Marry a female star at a bargain price

We set off from Dafeng Village at 5 p.m., drove for four hours, and finally arrived at the recording studio of Xinxiangtu Music Company in Ninghai at 9 p.m.

Several staff members were already on high alert.

Despite working overtime, especially on a Sunday night, the young people showed no signs of fatigue or resentment. Instead, they were all energetic and radiant, looking like they had won the lottery.

Lin Xiao was also puzzled, wondering if even cattle and horses were so enlightened these days.

He has visited the new rural community two or three times in the six months since it was established.

On the surface, Cao Yuanzhi is the company boss, while Lin Xiao himself has no connection with Xinxiangtu, not even being a signed singer—his cooperative relationship with the Nanzhou Provincial Government cannot be shown on paper, nor does it need to be deliberately shown.

But in reality, everyone knows that Lin Xiao is the soul of the company.

Of course, Lin Xiao didn't want to admit it; he felt like he had been kidnapped.

Today is his fourth visit to Xinxiangtu.

Upon entering the company, I saw several new faces, each radiating a clear and bright light.

Lin Xiao nodded to them, and the young girls and boys shook their heads with excitement, as if they were about to have an epileptic seizure.

"Wow, Lao Cao, the company has grown even bigger!" Lin Xiao exclaimed.

"It's alright, it's alright, thanks to your good fortune!" Old Cao said politely.

"Hey, don't flatter me!"

"This isn't flattery, it's the truth!"

Old Cao said earnestly, "You have no idea how popular your first song for New Countryside, 'Little Apple,' was. Commercial collaborations came in like snowflakes in winter, and we couldn't keep up with them all. With so many collaborations, we definitely had to recruit more people. The original few people were simply not enough to handle it."

He paused, then smiled slyly, "Of course, some of them were just hired in the last couple of days. I listened to 'Rice Fragrance' and had a feeling that the online buzz it generated wouldn't be any less than that of 'Little Apple.' Our company is about to experience another big surge. To prepare for this tough battle, I'm building up some elite resources in advance. It's like being prepared for a rainy day, isn't it?"

Old Cao looked smug, his face beaming with a cunning expression that seemed to say, "Praise me for being smart."

Lin Xiao rolled his eyes at him so wide they were practically invisible: "You're not recruiting soldiers to prepare for a tough battle in the market, you're clearly making your own mousetrap, waiting for me, this big rat, to walk right into it!!"

Cao Yuanzhi laughed heartily: "It's all the same, it's all the same!"

Lin Xiao: "???"

Faced with Lin Xiao's complaints and grumbling, Lao Cao, unusually, refrained from arguing with him. After all, he had gone to great lengths to lure him here, and he couldn't let the duck that was about to be eaten fly away.

Old Cao pushed him into the recording studio.

Half an hour later, the recording of "Rice Fragrance" was completed.

In fact, according to the requirements of perfect song production, there are still many things that need to be adjusted in this song, but Lao Cao did not let Lin Xiao continue recording.

One reason is that he had been busy all day and his voice wasn't in very good condition, so recording again wouldn't sound as good as the previous times.

Secondly, his emotions were very well conveyed; his singing was full of longing for his hometown, which was enough to make up for the slight flaws in his voice.

Thirdly, given the current level of anticipation among netizens for this song, once the official version is released, it will absolutely dominate all the major music charts. People won't care about being picky anymore; they might even kneel down and thank Lin Xiao for his mercy.

Taking all the above points into account, Lao Cao immediately made the decision: It's done!
"Thank you, Mayor Lin, for taking time out of your busy schedule to record this song. I don't have much to thank you for, but I'll treat you to a late-night snack!" Cao Yuanzhi said with a smile, looking quite satisfied.

Lin Xiao looked disgusted: "I drove for four hours to get here, and I didn't even have a sip of water before recording the song, and you're going to treat me to a late-night snack?"

Old Cao rolled his eyes: "So what do you want? I'd like to invite you for a foot bath, a massage, and then to a KTV to pick up a few young models... Do you dare to go, Mayor Lin?"

Old Cao had a provocative expression on his face.

Lin Xiao was embarrassed by the retort and could only cough awkwardly twice, looking around like a guilty thief.

Old Cao was right, I really didn't dare!

"Let's go for a late-night snack!" Old Cao said helplessly.

"Forget it, I have a meeting tomorrow morning, I need to hurry back to Mashan County!"

"Do you have to be this dedicated?!"

Old Cao looked disgusted and speechless. "It's already 10 o'clock. If you drive home now, you won't get home until 2 a.m. You only get a few hours of sleep if you get up at 7:30 a.m.! You've been busy all day, and now you're driving until the early hours of the morning, and you're going to keep working early tomorrow morning... Serving the people can be deadly, right?"

Lin Xiao chuckled and remained silent.

Old Cao's face darkened, and he grabbed his arm tightly, refusing to let go: "I don't care! I'm worried about you driving back so late at night! Stay here tonight, and I'll take you back first thing tomorrow morning!"

"You'll take me?"

"I brought you here, so of course I have to take responsibility for sending you back!"

Old Cao looked determined and continued, "Besides, you came to record the song today, which can be considered as working overtime for the organization. It's reasonable for you to go to work a little later tomorrow, right? If you can't bring yourself to do it, I'll go to the leaders and contact your county head to ask for leave!"

Lin Xiao was both amused and exasperated: "No need to see the county magistrate, tomorrow morning is our town's routine meeting!"

Old Cao clapped his hands: "Then there's even less reason to hesitate! Aren't you the highest-ranking official in town? You're the boss now, can't you go a little later? You're going against them!"

Old Cao had a strong sense of江湖气 (jianghu qi, a kind of chivalrous,江湖-like air), leaving Lin Xiao speech

But thinking about it, I'm really exhausted after such a long day, and the thought of driving four hours home is daunting.

Moreover, since he arrived in Xingguang Town, the team meetings are usually held at 11 a.m., focusing on getting things done and keeping things concise, and they are always finished in half an hour.

So if we leave at six or seven in the morning and get to town before 11, we'll have plenty of time.

After thinking about it, Lin Xiao agreed to Lao Cao's suggestion.

Given Mayor Lin's various identities and concerns, going out for a late-night snack could easily cause a disturbance, so the snack was taken directly in the company office.

Old Cao had already made the arrangements.

As I stepped out of the recording studio, the table in the large conference room was already laden with all sorts of delicious food, the aroma of which was almost intoxicating.

A group of young staff members were already waiting in place, but none of them dared to start eating before Lin Xiao arrived.

As soon as they entered the room, everyone's eyes, which had been fixed on pearls and treasures, reappeared.

Lin Xiao felt uneasy being surrounded by so many people. He had a feeling that something was definitely laced with the lavish late-night snack, and that he would faint immediately after taking a bite, only to be dismembered and eaten by this group of people...

It’s scary to think about it!
"Alright, everyone, stop standing there, it's kind of scary!"

Old Cao eased the tension, patting Lin Xiao and laughing, "You all know Mayor Lin now, we're all family, so relax a bit. He won't eat well if you're too formal! But let me make one thing clear: in our company, you can be informal, but there's one rule you must follow. What is it?"

Everyone answered in unison: "No photos! No photos! No photos!!"

The shouts were loud and uniform, which startled Lin Xiao.

"Great job, Mr. Cao! Your management skills are top-notch!"

"That is required!"

Old Cao smiled smugly, opened a can of ice-cold beer and handed it over, then opened one for himself as well.

Without saying a word, the two tacitly drank it all in one gulp.

Everyone started eating.

With President Cao taking the lead, the young people in the room dared to muster their courage and come up one by one to offer toasts and try to get closer to him.

Of course, this is limited to expressing "I am so-and-so, and I am responsible for so-and-so in the company" and "I really like you" or "I really like Han Xixi". Everyone is very tactful and doesn't say much else.

Five minutes later, after everyone in the room had gone around, Lin Xiao could finally eat to his heart's content.

At this moment, Lao Cao waved and called a girl over.

Lin Xiao was putting a skewer of perfectly grilled pork belly into his mouth when he looked up and saw a vibrant and beautiful young woman standing in front of him, which immediately caught his eye.

"Sisi, everyone has already toasted Teacher Lin, and you, who should be toasting the most, aren't you going to do anything about it?"

Old Cao laughed.

These words made the girl nervous and shy, but Lin Xiao was completely baffled, wondering what he meant by "the one who should be toasted the most".
Before he could figure it out, the girl named "Sisi" held up a transparent glass cup tremblingly towards Lin Xiao.

"Teacher Lin...I...I respect you..."

The girl's voice was low, but gentle and melodious, which made Lin Xiao's eyes light up.

But what was even more striking was his unwavering stare at the cup in the girl's hand.

Lin Xiao thought that since it was a toast, the transparent glass could only contain baijiu (Chinese liquor), and he was quite shocked. He never expected that such a delicate and young girl would make such a domineering move and bring out a glass of baijiu right away.

"Old Cao, are all the people you recruited this strong? They bring out such a big glass of baijiu (Chinese liquor)?" Lin Xiao teased.

Upon hearing this, the girl's face turned even redder with nervousness.

Old Cao burst into laughter: "What white stuff? This is water—Sisi is the first singer we signed with New Countryside. She takes good care of her voice and doesn't drink any beverages, only pure water! Look at her dedication, you should learn from her!" Lin Xiao was stunned.

They didn't even have time to respond to Lao Cao's teasing; their attention was completely focused on the information about the "signed singers."

After clinking glasses with the girl, Huo Sisi quickly left. Lin Xiao's gaze followed her all the way until she sat down in the far corner of the office, standing out starkly from the lively and cheerful atmosphere of the others.

"Hey! Hey! Stop looking, she's not as pretty as your wife!" Old Cao suddenly said.

"Tsk!"

Lin Xiao was annoyed and glared at him.

Old Cao quickly said, "Why are you glaring at me? Am I wrong? Do you think she's prettier than your wife?"

This time it was Lin Xiao's turn to "tsk," and he shoved the sao-nan so hard he almost pushed him under the table.

Old Cao was aggressive and wanted to come over and fight Lin Xiao.

Lin Xiao didn't have time to argue with him. While slurping his noodles, he asked seriously, "When did you sign with this singer? How come I didn't know?"

Old Cao said helplessly, "You're so busy, how could I dare bother you with such a small matter!"

Lin Xiao frowned: "Signing a singer? You call this a small matter?"

Old Cao spread his hands and said, "With you and Xixi supporting the company, your fame and status in the entire music industry are unshakable. Even if I recruit eight hundred new people in this small Nanzhou Province, it won't change your status as the two pillars of the company. Don't panic!"

Lin Xiao rolled his eyes, then slurped up another mouthful of noodles, thoroughly enjoying himself.

"Who wants to be your star performer!"

"Yes, yes, yes, I know you don't care!" Old Cao was telling the truth.

"Then why don't you suddenly hire someone..."

"Because neither you nor Xixi care about being the mainstay, I can't order you around. But since this company is started, it has to keep running!"

Old Cao said helplessly, "Since this new rural music production is backed by the Propaganda Department, there will definitely be a lot of official performances. You and your wife are too big a name, and I can't ask you to come out of retirement. When other organizations ask me for singers to anchor their events, I have to have someone I can handle. If I don't sign new singers, tell me what to do?"

Lin Xiao thought about it and realized that it made sense, so he nodded.

"This Sisi... what's her background? She looks quite young, is her singing ability good enough?"

"what!"

Old Cao got excited as soon as he started talking about this, saying, "Let me tell you, don't let this little girl's introverted personality and soft-spoken manner fool you, her talent is absolutely top-notch. First of all, she's a music major at Nanzhou University, our junior, and my teacher personally recommended her to me."

"Secondly, although she is only 21 years old, she is already quite famous in Nanzhou. She participated in a patriotic song program organized by Nanzhou TV and won the runner-up title. The champion was a singer who was over 60 years old. You can tell how strong she is by that!"
"at last……"

Old Cao suddenly pointed mysteriously to the ceiling and laughed, "This girl has quite a background; someone from above specifically recommended her to me! Of course, I only took over this new rural area because you, Mayor Lin, persuaded me. As for signing singers, I won't give anyone face; it's entirely from the perspective of the company's development."

"Although Huo Sisi has powerful connections, I've personally assessed her abilities, and she's absolutely capable. She's also a native of Nanzhou, with a sweet image and temperament, making her a perfect official spokesperson for Nanzhou. Considering all these factors, I decided to sign her. You can rest assured!"

Hearing what Lao Cao said, Lin Xiao finally lowered his guard and nodded.

"Since President Cao is being so strict, of course I have no worries!"

Lin Xiao chuckled and said, "But... I was just saying, this girl's style and vibe seem a bit similar to my wife's. Since you're considering finding a woman to be the image ambassador for Nanzhou Province, why didn't you think of Xixi? Xixi is already famous all over the country. Isn't it simpler to find her than to train a newcomer?"

Cao Yuanzhi rolled his eyes dramatically.

"You heartless bastard, do you think I want to train new people? I'm doing this all for you two, can't you see that?"

"For the sake of both of us?"

"Your wife has given up concerts and insists on becoming a music teacher at a rural elementary school!"

Cao Yuanzhi's words were not sarcastic; his eyes were full of admiration. "I admire Xixi's courage! She's willing to give up her career as a celebrity and making a lot of money for charity. Do you think I can still play her card?"

Lin Xiao thought about it and realized that it made sense, so he smiled sheepishly.

He raised his glass and said, "Then I thank you on behalf of my wife!"

Old Cao had no choice but to clink glasses with him: "You're welcome! Since you understand my good intentions, then do me a favor!"

Lin Xiao instantly became alert, sensing that something was amiss.

"What's the deal?"

"Simple, you take care of Sisi!"

"Bring it along? How do you mean?"

"Tsk, are you pretending to be confused?"

Old Cao said seriously, "Write a song for a male and female duet, and you two sing it together, wouldn't that bring it out?"

Lin Xiao's mind was a little dazed, buzzing.

"Me and her, singing love songs as a duet?" He asked incredulously.

"It's not a love song duet!"

Old Cao explained, "We're a new rural music company, and most of the songs we produce revolve around things like fields, mountains, and rivers, which basically have nothing to do with love songs. So, I'm just asking you to write a song for a male-female duet, it doesn't necessarily have to be a love song!"

Lin Xiao exclaimed excitedly, "That still won't do! My wife and I haven't even sung a proper duet yet, and now, just to introduce you to a new talent, I'm going to write a song and sing it as a duet with a girl... How embarrassing is that!"

Old Cao also got angry.

"What do you mean by 'mentoring new people'? Isn't New Rural Development your business?"

"no!"

"Hey! Lin Daxiao, say that again!"

"No...at least not on the surface!"

Lin Xiao shrank his neck and gave a pathetic, embarrassed laugh.

After all, he was the one who orchestrated all the connections within and outside the company, and he even recruited Cao Yuanzhi, the person in charge, from Haicheng, a long distance away.

Now that others are working so hard for the company's development, they just turn around and say the company has nothing to do with them...

That's really inhuman!

Lin Xiao hurriedly said, "I understand your desire to train newcomers and strengthen the company, but I really can't help you with this!"

When Lao Cao was about to speak, Lin Xiao covered his mouth with his hand, and the two brothers were in a slightly ambiguous situation for a moment.

"Let me finish speaking!"

Lin Xiao said seriously, "On the one hand, I don't want to be a singer, and I'm not a professional singer. I wrote and sang songs initially to make my wife famous. Later, my identity was exposed and various coincidences led to the creation of 'Little Apple' and 'Rice Fragrance'."

"Actually, I've already thought about stopping singing. Of course, I'll still write songs. I'm fine with writing songs for Huo Sisi, but I really can't sing a duet with her, especially since I've never sung a duet with my wife."

"On the other hand, my marital status with Xixi is now being watched by the entire internet. If I were to sing a duet with a young and beautiful girl at this critical juncture, even if it wasn't a love song, think about what netizens would think? If my wife weren't a singer, it would be fine, and I could explain it as being for work."

"But my wife is a singer, a top-notch singer with both fame and talent. If I leave my own wife to sing a duet with some other girl, do you think that's acceptable? Netizens will definitely condemn me to death... Bro, just say you want to harm me!"

These words left Cao Yuanzhi completely bewildered.

He frowned, thought about it seriously, and realized that it was indeed true.

I felt a bit scared for a moment.

He was single-mindedly focused on capitalizing on the current popularity to quickly expand the New Countryside Company and cultivate other singers capable of taking on leading roles, but he forgot to consider that although his brother was famous, popular, and incredibly talented, he was also lonely at the top.

Since it has received widespread attention and praise online, it has naturally become the target of everyone's criticism and fault-finding, and no mistakes can be tolerated.

Lao Cao himself had been in the industry before, and had even fallen from grace.

Thinking back on it now, I'm still terrified. How could I have dared to let my brother risk his life?

He broke out in a cold sweat and quickly raised his glass: "It was my fault for not thinking things through, brother. I'm so sorry!"

Lin Xiao patted his shoulder and laughed, "It's okay. Actually, from a purely work perspective, your method is the fastest and most effective way to train newcomers. There's nothing wrong with that."

Old Cao chuckled sheepishly.

"Well, with Mayor Lin's praise, my efforts weren't in vain!"

"That's right, President Cao is awesome!"

"No, Mayor Lin, you're too kind!"

The two brothers exchanged a glance, clinked glasses in unison, and laughed heartily. (End of Chapter)