Chapter 127: Newcomer Selection

Jiang Yihan’s comeback schedule was flourishing and gradually stabilizing, with each engagement meticulously organized. Following consultations with Li Ran, Jiang decided to accept a new assignment: stepping into the behind-the-scenes world of music production. It appeared that the mentor-student connection he had formed with Lee Seung-hyun late last year was now set to expand significantly. Selecting new talent was a major project, and for Jiang, it served as both a validation of his abilities and a boost to his career.

“Producer Jiang is here.”

Standing at the entrance of the first practice studio, Jiang said to Li Ran, “I’m a bit nervous today. What if I go in there and they don’t respect me?”

“Not respect you? Then let them show you the talent to make you respect them—if they’re good enough, you know?” Li Ran said firmly. “Your talent has already been recognized by everyone. If they don’t respect you, then why are they still trainees while you are already among the top-tier singers? The facts have already proven that even if they don't want to respect you, they have to.”

“Haha, listening to you, I feel like a local landlord. I still had some luck involved in getting where I am today.” Jiang’s tension eased significantly.

“Luck? Even if there was luck, you were the one who seized the opportunity and grasped that luck. Now, you are providing them with an opportunity—the same luck you once had. Whether they can seize it depends on them, you know?” Li Ran remained fully confident in Jiang.

“Right!” Jiang took a deep breath, opened the door to the practice studio, and walked in.

The room was packed with nearly a hundred people. This was likely the entire roster of ONE’s current trainees—not too many, but certainly not few. Previously, the trainee pools of ABC and YG were not large, and now that they had merged, combined with a small group of new recruits selected after ONE was established, this was the result. It could be said that ONE’s current reserve strength was indeed too thin; it could hardly be called a major company yet. Therefore, there was an urgent need to launch new talent—a powerful debut to drive the company’s average strength. This was ONE’s plan, and also its ambition.

And Jiang Yihan was the executor of this “new talent launch.” Regardless of who objected or who was dissatisfied, Jiang was now the producer for this group of trainees.

The entire process was naturally being filmed. The selection process for Big Bang at YG had been recorded and broadcast, achieving a great response, and this time, ONE did not let the opportunity slip. Well, let the cameras exist naturally; let’s return to the spectacle in the room.

As soon as Jiang walked in, the room erupted in unison: “Senior, hello!” The greeting was slightly uncoordinated, but it carried plenty of spirit.

Though Jiang felt a bit nervous and intimidated by the scale, he kept a smile on his face and nodded in greeting. “Everyone, please sit down. Don’t be so nervous, haha!”

Once everyone was seated, Jiang gathered his thoughts, preparing to lay out the situation. “Hello everyone, I am Jiang Yihan, and I am in charge of your selection process. I know some of you may have been training for a long time—as far as I know, the longest is six years—while others just joined, perhaps less than a month ago. No matter when you started, you are under my management now. You might be unconvinced, you might be annoyed, or you might be unwilling, but this is the reality, so you had better work hard.”

Although Jiang’s words were somewhat overbearing, they were the truth. Indeed, those who had trained for several years were not entirely convinced. While Jiang was now a top-tier singer, it was normal for them to have their own opinions, considering he had been in the industry for less than three years and now held the power over their careers. But what Jiang said was also fact; obeying him was the wisest choice. Moreover, given his current talent, status, and popularity, the mere attention garnered by the newcomers he produced would be enough. Therefore, the nearly one hundred men and women present nodded and replied in unison, “Yes.”

“Some of you have been training for quite a while but have never had the chance to debut. Perhaps it was lack of opportunity, lack of luck, or a deficiency in talent, but regardless, the fact remains that you haven’t debuted. And for the newcomers, you may not even know where your own shortcomings lie yet.” Jiang didn’t preach; he simply presented the facts. “So, no matter what I say or what decisions I make, it will lack persuasion because I don’t know you well enough yet; my decisions are bound to be subjective. I have thought of a simple method—the one I feel is the most appropriate.”

Jiang stated the method for this selection directly. “There are about a hundred people here, right? With such a large number, individual selection would inevitably lead to omissions. So, I thought: I don’t know you, but you know yourselves, and you know the talent of your peers, right?”

Everyone nodded. That was true; others might not know what one thought, but one certainly knew oneself. Moreover, having lived together for years, they were well-acquainted with each other’s abilities.

“I will give you three opportunities to showcase yourselves. Those who seize them will pass the first round and enter the second. Of course, those who aren’t selected will have to continue working hard.” Jiang’s words were crisp and clear, offering everyone hope. These three opportunities were exactly what they needed; if they seized them, a debut would be natural, and complaining afterward would be pointless. “Back then, CEO Li Tong gave me a chance, and I seized it. That is why I am standing here today. Today, I am giving you three chances; whether you seize them or not is up to you.”

Jiang’s words ignited hope in the hearts of those who had trained for years.

“I know that every month you have an evaluation, and your instructors give you scores to report to the company. Only those with good results get further assessment. This method has its pros and cons. But we don’t have several more months to do this, and you’ve been evaluated so many times before without debuting—if we use this method again, does it mean you still won’t be able to debut? Haha.” Jiang’s words made the veteran trainees laugh bashfully. It was true; they had been evaluated many times, and the reasons for not passing were too numerous to count. Everyone was now curious about what this new method would be.

“It’s not actually a new method. I thought about it this way: assume you have already debuted.” Jiang’s opening hooked everyone. Debuted! An alluring word. “Then, the judges are the audience. Please show your talent and make the audience fall in love with you.”

Indeed, debuting is one thing, but making the audience love you is another. To gain attention, besides talent, one needs a unique charm. This was different from before debut, making this evaluation quite novel.

“The judges this time will include me, the staff around you, your trainee managers, and the company leadership. Everyone is an audience member. Please show your charm and make the audience remember you!” Jiang explained. “If you can make the audience remember you, it means you have an appealing charm, which is independent of raw talent, so this is a fair competition. However, this charm must be built upon a foundation of talent. So, the competition format is as follows.”

Although Jiang had spoken at length, he had completely captured everyone’s attention. Everyone began to wonder if this selection would be different and if it might be their golden opportunity. Jiang’s next words made everyone pay close attention.

“Haha, don’t stare at me like that, I’ll get nervous and forget my lines.” Jiang’s small joke made everyone laugh. “No more jokes. Here it is: the three opportunities refer to the three segments of this first round. If the total score of these three is satisfactory, you will advance to the next round.”

Jiang suddenly felt like a talent show host; it was a strange feeling. “Because you have ‘debuted,’ the first segment is recording an album. You choose a song yourself, go into the studio, and record it. You will have three recording attempts to choose the one you think is best. I know that, often, I have to record my own songs many times, but since you are choosing the songs yourselves, you only get three chances. For this first segment, you can take your recording tapes home to listen to.”

“The second segment is a dance video. Just like the first, you find Jin Yiyun and the others, pick a song, choreograph a dance, and you get three chances to record it. You keep the tapes yourselves.” Jiang continued his strange instructions.

“Finally, you pick a song and perform it live at the recording hall of SBS Inkigayo. One chance. Ballads, dance, hip-hop—any style is fine. It will be broadcast live. One chance, and you keep the recording tape yourselves.” After Jiang finished explaining the three segments, everyone looked puzzled.

“I know you’re wondering why you get to keep the tapes, right?” Jiang smiled. “Music, dance, live performance—these are things a singer must have upon debuting. After you complete these three segments, you have your own tapes. Listen to them, watch them—do you think you can be attracted to yourself? If you feel confident, put the tape directly into the safe in the first practice studio; if you feel insecure about any part of yourself, write down your shortcomings and put them with the tape into the safe in the second practice studio; finally, if you don’t want to submit, you can return the tapes to the recording studio. Okay?”

“The conclusion is that you define yourselves. Whether you submit the tapes or not is up to you. You have to pass your own hurdle before you are qualified to stand in front of others, right?” Jiang’s expression was innocent, yet it left everyone feeling quite helpless.

“Oh, right. For this selection, individuals can participate, or you can form groups. There are no requirements for the number of people, music, or dance styles. Choose what you are most confident in. There is only one requirement: give us a response in half a month!” Letting out a long breath, finally finished with the instructions, Jiang suddenly felt that these young people, men and women alike, were all hopeful individuals who had to face the reality that opportunities are only for those who are prepared.

Just like the talent shows in the country, you get a chance, and if you seize it, you rise to the top. However, what was different here from a talent show was that the result was not decided by audience votes, commercial interests, behind-the-scenes manipulation, or so-called judges—but by each person themselves! Confidence was the first goal Jiang gave these trainees. Believing in yourself and knowing where you fall short was the most important thing.

Looking at their excited or nervous faces, Jiang added, “There are many talent shows at home and abroad, and some of you entered the company through such shows. But a talent show is just a starting point; passing one is only the first step. In my homeland, many people who emerge from talent shows become overnight sensations, but they can also disappear from everyone’s sight just as quickly—the pace of change is too fast. In Korea, the reason you have a long trainee life after the initial selection is to ensure your talent becomes more solid. Now, I am giving you the time to showcase that talent. Only after you pass your own hurdle will we give you the next opportunity. So, work hard.”

Jiang sat down after speaking. It was indeed different in Korea compared to China. In China, it was not uncommon for ordinary people to become stars, but in Korea and Japan, the trainee period was a long process. It was through the gradual accumulation of talent during this period that one would eventually welcome success upon debut. If one wanted to be a long-lasting artist, talent remained the foundation.

“Senior Yihan, can I choose your song?” A voice rang out. Jiang looked up to see Cheng Yu. As a trainee of the company, his presence was natural.

“Haha, of course. You can choose anyone’s song. Just choose the one you are most confident in,” Jiang replied with a smile.

“Right, thank you, Senior Yihan,” Cheng Yu replied shyly.

“Cheng Yu, haven’t you already signed a contract with the company? Why do you need to participate in this selection? I thought you were debuting directly.” Jiang remembered seeing Cheng Yu’s name on the list of signings announced after the merger of ONE at the beginning of the year.

“Yes, the company signed me, but they hope I can perform well in this selection. If I do well, I’ll debut directly; if not, I’ll debut at the end of the year. Since I’ve signed, it’s just a matter of whether my debut is earlier or later this year,” Cheng Yu explained.

“Oh, then your talent shouldn’t be a problem; the company must have recognized you to sign you. They are likely being cautious because they have big plans. Don’t worry, as long as you perform at your normal level, you’ll be fine. Haha.” Jiang smiled, wanting to say more, but was interrupted by the next person asking a question.

Regarding Cheng Yu, Jiang actually felt he had a lot of potential. When he asked for advice on vocal techniques for “Castle” last time, Jiang discovered that Cheng Yu’s vocal condition was excellent, just needing some refinement. With the previous contract and this so-called “audition,” Jiang felt a bit more anticipation for Cheng Yu.

There were both men and women among the trainees, so when many girls came to ask Jiang for advice on choosing songs, he felt quite troubled for a while; after all, as a guy, he didn’t know much about songs for women. Only then did Jiang realize that the job of a producer was truly not easy!

Watching the trainees gathering in small groups—some forming teams, some choosing to go solo, and of course, some forming mixed-gender groups—Jiang began to look forward to the results a week later.