Chapter 61: The Response of Chao Yin Culture

After signing with Jade Stone Records, it was inevitable that Tide Sound Culture would be displeased. If he were to sign the limited group contract at this point, he’d be back in the hands of Tide Sound Culture. Who knows how they’d manipulate him then. Fang Xing had already made up his mind: even if it meant withdrawing from the competition, he absolutely would not sign the limited group contract.

In the entertainment industry, there are few secrets among the big companies. News of Fang Xing’s signing quickly reached the ears of all the major players.

In the chairman’s office at the headquarters of Tide Sound Culture, a considerate female secretary was sitting on He Hongtu’s lap, soothing his mind and body. Liu Rongxuan hurried into the office, forgetting to knock. The moment he stepped in, he paused as he took in the scene. The secretary stood up gracefully and smiled, saying, “I’ll make some tea. Would you prefer tea or coffee, Mr. Liu?”

“Either is fine,” Liu Rongxuan replied absentmindedly, not here for beverages.

He Hongtu opened his eyes, his expression unchanged. “What’s the matter?”

Liu Rongxuan strode to the desk, his tone urgent. “Fang Xing has signed with another company.”

He Hongtu frowned. “Is it Baichuan Entertainment, or Yida Entertainment?”

Baichuan and Yida were Tide Sound Culture’s main rivals. All three companies operated idol groups, and within the idol sphere, they ranked among the top five domestically. Tide Sound Culture was stronger in boy groups, Yida excelled in girl groups, while Baichuan had overall strength.

Liu Rongxuan shook his head. “Neither. I just got word that last night someone saw Fang Xing talking with Liang Yusong at Blues, and they seemed to be getting along well. Liang Yusong called the artist director and the legal team to work overtime that night—that’s clearly a contract signing.”

He Hongtu’s frown deepened. “Jade Stone Records? But they don’t do boy groups.”

Liu Rongxuan spoke gravely. “We overlooked something. Since Fang Xing joined the show, he’s already performed six original songs. If Jade Stone Records signed him, it’s likely a producer contract.”

He Hongtu’s expression turned serious. “Did Fang Xing sign the limited group contract?”

“He didn’t. Yesterday, we planned to have him sign the limited group contract first, but before we could, the production team whisked him away,” Liu Rongxuan recalled, sensing something fishy about yesterday’s events.

“Go! Find out what kind of contract Jade Stone Records signed with Fang Xing,” He Hongtu ordered.

For insiders in the big entertainment companies, there really aren’t many secrets. After Jade Stone Records signed Fang Xing, there was much to be done: assigning him a manager, assistant, makeup artist, arranging an operations team to manage fans and maintain his public image, and so on. These tasks required the cooperation of many departments; a big company only needed to inquire a little to learn the truth.

“I already had people looking into it this morning. There should be results by now—I’ll make a call and check,” Liu Rongxuan said, moving to the glass wall to make several calls. Returning, he reported, “It’s confirmed. Jade Stone Records has assigned Fang Xing an assistant and a makeup artist. I also found out about the contract: it’s indeed a producer contract, with an attached artist management agreement. Liang Yusong gave Fang Xing the same terms as himself: fifty percent split on lyrics, composition, and performance.”

He Hongtu’s eyes widened at the split. “Is Jade Stone Records insane? Would Shi Datou really agree to give a newcomer such a contract?”

“Apparently Liang Yusong made the decision alone; the agreement was finalized and signed overnight,” Liu Rongxuan added.

As a flagship artist and major shareholder, Liang Yusong had the authority to sign a newcomer, but such cases were rare.

He Hongtu narrowed his eyes, quickly grasping the situation. “Liang Yusong truly is an old fox. Signing a producer contract—the split may be high, but Jade Stone Records isn’t losing out. If Fang Xing’s albums are a hit, Jade Stone Records will profit handsomely. If his albums are mediocre, their investment is only in production and distribution—a minimal loss. And with Liang Yusong overseeing quality, the songs won’t be subpar.”

Liu Rongxuan spoke with gravity. “Boss, Jade Stone Records has struck gold with Fang Xing. Even if he never produces another hit, the six songs he’s already performed could feed the company for decades.”

In the entertainment world, a singer with one widely recognized song is already fortunate—like Zhengliang Wang on Earth. Mention his name, and most viewers immediately think of “Where Has the Time Gone.”

On “Roast Conference,” Bu Yi Mao once joked about Zhengliang Wang: “Every time Teacher Wang joins an event, he’s asked to sing ‘Where Has the Time Gone,’ and it’s always just that one song. We’re in a similar situation; I can only sing... three or four songs at most.”

Among young singers on Earth, having three or four hit songs is exceedingly rare. Some artists have no recognizable songs at all, relying on variety shows for presence.

Bu Yi Mao’s looks weren’t remarkable among celebrities—his fame came purely from his work. With just those three or four songs, he became the most profitable artist at Wow Wow Entertainment.

Imagine then, how formidable a newcomer with six hit songs must be.

Although the latest two songs from the public performance hadn’t aired yet, He Hongtu had watched the recording and felt certain they’d become hits too.

He quickly reacted, saying, “Hurry! Sign Fang Xing to the limited group contract. As long as we secure that contract, in two years, there’ll be plenty of ways to lure him away from Jade Stone Records.”

But from that day on, whenever Tide Sound Culture’s management team visited the “Star of Tomorrow” training camp, Fang Xing was nowhere to be found. They saw only the manager assigned to him by Jade Stone Records.

Since he’d already signed with a company, contract negotiations were handled by his manager rather than himself.

Liang Yusong had assigned Fang Xing a veteran manager at Jade Stone Records, named Qiao Yinghong. Colleagues called her Red Sister.

She managed a near-first-tier female singer, whose workload was light, so Liang Yusong temporarily assigned Red Sister to Fang Xing.

Qiao Yinghong was seasoned in dealing with big companies like Tide Sound Culture. Whether or not to sign the limited group contract would be decided after consulting with Tong Fei.

Thus, when Tide Sound Culture approached Qiao Yinghong to discuss the limited group contract, their conversations were pleasant, but no progress was made at all.