Chapter 10 - Training

Translator: Lynn

On Saturday morning, the sun rose warm and radiant. After finishing his outdoor exercise, Jian Jie noticed a familiar car parked downstairs. As he approached, he saw Long Zichen’s smiling face through the car window.

“Xiao Jiejie, back from training. Do you remember what important task we have today?” Long Zichen greeted Jian Jie with a smile, opening the car door and stepping out. Today, he wore a black polo shirt and dark khaki pants, giving off a stable appearance, though his true nature showed through his movements. Jian Jie was puzzled and asked, “Mr. Long, is that really you?”

“Yes, I’m here to pick you up for training at the company. Don’t you remember? I mentioned it a few days ago. You’re not forgetful at such a young age, are you?” Long Zichen teased.

Jian Jie then recalled the training schedule. A few days after signing the contract, the company arranged for him to train alongside other newly signed artists. Long Zichen had informed him of the schedule a few days ago. However, it was still early, and Jian Jie had planned to go after his exercise routine. He told Long Zichen, “Doesn’t it start at 8:30? It’s still early now, and I was planning to go there later after exercising. Mr. Long, you don’t need to specially come to pick me up. I know the way.”

“I’m not worried about you forgetting. I’m already on my way, so I thought I’d come and pick you up. It’s your first training session, and I want to accompany you to avoid any potential awkwardness,” Long Zichen explained. His main concern was that Jian Jie might be taken advantage of due to his innocence. There were many cunning individuals in the entertainment industry, and Jian Jie, being naive, might be an easy target. By accompanying him, Long Zichen hoped to deter any potential troublemakers.

Jian Jie didn’t fully understand the situation but thanked Long Zichen for his gesture. He then asked, “Have you eaten breakfast yet?”

Long Zichen chuckled, “Of course, I haven’t eaten yet!”

Jian Jie kindly invited him, saying, “Why don’t we have breakfast together?”

“I was waiting for you to say that! Let’s go have breakfast!” Long Zichen shamelessly accepted the invitation. He didn’t feel guilty about taking advantage of the situation. When it came to someone he liked, he tended to exploit and tease them more. Moreover, seeing Jian Jie’s well-off family background, he felt comfortable being more carefree around him.

After Jian Jie freshened up at home, showered, and changed clothes, they went to a porridge shop for breakfast. Jian Jie’s appetite had increased due to his recent growth, so the two of them enjoyed ten baskets of steamed buns and two large bowls of pumpkin and millet porridge. Naturally, Long Zichen took care of most of the steamed buns.

With their bellies full, Long Zichen was in a good mood. He hummed along to the music playing in the car, occasionally hitting a high note, and exclaimed, “Not bad, not bad at all! We’re not far behind the Iron Lung!”

Jian Jie couldn’t help but laugh and nodded. He asked, “Your image is also great. Why did you choose to be a music producer instead of becoming a singer? I’ve been curious about that.”

Long Zichen pretended to be serious and replied with a touch of sadness, “Ah, when I was young and naive, I played around for a while and even formed a group, but it didn’t work

 out. The past is in the past. How many times have I failed? In 2018, I even wanted to make a debut, but it’s all water under the bridge. My voice isn’t particularly distinctive, and my creations are average. If I can push you to the forefront, then I’ll have fulfilled my purpose.”

Jian Jie felt a sense of pressure, paused for a moment, and calmly stated, “Although I don’t know if I can fulfill your wish, I will do my best not to let you down.”

“Okay, let’s work hard together.” Long Zichen was overjoyed upon hearing Jian Jie’s determination.

When they arrived at the company, Long Zichen took Jian Jie directly to the vocal music classroom where their training was scheduled. The front row of the classroom was equipped with microphones, speakers, and various musical instruments, while rows of tables and chairs filled the rest of the space. Many other newcomers had already gathered in the classroom. Upon seeing Long Zichen enter, most of them stood up and greeted him as “Brother Chen.”

Long Zichen instantly switched into his glamorous and cool mode, nodding in their direction, but not giving much attention to anyone. He instructed Jian Jie, “Find a seat. Today’s first class is vocal training. The teacher is my senior, so please behave well. I’ll check on you later. If you don’t perform well, just wait and see.”

Jian Jie followed his instructions and sat at the back of the classroom. Long Zichen said, “I’ll get to work then,” and walked out of the classroom with confidence, leaving Jian Jie alone, and attracting the attention of others.

While Xinghuo Music was a relatively new record company with a modest scale, it possessed strong financial resources and had clear plans, indicating significant potential for growth. Shortly after its establishment, the company managed to attract numerous young individuals aspiring to enter the entertainment industry. Out of hundreds of applicants, the company carefully selected a dozen promising newcomers to sign contracts and initiated its first artist training class. The training program spanned six months and was scheduled on weekends and holidays to accommodate the students among the newcomers. As the training had only just begun two weeks ago, Jian Jie was able to keep up with the curriculum.

Considering the company’s abundant resources, it was unrealistic for all the newcomers to debut simultaneously. Naturally, there was competition among them, and only the top performers would have the opportunity to release their albums earlier. Others who did not make the cut initially could still sign contracts after undergoing multiple rounds of elimination and displaying significant effort. Jian Jie, however, was an exception as he joined directly without going through the selection process, indicating the music director’s favoritism towards him. Consequently, he drew the attention of the other newcomers.

Aware of the probing gaze around him, Jian Jie, accustomed to being in the limelight since his childhood, calmly took out a pen and notebook, preparing to take notes during the class. Nonetheless, his silence didn’t prevent others from approaching him. At that moment, a familiar young man casually sat beside Jian Jie. The boy, around sixteen or seventeen years old and of average height at approximately 1.65 meters, possessed a soft, pretty, and cute appearance that aligned with the preferences of many young fans nowadays. He looked at Jian Jie with a cute smile and inquired, “Are you a new artist who just signed up with the company? I haven’t seen you before. My name is Tong Liangliang. What’s yours?” Jian Jie responded, “My name is Jian Jie. We signed the contract just this week.”

“That’s great! We’re now part of the same family,” Tong Liangliang exclaimed cheerfully. “You can call me Xiaoliang, Brother Jian Jie. My family is from the countryside, far away from Anping. I just arrived in Anping, and I don’t have any friends here. You remind me of my brother, but you’re much prettier. When I saw you, I felt a sense of familiarity.”

Tong Liangliang’s words made Jian Jie feel a bit embarrassed. He wasn’t particularly skilled at interacting with overly familiar people, so he simply smiled politely in response. However, Tong Liangliang interpreted Jian Jie’s lack of refusal as encouragement and bombarded him with a series of questions. He enthusiastically discussed how fun Anping was and asked about Jian Jie’s occupation. Jian Jie, maintaining a friendly demeanor, answered Tong Liangliang’s inquiries mostly with basic information. When the conversation veered towards privacy, he politely smiled and changed the subject. Despite his amiable nature, Jian Jie possessed principles and the ability to discern when someone was being manipulative.

After a while, the vocal teacher entered the classroom and announced the beginning of the class, saving Jian Jie from Tong Liangliang’s incessant chatter. As soon as Tong Liangliang noticed the teacher’s arrival, he quickly engaged in conversation with Jian Jie and promptly made his way to the front row, fixating his gaze on the female teacher standing before him.

With the classroom finally quieting down, Jian Jie let out a sigh of relief and redirected his attention to the front, ready to attentively listen to the first class.

Please let me know if there are typos/mistakes in the chapter.

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