Huayu: Starting from the top talent show

Chapter 577 Girls Whose Dreams Come True
After accompanying foreigners through their festivals and celebrations, we've officially entered the countdown phase to end 2020 and enter 2021.

Considering that I have to go to Changsha to record Happy Camp on the 28th, attend the premiere of Little Red Flower in Beijing on the 29th, and then go to Haikou on the 30th and 31st to prepare for this year's New Year's Eve concert, I don't have any special plans for these few days. I can stay in Shanghai to relax and, incidentally, supervise the album production team's arrangement progress.

AS4's first single, "Easy On Me," is confirmed to have its world premiere on New Year's Eve and will be officially released globally on January 1st.

AS4's second single, "Kill Bill," which has already finished filming the music video and all post-production work, is tentatively scheduled for release at the end of January.

This way, the album can be sandwiched between the first single and the Valentine's Day EP, minimizing audience diversion and maintaining the overall popularity of the album.

Time flew by and it was the morning of the 27th.

After waking up, Shen Juan ate something simple, changed into some casual clothes that weren't too flashy, and then took Xiao Tian, ​​who had come to Shanghai to see him, out the door. He had recently taken on a promotional job for Disney, which required him to unlock Disney locations around the world as much as possible, and then update his social media with their tags.

In this way, Shen Juan will receive a promotional fee of 500 million US dollars, as well as the title of Disney Global Honorary Ambassador and Lifetime Member.

In fact, thanks to her high-class personal image and extraordinary global fame and influence, as well as the high stickiness and spending power of her fans, Shen Juan now earns $150 million for a single Instagram post, successfully surpassing Kendall Jenner, Cristiano Ronaldo, Ariana Grande, and others, and firmly holding the top spot on the global celebrity Instagram income list.

Although the number of brands seeking his promotion is not as large as one might imagine—after all, major brands are likely competitors to the more than thirty products he endorses—Shen Juan's business empire is now nearing saturation, covering virtually every aspect of life, from clothing and food to housing, transportation, cosmetics, luxury goods, banks, and duty-free shops.

And what about smaller brands?
They are also rarely wealthy and powerful.

I simply can't afford that money.

However, considering that his fans are truly willing to spend money, they will really buy the products he recommends or endorses. Therefore, adhering to the principle of "better to have less than to have bad quality", Shen Juan usually does not deliberately lower his prices to make easy money, in order to maintain his fans' enthusiasm for consumption and live up to their trust in him.

At nine o'clock in the morning, Shen Juan brought Xiao Tian to the agreed meeting point at the entrance of Disneyland, only to find that some people had already arrived.

"Brother Chao, Sister Li, it's been a long time!"

Shen Juan pulled the gentle Tian Jie, who was deliberately acting like a virtuous wife in front of outsiders, and ran over. First, they hugged the Deng Chao couple who came to greet them with smiles, and then squatted down in front of the two little kids: "Our smartest Deng Deng and our cutest Xiao Hua, have you missed me these days?"

Nine-year-old Dengdeng is already quite sensible, and at this age, he is naturally full of admiration for impressive people. So when he saw his idol, he couldn't hide his excitement and shouted, "Yes! I was telling my classmates at school the day before yesterday that I was going to Shanghai Disneyland with you this weekend, but none of them believed me!"

"It's okay, we can take a group photo later and post it on Weibo, then those classmates who don't believe you will know, right?"

"it is good!"

Then, perhaps because children don't lie, Xiao Hua, who is only six years old this year but can already clearly distinguish between beauty and ugliness, was obviously more clingy. When she saw Shen Juan running over quickly, she broke free from Sun Li's hand, ran to him, and stretched out her arms for a hug: "I want to too! Brother Shen Juan, I want to ride the carousel today!"

"it is good!"

Shen Juan picked up Xiao Hua and pinched her little cheek: "I'll play whatever you want to play today!"

"Brother Shen Juan is the best!"

Xiao Hua's soft and coquettish appearance made everyone present laugh, and Sister Tian kept giggling happily.

I just find it so adorable that this child is still so innocent and naive at such a young age! She's just as heartwarming as her cats and dogs!
So he took out the snacks they had prepared in advance from the bag Shen Juan was carrying and gave them to the children he was meeting for the first time. His tone was gentler than Shen Juan had ever heard before: "If you and Xiao Hua get tired of playing later, eat some of these to replenish your energy. We have plenty of time today, so we can play slowly and there's no rush."

"This is your Aunt Xiaotian," Shen Juan introduced at the opportune moment.

Dengdeng immediately took the snacks and smiled as he thanked the gentle-looking older sister in front of him: "Thank you, Aunt Xiaotian!"

Little Flower snuggled against Shen Juan's chest before sweetly saying in her baby voice, "Thank you, Auntie Xiaotian. Auntie Xiaotian is so kind!"

The crowd burst into another light laugh.

But when Xiaotian heard the two children address her, she couldn't help but force a smile while secretly glaring at Shen Juan. After Shen Juan put Xiaohua down, she took advantage of the moment when Deng Chao and his wife were playing with the children to lightly elbow Shen Juan's arm and said in a slightly dissatisfied and coquettish tone, "Why are you the older brother and I'm the aunt? This makes me look several years older. Are you doing this on purpose?"

Shen Juan laughed as she nudged him with her elbow, then leaned close to her ear and whispered coaxingly, "I just thought calling you 'Auntie' sounded more affectionate!"

Before anyone could react, Xiaohua peeked out from Sun Li's arms and chimed in, "Auntie Tian is so nice! Even gentler than Mom! Mom never lets me eat snacks!"

Sun Li suppressed a laugh upon hearing this and offered no explanation.

So when Xiaotian heard this, the dissatisfaction on his face immediately disappeared, but he still glared at Shen Juan arrogantly as a warning, which was to let him off the hook for the time being, and to settle accounts later.

Deng Chao, who had witnessed the interaction between the two, deliberately leaned over to tease, "What? You're getting into a fight over how the kids address each other? How about I have Dengdeng and Xiaohua call you Sister Xiaotian and him Uncle Shen Juan, and you two switch it over?"

This made everyone laugh.

Xiao Tian blushed slightly and quickly waved her hand, "There's really no need for that. Now that I think about it, I think Auntie is quite nice too."

"Then can I start calling you Auntie too?"

Sister Tian rolled her eyes at Shen Juan, clearly annoyed.

"go away!"

"Hahaha!"

All six people who came to Disneyland today have arrived, so next we'll go through the members-only lane and enter the park.

While riding the Fantasia Carousel, Xiaohua and Shen Juan sat in the carriage, laughing non-stop while clinging to his arm; Dengdeng pretended to be a little adult, stating in a very aloof manner that only girls would like the carousel; Xiaotian found a black horse that Shen Juan called "Pearl the Pony," and lay on it quietly gazing at Shen Juan's profile. The corners of her mouth, slightly upturned with happiness, were hidden by her mask, but the atmosphere at that moment felt extremely warm.

Next, they went to the Seven Dwarfs Mine Train, which is suitable for all ages. Deng Chao and Sun Li each took one child, so Tian Jie was finally able to sit with Shen Juan and enjoy "time together." Unfortunately, the thrill of this roller coaster was quite limited, and it wasn't even as fun as when Shen Juan suddenly played a prank and pulled off Tian Jie's mask halfway through.

When checking in at the Frozen theater, Shen Juan and Xiao Hua sang "Let It Go" the whole time. Deng Chao secretly took out his phone to record it, and felt that the scene was really beautiful!

Next up is Pirates of the Caribbean, which many people think is the best ride at Shanghai Disneyland, and Shen Juan also thinks it's pretty good.

When they went to see the Winnie the Pooh Adventure, Sister Tian was so excited that she would stop every few steps to strike a pose. Shen Juan had no choice but to be forcibly conscripted by her to be the photographer.

Although she was wearing a mask and only her eyes were visible in the photos, she posed for a total of thirty photos in one go.

After leaving the project site, a cool breeze blew by, and Tian Xiwei subconsciously shrank her neck and tightened her collar. Seeing this, Shen Juan turned around and bought hot cocoa before she could say anything.

Five minutes later, Tian Xiwei held the warm cup, the warmth spreading from her palms to her heart, and smiled at him with her eyes crinkling.

As the sun set and we watched the castle light show from our VIP seats, our team-building activities for the day came to an end.

After saying goodbye to each other, the group went home.

Xiaotian happily sorted through today's photos, and she had to choose the best ones to post on Weibo to show off her skills!

Juanjuan called me over for this family gathering.
What does this mean?
This means our relationship has reached the level of family! This means we're only missing the legal proof to get married!
Wuhu~

I never hide my ambition.

I'm sorry I was born to be king.

Empress Tekagerina thought so.

Shen Juan had other matters to attend to.

Min Hee-jin from the South Korean branch called him.

New Jeans will debut on the 10th of next month.

As the boss and senior colleague, Shen Juan was obliged to chat with them as agreed, hoping to share his experience and relieve their stress.

I went back to my bedroom, turned on my computer, and joined a video conference.

In front of the camera, five girls huddled on a dormitory sofa instantly straightened up, as if frozen in time.

"Hello, Representative!" Five voices with different timbres rang out at the same time, each carrying the crispness unique to young girls, yet concealing an undisguised nervousness.

Sitting in the middle, 14-year-old maknae Haerin (Kang Hae-rin) looked particularly reserved, and even her voice trembled a little.

Danielle, a 15-year-old high school girl of Korean and Australian descent, looked at Shen Juan with eyes full of the excitement of seeing her idol and realizing her dream.

At least 90% of the underage female trainees recruited by Starlink in South Korea were Alovers who came for Shen Juan.

Haerin is like this, and so is Danielle.

Having met Shen Juan in person before, Jin Wenchi and Xue Yun, who are the same age, seemed much more relaxed and natural.

The oldest, the Korean-American Moon Chanel, seemed quite calm. Perhaps due to the influence of her family environment and her football training from a young age, she was stronger and more composed than most girls her age. In addition, Kim Min-ji and Seol-yoon were also quite mature, so Min Hee-jin was easy to manage.

When they encounter problems or difficulties, they don't need to worry much; these girls can handle and solve the problems internally on their own.

Shen Juan picked up the coffee that Xiao Tian had just made for him, took a sip, and glanced at the screen, landing on the five pretty faces with different expressions. Then he gave a gentle smile, trying to put the group of ordinary girls at ease: "Don't be so reserved. Just call me brother in private. I'm not that much older than you. Before becoming your boss, I was also an idol for a while, so we have similar experiences. I understand your feelings and I think we will have a lot in common. Minji and Xueyun have met me before, and they both seem very relaxed now. You should all be like them."

Hearing that Shen Juan still remembered her, Jin Wenchi's ears turned slightly red, her fingers gently twisting the hem of her clothes. A sweet warmth instantly spread through her heart, and her soft voice carried a shy excitement: "Um, actually I was quite nervous too, but the excitement of seeing Shen Juan overshadowed that nervousness."

“Me too,” Xueyun chimed in.

"I just said I wanted to learn from you two, and you came out and exposed yourselves, is that really okay?" Shen Juan smiled helplessly.

"Oh, sorry!" Kim Min-chi and Seol-yoon immediately apologized, afraid of upsetting Shen Juan, who was both the boss and the idol.

"It's not to the point where I need to apologize." Shen Juan's voice unconsciously softened, and his tone became gentler.

Looking at the girls on the screen, he suddenly felt very comfortable in the atmosphere. Being with cute girls made him feel like he would absorb some of their cuteness and become cute himself.

After a brief exchange of pleasantries, Min Hee-jin, who was listening in, took the lead and got to the main topic of the video conference.

Wen Xianai, who was appointed as the team leader by Min Xizhen, took a deep breath and took the lead in raising her question: "Shen Juan hyung, I'm always worried that my movements on stage are too forceful and that I might not appear gentle enough. Even the teacher has mentioned this issue more than once, saying that my facial expression management is not very good and that I'm a bit too forceful."

Upon hearing this, Shen Juan pondered for a moment: "The South Korean idol training system has become quite perfect after so many years of updates and iterations. Moreover, as you approach your debut, your CEO Min should have discussed with you which persona to take after your debut. So I think your 'rush' is not a weakness, but rather a distinctive feature."

“Look at Lisa from BLACKPINK. The power she exudes while dancing can be a memorable feature. But remember, stage presence isn’t about brute force. It’s not about trying harder and putting in more effort to achieve the best results. You need to find the right balance yourself. But once you have more stage experience, you should be able to handle it with ease.”

Wenshanel nodded thoughtfully.

"Brother Shen Juan!"

Xueyun's voice is soft and sweet, yet it carries a seriousness and masculinity that doesn't match her appearance. Netizens say she looks like the daughter of Minatozaki Sana and Chou Tzu-yu. Her delicate features are filled with confusion: "People online say I'm destined to be the fifth generation's goddess of beauty, but I'm worried. If I'm not in good shape in the future, will I disappoint everyone?"

Shen Juan looked up at Xue Yun, whose brows were slightly furrowed. His voice was less casual and more sincere in its comfort and guidance: "To be honest, the title of 'god-like beauty' is an honor given by fans, but at the same time it is a shackle that binds idols. When I participated in a talent show in South Korea, they also said that I was the new visual mountain of K-pop, but it turned out that it was not very useful. Being good-looking can only guarantee the lower limit, but the upper limit of an artist's development is determined by his other aspects."

"So you only need to remember two things. First, even the most beautiful face will eventually grow old. No one can live in the filter of a divine face forever. A divine face paired with excellent professional skills, or a divine face paired with a likable personality, is a winning combination! But if you only have a divine face, then it's nothing."

After a slight pause, he softened his tone and added a touch of seriousness to his eyes: "Secondly, you are Xueyun of NewJeans, not a copy of anyone else, and you don't need to live up to other people's expectations. You only need to meet the expectations of yourself, your family, and your teammates."

Xueyun bit her lip, and tears gradually welled up in her eyes.

Does it meet the expectations of myself, my family, and my teammates?
But I also want to fulfill your expectations, Brother Shen Juan.
When you broke through the security personnel's lines at Incheon Airport in early winter, ran quickly towards me against the light, bent down to pick up my light stick that I had dropped, looked me in the eye, and said gently in Korean, "Thank you for being my fan," and then our fingertips touched.
I knew then that I had met someone who would amaze me.

The brilliance of youth can become a lifelong benchmark.

I don't think I'll ever forget you in my life.

Next, it was the turn of Kim Min-ji, the third member of the new jeans line, to ask a question.

“Brother Shen Juan, I’m a bit lost lately. Sometimes I feel like I’m a puzzle piece that’s not in the right place. When I try to go for a sweet girl style, I always feel out of place with that sweet girl vibe. But when I try to go for a cool girl style, it seems like I’m missing a style that can carry the aura. It’s hard to find a direction that truly suits me.”

Shen Juan didn't rush to answer. During the few seconds of silence, his gaze remained fixed on the girl's bright eyes, as if to let her feel his certainty first, before he spoke up to comfort her: "What you call missing something is precisely your greatest advantage. You haven't been confined by the single style of sweet girl or cool girl. This is called malleability and blank space, which is an advantage that many people don't have."

"To put it bluntly, the aesthetic of girl groups has never been a single, uniform template. From Girls' Generation ten years ago to Apink and Red Velvet, and then to TWICE and BP in recent years, each generation of girl groups carries a different style. The public's aesthetic preferences change every year. Moreover, we were destined to go to the international market from the very beginning and be reviewed by audiences from different countries and cultural backgrounds."

"So I think it's not just you, everyone else should also broaden their horizons and not be confined by the fixed standards of the single South Korean market, limiting their own possibilities. Only by actively breaking free from the constraints of this aesthetic and style, and maintaining their own plasticity, can they seize more diverse opportunities in the future."

The confusion in Jin Wenchi's eyes gradually dissipated, her tense shoulders quietly relaxed, and a faint smile unconsciously appeared on her lips. She looked at Shen Juan, who was wearing a gentle smile on the screen, and listened very attentively, even unconsciously softening her breathing, afraid of interrupting this reassuring guidance.

Then it was Danielle's turn.

A hint of confusion lingered on her delicate Korean-Australian mixed-race face: "Brother Shen Juan, my situation is a little different from Minji unnie's. I always feel like my stage presence can only be cute. The choreographer also said that when I dance strong hip-hop moves, I always seem childish, like I'm dancing children's dance."

Is it possible that you were originally a child?

"Ah this."

Shen Juan chuckled softly, “Being cute isn’t wrong. Many people like cute girls, but with TWICE’s huge success, there are just too many idols who have adopted the energetic and cute route in the past two years. So if you want your cuteness to be more layered and distinctive, you have to incorporate your personal characteristics into it.”

Danielle blinked: "But how do we fuse them?"

Shen Juan smiled and gave specific directions: "How about trying to start with your eyes? You don't need to change too much all at once. For example, when you're doing a power jump, don't look as soft and cute as usual. You can add more focus and sharpness, and add your confidence and vibrancy. That way, the cuteness won't seem so thin."

"Stage style is not simply about changing clothes, but about showing people that Danielle has more than one side. However, considering that you haven't debuted yet, there are some issues that don't need to be addressed right now. So let's forget about the word 'cute' for now, focus on the present, do the things in front of us well, and then think about the future."

The mixed-race high school girl nodded vigorously, a smile curving her lips like a sunflower facing the sun, finally finding the direction of the light.

Finally, it was Haerin's turn. She was the youngest and least experienced girl in the group. So, facing a stage she hadn't officially stepped onto yet, and a public opinion environment that could devour and destroy everyone's will, what she hid beneath her quiet exterior was more severe anxiety and unease than the other older members.

"Brother Shen Juan, last week I heard from a trainee sister that many idols who have already debuted often hide in the practice room and cry because of negative comments. So I'm worried that after I debut, people will also say that I'm slacking off, that my singing is shaky, that I'm not good-looking, that my personality is bad, or even that I have no presence in the group."

Shen Juan looked at the cat-faced girl who was huddled in the middle, protected by her four older sisters, and deliberately slowed down her speech, using the same gentle tone she used to comfort Dengdeng and Xiaohua today: "Haerin, there's no need to be afraid at the age of 14, because it's perfectly normal to make mistakes when you're young."

"As for negative comments? They're like dust on the practice room floor. Even if you sweep the floor ten times a day, it will still be there. But you can't stop practicing just because you're afraid of getting dust on your face, right? You don't need to compete with others in singing and dancing. You just need to do what Haerin should do. No matter how well you do, there will always be people who like you, and these people will give you a constant source of strength to keep pushing you to keep working hard and keep improving."

"So next time you encounter hurtful comments, think about whether my wink made the fans happy today, and whether my part was more solid than yesterday. Focus on what you can do well right now, and the dust that you can't sweep away will naturally be covered by the light you emit."

Haerin listened quietly, the corners of his mouth gradually turning up like a cat that had been stroked and finally let its guard down.

She suddenly remembered that during yesterday's practice, Minji unnie praised her for her amazing ending pose, and she also remembered Seol-yoon unnie rubbing her face while saying that her soft voice made people happy. So she secretly clenched her fist.

She made up her mind to work hard and not let herself or them down! She absolutely couldn't let Shen Juan down!

Shen Juan's gaze swept over the five girls, and he concluded, "There are still two weeks until your official debut. Don't let the outside world's voices hold you back. Starlink isn't offering you a gilded cage, but a shining stage. After January 10th, 2021, you'll have to stand in the spotlight on your own, so please remember that."

"It's normal to feel nervous when facing difficulties and challenges, but don't forget why you chose to embark on this path in the first place."

"That's what will keep you going."

After he finished speaking, facing the five girls who stood up and bowed 90 degrees to thank him, Shen Juan just smiled gently and didn't say anything more. However, before hanging up and saying goodnight to each other, he still made a fist and cheered lightly to the camera. The gesture was simple but conveyed a gentle encouragement.

Although he has already achieved great success and fame, the journey for StarLink and NewJeans has only just begun.

No one knows what the future holds.

But it will probably be very interesting.

(Haerin)

(End of this chapter)