"But are you sure you want to join this show?" Sister Dan asked hesitantly.
"You know the company won't give you any more songs. Otherwise, I would've asked for another singing show. You might need to wait a little, though, since joining an ongoing talent program right now won't be easy," she added.
"Thanks, Unni, but I'm going to take the chance," Yuri said confidently.
"If you say so," Sister Dan finally replied, no longer trying to persuade Yuri. The company was also eager to end its relationship with her. They wanted to get rid of the burden quickly, choosing this method not to clear Yuri's name but to prove she wasn't as talented as everyone thought. That way, they could safely cut ties without worrying about any fallout after the contract ended. The cold reality of capitalism was ruthless.
"No problem." After Yuri agreed, she deliberately asked in a weak voice, "Sister Dan, is there something wrong with the company's public relations?"
"No, there's no problem," Sister Dan immediately reassured her.
"The company has professional procedures to handle PR emergencies. You should remember that Juson Entertainment is at least a medium-sized company. Think about it: you were our most outstanding artist and had brought in a lot of money, so we, of all people, want your career to go smoothly. This time, though, the scandal hit suddenly without warning, and the public's reaction was much stronger than anyone expected."
"That's okay," Yuri said, sneering silently inside. Still, she couldn't entirely blame the agent, after all, she had to work to make a living. Public opinion was blind and ignorant; who could possibly control it? In the end, it was just the original owner's bad luck.
Sister Dan had many words ready to discourage Yuri from blaming the company. She wanted to urge her that it wouldn't help, especially since Yuri still wanted to keep going down this path. But as she thought about it more, she realized Yuri was only 20 years old. Such a harsh setback at her age felt like a fatal blow, and it was genuinely pitiful.
So, Sister Dan's next words were much softer.
"You've been with me for two years now. I'll help you again and ask KBS to take better care of you, at least to make sure your clips won't be edited maliciously."
"Thank you, Unni," Yuri said, purposely letting her voice tremble as she sniffled softly, trying to sound like she was holding back tears.
"Unni is the only one who helped me after I was wronged."
"Don't dwell on it. Just get some good rest," Sister Dan sighed and replied gently.
"Make sure you go to the KBS station and don't be late. Things aren't as good as they used to be, so don't upset the music director," she added firmly. After giving those instructions, Sister Dan ended the call. Still thinking it over, she then called a show producer she knew from the industry. Having worked in entertainment for over ten years, she still had a few important contacts.
After connecting the call, Sister Dan immediately stated her purpose and exchanged a favor with the show's producer. After the phone call, Sister Dan couldn't help but sigh again. A once dazzling existence was now reduced to begging for a gig.
"Yuri's singing skills are average, and her composing ability is also non-existent. The success of her comeback is completely in the hands of God's favor. There's no use in participating in any program to save her situation at all," Sister Dan lamented.
The artist's agent team consists of the artist manager, booking agent, tour manager, assistant manager, and makeup and style assistant. Yuri used to have three business agents supporting her career. What the original body didn't know was that the team was disbanded when the 'black material' was revealed, proving the fact that the company could not save her. At present, there are four popular music programs in the domestic entertainment industry: "I'm Really a Singer," "The Masked Singer," "The Voice of China," and "The Singer-Songwriter."
Juson Entertainment was in a rush to get rid of Yuri. They believed the quickest way was to find "The Masked Singer" for her. Since the singer's identity was hidden by a mask, they thought the program would easily accept her without any problems.
"Yuri? Are you joking? Our show's reputation can't be risked. Listen to my advice, President Kim: you can't keep supporting her and expect to stop the losses in time," however, Seung-il, the production director of The Masked Singer, responded firmly.
Faced with this rejection, Juson Entertainment decided to change their strategy. They invested more resources and continued searching until they finally secured "The Singer Songwriter," a show currently airing on KBS.