Chapter 161: A New Plan

After returning to Yanjing, Lin Qihua remained in a low mood. Shen Manni and the others understood that he was feeling upset, so they gave him some time off to rest.

When Yu Fengqin learned about what had happened between Ma Xiaoqian and Lin Qihua, she let out a sigh. She did not feel that Ma Xiaoqian's departure was wrong; on the contrary, she rather admired the young woman. To be able to bravely leave Lin Qihua in pursuit of a higher level of personal growth before eventually returning to his side—very few people could accomplish such a feat.

She said nothing about Lin Qihua's current state. After all, he had just finished the grueling competition of "The Vocalist," and taking a period of rest was only natural.

Fortunately, his parents had moved over. Staying at home, Lin Qihua gradually came to terms with everything. Regardless of the circumstances, Ma Xiaoqian had the freedom to make her own choices, and he could only offer her his blessings. No matter what achievements she might attain in the future, or whether she would ever return to his side, it was up to her own efforts and decisions. All he could do was strive to do his own job well.

On this particular day, Little Daze happened to have finished her artistic entrance exams and came over to report on her progress.

"I've passed the preliminary round," Little Daze proudly flashed a victory sign.

"Really? That's wonderful!" his mother exclaimed in pleasant surprise.

"Not bad at all. How did you score?"

"First place, obviously." Little Daze's eyes curved into crescent moons of a smile. Here, she had no need for modesty at all. "During the self-introduction, I felt just like I did facing the teachers in the training camp—completely without nervousness. For the recitation, I read a classical poem, and the teachers all felt it had great artistic charm. Although my singing technique isn't top-tier, I had still received professional training, making me much better than the average applicant. As for physical expression, it goes without saying—the high-difficulty routines Ruyue taught me were an absolute breeze. During the group performance, someone held us back, but I cleverly covered for it, which earned high praise from the judges. When the results were posted, I secured the top spot."

"Splendid," Lin Qihua said, patting her head. "Keep working hard. There are still the secondary and tertiary rounds ahead; the real challenges are yet to come. The key is to perform at your normal level. There are plenty of people out there who are better than you. If you grow arrogant, you'll easily be overtaken."

"Of course," Little Daze said, shaking her fist. "My goal is to surpass Senior Sister Gu Yuhan. She plowed through all the rounds effortlessly. Word has it that during the tertiary round, they made the decision to pass her on the spot without even waiting for the official roster release. I want to achieve that too."

"Alright, as long as you maintain that drive." Lin Qihua hadn't expected Gu Yuhan to have such a legendary story behind her admission.

"Linlin, I'll accompany you to the secondary round next time," his mother said, feeling a tinge of heartache upon learning that Little Daze had gone to the exams all by herself while every other candidate was accompanied by their family members throughout the process.

"Really? That's amazing! I'm so happy," Little Daze nearly jumped in joy.

"Haha, look at you."

One week later, the dates for the secondary and tertiary rounds arrived. Little Daze officially passed the artistic exams, claiming the very top spot on the national rankings. As long as her subsequent academic college entrance examinations did not drag her down, she was destined to become a student at the prestigious Beijing Film Academy.

Having cleared the artistic exams, Little Daze hurriedly set off for the Hengdian World Studios, accompanied by a manager assigned by the company. There, she would begin filming her very first movie.

As for Lin Qihua, it was time to get back to work. Having rested for so long without the company ever pressing him, Lin Qihua himself began to feel rather apologetic.

Seeing him, Yu Fengqin smiled and asked, "What? Don't you want to rest a little longer?"

"If I rest any longer, I'll start growing mold."

"Hehe," Yu Fengqin chuckled, her laughter rippling musically as she seemed in high spirits. "That's fine too. We might as well have a chat. Let me call Lili over."

"Oh, alright."

Before long, He Li arrived as well. Spotting Lin Qihua, a skeptical glint lingered in her eyes as she teased, "Well, well, Little Prince, has your broken heart finally healed?"

"What nonsense are you talking about?" Lin Qihua shook his head. "I've just rested enough and it's time to work."

"Hehe, I thought that once your little assistant left, you wouldn't be able to survive," He Li giggled. "It seems men are still unreliable after all—you bounced back so quickly."

"Alright, stop teasing him," Yu Fengqin interjected to stop He Li. "Since you're here, give Lin Qihua a rundown of the company's current status."

"Understood." He Li switched to a serious expression in a fraction of a second—a speed so astonishing that Lin Qihua found it incredible. "During the period you were resting, the company's development momentum has been exceptional. First and foremost, following the grand finale, public evaluation of you nationwide has skyrocketed. Both 'Angel Concerto' and 'The Brightest Star in the Night Sky,' which you dedicated to your fans, have received widespread acclaim. Public opinion has firmly embraced the persona you've established, especially your relationship with your fans, which has brought you a flood of glowing reviews. This has given a tremendous boost to both your popularity and public image. The most obvious indicator is that your fan count has surged significantly, nearing the forty million mark. One could say you've fully reached the standards of a top-tier superstar."

"That's good momentum," Lin Qihua nodded. "Being able to bring joy to everyone makes me very happy."

"Keep this up, and maintaining your A-list status will be a breeze," He Li smiled. "The appearance fees and relevant revenue shares from 'The Vocalist' have all been processed. The appearance fee itself, needless to say, was quite meager, but the revenue sharing brought us quite a pleasant surprise. Of course, the lion's share comes from digital download royalties. Promoted through such a massive platform, these songs of yours performed far better than any promotional campaign. The download volumes are simply staggering. The highest-grossing tracks were 'Existence,' 'Blue and White Porcelain,' and 'The Brightest Star in the Night Sky,' all of which surpassed two hundred million downloads, landing in the top five for this month. 'Existence,' which recorded the highest numbers, even claimed the number one spot on the charts. Although the resulting revenue is split three ways among the music platform, Xiangzhou Satellite TV, and the company, it has still netted the company a hefty profit—and naturally, you've made a fortune as well."

Lin Qihua smiled quietly without offering a comment.

"All the other artists are experiencing favorable development, and the company's overall trajectory is fantastic."

"We owe all of this to you," Yu Fengqin said with heartfelt gratitude. "If you hadn't joined the company, we'd probably all be struggling to make ends meet right now."

"Not at all. Without me, the company would have developed to this point sooner or later. With Sister Qin, Sister Li, and Sister Ling, you ladies are the true driving force behind the company."

"Hehe, alright, stop complimenting each other. Let's discuss what needs to be done next."

"Alright."

"The first item on the agenda is attending the annual Music Billboard Awards Ceremony held at the end of the year. This is the most authoritative music awards ceremony hosted by CCTV, serving as a comprehensive summary of the music industry over the past year. The artists from our company who received invitations to attend are Lei Jing, yourself, and Song Yujia. Lei Jing is nominated for Best Stage Performance and Best Female Singer; you are nominated in four categories: Best Male Singer, Best Composer, Best Lyricist, and Best Song; and Song Yujia is nominated for Best New Artist. It's quite a pity for Xiao Xiao—because her song 'Little Luck' is a cover of your work, despite its immense popularity, it unfortunately failed to make the cut."

"I see," Lin Qihua nodded. CCTV's Music Billboard Awards was the nation's most authoritative and influential music ranking event, jointly organized by CCTV and China Music Network. Long ago, the proliferation of various chaotic awards ceremonies had turned them into mere spectacles driven by eye-catching gimmicks. Eventually, during the reform of the music industry, drastic measures were taken to overhaul the system, leaving only a single national awards ceremony jointly hosted by CCTV and China Music Network. Winners of excellence awards and creative honors were selected based on joint scores from media professionals and music critics.

Aside from this, only the long-standing Golden Melody Awards hosted in Taiwan and the Top Ten Chinese Gold Songs Awards hosted in Hong Kong retained official recognition, together forming the three major awards ceremonies. The chaotic phenomena of overlapping award shows and awards being handed out like cheap cabbages were completely eliminated.

"The songs nominated for Best Song are 'Existence' and 'Blue and White Porcelain.' I think you should practice them and prepare for a live performance, because winners are required to perform."

"Understood." Normally, as the event approached, the organizers would instruct potential winning singers to prepare performances and schedule rehearsals. Although winning was never entirely guaranteed, one had to be fully prepared to take the stage and perform the moment a victory was announced.

"The second item is the Xiangzhou Satellite TV Lunar New Year's Eve Gala. It takes place the day before the CCTV Spring Festival Gala. I trust you've already received the invitation, so you need to start preparing. There isn't much time left."

"I understand," Lin Qihua nodded. "It feels like a lot of things have piled up all at once."

"Countless singers would kill for these kinds of opportunities, yet you still look so reluctant," He Li said, exasperated.

"Haha, no, not at all! I'm very happy—well, very excited and honored to be invited to the awards ceremony and the gala. I will certainly work hard and avoid bringing shame to the company."

"That's more like it."

"Alright, the two of you are unbelievable." Their playful banter left Yu Fengqin laughing helplessly. "Qihua needs to prepare thoroughly. First, practice the performance for the awards ceremony and prepare an acceptance speech just in case you win. Second, attire for the awards ceremony—we can't be casual this time. I'll arrange for someone to take you shopping for a suitable outfit. You must remember, an awards ceremony judges not just your awards, but your looks and styling as well."

"Fine, I'll listen to Sister Qin."

"Thirdly, regarding the Xiangzhou Satellite TV Spring Festival Gala: according to their request, they hope you can debut a fitting new song. They can leak the news in advance to build audience anticipation and boost their competitiveness and appeal, because their competitors, such as Lanhai Satellite TV, are also holding grand galas on the same day, creating immense competitive pressure."

"Very well." Lin Qihua pondered for a moment before giving his consent.

"Additionally, there are quite a few other invitations waiting for you. Lili will bring them over for you to look through at your leisure later. Some are requests for songs, while others are commercial and variety show appearances. Now that you're enjoying a surge in fame, everyone wants you to strike while the iron is hot and appear on another variety show."

"As for that, I believe we shouldn't force it. If it's not suitable, we firmly decline. Doing one or two shows a year is quite enough. Any more, and your fame becomes overexposed; audiences will start wondering why you're everywhere. Overconsumption is not only detrimental to your career, but it also cheapens your personal brand."

"Anyway, you make the final call; the company won't interfere."

"Thank you, Sister Qin."