TTIG Chapter 12

[A New Plan]

 

Xu Baichuan’s decision was pragmatic. Forcing the five members to sing and dance live at this stage would likely result in disaster. It was better to focus on one skill.

 

By removing dancing from the equation, they could concentrate on singing and rely on their beautiful voices and striking visuals to attract fans.

 

Of course, this was a risky move—no boy band had ever debuted this way before.

 

FTM had been taking a different path from the start. Unlike other boy bands, there had never been a vocal-focused group in the domestic entertainment industry that prioritized harmonies over dance. This meant they had no reference points to follow and had to figure things out as they went.

 

Given this, instead of imitating others, it was better to be the “trailblazing pioneers.”

 

Xu Baichuan looked at the five and asked, “Your schools are about to start exams, right? When will you finish?”

 

Fu Fei eagerly answered, “We’re on break starting the 12th.”

 

Tan Junwen added, “I finish exams on the 14th.”

 

Mo Xun and Fang Yinnian said simultaneously, “We’re off starting the 15th.”

 

Tang Che replied, “I finish on the 18th.”

 

Xu Baichuan thought for a moment before saying, “Alright, focus on preparing for your final exams first. Once Tang Che finishes his exams on the 18th, we’ll meet at the company that evening for a meeting. Then we’ll spend the next month intensively practicing vocals until your performance songs are flawless.”

 

For most of them, this arrangement was manageable. However, Tang Che’s university—Jiangzhou University—was notoriously difficult. Its exams were said to be extremely challenging, with high failure rates. If Tang Che were expected to practice singing and dancing daily during finals week, he wouldn’t be able to keep up.

 

With only a few days left before exams started, Xu Baichuan gave them time off to study. Everyone breathed a sigh of relief.

 

Xu Baichuan continued, “Because the schedule has been completely disrupted, the music producer I arranged for you isn’t available yet.”

 

Fang Yinnian froze for a moment and asked, “The producer? Is it Teacher Yu?”

 

When they first formed the group, it was mentioned that their album would be overseen by Yu Ziluo. Fang Yinnian particularly admired Yu Ziluo as a lyricist and composer—his involvement was one of Fang Yinnian’s main reasons for agreeing to join the boy band.

 

Xu Baichuan nodded. “Yes. Teacher Yu is currently working on albums for other singers and is too busy to take on more projects right now. I originally booked him for October so he could get to know you all thoroughly before writing songs for you.”

 

Fang Yinnian and Mo Xun exchanged glances—it seemed Xu Baichuan’s original plan was for FTM to officially form in July, spend three months building chemistry, and have their music producer ready in October to create original songs tailored to them. Afterward, they would practice harmonies, record songs, shoot music videos, rehearse choreography, and debut in December.

 

It was a solid plan.

 

But then the higher-ups abruptly decided to change the timeline, throwing all of Xu Baichuan’s plans into disarray.

 

Now every schedule had to be re-coordinated. Xu Baichuan must have been furious—it explained why he had been yelling in the hallway earlier. Sometimes leadership decisions truly disregarded the struggles of those doing the actual work.

 

Fang Yinnian understood Xu Baichuan’s underlying message: “If the producer isn’t available yet… does that mean we won’t have an original song when we debut?”

 

Xu Baichuan nodded. “That’s correct.”

 

Everyone: “…”

 

They were debuting without even having their own song?

 

Xu Baichuan explained further: “The first original song is crucial—I don’t want to rush it or settle for mediocrity. So your debut song will follow the original plan: Teacher Yu will create it once he has time in October. It’s better to wait than compromise.”

 

Everyone could understand the logic behind waiting for quality over rushing with mediocrity. Singing a subpar original song would be worse than waiting for a masterpiece from a top-tier producer.

 

Still, debuting without an original song felt undeniably underwhelming.

 

Fu Fei hesitantly asked, “If we don’t have our own song, what are we going to sing at the concert?”

 

Xu Baichuan replied, “You’ll debut with a cover. That’s the only option for now.”

 

The five of them collectively felt like sighing.

 

Xu Baichuan was equally helpless. He had already fought hard to negotiate a delay with the higher-ups, but it was futile. The executives held more power—if they were unhappy, even Xu Baichuan’s position as their manager could be at risk.

 

Seeing the group’s dejected expressions, Xu Baichuan tried to reassure them. “There’s no rule that says singers must debut with original songs. Many singers have gained fame through covers. The company is putting a lot of effort into the 10th anniversary celebration—the higher-ups have called back all of Shengyao’s big-name artists as well as several veteran singers who used to work with Shengyao.”

 

“This concert will be a grand event, and debuting in such a high-profile setting has its advantages—you won’t lack exposure.”

 

In the entertainment industry, the worst thing is being ignored. Popularity brings opportunities and resources.

 

Shengyao Media’s once-in-a-decade music extravaganza, featuring new-generation artists returning and veteran singers celebrating the milestone, was an event many aspiring singers would dream of performing at. For FTM, debuting in such a setting was an opportunity they couldn’t afford to waste.

 

Fang Yinnian finally understood why Xu Baichuan had been arguing with the higher-ups.

 

Xu wanted them to take their time, build chemistry, and debut with their own original work. But the executives prioritized visibility and wanted them to make a splash at the 10th anniversary concert to ride the wave of attention.

 

Ultimately, the leadership’s decision prevailed.

 

This made everything feel rushed and chaotic.

 

Debuting at such a prestigious event had both risks and rewards—it all depended on how well they handled the opportunity.

 

Mo Xun decisively said, “Director Xu, we’ll follow your arrangements—we’re fine with singing whatever you choose.”

 

The others nodded in agreement.

 

Xu Baichuan said, “Alright then. Focus on your exams for now—I’ll select the song. We’ll discuss everything else after Tang Che finishes his exams on the 18th.”

 

Fang Yinnian said softly, “Thank you for your hard work, Director Xu.”

 

Xu Baichuan smiled warmly. “It’s nothing—I’ll do my best to support you within my abilities. Don’t worry.”

 

Hearing this reassured everyone—they felt much more at ease.

 

At least Xu Baichuan was firmly on their side and genuinely wanted to help them succeed as a boy band. They liked Old Xu and trusted his experience as a seasoned manager.

 

—

 

Over the next week, their training sessions were paused as they entered the final stretch of exam preparation.

 

Taking a break from dancing could make their bodies rusty—daily practice was essential for building muscle memory. With the dance instructor unavailable, Mo Xun took charge of supervising them. Whenever they had free time, he made sure they practiced basic moves. Dancing became part of FTM’s “daily fitness routine.”

 

Before long, July 18th arrived.

 

The last member to leave the exam hall was Tang Che, who was immediately picked up by a business van sent by Xu Baichuan and brought to the company.

 

Tang Che assumed there would be a meeting but was surprised when he entered the conference room and saw a young woman measuring Mo Xun’s dimensions.

 

Walking over to Fang Yinnian, he asked quietly, “What’s going on here?”

 

Fang Yinnian explained, “The designer was called in by Director Xu to take our measurements for performance outfits. We just found out about it too.”

 

The designer called out, “Yinnian, your turn—come over here.”

 

Fang Yinnian immediately walked forward and obediently stretched out his arms as instructed.

 

The designer worked quickly, measuring and recording efficiently. As soon as she finished taking measurements for all five members and left the room, Xu Baichuan entered carrying a stack of file folders.

 

Perfectly on time, it was clear that Director Xu was incredibly busy.

 

The five were about to greet him when Xu Baichuan waved his hand dismissively. “Just sit down—we have a lot to finalize today.”

 

Everyone took their seats and turned their attention to Xu Baichuan.

 

Xu Baichuan began, “Your group name, FTM, stands for For The Music—born for music. Teacher Qiao has already explained this to you, hasn’t she?”

 

Fu Fei muttered under his breath, “You originally told us it represented us personally.”

 

Xu Baichuan chuckled. “It does represent you personally because the five of you were handpicked by the planning team from the company’s entire pool of reserves. You’re a vocal group whose voices blend together most harmoniously—replacing any one of you wouldn’t work.”

 

The five: “…”

 

That statement carried a lot of weight—were they really that good together?

 

Xu Baichuan waved his hand again. “Alright, let’s not get sidetracked. The full name is For The Music, and the nickname is ‘Vocal Group.’ Today we need to finalize your fan name, support color, and team logo. I’d like to hear your opinions.”

 

Technically, the company could have decided everything and simply informed them later. However, Xu Baichuan respected their input and wanted them to feel involved in the process.

 

Getting the chance to name their fans? Everyone was excited and immediately began brainstorming enthusiastically.

 

Fu Fei scratched his head. “If we’re called ‘Vocal Group,’ what should our fans be called? Little Groupies? Groupies? Dumplings?”

 

Tang Che commented dryly, “Sounds like food.”

 

Everyone: “…”

 

Mo Xun suggested thoughtfully, “Most celebrity fan names are based on animals, plants, fruits, or food items. But since we’re a vocal group, none of those really fit us. Let’s come up with something meaningful instead.”

 

Fu Fei kept scratching his head. “Then what should it be? I’m terrible at naming things—you guys think of something!”

 

As everyone struggled with ideas, a gentle voice suddenly spoke up.

 

“How about calling them ‘Notes’?”

 

The group froze for a moment before turning to look at Fang Yinnian.

 

Fang Yinnian’s expression was serious as he explained: “Every melody in a song is composed of countless musical notes. Since we’re a vocal group, our focus will always be on music.”

 

He smiled at his teammates and added, “If our fans are called ‘Notes,’ they’ll become an inseparable part of ‘Vocal Group’—just like how countless notes come together to create an ocean of music.”

 

Everyone: “…”

 

Whoa! Fang Yinnian’s suggestion actually made sense!

 

Xu Baichuan’s eyes lit up as well. In the entertainment industry, most fan names are based on animals or food items because they sound cute. Fang Yinnian’s idea of ‘Notes forming an ocean of music’ was easy to understand and carried significant meaning.

 

Naming the fans “Notes” also gave them a unique identity. Notes and the Vocal Group (FTM) were intrinsically connected, symbolizing an inseparable bond. The meaning behind the name was quite profound.

 

Mo Xun was the first to agree. “Yinnian’s suggestion is great—just hearing the name, people will know they’re our fans.”

 

Tan Junwen smiled and added, “I think Yinnian’s idea is excellent. With that name, we could design our concert light sticks to look like microphones, with a transparent cover housing a 3D note symbol inside.”

 

He casually picked up a pen and paper from the table and sketched out a concept design in just a few strokes.

 

The note symbol inside the light stick looked quite appealing. If it were made into a glowing 3D effect, it would undoubtedly look very cool.

 

Mo Xun suggested, “Should we incorporate some note elements into our team logo as well?”

 

Tan Junwen replied, “Let me tweak it and see.”

 

Taking the logo design Xu Baichuan had brought, Tan Junwen made some adjustments to the bottom-right corner. He extended and curved one of the lines in the letter “M” to form a small note shape. The revised “FTM” logo looked much more dynamic than the original.

 

Tang Che: “…”

 

I’ll give this art student some credit for once.

 

Xu Baichuan glanced at Tan Junwen’s on-the-spot design and nodded approvingly. “This concept is excellent. Adding a note to the team logo solidifies the identity of the ‘Vocal Group’ and ties in with the fan name. I’ll take this draft back to the design team for further refinement.”

 

He placed Tan Junwen’s sketch into his folder and continued, “What about your support color? What’s everyone’s favorite?”

 

Mo Xun turned to Xu Baichuan. “Are we choosing five individual support colors or just one team support color?”

 

Xu Baichuan replied, “I don’t want to rely on fanbase rivalries or popularity contests to generate buzz. I’d rather see you build stronger team unity. Before any of you pursue solo careers, let’s stick with one unified team support color for now and focus on building the group’s reputation first.”

 

Unlike survival show groups or trainee-based groups where each member had a large number of solo fans, FTM was starting with no fanbase at all. Instead of internal competition, it was better for them to stick together and grow as a team.

 

Xu Baichuan added, “Avoid using sky blue (BlueWind’s color), red (Sonic’s color), or green, purple, and pink—those are already claimed by several well-known singers. You can choose from other colors.”

 

Everyone immediately fell into indecision mode. With red, blue, green, purple, and pink off the table, what was left?

 

Mo Xun turned to Tan Junwen and teased, “Art student—time for you to share your opinion!”

 

Tan Junwen thought for a moment before suggesting, “How about amber?”

 

He quickly pulled up a color swatch on his phone to show everyone: “C36625. This is a color I’ve used before—it has brownish-orange tones under normal lighting but transforms into a dark amber gold under night lighting. It’s subtler than bright gold but still elegant.”

 

“And,” he added enthusiastically, “amber can create a gradient effect like cat’s-eye gemstones. If we design our support light sticks with gradient lighting effects, they’d look super cool.”

 

The amber color Tan Junwen proposed was indeed quite attractive.

 

Most popular celebrities already had support colors like red, blue, yellow, green, purple, gold, and pink.

 

Amber with gradient effects would shimmer beautifully at night while remaining understated during the day—a unique choice that wouldn’t clash with any major stars’ colors. A glowing note-shaped light stick with gemstone-like gradient effects would undoubtedly stand out.

 

Mo Xun praised him: “I think it’s great—what do you all think?”

 

The others nodded in agreement:

 

“It’s really unique.”

 

“Looks great!”

 

Xu Baichuan decisively said, “Alright, let’s finalize this as the support color. I’ll note down the color code.”

 

Tan Junwen sent the color swatch to the manager and said with a cheerful smile, “If one day we have enough fans to hold a large-scale concert, and all the support sticks light up…”

 

“We’ll have a shimmering amber-gold ocean.”

 

The five exchanged glances, and a surge of passion suddenly rose in their hearts.

 

Could that day really come?

 

—Countless notes converging into an ocean, all for them.

 

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