1novels 56. With powerful backers providing further support, a new world is on the horizon?
56. With powerful backers providing further support, a new world is on the horizon?
"My goodness, Kyungsung oppa's fluency in four languages is amazing!"
"He actually replied to fans personally, how kind and approachable!"
"Looks, charisma, and talent—this is a godsend!"
"Everyone who's passed by is a fan; she's so polite!"
Lee Kyung-sung's replies to fans from multiple countries went viral online—he switched fluently between Chinese, Japanese, Korean, and English, and even personally replied to and liked posts, prompting the CJ team to immediately take over his account for unified management.
This pebble thrown into the internet created ripples far beyond imagination. On South Korea's largest forums, DC Inside and Ilbe, the official tweet received over 12 likes and 3.4 comments in just half an hour, causing server warnings at one point.
On Weibo, related terms quickly topped the trending searches, and the three-language reply was forwarded more than 8 times. The comments were filled with amazement at Li Jingcheng.
The related tweets quickly accumulated over 5 likes and numerous retweets on forums and Twitter in major Asian American communities across the United States. Although they did not break into the mainstream, they caused a sensation within the Asian American community.
This time, the buzz isn't limited to South Korea; it has truly blossomed across China, Japan, South Korea, and the United States. Although it's primarily a hit within the Asian community in the US, invitations from various countries have been pouring into CJ headquarters.
The hype was completely out of control, with countless film and television offers, variety show opportunities, and business collaborations flooding into CJ Entertainment headquarters. Everyone in the Actors Department was running around like crazy, handling offers, organizing materials, and screening resources. Everyone was constantly on the go, but their faces were all beaming with undisguised smiles.
Even Lee Mi-kyung, who was on an overseas business trip, put aside all her schedules and rushed back to the company.
She sat behind her large desk, looking at the commercial performances that Kim Min-joo had specially selected, as well as the preliminary interest emails from three luxury brands. She slowly exhaled, then looked up at Kim Min-joo, who was sitting halfway across from her.
Dior Homme (Asia Pacific)
Cartier (Asia Pacific Marketing Department)
Rolex (Asia Pacific VIP Management Department)
Lee Mi-kyung secretly marveled at how quickly Lee Kyung-sung had risen to fame. She had been managing and coordinating local business resources, waiting for a full rollout, when suddenly several top luxury brands proactively extended collaboration offers.
"First, maintain contact with Dior and officially begin the collaboration. Cartier shouldn't delay either; immediately send someone to discuss cooperation matters."
"With Dior, we'll proceed steadily, providing Jingcheng with his precise height and body measurements, finalizing the process for the custom-made clothing gift, and maintaining a solid foundation for our initial collaboration with the brand."
"As for Rolex and Cartier, they are both watch brands. Rolex is subject to brand rules, but Cartier is different. Cartier directly gave Jingcheng the official title of dual-line ambassador, public exposure, commercial resources, and category rights. The value of the cooperation is far higher than the private friend rights of Rolex."
"Immediately assemble a dedicated team to follow up on Cartier's in-depth negotiations." After a moment's thought, Li Meijing finalized the plan, "Focusing on securing full rights to the dual-channel cooperation, official announcement resources, and exclusive contract terms to ensure the successful implementation of this top-tier luxury collaboration and solidify Li Jingcheng's top-tier fashion business strategy for 2012."
Recalling Lee Kyung-sung's ability to sing in four languages, Lee Mi-kyung added, "A single OST can't fully showcase his musical talent. Since Kyung-sung is fluent in four languages, we immediately contacted a top producer to tailor-make an original title track for him in Chinese, Korean, Japanese, and English. We'll collect and store these tracks, and release them at appropriate promotional times to build his personal music library."
Kim Min-joo immediately nodded in agreement and quickly wrote down each instruction in her personalized planning handbook.
Before Lee Mi-kyung could finish speaking, Kim Min-joo stepped forward and handed Lee Kyung-sung a detailed annual advancement plan to the table.
Compared to Lee Mi-kyung's grand strategy, she valued Lee Kyung-sung's potential far more than anyone else, and had already paved a path for this rising star to reach the top.
"Director Li, I have also compiled Jingcheng's annual development plan."
Li Meijing glanced at her, raised her hand to open the project proposal, her gaze sweeping over the layers of planning, and casually asked, "How's the filming progress of 'The Moon Embracing the Sun'? When do you expect to wrap up filming completely?"
"The filming of the series is progressing steadily and is expected to wrap up in mid-March 2012." Kim Min-joo answered accurately, having a thorough understanding of all the data. "Currently, Kyungsung has top-tier international popularity, and audience expectations are far ahead of the competition. MBC and the production team are already evaluating the possibility of a sequel."
Lee Mi-kyung paused slightly as she turned the page, then looked up at her. "Drama awards are just the beginning. After the newcomer award, we need to completely push him out of the drama circle and shift his focus entirely to Chungmuro. This year's core goal is correct—to fully support Lee Kyung-sung's entry into Chungmuro, to position him for the three major Korean film awards, and to help him establish himself in the Korean film industry as quickly as possible."
Upon hearing this, Kim Min-joo's eyes flashed with even greater sharpness, and she nodded emphatically.
Lee Mi-kyung noticed the film and television section highlighted at the end of the proposal, specifically the project information for "New World," and quietly asked, "I remember that Park Hoon-jung's role as Lee Jae-cheng was already cast as Lee Jung-jae, wasn't it?"
It's important to understand that Lee Jung-jae is not a minor actor like Kim Soo-hyun who can be manipulated by others. He is a recognized powerhouse in the Korean film industry, a top box office draw, and the youngest Blue Dragon Film Award winner in Korea.
A forced change of leadership by capital will inevitably cause an uproar in the industry, posing a significant risk and directly impacting Li Jingcheng's reputation in the industry as he begins his career.
He directly snatched the role from Kim Soo-hyun, and apart from Bae Yong-joon, nobody in the industry cared.
But Lee Jung-jae is different.
Kim Min-joo was prepared and replied, "Director, I have already assessed the risks, and they are completely manageable. Lee Jung-jae has only made initial contact and no formal contract has been signed. He just finished filming 'The Thieves' and is currently hesitant about taking on similar dark crime dramas, so he hasn't agreed to the role yet."
"Whether it's appearance, temperament, character design, the depth of the role, or the quality of the crime genre, everything perfectly matches Kyung Sung. More importantly, this role is extremely versatile and full of explosive potential, making it the best springboard to win the three major Chungmuro awards."
"Furthermore, it will greatly help with future collaborations with Dior menswear."
"As for director Park Hoon-jung..." Kim Min-joo was also somewhat helpless, but she still wanted to help Kyung-sung. "As long as he is willing to give Kyung-sung a chance, I believe he will know who to choose."
Upon hearing this, Lee Mi-kyung picked up the project materials for "New World" again and reviewed them carefully. As a seasoned and top-notch producer, she had been deeply involved in the film and television industry for many years and could naturally see the potential of "New World," having weighed the pros and cons in her mind.
A moment later, she immediately made a decision: "Contact producer Han Jae-deok and director Park Hoon-jung immediately to finalize the scheduling and give priority to arranging for Lee Kyung-sung to participate in a special audition for the role of Lee Ja-sung."
"Understood!" Kim Min-joo immediately bowed in response.
When she was planning Lee Kyung-sung's projects for this year, she had already privately arranged for someone to contact him, outlining a comprehensive plan to pave the way for Lee Kyung-sung's success in Chungmuro and to compete for top film awards.
the other side,
With nothing to do, Lee Kyung-sung leaned back on the sofa in the rest area, his fingers flying across his phone screen as he replied to private messages from Bae Joo-hyun, Im Yoon-ah, Kim Ji-soo, and Lee Hyeri.
He meticulously crafted each word, carefully editing each sentence before sending it, inwardly marveling at what it was like to be a player. But he showed no impatience with these universally acknowledged top female celebrities; on the contrary, he thoroughly enjoyed it.
Na Yong-ho and Minister Park have finalized all the follow-up arrangements, and it's time for them to leave MBC.
The two stepped into the elevator, the enclosed space unusually quiet. Several industry staff and celebrities happened to be standing in the elevator, their subtle yet curious gazes all falling on Li Jingcheng.
Fortunately, Li Jingcheng's baseball cap was pulled low and his mask covered most of his face, obscuring most of it. He seemed completely unconcerned about the curious glances around him, his eyes lowered as he continued to slowly look at his phone.
Back in the car, Luo Yonghao fastened his seatbelt before speaking.
"Tomorrow we're shooting for the GQ KOREA early spring special supplement. We'll be shooting in winter and it won't be officially released until spring. Arrive at the GQ studio at 8 a.m., and I'll pick you up from your house at 7 a.m. sharp."
"Okay," Lee Kyung-sung nodded, chatting on his phone. Although he already knew he had a schedule tomorrow, thankfully Bae Joo-hyun had agreed to come over that evening, so he could deal with tomorrow's plans tomorrow.