I Became an All-round Artist

“Lin Yuan.”

When Zhao Jue saw Lin Yuan again, she greeted him warmly. “Zhao Yingguo has signed with me. She really likes Easily Combustible.”

“That’s good,” Lin Yuan replied. His intention was to help Zhao Jue out.

Zhao Jue continued, “Let’s sign the contract first. As usual, the company takes 80%, and the remaining 20% will be split between you and Zhao Yingguo.”

“Sounds fine,” Lin Yuan agreed. Zhao Yingguo wasn’t just any ordinary collaborator, so he had already prepared himself for a smaller share of the profit. He didn’t have any objections; splitting it evenly seemed fair enough. Although, he couldn’t help but feel a bit of a sting at the thought.

Despite Wu Yong’s convincing arguments, Lin Yuan still preferred to work with lesser-known talents. In his view, they offered better value for money.

“No need to say more,” Zhao Jue said, patting Lin Yuan on the shoulder. “This is a huge favor, and I’ll make sure to return it. In Starbright, I have the clout to back up my words.”

“You’ve already treated me to a meal,” Lin Yuan pointed out.

Zhao Jue laughed. “If a simple meal could repay you for Easily Combustible, then a few more meals would be like striking gold! But seriously, this isn’t just about a meal. I can’t take advantage of you like that. If you need anything in the future, just come to me.”

Zhao Jue had said this to him before, but this time, it carried a different weight. Lin Yuan didn’t dwell on it; he simply nodded and said, “Let’s sign the contract.”

Zhao Jue nodded back.

Five minutes later, Lin Yuan followed Zhao Jue to the artist department, where they met Zhao Yingguo.

“Hello, Teacher Xianyu,” Zhao Yingguo greeted him with a smile, surprised by how young he looked. She had expected him to be at least in his thirties.

“Hello,” Lin Yuan responded politely, shaking her hand.

Zhao Yingguo wanted to chat more, but Lin Yuan didn’t seem interested in small talk. She tried to start a few conversations, but he only gave polite, short responses. Eventually, she gave up, her pride preventing her from pushing further.

After signing the contract, Zhao Yingguo asked, “Is there anything else you’d like to add, Teacher Xianyu?”

Lin Yuan thought for a moment and said, “Don’t alter the release version. You can make other versions later if you want.”

“I wasn’t planning on changing the composition, arrangement, or lyrics,” Zhao Yingguo assured him.

“Good,” Lin Yuan said, standing to leave.

As soon as he left, Zhao Yingguo muttered, “Are all the teachers in the composition department this cold?”

“Yes,” Zhao Jue replied without surprise. “Most of the composers here are reserved. Xianyu is actually quite polite compared to others.”

“Alright,” Zhao Yingguo said, then asked excitedly, “Now that all the contracts are signed, are we releasing the single on the first of next month?”

“Of course,” Zhao Jue confirmed with a smile. “I told you, our company is very efficient. From the moment you signed with the company, our marketing team has already started building up the hype for your new song. Your fans already know you’ll be releasing it next month.”

Zhao Yingguo had won Bloom, a popular show that had just ended, so her fame was still high. The company wanted to strike while the iron was hot and ride the wave of her recent victory. If they waited too long, her momentum would fade.

But just then, Zhao Jue’s phone rang. After a brief conversation, her expression darkened, and she said coldly, “So Shining Silver and Sand Sea are teaming up?”

A moment later, she hung up.

“What’s going on?” Zhao Yingguo asked, puzzled.

Zhao Jue looked irritated. “Next month, two first-tier singers from Shining Silver and Sand Sea are also planning to release their songs on the first. Originally, these singers were scheduled to release in March, but they’ve suddenly moved up the date, clearly targeting you.”

“So, should we change our release date?” Zhao Yingguo frowned. Despite her confidence in Easily Combustible, she was up against two first-tier singers.

First-tier singers are the kind whose songs, even if not top-notch, would still sell well due to their massive fanbase—much like Qian Xingyu on the rookie chart. Everyone knew that his song wasn’t necessarily the best, but his popularity alone was enough to push it to the top.

“It’s not that simple,” Zhao Jue shook her head. “Under normal circumstances, we could push back the release date and let those two fight it out, but the problem is, you can’t afford to wait! Your current popularity is tied to your win on Bloom, and delaying a month would reduce your momentum by a third.”

Zhao Yingguo bit her lip. “I can handle losing a third.”

These two companies had clearly coordinated this to punish Zhao Yingguo for not signing with them. It was frustrating, but not entirely unexpected. If she had signed with Sand Sea instead, it might be Starbright Entertainment teaming up with Shining Silver today.

“So, we’ll have to go head-to-head?” Zhao Yingguo asked nervously. She was confident in Easily Combustible, but going up against two first-tier singers was intimidating.

“Not just a head-to-head,” Zhao Jue said, her eyes cold with determination. “If you don’t release in January, February is off the table too. You’d have to wait until March, because February is Lunar New Year.”

“Lunar New Year…” Zhao Yingguo’s face fell as she realized her mistake.

Every December, the competition on the new song charts is fierce, but the month of Lunar New Year, while less intense, still sees many major releases due to the holiday’s significance. It would be better to release in January than risk February.

And waiting until March? By then, her victory on Bloom would be a distant memory, and her popularity would have dwindled.

“So, we have no choice but to clash with them?” Zhao Yingguo asked, feeling the pressure.

She had faith in Easily Combustible, but this was going to be a tough fight.

But the situation on the new song charts is extremely complicated. Take the December chart, for example. With so many heavy hitters entering the fray, even a song like “Big Fish” couldn’t break into the top ten.

Of course, part of that was due to “Big Fish” being released mid-month. But this also highlights that a song’s ranking isn’t determined solely by its quality; the fame of the singer and the composer plays a significant role as well.

Xianyu is starting to gain some recognition, but he still lags behind the top-tier composers. As for Zhao Yingguo, while she has some notoriety as the champion of Bloom, her fan base is still significantly smaller compared to first-tier singers.

“We have no choice but to face this head-on,” Zhao Jue said, narrowing her eyes. “By deploying two first-tier singers against you, they’re betting on the fact that we have no way out and have to push forward regardless.”

Such a targeted attack is rare. Normally, if it weren’t about pride, the targeted party could simply change the release date. But Shining Silver and Sand Sea are clever—they’ve understood Zhao Yingguo’s situation perfectly and seized this unique moment, leaving her no room to reschedule.

If they can’t have her, they’ll destroy her. This is the brutal competition among the top three companies in Qinzhou. If they succeed in sabotaging Zhao Yingguo’s debut, the value of her championship title from Bloom would significantly diminish.

Zhao Yingguo understood this too, which is why she felt so worried.