CHAPTER 101: CHAPTER 98 CHARACTER SETUP

"Today’s recording ends here. Thank you all for coming to the ’Idol Heaven’ production team," Yang Xiaoyue came out of the control room and bowed to everyone in gratitude.

The room erupted in applause, a sense of relief washing over everyone.

It was already almost 4 a.m. They had arrived here at 5 a.m. the previous day for recording.

"Please go back and prepare. Be at the dormitories we’ve arranged for you at 9 a.m. sharp."

Hearing Yang Xiaoyue’s words, they realized they had finally made it through the first hurdle.

As per the competition schedule, next came the theme song, variety show segments, and the first performance recording that would decide their fate. They had one month left with the production team before eliminations.

Dragging their exhausted bodies, everyone returned to the hotel prepared for them to retrieve their luggage. Under such circumstances, very few could truly sleep.

Likewise, Yang Xiaoyue didn’t sleep. She pulled her friend Sun Miao aside to discuss the day’s program.

"Xiaoyue, you’re going to push me to my grave sooner or later. Can’t we rest a bit?" Sun Miao, whose eye bags were already visible, sipped coffee with a wry smile.

"No sleeping. If I sleep, my inspiration will be gone. I have a feeling this show is going to explode," Yang Xiaoyue looked at her friend with excitement.

"These girls are really special. Many of them have distinct qualities—I didn’t expect that," Sun Miao couldn’t help but smile, a look of satisfaction crossing her face.

"Xiao Miao, what’s your take?"

"Making this show is akin to starting a company. For the company to survive, we must sell our products. And our products are these girls. The audience’s demand is customization," Sun Miao used a metaphor to express her thoughts.

"Customization?" Yang Xiaoyue seemed to grasp her friend’s idea.

"Indeed, every customer has their preferred choices. So, we’ll transform these girls into different types of products. There’ll always be one that fits the audience’s tastes," said Sun Miao.

"Xiao Miao, your idea coincides with mine! So, how do we label these girls?" Yang Xiaoyue exclaimed with joy.

"Meng Meixuan’s company is one of our key partners. They’re pushing her as their star. Let’s give her the ’Big Boss’ persona, a symbol of power and skill."

"Wu Zixuan is practically the princess of her company, with an enchanting, sweet beauty. She’ll be the ’Dream Lover,’ the crush of countless young hearts."

"Duan Yuxin, with her ethereal, clear voice and unspoiled innocence, she’s ’The Uncut Gem Talent.’

"Lai Ruoxuan, brimming with energy and youthful charm, paired with Bright Moon Girl Group’s focus on traditional aesthetics—she’s the ’National Style Beauty.’

"Guo Xia, whose looks are reminiscent of Japanese ukiyo-e beauties, she’s the ’Cool Icon,’ owning the rap scene."

"Jiang Mengqi, sweet and charming with a smile that can ease countless sorrows—she’s the ’Sunny Beauty Girl.’

"Gao Ziyi, cheerful and carefree, with a comedic air—she’s our humor specialist."

"Xu Qianhua, Chen Afang, Zhang Zining, Li Zimeng—they are the powerhouse vocalists."

"Lv Xiaoxue, the acrobat, stunning everyone with her skills."

"Fu Xiaoyu, the ’Queen of the Throne,’ ambitious and fiercely confident—a dominant force among idols."

...

Sun Miao revealed the personas she had meticulously designed for each contestant.

As Yang Xiaoyue listened, her excitement grew. She couldn’t help pacing back and forth in the meeting room. "Xiao Miao, you truly live up to being a top Beijing Film Academy graduate, one of the country’s leading screenwriters. With such a colorful lineup of girls, how could the audience possibly resist?"

Sun Miao smiled faintly, "Those are the strong characters. We also need to create some labels that evoke dislike—a sense of tragedy, helplessness, or frustration."

"You mean tags like ’Magical Numbers Girl Group’ or those ’Three Suns’?" Yang Xiaoyue asked.

"Exactly. These groups have already been preordained to be sacrificial lambs by higher-ups. We need to guide the audience to view them through those specific lenses."

Sun Miao paused and continued:

"Take someone like Fan Lei from the Magical Girl Group. Her tag could be Tragic—’Her ambition exceeds her talent, her hopes paper-thin.’"

"She wants to debut, to restore the past glory of Magical Girl Group, to carve out a chance for her sisters. But alas, her skills fall short. Despite her best efforts, she’s destined to be eliminated."

Seeing Yang Xiaoyue nod, Sun Miao carried on: "The ’Three Suns,’ on the other hand, are skilled but overshadowed by their sudden fame and grassroots origins. Fame gets to their heads, their professionalism falters, and eventually they’re knocked back to square one—leaving fans bitterly disappointed."

"As for the other girls... who ends up as a sacrifice will depend on market feedback. If they don’t reach our expectations, we’ll discard them, extracting every last bit of value." Sun Miao’s expression turned cold, her tone chilling, a stark transformation.

It couldn’t be said that Sun Miao and Yang Xiaoyue only cared about gains, treating the girls like chess pieces.

They themselves were chess pieces of the Penguin company, facing potential purging if the program failed.

Surrounded by their "brothers and sisters" who lived off them, they too wished to make a name for themselves through this show, changing their lives. Fundamentally, their goal wasn’t much different from the girls.

"Xiao Miao, what’s your opinion on Lv Fangxin?"

"Her? She’s interesting. We could turn her into a ’dream’—like the protagonist of an idealistic story. She’s clueless, but her sincerity, purity, and a touch of naivety win her the love of a domineering CEO," Sun Miao laughed.

"Haha! The less capable people are, the more they yearn for these dreams. That’s why grassroots celebrities are trending online. And surprisingly, such stars do generate traffic. Let’s craft her persona as the protagonist of a wish-fulfillment story," Yang Xiaoyue chuckled.

She didn’t place much importance on Lv Fangxin. In her eyes, even if the girl managed to draw some attention, she’d naturally be eliminated in the end.

Ultimately, this was a girl group competition. Even if it depended on personas, these personas had to be built on a foundation of singing and dancing abilities. Who’d vote for someone who was useless in both?

When the two parted ways, Sun Miao wore a thoughtful expression.

Yang Xiaoyue chose not to ask, or perhaps intentionally overlooked the Galaxy Girl Group.

In that group, Lu Bingbing was one thing, but Ye Yuwei... Ye Yuwei was simply too dazzling.

She was like the radiant sun in the sky, impossible to hide, emitting an undeniable brilliance.

Penguin’s attitude toward Galaxy was conflicted—they wanted to use them but also suppress them. However, Galaxy wasn’t a small company like the ’Three Suns.’

Galaxy commanded the largest fanbase in the girl group fandom, supported by strong "cash-burning" ability—things Penguin desperately needed.

"Xiaoyue, if we handle Galaxy poorly, this program might face a real crisis," Sun Miao’s voice was barely audible, a cryptic smile playing on her lips.

In the city, the distinction between day and night had blurred.

Even though this was the darkest hour of the day, the streets still gleamed as bright as noon.

Lv Fangxin, her eyes swollen from crying, was bidding farewell to her teammate Gao Lili.

"Lili, wait for me. I’ll be back soon."

"Don’t say that! Mr. Luo already said you have audience appeal. Until it’s proven otherwise, you absolutely cannot give up. Promise me," Gao Lili looked at her intensely.

Not just a team member, Gao Lili was also their manager.

Adhering to the principle of maximizing roles and minimizing costs, she had been shoved into this position before even graduating from finance school.

Though the added responsibilities came without a paycheck, she carried them out earnestly.

During every outing, she took meticulous care of Lv Fangxin and the others, like an older sister.

Now, with their anchor leaving, how could the rest not feel lost and heartbroken?

"Alright, I promise, Lili," Lv Fangxin replied instinctively.

"Meilan, Mei Zhu, our company may be small, but we can’t let others laugh at us. Stick together!"

"Yes, Lili, we’ll remember," the twin sisters, their stunningly beautiful faces identical, were also marked by streaks of tears.

Ye Yuwei and Lu Bingbing weren’t asleep either. Between them on the table lay a heap of empty beer bottles.

Don’t assume idols don’t drink. In truth, many of them are habitual drinkers. Under pressure, drinking became a common way to decompress.

"Yuwei, I feel like this show’s going to be a hit," Lu Bingbing said enthusiastically, gulping down most of her beer.

Ye Yuwei smiled faintly: "I feel the same way. We’re not just contestants—we’re also the audience."

"You’re right. Moving forward, it’ll come down to the company and our supporters," Lu Bingbing stared at her keenly.

"I’ll follow the company’s arrangements," Ye Yuwei knew what Lu Bingbing was getting at.

Tonight, Ye Yuwei had shone too brightly. If the broadcast drew overwhelming attention to her, Lu Bingbi feared it would lead to competition over the company’s resources.

What Lu Bingbing didn’t know was that Ye Yuwei had actually already terminated her contract with Galaxy. Unless Old Mu was out of his mind, he’d never throw his support behind her.

Lu Bingbing didn’t believe Ye Yuwei’s words, but all she needed was a verbal promise.

With that promise, she could start negotiating with the company "properly."