Rebirth: Spoiling the Obsessive Film Emperor Chapter 247

Chapter 247: Going On Stage

In the dressing room assigned to the GCD boy group, there was a bit of an awkward atmosphere.

Actually, although everyone considered the team's internal harmony and didn't say it outright, they did harbor some resentment deep down because of some questionable tactics by the PR team behind Ming Qian.

Even if those tactics didn't seem to be done by Ming Qian himself, they were still his team, after all. If the PR was successful, didn't the ultimate beneficiary end up being Ming Qian himself?

So, even though Ming Qian wasn't personally behind those moves, everyone still felt some resentment toward him.

Back when they debuted, Ming Qian was the "dark horse" who surged forward at the last moment. Before that, he wasn't in the same class or dormitory as them, so they weren't familiar with him and didn't have much to say to him.

It was only because they debuted together and subsequently needed to participate in various group activities that they worked hard to integrate and improve internal relations.

But who would have thought? Ming Qian seemed easy to get along with, always smiling and cheerful, but the moment he turned his back, his team would strike with a knife. They either bought negative trending topics against them or hired internet trolls to deliberately post highly suggestive comments to compare and tear down team members.

Everyone there had a company and an agent. Doing those little underhanded tricks, they must have thought others wouldn't find out.

Others were working hard to build good relationships, but Ming Qian, on the other hand, pretended to be good and sweet in front of people, while behind their backs, his team started quietly trying to create a CP for him. If they could make it work, they did; if they couldn’t, they started trashing the other person. The whole operation was smooth and fluid, clearly showing they'd done this sort of thing many times before.

It would be a lie to say everyone had no complaints. But this was the entertainment industry, not a kindergarten—they couldn't just announce, "I hate you, I'm not playing with you anymore!" and be done with it.

Since this boy group was formed, no matter how big the internal conflicts, as long as the members still needed this combined form to enter the entertainment industry, they couldn't break up. Otherwise, all that awaited them was a mess, and they would become a laughing stock for others.

The GCD boy group's debut was spectacular, gathering so much traffic. Afterwards, they went on tour to various places, and the team members, under their respective companies' arrangements, also entered many variety shows, movies, and TV dramas.

Compared to boy groups that had been tepid, the GCD boy group was undoubtedly successful. They stood out among the many new boy groups, and both the team and individuals achieved good development.

Of course, the most important thing was that their newly released songs were quite pleasant to listen to and very suitable for them. With just a little promotion from fans and the PR team, they could get everyone listening on repeat.

In this era of information explosion, people's ways of relaxing and entertaining themselves had become very diversified. Activities like listening to music had been pushed further and further back. So, to want the entire boy group to focus primarily on singing and dancing was basically equal to slow suicide for the group.

It was truly not easy for the GCD boy group's new songs to secure a spot on the music charts.

They had some strength, and they had some luck. The continuous wave of organic popularity for various reasons was also one of the reasons they remained hot and hadn't faded from people's memory.

Saying it like this might be a bit broad. Actually, to put it simply, whether they got on the hot search list through skill and ability, or through scandals, the bottom line was they made it onto the hot search, gained popularity, and received attention.

Therefore, even though the methods of Ming Qian's PR team were underhanded and aimed at promoting their own artist, ultimately, because of this, their boy group became a mix of good and bad, popular and controversial, managing to cling onto the hot search lists in various ways.

To put it in terms not exactly fit for public consumption: In the GCD boy group, Rong Yu held up the image, Ming Qian pulled in the popularity, Tao Li brought the laughs, Wen Yu had backstage connections, Chi Yang held the purse strings, and Fang Mengda brought the tears (just kidding).

Each of the six had their own strength. Together, they carved out a path in an era where new boy groups were popping up like bamboo shoots after rain, beating the curse that new groups fade within a year.

"We’ll be heading on stage soon—let’s focus, everyone." It was Rong Yu who finally broke the tension in the dressing room with a smile. "I’ll go talk to him later. In the meantime, go over the sequence again."

"Click."

As soon as Rong Yu finished speaking, the room door was pushed open. Ming Qian walked in, still wearing the same suit he had on when he went out, but his makeup and hair were a bit messy.

"How did your makeup get ruined?" The makeup artist, who had just finished with Rong Yu, turned and saw Ming Qian's smudged makeup. Her voice involuntarily rose a bit as she picked up her makeup case and walked towards Ming Qian.

Ming Qian cautiously glanced at Rong Yu, then quickly lowered his eyes as if afraid of being caught, and said softly, "I'm fine. I just wasn't looking where I was going and accidentally bumped into someone... Oh right, is my phone here? I haven't been able to find it."

"Yeah, just now when I called you, the ringtone was coming from here." Tao Li shook his own phone.

Ming Qian quickly picked up his phone, opened it to check for new messages, and only relaxed after confirming there were only the few missed calls from Tao Li.

Three knocks sounded on the room door. Fang Mengda, who was closest, said "Come in," and saw Sally and Wu Lin walk in one after another.

These two had always been at odds. No one knew if they had argued outside a few times, but Sally's face was as black as the bottom of a pot, as if she might explode and scratch someone at any moment. This actually made Wu Lin's half-smile seem much more amiable.

"You can go to the waiting room to prepare. There are cameras filming in the corridor leading to the waiting room, and there are also over a dozen cameras inside the waiting room. Pay attention to your image as you walk over. When you see the photographers, remember to greet them and try to face the camera," Sally pulled out the notebook she always carried with her and flipped through it as she spoke. "You'll be able to watch the live stage feed from the waiting room. When they edit the show later, they'll probably cut to your reactions while you're watching the performances. So you all need to be careful. No matter what you see others performing on stage, don't make any expressions that could be misinterpreted. You never know which reaction of yours they'll decide to cut into the final episode."

She paused, closed her notebook, and pointed at Wu Lin. "See that expression right there? That stiff smile—it immediately looks like he's mocking someone. If the post-production team wants to cause drama, they could deliberately edit that in to make it seem like you're disrespecting a senior or junior performer. Then you're in trouble—haters run their mouths, and the PR team runs themselves ragged cleaning up the mess."

The corner of Wu Lin's mouth twitched slightly: "Auntie Sally, do you believe I can sue you for personal attack?"

Sally rolled her eyes dramatically at Wu Lin: "Then go ahead. Turn left out the door and walk three kilometers, that's the hospital you, Grandpa Wu, often go to. Remember to put on your patient gown before you go in~ It's normal for old people to be confused and talk nonsense when they're senile. We can all understand, you don't need to feel embarrassed."

Wu Lin's face darkened: "Sally, don't think I won't dare do anything to you just because you're a woman!"

"Oh my? That sounds like the female artists under you get any special treatment or compassion from you?" Sally had always disapproved of Wu Lin's way of managing artists. It was driven by pure commercialism in every aspect.

"Whether it's a black cat or a white cat, if it catches mice, it's a good cat." Wu Lin snorted. "Women really are so shortsighted."

Sally shot back, "Oh please! Comparing you to a cat is an insult to innocent cats everywhere."

Wu Lin: "You!"

"Well then... Sister Sally, we'll head to the waiting room to prepare first. You two... take your time here?"

Rong Yu and his teammates confirmed their prop costumes were in order and that they could change clothes easily on stage. Then Rong Yu led the group towards the door, greeting Sally as they went.

"I don't want to see him! I'll wait for you guys by the side of the stage. It's closer for you to enter from there too. The other artists' agents or assistants are already waiting there. Pay close attention to your expression management. If you find the performances on stage entertaining, funny, or moving enough to make you cry, remember to describe them verbally. Describe them specifically, be specific, so the post-production team can't just randomly edit things together."

"Sally, are you their mother or what? You're so long-winded." Wu Lin gestured dismissively at the group. "Describe, my ass. You think they can come up with clever commentary on the spot? Just say the names. If another boy group performs well, clap and say, 'Wow, so-and-so looks amazing!'—make sure your mouth shape is clear. Even if they film it, post-production won't dare edit it randomly. If a performance is funny, laugh and say, 'so-and-so is hilarious!' Do the same for emotional performances. Your mouth shapes will be right there on screen—everyone will know exactly which act you're talking about. Then post-production won't dare mess with you."

The group nodded in realization, looking like students who had been taught a lesson.

Sally felt a bit displeased watching this: "Didn't you understand what I just said? Why do you all look enlightened only after he finishes talking!"

Wu Lin: "Heh, who told you to ramble on and never get to the point."

Sally: "You!"

Rong Yu had to step in to mediate: "Alright, alright. We know you're both thinking of us. Getting angry is bad for your health, harmony brings wealth~"

Wu Lin glanced sideways at Rong Yu: "Oh my? Guess having a sugar daddy like Yin Chengjue backing you really does let you stick your nose in anywhere."

Rong Yu's smiling eyes opened slightly: "Having one sugar daddy like that is enough for me. I'm very content."

Rong Yu blinked playfully: "What? Do you want one too?"

Rong Yu glanced imperceptibly at Ming Qian, then flexed his fingers, making them crack. "The last person who thought that... already..."

Rong Yu extended his hand towards Wu Lin, slowly spreading his slender fingertips, and blew lightly on his palm: "Puff..."

"Haha, I'm just kidding," Rong Yu withdrew his hand. "Even if you really wanted, Brother wouldn't fancy you~"