Chapter 43

This group of people were already very curious. Among the seven people, only Li Chu curled his lips. From his expression, it seemed that he knew the inside story. They poked here and there, indicating that he should share the gossip immediately.

Li Chu was so annoyed that he whispered a few words. He thought this was a simple matter, just a business marriage, with no emotional basis, and they might get divorced in a few years.

But the others looked thoughtful after hearing this.

Then Su Ning hung up the phone.

The person on the other side didn't seem to want to hang up, but he didn't care. He looked at the time and prepared to get off the car and leave.

Shen Mingzheng brought him here today and will come here to pick him up in the evening. He will be here soon.

The rest of the brokerage team and the group's photography crew had already left, leaving only Su Ning and the seven of them. Su Ning motioned for them to go in and rest early, but Zhou Heng stood at the door.

"Boss Su, can you wait a little longer before leaving?" he said, "I want to talk to you."

As soon as he said this, the others who were about to go in stopped and looked at each other. Zhou Heng was not the only one who had problems in his mind.

Su Ning took a step forward and said, "Go ahead and ask."

As the general agent, he does have the obligation to answer questions from artists.

"I just heard that phone call," Zhou Heng said hesitantly, "Boss Su, what should we do if someone comes to steal our company again?"

Su Ning smiled: "Don't be afraid, I have money to hire a bodyguard."

Don't underestimate the people he hired. They are not on the same level as Jianfeng and others. They were hired by Su Hongda.

Find these people, that's the coal bosses' home turf.

The early coal mining industry was very chaotic. Not to mention robberies, there were even armed fights. How could the people he could find to look after the situation be comparable to those of an ordinary bodyguard company?

Su Hongda is not incompetent. On the contrary, if he is placed in the right position, he will become generous and very useful, and can do things that even Su Ning cannot do. It just takes someone to tap his abilities.

After hearing this, Zhou Heng breathed a sigh of relief.

He had just heard Li Chu talk about the marriage between President Su and the Shen family, and he sensitively felt that this was more or less related to the power struggle among the big families. They were just some small idols, and even Ji Mowei, the richest man in the family, did not have a background in the entertainment industry.

A wise bird chooses the right tree to roost in. If he had to choose a side, between Jianfeng and Su Ning, he would choose Su Ning.

Just looking at the first step of business resource planning, the gap between the two becomes apparent.

He wanted to show his loyalty at the moment, but even if the young man tried his best to conceal it, Su Ning still understood what he meant.

Apart from Zhou Heng, he thought that other people in the team seemed to have the same idea and wanted to take sides.

Well, except Li Chu.

Li Chu had already become as firm as he could be, and there was no room for him to show loyalty.

But to Zhou Heng's surprise, Su Ning shook his head.

"Zhou Heng, you misunderstood me," he said, "this is not my plan for everyone."

The young idols standing on the stage in front of him, who were able to stand out from such a hit show as Idol 4, have already been tested by the market and are mature trainees.

However, going from a trainee competition to a real artist is like graduating from school and entering the society. It is a completely different path, and it is normal to choose to rely entirely on a stronger force.

But idols can never do that.

Liang Xiaoliang chose sides out of consideration for Qilin's business, but people and companies are different, and idols are not commodities.

"You are living people. I am not here to restrict your freedom or completely control your thoughts. I am here only to protect your safety and, to a certain extent, to give you professional advice and help."

"For example, today, if you didn't want to leave with me, I wouldn't be able to get in and force you out and put you in the car. You came here from the peak, and you have changed your master."

It is a terrible thing for idols to have no personality or ideas of their own, as they will become puppets.

Su Ning didn't like this.

"I am now preparing accommodation for you and negotiating resources. This is what I should do as your general agent for the past year and a half. You don't need to thank me in particular, and you don't need to think I'm so great. This is my job responsibility."

"The main reason I do all this is because of the company's money."

Su Ning spoke the truth and then explained patiently.

"The more you earn, the more I earn. Naturally, no one wants you to develop well more than me. As for the rumors that I am biased in resources because of Li Chu, or that I hate you because of my absence, I won't do that because there is no need."

"I can assure you that during the group's operation, I will do my best to provide you with the best resources, better than what Sharp Peak and Yaoguang can provide. In this year and a half, I hope that you and the vast number of fans will not be disappointed."

"But as an agent, I cannot decide your idol career, I can only influence it. Similarly, fans or a company cannot do that either."

"You are the only ones who decide your own destiny. You need to think clearly about your own choices. When making decisions, you must first be true to yourself."

After he finished speaking, Zhou Heng and the others fell silent.

The scene was quiet for a long time, during which everyone had their own thoughts.

It hasn't been long since their competition ended, and their numbers are still looking good, especially after shooting the magazine today. They know in their hearts that it is because of their popularity that they were able to get such a great cover of V magazine, but they are also afraid that they can't maintain this good period.

People can't just look at the present, they also have to think about the future. Show fans are not loyal, this is something the entire industry knows.

Generally speaking, after the variety show ends, 90% of the fans attracted by the show will run away.

The better situation for them is that the popularity of Idol 4 is not just a variety show effect. Having a popular stage is equivalent to having a work. But how can it be so easy to remain popular forever?

They are now considered popular stars, but they are still inevitably pushed around. Because of their desire for a better future, they subconsciously want to find a more reliable person to rely on, but this reliable person says that you are free and must first learn to be responsible for yourself.

"What are you afraid of? Why do you have so much to think about?" Li Chu stood there and smoothed his hair. He didn't seem to be panicked at all. "I think I will always be popular."

He raised his chin slightly, showing no sign of anxiety.

Li Chu, who had been beaten by society, already knew very firmly what he wanted. Behind his unconditional belief in Su Ning was his now very stable spiritual core.

But when Lin Zhi heard this, he couldn't help but clasped his hands and said in confusion: "But apart from performing on stage, I don't know much about other things."

He originally thought that after debuting in this industry, he would just be able to perform on bigger and more stages, but an unexpected incident right after his debut scared him.

"It's okay," Su Ning said, "If you need anything, I will teach you a little bit."

It is normal to have temporary deficiencies or not understand things. They still have plenty of time and opportunities to learn through trial and error. However, a shining idol who stands in the spotlight and drives thousands of fans crazy is definitely not an empty shell who listens to others in everything.

Most importantly, think all the time.

This Su Ning cannot replace them.

He stood there saying these words, with the street lights shining on him, as if there really was some warm holy light.

At this moment, when Shen Mingzheng arrived, he had almost heard everything.

Su Ning also saw him, so there was no need to avoid him and he waved for him to come over.

Shen Mingzheng knew that Su Ning was not talking to him, but he took it to heart and felt like he was hit by something.

In his previous life, countless people hoped that he would be a puppet of a company or someone, and that he just had to be obedient. It seemed that as long as he lost himself, failure in this circle would not be so painful. He would rather die than surrender, but in the end he did not get an answer.

But now there are people sitting here who speak frankly that it is natural and right to have their own ideas, and it should be encouraged.

He suddenly felt relieved.

It seems like many of the heavy things that have been weighing on my heart for a long time have disappeared.

Shen Mingzheng suddenly realized now that he had been living a very quiet life recently, spending a lot of time on composing music. Although the songs he wrote in his previous life were popular, he still felt that they were not good enough when he listened to them now, so he wanted to make some changes.

In fact, he has always wanted to do just these things, but he has never been in such a simple environment.

Because Su Ning is here, at least for this period of time, he really doesn't have to think so much.

Afterwards, Shen Mingzheng stepped forward and added a few words to the people who were still standing there in confusion: "Go in first. If you have any questions about the arrangements, I have something to say to you on behalf of Shen's Pictures."

Seven people followed him in and sat down on the sofa, only then did they know what Shen Mingzheng wanted to tell them - the production progress of the first album.

Mr. Shen played a demo for them, which of course could not be played outside, so they could only listen to it here first.

As soon as the music came out, everyone could tell from the opening that it was a very nice and catchy song. Even though it hadn't been completed yet, it immediately perked people up and everyone's eyes became more determined.

Su Ning listened and soon realized that there was Shen Mingzheng's style in it. Mature musicians always have their own special style, and experienced producers can also hear it.

There was no need to say more. When Su Ning looked up at Shen Mingzheng, both of them knew what the other meant.

Li Chu sat on the side, watching them look at each other with a knowing smile, moving his mouth but not saying anything.

He could see the tacit understanding between Su Ning and Shen Mingzheng, as if they knew what the other was thinking without saying anything.

No wonder the young master said that they are the same kind of people.

Tsk.

After chatting with the seven people about some matters related to brokerage planning, before leaving, Su Ning specially called Li Chu and said, "If you have any questions, feel free to contact me. I am also afraid that they may not understand. Also, I want to tell you one thing alone."

"After Jiang Chenfeng moved in, his studio also closed down. Chunqing cleaned up the mess and said she didn't want to be an artist anymore. She wanted to be like me and work behind the scenes," Su Ning said. "She's pretty good at makeup, so I plan to sign a formal contract with her and ask her to try to be your group's makeup artist. If she does well, I'll give her a promotion and a raise."

"I feel more at ease if she stays with you."

Naturally, there is more than one makeup artist in a seven-member group. Zhou Chunqing is starting over, and Li Chu also knows this.

Now that Li Chu is paying off the family debt, Zhou Chunqing doesn't have to worry about it anymore. Li Chu is also willing to continue supporting her, but in addition to money, everyone will constantly seek their own value. Besides, being an artist is not the only way out in this industry. She also doesn't want to be idle all the time and be a parasite who only depends on her younger brother.

Li Chu whispered, "Thank you."

If it weren't for Su Ning, he and his sister would never be where they are today.

"Why are you thanking me?" Su Ning said with a smile, "Let's go, go to bed and don't stay up late. I'll bring you something delicious next time I come over. If you want anything else, just tell me."

"Then you have to promise to come visit me often," Li Chu felt that the young master was still a little biased, so he couldn't help but curl up his lips, "Also, I will definitely take good care of these people, don't worry."

"People are older than you." Su Ning reminded him, and could only touch his head with a smile, "You, just take care of yourself."

He had arranged everything and seemed to be able to handle it with ease. On the way back, Su Ning showed some concern in front of Shen Mingzheng and asked him, "Should I ask more people to look after them? After all, they are not very old."

It is inevitable that newcomers will encounter some bumps and stumbles when they first start out.

"No, give them some time. They are all adults, not fools. It won't be too late to explain in detail when something happens in the future," Shen Mingzheng looked at him, "and I thought you said those words to make them more careful."

Su Ning: ...

Well, that's pretty much it.

The words may be harsh, but the truth is there.

After the two of them left, the young people who had just debuted thought about it, as if they had taken a step out of ignorance, so they did not leave the sofa for the time being. Especially after Li Chu came back, some people raised their hands to ask questions.

"Xiao Chu."

"What's wrong?"

"Are they really in a business marriage?" Bai Ruoyi asked seriously, "It doesn't look like that to me."

He also watched with disdain as Shen Mingzheng held Su Ning's hand from behind. The look in Mr. Shen's eyes when he looked down at Su Ning was particularly unclear. This was not the appearance of a business marriage that was only in name only.

Li Chu: ...

"sleep!"

Didn't I say that?

Bai Ruoyi had good eyesight and went to bed immediately.

…

Everyone has different ideas in their minds, and the group's schedule is still moving forward. Not long after, V magazine released the behind-the-scenes footage and some set of photos from that day. The industry's satisfaction with this set of photos can be seen from the attitude of the Simu brand.

——Because on the day when the pictures and footage were released, Simu officially announced the endorsement of Glory for its new perfume series.

No matter how much the fans quarreled before, now is the time to be extremely excited and proud.

I thought it was just the cover, but I didn’t expect it to be a high-end luxury endorsement!

Double surprise!

"After debuting, they are endorsing luxury brands! I want to ask which newly debuted group has such a face, and it has to be my group!"

"Wuwuwu, little one, please make me proud."

“I have to say, this set of photos is really beautiful. V Za’s aesthetics is really top notch in the industry.”

This set of pictures is indeed very beautiful, and it also coincides with the promotional copy of this perfume series by a major beauty blogger who cooperated with Simu Chang, which triggered an unexpected publicity effect.

"The collection of Simu this time is different from the floral and fruity scents we often smell."

"Its cold and unique feeling is very special. I don't want to describe it simply as "cold and aloof". Wearing a coat in such autumn and winter, walking through the city streets, and then smelling the faint scent of perfume from the collar, one can't help but imagine oneself as a killer on a mission. I walk on the dark side of this city, and the camera seems to be transformed into an old black-and-white movie when it captures me."

I am so different from everyone else that they can’t find me. They just smell a little bit of me when they leave the scene. That’s the style of this perfume. It’s so cool.”

Also, the blogger's copy should be more concise and down-to-earth.

"Different from the usual sweet girl scents, I wear this series of perfume to work and it feels very suitable for my current mental state."

"If there's a jerk in the workplace who makes me unhappy, I'm going to snap his neck."

It seems that it is not enough to feel the specialness of this fragrance just by words, but with the pictures taken by fashion magazines, a clear visual sense can be obtained immediately.

If this was not enough to make the news go viral, then the group variety show released by Su Ning pushed the matter even further.

Some passers-by knew in their hearts that this was probably a frequent battle for membership in limited groups. It was often a mess before, and some young idols were delayed. But before, passers-by could only sigh a few times and could not do anything.

Now, it's very refreshing to see these seven people fighting wits and courage to get back together.

There are some clips in the middle that are indeed shot with a variety show feel, for example, Qu Shoubai wears a height-enhancing dress to disguise himself as a 1.9-meter-tall model in the filming location next to him, and "connects" with Zhou Heng in the bathroom. Both of them are in a hurry, nervous and exciting.

For example, Li Chu and Ji Mowei felt that the window was too small and were afraid that Lin Zhi could not get out, so they were thinking of other ways. The next second, Lin Zhi came out like a fish.

The two people looked at him with their mouths wide open, like two not very smart little fools;

When Wang Ruoyi and Ruisong were running, they hid in the corridor and thought they were almost discovered. But when they went out, they found that it was just a mannequin wearing clothes, which was a false alarm... Wait.

"Hey guys, is this the business war in your entertainment industry?"

"Hahahaha, you can still play like this!"

"Fuck, when Lin Zhi came out, I thought he had cartilage skills, so powerful."

"It was Qu Shoubai's idea to leave the maple leaf at the scene! He ran away but still insisted on asking the man in black to put the leaf there before he stopped. I don't understand, brother, how can you be so immature with your thick eyebrows and big eyes?"

"Oh, why should I say that?"

It seems that variety show fans, who are usually short-lived, are still enthusiastic about this group variety show.

Not long after, in a live broadcast facing fans, the members of Gua Tuan formally responded to this matter.

"In the next year and a half, the seven of us will still focus on the group's arrangements. This is not only a contractual requirement, but also our own ideas," Zhou Heng said. "This will not let us extinguish our own light. We are first and foremost a whole. We will work together and will not let anyone down."

The tone is humble and firm, which reminds me of the emotion and reluctance I felt when I watched the fourth picture.

Moreover, when the seven of them get together and play around now, it seems that their relationship is much better than when they debuted.

The real protagonist was like this, and the combination effect was very good, so the fans lost their memories on the spot and quickly turned their guns against the outside world.

"Fight? We didn't fight."

"Yeah, don't you see that the relationship between the main characters is pretty good? Before, we were being manipulated by people with ulterior motives. Now we have the V magazine cover and Si Mu, two major resources, and the future is bright. We fans are busy being happy, so where do we have time to quarrel?"

"Anyone who tries to stir up trouble now will be labeled a black player! They just want to see our group do well!"

Although there are bound to be unhappiness among their respective fans, at least on the surface, they seem to be quite harmonious.

After this incident, no matter what Sharp wanted to do, it was impossible, because the account of the so-called "big fan" who started the trouble had already been reported by the small fans who reacted.

Naturally, the promotional advertisement ordered for the three people at that time was not filmed. Jianfeng wanted to send someone to use the same trick to snatch them back, but how could the bodyguards called by Su Hongda let him succeed?

They were all blocked back.

Su Hongda was simple and straightforward and was very proud of himself.