After performing "Butterfly Fly", the three boys were nearly on the verge of collapse from exhaustion.
Yet they still stood upright. Even though their bodies trembled uncontrollably, they made every effort to straighten their backs, just like soldiers awaiting inspection. All three of their gazes were fixed squarely on Lu Chen's face.
There was no doubt: this kind of discipline could only come from rigorous and relentless training.
Jin Anguo and Teacher Min, who stood nearby, were also watching Lu Chen, waiting just as expectantly for his feedback.
Under everyone's gaze, Lu Chen nodded and said, "Very good!"
To achieve this level of performance in just two months was genuinely impressive. The choreography of "Butterfly Fly" was well-designed, perfectly tailored to the age and character of the Little Tiger Group members. The moves weren't flashy or exaggerated, but the sense of rhythm and physicality was strong.
Despite their fatigue, the boys managed to sing while dancing, maintaining neat movements and excellent coordination. Their singing stayed on pitch, without any faltering, a rare achievement under such physical strain.
So when Lu Chen said "very good," it wasn't a hollow formality; it was sincere praise from the heart.
A smile appeared on Jin Anguo's long, narrow face. Seeing that the three boys hadn't reacted, he frowned and scolded, "What are you standing around for?"
Realizing their lapse, Zhang Junzhi and the others quickly saluted Lu Chen in unison: "Thank you, Teacher Lu!"
Lu Chen smiled, "No need to be so formal. I already know Zhang Junzhi. The other two, why don't you introduce yourselves?"
The two boys exchanged glances. The one on Zhang Junzhi's left was the first to speak: "Hello, Teacher Lu. I'm 'Little Flying Tiger' Hu Yiran. Please take care of me!"
He gave a deep bow to Lu Chen, clearly a trained and proper gesture.
"Hello, Teacher Lu. I'm 'Little Gentle Tiger' Yue Yang. Please take care of me!"
The two additional Little Tiger Group members were obviously carefully selected. In height, build, and age, they were all closely matched with Zhang Junzhi. Hu Yiran had a slightly more rugged look, with sharp, defined facial features, while Zhang Junzhi's face had softer lines, giving him a more obedient, sweet appearance.
Little Handsome Tiger, Little Flying Tiger, Little Gentle Tiger, though they were a group, each member needed a distinct personality and image. That way, each could develop their own fan base. Even if there was rivalry among them, it would only increase buzz and public attention.
Each of the three teenage boys had their own kind of charm. As a group, Little Tiger Group was already visually appealing. It was easy to imagine that, once they debuted, they'd quickly attract a large base of young fans, especially female fans.
In fact, because Zhang Junzhi had already appeared in 'Autumn in My Heart', he was currently very popular online. His Wave Blog account had already surpassed 500,000 followers, which undoubtedly laid a solid foundation for his formal debut next year.
Lu Chen nodded.
The main reason for his visit to Star Destiny Art Center this time was to check in on Little Tiger Group's training progress.
According to Sister Li, if the boys met the standard, there was no reason not to let them debut early. But if Lu Chen wasn't satisfied, then continuing training for another year or even longer would be perfectly reasonable.
And of course, Lu Chen wasn't helping for free. Even though Sister Li was close friends with Chen Fei'er, Lu Chen owned equity in the project.
The idea for forming Little Tiger Group had originated from Lu Chen. Sister Li intended to turn it into a full-fledged entertainment brand. In addition to sending the members to Star Destiny for professional training, she had also registered the names: "Little Tiger Group", "Little Handsome Tiger", "Little Flying Tiger", and "Little Gentle Tiger". She even hired a professional design company to create a cartoon logo for the brand.
According to Sister Li's plans, once Little Tiger Group became famous, she would begin licensing the brand for use in areas like clothing, sports gear, stationery, toys, electronics, and more.
At that point, she would set up an independent company dedicated solely to managing and operating the brand.
As the saying goes, "When drinking water, remember the source." In the company that Sister Li was preparing to register, she had already reserved a generous portion of shares for Lu Chen.
He didn't need to invest a single cent, nor did he have to participate in the company's operations; he only needed to wait and collect dividends! After reading through Sister Li's proposal a while ago, Lu Chen couldn't help but admire her business acumen. Her success was clearly no stroke of luck.
Of course, there's no such thing as a free lunch. An idea or concept alone wasn't enough to earn such valuable equity. Lu Chen's responsibility was to write songs for Little Tiger Group and provide creative guidance.
In fact, the path Lu Chen was walking now wasn't just leading him to the pinnacle of an artist's career; he was also gradually moving toward the role of a "Godfather of Music." Examples include MSN, Little Tiger Group, and surely more to come in the future!
Since the training status of Little Tiger Group was looking good, Lu Chen didn't want to continue disturbing the hard-working boys. After chatting briefly with Jin Anguo and the others, he was preparing to leave.
"Why are all of you gathered around here?" At that moment, a tall young woman in her twenties appeared at the door of the training room. She scolded the onlooking boys and girls: "Get back to your own rooms! Even during rest time, you shouldn't be wandering around!"
The group of teenagers scattered like birds startled from a tree.
After reprimanding them, she smiled and greeted Sister Li: "Sister Li, are you here to see Junzhi?"
Sister Li smiled and said, "Yes, Jennifer. Let me introduce you. This is Lu Chen, Teacher Lu!"
"Yin Junxi!"
The woman named Jennifer lit up the moment she saw Lu Chen. She smiled brightly and said,
"It's really you!"
She was wearing a tight fitness outfit that showcased her curves perfectly, especially a pair of long, striking legs. While her face wasn't drop-dead gorgeous, her high nose bridge and deep-set eyes hinted at mixed foreign heritage, she was likely a biracial beauty.
Sister Li introduced the attractive, well-proportioned woman to Lu Chen: "This is Jennifer, the Art Director of Star Destiny Art Center. Her Chinese name is He Wanjun, and she's from Macau."
Lu Chen shook hands with her. "Nice to meet you, Director He."
Jennifer locked eyes with Lu Chen, her gaze smoldering.
"Just call me Jennifer. I really liked your performance in 'Autumn in My Heart'. You were amazing. Can I take a picture with you?"
Since rising to fame, Lu Chen had received many such requests. He didn't expect this woman to be a fan as well.
He smiled: "Of course, no problem."
Without hesitation, Jennifer wrapped her arms around Lu Chen's, pressing his arm between her ample chest, and turned toward Sister Li with a bright grin: "Sister Li, would you do the honors?"
Sister Li chuckled and took several photos of the two using her phone.
After the photos were taken, Jennifer reluctantly let go of Lu Chen's hand and said: "Sister Li, are you leaving now? Let me walk you out!"
She was nothing if not direct.
But just as Lu Chen and the others stepped out of the training room and into the hallway, suddenly, a figure dashed forward and blocked his path!
(End of Chapter)
You can read ahead up to 60 chapters on my patreon https://www.patreon.com/darkshadow6395