Chapter 9: Xiao Yuan

Telling Xia Gaofei not to perform was actually Sister Xu’s plan. She had been in the industry long enough to know who should be prioritized in situations like this. When Xia Gaofei cracked his voice, Su Shiyi, who was sitting in the middle, clearly looked dissatisfied, her expression showing she wasn’t happy about it.

Even though he usually performed steadily, and it was just a temporary slip-up, Sister Xu carefully considered it and decided it would be best not to let him perform for now. If he made another mistake, it could affect the others.

Xia Gaofei’s face immediately turned pale. “Sister Xu, you know my usual performance. Even though I’m not the main vocalist of the group, my vocals are definitely not worse than others in the industry! Sister Xu, please give me another chance!”

The other team members also pleaded on his behalf, but Sister Xu shook her head firmly and urged them to head to the banquet hall quickly, while Li Deyuan stayed behind to prepare and be the first to take the stage.

Xia Gaofei was certainly unwilling, but surrounded by bodyguards in black and with Sister Xu’s usual authority, he didn’t dare cause more trouble. He could only leave with a heart full of grievance.

“Brother Fei, smile a little,” Shen Zeyang reminded him. “How can you face people with that long face? We’re working here.”

Yan Hongfang comforted him a bit. “To get Gu family’s resources, you don’t necessarily have to sing. Later, tell a few jokes, make Miss Su in the middle laugh, and maybe there will be even more benefits.”

Ah, isn’t that a bit…

Performing singing and dancing is still within the professional scope, and even if the audience is small, it’s not embarrassing. Interacting with fans is fine too, but deliberately trying to please like this…

Xia Gaofei couldn’t get over it, so he stayed silent, brooding. He only glanced at Luo Xingjin, full of envy.

He probably didn’t need to do anything. Even with a straight face, the resources falling on him wouldn’t be few, since one of the girls liked him the most.

The four of them sat down in order, and of course, Luo Xingjin sat next to Xu Wenwen. The four girls sat close to each other, while the others sat a bit farther away.

Shen Zeyang intentionally tried to give Xia Gaofei a seat next to the girls, but it happened that Lin Jiayan was the least interested in idols among them. When Xia Gaofei sat down, she scooted over a little.

Xia Gaofei: …

Forget it, even if he wanted to please someone, he didn’t have the chance.

Li Deyuan on stage had finished his preparations and was ready to sing. In fact, Su Shiyi hadn’t selected the song, Kevin had arranged it based on her usual musical preferences.

The young man, holding a guitar, sang a song about youth and campus life. The girls were all very considerate, stopping their previous conversation and quietly listening to him sing.

Breaking away from the complicated instrumental backing of boy band songs, 19-year-old Li Deyuan’s voice was incredibly pure, filled with a youthful energy unique to his age. He seemed like a talented, romantic junior from a university—warm and approachable.

Su Shiyi wasn’t a professional music critic, she judged whether a song was good by how pleasant it sounded. Her evaluation was subjective. The song Li Deyuan sang sounded good to her, she liked that kind of voice.

After the song ended, Su Shiyi clapped seriously and asked Sister Xu, “Has Xiao Yuan released an album?”

So she called him Xiao Yuan, it seemed like she was particularly pleased with Li Deyuan.

Sister Xu smiled kindly, “Yes, this is his original work. Dream Chasing Boys 505 has released a group album, and Xiao Yuan currently only has a solo single.”

Su Shiyi searched it up, and the single was more upbeat, with heavy electronic sounds and instrumental backing, which didn’t highlight his vocal skills—it was the kind of song anyone could sing.

With such vocal talent, it would be a waste not to release an album. Was it because the Polar Bear Company thought the album wouldn’t sell, so they didn’t release it?

She tried to discuss it with Sister Xu: “Why not release an album for Xiao Yuan? I’ll cover all the production costs, and all you need to do is coordinate his recording schedule. As long as you sell it, you’ll make pure profit. How about it? I think his singing has great potential. He could transition from being an idol to a singer.”

Actually, Su Shiyi was mistaken. For an idol like Li Deyuan, with his popularity, fans would definitely buy the album multiple times, so the sales wouldn’t be a concern. However, the problem was that producing an album was extremely costly. Since there were other, more direct ways to make money, why bother releasing an album?

Most importantly, Polar Bear Company couldn’t accept that type of investment. If Su Shiyi were the investor, there would be legal risks regarding the revenue distribution from the album.

Sister Xu gently explained these issues to her. There was no suitable reason for funding at the moment, and even if she went to Li Deyuan’s previous company, it wouldn’t change anything.

The other team members nearby felt sorry for Li Deyuan. He had clearly gained the favor of a major sponsor but was about to miss the opportunity.

Sister Xu had originally planned to more subtly push for a singing variety show resource, but unexpectedly, Su Shiyi turned to Kevin and asked, “Is there really no way to make this happen?”

A good secretary can’t say no. Kevin calmly replied, “Miss Shiyi, we could directly acquire Li Deyuan’s company, Sunflower Company. As far as I know, the largest shareholder only holds 37%, and I’m confident I can accumulate over 51% from the other shareholders.”

“That way, if you inject capital, there won’t be any problem.”

Sister Xu: …

The other team members: …

In order to release an album for her favorite idol, she wants to acquire his company?

#IDon’tUnderstandThisWorldAnymore

#WhenWillThisKindOfLoveComeMyWay

Su Shiyi, who owned an island, thought nothing of acquiring a company. She was thrilled and said, “Alright, I’ll leave it to you.”

“Don’t worry, I’ll complete the acquisition within seven days.”

On stage, Li Deyuan walked back casually after finishing his song, completely unaware that he was about to get a new big boss.

“What’s going on? Why are you all staring at me?” He scratched his head. “Is there something on my face?”

Look at this guy’s ridiculous luck, oh my god!!

The team members were so envious they could almost cry. It wasn’t that they had a problem with their current boss, but if a fan became the boss, could there be anything more exciting? They wouldn’t have to worry about offending anyone, wouldn’t fear being frozen out, and could walk freely throughout the company!

And Su Shiyi was backed by the Gu family, the wealthiest group in the world! In the future, no matter what—business collaborations, music resources, variety shows—he would have it all!

If nothing unexpected happens, Li Deyuan would likely soar to new heights very soon, sob sob sob.

Their emotions were complex. Envy was inevitable, after all, they had debuted together as good brothers, but soon the resources available to him would be on an entirely different level. Their gap would grow wider and wider.

Although Polar Bear was a big platform, they had signed a two-year short contract and were being cultivated in the idol model. Obviously, Su Shiyi’s plan was to make Li Deyuan pursue the singer route.

One path was reliant on youth and looks, which seemed to earn money quickly because of the fans, but in this industry, there was never a shortage of young and attractive people. The other path had more freedom, and with representative works, it carried more weight. There would be no need to hide a relationship, and it was far more empowering. Could they really compare?

The next person to sing was Yan Hongfang. Li Deyuan sat next to Shen Zeyang, who quietly told him about what had just happened.

Li Deyuan:!

What?! Is this for real? Did he accidentally walk onto the set of some idol drama? Could such good fortune really happen to him?!

He was so excited he almost jumped out of his seat. Fortunately, Shen Zeyang grabbed him in time. “Please, be mindful of your image in front of your future big boss!”

Li Deyuan immediately sat up straight, his gaze toward Su Shiyi now no longer seeing just a person (?), but a walking goldmine. The goddess of luck had finally rewarded him for all the bad luck he’d faced these years. This was the milestone marking his ascent to a new level in life!

If Kevin was Su Shiyi’s first employee, then Li Deyuan was the second. She was always very kind to this younger brother of hers, who was a year younger.

She told him, “Kevin just told me that he’s considering asking Xie Jin to be your music producer. What do you think?”

Li Deyuan:!!!

Don’t even ask if it’s okay, it’s a question of whether he deserves it!

Xie Jin! Xie Jin!

He was the leading singer of the Chinese music scene in the last century, who later transitioned into being a producer and won a full set of national music awards!

If someone else had said this, he might have thought it was just wishful thinking, especially since the company hadn’t been acquired yet. But this was Su Shiyi! She was from the Gu family, and a promise from her was worth more than gold!

Ahhhhhh, this wasn’t just taking off—this was launching a rocket from the spot!

“Sis, you’re really my real sister.” Li Deyuan was so emotional that he couldn’t stop the tears from flowing. “Wuwuwu, my dear sister, I swear I will make good music and focus on my career, earning back super, super loads of money for you!”

Su Shiyi thought for a moment and replied, “No need for that, I’m not short of what you can give me. Just do whatever makes you happy.”

Others: …

Damn, what kind of divine boss is this?

Everyone shed tears of envy for Li Deyuan’s good luck, but it was obvious that this fortune only fell on him. The other members took turns singing, including Luo Xingjin, but Su Shiyi didn’t seem to react much.

Although Xu Wenwen also wanted to help her idol, she couldn’t bring herself to spend her friend’s money to support her idol. Su Shiyi didn’t owe her anything. However, out of respect for her, Su Shiyi still brought it up to Kevin, saying that Luo Xingjin’s handsome face was perfect for luxury brand ads and fashion magazine covers, and asked if it could be arranged.

Yes, while Su Shiyi thought Li Deyuan had the best singing voice, Luo Xingjin was undoubtedly the group’s visual center. He was so handsome that even before becoming fabulously wealthy, Su Shiyi would have gladly spent a few dozen bucks to buy a magazine with his face on the cover.

As for luxury brands, she hadn’t bought any herself—not even the clothes she was wearing today, which had been sent to her wardrobe by the stylist.

Kevin: “Okay, CHANEL is looking for a regional brand ambassador for the Greater China area. I’ll have a chat with their president, and I can also reach out to the top five men’s magazine covers.”

Xu Wenwen couldn’t help but exclaim in awe. She was dying to go up and kiss Su Shiyi. CHANEL was a blue-blood brand, and in China, there were only brand ambassadors, no official endorsers. Being a brand ambassador was the highest title, and even though this was for a sub-line, it was still impressive!

The five major magazines hold an incredibly high status within the industry. If she could secure all of them, her star’s fashion resources would never be a concern again!

With top-tier resources in hand, Sister Xu definitely wouldn’t push them away. She happily accepted and then praised Su Shiyi, using various words of encouragement and hinting at securing business opportunities for the whole group and individual members.

In reality, Shen Zeyang, the group’s lead vocalist, had also been recommended for a professional music program. Yan Hongfang, who was very good with words, had gotten a chance for a travel-themed variety show—both were high-heat, widely popular resources.

As Su Shiyi went through the list, it seemed like everyone had been arranged for, except for this guy named Xia Gaofei. They were all from the same group, and Su Shiyi didn’t want to intentionally neglect him, fearing it would cause internal discord and make things awkward for Li Deyuan and Luo Xingjin when they returned.

But the problem was, he didn’t have any standout features. His singing was average, his dancing was just okay, and he came across as rather dull. The opportunities above didn’t seem to suit him.

She quietly asked Xu Wenwen, “Does Xia Gaofei have any special talents?”

Xu Wenwen: “Uh… I’m not sure. But I do know he graduated from Imperial University and had really good grades. Not sure how he ended up in a boy band.”

Wow, Imperial University—definitely a top student.

Su Shiyi suddenly remembered that when she was in university, she had even participated in a talent search for a major platform’s variety show. Although her plan didn’t make it past the selection stage, she had put a lot of effort into coming up with an idea.

Now that she had money and resources, she no longer had to wait for any producer to notice her, she could do it herself! And Xia Gaofei would be perfect for her own show.

She extended the invitation to him: “Xiao Xia, would you like to come join a self-produced variety show I’m planning?”

Kevin didn’t show any surprise, as if he had already prepared everything, rather than just learning about it now.

Xia Gaofei asked, “What kind of variety show is it?”

It was the kind of show that might make celebrities in the entire entertainment industry tremble in fear, with few daring to join, but Su Shiyi was determined to create this headstrong variety show—

“An educational and science popularization type. It’s an All-Star Mock College Entrance Exam Championship.”