After taking advice, I became a top male idol.

Chapter 38 A Royal Flush!

Huayin Entertainment, Artist Director's Office.

As a long-established record company in China, Huayin Entertainment has a rich history, and its offices are filled with various Golden Melody Awards and Platinum Record Certifications won by its artists.

Gu Qingzhou sat on the sofa, holding a cup of hot tea in her hand, looking somewhat reserved.

Although he is a rising star singer heavily promoted by Huayin, he still has to suppress his arrogance in front of the artist director who holds the power of life and death over him.

Sitting opposite him was Chen Guohua, the artist director of Huayin Entertainment.

Chen Guohua put down the documents in his hand, took off his glasses, rubbed his slightly sore temples, and then looked up at Gu Qingzhou.

"Qingzhou," Chen Guohua's voice was deep and gentle, "you've worked hard in this competition."

Gu Qingzhou quickly put down her teacup and sat up straight. "It's no trouble at all, Director Chen. It's just that my skills aren't as good as others, and I couldn't get a higher score."

"Hey, you can't say that."

Chen Guohua waved his hand, "That adapted version of 'The Swallow Returns' is actually quite good, and the market response was also decent. The main problem is... the competition is too strong."

At this point, Chen Guohua asked, "What do you think of Lin Zhixing?"

Mentioning this name made Gu Qingzhou's expression complicated.

Gu Qingzhou remained silent for a moment.

The image of that fiery red figure flashed through his mind.

"That's impressive."

Gu Qingzhou said in a complicated tone, "President Chen, I used to think I had some talent, but in front of him... I can only say that he is the kind of person who is blessed by God, and even has to be fed by God."

"Oh?" Chen Guohua raised an eyebrow. "Such a high evaluation?"

"It's not just his singing skills and stage presence," Gu Qingzhou analyzed seriously, "but what's most terrifying is his songwriting ability. Whether it's 'The Lone Warrior' or 'The Red-Clad Lament,' they are the kind of works that can both capture the public's aesthetic and have extremely high artistic standards. Others could write one song and live off it for a lifetime, but he seems to be able to produce such songs casually."

Chen Guohua nodded thoughtfully.

"It seems the company's judgment was correct."

He stood up, walked to the window, and looked at the bustling traffic below. "This Lin Zhixing is indeed a talent. If we can sign him, and add your popularity, our Huayin will be able to occupy an absolute dominant position in the new generation market."

Gu Qingzhou felt a little uneasy, but she knew it was the truth.

"Mr. Chen, what are the company's plans?"

"dig."

Chen Guohua uttered a single word: "No matter the cost, we must poach him."

......

It's not just Huayin Entertainment.

As the popularity of "Red-Haired Girl" continues to grow, Lin Zhixing's name has become one of the most popular terms in the entire entertainment industry.

Not only emerging entertainment companies like Starlight Media and Earth Records, but even several established companies extended olive branches to Lin Zhixing.

Lin Zhixing's phone was ringing almost nonstop.

In the rented room.

Lin Zhixing had just hung up a phone call and rubbed his temples wearily.

"Hello, I am the Vice President of Starlight Media. We sincerely invite you to join us..."

"Mr. Lin, our company is willing to provide you with a marketing budget of tens of millions, as long as you nod your head..."

"Mr. Lin, we can offer you a top-tier contract with the highest profit-sharing percentage in the industry..."

The conditions were increasingly tempting.

A multi-million dollar marketing budget, top-tier resources, and an A-level contract...

If it were an ordinary rookie from a talent show, they would probably have been overwhelmed by these sweet words and would have signed a contract to sell themselves to someone else.

But Lin Zhixing remained unusually clear-headed.

Every time he received a call, he would patiently listen to the other party's conditions before stating his own requests:

"Thank you for your kindness. However, I have one condition."

"I want to set up my own studio, affiliated with the company. I need absolute creative freedom and operational autonomy."

then.

The reactions on the other end of the phone were almost identical.

silence.

An awkward silence.

"Well... Mr. Lin, you may not be familiar with industry practices. There's no precedent in our company for a newcomer setting up a studio."

"Ms. Lin, we can offer you the best possible treatment, but regarding the studio... the company needs to manage the artists in a unified manner to maximize your commercial value."

"Haha, Mr. Lin, you're joking. Why don't you reconsider our Class A contract?"

Even worse, some people simply turned cold and hung up the phone.

In the eyes of capital, artists are commodities, tools for making money.

Signing full contracts, taking away copyrights, and controlling personal freedom—that's their bottom line.

Once the precedent of "newcomer studios" is set, and all newcomers follow suit, how will they continue to exploit and fleece them?

This is not just a matter of interests, but also a matter of industry rules.

Lin Zhixing is challenging the unspoken rules of the entire industry.

They can gild and package tools, but they absolutely forbid tools from having their own thoughts, let alone from escaping their control.

studio?

That's a privilege only superstars have. They've worked their way up for years to achieve their status.

What makes you, a newcomer who has just debuted, so special?

"call......"

Lin Zhixing threw his phone on the bed, lay sprawled on the sofa, and stared blankly at the ceiling.

this is the truth.

Although he is now famous, compared to those huge entertainment empires, he is still just a "potential stock" with some value, rather than a partner who can stand on equal footing.

"Looks like this road is blocked."

Lin Zhixing sat up and rubbed his temples.

He didn't want to be tied down by a big company again, and he didn't want to repeat the mistakes of the original owner who was sidelined and exploited.

His past life experiences and his current life's encounters have taught him that the safest thing to do is to take control of his own destiny.

However, he also clearly recognized how difficult it would be to succeed in this industry without the support of company resources.

Publicity, public relations, business negotiations, legal disputes... these trivial matters consume a lot of his energy.

Moreover, if you encounter a smear campaign, it's easy to suffer losses if you go it alone.

"I don't want to be a puppet, but I want to stand tall..."

"Then there's only one way."

"Let them see that I am not just a talented newcomer, but an irreplaceable superstar."

"When my value becomes so great that they have no choice but to compromise, the rules... will naturally change for me."

Although "The Lone Warrior" and "Red Clown" are currently popular, in the eyes of capital, they may just be a flash in the pan.

They are still observing and testing the waters.

"In that case, let's keep bombing!"

......

Time flies.

Two weeks have passed in the blink of an eye.

A lot has happened in the entertainment industry in the past two weeks.

Although the popularity of "Red Silk" has declined somewhat, it still remains at the top of various music charts, becoming the most popular Chinese-style song of the year.

Meanwhile, the competition for "The Voice of China" continues.

The third episode that aired last week was 【Li Ge's Team VS Shen Ming's Team】.

The theme is [Rock/Pop].

This match was equally exciting, with both sides locked in a close battle.

Ultimately, Shen Ming's team won the overall score by a narrow margin thanks to their balanced overall strength and clever song selection.

Shen Ming's team has advanced to the next round!

Meanwhile, Li Ge's team faced a brutal elimination. Li Ge reluctantly eliminated two weaker performers, causing the entire audience to burst into tears.

At this point, the semi-final standings are completely clear.

Ye Lan's team: 5 members (all alive).

Shen Ming's team: 5 members (all alive).

Han Xuening's team: 3 people.

Li Ge's team: 3 people.

The competition is about to enter an even more brutal phase—

Semifinals!