Chinese entertainment industry has been booming since 2008.

Raccoon Voice Company, conference room.

The coffee cup in Zheng Hui's hand froze in mid-air, the dark brown liquid swirling slightly inside. On the huge curved screen, the online user count curve was soaring upwards at an almost frenzied pace.

"818 million..."

He muttered to himself, his fingertips unconsciously tapping the mahogany conference table.

"This number is more than three times our most optimistic prediction."

The conference room was so quiet you could hear a pin drop. The CFO pushed up his gold-rimmed glasses, his breathing quickening as the real-time gift revenue figures on the screen jumped around. 800 million, and it was still growing at a rate of tens of thousands per second.

Just then, the large screen suddenly flickered and a real-time heat map popped up. The marketing director gasped: on the map of all of China, the dots representing user density had connected to form a blazing sea of ​​stars.

The VP of Technology's voice trembled slightly: "We are creating a miracle."

Suddenly, the conference room door was pushed open, and Zheng Hui's assistant strode into the room, pulled up a set of data on a tablet, and handed it to him: "Mr. Zheng, look at this. Right when Zhang Yang was singing 'The Brightest Star in the Night Sky,' our new membership numbers experienced an explosive growth."

On the screen, a steep curve shot straight up: 42 new paid members were added in a single hour.

As Zheng Hui looked at the real-time data on the huge electronic screen, the ever-rising curves made his tightly pursed lips form a hard line.

The recent board meeting involuntarily came to mind.

"Mr. Zheng, are you crazy?! Trading 10% of your permanent equity for a meaningless live stream?"

A director with slicked-back hair slammed his hand on the table, his spittle almost splashing onto Zheng Hui's face.

"Does Zhang Yang even have singing skills? Live streaming? Are you just waiting to see him embarrass himself? Our Raccoon Voice will become a laughingstock across the entire internet!"

"The company is just getting started, and we can't pin our hopes on a bubble that looks like it could burst at any moment."

Those faces that questioned, mocked, and hindered him played back in Zheng Hui's mind with unparalleled clarity.

He remembers how he withstood everyone's pressure, overcame all opposition, and even risked his CEO position to forcefully push through this seemingly insane agreement.

It's not that no one has proposed a more "safe" solution, such as using a large amount of cash or a small amount of non-voting equity.

But Zheng Hui had read all of Zhang Yang's information, studied his composure at the "My Love from the Star" celebration party, and analyzed his precise and ruthless cash-out using Aikun Fried Chicken. He had a strong intuition that Zhang Yang wanted more than just money; he wanted shares in Raccoon Voice. Without shares, no matter how much money was offered, he would not choose to stream on his own platform.

Therefore, Zheng Hui gave the highest level of sincerity that Raccoon Voice could offer at the time: 10%, the kind with voting rights.

This is a high-stakes gamble, betting on Zhang Yang's value, on one's own vision, and on whether Raccoon Voice can achieve leapfrog development by leveraging Zhang Yang's popularity.

And now, the curve of real-time online users on the screen is the best response to him.

Zheng Hui took a deep, deep breath, and his shoulders, which had been tense like rocks, relaxed almost imperceptibly. The pent-up air in his chest was slowly exhaled with this breath.

He won.

It wasn't a minor victory; it was a crushing, exhilarating triumph.

The data on the large electronic screen is the most powerful slap in the face to all doubters, and the strongest confidence in future negotiations in the capital market!

After this battle, Raccoon Voice is no longer a startup company; it has become a phenomenal new industry star!

That 10% stake was totally worth it! Absolutely worth it!

After calming his excitement, Zheng Hui looked up again at the dazzling torrent of data that flowed like a galaxy. His eyes were no longer filled with the gambler's joy after winning, but with a greater ambition burning within them.

With the help of the fire ignited by Zhang Yang, Raccoon Voice's journey has only just begun, and Zheng Hui will take this giant ship, which has set sail anew, to even farther places.

.....

The song "The Brightest Star in the Night Sky" was released in 2011, so it wouldn't have clashed with other songs released in 2009. This is why Zhang Yang can confidently claim that it is his original work.

As the last note of the song faded, Zhang Yang whispered, "Thank you for making me believe that sincerity is the most universal language in the world."

At that moment, countless viewers in front of their screens couldn't help but applaud. It turned out that Zhang Yang's singing skills were not as bad as those haters on the internet said; on the contrary, they were several stories high.

"Zhang Yang, Stardust will always support you!"

"Zhang Yang, Xingchen will always be your support."

"Zhang Yang, you are the brightest star in the night sky."

The stage lights gradually dimmed, leaving only a soft spotlight enveloping Zhang Yang. He slowly walked to the edge of the stage, his gaze sweeping across the entire audience: "Everyone experiences times when no one cares. The important thing is what you do during those times."

A previously unreleased video clip was played on the big screen: Zhang Yang repeatedly practiced the same move in an empty rehearsal hall until his clothes were soaked with sweat.

Zhang Yang spoke again, his voice calm yet powerful: "I wasn't born an actor, nor did I become famous overnight. I just persisted for one more minute when others gave up; and took things one more seriously when others compromised."

At this moment, the director cut the camera to the audience, where the support group for the "My Love from the Star" crew was located, including Chen Xiao, Tong Xiaoya, Yan Kuan, and director Liu Junjie.

When a microphone was handed to him, director Liu Junjie said to the camera, "I have witnessed Zhang Yang's growth. His success has never been accidental."

Zhang Yang bowed slightly to director Liu Junjie, and when he looked up again, his eyes shone with determination: "Time never fails those who are serious. I just understand this principle better than others."

The fans below the stage began to applaud vigorously, and some emotional fans even started to sob.

Zhang Yang sang "The Mute" again, this time with an electronic music feel. However, for the sake of authenticity, Zhang Yang removed the accompaniment from the line with the electronic music, almost making the haters lose their temper.

After the song ended, Zhang Yang's voice came through the microphone, carrying a rare hint of shyness: "For today's live broadcast, I've prepared a special segment."

He walked to the side of the stage, took an exquisite wooden box from a staff member, and the moment he opened the lid, a gasp of amazement rippled through the audience. Inside, a thick notebook was neatly arranged.

"This is my performance notes. These notes record my understanding of the character Li Qingyan."

As he spoke, he opened his notebook and showed one of the pages, which was filled with analyses of the character Li Qingyan. The handwriting was neat, and different colored pens were used to make annotations.

He raised his head, his eyes clear: "Many people say that Li Qingyan made me famous overnight, but in order to understand this alien professor's thousand years of loneliness, I wrote a full 30,000 words of character analysis."

The inner pages of the notebook were displayed on the big screen at the right time, with neat handwriting and serious annotations: "Scene 37: The look in Li Qingyan's eyes when he witnesses his lover growing old should have a compassion that transcends time, and not the sorrow of an ordinary person."

A chorus of praise erupted from the audience, as fans cheered excitedly for Zhang Yang's hard work.