Peninsula: Who taught him to make that connection?!

Chapter 7 Jin 9000 and Jiang Jiadian

Jiang Tang opened his eyes again.

He looked up slightly and realized that he was still standing in front of the SM building.

His handsome sixteen-year-old face was reflected in the glass door; he wore a white coat, a black backpack, and a temporary access pass hanging on his chest.

Jiang Tang looked down.

[Jiang Tang / K / Trial Group]

"You're back again."

The last time I came here, I was a candidate participating in the selection process.

This time, he became a trainee at SM Entertainment.

The system's light blue text appeared before my eyes.

[The second phase of our romantic internship begins.]

[Link: August 2004]

[Link to topic: The Cost of Being Chosen.]

[Goal: Accompany Kim Tae-yeon through her first trainee elimination evaluation.]

[Current Status: SM Entertainment Trainee]

[Link to message: Those chosen by fate are often first repeatedly selected by fate.]

As Jiang Tang looked at the words "elimination evaluation," the first image that popped into his mind was of Kim Tae-yeon clutching her number tag in the waiting room.

At that time, she thought that as long as she walked out from among nine thousand people, she would be seen by fate.

But now it seems that the real cruelty has only just begun.

Just as he was about to push the door open and go in, another line of text popped up from the system.

[The rewards for Act 1 have been activated.]

Physical fitness has improved slightly.

Jiang Tang waited for a while and found that the system did not continue to send out rewards such as "Dance Master", "Vocal Master" or "Charm Overload", which left him speechless.

"A slight improvement?"

He was skeptical of the word.

Given the system's past disrespect for this handsome guy, this "minor" is probably similar to the "final interpretation right belongs to this store" sign that appears during a shopping mall's discount promotion.

Despite his complaints, Jiang Tang didn't really expect the system to turn him into an all-around singer and dancer.

If you were invincible the moment you opened your eyes, what kind of love internship would that be?

That's called using cheats or proxy gameplay.

Staff members quickly came out from the side door and led him into the trainee registration room.

This time, Jiang Tang finally saw the true nature of SM's trainee system.

It's very quiet here.

It was so quiet it was almost oppressive.

Some people practice turning over repeatedly in front of a mirror.

Some people stretched their legs until their eyes turned red, but they dared not make a sound.

Some people were wiping their sweat while reciting song lyrics.

Some people came out of the office with red eyes, carrying neatly arranged practice clothes and shoes.

At that moment, Jiang Tang suddenly understood.

Being selected is not a gentle embrace from fate, but rather being pushed onto a more cruel path by fate.

If you walk even a little slower, you'll fall.

"Jiang Tang, come with me."

After registration, staff led Jiang Tang through the corridor.

As Jiang Tang passed a practice room, he suddenly stopped in his tracks.

He heard a familiar voice.

—No, it's too slow again.

—Let's do it again.

—How could I be so stupid?

Jiang Tang turned his head.

In the practice room, Kim Tae-yeon was standing in the last row, following the female trainee in front of her as she practiced basic dance steps.

Her hair was tied up, and her face looked a little thinner than when we last met.

Of course, people are still quite soft-hearted.

Perhaps sensing someone outside the door, Kim Tae-yeon suddenly turned her head.

Their eyes met through the glass door of the practice room.

She froze for a moment.

The eyes brightened noticeably.

But the next second, as if remembering that there were teachers and other trainees nearby, she immediately changed her expression.

"Gold 9000."

Jiang Tang winked at her and made a smug face.

"you!"

Kim Tae-yeon's eyes widened, and she almost lost control of her expression.

Just as Jiang Tang was about to smile, a cold voice suddenly came from behind him.

"Trial group, don't stand at the entrance of Group A's practice room and disturb others."

Jiang Tang turned around.

A man in his early thirties stood on the other side of the corridor, holding a folder in his hand and wearing a sign that read "Management Office" around his neck.

Han Zhengxun, Deputy Head of Trainee Management Office.

He glanced at Jiang Tang's temporary pass on his chest, his gaze quickly sweeping over his face.

"Were you referred from outside?"

Jiang Tang nodded slightly: "Yes."

Han Zhengxun spoke in a calm tone, seemingly unfazed by people of his status.

"Every year, SM Entertainment has many externally recommended trainees who are good-looking, have connections, know a little about acting and singing, and then think they are different from others."

As he said this, he reached out and picked up the temporary pass on Jiang Tang's chest.

"But a trial group is a trial group."

"Don't wander around, don't look around, and don't disrupt the trainees' training."

Jiang Tang glanced down at the documents that had been picked up, but said nothing.

Arguing back at this point is pointless.

Han Jung-hoon then looked at Kim Tae-yeon in the practice room, his voice just loud enough for her to hear.

"Kim Tae-yeon, your vocal coach said you have good potential, but your dance performance was rated the lowest."

"Don't think that winning the grand prize will guarantee your future."

In the practice room, Taeyeon's movements froze for a moment.

If Jiang Tang hadn't heard her inner thoughts, he would hardly have noticed.

--I know.

—I've already tried my best.

—But why can't I keep up?

Looking into her lowered eyes, Jiang Tang suddenly remembered the name Han Zhengxun.

Not now, but someday.

People like that should be made to swallow their words.

The trial training group gathered for the first time in a small practice room, which was filled with trainees like Jiang Tang who had been recommended for the position.

Han Zhengxun stood at the front, his tone sounding like he was giving a premature verdict to a group of people who were about to be eliminated.

"SM Entertainment has no shortage of promising talents."

"Among the male trainees, many have already caught the attention of higher-ups. For example, Kim Heechul. He's handsome and memorable; just standing there, he's enough to make people take a second look."

"Among the female trainees, Yoona has been outstanding since childhood, and Jessica Jung, Sooyoung Choi, and Hyoyeon Kim have also trained for longer than you."

As he spoke, his gaze swept over Jiang Tang.

"So don't think that just because you've entered this building, you're close to making your debut."

"Many people don't even make it to the end of the month to leave a review."

As soon as these words were spoken, the expressions of several people in the trial training group changed.

Jiang Tang remained calm yet filled with emotion.

Kim Heechul, Im Yoon-ah, Jessica Jung, Choi Soo-young, Kim Hyo-yeon... each name seems to have stepped out of the future golden age of K-pop.

And now, he stands in an era before these names have even gained recognition.

The training was much more difficult than Jiang Tang had imagined.

The curriculum includes basic physical fitness, dance training, vocal exercises, and language courses.

After a day, Jiang Tang finally understood why trainees were so prone to breakdowns.

It's not because any particular training method is so terrible, but because it doesn't give people time to catch their breath.

Just when you feel like your legs don't belong to you, the teacher tells you to practice your voice.

Just when you feel your throat is about to burst, the dance teacher starts counting beats again.

Soon, some people in the trial training group were already lying on the ground, unable to get up, but the teachers on the sidelines ignored them.

"You're tired already?"

"Remember, you're here to be trainees, not to enjoy life!"

Jiang Tang was also exhausted, with a sore back and aching muscles, feeling like his whole body was about to fall apart.

Strangely enough, after resting on the ground for a few minutes, he was able to stand up again.

He suddenly remembered the system's message, "Physical fitness has slightly improved," and his eyes flashed.

"So there really was an improvement."

In the following period, apart from training, Jiang Tang spent the rest of his time observing the changes in his body.

As someone who pays attention to detail, Jiang Tang quickly found the first solution.

The teacher demonstrated complex dance moves, and he could only remember the general outline the first time.

On the second try, he began to notice the power coming from his shoulders, hips, and feet.

On the third time, his mind automatically broke down the actions into individual images.

It's like writing a storyboard.

The starting stance, the pause, the center of gravity, the line of sight, and the angle after turning around were all crystal clear.

Jiang Tang immediately did it according to the image in his mind.

It was indeed as silky smooth as Pantene.

He suddenly understood, and almost shouted:

"I, Jiang, was able to complete this dance routine entirely through my own hard work!"

"Dark Blue... Add some points!"