Yesterday, Lu Xu experienced a small taste of fame on TikTok.
The video that secretly filmed him reached over twenty million views, and many people opened TikTok only to see his face. More and more people joined the quest to find the “TikTok handsome brother,” but overnight, they found nothing.
Many netizens were just there for the fun, and within a couple of days, they would forget this “heartthrob.”
However, who would have thought the world was so small that a casual scroll through Weibo could lead to encountering the subway handsome brother again.
As retweets, comments, and likes accumulated, the stylist’s Weibo quickly trended. Coupled with the unintentional use of the #SubwayHandsomeBrother hashtag by the netizens during discussions, it didn’t take long for Lu Xu to end up on the trending searches. Many were guarding their screens, hoping for a Weibo post to guide them, but apart from the stylist Hua, no one else knew anything about this subway handsome brother.
The less information they found, the more mysterious he seemed, and the more curious everyone became.
ใ@SexyLoliBigFoot: @TeacherHuaV Teacher Hua, please, give us a clear path to find the handsome brother, I’m so craving!ใ
Some rational netizens felt it was all a setup, and thus they started debunking onlineโ
ใ@BananaNotNana: This is just a team hyping it up, right? First, buy promotions on TikTok to create a buzz, then take the chance to debut. Honestly, I’ve seen too many of these setups, there’s nothing new here!ใ
However, no one cared much about these comments-
ใ@RidingADonkeyChasingTheSun: With handsome brother’s looks, debuting is just accumulating virtue. Continuing to squat for a guide, awoo~~ใ
After posting on Weibo, Teacher Hua got busy with other things, never expecting that a Weibo post with just three pictures and no team manipulation could trend.
Netizens waited for a while but didn’t receive a reply from the blogger, so they started investigating on their own.
ใ@WeiboSherlockHolmes: If I remember correctly, Teacher Hua should be a signed stylist with Yao Guai Entertainment. Her previous collaborations with Su Mubai and Yu Manman were also under Yao Guai Entertainment. From this, I reasonably deduce that the subway handsome brother is an artist under Yao Guai Entertainmentใ
ใ@CatNorthSouth: Oh my gosh, I looked up Yao Guai Entertainment and it’s full of big shots. Could the handsome brother be the little junior of Su Su and Manman?ใ
ใ@KidsAreBorn: @TeacherHuaV @YaoGuaiEntertainmentV Is it true? Waiting online for a replyใ
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Yao Guai Entertainment’s Weibo was always managed by Bai Ze, as he was the only agent in the company.
However, at this moment, he was not focused on Weibo; his mind was entirely on Lu Xu’s upcoming recording.
The two arrived at the venue at eight o’clock, only to find that other company’s artists were even more proactive.
Dongcheng TV Station was one of the top broadcasters, and with “The Birth of an Idol” being managed by Fan Zeng, one could imagine the ratings wouldn’t be bad.
In this era of entertainment, countless young people with dreams hoped to find their stage in life here.
Many trainees were young but had practiced for five or six years or even longer.
This opportunity was hard-earned for them, and everyone was eager to stand out from these hundred trainees. Only by seizing the debut opportunity could their glamorous life truly begin.
The hundred participants in the program were selected from all over the country.
The quality of the trainees varied depending on the size of their companies.
Some were pure newcomers, having not even a personal Weibo to their name since signing. Others were part of groups that had already performed on stage and had a certain level of fame online. Additionally, there were three members of an already debuted boy group, who were starting over for various reasons.
The studio was equipped with over a dozen cameras, capturing footage unpredictably.
Everyone was on their own, observing others while trying to maintain their posture, hoping to appear on camera.
Lu Xu did not arrive particularly early, with Bai Ze accompanying him throughout.
A staff member came over with numbers for him to draw, and Lu Xu randomly picked oneโ
Ah, number 4.
“What a coincidence, my lucky number.” While many in Hua Country feel that “4,” with its homophonic resemblance to “death,” is unlucky, Lu Xu clearly did not share this superstition.
“You’ll start with the first ranking assessment, Lu Xu, you’re in group 4…” As the staff member spoke, Lu Xu listened quietly. His delicate profile and obedient face made a favorable impression. Seeing this, the staff member spoke even more patiently and carefully, not forgetting to give Lu Xu some personal advice, “Generally speaking, Class A gets more camera time than the others…”
They were all newcomers; one extra shot could mean several more fans.
For someone as good-looking as Lu Xu, just appearing on camera could garner a lot of fans.
“Thank you.” Lu Xu expressed his gratitude to the staff member, his thoughts remaining unknown.
The studio was the place of recording, and Bai Ze, as an agent, could only watch his performance from the audience section.
Since it was his signed artist, Bai Ze felt he should at least say something: “Don’t stress too much, just perform normally.”
Lu Xu accepted this smoothly; “Okay, Director Bai.”
Bai Ze was old friends with Fan Zeng and after settling Lu Xu, he went to greet him. By this time, several agents were already in the studio, one of whom was an old acquaintance of Bai Ze.
“I thought Director Bai wouldn’t attend the talent show recording this year, I didn’t expect you had signed a newcomer behind our backs,” the man said, pushing up his glasses with a tone that carried a subtle nuance.
His name was Li Haichao, known in the industry as “Brother Hai.” He was a top agent at Xindu Entertainment, having promoted many stars, and was known as the number one agent in the entertainment industryโuntil Bai Ze came along.
Initially, Yao Guai Entertainment was a small, unknown company that nobody took seriously.
However, who could have predicted that in just a few years, Yao Guai Entertainment would propel Su Mubai and Yu Manman to the status of Film Emperor and Queen of Song, respectively? These two were among the top-tier in the industry, and Yao Guai Entertainment soared to become a powerful agency.
Meanwhile, as the agent of Su Mubai and Yu Manman, Bai Ze also gradually came into the public eye.
Many people marveled that Yao Guai Entertainment was a treasure trove, even suggesting that their agents were so good-looking they could debut themselves.
Even though Bai Ze had no interest in being an artist, he had quite a few fans solely for his looks. Today, when people mention the number one agent in the entertainment industry, they think of Bai Ze first. As for Li Haichao, he was naturally overshadowed by Bai Ze’s prominence.
Li Haichao was naturally not content with being overshadowed and always thought about reclaiming his own glory. However, over the years, despite managing many artists, none had surpassed Su Mubai or Yu Manman.
He was quite frustrated, but learning that Bai Ze had brought a new artist to the audition, Li Haichao’s mood significantly improved.
“I heard this artist hasn’t trained for long, huh?” Li Haichao chuckled, his expression unable to hide his smugness, “But no worries, our Song Zhe has rich stage experience. I’ll tell him to take good care of your artist.”
Song Zhe was a trainee Li Haichao discovered three years ago, skilled not only in looks but also in dance and vocal abilities.
Sending him to compete this time, Li Haichao was prepared for him to debut from the center position. It was just Bai Ze’s bad luck to choose a complete novice for the competition.
One to be eliminated in the first round, and the other to debut from the center positionโthe contrast was delightfully stark.
Bai Ze was not foolish and clearly understood his implication.
He just smiled slightly, his tone somewhat cold: “Oh.”
Li Haichao felt like he was punching cotton, unsatisfied with the lack of reaction. Just as he was about to add more, Fan Zeng chimed in to cut him off: “Song Zhe is not bad, but Lu Xu is also quite promising. There’s always a dark horse every year, and maybe this year it’s the newbie.”
These words made Li Haichao uncomfortable, but he didn’t dare offend Fan Zeng, so he could only force a smile: “Brother Fan is right, maybe Director Bai’s artist really is that dark horse.”
Tsk!
A no-name small artist without proper training, participating in this competitive show was a joke.
Li Haichao muttered to himself, then heard Fan Zeng instructing the camera crew: “Camera two, give Lu Xu a close-up, let’s see how he chooses.”
The first episode involved grading, and before the mentors appeared, the trainees had to grade themselves.
The show was divided into classes A, B, C, D, and F.
Class A was the top tier, with each subsequent class decreasing in prestige.
The trainees would initially choose their seats based on their agencies and their abilities. Later, the mentors would regrade them based on their performances, resulting in some moving up and others down, creating a dynamic element.
Everyone wanted to be in Class A, but they also had to consider if their abilities were sufficient.
Choosing Class A at the start and being downgraded by the mentors would be quite embarrassing.
Having drawn the fourth position, Lu Xu had a good amount of initiative in choosing his seat.
While the first three groups entered, Lu Xu quietly waited backstage.
Most participants came in groups, and seeing him alone and unfamiliar naturally aroused curiosity.
All those who become trainees are generally good-looking, but even among a group of handsome young men, Lu Xu stood out the most.
There were many who observed him, and some straightforward ones approached to ask for information, “Hi, my name is Xu Lele, I’m a trainee with Happy Entertainment.”
Lu Xu turned around and saw a fair-skinned boy standing behind him, smiling with two shallow dimples, quite adorable.
“Hello, I’m Lu Xu, a trainee with Yao Guai Entertainment.”
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“My gosh, Yao Guai Entertainment?” Xu Lele exclaimed in shock, unable to help but ask further, “The same Yao Guai Entertainment where Brother Mubai and Goddess Manman are?”
Lu Xu nodded: “Yes, that’s the one.”
Hearing of Lu Xu’s connections, those present couldn’t help but feel a surge of surprise, the weight on their shoulders growing heavier.
Well, it’s one thing to be handsome, but being from the same company as Su Mubai and Yu Manman added a whole new level of pressure.
Thinking it over, it seemed likely that his agent was Bai Ze.
Already guided by Bai Ze, and with Su Mubai and Yu Manman as dazzling backdrops, could this guy be considered the most powerful insider in this competition?
Everyone had their thoughts, some envied Lu Xu’s good fortune, while others silently marked him as a competitor.
It wasn’t long before a staff member came to inform Lu Xu about the self-assessment.
When Lu Xu entered the studio, the first three groups had already chosen their seats.
Perhaps playing it safe, all three groups uniformly chose Class B.
Because of this, the empty Class A seats stood out conspicuously.
As Lu Xu took the stage, the majority expected him to choose Class A.
The trainees already seated in Class B couldn’t help but discuss as they saw Lu Xu stepping up, with some even screamingโ
“Wow, this guy is so handsome!”
“He’s going to choose Class A for sure, considering his credentials.”
“Yeah, yeah, Class A looks so appealing.”
Setting aside personal credentials, being the first to sit in Class A at this moment would itself be a kind of popularity boost.
After completing his introduction, Lu Xu walked towards the seating area. Just when everyone thought he would head to Class A, he stopped without hesitation at Class F and calmly took a seat there.
At this moment, everyone was full of question marksโ
Is this even allowed? Whatโs happening?!
Author’s Note:
Just sneaked in an extra update, hehe, surprise or what O(โฉ_โฉ)O
Caught a comment from the lovely ID “Who Does Love Belong To,” saying that ‘Subway Handsome Brother’ is too long, why not just call him “Iron Bro,” and the fans can be called “Old Irons” haha.
So, Old Irons, raise your hands and let Brother Xu see where his “Iron Kids” are at, okay ฯ(โงฯโฆ*)?
Good night everyoneโญ(โฏ3โฐ)โฎThanks to all the little angels who sent me king-sized votes or nourishing fluids between 2020-02-11 18:11:08 and 2020-02-11 23:36:08~
Thank you all so much for your support, I will keep working hard!