Peninsula: Please, I only want to talk about ordinary people.

Chapter 31 It is mine, and can only be mine.

After dropping off Jiang Huiyuan, Jiang Yongtai parked his car downstairs at the CJ building before seeing the message from Mina.

Is there something Mina wants to talk to me about?

He thought for a moment and typed back: "Sorry, Nan-chan, I have to go to the editing room today and I'll probably be there until very late."

After sending the message, I put my phone in my pocket, pushed open the revolving door of the CJ building, and went inside.

The elevator arrived at the floor where the editing room was located, and he pushed open the editing room belonging to the production team of "A Heartbreaking Trip".

The room was filled with smoke, and the ashtray on the editing table was overflowing with cigarette butts. The person sitting in the seat was not Li Yunhao from last night, but Sun Changyu.

He was staring at the monitor, dragging the mouse between clips, his eyes bloodshot.

"Brother Changyu."

Sun Changyu turned around, his face showing the lingering fatigue and excitement of having stayed up all night.

"Oh, Yongtai, you're here so early?"

"Hey, didn't Changyu tell me to come over early?"

Jiang Yongtai smiled at him.

Sun Changyu knew he was joking, so he played along and got angry.

"Oh dear, I never said that!"

He pushed the mouse aside and rubbed the back of his neck.

Jiang Yongtai leaned closer to look at the screen, which was covered with his thoughts on the trailer, each line marked with its corresponding material number and timecode.

He turned his head, somewhat puzzled.

"Changwoo hyung, isn't this the maknae PD's job? Why are you doing it?"

In the variety show broadcasting industry, the job of editing trailers is usually done by new PDs.

All trailer logic can be summarized as first establishing the character and situation, and then breaking them down by oneself. The rhythm, contrast, and hook are all within these ten seconds.

The first thing a new PD needs to learn in editing is how to capture the audience's curiosity in such a short time.

Therefore, having them in charge of editing the trailers can test their basic skills and also reveal their grasp of the show's tone.

Sun Changyu lit another cigarette and began to pour out his grievances.

"Sigh, time is too tight. The first episode is going to air next week, and I can't find anyone suitable to help, so I have to do it myself."

I've almost forgotten when was the last time I edited a trailer myself.

As he finished speaking, a bitter smile appeared on his lips.

Jiang Yongtai smiled and sat down on the chair next to him.

"Changyu, have you forgotten about me? I'm also the PD of 'Heartbreaking Trip', and I just joined the company. This kind of work should be done by me."

Sun Changyu smiled and patted him on the shoulder.

"Yongtai, you are indeed suitable, but Minister Nan Shenghao just spoke to me and told me to go see him after you arrive."

Jiang Yongtai frowned.

When Sun Changyu returned from Jeju Island yesterday, he told Nam Seung-ho that Nam Seung-ho wanted to see him. Later, when he met Na Young-seok, Na Young-seok said the same thing.

Was Nam Seung-ho starting preparations for the production of "Transfer Romance"? Or was he being held accountable for Seo Hyun's situation and reassigned to another department?

"Alright, go find Minister Nam Seung-ho. But the smell of smoke here is too strong. Go and air yourself out first."

Upon hearing this sentence again, Jiang Yongtai frowned slightly.

"Brother, could you tell me exactly what General Manager Nam Seung-ho wanted to see me about?"

Sun Changyu smiled and said, "Don't worry, it's a good thing."

"Go ahead. Once you've finished these two episodes, I'll treat you to dinner to thank you for your help."

"……Inside."

Jiang Yongtai stood up, walked to the door, paused, and looked back. Sun Changyu had already put his headphones back on.

With the door closed, the air in the hallway was like an oxygen bar compared to the editing room.

He looked down and smelled the cigarette smoke that had permeated his clothes after just a short while, and smiled.

This is what it feels like to enter the editing phase; to be honest, he misses it a little.

Jiang Yongtai didn't go directly to Nan Shenghao, but instead turned and walked towards the restroom.

Sun Changyu is right. It's really inappropriate to go to see the chief with that lingering smell of smoke that could leave a trace in the corridor.

……

"Please come in."

Nan Shenghao looked up from behind his desk and said something towards the door.

Jiang Yongtai pushed open the door and walked in, bowing slightly.

"Minister, nim."

"Oh, it's Yongtai. Come and sit down."

Nan Shenghao put down his pen and leaned back in his chair.

Jiang Yongtai walked to the desk and sat down. "Brother Changyu asked me to come and see the minister."

Nam Seung-ho nodded.

"Yes, I wanted to see you. What would you like to drink, coffee?"

Before Jiang Yongtai could answer, he had already stood up, walked to the tea station next to him, and tore open two packets of instant coffee with his back to him.

"Chang-woo told me you did well there. You've worked hard this time, making a trip to Jeju Island before even officially starting your job."

"No, Minister, I've learned a lot from Chang-woo."

Nan Shenghao walked back with two paper cups and handed one to Jiang Yongtai.

Jiang Yongtai accepted it with both hands, "Thank you, Minister."

Nan Shenghao sat down again with another cup in his hand and blew on the steam rising from the rim of the cup.

"It's good that you've learned something. Speaking of which, you're only twenty-seven this year, right?"

Yes, that's right.

Jiang Yongtai took a sip; the instant coffee powder hadn't completely dissolved yet, and it tasted a bit bitter.

Nan Shenghao sighed, "Twenty-seven, so young..."

He put the cup on the table and picked up a folder from beside him.

"The reason I've called you here is to have you take over a TVING online variety show. Here's the proposal."

He pushed the documents in front of Jiang Yongtai.

Wasn't he here because he was being held accountable for Seohyun's situation? He even gave himself a new variety show project?

Jiang Yongtai frowned slightly, without touching the document, and asked:

"Minister, excuse me, but I'd like to ask why me? I just started working here..."

Nan Shenghao tapped his finger twice on the table, stopping him from continuing.

However, he didn't feel offended. Instead, he smiled, as if he had expected Jiang Yongtai to ask such a question.

"That's not what you want to ask. You want to ask about 'Love by Transfer', right?"

Why did I send you to help Sun Changyu out of his predicament, and now I'm putting you on this project instead of "Love Transfer," which you brought with you?

Jiang Yongtai was surprised that he would be so open about it, and paused for a moment.

"Well, I'm a little confused. Is the 'Love on Transfers' project not well-developed enough?"

Nan Shenghao didn't answer, but simply pushed the folder forward a little more.

"Take a look at this first."

Jiang Yongtai hesitated for a moment, then picked up the document and opened it.

The first page lists the project title: "Refrigerator Interview," and further down, the partner is listed as JYP Entertainment, with the MC selection section still empty.

His gaze paused briefly when he saw that the partner was JYP, but he continued flipping through the pages without making a sound. With each page he turned, his expression became even more restrained.

Nam Seung-ho sipped his coffee slowly, not urging him, and patiently waited for him to finish reading.

Jiang Yongtai closed the proposal, looked up, and stated his conclusion directly.

"Minister, this is a trial project that TVING is trying out because the pandemic is getting worse, right?"

Nan Shenghao paused slightly as he held the coffee cup. He put it down, looked at Jiang Yongtai, and smiled.

"You noticed? But that's understandable. Didn't you yourself target this special period when you wrote 'Transfer Romance,' a project that's not exactly popular right now?"

Jiang Yongtai was stunned for a moment, and thought to himself, "No one who can sit in this position is a fool."

"Yes, I told PD Na about it when I showed the plan to him."

"Dating reality shows will provide viewers with a form of proxy satisfaction during this period when interpersonal relationships are at their most distant."

Nan Shenghao nodded when he heard his honest answer.

He had seen too many newcomers rush to cover up their thoughts after their superiors had pointed them out, but Jiang Yongtai admitted it very quickly, and he admired his frankness.

"You have good taste, and tvN's taste is not bad either."

He pointed to the business plan in front of Jiang Yongtai.

"So, are you going to take this project? Na Young-seok recommended you to be the PD of this show, that's why I approached you."

Jiang Yongtai was stunned for a moment.

Was it recommended by Young-seok? He didn't even mention it when we met at the coffee shop yesterday.

Moreover, Na Young-seok clearly knew that he only wanted to start "Transfer Romance" first, so why did he recommend him to take on this project, and why didn't he tell him?

Could it be that Nam Seung-ho is using Na Young-seok to trick him into taking on this project so that "Transfer Romance" can be handed over to another PD?

He pursed his lips, looked up at Nan Shenghao, and asked bluntly:

"Minister, when will 'Love Through Transfers' be made?"

Hearing his naive question, Nan Shenghao wasn't angry; instead, he chuckled.

He didn't answer, but stood up, walked around the desk to the window.

"Yongtai, when you drink coffee, do you find it bitter?"

Jiang Yongtai felt somewhat helpless. He had asked such a direct question, which made him seem like a "newbie" in the workplace, but he did not expect Nan Shenghao to suddenly steer the topic completely away from the truth.

However, he suppressed his anxiety and nodded.

"It will be bitter, but I'll get used to it."

"I can't get used to it."

Nam Seung-ho turned around and looked at him with a smile. "Come with me for a moment."

"Yes." Jiang Yongtai was a little confused, but he still stood up and followed him out.

The two walked through the corridor one after the other and finally stopped in front of the vending machine.

The place where Nam Seung-ho handed him a can of Coke after the previous interview.

Nan Shenghao took out a coin, inserted it, pressed the button twice, and the vending machine made a muffled sound as two cans of cola rolled down.

He bent down to pick them out, then turned around and handed one of the cans to Jiang Yongtai.

After Jiang Yongtai took it, Nan Shenghao pulled the tab, tilted his head back, and took a swig.

"Hiss—this one tastes better."

He smiled and gestured with his chin toward the rest area by the window, indicating that Jiang Yongtai should sit down.

The two sat on the two gray sofas, in the same spot as on the day of the interview.

Nan Shenghao put the cola on the table and looked up at him.

"You just asked me when 'Love Through Transfers' will be made, right?"

Jiang Yongtai nodded.

"Would you believe me if I said I wanted to do it right now?"

Jiang Yongtai was taken aback. He looked into Nan Shenghao's eyes, unable to discern how much of his words were a test.

Nan Shenghao ignored his reaction and continued speaking, but lowered his voice a little.

"I don't know if Youngseok has mentioned it to you, but I guess he hasn't."

Yongtai, the "Transfer Romance" project is fantastic; it's the best variety show project I've seen in the past two years.

Young people will love it, not to mention the timing of its 'birth'.

He paused, then tapped the Coke can twice with his fingers.

"But unfortunately, it belongs to you, a newcomer who has just joined tvN and has never served as the main PD of any major variety show."

Department Head Lee Myung-han wants another PD to take over as the main PD for "Transfer Romance." I'm saying this... do you understand?

Jiang Yongtai's brows furrowed more and more; of course he understood.

Nam Seung-ho's meaning couldn't be clearer: he really wanted to launch the project immediately, but Lee Myung-han stopped him.

As for why they stopped it, it's probably because that way they could continue to sideline Nam Seung-ho.

However, Li Minghan didn't have anyone who could step into the position of main PD for "Love by Transfer", so he asked himself to take over TVING's online variety show first.

And why didn't Na Young-seok mention it to him at all...? Because the stand-in PD that Lee Myung-han chose was very likely someone from Na Young-seok's team!

Luo Yingxi's current projects are not yet finished, so naturally he can't spare anyone for Li Minghan.

That's why I didn't mention it to him at all yesterday, I just hinted at it to let him know that tvN is still dominated by Lee Myung-han!

Nan Shenghao watched the changing expressions on Jiang Yongtai's face, picked up his cola, took a sip, and didn't urge him.

Jiang Yongtai remained silent for a moment, then a bitter smile slowly appeared on his lips.

He originally thought that since he was introduced by Luo Yingxi, he would naturally be one of his people, but it turned out that the other party did not treat him as one of their own at all.

This conclusion left him feeling somewhat uneasy.

He looked up. "Minister, I understand."

"It's good that you understand."

Nan Shenghao leaned back on the sofa and took another sip of cola.

"So now, are you going to accept this online variety show project or not?"

Jiang Yongtai's voice held a hint of helplessness, "...Did I have a choice?"

Seeing his resigned look, Nan Shenghao suddenly burst out laughing.

"Haha, of course!"

Jiang Yongtai raised his eyes and looked at him strangely. Was this guy expecting him to make a statement on the spot and side with him like Sun Changyu did?

Meeting his gaze, Nan Shenghao reached for the unopened can of Coke on the table, pulled the tab for him, and the bubbles hissed and surged up.

"Yongtai, I remember you told me that you left KBS because you didn't want to wait in the editing room and listen to other people's arrangements anymore."

Jiang Yongtai shifted his gaze from the steaming Coke can to Nan Shenghao's eyes and nodded seriously.

"Yes, that's what I said during the interview, Minister-nim."

"Then accept this project and become the main PD of 'Refrigerator Interview'."

Nan Shenghao pushed the can of cola with the tab pulled out in front of him, his voice suddenly becoming a little softer, as if talking to himself, or as if speaking to this twenty-seven-year-old junior.

"Leave the rest to me. Actually, I don't want to listen to other people's arrangements."

That was true when you were your age, and it's true now that you're in the ministerial position.

Jiang Yongtai fell silent. Nan Shenghao was right; now it was a choice.

Should we trust the newly appointed, but powerless, head of the content planning department, or continue to follow Lee Myung-han, the man who rescued us from KBS only to betray us just now...?

Nan Shenghao wasn't in a hurry. He leaned back on the sofa, sipped his cola, and even crossed his legs.

"Minister..." Jiang Yongtai gave his answer.

"I'm willing to take on 'Refrigerator Interview'!"

A glint flashed in Nan Shenghao's eyes, and he nodded, as if he had been waiting for these words.

"Okay, I won't keep you waiting long."

"Yes." Jiang Yongtai nodded seriously.

He will be the lead producer of "Love on the Transfer". And it can only be him!

Nan Shenghao smiled and stood up.

"Let's go then. Come back to the office with me and get the proposal. JYP will bring their chosen MC over for a meeting tonight."

"You're the only one on the production team right now. We were originally only planning to have one PD for this show, but I can get a few people from Sun Changyu's team to help you. Anyway, all that's left for 'Heartbreaking Journey' is editing."

Jiang Yongtai felt a mix of tension and relief.

I had just thought I was all alone, but I felt relieved to hear that I could get some people from Sun Changyu.

Sun Changyu's team had worked with him before, so getting along wasn't a problem.

As for having only one PD... for a small-scale online variety show like "Refrigerator Interview," he is indeed capable enough to handle it all by himself.

"I understand, thank you, Minister." Jiang Yongtai stood up.

Nan Shenghao waved his hand.

"No need to thank me. I know what happened with Seohyun wasn't your fault, so I helped you withstand the pressure. But this time you'd better do a good job, understand?"

Jiang Yongtai picked up the can of Coke that Nan Shenghao had opened for him on the table and took a sip.

The cola was still cold, and the bubbles burst on my tongue, but the taste was the same as the uncooked instant coffee from before—a bit bitter.

He bowed slightly.

"Yes, I will assure the minister that you will return 'Transfer Romance' to me."

Nan Shenghao paused for a moment, then burst out laughing, a very hearty laugh.

"Hahaha, yours? Yes, it's yours!"

The two walked back to Nam Seung-ho's office. Kang Young-tae picked up the "Refrigerator Interview" proposal, bowed, and was about to leave.

Nan Shenghao sat down behind his desk, then suddenly looked up as if he remembered something.

"By the way, JYP decided on the MC last night."

"Minister, who is MC?"

"I think Sana from Twice would be a good fit, what do you think?"

Jiang Yongtai suddenly raised his head, his pupils contracting slightly.

"...Sa...na?"