Idol Chapter 38

As the applause rang out from the five members beside him, Huo Ren smiled and said, “Captain is indeed the captain!”

Uncle Jiang, who had anticipated this, sat back and said leisurely, “Young man, don’t speak so confidently.”

Pei Ruye also withdrew his gaze and smirked.

“This matter is settled, but you still need to recognize your main focus,” Uncle Jiang, in a good mood, reminded as usual, “If I find out that you’re secretly doing test papers when you should be writing songs and playing the piano…”

“I promise not to spend extra time studying,” Huo Ren said slowly. “After debuting, my commuting time will probably increase, but I’ll have enough fragmented time.”

Uncle Jiang glanced at him and suddenly reached out, ruffling his hair with force.

“You kid, you’re really daring, huh?”

They soon arrived at the rehearsal site for Feng Jin’s concert.

The stage was still being set up, and the vast venue resembled a construction site in an industrial area.

A tall woman in a colorful tracksuit led her assistants towards them, her demeanor and speech speed showing her competence. “You’re here?”

She wasn’t familiar with the boys, but she was an old friend of Uncle Jiang’s and they had collaborated for several years.

“These are the newcomers.” Uncle Jiang shook hands with her and smiled, “Thank you for your support.”

Feng Jin, who was nearing forty now, still maintained a figure that resembled that of a young girl. After giving birth to a son and a daughter, she didn’t have an ounce of extra fat on her body, setting extremely high standards for herself.

She needed to go backstage to confirm the process and went straight to Pei Ruye, exchanged greetings with him, then asked him to take them to the main stage for a run-through of the dance.

Pei Ruye nodded with a smile, signaling the sound engineer to play the background music.

This time, they were assisting as unnamed interns, keeping a low-profile and secure arrangement.

“We don’t have much time to prepare, so today, focus on learning the dance steps. Tomorrow, practice on your own in the hive, and on Saturday, you’ll go straight to the stage.” Pei Ruye walked quickly ahead and pointed at the small X-shaped tape on the floor. “Remember the positions.”

Another group of backup dancers joined them on stage, and the six members raised their hands in agreement, indicating that they would follow their movements from behind and take over their positions later.

Pei Ruye stood in Feng Jin’s spot, unzipped his jacket down to his collarbone, and casually snapped his fingers.

The music started, and dozens of people simultaneously formed a double quotation mark formation.

The six boys felt a moment of tension as they knew they had to synchronize their dance steps and positions with the music. Their nerves were taut like a tight string.

The song they were dancing to was Feng Jin’s classic track “Morning and Night.” They had practiced it before in the rehearsal room, but the live version and the music video had differences. The background music had been rearranged, and the duration was different from the recorded version.

This was Huo Ren’s first time being in a team of dozens of people and dancing at a concert.

It felt as if he had suddenly entered a microscopic world, becoming a small molecule swiftly moving and changing.

One moment, the two parts were separated like quotation marks, and the chorus fused together like a crossed fishbone. In an instant, they split again into four groups surrounding Pei Ruye, forming a European-style picture frame.

Choreography was a magical and exquisite art form, akin to painting.

To have dynamic visual effects, one needs spatial imagination and a deep understanding of both the stage and the dancers’ potential.

Huo Ren was well aware that this stage was also one of Boss Pei’s proud works. After the first run-through, he memorized all the tape markers and was able to keep up with the dance steps.

Feng Jin, with her long hair tied up in a ponytail, quickly stepped onto the stage and signaled for the music to pause.

“Let’s go through all the routines.” She swiftly said, “Starting from the first song—-you guys are the fifth in the lineup and will join the dance troupe on stage.”

“Okay.” Huo Ren immediately bowed and led the team to the side stage with the backup dancers.

Feng Jin, a senior who debuted fifteen years ago, was now at the same level as Mei Heng, both considered top-tier artists. She already had several cabinets filled with trophies at home.

Her wealth was more than enough to last a lifetime, but she continued to shine on stage purely out of love and habit.

At the moment the music played, she began singing and dancing with her microphone fully open. One song followed another without a moment’s rest, seamlessly transitioning while maintaining an incredibly stable breath.

The two dance troupes took turns accompanying her, creating a chaotic and intricate kaleidoscope of formations.

She kept her gaze forward, rarely looking at the dancers beside her, and made hardly any mistakes in her movements.

As the fifth song started, the six of them blended into the dance troupe and quickly stepped onto the stage for the second synchronized performance.

They weren’t proud newcomers, nor were they named idols. They were ordinary dancers who served as her backup.

Yet, they were under immense pressure, with their hearts pounding rapidly throughout the four minutes.

Fortunately, by Saturday night, those four minutes were equally tense and steady. Not a single person made a misstep.

Huo Ren had a strong spatial memory and had carefully explained the split positions to them the day before.

Dressed in extravagant and glamorous costumes, they swiftly went on and off the stage, and the screams and cheers from the audience never ceased.

When they finished their performance and stepped off the stage, they hurriedly turned back. The queen on the elevated stage was still energetically singing and dancing with the crowd, displaying such strength that it inspired awe.

She alone could sustain a two-and-a-half-hour concert, memorize over a dozen dances, and sing with an open microphone until the end without even taking a breath. Her strength was simply incomparable.

Feng Jin had been incredibly busy these past two days, so much so that she didn’t even have time to greet her old friend, Yao Yao. Naturally, her assistant took care of arranging and coordinating everything.

As the six of them removed their makeup backstage, they listened intently to the bustling sounds from outside, their hearts filled with excitement.

“We should have fireworks at our concert too!” Mei Shengyao exclaimed while allowing the makeup artist to remove his eye shadow. He raised his right hand and pointed at the mirror. “Just now, when Queen Feng raised her hand, golden fireworks shot up into the sky with a whoosh! It was so cool, right?”

Huo Ren silently made a mental note.

Fireworks x1.

“And we should release balloons too.” Chi Ji’s eyes sparkled. “The hydrogen balloons at the beginning of the show were so cute, and they had shimmering powder inside. They looked especially beautiful under the stage lights.”

The captain tilted his head to allow the makeup artist to remove his earrings.

Balloons x1.

“The bubbles look nice,” Xie Lianyun pondered seriously. “We can have dry ice and bubbles together when we sing love songs…”

Bubbles x1.

“How about adding some doves?” Long Jia stroked his chin. “Seems fitting, right?”

The captain felt like an emotionless barcode scanner and suddenly snapped back to reality. “With fireworks, bubbles, and now doves, won’t the doves get confused by the explosions?”

“Don’t listen to Long Jia,” Bo Jue said coolly. “If the doves get blown down, we’ll definitely make the news, and the animal protection organization will sue us.”

“But having a concert is really awesome…” Long Jia sighed. “We still have to wait until next autumn.”

“Hold on a second,” Huo Ren suddenly interjected. “Don’t we still have four songs left to arrange?”

Silence filled the dressing room.

“And the deadline for submission and recording preparation is next Sunday, right?”

“Which means…” Xie Lianyun stiffly said, “We’ll be stuck in the recording studio for this entire week?”

It’s the return of the deadline killer series!

They had to stay up late to meet the deadlines.

The three songs that Huo Ren and Bo Jue co-wrote were arranged with the help of Professor Zhong’s team. The songs from the other members, due to different music and styles, required meetings and discussions with their respective teams overnight to modify and finalize the arrangements.

Bo Jue thoughtfully carried a facial mask and eye cream downstairs, playing the role of a painter applying masks to each of them in turn.

“Taking care of our skin while staying up late,” Long Jia gave a thumbs up. “Teacher Bo is truly meticulous.”

Without mercy, Bo Jue smudged his mouth shut with the mask.

Huo Ren, with nothing else to do, brewed several pots of coffee and distributed them in paper cups to the staff and the other four.

Mei Shengyao was so exhausted that he was on the verge of falling asleep. He took a sip with half-closed eyes while wearing a single earphone, and his face scrunched up from the bitterness. “It’s black coffee!! And without sugar!”

Chi Ji reached out and took a sip too, then took a deep breath with an expression of speechlessness before continuing to edit sound effects.

“We need to cut down on sugar,” the captain said matter-of-factly. “The non-dairy cream was confiscated by Uncle Jiang.”

Xie Lianyun firmly refused, “I won’t drink it, absolutely not.”

Then, at two in the morning, all the coffee pots were empty.

They started arguing while making revisions.

“You can’t delete this part!”

“Why can’t I delete the excessive pitch bends you added here?”

“You dare say my part is excessive? Can you do better?”

“Why can’t I be on the song that I wrote??” They began throwing pillows at each other.

Huo Ren stood on the side, holding a coffee pot in one hand and blocking pillows with the other, trying to mediate. “If you have something to say, say it calmly.”

Mei Shengyao rushed over and scratched Xie Lianyun’s neck. “You pig! How dare you secretly change my flow!”

“You know nothing about flow, kid. Go home and sleep!”

“I’ll bite you, believe me!”

Chi Ji, feeling hopeless, pounded on the keyboard next to them. “And there’s one more… Once this sheet music is finalized, I’ll be free…”

Out of nowhere, a pillow hit Huo Ren’s nose, and he covered his face with a groan.

The other four immediately stood up. “Captain!!”

“Go write, go write,” Huo Ren, exhausted, said. “I’ll wait for you all to come back to the dorm together…”

In the end, the six of them fell asleep in the recording studio, huddled together.

When Xie Lianyun woke up, he found his face being pressed down by six pillows, forming a human pyramid.

“Who did this—”

Once the final drafts were completed, the accompanying orchestral scores were sent to the Philharmonic Orchestra for recording. The six of them practiced harmonizing with Professor Zhong, singing the songs written by their other teammates for two weeks straight.

And then they repeatedly recorded in the studio until they were sick of it.

During this time, Long Jia secretly took the car keys and drove them to another block where there was a recording studio. The six of them leaned against the window and watched the symphony orchestra in the soundproof room.

Dozens of people with serious expressions played violin and flute, recording their own unique songs.

“Why does it feel like our team’s child is about to be born…” Xie Lianyun rubbed their eyes. “It’s a bit touching.”

Huo Ren also leaned by the glass, with a childlike expression on his face.

“They’re playing our song, hey.” He turned to look at them, smiling adorably. “The one we wrote!”

Long Jia leaned over and kissed his cheek. “Captain, you’ve worked hard.”

Mei Shengyao tiptoed and also kissed him. “Captain smells so good!”

“I want to kiss too!”

Xie Lianyun stepped back. “In broad daylight—”

“Forget it, I’ll kiss too! Let go of the captain, it’s my turn!”

-2-

The director responsible for producing the pilot team variety show participated in the recording and brought along a cameraman to document the entire process of their songwriting and choreography.

Chi Ji would be a bit nervous when facing the camera, while Long Jia would naturally explain the progress to the camera. The captain, on the other hand, was relatively reserved and polite when answering questions from the staff.

The director was deeply moved and said, “You’re still so young, yet you’ve achieved so much together. It’s not easy.”

“We’ll be even better in the future,” Xie Lianyun replied without hesitation. “Every album by Corona will become a masterpiece.”

And that’s also one of the reasons why they exist.

They gradually started coordinating and negotiating with different music video directors, and the recording studio was being set up and decorated in a contrasting and clear postmodern style.

The team’s choreography also began, led by Pei Ruye with the assistance of Huo Ren.

Apart from “Your Crown,” which had a fast-paced and exhilarating rhythm, the two battle songs also had strong recognition.

One song mixed electronic music with British rock and pop styles, while the other, co-written with Professor Zhu Yin, had an epic and magnificent feel.

The latter was named “Fangs” and featured a stage costume that combined half armor and half robe, creating a mesmerizing and chaotic aesthetic.

After sporadically working with Pei Ruye for over a year, Huo Ren was now able to easily keep up with his ideas.

The stunning aspect of the sword dance was in its sense of lines and power.

The synchronized movements of dozens of people, rising and falling together, created an impactful visual whether in the music video or on stage.

“This song is a battle song, so how about incorporating long knives into the dance?” Xie Lianyun suggested.

Pei Ruye was still writing the scheduling arrangements, and his movements paused when he heard the question. He pondered and said, “We can use prop knives that have no blades. The weight and safety can be ensured.”

“A three-on-three formation might lack a sense of momentum. We can arrange it as one pair against five or two pairs against four.” Huo Ren used a blue pen to draw four squares on an A4 paper, explaining his choreography arrangement like a storyboard director.

“Two people wielding knives, striking forward, while four people block and get gradually pushed back. Then, there can be rises and pauses in the rhythm acceleration.”

Pei Ruye nodded in agreement and used a red pen to redraw the four-panel storyboard nearby. “To show the breakthrough, we can use a dual-line structure.”

“When the chorus begins, the four people can form a circle with the two in the center, and the spotlight can be focused on the middle… You write first, and I’ll make a call to get a martial arts instructor.”

When the six of them went back to the hive to practice dancing, they saw two muscular men standing at the doorway, resembling boxing athletes.

Wei Jie held a stack of paper sticks and handed one to each person. “Come, come, today we’ll practice swordsmanship.”

Xie Lianyun understood and said, “Getting hit is our specialty, me and Bo Jue!”

“Who wants to get hit with you!”

They playfully practiced in the glass hive for the entire afternoon. Just before class ended, Bo Jue, carrying a paper sword, prepared to take a sip of water. But as he turned around, he saw Uncle Jiang, who was watching them like a class supervisor, on the other side of the glass wall.

Bo Jue: !!!

Huo Ren quickly went over to soothe the situation. “Stay calm, Jue-ge.”

Bo Jue was taken aback by the sudden appearance of Uncle Jiang, causing him to start hiccupping. Still in shock, he muttered, “What the hell…”

Uncle Jiang walked in and gestured for them to follow him. He said to Pei Ruye, “Go take a shower and put on some cologne. I’m taking you all out for dinner today.”

“Oh, and dress formally.”

Uncle Jiang had previously taken them out to eat with various people, including the president of SPF and company executives, as well as television station leaders and investors. Most of the time, everyone just needed to dress a bit formally, without being too serious.

The company had provided their measurements during contract signings, and each person had two custom-made suits kept in a dedicated wardrobe, which was regularly maintained.

“Why would we…?”

The sound of water splashing echoed in the bathroom as the boys chatted in the stalls.

“Are they going to discuss endorsements?” Mei Shengyao curiously asked. “Do you guys think it’s for a red brand or a blue brand?”

Huo Ren paused, entering unfamiliar territory when it came to knowledge.

“Do they start discussing endorsements at this stage?” Long Jia turned to listen to their conversation. “Isn’t it still over half a year until our debut?”

“It depends on the endorsement region,” Bo Jue explained. “If it’s for the Asia-Pacific region or a global endorsement, not only do they start discussions early, but there might also be special collaborations with fashion magazines, so it needs to be finalized earlier.”

Huo Ren finished washing up and opened the door, coincidentally coming face to face with Chi Ji, who had also just opened his door.

Water droplets clung to the delicate boy’s collarbone, and his face turned red for a moment when he saw the captain’s abdominal muscles and elephant. He quickly avoided eye contact, hurriedly wore his slippers, and rushed out to change clothes.

Huo Ren lowered his head and touched the deep mermaid line on his hip.

Hmm… When did he develop that?

It looks good.

Uncle Jiang was already waiting at the door, urging them to hurry up and get dressed before rolling out.

Bo Jue and Huo Ren weren’t very skilled at tying neckties, so Long Jia finished pinning their cufflinks and skillfully tied their ties one by one. He casually folded two small crown-patterned handkerchiefs of the same color and put them in his pocket.

“Do you need any help, Xiao Chi?” Huo Ren asked.

The young boy quickly shook his head, his cheeks slightly flushed.

“No, it’s alright. Thank you, Captain.”

Once they were in the chauffeur-driven car, Uncle Jiang chewed on a breath freshener and handed them each a piece. Sitting in the front passenger seat, he leisurely said, “Behave well today, everyone.”

“Uncle Jiang, who are we meeting?”

“The Asia-Pacific region’s general manager of Golryo, Boss Ji,” Uncle Jiang calmly said, “If this album of yours comes with a gemstone, and if you can secure a luxurious jewelry endorsement for your debut, the tone will be set.”

Mei Shengyao mouthed to Xie Lianyun, “I told you, it’s a blue brand.”

Huo Ren quickly searched the relevant terms on his phone and soon understood their meaning.

This term originated from Spanish and initially referred to people with noble bloodlines.

Among the global luxury brands, there are six blue blood and eight red blood brands, each excelling in different areas such as watches, clothing, jewelry, and accessories.

“GY” is one of the top jewelry brands among the six blue blood brands, known for its cutting-edge designs. Both new and old collections are favorites on the red carpet.

Before Uncle Jiang could finish speaking, his assistant opened a jewelry safe and signaled for each of them to take a piece and put it on. “These are classic designs from GY. Keep them safe and don’t lose them. Return them to the company later when we get on the car.”

Long Jia shook his wristwatch. “Isn’t this a coincidence?”

Uncle Jiang glanced at it and said, “Yours is a global limited edition, only ten pieces in total.”

Long Jia smiled and squinted his eyes. “How’s my taste?”

“I couldn’t even get one despite pulling some strings through my friends,” Uncle Jiang clicked his tongue. “Don’t let me see it again. It’s making me jealous.”

The restaurant was located deep within a private club, designed to be understated yet luxurious.

Among the twenty-plus people present, there were six or seven foreigners speaking English with Italian and Spanish accents.

Some recognized Long Jia and greeted him as “Young Master Long,” while others recognized Bo Jue and Chi Ji, pulling out notebooks and asking them for autographs.

Since Uncle Jiang didn’t speak English, he relied on the accompanying translator for simultaneous interpretation.

They had a pleasant atmosphere throughout the meal, with quite a bit of wine being consumed.

Although all six of them could speak English, they weren’t heavily involved in the conversation.

The bearded boss spent most of his time discussing business with Uncle Jiang and General Qi. He barely touched the exquisite dishes on the table, and at the end, he even took out his computer to discuss some data.

After finishing the meal, Uncle Jiang signaled for them to return to the company with the assistant first, while he and General Qi stayed behind to continue their discussion.

Once they were back in the car, the five boys took off their necklaces, rings, and earrings and returned them to the assistant, quietly exchanging information.

“I didn’t understand the latter part…”

“That old man was speaking way too fast.”

“Why do those ladies next to us look so serious?”

Chi Ji pondered for a while, then looked at Huo Ren. “What does ‘VAM’ mean?”

Huo Ren had basically understood the entire conversation, but during the latter part, the Italians and Spanish people were speaking rapidly and switching languages, so he didn’t catch much.

“‘Valuation Adjustment Mechanism,’ which refers to a hedging agreement,” he explained. “Translated directly, it means an adjustment mechanism for valuation.”

The other four: …?

“It determines whether the rights are exercised based on the fulfillment of agreed-upon conditions.”

The other four: …?

Young Master Long leaned lazily against Huo Ren and said, “In other words, it’s a more flexible form of business collaboration with mutual constraints and conditions.”

At half past midnight, Uncle Jiang, reeking of alcohol, knocked on the door and entered.

“Take it slow, take it slow,” Bo Jue, who was prepared, handed him a vomit bag. “Uncle, how much did you drink…”

Uncle Jiang emptied his stomach on the bag with a single heave, then took a tissue and expertly wiped his mouth.

“It’s nothing.” He walked unsteadily but had clear and alert eyes, resembling a sly old fox pretending to be drunk.

Huo Ren poured him some tea, and Long Jia helped massage his shoulders.

Uncle Jiang slumped on the sofa for a while, then tapped on the coffee table. “Come and sit.”

The six of them quickly gathered around.

“I’ve signed the contract with GY.” Uncle Jiang shook the document bag with a smug expression. “As long as your pre-sale sales exceed one hundred thousand and your first-week sales exceed five hundred thousand, you will be officially announced as the Asia-Pacific brand ambassadors for GY.”

“What if we don’t meet the requirements?” Bo Jue asked instinctively.

“Then you’ll be regional image ambassadors, which is not a bad deal either.” Uncle Jiang cursed, “Damn Spanish people can hold their liquor just like the Russians.”

Huo Ren helped him straighten his back while Long Jia said confidently, “No problem, I’ll buy the entire album. I’ll even sell a set of villas.”

“They’re looking at your overall popularity. What are you thinking?” Uncle Jiang tapped his head. “Don’t have any crooked ideas, got it?”

“This matter was discussed between me and General Qi. It’s almost finalized, so you don’t have to worry too much.”

Uncle Jiang was too drunk to stay awake, so he beckoned for his assistant to come and open the computer.

“I’ve arranged three options for your variety show. Decide quickly so I can go back and sleep.”

He needed to confirm the team’s locations in advance, and there simply wasn’t enough time in a day.

“Listen up.”

“The first option is called ‘The Crown and Somewhere,’ where ‘Somewhere’ refers to domestic and international travel destinations. The specific travel plans haven’t been finalized yet. Just go out, have fun, dress well, and follow a script.”

“The second option is a pursuit war game with intellectual and physical challenges. It’s more entertainment-oriented.”

“The third option is called ‘The Crown Zoo.'” Uncle Jiang pointed to the lake on the west side. “Can you see that island in the middle of the zoo?”

“I’ve talked to the tourism bureau and the zoo. You can go there, open a restaurant, and also feed lions, dolphins, and pandas. Are you interested?”

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Author’s note:
Sorry, everyone… It’s getting late again, and I wasn’t feeling well yesterday, so I slept for a long time…
I’ll send red envelopes to the first thirty comments. Thank you all for your support. (Bows)