TTIG Chapter 1

Fang Yinnian had just finished class and was heading back to his dorm when he suddenly received a call from Manager Lin at Shengyao Media.

 

“Yinnian, come to the company after school. Director Xu wants to meet you; there’s something important to discuss,” said Manager Lin.

 

“Alright, Manager Lin, I’ll head over right away,” Fang Yinnian replied before hanging up and quickly turning toward the school gate.

 

At 18 years old, Fang Yinnian was a freshman at Jiangzhou Music Academy.

 

Last semester, he won the school’s singing competition, earning praise from a talent scout who said his voice was outstanding and asked if he was interested in becoming a singer. The scout recommended him to join Shengyao Media Company.

 

Fang Yinnian had dreamed of being a singer since childhood. However, growing up in a small, obscure town, he had no access to entertainment companies and spent his high school years focused on academics without time to explore such opportunities.

 

He had planned to slowly seek opportunities after starting university in Jiangzhou. If nothing worked out, he intended to create an account on a streaming platform and sing there.

 

Unexpectedly, the opportunity came much sooner than expected.

 

Jiangzhou, a major city in China, is home to several entertainment companies and boasts a thriving entertainment industry. People with good looks or exceptional singing voices often get discovered by scouts and trained by companies, with some lucky ones debuting as stars.

 

When Shengyao Media’s talent scout discovered him, Fang Yinnian felt like he had won the lottery—after all, Shengyao Media is one of China’s top three music companies and has produced numerous legendary singers and divas.

 

The mention of Director Xu on the phone made him nervous; Xu was a senior executive at the company whom Fang Yinnian had only met once before. What could they want to discuss with him today?

 

Feeling anxious, Fang Yinnian entered the subway station.

 

An hour later, he arrived at Shengyao Media’s headquarters. Director Xu’s assistant was waiting for him downstairs and escorted him via elevator directly to the 10th floor.

 

Following the assistant’s lead, Fang Yinnian knocked on the office door.

 

Inside, Director Xu was speaking softly with Manager Lin; Fang Yinnian vaguely caught words like “boy band” floating between them.

 

The assistant announced his arrival: “Director Xu, Fang Yinnian is here.”

 

Director Xu gestured for him to come over: “Yinnian, take a seat.”

 

Fang Yinnian sat down on the sofa politely and asked, “Director Xu, you wanted to see me?”

 

Director Xu got straight to the point: “Here’s the situation—our company currently has an S-level project plan to form a boy band. I wanted to ask your opinion: would you be willing to be the lead vocalist of this boy band?”

 

Fang Yinnian froze in shock: “…A boy band?”

 

He had never imagined associating himself with the term boy band, even in his wildest dreams.

 

In his mind, boy bands were energetic groups that sang and danced with styles dominated by cool street dance moves. While he had learned ballet for a few years as a child before focusing on piano studies, his dance training had been abandoned halfway through—he had no experience with the kind of dancing typical for boy bands.

 

Him? In a boy band? Surely they were joking!

 

Regaining his composure, Fang Yinnian responded seriously: “Director Xu, I’m not very good at dancing.”

 

Director Xu chuckled: “That’s not an issue—I’ve reviewed your profile and know you have several years of dance training; your physical coordination is sufficient. Any shortcomings in dance can be addressed later with practice. What I value most are your vocal tone and appearance—a boy band needs a lead vocalist who can hold down the stage visually and musically, and you’re currently the most suitable candidate.”

 

Lead vocalist? Fang Yinnian’s mind was flooded with question marks as he tried to process this unexpected proposal.

 

 

He was confident in his singing, but he had no knowledge of boy band choreography and had never worked in sync with others. It wasn’t feasible for him to just sing while his teammates danced around him. Fang Yinnian had always disliked being a burden to others and certainly didn’t want to become the “weak link” of the group.

 

Seeing his hesitation, Manager Lin spoke up: “Yinnian, do you understand what an S-level project means?”

 

Fang Yinnian nodded. “Yes, it’s a key project for the company?”

 

Manager Lin replied, “Exactly. Shengyao Media has many trainees and countless promising talents, many of whom have trained for years without ever debuting. Yet here you are, personally chosen by Director Xu to be the lead vocalist of this boy band. This is an incredibly rare opportunity.”

 

“This boy band is scheduled to debut by the end of the year. The company will invest significant resources into grooming all of you, positioning you as the flagship group of Shengyao Media. Additionally, Teacher Yu Ziluo’s music production team will oversee the group’s music album, tailoring it specifically for you.”

 

Fang Yinnian’s eyes widened slightly. “Teacher Yu Ziluo?”

 

Yu Ziluo was a highly talented producer who had written numerous hit songs and was also Fang Yinnian’s favorite music producer.

 

The recent nationwide hit “Never Forget” was written and composed by Teacher Yu and performed by ballad queen Xie Shiqi. Fang Yinnian had even set it as his phone’s ringtone.

 

And now, the boy band’s music album would be personally crafted by Teacher Yu?

 

Fang Yinnian’s heart pounded furiously. He couldn’t believe such a good fortune could happen to him—a complete nobody—having the honor to sing songs written by his idol.

 

Although joining a boy band was not something he had ever envisioned, being the lead vocalist still aligned with his dream of becoming a singer. Moreover, Shengyao Media’s S-level project sounded incredibly prestigious—an opportunity that many could only dream about.

 

Clenching his fists, Fang Yinnian took a deep breath and said, “Can I take some time to think about it?”

 

Manager Lin smiled warmly. “Of course.”

 

Director Xu handed him a document. “Take this home and review it. Let Manager Lin know your decision by Friday. If you decide to join this boy band project, come to the company on Saturday at 9 a.m., to the meeting room at the end of the 10th floor. You’ll meet your teammates then.”

 

Fang Yinnian accepted the document, stood up, and bowed politely. “Thank you, Director Xu. Thank you, Manager Lin.”

 

Director Xu nodded. “Alright, off you go.”

 

Fang Yinnian turned and left the office.

 

After he left, Lin Huiqin sighed helplessly and said, “Old Xu, you’re forcing together people with such drastically different personalities into a boy band—do you really think this will work?”

 

Xu Baichuan pulled out a stack of documents from his drawer and frowned as he replied, “We have no choice; the boss has been pressuring us constantly. This boy band is meant to compete directly with Xingmang Entertainment’s Twelve-Star group. They’ve already debuted—if we fall too far behind, it’ll be detrimental to our future development.”

 

The market was limited; those who acted first naturally reaped more benefits.

 

Shengyao Media primarily focused on solo artists and had never ventured into forming boy bands before. This time, with company executives assigning Xu Baichuan as the chief planner for this boy band project, it was clear they were taking the boy band market very seriously and were determined to claim their share of it.

 

To achieve results, Xu Baichuan had gritted his teeth and pulled together several top-tier trainees who could have excelled as solo artists.

 

Looking out from his office’s floor-to-ceiling window, he spotted Fang Yinnian’s tall figure leaving the company building below.

 

The 18-year-old boy’s features had just matured, giving him a slightly youthful and fresh appearance. His refined eyebrows and eyes were nearly flawless, with smooth and striking facial contours that exuded elegance. He left an impression of being clean and gentle, resembling a protagonist who had stepped straight out of a manga.

 

Fang Yinnian’s face had a naturally likable quality, completely non-threatening. When he smiled, his eyes curved into crescents, making him look especially charming.

 

It was the kind of face that appealed to everyone—men, women, young, and old alike.

 

In fact, Fang Yinnian was one of the rare S+ rated visuals within the company, a top-tier prospect. The talent scout who discovered him even received a hefty bonus for bringing him in.

 

Originally, Xu Baichuan had planned for Fang Yinnian to debut solo next year through a music variety show. However, the company now urgently needed someone with striking looks to serve as the “face” of their boy band, so Fang Yinnian was reassigned to this project at the last minute.

 

Xu Baichuan withdrew his gaze and pulled another resume from the stack of documents in front of him. “Next up—Mo Xun. Have him come see me as soon as possible.”

 

—

 

Fang Yinnian had no idea about these plans being made by the company executives. After leaving the office, he carefully reviewed the boy band introduction materials Director Xu had given him. The more he thought about it, the more he felt he should agree to join.

 

He had several years of dance training in his past and could pick it up again with practice. The company would also provide professional dance instructors to guide them. As long as he put in effort and worked hard, he was confident he wouldn’t drag his teammates down.

 

Besides, he loved singing. Debuting with a boy band and having a renowned producer like Teacher Yu write songs for them was an incredibly rare opportunity—why not seize it and give it a try?

 

—

 

On Saturday morning, Fang Yinnian arrived early at Shengyao Media’s office building.

 

When he knocked on the door of the 10th-floor meeting room, there was already another boy inside waiting.

 

Wow, someone’s even more enthusiastic than me, Fang Yinnian thought.

 

The boy had a baby-faced appearance with soft cheeks and bright, lively eyes that made him look adorable. He wore loose-fitting casual pants and a hoodie, exuding youthful energy and vitality.

 

Their eyes met briefly. Fang Yinnian hesitated for a moment about whether to introduce himself when the boy suddenly ran over with a big smile and extended his hand enthusiastically: “Hi! My name is Fu Fei—‘Fu’ as in symbol and ‘Fei’ as in flying!”

 

His warm and outgoing demeanor immediately eased Fang Yinnian’s initial awkwardness.

 

“Hello, I’m Fang Yinnian,” he replied gently, shaking Fu Fei’s hand.

 

Just then, the door opened again, and another boy walked in.

 

This newcomer was tall—likely over 188 cm—towering half a head above Fang Yinnian. He wore black trousers paired with a matching black tank top tucked into his waistband, accentuating his lean and athletic frame. A silver chain dangled from his belt as an accessory, and he completed the look with leather boots—a cool and edgy style.

 

His eyes were sharp and bright; his skin tone was slightly tan; and his short hair complemented his ruggedly handsome features.

 

The moment Fu Fei saw him, he ran over excitedly and called out in an energetic voice: “Mo-ge! You’re back!”

 

The tall boy chuckled softly and patted Fu Fei on the shoulder. “Yeah, Xiao Fei—you’re here too?”

 

His voice was deep and resonant—a pure bass tone that was pleasant to hear. The two seemed quite familiar with each other; they were probably good friends. Standing off to the side, Fang Yinnian quietly observed their interaction.

 

Fu Fei grinned as he said: “Didn’t Old Xu say he was forming a boy band? He called me in for a meeting, so here I am! What about you?”

 

“Same here,” Mo Xun replied casually. “Old Xu called me back—I just returned from abroad two days ago.”

 

Noticing Fang Yinnian’s gaze on him, Mo Xun turned toward him and asked curiously: “And you are…?”

 

Fang Yinnian answered politely: “I was also called here by Director Xu.”

 

Hearing this, Mo Xun broke into a wide smile that revealed his neat teeth. He extended his hand confidently: “Then I guess we’re teammates now! Nice to meet you—I’m Mo Xun.”

 

“Fang Yinnian.”

 

Fang Yinnian was a bit of a slow-to-warm-up type. He couldn’t be as naturally outgoing as Fu Fei or as straightforward and bold as Mo Xun.

 

Meeting these strangers for the first time, he felt somewhat nervous. He didn’t talk much and smiled shyly.

 

As a result, Mo Xun’s first impression of him was that he was a gentle, refined, and clean-cut young man with a particularly charming smile. He seemed quite different from the lively and energetic trainees Mo Xun usually encountered.

 

Mo Xun withdrew his hand after their handshake and looked at him curiously. “Are you one of the company’s trainees? I don’t think I’ve seen you before.”

 

Fang Yinnian replied, “No, I’ve never been a trainee.”

 

Mo Xun and Fu Fei exchanged glances.

 

Fu Fei asked curiously, “Then why did Old Xu call you to join the boy band? You must know how to dance, right? What style do you like?”

 

Fang Yinnian answered earnestly, “I learned ballet for a few years when I was young.”

 

Mo Xun: “…?”

 

Fu Fei: “…?”

 

Old Xu, are you out of your mind? Bringing someone who learned ballet into a boy band—are we supposed to cosplay as swans on stage?

 

 

---