I was currently in Suite 1114 of Jinseong Resort located on Yeongjong Island.

"Let me go!"

Reporter Gong Soo-Ji thrashed wildly, but the four female bodyguards who had come with Acting President Jin Ah-Ram each grabbed one of her limbs and lifted her clean off the floor. Even then, Gong Soo-Ji tried to find a way out.

"You think you can treat a reporter like this and get away with it? This is press suppression! Corporate abuse of power and a lawmaker's corruption!"

Assemblyman Go Joon-Taek let out a dry chuckle as he looked at her dangling in the air. "Someone like you shouldn't even be a reporter. I'll be contacting the president of Entertainment All Times immediately and setting you free as of today, so stop calling yourself a reporter. And if you think this is unfair, go ahead and sue. I'll release this recording."

"W-Wait...?"

Jin Ah-Ram frowned and gave another order to the bodyguards. "Take her away. Hold her in the first-floor security office until the police arrive."

"Yes, ma'am."

As she was carried out, Gong Soo-Ji screamed, "Mr. Assemblyman! I must have lost my mind over money! I was wrong! Please, just forgive me this once!"

Click.

Once the suite door closed, Go Joon-Taek let out a long sigh of relief and spoke awkwardly. "I behaved so rudely toward you, and yet you stepped forward to help my daughter."

"I didn't protect Eun-Seo because she's your daughter. I protected her because she's my celebrity."

"It may be different to you, but to me it's the same. And..."

At that moment, Go Joon-Taek suddenly straightened his posture and bowed deeply after a brief hesitation.

"I'm sorry. My greed and stubbornness made me do things I never should have done. Please continue to look after Eun-Seo."

I had never expected that arrogant man to bow his head. Just then, something even more surprising happened. Han So-Ye, seated beside him, bowed as well.

"I've been terribly rude to you, Chief Jung. Eun-Seo is the child I finally had after three miscarriages, so I've been overly attached to her. I keep telling myself not to be that way, but it never works. So... please try to understand. I'm sorry."

Before my regression, the two of them had been the very definition of abuse of power. They would barge into the company and cause scenes, caring only about their daughter. Yet, perhaps because I had saved Go Eun-Seo, they were now revealing even their deepest secrets and offering sincere apologies.

I stood there momentarily stunned until Jin Ah-Ram nudged me lightly. "Mr. Jung, are you going to just stand there?"

'Right. The past is the past.'

For Go Eun-Seo's future success, I would need their cooperation. More precisely, I needed them to stay out of her career.

I said, "Please raise your heads first."

They slowly lifted their heads, watching my reaction.

Go Joon-Taek asked carefully, "Will you accept our apology?"

"On one condition."

"What condition? Does I.O.A need investment? If so—"

At that, Han So-Ye jabbed Go Joon-Taek in the side. "Honey! Do you even know how much Chief Jung is worth? Even the two of us combined couldn't compare."

Go Joon-Taek scratched his head awkwardly. "Ahem. Right. I suppose it was foolish of me to say that to someone with assets exceeding one hundred billion won. It's just a habit. Ignore it."

I then stated my condition plainly. "There are plenty of other investors, so money isn't an issue. But the way you cherish Eun-Seo can become poison to her independence. From now on, I need you to entrust Eun-Seo to me completely. And please keep today's events strictly confidential."

The two of them looked at each other. Letting go of a daughter they had kept sheltered in their arms her entire lives was not easy. But in the end, they forced out the words.

"All right. We'll do that."

"Okay. We'll leave her in your care. Please look after her."

Thankfully, I had gained their trust as well.

"Understood."

Just then, Go Joon-Taek asked, "Then what about that sly girl, Choi Yeon-Mi? Shall I take care of her?"

I smiled faintly and shook my head. "No. That would only turn into another abuse of power. I'll handle that within my own authority."

I planned to deal with Choi Yeon-Mi not with power, but through the audition system itself. And that way, I could also give Oh Hae-Nim, who had been unfairly targeted by Choi Yeon-Mi, a chance to take her own revenge.

***

The current time was 8:30 p.m. By the time we came down from the suite to the convention hall, the final rehearsal for the remaining 32 teams was wrapping up.

Soon, Yoo-Jin, Miso, and Lee Tae-Poong would be going on stage for pre-recording, and I needed to be there. However, handling the aftermath of Choi Yeon-Mi's actions was more urgent, so I headed first to the second floor of the convention hall.

In a small room attached to the sub-control room on the second floor, PD Ji Yung-Sik, CP Kang Dae-Woong, Chief Lee Dong-Min, Director Ahn Ye-Eum, and Composer Bang Seon-Woo had gathered at my request.

After sitting down with Jin Ah-Ram, I lowered the volume and played the recording of Choi Yeon-Mi and Gong Soo-Ji's conversation.

-Eun-Seo relied on her father's influence to... sob...

As soon as they realized that Choi Yeon-Mi had tipped off an outside reporter about today's incident, everyone looked stunned.

Ji Yung-Sik turned pale. "Has this file been released?"

Kang Dae-Woong rubbed his temples with a grimace. "This is insane. No matter how much we deny it, if that recording gets out, who would believe us?"

"Don't worry. It's already been handled."

"Handled?"

Jin Ah-Ram answered in my place. "Reporter Gong Soo-Ji tried to use that file to extort money from Go Eun-Seo's parents. She was caught on the spot and handed over to the police."

A wave of relieved sighs filled the small room. 𝒇𝒓𝙚𝒆𝔀𝓮𝓫𝒏𝓸𝙫𝓮𝓵.𝓬𝙤𝙢

"Sigh... That's a relief."

Lee Dong-Min, who had been scowling in silence, finally loosened his tie. "Then we need to eliminate Yeon-Mi immediately."

Ahn Ye-Eum nodded in agreement. "I agree. So what if she's ranked third in Korea? Her character ranks last. Even with a minus 30-point penalty today, if she had performed well, she could've made it into the top eight. With her skills, she would've had chances to climb back up. But meeting a reporter and scheming like this? She has to be eliminated. With that kind of mindset, she'll cause trouble again."

Everyone's opinion quickly leaned toward immediate expulsion. On the other hand, Kang Dae-Woong and Ji Yung-Sik, representing the broadcasting station, looked deeply uneasy. If a popular contestant consistently ranked third nationwide were cut, it would severely impact viewership ratings.

"With things this serious, why are we hesitating?" I asked.

Fortunately, Ji Yung-Sik spoke up firmly. "That's right, Mr. Kang. Let's do this our way. There are plenty of talented contestants besides Choi Yeon-Mi. I'll protect the viewership ratings somehow. Let's notify her of her removal."

After some deliberation, Kang Dae-Woong shut his eyes tightly and made the hard decision. "Damn it. The broadcast almost blew up because of this. Fine! Our program won't collapse just because Yeon-Mi is gone. We've got plenty of strong contestants. Let's proceed!"

With the broadcasting side finally unified, Lee Dong-Min grabbed his radio. "Then I'll inform her now."

I immediately grabbed Lee Dong-Min's arm and stopped him. "Mr. Lee, wait a moment."

"What is it?"

"It would be better to handle Yeon-Mi differently. If we notify her and cut her before the broadcast even starts, Team 2 will have to compete with only three members."

It was not easy, even for professionals, to suddenly perform choreography designed for four people with only three. If one person dropped out, every formation had to change.

"Then what do we do? Are we not notifying her of elimination?"

"No. Let's keep elimination as the final option. For now, let's try eliminating her naturally."

"How?"

Project I.O.A. placed the highest importance on teamwork, evaluating contestants in teams of four. In Part 1, they competed as teams. In Part 2, they earned points through one-on-one individual battles.

"If she loses the individual battle, we can eliminate Yeon-Mi naturally today."

According to my calculations, with a 30-point deduction, Choi Yeon-Mi would likely fall around the cutoff between Team 8 and Team 9. If she lost the individual battle on top of that, she would undoubtedly drop below ninth place.

Lee Dong-Min grinned. "You're saying we pit her against Eun-Seo, right? Makes sense. Eun-Seo must be furious today. She'll be sharpening her blade for Yeon-Mi. I'm in."

The others nodded, seemingly satisfied with the suggestion. However, the opponent I had in mind was not Go Eun-Seo. At first, I had considered matching Go Eun-Seo with Choi Yeon-Mi as well. But after hearing Bang Seon-Woo's advice before meeting Go Eun-Seo's parents, I changed my decision.

"No. I'd like her opponent to be Hae-Nim."

"Hae-Nim? Team 9's Oh Hae-Nim?"

"Yes."

"Chief Jung! That's not possible!"

"Why not?"

"Hae-Nim's growth rate is fast, sure. But compared to Yeon-Mi, she's still behind."

"No. Today, she has more than enough of a chance. Besides, Yeon-Mi just made a mistake by switching her one-on-one battle song to 'Soulfire'."

Idols rehearsed the same song hundreds, even thousands of times to perfect it. Unlike a quiet recording studio, the stage changed every time, filled with variables that could cause mistakes from Broadcast cameras, staff members, the audience, blinding hot stage lights, loud background music, to the anxious eyes of talent agents watching from below.

To push through all of that and sing and dance perfectly to the MR track, one had to be so trained that they could perform with their eyes closed. However, after receiving a 30-point deduction today, Choi Yeon-Mi had panicked and made a poor judgment call by switching her song.

Lee Dong-Min, who apparently had not heard about it yet, looked shocked. "Wasn't she supposed to sing Petite More's 'Boxer?' Why did she suddenly change her selection?"

"To score higher, showcasing vocal ability can be more advantageous than dancing, don't you think? She must have believed she could display her skills better with Kang Ha-Na's 'Soulfire'."

Originally, Choi Yeon-Mi had chosen Petite More's 'Boxer,' a powerful dance track, for her one-on-one battle. But in an attempt to earn higher points through vocals, she switched to Kang Ha-Na's 'Soulfire'.

"So she picked a song that doesn't even suit her tone? And she's handling a duet originally sung with a male vocalist by herself? That's bound to cause mistakes. Well... if we're eliminating her anyway, maybe that works in our favor?"

Ahn Ye-Eum, who had been listening quietly, added her opinion. "Still, Yeon-Mi's fundamentals are solid. If she performs well, she could score high. From what I see, it's still a bit much for Hae-Nim to handle."

Oh Hae-Nim had chosen 'The Hundredth Ballad' for her one-on-one battle. It was a Bok Seon-Ill song that required deep emotion delivered in a calm tone. It was not an easy piece for someone as young as Hae-Nim.

Nevertheless, with a confident expression, I turned to Bang Seon-Woo. "Seon-Woo, tell them what you think."

Bang Seon-Woo nodded. "Other songs aside, Hae-Nim's rendition of 'The Hundredth Ballad' can stand against any contestant here."

No one in the room could dismiss Bang Seon-Woo when it came to music, so they all looked surprised.

Still unconvinced, Lee Dong-Min asked, "How is that possible? Even if Hae-Nim's improving quickly, she's not yet at Yeon-Mi's level."

"I thought it was strange too, so I asked her. She said her older brother likes 'Hundredth Ballad,' so she's been practicing it for a long time. Her level of mastery rivals that of professionals."

"Is that so?"

"Yes."

Seeing their surprise at Bang Seon-Woo's evaluation, I spoke calmly. "As you can see, Seon-Woo rates her highly. I think it would be best to match the two of them. And to drive the nail in more firmly, I plan to have her receive a one-point lesson from Mr. Bok Seon-Ill, who's here today, before the individual battle."

Ahn Ye-Eum;s expression brightened. "If that happens, she can definitely win. But Mr. Bok Seon-Ill isn't exactly the type to coach someone..."

"Leave that to me. I'll persuade him."

Lee Dong-Min burst into laughter. "You're really determined to crush her thoroughly, aren't you?"

"When I do something, I do it properly."

"All right. Letting Hae-Nim take her own revenge isn't a bad idea. She must've been completely blindsided earlier."

Ahn Ye-Eum nodded in agreement. "Okay. Let's do it."

The approval was finally given. I immediately called Bok Seon-Ill, who had just arrived at Jinseong Resort in Yeongjong Island.

"Seon-Ill hyung-nim, I have a favor to ask."

When I requested the one-point lesson, Bok Seon-Ill answered readily.

-Yoon-Ho, if it's your request, of course I'll do it! From now on, you can just order me around.

"Not at all. Anyway, I'll bring the contestant to the first-floor recording studio. Let's meet there."

-Okay. I'm on my way.

After hanging up, I shrugged at the others. "It's settled."

Even the prickly Bok Seon-Ill had agreed instantly, leaving everyone stunned. Accepting the position of Head of Integrated Division 4 had clearly been the right move.

The time was now 8:50 p.m. There was about an hour until the live broadcast began—And roughly two hours until the one-on-one battle between Choi Yeon-Mi and Oh Hae-Nim.

****

I arrived at the sub-control room located on the second floor of the convention hall. The clock above the central panel read 9:59 p.m. In one minute, Week 5 of Project I.O.A. would begin.

Through the control room window, the stage was visible. All 64 contestants who had passed the Korea, China, and Japan preliminaries stood in formation behind tonight's special MCs, Yoo-Jin and Lee Tae-Poong.

On both sides of the stage, the contestants' parents and relatives sat in the audience with their hands clasped tightly. Meanwhile, I was seated with Miso, who had just finished her pre-recording, looking at the app [PROJECT : I.O.A] on my tablet.

"Miso, is Na-Ra still your top pick today?"

Miso clenched her tiny fist. "Yes. I will never betray my pick!"

"Oh really? Then who was the traitor who ate all the puffed rice snacks we were supposed to share together?"

Miso giggled and gently wrapped both hands around her round little belly. "Th-That was... I was too hungry. I'm sorry, Uncle Yoon-Ho."

I chuckled and pulled out another bag of puffed rice snacks I had bought for Miso. "If we share this one, then you're not a traitor anymore."

At the words "not a traitor," Miso's face bloomed with a bright smile. "Uncle Yoon-Ho, you're the best!"

"You're the best eater!"

As we shared the puffed rice snacks, Lee Dong-Min, seated behind us, stretched out his hand and asked, "Chief Jung. How did Hae-Nim's one-point lesson go?"

I passed him a piece of puffed rice and showed him the Kk Talk message from Bok Seon-Ill.

[Singer Bok Seon-Ill: She's much better. At this level, you can look forward to the live performance.]

Lee Dong-Min let out a relieved sigh. "Then we can relax and watch Yeon-Mi versus Hae-Nim."

I nodded. "Yes. There shouldn't be any need to worry."

Just then, I noticed a Kk Talk message from Yoo Dong-Yeon, whom I had spoken to earlier.

[Yoo Dong-Yeon: Hyung. I'll be there within ten minutes.]

Yoo Dong-Yeon was twenty-one, a younger brother figure from Angel Orphanage. Kang Eun-Gi and I had helped kids from Angel Orphanage find jobs, but Yoo Dong-Yeon insisted on standing on his own from the very beginning. He found work himself and was now employed at an accessory factory in Incheon. Even so, he still volunteered at the orphanage and had taken on sponsorship for Oh Hae-Nim.

For Yoo Dong-Yeon's sake, Oh Hae-Nim had practiced tirelessly, wanting to sing his favorite song, 'Hundredth Ballad', for her one-on-one battle. So for the two of them, I had reserved a front-row seat for Yoo Dong-Yeon and called him earlier, telling him he absolutely had to come. Fortunately, it seemed he had finished his overtime shift and was on his way.

[Jung Yoon-Ho: Okay. Call me when you arrive.]

I sent the reply belatedly.

Just then, Ji Yung-Sik picked up the microphone in the sub-control room. "All right, we're live in one minute. Stand by. Everyone on stage, lock in your formations. We'll roll the pre-recorded segment and then move straight to the studio camera."

"Yes, Mr. Ji."

The staff moved quickly, wrapping up preparations. And at exactly 10:00 p.m., the fifth-week broadcast of Project I.O.A. began.

-Hello. I'm Jung Miso, your special MC for Week 5 of Project I.O.A.

On the monitor in the control room, the pre-recorded footage began to play. Miso, wearing a black children's dress trimmed with white lace, called out brightly, and Yoo-Jin and Lee Tae-Poong raised their microphones.

-Hello! I'm Miso's mom, Jung Yoo-Jin!

-I'm Lee Tae-Poong.

Just then, Ji Yung-Sik spoke toward the stage. "Miss Yoo-Jin, we're switching to live in twenty seconds. Pick it up right away."

-Yes.

As soon as Yoo-Jin answered, the tension in the studio intensified. Last week, Project I.O.A. had reached a peak viewership ratings of 9.3 percent. Everyone was eager to see how high it would climb this time.

At that moment, my phone vibrated.

Buzz.

[Caller ID: Yoo Dong-Yeon]

Since the broadcast had started, I answered in a quiet voice.

"Hey, Dong-Yeon. Just park in the lobby and come to Convention Hall Entrance 3. I'll come out to meet you."

But then, I heard an unexpected reply.

-Hyung, I don't think I can go inside. I'm sorry. Please just tell Hae-Nim I'm cheering for her.

Instantly, I knew something was wrong.

"Dong-Yeon. Tell me clearly what happened!"

After hesitating for a moment, Yoo Dong-Yeon began to speak, saying something that made no sense at all.

-Actually, the thing is...