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2.56% Superstars of Tomorrow / Chapter 13: I'll Leave This Mission to You

Chapter 13: I'll Leave This Mission to You

Editor: Tennesh

The entire composition department got online punctually after receiving word that Du Ang had called a videoconference, as did Fang Zhao. He was going to go for a stroll, but stayed home after learning about the meeting.

As soon as everyone got online, Du Ang threw a time bomb in their face.

Indeed, every single Silver Wing staffer knew that the label's virtual projects were a death pit that chewed up money and people. Anyone who landed there was doomed.

Plus this fell outside of their expertise. They only knew how to compose, not how to produce virtual idols. They were clueless outsiders who had no idea how to respond to Du Ang.

So after Du Ang dropped the bomb, everyone went silent. They drooped their heads, even breathing lightly lest a deep breath draw attention, just like students who avoided eye contact with their teacher. Once contact was made, they might be called on.

Fang Zhao also remained silent. He didn't know much about virtual technology, so it wasn't an assignment he would jump on.

The other three newcomers who were signed along with Fang Zhao were enticed by the promise of promotion, but once they saw how everyone else reacted, they knew what was going on. This project was kryptonite. There was no way they would jeopardize the great momentum they had built from the new talent contest, so they shut up and pretended they were rocks.

Du Ang was awfully frustrated when he saw his staff playing dumb. See, he had told the higher ups that they couldn't complete the project—even the promise of promotion didn't do the trick. But Du Ang couldn't refuse a command from above either.

The higher ups just wanted to muddle through. They didn't have high expectations, they just wanted the job done, so Du Ang pondered briefly and broke the silence.

"OK. We all know what's going on here. I'm not going to bullshit you. We're stuck with this project. We just need to put something together that's presentable—that's it. Our budget is only 2 million…"

"Two million?" someone exclaimed. It wasn't too generous a budget—it was peanuts.

Officially, the company spent 50 million on last year's virtual project, but insiders knew the real amount was probably no less than 100 million, and it was all for nothing. Otherwise, the company wouldn't have gutted the project team with firings and demotions. The department was practically unstaffed. The people who remained behaved like retirees.

Two million was nothing compared to 100 million. The amount of investment also reflected the label's level of confidence in the project. Getting involved was a career-killer.

Du Ang glared at the person who interjected. He was in charge. "I'm not done yet. What are you butting in for?"

After a brief pause, Du Ang continued. "Initially the budget was 2 million. However, I successfully lobbied for another 3 million, for a total of 5 million."

Five million was still a paltry amount, the group thought.

Take Xun Huai and Fei Lisi, for example; the initial investment those two virtual idols received was in the tens of millions. If they did well, another few hundred million was in the pipeline. The difference was that Tongshan True Entertainment and Neon Culture knew how to make money with their virtual idols. Even if they poured in hundreds of millions, the could recoup their investment. Fei Lisi's candy deal was a case in point.

But as for Silver Wing, so far none of their virtual idols had generated much revenue. Every single one had fallen flat on their face after their launch.

Seeing as no one spoke up, Du Ang cleared his throat. "Since no one is willing, let's draw lots."

Drawing lots.

Everyone started panicking, praying that they wouldn't be the one drawn.

Du Ang didn't care how his people prayed for luck. To preempt any talk of cheating, he didn't draw lots by computer. Instead, he made paper strips with everyone's names on them in full view of the entire group, and then he crumpled them and put them in a box. The old-fashioned way.

"As you can all see, it's a fair process. I didn't rig the lots. Just pray that you're not so unlucky." As he spoke, Du Ang stuck his hand into the box and pulled out a piece of crumpled paper. He flattened it in front of his computer screen.

Du Ang flattened the paper strip with it facing his camera, so everyone else could see the name on it, but not him.

The moment he flattened the piece of paper, he heard heavy sighs of relief. They sounded like the breathing of a drowning person taking gulps of fresh air after being rescued.

Du Ang flipped the paper strip over and saw the words "Fang Zhao."

His eyelids jolted. Du Ang was surprised. He didn't want to put Fang Zhao on the project. Given his performance in the new talent contest, he was bound to produce even better songs. There were 50-odd people in the composition department. Considering the odds of one in 50, Du Ang didn't think Fang Zhao would get drawn. Lo and behold, he was.

There was nothing he could do. He had drawn lots in front of everyone. If he reneged, his staff would go ballistic.

Du Ang tried to gauge Fang Zhao's response. All Fang Zhao did was furrow his brows slightly. He didn't respond dramatically. Du lamented that the newcomer had no idea what he was getting himself into.

Even though the outcome wasn't ideal, the decision had been made.

"Fang Zhao," Du Ang spoke toward his camera. "I'll leave this mission to you, then. Alright, everyone else can leave. Fang Zhao, stop by the office this afternoon. I'll take you to the virtual projects department for a quick look."

Not long after Du ended the videoconference, Ya Erlin, the head of the arrangement department, dropped by. "Old Du, I heard you outsourced that terrible burden."

As soon as the meeting was over, Ya Erlin had gotten the lowdown from several composers who attended, using his cunning ways.

"None of your bloody business." Du Ang found the demon an eyesore. He used to be Ya Erlin's junior and had to restrain himself. Now that they were the same rank, he could speak with more authority.

Not long after he saw off Ya Erlin, Julian from operations stopped to gossip as well. "Du Ang, I heard a composer under you took the project."

Julian was much more senior than Du Ang. Position-wise, both were department heads, but Du Ang didn't want to get on Julian's bad side, so he was more diplomatic.

After disposing of Julian, Bu Lai, the head of back office operations, showed up. He was 30 years older than Du.

"Du boy, I heard one of your composers took the project.

Du Ang: "…..." He was tired of explaining.

Within an hour, the entire company knew that the much-delayed virtual idol project had found a home, assigned to a newcomer in the composition department.

So when Fang Zhao arrived at Silver Wing in the afternoon, he was the center of attention.

"That's him."

"That's right, that's him, the newcomer the composition department signed this year, the guy who finished fifth in the new talent contest.

"No. 5 in the new talent competition, you know, the 'hehe' song?"

"Right, right.

"It's him. Poor guy."

"What a stroke of bad luck."

"What can he do? A newcomer can't turn down an assignment. I feel sorry for him."

"Aren't newcomers meant to be used as scapegoats? You watch, he's gonna get torn into."

Everyone considered Fang Zhao unlucky. He had finished fifth in the new talent contest, and people in the know were clear on how much real talent backed up his ranking. As long as he did what his agent told him to, riches lay ahead. What a pity that he was stuck with a dead-end virtual idol project.

Fang Zhao didn't go to Du Ang's office, heading straight to the 50th floor instead, as his boss had requested.

The 50th floor was where the virtual idol project was based. They took up the entire floor. In the early days after the label was founded, the virtual projects department occupied the 45th to 50th floors, but with the passage of time, the department deteriorated and its floors were reallocated one by one. Now they were left with the 50th floor.

When Silver Wing splurged on the department last year, the entire floor was packed. But when Fang Zhao emerged from the elevator, all he could sense was emptiness.

A vast emptiness created by the diversion of hardware and personnel. A shout could generate a clear echo.

"This way." Du Ang was already waiting. He led Fang Zhao to an empty office. "This is where you'll work until the project is complete.

Fang Zhao looked it over. It was a tastefully furnished 200-odd square meter office, for him alone. Only a cash-rich company like Silver Wing could pull this off.

Since Du Ang took over the virtual idol department, he was the head of the department. Fang Zhao was his designated producer.

But Du Ang's focus going forward would still be the composition department. He would leave the virtual idol department to Fang Zhao.

"From now on, you're the producer for the virtual idol project. You're the most senior employee apart from me. You'll make all the key decisions. This has been signed off by the bosses. It's been logged in your personnel file. You've been cleared for access to this floor. All you need to do is flash your bracelet."

Fang Zhao nodded. "Where's everyone else?"

"Make a left and head to the end of the corridor, the office in the corner—I spotted someone sleeping in there. Probably pulled an all-nighter gaming," Du Ang responded.

Fang Zhao was baffled as to why, given Du Ang's temper, he didn't lash out at someone sleeping at work.

"How many people are there in the department?" Fang Zhao asked.

"One."

Fang Zhao: "…..."

He raised two fingers to confirm. "That's to say... the entire department comprises two people."

"Uhm, that's right." As thick-skinned as Du Ang could be, he felt ashamed. This was hazing, hazing a newcomer.

Fang Zhao didn't know what to say next. He had heard about the virtual projects department. He knew last year's failed project had ended in a bloodbath. He just hadn't realized the company had cleaned house so thoroughly. If Du Ang hadn't taken over, the label would probably have kept procrastinating.

"You can make new hires or loan from other departments." Du Ang couldn't bullshit any more. "You take your time to settle in. I'm off. I still have a lot of things to attend to in the composition department." Du Ang got ready to bolt.

"Wait." Fang Zhao put the brakes on Du Ang's escape.

"More questions?"

"I need to attend my graduation ceremony tomorrow and take care of some paperwork. I can't start immediately."

"Take your time," Du Ang responded. Of course he wasn't in a hurry. He had outsourced his problem. He had nothing to worry about. As for what kind of virtual idol Fang Zhao came up with, he didn't care. As long as he completed the assignment.

He slapped Fang Zhao on the shoulder. "Work hard and do a good job."


Chapter 14: Don’t Set the Bar Too High, Young Man

Editor: Tennesh

After Du Ang left, Fang Zhao examined his office carefully.

Apart from his office desk and mini-computer, the most glaring items were a row of bookcases.

Very few people read physical books these days, but there were still a few. Some folks liked to go retro, others liked the look and feel of paper.

The bookshelves in the office held up to some 10,000 volumes. Some of them looked new, some were dog-eared from repeated use. Perhaps it was the improvement of paper quality, but Fang Zhao didn’t see any damaged pages. Or maybe the damaged books had already been replaced with new ones.

Who knew how many department heads the bookshelves had survived.

Fang Zhao scanned the collection. Most of the books were about virtual idols, including volumes covering the history of virtual idols, technological advancements in the field, and aesthetic design.

"Virtual Idols and Their Cultural Characteristics," "The Aesthetics of the Virtual Idol Body," "Emotional Expression in the Virtual Idol," "An Introduction to the Reg Dimension," and so on.

Fang Zhao picked a book about the cultural development of virtual idols and began reading in his office chair.

The office was much nicer than his surroundings on the black street. There were no distractions. He had enough light with the window open; he didn’t need to turn on a light.

Browsing the book, Fang Zhao could sense how far along the entertainment industry had come. The virtual revolution began in the 206th year of the New Era, when the so-called "father of virtual idols" invented the "Reg Dimension," which launched virtual idols onto the big stage. The open competition between real celebrities and virtual idols marked the pinnacle of the virtual age.

"After the apocalypse, the world economy recovered rapidly. Technological advancements proliferated, among them the advent of digital technology, which converted all available data into a digital format and created a new sensory experience that encompassed sight, smell, and other human senses. Through certain algorithms and procedures, the digital revolution also paved the way for images, texts, sounds, and physical shapes that didn’t exist in the real world."

"Virtual forms derived from digital technology are a by-product of mankind’s visual era. They crossed over from the virtual world to appear life-like in front of regular people, dazzling audiences on screen and injecting life into convention centers. The Reg Dimension is undoubtedly a ground-breaking invention.

Fang Zhao was fascinated by the book’s overview of the Reg Dimension.

The Reg Dimension was a virtual world, an application blending physics and computer science, invented by the New Era’s so-called "father of virtual idols," Reg Smith, 300 years ago. Virtual idols were created with this program.

Three hundred years ago, Reg Smith revolutionized virtual technology with the invention of the Reg Dimension, which enabled future digital artists to craft better and more realistic virtual forms.

The Reg Dimension encompassed billions of colors, overcoming the limitations of digital projection, making the movement of virtual idols smoother and more natural. Regardless of vantage point, they looked like real humans when beamed into life.

To quote the book: "The creation of a virtual idol is the process of creating an image in the virtual world and breathing life into it."

Virtual idols born into the Reg Dimension were refreshed by new ideas digital artists brought to the table and advancements in digital technology.

In the past 300 years, virtual technology has gone through countless upgrades that have perfected the virtual idol, but all these breakthroughs were built on the foundation of the Reg Dimension. You could say the Reg Dimension was the cornerstone of virtual technology.

Reg Smith created the Reg Dimension, laying the groundwork for the golden age of virtual idols, but 300 years later, Reg Smith and the golden age were long gone. That wasn't the program’s fault. The key was human talent.

Human expertise was the driving force behind the Reg Dimension, the "hand of god" that shaped virtual idols.

If he had the choice, Fang Zhao would've loved to time travel to 300 years ago and see the golden age of virtual idols for himself, the period so well-documented in books and film. Footage wouldn’t leave as deep of an impression as the real thing.

Back in the real world, Fang Zhao had a problem on his hands. He could find the technical expertise, but first he had to decide what his virtual idol would look like.

The book said, "In the Reg Dimension, you’re an artist with a pencil or a sculptor with a chisel, ready to bring your dreams to life."

Fang Zhao’s dilemma: what would he draw or sculpt if he had a pen or chisel?

Just as Fang Zhao was deep in thought, he had visitors—three of them, no less.

The head of the arrangement department, Ya Erlin, operations head Julian, and the head of back office operations, Bu Lai, showed up together.

"Geez, what a rare sight it is to see someone on this floor again." Ya Erlin raised his seemingly boneless finger and pointed at the corners of the office. "It’s still too empty."

"No worries. It’s Fang Zhao, right?" The head of back office operations, Bu Lai, assumed a paternal tone. "I’ll have a sofa shipped over tomorrow. Let me know if you need anything else. As long as it’s not too much trouble, I’ll take care of it."

"Don’t be a stranger with Bu Lai. He’s got tons of funding. Siphon off a little and you can take care of things," Julian joked.

The trio were curious about the project. They also felt that it was poor form to assign such a dead-end project to a newcomer, not to mention the newcomer who performed the best in the new talent contest. Wasn’t this hazing?

Even though they felt bad, they would never take on the project themselves. All Bu Lai was offering was to throw some resources his way. They didn’t want to touch the project itself.

"Fang Zhao, I know your expertise is composition. How much do you know about virtual idols?" Julian asked.

When it came to their age, Fang Zhao was much older than even Bu Lai, the oldest of the group, but he was trapped in a young body. Sensing their patronizing attitude, Fang Zhao didn’t take the conversation seriously. As for Julian’s question, Fang Zhao pondered and said, "Virtual idols are like Xun Huai and Fei Lisi."

The three department heads went silent for several seconds. That was a tough comment to follow up on.

After a while, Julian joked, "Don’t set your bar too high, young man. Otherwise you’ll be disappointed.

Everyone knew the other two Big Three companies excelled at producing virtual idols, especially Tongshan True Entertainment. Anyone they launched drew tens of millions of fans. Xun Huai was another success. They had even started putting him in movies, which meant he would become even more popular. The two-bit virtual idols of Silver Wing were no match.

"There’s no need to set your sights on Xun Huai and Fei Lisi. Ai, just do your best. If you fail, we won’t blame you," Bu Lai said with a sigh.

Hovering in the horizon, Ya Erlin rolled his eyes. Sure, they wouldn’t blame Fang Zhao, but the higher ups were a different story.

"Do the three of you have favorite virtual idols?"

"Of course." Ya Erlin was about to say something but pretended to laugh instead. "That was so long ago. It’s not worth mentioning."

Fang Zhao shifted his gaze to Julian and Bu Lai. The two of them weren’t in a sharing mood either.

"We were just concerned. Fang Zhao, we gotta get back to work." Bu Lai waved and headed out.

"I should get going too."

"Me too."

Julian and Ya Erlin followed suit. Barely out the door, Ya Erlin was glad he had stopped his train of thought. If he said too much and Fang Zhao created a virtual idol based on his ideas, he would be blamed for the failed project too.

"Thank God I caught myself. Thank God."

After the three department heads left, Fang Zhao was just a few more pages into his book when another person showed up.

The new arrival was about 30. His beard was a mess and his palm-length hair resembled a mop. There was a mark on his face, probably made when he fell asleep on his desk. This was the lone staffer Du Ang had mentioned.

"How are you? I’m Zu Wen, a technician in the virtual idol department."

"I’m Fang Zhao, the new producer." Fang Zhao signaled Zu Wen to find himself a chair.

Zu Wen pulled up a chair casually and sat down, legs spread. "I know about you. The whole department has heard."

Fang Zhao knew his new reputation didn’t stem from the new talent contest. Even though the competition was important to newcomers, it wasn't not so important to other staffers. He had an idea where his newfound renown derived from.

The whole company knew that the virtual idol project had been dumped onto a newcomer from the composition department. It was a hot topic on internal message boards. A techie like Zu Wen had to be up to date.

"So we’re the only two people left on the project?" Fang Zhao asked.

"Yep, it’s just us two," Zu Wen responded lackadaisically. "There used to be three more people. They applied for transfers this morning when they heard you were assigned to the project."

So before Fang Zhao’s arrival, the virtual idol department hadn’t been gutted entirely. There were four staffers this morning. The department hadn’t had a manager since last year’s project failed. The last department head/producer was still hospitalized. Word has it he took the failure hard and was mired in deep depression. He’d been resting in the hospital since. No one knew exactly how he was doing.

Since they didn’t have a boss, the staffers behaved like carefree shepherds, signing in and then napping and gaming until the workday was over. Their pay wasn’t great, but it didn’t require much effort.

After word spread that the department was being revived, the three staffers fled.

"Why did you decide to stay?" Fang Zhao asked. "How come everyone else left and you decided to stay?"

"I didn’t transfer in time," Zu Wen said with a yawn. "I fell asleep writing my transfer application. I just woke up."

Fang Zhao: "…..."

No wonder Du Ang didn’t lash out at Zu Wen when he caught him napping. He was probably afraid that he would scare off the final employee.

Zu Wen kept yawning. Fang Zhao suddenly asked, "You follow any pop stars?"

"You mean the virtual idols that are active on the internet these days?"

"Yes, but older ones count too."

"If that’s the case, no." Zu Wen flashed his white teeth. "Because I’m a Reg Dimension technician.

Fang Zhao remembered reading in his book that most Reg Dimension technicians shared the same mindset: I only worship the idols I create. The existing pop idols on the market were created by others. My idol has to be the product of my own imagination.


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