Chapter 38: The General (Part 2) (First Update)

  First update seeking recommendations~

  Thank you for the rewards from classmates Jianmie Shenfeng and Shangxin ⊙, thank you for the evaluation from classmate Jianmie Shenfeng.

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  Those who have never idolized someone and been hurt by that idol will find it hard to understand the emotions of Rain's fans after seeing those photos.

  Chilling, disappointed, gloomy, angry... and so on. Especially after attending the awards ceremony last night, I saw Ahn Jun-hee stand up to stop the fans, while Rain just sat there blankly, as if he didn't care. After calming down from the excitement of the moment, I felt a chill run down my spine - what if they had really fought and I got hurt? And then... it was like being betrayed.

  When someone else's idol takes the initiative to take responsibility and lead, but the person you admire remains silent and indifferent, sitting in their original position... Maybe they have all sorts of seemingly justified reasons, but for those who have personally experienced that stark contrast between idols at the time, nothing else matters.

  Rain's numerous fanclubs, even official clubs, saw a wave of withdrawals, with tens of thousands of registered fans seemingly coordinating to delete their accounts, expressing their disappointment and anger in this silent yet resolute manner.

  Compared to Rain's over 3 million registered fans, the loss of these few thousand fans is negligible. However, when this group of people turned to Ahn Jun-hyuk and registered for his official fan club, and then openly declared their presence in the community, the dramatic scene that unfolded was quite impactful.

  It was like a slap in the face, with a crisp and loud sound!

  S·M company, in An Junhe's studio, sitting on an office chair operating the computer, with relish looking at the official community, that building getting higher and higher, has developed to over 10,000 replies "building", Quan Baogen smiled and asked: "Junhe, how many fans do you think we can dig up this time? Yesterday I knew you went to comfort the fans, almost got them into a fight, I was still worried about it, didn't expect bad things could turn into good things, you little brat, when did you have such great prestige among the fans?"

  Behind the office desk, a large floor-to-ceiling window was crystal clear, and outside the window, snowflakes were dancing in the air. The sky and earth were wrapped in silver, stretching far away to the end of the line of sight. The whole world was a vast expanse of white, and it felt biting cold just by looking at it. But behind this window, the air was still warm as spring, the wall-mounted air conditioner humming along, Ahn Jun-hee chewing gum, silently gazing out at the silver world outside, without responding.

  He loved standing here, gazing out at the distant horizon, with a sense of emptiness that felt like returning to his dream world in 2014. That year, he had already reached the pinnacle of his career and also liked to stand on the highest floor of his hotel, looking down at the crowds below, not seeking a sense of accomplishment or anything, but just as a way to clear his mind. Others in his position would look down and see pedestrians and vehicles on the streets below, but he saw countless mountains of corpses and seas of blood that supported his status!

  It was neither a kind of fear, nor guilt for what he had been in the past. On the contrary, it was him reminding himself - be cautious, never become one of them someday.

  Wake up from the dream and return to reality, at this moment, he stands here, also thinking so vigilantly.

  He has successfully debuted, with the re-run of "I'm Sorry, I Love You" continuing to soar in ratings, as well as the awards he received last night, his popularity is still rapidly rising under the promotion of TV programs and media. His name, along with Lim Soo-jung's, and keywords such as "Uncle, Stone", "I'm Sorry, I Love You" re-occupied the top three spots on Naver search after a day of decline.

  It can be said that he has achieved great success and fame!

  But An Junhe was very clear that this was just the beginning, he was still a newcomer who had just entered the industry, and his temporary popularity didn't mean anything. Even superstars who had been famous for many years would eventually decline, let alone him, a newcomer who rose to fame overnight with a shallow foundation?

  So his head is particularly clear, last night at the awards ceremony, he came out to comfort fans, not a momentary brain fever to show off, but an inevitable choice, at that time the staff could not persuade those angry girls, if the live broadcast could not be carried out, the TV station would definitely take him first.

  Of course, his confidence in the prestige of fans is also a reason to encourage him to stand out. He believes that even if he faces the worst situation, he can calm down the angry fans and turn the tide.

  It turned out that his confidence was not in vain, he stopped a conflict, with a strong side, and the great influence on fans, deeply imprinted in the hearts of people at the time, for a moment, the image was glorious and perfect... but if there was a choice, he would rather the conflict did not happen, rather the whole awards ceremony was dull and tasteless. Because when he established his glorious image, he inevitably had to damage another person's image - Rain!

  In 2002, he swept all music awards with the strongest momentum as soon as he debuted, cutting down many seniors in the music scene. Any newcomer who wants to debut as a singer cannot ignore the great pressure he brings.

  Normally, with such a famous predecessor, it's already difficult to get along well, let alone have a falling out.

  After all, the hierarchy in the music industry is really too strict. If a senior remembers a grudge against you and intentionally or unintentionally makes things difficult for you, as a junior, you can't resist.

  Unfortunately, the world is unpredictable. KBS TV had already made contact and forbade reporting on last night's conflict at the ceremony. Who knew that some staff members still secretly took photos and sent them to portal websites for publication.

  From today, seeing Rain's fans quit and move to his own club, and even openly declare their origin, Ahn Jun-hee knew that whether he liked it or not, he had already reached the opposing side of Rain. This has nothing to do with whether one's heart is broad or narrow, but rather a matter of a star's dignity. Even if such a thing happened to him, he would still have to take it into consideration.

  So when Guan Bao asked him with great concern, he was speechless and didn't know what to say.

  No regret, just feel that it's a bit inexplicable to have a grudge against a senior superstar like this. It's like playing chess with someone, just starting the game, preparing to take it step by step, testing and growing at the same time, accumulating strength, but suddenly checkmated after just a few moves, having to give up all plans for a head-on confrontation.

  Feeling a bit depressed!

  However, it's not like there's no room for reconciliation. An Junhe quietly gazed out the window at the falling snow, waiting for a phone call.

  On the other side of the office desk, Quan Baogen was still gleefully observing the rapid increase in the number of registered members of the official fan club. After a while, he suddenly exclaimed: "Junhe, your fans have given you another new nickname, calling you General An, saying that your back view is particularly domineering!"

  An Junhe turned around, just about to say something, when the mobile phone ringtone that had been waiting for suddenly rang out. He took a look and answered it immediately.

  "Hello, Aunt Li!"

  On the other end of the phone, Lee Kyung-hee's script came with a slightly hesitant voice: "Jun-hyuk... Ji-hoon said he's not feeling well and might not be able to accept your invitation..."

  An Junhe was silent for a moment before smiling and saying: "It's okay! Auntie, I'm really sorry to trouble you over something so trivial."

  "Alright, let's not say such polite words. I didn't do anything either... Jun-hyuk, Ji-hoon might just be momentarily confused in his mind. Let him calm down for a while and I'll try to help you again."

  "Never mind, Auntie, let's just leave it at that!"

  He chatted with Li Qingxi for a few more sentences before hanging up the phone, gazing silently out the window. A moment later, he slightly raised his hand and stroked the icy glass in front of him. The huge temperature difference between indoors and outdoors had condensed a thin layer of tiny water vapor on the glass. As his fingers wiped across it, they left behind several clear, straight streaks. Behind these streaks was a blurry, distorted, and fragmented view of the sky.

  "Baogen Shu, what nickname did you just mention?"

  "Uh... General An, what's wrong?"

  "Hmm, General, General... it's really going to be a general after all, what a coincidence... Uncle Bao Gen, write it down in my official records, as a keepsake."

  Quan Baogen was taken aback, "What memorial? Are you going to celebrate a birthday?"

  Against the backdrop of fluttering snowflakes like catkins, standing in the light, An Junhe, who had a dark outline etched in Quan Baogen's eyes, did not turn back.

  "...... Yeah, soon......"

  Like a snowflake falling on the windowsill, his voice was calm and icy.

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