As the setup work finished, the sound system testing had already begun, and Kevin King was getting busy as well, setting up barricades outside and persuading curious onlookers to move along. Before long, the venue for the commercial performance that everyone had in mind had basically taken shape. Christopher Carter pulled Kevin King aside to mention the issue with the Anti, and Kevin King was momentarily stunned, then nodded, though he honestly didn’t care much. After all, he’d been in this line of work for a long time, had done security for celebrities plenty of times, and had never encountered any truly extreme situations. Sure, those kinds of people existed, but they were extremely rare; the vast majority of Antis wouldn’t confront you head-on. Besides, this was a new group, with a fresh and innocent image—aside from the real weirdos, how many Antis could there be?

Christopher Carter was a total rookie in this field and had no idea how to get involved, so he could only stand at the backstage door with his arms crossed, watching everyone work, looking like a security guard. Just as he was starting to feel a bit bored, another van pulled up. The door opened, and seven girls stepped out one after another. Seeing Christopher Carter standing at the backstage entrance, they all bowed politely: “Hello, we are T-ara.”

Christopher Carter was taken aback and blinked again.

Chapter 6: This is what an idol is

Christopher Carter didn’t know what fans who chase after stars were really like, but at this moment, he could more or less understand a little of that feeling. The songs he’d liked listening to over the past two years, the ones he’d often set as his phone ringtone, turned out to all be sung by the same group—and now, that group was standing right in front of him, alive and in person...

And… every single one of them was so beautiful...

Unlike Apink’s pure and fresh vibe from earlier, the T-ara in front of him made Christopher Carter feel like he was looking into a kaleidoscope.

That one, with that waist and those legs—tsk tsk, you could play for a year… That little shorty is so cute, I just want to take a bite…

In short, he didn’t really know how to describe this feeling. A bit excited? A bit thrilled? Felt a special sense of closeness? Felt an urge to get up close and personal?

Yeah, a bit of all that.

But he’d never really learned anything about these girls before, and it was his first time seeing their faces, so they were total strangers. He wanted to be excited, but just couldn’t get there. This mix of unfamiliarity and closeness made him feel really weird.

And for him, as a dignified “Ninth Master,” if he showed excitement or thrill in front of a few young girls, it would be kind of embarrassing. So he stood there for a while, then put on a sunny smile and extended his right hand: “T-ara, huh? I’m your fan. Your songs are really good.”

See, perfect—just the kind of polite small talk any successful person would make when meeting a celebrity.

Sure enough, T-ara just took it as a normal pleasantry. The leader stepped forward, politely shook his right hand, and said, “It’s truly our honor. May I ask, sir, you are…?”

“Oh, Christopher Carter, I’m in charge of security for the venue this time.” Christopher Carter really wanted to ask, “And you are…?” but since he’d just claimed to be a fan, it would be too much to not even recognize the leader, so he kept quiet.

The feeling in his hand… not bad at all.

By the way, why is it that the only two group leaders I’ve ever met in my life are both a bit chubby…

The leader withdrew her hand and introduced herself: “Well then, thank you for your help, Mr. Tang. My name is Susan Parker, nice to meet you.”

Oh, Susan Parker, got it. Christopher Carter made a mental note. Completely forgetting that if he were a real fan, he should have replied, “No need to introduce yourself, I already know you!”

So the T-ara girls immediately saw that he really didn’t know them at all, and all started laughing. The chubby manager standing by also chuckled.

Christopher Carter suddenly realized and felt a bit embarrassed.

How many years has it been since I made such a rookie mistake? Damn.

But Christopher Carter’s thick skin was not something ordinary people could match, so he just laughed it off: “Come on in, Apink is already inside.”

Susan Parker nodded and called her sisters in. Christopher Carter stood to the side, stroking his chin and sizing them up one by one, quickly regaining his composure.

From the way the two groups acted, you could vaguely see something.

Apink seemed really excited and honored to be here, so they’d rushed over early. You could tell from how the members acted—plenty of inexperience, not much presence. Actually, when Emily Green glared at him with those big eyes, she did have a bit of that vibe…

So you could tell Apink was still just a group that debuted a year ago, not very popular yet, lacking confidence.

But T-ara was different. They arrived at just the right time, showing that this kind of gig was already routine for them. The leader’s presence was also much stronger, exuding confidence with every glance.

Clearly, they must be a popular group… maybe even a top-tier one. After all, presence like that isn’t something you can just fake.

T-ara went inside, but the chubby manager stayed outside. Christopher Carter offered him a cigarette and smiled: “Manager? How should I address you?”

The chubby guy took the cigarette and smiled: “Julia Thompson, I’ve been with these girls since their debut.”

Christopher Carter grinned: “Surrounded by beauties all day, Mr. Li, you must be living the good life…”