The title of the new album was set as “Peach Soda,” a departure from their previous metallic and cold style, instead imbued with a light and vibrant spring-summer feel.
As they were about to release the album, there was a customary pre-release promotion phase, and Uncle Jiang, who was in the process of scheduling events for this year and the next, suddenly had an idea.
“Do you want to go to Qingxi Road again?”
Huo Ren, while lifting weights alongside Long Jia, immediately caught on. “A flash mob?”
“Yes,” Uncle Jiang smiled, “you don’t even need to buy a press release, and the effect will surely be great.”
This was a place they used to visit frequently during their trainee days, and now it had been almost four years.
Trainees needed to get familiar with the stage, earpiece monitoring, and lighting effects.
The public stage on Qingxi Road, mainly promoted by SPF, was a readily available practice location. Later on, more companies started participating, and every Saturday, the program lineup was already fully booked, even extending to Sundays during holidays.
Funding for the venue, security management, and more were all provided by the naming sponsor, and no audience member had to buy a ticket. They could simply find a spot in advance and wait for the show to start.
The first time Huo Ren went there, he was with Long Jia. Later, before Corona officially debuted, the six members went there once or twice a month to continually adjust their condition for upcoming performances.
Now, hearing the name of this place again, it brought a sense of nostalgia.
Since it was a flash mob, there was no need for advance notice, giving all the spectators a surprise.
They had already changed into their stage outfits and arrived backstage half an hour before their performance.
Trainees from different companies gathered in small groups, their smiles youthful and inexperienced.
Huo Ren adjusted his tie knot with one hand, put on his coat, and walked into the crowd. None of his five teammates showed any signs of nervousness; they all exuded a strong presence.
The moment they appeared, the backstage area suddenly fell silent. Some rookie trainees couldn’t hold back their excitement and were already gasping in amazement.
It was Corona!!
They had won four awards at the OSC this year in a row!!
Oh my god, even the seniors are coming to Qingxi Road for performances?!!
The organizers had prepared a luxurious resting area with sofas, lighting, tea, snacks, and the highest quality.
Huo Ren stood beside Uncle Jiang, shaking hands with the event organizers, and reminiscing about his first time here.
Nervous and inexperienced, he had even worried about messing up on stage.
As they waited backstage, some brave new SPF trainees at the entrance asked if they could have autographs.
Xie Lianyun happened to be near the door, casually fulfilling their small request and even drawing a pig’s head.
“Mei Shengyao also signed for you.”
Mei Shengyao immediately rushed out to add his signature and drew three pig heads next to Xie Lianyun’s name.
As more and more trainees and newly debuted idols rushed over, eagerly lining up to get their autographs, their faces filled with admiration.
“Seniors! The new album is a huge hit!! Corona is the best!”
“I’ve been your fan for so long—seniors, it was because of your variety show appearances that I decided to join SPF!!”
“I can’t believe I get to see you in person… I’m about to suffocate from happiness…”
While Uncle Jiang stepped out for a quick smoke, when he returned, he saw a long line forming at the entrance to the resting area. Even idols from other companies had red faces as they wanted to get autographs.
Some individuals, who had just gotten their autographs, suddenly noticed Uncle Jiang wearing sunglasses and, remembering the legendary stories surrounding him from the past few decades, quickly vanished.
Others in line were torn between the importance of their own lives and the opportunity to get close to their idols.
“Just let me savor a bit of Corona’s charisma!! Just a tiny bit!!”
Uncle Jiang saw five or six young boys who, upon seeing him, ran away as if their lives depended on it. He rubbed his chin and mumbled, “Do I look that scary?”
Huo Ren paused with his pen in hand and decided not to say anything.
Meanwhile, Long Jia, Chi Ji, and the others were busy signing autographs. Huo Ren took a moment to look around at the backstage arrangements and noticed quite a few changes in the vicinity.
The electronic equipment and scheduling systems had undergone a comprehensive upgrade, and the number of trainees had doubled or even tripled compared to before.
As Huo Ren was about to take another autograph request, he caught sight of a young boy crouched in a corner, almost getting bumped into by others passing by.
“Wait a moment,” Huo Ren whispered and paused, bypassing the table to walk over.
As he made his way through the crowd, almost all the trainees were amazed by his appearance and aura, some even taking out their phones to discreetly take photos.
“What are you looking for?”
The young boy had just found a small box in the gap between the tables and chairs in the corner. He tilted his head up to look at Huo Ren.
He seemed unexpectedly calm and composed.
“The captain’s contact lens case,” the young trainee shook the item in his hand and, when his sleeve slipped, revealed bruises on his wrist.
A tall trainee approached quickly, scolding him in front of Huo Ren, “You’re embarrassing us! Don’t you know how to greet your seniors?!”
Huo Ren reached out and grabbed his wrist, pulling back his half-rolled-up sleeve.
Not only were there bruises, but there were also scars from cigarette burns.
It was common bullying among lower-level trainees.
The tall trainee’s face turned panicked, and he didn’t dare to speak.
The scene fell silent once again, with only the sound of a trainee’s cellphone camera shutter going off in the background.
Uncle Jiang had now arrived by Huo Ren’s side, trying to figure out what had happened here.
“How long have you been at SPF?”
“Three months.”
“Your age?”
“Fifteen.”
The young boy clearly recognized Huo Ren, but he responded naturally, without fear in his eyes.
Huo Ren let go of his wrist and spoke in a calm tone, “When I came to SPF, I was also just fifteen.”
Uncle Jiang recalled the past and remained silent for a moment. Instead, it was the manager from the young boy’s team who hurried over to apologize.
“We’re sorry for the trouble. This kid has a lot of potential, and we’ll take good care of him in the future—”
“Get him to a different place,” Uncle Jiang casually remarked. “Let Lao Chen take care of him.”
The experienced trainees who understood the situation were momentarily stunned.
Uncle Jiang was an S-class top-tier manager, and Lao Chen was considered one of the best in the A-class.
For this young trainee to suddenly jump from the D-class candidate pool to the A-class was like hitting the jackpot—a stroke of incredible luck.
“Fu Mingnian,” Huo Ren glanced at the name on his badge and nodded. “Perhaps we’ll meet again.”
“Alright,” the young boy gazed at him, took a step back, bowed deeply, and still held the eyeglass case in his hand.
“Thank you, senior.”
When Huo Ren returned to his teammates, it was time for their pre-performance warm-up. The line for autographs was quickly dispersed, and everyone subconsciously watched them leave.
Once Corona had disappeared from their view, the other trainees gathered around Fu Mingnian, their expressions filled with surprise and curiosity.
“Are you going to meet Lao Chen?”
“Oh my god, just now, God Huo actually came to see you… What incredible luck is this?!”
The tall trainee who had dealt with Huo Ren earlier had a complicated expression.
If he hadn’t assigned that idiot to look for things earlier, maybe he would have been the one to climb up the ranks with the opportunity for a solo debut.
The two trainees beside him also felt disgusted and resentful.
“Ugh! Let’s see what kind of person he becomes in the future!”
Huo Ren received his in-ear monitor and was handed a glass of water by Long Jia.
“Did it remind you of the past?”
The others may not have known, but Long Jia understood what was going through Huo Ren’s mind.
Huo Ren had been involved in long-term multiple investments in recent years, along with a sky-high insurance payout, making him one of SPF’s shareholders at the beginning of the year.
His individual attention to this young trainee would be enough to change the course of the young boy’s destiny and provide him with better treatment and opportunities among his peers.
“It’s not just that,” Huo Ren sipped his water and spoke after a pause. “Fu Mingnian… his gaze is different from the others.”
Ordinary kids who suddenly received attention and care would often become nervous and unsure, experiencing a kind of green and inexperienced feeling. He suddenly understood the meaning behind the words Boss Pei had spoken to him before.
Today, due to the fact that none of the members of the program were particularly well-known, the audience attendance wasn’t very high, and the venue wasn’t completely filled.
Before taking the stage, the host was full of enthusiasm. “Today, we have a special guest who will make a surprise appearance—”
When Corona took the stage, the audience thought there was something wrong with their eyes.
“Let’s welcome Corona to perform the title track ‘Heard It’ from their new album ‘Peach Soda.'”
The lights and music synchronized as the brilliant and smooth performance unfolded.
The audience was dumbfounded for a while, but soon they began screaming, shouting, taking photos, and posting on social media.
@GuguGuEatsWatermelon: Corona is at the Cheonggyecheon! I can’t believe I’m watching their free performance!!! What are the odds? I feel like the six of them on stage are cosplaying a bootleg version of themselves!!!
@RadiantGirlUnbeatable: Cheonggyecheon!! Sisters, come to the Cheonggyecheon!! I got tired of shopping, so I came to watch a performance and ended up seeing my idols!!
@GreatUncleShowingSkinToday: Did I have a great day today? I got the front row seats and saw my new wall—sorry, Ren Ren, my dear husband, you caught me! Waaah, I’ll only love you from now on. Thank you for coming to see me, my girlfriend’s fan is so happy, I might faint right here.
The backstage incident was not leaked to the public, but the area around Cheonggyecheon was completely jammed with fans searching for their idols’ whereabouts.
Corona left the venue after performing two songs, and fans rushed to find out where their idols had gone. Street vendors adeptly weaved their way through the traffic, calling out, “Corona has left, disperse! Roasted sweet potatoes and corn, four dollars each, guaranteed to be sweet!”
On the day of the release of “Peach Soda,” they returned to the “Musi Ultimate Chart” for another round of performances.
Huo Ren smiled somewhat sheepishly, “Hello, everyone. We’re back again.”
The three hosts simultaneously pointed at the crown logo that had dominated the charts for two years.
“Has the title sponsor finally remembered to visit us?”
“You should have come earlier—”
“Ren Ren, take a look at this. Does it look familiar to you?”
In the first year, “Jewel Brilliance” unexpectedly won the crown, in the second year, “Absurdity” broke records with a double win, and in the third year, “Only Remains” exploded in sales and received widespread acclaim. The chart’s highest point had been pushed higher and higher, making it seem like the Corona’s exclusive stage.
SPF had generously signed multiple cooperation contracts with this program, and regular viewers had started using “Crown” as a synonym for the show.
“Did you watch Crown today?”
“I don’t care, I won’t watch it. Corona didn’t come, so what’s the point of watching the Crown? Boring.”
“But before the program starts,” the female host said with a sly smile, “we need to present a special award.”
Traditional music show segments had become somewhat cliché, and both television stations and programs themselves had been undergoing transformations in recent years, constantly seeking new categories for recognition and praise.
The event they initiated last year received widespread acclaim online, with over six million fans participating in voting and chart rankings.
“After a comprehensive year-long vote, the winner of the ‘Top Artist Most Wanted for Dating by Female Fans’ in the Ultimate Chart is—”
The two hosts next to her simultaneously held up the Golden Strawberry Award, “From Corona, it’s Noah, Xiao! Chi!”
Chi Ji, who was standing at the end of the line, was dumbfounded. “Huh?”
The members of Corona exclaimed, “Huh?!!”
The author has a message to share:
I’ve fixed the bug regarding Qingxi Road.
Lately, the weather has suddenly turned colder with the changing season.
I’ve been sick for over a week. While the cough and other symptoms have improved, I still have body aches, stomach pains, and nausea.
I’ll take a few more days to rest and recover before resuming updates at the usual time of 6 AM. I apologize for any inconvenience.
Additionally, when we reach Chapter 100 to celebrate completing half of the story (what’s there to celebrate?), I’ll be hosting a giveaway on Weibo. Prizes will include a Nightfire wallpaper and CORONA wallpapers related to the boy band. These prizes can all be converted into cash equivalents.