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Tang Qiaoqiao has always been a fiercely proud girl.
However, her pride is often concealed deep within her heart, rarely surfacing.
Coming from an ordinary background, she knows that flaunting her pride could lead to unnecessary trouble so she usually remained quiet.
Tang Qiaoqiao is also exceptionally intelligent.
Since signing with Baidi Culture Agency, she has dedicated herself to learning and seizing every opportunity. Regardless of how grueling or exhausting the tasks assigned by the company may be, she approaches them with diligence.
Yet, even with her efforts, standing out in a talent-rich agency like hers remains a formidable challenge. Her agent, Li Zhigao, is honest and personable, but he lacks the savvy for office politics and can't offer much assistance.
More often than not, Tang Qiaoqiao has to rely on her own initiative.
So when she discovered that Zhang Qiong and Zhang Shuhui were pressuring Wen Zhiyuan to prevent him from purchasing songs from Lu Chen, she made a bold decision to bring Li Zhigao along to approach Lu Chen herself.
She was determined to use her own money to buy Lu Chen's work.
Her intuition told her that the opportunity she had been waiting for had finally arrived!
With Tang Qiaoqiao's unwavering determination, Wen Zhiyuan agreed to her request, securing the funds she needed to successfully acquire Lu Chen's latest song.
'So Proud'!
The title alone was impressive. While the song might not possess profound depth or an unbeatable melody, it was undeniably catchy. After singing it just once, Tang Qiaoqiao felt it was the perfect fit for her.
"And yet I keep smiling at you, why haven't you seen my goodness yet~"
Though the lyrics seem to depict a romantic relationship, they also resonate with her own life experiences.
After waiting so long, fortune had finally smiled upon her.
Her dream was to let her "restless heartbeats be heard by the whole world!"
Tang Qiaoqiao gripped the microphone tightly as if she were holding the entire world in her hands.
At that moment, she could finally showcase a glimpse of her pride to everyone!
The applause in the listening room was thunderous and enthusiastic.
Even Song Xun was clapping, leaving no manager or supervisor below daring to refrain from joining in.
Even Zhang Qiong had to begrudgingly clap a few times, her perfectly made-up face contorted in frustration.
Song Xun stepped forward and extended his hand to Lu Chen, saying, "Teacher Lu Chen, thank you for creating such an outstanding piece for our artist. It's worth far more than what we paid!"
His demeanor had shifted significantly.
Previously, he had been polite but merely courteous, lacking genuine respect.
Now that Lu Chen had proven his talent, even the deputy general manager of the agency had to treat him with the seriousness he deserved.
A great song can catapult a newcomer to fame!
Lu Chen smiled modestly, shook hands, and replied, "Mr. Song, you're too kind. Providing quality work is my responsibility."
Lu Chen's humble attitude only deepened Song Xun's admiration for him, reinforcing his desire to cultivate a long-term partnership.
An exceptional songwriter in the prime of their creativity is a true treasure!
Anyone who experienced the golden age of the domestic pop music scene in the 80s and 90s would understand this.
Song Xun then turned to Tang Qiaoqiao, saying, "You're Tang Qiaoqiao, right? You performed this song beautifully. The company will fully reimburse the cost of acquiring the song, and we'll release a single for you first. If it does well, we can consider an album."
Song Xun was well aware of the behind-the-scenes drama surrounding the acquisition of the song from Lu Chen.
Zhang Qiong had tried to sabotage the deal but ended up losing out. This deputy general manager was more than happy to watch the spectacle unfold, unafraid to expose some internal strife.
If he was going to reprimand, he would do it with enough force to make an impact.
Tang Qiaoqiao was so elated that her heart felt like it might burst, and she quickly bowed, saying, "Thank you, Mr. Song! I will work hard!"
She was still a bit naive, not realizing that the song she purchased with her own money would entitle her to shared rights. Song Xun would take back that portion of the profit without any risk, merely tossing her a sweet deal.
Of course, from another perspective, without the company's backing, even with a great song, it would be challenging for her to achieve fame. In today's industry, packaging, promotion, and hype are crucial.
Thus, even if Tang Qiaoqiao recognized her disadvantage, she wouldn't voice any objections.
Song Xun nodded and instructed several subordinates, "Old Chen, coordinate with Xingguo; the composing and arrangement for this song will be done at Tian Lai (Heavenly Sound) Workshop. Maintain high standards and ensure top-notch quality!"
"Old Wang, your department needs to quickly devise a promotional plan based on Tang Qiaoqiao and the song's characteristics."
"And you, you're Tang Qiaoqiao's agent, right?"
Li Zhigao, the agent in question, was utterly flattered, stammering, "Yes, yes, Mr. Song."
As a self-taught agent, his presence at Baidi Culture Agency was quite low-profile. It was already surprising for Song Xun to know he was Tang Qiaoqiao's agent, let alone remember his name.
Song Xun didn't mind, saying, "You come with Tang Qiaoqiao to my office; I'd like to discuss something."
Several department managers and supervisors exchanged glances with Li Zhigao, not exactly envious but rather with a sense of "this guy just hit the jackpot."
They all knew Li Zhigao, recognizing him as synonymous with failure among the company's agents.
Who would have thought that a dark horse was about to emerge?
Song Xun calling him over likely meant a renegotiation of the contract, signaling that the company was gearing up to promote Tang Qiaoqiao strongly!
Even the most unsuccessful agent could rise alongside a star.
Such stories are all too common in the entertainment industry.
Song Xun also instructed Wen Zhiyuan, "Old Wen, take good care of Teacher Lu Chen. You did an excellent job this time."
Outstanding work deserves recognition, and Song Xun never hesitated to publicly praise his subordinates.
Even if his words might ruffle some feathers.
"Thank you, Mr. Song."
Wen Zhiyuan felt like Zhu Bajie savoring a ginseng fruit, every pore in his body buzzing with exhilaration.
He quickly replied, "You can count on me!"
Of course, he would hold onto Lu Chen, the key to his promotion and salary increase— there was no need for Song Xun to remind him.
After effortlessly giving orders, Song Xun finally said to Lu Chen, "Teacher Lu Chen, I'm truly sorry, but I have work commitments, so I can't stay with you. You're always welcome to visit our company for anything."
As the deputy general manager of Baidi Culture Agency, Song Xun maintained a certain aloofness. He genuinely hoped to establish a long-term collaboration with Lu Chen but wouldn't rush to present any offers.
Doing so would not only undermine his authority but also give Lu Chen the chance to demand too much.
Specific terms could be discussed later.
So his words were pleasant but they were just that, pleasant.
Lu Chen smiled and replied, "Mr. Song, please go ahead."
Song Xun left with a large entourage, and soon only a few people remained in the listening room.
At that moment, Zhang Qiong approached Lu Chen, saying, "Teacher Lu Chen, I'd like to discuss purchasing songs with you."
Zhang Qiong was filled with regret.
But her regret wasn't about missing out on Lu Chen's song; it was about giving Wen Zhiyuan an opportunity to turn things around and making her niece resentful— a misstep that had led to further complications.
Determined to rectify her mistake, Zhang Qiong decided to start with Lu Chen.
If she could secure a good song from him, perhaps Zhang Shuhui would forgive her, and she could mitigate the negative fallout, avoiding becoming a laughingstock in the company.
She even hoped that the song Lu Chen sold her would be even better than "So Proud"!
Zhang Qiong's mind raced, and her face regained its confident demeanor as she thought of this.
However, Lu Chen didn't respond with the interest or enthusiasm she had anticipated.
He turned to Wen Zhiyuan, asking in confusion, "Who is this?"
Wen Zhiyuan hadn't introduced Zhang Qiong to Lu Chen, so how could he know who she was?
However, Lu Chen noticed the drastic change in Wen Zhiyuan's expression.
Seeing Zhang Qiong approach to intercept him, Wen Zhiyuan was nearly furious.
Yet Lu Chen's question unexpectedly lifted his spirits.
The agency manager smiled and replied, "This is Ms. Zhang Qiong, a broker under my supervision."
"Oh,"
Lu Chen acknowledged and then addressed Zhang Qiong, "Ms. Zhang Qiong, if you're interested in purchasing songs, please discuss them with Manager Wen first. Currently, our workshop is in business contact with him, so I hope you understand."
Lu Chen wasn't naive; he could see the tension between Zhang Qiong and Wen Zhiyuan.
As a broker under Wen Zhiyuan's supervision, her direct approach to him was quite irregular.
This woman clearly exuded arrogance; despite her polite tone, she couldn't hide her tendency to boss people around.
Lu Chen had no fondness for her and didn't want to engage.
Thus, he gave Zhang Qiong a gentle rebuff. At the same time, he also saved face for Wen Zhiyuan!
Zhang Qiong was taken aback.
She hadn't expected Lu Chen to be so dismissive, refusing to engage with her at all.
Wen Zhiyuan nearly burst out laughing, relishing Zhang Qiong's repeated failures. He quickly said to Lu Chen, "Teacher Lu Chen, let's head to my office; I have more to discuss with you."
This manager from Baidi Culture Agency's agency department was immensely grateful to Lu Chen, who had not only pulled him back from the brink but also provided him with an invaluable opportunity.
As long as he maintained a strong connection with Lu Chen, Wen Zhiyuan would be as solid as a rock within the company.
What if Zhang Qiong had someone backing her?
Mr. Song was watching!
"Okay."
Lu Chen agreed, leaving the listening room with Wen Zhiyuan, chatting and laughing.
This left behind a humiliated Zhang Qiong and a heartbroken, disappointed Zhang Shuhui.
(End of this Chapter)