After taking advice, I became a top male idol.

Chapter 15 Penguin Music is a Hit! You want me to eat grass?

In the rented room.

Lin Zhixing was humming a song, preparing to turn on his computer to check Weibo.

Suddenly, my phone rang.

Looking at the name labeled "Zhang the Skinflint" on the screen, Lin Zhixing raised an eyebrow.

"Oh, you can't sit still anymore?"

He slowly pressed the answer button, casually turned on the speakerphone, tossed the phone onto the bed, and picked up a bag of potato chips to start munching.

"Feed?" the voice asked lazily.

On the other end of the phone, Zhang Yue took a deep breath and spoke with unprecedented politeness: "Zhixing, this is Sister Zhang. Have you eaten?"

"Not yet, just woke up." Lin Zhixing munched on potato chips, the "crunch crunch" sound carrying clearly. "What brings you here, Sister Zhang? If you want to collect the breach of contract fee, I'll have to work harder; I haven't raised it all yet."

"Oh dear, look at you, still angry with me? I had no choice before; it was a decision made by the company's higher-ups. What could a small agent like me have to influence?"

Zhang Yueqian chuckled twice, her tone becoming even more obsequious, "Actually, I've been trying to help you all this time. And now, good news has arrived!"

Lin Zhixing swallowed a potato chip. "Oh? You went to play the suona too?"

"..." Zhang Yue choked for a moment, "Screw your suona!"

Suppressing her anger, Zhang Yue continued, "Stop joking. It's like this, the company executives saw your performance on 'The Voice of China' and were amazed! The previous contract termination was a complete misunderstanding!"

She paused, then offered her terms, "If you're willing to come back, the company will draft a new A-level contract for you, allocate more resources, and even... we can even have Zhang Xianyu as your co-star!"

After saying that, Sister Zhang waited for Lin Zhixing's grateful reply.

After all, that was an A-level contract, an astronomical sum for a penniless, washed-up artist.

Moreover, returning to a large company is an opportunity that many people would love to have.

Hearing this, Zhang Xianyu's eyes widened. He was about to lash out when Zhang Yue glared at him fiercely, signaling him to shut up.

Lin Zhixing almost burst out laughing after hearing this.

A-level contract?

The cake was drawn to be big and round, but unfortunately it was spoiled.

Having spent many years in his previous life, he was all too familiar with the tricks of capital.

On the surface, the salary and benefits seem high, but in reality, the terms are full of traps: exclusive rights to act as an agent, a ten-year lock-in contract, doubled penalties for breach of contract...

Once the contract is signed, this song "The Lone Warrior," and all subsequent songs, will belong to "Xinghuang," not "Lin."

When the time comes, the company can either side with you or squeeze you dry.

Moreover, a good horse doesn't turn back to eat the grass it already grazed.

With the current popularity of "The Lone Warrior," the copyright revenue alone is enough to pay off the previous breach of contract fees. Wouldn't it be better to be your own boss? Why go back to being a dog?

Thinking of this, Lin Zhixing said, "A-level contract? Resource allocation? Sounds good."

Zhang Yue was secretly delighted. "Right? Zhixing, I've always believed in you. Although you're very popular right now, your foundation isn't solid yet; you need a big company backing you up. Come back! From now on, I'll only support you!"

"It really does look very tempting."

Lin Zhixing tossed the last potato chip into his mouth, patted the crumbs off his hands, and his tone suddenly became playful. "But Sister Zhang, there's something I don't quite understand."

"What's the problem? Ask away!"

"If the company values ​​me so much, why did they kick me out like trash in the first place?"

Lin Zhixing's voice still carried a hint of laughter, but his face remained expressionless. "Oh, right, I remember now. Who was it that called me a rat crossing the street, who said I'd never be able to turn my life around?"

Zhang Yue's smile froze on her face. "No, no, no one said that. Zhixing, you know Sister Zhang..."

"I know, of course I know," Lin Zhixing interrupted her. "Sister Zhang, one should see things through to the end. Since you know I'm a pariah, how could I dare to cling to Xinghuang's big tree? What if you get upset again one day and sell me off again? Who would I cry to then?"

"Late-blown affection is worthless, let alone what you're offering; it's more like a weasel paying respects to a chicken!"

"Lin Zhixing! Don't push your luck!"

Zhang Yue finally couldn't keep up the act anymore, her voice turning sharp, "I'm giving you a way out! You think you can gain a foothold in this industry with just that one lousy song? Without the backing of someone, you're nothing!"

"Oh, getting impatient?" Lin Zhixing laughed even harder. "Looks like I was right."

"you!"

"beep--"

Lin Zhixing hung up the phone immediately.

He shrugged, looking at his phone screen.

"When you ask for a favor, you should have the right attitude. Trying to get something for nothing? Dream on."

......

Star Entertainment.

"Snapped!"

Zhang Yue was so angry that she slammed her phone onto the sofa.

"You bastard! You shameless wretch!" Her chest heaved violently, and even the thick foundation couldn't hide her flushed face. "You won't listen to reason, so you'll have to suffer the consequences! Fine! Very well!"

"Sister Zhang, he refused?" Zhang Xianyu asked from the side, a hint of secret joy in his heart. Thank goodness he refused; otherwise, if he had really come back, his position as the top leader would have been in jeopardy.

"Hmph, he doesn't know his place," Zhang Yue said through gritted teeth. "Since he doesn't know what's good for him, then don't blame me for being ruthless."

......

In the evening, Penguin Music simultaneously released the audio of "The Lone Warrior".

Countless netizens who had just finished watching the show and scrolling through short videos flooded into Penguin Music like a tidal wave.

"Is this the nursery rhyme? I've come on a pilgrimage!"

"I came from the trending topics. I heard this song can make people cry?"

"Elementary school student reporting in! Homework finished, time to listen to some music!"

"Delivery driver's report! I was moved to tears, and now I have even more energy to deliver food!"

"Programmer reporting for duty! Working overtime right now, but after hearing this, I feel like I could work for another five hundred years!"

"I was carrying bricks on a construction site when I heard this song. The foreman asked me why I was carrying the cement mixer."

"I've become a fan. I was just there to laugh at them, but I ended up laughing at them instead. Lin Zhixing, I'm sorry, I was a little too loud earlier."

"This is music! This is a great voice!"

The data started to skyrocket.

A popular singer who was firmly at the top of the charts had a new song that was suddenly knocked off the charts by an unstoppable force before it could even settle in.

Five hours after going live.

"The Lone Warrior" debuts at number one on the new song chart!

Number 13 on the Hot Songs Chart!

Number one on the trending charts!

On Weibo, the sharp-tongued music critic who previously criticized Lin Zhixing for seeking attention suddenly posted a long Weibo post.

"Today, I listened to 'The Lone Warrior' on repeat twenty times. I must apologize to Lin Zhixing."

"I was shallow when I called him a clown before. Although his singing technique still has flaws, the lyrics and the theme of this song blow away all those melodramatic, artificial love songs!"

"Who says only those who stand in the light are heroes? This one sentence is enough to make you a god."

"Lin Zhixing, this song is awesome!"

The number of likes on this music review quickly exceeded 50,000.

Even the official Weibo account of China Daily reposted the video of "The Lone Warrior," adding the caption: "[A tribute to every ordinary hero! #TheLoneWarrior #WhoSaysOnlyThoseStandingInTheLightAreHeroes]"

State media gave it a thumbs up!

Lin Zhixing opened Weibo.

At this moment, his number of Weibo followers skyrocketed, from over 100,000 to just over 100,000.

Two hundred thousand...

Three hundred thousand...

Five hundred thousand...

It skyrocketed to one million!

In the comments section, the former haters have disappeared, replaced by a screen full of "sorry" and "worship".

The private message list is no longer filled with "Go to hell" and "Get out of the entertainment industry," but rather densely packed with messages:

"Brother! I'm sorry! I used to speak a little too loudly!"

"That was so good! What will they sing next? I can't wait!"

"I cried listening to this, this is the kind of song a man should listen to!"

"I'm a fan now! From now on, I'll fight anyone who insults you!"

"A massive army of elementary school students reporting for duty!"

Just then, a system notification sounded.

[Ding! Spread achieved! Congratulations to the host for completing the C-level mission: S-level music competition - singing nursery rhymes]

[Task evaluation and settlement in progress...]