Chapter 129 Striving Seriously for a Career

The Spring Festival has a different meaning for Chinese people. The three things that must be done during the Spring Festival are making dumplings, setting off firecrackers, and watching the Spring Festival Gala.

She wasn't originally scheduled for this year's Spring Festival Gala. However, some high-ranking official heard her military song and casually inquired with the Gala's production team. Upon learning that Shi Shi wasn't performing, they expressed their regret. As a result, the production team worked tirelessly and finally managed to invite Shi Shi to the Gala.

Not only that, they also commissioned Shi Shi to write a song specifically for the Spring Festival Gala. It had to capture the atmosphere of the show while also being both trendy and grand.

Nine out of ten creators would disagree with this requirement, but who is Shi Shi? She carries the entire world's music library! She's practically a bug in the system, backed by tens of thousands of musicians; she's fearless!

Upon hearing this request, she couldn't immediately think of a song; she never watched the Spring Festival Gala before she transmigrated. That is, until the words "square dancing" entered her ears.

Phoenix Legend is a fascinating duo. They started out performing in small bars, but after their meteoric rise to fame, a host of criticism followed. Some called them unsophisticated, saying their songs were only suitable for square dancing and were "agricultural heavy metal." Some even accused their song "Above the Moon" of plagiarizing a British song, causing a huge uproar until expert analysis proved its innocence. Because of this controversy, the song didn't make it to the Spring Festival Gala until 2008.

The most amazing thing about Phoenix Legend is that while you might call them "rustic," their songs are incredibly catchy, and everyone can hum a few lines. From the elderly to children, young and old, their popularity is undeniable. You might say their songs are sophisticated, well, you don't have to lie. It's more accurate to say their songs fall into two extremes: the extremely rustic ones like "All About Love" and "The Temptation of the Man," and the sophisticated ones like "Landscape Painting."

Therefore, Shi Shi ultimately chose the song "Landscape Painting". However, the difficulty with "Landscape Painting" lay in the lack of a partner. Being able to perform on the Spring Festival Gala isn't something she can simply decide on her own; it requires the approval of the program team. This is why she didn't immediately agree when the Spring Festival Gala approached her.

Having arranged a time with the production team, she quickly packed her things and set off. She also made sure to call Kong Lai.

"Are you busy, Auntie?"

"No matter how busy I am, can I be as busy as you?" Kong Lai scolded her a couple of times on the other end of the phone, but there was no displeasure in his tone.

She was overjoyed that her child was doing so well and had a thriving career. She also told her older sister and brother-in-law not to bother her with Shi Shi's personal affairs.

As long as my niece stands tall enough, she will naturally have no shortage of good marriage prospects. The saying "If you blossom, butterflies will come" applies to this situation.

"I've been too busy lately and I'd like to find an assistant. Instead of having Song Ming help me recruit someone from outside, I'm thinking of seeing if there's anyone trustworthy back in my hometown."

"Not bad, you've learned to be more careful now." Since they were recruited from outside Song Ming's group, it takes time for the two of them to get to know each other while working together. Moreover, the job of an assistant is highly confidential. A person's character is precisely what's most difficult to discern.

Recruiting from one's hometown, while potentially involving family and relatives, can easily lead to trouble. However, the advantages are also obvious: knowing someone's background and connections reduces the risk of betrayal.

Kong Lai didn't even bother to call, and directly told Shi Shi that she had someone in mind: "Your cousin Kong Fang from your uncle's family. He's currently unemployed, and your aunt has been nagging me about him several times. She says his eyes are like they're covered in shit, and he keeps getting fooled by scumbag women."

"Will your aunt be willing to let your cousin come over?"

"You really don't understand your aunt. She's overjoyed! She'll buy you a train ticket and send your cousin here. He's just sponging off his parents back home, but sending him here means someone will look after him and he can earn some money. She's definitely willing."

What Kong Lai didn't tell Shi Shi was that Kong Chenglong (the female lead's uncle) had long wanted to send his son here so they could raise him. Actually, considering how well his sister-in-law had managed her brother for so many years, keeping him out of trouble, helping her nephew wouldn't have been a big deal. But she didn't want to give in too easily.

Giving someone a helping hand is fine, but managing someone for life is not. She wants to prevent any possibility of them becoming greedy and wanting more.

Shishi felt relieved after her aunt said that: "Then how should I determine his basic salary?"

It's better to listen to the opinions of relatives before asking them to do anything.

"I'll offer three thousand."

"!!! Auntie, Kyoto Sanqian can't possibly survive."

"What do you know? With his brain, even if you give him 30,000, he won't have a penny left. Your personal assistant will definitely live with you on a daily basis. Food, clothing, and transportation are all included, so just pay him 3,000. Transfer another 3,000 to your aunt's card every month. That's a total of 6,000, including food and accommodation! Just shout it out at the job market, and there will be plenty of people willing to do it. A low base salary gives you hope; otherwise, how will you raise his salary later?"

"I understand, Auntie! I'll do whatever you say, no problem!"

Kong Lai nodded on the other end of the phone: "What have you been busy with lately? Your aunt's husband said that the show you're recording has to accommodate your schedule. Take care of yourself, okay?"

"Another influencer company has opened. It was opened with Hehe. Did she tell her when she went back?"

"That brat is very tight-lipped. She's been messing around outside, investing in quite a few businesses. I can't be bothered to care, she has enough to live on anyway."

At this point, Kong Lai seemed to remember something and suddenly asked, "By the way, is Hehe in a relationship?"

This question left Shishi speechless.

Does Shen He ever not date?

It just goes to show that mothers always have a soft spot for their daughters. Even though Kong Lai is a shrewd and capable woman, she still sees her daughter as a sweet little darling.

"I haven't heard her mention it. It's my fault for being too busy lately and not paying much attention to her. Auntie, is there something wrong with her?"

"He's always staring at his phone and grinning like an idiot, and he'll chuckle halfway through a meal."

"That's not necessarily true. Maybe it's just something you see on social media."

"I've been there, and the biggest difference between scrolling through jokes and chatting is that one is watching others make stupid mistakes, and the other is making stupid mistakes yourself."

I was speechless.

"I have to go now, Auntie, I need to participate in the Spring Festival Gala rehearsal. I'll hang up now."

"Okay, rehearsal went well. Bye-bye!"

The Spring Festival Gala rehearsal was held at the MGM Grand in Kyoto, and Shi Shi arrived at Studio 1 of the old CCTV headquarters. Not being familiar with the location, she arrived half an hour early to wait for her turn.

The director of the Spring Festival Gala is surnamed Yu, and her name is Yu Rongchun. She is a female director with short hair. Before she came, Song Ming had already explained the director's background to her, so that she wouldn't be confused and unintentionally offend someone.

Even so, Song Ming was still worried. If it weren't for the company meeting with clients, and if she weren't so unable to leave, she definitely would have come along. Although she wasn't Shi Shi's manager, the Spring Festival Gala was different, so it wouldn't stop her from temporarily filling in that role.