Chapter 29: Chapter 26: The New Mainstay_1
Some are joyous while some are worried.
While Ol' Zhou was elated, Zhao Jue was on edge. Alone in her office, she paced back and forth anxiously.
Last week.
She sent "Easy to Ignite and Explode" to Zhao Ying Ge.
She had assumed that once this song was out, Zhao Ying Ge, who also shared the surname Zhao, would immediately agree to sign a contract with Starlight!
However, a week had gone by, and there was still no news from Zhao Ying Ge.
This was starting to unsettle Zhao Jue.
It didn't make sense. Even as a non-professional, Zhao Jue could tell that "Easy to Ignite and Explode" was a good song.
The first time she heard it, it had caught her ear, and after listening to it several more times, the song had imprinted itself deeply in her memory.
Thus, Zhao Jue was convinced...
That the quality of the song alone should be enough to sway Zhao Ying Ge!
However, the continued lack of response from Zhao Ying Ge began to raise doubts in Zhao Jue's mind, causing her to waver wildly between hope and fear.
Had the song failed to move him?
Or perhaps, Zhao Ying Ge had already signed with another company?
Amid her anxiety, Zhao Jue's phone suddenly rang. It was a call from Zhao Ying Ge himself, the very person she had been anxiously anticipating.
Is he calling to reject me?
Frowning, Zhao Jue answered the call.
On the other end, Zhao Ying Ge's voice sounded firm, "I agree to sign with Starlight. I'm sorry for letting you wait so long."
Zhao Jue was startled.
He's not rejecting me?
She quickly regained her composure, slightly ecstatic. It seemed that Starlight had won another victory in the competition among the three major companies.
"That's alright."
Her tone turned magnanimous, "Thoughtful considerations can lead to firm decisions. We're willing to wait, so when do you plan to sign the contract?"
"I can do it anytime."
Zhao Ying Ge affirmed, "Just use the contract terms you brought up before. However, the song 'Easy to Ignite and Explode' must be my debut single. I hope the company can manage its promotion well."
"Of course!"
Zhao Jue laughed, "We are a very efficient company. If you're free, you can come to the company to sign the contract this afternoon."
Zhao Jue did not wish to delay the process any longer.
"No problem."
Zhao Ying Ge agreed instantly, then added after a moment of thought, "The moment I heard 'Easy to Ignite and Explode', I loved it. The song really suits me…"
"Great!"
So it wasn't a problem with the song after all. I knew it, how could Lin Yuan fail with such a high-quality song like 'Easy to Ignite and Explode'?
"Then prepare to head over."
Zhao Jue's mood had swung completely back around, returning to her usual brisk and efficient self, "I'll have someone meet you downstairs. The contract will be ready when you arrive."
The reply was, "No problem."
After hanging up, Zhao Jue was finally able to relax.
She sat down, intending to take a rest, but before she even had a chance to settle in, someone knocked on her door.
"Come in."
"Ms. Zhao."
The person who entered was one of Zhao Jue's male agents.
His expression was a bit excited at the moment, "Qi Continent called. They want to invite Jiang Kui for the promotion of 'Dragon Fish Dance'!"
"Jiang Kui?"
Zhao Jue slightly startled.
The agent explained, "She's a rookie under my supervision. She was singled out by Teacher Admirable Fish a while ago and sang a theme song specifically created by Teacher Admirable Fish for Qi Continent's animation film 'Dragon Fish Dance'. Today, the song was released on the Internet, with a very positive response. Therefore, Qi Continent would like her to promote the film and perform live as a singer."
It's Lin Yuan again!
Zhao Jue then remembered that Lin Yuan had previously asked her for a new artist, saying he wanted to record a song. Ol' Zhou had also mentioned that Lin Yuan had completed an order from the Qi Continent, probably alluding to this impressionistic song.
"What is the song called?"
Zhao Jue had already opened the music player.
The other party replied, "It's called 'Big Fish'."
Zhao Jue nods, types in "called Big Fish", then realizes something is off. Without indicating anything, she changes it to "Big Fish". Sure enough, she located the song.
She then put on the headphones and listened to the song once through.
After listening, she was silent for a long time.
The agent could not help but remind her, "Ms. Zhao."
Zhao Jue came back to her senses and said with a bitter smile, "When Lin Yuan wanted to record this song before, I didn't take it seriously. I just gave him some information on new artists. I never thought that the song he was going to record would be such a beautiful song like 'Big Fish'."
"No one expected it."
The agent laughed understandingly, then said, "Besides the Qi Continent side, a lot of brands that have long-term cooperation with our company also called. They want to invite Jiang Kui to participate in their activities and specifically asked her to sing 'Big Fish'. So I wanted to ask you how we should proceed."
"So you're saying..."
Zhao Jue looked up: "Jiang Kui is on fire?"
The agent nodded, excited yet full of emotion, "Judging from the enthusiastic invitations from various merchants, Jiang Kui is indeed hot. Otherwise, who would remember the name of a small newcomer like her? She has benefitted from the momentum of Teacher Admirable Fish. The effect is not weaker than that of newcomer Sun Yaohuo who debuted as the first place on the New Talent List earlier. Don't worry, I will take good care of her in the future and not waste this chance that Teacher Admirable Fish has given."
Zhao Jue is the Chief Agent.
As a Chief Agent she oversees all company brokerage matters and rarely manages artists directly. Only A-list artists or newcomers whom Zhao Jue highly regards could be personally managed by her.
Under Zhao Jue, there are many small agents.
These small agents typically manage newcomers. As newcomers often have a difficult start, these small agents do not have an easy job.
Therefore...
Every small agent hopes that the newcomer they manage can become popular. Because only when their artists become popular can the agents make money.
"Okay!"
Zhao Jue stood up.
It's a double joyous day!
First, Zhao Ying Ge agreed to sign a contract with Starlight; then, a little unknown newcomer under her unexpectedly became popular, skipping the newcomer season to become famous in this way!
Moreover...
All these two happy events were because of Lin Yuan!
This kid is truly her lucky star!
"Have the publicity department follow up immediately."
If there's a newcomer who's become popular, the company must definitely give a push. If they can't seize such an opportunity, it would be a wasted chance, given that Starlight is one of the three major entertainment companies in the Qin Continent.
Anything about "seeking advice" is an excuse.
The true goal of this little agent seeking her out is probably to gain support for Jiang Kui from the company. But Zhao Jue won't let on about this secret. Everyone is doing this for their artists, and their efforts are understandable.
"Understood."
With the goal achieved, the agent's smile shines even brighter: "Thank you Ms. Zhao!"
"Additionally..."
Zhao Jue said: "Jiang Kui must prioritize the schedules from Qi Continent. 'Big Fish' is a custom-made track that they commissioned. We must deliver excellent service until the end, or else it will affect our company's reputation. We're still counting on Qi Continent for more orders in the future."
"No problem!"
The agent readily agreed.
However, Zhao Jue suddenly expressed some regret: "Actually, I regret letting Lin Yuan go now! He could've stayed in the talent division, couldn't he? Couldn't our big division afford to keep him? That old fellow Zhou Ruiming took advantange of us!"
The agent: "...."
It's not his place to comment on matters between the higher-ups.
However, Zhao Jue was only venting. If she had indeed kept such a promising composer in the talent division, Ol' Zhou would likely have lodged a complaint with the boss.
"Admirable Fish..."
An idea dawned on the agent. He pondered:
This guy seems to be the new star of the composition department. First, he topped the New Talent List and made Sun Yaohuo famous...Then he helped his own artist, Jiang Kui, to fame...He's been at the job for barely two months, and he's already made two newcomers famous...
Gifts
-- Gift
received Weekly Power Status
-- Power
Ranking 
-- Power
stone