Chapter 124: The Producer

Entertainment Is All Around Me

Story begins: January 2007
Recommended song: “The Silk Road” by Fish Leong
Disclaimer: This story is entirely fictional. Please do not assume that any character refers to a real person. Any similarities are purely coincidental!

The excitement of “10,000 People Gathering” had yet to fade, but Jiang Yihan still could not stop moving forward, because tomorrow was the comeback stage on Inkigayo.

Speaking of “10,000 People Gathering,” one had to admit that SBS had been wise to spend so much money winning that particular battle. Three days after Inkigayo ended, SBS broadcast the program and achieved an astonishing fifty percent viewership rating. For a variety show to draw such an audience instantly made SBS forget the pain of having spent so much money and break into delighted smiles.

Of course, that was a matter for later. What mattered now was tomorrow’s Inkigayo performance.

Today was the first time Jiang Yihan and Han Geng had rehearsed together. Yes, their first time. Since they belonged to different companies and both had extremely busy schedules, they should have begun rehearsing together a week ago. But their schedules had never allowed them to meet, so until now they had trained separately. Tomorrow they would already be stepping onto the stage.

The two of them nervously practiced the choreography together, using bottles of mineral water as microphones as they rehearsed their vocals.

“Yihan, you got the steps wrong here. It should be like this,” Han Geng said, correcting him. When it came to dancing alone, Han Geng was certainly Jiang Yihan’s senior, so it was only natural for him to offer guidance. “Not like that. You need to exert force from your waist, then use it to lead the change in your footwork. Yes, that’s it…”

Under Han Geng’s instruction, the two practiced for nearly three hours. When they checked the time, Han Geng realized he still had a radio program that evening. It was time for him to leave.

“Yihan, I heard about what happened at ‘10,000 People Gathering’ yesterday,” Han Geng said, wiping away his sweat. “From now on, you have to believe in yourself, and don’t take those anti-fans’ words too seriously. Otherwise, you’ll only make yourself miserable. Do you think I have fewer anti-fans now? Whenever I see or hear what they say, I still feel awful. Sometimes they even drag my parents into it. It’s truly unbearable. There’s no way not to feel sad or hurt. These days, I try not to look at it. Don’t let them control your mood. What matters is that we do our best. The people who support us will see our efforts, won’t they?”

“Yeah. I’m under a lot of pressure, and so are you. This industry really is exhausting.” Jiang Yihan gave a bitter smile. “But don’t worry. I’ve already adjusted. The better you perform, the more pathetic those anti-fans’ behavior will become. You only need to ignore them.”

The two Chinese men working in Korea had both endured varying degrees of pressure, and they were both worn out. Still, having someone who could share their burdens made everything feel much easier.

Jiang Yihan had thanked Han Geng countless times for taking such a great risk to steal the videotape and help him clarify the truth. By now, he no longer knew what else he could say to express his feelings. Perhaps the only thing he could do was support Han Geng and be a friend he could confide in.

After seeing Han Geng off in his van, Jiang Yihan returned to the rehearsal room. “Rainbow” and “Fool’s Tears” were the main songs he needed to practice next. The choreography for both songs was somewhat difficult, and mistakes were easy to make without thorough rehearsal.

Just as Jiang Yihan was sweating profusely, Jiang Ziyi walked in.

“Brother, that boss wants you to go upstairs for a moment.”

“Boss” was how the two siblings referred to Jiang Haotian—a distant and unfamiliar title.

Jiang Yihan stopped, his body stiffening slightly. Ever since he had signed with the company, Jiang Haotian had taken the initiative to contact him several times, but Jiang Yihan had refused every meeting. Even their phone conversations remained polite and distant. Jiang Haotian had also tried to communicate with Jiang Ziyi, only to discover that she was the one who truly did not care.

“I’ve never seen you, and I’ve never heard your voice. To me, you’re simply my boss—the owner of Y-One. Nothing more.”

Jiang Ziyi had spoken calmly. Her excessive calmness made her words even more painful, and Jiang Haotian had been the one hurt by them.

“I know you want to do something for us. If you really want to help, then please make my brother happier. I don’t know how much he once expected from you, but I do know how deeply disappointed he is in you. Seventeen years of emptiness cannot be filled by a single sentence or a contract. Mom said that you have your own life, and we have ours. Keeping things as they are is the best choice. We shouldn’t have anything to do with one another. So as far as I’m concerned, life with you and life without you are no different. If you truly want to change something, then treat my brother better.”

Jiang Haotian knew that none of Jiang Ziyi’s words had been wrong. To her, it was as though this father had never existed. If he did not acknowledge the relationship himself, even the blood that connected them could be disregarded.

As for Jiang Yihan, he had once held expectations, then suffered disappointment, and even carried hatred. But now he was trying his hardest to calm himself. Jiang Haotian suddenly realized that perhaps, as Zhou Bing had said, keeping things as they were really was the best choice.

For Jiang Haotian, keeping things as they were meant only hoping to hear his children’s voices more often and see them more frequently. Work was now the sole connection between the two sides, and it was the only path through which he could make an effort.

In truth, Jiang Yihan had already abandoned his expectations of Jiang Haotian. But completely letting go was impossible. The word “father”—both unfamiliar and familiar—continued to torment him. Though he no longer expected anything from Jiang Haotian, the man was still his father: the most familiar stranger. To Jiang Yihan, that was the definition of Jiang Haotian. No one knew what it felt like to meet a familiar stranger.

Jiang Yihan shook his head, forcing himself to stop dwelling on it.

“What does the boss want me for?”

“It seems to be something work-related. Xiaolong was called in too.” Jiang Ziyi walked beside her brother and handed him a bottle of water.

“Is it only Zhilong, or is all of Big Bang here?” Jiang Yihan returned his attention to work and voiced his question.

“Looks like Xiaolong is the only one.” Jiang Ziyi tilted her head and thought for a moment. “I didn’t go into the office, so I’m not sure. You’ll know once you go in.”

As they spoke, they reached the office. Jiang Ziyi returned to her own studio, while Jiang Yihan pushed open the heavy door.

“Brother Yihan.” Kwon Jiyong rose from his chair and greeted him. He was the only one in the room; clearly, the other members of Big Bang had not come.

“Hello, Boss.” Jiang Yihan exchanged a glance with Kwon Jiyong, then greeted Jiang Haotian, who was seated at the front.

“Yihan, I asked you here today because there are two things I’d like to discuss with you.” Jiang Haotian had seen enough of the world not to let his emotions show. “You produced your third album yourself. How did it feel?”

Producer? Jiang Yihan had not expected that to be the subject, but he answered anyway.

“Being a producer is actually very difficult. You have to consider the overall direction of the album, song selection, the design of its style, and so on. It’s highly specialized work. Producing my own album was manageable because I understand myself relatively well.”

“What if you produced someone else’s album?” Jiang Haotian asked seemingly casually, though the question carried considerable weight.

Every company had dedicated album producers and specialized personnel. Professionals could naturally bring distinctive strengths to the work; producing an album was an entire field of expertise. Yet Jiang Haotian suddenly wanted Jiang Yihan to become a producer. Whether this reflected trust in him or some other reason, no one could say.

“Whose album?” Jiang Yihan asked, frowning deeply.

“Big Bang’s new album.” Jiang Haotian gestured toward Kwon Jiyong, who was sitting nearby. “GD—Kwon Jiyong’s stage name is G-Dragon—is a singer-songwriter himself. The songs he writes are excellent and suit their style very well. I hope you can work with him to produce Big Bang’s new album.”

“You mean Xiaolong and I would collaborate?” Jiang Yihan was somewhat confused. “But doesn’t the company have many excellent producers? Why me?”

“Haha, of course I know the company has many excellent producers.” Jiang Haotian smiled. “But many outstanding producers are famous singers themselves, because they understand music better than outsiders. Besides, you and Xiaolong are familiar with each other, and you also know the youngest member, Seungri. You even coached him before. People who know one another tend to understand each other’s stylistic direction better.

“Moreover, although our company has many major stars, your results are still the best. There are many reasons you represent our company: your own songwriting and production abilities have been recognized, and your work on your third album has demonstrated your strength. Helping Big Bang produce an album is a direction that Lee Tong and Yang Hyun-suk discussed with me and believe is feasible. What do you think?”

Jiang Haotian had presented a series of convincing reasons, but Jiang Yihan did not agree immediately.

“My schedule is very full lately, and I don’t have much time. Besides, I need to think about it. What do you think?”

“Of course. Your own career must come first before you take on anything else. That’s the condition.” Jiang Haotian replied, “I only wanted to inform you today and let GD know the situation as well. You can discuss it and exchange opinions between yourselves first. If you’re willing, just have Li Ran submit a report to me later.”

“Then isn’t there a second matter?” Jiang Yihan exchanged a smile with Kwon Jiyong. Collaboration really was a curious thing.

“Yes. The second matter is that the company wants to select some new talent, and I’d like your opinion.”

“Me? My opinion?” Jiang Yihan clearly had not expected this. “Don’t trainees already have managers? There are also staff members who keep records, as well as teachers. You should ask them for their opinions.”

“I certainly will. But they’ve spent so much time together that they’ve developed feelings for one another, and some of their evaluations may not be entirely objective. I want you to look at the matter as an outsider. You’re probably quite familiar with our trainees, so your opinion should carry some weight.”

Jiang Haotian still seemed unfathomable, but when he saw the doubt on Jiang Yihan’s face, he continued explaining.

“To be honest, Yihan, I want you to help our company produce some albums and improve their quality first. At the same time, I want to use your current influence to help advance the careers of our other artists.”

In other words, it was simply the businessman in him speaking. Jiang Yihan suddenly understood.

“I understand what you mean, but I’m not omnipotent, and I’m not suited to every style of music,” Jiang Yihan explained. “A professional producer would do a much better job than I could in many cases. And my own schedule is already very demanding. I won’t have much time to spare. Surely you, as the boss, know that.”

“Haha, of course I know all that.” Jiang Haotian had clearly considered the matter for a long time before arranging today’s meeting.

“First, as for the producer issue: there are indeed many excellent producers, but from a singer’s perspective, you are currently the top producer in Korea. Your excellence is beyond question.

“Second, regarding musical style: the style used to shape an artist is certainly important. At present, your strengths lie in ballads, hip-hop, and certain dance styles, all of which are among the prevailing trends in recent years. So when it comes to developing artists, your musical range is perfectly suitable.

“Finally, regarding time: we only hope that you’ll offer advice as a producer. You won’t be the primary person in charge. Our company has many artists, but the ones who currently need your guidance are Big Bang and this new group we’re preparing to launch. Lee Hyori’s album may also seek your involvement, but that won’t be until six months from now. So you definitely have enough time.

“You guided Big Bang’s Seungri before, didn’t you? When it comes to teaching, I think you ought to have confidence in your own abilities.”

After listening, Jiang Yihan remained silent for a long while.

“So what you mean is that you want me to provide more assistance behind the scenes as a producer, correct?”

“Yes.” Jiang Haotian gave a straightforward answer. “In fact, when an excellent singer helps produce someone else’s album, it can also inspire him and push him to improve. That was part of my thinking as well.”

Jiang Haotian’s reasoning was sound. For a singer, becoming a producer, composer, or lyricist was an excellent way to seek inspiration. Several well-known Korean singers, such as Wheesung and Lee Min-woo, were also producers. They were not only outstanding singers but highly capable producers as well.

This was common throughout the world. Top singers becoming producers was nothing unusual. So Jiang Haotian’s proposal was not particularly surprising. Jiang Yihan had already tried it once with Lee Seung-hyun and a second time on his own album; he simply had not given the matter much thought.

“I’ll think it over carefully.” Becoming a producer—an excellent producer—was certainly tempting for a singer. It was the most direct affirmation of one’s abilities.

“Oh, there’s one more thing.” Jiang Haotian stopped the two men as they were preparing to leave. “You’ll be partnering with Lee Hyori on Samsung’s advertising campaign this season. Also, the uniforms for our Ziyi Academy have just been released, and you’ll be collaborating with Big Bang on that project. I haven’t spoken to Li Ran yet, so I wanted to let you know first.”

After they left the office, Kwon Jiyong was visibly excited. For an excellent songwriter and composer, becoming a producer was certainly an affirmation of his talent. Kwon Jiyong now had the opportunity to produce his own next album, especially since his gift for hip-hop was extraordinary.

“Brother Yihan, it would be incredible if you produced our album.”

Seeing how excited Kwon Jiyong was, Jiang Yihan was puzzled.

“Why is becoming a producer such a wonderful thing?”

“You don’t know?” Kwon Jiyong had spent seven years as a trainee, so he naturally understood the industry far better than Jiang Yihan. “For a music creator, becoming the producer of an album—and having that album receive recognition—is an enormous honor. Your third album is selling so well, and you’re also its producer. I imagine that from now on, you’ll receive no shortage of song requests and invitations to produce other artists’ albums. For a songwriter and composer, it’s a burden, but even more than that, it’s a form of recognition.”

Only then did Jiang Yihan understand. He nodded, finally realizing the significance of their conversation that day.

It proved that he had already become one of the top singers in Korea’s music industry.

What a wonderful surprise!