How can you ascend to heaven when you are a star?

Chapter 369: Getting something for nothing?
In order to complete the song production before the broadcast of "Super Trainee", Zhang Wen would discuss the script with director Han Xiaohua on the set during the day, and after finishing work at night, he would come to the company to discuss the arrangement with Wang Qi, and then go to the set again the next morning.

He's working non-stop day and night, only taking a short nap during his lunch break.

Such intense work is something only he can withstand, after all, he ate the immortal peach and his energy far exceeds that of ordinary people.

If it were someone else, they wouldn't last more than a few days before suddenly dying on the road.

Time flies, and the end of the month is here in the blink of an eye.

After 15 days of hard work, the arrangement of the first song was finally completed.

Inside the recording studio.

As Zhang Wen listened to the complete version of the song, a satisfied smile finally appeared on his face.

Wang Qi truly deserves his reputation as a top-notch producer; delivering such a divine song to him was certainly not a waste.

"Teacher Zhang, how is it?"

After the song ended, Wang Qi looked at Zhang Wen beside him and asked for his opinion.

"Okay, let's use this version." Zhang Wen gave a thumbs up, praising the other party's arrangement skills.

To achieve the best effect, the two tried three different styles of arrangement, but after listening to them, they found that the final version was better and could better create the atmosphere that suited the lyrics.

“I also think this version is the best.” Wang Qi nodded in agreement.

"Haha, it seems we think alike," Zhang Wen said with a smile.

He glanced at the clock on the wall and realized it was already 7 a.m. Remembering that the film crew would start shooting at 8 a.m., he quickly stood up, said "See you tonight," and hurriedly left.

"Crack!"

As soon as the door opened, she bumped right into the person outside.

When Zhang Wen helped the person he had bumped into, he realized it was Zhao Tong, and Zhang Jiajia, Cheng Sisi, Chen Silu, and Su Jin had all come.

"Why did you arrive so early today?" Zhang Wen asked.

"I can't sleep," Zhao Tong answered very decisively.

“Yesterday, Teacher Wang said that the arrangement would be finished today, and we were so excited that we couldn’t sleep, so we came here early,” Chen Silu explained.

"Teacher Zhang, is the arrangement finished?" Zhang Jiajia asked expectantly.

"Yes, it's done." Zhang Wen nodded.

"Really? I want to hear it." Cheng Sisi immediately rushed into the recording studio and asked Wang Qi, who was stretching, to play the song.

The others couldn't wait to rush in too. This was their debut song, and after a long wait of half a month, their anticipation was practically overflowing.

Wang Qi had originally planned to shut down his computer and go home to catch up on sleep, but he couldn't resist the trainees' pleas, so he had no choice but to play the arranged song for the five of them.

A gentle melody filled the room, and Zhao Tong and the others silently sang the lyrics in their hearts, quickly becoming immersed in it, as if they could feel the emotions conveyed by the music.

Zhang Wen hadn't walked far when he stopped, took out his phone, asked director Han Xiaohua for a day off, and then returned to the recording studio.

A few minutes later, the song ended.

The five trainees also detached themselves from the emotions of the song, their faces filled with the joy of being amazed.

"It sounds good, it sounds so good."

"Was this song really written for us?"

"This song is definitely worthy of being nominated for this year's Top Ten Songs."

"Teacher Zhang, you're amazing!"

The women were so excited they were incoherent, their faces flushed red with excitement.

Zhang Wen stood aside watching the five trainees. After they gradually calmed down, he said, "You guys quickly familiarize yourselves with the melody and lyrics, and try to record this song well today."

"Yes!"

The five women's excited voices rang out inside the room; they had been waiting for this day for a long time.

Wang Qi blinked and looked at Zhang Wen, asking, "Teacher Zhang, aren't you leaving today?"

Zhang Wen nodded, "Yes, I asked the crew for a day off and will try to finish recording this song today in one go."

"Then I won't leave either," Wang Qi said after hearing this.

She also wanted to hear the effect of the five trainees' performance, whether it would make the song more amazing or cause it to lose its original charm.

“Teacher Wang, you’re a top-notch producer, so I’d appreciate it if you could guide them,” Zhang Wen said.

“No problem, it’s my job.” Wang Qi readily agreed, feeling honored to be involved in producing such an excellent song.

Cheng Sisi and the others had already memorized the lyrics perfectly. Now all they had to do was familiarize themselves with the melody and memorize every note and every change.

Because there are five people involved, the lyrics need to be divided, and it can't be a chorus from beginning to end.

Based on the vocal characteristics of each trainee and the emotions that each lyric needed to express, Wang Qi quickly completed the assignment.

The five trainees had no objections to Teacher Wang's arrangements; in front of the gold medal producer, they only needed to obediently follow orders.

After all, Teacher Wang has produced more albums than they have crossed bridges; she has that much self-awareness.

If it weren't for Teacher Zhang's influence, as trainees, they wouldn't have been able to get Teacher Wang, such a big shot, to protect their album.

Throughout the process, Zhang Wen watched quietly without interfering. Wang Qi was a professional in guiding singers, so he didn't need to worry about him. However, his gaze never left the five trainees.

He was thinking about what kind of design would catch people's attention and be easily recognizable.

It's not enough for just the songs to be popular; the members themselves also need to become famous in order to maximize the commercial value of a girl group.

After all, he was counting on this group to make money.

noon.

Zhang Wen went to the company cafeteria and bought two portions of the braised pork knuckle rice he had been longing for. However, just as he took a bite, someone suddenly sat down opposite him.

It is Deputy General Manager Liu Haiyang.

"Is nobody here?" Liu Haiyang asked with a smile.

Zhang Wen thought to himself: You've already sat down, why are you asking if anyone's seated? Besides, you're the company's vice president, who would dare to take your seat except the boss?

But despite his thoughts, he said aloud, "No one's here, Mr. Liu, please have a seat."

After speaking, he glanced at Zhao Tong and the others who were walking towards them from not far away, signaling them not to come over for the time being.

He hadn't seen Vice President Liu since they parted ways in Director Xu's office two weeks ago. The fact that Liu took the initiative to come over today meant it couldn't be as simple as just having a meal together.

Sure enough, after only a few bites, the other person took the initiative to speak.

"Teacher Zhang, the first episode of 'Super Trainee' will be released next Friday. How are the girl groups you're in charge of preparing?" Liu Haiyang asked while eating.

It seems casual, but I've actually wanted to ask this for a long time.

In fact, he regretted it the very afternoon he agreed to let them form a girl group. Five trainees, no popularity, no exposure, no buzz, no trending topics—how could such a girl group with none of these qualities compare to a girl group heavily promoted by a hit variety show like "Super Trainee"?

It's like a mantis trying to stop a chariot.

While their courage is commendable, isn't it also a case of overestimating their own abilities?
Zhang Wen paused, about to say everything went smoothly, but considering the other party's status, he figured he had to create some trouble for him even if there wasn't one. So he swallowed what was in his mouth and said, "Mr. Liu, there's no problem with the work, it's just..."

He paused deliberately at this point to gauge the other party's attitude.

"But what? Is there some difficulty?" Liu Haiyang asked nervously.

He agreed to the formation of the girl group, and if the debut was unsuccessful, he would lose face.

Seeing the other party's eager look, Zhang Wen couldn't help but chuckle inwardly, but on his face he pretended to be hesitant to speak. After thinking for a long time, he said, "I have indeed encountered some difficulties, but what is a difficulty for me is just a matter of talking to you, Mr. Liu."

"Oh? What is it? Tell me." Liu Haiyang was completely intrigued.

“Mr. Liu, it’s not a big deal, it’s just that this girl group is currently lacking in popularity. Could you ask the company’s planning department to do some marketing and promotion for this group?” Zhang Wen explained the problem.

Liu Haiyang was slightly taken aback. This was indeed not a difficult task for him, but...

"Little Zhang."

Liu Haiyang put down his chopsticks, sighed, and said, "What you're talking about isn't exactly difficult, but it's not exactly simple either. As you know, marketing and promotion cost money, and it's not a small amount. The company is currently facing financial difficulties and simply doesn't have the extra money to allocate to new employees."

Actually, this wasn't his idea; it was the boss's idea.

A few days ago, the boss heard about girl groups from somewhere and called him directly into his office to ask for details.

He dared not hide it, so he told the whole story.

After listening to his story, the boss remained silent for a long time before finally giving the order: "Neither support nor oppose."

Not supporting it means the boss doesn't have faith in the girl group and doesn't want to waste money on it; not opposing it is even simpler—they're just a few insignificant trainees, so they can do whatever they want with them. If they become popular, great; if they don't, the company won't suffer any losses.

So when he heard that Teacher Zhang wanted to promote and influence the group, he refused without even thinking about it.

Zhang Wen raised an eyebrow after hearing this.

Tight finances?

Burning newspapers at gravesites—are you trying to fool the ghosts?

How can a top-five media company in the entertainment industry be crying poor?
So many celebrities, each one a cash cow.

Even a small commission would amount to more than a few million.

“Mr. Liu, actually, we don’t need too much, one million is enough,” Zhang Wen said.

“Teacher Zhang, you don’t know the cost of living until you’re in charge. The company needs money for so many things, this and that. Let alone a million, we don’t even have a few hundred thousand left. If we use the money for you, other projects will be affected. We can’t just take the employees’ salaries and give them to you, can we?” Liu Haiyang said with a wry smile.

His attitude was very clear: we can talk about anything, just not money, because talking about money hurts feelings.

Let alone trainees, even if a celebrity came, you can't talk about money.

With so many celebrities in the company, if every one of them asked for money, even a hundred million wouldn't be enough, let alone a million.

"..."

Zhang Wen was speechless.

Nima!

They're not even going to give a few hundred thousand; they're trying to get something for nothing!
The revenue split between the company and the artist is usually 50/50.

The company wants to get half the profits without paying a cent. Why don't they just rob us?
It doesn't really matter how much or how little you give; the key is the attitude.

"President Liu, the company can't do this. This group belongs to the company. How can they not help at all? I contributed five songs directly to this group. You know the price of each song. Five songs are worth at least 40 million. Now I haven't seen a single penny, and the company isn't supporting me. You can't just fleece me, can you? If this is the case, I think this group shouldn't debut. I'm not going to care anymore."

Zhang Wen simply quit and refused to play anymore.

Liu Haiyang's expression changed, and he suddenly felt a little anxious.

Five songs, those are five classic hits!

If the other party sells these five songs to singers from other companies, wouldn't our company suffer a huge loss?

"Teacher Zhang, don't worry. How about this, I have an idea, what do you think?" Liu Haiyang said tentatively.

"you say?"

“Well, Mr. Zhang, I know you’re not short of money. You can pay the upfront costs for marketing and promotion first, and the company can ask for a smaller share of the profits from this combination. What do you think?”

Zhang Wen chuckled to himself.

To put it bluntly, they just don't want to spend money.

However, Zhao Tong and others' artist contracts are still with Tianxi Media. If he wants to make money through Zhao Tong and others, he definitely can't bypass the company. Since the other party has chosen to voluntarily reduce the revenue share, it is a good thing for him.

If the company gets less, then he gets more, right?

"How does Mr. Liu plan to divide it?" Zhang Wen asked.

Upon hearing that there was a chance, Liu Haiyang immediately said, "I'll give you 10%, the company will take 40%, and you can discuss the remaining 60% with the investment group, how about that?"

Zhang Wenxin said: How could I be your mother!

If the pork knuckle rice wasn't limited, he would have loved to throw the rice at the other person's face.

That's absolutely shameless.

"One percent? Mr. Liu, are you trying to fob me off?" Zhang Wen said irritably, putting down his chopsticks and standing up. "I'd better sell the song to other singers. At least that way I'm guaranteed to make a profit."

"No, please." Liu Haiyang immediately stood up, grabbed Zhang Wen's hand, and said with a smile, "Teacher Zhang, don't be in such a hurry. If you think it's too little, we can discuss it further."

After saying that, he pressed the person down into the chair.

"Mr. Liu, I want to discuss this with you, but you're really treating me like dirt! The company doesn't pay a cent and you only get 40%, while I put in both money and effort, and I only get an extra 10%. Do you think I'm some rich, foolish nouveau riche?" Zhang Wen said irritably, showing no respect whatsoever.

Let alone the deputy general manager, even if the general manager came, we wouldn't give him any face.

"Teacher Zhang, you've misunderstood. I absolutely didn't mean that. How about this, the company contributes another 10%?" Liu Haiyang asked hurriedly.

"Goodbye." Zhang Wen stood up again.

"Twenty percent, the company will only take twenty percent, no less than that," Liu Haiyang said loudly. This was the biggest concession he, as the deputy general manager, could make.

If it's any lower, the boss won't approve.

Zhang Wen thought for a moment, then sat down again and looked at Liu Haiyang across from him, saying, "Mr. Liu, if they terminate the contract now, how much will they need to pay in breach of contract fees?"

"what?"

Liu Haiyang was taken aback, not expecting the other party to suddenly ask such a question.

Wait, could it be that the other party is planning to pay the breach of contract fees for those five trainees?

What kind of strategy is this?
……

(End of this chapter)