Chapter 001 Idol Graduation
Several blue-green beams hit the stage, constantly changing positions and angles, dazzling the eyes for a moment.
The young man in a baseball cap said something into the microphone. He was testing the lifting stage and adjusting the lighting effects.
In a few hours, it will be the last concert of the idol group "SLANT". Lin Chiran, who is also a member of SLANT and the stage designer, is busy with rehearsals and final confirmations.
The sword of Damocles hanging over one's head will eventually fall, and the day when one is most unsure of how to face it has finally arrived. Lin Chiran's eyes revealed complex emotions that he himself could not fully understand.
The assistant beside him looked at his expression and couldn't help but think of the awkward atmosphere backstage.
Two hours ago.
There was a label on the half-open door saying "SLANT LOUNGE".
"Hey, isn't this Young Master Lin?" The deliberately raised tone came from SLANT member Chen Zhou, "I thought you were so busy that you didn't have time to come." The tone carried some ambiguous meaning.
Lin Chi Ran, who had just entered the lounge, just looked up and ignored his provocative attitude. He prepared everything as usual and said calmly: "Hurry up and rehearse. We need to confirm the stage effect later."
Chen Zhou was unhappy and deliberately bumped into the cabinet to make a noise while preparing his clothes.
The other two SLANTs have long been accustomed to it. Perhaps it is the friction over resource allocation. Chen Zhou is quite resentful that Lin Chi Ran can always get good resources. From being unknown when he first debuted to having packed streets for every performance, in the past eight years, Chen Zhou has hardly had a good attitude towards Lin Chi Ran unless he was in front of the camera.
Half an hour into the rehearsal, Chen Zhou's cell phone kept ringing. He paused the rehearsal and walked into the depths of the corridor with his cell phone in hand.
Teammate Qi Puxin looked at this scene thoughtfully. Xingchen Entertainment was following closely enough.
Lin Chiran came over to hand over some water, and heard Qi Puxin whisper, "Fang Yao even asked me in private if I wanted to change jobs together. Does he think everyone is like him and Chen Zhou? He has no conscience."
"Fang Yao wants to poach you too?" Lin Chiran was a little surprised.
Qi Puxin and Lin Chiran knew each other before SLANT debuted, and everyone in the group knew that they had a good relationship. Fang Yao, who was SLANT's agent not long ago, naturally knew it.
"This is not the first day I know what kind of person he is." Lin Chiran smiled indifferently, "This is the last game, and their wish will be fulfilled after this game." His tone was indifferent, but his eyes drifted down to the ground and he stopped talking.
Qi Pu wanted to say something, but he couldn't utter a single syllable. Having come to this point, he was filled with helplessness and regret.
Chen Zhou hadn't been seen for a long time and his phone couldn't be reached. Even the good-tempered captain Ning Sheng felt unhappy and called a timeout to go out and look for someone.
Lin Chiran calculated the time and left temporarily to confirm the stage layout.
After a busy period, the choreography and movement rehearsals could finally continue, but an uninvited guest arrived - Fang Yao.
Noticing Lin Chiran coming back, Fang Yao lowered his head and said something to Chen Zhou, picked up his bag and walked towards the door.
"Captain Ning, please reconsider that matter." Fang Yao, who had already grasped the door handle, turned back to look at Ning Sheng deliberately, and glanced at Lin Chiran with an unfriendly look.
"If you stay here, you will just be making things easier for others. It's better to plan for yourself." After saying this, he left without waiting for anyone's reaction.
Hearing this, Lin Chiran looked at Ning Sheng. Ning Sheng shook his head and gave him a helpless look.
"Let's continue rehearsing."
*
Standing on the stage again and looking at the seats prepared for tonight's performance, even Chen Zhou fell silent, which was unusual for him.
The members of SLANT conducted their final rehearsal in silence, suppressing all the thoughts and anxieties in their hearts, and presented the final and most unforgettable performance to tonight's audience.
He knew the choreography by heart, having danced it hundreds and thousands of times since his debut, and it had already become muscle memory. They skillfully changed into various complex formations, sang lyrics that they would never forget in their dreams, ended the performance perfectly, and then left in silence.
The staff setting up the stage also noticed the subtle atmosphere. They had heard about SLANT or internal discord before, but no one read any additional meaning into the silence. They just treated it as an ordinary concert, unaware of how much discussion the news to be announced at the end of the performance would cause.
*
Getting off work on Friday is the happiest moment of the week for office workers, and for Zhou Qing it is a day she has been looking forward to for a long time.
As a fan who has been supporting SLANT since their debut, I have struggled through the long overtime work this month and today I finally have the opportunity to watch SLANT's concert, which is also the last show of this tour.
Special news is often announced at the end of the show, and as the eighth anniversary of their debut approaches, fans are eagerly waiting.
SLANT, who is now a top idol in the industry, maintains a lot of exposure and is active in the entertainment industry. Many media reporters with equipment also came to the venue, ready to shoot and collect materials. Everyone wants to get the first-hand information the fastest.
There were still two hours before the entrance, but there was already a line outside that stretched as far as the eye could see, which was enough to show how popular SLANT was at the moment.
Although they had to wait for a long time, there was no sign of impatience. Many people dressed up carefully and looked high-spirited, with a week's fatigue swept away. They prepared many support items that looked very thoughtful. The team was filled with excitement and anticipation, and everyone had happy smiles on their faces.
After Zhou Qing met up with her friends and bought some peripherals sold on site, the line slowly started to move in. Her position this time was very good, not too high above the top of the mountain, and her view was wide enough to see the entire stage design.
SLANT's stage design is very famous in the entertainment industry. The layout based on the tour theme is unique and the atmosphere is excellent. Everyone who has seen them live is full of praise for it.
The fact that the stage designer is SLANT member Lin Chiran is also something that many fans talk about with great relish.
Audiences often mention the wonderful aspects of the design in tour repos, and in order to maintain the sense of mystery, Zhou Qing deliberately avoided spoilers this time, and was looking forward to what surprises Lin Chiran would bring to the fans.
When the hour arrived, the main light source slowly went out and the entire venue fell into darkness, indicating that the performance was about to begin, and voices of expectation rang out from the audience.
The LED light directly above the stage flashed and changed rapidly, forming a fast-running, colorful light band, with the group name "SLANT" highlighted in azure blue light in the center.
In the audience, the central control glow stick flashed blue light, forming a vast sea of stars, complementing the stage.
The dark red corduroy curtain suddenly opened, and a huge three-dimensional ring-shaped device slowly rose in the center of the stage. The ring was in cold white tones, with clear edge lines and a rotating arc.
The lights arranged on the circular device move and cross, accompanied by high-tech electronic sound effects, gradually gathering and flashing towards the center of the ring.
Smoke rose from the center of the ring and gradually spread outside the ring.
At the same time, the platform where the SLANT members were located slowly rose from the ring and reached the top of the space.
The audience's eyes followed closely, and in an instant, a waterfall of cold fireworks suddenly ignited at the top, and a rhythmic instrumental prelude sounded in the venue.
On the lifting stage, Lin Chiran was wearing a short-pile dark blue Western-style jacket, which was embellished with a few crystal beads that shone brightly under the lights, matching the shiny silver accessories on his body.
She wore a silk-textured cream-white top with loose silk straps at the neckline. When she danced with large movements, the outline of her collarbone was vaguely revealed, and the ribbons at the hem of the clothes swayed in the air.
He dances skillfully and controls his body precisely to make every perfect move. The spotlights are embedded with stars around him, which makes people mesmerized. This moment on the stage is the most dazzling moment for Lin Chiran as an idol.
Shining like an idol, he caught the attention of the whole audience. With every dance step and every word of the lyrics, he kept saying "I am here" with his body and mind.
The show opened with a series of intense dance music to liven up the atmosphere, followed by the soothing and touching classic song "Sea of Stars".
The clear voice flowed through the microphone to every corner of the venue like a shallow stream. The lights softly outlined the singer's silhouette, and the giant screen behind him presented a sea of stars with fluorescent dots flowing in the audience seats, which was the most appropriate support for this song.
It was an illusory and beautiful dream that was gone in the blink of an eye and came to an end in the blink of an eye.
It was not until she saw the members holding hands and bowing to the audience that Zhou Qing suddenly realized that the more than two-hour performance had come to an end.
There was a constant stream of warm applause, the audience's calls for an encore echoed throughout the venue, and the members still maintained a deep bow.
After a long time, the members stood up somewhat heavily. The expensive big screen perfectly captured the complex expressions hidden in their delicate faces. The few fans who noticed this were stunned.
Lin Chiran felt the gazes coming from all directions, and his mind couldn't help but reflect on every detail of his debut. All the emotions that had been forcibly suppressed suddenly flooded his heart.
Looking at Captain Ning Sheng raising the microphone, the moment that had to be faced had finally come, and Lin Chiran bit his lower lip unconsciously.
Ning Sheng raised his head and slowly spoke to the packed audience: "Thank you all for your continued support. SLANT has come this far because of your support." He held the microphone tightly, "Today... we have something to announce."
Sensing the hesitation in these words, whispers were heard from the audience.
Maybe they are going to announce a new anniversary project in the near future? Zhou Qing thought, maybe it was a prank, announcing that the captain, who was a road idiot, finally passed the driving test or something like that.
SLANT often comes up with some interesting little projects or harmless little jokes to make fans happy. Especially Zhou Qing's favorite member Lin Chiran, who often designs these small segments and is very popular with fans.
But today's atmosphere is slightly different from the past, making people feel vaguely uneasy.
After a few seconds of silence, Ning Sheng on the stage finally continued.
"Starting tomorrow, SLANT will officially graduate and the activities will cease."
The originally noisy conference hall suddenly became so quiet that it was disorienting. Zhou Qing and her friend looked at each other and saw confusion in each other's eyes as if they didn't know what was going on.
Then came a wave of sound, and exclamations of disbelief filled the entire venue.
The cameras in the media seats were hurriedly focused on the stage, large flashes lit up, and shutter sounds continued.
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