Content Warning: This story is set in an alternate world, do not map it to reality. The world-building is extensive and unique to the author.
The main text is complete. Reading guide: this no...
Chapter 165 Please Speak Humanly, Thank You
The members didn't check out the online feedback about the show. Yu'an's two days of recording went by faster than anyone had imagined. Still filled with curiosity about the place that had nurtured Lu Yao, they were already on a plane back to Beijing. After arriving in Beijing, they didn't even have time to rest; they immediately headed straight to the company for a meeting.
But this meeting was very different.
Looking at the message that tagged all members in the group, everyone's eyes couldn't help but turn to the person sitting in the passenger seat.
——Lu Yao.
Ding Ling lowered her head, raised it again, and lowered it again. After confirming that the name in front of the message was indeed these two words, a big question mark appeared in her mind.
No, was Lu Yao serious about handing the group over to him?
The last job just finished, and he can't wait to make arrangements?
So fast?
But then again, Lu Yao never jokes.
He always does what he says.
A series of thoughts flashed through Ding Ling's mind. She quickly figured it out, put down her phone, and closed her eyes with peace of mind.
Qiu Yuge in the back seat looked at Ding Ling, then at Lu Yao, and finally at Cang Zizheng beside him.
The moment the two looked at each other, there was the same confusion in their eyes.
No, why did Lu Yao call them to a meeting?
Did something happen that they didn't know about?
So amid Ding Ling's calmness and the members' confusion, Lu Yao took the lead in entering the conference room and started the meeting after everyone was present.
Ding Ling glanced at the people present. There were only those in the group, namely the members themselves, her, Wei Gu and Xin Yi, and no one else.
Seeing this, she suddenly felt that Lu Yao was very considerate.
Although he kept asking her to hand over the group to him, no one else knew about this except Su Junliang.
Does it count as saving her face?
Thinking about it this way, Ding Ling felt that her brain was becoming more and more problematic.
What I do and think every day is completely unlike that of a normal person.
Would a normal person be so confident in handing things over to a fifteen-year-old child?
But if it were a normal person, in this strange situation, he would have collapsed and dared not to do anything.
She could still sit here quietly, listening to Lu Yao's speech, and calmly take note of what Lu Yao asked her to do. How could this not be considered powerful?
With a mentality like hers, she will succeed in everything she does.
After the meeting, Ding Ling wrote down a large number of tasks that needed to be handled, while the five faces of the members were completely blank.
After Ding Ling left, Zhu Xiangming still hadn't come to his senses.
"No, our next job is what you just said?" Zhu Xiangming couldn't believe it.
Lu Yao nodded: "That's right."
"Learn a new song and dance in three days, record and shoot the MV on the fourth day, start learning new songs and dances again on the fifth day, and finish recording the new album in late August?" Zhu Xiangming counted on his fingers, becoming more and more frustrated as he spoke.
Recording an album in half a month?
Is this something a human can do?
Cang Zizhen also frowned: "Isn't this time a little too tight? We don't have any other work later, so there's no need to rush, right?"
Even Bai You, who loves his work, felt a little overwhelmed and nodded in agreement with Cang Zizhen: "I think so too."
Lu Yao didn't rush to speak. He looked at Qiu Yuge and asked, "Captain, what do you think?"
"Ah? Me?" Qiu Yuge hadn't expected the question to fall on him, but Lu Yao's fierce gaze, and the way he kept calling him captain, made him realize he had to give an answer: "It seems that the schedule is indeed a bit too tight?"
The ending tone rises, full of uncertainty.
Lu Yao looked at Yin Hongxue again: "What do you think?"
Yin Hongxue didn't answer. Instead, she looked at Lu Yao intently before speaking: "Is there anything you want to do?"
Lu Yao was currently sitting in a chair, his upper body leaning against the backrest. Without the camera, his posture was usually quite relaxed, yet it didn't give off a sense of relaxation. Instead, the moment someone's eyes met his, a sense of oppression arose, as if they were being hunted. He scanned everyone in this manner, then nodded, "Yes, I have something I want to do."
He did not continue to say what he wanted to do, but instead changed his tone and looked at everyone.
"You don't have any?"
"You've been practicing for five years and finally debuted, but you don't know what you want to do?"
"Is it just to be like a trainee, attending classes and practicing every day without thinking about the future?"
"Debut is just the beginning. After that, what do you want to do?"
The meeting room was very quiet, with only Lu Yao's voice clearly audible.
Wei Gu and Xin Yi were like two robots that could only breathe. Even their breathing was so weak that they had no sense of existence. The five people who were questioned by Lu Yao all had blank faces for a moment.
What do you want to do?
Of course they have things they want to do.
But in the future that they have imagined countless times, what should they do now for that future?
They are only seventeen or eighteen years old, have just debuted, and have a long future ahead of them.
It's so long that even imagination seems to be taking too long.
The future is so far away that people have to look far away so hard that they cannot look down at the road under their feet.
After a moment, Bai You's voice rang out: "I want to create excellent works, I want to be an excellent idol, I want to bring strength to others, and I want to always be on the stage."
Bai You's words broke the silence. Qiu Yuge pursed his lips. After a moment's silence, he spoke, "I want to give back to the fans who have always supported me and tell them that their love and support are valuable."
Hearing this, Cang Zizhen smiled and scratched his head: "I'm quite superficial. I just hope that I can be more successful and have a good career."
Yin Hongxue nodded in agreement. After Cang Zizhen finished speaking, he smiled lightly: "I don't know what the future will be like, but I hope that everything I do now, I will not regret in the future."
A moment of silence.
Everyone looked at Zhu Xiangming.
Zhu Xiangming: ...
No, he asked?
Aren’t they saying the upcoming schedule is too busy?
How did it suddenly become a conference to discuss the future, goals, and dreams?
Are they acting in some kind of middle school hot-blooded youth drama?
Just rush forward shouting "work hard" and "dream"?
Suddenly it caught fire?
What's burning?
Zhu Xiangming nodded slightly stiffly, "Yes, yes, me too."
As for what? He didn't know.
What is it? He doesn't know either.
But he understood that nodding was definitely right!
And then I got on the pirate ship.
On a beautiful summer morning, we started the dark class at six in the morning, and just as Lu Yao had planned, we finished learning the new song within three days.
Under the terrifying time schedule, everyone's mind was exhausted, but seeing that they had actually learned the new song and practiced the dance, and that they would be recording the next day, they were very excited.
Standing in the yard, Zhu Xiangming watched Lu Yao walking towards the villa, his heart beating violently.
The confusion he had felt at the meeting three days before was still fresh in his mind, but at this moment he felt as if he had sensed something.
Although that feeling was like green smoke floating in the air, he couldn't catch it when he stretched out his hand, and he couldn't see it clearly when he looked at it carefully.
But Zhu Xiangming knew that the green smoke was there.
It is still very weak now, but one day, it will grow stronger and stronger, so strong that everyone can see it clearly.
Zhu Xiangming stretched out his hand and clenched his fingers in the air. Suddenly, he cried out as if frightened by something.
"ah!"
"What's wrong?" Qiu Yuge turned around instantly.
Zhu Xiangming pointed to his right hand with his trembling left hand: "Fire, fire!"
Qiu Yuge looked over and saw a faint flame floating softly on Zhu Xiangming's raised right hand, as if it would be blown out by the wind in the next second, but it continued to burn firmly on Zhu Xiangming's fingertips.
Qiu Yuge ran over in a flash.
He stretched out his hand to try to touch the flame. It was not until his fingers were close to the flame and felt the scorching temperature that Qiu Yuge looked at Zhu Xiangming's face in disbelief, and then met his dreamy expression.
"This is the superpower."
"Oh my god!" Bai You had come over at some point. He stared intently at the flame on Zhu Xiangming's finger and cautiously reached out to touch it. "You actually used it! How did you do that?"
The three people suddenly stopped, which attracted the attention of Yin Hongxue and Cang Zizheng. They also walked to Zhu Xiangming and saw the flame on Zhu Xiangming's finger.
The flame was so weak, but the light and heat that came on showed its existence.
Your fingertips are on fire?
Everyone has an answer in their hearts.
Cang Zizhen spoke carefully, fearing that his breath would disturb the fragile flame: "Is this a supernatural power?"
Being stared at by so many pairs of eyes, Zhu Xiangming flicked his finger and the faint flame dissipated into the air.
Cang Zizhen was a step too slow in the end and only grabbed Zhu Xiangming's fingers.
"No more?" Cang Zizhen looked regretful.
"Yes, brother, yes." Zhu Xiangming took a deep breath and stared at his fingers. Then, under the gaze of everyone, a flame trembled and emerged from Zhu Xiangming's fingertips.
"Wow!" Cang Zizhen covered his mouth to suppress his exclamation.
Although Wei Gu swore that there were supernatural powers in this world, Lu Yao also gave them the so-called jade pendant, and they really felt something on the jade pendant.
But it has been almost half a month, and none of the five of them have been able to successfully display their superpowers, which makes Cang Zizhen really doubt the authenticity of the superpowers.
But in the end, now, he actually saw with his own eyes the flames rising from Zhu Xiangming's fingers.
"How did you do it?" Cang Zizhen couldn't wait to speak.
The others also stared at Zhu Xiangming with burning eyes.
Zhu Xiangming was already accustomed to being stared at by scorching eyes, but now that the gaze came from his teammates, it suddenly felt a little awkward.
With a thought, the flame on his fingertips disappeared into the air.
He recalled the feeling just now, touched his chin, and said uncertainly: "I was just thinking that Lu Yao is simply a beacon guiding the way forward, the faith of believers, and an omnipotent God."
"And then the flames just came out like this."
Everyone: ???
What the hell?
Can you speak human language?