Chapter 138: Zhu Yiyang

The music faded, but the applause lingered on, refusing to die down.

What resonated most with the audience regarding the song "Dragon Scales of Heaven and Earth" was a certain spirit and vitality, exactly as Tang Zhichu had projected. The stage is crucial for a song; perhaps, many years from now, the people in that audience would still remember the man standing under the spotlight.

167 to 189—the audience vote held little suspense. The client's choice was equally unsurprising: Tang Zhichu had won the bid. What did catch Tang Zhichu slightly off guard, however, was that several high-ranking officials took the initiative to approach him and exchange contact information.

After signing the contracts and posing for photos, Tang Zhichu stepped off the stage. By the entrance, Zhu Yiyang, who had descended before him, was still waiting. Seeing Tang Zhichu approach, he immediately walked up to him.

"Brother Tang!"

Tang Zhichu nodded and smiled. "Being too humble isn't always good. I noticed those gentlemen were considering your song as well; perhaps landing the ending theme wouldn't have been a bad outcome."

Zhu Yiyang shook his head. "I'm already satisfied. If all else fails, I'll go home and inherit the family business, or just fund a production and act in it myself. Writing songs is just too exhausting."

When had Zhu Yiyang started thinking this way? Every time he saw Tang Zhichu recording a new song on the very first day of the cycle, he felt he wasn't cut out for music. It was simply demoralizing. After witnessing that level of talent, his own confidence in music had taken a hit.

"Fund a production?"

"Yeah. Come to think of it, I am a graduate of the Shanghai Theatre Academy's directing program. My father doesn't demand much of me. When I graduated, he offered me two hundred million to play around with, but I turned it down. I never expected the music industry to be this deep. I thought I could just churn out a song or two a year and do some variety shows, you know?" Zhu Yiyang said with a wry smile.

Zhu Yiyang’s words felt sincere enough. Perhaps there was a hint of flexing his muscles, but Tang Zhichu’s eyes brightened.

"Come on, let’s exchange contact info first."

Zhu Yiyang immediately pulled out his phone. Tang Zhichu recited his number; he hadn't brought his phone on stage.

"Churning out a song or two a year is normal, but you can't help it when there are 'grind-gods' around. People like He Shuyuan and Qiu Zhen—they’ve already achieved fame and fortune, yet they still come here to play with us. Isn't that just making it harder for everyone else?"

"Uh..."

"You agree, don't you?"

Zhu Yiyang nodded reluctantly. "I suppose I can't disagree."

"Exactly. It's everyone's duty to take down the grind-gods. You’re different; you're on a different track. It’s unwise to step down and act like an artist when you could be the boss. Go back and have a good talk with your father. A couple of hundred million isn't much to you anyway. When you have time, we can discuss film..."

With both of them being somewhat intentional, they seemed to hit it off immediately, like friends who hadn't seen each other in years.

Zhu Yiyang and Tang Zhichu chatted and laughed all the way back to the backstage area. Seeing Tang Zhichu start talking with the others, Zhu Yiyang quietly returned to his seat in the Stellar Alliance. Liu Xingyun, assuming he was feeling down after his loss, offered him a few words of comfort.

Once someone else started performing on stage, Zhu Yiyang pulled out his phone. He hadn't accepted Tang Zhichu’s friend request yet, but he opened a chat window with his father.

"I went on stage, but I lost."

A moment later, his father replied.

"As expected. That’s why I threw cold water on the idea when you said you were going on Old Yu’s show. Do you think a show your Uncle Yu put so much effort into is something you can just master? Don't be discouraged, though. Just treat it as an experience."

Zhu Yiyang felt a warmth in his heart. In truth, his father had never really supported his pursuit of music. Music was different from other industries; it relied on the work itself, and the work required genuine talent—you couldn't just "pay-to-win."

But as his father said, it was just an experience. Experience it, then let it go. The cost of trial and error for the wealthy is high. Before this show, Zhu Yiyang had participated in another original music competition. He had mastered that one and ended up taking second place. He certainly hadn't mastered this one.

However, Zhu Yiyang wanted to try a different approach.

"Dad, can you have my car shipped over? Also, send me some more money."

"Give me a reason."

"Tang Zhichu said he’s going to take me along for the ride."

"Tang Zhichu?"

"Yeah."

"Alright."

Seeing his father agree so readily, Zhu Yiyang was taken aback. He hadn't expected Tang Zhichu’s name to be so effective. But he could guess his father’s reasoning. His father doted on him, but not without cause; it was a calculated indulgence in his career. He provided Zhu Yiyang with a massive budget for trial and error. He wouldn't tell him what to do; he wanted him to do it himself. Growing through the process was more effective than any lecture.

His earlier words to Tang Zhichu were indeed a probe. He hoped Tang Zhichu would choose to work on a project with him, effectively establishing a connection. His father was a famous investor in Shanghai, and he had taught him from a young age to be adept at seizing opportunities. By chatting with Tang Zhichu earlier, he had revealed two pieces of information: he had money, and he was a legitimate graduate of the Theatre Academy.

The fact that the other party had responded so warmly proved that he was valued. That was enough.

Zhu Yiyang’s background was different; he saw more than others did. Tang Zhichu was very close to Yu Hua; Yu Hua had personally picked Tang Zhichu up several times. That alone revealed a great deal. Combined with Tang Zhichu’s terrifying performance on the dating show, he was clearly a man destined for big things.

Zhu Yiyang’s approach to Luo Xiujie had been aimed at getting close to Tang Zhichu. After a few detours, he had finally made the connection. Regardless of what Tang Zhichu was planning, Zhu Yiyang wanted to get on board. To get on board, one had to buy a ticket. Zhu Yiyang knew his own advantage: he had money. The simplest and most reliable way was to let Tang Zhichu see his account balance while convincing him that he had no ulterior motives. It was a "money-throwing" tactic, but it was the simplest and most effective one.

On the other side, Tang Zhichu was also lost in thought while looking at the big screen. The funds from four projects had already arrived, leaving him with over three million in his pocket. It sounded like a lot, but in reality, it wasn't enough to do much. He couldn't just rely on Yu Hua, could he? The more he relied on him, the more passive his own position became.

Tang Zhichu pondered for a moment, then suddenly asked Luo Xiujie, who was sitting next to him, "You and Zhu Yiyang seem to have a good relationship. He mentioned you to me earlier."

Luo Xiujie had been listening intently to the performance on stage. Hearing Tang Zhichu speak to him, he felt a sense of unearned flattery. He was a peripheral figure in the Wildfire Alliance; Tang Zhichu usually spent his time talking to Sige and Yun Miao.

"Oh, really? Yeah, we’re pretty close. Brother Yang is a good guy—he takes us out for meals all the time," Luo Xiujie replied instinctively. Although he didn't know why Tang Zhichu was asking, he guessed this information might be useful to him. Lowering his voice, he added, "Brother Yang’s father is Zhu Kaitai, from White Feather Capital. He’s in the investment business."

To Luo Xiujie, this was the so-called "inner circle." Watching someone he considered formidable deepen his understanding of someone he was familiar with—this was the formation of a circle. As the link between them, he could at least consider himself a peripheral member.

Tang Zhichu patted Luo Xiujie on the shoulder and said, "Thanks."

White Feather Capital—a very famous major capital firm in the country. They invested in both industrial and internet sectors. They were no small fry.

Zhu Yiyang seemed to be of even greater value than he had initially realized.