Business Closed Loop: Starting with Ringback Tones to Take Down Giants

The waiting area for the Super Girl regional top 20 to top 10 competition at Xingcheng Broadcasting Building was in complete chaos.

The other contestants were surrounded by large teams, including agents, makeup artists, stylists, hydration specialists, and script reviewers, making it impossible to move.

Chang Sisi and Yao Beina were accompanied only by a junior from the previous recruitment drive, and they didn't even have a place to sit.

The only two sets of sofas in the waiting area were both occupied by other contestants' teams.

Yao Beina looked at the bench in the corner. "Let's go, Sisi, there are seats over there."

As soon as the two walked over, the agent, who was near the bench, put the bag he was holding on it.

"Sorry, we've taken this spot."

Chang Sisi turned her face away and saw a few contestants with whom she had a good relationship, so she thought of going up to say hello.

The other person silently lowered their head and walked away.

"Don't get too close to them. They've offended most of the record industry. If you associate with them, you can forget about signing with a company in the future."

In the corner, a group of candidate singers whispered among themselves.

Chang Sisi, with her sharp ears, heard all of this. Her eyes welled up with tears, and she pulled Yao Bei along to hide in the dressing room.

The makeup artist assigned by the production team was busy attending to a contestant who had signed with Huayi Brothers, calling the contestant "darling" and making him beam with joy.

When it was Chang Sisi's turn, the makeup artist simply threw the leftover powder and eyebrow pencil onto the makeup table.

"Hurry up and sit down, let's finish this quickly, there are other people waiting."

Chang Sisi cautiously asked, "Teacher, the song I sing is quite lyrical, could you please make the makeup lighter?"

The makeup artist rolled her eyes: "The company doesn't even have a team. We're already being generous by doing your makeup; why are you being so picky?"

"What's the use of good makeup if you offend people in the industry? You still won't go far. Don't waste my time."

The agents of the other contestants immediately joined in the laughter.

Chang Sisi's face flushed red instantly, her eyes welled up with tears, and she bit her lip, not daring to speak.

Yao Beina came over when she heard the commotion. "You, a makeup artist, even called us? Without us, you wouldn't even be able to make a living."

The makeup artist's hand trembled, and she threw the eyebrow pencil onto the dressing table. "Mind your own business."

Chang Sisi was only 19 years old and had never suffered such injustice.

While I was in the bathroom, I finally couldn't hold back anymore and squatted down in the stall to cry. My shoulders were shaking.

Yao Beina followed her in, without saying anything profound, but simply squatted down, gently patted her back, and pulled her into her arms.

She took out her phone and looked at the boss on the dial pad.

Inside the Xianming Recording Studio, Zhou Tao had already circled the recording console several times.

"Stop turning the dial tone, have you finished your call?" Li Ran rubbed his temples.

"I've done it all, what about you?" Zhou Tao stopped.

"Sigh, all the professional musicians, mixing engineers, and mastering engineers we've worked with avoid us."

"Not to mention those we've never worked with before. As soon as they hear we're from Xianming, they won't dare accept the offer, even if it's double or triple the pay."

Li Ran sighed, rubbing his forehead. "How about we go somewhere further away? To those small studios, and not tell them who we are."

Zhou Tao sat down. "It's no use. We don't have time to filter which ones are feasible and which ones are just noise."

Li Ran gave a wry smile.

"It's not their fault. These behind-the-scenes workers rely on long-term orders from the record industry for their entire lives."

"No one dares to jeopardize their livelihood for a single job in a student studio."

Zhou Tao thought for a moment, "Let's go find the boss."

In a nearby corner, a group of newcomers, who had only been there for less than six months, gathered together.

"Is our company about to go bankrupt?"

"It can't be that bad, can it? Didn't our company just get a big order worth several million? That's enough."

"That belongs to someone else, what does it have to do with you? We've offended the record company, so let's get ready."

"But...but they've been really nice to us."

One of them stood up abruptly. "Then you stay here. I'm leaving. I'm going to find the boss now."

Ma Xiaojun stared at the screen, his fingers hovering over the keyboard, not touching it for a long time.

Someone in the group just posted: "I heard that 'The Grave Robbers' Chronicles' is going to be canceled? Will 'The Grave Robbers' Chronicles' still be updated?"

Just as he was about to reply, another message popped up: "Their boss has offended someone, and everyone in the industry is talking about it."

Then came the third one: "Brother Ma, why don't you run away quickly while you can still collect some royalties?"

Ma Xiaojun took a screenshot of the person's account, kicked them out of the group, and blocked them.

The movements were completed in one smooth motion.

But those words still stuck in my heart: "Run away."

He turned to look at Liu Jianjun, who was also looking at the screen with a furrowed brow.

The two exchanged a glance.

Ma Xiaojun spoke first: "Old Liu, how's it going on your end?"

"I had a good talk with the editors from both sides last night, but when I came today, they had changed their story."

"Sign the copyright first, then discuss publishing. We newcomers can't promote ourselves without copyright."

Do you believe it?

Liu Jianjun shook his head. "What about your end?"

Ma Xiaojun counted on his fingers, "Leaving aside the custom price and shipping fee, if we only make 20 yuan per order, there are less than 500 people."

Liu Jianjun forced a smile. "Isn't this great?"

Ma Xiaojun clenched and unclenched his fists. "It's...too little. Only ten thousand yuan. It's just a drop in the bucket for the studio."

"The boss should have a way," Ma Xiaojun muttered to himself.

Yao Beina finally put down her phone; things probably weren't going well for them either.

"Alright, Sisi, why are you crying? You still have me, don't you? The studio is waiting for you, don't let others laugh at you."

Zhao Lin, a junior student standing nearby, chimed in, "Yeah, Sisi, they won't do our makeup, so we'll do it ourselves."

"Like the boss said, can a living person die from holding in their pee?"

Chang Sisi looked at the two of them and burst out laughing. The laughter of the three of them was particularly loud in the toilet of this money-grubbing venue.

"Sister Na, my hands are shaking."

"It's okay, it looks even better when it's shaken out, don't you think, Zhao Lin?"

Zhao Lin nodded. "That's right. The makeup that Sister Sisi did is at least the work of a national champion."

"Alright, Sisi, it's your turn."

Three girls finished applying their makeup in front of the tarnished mirror in the bathroom.

Hand in hand, backs ramrod straight, they walked step by step into the live broadcast waiting area.

Even though he was met with disdainful glances from behind, he didn't look back even once.

As the countdown to the live stream began, the stage lights came on, the two looked at each other, and clasped hands tightly.

Li Ran interrupted Zhou Tao directly.

"Why bother finding the boss? We don't understand anything he's looking at. His situation is already chaotic enough; do you want to make it worse?"

"Don't I have any teachers? Don't I have any senior classmates???"

"Go beg, go invite!! You have to beg them even if you have to kneel down."

"Cannot be obtained by begging"

"Then I'll do it myself!! I'll grind it down for him no matter what."

This was the first time Zhou Tao had met Li Ran like this; she seemed both strange and familiar. He smiled and said, "You talk as if we're not even the same teacher."

"How can you go by yourself? We're listed in the Central Conservatory of Music's admissions brochure. Let's go."

The recording studio door opened.

The whispering newlyweds stopped and stared directly at the two of them.

Li Ran looked around.

"Anyone who wants to leave can leave now. Go find the boss, go find the finance department, and we'll settle your wages immediately. I won't stop you."

"Those who want to stay should keep their mouths shut and not do anything disloyal."

After saying that, the two left without looking back.

"What are you looking for? I, the Fourth Brother of the Northern School, have never been afraid." Ma Xiaojun opened the QQ chat group again.

I plan to promote it again, even if it means lowering the price a bit more.

He scrolled through the chat history one by one, and suddenly stopped at a message with a somewhat aggressive reply.

"If only we had the same prop as the Luoyang shovel from 'Ghost Blows Out the Light,' I'd buy it no matter the price."

"No offense intended, I like both books."

These words completely dispelled the gloom in Ma Xiaojun's mind.

He didn't care that both books were still ranking on a certain chart, and that fans on both sides were still tearing each other apart and putting each other down.

They barely exchanged a few words; it was all Ma Xiaojun's unilateral attempt to buy the copyright.

But that's exactly what he wanted to do.

He sat back down at the computer, his fingers flying across the keyboard as he clearly wrote out the cooperation proposal.

"We will help you make official merchandise related to 'Ghost Blows Out the Light,' and all production costs and shipping fees will be fully transparent and disclosed."

"Once the copyright is fully covered, the profits will be split 50/50, and you will own all the copyright. We will only be responsible for production and sales, and we will never touch your intellectual property."

He edited the message, read it over three times, took a deep breath, and clicked the send button.

Then I sat in front of the computer, staring intently at the chat box, waiting for the other person's reply, my palms sweating.

Are you planning to resign?

Wang Song looked at the person in front of him, though he really couldn't remember what his name was.

The other person nodded.

"I'm checking one last time, am I really going to resign?"

The other person nodded again, and he wanted to say something, but the words stuck in his throat.

"Okay," Wang Song nodded.

"Go settle your accounts with the finance department. If you run into us again, don't pretend you don't see us. We've worked together for a while, after all," Wang Song said with a smile.

"Th-thank you."

He left the precarious Xianming, this small and messy bungalow, looking back every few steps.