A month flew by. To Iris, it felt like a blur. She was busy every day, her full schedule packed almost to the brim.
She guested in several TV and radio programs to perform and to sit down for interviews. She posed for magazines. She appeared as a guest performer at various events such as festivals, grand openings, road shows, sports events, and even at the concerts of other more established musicians than her.
She also granted one-on-one interviews with some of the most popular social media influencers in the country. Because these influencers belonged outside the traditional showbiz culture, most of them weren't aware of the unspoken rules. At the moment, Iris Long was being carefully nurtured by both JJ and Bright Summit. This was why traditional interviewers didn't pry too much into her personal life as a courtesy to these two giants in showbiz.
Social media, on the other hand, was free-for-all. Tang Yiyi almost didn't permit Iris these interviews because she wasn't sure that she would be able to control the situation once these social media influencers started asking questions that were too personal. Additionally, Iris herself had a straightforward personality, preferring the hassle-free truth over the art of deflecting questions.
Iris assured her manager that she would be fine. She was even the one who personally chose which social media influencers to grant interviews. Iris just gave Tang Yiyi a list of names. Tang Yiyi asked Iris how she decided which names to put into the list, but Iris just gave her a mysterious smile.
Fortunately, much to Tang Yiyi's relief, all the interviews went smoothly just as Iris assured her. She didn't know how Iris did it, but she indeed chose the right social media influencers.
In addition to these, Iris also held her own mini-concerts and signing events where the Black Stars proved that they were quickly becoming a powerhouse among the fan clubs in terms of showing their undying support to their boss.
The Black Stars fan club gained popularity in their own right because whenever they showed up at Iris Long's public appearances, they would collectively wear tuxedo suits. They decided to do this to pay homage to Iris' outfit when they first recognized her as their boss during her launch party.
Although the quality of their tuxedo suits varied depending on what they could afford―from custom-made ones to rental and even handmade ones―seeing a large group of people looking sharp in tuxedo suits was an experience unto itself. When others saw them more than a couple of times, the Black Stars began to be informally known as "The Suits".
"Oh, it's The Suits. Seems like Iris Long will be here today."
"Uwah! Is it just me or The Suits look like they're triad [1] members or something?"
"I wish our fan club has a dress code like The Suits. Looks so d*mn cool. Maybe we can wear denim from head to toe and then we'll be called The Denims."
"That's so lame, bro."
The Black Stars, a.k.a. The Suits, only grew more and more loyal to their boss. To celebrate the recognition of their status as her official fan club, Iris Long gave them an exclusive fan concert for free.
After the concert, she invited the fan club officers to her dressing room. Because it was a weekend, Meimei tagged along. Immediately upon meeting each other, Meimei and Dom got along extremely well to the point that they swore they were twins from different parents. The dressing room was alive with their constant chatter. Jiang Ying Yue was also there with her male colleague, looking all stern and alert.
The Black Stars fan club officers finally arrived. Zhou Mei'er led the group, followed by Wu Chen, Feng Wan and her three friends. Hou Liang didn't come this time but a teenage girl was shyly standing behind the four posh ladies.
"Child, go on and introduce yourself to Iris." Feng Wan gently pushed the shy girl to the front.
The girl was red in the face and almost couldn't look directly at Iris. "U-uhm…hello, boss Iris. M-my name is Ming Li and I…love you…I mean, I'm a big fan."
"Oh, so you're Ming Li," Iris smiled gently and grabbed the girl's hand.
Ming Li's face became redder.
Iris: "I remember you. Madam Feng Wan sent me your letter. It was lovely. Thank you very much."
Ming Li: "You read my letter?"
Iris nodded.
Ming Li turned her head to Feng Wan and her three friends. "Thank you so much, Aunties!"
The four posh ladies smiled at her.
Ming Li looked at Iris again but still couldn't meet her eyes. The girl's eyes became teary. "I-I'm really sorry for posting your photos at the hospital online…I didn't mean to cause you so much trouble. I'm sorry. Will you forgive me?"
Iris: "I forgive you. Don't think about it anymore. Just don't do it again next time, okay?"
Ming Li nodded quickly. "Yes, yes! I promise!"
After the meeting, the girl became one of Iris' most die-hard fans. As LittlePhoenix online, she joined the Slippers Army and followed iEatSlippers' lead in whacking the bashers of their boss Iris with their virtual mighty slippers of justice.
During this eventful month, the singles music chart saw the most activity. Iris' "Rebirth" and Jin Chonglin's song were in fierce competition against each other, constantly changing positions between rank 1 and rank 2. One day, it would be Jin Chonglin's song at the top. The next day, it would be Iris' "Rebirth".
This close competition between Iris Long and Jin Chonglin's music also sparked a fierce rivalry between the Black Stars and Jin Chonglin's army of fans.
At the end of the month, Iris finally secured a stable hold in the singles chart. "Rebirth" was able to maintain its number 1 position for more than a week. Jin Chonglin's song was currently at number 2 but it was now the turn of Iris' other song "Black Star" to start another fierce competition against it. "Black Star" and Jin Chonglin's song started fluctuating between numbers 2 and 3. As for "Phantom of Your Love", it had a comfortable hold on its number 5 position.
In the albums chart, the month ended with Jin Chonglin as the reigning king. His album remained at number 1, not budging even a little. His army of fans felt relief at their idol's superiority in the albums chart despite the unexpected competitiveness of Iris Long's songs in the singles chart, ending with her victory.
When the new month just started, however, their security and sense of superiority soon shattered. A great upheaval shook the music charts.
All it took was a single announcement by JJ's record label.
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Footnotes:
[1] A term used to refer to organized crime groups in China, similar to how "yakuza" or "mafia" are used.
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