noveldepot Chapter 4, Let's become an idol!
Chapter 4, Let's become an idol!
The car was completely silent.
The conversation stopped at some point, and neither of them looked at each other, but instead looked outside. The monotonous street scene was so attractive for the first time.
The speakers started playing anime-style Hakimi songs at some point, which gave Cheng Chen a headache. He casually changed the radio channel and tuned to the local news station.
The news was nothing more than trivial everyday matters. He changed the channel several times until he finally stopped watching the entertainment news channel.
[The above is an interview with Songlan, the number one magical girl and legendary idol of Yincheng, conducted by DM Channel.]
[Miss Songlan has never stopped working since her debut, and this week alone she stopped the Star Beast Enigma and the Demon Bai Yi from destroying the Rebirth Tower, a landmark in Yin City! Seeing Miss Songlan's unwavering figure standing in front of everyone, I also want to shout out for everyone: "Keep going! Don't stop!" I believe that with Miss Songlan's efforts, our city will be more peaceful and tranquil.]
[In addition, Magical Girl Matsuri's 5th Anniversary Album "Let's Fly" is now available for pre-order, and you'll receive an exclusive bonus when you order now!]
A soothing melody played on the radio; it was the song Jiang Fei had just played.
"Does it sound good?"
She suddenly asked.
Cheng Chen was taken aback, then immediately realized: "Could she be the magical girl I'll be in charge of later?"
"Dream on!" Jiang Fei rolled her eyes at him. "Song Lan is the top idol in my company. It's none of your business as a rookie producer."
"Precisely because I'm the top idol, shouldn't I be assigned to build up my seniority after joining the company?"
"Pah, you're shameless."
"..."
The two bantered back and forth, half-jokingly.
Jiang Fei served as the president of the Magical Girl Association for just over a year. After stepping down, she founded a company in Yincheng, or more precisely, a "magical girl idol agency".
Cheng Chen is graduating with her master's degree this year and originally planned to stay at the university to pursue a doctorate.
After receiving Jiang Fei's invitation to work as an idol producer at her company, he changed his mind at the last minute and returned to his long-lost hometown.
"I never thought you would actually agree to help," Jiang Fei said.
"The idea of magical girls debuting as idols still feels novel to me." Cheng Chen calmly looked at the lyrics flashing on the car's central control screen. "My university research topic is closely related to magical girls, and I just happen to need a way to get close to them."
"So you're saying I handed you a pillow because you were sleepy?"
I guess so.
"Shouldn't you thank me?"
"Knowing Jiang Fei as I do, the fact that she called me crying that day to complain and ask for help means she must have a mess she couldn't handle. So why would you express gratitude after taking over someone else's mess? You should be the one being grateful now."
"Nonsense! I didn't cry!"
"That's just her being cute."
"Nonsense! I wasn't being coquettish."
Jiang Fei's cheeks flushed red. She hesitated for a moment, then whispered a "thank you."
"Speaking of which..."
Cheng Chen paused for a moment, then asked, "Why do you suddenly want to start a magical girl idol company?"
"I've been running my business for four years, and you're only now thinking of asking me?" Jiang Fei's gratitude vanished instantly, and she glared at him with annoyance.
"I was too busy before."
Cheng Chen smiled and made up an excuse; he never liked to meddle in other people's private affairs.
"Of course, it's for survival, my wicked lord."
Jiang Fei lazily explained, "A magical girl's total magical power naturally increases with age, but the 'Heart of Wishes' that holds that magical power does not. Once the total magical power exceeds the 'Heart of Wishes''s' capacity, the magical girl may 'bess'."
The so-called beastification is the only ailment that magical girls face.
Losing their sanity, their bodies will grow horns, hair, scales... eventually turning them into a raging monster no different from a calamity beast.
"Demons and calamity beasts are both our natural enemies and our antidote. Killing them will yield 'Nightmare Stones,' which will enhance the quality of our [Heart of Wishes]. However, fighting them is extremely dangerous. We are all just ordinary girls, and not every magical girl is willing to risk her life."
Jiang Fei said calmly, "Every year, a large number of newly recruited magical girls die. Perhaps they are too afraid to fight and die from 'beastification'; or perhaps they attack blindly without any training and are killed by calamity beasts and demons... Isn't it such a pity for these innocent girls?"
She gripped the steering wheel with both hands, looked straight ahead, and remained calm.
Demons need to devour magical girls' "Hearts of Wishes" to increase their power; magical girls need to kill monsters and demons and use their hearts, "Nightmare Stones," to promote the growth of their Hearts of Wishes.
Therefore, they hunted each other and were mortal enemies.
Every battle, every clash, carries the risk of death.
This psychological pressure is perhaps too much for an ordinary girl who has suddenly awakened to magical powers.
Of course, the same goes for demons.
Cheng Chen thought back to his first time getting involved in the magical world, and the magical girls he encountered during his misdeeds...
He snapped out of his daze and asked, puzzled, "So what? What does this have to do with debuting as an idol?"
"Of course it's related." Jiang Fei's eyes suddenly sharpened: "With the progress of the times, we have developed a new way to avoid it - making [Heart Containers]."
"Using the emotions of the general public that they love, support, and approve of as raw materials, we create a magical vessel that replaces the traditional 'Heart of Wishes.' For a long time, magical girls have fought alone, relying on word-of-mouth from the people they rescued from monsters and demons to increase their fame and influence. This method is too inefficient and extremely unstable."
Cheng Chen listened attentively to her and nodded slightly.
"So, you came up with this path—idol."
"That's right."
Jiang Fei smiled proudly, "The desire to gain love, support, and recognition doesn't need to be so complicated. We are all unique magical girls, so why not just stand on the stage?"
Her tone suddenly became much lower: "Magical girls are not non-human, nor are they some ethereal 'fairies' or 'superheroes.' This company was founded to erase stereotypes and help everyone understand each other. Besides, when ordinary people suddenly become magical girls and gain superhuman powers, the constraints of laws and public order and morality become meaningless... Not everyone can control their desires."
Cheng Chen nodded slightly, agreeing with this statement. Power itself is a temptation.
"Becoming an idol, besides obtaining the [Heart Vessel] to suppress beastly transformation, also brings money, a huge following of fans, flowers, and applause. Isn't that what girls this age are after?"
She said calmly, "Even if they become ordinary people again in the future, they will still have wealth and fame, and have realized their value in life. They won't do bad things out of resentment, nor will they feel like the sky has fallen and they have almost lost the meaning of life, like I did back then."
Cheng Chen nodded thoughtfully. "So, you chose to start a business to help other magical girls?"
"certainly!"
Jiang Fei puffed out her chest with great pride, "I am such a noble person!"
Cheng Chen's gaze fell on the brand-new sports car interior, and Jiang Fei explained without blushing or skipping a beat:
"I need to make a living too. There's nothing wrong with helping others and earning a little extra money on the side, isn't there?"
……