Uncle Jiang immediately performed a move called “Bouncing Start” for them. Despite being in his fifties, he agilely jumped off the sofa with the movements resembling a carp fish, clutching his phone and entering business negotiation mode.
His assistant held two phones that were connected to different fields, standing by his side. At the moment, all three phones were constantly ringing with discussions on various topics.
Tonight was destined to be a sleepless night, and it had only just begun.
Although they would debut on February 14th, they had a variety show called “I am the Newcomer King” broadcasted from February 10th to 13th, and a lead-in program called “Birth of a Gem” aired from the 11th to the 13th. They had also signed a promotion deal with a video streaming website, where members could watch three episodes ad-free for free by recharging their accounts.
Huo Ren listened attentively to Uncle Jiang’s rapid-fire speech in the corridor and secretly opened Weibo’s trending topics.
According to their contract, the official accounts were initially controlled by the company during the early stages of their debut. Thanks to Uncle Jiang’s foresight, all their online traces from the past few years had been thoroughly screened and cleaned.
Now, even if they played around on Weibo, they could only use alternate accounts, and most importantly, they must never reveal their true identities.
First, he searched for “corona.”
@GemSister: What the heck is this divine group called corona!! I’m obsessed, I love them, and I’m getting married to all of them today! It’s mind-blowing!!
@-rosa-lin-: No need to get obsessed! Sister, look at this mind-blowing data!! Text messages and online votes have already broken the record. Corona is awesome!
@JiuSu: It’s the time when boy and girl groups are in a slump, and SPF suddenly debuts as a solo. I’m so touched. (wiping tears)
These girls had seen enough storms and knew the deep waters of the entertainment industry. In less than half an hour after the show aired, they already dug out that corona’s manager was Uncle Jiang.
Uncle Jiang, who had been silent for nearly ten years, had been in the industry for almost thirty years, and he was the true treasure trove who had launched numerous superstars.
Forums exploded with various prediction posts, popping up one after another like an assembly line. A large number of fans couldn’t wait for the variety show to air tomorrow and were eagerly asking the corona official account to release more content.
The word “corona” was associated with “explosion” as the first search result and “divine visuals” as the second.
Marketing accounts quickly screenshot the group’s performance on “I am the Newcomer King” and shared GIFs of their singing segment. They also shared fan-taken videos of their impromptu street performances and dancing from the end of last year, and within half an hour, they received tens of thousands of retweets. Everyone was clamoring that this old material was not enough.
“Two A’s and two O’s disguised as B’s!! How could the producer of this show be so understanding!!!”
“Is Noah really a divine beauty in real life? Why does he look good with short hair, long hair, and even in women’s clothing!! I’m gay, I’m straight, I’m healed, wuwuwu—”
Others were clearly also checking the reactions on Weibo and were huddled together with their computers, searching for each person’s name.
Uncle Jiang had already started bouncing around doing his work, his face full of energy.
“If there aren’t enough albums, go urge the factory. If the factory can’t keep up, go urge the supply chain. Did you all hear me? Get the album production scheduled for tonight!”
“Search mine first,” Long Jia raised his hand to be the first one to try it out. “What are they saying on the trending topics?”
Huo Ren pressed the Enter key, and a clear close-up of Long Jia’s handsome and sunny side profile appeared, along with the intelligent algorithm summarizing the associated words.
The top three were “Super A Emperor Top”, “Walking Hormones”, and “Young Master of the Long Family”.
Indeed, they had thoroughly uncovered all the details… the internet was truly fierce.
Long Jia wasn’t bothered by the exposure of his family background and was merely curious about why the term “Super A Emperor Top” ranked first in the search results.
“What does ‘Emperor Top’ mean?”
Senior otaku Xie Lianyun immediately changed the topic, saying, “Huo Huo, search my name and see.”
[Xie Lianyun finally debuted!] [Yun Yun, we’ve been waiting for you for ten years!] [Iceberg Sadistic Top]
He entered the industry very early, guided by Uncle Jiang, and his works had been popular for several years. Even before his debut, he had hundreds of thousands of fans waiting for him to release new songs and albums. There were even fans from other industries eagerly waiting for him to create a song that would instantly make their idols popular.
Xie Lianyun pushed his glasses up and took the mouse from Huo Ren’s hand to click on the associated tags for “Iceberg Sadistic Top.”
@SenMiaoMeow: Thank you for dancing!! Thank you for playing the piano duet with the piano genius — Iceberg Sadistic Top x Indifferent Beauty Bottom. I’m shipping this couple! Thank you for not only debuting but also holding a concert!! Ahhhhhh, today is a great day, where everything I wished for comes true!!
@GemGemBright: Who came up with this adjective? Xie Lianyun totally has that calm and cold appearance. Just a turn of his head and he forcefully presses someone into a corner, demanding a kiss and unbuttoning their own buttons. He’s such a dominant iceberg sadistic top!!
Xie Lanyun closed the webpage expressionlessly by pressing Ctrl+W.
“That’s not me.”
Mei Shengyao hung on Chi Ji’s neck, scrolling through his phone together. Bo Jue didn’t care about online comments at all and left to apply a sleeping mask on time.
“That’s right.” Huo Ren slid his finger to reopen the browser and reassured him dutifully, “I can vouch for that.”
“Then what do you think I am?”
Long Jia asked in confusion, “Flower Palace?”
Huo Ren cleared his throat and finally began searching his own name.
He had nothing to hide about his past. News articles published in the newspapers after the middle school entrance exam had already been scanned and uploaded.
Back then, he was still hiding from debt collectors and hadn’t attended the interview himself.
The news article featured his exam admission ticket photo.
Elegant, cold, with a sharp gaze.
Huo Ren paused for a moment, suddenly realizing something.
He used to have this expression three years ago.
Alert, cautious, sharp, and revealing his edge.
Even if he kept his lips pressed together, his expressionless face still created a sense of distance.
He continued scrolling down, and the trending topics were filled with enthusiastic screams.
“So he was the top scorer in the middle school entrance exam!! Amazing!!”
“I’ve already watched the part where the captain solves the Rubik’s Cube blindfolded ten times — he’s not doing magic tricks, he’s doing real magic, okay?! [Roar][Roar]”
“What kind of adorable and sharp-looking immortals are these boys? They can be both A and O!”
“SPF, do something personal!! The album pre-sales are sold out, so release some material already! Don’t just pretend to be dead and come out to do business!!!”
“Cough, cough,” Uncle Jiang, leaning against the doorway, strained his voice from talking on the phone, “Because today’s situation is special… you need to go to the tenth floor and shoot a thank-you VCR again.”
“Do we need makeup?” Bo Jue sighed, “I’ll go wash off my face mask.”
Uncle Jiang touched his chin and looked at everyone’s natural appearance. Suddenly, he suggested, “How about being more natural and shooting in your pajamas?”
All the miscellaneous items in the room were bought by Bo Jue.
It wasn’t because SPF was so poor that they couldn’t afford socks for their members. It was mainly because the existence of the six of them provided ample space for Bo Jue’s collecting obsession.
They not only had matching mugs, toothbrushes, hoodies, and socks, but even their pajamas were from the same style of a niche Nordic brand.
Three colors: cool green, cool white, and cool blue, with perfectly designed dot patterns. It not only added a soft sense of home to them but also looked fresh and natural, giving off a youthful vibe.
Uncle Jiang made a phone call, and the makeup artist, lighting technician, and photographer quickly assembled overnight to accompany them in recording the thank-you video.
After being tagged countless times, the official Corona account finally posted on their Weibo.
It was a three-minute video, and it was ultra·clear·sharp.
When the video started, the six boys were sitting or standing by the sofa, and you could vaguely see a grand piano and bookshelf in the living room.
They were wearing different-colored versions of the same pajamas, smiling and waving at the camera.
“Good evening, little gems~ We are Corona!”
“Thank you for your enthusiastic love and support. Please look forward to our variety show tomorrow, where we will reveal the fun behind-the-scenes of creating our album and have many surprises in store for you.”
The camera and lighting were natural, and you couldn’t tell at all that the team had made last-minute touch-ups with makeup, lighting, and filters. Each person’s skin appeared clear and smooth under the warm lights, giving the illusion that they were shooting a high-end skincare product advertisement.
The six of them relaxedly chatted for a few moments, then stood up and bowed together.
“Thank you again for the love you’ve shown us.”
“We are Corona and we will become your crown.”
For the first three minutes, the comment section couldn’t refresh anything.
Because it had already exploded.
“Oh my god, it’s pajamas, pajamas, pajamas — they all live together? And they wear matching pajamas? My imagination is going wild tonight at Orange Island, even more dazzling than the fireworks at Liuyang River. Who can sleep with that?!”
“Variety show! Variety show! What’s the point of releasing a thank-you video! If you’re capable, let me spend money on the crown today, you stinky men!”
“Wuwuwu, my brothers are so spoiling their fans, it’s already midnight, you guys should rest early.”
“I’m torn between stanning all of Huo and all of Huo… it’s so complicated.”
They didn’t have much time to continue exploring the enthusiastic songs on Weibo. Early the next morning, they embarked on a brand-new process of shooting a jewelry campaign.
GY was very satisfied with the outcome of the bet. After discussing with Uncle Jiang last night, they held a late-night emergency meeting to decide on advancing the release date of the spring collection. Corona would shoot the concept promotional video and official announcement posters.
The boys were woken up at 5 am by Uncle Jiang and taken to the airport. They flew to the headquarters in Milan to endorse the top-secret new jewelry line.
In the studio, ink dots, clouds, and incredibly realistic sparkling stars floated around. They stretched their bodies, held the moon and Pluto, and gazed at the camera. The platinum bracelets on their wrists looked exceptionally exquisite.
Huo Ren had already managed to control his weight at 125 pounds, maintaining a well-proportioned muscular physique while exuding a distinct bone structure. His long fingers gracefully accompanied the diamond ring, and his profound gaze had a strong cinematic quality.
The art director with green hair nodded repeatedly, speaking rapidly in Italian.
The translator gestured next to Uncle Jiang, explaining, “The art director is very satisfied. He thinks that all six of them, from their model-like figures to their aura, perfectly match GY’s high-end, blue-blood positioning. He’s really looking forward to future collaborations with Corona.”
“Alright, got it.”
Uncle Jiang pretended to be calm as he took a sip of coffee, his eyebrows twitching from the bitterness.
If their performance on “I Am the King of Newcomers” had already attracted attention, the conversion rate of fans during the three-day prelude variety show was explosive.
Video platforms intentionally sought a long-term exclusive partnership with SPF. The promotional efforts, including splash screens and extensive advertising, were powerful, and the view count surpassed 100 million on the first day, making a great sale of memberships.
The first three episodes of “Birth of the Gem” showcased the interesting stages of concept development, songwriting, and instrument selection for the album. Each episode was only fifteen minutes long, which was simply not enough to satisfy the viewers.
Variety shows are highly functional, regardless of whether there is a script or how the segments are designed. One of the purposes is to highlight the idols’ individual charm and abilities.
Uncle Jiang had foreseen this and set up GoPros and a few fixed cameras to document their songwriting process throughout the day. The footage accumulated to thousands of hours, nearly driving the video editor to tears.
Huo Ren was the captain, organizer, and emotional stabilizer of the team. Occasionally, his moments of inspiration accelerated the team’s work.
When he didn’t draw a beauty mark under his eye, he exuded a sharp and handsome aura. His initial impression made people somewhat in awe.
However, as the three episodes aired, fans saw only his back as he brewed coffee and brought snacks for everyone. They saw him tightly holding distant hands in the dark and witnessed every moment he focused on reading and writing.
They couldn’t find any flaws.
He was a natural-born idol, a walking dream boy.
The other members’ images on the variety show were also intriguing.
The black-haired, long and slender beauty seemed proud and aloof, but in private, he worried about everyone. He and Long Jia and Xie Lianyun often engaged in entertaining bickering. Moreover, when he played the piano, he could change the atmosphere in a split second, emanating a refined and elegant aura.
The youngest, Mei Shengyao, appeared gentle and tender. He was super cool on stage and never compromised when guiding the other members in songwriting. Surprisingly, he was principled and mature.
He often wore round-framed glasses while working. A serious expression of him revising a draft for Xie Lianyun quickly became a popular GIF, and the reaction image gained widespread attention.
“#StrictTeacherMei is really strict.”
“#What’s it like to be the client when your teammate is the demanding one?#”
The gems had peaceful expressions on their faces.
Having a group like this, what else could they possibly desire?
The company’s online idol business was so strong that even before their debut, they released a nine-episode variety show with top-notch production quality. And to top it off, their debut day fell on Valentine’s Day. It was like receiving boyfriend-level pampering, seriously.
And then, on their debut day, Corona pulled off something big.
At 8 a.m., they had a flash mob performance in front of the ancient square at the popular tourist spot, Pale Court. Xie Lianyun even spontaneously played the erhu and danced along with them.
At 9 a.m., they were announced as the global ambassadors for the top luxury brand Golryo, and their stunning photoshoot could be seen all over airports in New York, London, and Paris.
At 10 a.m., Uncle Jiang held a press conference, displaying a sincere and perfect demeanor while revealing Corona’s positioning and goals without reservation. There was no hiding their ambitions.
“We will create a top-tier boy group.”
“I expect Corona not only to win the OSC Crown Award, which represents the highest level in Asia,” Uncle Jiang seemed to have returned to his prime in his thirties. His whole spirit was in an excellent state, completely free from the weariness of betrayal from former collaborators, “but also to have an even bigger stage in this world.”
The six boys, dressed in sleek black suits, bowed elegantly in front of the live cameras, their eyes bright and determined.
“We officially debut. Please take care of us.”
They became popular.
They became overnight sensations, staying at the top of trending topics for an entire week.
The scheduling for the show was mostly done in the second half of last year. After the 14th, the six of them began a non-stop journey across different TV stations in the country to record shows. Their sleep was repeatedly interrupted, and their fragmented moments were filled with travel and flights.
Even so, wherever they arrived in any city, even if they arrived at the airport at four in the morning, there would be a large number of fans holding banners and posters, eagerly awaiting to see them in person, cheering loudly at the sight of their real selves.
Pei Ruye and Uncle Jiang led the way wearing masks, surrounded by assistants and bodyguards on both sides. The screams and cheers made it feel like a sunny afternoon.
“They’re so skinny in person! Captain, you look so handsome!”
“Brother, look at me!”
The six of them waved and greeted their fans, and when signing autographs, every word was written clearly, their eyes gentle and clear.
Their outfits were always sharp, simple, and their aesthetic taste was always on point.
Even as they boarded three separate vans, the tide-like fans continued to wave their banners and posters.
Long Jia opened the window, and Mei Shengyao leaned out, loudly saying, “Take care— be safe on your way home—”
The fans in the front row saw their idols up close, causing their faces to turn crimson. “Give me a kiss before you leave!”
Since their debut day, Huo Ren quickly skimmed through Weibo and spent most of his free time either studying textbooks or sleeping.
This year, Uncle Jiang only allocated two months for vacation and album production, which was actually not enough.
He and Xie Lianyun had discussed early on that they would use their commuting time from February to design the album and hold internal meetings.
Time was running out, and they couldn’t afford to not give their all.
They had gone through three years of dormancy, and now they suddenly found themselves under the spotlight. It was both an honor and a potential source of anxiety.
Luckily, Pei Ruye was there. He had been there all along.
Pei Ruye’s XV dance troupe had canceled most of their other commitments to fully support every performance of Corona.
For small-scale music stages, the six members were sufficient, and the visual space was just right.
However, for medium and large stages, backup dancers were needed, and there was a need for coordination due to the constant changes in lighting and performance duration.
In this regard, no one could be better prepared than Teacher Pei.
He was never one to talk much, and when teaching Huo Ren, he always used a bamboo sword instead of verbal commands, leading his team with exceptional strength.
He never made the basic mistake of blocking other members’ camera shots, and he ensured safety during complicated dance lifts.
-Indeed, their own team was reliable and comforting.
Huo Ren was exhausted, but he refused to show any signs of fatigue in front of the fans. Gradually, without even realizing it, he began to relax by Pei Ruye’s side.
It had been three years. Huo Ren finally stopped being so respectful and constantly thinking about how to repay Pei Ruye for the favors, cakes, instant noodles, and earrings.
He had been whipped too many times by that white jade bamboo sword and had his waist pressed down and shoulders and legs stretched too many times. Physical contact had become a habit that no longer required any consideration of avoiding it.
He leaned on Pei Ruye’s shoulder as soon as they got on the car and fell asleep with even breathing and a relaxed posture.
Just like a little white wolf snoring with its tail in its mouth.
Boss Pei would leisurely read his book, occasionally feeling that the air conditioning was too cold and covering him with a blanket.
-The teacher-student relationship was very harmonious.
However, everyone remembered that the captain still had the college entrance exam this year.
His student status was attached to Shidu No.1 High School, and all the necessary procedures, such as medical examinations, had been arranged long ago.
The college entrance exam was on June 7th, and Uncle Jiang couldn’t sit still since February.
Huo Ren and Chi Ji were writing songs on sheet music, while their manager floated around like a ghost behind them.
A book titled “Five-Year Simulated Three-Year College Entrance Exam” fell onto the chair with a clap.
The captain remained motionless, “Uncle Jiang, it’s still early. I’ll write songs first.”
In March, Long Jia and Bo Jue started to remind him.
“Have you finished studying the textbooks? Should we get you a tutor to catch up?”
“I’ve finished reading them once,” Huo Ren focused on practicing the guitar, “You guys relax. We don’t need to worry about the Hundred-Day Pledge Ceremony at SPF.”
In April, Huo Ren finally started finding time to do practice questions and papers in the hotel room.
Whenever anyone entered or exited the room, they all turned into the four little swans of the ballet troupe, including Uncle Jiang without exception.
“Shh… The captain is doing his questions.”
“He’s finally willing to study properly?”
“Not really… He spent two hours writing lyrics before even looking at the Chinese textbook.”
Huo Ren finished the questions and glanced over the answers.
“I can hear you.”
Uncle Jiang cleared his throat and threw a folder in front of him. “These are the practice papers for the first and second mock exams. Do them, and I’ll grade them for you.”
It happened that the advertising shoot scheduled for tomorrow was unexpectedly postponed, giving him a chance to probe this kid’s abilities.
“Uncle Jiang,” Huo Ren said gently, “I participated in the national mathematics competition and won a gold medal in junior high. The questions were harder than this.”
Uncle Jiang slammed the table and scolded him, “Then do it and show me! I don’t believe it!”
After he finished, the accompanying elite teacher came over to assess the situation. There were 716 questions in total.
Huo Ren chose the humanities stream.
The science stream had too many calculation-based questions, and there were likely many students in the same exam period who had a background in competitions, so securing the top spot was not a guarantee.
The politics, history, and geography books in the humanities stream were quickly scanned in his mind, allowing him to flip and copy answers in his mind during the exam. It was indeed convenient.
-He did have a significant advantage in this aspect.
“The essay is still a bit lacking in substance,” the young man said casually, “I’ll practice more before the exam, no need to worry.”
By mid-May, the team had been working non-stop for three and a half months, and they could finally take a ten-day break to relax.
Pei Ruye drove him to Yongyang Temple, the most famous temple in Shidu.
Yongyang Temple was built on top of a high mountain, and the temple master was a Taoist priest who seemed eccentric but was always insightful.
The first time Huo Ren sat in Pei Ruye’s convertible, he worried about what would happen if it rained, but he later learned that the convertible’s roof could be concealed.
They changed to a inconspicuous van when they went out, and as they drove through the morning mist, faintly, they could hear the sound of the ancient temple bell.
Huo Ren hadn’t fully woken up, and it was only when they were almost there that he rubbed his face with his hand.
“Boss Pei,” he had woken up too early, and his voice was a bit hoarse, “You grew up in the United States, I didn’t expect you to believe in this.”
The man parked the car, opened the door, and let the refreshing mountain breeze in.
“I don’t believe in it,” Pei Ruye glanced at him indifferently, “But it’s important to have a sense of ceremony. It will make you feel more at ease during the exam.”
“I don’t think so,” Huo Ren smiled, “As long as you guys are around, I feel at ease.”
“But, Teacher Pei, I can’t help but feel that you’re particularly taking care of me…” he curiously asked, “Is it because I’m the captain of Corona?”
He remembered my birthday, remembered my exams, and even taught me dancing and choreography from scratch.
It’s like… not everyone gets this treatment?
Pei Ruye awkwardly coughed.
“How should I explain it?” He clenched the steering wheel with his right hand, suppressing a smile. “When I saw a dark figure in front of the car in the parking lot, my first thought was that I could finally pick up a stray cat.”
“But later, work got too busy, and I really didn’t have time to take care of a pet, so…”
Naturally, he took care of the wild animal he had picked up before.
After all, raising a wolf cub can also be quite fulfilling.
Huo Ren leaned against the car window and smiled.
“It’s quite a coincidence.”
If Pei Ruye hadn’t picked him up that night, sleeping in the parking lot, he might have been abducted by a criminal gang and thrown into a coal mine. There wouldn’t be the present day.
“Master, when we go down the mountain, take me to eat a bowl of ramen,” the young man joked, looking at him with his black eyes reflecting the spring scenery of the mountains. “Extra spicy, no coriander, don’t tell Uncle Jiang.”
Author’s note:
The next chapter will be about the college entrance examination. Hee hee hee.
Some frequently asked questions and clarifications:
Q1: It’s too much like a fairy tale, everything is going too smoothly.
A1: The entire plot has already been set. They just debuted, so please be patient and cherish the current tranquility…
Q2: When will the main CP’s romantic storyline happen? Is there a progress bar?
A2: Currently, it’s a teacher-student relationship. The first half of the story focuses on their careers. I’ve answered this question many times before. As for the specific progress, it’s hard to estimate. I don’t know how long this story will be… Although there have been many deletions, there are still many events to write about, and it will probably continue until the real year 2020/book 2020. Currently, it’s May 2012.
Q3: Will there be a hiatus during the National Day holiday?
A3: No hiatus. The update schedule may be delayed due to unexpected circumstances (which will be communicated in advance), but there won’t be any complete breaks.
Q4: If they have such strong abilities, why did they become idols? Why not debut as solo artist?
A4: The reasons vary for each person. As mentioned before, the formation of a group is due to the synergy effect, as explained earlier.
Q5: Do the songs/musicals have real-life prototypes?
A5: All English songs have prototypes that can be searched on major music platforms. The Chinese songs are completely fictional.
[The above questions will not be answered again in the future]
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In the future, I’ll randomly select usernames from the comments section for the fluffy compliments section. If you don’t want to be featured, please let me know, and I’ll avoid it. Muah!
In the next chapter, the five little idols will be taking their college entrance exams. The invigilators will be in a panic when they see their beloved idols. Hahaha.