Chapter 142 The So-Called War Song

The one who spoke was Domi, the artist development manager whom Shi Shi had recruited through a headhunter. Domi was responsible for discovering, recruiting, signing, and promoting online celebrities, as well as managing their image and brand value.

Domi was considered a promising young man from a poor family, graduating from a top-tier university (985). Full of courage and ambition, he began his journey to Beijing as a struggling migrant worker, only to find reality far harsher than he imagined. His business administration degree made finding employment much harder than he anticipated. His meager salary forced him to live in a dark, cramped basement. He would count his paychecks, plan for the next month, and couldn't even afford to get sick. For the poor, illness is a luxury. He would lose his perfect attendance bonus and then have to bear the burden of exorbitant medical expenses.

Like Jingjingzi, he caught the first wave of the internet boom, and he posted videos online to record his daily life as a migrant worker in Beijing.

At that time, this topic was rare. After earning his first pot of gold, he keenly recognized the potential of the industry. He was no longer content to be a blogger with an unstable income. When headhunters approached him, Domi had already become the deputy manager of the operations department at an influencer company. He was recruited purely because of the lure of a high salary.

"What's up?"

Domi took an A4 sheet of paper from his meeting minutes notebook and handed it to Shi Shi.

“Since the company opened, I have been observing online public opinion. While livestreamers are certainly very popular, your popularity remains consistently high. You are a talented writer, an associate professor at a university, and you also run a company. Everyone is very interested in how you achieve such all-round development.”

The A4 paper contained very little, but it was written concisely and clearly: the percentage of netizens' attention towards her, and the number of fans she had personally attracted.

"you mean?"

"Mr. Shi, I know you rarely appear in public. That's precisely why your mystique is so appealing to the public. With the Spring Festival just around the corner, we want to take advantage of this buzz and surprise you with a public appearance as a New Year's gift. When you appear in the live stream and talk directly with your fans, it will satisfy the public's voyeuristic desires and also dispel the rumors that you are too arrogant."

Shi Shi's company is thriving. A significant slice of the pie for songwriters in the industry has been taken away. Plus, she only appeared once—at a songwriters' association event—to give her seniors a brief appearance before disappearing again. Inevitably, negative rumors started circulating, and Shi Shi was certainly aware of them. But she's not a hundred-dollar bill; she can't be loved by everyone.

Without much hesitation, Shi Shi agreed. She then added, "I'll only be representing myself, so please be mindful of the boundaries, understand?"

Domi immediately understood; it was just about controlling the chat in the live stream and not mentioning Brother Fu!

"Okay, I'll make a New Year's surprise plan and send it to your email."

After leaving the influencer company, Shi Shi drove to school. She didn't drive the car Fu Yingzhou had given her; the license plate ending in three 8s, and that kind of car model—it was just too conspicuous. However, because of men's inexplicable competitive spirit, she had already sold the car Fu Zhixu had given her as a secondhand item.

"Knock, knock, knock." Three knocks sounded on the door, and a voice called out "Come in" came from Li Tongqiang's office. Shishi pushed open the door and walked in.

"Long time no see, Professor Shi. You must be very busy; it's been ages since I've seen you!"

This is also one of the reasons why Shishi doesn't like coming to school. Although she can handle it with ease, it doesn't mean she likes talking to these bureaucratic people who beat around the bush and waste brain cells!

"So thank you. Winter break has been so long, and if you hadn't said you needed to talk to me today, I wouldn't have had the chance to bother you."

"You're still so good at talking!" Li Tongqiang said to Shishi with a smile.

How is the principal doing lately?

"Work is going well, and I'm in good health. I'm doing great."

Looks like you're in a good mood!

"You're doing well, so I won't have the chance to serve you." Shi Shi quickly changed the subject to see what she wanted to talk to her about.

"Of course you do! Do you know about the Hundred Schools Competition?"

Shishi nodded; of course she knew. Every few years, professors from major universities across China would lead delegations of freshmen and upperclassmen on "cultural exchanges." The euphemism was "mutual learning," but in reality, it was "tearing each other apart."

Peking University, as one of the oldest universities in China, has maintained its leading position for the past two years. However, maintaining this position will require considerable effort, especially given its long-time neighbor, Tsinghua University, which is vying for dominance.

Especially in the last two years, Tsinghua University has made rapid progress. Now, when people talk about the best universities in China, they say that Peking University and Tsinghua University are on par!

"During the start of the school year in March, the competition will be held simultaneously in 100 schools. This year is different because the finals will be broadcast live on CCTV. Students who participate in the finals may also appear on the evening news."

"Oh my, this is great news! They say risk and opportunity go hand in hand. Besides, the students who can get into our school must be this good." Shishi gave a thumbs up and continued, "For the students at our school, it's practically a free pass."

Li Tongqiang was pleased with Shi Shi's praise and pride in Peking University, but still shook his head: "Our country has produced many talented people. Scores don't represent everything. This competition may include many less common exams, so participating students must develop in all aspects."

"Then you need to have a wide range of knowledge, interests and interests."

Li Tongqiang finally explained why he had come to see her today: "Our school is the main venue for the preliminary rounds, so there are a lot of opportunities for media exposure. The competition for good students has been fierce in the past two years. The school wants you to write a battle song for the students."

As a century-old institution, Beijing Normal University naturally has its own school song. But what's with this battle song?

Not understanding, she simply asked directly.

"I want you to write a song that represents the high spirits of young people, something inspiring and uplifting."

Shi Shi understood. This meant forcing chicken soup into the students' mouths, and doing it well enough to ensure not a single drop was wasted. Otherwise, how could the students be expected to willingly serve the school like slaves?

Moreover, as far as she knew, during the freshman orientation in September, the top scorer in the country and many provincial top scorers went to Tsinghua University next door. It seems like a fierce battle is about to break out!

As a member of Peking University, she wouldn't let go of this opportunity to take advantage of her workplace!

I quickly pulled out a small notebook and a pen from my bag, repeated the keywords the principal had mentioned, and wrote them down.

After taking notes, she looked serious and said, "Don't worry, I will do my best to write the most suitable song."

Li Tongqiang had always been very satisfied with Shi Shi. He nodded with a smile and said, "We need it in March, so time is a bit tight. I'm afraid I'll have to trouble you. Don't worry, the school won't let you suffer any losses."

"Both I and the school are going in the same direction."

"Ha ha ha ha!"

The two foxes looked at each other and smiled.