Teaching Nine Girls

Regarding the matter of "destiny roles," the company would explain it to the girls as well.

What the girls could do was simply seize every opportunity, whether in variety shows or film and television. As long as a role landed in their hands, they had to dissect it, analyze it thoroughly, and truly understand it.

As for whether they could find their destiny role—that depended on fate.

They had to work hard; otherwise, even if destiny came knocking, they wouldn’t be able to grasp it.

Some people in the industry were incredibly lucky, landing a destiny role right after their debut…

But such individuals usually only had two choices: either spend the rest of their lives trying to break free from that role’s framework, refusing to let it define them—only to end up exhausted and barely making money—or live off the residual fame of that role for the rest of their lives.

Of course, most of them never managed to escape that role.

Take, for example…

The cast of Love Apartment. You could say they were lucky—extremely so. Every one of them landed a destiny role right out of the gate.

That was incredibly rare.

But you could also say they were unlucky, because it became nearly impossible for them to step out of those roles’ shadows.

No matter what other dramas they starred in later, no matter how many awards they won, even if their other roles were outstanding, fans and casual audiences would always associate them first and foremost with their destiny roles.

Take Guan Gu, for instance…

The guy worked hard enough.

He won countless awards.

His acting skills improved tremendously.

But even after all these years, people still couldn’t stop saying: "Guan Gu’s acting is truly amazing."

Then there was Zeng Xiaoxian—he also tried hard to break free from that role at first, but eventually gave up.

There was just no escaping it.

……

After listening to their manager’s explanation, the girls exchanged glances.

Shen Yi spoke up: "So, you’re saying a destiny role is a double-edged sword? It has pros and cons?"

The manager nodded. "Everything has its advantages and disadvantages. But first, whether you’re singers or actors, it’s best to find your ‘destiny song’ or ‘destiny role,’ because in this industry, the attrition rate is extremely high."

"You need to understand—just the registered actors in any given film and television city number in the tens of thousands."

"And in our country, there are at least tens of thousands of celebrities."

"But only a select few—maybe a hundred at the very top of the pyramid—get consistent work and stay active in the spotlight."

"So, after going solo, what you should be thinking about isn’t the pros and cons, but how to turn your fans into die-hard supporters, how to solidify your position and maintain a loyal fanbase."

"Or, to put it bluntly, you should be thinking about how not to get eliminated."

"Even though Miracle Media has plenty of connections and resources, we can’t just hand them out unconditionally to anyone indefinitely. We have so many artists to support—why should any one of you get priority forever?"

"Our company’s competitive environment is relatively healthy, but that doesn’t mean there’s no competition at all."

"So…"

"Long story short, your job is to work hard and improve yourselves. Our job as managers is to secure more and better resources for you."

"If even one of you lands a destiny role, future resource allocation will skew in your favor, and it’ll also mean you’re much less likely to be phased out."

"As for your concerns about a destiny role becoming a shackle—that’s something to worry about later."

"Let’s not talk about others. Take Lin Zhi, the eldest of the Twelve Golden Flowers."

The manager paused before continuing: "She’s already landed a standout villain role."

"Her destiny variety show was Great Detective, and later, she took on the role of Wang Manchun in a drama. When people hear ‘Wang Manchun,’ who doesn’t think of Lin Zhi?"

"When they hear Great Detective, who doesn’t associate it with Lin Zhi?"

"In other words, Lin Zhi has already pulled ahead of all of you."

"Don’t be fooled by how popular you are across Asia right now. Popularity—especially the fleeting kind—comes and goes in the blink of an eye."

"To be brutally honest, if you disappeared for six months, at least 80% of your fanbase would vanish."

"But Lin Zhi is different."

"Even if she got married, had kids, and disappeared for two years, the moment she returned, people would still recognize her as Wang Manchun and the star of Great Detective."

"That’s the difference."

"……"

The girls had an epiphany.

They finally understood what it meant to have a destiny role.

Landing one was like securing a long-term reserved seat in the entertainment industry.

Even if you stepped away for a while, you could always come back and reclaim your spot.

As for them…

Technically, they already had destiny songs.

But those were tied to the group. While they were hits, they lacked that extra something.

Some songs were like that—

Wildly popular, but the singers themselves? Not so much.

……

This meeting, led by their managers, gave them a clear picture of their positioning in the entertainment industry moving forward.

Of course,

the purpose wasn’t to discourage them.

It was to help them see the path ahead more clearly.

They also had an advantage: as a nine-member group, their fates were intertwined. Success or failure would affect them all.

So,

even after going solo, they could still leverage each other’s fame, luck, and interactions.

That was an edge most artists didn’t have.

They had to maximize it.

But this wasn’t something they needed to stress over—their managers would handle it.

Some things required coordination among all nine managers, like drafting press releases and strategizing.

The meeting lasted over two hours.

Everything that needed to be said, every precaution, every preparation—it was all laid out.

The nine girls went from feeling lost to having absolute clarity about their next steps.

That sense of the fog lifting brought a new sharpness to their eyes.

Their drive to fight for success was reignited.

Destiny!

For the sake of destiny, they had to give it their all.

Finally, the manager concluded: "Girls, from this moment on, forget about the awards you’ve won. Forget how adored you were by fans."

Hold on to your original intentions.

"Treat this as if you’re debuting all over again."

"Of course,"

"Miracle Company has always operated this way—we don’t pick fights, but we don’t back down from them either. When it comes to competition, we can play hardball as long as we’re in the right. No matter who the opponent is, the company will have your back."

"Understood?"

"Understood!"