Chapter 146: Grand Opening

Xiao Xiao had also successfully advanced to the second-tier artist ranking. Although she was only positioned in the lower-middle section, she was already very content, especially given the official review's rather favorable comments: The artist is steady and conventional, following the traditional path of a Huaxia female artist, with zero scandals, high aesthetic appeal, and good vocal skills. If she develops step by step, she will reach first-tier status sooner or later. If certain events cause her popularity to skyrocket or if she reveals other endearing personality traits, she also has the potential to break through into superstar status, with work quality being one of the key factors.

"I'm already very satisfied," Xiao Xiao said with a beaming smile, pressing her palms together to express her gratitude to everyone. "Thank you all for your support. Please continue to help me out in the future."

"Of course, keep it up!" Everyone returned the gesture one after another. This girl possessed beauty, a wonderful temperament, and got along well with everyone; they loved her sincerely from the bottom of their hearts.

The Vivi Duo also caught the last train, successfully advancing to the second tier. Although they were at the tail end, being able to make it to the second tier already represented their success. Moreover, compared to individuals like Xiao Xiao, the group had a larger number of members, which naturally translated to a larger fan base. Through accumulated efforts and a delayed eruption, their future was full of promise. Even the official authorities were full of expectations for them, praising them as a breath of fresh air among girl groups, bringing a refreshing atmosphere to the music scene and allowing audiences accustomed to sexy choreography to appreciate a different kind of beauty.

The two newcomers who debuted in the first half of the year and those who debuted in the latter half were all ranked in the third tier, showing steady upward momentum with promising futures.

Su Zhitong, another figure attracting widespread attention, still remained in the third-tier ranking. However, contrary to her own estimations, not only did she not drop further, but she actually rose significantly, which came as a pleasant surprise to her. The official explanation was given as follows: As a former member of a group under Rainbow Records, her specific capabilities remain unclear, but amidst the storm of controversies at the end of the year, she established a positive image for herself through her tenacity and self-respect. Coupled with her exceptionally gifted appearance, her future is well worth anticipating. Galaxy Entertainment has always been renowned for its formidable talent nurturing and training capabilities. Under the banner of Galaxy Entertainment, what kind of surprises she might bring is a matter of eager anticipation.

"As expected of an authority, hitting right at the core." He Li patted Su Zhitong's head. "Relieved now? Everyone didn't lie to you. Even the most authoritative official source has expectations for you."

"I know," Su Zhitong clenched her fists. "I will definitely train hard and strive not to live up everyone's expectations."

"Mm, practice well, because very soon, you are going to amaze the entire nation's audience." He Li glanced at Lin Qihua. She certainly knew that Lin Qihua was practicing a duet with Su Zhitong. In her view, regardless of what the commercial results might be, this performance would undoubtedly astonish everyone.

"Suddenly, the pressure feels so heavy." Su Zhitong instantly shrank her neck, looking pitiful and cute.

"Haha." Laughter broke out among the group. It was a gratifying thing that Su Zhitong had managed to integrate into the group so quickly.

Lin Qihua carefully observed other artists he paid attention to. Qin Lulu's first-tier position rose steadily. In the second half of last year, she still had works released. Although she lacked the company's powerful resources, she had more autonomy over her own affairs, so a rise in popularity was a natural outcome.

Gu Yuhan advanced another step within the first-tier ranking. Last year, she only had one television drama released, but relying on her super-strong popularity, making progress was only to be expected. The official authorities also held high expectations for the projects she would undertake upon graduation.

Zhao Wanting made a slight advancement within the second-tier position. Although she had plenty of works released last year, none of them featured breathtaking performances that could make people's eyes light up; she still required more seasoning and practice.

The singers who participated in this season of *The Vocalist* also experienced varying degrees of explosive growth in popularity. Artists like Lu Zhiyuan and Wang Yalin saw steady upward progress, while Zhang Yuxun's popularity surged rapidly, elevating her to the middle of the second tier—a remarkable improvement.

Overall, those with some connection to Lin Qihua had all gained significant rewards. Conversely, quite a few people fell heavily. The most tragic was Tang Zhijie, who was directly dropped from the lists. Liu Feng slid far down into the rear of the third tier, indicating that the authorities had little confidence in his future. Several artists from Starlight Entertainment were impacted to varying degrees and experienced declines.

"If you play outside, you have to pay it back sooner or later. There is still plenty of suffering ahead for them," He Li said with gloating amusement.

"You reap what you sow; you cannot blame anyone else," Yu Fengqin sighed, feeling a sense of regret for those artists who had crossed over from Starlight Entertainment.

...

The next day, Lin Qihua drove Zhang Zilin to the Qianhai District. Today was the opening day of Qin Lulu's personal studio, and the two of them naturally had to go and offer their congratulations.

"Brother, have godmother and the others moved over?" the little airhead asked.

"Mm, they moved over a couple of days ago. However, Dad's retirement procedures haven't been finalized yet, which will take a little more time."

"Alright, I'll go visit them in a couple of days."

"How is your preparation for the artistic entrance examinations going?"

"No problem at all." The little airhead flashed two V-signs with her fingers. "The teachers put me through intensive training, and everything is almost ready."

"That's good. Given your conditions and performance skills, don't be nervous; you should generally be fine. The artistic entrance exams look at appearance, body proportions, and artistic talent, but even more importantly, they look at your performance potential. Without exaggerating, your skills should guarantee you a pass without issue. My only concern is that you might get nervous on the spot."

"I know, so I had a senior who previously took the artistic entrance exams tutor me, oh! And Ruyu and I designed a dance routine together. I'm quite satisfied with it."

"Well, I don't know much about it, as long as you have confidence."

"By the way, Director Liao will be coming over in the next couple of days and wants to chat with you. His idea is that filming can start right after my artistic entrance exams," the little airhead suddenly mentioned.

"Oh, I see." Lin Qihua was quite curious about what kind of script Director Liao would bring out, and he roughly guessed what the purpose of his visit would be.

Not long after, the two arrived at their destination. Qin Lulu's studio had rented two floors of a commercial building in the Qianhai District for its offices, so the pair took the elevator directly up.

Qin Lulu, dressed in an evening gown, stood at the entrance to welcome guests, smiling brightly as she shook hands with the continuously arriving visitors.

"Sister Lulu," the little airhead cheered and ran over. "Wishing Sister Lulu a grand opening, booming business, and boundless financial resources!"

"May your kind words come true. Thank you so much!" Qin Lulu was exceptionally happy to see the two of them.

"Sister Lulu." Lin Qihua walked forward, followed by two staff members carrying the flower basket he had prepared. "Wishing you a booming business."

"Thank you." Qin Lulu looked at the young man before her, her emotions somewhat complex. In the short span of a year, tremendous changes had taken place in him. The original boyish air had completely faded, replaced by an extraordinary demeanor that commanded a new level of respect. She thought to herself that if Han Dong could see these changes in him, he would surely be very pleased.

After greeting Qin Lulu, Lin Qihua and his companion entered the interior of the studio. Other staff members were attending to other guests. Although not many people had arrived yet, quite a few first-tier superstars were present, demonstrating that Qin Lulu's network of connections within the industry was still quite good.

However, neither Lin Qihua nor Zhang Zilin was very familiar with these superstars. They stepped forward respectfully to offer greetings, introduce themselves, and fulfill basic social etiquette. Everyone was very courteous in return; especially since Lin Qihua's name was known to practically all of them, they offered words of encouragement one after another. As for anything further, their relationship hadn't reached that level of familiarity yet. After walking around once, the two of them retreated to a quiet corner to stay out of the way.

"The renovation is so gorgeous," the little airhead said, looking around in amazement.

"Indeed it is." Lin Qihua also surveyed the space once. It was indeed unique, differing greatly from ordinary corporate offices. "After all, it's her own company; investing some thought into it is quite normal."

"Sigh, when will I have my own studio?" the little airhead yearned aloud.

"You, stop aiming higher than your capabilities," Lin Qihua said, exasperatedly ruffling her hair. "Focus on filming properly and studying well. You're still so young, what are you thinking about these things for?"

"A person has to have a goal, right?" The little airhead bared her teeth in a grin. "Doesn't Brother have this kind of thought?"

"Me?" Lin Qihua hesitated for a moment before shaking his head. "The company treats me very well right now, so there's temporarily no need for that."

This was actually the truth. Galaxy Entertainment could be said to have given Lin Qihua the highest level of treatment, providing a professional team and helping to establish the dedicated fan club known as "Morning Stars," both of which made Lin Qihua feel deeply valued. Putting in the massive effort to set up his own studio seemed unnecessary for the time being.

Even if he were to do so eventually, it would have to wait until he helped the company grow stronger, assisted Lian Yuling in her comeback, and supported people like Lei Jing, Xiao Xiao, and Su Zhitong. He simply couldn't put them down right now.

"Oh." The little airhead didn't seek a deep explanation, but as long as her brother was certain, knowing that much was enough.

Half an hour later, Qin Lulu accompanied a young and beautiful woman into the room, her expression somewhat complex. Behind them followed two suit-wearing bodyguards carrying a huge box.

"Put it over here," Qin Lulu instructed the two men to place the box on an open patch of floor.

"Sister Lulu, should we open it now?" the young woman who had just entered asked with a smile.

"Oh, right." Qin Lulu nodded and had someone fetch a pair of scissors to open the box. Inside was a huge Pixiu ornament, crafted in interwoven gold and jade and looking as lifelike as could be.

"A wealth-attracting Pixiu, what a wonderful auspicious meaning," the young woman applauded with a smile.

"Thank you!" Qin Lulu didn't look particularly happy; she seemed somewhat distracted.

"I'm just delivering this on behalf of someone else," the young woman said with a faint smile. "He didn't dare send it directly himself, so he had it couriered to me to hand over in his place."

"Is that so?" Qin Lulu forced a faint smile. "Regardless, I still have to thank you for coming here in person."

Lin Qihua, standing to the side, had already guessed that the young woman before them must be "Sister Lian," the second female protagonist in the Han Dong love triangle. Her figure and appearance were not inferior to Qin Lulu's, and her temperament had its own unique strengths—she appeared somewhat more poised and elegant, possessing the graceful demeanor of a refined young lady of a wealthy family. With such profound grace from such beauties, it was no wonder Han Dong found it difficult to choose and could only flee far away.