How can you ascend to heaven when you are a star?

Chapter 398 Just because the tiger doesn't roar doesn't mean it can't be a lucky cat!

As the date of Jiang Li's concert draws closer, Zhao Tong and others are training even harder.

In addition to singing their debut song "The Best of Us", they will also sing a song by Jiang Li.

This was the first time the five of them had performed in front of tens of thousands of people. It would be a lie to say they weren't nervous, but they also knew that this was a rare opportunity and they had to do their best. So everyone put in their best effort, spending 16 out of 24 hours a day training, just to show their best selves to the audience and live up to everyone's expectations.

"call!"

Chen Silu sat on the ground, feeling completely drained.

Sweat had soaked her clothes, and her hair was sticky and plastered to her forehead. A few strands of hair trembled slightly with her breathing, adding a touch of healthy beauty to her pretty face.

"Teacher Li, how was that last time?" Chen Silu looked at the dance teacher Li Yuetong in front of her, her eyes full of expectation, hoping that the other party would give her a good review.

"You're all graceful, but lack strength. I'll give you three minutes to rest. We'll continue in three minutes," Li Yuetong said expressionlessly.

"..."

Chen Silu tilted her head back and lay down on the ground. The other four people drank water and wiped their sweat, taking the time to rest.

Seeing the group members collapsed, Li Yuetong felt no pity. This was the task Teacher Zhang had given her: to train these five people rigorously until they could no longer move.

Although she felt that Teacher Zhang was a bit extreme, she could completely understand him.

With five days to go until Sister Li's concert, I must strengthen my muscle memory, improve the quality of my movements, and cultivate my sense of rhythm and coordination through continuous training so that I can present a better version of myself to the audience.

In fact, it's not just the audience at the venue. Nowadays, there are many social media platforms, and everyone is keen to share. There will inevitably be people posting photos and videos of the concert online. As a guest performer, Future Girls is also a very popular super rookie group, which will definitely attract a lot of attention.

If I perform well, I might attract a lot of fans; if I perform poorly, I'm sure some people will criticize me harshly.

Li Yuetong glanced at the watch on her wrist and silently began a countdown in her mind.

3, 2, 1... Time's up.

"Clap clap clap!"

Li Yuetong clapped her hands.

Although they didn't say anything, Chen Silu and the others seemed to have received an order, and quickly stood up from the ground without the slightest hesitation.

"Let me mention a few more points to note," Li Yuetong said, just as she was about to demonstrate, when there was a knock on the door.

"Dang Dang Dang!"

Li Yuetong opened the door, paused for a moment when she saw who was standing outside, and then politely asked, "Hello, Mr. Liu, who are you looking for?"

"Is the Future Girls group inside? I need to talk to them about something," Liu Haiyang said.

"They're here, please come in." Li Yuetong quickly stepped aside to make way.

Liu Haiyang walked into the practice room and was taken aback when he saw the five group members. A strange light flashed in his eyes.

It's been a month since I last saw them, and I feel that the five trainees have matured a lot. Their temperament has also changed. Saying they are pretty is not accurate. They have a more obvious style now.

It must be said that Teacher Zhang has a knack for it; he was very successful in transforming these five people.

What did that sentence say?

After three days of separation, you should look at each other with admiration.

"Are you rehearsing a dance?" Liu Haiyang asked with a smile, appearing very approachable.

Chen Silu gritted her teeth and remained silent. She couldn't forget the scene of him hitting and scolding her when they last met, and she had the exact same nightmare a few days ago.

The other four looked at each other. It wouldn't be right to just stand there in silence, after all, this was the company's vice president. Finally, team leader Zhao Tong stepped forward and said, "Yes, President Liu, we are rehearsing."

"Is it for some kind of program?" Liu Haiyang asked casually on the surface, but he was actually very concerned.

"We're going to Jiang Li's concert on the 20th; we'll be performing guests," Zhao Tong said truthfully.

"Really? This is the first time I've heard of this. Jiang Li has done a good job keeping things a secret. You've only been in the industry for a month and you're already Jiang Li's guest performers. This is both a sign of her care for you and her high regard for you. I hope you can perform well and live up to Jiang Li and the company's expectations," Liu Haiyang said solemnly.

"?"

Zhao Tong and the others were completely stunned.

What are the company's expectations?
The company neither cared for them nor helped them, and now they're standing up and saying they have expectations... Is it because they're worried that the company won't perform well and won't be able to come up with that ten million?

"Do you have any plans for the day after tomorrow?" Liu Haiyang suddenly asked.

the day after tomorrow?

The five of them thought about it. Teacher Zhang hadn't arranged any activities for them recently. His main task was to prepare for Sister Li's concert. Everything else, including the recording of the new album, had been postponed until after the 20th.

“No,” Zhao Tong said.

Liu Haiyang was secretly delighted, but on the surface he maintained his approachable demeanor as he looked at the five people and said, "There is an event the day after tomorrow. You can attend. All you need to do is sing a song on stage. There will be many people there, so it will be good practice for you."

Upon hearing this, all five of them felt a sense of doubt.

When the contract was renegotiated, it was clearly stated in black and white that the company would not pay the group a single penny. So why are they arranging activities for them now?

"Does Teacher Zhang know?" Zhao Tong asked curiously.

"This is work arranged for you by the company. Whether Teacher Zhang knows or not, you must go. Don't forget, you are artists of Tianxi Media." Liu Haiyang gradually became serious, his voice carrying a hint of warning and threat.

"..."

The five women exchanged glances, and this time none of them spoke.

They only listen to Teacher Zhang.

Let alone the deputy general manager, even if the general manager came, it would be the same.

Moreover, the contract states that Teacher Zhang is their person in charge, and they listen to the person in charge. Is that right?

Liu Haiyang raised an eyebrow, feeling very dissatisfied with the five women's reaction.

It seems it's time to give these people a warning, or they'll all get too cocky.

"Don't think that just because you've signed a new agreement, the company can't control you anymore. You are still the company's artists, and the company has the right to arrange your work. I will inform Teacher Zhang about this. You just need to do as I say. Remember to meet at the company gate at 8 a.m. the day after tomorrow. If anyone doesn't come, don't blame me for being impolite."

After Liu Haiyang finished speaking, he walked out of the practice room.

"Oh!"

As soon as the door closed, the practice room was quiet for a short while before the voices of five women began to murmur.

"Shall we go or not?" Chen Silu asked her companion.

"I don't know." Zhao Tong shook her head, unsure of what to do.

"Didn't the company ignore us? Why are they so kind as to arrange activities for us this time?" Zhang Jiajia was completely puzzled.

"Judging from President Liu's attitude, I don't think the company has good intentions," Su Jin said after thinking for a moment.

“I agree. My intuition tells me that things are definitely not as simple as Mr. Liu said,” Cheng Sisi said.

The five women frowned, their expressions a mixture of doubt and worry.

"Don't look so gloomy here," Li Yuetong said. "Why don't you ask Teacher Zhang? You can't go wrong listening to him."

Upon hearing this, the five people felt as if they had been enlightened, and even their eyes became clear.

"Yes, let's find Teacher Zhang." Zhao Tong immediately walked to the side, took out his phone from his training bag, and dialed Teacher Zhang's number.

Soon, the call was connected.

"Hey?"

"Teacher Zhang, this is Zhao Tong. Vice President Liu just contacted us and asked us to attend an event the day after tomorrow. He even threatened that we have to go..." Zhao Tong briefly explained what had just happened and then waited for Teacher Zhang's reply.

If Teacher Zhang asked her to go, she would definitely not hesitate.

"Is that so?" Zhang Wen, standing in a corner of the set, frowned deeply, a cold glint flashing in his eyes.

Liu Haiyang actually bypassed him, the group's manager, to assign work to Future Girls. What was he trying to do? Did he see the group becoming popular and want to take over the group for himself?

Fuck you!

Too bully.

Zhang Wen couldn't help but recall the time a few days ago when Li Lehua approached him to sign a contract.

One person is envious of the future girl and wants to form a new group with him, while the other comes to snatch her away without even giving notice. Isn't that too disgusting?

What did you think of him?

A fish on a chopping board, at the mercy of others?
Just because I don't show my teeth doesn't mean I'm a lucky cat!

“You don’t need to go,” Zhang Wen said in a deep voice.

"But Vice President Liu said that if we don't go, he will be rude to us," Zhao Tong said after hearing this.

“With me here, it’s fine. I’d like to see how he can be so impolite.” Zhang Wen said with a sneer. “Don’t go to the company these next few days. Starting tomorrow, go to Xingxiang Art Examination Training Center for rehearsals. I’ll prepare some folding beds for you. Make do there for a few days. Don’t answer any calls. Then come with me to Shenzhen on the 19th.”

“Yes, Teacher Zhang,” Zhao Tong replied immediately.

To her, Teacher Zhang's words were orders, while Vice President Liu's words were nothing but a fart, something that would only disgust her for a while before being forgotten.

After the call ended, Zhang Jiajia, Cheng Sisi, Chen Silu, and Su Jin all turned to look at Zhao Tong, waiting for him to relay Teacher Zhang's instructions.

Zhao Tong put away her phone and looked at her companion, saying, "Teacher Zhang said that we'll start rehearsing at Xingxiang tomorrow. Don't worry about Vice President Liu."

Upon hearing this, everyone secretly breathed a sigh of relief.

With Teacher Zhang as our support, we don't need to worry.

the next day.

Zhao Tong and the others packed their luggage and then headed to Xingxiang Art Examination Training Center.

Zhang Wen had already prepared a room for the five of them. Although the conditions were a bit simple, it was kept secret, so no one would disturb them, and no one would know that the future girl group was living in a training school.

The third day arrived quickly.

Ye Jiawei stood outside the company gate, anxiously looking at the passing vehicles. There were only two minutes left before the meeting time, but the Future Girls group was still nowhere to be seen.

Did I hear wrong? Wasn't it eight o'clock in the morning?

She wanted to call Deputy Manager Liu to reschedule the meeting time, but considering there were still two minutes left, she ultimately decided to wait.

Maybe they timed their visit perfectly.

Besides, Future Girl is already somewhat famous, so being a few minutes late is perfectly normal. Which celebrity is punctual? Which celebrity isn't late?
She's seen people who are a few minutes late, and even a couple of hours late.

Ye Jiawei gripped her phone tightly and continued looking around the street. Deputy General Manager Liu had appointed her as the assistant to the girl group, and she absolutely could not let him down; she had to do her job well.

Time ticked by, and ten minutes passed quickly, exceeding the agreed-upon time.

Ye Jiawei thought for a moment and instead of calling Deputy General Manager Liu immediately, she found Zhao Tong's phone number and dialed the number of the future leader of the girl group.

This is the number that Deputy General Manager Liu gave her, so that he can contact the future girl in the future.

"..."

The music kept playing from the microphone until a cold voice came through.

"The number you dialed is temporarily unavailable. Please try again later..."

Ye Jiawei checked the 11-digit phone number, confirmed it was correct, and dialed it again.

"..."

"The number you dialed is temporarily unavailable. Please try again later..."

Ye Jiawei looked at her phone in confusion. No one answered? Could it be that Vice President Liu had given her the wrong number?

Undeterred, she found another member of the group, Zhang Jiajia's, phone number and called him.

"..."

"The number you dialed is temporarily unavailable..."

The familiar yet cold voice came again, and this time Ye Jiawei frowned.

Can't get through to either of them?
Then the others...

She then dialed the phone numbers of the other three group members, and unsurprisingly, no one answered.

what's the situation?
If one number doesn't answer, it might be because the phone number is wrong. But if all five numbers don't answer, does that mean all five phone numbers are wrong?

Vice President Liu is really a rip-off!
Ye Jiawei waited and waited, and another ten minutes passed. Finally, worried that it would affect the event, she dialed Vice President Liu's mobile phone number.

This time, the call connected quickly.

"Hey, Xiao Ye, how's everything going on your end?"

"Mr. Liu, did you send the wrong phone numbers to the members of the Future Girls group yesterday? I called them one by one, but no one answered," Ye Jiawei said softly.

"Sent to the wrong number? No way?" Liu Haiyang was stunned. That was the phone number he got from the training department. How could it be wrong?
Even if other people's phone numbers could be wrong, Chen Silu's phone number couldn't be wrong, because he had called Chen Silu before.

Wait, that’s not right!
Liu Haiyang suddenly realized something and asked into the phone, "Why are you calling their cell phones? Didn't they come?"

"Yes, Mr. Liu, I've been waiting here at the company gate since 7:30, but I haven't seen anyone," Ye Jiawei said truthfully.

I stood for almost an hour, and my legs were already sore.

"They didn't come? How dare they!" Liu Haiyang stood up abruptly from his seat, walking out of the office as he said, "You wait there, I'll go check the training department. They probably came directly into the company from the underground parking lot."

Ye Jiawei thought to herself: I've been watching the parking lot entrance, but I haven't seen those five people.

However, despite her thoughts, she wasn't sure if she had overlooked anything, so she said, "Okay, Mr. Liu," and hung up the phone.

As Liu Haiyang walked out of the office, he didn't forget to dial Chen Silu's mobile phone number.

A phone number that could be dialed a month ago is now showing no answer.

At that moment, he had a bad feeling.

"You'd better be in the training department, or I, Liu Haiyang, will never let you off the hook!"

……

(End of this chapter)