Chapter 44 Chapter 44 Seniors & Juniors丨Forum
Quan Xingai's mind was filled with a mess of thoughts. She had lost all interest in chatting and joking with her teammates, and she didn't want to go back to the production room on the top floor. Now she was completely sure who the top-notch production room next door was for. Just when she thought she could gradually distance herself from her complicated relationship with her "old lover", the turning point came so suddenly.
She put on sunglasses and a mask and drove directly back to her home in the city center. Her mind was a little confused. She realized that what this guy said to her in Japan seemed to be serious. He really wanted to get to know her again as a friend. He showed up without any burden, but what should she do?
Quan Xingai was walking back and forth in her little house. When her cell phone rang unexpectedly, she was almost scared and threw it away. But when she saw who was calling, she really wanted to throw the phone away.
"Mo, boss."
"Tsk, you knew I was the boss, why did you change the password? Open the door." A lazy baby voice came from the other end of the phone, with a hint of gloating.
Quan Xingai showed an expression that made her want to punch someone, and just when she was about to speak...
"If you don't open the door, I will tell Eun Joo-nu that Xing'ai and I have actually..." Before Quan Zhilong finished his words, the door opened and Quan Xing'ai pulled the "new boss" in.
"Boss, what are you doing? Are you caring about the artists?" Quan Xingai said unhappily.
"Yes, you are the only profitable group in the company now, and you are the captain. Who else should the boss ask if not you? How are the songs for the new album?" Kwon Ji-yong sat on the sofa drinking milk, as familiar as if he was at home.
Quan Xingai frowned and looked at Quan Zhilong in surprise. Is he really here to ask about the new album?
"I've written several songs in the past few months, but not many of them are satisfactory. I plan to have a meeting tomorrow to discuss the concept and style of the album. Do you think I should stick to my own style or follow the current trends?" Since the other party wanted to talk about music, Quan Xingai simply talked about music with him.
"If you ask me, I always choose my own style. Trends are constantly changing, and chasing trends will only make you lose yourself. But being in a group and being a solo are different. When making a group album, you have to consider the market trends. How to grasp that balance can only be found through continuous creation." In fact, Kwon Ji-yong just mentioned music casually. After the meeting, he walked around the new company and didn't find Quan Xingai. He guessed that this guy had run away, so he drove directly to her house. He talked about music because he was afraid that she would be embarrassed. However, after seeing her somewhat unconfident look, he couldn't help but soften his heart.
Quan Xingai was impressed by Kwon Ji-yong's growth over the past decade. He has grown from a little kid when they first met in 2005 through all the hardships to become a giant in the industry today. He is very serious and professional in his approach to music. She felt a little ashamed that she had been standing still for a long time, so after starting a new life, she began to be hesitant and insecure about her new career.
"The songs we wrote together in Japan were probably only suitable for my solo repertoire. When it came to the title track and concept song, I was a little hesitant about whether to go with the healing style the company said was in line with the current situation, or stick with the direction I had envisioned with my comeback song, 'Evil Girl Virus.' They were completely different and went in completely opposite directions."
"The team is the market. You must first gain entry to the market before you can make the music you love." Kwon Ji-yong offered no chicken soup for the soul, only the naked reality of the market. "Your foundation is too weak. Only one comeback song became a hit. To improve your reputation, Star Love You needs to work harder. You need to become the true core of RD."
"Boss, as soon as you change companies, you go into exploitation mode?" Quan Xingai said with a frown.
"I could actually choose other companies. Do you know why I agreed to come to Neon with Sister Eun Joo?" Kwon Ji-yong supported his chin and looked at Xing Ai.
Quan Xingai, who was sitting on the floor, looked up at Quan Zhilong who was sitting on the sofa. He had a gentle smile on his face, and the eyes behind the glasses looked at her without blinking.
"Why?"
"Because it's fun to make music with you, it always reminds me of the old times. Also, because that scandal hurt you so much, I want to make amends. And also because of what we say in Japan - start as friends."
“…Oh.” Quan Xingai looked a little flustered when she saw the other person’s serious expression, and lowered her head to play with her phone.
"Although GD doesn't plan to return, JY will create new music with you." Kwon Ji-yong didn't want to make music, he was just under too much pressure. The future of the group, the pressure of public opinion, the exhaustion of his soul...
He couldn't remain indifferent to his old company, so he had no plans to return to music and bring back Gdragon as soon as he left Waiji. But at the same time, he still loved music, and the days and nights he spent creating with Xingai in Japan made him realize that he could actually participate in a new capacity.
Putting aside GD's halo or public opinion, will my music still be liked by the market under the identity of Ji Yong?
To be honest, he was a little impatient to verify it.
"You...Oppa, you really aren't coming back? Do you know how happy your fans are recently? You don't have any plans to come back after signing with a new company?" Hearing the meaning of the other party's words, Quan Xingai only felt that there was a sense of complete fatigue in the other party's voice, and he didn't even bother to mention his identity as GD.
Quan Zhilong leaned over, looking down at Quan Xingai, then reached out and pinched her face, "What? You want GD? He's gone to rest. Now it's just Zhilong. He's just writing songs and producing, and he doesn't plan to appear in front of people."
"Oh, you talk as if I really want to meet GD, no, not only GD, but also Zhilong I..." Her face was pulled away, and she had to shut up strategically.
"What?" Quan Zhilong stared at Quan Xingai, who now looked a little cowardly, with a smile but quite imposing. Tsk tsk, they found out that they were in the same company. The arrogant look before was gone. From a bad cat with bared fangs and claws who liked to mess around everywhere, it turned into a cute cat who put away its claws and meowed obediently.
"I also respect him in my heart..." Quan Xingai muttered softly, in return for the other party's smug laughter.
"Don't be so proud. Even if you're the new boss, do you think I'm afraid of you? I'm just... a little annoyed..." She waved away Quan Zhilong's hand, stood up and ran to the terrace to look at the cherry blossoms in full bloom in the distance.
She had a feeling her future wouldn't be easy. She and Quan Zhilong had entered a complex relationship she couldn't escape. Be friends? Tsk, could she really do that? Could he? They'd loved each other, slept together, been strangers, and now, even with the mask of a new life, it reminded him endlessly of Sarah... Ahhhh, Quan Xing loves you, why did you lose control and sleep with her on New Year's Day!
Her mouth was dry and she felt a little annoyed. She had quit smoking for three months and now she couldn't help but want to have a cigarette again.
"Let's go, are you still hiding from me at home? You can't avoid me, so you might as well face the reality sooner." Quan Xingai was still struggling internally, while Quan Zhilong on the side was in a very good mood. He couldn't figure out his feelings for Quan Xingai. He didn't want to be in love nor did he want to be alienated, so he might as well just stay like this. At least they were compatible in music, and it was rare for him to meet such a spiritual junior who made him want to make music.
"What are you going to do?" Quan Xingai was puzzled.
"Go back to the company and write some songs. Aren't you going to talk to me about the song selections for your new album? Why not just tell me what you think?" Quan Zhilong skillfully opened the wardrobe and picked out a coat for Quan Xingai, while muttering dissatisfaction, "Are your clothes from a brand? Or did you buy them yourself? They have no personal characteristics at all. Although Xingai looks sweet, you don't have a sweet personality at all. It would be better to create a contrast."
"Yes, the new song... Do you really want to listen to it? You want to discuss the new album with me? Hiss - I always feel like I'm cheating, and why am I not sweet anymore? Am I not a standard energetic girl idol?" Quan Xingai crossed her arms and watched Quan Zhilong start playing the doll dress-up game on her again.
"You know you cheated, right? Other energetic idol girls don't have such a great mentor. I advise you to cherish my sincere teachings..."
"Zhilong, you really shine with a little sunshine. And you're also a mentor...it's not certain who will be whom's mentor." Quan Xingai only dared to mutter the second half of the sentence in a low voice.
"Do you really... like calling me by my name so much? How hard is it to call me Oppa? You're obviously 10 years younger than me, so how come your soul is already 36?" He was stunned after saying this. 36... is the age Sarah should be by now. He naturally added to the list of all the stars...
He touched his nose and felt a little guilty. Although he liked Quan Xingai, he still couldn't help but put himself in Sarah's emotions. Quan Xingai was also worried because of her guilty conscience and didn't notice Quan Zhilong's guilt.
"Okay... I'm just going back to the company to write songs. Why are you being so picky? It's so troublesome. Hurry up and get out so I can change my clothes."
"Oh, then you can change. The styles of those Japanese trendy brands suit you very well. Xingai, if you want your fans to remember you, you should create your own unique style." Quan Zhilong hung the clothes he had chosen aside and said something seriously to Quan Xingai when he closed the door of the room.
Only when she was the only one left in the room did Quan Xingai breathe a sigh of relief. How could she not know that she should have her own style?
In her previous life, she had been a superstar for half her life, always adhering to the persona set by the company. In her previous life, Sarah, influenced by her mother, a classical musician, and wanting to capitalize on the influence of her uncle, John Lennon, had always been guided by the company's preppy British rock style, which earned her mainstream support and Grammy favor.
But in fact, although she has been learning classical music since she was a child, she does not prefer classical music. She has followed academic rock for half her life, but she loves rebellious punk, reggae, hippies, and hip-hop more. She does not like the formal Ivy League style. Her childhood was in Japan in the late 1980s. She likes the maximalist style that combines classical and avant-garde.
Then she looked at the Empress Dowager Cixi's heart-shaped jacket on the hanger that Quan Zhilong had picked for her, paired with a decadent flannel skirt with a skull pattern. This outfit just happened to tickle the little flame in her heart. She had never talked to him about her liking for this decadent, disordered, and wasteland style of outfit, but the two of them were connected by radio waves.
Everything has changed, but it seems that she and Quan Zhilong still have a part of their souls left in the distant past.
"Oh my, it really looks good. Xingai is very suitable for this style." When they came out, Quan Zhilong pulled Xingai up and down, left and right to look around.
Quan Xingai pouted and didn't say that she actually liked it too, "That's because I'm good-looking and have a good figure."
"Nice figure?" Quan Zhilong raised an eyebrow and looked at her with a hint of color. Before the girl could reach out her hand, he quickly apologized with a smile, "Okay, okay, of course Xing'ai has a good figure. She's flat in the front and the back. Zhu He clearly said you're in the gym every day. That's weird... Hahaha, sorry, sorry."
"Did you see my fist as big as a sandbag? Oh, I'm a flat plate, right? Then Oppa, wow, Pepper is also very cute——"
"Ha, a little hot pepper can make you faint, how big do you want it to be?" Quan Zhilong would not get angry because of such a childish attack, and even smiled meaningfully at the girl.
"I'll tell you after I've experienced a few more strong men." Quan Xingai also looked at the other party and smiled unyieldingly.
"A stubborn little girl." Quan Zhilong grinned indifferently. He didn't believe it. He simply pulled Quan Xingai downstairs, got into his Mercedes-Benz and returned to the company's production studio. However, this time it was Quan Zhilong's best and most luxurious super high-end production studio that he had just moved in in the afternoon.
The top floor production studio is typically off-limits to artists and other staff. The two of them ascend directly from the underground parking lot, making it nearly impossible for anyone from the company to encounter them unless they actively participate. Before joining the company, Jeon Byeong-ae and Kwon Ji-yong made three rules: no personal relationships at work, no sharing of their relationship with others, and no flirting or romantic relationships at the office.
"I thought Xing'ai was really the person you said she was, who just wanted to lie down and retire all day long. Now it seems that your mind is full of the professional ethics of an idol. Haha, you made it seem like we were having an affair, but it's not that exaggerated. We agreed to be friends now." Kwon Ji-yong actually thought the same thing as Quan Xing'ai, but he felt unhappy when he heard the other party say it in such a rule-making tone.
"No, here are my three rules. We are just seniors and juniors in the company. We shouldn't even be friends. We should remain strangers. Don't approach me as if you know me very well." Quan Xingai took the opportunity to draw a clear line between us.
"Tsk tsk, are you doing this on purpose? We've had rumors, and I've often liked your posts. We're in the same company, but we've suddenly become strangers? Who would believe that? Over-covering is as bad as overdoing it, kid." He spoke with the mentality of a person who has experienced it.
"I don't care... Anyway, let's keep our distance in the company..." Quan Xingai tilted her head proudly.
"It depends on your performance. If everything goes well today, I will consider agreeing to your request." Quan Zhilong crossed his arms and looked like a senior with an unapproachable look.
Quan Xingai made a face and pulled out her own music.
"I've thought about it. I'll keep my solo tracks in a country-style ballad style. As for the album's conceptual title song, I'll go with a more market-oriented approach, like 'VIXEN VIRUS'. Oh, have you heard my song? I think a girl group should still be driven by dance music and stage tension..."
Quan Xingai talked incessantly about her creative experience during this period. Mike was a good guy, but she did feel that she was more compatible with Zhilong.
When talking about music, Quan Zhilong also became serious and started to talk to the other party about his views and opinions. The two of them were not simply discussing music between seniors and juniors, but more like fellow musicians debating their own preferences and market intuitions.
The lights in the production room stayed on until late at night.
*forum*
- Holy shit, what's going on? Isn't Lao Long a personal studio? How did it become a neon studio?
-I laughed to death. Sister Longdan laughed too early. I thought her brother had escaped from the sea of suffering. It turned out that he was just in love. Could he be a neon chasing his wife?
-Open your eyes and see clearly, okay? '40 billion to sign Quan Zhilong, 20 billion signing fee and 20 billion equity' My Long is going there to be a partner and a boss, and he has the final say in his personal studio. There is no such thing as doing it for anyone else.
- "Moon Eun-joo said in an interview that she extended an olive branch to G-Dragon three years ago." On second thought, couldn't Waiji have been trying to poach RD three years ago, and then ruined RD? President Moon, after years of hard work, waited for this opportunity to get back what he'd lost! Finally, he succeeded in poaching a superstar... And as for G-Dragon, he must have been extremely dissatisfied with Waiji and Yang Xianshuo, so he was disheartened and wanted to leave. It just so happened that Moon Eun-joo was the most sincere, and Lao Long felt sorry for what happened three years ago, so after some talk, he agreed to join.
-Fuck, what the above person said makes a lot of sense. This explains why Lao Long always likes Knife 2. Even after the scandal of Distributed Media at the beginning of the year, he liked Knife 2 to take the blame. It seems that this was discussed with the new company.
-Moon Eun-joo must have done a lot of things and helped a lot behind the scenes. During the period when the contract was terminated, Waiji issued several press releases saying that it would be difficult for Lao Long to terminate the contract, and that his stage name might not be used, etc. However, a few weeks later, Neon’s press release directly stated that they spent 40 billion to sign a contract with GDRAGON.
-From this perspective, neon is also good.
-It's pretty good. The Dao Tuan was originally a Hu Bi Tuan and it has been able to survive for so many years because of the support of the company and has always maintained its position in the second or third tier.
-Chaebol sister, please, please arrange resources for me at Columbia University!
-It's so funny, and you have so many resources. I hope you, Long, don't join a new company and continue to support your juniors, bleeding for Dao 2 to absorb.
-Please stop talking about my star, okay? Strength isn't gained by sucking blood. The popularity of the "Evil Girl Virus" has nothing to do with you, Long. It was entirely saved by my star's adaptation and stage performance. Moms of boys, don't get involved...
-Xingmao Longdan please make peace, they are from the same company, while their fans are fighting, the real ones might be kissing.
-Young Master Yue is secretly spreading rumors... Changing companies is a normal behavior and has nothing to do with personal feelings.
-Although there were rumors of an affair before, I seemed relieved when I saw that it was related to the new company. It is more reassuring to like posts from people in the same company than to like posts from people who have nothing to do with each other. Besides, he only liked posts at the beginning of the year, when the Blade Team had just returned and was at its peak. It was obvious that he did it for Moon Eun-joo's sake, because she is the "daughter" of Neo, a member of the royal family.
-Lao Long has a new company and a new atmosphere. So when will he come back to show his strength?
-It’s a new company, so will those fashion resources also be transferred to the new company? As we all know, Waiji’s fashion resources are all from Lao Long’s connections.
-Please don't let the new company suck your blood... I heard there will be a new boy group at the end of the month...
-It definitely has nothing to do with you. Their new boy band has been warming up for a long time, and they never mentioned that you were trying to piggyback on their popularity. You are too self-conscious.
…
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