Fang Yinnian had little knowledge of boy bands before. After hearing Director Xu’s proposal for him to “become the lead vocalist of a boy band,” he returned to school and immediately searched online, cramming as much information as he could about boy bands.
Currently, there were three major music companies dominating the domestic entertainment industry: Xingmang Entertainment, Huayue Century, and Shengyao Media.
Xingmang Entertainment was essentially a star-making factory specializing in idol boy bands. Their most popular group was FreeWind, a six-member team that had debuted three years ago. With a massive fanbase and highly successful variety shows, they were pioneers in opening up the boy band market.
Huayue Century excelled at producing talent shows. The boy bands formed through their shows also gained significant popularity. Their most active group at present was Sonic, a seven-member boy band.
From what Fang Yinnian learned, Shengyao Media had previously focused solely on solo artists and had never cultivated any group acts.
He speculated that the higher-ups were likely eyeing the lucrative boy band market and wanted to form one to grab a piece of the pie.
Training trainees from scratch took far too long—seven or eight years might pass without making any waves. Meanwhile, TV talent shows had already been monopolized by Huayue Century, making it difficult to replicate other companies’ success.
Selecting members directly from within the company and debuting them as a group—this was undoubtedly the fastest method.
Fang Yinnian didn’t know exactly how the higher-ups selected the members, but he was well aware that the five of them were likely being pushed out as an “experiment” by the company.
When it came to competing against high-profile boy bands from Xingmang and Huayue, how much of a chance did their group really have?
Fu Fei, carefree as always, didn’t bother thinking about such things. He was already thrilled at the idea of debuting as part of a group. He grabbed one of the logos printed with “FTM” from the table, studied it carefully, and excitedly asked, “Director Xu, who will be our manager? Has that been decided yet?”
Xu Baichuan said, “I’ll personally be your manager.”
The five of them froze simultaneously.
Manager Lin glanced at the group and asked, “You all know Xie Shiqi, right?”
The group responded in unison, “Yes.”
Of course, Xie Shiqi’s name was widely recognized. She was Shengyao Media’s top artist—the new-generation diva who could sell out every venue on her nationwide tour. Fang Yinnian’s phone ringtone was even one of her latest songs.
Manager Lin continued, “She was personally managed by Director Xu.”
The group: “……”
Director Xu is actually this impressive?
Manager Lin added, “Director Xu used to be Shengyao Media’s ace manager. A few years ago, he was promoted to a supervisory role and stopped managing artists. The fact that he’s willing to make an exception and manage you now shows how much importance the company places on your group.”
Xu Baichuan smiled faintly upon hearing this and said, “You’re Shengyao Media’s first boy band. Are you thinking that the company is treating you as an experiment? Hastily throwing you out there to test the waters?”
His gaze landed on Fang Yinnian, as if he had seen through his thoughts.
In truth, it wasn’t just Fang Yinnian—Tang Che, Tan Junwen, and Mo Xun were thinking the same thing. Only Fu Fei hadn’t given it much thought.
Xu Baichuan spoke bluntly: “You’re right. You are an experiment. The company has no prior experience in cultivating boy bands.” Then his tone shifted, becoming more serious. “But precisely because you’re Shengyao Media’s first boy band, we cannot afford to tarnish the company’s reputation. I will do everything in my power to guide you, and I hope the five of you will give it your all as well.”
The group’s previously uneasy hearts were immediately reassured.
—The first group cannot fail; it will be led by an ace manager.
A manager who had once launched a music industry diva was now willing to make an exception for them. What more could they ask for? Even if they were experimental subjects, the person conducting the experiment was a big shot—perhaps they’d end up creating something groundbreaking.
Xu Baichuan turned to Mo Xun and said, “Mo Xun, you’ll be the leader of FTM. Any objections?”
Mo Xun replied decisively, “No problem.”
Xu Baichuan asked the others, “Anyone else have objections?”
No one spoke. Being the leader didn’t come with many perks—it was more responsibility and pressure than anything else. None of them wanted the role.
Xu Baichuan stood up and said, “Then it’s settled. You five should make the most of your time—move into the company dormitory this afternoon. Starting tomorrow, you’ll undergo three months of intensive training. Mo Xun, coordinate with Assistant Chen to arrange everyone’s accommodations. I have another meeting to attend, so I won’t stay with you. Tomorrow morning at 9 a.m., meet me here in this conference room.”
With that, Xu Baichuan left. Manager Lin also stood up and said, “Take some time to get to know each other. I’m heading out as well. If you have any questions, ask your team leader or contact Assistant Chen via WeChat.”
The two leaders left one after another, leaving only the five of them in the conference room.
No one spoke; the atmosphere felt slightly awkward.
After a moment of silence, team leader Mo Xun took initiative and stood up. “Add me as a friend—we’ll create a group chat.”
He placed his phone with a QR code displayed on the table. Fang Yinnian, Tang Che, and Tan Junwen got up and scanned it with their phones to add him as a friend. Fu Fei didn’t move—he clearly already had Mo Xun added.
Once verified, Fang Yinnian quietly updated his contact note to “Team Leader Mo Xun.”
Mo Xun then created a group chat and added everyone into it. The group name was simply titled FTM.
The small group chat consisted of five people whose profile pictures were wildly different in style and whose nicknames were completely random—it looked like a chaotic amateur team at first glance.
Mo Xun said, “Update your group nicknames and make sure to add each other as friends.”
Everyone quickly updated their nicknames. Fang Yinnian received two friend requests, one from Fu Fei and the other from Tan Junwen. He accepted them and updated their contact notes.
Tang Che, however, didn’t add him—or anyone else, for that matter. He sat there with a cold expression. Fang Yinnian took the initiative to send Tang Che a friend request, which was quickly accepted.
After the friend-adding session, Mo Xun put away his phone and said, “We’re not very familiar with each other yet, but that’s okay. We’ll have time to build rapport later. I’m a local here in Jiangzhou, so if you have any issues in your daily life, let me know, and I’ll do my best to help.”
“This afternoon, everyone will move into the dorms. I’ve sent the address to the group chat. If you’re taking a cab, you can navigate directly there. If you’re taking the subway, the closest station is Xinghe Garden Station on Line 3, Exit C.” He paused and looked at Tan Junwen. “Junwen, if you can’t find it, message me and I’ll come get you.”
Tan Junwen smiled and said warmly, “Okay.”
Mo Xun added, “I’ll also send my phone number to the group chat—save it so you can call me in case of emergencies.”
The FTM group chat now included the dormitory address and Mo Xun’s phone number.
Fang Yinnian quietly saved the information.
Mo Xun clearly had strong leadership skills—perhaps he had been a class monitor before? He was decisive and efficient in his actions. Fang Yinnian admired people like him who could quickly adapt to their surroundings and take on responsibility. If it were him in this position, he wouldn’t even know what to say to his teammates.
With the move scheduled for this afternoon, time was tight. Fang Yinnian needed to hurry back to pack his things. Fortunately, his university wasn’t too strict about such matters; many students rented apartments off-campus and only needed to report it to the school.
As Fang Yinnian thought about how to inform his advisor, he stood up quietly and prepared to leave.
Suddenly, Mo Xun’s deep voice called out from behind him: “Yinnian.”
Fang Yinnian turned around. “Huh?”
Mo Xun walked up to him and said, “The music academy is pretty far from here. I’ll drive you over and help you move your luggage.”
Fang Yinnian quickly waved his hands. “No need—I can just take the subway.”
He didn’t like troubling others, but Mo Xun smiled brightly and said, “It’s no trouble—my school is right next to yours. It’s on my way.”
On his way? Fang Yinnian thought for a moment before nodding. “Alright then—thank you, Captain.”
“No need to be so formal,” Mo Xun replied before turning to Fu Fei. “Xiao Fei, your place is closest. Once you’ve moved your things in, take a video of the dorms and send it to me.”
Fu Fei immediately responded enthusiastically: “Got it, Mo-ge!”
The five of them took the elevator downstairs.
The other three left through the lobby on the first floor while Fang Yinnian followed Mo Xun down to the underground parking lot on B2.
Walking alongside Mo Xun for a short distance, Fang Yinnian spotted a sleek black SUV parked in one of the corner spaces.
Is this his car or one provided by the company? Fang Yinnian wondered but didn’t feel comfortable asking.
Mo Xun walked up to the car and opened the passenger door for him. “Hop in.”
Fang Yinnian climbed into the passenger seat and fastened his seatbelt. The car had a faint woody fragrance—likely from an air freshener—and it smelled quite pleasant.
Mo Xun turned on the car stereo. A lively and intense song began playing through the speakers—the intro featured rapid drumbeats with a strong rhythm. It was a Korean song that Fang Yinnian hadn’t heard before.
As Mo Xun started the car and noticed how quietly Fang Yinnian was sitting beside him, he asked casually, “What kind of music do you usually listen to?”
Fang Yinnian replied, “I mostly listen to ballads.”
Mo Xun: “…”
The person sitting next to him had a temperament that was far from what Mo Xun imagined for a “boy band” member.
Someone so quiet and composed seemed more suited for solo development as a pop ballad singer rather than joining a boy band as a singing-and-dancing idol. It was hard to picture him dancing or rapping.
However, since Director Xu had chosen him as the lead vocalist, there must have been a reason behind it. Trusting the manager’s judgment seemed like the best approach.
Putting aside his doubts, Mo Xun introduced the song playing in the car: “This song is by BNC, currently the most popular boy band in Korea. It’s one of the representative works of recent K-POP trends. The choreography for their stage performances is also excellent. You should check it out when you have time.”
Fang Yinnian nodded earnestly, like a student receiving homework from a teacher. “Alright, I’ll look it up later.”
Seeing him sit there so obediently, Mo Xun couldn’t help but laugh. “You don’t need to be so nervous. We’re teammates now—if there’s anything you don’t understand about boy bands, feel free to ask me.”
After hesitating for a moment, Fang Yinnian asked, “Will the dances be hard to learn? They need to be very synchronized, right?”
Mo Xun replied, “It depends on how the choreographer designs them. Don’t worry—I can teach you step by step. You already have some dance basics, so unless your flexibility is really poor, it shouldn’t be too hard. You’re not competing professionally; you just need to master the choreography for each song.”
Fang Yinnian said seriously, “I’ll do my best to keep up with you all.”
Mo Xun turned to look at him and met his clear, sincere eyes.
Regardless of his current skill level, Fang Yinnian’s attitude was earnest and willing to learn—and that was enough.
Mo Xun disliked people who lacked ability and didn’t take things seriously, dragging down the team with their lack of effort. Fang Yinnian clearly wasn’t one of those people.
“We’ve got three months—take your time,” Mo Xun said as he turned his attention back to driving without saying more.
It was Saturday, and the roads weren’t busy. By 11 a.m., they had reached the music academy.
Mo Xun dropped Fang Yinnian off at the school gate and said, “Call me when you’ve packed your things, and I’ll come pick you up.”
Fang Yinnian replied, “Okay, Captain.”
As soon as Mo Xun drove off, Fang Yinnian’s phone started pinging with notifications from WeChat. Opening it, he saw that all five messages were from Fu Fei in the FTM group chat.
Fu Fei had already arrived at the dormitory and had sent short videos of their new place from various angles: “Check out our new home! The view is amazing!”
The company had arranged for them to stay in a large apartment suite that was clean and well-organized. The living room featured an entire wall of floor-to-ceiling windows overlooking a river view—it was indeed quite nice.
Fang Yinnian put away his phone and headed toward the advisor’s office building.
Starting tomorrow, he would be living with several unfamiliar teammates. Their group had been hastily assembled, their team name chosen on a whim—it all felt like a makeshift operation.
Fortunately, their manager seemed highly capable.
Hopefully, these three months of adjustment would help them develop at least some level of teamwork and chemistry.
