Chapter Six: The Interview
These are crucial issues for Wei Ye.
Their answers could be empty platitudes piled high with fancy words, but clearly, he wanted the pensive boy in front of him to express his truest thoughts.
Meng Fanxi was indeed unable to answer these questions immediately.
From the moment he missed out on debuting as part of a group, he has been constantly striving for another path.
Occasionally, when I see news about other groups like VIER or Month, I fantasize about standing on that kind of stage myself.
But soon enough, he suppressed this longing to the deepest part of his heart.
He never thought about what kind of group he would most like to join if he were to actually form a group.
Is it like Team W1?
No, this group should be one where, even if the most powerful higher-ups want to arbitrarily reduce the number of members, there are members who can stand up and refuse or oppose it.
It's not like VIER, which has member changes and internal conflicts.
It's not like Month; the difference in popularity is too great.
4ward, Miracle Boy, ink... Meng Fanxi's mind flashed through one combination after another, and gradually he found the answer.
"The kind of group I envision is one where each member has their own unique character, can stand on their own when apart, and shines harmoniously when participating in group activities."
"How should I put it, I'm only suited for this group, and I would look out of place in other groups."
"I hope the relationships within the group can be very good, as good as brothers."
"I hope they are vibrant, not like products from an assembly line, with fixed personas and routines, so that you can't even tell them apart."
...
Meng Fanxi spoke eloquently, saying whatever came to mind, but he dared not look directly at Wei Ye, fearing he would see a mocking gaze. He only lowered his gaze slightly, so he did not see Wei Ye's eyes brighten even more because of his words.
"As for those in the group who are unbearable..." Meng Fanxi imagined the scene of him and Jin Ziran forming a group, and suddenly felt a chill run through his heart.
Although she had been targeted by Jin Ziran in her previous life, they were from the same company and had appeared on the same stage many times, so they maintained a facade of harmony.
In comparison, the allure of forming a group is still enormous.
“If I have any conflicts with that person or disagreements in life, I will take the initiative to communicate with them and try to resolve the issues.” Meng Fanxi scratched his head. “If we are really incompatible, I will report to the company. In any case, I will do my best to resolve the conflict.”
Regarding the third question, he was caught in a dilemma. Forming a group was his dream, and in his dream, there would be cheers and spotlights. But if he had the lowest popularity and the fewest resources, could he control his jealousy and resentment at such a huge gap? "To be honest, I would probably be very confused." Meng Fanxi did not give an answer, but looked at Wei Ye.
Wei looked at Meng Fanxi gently, his eyes showing no disapproval or displeasure at not finishing the question. On the contrary, he was moved by Meng Fanxi's honesty, and his answers were all within his acceptable range, even having some bonus points.
Meng Fanxi's expectations for forming a group perfectly align with Wei Ye's initial vision when he joined the company.
Most idol groups today follow a fixed formula and template. Their performances on stage are perfect, but offstage, they are like puppets who have lost the strings that were controlling them.
Fearing criticism and damage to their image, they become timid and hesitant. Their personalities have been worn down by the company. Even some groups that debuted from large companies have the same situation.
The advantage of such a group is that it is very easy to satisfy the fans' preferences, but at the same time, the novelty it brings to the fans can also fade quickly.
Wei Ye wanted to create a group like the one Meng Fanxi described, or even more extreme, a group that would bring together all the "troublemakers" among the trainees. It would definitely be very interesting.
Of course, this idea was met with direct opposition from the company's senior management and indirect criticism from a "troublemaker."
Meng Fanxi gave Wei new inspiration. He was gentle but not lacking in personality, and might be able to act as a glue in the group.
Even if one person isn't enough, you can add one or two more, which will greatly increase the feasibility of the group operation.
That's something worth considering in depth.
This was clearly not the time for Wei Ye to indulge in his fantasies. Wei Ye looked at the nervous young man opposite him, smiled, and said, "There's one last thing. Show us your current strength."
Wei also considers ability as the last of the three criteria. Generally, as long as a trainee isn't naturally off-key and has decent physical coordination, it means they have a lot of room for improvement.
Hard work and training can raise their skills to the average trainee level. As for the allocation of lead vocalist, lead dancer, and rapper in the group, it depends on their talent and their private efforts.
Wei also assigned Meng Fanxi a dance piece and asked him to choose a song for a cappella.
First came the dance.
As the music started, Meng Fanxi immediately recognized the background music as "Searching for Stars," a song that all trainees in the company were required to know for singing and dancing.
Its melody is simple, the movements are catchy and rhythmic, and it really tests the trainees' basic skills.
Meng Fanxi had practiced a lot before, and he also reviewed this song when he was studying, so he immediately caught up with the rhythm and started dancing.
As the music progressed, their movements became increasingly fluid and their expressions were spot-on.
Wei Ye, encouraged by Meng Fanxi, also started swaying with interest.
The dance was undoubtedly up to standard.
During the a cappella segment, Meng Fanxi opted for a safe approach, choosing an old song she often sang in karaoke in her past life. It required little technical skill, but the emotions she poured into the song were moving.
Wei watched him fully immersed in the song and felt incredibly glad that he had come to the company over the weekend and hadn't missed this shining young man.
After going through all the procedures, Meng Fanxi had a feeling that he had performed quite well, and as he expected, Wei also announced that he had passed the interview.
Meng Fanxi's heart pounded. From this moment on, he would embark on a life completely different from his previous one, and no matter what difficulties lay ahead, he would no longer be afraid.
*
Wei also asked Meng Fanxi to sit in the office for a while while he went to take care of some formalities.
In fact, Wei Ye went straight to the chairman's office on the top floor. When the chairman's secretary, Lin Xiangxiang, saw that it was Wei Ye, she did not stop him.
Wei Zhenyu was reading a report when Wei Ye suddenly barged in and interrupted her. Although she was helpless, a smile still flashed in her eyes. She put down the report and asked, "What's wrong? Why are you in such a hurry?" She was most at a loss with her youngest son, who was always restless, and wondered if he had some strange idea again.
"I interviewed a very outstanding trainee today." Wei also recounted his experiences over the past few days and shared his latest ideas about the group with his mother, hoping to gain her approval and officially make Meng Fanxi a trainee at Weir.
Wei Zhenyu was happy to see that her son, who had been depressed for a while, had finally regained some energy, but she still had reservations about the group he proposed.
She called Lin Xiangxiang in and instructed her to handle Meng Fanxi's trainee procedures.
Wei Zhenyu picked up the report again and began to read it. "As for the combination idea you mentioned, it is indeed much more specific than before, but ultimately there are still no actual candidates."
She said earnestly, "For a group to finally debut, it needs the approval of all departments in the company. Based on your current verbal ideas, it's somewhat unrealistic."
Wei was not discouraged by these words. Instead, he felt that since it had not been completely denied, there was a possibility of it being realized.
*
Meng Fanxi called his parents to tell them that he had passed the interview. After sharing their joy, they arranged a time for Meng's father to pick him up.
Then he took out a pen and paper from his bag and began to recall some important milestones and plan his next steps.
Since returning to my youth, in just two short days, my life has taken a new turn. Although most of my past memories are no longer useful, I am already so lucky and should cherish everything.
Not long after, Lin Xiangxiang came over and took Meng Fanxi to the trainee department to explain the situation to the supervisor. She then took him to meet and get to know the relevant department heads on the entire floor.
Meng Fanxi had met Lin Xiangxiang in his previous life. It was probably at an awards ceremony. Many company executives attended the event. Lin Xiangxiang was sitting next to the chairman of Weier Company, looking more serious than she does now. The two charismatic women sat in the front row, attracting the attention of everyone in the room.
Unexpectedly, it was the chairman's secretary who helped him with the relevant procedures, which made Meng Fanxi start to wonder about Wei Ye's identity.
After a while, Wei also came to join them. He showed Meng Fanxi around the Will Company and gave him a booklet that was a brief introduction to the current internal structure of the Will Company.
Meng Fanxi expressed his gratitude, saying that the booklet had been a great help.
Wei also took Meng Fanxi around the places related to trainees, explaining some rules and regulations as he went.
Like Baihe Company, Weier Company also has dormitories, canteens, shuttle buses, and a well-established trainee system.
In China, with the rapid development of the economy and technology, the high quality of life, and numerous job opportunities, the entertainment industry is booming, and the idol industry has formed a complete system.
There are countless entertainment agencies of all sizes that train trainees, and they recruit trainees at different times.
Because of the strong academic atmosphere and numerous schools in China, students can generally apply to university as long as they study diligently, and if they wish to continue their studies, they can apply for postgraduate or doctoral programs.
As one of the highest-paying industries, the entertainment industry has also fostered a culture where academic qualifications are considered a minimum requirement, driven by various parties.
Older generations of artists may not have high academic qualifications, but the newer generations all have at least a bachelor's degree.
Of course, the various talent agencies wouldn't dare to ruin their reputation, so over the years they have formed cooperative relationships with nearby schools and relevant departments, directly opening star classes within the schools.
It will not affect amateur students, nor will it delay the trainees' studies.
Even trainees who don't make it to the debut stage can stay until graduation as long as they initially entered the Star Class, barring any special circumstances.
Meng Fanxi is currently a first-year high school student in the Star Class at No. 14 Middle School. However, No. 14 Middle School is very close to Baihe Company, but it is two districts away from Weier Company.
Even though Will Company could provide round-trip transportation, Meng Fanxi was unwilling to trouble the driver.
Meng Fanxi's next tasks are to terminate his contract with Baihe Company, sign a contract with Weier, and handle matters such as transferring schools and moving dormitories.
Wei also told him to resolve the matter within the week. Meng Fanxi thanked him again and placed Wei in the position of his number one benefactor.
Although there are still a lot of things to deal with, at least there is hope, and everything will get better and better.
A note from the author:
----------------------
Mini-theater:
Many years later, Wei Ye proudly recited his "troublemaker theory" while drunk, as if it were a grand ambition.
The troublemakers present: "..."
Zhang, the first troublemaker to thwart Wei Ye's plan, Yang: "..."
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