Chapter 628: Unlucky

"Concert?"

"Well, the company is holding back on this. They said that we can only hold individual concerts if all five members renew their contracts. I am hesitant about this..."

Choi Sulli thought of the headache and felt that the steak in her mouth had no taste. She shook her head and said self-deprecatingly: "It was supposed to be held in January, but it has been delayed until now because of me... There is no hope for a comeback, but I know that other members actually want to hold this concert. Victoria is willing to give up some domestic schedules for this..."

As she said this, she sneered a little dissatisfiedly: "We have debuted for almost seven years. Except for SMtown several times a year, we have not held a single concert. When we were about to disband, the company suddenly brought it up, and it was not a tour, hehe..."

"..."

Feeling the longing in Choi Sulli's tone, Chi Jingyuan was silent for a while.

He can fully appreciate the importance of a personal concert to an idol group. Not counting the money and revenue, the feeling of standing on a wide stage, facing an even wider audience, with all your fans, and being watched, shouted, and cheered by thousands of people, without singing, just standing there is enough to make the crowd burn. This feeling of being supported by countless people and surrounded by stars is the greatest encouragement and reward for an idol.

After getting used to the later performances, he may not have so much experience, but Chi Jingyuan still remembers the first concert after their debut, and the touching feeling brought to him by those fans.

"...It is a pity to leave the idol profession without holding a concert." Chi Jingyuan said with a little emotion after hesitating for a while after a light breath.

Choi Sulli nodded immediately after hearing this,

"I thought so too, that's why..."

…………

The dinner with her friends of the same age turned into a rant because Choi Sulli was in a bad mood. After the meal, she didn't make any decision, but she looked much better, not as irritable and anxious as before.

However, Choi Sulli's hesitation and her final state made Chi Jingyuan feel that she should be somewhat inclined to renew the contract with the company in the end. From Chi Jingyuan's point of view, even if FX renewed the contract, the company would probably not arrange any activities. She didn't want to be an idol, and there was no obstacle to her idea of ​​transforming into an actor. The most important thing was not whether to renew the contract or not, but how to get enough film and television resources from the company to let the company promote her.

Until the end, Chi Jingyuan did not give her a clear suggestion on what to do. He felt that such an important matter that could affect her career and even her life did not need advice from outsiders, so it was better to let Choi Sulli think about it herself.

If she doesn't develop well after listening to his advice and regrets it, then we probably won't be friends anymore...

He was listening like a trash can the whole time, and only gave a few suggestions until the end of the meal, but at the end he also specifically mentioned "If you have any too demanding requirements, tell me, I will help you communicate with the company..." It was like giving Choi Sulli a reassurance.

Choi Sulli's current problem is the disagreement with the company and the demand for film and television resources. In fact, if Chi Jingyuan really comes forward, the company will definitely make great concessions, but as a friend, Chi Jingyuan can't always be her nanny. Everyone walks their own way.

However, if there is any critical problem, it is natural for a relative to help.

To be honest, Chi Jingyuan has a good relationship with the members of FX. He really wants to see FX hold a concert of their own before disbanding.

If it is held, he will definitely go to see it...

After the dinner with friends, Chi Jingyuan naturally returned to the crew and began the last period of filming for the drama "Signal".

Now, there are only the last four episodes of "Signal" left to be broadcast, and only the last two episodes have not been filmed yet. The crew has little time left to work together.

In fact, if Chi Jingyuan had not been absent for a long time, according to their progress, they should have finished filming by now. The actors in the same crew are fine. Some staff and stagehands must have some opinions about him. However, with the help of various cheering cars from Chi Jingyuan's friends and members who have been there almost every day, nothing unpleasant has happened.

"Wow Jingyuan, that look you had just now was so great. It will definitely be another classic shot after the broadcast."

In the police station built by the crew of "Signal", Kim Hye-soo and Chi Jingyuan, who had just finished their filming, sat together, each holding a cup of coffee, chatting in a good atmosphere: "You have already filmed several TV series, have you ever considered trying a movie? Your acting skills and popularity are absolutely no problem. I heard that many directors in the circle are also optimistic about you..."

Kim Hye-soo was wearing clothes, sitting there with her legs crossed, her right leg swaying, very casually, looking at Chi Jingyuan and asking in a familiar tone.

"Haha, senior, you are too flattering... I have thought about getting involved in movies, and I have received some scripts and audition invitations, but I have been busy in the past two years, and I haven't found a suitable script and story."

Chi Jingyuan nodded and explained briefly.

With his popularity and acting skills, he has actually received a lot of film resources in the past two years.

"It's a pity... I remember that one of your XO members has already filmed a movie, right?" Kim Hye Soo responded casually, then thought of something and then asked.

"Yes, some members have already been exposed to the movie, and two of them were released last month." Chi Kyung-won was a little surprised that Kim Hye-soo paid so much attention to EXO, but he quickly agreed with a smile.

He was talking about Kim Junmyun and Do Kyungsoo. They were the first members of EXO to shoot movies. The movies they starred in, "Glory Days" and "Innocent Love" were both released last month. Among them, Do Kyungsoo was Working with Ji Kyung Won’s little crush Kim So Hyun.

However, they are not big-budget films, just low-cost dramas. The reviews after their release can only be said to be average. Even the popularity of EXO members cannot save the box office of these two movies. The box office of both movies is only just... More than 200,000 people visited.

This box office is actually supported by the popularity of EXO, which shows that the two movies really have no highlights.

I'm a little embarrassed to say it. When the audition invitations for the roles in these two movies were sent to SM, they were actually all from Chi Kyung-won. It was only after he showed no interest that SM let the other members who wanted to become actors slip away. After pushing forward, Kim Jun-myeon and Do Kyung-soo finally got the roles.

"Isn't it a pity to fall behind the members of your own team?"

"The TV series is also pretty good..." Chi Jingyuan shrugged and expressed that he was quite satisfied. Then he showed a bright smile of a junior and looked at the senior: "If I encounter a good script in the future, I will try it again."

Other EXO members like Kim Junmyeon and Do Kyungsoo who want to be actors are different from Ji Kyungwon.

If they want to make movies, they can only start with such low-cost dramas, or rely on XO's popularity and exposure to play supporting roles such as the fifth and sixth male in some big productions.

But Chi Jingyuan doesn't have this need. Now he can actually receive some good roles and scripts, but firstly, he is not very interested in them, and secondly, he has not met the right ones.

At this time, Zhao Zhenxiong, who was fine, walked to the side and sat down. His face was serious and he seemed not to be in good spirits.

"Brother, you don't look very good." Chi Jingyuan took the initiative to say hello.

"Don't mention it. The role of Li Caihan is too stressful. Sometimes I can't sleep well at night." Zhao Zhenxiong shook his head and sighed with exhaustion on his face.

Chi Jingyuan nodded clearly. He knew that what he was talking about was not the pressure or the pressure of acting, but that the script behind "Signal" was a bit dark. He was too deeply involved in the performance and couldn't accept it.

"By the way, do you have any thoughts on the sequel that the producer casually mentioned yesterday?" At this time, Jin Huixiu suddenly mentioned something.

The ratings of "The Signal" have risen to 15%, which is already a good result among cable TV stations. Although the reputation has declined slightly recently, the overall evaluation is still very high. tvN's 10th anniversary special The plan was considered a great success. Before the broadcast ended, I heard that the TV station had already communicated with the director and screenwriter about the second part.

And because the roles of Park Hae-young and Lee Chae-han played by Ji Kyung-won and Jo Jin-woong are very brilliant, the two male protagonists have received a lot of praise and fans for their wonderful performance and character portrayal, and have become the "Signal" movie. The representative and biggest attraction of the drama, the role of Kim Hye Soo has been overshadowed and seems a bit weak in comparison, but after all, the brand is here, and it can be regarded as the "Signal" iron triangle.

If a sequel is to be made, the iron triangle will definitely have to communicate. If one of them is missing, especially if one of the two male protagonists is missing, the situation will change instantly.

"What I said...you need to think about it again. It's really uncomfortable to act in this type of TV series." Without hesitation, Zhao Zhenxiong waved his hand. Looking at his expression, although he said he was thinking about it, he was probably thinking about it in his heart. I don’t really want to do a sequel.

"I'll read it again, at least until the script comes out..." Chi Jingyuan also smiled, with some rejection in his tone: "After all, the scripts of these last few episodes are a bit..."

He was talking about the fact that the reputation of "Signal" has been declining. When it first aired, "Signal" received unanimous recognition due to its novel setting, tight rhythm, and wonderful performances, and its ratings and reputation have also been rising.

But now in the last two or three episodes, I don’t know if Kim Won-seok wants to prolong the gathering or if the screenwriter Kim Eun-hee can’t write it out. These episodes have used a lot of flashbacks to increase the duration, and the pace has also become a lot slower. , and also caused a lot of bugs due to the out-of-control shuttle setting.

Of course, this can't be said to be a bad ending. "The Signal" is still a very good suspense drama, but the script at the end is indeed a bit weaker than the beginning.

"That's true..." Jin Huixiu smiled and nodded noncommittally.

"It will be finished soon..." Zhao Zhenxiong suddenly sighed at this time.

"It's almost there. The director said it won't take more than a week..."

…

At around three o'clock in the afternoon, Chi Jingyuan left the set and took a nanny car to JYP.

Twice was given more than a day to rest, and today was the scheduled recording date. He even made special adjustments with the crew to arrange some scenes at other times, freeing up some time in the afternoon and evening.

As a producer, Chi Jingyuan feels that he has done his best.

And he also adjusted his mentality to make himself more patient.

But if Rabbit Gas is still in the same state today, he might really get angry.

"Jingyuan, you didn't eat much at noon. You still have some time, why don't you go get something to eat first?"

The car stopped at the red light. Park Jae-hyun, who was driving, looked back and suggested.

"Forget it, I just ate some snacks, I'm not very hungry." Chi Jingyuan looked at the time, thought about it briefly and then shook his head: "Just go over there, start early and finish early."

"good……"

Park Jae-hyun responded and started the car. Chi Jingyuan's phone suddenly rang. He saw that it was Li Chenghuan calling.

Connected.

"What's wrong, brother?" Chi Jingyuan asked, leaning on the back of his chair. There must be something wrong with this brother who came here.

"Jingyuan, you haven't had time to come during the past two days of filming. Today's production meeting is over, and I have some things to discuss with you." Li Chenghuan did not exchange greetings and went straight to the point on the phone.

"Well, what should I say?"

"After several discussions, the company decided to make some changes to the plan for our XO regular third album."

"Revise?" Chi Jingyuan, who was looking out the window and admiring his own large advertising poster on the outer wall of the commercial plaza, cheered up.

"Yes, it's mainly about the title song. The company still feels that it's a waste of resources to have four title song-level songs in the regular third album debut album. If they are released together, it will easily distract the heat and attention, so they decided to replace the original double title song One of them, "Fire", was released in advance as the prelude to the regular third album, and the song selection was conducted for about a week to warm up for the subsequent official comeback..."

"Then let "Miss You" replace the title song of "Fire" and become the double hit song with "Monster". This album contains too much dance music and the style is a bit too strong. Although it may be favored by some fans in Europe and the United States, it is not popular among European and American fans. The response from the local music source is not expected to be very good. The company is very optimistic about the song "Miss You" and feels that it would be a waste to include it as a song. If it serves as a double lead, the excellent quality of this song can also stabilize the reputation of XO's music source. The role of…”

Li Chenghuan explained in detail the decision made at the production meeting on the phone, and finally asked tentatively: "Jingyuan, do you have any suggestions?"

As one of the producers of the third series, Chi Jingyuan should have attended the meeting, but he didn't have any special ideas. The crew was absent for a long time before the second ball. His filming work was very tight, so he simply missed it. .

"Well, it's nothing."

Chi Jingyuan first thought carefully about what Li Chenghuan said, and after pondering for a moment, he did not object: "The song "Fire" is of a very high level. It is absolutely fine to be a preview song. It is also good to have a warm-up song. It will really help a lot in future comebacks.”

"OK, then it's confirmed. I will communicate with the planning department right away." Li Chenghuan responded immediately, his voice sounded a little happy, and then he asked again: "By the way, your "fire" Isn’t the choreography finished yet?”

"The first version is basically ready. I'll look at the other changes later."

The choreography of "Fire" is done by Chi Jingyuan and his dance teacher. The progress is the slowest among the songs in the album. The dances for other songs have already been practiced, but this one has not been completely completed. Originally, Chi Jingyuan Yuan thought there was still enough time, but unexpectedly the song was suddenly changed to the prelude song.

But fortunately, it’s almost there.

"That's okay, let's start preparations in the next two days. We must first make this first march..."

"Okay, I understand, brother..."

After the last few exchanges, Chi Jingyuan hung up the phone. Before he could think about the new news he had just received, the car had already arrived at the door of JYP.

Park Jae-hyun went to park the car, and Chi Kyung-won sat alone in the elevator on the first floor with a shoulder bag on his back. His mind naturally began to think about the changes made in this third regular album.

The company's changes also make sense. There are a lot of excellent songs. Mixing them into the included songs is indeed a waste of resources. Some passers-by only listen to the title songs when they see the artist's return. No matter how good the quality of the included songs is, they won't listen to them.

It would be nice to release a song first to promote it, and then mention "Missing", a song that Ji Jingyuan likes very much, as one of the double hits.

but……

EXO's regular third album is scheduled to come back in June, and some adjustments will be made based on the specific progress. The prelude song is usually released half a month to a month in advance, which means it will be released around May.

He didn't respond when he called before, but now he suddenly remembered that if he remembered correctly, Twice seemed to be releasing a song and making a comeback at the end of April and May...

Aren't they going to collide?

What a coincidence.

However, judging from EXO's popularity, last year's performance and comeback response, almost all the singers and groups who released songs and came back at the same time as them, except Big Bang, were ruthlessly crushed by them. Sometimes they don't even know who they hit.

Girls' Generation is no exception. "Boy with Luv", which has finished its song promotions a little over a month after its release, was able to steal several of their top spots without having any songs. It took the lead in the girl group war, while the others Not to mention.

Now I meet twice again...

How many albums did Twice sell last year?

Chi Jingyuan recalled the production process of "cheer up" and suddenly felt a slight feeling of compassion in his heart.

Even though "Fire" is a dance song with a strong style, the sound source performance is not expected to be very good... But as far as he knows, with the level of Zhou Ziyu and others, plus such a cute song, he has no confidence. …

How to fight with them XO?

Twice is indeed very suitable for the new style of "cheer up". Several members have digested it very well. Sometimes Chi Jingyuan's eyes light up and she thinks it's cute. If it is placed in a time when the competition is not fierce, it should be able to get a good one. results.

Tsk, tsk, that’s unlucky.

Pity.

Thinking in his mind, Chi Jingyuan walked out of the elevator after arriving at the reserved floor. He was already very familiar with the JYP Building.

After walking a few steps, he turned a corner, raised his head, and suddenly saw the back of a familiar girl in the corridor in front of him. His pace suddenly slowed down a little.

He could tell that this person was Lin Nalian. Among the nine people in Twice, her back was quite easy to recognize.

Lin Nalian was alone. She walked very slowly, lowered her head, twisted her hands in front of her, and her head tilted from time to time, and she didn't know what she was doing.

Chi Jingyuan didn't shy away after taking a look. He walked straight ahead and caught up with Lin Nalian who was swaying like a turtle in a few steps. He glanced from the side and behind and finally knew what she was doing.

She was holding a bag of snacks that seemed to be potato chips in her hand and was unpacking the bag.

This kind of packaging bag will have a preset opening at one end. As long as you find the opening, you can tear it open.

But such a simple thing suddenly seemed to become difficult in her hands. She twisted hard on one end of the packaging bag for a long time and couldn't tear it open. Seeing that she couldn't tear it open, she even started to bite her. He tilted his head and used his rabbit teeth to bite and tear the bag, making a squeaking noise and crumpling the bag into a big ball.

But still not opened.

Her attention seemed to be all on the bag of potato chips. She didn't even hear the footsteps behind her, nor did she feel Chi Jingyuan who had walked behind him and was about to overtake.

"..."

Chi Jingyuan looked speechlessly at Lin Nalian who was gnashing her teeth and getting angry at the bag of potato chips. She opened her mouth and hesitated several times. When she saw that she was about to bite the potato chip bag again, she tore it apart for a long time, but in fact she didn't do it at all. When the being's mouth opened, he finally couldn't help it and said with a strange expression:

"You took it backwards."