Chapter 152 Group Photo
A year is a significant blow to a portfolio that is in its golden growth phase.
Although Meng Fanyu didn't know many details, she believed they would only make choices that were beneficial to the group.
...
"Thank you for your hard work! Happy New Year!"
"Thank you everyone, you've worked hard."
Happy New Year and all the best!
Backstage at the Starlight Gala, after VIER's performance, she greeted the staff along the way. This year's New Year's Eve dinner was backstage at the Starlight Gala, and Wei had booked a large table of New Year's Eve dinner in advance. Two hours before the gala officially started, VIER and the staff spent the time together, which was very lively.
Back in the locker room, everyone quickly packed up their things and prepared to wrap up.
On the way back, Zhang Yang could feel the gazes directed at him, but his teammates stood by his side, blocking those speculative eyes.
He hesitated, then silently packed his backpack.
It was already past midnight when we left the TV station. Everyone got into the car, exhausted from a busy and stressful day. They could barely keep their eyes open, and the car was silent.
Meng Fanxi was the first to arrive at his destination. His family had booked a hotel nearby. He couldn't go home often during the Spring Festival, but home was always nearby.
As he got off the bus, he didn't forget the look in Zhang Yang's eyes that he had noticed earlier, and he looked at him specifically, "Brother Yang, you still have two weeks before you go abroad, are you already in a panic?"
His tone was relaxed, but Zhang Yang's smile was somewhat bitter.
Meng Fanxi took out a few candies from his pocket and tossed them to Zhang Yang, who caught them in a flurry.
"Don't worry about what others think. This isn't your own choice; it's the choice we six made together."
Xu You didn't notice Zhang Yang's emotions. Only after hearing Meng Fanxi's words did he realize that the recent public opinion might still be affecting Zhang Yang. He echoed, "Brother, it's only a year. Like we said before, this year you can refine your music more. That's the most important thing for the group. We're not a group that only exists for three years."
Everyone comforted Zhang Yang, and his mood improved considerably.
Meng Fanxi pulled her suitcase toward the hotel, Xu You's words, "We're not a group that only existed for three years," flashing through her mind.
Yes, the group has already reached its third year. Perhaps it was fate's arrangement, but as they were moving forward with an unstoppable momentum, one small problem after another stood in their way.
In their debut year, they were unstoppable, releasing two albums that year, both of which achieved record-breaking results. The group swept all the newcomer group awards in China, even winning several Best Group awards. The following year, they planned to increase their individual schedules, and with the added boost from Meng Fanxi's film and television awards, their third album maintained the momentum of the first two albums. The number of shows on their tour doubled, and at the time, they were very confident that they could compete for Best Group of the Year.
It's unclear whether their appearance spurred the competition among various companies, but the competition that year was exceptionally fierce, with a plethora of hit songs emerging and all companies putting in their best efforts. The number of new debut groups also increased significantly, with many of the former members of "Team Up" debuting that year.
The year-end Starlight Music Awards' Best Group of the Year was given to a group that had debuted many years ago and had a breakout year.
Then came the third year.
Meng Fanxi sighed. They had insisted on creating their own music since their second album, which was what set them apart from other groups. However, with their busy schedules, they had reached a bottleneck.
They can still create, but the content they create is different from the positive and uplifting message they want to convey to their fans. It is depressing, melancholic, and dark, more like using songwriting as a way to vent their frustrations amidst their busy schedules.
The company was quite satisfied with their work, thinking that changing the style was fine as long as the quality was up to par, but they were not satisfied.
What they need is the experience of connecting with the beauty of real life, not this illusory world suspended in the entertainment industry.
The result was that they scrapped everything and started over, taking a long time to release their fourth album. The industry praised them for releasing at least one album a year with consistently high quality.
However, they still missed out on the Best Group of the Year award not long ago. The competition among Chinese groups is really fierce. While they were thinking about how to break through the bottleneck, Zhang Yang obtained the exchange student qualification.
He was about to graduate and applied to continue his studies. His advisor contacted him and said that his grades met the requirements for an exchange student and asked if he would like to go.
Zhang Yang refused without hesitation at first; the group was still on the rise, how could he go abroad?
But his instructor asked him to go back and think about it. Meng Fanxi still remembered the scene when Zhang Yang came back and told him about this. It was just a casual remark during a casual chat, but they all felt that he should go. It would not only be a good thing for Zhang Yang himself, but it might also be a trigger for breaking through the status quo.
After making the decision, the company announced the news, and all sorts of unfounded speculations came one after another. In particular, Zhang Yang is usually not talkative in the group, sometimes aloof, sometimes making a few dry jokes, and he also has excellent creative talent. Many people maliciously speculated that he wanted to leave the group and go solo.
They later took various actions to demonstrate that the partnership was unbreakable, but they still couldn't suppress malicious speculation.
Time will tell.
Meng Fanxi opened his phone and took a deep look at the date.
They have now been in the industry for three years, and he remembers that VIER disbanded three months later in his previous life.
On the day Zhang Yang left the country, everyone went to the airport to see him off, just as they always did when any one of them had an important matter.
The atmosphere of parting wasn't heavy; everyone chatted and laughed, understanding that it was only a year, and Zhang Yang would definitely return having accomplished his studies.
When Zhang Yang is abroad, he will occasionally share interesting stories and daily life in the group, as if he has never left.
VIER's group activities have been temporarily suspended. Meng Fanxi and his teammates unanimously believe that a group should consist of all six members.
Their personal activities did not stop. Meng Fanxi continued to have high standards when it came to accepting roles. He was excited when he received high-quality scripts, especially for supporting roles. When he encountered a script with a very distinctive character, he would prepare seriously and audition as if it were his first time acting. This is how he built up his reputation in the industry.
Everyone knows that he has good acting skills, high popularity, and his fans are very friendly. In particular, he has a clear understanding and plan for his acting career. He is not in a hurry to succeed and steadily works on small roles, which has earned him an excellent reputation. Meng Fanxi has also received a wider variety of scripts. Many young directors who are not yet well-known have tried to give him scripts, and he has indeed discovered many interesting roles.
After learning more, I realized that some of the scripts were impossible to film in the previous life. Sending them to him now is a last-ditch effort. If he is willing to act in them, attracting investment won't be that difficult.
Meng Fanxi joined the crew as soon as work resumed after the New Year, as did the others. Xu You began preparing his first solo album, which is mainly hip-hop, with the help of Zhu Lou. The production is already in its second half.
Lin Ruohe is currently filming a period drama with many episodes and many lines. He spent almost a year on this drama after joining the crew for training.
Most of the scripts that Ren Yuchen received were idol dramas. His cool and aura-filled image was very suitable for playing the cool male lead or the second male lead in idol dramas. Ren Yuchen accepted this well and was very happy to film it. He believed that idol dramas were the most suitable dramas to increase popularity.
Meng Fanxi helped him with his decision, and he ultimately chose an idol drama with an excellent production team.
Gu Huailang still retains his talent for acting from his previous life. He won the Best Newcomer Award after Meng Fanxi. His agent helped him get a role in a movie as an assassin, and he will be joining the cast soon.
For Wei Ye, the current situation is a sweet dilemma. Everyone's individual development is going very well, but the group's progress has stalled. With most members joining the group, it's difficult to guarantee exposure, and the group's popularity will also decline.
Fortunately, he has a habit of shooting short videos anytime and anywhere, and he still has some in stock. He regularly posts glimpses of the members' private interactions on the VIER official account, including videos from their usual dinners, which has given the group fans some comfort.
However, the personal accounts of these people are almost only filled with various promotional materials. Apart from the Reuters photos taken by proxy to let their fans know that they are still there, there is no new material released on their personal accounts.
One day, three months later.
Meng Fanxi's social media platforms, which had been quiet for a long time, suddenly became active, attracting countless fans.
@VIER孟凡西: VIER and Weiyi, we're both here. [Image]
In the photo, the sky is blue, the sun is shining brightly, and the greenery is lush. The six handsome and relaxed people are smiling at the camera with their arms around each other's shoulders outside a classical European-style building. Each of them is holding a green leaf light stick, some raised to the sky, and some held in front of their chests.
The Green Leaf light stick was designated as the official light stick during the first tour and has become a symbol for fans.
Not long ago, fans missed VIER so much and couldn't see any new content, so they had to entertain themselves by uploading a lot of funny edited videos on video websites.
One of the fans took a photo at a tourist attraction with a green leaf light stick, solemnly calling out VIER to the camera as if holding a torch, which sparked a wave of imitations. Fans took photos at various places, and even passersby thought the light stick was so cute that they bought it as a tourist mascot.
VIER's official account even reposted and commented on some of the content, but they didn't expect all six people to appear directly. Judging from their appearance, it's clearly a recent group photo!
Wait a minute, fans noticed something interesting about their background. Upon closer inspection, it turned out to be a scene from the Betty América Conservatory of Music, where Zhang Yang studied.
So, they flew abroad?
The top comments section is filled with questions and surprises from everyone's perspectives.
[Wait, wait, wait, you went abroad to look for Zhang Yang?]
【Wow, I was so moved that I cried】
[The six members are seriously responding to rumors about disbanding or leaving the group.]
If anyone still questions the bond between the six members after this photo comes out, it just shows you have no taste.
[The six of them saw our check-in; that's the best response.]
...
Is today a special day?
Meng Fanxi, who was in a foreign country, saw this comment. He smiled slightly. For VIER at this moment, it was just an ordinary day.
Three years have passed, and they are still here.
When Le Xin got home and got her phone, she almost screamed when she saw Meng Fanxi's updates. She rolled back and forth on the bed in excitement. On the bedside table, the signed photo of all VIER members that Meng Fanyu had sent her during the Chinese New Year was carefully framed and placed where she could see it every day when she woke up.
At that moment, Lexin stretched out her arm and grabbed the photo frame, holding her phone in one hand and the photo frame in the other, feeling incredibly happy.
Time flies. Not only is Zhang Yang coming back soon, but it's also time for Meng Fanxi, a directing student, to produce his official work.
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