Chapter 16 Good News or Bad News?
[Chapter 16, Departure]
After lunch on August 10, everyone carried their luggage downstairs to the airport.
The journey took an hour and a half. Xu Baichuan, who was sitting in the passenger seat, seized the opportunity and turned back to say, "Your entry copy has been written. I'll send it to the group to see if there is anything that needs to be changed. It must be finalized today."
Encyclopedia entry introduction——FTM (For the music) is a male harmony singing and dancing group launched by Shengyao Media, consisting of five members: Fang Yinnian, Fu Fei, Tan Junwen, Tang Che, and Mo Xun.
The entry's introduction is simple and clear, emphasizing the four key words "harmony singing and dancing" and the company to which it belongs.
Each member can link to a personal entry, and Fu Fei's height was changed from 179cm to 180cm.
Fu Fei asked excitedly: "Am I 1.8 meters tall now?"
Xu Baichuan said, "Well, congratulations. When the costume designer measured you a few days ago, your height was exactly 180cm, which means you have grown another centimeter in the past six months."
Fu Fei's information was submitted in January this year, and his height was measured at 179cm. He is young and can still grow a little taller. His wish of growing to 180cm before his debut has finally been fulfilled.
Fu Fei grinned happily: "Hehehe, now we have a team of 180 members!"
As for other details that needed to be modified, everyone made the changes in the group, and the agent then passed it to the publicity department to create the entry.
A document called “Art Signature” appeared in the group. Xu Baichuan said, "This is the celebrity art signature designed for you. Each person has three designs. Pick the one you like and keep it. If you don't like any of them, you can design your own. I have prepared paper and pen for you. Take advantage of these few days when you have time to practice signing."
Fu Fei said happily: "It looks so beautiful, my character '飞' looks like it's about to take off!"
Fang Yinnian’s artistic signature designs were also very elegant, and he picked out his favorite one and kept it.
Art signing will accompany them throughout their entire careers and must be practiced so that they can be used frequently when attending events and signing autographs for fans.
Mo Xun asked, "We don't have any fans, so no one will ask us for autographs, right? Do we have to rush to practice these few days?"
Xu Baichuan said, "There will be an autograph wall for the 10th anniversary. All singers present will have to sign and take it back to the company headquarters as a souvenir. When you five sign, be careful not to write in the center, but in the lower corner. Junwen will draw the FTM group logo, and you will form a circle around the logo, which will look better."
Tan Junwen nodded: "Oh, I see."
Another colorful promotional page appeared in the group, and Xu Baichuan continued to introduce: "This is the program for the concert. You will be scheduled to perform at around 10 pm, the 8th time. Please take a close look. This time the company has reached an agreement with Taoyuan Film Studio to broadcast the entire concert live on the Taohe APP, and we have also invited a chief director and host."
Damn it! Live webcast of the entire event? !
Taohe is one of the three major video platforms. Tan Junwen is also a VIP Star Diamond member and often watches TV series here.
The five of them didn't expect the tenth anniversary to be so grand, with a concert that would even be live-streamed online.
They immediately looked down at the program nervously.
"All the popular singers are here, including Tao Yizhou, He Yan, Xie Shiqi, the Black Sky Band... and senior singer Luo Hua will be the finale." Mo Xun quickly scanned the program list and asked in confusion, "Why is our FTM name not on the list?"
Xu Baichuan explained: "This program list will be released to the entire network tomorrow. The company will keep the news of your debut confidential for the time being. On the day of the concert, you will appear as a 'surprise easter egg'."
Tang Che complained: "A boy band suddenly appeared. I don't know whether it is a surprise or a shock."
Xu Baichuan glanced at him and said: "If you sing well, it will be a surprise. If you sing badly, it will be a shock."
Everyone: “…”
That's still a bit of a surprise.
Fang Yinnian clenched his phone tightly - because he noticed that the seventh person to appear on the program was Xie Shiqi.
Xie Shiqi sang two songs in a row, followed by a "10th Anniversary Surprise Easter Egg".
——They actually appeared next to the Queen.
Following the original singer, who is also his idol, Fang Yinnian felt indescribable pressure.
Mo Xun noticed Fang Yinnian's sudden silence and couldn't help but ask in a low voice: "Yinnian, are you okay? You look so bad."
Fang Yinnian forced a smile: "I'm a little nervous."
Mo Xun said: "It is indeed easy to be nervous when performing behind the original singer. Don't worry, I will adjust my state on the spot when the time comes."
Fu Fei, who was slow to react, took another look at the program and finally came to his senses: "Shit! Is the one in front of us Xie Shiqi Benqi? If we can't sing well, won't it be a huge embarrassment on the scene?"
Tang Che asked: "Who arranged this hellish order?"
Xu Baichuan: "It was arranged by the boss."
Five people: “…”
It felt like a mountain was pressing down on Fang Yinnian’s head.
He was quietly adjusting his mindset when the phone in the front row suddenly rang.
Xu Baichuan picked up the phone: "Hello... What? They want to go too? Um... OK, have the parts been divided? ... OK, send it to my email."
After hanging up the phone, Xu Baichuan turned around and said, "I have news for you that I don't know whether it's good news or bad news."
The five people immediately pricked up their ears.
Mo Xun risked his life and said, "No matter whether it's good or bad, I'll kill you!"
Xu Baichuan said: "To celebrate the tenth anniversary, we have arranged a chorus at the end of the concert for the theme song "Sounds of Shining". The lyrics have been divided. There are many singers this time. You need to sing one line independently and then sing along with the short part of the chorus at the end."
He forwarded the file to the 6-person group: "The one that is sung independently is the second line of the chorus, which is highlighted in red."
Fang Yinnian glanced at the score and began to sing: "Is every syllable a sign of life?"
His pitch is perfect, he can find the most precise note as soon as he opens his mouth.
When Xu Baichuan heard Fang Yinnian's voice, he put his heart at ease, nodded and said, "Yes, that's it. The range is neither high nor low, and it's easy to sing. You can practice it later and see if everyone can sing the same tune together, or change it into a harmony version?"
Mo Xun didn't hesitate: "Change the harmony."
Everyone looked at the captain. Mo Xun smiled and said, "Harmony is our FTM's specialty, isn't it?"
Even if they only get this one line of lyrics in a chorus, they still have to harmonize well and sing out a different feeling. Who made their encyclopedia entry read “harmony singing and dancing group”? They must have this trademark engraved in their genes.
Although Tan Junwen found it painful to practice harmony, he supported the captain's decision this time: "Let's do it. It's just one line anyway. We still have eight days. Let's find time to practice. By the way, we don't need harmony for the final chorus, right?"
Fang Yinnian said: "It shouldn't be necessary, there will be more than a dozen singers singing in chorus."
Fu Fei asked, "How do we change the score? If Brother Nian sings the lead, the four of us will have to change the tune."
Xu Baichuan said, "Teacher Qiao will go to the concert to assist in the rehearsal. I'll ask her to modify the score for you first, and you can practice it by yourselves. It's just like this sentence, it's not difficult to sing."
Everyone in the palace nodded in delight. They have been practicing harmony for more than twenty days and have already figured out some patterns.
A sentence takes less than 10 seconds, so you still have 8 days to master it. Moreover, in the final chorus, they will perform on the same stage with all the singers, which is a very rare opportunity.
Xu Baichuan turned around and looked at the others: "By the way, do you want your family members to come to the first stage this time?"
These words made the five people stunned at the same time.
Xu Baichuan said: "You will have many stage performances in the future. However, your debut performance will only happen once for your FTM group. At this very important moment in your life, do you want your family and friends to witness it together in the audience?"
Fu Fei said excitedly: "Yes, yes, yes! My grandma heard about my debut and wanted to come so badly, but unfortunately she couldn't buy a ticket!"
Mo Xun said: "My parents didn't buy tickets either."
Tan Junwen raised his hand: "Add one."
Xu Baichuan said, "How about this. I'll get you two private rooms that can accommodate up to 16 guests. You can arrange the list yourself. Family and friends can fly to Ya'an on the 17th and stay at Ya'an International Hotel. After watching the concert on the 18th, if you want to play, you can stay a few more days. If you don't want to play, you can return. You can book the return ticket freely, and I will reimburse all the round-trip airfare, hotel, food and accommodation."
Five people: “…………”
How lucky they are to have such a considerate agent! !
Old Xu is right, there will be many stages in their lives. But the first stage, FTM group’s debut performance, only comes once, and it would be a pity to miss it.
Parents, of course you would also like to witness your son’s debut performance in person, right?
However, at concerts featuring many big names, fans of several singers are scrambling for tickets, and there is no way you could get one by yourself.
They were a bunch of unknown people but were too embarrassed to ask for the company's internal "guest tickets".
We didn’t expect that Old Xu would take the initiative to bring it up. We all felt warm in our hearts. Old Xu is indeed very good to them. It’s not just that he is good on the surface. In fact, he always considers things from their perspective in many things, like a parent who worries about them and cares about them.
Mo Xun said simply: "Then we won't be polite. Thank you, Brother Xu!"
Xu Baichuan raised his eyebrows: "Why not call me President Xu?"
Mo Xun smiled and said, "We will meet often in the future. It feels too strange to call him Mr. Xu all the time. You are only a dozen years older than us. I think it would be more intimate to call him Brother Xu?"
Xu Baichuan pretended to be serious: "I am 20 years older than you. I am almost 40."
Fu Fei said with a smile: "You are young and promising. You can become a senior executive at the age of 40."
Xu Baichuan glanced at him and said, "Stop flattering me. I will be very strict with you in the future. However, as for the name... Although I am old enough to be your uncle, calling me Brother Xu is more pleasant to the ear than Uncle Xu... Well, just call me Brother Xu!"
Everyone laughed. It was really weird to call him Uncle Xu.
The driver was also laughing: "Don't be fooled by Lao Xu's serious appearance, he is actually very easy to talk to."
Xu Baichuan touched his nose and coughed lightly, then said seriously: "Artists and managers need to trust and support each other. I will try my best to get more resources for you. You should also try your best to cooperate with my work, okay?"
Mo Xun said: "Of course. Don't worry, Brother Xu, we will fully cooperate."
Xu Baichuan nodded: "Yes. After your debut on the 18th, you will be relatively free from August 19th to 31st, so you should practice your dance moves. In addition, I might let you take part in some variety shows to show your face and keep up the popularity of your debut."
"For now, just do a good job of this performance. Don't put too much pressure on yourself. We don't need to debut with a bang, just finish the performance steadily."
"Understood!" The five people felt much more at ease after hearing this.
The importance of agents in the entertainment industry is self-evident. What resources an artist can receive, what treatment they can get, and even whether they can borrow clothes to attend events, all depend on the agents to negotiate.
They have no objection to the arrangement of taking part in variety shows after the concert. After all, their songs are not yet written and they have nothing to do anyway. They also need to maintain a certain level of exposure while practicing dancing privately.
The five of them were newbies, had only a vague understanding of this circle, and had no connections or resources.
They need a reliable guide.
Although Shengyao was very hasty in planning their debut, the agent they chose for them was really capable. He was able to coordinate various departments in a short period of time and arrange everything in an orderly manner.
What is even more rare is that Xu Baichuan did not look down on them just because they were unknown, but instead respected their opinions.
***
The plane took off smoothly, and after arriving at the hotel in the evening, Yinnian called home. This concert happened to be on the weekend, so my parents and grandma could all come.
That night, all parents who were able to attend were pulled into a large group.
Everyone changed their business cards to the format of "XX Dad" or "XX Mom", just like a parent-teacher meeting.
Xu Baichuan specially arranged an assistant to receive them. He said in the group: "Hello, family members. Since the five team members have to attend rehearsals in the next few days, I also have to monitor the scene. I will be very busy and will not have time to entertain you. I have arranged an assistant Chen. For all questions about flights, hotels, meals and accommodation, everyone can find Xiao Chen in the group."
Xiao Chen popped up and said, "My all-powerful assistant is here. If you have any questions, you can contact me privately~"
A large row of flowers and applause came from the group.
"Mr. Xu is so polite! Don't worry about us, just let the children concentrate on rehearsal."
"I actually got a guest ticket. Thank you, Mr. Xu!"
"Thank you, Xiao Chen. We will send you our ID cards privately. Please book a flight for the evening of the 17th."
The elders started chatting in the group.
The agent made very thoughtful arrangements, so the five people felt relieved. They have no worries and can concentrate on practicing singing.
***
After arriving in Ya'an, several people were taken by Xu Baichuan to practice piano.
Fang Yinnian borrowed the piano from the local music conservatory. After familiarizing himself with the strength of the keys several times, he quickly adapted to the new piano, sang and played live, and practiced harmony with his teammates.
After Teacher Qiao adapted the chorus line, everyone practiced it several times. They only sang one line independently, and in the end everyone sang two lines together and quickly became familiar with it.
The training in Ya'an these days has been going very smoothly.
In a blink of an eye, it was August 15th, and there were only three days left until the concert.
Xu Baichuan said in the group: "The stage is set, and the director is in place. At 4 pm today, we will go to the site for the formal rehearsal!"
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