CH 29

Translator: Lynn

“The Interview Show” is scheduled to be broadcast next Friday, but the company has not arranged any appearances or announcements for Jian Jie during this period. Compared to other newcomers who have already planned their album releases, Jian Jie has the lowest workload.

For example, Tong Liangliang, whose debut album features the title song “Angel” composed by Jian Jie, has received significant promotional support from the company. They have positioned him as a “Future Male Star,” and the album has garnered 50,000 pre-orders and first-week sales. Tong Liangliang has quickly become one of the most prominent newcomers in the entertainment industry.

In the month leading up to his album release, Tong Liangliang was frequently booked for various program appearances. Music shows were prioritized, followed by talk shows and game shows. The goal was to increase exposure and let the audience know about the album’s release. Many fans make purchases based on their fondness for the artist rather than the specific music genre or vocal talent. Tong Liangliang’s fan base primarily consists of students who are more likely to engage in impulsive consumption. Hence, increasing exposure becomes crucial.

However, arranging appearances for Jian Jie proved challenging. Without a released album, it’s difficult to secure spots on music shows. Moreover, Jian Jie’s reserved and less talkative nature makes him less suited for variety shows. Long Zichen, not wanting Jian Jie to be overshadowed by other artists, opposed the idea of participating in game shows. This disagreement resulted in a heated argument between Tang Xiaohui, the artist director in charge of announcements, and Long Zichen.

“This doesn’t work, that doesn’t work. Do you think good appearances are just readily available? It’s not easy for the company to secure these opportunities for Jian Jie, especially as a rookie. Can we even get him on a show of the same level as ‘Interview Show’?” Tang Xiaohui vented her frustration, secretly glad that Long Zichen wasn’t an artist, or managing him would be a nightmare.

“Jian Jie deserves better than those mediocre programs. I don’t want him to be treated as an afterthought,” Long Zichen retorted. He felt that the current offers Jian Jie received were low-rated or overly entertaining shows, which he considered beneath Jian Jie’s standards.

As Tang Xiaohui and Long Zichen quarreled, Jian Jie could only watch from the sidelines, occasionally offering words of persuasion that had little effect.

In truth, Jian Jie didn’t have a strong desire to participate in entertainment programs either. He had heard Tong Liangliang complain about repetitive questions and being overshadowed as a newcomer. Running from one appearance to another was not a pleasant experience.

Jian Jie didn’t prioritize popularity; he just wanted to focus on making music that he enjoyed. From his perspective, the current situation was satisfactory. However, without job opportunities, there would be no income for him or profit for the company. It was difficult to reach an agreement. While artists usually had some say in accepting or rejecting the company’s arrangements, dealing with Long Zichen proved challenging. He was stubborn and unwavering, like an insurmountable mountain in front of Jian Jie, fiercely protective and unwilling to let him face any grievances. Thus, the company members found themselves defeated by Long Zichen’s resolve, making it difficult to proceed.

No amount of arguing seemed to yield any results. At this point, Long Zichen leaned back in his chair, playing the role of a master strategist, and declared, “I propose implementing a ‘hunger sales’ packaging strategy for Jian Jie. We’ll take the high-end route and decline any low-quality offers!”

What did he mean by “hunger sales”? Well, it’s like creating a sales strategy of limited editions, emphasizing exclusivity and creating a sense of urgency. The idea was to make Jian Jie appear on only a few select shows. If fans wanted to see him, they would have to buy his album and attend his concerts. Long Zichen thought it was a brilliant suggestion and almost applauded his own cleverness.

However, others saw through his intentions, and the people in the conference room looked at Long Zichen contemptuously, thinking, “Does he want to overwork Jian Jie?”

Tang Xiaohui, frustrated yet amazed, lashed out, “Hunger sales? Are you out of your mind? Since you’re so against those variety shows that don’t suit Jian Jie’s image, let’s not use them. For now, let Jian Jie focus on making his album. After its release, he can genuinely appear on music shows and establish fan clubs! Long Zichen, if you keep talking nonsense, I’ll have Yongqiang deal with Jian Jie!” Yongqiang, another senior manager known for his tough attitude, could schedule artists’ engagements up until the next year. Long Zichen had experienced Yongqiang’s assertiveness before and knew the consequences, so he reluctantly agreed.

“Miss Xiaohui, you’ve turned into an evil capitalist now. Has the entertainment industry corrupted your kind nature?” Long Zichen turned to Jian Jie and reassured him, “Don’t worry, Xiaojie. I’ll protect you!”

Jian Jie made the decision to remain silent and not express his opinion.

Tang Xiaohui scolded angrily, “Shut up! If you keep talking, I’ll show you what true cruelty is!”

“A true massacre!” Tang Xiaohui believed that Jian Jie had the potential to become a top-tier singer. His talent was undeniable, but his personality wasn’t suited for comprehensive development in film and television. Excessive commercialization might hinder his potential. Tang Xiaohui saw no issue with focusing solely on music. Even if the sales weren’t outstanding, receiving academic recognition and building a good reputation could still establish the company’s brand. That’s why Tang Xiaohui was willing to turn a blind eye.

With the company’s senior management deliberately indulging them, Jian Jie and Long Zichen focused on preparing their new album. They spent their days recording songs, often creating multiple versions of a single track. It was wonderful for Jian Jie to hear his music evolve and take on different styles.

Finally, on Friday night, the “Interview Show” in which Jian Jie participated was officially broadcast.

That day, Long Zichen had dinner at Jian Jie’s house again. He hesitated to leave and insisted on staying until ten o’clock to watch the show’s premiere with Jian Jie. Unable to refuse Long Zichen’s eager request, Jian Jie agreed since there were spare rooms and beds available.

Long Zichen was thrilled and hurriedly cleaned up the guest room, humming a tune as he did so.

Once he finished packing, Jian Jie had already showered and changed into cotton pajamas. Jian Jie’s fair skin appeared even rosier after the bath, resembling a pink peach. With the room’s heating on, he casually buttoned up a few buttons of his pajamas, revealing his collarbone, which distracted Long Zichen, who kept stealing glances. But he could only look and feel a sense of melancholy.

Long Zichen rushed to take a shower, and then the two sat on the sofa to watch TV. It was also Jian Jie’s first time seeing himself on television. He felt like he had been sitting there blankly, hardly speaking more than ten sentences. Why did he appear so foolish? It made him feel a bit embarrassed.

Beside him, Long Zichen had fully engaged in his critique mode. Whenever Ding Jiangyu appeared on camera, he would curl his lips and criticize everything from his hairstyle to his shoes. He even took a jab at the host for not interviewing Jian Jie more. His feigned grievances amused Jian Jie. But as soon as Jian Jie appeared on screen, Long Zichen transformed into a different person. His eyes lit up, and he repeatedly praised Jian Jie, exclaiming how talented and exceptional he was.

Watching the final part where Jian Jie and Ding Jiangyu sang together, Long Zichen became even more excited. “It’s an incredible scene! The singing is on point, and very captivating. If only they removed the piano player, it would be even more perfect!” Long Zichen couldn’t help but feel that the beautiful picture was spoiled by the piano player.

Jian Jie laughed and said, “Without Ding Tianwang, they wouldn’t have allowed me to perform.”

“Hmph, once you become a ratings guarantee, those producers will kneel down and beg for your exclusive interviews!” Long Zichen indulged in his dark thoughts once again.

Kindly, Jian Jie said, “They’re all good people, Brother Chen. You’re exaggerating too much. There’s really no need for that…”

“Well, I was just letting my imagination run wild!”

Unbeknownst to them, while the show was being broadcast, Jian Jie’s online search volume skyrocketed, reaching tens of millions of hits. The traffic on Jian Jie’s artist page on the company’s website almost caused it to crash due to the overwhelming number of visitors.

People discovered Jian Jie through the show, with some being drawn to his appearance, wondering when such a newcomer with an outstanding image had emerged. Others were captivated by his singing and believed him to be a talented artist who could both sing and write songs. Regardless of the reason, Jian Jie’s popularity skyrocketed at an unimaginable speed. While the company expected the show to generate buzz after the broadcast, they hadn’t anticipated such an astonishing impact.

Please let me know if there are typos/mistakes in the chapter.

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