Shen Mingzheng: …

He was skeptical about the theory and felt that Su Ning’s explanation was rather mystical.

“We have to try it out,” Su Ning said, looking directly at him, their eyes meeting as he smiled again, “President Shen, trust me this once.”

Shen Mingzheng did not respond.

Smooth talkers are everywhere, but from his perspective, he genuinely hoped Su Ning could negotiate this successfully. So, he had Chen Tao compile all available information on Liang Xiaoliang and send it to Su Ning.

As a special assistant, Chen Tao had access to information that others could not easily find.

In fact, their trip to Guijiang was not going smoothly.

The threshold at Qilin Entertainment was indeed high. Mr. Liang initially made excuses not to meet them, clearly aware of their intentions, and was already annoyed by the previous actions of Guang Ying Entertainment. Even the well-connected Chen Tao’s personal visit was fruitless.

Mr. Liang’s secretary was polite but always replied that Mr. Liang was not in, a response that lasted until the afternoon when people at Qilin were starting to leave. Su Ning spent the afternoon in the company’s lobby lounge drinking tea from daylight till dusk without seeing anyone.

He was patient, though.

Surprisingly, Shen Mingzheng also stayed, waiting for Assistant Chen to return, and soon started working on his laptop on documents he had brought from the car.

Besides the Idol Star Map investment, he had plenty of other work to do.

Su Ning didn’t interrupt, settling down after realizing he was hitting a wall, and began looking through the information Chen Tao had gathered. He even borrowed a pen from Qilin to take notes. The waiting room environment was quite comfortable, making their wait rather harmonious.

As the evening approached, Su Ning stretched lazily, propping his face with his hands as he looked at Shen Mingzheng and said, “President Shen, waiting here for me, how nice of you.”

“I drove you here,” Shen Mingzheng replied without looking up, “Didn’t you say you were out of money? I can take you back if this doesn’t work out, at least then I can explain to Chen Yuan.”

Young Master Su, who was actually quite short on funds, felt somewhat touched.

He didn’t show any annoyance or sadness about not meeting anyone and said, “Then let me treat you to a meal, President Shen. I can’t keep taking advantage of you. Hai Cheng doesn’t have much to offer in terms of food, but Guijiang has plenty of good places. Don’t worry, I still have money for a meal.”

Shen Mingzheng thought for a moment, then closed his laptop and asked, “Where to?”

Su Ning pointed across the street.

There was a famous internet-famous Sichuan restaurant opposite Qilin Entertainment, known for its innovative and spicy dishes. Oddly located across from a company full of idols who needed to maintain their figures, its decor was quite nice, with riverside views available from the floor-to-ceiling windows.

Su Ning led Shen Mingzheng and Assistant Chen inside and picked the best spot by the window, a corner where a screen could be drawn to conceal Su Ning’s face, which was liable to draw crowds.

Once seated, he leisurely browsed the menu, seemingly in no rush.

Seeing this, Assistant Chen comfortingly said, “Good things take time. If it doesn’t work out, we can stay the night and try again tomorrow. We’ll see him eventually.”

Su Ning waved his hand dismissively and said, “Let’s eat first,” adeptly ordering dishes as if he had been there many times before, then asked for four sets of utensils, appearing prepared.

When the dishes were half served, Su Ning glanced at the time and kept looking towards the door until he saw someone enter. He stood up with a smile and greeted, “Mr. Liang, what a coincidence.”

Liang Xiaoliang, who hadn’t shown up all afternoon and weighed over 200 kilograms, stood there like a small mountain, unable to hide. The two stared at each other in silence.

“You…” Liang Xiaoliang glared at him, “Su Ning? You’ve got guts. Are you tracking me?”

“What are you talking about, Mr. Liang? I’ve been sitting in Qilin’s lounge all day waiting for you,” Su Ning waved his hand and continued, “I even followed your social media account just now. You consistently share things about the company and local delicacies.”

“I noticed you usually eat here on Mondays and like the seats by the window. You’ve posted quite a few photos online, so I made a reservation here, not expecting such a coincidence. It’s really my lucky day. Why don’t we eat and talk? It won’t take up much of your time.”

Liang Xiaoliang: …

He glanced at the table and considered leaving but didn’t.

The people at the table were not nobodies in the industry, especially with Shen from the Shen family present, whom he had heard rumors about but never met in person.

Before meeting, it was easy to put off the appointment citing busy schedules, but walking away now after making contact was a different matter entirely.

Considering the situation, he hesitated for a moment before reluctantly sitting down.

The table was square, perfectly accommodating one person on each side. Liang Xiaoliang adjusted his mood quickly. Since he had already sat down, he didn’t keep a stern face throughout the meal.

He looked at Su Ning and then at Shen Mingzheng, politely saying, “President Shen, I’ve long admired your name,” before casually picking up some spicy chicken strips with his chopsticks and adding them to his bowl, turning to Su Ning to say, “I know why you were popular before.”

Su Ning: “How so?”

Liang Xiaoliang looked at his face carefully: “The camera during this morning’s live stream didn’t do you justice, you look much better in person. If you seriously consider debuting with Qilin, I would personally welcome you to Hai Cheng, you wouldn’t need to bother coming here.”

The spicy chicken strips at this restaurant were excellent, a signature dish, and Liang Xiaoliang quickly filled his stomach, which improved his tone considerably.

Su Ning also started eating, making sure to serve Shen Mingzheng and Assistant Chen, sincerely implementing the idea of eating while talking. He replied, “That’s not my strong suit, and Mr. Liang knows that. I’m here for something else.”

“I know, Chen Yuan told me, you want Qilin to let someone fill the spot you vacated by withdrawing from the competition,” Liang Xiaoliang waved his hand, scooping up a spoonful of steaming chili fried pork and expertly drizzling it over his rice. After a few chews and a swallow, he continued, “I watched the livestream. Withdrawing was a smart choice, and the proposal for the replacement competition was interesting.”

“I and Director Chen are old acquaintances, and I can’t ignore her face, but to be honest, this doesn’t really mean anything for Qilin. It’s just you guys messing around.”

Su Ning responded with a simple “oh,” not immediately countering. The group quietly ate for a while, and when the chilled plum soup they ordered arrived, he naturally took it and evenly distributed it into four cups, replying, “How is it meaningless?”

Liang Xiaoliang was blunt: “The trainees from Idol Star Map are indeed of decent quality, but compared to Qilin’s built-in fanbase, they’re nothing. For our company, it’s just a process before their debut, nothing challenging.”

“So, it’s meaningless.”

Qilin traditionally does not participate in external talent shows, a mark of pride, confidence, and a level of prestige they refuse to compromise.

Su Ning responded with an “oh,” placing the drink cups in front of everyone, “Is that what Mr. Liang believes? But now, Qilin might not be the industry leader anymore.”

Liang Xiaoliang didn’t get angry. Instead, he scoffed as if he’d heard a joke, replying, “Nonsense. Trying to provoke me? That won’t work on me, Su Ning.”

Su Ning didn’t immediately argue back, instead taking a slow sip of his drink before changing the subject, “Guang Ying Entertainment has a spot in the revival challenge match too. We plan to have Li Chu participate, and he’s agreed.”

Mentioning this name caused a noticeable reaction from Liang Xiaoliang, who paused mid-bite.

Su Ning had noticed from Li Chu’s profile that he was a hard recruit by Su Hongda and also someone Qilin had wanted but failed to sign. Liang Xiaoliang still remembered this, holding a grudge.

When he spoke again, his voice had cooled: “So what about Li Chu? I haven’t even settled this score with you yet.”

“Your Guang Ying Entertainment doesn’t play by the rules. When he just returned to the country, I saw him first. Your people knew his family was in debt, offered him a signing bonus of 500,000 yuan, and even promised to debut him quickly, willing to write this in the contract. You also lied to him, saying that as long as he had talent, it wouldn’t matter where he debuted, and you brazenly snatched him away.”

As Liang Xiaoliang spoke about this incident, he was visibly upset, glaring at Su Ning as if adding fuel to the fire.

Guang Ying Entertainment had indeed paid the 500,000 yuan signing bonus, but that was hardly enough for Li Chu and Zhou Chunqing’s family debts, which were quickly repaid.

As for debuting quickly, that was where Li Chu was truly misled by the contract terms. Perhaps because he had received the 500,000 yuan, the young Li Chu had let his guard down, focusing only on the upfront terms without fully understanding the “force majeure” and “special circumstances” outlined in Guang Ying Entertainment’s disclaimer, leaving him with no recourse.

This was the situation Li Chu had faced, and Su Ning had seen the ambiguous internal documents. Chen Yuan had also mentioned this incident.

Facing his sudden outburst, Su Ning remained calm: “Guang Ying Entertainment isn’t great at dealing with people. I know exactly what my uncle is like, Mr. Liang, probably better than you do.”

“But even if Li Chu had signed with Qilin, would he really be thriving and successful now? I’m not so sure.”

Liang Xiaoliang retorted, “It would still be better than your company.”

He said this, but he knew well that Li Chu indeed had potential. However, faced with his expectations for a rapid debut, Qilin could not make such a promise.

In other words, even if Li Chu had signed with Qilin, he would likely still be a trainee, young and new to the industry, needing more time to develop—a typical thought for any businessman.

At that moment, Su Ning also had something to say, “Mr. Liang, it’s clear you appreciate Li Chu, and I believe Qilin and even you personally wouldn’t miss the 500,000 yuan. But more than the money, you also felt it was most important not to break protocol, right?”

He was correct.

Qilin had many talented trainees; Li Chu was excellent, but in Liang Xiaoliang’s eyes, who had supported many stars, he wasn’t so outstanding as to warrant an exception.

The other trainees signing with Qilin were also not lacking, and many even paid to get signed.

The 500,000 yuan was indeed trivial for Qilin, mere pocket change, but what would the other trainees think if that money was given? How would they view such unfairness? Could they still stay motivated and continue their efforts? If Li Chu set this precedent with a 500,000 yuan bonus, what would happen if the next trainee demanded a million?

Qilin signed numerous trainees each year, and these individuals faced tough conditions before debuting, earning a meager monthly salary of two to three thousand yuan. The tales of top idols earning over a hundred million yuan a year were dreams that only came true after debuting.

It was because of these aspirations that these trainees worked tirelessly, continuously producing miracles for this idol company, even if they never debuted. Even if they never made it, the two to three thousand yuan from Qilin was still more “noble” than what ordinary idols from other companies earned.

“Because of this nobility, or perhaps arrogance, it’s always been Qilin choosing, never the other way around. It’s always been about not chasing after people with money, right?”

Su Ning continued, “So the upper management disagrees and disdains to engage in a price war with Guang Ying Entertainment. The loss of Li Chu is unfortunate, but compared to the company’s consistent high standards, of course, it’s nothing.”

“So what?” Liang Xiaoliang took a big gulp of lotus soup, then slammed the bowl down on the table, asking, “You’ve said so much, what are you getting at? What, Qilin can’t turn around without a Li Chu? We have plenty of people.”

“Of course not,” Su Ning gestured for him to sit down and calm down, refilling his soup bowl before saying something even more irritating, “But Mr. Liang, if Qilin really competes this time, they probably won’t win.”

Assistant Chen’s hand trembled as he served the food, signaling Su Ning to stop, but Su Ning, fearless, continued.

“I’ve seen the videos of trainees posted by Qilin’s official account. Your company is planning to debut a new four-member group in two months. Those top four trainees are preparing to debut, so they definitely won’t compete. The remaining ones aren’t as good as Li Chu.”

“Moreover, I dare say, it will be hard for Qilin to find another trainee like Li Chu in the future.”

Liang Xiaoliang had indeed met Li Chu, and from his professional perspective, he couldn’t outright deny this point.

Li Chu had been outstanding even when he first returned to the country, and with proper training, he naturally would have improved. Guang Ying Entertainment might not match Qilin in other aspects, but they had been famously willing to spend money over the past year.

As a result, Su Ning’s subsequent words came out more smoothly under his unfriendly gaze.

“I’m not being alarmist, but you know the current state of the industry better than I do. Various talent shows have been booming into their fourth year, becoming more and more standardized. Talented individuals have more options now, and Qilin is no longer the only choice. Even traditional film and television production companies like ours can’t help but pay a price to snatch talents. Operations on major video platforms are also becoming more proficient.”

“The talent groups from the past two years could be said to have peaked at debut, no match for your long-standing idols at Qilin, but the new album from last year’s talent show debut has already outperformed Qilin’s current popular idols, topping the charts.”

“Right now, Qilin is still leading the industry, but in a few years, it’s hard to say.”

“Times have changed, Mr. Liang.”

“The idol industry changes in the blink of an eye. Those who don’t adapt will be left behind. Aren’t you concerned about the future of the company?”

Shen Mingzheng: …

He paused, chopsticks in hand, because he had just heard this phrase—not long ago, from a video of a young Liang Xiaoliang.

Su Ning… really knew how to apply what he learned.

Liang Xiaoliang fell silent for a while, poking his dessert dish’s pickled plums and cherry tomatoes into a mushy mess, then suddenly stood up.

But he only stood up; he didn’t leave.

When the next dish, wild pepper beef, was served, he glared at Su Ning for a long while, then suddenly sat down again with a “whoosh.”

“No rush, Mr. Liang can take his time to consider,” Su Ning was nonchalant, beckoning to the others, “This signature dish is served just right. President Shen, why don’t you try it?”

He seemed to have reached a high point and stopped abruptly, not continuing on this topic.

Su Ning looked genuinely hungry and began to eat earnestly, but once Liang Xiaoliang sat down, he couldn’t help but think more.

He understood what Su Ning was saying. Regarding these issues, he had thought about them before.

Qilin’s stringent demands on trainees and the slim chance of debuting were only sustainable because of its position as the industry leader, so Qilin’s arrogance was necessary, much like a luxury brand maintaining its exclusivity to attract followers.

But was always being this way the right approach?

The issue with Li Chu had always been a thorn in his side, now agitated by Su Ning and expanding into broader considerations.

Liang Xiaoliang loathed those who stuck to the old ways, but he suddenly realized that as he aged, he too had unknowingly fallen into the trap of being set in his ways.

He was a clever man; the rest didn’t need to be spelled out by Su Ning. Once the conversation started, he could figure out most of it himself.

If Qilin really wanted to try, the fourth season of Idol Star Map’s replacement competition was the perfect choice.

Firstly, the timing was right, with the opportunity right in front of them, and secondly, the special circumstances of this replacement competition—taking place just before the finals—were unique in the recent years of talent shows. If Qilin participated, it wouldn’t seem beneath them.

Chen Yuan had said similar things to him, but she was only advising him to give his trainees more hope.

The people mobilized by Guang Ying Entertainment were merely jesters. Chen Yuan’s rhetoric alone could outperform them. This couldn’t fully persuade him because he didn’t value the “benefits” they emphasized.

Liang Xiaoliang had been through many business negotiations, and he was well-versed in many tricks. He knew Su Ning was taking a different approach by not discussing benefits directly but instead intensifying his sense of crisis.

But he emphasized one thing: Li Chu was in that competition, which was crucial. So even though Mr. Liang knew the tricks, he was still intrigued by this issue, then let Su Ning lead the way.

Afterward, he thought even more.

Li Chu’s talent was one aspect; the most important thing was that this person, who had rejected Qilin’s offer, had some fame among the company’s trainees. His switch to Guang Ying Entertainment was a topic of private discussion among many in the company. Although there had been no news after his move, the 500,000 yuan was real, especially since Guang Ying Entertainment had been very willing to invest heavily in Su Ning for a while, from buying app splash screens to various marketing accounts.

Although this person gradually lost fans due to his own actions, what if someone competent and ethical was promoted this way? Could they continue to be popular?

The trainees were all shaken.

Liang Xiaoliang’s real sense of crisis came because he indeed knew that some trainees were discussing this privately, and some were even eager to defect.

Is Qilin still the best choice now? Without good new talents, could Qilin maintain its prosperity?

If they really competed against Li Chu this time and the trainees Qilin sent managed to defeat him properly, it would prove everything to everyone.

—Even the most talented individuals are nothing without Qilin.

Rather than giving trainees hope and opportunities, as a businessman, Liang Xiaoliang knew that besides opportunities, it was more important to issue warnings.

Combining kindness with severity was the art of management.

It might sound cruel and inhumane, but perhaps these stark realities were what moved businessmen like him the most.

Liang Xiaoliang had almost finished thinking through this by the time the meal was nearly over.

He had not been oblivious to these issues, but being in the midst of them, he often struggled to see clearly. Now, however, Su Ning had clarified things for him, and he suddenly saw the light.

Su Ning had ordered a table full of signature dishes, and Liang Xiaoliang’s 200 kilograms of weight were not for nothing—he ate more than half of the dishes himself. Su Ning was genuinely hungry after a day and ate quite a bit, very unceremoniously.

As for the young President Shen, he ate very elegantly, almost like a star with on-camera dietary requirements, with hardly anything on his plate of bones.

Su Ning noticed this.

He had spent almost the entire day with Shen Mingzheng and knew that he hadn’t eaten much. So, during Liang Xiaoliang’s contemplation, Su Ning thought it over and went out for a while. After some time, the waiter served the last dessert and brought out a steaming dish.

Liang Xiaoliang was full and just about to discuss business when his attention was caught by the new dish. He asked, “Wait, what’s this? I’ve been eating here for two years, why haven’t I seen this before?”

Su Ning explained, “I just asked the kitchen to make this; it’s a simple yam cake. This restaurant prides itself on freshness and made-to-order dishes. I saw the ingredients on the menu and asked them to add a dish.”

The white yam cake topped with a thin layer of osmanthus sweet sauce was still warm. Although Liang Xiaoliang was full, at a glance, he felt he could still fit a little more. Then he saw Su Ning turn to Shen Mingzheng and say, “I noticed President Shen doesn’t have much appetite, probably not used to eating much, which is my oversight. Would you like to try this?”

Liang Xiaoliang: …

So, you didn’t make this for me?

He hadn’t expected Su Ning to pay such close attention to whether others were enjoying their meal, truly treating this not as a business negotiation but as if it were a casual meal among old friends, where eating well was the main event.

Shen Mingzheng typically had little appetite, and the main reason he hadn’t eaten much was that his mind was elsewhere. Caught off-guard, he still reached out and took a piece.

After tasting it, the pastry was mild and not sweet, warming in the stomach, quite comforting in the slightly cool early autumn weather.

He nodded at Su Ning, saying, “It’s good.”

The pastry was made in a large portion, enough for everyone as a post-meal dessert. After the host tasted it, Liang Xiaoliang restrained himself for a moment, then quickly grabbed three small pieces of the yam cake, very satisfied. Before leaving, he said to Su Ning, “I’ll seriously consider this. After discussing with the other shareholders, I’ll contact Chen Yuan.”

“Young Master Su, should we exchange contact information?”

Su Ning was interesting, he thought.

From that moment on, Liang Xiaoliang had made his decision.