Chapter 38: A "Veteran Cadre" Makes a Surprising Appearance

Many people are watching this variety show.

Huidin Entertainment Headquarters

Looking at Fu Zhixu on the screen, Gao Yuanhui said to the vice president beside her, "All resources for the second half of the year should be allocated to Fu Zhixu. Let's hold off on Lou Xiaoting for now."

Lou Xiaoting is the second person Huiding has promoted after Fu Zhixu. The two are of the same type, intended to replace him as a top performer. Gao Yuanhui is the undisputed leader in the company. After the words "take a break" were uttered, the vice president knew Lou Xiaoting was in trouble! Having offended Fu Zhixu and with resources dried up, only able to pick up what others had left behind, it would be difficult for her to rise to prominence.

"The IP address for Sunlight Jungle..." the vice president asked tentatively.

"Let's go with him. I like people who dare to dream and act." He fights tooth and nail for any resources he wants. While his methods aren't exactly ethical, there are even dirtier methods in this industry. This is nothing compared to what Gao Yuanhui actually admires about his ambition.

This is good too. Huidin is a rising star. The huge IP, Sunlight Jungle, was acquired by them at great expense in their attempt to challenge the three giants. Promoting Fu Zhixu from a top star to a superstar is also a good thing. At least Huidin now has a signature figure.

... ...

... ...

Someone in another office was also watching.

As the boss's chief secretary, Liang Zhan wouldn't watch variety shows during work hours, but today was a little different. He was a longtime fan of Jiang Haichao. However, his idol had been making fewer and fewer public appearances in recent years. He didn't want to miss this rare opportunity!

He'll only watch for 10 minutes, no, 20 minutes! Is that alright?

As it turns out, what you fear most is what happens.

Liang Zhan's office was diagonally opposite Fu Yingzhou's, making it convenient for him to be summoned by his superiors immediately.

Two dull knocks sounded on the door. Liang Zhan snapped to attention and yanked the headphones off his computer.

Children, sleep soundly.

"Like you love"

Liang Zhan: It's over. My political career is going to be ruined by slacking off!

"What are you looking at?" Fu Yingzhou's voice came, sounding to Liang Zhan like a ghost summoning his soul.

"Leader, I was wrong. There will never be a next time. I have let down the people's trust and failed to live up to the leader's expectations." He smoothly performed a three-part kneeling sliding motion.

Fu Yingzhou: Why does Liang Zhan look like an idiot? I clearly asked him what he was looking at.

Too lazy to waste any more words, he walked over to Liang Zhan's computer.

------Cross-border Joyful Voice Shi Shi

"Very well, keep watching." With that, Fu Yingzhou left leisurely, leaving behind a systemic dog, his spirit gently shattered.

Unlike Shi Shi's previous works, "As You Wish" is more profound. While it didn't experience the explosive growth of her earlier works, it has seen a steady increase in popularity.

The Weibo account of Shi Shi Studio gained over 100,000 followers in an instant, and the number continues to rise without any sign of stopping.

... ...

... ...

Song Ming, beaming with joy, told Shi Shi, "Do you know what order I got? Jiang Haichao is the producer of a period crime drama. He asked you to compose the theme song!"

Song Ming's decision to switch jobs was partly due to her disillusionment with Qunxing. She had come to Shi Shi with the mindset of keeping her options open while looking for something better, and if she couldn't find another job, she'd retire early. Frankly, she wasn't entirely resigned to her fate, but she was a veteran at Qunxing, and the industry was only so big; finding a new job she truly wanted wasn't easy. Unexpectedly, Shi Shi gave her a wonderful surprise!

First came Shen Jingyuan's order, then Jiang Yingdi's custom order. As long as these two orders are successfully closed, their small workshop can be considered to have had a great start!

"They only contacted us?"

"Of course not. All three major organizations accepted the proposals. But none of them were approved! Otherwise, they wouldn't have slipped through to us."

"Don't get too excited yet; I might not be able to satisfy him either." Musical preferences are a very personal matter. Even with Ice Dew in hand, she couldn't guarantee anything.

"I know, but I never thought it would work out."

"Then why are you so happy?" Shi Shi asked in surprise.

"You don't understand. What's most important for a new company? It's building brand awareness, of course! Good wine needs no bush, but people have to know you have good wine before they'll even bother to go there! I'm happy that the big shots in the industry recognize you. Once Shen Jingyuan's album is released, we'll ride that wave and promote Jiang Haichao's orders too. There will definitely be a lot of orders. Then the pressure will be on you!" After saying that, she handed her a few small orders she had on hand.

“Jiang Haichao’s order might not come through, but you need to carefully select these others. Shen Jingyuan is already well-known; no matter how popular his singing becomes, the audience will only remember him. But these others are different. They are either unknown or newcomers in the industry. If your work can make them an instant hit, that’s when you’ll start making money!” Song Ming looked at Shi Shi seriously.

Shi Shi nodded, agreeing with the other person's assessment. Once her studio became a star-making machine, it wouldn't be her looking for work, but rather work coming to her. Song Ming was quite capable; two of the "flops" she mentioned were former second-tier singers. No wonder she didn't get many offers. These days, major entertainment companies have their own creative departments, and the signed songwriters will create songs for the company's singers. Of course, the prerequisite is that you have to be a "star." Otherwise, without connections and without company support, you can only pick up the leftovers. It's a miracle you've become famous.

These people are focusing their attention on Shi Shi, but even if the deal goes through, the company probably won't reimburse her. The pros and cons of paying out of pocket are obvious. The advantage is copyright issues; the singer has a greater advantage and won't lose their hit songs after leaving the company. The disadvantage is also clear: if the song she buys doesn't become popular, it will significantly reduce her income. How many non-famous artists are truly wealthy and purely doing it out of passion?

After all, anything with the word "customized" in it isn't cheap.

Looking at one of the people's files, Shi Shi asked Song Ming in confusion, "Wasn't she blacklisted for cheating?"

The order came from Peng Feier. Even Shi Shi, who has had her own music, knows her. Both are pop divas, but Peng Feier is jokingly called the "Queen of Corny Love Songs" by netizens because her songs are so corny. While other artists' songs win awards at major music festivals, hers don't even get a nomination. Is it because her songs aren't popular? No, quite the opposite! Her songs are popular in third- and fourth-tier cities and towns. They're a staple of square dancing and incredibly catchy. Seven or eight years ago, when Peng Feier was at her peak, older people used her songs as their ringtones.

However, none of her fans are young people.

Two years ago, a video of her frolicking with a man in a swimming pool surfaced online. Her only remaining older fanbase disappeared.

Song Ming sighed helplessly, "Women, once a video like this is leaked, they're nailed to the pillar of shame. Men can still turn over a new leaf. It's much harder for women. She was already divorced back then, but the man still has the child. Her past can be cleared up this week. She signed with Huachuang Pioneer. They've already started working on her comeback. She used to be an artist under Qunxing. I had a good relationship with her. But as soon as the scandal broke, the company immediately blacklisted her. You can wait a bit."