Chapter 153: Father and Son

Cheng Xiaoyu walked toward the practice room with a somewhat heavy heart. What he had just heard might have been considered average to others, but his standards were significantly higher than those of ordinary people. Thus, what he deemed "average" could be described as quite exceptional for this era.

If the idol groups were not debuting at the same time, it would be a different story. However, debuting simultaneously meant they could not avoid comparison. Although Idol Project possessed high visual appeal, which could help them amass a certain fanbase, as singers, they ultimately had to rely on strength. Relying solely on looks could never take them far. In this ruthless entertainment industry of survival of the fittest, their first album could very well be their last. If the company's promotional efforts fell short, even the highest visual appeal would be nothing more than a fleeting flash in the pan. There were simply too many examples from South Korea's past, such as groups with great visuals and exceptional vocals like -OS (which had disbanded) and ONS (which had changed core members for even higher visual appeal, yet remained obscure to this day).

Of course, girl groups were almost non-existent in this era, making the competition far less intense than in his previous life. However, Idol Project's album could be said to be completely devoid of highlights, and their positioning lacked clarity. Cheng Xiaoyu was not yet sure about the scale of the promotional efforts. If he hadn't encountered Sony's Eastern Mythology, and if he didn't already have a clear standard for Chinese girl groups in his mind, he might have just patiently waited for the next album.

Once Eastern Mythology established the benchmark for girl groups, however, it would inevitably become much harder for Idol Project to break through with their second album. Variety shows in this era were also quite limited; there were not many television programs available for stars to build their presence, and even the better variety shows were monopolized by major celebrities.

If the company did not spare any effort in promoting the first album, Cheng Xiaoyu could easily imagine how poorly Idol Project's record would sell compared to Eastern Mythology. At the very least, the level of importance attached to them by the two companies was not on the same magnitude. Furthermore, judging from the surface, the opponent's album production—from the team to song selection—was vastly superior.

Cheng Xiaoyu was unwilling to witness such an outcome. Setting aside Su Yuxi and Xu Qinning, he had developed a genuine bond with the other four members after a month of living and working together day in and day out. Moreover, these girls still held a deep respect for him in their hearts. Even though Cheng Xiaoyu's demands seemed harsh by the standards of this era, they had gritted their teeth and persevered. Cheng Xiaoyu would never forget his promise to lead them to become the strongest girl group; a man must keep his word.

Slowly walking to the entrance of the practice room, Cheng Xiaoyu quietly pushed the door open and saw Su Yuxi and the others earnestly practicing their dance. Even when he was not around, these girls still held themselves to strict standards without the slightest hint of laxity. Cheng Xiaoyu paused to watch for a moment, then silently pulled the door shut again. After a moment of thought, he headed toward the production department; he needed to find Xiang Fengxing, and no matter what, he had to persuade him.

When he arrived at the production department, however, he felt that a nobody like him was far from qualified to persuade Xiang Fengxing. Cheng Xiaoyu stood dazed at the entrance of the production department, failing to notice even when Ma Guoli greeted him.

After hesitating for a long time, Cheng Xiaoyu finally decided to call his father, Su Changhe. This trump card was the one he was most reluctant to play. This was also the first time in over a year since his return that he had taken the initiative to call his father, Su Changhe. To be honest, an intense inner conflict raged within him. If he truly had no other choice, he would never have made this call; the emotional scars deep within the otaku's heart were far from healed.

Once the call went through, Su Changhe answered quickly, and his familiar voice came through the receiver: "Hello?"

During Cheng Xiaoyu's month at Shanghe, Su Changhe had not visited him even once, nor had he asked about him a single time. Yet, he did know Cheng Xiaoyu was in the planning department, as Cao Danian had reported to him on the matter. As for Cao Danian's glowing praise of Cheng Xiaoyu, Su Changhe had merely smiled and hadn't taken it too seriously.

Holding the phone, Cheng Xiaoyu heard Su Changhe's "Hello," but found himself unable to speak. The person on the other end seemed quite patient and remained silent as well. The call fell into a heavy stillness, as if no one was on either end.

Perhaps he only hesitated for a moment, but to Cheng Xiaoyu, it felt as long as a harsh winter. With an inner sigh, he finally spoke: "Dad, there's something I'd like to discuss with you."

The response on the other end came naturally, devoid of the awkwardness of a long silence: "I'm in my office. Come over."

Cheng Xiaoyu hung up this longest yet shortest phone call of his life, turned away from the production department, and walked toward the president's office.

Passing through the long corridor, the walls on both sides were plastered with posters of Shanghe's famous superstars. Recessed ceiling lights cast a scattered glow over the narrow space, and Cheng Xiaoyu inexplicably felt a pang in his chest. With his head lowered, the dark blue carpet looked like a bottomless ocean, slowly swallowing him whole. Although he had come to terms with his mother's death, he could not so easily forgive a father who had failed to fulfill his responsibilities as a husband. In truth, he didn't even expect much; if Su Changhe could just give him a reason—even a lie—he felt he would have found it much easier to bear, but there was none.

Cheng Xiaoyu tried to delude himself into thinking he was merely a subordinate reporting to a superior, only snapping back to reality when he reached the door of Su Changhe's office. With a blank expression, he told the front desk secretary that he wished to see the president. The female secretary was a woman in her thirties with very ordinary looks, not even particularly well-proportioned, leaning slightly toward the heavy side. She looked up and asked, "Do you have an appointment?"

Cheng Xiaoyu nodded, and the secretary skillfully dialed the extension to Su Changhe's office. After exchanging a few words, she stood up, smiled as she walked forward, and pushed open the slightly heavy, dark red double doors for him.

Cheng Xiaoyu bowed slightly in gratitude and walked into the spacious, brightly lit office. Located on the sixty-seventh floor of the Global World Trade Center, it commanded the best lighting and scenery. Patches of golden sunlight poured in through the massive floor-to-ceiling windows, shining upon Cheng Xiaoyu, yet making him feel all the more chilled. Looking at Su Changhe sitting on the sofa and the breathtaking scenery of the two banks of the Pujiang River outside the window, Cheng Xiaoyu steadied his mind, realizing that what must be faced had to be faced; blind avoidance was no way to solve a problem.

In truth, Cheng Xiaoyu would have preferred Su Changhe sitting behind his desk, facing him with a strictly professional demeanor. Instead, Su Changhe had removed his plain linen suit jacket, rolled his white shirt sleeves up to his elbows, and taken off his glasses, placing them on the table. With his eyes closed, he was pinching the bridge of his nose with his right hand, seemingly relaxing his mind and resting his eyes.

Walking over quietly, Cheng Xiaoyu did not take a seat on the black leather sofa. He stood to the side, hesitated for a moment, and finally spoke: "President, I have something I'd like to report to you."

Cheng Xiaoyu saw Su Changhe's still-handsome face freeze for a moment in the all-encompassing sunlight. Without a word, Su Changhe first picked up the glasses resting on the coffee table, put them on with both hands, and then looked at Cheng Xiaoyu's serious face, saying calmly, "Sit down."

Lowering his gaze, Cheng Xiaoyu replied, "I'll stand." His voice carried a trace of unquestionable stubbornness.

Su Changhe did not force the issue. "Then what is it you wanted to say? Go ahead." His tone carried neither the icy detachment of official business nor the warmth of a father-son conversation; it was as flat as a casual greeting between ordinary acquaintances.

Nor did Cheng Xiaoyu raise his head to look at Su Changhe; his eyes remained fixed on the patterns on the carpet, as if earnestly counting how many petals a certain peony had and whether the number was odd or even. Wasting no more time, he began: "I've been in the planning department these past few days, interning with my sister's Idol Project. But I believe Idol Project is currently facing major problems. Following Sony's launch of a formidable competitor, if Idol Project debuts according to the original album and promotional schedule, they will likely encounter unexpected setbacks."

Having heard him out, Su Changhe pulled a pack of cigarettes from his pocket, drew one out, lit it for himself, and then asked Cheng Xiaoyu, "Smoke?"

Clearly, he was still a father who did not know how to communicate with his child. From the hand he extended and the uncertainty in his tone, Cheng Xiaoyu could sense the awkwardness and discomfort in his heart. Only then did Cheng Xiaoyu feel a crack form in his inner defenses; he was trying to treat Su Changhe as a superior, while Su Changhe was trying to treat him as a friend.

Waving his hand, Cheng Xiaoyu said, "I don't smoke. It's bad for the vocal cords."

Su Changhe smiled, tucked the cigarette back into the pack, and said, "I forgot you sing quite well, too. What made you interested in becoming a singer?"

Shaking his head, Cheng Xiaoyu said with earnest conviction, "I'm genuinely worried about Idol Project's album. I came here solely for this matter."

Flicking a bit of ash into a purple crystal ashtray, Su Changhe took another deep drag and slowly asked, "Then what are your thoughts? Let's hear them."

Lifting his head slightly to meet Su Changhe's sharp gaze, Cheng Xiaoyu said, "I want to know if we can add two songs I wrote into Idol Project's album."

Su Changhe frowned slightly. "You wrote them?"

Nodding gently, Cheng Xiaoyu replied, "The quality is absolutely guaranteed."

Showing no intention of endorsing Cheng Xiaoyu's composition, Su Changhe continued to exhale a cloud of smoke as he said, "If you had told me earlier, there might have been a chance. But it's probably unrealistic now. After all, the cover art has already been printed, and the master tapes are finished."

"Yet I believe that if the company doesn't use these two songs of mine, it will be a massive loss—a loss that Idol Project cannot afford," Cheng Xiaoyu said in a deep voice, his tone brimming with incomparable confidence.

Extinguishing the remaining portion of his cigarette in the ashtray, Su Changhe looked at Cheng Xiaoyu and said, "Excessive confidence turns into arrogance. Furthermore, without a sufficient reason, it's not appropriate for me to interfere with an album production that the production department has already completed."

Gazing unblinkingly into Su Changhe's unwavering eyes, Cheng Xiaoyu asked, "What if my work wins the recognition of everyone?"

Surprised by Cheng Xiaoyu's persistence, Su Changhe smiled and asked with a hint of curiosity, "The recognition of everyone?"