Chapter 62: The Struggle Between Entertainment Companies

On Wednesday, Liang Yusong and Fang Xing went together to the president’s office of Feifan Entertainment to see Tong Fei.

Originally, Liang Yusong had wanted to invite Tong Fei out for a meal. However, the latest episode of "Star of Tomorrow" was in the midst of a hectic editing process, and Tong Fei simply had no time. Many major advertisers had tried to invite her to dinner, but she had turned them all down.

So, Liang Yusong had no choice but to bring Fang Xing to Tong Fei’s office for a discussion.

The moment she saw them, Tong Fei greeted them with a bright smile. “Congratulations to both of you.”

“You already know, President Tong?” Liang Yusong’s face glowed with pride as he pulled out a chair and sat down, his smile wide.

“It is my show, after all. How could I not know?” Tong Fei pressed the number one on her desk phone, instructing her assistant to bring in three cups of tea. Then she asked, “What about the limited group contract? Has it been signed?”

“We’re here to discuss that...” Liang Yusong began, intending to explain on Fang Xing’s behalf.

Fang Xing picked up the thread. “I’ll speak for myself. I don’t intend to sign the limited group contract.”

Tong Fei’s hand paused mid-motion and she frowned. “If you don’t sign the limited group contract, you can’t debut in the group.”

Fang Xing shrugged. “I don’t want to be in a group. I’m fine doing my own thing.”

“That makes things difficult,” Tong Fei admitted, feeling the situation had become troublesome.

Chaoyin Culture had invested in this project precisely for the rights to operate the limited group. Furthermore, this project had been collaborating with Chaoyin Culture for several seasons—always smoothly. Now, suddenly, a contestant ranked third in popularity was refusing to sign the limited group contract. This was never part of the original plan.

Liang Yusong explained, “We’re here today to discuss with you the best way to have Fang Xing withdraw from the competition.”

Tong Fei’s expression grew serious. As the producer of "Star of Tomorrow," she had access to the show’s most detailed broadcast data from Penguin Video. She knew well that, given the current circumstances, withdrawing Fang Xing was no longer an option.

On the surface, Fang Xing ranked third in popularity. But in reality, his number of individual voters had already surpassed Wu Junchen. Wu Junchen’s fans organized and voted in bulk, so his total votes were high. Fang Xing’s votes, however, mostly came from ordinary viewers. When these viewers enjoyed an episode, they’d casually vote for him; when they didn’t watch, they wouldn’t bother to log in and vote. Thus, while Fang Xing’s total number of votes was lower, he had far more unique voters.

A talent show with five episodes and two public performances had already produced four hit songs—unprecedented in the history of such programs. It could be said that the explosive success of this season’s "Star of Tomorrow" was largely thanks to Fang Xing.

To let Fang Xing withdraw at such a time? That would be the same as announcing to the audience that the show was rigged.

Most importantly, Fang Xing didn’t just narrowly win each performance—he utterly crushed his opponents. Even the professional judges dared not withhold their votes from him, and even viewers with no musical background could easily tell who was superior. To eliminate Fang Xing now would certainly land the show at the top of the trending scandals. Any future variety shows produced by Feifan Entertainment would be branded as “rigged” as well.

After considering for a moment, Tong Fei asked gravely, “Is it truly impossible for you to sign the limited group contract? It’s only for two years.”

Fang Xing shook his head. “Chaoyin Culture isn’t the right fit for me. Let’s forget it.”

Tong Fei shook her head. “This is really difficult. Chaoyin Culture invested in this project to acquire the operating rights to the limited group.”

Liang Yusong cleared his throat and added, “That’s why we wanted to discuss with you how to find a safe way for Fang Xing to withdraw.”

Tong Fei looked troubled. Just days before, she had negotiated with several major advertisers, all of whom were interested in Fang Xing. If she accepted their sponsorship and then immediately eliminated Fang Xing, would the advertisers accept that?

At that moment, Tong Fei’s personal phone rang. She glanced at the caller—it was Liu Rongxuan. After hesitating for three seconds, she declined the call. Soon after, she received a message from Liu Rongxuan: President He would like to invite President Tong to dinner. The private room is already booked at the Jingtai Blue Hotel for six o’clock tonight, and he hopes you will attend.

Tong Fei could already guess why He Hongtu wanted to see her. Now, she was the one caught in the middle.

Feeling frustrated, she stood, rubbed her forehead, and said, “You’re putting me in a very difficult position here.”

If Fang Xing were just an ordinary trainee, Tong Fei would certainly allow him to withdraw. But with this season of "Star of Tomorrow" about to take off, breaking its wings now would send it crashing down.

Liang Yusong stated calmly, “President Tong, actually, if we just pay a one-million-yuan penalty, we could withdraw from the competition without notifying anyone. But after working with you for so many years, I don’t want to make things difficult for you, which is why we came to discuss this first.”

Tong Fei shook her head. “It’s not just about the one million. This concerns a third of the show’s advertising revenue.”

Liang Yusong immediately understood. “That… is indeed complicated. Then let’s work out a more secure solution.”

Tong Fei, decisive as ever, said, “Alright, why don’t you both head back for now? I have to go out for a bit. We’ll discuss this again in a couple of days.”

With that, she took her assistant and left for the Jingtai Blue Hotel to attend He Hongtu’s dinner.

...

The Jingtai Blue Hotel was the most classically styled hotel in Donghai.

Accompanied by a server, Tong Fei arrived at the private room reserved by Chaoyin Culture. She greeted them with a hearty smile, “President He, it’s been a while.”

“Indeed, it’s hard to get a meeting with someone as busy as President Tong,” He Hongtu replied, his gaze lingering approvingly on Tong Fei’s elegant figure.

“You flatter me, President He.” The server pulled out a chair for her, and Tong Fei sat down, asking, “What would you like to drink tonight? I have a bottle of red wine stored here, perhaps you’d like to try it?”

He Hongtu waved his hand. “No need. I had my secretary bring a bottle of Petrus. I hope it suits your taste?”

After the pleasantries, Tong Fei took the initiative to steer the conversation. “President He, I doubt you invited me here just to taste wine tonight, did you?”

“No hurry,” He Hongtu replied, not eager to address business. Only after the dishes were served and the wine opened did he get to the point.

“There’s a trainee in your show who’s getting a bit out of line. It’s time to rein him in.”

Tong Fei, noncommittal, asked, “How do you suggest we do that, President He?”

“Eliminate him,” He Hongtu said bluntly, not bothering with niceties.

Tong Fei shook her head. “I’m afraid it’s already too late for that.”

“What do you mean?” He Hongtu’s expression darkened, a fierce air about him.

“A third of the embedded ads are tied to him. How does President He propose to make up for that loss?” Tong Fei laid things out plainly.

He Hongtu’s face froze. After a moment’s silence, he said, “Then eliminate him first, and once he’s signed the limited group contract, bring him back on the show.”

Tong Fei sighed and shook her head. “President He, just now, Liang Yusong came to my office in person, offering to pay a one-million-yuan penalty for Fang Xing to withdraw. Do you think eliminating him will solve the problem?”

He Hongtu and Liu Rongxuan, who sat beside him, both stiffened.

Liu Rongxuan pressed, “Fang Xing would rather withdraw than sign the limited group contract?”

“Yes, he really does want to withdraw,” Tong Fei replied, trusting her intuition.

He Hongtu’s tone turned cold. “President Tong, that’s not how things should be handled. Our cooperation on this project is based on the limited group contract belonging to Chaoyin Culture. Now, you have a trainee in your show who refuses to sign it. That’s your problem.”

Tong Fei wagged her finger, correcting him. “Whether it’s the management contract or the limited group contract, Chaoyin Culture has always been responsible. From Fang Xing’s first performance, it’s been over two months now. In that time, hundreds of entertainment companies have tried to approach him, but I turned them all away. Two months, and you still haven’t secured a contract with one trainee—that’s hardly my fault.”

He Hongtu shot a hostile look at Liu Rongxuan. The artist contracts were always Liu Rongxuan’s responsibility. Failing to secure Fang Xing was indeed his failure.

Liu Rongxuan had already reviewed the situation and knew his initial approach was careless. The first time they discussed a contract, he had sent only an assistant, since at that point only "Nocturne" and "Wild Bird" had become hits. He assumed Fang Xing was just a trainee and that the limited group’s "trident" offer would easily secure a contract with a 28% share for the company. He never expected that Fang Xing would refuse even the most basic contract, let alone the platinum one.

The dinner lasted two hours.

He Hongtu remained insistent that Tong Fei eliminate Fang Xing. Tong Fei neither agreed nor refused, but suggested, “How about this: tomorrow is Friday, and the latest episode will be released. Let’s see how it performs. If Fang Xing’s popularity drops in the sixth episode, we can discuss eliminating him then.”