peninsula asteroid.

Chapter 922 Where to go
"In terms of audience base and popularity, Japan is different from Ami. After more than a decade of development and exploration by the company, Kpop currently has a significant and widespread influence in Japan, with a group of fixed and loyal audiences. In addition, many other non-fan listeners are not too averse to Kpop music sources and groups after being influenced by them."

"The groups under our company, including BOA, TVXQ, Girls' Generation, and SHINEE, have all achieved very good results in Japan, especially TVXQ. As a boy group, they are very competitive in Japan even when facing the top-tier popular singers in Japan. Many of their albums released in recent years have topped the sales charts, which is enough to prove that our experience in the Japanese market is effective."

"And with the in-depth cooperation and support from Avex in Japan...Based on this, I think EXO has a great chance of success in Japan...or will definitely succeed."

"Neighborhood is the second largest music market in the world. As long as we gain a firm foothold, the benefits we will gain will definitely make up for or even exceed the losses we have in the mainland market, and we will even make great progress."

The director stood there and talked eloquently in front of everyone's gaze. It was obvious that he had done a lot of preparation for today's meeting.

He saw Lee Soo Man, who was sitting at the main seat, smiling and nodding at him, asking him to continue. He seemed to be greatly encouraged, smiled, turned the page, and continued:

"Moreover, EXO is different from other groups without a foundation. We debuted in Japan last year and released our first Japanese single album. Although we did not carry out too many activities in Japan according to the previous plan of 'giving priority to the local and mainland markets', the title song 'boy with luv' unexpectedly achieved very good results."

His expression was extremely pleasantly surprised: "Without too much publicity and promotion, this album has already sold more than 280,000 copies so far, and has been on the top of the sales charts many times, especially "Boy with Luv". According to Avex's market research, this song has become one of the favorite songs of many young people in Japan, and it is also one of the must-order songs on the KTV song list...

This is the case when XO has not had many activities and its potential has not been fully released. If we focus on Neon this year, there will definitely be a lot of room for improvement in results."

"Moreover, after market research, Avex Japan is very optimistic about EXO's development there. It has repeatedly stated that XO has great development potential in Japan, not inferior to TVXQ. They also expressed dissatisfaction with the lack of activities in Japan after their debut last year. From last year to now, Avex has sent several messages to communicate in the hope that EXO will go to Japan for activities..."

After giving examples and data and convincingly describing the benefits of the Japanese market, he suddenly changed the subject and talked about Europe and the United States:

"But Amy is different. The pop music there is extremely mature, and it is difficult for music from other regions and genres to integrate into it. Even though it is a market that all Kpop companies want to enter, but so far, except for PSY's "Gangnam Style"..."

"But whether this song was a result of luck or a mature and available long-term development strategy must be clear to everyone. After all, none of PSY's subsequent songs achieved the expected results."

"So far, all the groups and teams that have tried to enter the US have failed... The song that has performed best in America is EXO's song "Boy with Luv" from their third album last year. This..."

As he spoke, he couldn't help but let out a strange smile, then shook his head slightly, and finally made a conclusion: "Although it has achieved good results and expanded its popularity, Kpop still has a very small audience in Japan. Therefore, I think the plan to enter the United States needs to be cautious. For now, it is best to focus the activities on the Japanese market."

The staff around all nodded slightly after listening to him. What the director said was indeed correct. The difficulty of developing the Neon and Amei markets was not on the same level. One was a market that had been developed for many years and had rich experience and reliable partners, while the other was a virgin land that had been tried to be developed many times but all failed. The difficulty of the two was not on the same level.

For EXO, which has just lost the mainland market and is being targeted and excluded on the peninsula, the choice of where to shift development this time is very important. A wrong choice may cause extremely negative consequences. Therefore, while being extremely cautious, choosing the simpler and more successful option is safer and in line with the thoughts of more people.

Upon hearing this, Ji Jingyuan looked thoughtful. He knew that although EXO didn't have many activities in Japan, the song "BWL" was indeed very popular. He could hear Ming Jingnan talking about it from time to time. The girl once said with a smile that her brother also liked this song. Ji Jingyuan also often saw Japanese messages on his INS, and many of them were asking him when he could go to Japan for activities.

With that said... maybe Neon is indeed simpler and safer.

“…I think the focus should be on the Aramco market this time.”

While the others were thinking about it, someone suddenly raised his hand and stood up to speak: "Neon is safe, but after all, there have been many Kpop groups active there before. Even if EXO goes there and performs well, it is just one of many Korean groups... In comparison, the market opportunities and benefits of Amei are..."

Chi Jingyuan took a look and found that he knew this staff member, whose name was Jin Dongxu, a representative of the marketing department. He had talked to him twice before and he felt that this representative Jin was quite thoughtful.

"As Mr. Lee just said, no Korean group has ever succeeded in entering the U.S....but EXO is different."

Jin Dongxu stood up, exchanged glances with Li Xiuman, and said loudly under the encouragement of the other party:

"After long-term market research by our Amei company, we found that Kpop already had a small but loyal audience in Amei. Especially after "Boy with Luv" topped the B charts last year, Kpop's influence has spread significantly, and EXO in particular has also gained a group of extremely loyal fans."

"These fans are not the Asians we are familiar with, but mostly young men and women from Amerindia. They are extremely active and enthusiastic, and will promote EXO spontaneously. You can often see them recommending EXO on various SNS and music apps."

"Although this behavior may annoy some people, the effect is extremely obvious. It has significantly increased EXO's popularity and attracted more fans to join. As more and more people join, it has also shown a viral spread trend. According to our investigation, the number of young people who know EXO and are interested in it is already considerable."

"Combined with the previous performance of "Boy with Luv", this is enough to prove that EXO has a very good foundation for development in the Ameican market, and it is even a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity."

His words were so powerful that they made many people's eyes light up.

"And most importantly, I think EXO's visit to the US this time cannot follow the company's previous plan."

Jin Dongxu seemed to have hit the point. He paused here for a moment, and when he felt everyone's eyes on him, he took a breath and continued in a deep voice:

"Because of the differences in music between the Peninsula and the United States, and the unknown nature of the market, every time the company's groups went there for activities, they would actively follow the trend of European and American pop music.
Working with well-known Ami producers to create songs with music styles close to or similar to those of European and American pop music, the album, whether in song selection, appearance, makeup, or character packaging, has all, to some extent, abandoned some of the characteristics of being a Kpop idol group. "

"Previous failed examples have proven this to be a consideration... I don't agree with EXO continuing to take this approach either."

"I think even if we go to the US, we are still an idol group, a K-pop boy group."

Having said this, Jin Dongxu repeated it again for emphasis.

"The core competitiveness of idol groups lies in their fans, in their loyal and crazy fan base that far exceeds that of ordinary singers, and in their strong ability to attract fans after being packaged."

"I think that when trying to enter the European and American markets for the first time, you should not go too far into the mainstream, nor try too hard to work with well-known producers, or acquire so-called popular hits. First of all, let alone whether you can buy the right songs, even if you buy high-quality songs, they will be wasted because there is not enough audience base and because of America's well-known xenophobia and prejudice."

"If we look at the Kpop songs that have become popular in Europe and America, they all have strong rhythms, addictive melodies, neat and explosive dances, and some attractive gimmicks and characteristics... This is also what Kpop is best at, and it is our main style."

"Once we abandon these and start singing so-called European and American pop songs, what's the difference between us and those ordinary Amei singers? Given the objective conditions that our singing skills are inferior to others and the strong xenophobic environment, why would people like us?"

"So I think if they want to enter the US, EXO must maintain their own style, choose dance music with a stronger sense of rhythm and energy, and have more difficult and unique choreography. They should use addictive melodies, impressive stage performances and visual effects to gain a foothold, gain a group of loyal fans, and spread the influence of Kpop before considering further developments."

"It is always difficult to create a new market, but once we succeed, as the first Korean group in the history of Kpop to gain a foothold in the Amerindian market and even achieve outstanding results, the benefits and influence we will gain are unimaginable."

At this point, Kim Dong-wook's tone became high-pitched, his eyes sparkled, and his words were extremely inspiring... and the effect was very good. Ji Jingyuan clearly saw that the staff around him who had just agreed with Japan's development path were a little moved, and even Lee Soo-man couldn't help but adjust his glasses... After all, going to the United States is the ultimate dream in the hearts of him, Park Jin-young, and even all Kpop people.

Not to mention them, Chi Jingyuan himself was somewhat moved by what he said, and he felt that what this brother said made sense.

"One more important thing."

After Jin Dongxu and the others calmed down, he added something meaningful:
"As everyone knows, due to the industry environment, EXO cannot hold too many activities in the mainland this year. Given the market's renewal and the habit of getting bored with the old and liking the new, coupled with the exposure of the dating incident, our popularity and influence will definitely decline to a certain extent, and the degree of this decline may even exceed our expectations."

"If we focus on Japan, even if the event is successful and achieves good results, due to well-known factors between the two countries, such results will not affect the local views and popularity at all, and may even cause disgust in some people."

"But, if I succeed in Amei, it will be completely different..."

At the end, he didn't finish what he said, and very cleverly left a blank.

But everyone understood what he meant instantly... The people of the Peninsula have a natural admiration for the strong and have always been very incompatible with Japan, but they have always valued Europe and the United States. Just look at the impact after Chi Jingyuan became the spokesperson for GUCCI.

Even being the world's most handsome guy promoted by a fake magazine can make some people proud, not to mention really succeeding in the United States... Once EXO really gains a foothold in the United States and even succeeds, the rewards they will receive will definitely be beyond imagination.

"very nice……"

After listening to Kim Dong-wook's ideas, Lee Soo-man couldn't help but smile and praise him. He tapped the table lightly and said, "If you have any other ideas, tell me."

"I think Representative Kim Dong-wook's idea is very good..."

"I think it's better to be safe if we want to transform."

"..."

Under his command, all the staff who came prepared expressed their opinions, but their opinions were roughly the same as the two people who spoke at the beginning, and they were divided into two camps. They presented facts and data, and each had their own reasons, which were all very convincing.

"..." After listening for a while, Lee Soo Man nodded and was silent for a few seconds. Suddenly, he looked at the EXO members who had been listening for a long time without saying a word, and fixed his eyes on Chi Jingyuan, and asked, "Jingyuan, what do you think?"

"what?"

Chi Jingyuan was listening carefully, and was a little surprised when his name was called. He paused and smiled, "I don't have any ideas. The company will decide."

He really didn't have any good ideas. He felt that what people on both sides said were quite attractive... He couldn't make a decision on such an important choice in a short time.

"Hehe~" Lee Soo Man smiled and shook his head without further questioning. He turned his head and discussed with several company executives around him for a few words, then knocked on the table and summarized today's meeting:

"Everyone's ideas are good. We can discuss them further and come up with some specific details and plans. We can discuss them next time."

"But we can already start collecting songs. We'll ask Avex to provide some advice on Neon, and as for Amei... in addition to collecting songs from other companies, we'll first ask the famous producers who have been working with us for a long time to produce a few songs, and then we'll make comparisons and considerations."

"Let's stop here for today. The meeting is adjourned."

With Lee Soo Man's words, the nearly three-hour meeting came to an end. Everyone stood up, bowed and said goodbye, then left the meeting room in twos and threes.

Although EXO didn't say anything throughout the whole process, as their debut time increases and their popularity rises, their say in their own albums and songs is getting bigger and bigger. Many times the company will not refute the decisions made by internal voting, so attendance is very necessary.

"Jingyuan."

Just as Chi Jingyuan was about to leave with the other members, he was stopped by Lee Soo-man. Halfway through the two of them, he squinted his eyes and smiled at Chi Jingyuan, and asked curiously:
"Where do you think XO should focus next... Why didn't you tell me your opinion just now?"

""

He felt that Lee Soo Man really valued his ideas, or wanted to refer to his suggestions, but Chi Jingyuan laughed awkwardly: "Because I really haven't figured out what to do... Well, I think what Director Lee and Representative Kim Dong Wook said just now makes sense..."

After that, he pondered for a few seconds, blinked, and said casually without seeming to think too much about it: "Besides... you don't have to choose just one... There's so much time this year, can't we go to all of Neon and Amei?"

"Hahaha~"

Lee Soo Man was amused when he heard this and shook his head affectionately: "Greedy."

After saying that, he paused for a moment as if he was inspired by something, but soon came back to his senses, patted Chi Jingyuan on the shoulder and reminded him: "This year is a critical year for EXO. If you have any ideas, remember to tell me as soon as possible... Also, you have to get involved in the music matters and come up with one or two songs as candidates. If you have no idea or are too busy, you can communicate with Producer Jiang."

"Okay, I'll talk to Hyo Shin hyung."

Chi Jingyuan immediately nodded in agreement. He would definitely get involved in such a big event as EXO's entry into Japan and the United States.

She nodded in satisfaction, but Lee Soo Man immediately reminded her when he remembered something: "You must not delay your solo. This is as important as the group's overseas debut. Your solo is the most important project of the company in the first half of this year."

"Don't worry, Mr. Lee Soo Man, I will definitely take my own solo seriously... I'm just about to discuss this with Representative Choi and the others."

…………

"..."

"...The filming location in LA has been selected. These are the photos and videos taken. Jingyuanxi, please take a look to see if they meet your requirements."

In the meeting room, Chi Jingyuan took the information handed over by the staff and read it carefully.

He had just finished a group meeting and then went straight to his solo meeting. He felt a little tired physically from all the non-stop work, but his spirit was extremely excited. Both the group and himself had high expectations for his career development this year.

After talking about the album preparation for nearly an hour, we finally talked about the MV shooting.

"...This place is OK, but you need to check if there are any high-rise buildings around that block the light. The lighting requirements are still very high when shooting."

“This place won’t do. I want a road background with some graffiti and a bit of street style, with a sunny style… This place is too street-like and too dirty.

"Okay, I got it. I'll contact the people over there right away." Director Cui, who was in charge of this matter, did not refute and nodded in agreement immediately.

After putting the information away, he looked at the memo and remembered something. He looked at Chi Jingyuan and asked tentatively:
"By the way, Jingyuanxi, after the end of the year, when do you think it would be more appropriate to hold the previously postponed MV heroine audition?"

"Audition?"

Thinking of this matter that had been postponed for a week, Chi Jingyuan hesitated for two seconds: "I have to go to the crew tomorrow... Let's do it the day after tomorrow. I will rush back the day after tomorrow afternoon and we can audition together then."

"Okay, I'll notify their company and agent right away."

"Are they all free? Isn't it too rushed to notify them only one day in advance?" Chi Jingyuan thought for a moment and asked with some concern.

"Don't worry, Jingyuanxi. Not to mention notifying them one day in advance, they can come even if they are notified one hour in advance."

"what……"

He was secretly pleased with the flattery. Chi Jingyuan laughed and shook his head, then took out his phone to check the time:
"Ah? It's already eight o'clock in the evening. Let's go have a meal together and talk while we eat."

…………

"Well……"

After chatting with the staff during dinner, Chi Jingyuan returned to the company after having a good meal and a few drinks. He was ready to go to the practice room to get his things, and then rush to the crew to film. Due to the delays of various schedules at the end of the year, the amount of filming he had done previously was almost not enough.

But when he came out of the elevator and was walking towards EXO's practice room, he suddenly heard a familiar voice coming from the side.

"…How do I know? What can I do if the company insists on doing that?"

Upon hearing the voice, Chi Jingyuan paused slightly. Although it sounded distant, he recognized it as Jin Zhongren's voice as soon as he heard it. He looked left and right and quickly found the source of the voice... It came from the stairwell not far away.

This is their sexual habit treasure trove where they make phone calls or even date.

Just when Chi Jingyuan had just found the source of the voice and had no time to think about anything, Jin Zhongren's voice came one after another:

"...I just found out that we were photographed, and I was not prepared at all."

"…What's the point of crying? I can't control them from scolding you. Just bear with it. It will be fine in a few days."

"That was a statement issued by the PR department. What does it have to do with me?"

After just listening to two sentences, Chi Jingyuan almost figured out the general idea... Kim Jong-in should be talking on the phone with his girlfriend, the exposed Xu Huilin.

Just what he said...

Hey~
Although Ji Jingyuan understood Kim Jong-in's behavior to some extent, after all, his career and popularity have been greatly affected.

But... I still can't help but look down on his behavior from the bottom of my heart. Just like ZICO, his behavior of putting all the blame on the woman is really disgusting. It has gone beyond the scope of a scumbag and has risen to the level of character.

But he couldn't interfere in other people's affairs. He hadn't experienced what Kim Jong-in had gone through, so he couldn't be too lofty and accuse him of anything.

All I can say is, take this as a warning.

Chi Jingyuan had no intention of staying to eavesdrop, and he quickly left and walked towards the practice room. However, when he took two steps and was about to reach the door, he suddenly remembered something.

He took out his cell phone, and several unread text messages with Ming Jingnan's name on them were very conspicuous.

He received a text message from his girlfriend before the meeting, but he was also affected by Kim Jong-in at the time and was not in a good mood. In addition, he had to go to a meeting soon, so he was too lazy to reply.

And now... one unread text message has turned into several.

Although he didn't click in to read the content, he could feel the girl's mood through the unread numbers.

Chi Jingyuan looked at the unread text messages, paused for a moment, pursed his lips and was about to reply when his cell phone suddenly vibrated and a call came in.