Chapter 7: Rising Up
After finishing his training class, Su Jinli rode his bike once again to the building of the Muzitao Entertainment Company. He leaned the bike against the ground with his legs and took out a bag of snacks from his pocket. He had barely taken a few bites when someone walked quickly towards him.
The person who came over was Chang Siyin. As soon as she approached, she pulled Su Jinli towards a shady corner and said, "Come with me for a moment, I have something to tell you."
Su Jinli immediately rode his bike and followed Chang Siyin, slowly moving to the corner where they stopped. He looked puzzled and asked, "What's up?"
Chang Siyin had passed his last audition and was now one of the practice members of the Muzitao Company.
Su Jinli often came by, but his schedule was not fixed. Chang Siyin usually practiced whenever he came, so they didn't meet very often. The last time they met, they quickly added each other as WeChat friends but didn't keep in touch.
Compared to Chang Siyin, Su Jinli had a lot more free time as a trainee. He was like an idle wanderer with nothing to do.
Chang Siyin's expression was not very pleasant. He hesitated for a long time before saying to Su Jinli, "Don't come here anymore."
"Have I caused any trouble to the public order here by coming?" Su Jinli was still a little confused about what was going on.
"Have I caused any trouble to the public order here by coming?" Su Jinli was still a little confused about what was going on.
Chang Siyin then explained, "You often loiter around our company's entrance, and many people have seen you. Do you remember the male teacher named Hu Haigao from our interview?"
Su Jinli replied candidly, "Yes, I remember. He also criticized me."
"He often sees you, and he mentioned you in class today."
"What did he say about me?"
"He said...some people have unrealistic fantasies and think they can enter the entertainment industry just by relying on their looks, without practicing hard. He also mentioned that during the last interview, there was a trainee who mentioned your name and said you knew nothing and had a poor attitude, but still came to the interview and left feeling resentful when rejected."
"I..." Su Jinli felt a little helpless.
"He mentioned you in class, saying he often saw you lingering at the entrance but had no sympathy for you. He warned us that if we don't work hard, we will end up like you, with nothing to do but admire others. He also said that our current opportunities are hard to come by, and people like you have been yearning for our lives, so we should cherish and work hard. I was so angry when I heard it."
"I'm just here to find someone..." Su Jinli weakly explained for himself.
"Who are you looking for?"
"My brother."
"What's his name and which department does he work in?"
"I don't know..."
"What?"
Before Chang Siyin could inquire about the situation, several individuals approached and upon seeing Su Jinli, they laughed, "What's with this guy loitering around our company on a bicycle like a perverted man? Is he the one? Chang Ge, do you know him?"
Amongst the trainees, Chang Siyin stood out as a college graduate and one of the older ones. Within this group of trainees, he was called "ge" or "older brother". Two young men approached, who had a rugged appearance that was not particularly refined, but their well-built physiques saved their image. Upon spotting Su Jinli, they wore a mocking expression which made Chang Siyin feel uneasy.
"He is my friend, here to see me," Chang Siyin replied calmly.
"I have seen him many times, and I have never seen Chang Ge come out to meet him. Could it be that he is pursuing Chang Ge, but Chang Ge hasn't agreed?"
Chang Siyin, a serious and straightforward young man, found the theory ridiculous and asked in a bemused tone, "What are you talking about? It's rare to have a day off, why don't you go out and explore the city?"
One of the boys already had the idea of leaving, saying "Okay, since Chang Ge said so."
The other boy, who had been silent all along, stared at Su Jinli and suddenly spoke up, "Hey handsome, do you want to take a picture with us? We might become famous in the future, and you won't even have a chance."
Chang Siyin also harbors a passion for music, but it seems that luck is never on his side. He always ends up being rejected or having his opportunities stolen by others.
Finally being able to enter Muzitao, he is grateful and understands how hurtful it can be to have one's dreams belittled. He immediately feels that those two individuals are being somewhat insensitive.
Adding insult to injury?
Kicking someone when they are down?
Is it necessary for someone who is just a trainee and hasn't even debuted yet to be so arrogant?
Chang Siyin admonished the two individuals through gritted teeth, "Don't be so insensitive!"
Su Jinli, with downcast eyes and a heavy heart, eventually looked up at them and replied, "Alright, let's take a picture together. You may not have the opportunity to stand next to me in the future."
After hearing the request for a photo, one of the boys laughed loudly and asked in an exaggerated tone, "Who gave you the courage to speak like that?"
Su Jinli furrowed his brow slightly and replied, "And who gave you the courage to speak like that?"
Su Jinli is generally known for having a good temperament, but that does not mean he's without a temper. If someone provokes him, he won't just remain calm and indifferent. He will speak up and defend himself if necessary, and he won't allow himself to be mistreated or wronged for too long.
Initially filled with anger, the sight of a boy with a sunny disposition peering at them caused him to suddenly shut his mouth and feel like hiding away.
However, An Zhihan was unaware of Su Jinli's fear and simply walked over to their side with his hands in his pockets, asking, "What's going on?"
An Zhihan and the others were all trainees from the same batch and were familiar with each other, so it was natural for them to strike up a conversation.
The two boys introduced Su Jinli to An Zhihan in an exaggerated tone, saying that he was the boy mentioned by Hu Haigao. They were aware of An Zhihan's personality and believed that with him around, there would definitely be some entertainment to be had.
An Zhihan let out an "oh" and took out a cigarette case from his pocket, looking around cautiously for any reporters. After not seeing any, he lit a cigarette and asked, "So you really want to debut? If things don't work out, I can send you to Sejia Legend. It's much better than this small, run-down place called Muzitao."
After his remark, the atmosphere grew quiet.
Sejia Legend is not just superior to Muzitao, it is also a renowned entertainment company in the industry, alongside the three major powerhouses.
An Zhihan's mention of Sejia Legend instead of criticizing Su Jinli, made the atmosphere awkward and somewhat comical.
Su Jinli replied, "No need, I already have my own company."
An Zhihan asked, "Which one?"
"Guyu Studio."
After pondering for a moment, An Zhihan realized that he had never heard of this studio before. He took another puff of his cigarette and asked, "Who owns it? Is it a big shot or a studio owned by a celebrity?"
"I am not with any of those studios."
"Are you sure you haven't been tricked? Many studios sign people on a whim, waiting for someone to strike it big and then getting bought out by a larger company. If you don't become popular, you'll just be left to struggle."
Su Jinli didn't really want to chat with An Zhihan any further, as every additional word made his heart beat faster.
It is not a feeling of infatuation, but rather a feeling of hesitancy to act.
After finishing his cigarette, An Zhihan noticed that Su Jinli had already started moving his bicycle, indicating that he wanted to leave.
He did not let Su Jinli go, but instead walked over to him and after smelling him, asked, "Why do you always smell so good?"
"I... I do not smell good at all."
He extended his hand and grasped Su Jinli's wrist, lifting it to smell his arm. He exclaimed, "Wow, it smells wonderful! Have you applied some cream on your body?"
"NO..." Su Jinli abruptly shook off An Zhihan's hand.
An Zhihan was momentarily stunned, and it took her a while to realize what had happened. He explained, "Please don't misunderstand. I am not interested in you. I already have three girlfriends."
"There seems to be something off." The male student who previously criticized Su Jinli spoke again, "You just randomly signed with a studio because you were longing for the entertainment industry? It's a wonder you even have a chance to debut. You'll just be a struggling supporting actor until your contract expires and you're an old man."
"Hey there! Your sharp tongue is quite impressive. Why not try your hand at comedy instead of being a worthless trainee?" The two male students remained silent this time, unable to comprehend how An Zhihan, who seemed to dislike everyone, was now defending Su Jinli instead of criticizing him like before.
An Zihan's thought process is clearly not like that of a normal person. The two male students didn't bother them any further and left after a brief moment of embarrassment.
Once they had left, Su Jinli whispered, "Thank you both."
However, Chang Siyin shook his head and said, "This incident will definitely be spread within the company and people will talk about it. It will have an impact on your future career in the industry. It's better if you don't come here anymore. Let's keep in touch through WeChat, and I'll help you find connections."
"Okay," An Zhihan said. Initially, he had intended to leave, but after some thought, he turned back to ask Su Jinli, "Does your studio have any work arrangements for you?"
"Uh-huh, in a while, I will participate in a talent competition."
"What's it called?"
"National Idol."
"Okay," An Zhihan casually responded before leaving.
Su Jinli returned to the company with a bad mood.
He had a naturally smiling face and was usually very fond of laughing. However, today he was feeling down, and many people could tell at first glance.
Hou Yong put down his hamburger and followed Su Jinli upstairs. He asked, "So, are you nervous about participating in the talent competition?"
"I'm just wondering if I'm not working hard enough," Su Jinli replied.
"It's also because the conditions here are difficult. We can only rely on Brother De to train you in singing, and the mirrors in the dance studio haven't been installed yet, so you can't practice," he explained.
"My attitude before wasn't particularly proper. I only wanted to familiarize myself with the environment and learn a few things this year, so I haven't given it my all. Looking back now, I feel like I've been wasting my time."
"You've already put in a lot of effort."
"No, Yong Ge, on my way back, I realized that I haven't been doing well enough. People who have been pursuing their dreams have been working harder than me, while I've just been idling away my time. I should put in more effort to improve myself, for both you and myself. Otherwise, why did I even come down from the mountain? When I find my brother, I want him to see me at my best."
"Hou Yong didn't know what Su Jinli had been through, but he felt that Su Jinli's current mindset was actually correct.
He patted Su Jinli's shoulder and said, "Tomorrow, I'll have the workers install mirrors in the practice room of the company, and I'll also find a choreographer to help you prepare for the competition."
"How long until the competition?"
"A month and a half."
"I can actually choreograph my own dance."
"Huh?"
"I want to give it a try." Su Jinli's resolute gaze left Hou Yong with nothing to say, so he just nodded along.
"Since we're doing this, we have to do it to the best of our abilities."
-----
An Zhihan spent the entire morning protesting in Zhang Gu's office.
Currently, Zhang Gu is not An Zhihan's agent, but An Zhihan has set his sights on him, assuming that he's already a member of the group. After the group is formed, Zhang Gu will be the leader, so An Zhihan likes to come to him with any and all issues.
Zhang Gu was at a loss with An Zhihan. During a break in reading the script, he looked up and asked him, "How about I arrange a play for you to act in?"
"I know myself, I'm not good enough, so I don't want to embarrass myself," An Zhihan replied.
"Then just keep practicing."
"It's tiring."
Zhang Gu was speechless, so he simply asked An Zihan directly, "What do you want to do?"
"This kind of boring practice is no fun."
"How do you want to make it fun?"
"Um...arrange for me to practice in the girls' room."
Zhang Gu didn't say anything, he just snorted and continued reading the script.
After waiting for a while, An Zhihan stood up and planned to continue pestering Zhang Gu. As he walked over, he saw a document, picked it up and looked at it, then threw it to Zhang Gu and said, "Let me participate in this."
Zhang Gu glanced at the document, which was the program plan for "National Idol". After flipping through it casually, he looked at An Zhihan and said, "Then go, just make some connections and come back halfway through."
"I'm the only one going?"
"Who else do you want to go?"
"Why not go with the others in our batch? I rarely get the chance to hang out with a few people."
"I heard that you guys even had a fight in the dorm."
"No, I hit them and they didn't dare to fight back."
Zhang Gu was speechless, how could he speak so confidently?
But in the end, he agreed and also sent a few trainees with average potential to go with An Zhihan to have fun.
'This closed training program is perfect for getting An Zihan out of the way so he doesn't have to deal with him,' he thought.
He grabbed his notebook and looked at the list of trainees for a while. After some consideration, he circled three names, including Chang Siyin.
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