Chapter Twenty-Nine: Team Building Ends
As dusk fell, under the warm yellow light of the living room, the group nestled on the sofas, with Meng Fanxi holding a cushion in his arms.
Looking at the group of people surrounding her, Lin Ruohe couldn't help but chuckle. However, she remained rational about joining them.
He turned around and advised everyone: "Forming a group is not easy. Not to mention Zhang Yang, I myself have already accumulated some popularity in acting. The public's perception of me is that of a small actor."
"If I join you and debut as a group, the general public might be more curious about the strange combination of the members than the group itself, which would be detrimental to the first impression of a new group."
For a new boy band, every step after their debut must be taken with utmost care, and they must also build up a loyal fanbase.
Nowadays, fans prefer the "idol development" system, where individuals grow step by step through trials, like blank slates. For established artists like him and Zhang Yang to join this group would be very risky for both parties.
Meng Fanxi understood what Lin Ruohe meant. He looked at the other teenagers who were deep in thought, his inner turmoil was beyond words. In his previous life, they had been brought together by the planning team and had no choice.
Today, people have more choices, but are the decisions made at this age right? Can we guarantee that we won't regret them when we look back in the future?
Xu You's sudden words interrupted Meng Fanxi's thoughts. "Thinking too much will give you a headache." He pressed his temples and complained, "We haven't even formed a group yet, why are we thinking so far ahead?"
Ren Yuchen also analyzed: "Your participation may indeed bring some attention that is not what everyone originally intended at the beginning, but it depends on our ability to turn this attention into real popularity."
Gu Huailang: "We don't think about that much; it's not something we should be considering."
Everyone else seemed more open-minded than him. Meng Fanxi chuckled to himself, realizing he was being delusional. This was the only path he had left; bringing a future superstar into the group was a win-win situation.
In her past life, Lin Ruohe was able to turn the tide in those situations, so how much more so now?
Meng Fanxi stared at Lin Ruohe, who was somewhat stunned by everyone's words. "We gathered here because of our love for the stage, and because we want to form a group with everyone."
"You've had the experience of being in the debut group but not debuting. Don't you regret it?"
Lin Ruohe came to his senses and made a "hmm" sound, neither denying nor admitting it. He said, "Fanxi, life will always have many regrets."
"Yes, the regrets of the past are in the past, but now, this opportunity has come to you again. Aren't you tempted?"
Lin Ruohe tried to force a smile, but he couldn't manage it.
Perhaps to change the subject, perhaps out of a sudden outpouring of genuine emotion, or perhaps to dissuade them with his real-life experiences, Lin Ruohe began to recount his past.
Lin Ruohe was once an S-level trainee, and naturally, she was listed as a member of the debut group that was about to be launched. At that time, the company chose to take the public trainee route.
Revealing their trainee status to build popularity before their debut might have been a mistake, or it could be for other reasons. In any case, the other three members of his four-member debut group all left before their debut.
Since then, the company has rarely publicly revealed its trainees.
Wei Ye investigated this part of the experience in great detail, and everyone present had a general understanding of it, but Lin Ruohe did not go into details.
He glossed over the topic in just one sentence: "After failing to make it into the group, I was not willing to give up, so I went back to being a trainee and continued to practice."
He loved the stage back then, and the failure of the group was a huge blow to him. His family advised him to give up his trainee status and choose another path.
He refused. He would rather endure the scrutinizing and mocking gazes of others than not return to the ranks of ordinary trainees and try to fight for another chance to debut in a group.
Meng Fanxi had a similar experience, and he knew how difficult it was, so he was deeply moved.
"Back then, I first met Jin Ziran, you might not know him, he..."
Xu You exclaimed, "Huh? How come he's everywhere?" His shock interrupted Lin Ruohe's words.
"You all know him too?" Lin Ruohe was surprised to see the knowing looks on everyone's faces.
Unsure of Lin Ruohe's attitude towards Jin Ziran, and worried about a situation similar to Zhang Yang's, Meng Fanxi quickly stepped in to smooth things over: "Jin Ziran is the trainee who left the company with Zhang Yang, right? We did a lot of research on Zhang Yang before."
Xu You immediately understood and didn't say anything more.
Lin Ruohe continued, "Jin Ziran found me at that time, comforted me, and introduced me to Zhang Yang. After that, we became friends."
Back then at the company, he and Zhang Yang knew each other, but Zhang Yang was aloof and not the type of person who would actively make friends.
If it weren't for Jin Ziran, he wouldn't have discovered that he had such a compatible friend.
"And then?" Meng Fanxi couldn't help but ask.
Later, the three got along better and better, and Zhang Yang decided that they would debut as a group together.
Many planning team leaders secretly contacted Zhang Yang, but were all dissuaded from participating by his demands.
Jin Ziran was the weakest among them, and always seemed very insecure, worried that she wouldn't be able to debut.
As time went on, Lin Ruohe gradually began to suspect that, given his previous experience, the chances of him making it back into the group were extremely slim.
Choi Do, the former head of the debut planning team, whose position had plummeted due to the failed planning, found him and offered him a chance to develop his career as an actor.
Choi Do also pointed out that it is a low-probability event for three people to debut in the same group, let alone someone with his "dark history".
Perhaps if he leaves, they will be able to debut in the same group as they wish.
He also tried different paths.
Xu You understood: "You decided to go into acting, broke your promise to Zhang Yang and the others, and then you fell out?"
Lin Ruohe smiled wryly: "There was no fuss, we just naturally stopped contacting each other."
After making the decision, he still didn't dare to face Zhang Yang, so he only told Jin Ziran and asked him to pass on the message.
Since then, they have never been in contact again, and even when they run into each other, they act as if they don't know each other.
Meng Fanxi: "You should talk to him in person."
Perhaps Jin Ziran embellished the story when she relayed it.
Lin Ruohe put his thoughts aside and said, "Letting me join your group will cause you too much trouble, so think about it again after this is over."
Lin Ruohe's experience had indeed left a considerable shadow on him, and Meng Fanxi understood this very well. Knowing that there was no point in saying more at this moment, he calmly said, "I hope you will go back and seriously consider it."
Lin Ruohe didn't speak. Under the warm yellow light, his expression was vulnerable and real, as if this was the real him.
He got up, walked to the room, and turned the doorknob.
Meng Fanxi watched his retreating figure. In both his past and present lives, he was so gentle, yet so lonely.
Meng Fanxi was genuinely moved. He looked at Lin Ruohe seriously and said, "Captain, don't underestimate yourself. You did nothing wrong. It's not easy for a trainee to become an actor. There are very few people in the entire country who have become well-known actors from trainees. You chose a path with no future for yourself, but you left them a path that still holds hope."
"They left the company later, and that's not your fault."
Lin Ruohe's jawline suddenly tightened, her body visibly stiffened, and she left with a "Thank you" before entering the room.
...
For the next two days, everyone put aside their worries and focused entirely on the team-building activities, which made Wei, who was far away in the capital, extremely envious.
During the water splashing game, Meng Fanxi kept an eye on Lin Ruohe's expression. Seeing how engrossed he was in the game, he immediately grabbed a water gun and launched a sneak attack.
As if they had planned it beforehand, they showed no mercy and all got into a brawl.
On the way back from the team building event, Lin Ruohe didn't take a yacht. Instead, she sat on a sightseeing boat with everyone and leisurely enjoyed the scenery.
Seeing the reluctance in his eyes, Xu You teased, "Look at the wonderful memories we've left you. If you want to continue, remember to contact us."
Lin Ruohe smiled and said, "I understand."
Seeing his calm demeanor, a glimmer of hope rose in everyone's hearts.
There are still a few days before the start of the new semester, but everyone has to go back to the company to begin a new year of practice.
Meng Fanxi was packing her luggage at home to go back to the company. The contract she had brought back from her previous vacation and signed with Will Company was carelessly placed aside, forgotten to be put away.
He quickly put it together with the contract he had signed earlier, while he still remembered it.
Suddenly, a thought flashed through my mind.
He looked at the contract in his hand.
contract.
Oh, right!
contract!
Meng Fanxi suddenly remembered something from his past life.
In the past, when the show "Teen Idol" was a huge hit, Zhang Yang, who was the undisputed number one at the time, suddenly withdrew from the competition, which quickly became a hot topic.
Various conspiracy theories and rumors spread like wildfire.
But Zhang Yang did not respond.
Jin Ziran, who was second at the time but later rose to first place, was criticized by Zhang Yang's fans for a long time, and many conspiracy theories were related to Jin Ziran.
It wasn't until news broke that Zhang Yang was suing his company that the public realized it was because Zhang Yang's company was so incompetent.
Jin Ziran, who had been criticized for a while, actually gained a lot of fans because of it, and secured first place in the show, widening the gap between herself and the other contestants who were originally neck and neck.
Zhang Yang's lawsuit seems to be based on contract-related issues.
Meng Fanxi looked at the contract in his hand, his thoughts churning.
It now appears that Zhang Yang and Jin Ziran are clearly in the same company, but when they participated in the show, Jin Ziran claimed to be an independent trainee and acted as if she didn't know Zhang Yang at all.
Jin Ziran may have an unusual relationship with Kaidi Entertainment, so much so that Zhang Yang's withdrawal from the competition was very likely related to Jin Ziran.
Therefore, there must be a problem with the contract that Zhang Yang signed with Kaidi Entertainment.
This problem is a ticking time bomb and must be dealt with as soon as possible.
Just then, Meng Fanxi received a call from Ren Yuchen: "Fanxi, how much do you know about Jin Ziran?"
Meng Fanxi's eyes narrowed: "What's wrong?"
Ren Yuchen's tone was hard to describe at this moment: "I received his...invitation."
Meng Fanxi's head was practically overflowing with questions, "Invite for what?"
"Go to the Flute Company."
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