pjbooks Chapter 16 You know me, I am a very dedicated person.
Chapter 16 You know me, I am a very dedicated person.
"stop."
Liu Yu pressed the intercom button, his slender fingers rapidly sliding across several tracks on the mixing console, his tone completely flat:
"Ahn Yoo-jin, were you planning to float that high note all the way into the Han River to feed the fish? Stop it, don't run around like a runaway husky."
Behind the soundproof glass, Ahn Yu-jin, wearing large monitoring headphones, showed no signs of frustration at being scolded. Instead, her eyes darted around and she shouted loudly into the microphone:
"Teacher Liu Yu! This isn't my fault! The main problem is that I was behind the glass, so I couldn't see your mouth shape at all when you were pronouncing the words! My vocal coach said that observing the producer's mouth shape is key to finding the resonance point! How was I supposed to find the resonance when you were wearing such a big black mask?"
Kwon Eun-bi silently covered her face. She swore she had never heard such an outrageous excuse in her life.
"Ahn Yu-jin." Liu Yu didn't even lift his eyelids. "My lip movements can't save your vocal cords. If you think you can sing high notes by just looking at your lips, I suggest you go to the Seoul Zoo right now and stare at the hippos for ten minutes. Their lip movements are the most standard. Do it again, with the accompaniment."
"Pfft—" Standing to the side, Choi Ye-na couldn't help but laugh out loud, then immediately covered her mouth and pretended to look at the ceiling before Liu Yu's cold gaze swept over her.
While efficiently processing the audio tracks, Liu Yu also handled the group of energetic girl group members with ease.
He was like an emotionless, unfeeling machine; any attempt to get close to him or to get him to take off his mask would be met with his sharp, venomous tongue.
Jin Caiyuan stood with her arms crossed, less than a meter behind Liu Yu, and said in a voice so sweet it sent chills down one's spine:
"Mr. Liu Yu, the air circulation in the recording studio doesn't seem very good. With such a thick mask on, won't your brain suffer from oxygen deprivation? What if you experience hearing loss due to lack of oxygen and end up turning our hit song into a children's song? For your health, wouldn't it be terrible if you took it off and got some fresh air?"
"Jin Caiyuan." Liu Yu tapped the keyboard to save the project file. "If you spent half the effort you put into worrying about the oxygen levels in my brain on your breath control, we could leave work two hours early today. Also, even if I were so oxygen-deprived that I only had half a brain left, the audio I edited would still sound better than your previous dry recording."
Jin Caiyuan took a deep breath, his smile freezing on his face, silently tearing Liu Yu to pieces in his mind.
Zhang Yuanying, carrying a cup of warm water, walked lightly to Liu Yu's side, her voice so soft and sweet it could be drawn out like silk:
"Teacher, you've talked so much, your throat must be very dry, right? Have some water. But if you're going to drink water... you'll have to take off your mask, right?"
She blinked her bright, watery eyes, her face full of innocence and expectation.
Liu Yu stopped what he was doing and turned to look at Zhang Yuanying.
Just when Zhang Yuanying thought her "sweet offensive" had finally worked and a morbid excitement was beginning to rise in her heart, Liu Yu took out a plastic straw from the drawer.
He skillfully inserted the straw into the water cup, then slipped it through the gap at the edge of his mask, and took a large gulp with a blank expression.
"Thank you, the water temperature is just right." Liu Yu pulled out the straw and continued to stare at the screen.
The smile on Zhang Yuanying's face vanished for a second.
Very well, this uncle is simply a monster who won't listen to reason!
The members of IZ*ONE became more determined despite setbacks, treating "getting Liu Yu to take off his mask" as a hidden challenge outside of today's recording session.
While they were having a great time, the behind-the-scenes director in the corner was on the verge of a heart attack.
The director, watching the footage on the monitor, frantically tugged at his already sparse hair.
What is this thing being filmed?!
His task was to film "Behind-the-scenes footage of IZ*ONE's energetic and heartwarming comeback recording," showing fans the idols working hard and the producers having a great time together.
But now?
On the monitor, a man in black, wearing gold-rimmed glasses and covering his face completely, sat at the control panel like a cold-blooded dictator. Meanwhile, the national idols who usually shone brightly on stage looked like a group of elementary school students being reprimanded by their teacher.
Most importantly, the producer doesn't show his face!
Fans watch behind-the-scenes footage not only to see their idols, but also to see their interactions.
You, as a producer, are covered up like a bank robber. How can this footage be edited to watch? Anyone who didn't know better would think KZ Studio is some kind of illegal pyramid scheme hideout!
"This won't do, we can't film anymore!" The director finally lost his temper, abruptly stood up, and strode over to Liu Yu. "Stop! Everyone stop!"
The recording studio fell silent as everyone turned to look at the director who had suddenly erupted in anger.
"Liu Yu-xi!" The director was sweating profusely. "Can we talk this over? Could you just pull your mask down a little bit, even just a tiny bit? Just show your chin! With you fully masked like this, I can't edit this behind-the-scenes footage at all! The scene is too bizarre!"
Liu Yu took off his headphones, leaned back in his chair, and looked calmly at the director: "Director, I don't quite understand your logic. You're filming behind-the-scenes footage of the girl group IZ*ONE. Isn't it enough to just show the twelve of their pretty faces? Why do you insist on having me, a behind-the-scenes staff member, appear on screen?"
"Because of interaction! Interaction!" the director exclaimed, slapping his thigh. "Fans want to see your interaction! You're wearing a mask, have no expression, and your eyes are so scary. If we edit this together, fans will accuse us of mistreating our artists!"
"That's a problem for your editing and post-production team to solve, it has nothing to do with me." Liu Yu pointed to the control panel. "My job is to produce the master tape of this song. If my face could improve the sound quality of this song by one level, I could go straight for plastic surgery. But the fact is, it can't. So, I refuse."
"You..." The director was so speechless that he rolled his eyes.
This kid is like a rock in a latrine, smelly and hard.
Seeing this, Kwon Eun-bi quickly stepped in to smooth things over: "Director, please don't be angry. That's just Liu Yu's personality; he's very focused on his work..."
"No way! If you don't take off your mask today, I'm not filming any more behind-the-scenes footage!" The director, with his fiery temper, immediately quit. "I'm calling Representative Cui right now! This job is impossible!"
With that, the director angrily pulled out his phone and walked out.
An awkward silence fell over the recording studio. Ahn Yu-jin stuck out her tongue and whispered to Choi Ye-na, "Wow, that guy even drove the director away. His fighting power is incredible!"
Liu Yu was completely unaffected. He glanced at the time and said into the microphone, "Since the behind-the-scenes footage is paused, let's hurry up. Kim Minju, come into the studio and re-record that Bridge segment."
Kim Minju quickly grabbed the lyric book and ran into the recording studio.
Five minutes later, the door to the control room was pushed open.
Representative Cui walked in with a radiant face, followed by the behind-the-scenes director who was still wiping away sweat.
"Oh, everyone, you've all worked so hard!" As soon as Representative Choi entered, he greeted the members of IZ*ONE warmly, and then went straight to Yoo Yu and patted him on the shoulder.
"Representative of you." Liu Yu said without turning his head, "If you're here to persuade me to take off my mask, I suggest you save your breath. My employment contract clearly states that it does not include on-camera appearances."
"Oh, Liu Yu, don't be so rigid." Representative Cui smiled and pulled up a chair to sit next to Liu Yu, lowering his voice, "I know your rules, and I know you hate trouble. But, today's situation is a bit special."
Representative Cui leaned close to Liu Yu's ear and said in a voice only the two of them could hear:
"IZ*ONE's agency just called. They saw the footage sent back from the front lines and think your outfit today is very newsworthy. The 'clash between a cool, genius producer and an energetic girl group' gimmick, if it can be included in the behind-the-scenes footage, would be extremely beneficial for their comeback promotion."
Liu Yu sneered: "So what? They want to use me as a marketing tool? Representative, do I look like the kind of person who would sacrifice my principles for someone else's publicity?"
"Of course not." Representative Cui's smile grew even brighter. He took out his phone from the inside pocket of his suit, opened an interface, and then pushed the screen under Liu Yu's glasses.
Liu Yu's previously nonchalant gaze suddenly froze the moment it swept over the string of numbers on the screen.
"The other company said that as long as you're willing to take off your mask for the entire two-hour behind-the-scenes shoot and cooperate a little with the 'gentle producer' persona..." Representative Cui held up three fingers and waved them in front of Liu Yu, "The appearance fee is this amount. It will be directly deposited into your personal account, not through the company's account. In addition, I'll double your bonus this month."
The control room was extremely quiet.
The members of IZ*ONE all looked on curiously, wondering what CEO Choi had shown Yoo Yu that could make this previously unyielding man fall silent so suddenly.
Zhang Yuanying squinted and caught the subtle movement of Liu Yu swallowing.
one second.
two seconds.
three seconds.
Liu Yu slowly turned his head to look at Representative Cui.
"Representative nim." Liu Yu's voice was deep and sincere.
"Hmm?" Representative Cui suppressed a laugh.
Liu Yu stretched out his finger and decisively hooked the mask strap behind his ear.
"You know me."
As Liu Yu spoke, he took the black mask off his face, folded it neatly, and placed it on the edge of the control panel.
"I've always put the company's interests first. I'm a very dedicated person. When it comes to the promotional results for our partners and the industry reputation of KZ Studio, what's a little personal sacrifice?"
Liu Yu turned to face the behind-the-scenes director, revealing a textbook-perfect, warm and welcoming smile.
"Director, I didn't think that through earlier. Can we begin now? From which angle would you like me to look at the camera? Or, would you like me to demonstrate a gentle vocal instruction for the members?"
The entire room fell silent.
The behind-the-scenes director stared wide-eyed as the walkie-talkie in his hand fell to the ground with a thud.
Ahn Yu-jin rubbed her eyes, and Choi Ye-na's lollipop fell onto her lap. Kim Chae-won's fake smile turned into a terrified, stunned expression.
Even the usually composed Queen Eun-bi gasped and instinctively took a half-step back.
too frightening.
This man not only has a face comparable to a popular male actor, but he can also change his expression a hundred times faster than turning the pages of a book!
Where did that ruthless tyrant go?! Who is this handsome guy who exudes capitalist brilliance and has a smile that's as warm as a spring breeze?!
"M-Uncle..." Ahn Yoo-jin stammered, pointing at Liu Yu, "You...you've been possessed by an alien?"
Liu Yu adjusted his gold-rimmed glasses, his smile flawless, his voice so gentle it could drown you:
"Yuzhen-xi, please call me Teacher Liu Yu. You must have had a hard time recording just now. Would you like to have some water and rest for a bit? I will patiently teach you the rest of the parts step by step."
Ahn Yoo-jin shuddered violently and grabbed Kwon Eun-bi beside her, crying, "Unnie! Help! His smile is so creepy!"
Zhang Yuanying sat in the corner watching Liu Yu, who had completely shed his disguise and revealed his entire face. There was that high, straight nose, that sharp jawline softened by his deliberate smile, and those deep eyes behind his gold-rimmed glasses.
Her heart skipped a beat.
"That's great," Zhang Yuanying murmured to herself. "Things are getting more and more interesting."
……
Tian Xiaojuan angrily threw a cushion onto the sofa.
"Achoo!" Tian Xiaojuan rubbed her nose and cursed fiercely, "It must be that bastard Liu Yu talking about me behind my back! When I get off work, I'll scratch his face until it's bruised and battered!"
"Unnie." Song Yuqi spat out her chewing gum and looked at Tian Xiaojuan with a mischievous grin.
"Are you really willing to give that up?"
……
Filming in the recording studio is finally back on track.
Under the immense allure of money, Liu Yu displayed astonishing "professional ethics." He not only appeared on screen throughout the entire process but also proactively cooperated with the director's request, giving Kim Min-ju an extremely gentle and encouraging vocal demonstration in front of the camera.
"Minju, don't be afraid. Your voice is actually quite good. Just lower your breath, like this..." Liu Yu leaned down slightly to look at Kim Minju behind the glass, his voice gentle.
Kim Minju looked at that handsome face so close to hers, and her face flushed red instantly. She even held the lyric book upside down.
"I...I'm sorry, teacher! I...I'll adjust right away!" Kim Minju stammered, his head almost touching his chest.
Behind the scenes, the director was so excited he slapped his thigh: "Fantastic! This is exactly the feeling! A genius producer gently guiding an innocent idol! This footage is definitely going to trend!"
Liu Yu smiled gently on the surface, but in his heart he was frantically calculating the time.
"Twenty thousand won a minute... Hold it in, Liu Yu, this is all for your wonderful life! Laugh, keep laughing!"
This absurd comedy, dominated by capitalism, is being performed merrily at KZ Studio.
Unbeknownst to anyone, a storm sparked by a volatile female team leader was rapidly approaching this place.