Long Jia keenly grasped the key point, “The restaurant is for people to eat?”
“Yes.”
Chi Ji raised his hand, “And we can take care of the wild animals?”
“That’s right.”
Xie Lianyun was still pondering the word “restaurant,” “Does eating there count as one of the three times?”
Uncle Jiang looked at him meaningfully, “Don’t be naive, kid. Running a restaurant is exhausting.”
Even without a full house, just managing the kitchen and serving a dozen or so guests could make someone lose several pounds.
When Huo Ren was four or five years old, he had visited a zoo. He couldn’t help but laugh when he heard that he could touch giant pandas.
“So… let’s vote by raising our hands,” he spoke up, “Who wants to go on a trip abroad?”
Two members who often stay overseas shook their heads, while the others glanced at each other and showed little interest.
“Chasing battles?”
Three people raised their hands sparsely.
“The zoo?”
Before the word “zoo” could come out, all six of them raised their hands simultaneously.
“I want to feed the dolphins!”
“I want to take care of the giraffes!”
Uncle Jiang rubbed his temples, “You guys are going to film… a TV show.”
“If we really want to travel, find some time to go on vacation,” Bo Jue said seriously, “It’s hard to relax with a photographer around. I don’t think it’s a good idea.”
“Then it’s settled, the zoo,” Uncle Jiang burped, getting up unsteadily.
The two assistants quickly helped him and offered water, but he waved them off, touching his belly and suddenly remembering something. He turned around to look at the six of them, “How many of you can cook?”
Xie Lianyun: “I can cook instant noodles.”
Chi Ji: “I can bake and make hamburgers!”
Long Jia, Bo Jue, and Mei Shengyao: “…How do you cook again?”
Huo Ren raised his hand, “I can cook, and I can make coffee.”
Everyone silently crossed out the three words “make coffee” in their minds.
After confirming the plan, Uncle Jiang entered a state of temporary disappearance. Assistant Zhang said he went to the zoo to build houses.
They were quickly arranged for a photo shoot, changing into more than ten outfits. It was said that the photos would be used for album promotion, posters, inserts, and other advertisements.
The assistant teacher who had previously taught them about modeling stood in front of a fan with a microphone, observing them closely.
“What is the most basic skill for a photoshoot?”
“Relax your upper body! Have good posture in your lower body!”
“Don’t grab or touch anything! Keep a relaxed expression, as if you’ve seen everything!”
“You can use a triangular stance or stand forward and backward. No pigeon-toed feet allowed!”
While listening to the teacher emphasizing these techniques, Huo Ren posed and changed expressions in front of the fan and camera. By the end, he felt like his soul was about to leave his body.
They had trained for a whole year last year, taking five main courses and several secondary courses. One of the final exams for a secondary course involved fifteen and twenty continuous shots in front of the camera.
As soon as the shutter clicked, they had to change poses. scissor hands and sunflowers were strictly forbidden.
Huo Ren and Xie Lianyun felt their scalps tingling when taking that exam, and they barely passed with a B-.
“Okay… we’re done shooting… go change clothes!”
The schedule was too tight, and there was no time to change slowly in the dressing room. The staff quickly set up a makeshift screen, and all six boys crouched inside, changing uniforms and suits for each other, helping with hats and belts.
“Click, click, click…”
After hearing the shutter sound so many times, it seemed to automatically fade from their ears. The lights turned green, then red, then white. The background boards changed from solid colors of red, white, and black to multiple framed three-dimensional backgrounds.
The six of them positioned themselves near different frames, making innocent, gentle, and sunny expressions towards the camera.
In reality, their faces were almost stiff and uncontrollable.
The teacher taught them relaxation exercises on the side. As soon as they reached a relaxed state, the photographer would take a few more shots.
They had to change their makeup several times, going through the oxygen, salt, and gothic styles.
When it came to the final golden paint, Mei Shengyao’s head drooped like a pecking chicken, and he fell asleep with his eyes narrowed. Just as he was about to fall forward, Huo Ren quickly caught his chin, narrowly saving him from having his eyeliner turn into lightning bolts.
The set for the six MVs was still being constructed and decorated. The director had a few meetings with Uncle Jiang, asking them several questions about different directions. However, they hadn’t received any feedback yet.
The shoot lasted for three days. At the end of the third day, the assistant manager announced that everyone could have a day and a half off. They all unanimously chose to rush back to their dorms and sleep until they couldn’t wake up, to the point where the assistants took turns knocking on their doors to check if they were still breathing.
When they woke up again, samples of the album casing and inner pages were ready. Samples of the Q-version character flashcards and photo cards were also available.
The six of them finished recharging in their blankets, one by one wearing their pajamas and pushing open the door. Uncle Jiang, wearing an apron, was in the kitchen boiling dumplings and banging on the pan with a rough voice, “Wash your faces and come out! Is that so hard!”
Huo Ren leaned against the wall, still half asleep, with Mei Shengyao leaning against his arm.
Long Jia reached out and put his arms around both of them, giving each a peck on the cheek.
“Let’s go, time for autographs.”
The Q-version characters were their six transformed images.
White Wolf Demon, Silver Fox Demon, Lion Demon, White Rabbit Fairy, Swan Fairy, and Little Phoenix.
Huo Ren picked up his own flashcard and saw the super cool figure with white wolf ears and a fluffy white wolf tail.
Huo Ren: “…”
“They look so much like us,” Long Jia held up his flashcard with a black feather background. “Teacher Bo looks so mysterious—”
Bo Jue grabbed a pillow and threw it at Long Jia, “Shut up, silly lion!”
Xie Lianyun looked at his fox demon card, flipping it back and forth. “Why do we all turn into monsters? And why do I still have to wear glasses?”
“Silver-framed glasses have an abstinence vibe,” Bo Jue held his pillow straight. “Consider it your personal logo, keeping it is a good thing.”
“No eating more than ten dumplings each,” Uncle Jiang came over with a large bowl, beckoning them to help themselves to the vinegar and soy sauce. “They’re quick-frozen dumplings with a mixed filling. Eat up and then start signing.”
Huo Ren helped clear the things on the coffee table and turned around curiously. “Are we signing on the album?”
“Sign the inside pages,” Uncle Jiang pointed to a stack of papers in the corner, almost half a person tall. “See, there are five thousand copies for each of you.”
“And this stack too,” he pointed to another stack on the opposite side. “There are two thousand copies for all six of you to sign.”
Everyone holding their dumplings paused for a few seconds.
“Collect them before 10 p.m. tomorrow, consider it lightening your load,” Uncle Jiang waved his hand. “No need to thank me, just eat.”
Huo Ren took a deep breath. “Do we really have to sign so many?”
“Our estimated total sales are over five hundred thousand copies,” Jiang Shu said calmly. “Each of you only needs to sign seven thousand. I’m already being humane.”
Xie Lianyun started quickly scooping dumplings into his bowl. “I’m going to eat fifteen. If I don’t eat enough, I won’t have the strength to hold a pen—”
Long Jia rushed over to compete, “I want to eat fifteen too!”
Huo Ren was still staring at Uncle Jiang.
After hesitating for a while, Uncle Jiang, with a touch of disdain, patted his apron and stood up. “Stop fighting. I’ll cook another bag for you.”
They finally understood why other celebrities’ autographs looked like scribbles.
Writing so many signatures properly required careful strokes!
Our wrists are going to break, can’t you see?
Xie Lianyun stayed up late and called Uncle Jiang to ask if they could use a seal instead of signing.
Jiang Shu was playing mahjong with his business partners.
“Pong, not allowed.”
“Uncle, I still need this hand to play guitar and write music—”
“Eat, not allowed.”
“Uncle!!”
“Old Zhang, you’ve won with a self-drawn tile,” Uncle Jiang pushed away the mahjong tiles and remembered that he hadn’t hung up the phone. “Not allowed, you brat, hang up the phone.”
After Xie Lianyun hung up, all five pairs of eyes looked at him.
“Can we use a seal?”
Xie Lianyun muttered in a dreamy state, “He won with a winning hand.”
“?”
In the blink of an eye, it was mid-September, and Chen Xiaoyan called again.
Huo Ren was still adding signatures to the merchandise, standing on the measuring platform with his arms outstretched for the tailor to measure his waist for custom stage outfits.
“Huo Huo, I’m starting my senior year…” Chen Xiaoyan whispered, “It’s been a while since I called you, and I haven’t seen you perform on Qingxi Road.”
Huo Ren let out a barely audible sigh, knowing that there were many things he couldn’t discuss due to the confidentiality agreement. He softly responded with an “mm.”
He turned to look at the silver-haired youth in the mirror, his gaze falling on the beauty mark at the corner of his eye.
“I miss you,” he said slowly. “Chen Xiaoyan, do your best in your senior year.”
“When you were leading the team to dance on Qingxi Road, I took a few pictures. Even my mom didn’t recognize you when I showed them to her,” Chen Yan chuckled, rubbing the back of his head. “I wish you all the best, handsome.”
Huo Ren gently responded with an “mm” and suddenly said, “I might not have time to go to the hospital next Chinese New Year. I’ll probably be out of town.”
“You… can you help me visit Aunt Lu?” he asked.
Huo Ren had made time to visit her once every quarter this year, but with increasing responsibilities, it would be even harder to get away in the future.
The doctor said Aunt Lu’s condition was stable, but she insisted on not using his salary and living a simple life.
Huo Ren wanted to take care of his only relative, but now he was gradually finding it difficult to break free.
His schedule was becoming less demanding, but his sleep time had hardly increased.
“Oh, okay.”
“Thank you…”
“There’s no need to thank me. We’ve been childhood friends,” Chen Xiaoyan smiled. “You go about your business. Let’s have a meal together when you’re free. Bye!”
They changed into designated stage outfits and went to the photography studio.
Entering and leaving the studio felt surreal, like stepping into a different dimension through Doraemon’s teleportation door.
Studio A101 had a main hall with six sides of pure deep blue rectangular scenery, with champagne gold frames empty and embedded in the air and walls like enormous abstract symbols.
“Captain, lie down. The set design team is ready,” the assistant director tapped the center of the European-style golden table with her knuckles, and someone came in carrying a bucket of lily petals.
“Place them on the table,” Chi Ji laughed. “Captain, are you the appetizer or the dessert?”
Huo Ren, wearing a British-style vest with a white shirt, lay down on the long table and had his leg propped up by the assistant director.
She performed her duties with professionalism as if opening an umbrella.
“The camera is here.” Two young girls beside him sprinkled rose petals and lily petals of different shades of blue and white on the table and his body.
A deep blue lily, dyed to match the room, appeared in front of him.
Huo Ren instinctively reached out to catch it but missed.
Pei Ruye also smiled as he watched him.
“Teacher Pei…” he called, feeling embarrassed about his current position. “Please give it to me.”
The man didn’t make things difficult for him and inserted the light blue stem of the lily into the gap between his fingers, right beside his ring finger, creating a somewhat ambiguous feel in the frame.
“Positions, all departments ready,” the director confirmed through the walkie-talkie. “Did we finish the dance rehearsal around the long table? Pay attention to the decorations on the floor while dancing around the table, so you don’t trip or slip!”
“Three, two, one, action!”
The camera captured the beautiful youth with closed eyes smelling the flower. At the moment the music started playing, he opened his golden eyes, and his slightly curled silver hair reminded people of the soft fur of a white wolf.
He picked up the flower gracefully and rose from the table, while the camera pulled back to capture the panoramic view. The little boy with golden hair and red eyes greeted him from the right side, smiling and singing while using paulownia leaves to gently obscure the lens—
At this point, they would insert distant shots of them in a birch forest and a European-style castle, and then return to this room after a few measures.
The tall youth sat by the long table with his back to the camera, his waterfall-like long hair cascading down to his waist. Like a black swan, he raised his chin and gazed at the classical octagonal music box on the table.
As the camera zoomed in, the redhead raised an eyebrow and used a single finger to lift the lens, as if lifting a girl’s chin, commanding her to look at him.
The music was lively and magnificent, but they were only mouthing the lyrics.
Behind the camera, someone adjusted the room quickly, hanging dolls, tossing rose petals into the air, and the previous member just finished their action while the next one had to immediately lie flat or lean against the wall, looking deeply affectionate and gently towards the camera.
By the time they finished shooting, removed their makeup, and changed back into their training clothes, it was already eleven o’clock at night.
They yawned and got into the nanny car one by one, with no lights on inside.
Huo Ren instinctively held Mei Shengyao’s hand and suddenly heard everyone cheer and shout, “Captain! Happy birthday!”
The lights suddenly came on, and Uncle Jiang, wearing a colorful hat, blew a horn while holding a small five-inch cake in his hand.
Huo Ren was still holding Mei Shengyao’s hand, only realizing that once the clock struck twelve, it would be the 17th.
“I… I’m eighteen,” he murmured.
“It’s a sugar-free, low-calorie cream cake,” Uncle Jiang pushed the cake towards them. The doors on both sides of the car also opened, and Zhong Fengyu and Pei Ruye stood there with smiles. As the candles were lit on the eighteenth birthday cake, they sang the birthday song for him.
Last year, Long Jia and Bo Jue both celebrated their coming-of-age within the team or at a banquet, receiving the congratulations and encouragement of everyone.
They were aware of Huo Ren’s lack of parental care and were happy to give him double the love.
Huo Ren stared at everyone, taking a deep breath to control his emotions.
“Cheer up, it’s your birthday,” Xie Lianyun held the cake in front of him, smiling and ruffling his hair. “Make a wish.”
I hope we never have to be apart.
…I love all of you.
Huo Ren opened his eyes and blew out the candles together with them. He rubbed his eyes and smiled, saying, “Let’s eat together.”
He was fed the first spoonful of the small crown-shaped chocolate. The palm-sized cake was shared among the six of them, taking a few bites each until it was completely finished.
The two teachers waved goodbye from a distance and drove home.
The nanny car slowly started, and Uncle Jiang turned to look at them.
“Xiao Chi’s birthday is in November. You can have cake again. Sweet, right?”
“I’ll buy Xiao Chi’s cake next time,” Long Jiaxie volunteered seriously. “This sugar-free cake with xylitol is not suitable.”
Xie Lianyun lazily said, “Why worry about so much when we’re already eating cake? We can just do some extra skipping exercises.”
Uncle Jiang reached out and poked his forehead. “Thinking about sweets all the time!”
On October 31st, Corona was invited to Mei Heng’s concert and performed their hit song “Your Crown.” Several videos of their performance were uploaded to Weibo, naturally trending and reaching the eleventh spot.
On November 6th, Chi Ji’s birthday, Corona’s official website officially opened for registration, with the number of registered members surpassing ten thousand that night.
February 1st was the twenty-third day of the lunar calendar, just before the Chinese New Year.
At 5 p.m., they were about to record a special New Year program for “I Am the New King,” making final preparations for Corona’s debut on the fourteenth.
At 6 a.m., Uncle Jiang woke them up, urging them to change clothes, freshen up, and sit on the couch. He himself combed his oily hair and put on a suit, standing solemnly next to the projector and saying, “Do you remember yesterday’s rehearsal process?”
“We remember,” the six boys replied in unison, neat and orderly. “Smooth speech, relaxed performance, no pressure on rankings.”
As a well-established program in the entertainment industry, “I Am the New King” is dedicated to showcasing the singing and dancing talents of upcoming or newly debuted artists. It consists of three stages that display their individual charms from multiple perspectives, with rankings and scores determined by on-site and off-site audience support.
Over the years, many idols have become overnight sensations through this program, while others have ended up embarrassing themselves.
The current record for the individual category is held by last year’s new-generation singer-songwriter Qi Lin, while the group category record is held by the duo Fifi.
“From tonight’s appearance on the stage, you will no longer have the concept of individuality,” Uncle Jiang said in a deep voice. “From now on, there is only ‘you,’ only the crown. You will forever be a community of destiny.”
He pointed with the remote control, and the recording from two years ago started playing as usual.
In high-definition, Uncle Jiang sat dangerously calm in front of the camera, so both Uncle Jiangs stared at all of them.
All six of them sighed inwardly at the same time.
Here we go again.
They had to watch this recording of the Ten Commandments every year during festivals and holidays. In the beginning, they could patiently watch it over and over again, but by the end, they could even recite the speed of his breathing.
The speakers on both sides blared, “First, absolutely no dating allowed, not even within the group—”
The six of them immediately chimed in, “Especially not within the group!”
“Second, be wary of eavesdropping and hidden cameras, even within the company—”
The six of them raised their hands in unison, “Don’t reveal any dangerous details!”
“Third, anything outside of the shaping checklist—”
“Only allowed to indulge three times a year!”
“Fourth, not allowed to accept and must be cautious of any food and water given by others—”
“Even unopened ones are not allowed!”
“Fifth…”
“Sixth…”
“Tenth,” both Uncle Jiangs stared at the six of them simultaneously, their voices deep and powerful.
“Be patient in urgency, and nothing harmful will invade.”
Huo Ren silently recited it in his heart, feeling the beginning of a whole new life.
Four bends, four reversals, and eight winds remain still.
Be patient in urgency, and nothing harmful will invade.
After lunch, they would no longer eat, and from 2 p.m. onwards, they would restrain their water intake, preparing for the program recording.
The program usually lasted three to five hours, and in case of unexpected situations, it could be even longer. Caution was paramount.
“I Am the New King” usually featured two groups or individuals simultaneously competing on the same stage, creating a sense of contrast for the audience and encouraging more people to vote and support the newcomers.
The program itself had numerous sponsors, offering prizes to the audience through lucky draws. It maintained high popularity throughout the year and was also one of the bases for major advertisers to assess the potential of new talents.
This time, the eight-member male group called “Rim” shared the stage with Corona. It is said to be a powerful newcomer group jointly created by a major American star-making industry giant and the local Seirong Media. Clearly, they had made up their minds to win the championship.
The fourteen individuals politely greeted each other backstage, bowing and waiting quietly for their turn to go on stage.
The opening dance of each “New King” episode was performed by the winners of the previous program, essentially showcasing their talents in a disguised manner.
Once the opening dance concluded, the two hosts’ cheerful introduction came from the front stage, followed by the VCRs of the two new boy groups.
“Now, please welcome our guests for tonight, Corona and Rim!”
The boys entered from the left side and stood neatly in the red zone.
After greeting both groups, the female host smiled and said, “Today is quite coincidental. Corona means ‘crown’ in Latin, and the word ‘corona (rimian)’ has Rim in it.”
“Oh?” The male host looked at the two boy groups in the red and blue zones and smirked, “It seems everyone is determined to win the crown award, even though their names are so similar.”
The female host gestured towards the live voting screen and repeated the voting rules before saying, “From now on, the PK battle begins!”
The vote count on both the red and blue sides started floating upward with subtle trends, both temporarily in the hundreds.
“Before the two captains start the first round of PK, is there anything you want to say to each other?”
The captain with blue hair from Rim took the microphone and leisurely looked at Huo Ren, saying, “We don’t need to fight for the crown. It’s already on our side.”
The eight boys adjusted their collars, and the Rim logo on their chests gleamed with a golden light under the stage lights.
“It’s already with us.”
Cheers erupted from the audience, and everyone turned their attention to the red zone, whistling to enjoy the spectacle.
Huo Ren had a calm expression when he spoke.
“Remember your words.”
“In ten minutes, you will know the meaning of regret.”
“Then let’s move on to the first segment: individual talent showcase PK, with a time limit of five minutes per person!” The female host widened her eyes and reminded, “The starting performer will have a significant impact on the overall votes. So, captains, who will you send to compete?”
“Please welcome our member, Lolu,” the captain of Rim signaled his member to step forward, with a slightly provocative tone. “He will use his singing to present a perfect dolphin-like voice for everyone.”
The audience applauded warmly, and the atmosphere was successfully hyped up.
“Starting with a powerful move, it seems Rim has plans to challenge the reigning champion,” the male host said with a smile. “What about Corona?”
Huo Ren smiled faintly and looked at Chi Ji.
“Perhaps we should first define what constitutes a powerful move.”
The author has something to say:
Originally, I wanted to write about their first guest performance at Uncle Mei’s concert. I thought about striving for 180,000 words for their debut, where everyone would forever be 18 years old. 😉
In the next chapter, Xiao Chi will come out and stir things up!! Let’s see what it means to be a Broadway genius!