I Became the CEO of an Idol Company in a Game – Chapter 14

Author: Cireng

Even though “Reverse Perspective” hadn’t aired yet, we were already able to secure a music show schedule.

“By the way, sir. It’s been a while since the boys went on a music show… shouldn’t we make their outfits a bit more flashy?”

One of the A&R team members cautiously offered their opinion.

“No.”

I answered as firmly as possible.

This was something I absolutely couldn’t compromise on.

Hadn’t we already been criticized before for overdoing it, ending up with high-quality styling that didn’t match the song at all?

“Right now, this concept fits this song perfectly. If you really want to add something, it’s better to focus on accessories or makeup details. Let’s not get greedy. When you get too greedy, things end up looking off. Let’s keep it at this level. We can go flashy on the next album.”

“Understood.”

Fortunately, the staff member backed down quickly.

“Come to think of it, today’s the day ‘Reverse Perspective’ airs, right?”

“That’s right.”

The show was finally set to broadcast at 8 PM tonight.

“You’re going to watch it too, right?”

“Me? Not sure.”

“Huh? Why not?”

I shrugged in response.

‘They’ll probably edit it to make me look like the bad guy and Spade Joker look like the innocent victims. Do I really need to watch that with my own eyes?’

“But you’re in it, you should watch!”

The staff member teased me playfully.

Maybe we’d gotten a bit closer while preparing this album.

“That’s exactly why I don’t feel like watching it. More importantly, you’ve got work piling up, don’t you? And you’re still here chatting? Then I guess I should assign you a bit more–”

Before I could finish, the staff member sensed the danger and quickly returned to their seat.

It was a joke, but from their perspective, it must’ve been terrifying.

‘They’re already overloaded with work. If it increases any more, they won’t even be able to go home.’

I also needed to return to my office and deal with my own backlog.

‘Once Spade Joker firmly establishes their position, I should launch another group…’

I started listing the groups I had created besides Spade Joker.

[Comelli, Lehera, Zero the Gain, Florence, Astin.]

If I launched another boy group right when Spade Joker was just beginning to rise, the backlash from fans would be severe.

So I crossed out the boy groups.

Naturally, only [Comelli, Florence] remained.

Between the two, the more successful group was clearly Florence.

They had slightly different vibes. Comelli had a cute, lovable concept that appealed more to male fans, while Florence had an innocent, slightly dreamy concept that appealed to all genders and age groups.

‘Yeah… Florence is the better choice.’

Knock, knock.

A knock sounded at the door.

It was probably Han Suseok.

It was nearly time to get out of work.

“Yeah, come in.”

As expected, Han Suseok entered.

“It’s time to leave work.”

“I’ve got a few things to finish up, so I’ll head out later. Tell the others to go home on time today, even if there’s work left… tell them to watch ‘Reverse Perspective.’”

“Understood.”

After giving a polite nod, Han Suseok left the office.

I could hear him saying something to the employees outside.

I couldn’t make out the exact words, but I could clearly tell they were happy.

‘Is leaving work on time really that great? Once Spade Joker’s comeback promotions are over, I should give everyone a vacation. They’ve really been pushed hard.’

Before long, the office became quiet.

Everyone must’ve gone home.

‘They sure leave fast. I should focus so I can wrap up and go home too.’

As I struggled to reduce the pile of documents even a little, time flew by.

Feeling fatigue creeping in, I took a sip of water and glanced at the clock.

[7:59]

One minute before “Reverse Perspective” aired.

‘Hmm… maybe I’ll take a short break and watch it.’

I pulled out my tablet and turned on the broadcast.

[Cherish! Color me with freshness!]

A beverage commercial featuring one of the hottest girl groups these days was playing.

‘Our boys end up doing this ad later.’

After showing off a refreshing concept with [I], it had been the first proper advertisement offer they received.

‘That ad really boosted their brand reputation. I’m grateful for it.’

As I nodded, reminiscing about both past and future, the broadcast began.

The teaser scenes played first, then the screen darkened again.

A light flicked on, revealing Spade Joker.

[Please introduce yourselves.]

A caption appeared, and the leader Cain spoke first.

[Hello, we are Spade Joker, a fourth-year idol group.]

They bowed toward the camera and introduced themselves one by one.

The light flickered again, and the screen went dark.

When it lit up again, I appeared.

Seeing my own face on screen felt a bit strange.

[Please introduce yourself as well.]

Just like before, a caption appeared below.

[Hello, I’m John Raid Lombardi, CEO of Ramos Entertainment.]

As soon as I finished greeting, a sound effect rang out, and another caption appeared.

[That’s quite a unique name?]

The version of me on screen nodded once before speaking.

[I’m mixed. I was born and raised in the U.S., and I came to Korea because I wanted to challenge myself in the entertainment business.]

I seemed to have more screen time than expected.

‘I’d rather Spade Joker get more focus than me…’

[Honestly, I don’t even know where to start fixing things. I’m trying to improve, albeit belatedly, but I’m not sure if I’m doing it right.]

The screen switched to Spade Joker.

[I feel really confused right now. The way the CEO suddenly changed, it all feels like a dream. I just… don’t know.]

A bright light filled the screen, then faded.

The set appeared again, divided by a partition, with Spade Joker on one side and me on the other.

‘The direction is carrying this entire show.’

It was obvious that PD Ki had put a lot of effort into editing.

The way he structured our story made everything feel like a misunderstanding that was finally being resolved.

‘Worth sacrificing my liver and stomach for this.’

I sent a message to PD Ki to thank him and say I’d buy him a drink next time.

Buzz.

A reply came almost immediately.

[Make it an expensive one.]

Short, but very much his style.

‘Drinks? I’ll buy as many as it takes.’

For what I gained, it was cheap.

After checking my phone, I went on social media to see the reactions.

[Spade Joker makes me feel so bad for them… what kind of hardships did they go through? Also, that CEO is something else. Anyone who appears on this show gets torn apart by criticism.]

↳ Isn’t this staged? Feels like noise marketing. If it were real, no way the CEO would appear on a show like this.

↳ If everything shown is true, they shouldn’t be preparing for a comeback… they should be preparing a lawsuit. This is basically abuse lol.

↳↳ LOL seriously. Are they dumb or just naive? They should escape.

↳↳↳ Easier said than done. They don’t have backing. Even if they sue, it’ll just be a few articles, and that’s it. Reality is harsh.

There were also comments accurately pointing out why Spade Joker had no choice but to endure everything.

‘Yeah. They’re not stupid. They must’ve wanted to quit dozens… no, hundreds of times. But it’s not that easy.’

[Hope Spade Joker does well. The CEO seems to have come to his senses and is trying now. Not many people openly admit their mistakes and try to improve.]

↳ I’m rooting for them too. I’ll check out their new song.

↳ Hope their next song wipes away all the hardship they’ve been through.

It seemed I had successfully achieved what I wanted from this broadcast.

‘Good. If I can get sympathy and anticipation… that’s enough. That alone can open countless opportunities.’

Just as I was about to put my phone down, a strange post caught my eye.

[Wait, was the CEO always this handsome? What is this? He looks like an actor.]

↳ There are photos online. People didn’t know?

↳↳ Never searched him. Didn’t want to feel like punching him if I saw his face.

↳↳↳ That makes sense.

↳↳↳ Agreed.

↳↳↳ LOL, that’s funny.

↳ I almost forgave him because of his face. That’s dangerous.