City A, the economic and cultural center of Flower Country, boasts the nation's most developed and comprehensive financial system and entertainment and cultural industries. Many of the nation's leading entertainment and cultural companies, as well as traditional and emerging media headquarters, have chosen City A as their base. The city center is filled with high-end office buildings and super-high-rise structures, brimming with commercial flair.
There's a stylishly decorated cafe in front of a historic public middle school in Changning District, a city in A. Inside, a young cashier was browsing her phone when she was pleasantly surprised to discover that her favorite artist had released a new song. But since she was still working, she had to put her phone down with regret and wait until she got home from the party to enjoy the new music.
In the evening, after rush hour, old streets like Changning Street seem even more relaxed as waves of people stream in and out of the subway and buses. At this time, there aren't many customers in the store, and this is when the cashiers are least busy.
There was only one table of customers still talking in the store. The cashier quietly shifted his gaze and observed this table of customers.
Facing the cashier were a man, a woman, a little boy, and a young woman sitting opposite them.
The man and woman looked well-dressed and good-looking. The little boy, who looked to be about the age of a middle school student, was fair-skinned and, though his features hadn't fully developed, he was clearly a handsome young man. He bore a striking resemblance to the man and woman, and they looked like a family of three.
During the conversation, the boy kept staring at the woman sitting opposite him. Both his parents had serious expressions, with a hint of uneasiness and anxiety.
The cashier was a little confused about this group of people. They looked so serious, what were they talking about?
The young woman, with her back to the cashier, looked very graceful from behind, her back and shoulders straight, and she looked very graceful. The cashier glanced at her as she walked in. She looked to be in her twenties, with long hair tied in a high ponytail, tall, fair skin, and pretty features.
When the cashier went over to ask what she wanted to order, he looked at her and talked to her for a few seconds. He felt that she was very polite and her voice was particularly pleasant.
The young woman is not only pleasing to the eye, but also dresses smartly and fashionably.
The cashier was particularly impressed by the woman's eyes and the way she spoke. She possessed a certain confidence and composure rarely seen in ordinary people, and she exuded an indescribable aura and charm that drew his attention.
It’s a pity that the camper couldn’t hear their conversation, otherwise she would be even more surprised!
"A 10-year contract is too long. Most people won't be able to accept it." The boy's mother Shu Manyun tested the conditions with the young woman sitting opposite her.
Su Yin smiled and explained to her, "In 10 years, Xiaozhen will only be 23, which is the best age for an artist. When the contract expires, there will be plenty of room for renewal or other options."
Despite a gentle smile, his tone remained firm, leaving no room for negotiation. "All companies sign trainees for very long periods of time. The initial development and training of artists requires a significant investment of time and money. You won't find such short-term contracts in the industry."
"Mom, I can hold on." Wang Jiazhen was a little anxious, worried that his mother would refuse this opportunity, and couldn't help but whisper. But Shu Manyun ignored him and glanced at her husband beside her with a troubled look.
His father, Wang Wenshan, then confirmed, "Can he really go to school and train at the same time?"
When Wang Wenshan and Shu Manyun heard their son come home and say a talent scout had found him and said they could train him to be a star, their first reaction was: "What nonsense is this kid talking about?" Then they suspected their son had been scammed.
When they received various documents and information from the other company in their mailboxes, they realized belatedly that this might not be a scam.
The couple had been asking around, but they found out that idol trainees at entertainment companies rarely get to attend school and train at the same time. Therefore, whether they could balance their studies became their primary concern and bottom line as parents.
Su Yin's answer was neither vague nor evasive. She answered with certainty, "School as usual. Training takes place every day after school and on holidays. Unless there are special circumstances, the company will try not to arrange activities that conflict with class time."
Su Yin took a sip of the shop's not-so-authentic coffee and said with a smile, "We also hope to cultivate artists who are knowledgeable, well-educated, and can go a long way."
Throughout the conversation, Su Yin was enthusiastic but also very composed. She knew these boys couldn't make their own decisions, so she had to do her parents' homework and get both parents and the boys to sign the contract.
However, even if she took the initiative to approach them, she had to be polite and not let the other party think that the company was begging them to become trainees and taking the opportunity to ask for an exorbitant price.
Shu Manyun looked at the young woman before her, who seemed to have extensive social experience and an air of elite at first glance. She felt a little uneasy. Their ordinary family was too far removed from the entertainment industry. The hefty breach of contract and non-compete clauses at the back of the contract made her even more worried. Other sons failed to become idol stars, and instead lost all their family money.
Although she knew that many of her questions would make her seem completely ignorant, she still had to expose her shortcomings and ask for clarification: "Why do I have to pay compensation if I withdraw? Millions or tens of millions in liquidated damages before I even become famous. Isn't such a clause really a scam?"
"In the entertainment industry, it's normal to spend millions or even tens of millions to train an inexperienced newcomer to become an artist. Of course, you can't just say that a company has invested real money, time, and resources and then the artist quits. And you can't just train an artist and then have him become an artist for another company. Don't you agree?"
"Don't worry, our purpose is definitely not to ask for liquidated damages. This is just a normal guarantee for the company and an industry practice. No entertainment company will not set liquidated damages." Su Yin patiently explained to the other party one by one that as long as there is no breach of contract, these terms are equivalent to non-existence.
Su Yin could understand the various problems faced by the couple. As parents and people completely outside the entertainment industry, it was normal for them to be vigilant and worried.
Yuexiang Entertainment Company is a newly established, no-name, no-capital, makeshift company that wants to sign artists. It can only look for those who have some special skills, have not received professional training, and whose families have no connections.
When selecting trainees, Su Yin did a lot of preliminary research.
Find students from middle schools in City A, pay them to distribute and collect the company's flyers and application forms for recruiting interns in major middle schools in City A, and use the personal photos and information on the application forms to screen potential applicants in the first step.
Applicants who pass the first round of screening will also need to fill out a more detailed self-introduction, interview her and demonstrate their talents.
Afterwards, Su Yin used various channels to obtain relevant information about the applicants through their classmates, friends, and acquaintances. This included checking online public information such as Judgment Documents Network and Qichacha to find out whether their parents had any credit or legal risks.
After several rounds of inspection, the candidates were determined, and finally they were contacted by phone and visited at home to observe the family conditions and parents of the candidates in all aspects.
After many conversations and efforts, the shortlist of trainees was determined.
The boy's mother, Shu Manyun, was a music teacher at an elementary school in City A, and his father, Wang Wenshan, was a mid-level manager at an insurance company. Both had some college education and were financially comfortable. After several investigations, neither appeared to have any bad habits or obvious flaws.
Young Wang Jiazhen inherited the best qualities of both his parents: good looks and artistic talent. The couple also paid close attention to his development, enrolling him in numerous vocal, dance, and hosting classes, where he excelled. However, they certainly didn't expect someone would actually ask their son to be a trainee...?
Wang Wenshan had initially been reluctant to support his son's traineeship. He remembered many idols as young stars who only had a few years of youth before moving on to other things. He'd rarely seen anyone achieve widespread fame, especially from a small company they'd never heard of.
But his son was determined to participate and gave them all kinds of assurances. His wife was also obviously tempted by the opportunity to become a star.
Faced with two equally interested individuals, Wang Wenshan could only carefully decipher the various messages sent by the other company. After some interaction and consulting with legal professionals, he concluded that the company was not a scam and was indeed seeking his son as an artist. The idol described by Ms. Su also seemed well-planned and sincere; at least the idea of allowing his son to attend school and train simultaneously sounded plausible to him.
Finally, Wang Wenshan wanted to fight for some benefits for his son: "Let's not talk about anything else. Let's talk about the salary division. Everything else is out of the question, but we can always talk about this later."
Many young people new to society would find it difficult to cope with such rhetoric. Su Yin smiled gently, but shook her head firmly. She leaned forward slightly, her tone and demeanor more sincere and earnest than before.
"We really can't adjust this anymore. It's not that I'm not sincere, it's that we showed all our sincerity from the very beginning. The company is indeed in its infancy, but precisely because we don't have much choice, we will do our best to train Xiaozhen. All of Xiaozhen's future training will be free of charge, and she will also receive free food, lodging, and daily care. After her debut, she will have a fixed salary and commission. You can go to any entertainment company and ask about such conditions."
"Please believe that we are truly sincere in creating the best idols."
After hearing what Su Yin said, Wang Wenshan and Shu Manyun knew that they could not reach an agreement again.
This young woman was truly remarkable. Initially, they'd thought she was young, polite, and gentle, suggesting she might be a relatively easy recruit to convince. However, after spending some time with her, they discovered she was a soft-spoken, resilient woman with a strong sense of self-determination and a seasoned demeanor. They, both over a decade her senior, were completely defeated by her, unable to secure any offers. Instead, they grew increasingly convinced that this company was indeed promising, and that their son's traineeship seemed promising.
Su Yin's offers to these amateurs were indeed quite good. If these amateurs had enrolled in similar training programs or joined larger entertainment companies, they would have often been required to pay exorbitant training fees. Some entertainment companies even used training fees as a major profit-making method, leaving the artists deeply regretful.
But Su Yin's conditions were her bottom line. If the other party's parents insisted on negotiating with her, she would have no choice but to give up this alternative. The market is such that entertainment company bosses prioritize signing professional artists over ordinary children.
It takes too long and costs too much to raise an amateur child like this.
Although the entertainment companies in this world don't know yet, the benefits of training such amateur children as training idols are far greater than they imagined.
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