I Became an All-round Artist

While some are celebrating, others are filled with anxiety.

As Lao Zhou was rejoicing, Zhao Jue found herself pacing nervously alone in her office.

Last week, she had sent "Easily Combustible" to Zhao Yingge. She was confident that once Zhao Yingge heard the song, she would immediately agree to sign with Xingmang, especially since they shared the same last name.

But now, a week had passed, and there was still no word from Zhao Yingge. This silence made Zhao Jue increasingly uneasy.

It didn’t make sense. Even a non-professional could tell that "Easily Combustible" was an exceptional song. Zhao Jue herself had been hooked from the very first listen, and with each subsequent play, the song left an even deeper impression on her.

So Zhao Jue believed...
The quality of this song should have been enough to win Zhao Yingge over!

However, the lack of response from Zhao Yingge made Zhao Jue start to worry. She began to wonder if the song had failed to impress her, or if perhaps Zhao Yingge had already signed with another company.

Just as she was lost in her thoughts, her phone rang—it was the call she had been anxiously awaiting from Zhao Yingge.

Is she calling to turn me down?

Zhao Jue frowned as she answered the call. On the other end, Zhao Yingge’s voice was firm, "I’ve decided to sign with Xingmang. I’m sorry to have kept you waiting."

Zhao Jue was stunned. She wasn’t rejecting me?

Quickly recovering, she felt a surge of excitement. It seemed that Xingmang had won another victory against the competition from the other major companies.

"No problem," she replied graciously. "It's important to take your time and make the right decision. We were more than willing to wait. When would you like to sign the contract?"

"I'm available anytime," Zhao Yingge responded seriously. "Let's go with the contract terms you previously offered. But I have one request—'Easily Combustible' must be released as my debut single, and I hope the company will give it strong promotional support."

"Of course," Zhao Jue said with a smile. "We’re a very efficient company. If you're available, you can come to the office this afternoon to sign the contract."

Zhao Jue didn’t want to delay and risk any changes.

"No problem," Zhao Yingge agreed immediately, then added, "I fell in love with 'Easily Combustible' the first time I heard it. This song is perfect for me..."

"Great!" Zhao Jue thought, So it wasn't the song after all.

 She had known that Lin Yuan’s "Easily Combustible" was too good to fail!

"Get ready to head over," Zhao Jue said, her mood completely transformed. She was back to her usual decisive self. "I’ll have someone meet you downstairs, and the contract will be ready by the time you arrive."

"No problem," Zhao Yingge replied.

After hanging up the phone, Zhao Jue finally felt relieved. She sat down, intending to take a short break, but barely had time to settle before someone knocked on her door.

"Come in."

"Zhao Jie," said a male manager under Zhao Jue as he entered, looking excited. "We've received a call from Qizhou. They want to invite Jiang Kui to participate in the promotion of Dance of Fish and Dragons!"

"Jiang Kui?" Zhao Jue was slightly surprised.

The manager explained, "She’s a newcomer under my management. Not long ago, she was selected by Teacher Xianyu to sing an impression song that he composed specifically for the Qizhou animated movie Dance of Fish and Dragons. Today, the song was released online, and it’s getting a great response. So Qizhou wants to invite her to perform it as part of the movie's promotional campaign."

Xianyu again!

Zhao Jue suddenly remembered that Lin Yuan had asked her for a newcomer to record a song. Lao Zhou had also mentioned that Lin Yuan had completed an order from Qizhou, which must have been for this impression song.

"What’s the song called?" Zhao Jue asked as she opened her music player.

"It’s called 'The Big Fish,'" the manager replied.

Zhao Jue nodded, typing "The Big Fish" into the search bar. Sensing something was off, she corrected her input to "The Big Fish," and sure enough, she found the song.

She put on her headphones and listened to the song from start to finish. Afterward, she remained silent for a long time.

The manager couldn't help but prompt her, "Zhao Jie?"

Zhao Jue snapped back to reality and sighed with a wry smile. "When Lin Yuan asked to record this song, I didn’t think much of it. I just gave him a list of newcomers. At the time, I had no idea he was going to record something as good as 'The Big Fish.'"

"Nobody saw this coming," the manager said, smiling in understanding. "Besides Qizhou, we’ve also received calls from several brands that frequently collaborate with our company. They want to invite Jiang Kui to their events and specifically request that she sings 'The Big Fish.' So I wanted to get your input on how to proceed."

"So… Jiang Kui is popular now?" Zhao Jue asked, looking up.

The manager nodded, both excited and emotional. "Based on the enthusiastic invitations we’re getting from various brands, Jiang Kui is definitely popular now. Otherwise, who would remember the name of a rookie? She’s definitely riding the wave created by Teacher Xianyu, and the effect is no less than what we saw with Sun Yaohuo, who debuted with the Newcomer Chart’s top spot. Rest assured, I’ll make sure to manage her well and not waste this opportunity that Teacher Xianyu has given us."

Zhao Jue was the chief agent. As such, she oversaw the company's management activities and typically didn’t manage artists directly. When she did, it was either for a major star or a newcomer she saw significant potential in.

Below Zhao Jue, there were many junior managers responsible for newcomers, which made their work challenging since it’s hard for newcomers to gain traction in the industry. As a result, these junior managers often struggled as well.

Therefore, every junior manager hoped for their newcomers to become stars because when the artist succeeds, the manager does too.

"Good!" Zhao Jue stood up, feeling a wave of excitement. Today was turning out to be a double celebration!

First, Zhao Yingge agreed to sign with Xingmang. Then, out of nowhere, a rookie under my wing skyrocketed to fame, bypassing the usual newcomer phase and making a name through such an unusual path!

And the best part?
Both of these successes are thanks to Lin Yuan!
This kid is practically my lucky charm!

“Get the PR department on it immediately.”

When a newcomer gains popularity, the company has to give them a push. If Xingmang, as one of the top three entertainment companies in Qinzhou, can’t seize an opportunity like this, it’s not doing its job.

All that talk about needing "approval" is just an excuse.
This junior manager came to me because he’s hoping to secure company support for Jiang Kui. Not that I’ll call him out on it—everyone’s just looking out for their own artists, and that’s completely understandable.

“Understood.”
With his goal achieved, the manager’s smile grew even wider. “Thank you, Zhao Jie!”

“And one more thing…” Zhao Jue added, “Jiang Kui must prioritize Qizhou’s schedule. The Big Fish was a commissioned piece, and we need to see it through to the end. Failing to do so could damage our company’s reputation, and we’re counting on more orders from Qizhou in the future.”

“No problem!” the manager readily agreed.

Then Zhao Jue suddenly expressed a hint of regret, “Honestly, I’m starting to regret letting Lin Yuan go! We could’ve kept him in the artist department. It’s not like we couldn’t afford him, and now that old fox Zhou Ruiming is getting all the benefits for free!”

Manager: “...”

Matters between the higher-ups were beyond his pay grade.

But Zhao Jue was just venting. If she had actually tried to keep such a promising composer tied down in the artist department, Lao Zhou would probably have gone straight to the boss with a complaint.

Xianyu… The manager couldn’t help but reflect, This guy seems to be the new star of the composition department. First, he propelled Sun Yaohuo to the top of the Newcomer Chart… and now he’s done the same for Jiang Kui, a newcomer under my management… It’s only been, what, two months since he joined? And he’s already launched two rookies to fame…