Idol Chapter 36

When they finished tidying up the bedding and changed their clothes, more than half an hour had passed.

The assistant prepared a cup of Beigang Mao Jian for the Taoist priest, while Uncle Jiang chose to drink a latte. The coffee machine in the kitchen continued to grind the beans.

The boys took their seats on the couch one after another, and Long Jia extended his hand to help Huo Ren style his hair into a sloping undercut.

“Let me introduce you,” Uncle Jiang said seriously, “This is a well-known Taoist priest in the circle, Master Zheng.”

The middle-aged man sitting across from them was wearing work pants and a gray jacket, holding a bagua compass in his hand.

“Hello, Master Zheng,” the boys greeted him sparsely.

Master Zheng nodded slightly and continued to examine their birth chart information.

“I invited Master Zheng here today to determine the date for your debut,” Uncle Jiang said sternly, “This is not something to be taken lightly.”

Bo Jue whispered softly, “It’s really superstitious.”

Long Jia covered his mouth with his hand and said, “He’s still here.”

“Haha, this young man is right,” Master Zheng was not annoyed and said openly, “Your line of work is inherently superstitious.”

“Have you heard this saying?” Uncle Jiang took out a lighter and said, “Small stars rise by popularity, big stars rise by fate, forcibly pushed stars will face divine retribution.”

“Some people may have everything going for them, but either lack resources or chose the wrong path, and they won’t make a splash no matter how talented they are for a lifetime.”

“And then there are those who start with nothing and inexplicably become popular for several years. How mystical is that?”

“—There are so many people who are good-looking and have good singing voices, why is it that only a few become famous?”

Huo Ren’s arms were still numb from last night, and now he was massaging his muscles, saying, “Are there really people who raise little ghosts?”

“Gu Mantong, Bai Xian, Hu Xian, there are believers in all kinds of things,” Uncle Jiang closed the lighter with a snap and looked at Master Zheng with a respectful expression, “This is a master who rarely leaves the mountain. I had to go to great lengths to bring him here.”

Master Zheng closed his notebook, stood up, and started pinching their cheekbones and browbones.

“Excuse me, I’m going to examine your facial features.”

Bo Jue didn’t like being touched by strangers and instinctively wanted to avoid it, but Uncle Jiang pressed him back with a single glance.

Master Zheng didn’t seem to be touching them directly but rather examining their underlying structure through their skin. One by one, the six boys allowed him to touch them, and his movements were quite formulaic.

After estimating and sitting back on the couch, Master Zheng made a simple calculation and said, “The result is similar to what I calculated last time.”

“The best day for your debut is the 14th of February next year. If you delay it further, you’ll have to wait until 2014.”

“The 14th of February?” Uncle Jiang exclaimed, “Only one day next year?”

“Just one day,” Master Zheng said, holding his notebook and still calculating the situation for the next few years. He scribbled several pages of rough drafts, and when he spoke, it sounded like a verdict from the He Tu and Luo Shu diagrams: “The divine light leaps the Azure Dragon, with abundant financial fortune. Success in all endeavors, including windfall wealth.”

Uncle Jiang was delighted to hear that their financial luck would be so prosperous. He slapped his knee and asked, “What about overall luck?”

“It will be even more auspicious, without any signs of inauspiciousness. You will see the nobility and peaceful encampments, and everything will go well,” the Taoist priest said with a divine air. “Among the six of you in these six years, individually there may be a decline, but together there will be prosperity. Stay together whenever possible.”

Uncle Jiang was even more delighted. “You calculated for six years?”

“Does the number of years matter?” Huo Ren curiously asked.

“I calculated the major annual fortune,” the Taoist looked at him and said, “From 2012 to 2018, it is a significant year for your group. After 2019, the fortune will change, and it will need to be recalculated depending on the circumstances.”

Uncle Jiang didn’t understand all the complexities of this metaphysical realm. He patted the armrest of the couch and said, “Do you guys know what ‘six years’ mean?”

“I’ve been in the entertainment industry for decades, and let me tell you,” the middle-aged man raised three fingers and continued in front of the Taoist, “No matter who it is, no matter what group it is, if they can sustain fame for three consecutive years, it’s already a blessing from the ancestors and the deities.”

The industry updated so quickly, with tens of thousands of people trying to squeeze in every year, but only a few could become famous and sustain it in the long run.

Master Zheng had just granted them a six-year period. As their manager, Uncle Jiang felt like he was dreaming and could wake up laughing.

While Master Zheng continued to write and draw, Uncle Jiang took a sip of coffee and continued with a serious tone, “Corona, our group, was originally aiming for long-term planning.”

Selected and trained from adolescence, they wanted to break the three-year curse and create a legendary figure in the industry.

After some calculations, Master Zheng sat up properly and said, “I have a few more things to say.”

Uncle Jiang bent down and poured tea for the wise man. “Please, go ahead.”

“The result of my calculations and the situation in your industry are both controversial,” Master Zheng said calmly. “Controversy can bring wealth, but it depends on how you handle it. You can’t avoid it; it will come in various forms.”

Coincidentally, this was exactly what they discussed in the meeting before the New Year.

The boys glanced at each other, half understanding and nodding.

Uncle Jiang quickly calmed down and respectfully nodded.

“I will remember that, and I will educate them well.”

“Then I won’t stay any longer. I wish you a happy New Year and great success.”

After Uncle Jiang saw Master Zheng off downstairs, Huo Ren rubbed his face and said, “I still think it’s a bit superstitious…”

“Well, there’s also a scientific basis, right?” Chi Ji flipped through the calendar on his phone. “That day is not only Valentine’s Day but also right after the Chinese New Year. Many people watch TV programs during that time, so it does seem quite suitable.”

They hadn’t exchanged many words when the beaming manager rushed back, waving his hand and tapping the table. “Bring me some paper, bring me some paper!”

Long Jia handed over a pen and paper while holding a toothbrush, and Uncle Jiang began to write. Surprisingly, he was creating this year’s schedule for them.

“You guys will have reduced regular training sessions this year. Just maintain the same level as last year’s assessments. The focus should be entirely on preparing for the album.”

With a black pen, he swiftly drew up a table, dividing the whole year into three sections.

January to June: Determine the album theme, lyrics, composition, arrangement, and recording practice.

June to August: Choreography design, MV design, and director collaboration to finalize the filming plan.

September to October: MV shooting, photoshoot, complete album production.

October to December: Final preparations before debut, variety show rehearsals.

The manager had actually set a tentative debut deadline long ago, and today’s judgment from Master Zheng coincided with it perfectly. Uncle Jiang rewrote all those drafts in his mind.

“Look, it’s almost the end of January,” he said, and Xie Lianyun covered his head with both hands. “At least a debut album should have twelve songs, right?!”

“I’m already being very lenient,” Uncle Jiang, who was about to light a cigarette, decided to enjoy a smoke. “You have five months. We’ll allocate half a month for adjustments after rehearsal recordings and another half for final preparations. You still have four months to release the album. Isn’t that just right?”

Huo Ren pondered, “That’s roughly one song every seven to eight days, but we still need to consider the time for composing and arranging…”

Mei Shengyao collapsed onto the side, hugging a pillow. “Shouldn’t we start working earlier?”

“Then would you like to outsource it?” Uncle Jiang played with his lighter. “I have several friends waiting to take on projects.”

In unison, everyone replied, “No outsourcing!”

“Alright, you guys can discuss it amongst yourselves,” Uncle Jiang grinned and got up. “The first round of album demo listening will be on March 1st, so make good use of your time.”

“March 1st?!!”

The old fox had already written the script and just waited for them to jump into it step by step from the first day of the new year. He had barely left the house when he came back knocking on their door.

Xie Lianyun was still explaining the specific process of producing the album to the others on a whiteboard using an ink pen when he heard the doorbell and hastily went to open it. “What now?!”

Uncle Jiang tapped the door twice with the back of his hand, and four staff members entered with cameras, placing tripods in three corners of the living room and setting up two GoPros.

“Put two more in the music room and recording studio,” Uncle Jiang instructed. “Arrange the lighting, and is the lighting here sufficient?”

Huo Ren, thinking they were there to shoot, instinctively asked, “Why didn’t you inform us in advance?”

“Young man, don’t be nervous,” Uncle Jiang, holding a cigarette, said, “Once the camera positions are set, you can start. When you move to a different location to work on the album, take the GoPros with you and continue filming. Capture more footage.”

“Why do we need to do that?” Mei Shengyao asked curiously. “To make a behind-the-scenes DVD?”

“Of course not.” Uncle Jiang took the pen from Xie Lianyun’s hand and bent down to write a website address in the blank space on the whiteboard.

“This is your official forum, which was just set up this year.” He smiled meaningfully. “We will assign a professional post-production team to edit these audiovisual materials into a pre-debut variety show. Part of it will be released when the album comes out, and another part will be shared on the forum.”

Huo Ren instinctively said, “That way we can generate some buzz.”

“And each album will include character cards with different electronic codes printed on the back,” Uncle Jiang took a drag of his cigarette, satisfied with his idea. “Regular members can upgrade to silver members using the regular codes and unlock more benefits. If they’re lucky, they might get a gold or platinum code, which allows them to watch personal thank-you videos recorded by you.”

Everyone: …!

They were already trying to capitalize on their popularity even before their debut. Uncle Jiang was truly a cunning businessman!

Once Uncle Jiang and the staff had all left, the six of them gathered together again.

Huo Ren brought another whiteboard and, referring to Xie Lianyun’s process diagram, organized the schedule. Taking charge of the discussion, he said, “Let’s first determine the album theme.”

“How about animals?” Long Jia suggested. “I like animals.”

“…You look like an animal,” Bo Jue replied coolly.

“Should we go for a particular style?”

“Maybe a more fashionable direction?”

They went around in circles with unrelated ideas until someone asked, “We’re called ‘Crown,’ so what should we call our fans?”

Without hesitation, Huo Ren said, “Gems.”

Crown and Gems, intertwined and mutually nourished, always possessing each other, sharing the same brilliance and glory.

“Little Gems?” Long Jia tried calling it out. “Sounds quite cute?”

“The English transliteration sounds good too,” Mei Shengyao smiled. “Let’s go with that.”

“Then how about this,” Chi Ji pressed both hands on the table. “Let’s consider our first album as a gift to the fans, using the songs inside to communicate with them?”

“What about naming the album ‘Radiant Gems’?” Bo Jue took the pen and wrote down the name, casually sketching a rough album cover next to it. “And the cover can be all six of us holding gemstones together…”

“Will it overshadow the Crown if we only mention Gems?”

“Don’t worry,” Huo Ren smiled. “The gems will be embedded in the crown, so they will be seen.”

“Oh, right! I think it works!”

Xie Lianyun stood to the side, looking puzzled.

“How are you all so proficient at this?”

-2-

Once the theme and intention were more or less settled, songwriting was added to the schedule.

Xie Lianyun had entered the industry early and had made several songs popular, so he knew this process best.

He poured lemonade into glasses for everyone and leisurely said, “While looks and figures can make you popular, there will come a day when you age or lose your attractiveness. If you want to stay popular in the long run, it depends on your work.”

Works are the most enduring things favored by time.

“Many people don’t have to worry about food as long as they have one hit song.”

Huo Ren took the pitcher and helped pour water, casually asking, “Is there a trick to writing a smash hit?”

“Yes, of course,” Xie Lianyun’s eyes sparkled. “It depends on how you want to become popular.”

“The simplest way is to write a song with a simple rhythm and simple lyrics that even kindergarten children can understand.”

“In other words, the more down-to-earth, the better.”

– “I love you, love you like a mouse loves rice.”
– “I’m beautiful, beautiful, beautiful. I’m drunk, drunk, drunk. You are the most beautiful rose in my life.”

Bo Jue decisively shook his head, “If I have to sing that kind of song, I’ll buy a plane ticket and go home.”

“Why the rush?” Xie Lianyun pushed up his glasses and spoke seriously. “The second type is functional songs.”

“You need to envision the performance scenario before you start writing.”

Huo Ren immediately responded, “For example, songs for confession or after a breakup?”

“That’s why love songs are the easiest to become popular,” Xie Lianyun agreed, nodding. “They have strong functionality and appeal to a wide audience. As long as the melody is catchy, they can quickly become popular.”

“There’s also a third type,” Long Jia looked at him. “Party songs.”

“The lyrics should be upbeat, the rhythm explosive, and it should make people want to dance along after listening once, just like drinking Vitasoy lemon tea.”

Xie Lianyun squinted at him, “Bro, did you use to go to nightclubs often?”

Long Jia glanced at Bo Jue and replied seriously, “I’m only eighteen, still a kid.”

Bo Jue tapped his head, “You’re quite proficient in drinking, though. I didn’t realize.”

Huo Ren quickly understood and wrote down several popular application scenarios on the blank space of the whiteboard.

– [Confession] [Expressing love in the honeymoon phase]
– [Heartbreak] [Secret crush] [Inspirational motivational]

…

“Let’s divide the work and start by writing three songs to test the waters,” he confirmed each item. “First, a slow song for heartbreak.”

Both Long Jia and Chi Ji raised their hands, “Dibs!”

“Then a sweet love song for a secret crush?”

Mei Shengyao raised his hand, “I’ll write it with Xie Xie! He’s quite mysterious and has already written two hits before!”

Xie Lianyun frowned, “I can become popular no matter what style I write, so that adjective is unnecessary.”

“I thought of a title for the lead song, ‘Your Crown,'” Huo Ren sought their opinions. “It’s also more humble. The album can have gemstones, and the lead song can be the crown, creating a connection.”

“What style do you want for the lead song?” Xie Lanyun asked.

“A blazing confession song. We can use that as the composition inspiration,” Huo Ren raised his hands and quickly clapped three times. “Co! Ro! Na!”

“Doesn’t it have a great sense of rhythm?”

The others’ eyes lit up, and they followed the beats.

“We can add rests at the transition points in the singing section,” Xie Lianyun immediately suggested. “That way, while we catch our breath, the fans below will follow and shout in rhythm.”

“Just like that, for example, I’ll come up with a few lines,” Huo Ren picked up a pen and wrote down the numeric solfege in a corner. “And I will say—”

Mei Shengyao quickly cosplayed as a young fan and shouted slogans beside him, “Co! Ro! Na!”

“Your! Crown—”

“Co! Ro! Na!”

“At that moment, I’ll hold the microphone and call out to everyone to sing along with us,” Xie Lianyun squatted beside him, helping with the instrumental accompaniment seamlessly and improvising the written arrangement. “Then we immediately transition to the most energetic chorus. How about a high note inserted here?”

Long Jia was already imagining the concert scene in his mind. “It will be explosive.”

“I’ll write this song with Huo Huo,” Bo Jue decided. “Let’s go, let’s get to work.”

Xie Lianyun quickly asked, “Are you sure about it?”

“I’m sure,” Bo Jue smiled at him. “I also listen to pop music regularly, don’t underestimate me.”

The six of them immediately split into three groups and acted swiftly, without any thoughts of taking a day off to rest or sleep.

It was as if living for their work was the true meaning of living.

Xie Lianyun and Mei Shengyao claimed the grand piano in the northern living room, Huo Ren wrote the score in the study while Bo Jue helped him refine the sections. Long Jia handed Chi Ji a pair of headphones and carried an electric guitar. The two of them sang, searched for melodies, and transcribed the music.

Although they still had regular classes to attend every day, songwriting had become their greatest joy.

More precisely, writing songs for the crown.

Once they fully immersed themselves, they relied on the captain’s bell ringing to gather and forcefully eat their meals.

They ate with unwilling expressions on their faces, quickly finishing their chicken breast and avocado salads, and immediately rushed to play the piano. They even tapped their fingers on the dining table to find melodies and write down the notes after just a few bites.

Long Jia was a complete narcissist. When he got carried away while writing, he would rush into Huo Ren’s bedroom with his guitar and play a demo and sing to him at midnight.

Huo Ren, half-asleep, half-awake, nodded and remembered, “It sounds good, but the chorus lacks impact. Try changing the main melody.”

Long Jia was enthusiastic, “I think so too. I’ll go change it now!”

“You have dance practice at 7 a.m.,”

“I know, I know, Captain, goodnight, mwah!”

Huo Ren’s own songwriting was also very captivating. He searched through all the rock and pop music he had listened to before, repeatedly analyzing and summarizing the sources of their stunning effects. He revised his drafts from the first to the twelfth version, and even when he was halfway through writing, he couldn’t bear to go to sleep, instead rushing to find Long Jia to ask about the bass sound effects to be inserted. It was already midnight, but he couldn’t let go of his work.

The other two groups were constantly on the move. They not only wrote songs with their guitars on the rooftop floor of the 17th floor but also stuck around Professor Zhong after classes, forcing him to listen to their demos ahead of time and eagerly waiting for his praise.

Zhong Fengyu’s ears were getting calloused from their annoyance. “Oh my, I should have suggested that you hire professionals from the beginning.”

Despite his complaints, he still took pen and paper and helped them fine-tune every detail.

“The slides are too fast, and here we need to add electronic sound effects…”

“What should we add? After writing so many songs yourself, you’re still asking me what to add?”

By the time the listening party on March 1st arrived, all the directors and project managers were present. Uncle Jiang gave his seat to General Qi and sat beside him, pretending to drink tea to hide his nervousness.

Huo Ren led the five members in a queue, walking in with a disciplined bow.

“Hello, leaders and teachers. I am Cain, the captain responsible for the project report. I will now provide a brief explanation.”

He didn’t bring any notes. When he spoke, his eyes were bright, and his tone was calm as if he were a natural idol.

“From January 28th to March 1st, we have created a total of eight songs.”

“Among them, there are three confession songs, two ballads, and three love songs, totaling four styles, six fast and two slow songs.”

Uncle Jiang didn’t expect the progress to be this fast.

His wrist holding the thermos cup shook and he secretly hoped that these kids wouldn’t fill the numbers haphazardly and write subpar songs.

“Next, we will perform the lead song of ‘Radiant Gem,’ ‘Your Crown.'”

Huo Ren turned to the assistant and nodded slightly. Leading all the members, they formed an M-shaped formation in the open space, resembling a crown, with each member supporting themselves with one hand and one member standing alone in the center.

The sound effect of rolling glass beads suddenly resounded, surrounding them like scattered gemstones.

The resounding drumbeats gradually approached, summoned by their presence. The six of them stepped to the beat, raised their heads, and spread their arms and hands like fluttering wings.

“I’m your corona.”

They suddenly stood up, and Huo Ren raised his hand, kneeling on one knee to start the lead vocals. With synchronized arm and hand movements, he danced in rhythm with the other five members, even though his back was completely facing them, their movements were so precise that they seemed like his shadows.

“At this moment, my eyes are only on you—”

“Purely and stubbornly loving you with all my heart.”

His pitch was incredibly stable, and his icy vocals had a unique texture and great power.

In the next second, he spun and disappeared into the group. Mei Shengyao glided forward, leading the five members in a trembling hook-step and turning around, their postures and expressions resembling young phoenixes about to rise from the ashes.

“The raging snowstorm in the dark mountains is not enough, not enough to shake my desire to see you.”

Bo Jue and Chi Ji stepped forward into the central area, once again taking over the visual center.

“My soul is a gem.”

“It is fragile and resilient, shining eternally only at this moment.”

The cello and piano resonated deeply, and the four of them, like diamond-shaped gemstones, crouched and retreated. Xie Lianyun and Long Jia simultaneously raised their right hands, their sustained notes seeming to speak and lure.

“—Only waiting for your command!”

The six of them returned to the crown formation. Their dance was like black and white chess pieces on a chessboard, with a complete sense of order integrated into the burning rhythm. Each person’s eyes were exceptionally expressive, revealing a sense of aggression.

They were seekers of love, conquerors, and untamed beasts waiting to be tamed.

“I·am·yours,”

“The·one·and·only·crown—”

Male hormones spread recklessly, and the metallic electronic sound and bass resonated, controlling the heartbeat of all the onlookers. The atmosphere uncontrollably reached its peak.

On the final note, Uncle Jiang heard the sharp intake of breath from the female teacher beside him.

He pressed his eyebrows and found himself shaking his legs.

“It’s written very well, and the dance is already choreographed?” General Qi, supporting his chin, trembled his leg as he watched them finish. He turned to Uncle Jiang and said, “It’s quite captivating.”

Uncle Jiang responded expressionlessly.

He felt like this tune would be looping in his mind all night.

---

Author’s note:

A unified response to a few questions:

1. The minor character Huo Ren from another book has no relation to this book. It’s just that the author is bad at coming up with names (?).

2. I gave out red envelopes because the comment section’s system was upgraded and closed for a month. During this time, I wanted to give everyone a small gesture of kindness and comfort _(:з」∠)_ When I’m busy with writing, I may not have time to read the comments, so I will directly give red envelopes to the top 20 commenters from the previous day. During other times, I will randomly select 10-20 lucky commenters based on their comments/content/recommendations/time/nickname (?).

3. No one is dating recently. My career hasn’t entered the explosive growth or rising phase yet, so I need to work hard (my dear mother’s urging)!