"Hello, President Chu, there's something I need to discuss with you."

"What is it?"

"You should know Xu Qingqiu, right? She just contacted me saying she wants to request a song from Youmeng, no matter the cost. I didn't dare agree without consulting you first. What do you think we should do?"

Holding the phone, Hou Yichuan spoke lightly, but an excited expression involuntarily appeared on his face, the very picture of a gossipy bystander.

Youmeng! Now, who doesn't know he's a lyrical genius? One album launched him to stardom.

He knew all of Youmeng's song rights were owned by his company, but Chu Tian had previously only mentioned Youmeng as a friend.

But Hou Yichuan didn't believe it. He even suspected at times that Chu Tian himself was Youmeng; unfortunately, he had no proof.

The copyright certificates were always sealed tightly whenever they were delivered, and the signatures on the authorization documents used artistic fonts.

He had long suspected that his boss was Youmeng, but since Chu Tian had never openly admitted it, it wasn't appropriate for him to ask directly; he could only probe from the side.

As soon as Chu Tian heard him, he knew what Hou Yichuan wanted to ask. He hadn't actually planned to keep it from him; it was merely to avoid hassle.

"Alright, I understand. Agree to her request. However, apart from her, don't agree to anyone else."

Chu Tian's statement was essentially him laying his cards on the table. Hou Yichuan, no matter how slow-witted, understood.

"Alright, President Chu, I've got it!"

He understood, alright.

Chu Tian shook his head, preparing to hang up.

He had many songs, far too many for one person to sing. It didn't really matter who sang them, but he dreaded the potential trouble. The thought of a crowd constantly dogging his heels, all clamoring for a song, gave him a headache.

With Youmeng's current fame, if his identity were exposed, the trouble would be endless.

Never mind the number of singers who, upon finding out, would come rushing over in the middle of the night, lining up to request songs. Even if he explicitly refused, did they think that would be the end of it?

When the time came, everyone would use whatever means they had, pulling every string available. What kind of connections couldn't these people find?

In life, who doesn't have a few friends or connections? Who can live completely isolated from the world?

Then, if people approached Yu Cheng or Director Yu, could he, Chu Tian, refuse the requests coming through them? Hou Yichuan might be able to block some, but what if they went to higher-ups?

How many executives are there in a company? How many veterans in the entertainment industry? How many top-tier companies? How many layers of authority would he have to navigate?

The company needed to grow. Lanjiang TV might be blacklisted, but what about Lemon TV, Strawberry TV, or Capital TV?

What kind of era was this? It was a time when the music scene was at its bleakest, a period of talent drought. The old generation of lyricists and composers had either passed away or retired, completely washing their hands of the industry.

The few who remained were either kept by large corporations as figureheads—every song they produced requiring huge concessions, their own bosses even having to coax them—or they were past their prime, unable to keep up with the trends of the new era.

In the entire industry, the number of well-known and respected lyricists and composers, if you counted them all, wouldn't exceed ten, and there were none under the age of fifty.

If Chu Tian's identity as Youmeng were exposed, he would be the sole powerhouse under fifty—and a powerhouse without backing, without established roots, and without a network.

As soon as his name was out, how much trouble, overt and covert, employing soft tactics and hard, would await him?

So, this alias, in his view, was best kept hidden for as long as possible.

Just as he was lowering the phone to hang up, the person on the other end suddenly spoke again.

"Wait, wait, wait! President Chu, are you still there? Don't hang up."

"Is there something else?"

"Yes! About that variety show, I've already spoken with Director Wei. The venue and equipment have also been secured. Now we need to invite singers. We're not quite sure how to proceed on our end; we need your guidance."

Chu Tian glanced at the bowl of fish noodles in front of him and sighed helplessly.

He had just gotten off work and was planning to eat dinner and then rest. But for this variety show, he'd even lost the villa that was almost in his hands.

All his money had been poured into it. And now, not only did he need to invest money, but he also had to deal with a heap of issues.

It seemed that becoming a hands-off boss who didn't have to worry about anything was still a long and arduous journey.

"Alright, I'm coming over now."

After hurriedly eating a few bites to fill his stomach, Chu Tian took a taxi to Unlimited Entertainment.

When he arrived at the company, the employees hadn't finished work yet. The studio staff finished at six o'clock, while the main office finished at seven-thirty; their working hours were different.

It couldn't be helped. Capital was too congested, so many companies staggered their commuting hours, leading to varied work schedules.

This time, the receptionist didn't mistake him and recognized him as soon as he entered. They exchanged greetings. When he pushed open the conference room door, Hou Yichuan, Wei Liangxiao, and several unfamiliar faces were already waiting inside.

"President Chu, you're finally here."

"Mm, go on. What are the issues?"

Wei Liangxiao handed him a list and said, "This is the competition format. We need six starting singers, tentatively three male and three female. Additionally, we need to prepare at least three substitute singers to ensure flexibility for the recording schedule."

"The current problem is what kind of singers to look for. We need to set a standard, because if the skill gap is too large, the show's entertainment value will suffer greatly."

Chu Tian listened quietly until they were finished, a plan already forming in his mind.

"As for the singers, we don't need to aim for the absolute best. The top stars might not even give us the time of day. Forget about the established Kings and Queens of the music industry; our company is too small, they wouldn't look our way."

"My thinking is, we should find singers known for their vocal prowess, specifically mid-career talents. If they're too young, their Singing Skills might be a concern. We can't reach the top-tier older artists, and the less expensive ones lack an audience."

"Look for those who are around thirty or forty, even up to fifty. Their names should be familiar, they must have strong Singing Skills and genuine talent, but currently lack widespread popularity."

As Chu Tian gradually laid out his plan, both Hou Yichuan's and Wei Liangxiao's eyes lit up.

"That's brilliant! President Chu, as soon as you said that, I immediately had some candidates in mind. Your criteria are ingenious!"

"Like... who was it? Sun Cheng! He's certainly skilled, right? His Singing Skills are impeccable, he participates in many national events, and he has status, but he's just not famous. Singers like him aren't expensive, so they offer extremely high value for money!"

"Following President Chu's criteria, these people are all talented but lack fame. Since the show is masked anyway, if we truly adhere to this standard, the competitive aspect will be strong, and the entertainment value will be absolutely explosive!"

"Moreover, their main advantage is their Singing Skills. In this era that's so focused on looks, as long as the show is compelling enough, they might even make a comeback! It's simply brilliant!"

Chu Tian listened to Hou Yichuan and Wei Liangxiao's praise in silence. This was all based on experiences from his past life; others had already trodden this path. He had nothing to be particularly proud of.

However, this alone wouldn't have warranted him making a trip in person.

"Apart from this, I need two spots among the starting singers."

"Ah? President Chu, are you saying..."

Wei Liangxiao's expression faltered slightly. Although he had anticipated this, he still felt a pang of disappointment. It was mainly because this program concept was so brilliant; the thought that Chu Tian intended to use it to promote specific people made him feel a bit disheartened.

"Hold on, hear me out. The first person is Xu Qingqiu; you don't need to worry about her capabilities. For the second person, I want you to invite Qin Xiao!"

"Qin Xiao?"

"Yes, her. It's okay if the price is high; just make sure to get her here."

"If she's unwilling or has reservations, tell her our show has an investment of over one hundred million. First, make sure she understands the scale. And critically, tell her it's scheduled to air in one month. Understand?"

After speaking, Chu Tian silently gazed at the form in his hands.

He was setting a big trap for certain people!

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