Chapter 26: The New Mainstay_1

Some celebrate, some fret.

While Ol' Zhou was jubilant, Zhao Jue was somewhat anxious; she sat alone in her office, pacing restlessly.

Last week.

She had sent "Easy to Ignite and Explode" to Zhao Ying Ge.

She had thought that once this song was released, Zhao Ying Ge, who shared the same family name, would immediately agree to sign with Starlight!

But as a week went by, there had been no movement from Zhao Ying Ge's side.

This made Zhao Jue a bit impatient.

It shouldn't be the case, as even a non-professional could tell that "Easy to Ignite and Explode" was a good song.

The first time she heard it, her ears were firmly captivated, and with each subsequent listen, the song's impression became even more memorable.

So Zhao Jue believed...

By virtue of the quality of this song, it should be enough to move Zhao Ying Ge!

However, the continued lack of response from Zhao Ying Ge started to sow doubts in Zhao Jue, and she oscillated between hope and fear.

Could it be that this song also failed to persuade her?

Or had Zhao Ying Ge already signed with another company?

Amidst her anxiety, Zhao Jue's phone suddenly rang—it was the very Zhao Ying Ge she had been thinking about.

Is this a call to reject me?

Frowning, Zhao Jue answered the phone.

On the other end, the firm voice of Zhao Ying Ge sounded,

"I agree to sign with Starlight, sorry to have kept you waiting for so long."

Zhao Jue was stunned.

She's not rejecting me?

She quickly regained her composure, feeling a surge of surprise. It seemed that Starlight had scored another victory in the competition with the three top companies.

"It's okay."

Her tone became gracious, "Taking time to make a decision is wise, we're willing to wait. When do you plan to sign?"

"I'm free whenever."

Zhao Ying Ge said earnestly, "Let's go with the contract you proposed before, but 'Easy to Ignite and Explode' must be released as my debut single, and I hope the company can help promote it well."

"Absolutely."

Zhao Jue laughed, "We're a company that values efficiency. If you're free, you can come and sign the contract this afternoon."

Zhao Jue did not want to leave any room for complications.

"No problem."

Zhao Ying Ge agreed immediately and after a pause added, "I loved 'Easy to Ignite and Explode' the first time I heard it; it really suits me..."

"Great!"

So it's not an issue with the song, I just knew it! With Lin Yuan's high-quality 'Easy to Ignite and Explode', how could it possibly fail?

"Then prepare to head out."

Zhao Jue's mood had completed changed, as she reverted to her decisive self, "I'll have someone wait for you downstairs, and the contract will be ready before you arrive."

The other side said, "No problem."

After hanging up, Zhao Jue finally relaxed.

She sat down in her chair intending to rest, but before she could get comfortable, someone knocked on her door.

"Come in."

"Ms. Zhao."

The person who entered was one of Zhao Jue's male agents.

However, the agent seemed quite excited at this moment,

"Qi Continent called, they want to invite Jiang Kui over to participate in the movie promotion for 'Dragon Fish Dance'!"

"Jiang Kui?"

Zhao Jue was slightly taken aback.

The agent explained, "She's a new artist under me. Didn't Teacher Admirable Fish choose her to sing a theme song especially composed for Qi Continent's animated movie 'Dragon Fish Dance'? The song was released online today and has received a very positive response, so Qi Continent wants her to go over and help promote the movie as a singer."

Lin Yuan again!

Zhao Jue then remembered that Lin Yuan had previously approached her asking for a newcomer, saying he wanted to record a song. Ol' Zhou had also mentioned that Lin Yuan had completed an order from Qi Continent, which must have been referring to this impression track.

"What's the name of the song?"

Zhao Jue had already opened the music player.

The other person replied, "It's called 'Big Fish'."

Zhao Jue nodded her head, typing in the three words "called Big Fish," but then felt that something was not right and changed it discreetly to just "Big Fish," and indeed found the song.

Then, she immediately put on her headphones and listened to the song straight through.

After listening, she was silent for a long time.

The agent couldn't help but remind her, "Ms. Zhao."

Zhao Jue came back to her senses and smiled bitterly, "When Lin Yuan requested to record this song before, I didn't take it to heart and just gave him a list of newcomers. At that time, I really didn't expect that the song he wanted to record would be a good song like 'Big Fish'."

"Nobody saw that coming."

The agent smiled in understanding and then said, "Aside from the clients from Qi Continent, just now many brands that have long-term collaborations with our company also called. They said they want to invite Jiang Kui to their events, specifically asking for her to sing 'Big Fish', so I wanted to ask for your advice on how to proceed."

"Does this mean..."

Zhao Jue looked up: "Jiang Kui is on fire?"

The agent nodded, both excited and moved, "Judging by the enthusiastic invitations from all the businesses, Jiang Kui really is on fire. Otherwise, who would remember a little newcomer's name? She's riding on Teacher Admirable Fish's coattails, the effect is comparable to when Sun Yaohuo debuted as the top newcomer, using the trending charts. Rest assured, I will definitely take good care of her in the future and not waste the opportunity Teacher Admirable Fish has given us."

Zhao Jue was the chief agent.

The chief agent oversaw the company's entire agency business and usually did not manage artists personally. Those whom Zhao Jue took under her wing were either big stars or newcomers she had high hopes for.

Below Zhao Jue were numerous junior agents,

Most of whom handled newcomers. With the difficult start that newcomers faced, these junior agents also had a tough time.

Therefore,

Every junior agent hoped their newcomer would become a hit because only when the artists they represent become popular can the agents make money themselves.

"Great!"

Zhao Jue stood up.

Today was a day of double happiness!

First, Zhao Ying Ge agreed to sign with Starlight; then, a little-known newcomer she managed inexplicably shot to fame, completely bypassing the rookie season and becoming a sensation in such a manner!

And...

Both pieces of good news were thanks to Lin Yuan!

That kid was truly her lucky star!

"Get the publicity department on it immediately."

If a newcomer became popular, the company certainly had to give a push. If they couldn't capitalize on this kind of opportunity, Starlight would be unworthy of being one of Qin Continent's top three entertainment companies.

Any talk of "asking for instructions" was just a formality.

The real purpose of this junior agent coming to her was most likely to secure support for Jiang Kui from the company, but Zhao Jue didn't want to spell it out. Everyone was working for their own artists, and there was nothing wrong with that.

"Understood."

Having achieved his goal, the agent's smile became even brighter, "Thank you, Ms. Zhao!"

"Also..."

Zhao Jue said, "Jiang Kui must prioritize her schedule for Qi Continent. 'Big Fish' is a work commissioned with money from Qi Continent. We need to provide full service, or else it would affect our company's reputation. We're still counting on Qi Continent for more orders in the future."

"No problem!"

The agent readily agreed.

Yet, Zhao Jue suddenly felt a bit of regret, "Actually, I now regret letting Lin Yuan go! It would've been fine to keep him in the artist department. Are you saying that our big department can't afford to support him? We've let that old guy Zhou Ruiming take a huge advantage for nothing!"

The agent: "..."

It wasn't his place to interject in matters between the big shots.

But Zhao Jue was just venting for a moment; if she really held on to such a composer with huge potential in the artist department, Ol' Zhou would probably complain to the boss.

"Admirable Fish..."

A thought crossed the agent's mind, and he began to contemplate,

This seems to be the music department's new pillar... First topping the charts with Sun Yaohuo... Then propelling his own Jiang Kui to fame... It's only been a couple of months since he joined, and he's already made two newcomers famous...