than cultivate them from scratch!" Lee Soo-man had long seen through Yang Hyun-suk and Park Jin-young's intentions. However, he wanted to stir up the waters, and without these two, it wouldn't be possible. Among the new agencies, he still favored YG and Tae Hong.

"Aren't you afraid they'll grow too big?" Yoo Young-jin asked, somewhat worried.

"Grow big... hehe..." Lee Soo-man chuckled, "We are chasing DSP, which is currently the strongest agency. But with just S.M., we are far from being able to compete with DSP alone. So we need to stir up the waters and bring in a few crocodiles. Then DSP won't have it so easy!"

"Indeed, it will be a crocodile pond!" Kim Sung-ju sighed.

"Yong-jin, you need to hurry up and make sure Yoo Jin and the others work hard to debut before December. According to reliable sources, DSP is secretly training a girl group, which is very strong and preparing to debut. We must debut before them, seize the opportunity, and occupy the market gap where there are no girl groups. Seizing the opportunity first will allow us to grab the chance. This is a great opportunity, and I have a feeling that S.E.S will achieve unprecedented success!" Lee Soo-man instructed solemnly.

Yoo Young-jin nodded heavily. In a certain sense, S.E.S was more important than H.O.T., which was why S.E.S would debut before H.O.T. In the current entertainment market, where there were no girl groups, whoever seized the market first would receive unprecedented economic returns. Lee Soo-man had foresight, unlike other agencies that only focused on boy groups. He always saw the first-mover advantage and business opportunities.

"There's another serious matter!" Suddenly, Lee Soo-man became serious.

"What is it?" Yoo Young-jin asked, wondering if there was anything more serious than the previous two matters.

"Yang Hyun-suk from YG, when he asked to buy trainees, specifically requested Lee Yoon-jae!" Lee Soo-man said with a grim expression.

Yoo Young-jin and Kim Sung-ju's faces immediately changed. The situation... was indeed serious.

"It seems we have a rat in our company!" Yoo Young-jin sighed. The "rat" referred to someone who sold the company's secrets to other agencies for profit. Every agency wanted to obtain the internal secrets of other agencies and would even pay off more rats, but they did not want such people in their own company.

Sometimes, human nature is so contradictory.

"What should we do... If this continues, isn't the transparency of our internal information too high... How did they even know about Lee Yoon-jae... It must have been someone from the initial audition!" Kim Sung-ju clenched his teeth, his face showing some resentment.

"Let's not publicize this. We can catch the rat slowly. If everyone in the company knows, it will be a disaster for S.M. It's said that if you doubt someone, you shouldn't use them, and if you use someone, you shouldn't doubt them. If employees are suspected and distrusted by the upper management, it will create panic and even mutual suspicion among employees, leading to the company's disintegration! We must be cautious about this!" Yoo Young-jin said solemnly.

"Agreed, I share the same thoughts as Yong-jin. Let the rat continue to exist... Besides, our company doesn't have any secrets worth digging up. There are no under-the-table rules, and even if the outside world knows some of our internal affairs, it won't matter!" Lee Soo-man said firmly. In the entertainment industry, although S.M. might be accused of exploiting artists, it absolutely did not engage in under-the-table rules. Such practices would be fatal to both artists and the company, so Lee Soo-man was very strict about it, especially since his goal was to make S.M. one of the top agencies in Korea and Asia, where under-the-table rules were absolutely not tolerated.

"By the way, are you really planning to send BoA to Japan in the next few days? Have you made all the arrangements?" The time was too tight, and Kim Sung-ju looked at Lee Soo-man with some doubt.

"Don't worry about that! I've already contacted Avex in Japan, and they can take care of BoA without any problems. Once in Japan, BoA will learn Japanese and English in a closed training environment. I hope she won't disappoint me!"

Avex! Yoo Young-jin and Kim Sung-ju finally nodded in relief. Although Avex Records was founded in 1988, it had successfully replaced Sony as the top record company in Japan in recent years, with substantial strength far beyond what S.M. could match. With Avex's protection in Japan, they could rest assured.

...

Yoo Myung-dragon left quietly, without anyone seeing him off. This also indirectly showed that his relationships within the company were not good, as no one even came to see him off.

BoA called home and told her parents about the company's plan to send her to Japan for further training. Although her parents were somewhat reluctant, since BoA had already chosen this path, and going to Japan was clearly better than staying in Korea, they did not try to stop her. They only said they would come to see her the next day.

After the mid-term exams, things quickly calmed down. Although Lee Soo-man had announced two matters that shook the entire S.M. company, the trainees soon returned to their training. BoA's departure had little impact on them, and Yoo Myung-dragon's departure was something they had hoped for. In the past, the younger trainees always felt "on edge" when they saw Yoo Myung-dragon, fearing they might offend him. Now, they no longer had to worry about such things.

After training for a while, Lee Yoon-jae went to the medical room to change his bandages and then left the company. Since he had placed third in Class C, he was allowed to rest for half a day.

Sighing slightly as he walked along the street, Lee Yoon-jae thought about BoA going to Japan, and soon, even Wen Zheng-hao, Yoo Jin, and others would debut. In the future, he would mostly be running errands and staying in the dorm, rarely coming to the company. In S.M., he would be alone. Only now did he realize that he had no real friends in Seoul, and deep in his heart, he thought of his vague and intangible home in Seoul.

"Ah! I almost forgot, November 5th is BoA's birthday... Now she's going to Japan, I can't celebrate it with her..."

After much thought, Lee Yoon-jae decided to go to Dongdaemun to buy a birthday gift for BoA. Although he couldn't celebrate her birthday, he wanted to at least give her a gift, especially since it was her first birthday after they met.

...

Dongdaemun was originally built in 1396 during the reign of King Taejo and was rebuilt in 1453 during the reign of King Danjong. The current gate was reconstructed in 1869 during the reign of King Gojong. It is said that the name "Heunginjimun" originated during the reign of King Sejo (1455-1468). Now it is generally known as Dongdaemun, but some people call it Heunginjimun to restore its original name.

The most distinctive feature is the outer wall surrounding the gate. The outer wall is a semi-circular wall that encloses the gate. Due to the low terrain, it was difficult to defend against enemies, so the outer wall was built to protect against enemy attacks. From a geographical perspective, this is very reasonable. The stones of the outer wall are of different colors due to repairs.

At the center of the stone axis is the Hongnimmun, which has a two-story gatehouse. The front of the gatehouse has five rooms, and the side has two rooms. The roof is a corner pavilion. The eaves are adorned with various animal statues, which are said to ward off evil spirits, making it very interesting. The details of Dongdaemun are relatively soft and decorative, reflecting the typical architectural style of the late Joseon period.

Since Dongdaemun was designated as a clothing wholesale district, it has developed rapidly. About 30 malls, 30,000 stores, and 50,000 production companies are concentrated here, making Dongdaemun a bustling commercial area that everyone in Seoul must visit. It is also one of the largest wholesale markets in Asia. Within a one-kilometer radius, this area is home to fabric, clothing accessories, production, design, and distribution companies, covering all functions related to the clothing industry. The excellent clothing development capabilities, multi-variety small-batch production, quick response system for the shortest delivery time, and reasonable prices are the characteristics of this area, making it one of the largest fashion industry clusters in Asia. It is especially known for its combination of wholesale and retail and its popularity with late-night shoppers.

Although Dongdaemun is a wholesale market, it is filled with numerous stores, making it even more bustling than Myeongdong. It attracts a large number of people, selling a wide range of mid-to-low-end products suitable for all Koreans and foreigners. The items sold are affordable for ordinary Koreans, unlike the expensive and impractical leather goods and clothing found in Myeongdong.

About half an hour later, Lee Yoon-jae appeared at Dongdaemun and entered a large mall. The variety of goods made his eyes widen.

Clothes, bags... Lee Yoon-jae passed these by and specifically visited toy stores. Winnie the Pooh, teddy bears, soft toys with a comfortable feel.

In the end, Lee Yoon-jae spent 70,000 won on a large brown teddy bear, bigger than himself.

Although the teddy bear was not heavy, it was taller than Lee Yoon-jae. Struggling, he carried the teddy bear out, attracting many curious glances from customers. Some commented on how cute the teddy bear was, while others whispered about how adorable the child was.

Before he knew it, Lee Yoon-jae had left the store, and it was already 3 PM.

At 3 PM, all the pedestrians seemed to be in a hurry, rushing to a specific place. Lee Yoon-jae looked to his right and saw a large backdrop, which appeared to be a stage.

"3 PM... Ah, right! Jang-ho mentioned that every weekend at 3 PM, there's a singing competition at Dongdaemun, and the winner gets a substantial gift card!"

Curious, Lee Yoon-jae took a few steps and slowly approached. As he got closer, he realized the crowd was unimaginably large. There were three inner circles and three outer circles, forming a human wall around the stage. Fortunately, being a child, Lee Yoon-jae could slip through the gaps, and the adults didn't mind, allowing him to move forward.

Soon, Lee Yoon-jae passed through the entire human wall. A circle of stainless steel railings surrounded the stage, and the audience respected the boundary, not crossing it.

Looking up, Lee Yoon-jae saw that the stage was quite high, allowing even those at the back to see. He couldn't see the stage earlier due to his height.

At the front of the stage were two large high-fidelity speakers, and that was it. The stage was simple.

After a few minutes, a young woman who looked like a hostess walked onto the stage, and the men in the audience cheered excitedly.

Lee Yoon-jae winced at the shrill cheers.

"Ladies and gentlemen, today is our weekly singing competition at Dongdaemun. The rules are the same: the top three winners will receive gift cards worth 200,000, 150,000, and 100,000 won, respectively. These gift cards can be used at any store or shop in Dongdaemun! To determine the winner, the first 200 audience members received a piece of paper. After the competition, they will vote fairly, placing their votes in the box corresponding to the contestant's number! This is a fair competition, with no cheating, which is our principle at Dongdaemun!"

After the hostess's explanation, the singing competition began.

However, after watching the first contestant, Lee Yoon-jae felt that the gift cards were too easy to win. The man on stage was tone-deaf and made several mistakes in the lyrics, drawing a chorus of boos. Lee Yoon-jae couldn't help but join in the booing.

However, he admired the man's thick skin, as he managed to finish the entire song despite his tone-deafness. It seemed the competition was more for entertainment, with no prior screening. As long as one could sing, they were welcome, regardless of their skill level.

The second contestant was at least in tune, though he turned a good song into something unrecognizable. Still, it was better than the first.

The third, fourth, and fifth contestants... As the competition progressed, Lee Yoon-jae realized his initial thoughts were partly wrong. The later contestants, though amateurs, seemed to have some experience, likely from KTV. They were better than the earlier ones, and a few girls even performed well, likely from performing arts schools, drawing continuous applause from the audience.

The crowd grew, with at least two to three thousand people surrounding the stage, the atmosphere becoming more intense, and the cheers growing louder.

"This is a real stage!" Lee Yoon-jae thought to himself, feeling a surge of excitement. If he could stand on that stage and captivate the audience, it would be an incredible feeling.

As time passed, the sky grew dark, and the stage lights turned on, creating a concert-like atmosphere. The later contestants had better singing and dancing skills, likely trainees from other agencies, earning extra money.

"I'll wait until I enter Class A before trying!" Although Lee Yoon-jae wanted to participate, he knew his current skills were far from those of the later contestants. He realized he still had much to learn.

Looking up, he saw the night had fallen. Just as he was about to turn and navigate through the crowd again, a sudden burst of cheers erupted from the front of the stage.

"Jiaxi... Jiaxi... Jiaxi..."

Lee Yoon-jae was taken aback and turned to look. On stage, a tall, slender girl with long black hair and a fringe covering her forehead stood with a slight smile, enjoying the cheers from the audience.