Chapter Two: Month
"Fanxi, your expression was very stiff when Gu Huailang received the award, which has been noticed by many netizens." Xu Jun frowned as he scrolled through some online comments. "Once more and more people see the video of them together, your expression will definitely be used as a target for malicious people to make a big deal out of it."
Meng Fanxi's thoughts were interrupted. He picked up his phone nonchalantly: "How about I post on Weibo to clarify? I don't even remember what I was thinking at the time."
Xu Jun immediately stopped him, saying, "You don't even know them. If you post this, you'll be accused of trying to ride their coattails."
Xu Jun patted his arm again, with a hint of smugness: "I've already asked Brother Li to ask you to go to Month's concert tomorrow. When they're chatting on stage during the intermission, he can mention you and bring up this. Just say that you've been following VIER and were shocked to see them on stage together. That way, people will be more likely to accept it."
Li Ge is currently Month's head manager and was previously responsible for training trainees at Baihe Entertainment. After Month's debut, they achieved remarkable success, leading the company to place even greater emphasis on them and appoint Li Ge as their head manager, responsible for coordinating all matters. Meng Fanxi was also once an outstanding trainee under Li Ge's tutelage and received considerable support from him.
Xu Jun's solution was indeed much more natural than issuing a clarification article directly, but Meng Fanxi felt somewhat frustrated, and that pricking pain surged into her heart again.
Xu Jun manages more than just Meng Fanxi; he also oversees the individual activities of Month member Zhang Ruizheng. Due to the Golden Phoenix Awards, Xu Jun's focus has been primarily on Meng Fanxi. However, whenever a problem arises, he immediately thinks of the still-popular Month.
In the past, to reduce the trouble of running between two places, Xu Jun would often privately negotiate with Brother Li to have Meng Fanxi participate in Month's related events and take advantage of the hype.
Meng Fanxi attended all sorts of events that could cramm people in, including variety shows, music festivals, and commercial performances. As the criticism from Month's fans grew, Meng Fanxi could only close his eyes and accept one role after another to escape the backlash.
Xu Jun's philosophy is that "being famous even if you're not famous is still fame." If you can't handle the criticism, don't watch it. He also adopts a "turn a blind eye" attitude towards Month's fans' dissatisfaction with Meng Fanxi.
Meng Fanxi had his own difficulties. Xu Jun was quite responsible in his job, and even though Meng Fanxi had considered changing managers, considering his position in the company, it was easier said than done. He didn't tell Xu Jun about his past with Month before his debut, worried that Xu Jun would tie him to Month even more tightly.
Meng Fanxi could only repeat to himself: Just bear with it a little longer, just a little longer.
Then, when facing Month, she used all her acting skills to pretend that nothing was wrong.
*
Phoenix Nest Stadium
The concert was nearing its end, and on stage, Month, a group of idols with an average age of over thirty, were finishing their last song and dance performance.
The fans remained enthusiastic, waving their glow sticks, unwilling to face the impending end.
As the last song ended, the stage went dark.
The fans chanted wildly, "Month! Encore! Month! Encore!" without stopping.
As the fans' cheers grew louder and louder, the stage lights came on again, and the seven members returned to the stage to sing a ballad written for their fans, bringing the atmosphere to its peak.
Even after the show ended, some fans remained seated, reluctant to leave.
In the VIP section, Xu Jun checked the news and was very satisfied with the media coverage of the concert. Meng Fanxi successfully completed the interaction during the intermission, and the incident caused by his expression subsided before it caused a major uproar.
Xu Jun nudged Meng Fanxi, who was wearing a hat and seemed to be lost in thought, and said, "Fanxi, shall we go backstage? I haven't seen Month and the others for days. Let's go together?"
Meng Fanxi suppressed his thoughts, smiled, and said, "Brother Xu, you go ahead. I was too engrossed in the concert and want to go home and rest. Please thank them and Brother Li for me. I'll treat you another day."
Xu Jun looked at the handsome and composed young man before him. He was well-behaved and had a gentle personality, but there was a hint of aloofness in his bones. Over the years, he had become increasingly silent, and even Xu Jun, as his manager, couldn't guess what he was thinking.
Xu Jun couldn't understand why Meng Fanxi would refuse a rare opportunity to deepen her relationship with Month, but he didn't try to persuade her to stay. He told Meng Fanxi to be careful on her way home and then went backstage.
Meng Fanxi leaned back in his chair, his eyes, which used to smile like crescent moons, now devoid of any warmth beneath his hat brim.
Looking at the vast stadium still warm from the heat, and the many fans reluctant to leave, he was lost in the past he least wanted to talk about.
Fifteen years ago, on the first anniversary of VIER's debut, Weir Company introduced two new members with considerable backgrounds, causing a great sensation in the entertainment industry at the time.
In a short time, both new and new fans flocked to the company, and the consistently high level of attention made Baihe Company, which had always regarded Weier Company as its rival, feel a great sense of crisis.
However, Baihe Company was not unprepared. Baihe has two teams of trainees under its management, codenamed W1 and W2, which are trained as debut groups.
Meng Fanxi's team, W1, has seven members, which corresponds exactly to the number of VIER members. Their overall strength and appearance are also superior to those of team W2. Therefore, the company's executives prefer that team W1 debut immediately to compete against VIER, while team W2 will train for another year before debuting.
Just as Meng Fanxi and the others were practicing every minute of every day in preparation for their debut, the appearance of one person disrupted that peaceful afternoon.
"Ziran, these two groups are the debut groups that the company is heavily investing in. They will debut soon if nothing unexpected happens. After you graduate from your limited-time group, you can directly join one of these debut groups." The person paused and then introduced, "In other words, after you sign the contract, they may become your teammates. You can get to know each other first."
The person speaking was Wang Xushan, the company's human resources manager. Meng Fanxi had only seen him once at the end of the month during the performance review. In her memory, he always seemed impatient. But now, he was able to squeeze out a few smiles despite his burly face.
The boy next to Wang Xushan, whom he called Ziran, whose full name is Jin Ziran, is the object of envy and jealousy for many trainees.
Jin Ziran has a very good appearance. His superior face softens the slightly alluring look of his willow-leaf eyes, and the smile on his lips gives him a gentle and refined aura.
He was even luckier, being the same age as Meng Fanxi, and participated in the nationwide talent show "Teen Idol" as an individual trainee at the beginning of the year. After the first place winner withdrew from the competition, Jin Zihou came from behind and eventually debuted as the center, becoming a popular idol at the young age of 17.
The major companies didn't see the limited-time group, which had only debuted two years prior, as a threat. Instead, they targeted popular contestants without management companies. Their strategy was to recruit them into their companies first, and then, after the group disbanded, provide them with planning and promotion services, achieving a mutually beneficial outcome.
Meng Fanxi and his group were called to the conference room as they were preparing to begin their afternoon training.
Wang Xushan, Jin Ziran, Brother Li who was in charge of the trainees, a lawyer brought by Jin Ziran, and several company leaders that Meng Fanxi had never met before were seated at the head of the table.
The debut group sat awkwardly to one side, exchanging glances that conveyed their confusion and unease.
When Meng Fanxi and the others heard what Wang Xushan said to Jin Ziran, they roughly understood that Jin Ziran was going to sign with Baihe, and they might become teammates with Jin Ziran.
Jin Ziran, who had been listening to Wang Xushan with a smile, spoke up at this moment: "You mean, I should join after they debut? That might cause the same situation as VIER now, with group fans, solo fans, and haters arguing like crazy. I can't handle that kind of hype." His clear, youthful voice directly rejected Wang Xushan's suggestion.
At this moment, Meng Fanxi began to feel some goodwill towards this person who dared to express different opinions to his future boss.
But then, everything went out of control.
"Why don't you come back in two years and lead a new group of trainees to debut?" This is the path that best suits Wang Xushan's ideas, using Jin Ziran's popularity to drive the development of the new group and create group value.
Jin Ziran would certainly disagree. It was still unknown whether Baihe Company had plans to launch a new boy group in two years. Even if they did, he was unwilling to mentor trainees who were a few years younger than him, as he would be dragged down by the very thing he was trying to do. A solo debut was also unrealistic for someone like him who was good at singing and dancing but not exceptionally so. "How about this, one group will debut now as planned, and the other will debut when I come back. In the meantime, we can build up momentum and popularity."
Wang Xushan and the others understood Jin Ziran's meaning.
Large companies like Baihe and Weier attract a large number of fans with their own brand. Trainees who are publicly identified by the company will also receive attention and may even participate in some programs as trainees to build popularity.
The company's planning often leans towards playing the mystery card, keeping the audience in a state of surprise.
Wang Xushan saw the potential and popularity of Jin Ziran, but Jin Ziran's suggestion still troubled him.
After whispering with the people around him for a while, he decided to give Jin Ziran some incentives and sign this popular idol in one fell swoop. "Okay, let's debut with W1, and then W2 will be a full public debut. You'll be the leader, and you'll debut in two years. How about that?"
The trainees of Team W2 felt bitter. Although they could go public, their debut date was pushed back by another year.
To Wang Xushan's surprise, Jin Ziran still disagreed, saying, "Why not let W2 debut first and take away some of VIER's popularity, while I lead W1 to compete with VIER?" Moreover, Jin Ziran was very confident, "With my limited-time group around for the next two years, VIER won't be able to reach the top."
This move would disrupt Bai He's current plans, and Wang Xushan couldn't decide either. He grabbed his phone and hurried out to discuss it with the higher-ups.
Meng Fanxi and the others were thrown into turmoil. Based on just a few words from this person, their debut time was about to be decided. They were all the same age, yet the young man sitting in the main seat could make the decision, while their fates were left to be decided.
While Wang Xushan was out, Jin Ziran carefully observed the trainees in the W1 group. When Meng Fanxi looked over, he subtly shifted his gaze.
After Wang Xushan returned, he agreed to Jin Ziran's proposal and announced that W1 would debut as an 8-member group that included Jin Ziran.
"Since we're aiming for VIER, it should be seven against seven to generate more buzz." Jin Ziran's casual remark caused the W1 group's expressions to change. Delaying their debut was already hard enough, and now they had to remove one person?
"So what do you mean?" In Wang Xushan's eyes, seven or eight people are not that important. After all, the trainees are still amateurs. Before they actually debut, everything is full of variables.
"I don't think he's a good fit for this group."
Jin Ziran gave a harmless, slightly apologetic smile and pointed at Meng Fanxi.
A note from the author:
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