Chapter 51: A Penny Less and You’re a Bastard

In a private room at C Restaurant, Lee Yunjae and Yoo Yongjin sat facing each other. It was their first meeting in four years, and there was so much to say, yet neither knew how to start.

"Ah... Time really does fly. In just four years, you've grown so tall... That's... That's great!" Yoo Yongjin looked at Lee Yunjae with a face full of satisfaction.

It was he who had brought Lee Yunjae into S.M, and after Yunjae entered Class A, he taught him composition and recording, almost imparting all his skills. Yunjae did not disappoint him, showing a potential that surpassed his teacher. In a sense, Super Junior, TVXQ, and even Girls' Generation could be considered his students, but among them, Lee Yunjae was the one who had learned the most and the best, and was his most beloved. He could be described as a direct disciple.

"Four years have passed, but you don't look any older, still the same as before... You've even put on some weight. It seems the food at S.M has improved a lot!" Lee Yunjae laughed.

"Have your vocal cords finally recovered after four years?" Yoo Yongjin's expression gradually turned serious as he asked with concern.

Lee Yunjae nodded and said, "Yeah, they're almost back to normal. Although they're not as clear and beautiful as before, I can still sing and continue in this industry!"

Yoo Yongjin could tell that when Yunjae said this, he showed no sadness, only a sense of沧桑 (cāngsāng, meaning "weathered" or "worldly-wise") that was out of place for his age.

"It seems this matter hasn't affected you. I'm very glad... I was always worried that you would disappear forever. Now that I see you're back on your feet, I'm really happy!" Yoo Yongjin's words were filled with relief, deeply touching Lee Yunjae, who could feel the genuine affection and the strong bond between them.

"Teacher, don't worry! You know me... It's not easy to knock me down with my stubbornness!"

"Ah, worry makes one lose one's head... I should have known. With your stubbornness, even ten oxen couldn't pull you back. How could you be content with a mundane life... The stage is where you belong!"

"Teacher, I signed with LOEN today!" After a moment of silence, Lee Yunjae looked up and said.

Yoo Yongjin was taken aback for a moment, then nodded and said, "LOEN is a good company. Signing with them won't be a bad deal. President Bae Songjin is much more straightforward than the people in our current company!"

Seeing the barely concealed disappointment on Yoo Yongjin's face, Lee Yunjae couldn't help but ask, "Teacher, what's wrong with S.M? You look very disappointed... Isn't S.M already the best agency in Korea? Shouldn't you be happy that your dream has come true?"

Yoo Yongjin shook his head and took a sip of wine, saying, "Ah, with a big company, anything can happen. It's too commercialized, and the contracts with artists are too strict. Something will go wrong eventually. When you were there, didn't HOT and神话 (Shénhuà, meaning "Myth," referring to the K-pop group Shinhwa) leave S.M because of this? The heavy investment in popular elements and elite trainees has made the stars they produce lack the unique character of the early HOT, Shinhwa, and S.E.S. They are too uniform... And the upper management... Ah, let's not talk about it. Although S.M is now a big and successful company, it feels increasingly unfamiliar to me, far less intimate than it was before 2000!"

"Let's not talk about that... Tell me about you! I listened to your song 'Elimination.' It's very good. Your composition skills have improved a lot... Even if you don't sing in the future, you can still go far in composition! But what's wrong with your voice? When you hit the high notes, although you sing them perfectly, it always gives me a feeling of lacking strength, like a hollow shell! Your breath control used to be very strong, so how did this happen?"

Lee Yunjae smiled bitterly, shook his head, and played with the wine glass in his hand, saying, "Teacher, your ears are still sharp. I thought I had done a subtle job, but you still noticed!"

"Of course... Don't forget, I've been listening to you sing for three whole years. If I didn't know your voice and breath control, I would be failing in my duty! Tell me honestly, is it still a problem with your vocal cords?" Yoo Yongjin asked seriously. Vocal cord issues are a matter of life and death for a singer.

Lee Yunjae nodded indifferently and said, "Actually, it's not a big deal. As long as I don't hit the really high notes, I can still manage the regular high notes. If it's a triple high note, I can't sing it, and my throat will hurt a lot afterward!"

"What... You can't sing triple high notes anymore?!" Yoo Yongjin's face showed a moment of shock.

Triple high notes were once Lee Yunjae's signature skill, which he had practiced for two and a half years to master. It was also one of his greatest features. Due to an accident, not only was his singing career almost ruined, but he also lost his most skilled singing technique, a significant loss, which is why Yoo Yongjin looked so shocked.

"Teacher, one shouldn't be too greedy. It's already a great achievement that I can speak and sing... Even if there were a miraculous cure, it couldn't restore my vocal cords to their original state!" Lee Yunjae, on the contrary, tried to comfort Yoo Yongjin.

Yoo Yongjin couldn't help but laugh bitterly, "You take it pretty well, but that's triple high notes. No singer today has such a wide range. At least, I haven't encountered anyone like that..."

"By the way, have you met Suzy, Junsu, and the others? They miss you a lot!" Yoo Yongjin asked.

Lee Yunjae shook his head and said, "Not yet. I want to make a grand return to the stage before I see them. It's not the right time yet..."

Yoo Yongjin didn't say anything more. If Lee Yunjae had made up his mind, even ten oxen couldn't change it.

"If you encounter any difficulties in the future, let me know... Although my abilities are limited, I'll do my best to help you!" Yoo Yongjin said sincerely.

Lee Yunjae's expression changed slightly, and after taking a deep breath, he said solemnly, "Teacher, besides catching up, I do have another matter to ask for your help!"

"Oh? What is it?" Yoo Yongjin put down his chopsticks and looked at Lee Yunjae with raised eyebrows.

Lee Yunjae rummaged through his backpack, took out a file, and handed it to Yoo Yongjin. When Yoo Yongjin opened the file, his calm eyes showed a ripple of surprise, and his pupils contracted in disbelief.

"What is this...?"

"Exactly... This is the copyright transfer statement for 'Gee.' S.M still owes me some copyright fees, so I might as well sell the copyright to S.M."

"Yunjae... Are you sure about this? 'Gee' is a song you composed. Can you bear to sell it?" Song copyright is unique to the creator. Many lyricists and composers make a living by selling songs, but selling the copyright is rare. Once the copyright is sold, the creator has no further connection to the song.

Lee Yunjae nodded and said, "I wrote this song mostly for my sister. Now that she has left S.M, keeping the copyright is useless... Besides, I need money to open a studio, so I might as well sell it!"

Although Lee Yunjae spoke lightly, Yoo Yongjin, due to his emotional state, didn't notice the tremor in Yunjae's voice.

"How much do you want?"

"400 million won!"

Yoo Yongjin's heart ached. 400 million won for a song's copyright was a sky-high price, even higher than that. Lee Yunjae was clearly trying to drive up the price. But Yoo Yongjin understood that if Lee Yunjae issued a legal statement prohibiting Girls' Generation from singing 'Gee,' it would be a fatal blow to S.M. There was also a bigger issue: E-TRIE had received an award at the Golden Disc Awards as the creator of 'Gee.' If Lee Yunjae really did this, it would severely undermine Lee Soo-man's position at S.M, not only exposing fraud but also ruining the newly successful Girls' Generation.

Of course, Yoo Yongjin knew that Lee Yunjae wouldn't go that far. He had many good friends in Girls' Generation and wouldn't harm them. Yoo Yongjin was clear about this.

"Alright, wait a moment, I'll contact them for you!" Yoo Yongjin said, not displeased, and walked out of the room with his phone.

This was a matter between Lee Yunjae and S.M, and he was just the messenger, with no involvement.

Lee Yunjae waited in the room for about ten minutes. When Yoo Yongjin returned, his face showed an indescribable expression, as if he had seen something incredible.

"Teacher, how did it go? Did S.M agree?" Lee Yunjae asked calmly, not really worried. Selling the copyright was beneficial for S.M, and although the price was high, he believed his song was worth it. If it were a year later, he would have asked for even more.

"Truly unexpected... S.M is willing to pay 500 million won for your song's copyright!" Yoo Yongjin said, though he found it hard to accept and believe. Lee Yunjae had asked for 400 million won, but Lee Soo-man had added another 100 million.

Lee Yunjae was taken aback for a few seconds, then shook his head. He immediately understood Lee Soo-man's intention, but he didn't care.

"Teacher, although I need the money, and a penny less is a bastard, 400 million is 400 million. I'll only sell for 400 million, no more, no less!" Lee Yunjae said firmly.