northernbook Chapter 247 Echoes of Fate
Chapter 247 Echoes of Fate
Yu Xinglan's Adam's apple bobbed; his first reaction was to refuse.
He knew all too well the weight behind the word "signing"; the shadow of his former company still felt like an invisible chain, suffocating him.
Those memories etched into my bones are climbing up my spine—the unfair terms, the more than three hundred days and nights I was kept hidden, the compensation that nearly emptied my savings when I terminated the contract…
But upon closer listening to the implication in Shen Ge's words, Yu Xinglan's words of refusal caught in her throat, and she asked softly, "Us?"
The emphasis was placed on the word "们" (men), and he noticed this subtle plural form.
Brother Shen's eyes lit up instantly, and he nodded hurriedly: "Yes, including me and Xiao Xiao."
In terms of role, Brother Shen, as the agent, is still mainly responsible for business coordination. Xiao Xiao was also his assistant before, and after establishing her own personal studio, she also took on financial matters.
The three people, including Yu Xinglan, are the entire staff of the personal studio.
If Day and Night Entertainment had only offered to sign her, Yu Xinglan wouldn't have considered it. But they actually wanted Shen Ge and Xiao Xiao as well.
These two people have suffered so much following me.
They squeezed into a studio with a monthly rent of 3,000 yuan. The three-square-meter tea room served as both a dressing room and a meeting room, and unopened instant noodle boxes were piled up in the moldy corner.
The studio's finances are under constant strain each month as it has to repay debts owed to its former company.
When there are no online business opportunities, it's common to go two months without paying salaries.
Once, Brother Shen waited for three hours downstairs at the client's company to help him get a gig. He always said that a beer belly was just middle-aged weight gain, but Yu Xinglan knew that it was from frequently attending business drinking parties.
Xiaoming only needs to be in charge of finances, but she has helped me a lot and has now become an all-rounder.
Day and Night Entertainment has an excellent reputation in the industry. When he received the mentor invitation, he had already appreciated their professionalism. Shen Ge and Xiao Xiao would indeed have better development opportunities at Day and Night Entertainment.
Seeing that Yu Xinglan remained silent for a long time, Brother Shen understood his concerns.
Ultimately, it's the fear of being bound by a contract again.
However, he had already reviewed the contract terms sent by Day and Night Entertainment, and not only were there no problems, but the benefits were also quite generous.
Brother Shen simply took out his phone, showed Yu Xinglan the preliminary invitation document sent by Day and Night Entertainment, since no amount of words could be as convincing as a written agreement.
"Look, they've kept the three of us in our own independent positions, so we'll still be a team!"
"Not only will we cover the remaining termination fee, but we also promise to give you the highest level of artist treatment."
"I've checked it out for you. The treatment and benefits are absolutely top-notch in the industry. The salary is tiered, and the more projects you take on, the higher your percentage will be."
The contract terms sent by Day and Night Entertainment were very comprehensive, dozens of pages long, and it would take a while to read through them all.
Shen Ge quickly swiped his phone screen, his voice filled with barely concealed excitement, and emphasized the key points: "The key point is this—you are allowed to retain personal creative control. Music, stage planning, as long as it passes the company's risk control, you can do whatever you want!"
Upon hearing this, Yu Xinglan's eyes flickered slightly, and her grip on the water bottle tightened unconsciously.
Creative control...
The company used to not allow its artists any freedom.
Those songs that were completely altered were all his masterpieces.
The dance difficulty was forcibly lowered to accommodate teammates.
And then there are those who are deliberately targeted.
It's ridiculous that you don't even own the copyright to the songs you write.
I can't sing any of the songs I used to write now.
All those tempting offers paled in comparison to this one for Yu Xinglan.
Indeed, the terms of the offer were better than he had ever imagined, and were even better than he had ever heard of or seen before.
Such terms are more than enough to sign top-tier artists.
Will it really belong to me? An idol who's already past her prime and whose age isn't an advantage?
Idols are replaced very quickly. Although there is no fixed golden age, they are generally active between the ages of 18 and 28.
After the age of 30, development will decline rapidly.
This industry is only for young people.
He was already 25 years old.
Compared to young people in their early twenties, he has very little time left to create value.
Why give yourself such favorable conditions? Is it worth it?
Will such a good thing really happen to me?
Years of setbacks and disappointments have made Yu Xinglan hesitant to believe again.
It's like someone who hasn't eaten sweets in a long time suddenly having a bowl of cloyingly sweet soup fall from the sky. Their first reaction would be disbelief, or even thinking it's fake or poisonous.
Having suffered for so long, he no longer dared to hope for sweetness.
Brother Shen had worked with Yu Xinglan for many years and knew his temperament. Seeing that Yu Xinglan was holding a water glass, his hand was trembling slightly involuntarily, and he was silent, Brother Shen knew that Yu Xinglan had gotten stuck in a rut again.
Yu Xinglan has a very strong core.
He practiced dancing until he was exhausted, practicing day and night, but he never complained of being tired.
Despite being suppressed, ostracized, and sidelined, I never cried and never admitted defeat.
But too much rigidity leads to breakage...
Perhaps due to his family background, he always finds it difficult to accept other people's kindness and always bears all the difficulties on his own.
He protects himself with layers of thick armor, making it difficult for anyone to truly get close to his heart.
Even I only gained his trust after working with him for many years.
The "signing" had deeply hurt him, and he probably wouldn't be able to accept it for a while.
If it were another company making the offer, or if there were other contract terms, Brother Shen wouldn't try to persuade him anymore.
But this is entertainment day and night.
He had already inquired around the industry and found that this company had an excellent reputation, everyone spoke highly of it, it was developing rapidly, and it had abundant resources. If Yu Xinglan went there, she would definitely not be treated badly.
The fact that the other party offered such contract terms demonstrates their sincerity.
In Shen Ge's opinion, Yu Xinglan is top-notch in the industry in terms of hardware and software skills, as well as temperament, hard work and personal charm. Otherwise, he would not have made the decision to leave his previous company with Yu Xinglan and follow him all the way.
The stars will shine sooner or later, they just lack the right time, the right wind to help them.
Now, the wind has come, hasn't it?
If you miss it, you'll never have another chance.
Brother Shen was genuinely worried for Yu Xinglan, fearing that the kid would get stuck in a rut and miss this great opportunity.
Shen Ge's gaze turned serious: "Xingxing, I know you're afraid of repeating the same mistake, but look at this clause—besides the normal work within the contract period, if you want to take on commercial performances, hold concerts, or release albums, the company will not interfere."
"Moreover, the breach of contract clause clearly states that as long as we follow the rules, you can walk away unscathed even if the contract expires."
He shoved the phone into Yu Xinglan's hand: "Take a look at the terms yourself, think it over carefully. Xiaoxiao and I have discussed it, and we really can't miss this opportunity."
Outside the glass window, sparrows fluttered past the rusty air conditioner unit. It seemed as if a strong wind was blowing, and all the sounds around became exceptionally clear.
As Yu Xinglan read the invitation document in black and white on his phone, his pupils suddenly contracted. Those things that were once out of reach now felt like sharp blades, slicing through the protective shell he had carefully built.
His heart, like a machine that had been reignited, began to beat fiercely again, so intensely that it burned his eyes.
At this moment, it felt as if he had returned to that summer when he was seventeen, sitting in People's Square with a broken secondhand guitar in his arms, surrounded by passersby listening to him sing.
That was the first time he received a reward that came in safely.
At this moment, he seemed to hear the violent echo of fate's storm once again.
Yu Xinglan looked up and met Shen Ge's gaze, asking in a hoarse voice, "What about your and Xiao Xiao's treatment?"
Shen Ge had been talking about himself the whole time, but hadn't mentioned himself or Xiao Xiao at all.
When Brother Shen heard him ask that, he knew there was hope. He grinned and patted Yu Xinglan's arm: "Don't worry about that. I'll still be your manager, your personal manager. Xiaoxiao will still be your assistant. We both have full social insurance and housing fund benefits, and we get double pay at the end of the year. The benefits are amazing."
At this point, Brother Shen changed the subject and chuckled mischievously, "But the prerequisite is that you have to sign with Day and Night Entertainment. You are their main target, and the two of us are just secondary targets."
As Shen spoke, he secretly clicked his tongue in amazement: "No wonder it's a big company, their tactics are still deep."
The headhunters at Day and Night Entertainment are amazing.
They must have thoroughly investigated their situation beforehand to offer such contract terms.
"The best strategy is to subdue the enemy without fighting; the best strategy is to win their hearts and minds."
They were not just incidental, but key figures in "blackmailing" Yu Xinglan.
He just didn't say it out loud.
He understood Yu Xinglan; although she appeared aloof, she was actually a very sentimental person.
He repays others tenfold or a hundredfold for even the smallest kindness.
This time, without these two "bonus gifts," Yu Xinglan might have hesitated.
That being said might sound a bit presumptuous.
With the two of them involved, the probability of Yu Xinglan agreeing to sign the contract is almost 100%.
Because of Yu Xinglan, he was kind.
Yu Xinglan would agree so that they could have a better life.
He got to know Yu Xinglan through years of getting to know her, but how did Day and Night Entertainment know that? Or how did they make that judgment?
They must have something special to have developed so well in such a short time.
Sure enough, after hearing what Brother Shen said, Yu Xinglan's expression softened, and she seemed to be deep in thought. She gradually loosened her clenched hands, and her eyes became firm.
The sunlight outside the window pierced through the clouds, gilding his eyelashes with a layer of gold.
Perhaps, this time, it's time for him to take that step.
Yes, an idol's golden period is very short.
He's already 25 years old, and he doesn't have much time left. He should cherish every minute and second and give it his all.
Being timid and hesitant has never been in my nature.
"Brother Shen, let's give it a try."
Yu Xinglan spoke softly, but her words were powerful enough.
--------------------------
"Mr. Bai, Yu Xinglan's studio has replied, saying they will consider it. However, they want to confirm the details in person and are flying over from out of town."
Bai Li was in the conference room when she received a text message from the headhunter in the HR department.
Inside the conference room, the projection screen flickered with blue light, and the head of the publicity department stood at the front, using a laser pointer to circle the final version of the publicity plan for the talent show.
Bai Li's fingertips traced the text message from the headhunter in the HR department, and a slight smile appeared on her lips.
It worked!
Actually, they weren't very confident about signing Yu Xinglan at first.
As artists who have struggled out of the mire of "unfair contract terms," they will definitely be more cautious.
The fact that the other party would rather set up their own studio than be bound by a management company is the best proof of this.
After learning about the studio's personnel and current situation, and conducting a simple background check on the other two members, they felt more confident.
The other two members of the studio have worked with Yu Xinglan for more than five years, having been together since their previous company, which speaks volumes about their friendship.
At this point, their breakthrough point shifted from Yu Xinglan alone to the entire studio.
Their company is happy to accept teams that have worked together for many years and have a high level of cohesion.
Given the current scale of Day and Night Entertainment, hiring two more people would be no problem at all.
The greatest gain would be to discover talent through this.
Bai Li smiled and typed in the chat box: "I reimbursed their airfare."
HR - Ares: Received.
The Minister of Publicity was speaking on stage when he immediately noticed General Manager Bai, who was openly daydreaming in the audience.
If it were anyone else, she would have coughed twice to warn them.
But this is President Bai, how could she dare?
Even if she had eight hundred lives, she wouldn't dare.
President Bai must be dealing with something important.
She could only slow down her speech slightly.
"This time we will promote on multiple platforms, including WB, DY, XHS, etc., and use short videos for fragmented dissemination. Each contestant will be given advance exposure through a '3-second highlight shot' trailer."
"Use industry KOLs, such as music producers and entertainment bloggers, to release a series of videos featuring blind audition contestants, creating buzz topics such as 'dark horse,' 'predicting debut positions,' and 'champion favorites' to generate suspense."
……
After replying to the HR department's text message, Bai Li put down her phone and listened attentively to the various promotional activities for the program.
A group of professionals can produce professional results.
Every step in the marketing plan precisely hits the mark regarding traffic generation.
KOL matrix promotion, viral short video dissemination, and pre-planning of trending topics; even controversial scenarios were designed with two versions, A and B.
In her view, the publicity campaign was very well-developed and there was nothing that needed improvement.
But at the end of the meeting, Bai Li still had to give a summary and make the final decision.
She could only pick a few points to mention casually: "...the plan is very solid, you can tell that a lot of effort has been put into it."
Bai Li muttered to herself, but simply praising wasn't enough; she also needed to offer some advice:
"We can open the fan support and voting channel in advance. The voting data has been connected to third-party monitoring. This step should greatly boost popularity and engagement."
As soon as Bai Li finished speaking, everyone in the conference room took out their pens to write it down.
The head of the publicity department quickly responded, "Okay, Mr. Bai, we'll coordinate and implement it as soon as possible."
Bai Li nodded and smiled, "That's settled then. Thank you all for your hard work. Meeting adjourned."
The announcement of the talent show caused a sensation across the internet.