Huayu: From the Era of Ringtones to Becoming a Legend

Without hesitation, they set off that very afternoon, arriving in Shashi, where Hunan TV is located, with Zuo Wei.

As soon as he checked into the hotel, he had Zuo Wei post a short but impactful blog post using the official Qianxing Entertainment account.

"I've arrived in Shashi! Here at the 2005 Super Girl Grand Finals, I'm here to find the future superstars of the music scene!"

This short sentence instantly caused a huge uproar online.

The comments section exploded instantly.

"Has Lu Jiuge gone mad? The Super Girl backstage is full of people from all the major companies; he can't even get through the main gate!"

"They dare to poach talent after being blacklisted? Do they really think they're someone important?"

"How could Hunan TV let him in? They've already blacklisted him!"

"Let's wait and see how this goes. A small business owner who's been blacklisted wants to sign a Super Girl contestant?"

……

The entire internet was in an uproar, but Lu Jiuge was comfortably lying on the hotel bed, her consciousness sinking directly into the system.

[Negative Faith Value: +32000 (Continuing to surge)]

Positive Faith Value: +118000

On the system shop's skills page, two special notifications popped up:

[Redeemable for: Special Divine Song Treasure Chest x1, Artist Quick Training Card x3]

After reading this, Lu Jiuge smiled.

The more he is criticized, the stronger he becomes. That's his greatest source of confidence.

The man sitting to the left stared at his laptop screen with a serious expression.

"Mr. Lu, the situation is not good. I've heard that Hunan TV has received notices from twelve record companies that the finals venue and backstage areas are under strict control, and we are explicitly prohibited from going to the venue."

"Let alone signing players, we can't even get close to the back-end access."

This is reality, and it's a dead end.

Lu Jiuge is a blacklisted person, and Hunan TV would not risk offending the entire record industry for his sake.

Anyone else would have been helpless.

But Lu Jiuge simply smiled faintly, her tone calm:

"Who told you that signing a contract always requires going backstage?"

The left was startled:

"Mr. Lu, what do you mean?"

"Waiting for a rabbit to run into a tree stump."

Lu Jiuge got up, walked to the window, and looked at the street outside:

"Our operation will only begin after the competition ends!"

"The other twelve record companies are no threat, as long as we confirm that Tianyu Media hasn't signed any artists yet!"

This was Lu Jiuge's biggest worry, because according to her memories from the future, Tianyu Media had signed agency contracts with Li Yuchun and Zhou Bichang on the night of the finals.

Zhang Liangying was alright; she didn't sign with Tianyu Media, but was later signed by Brothers Music.

Although Zuo Wei didn't understand where Lu Jiuge's confidence came from, he still assured her:

"Don't worry about that, Mr. Lu. I just received the latest news: Tianyu Media will not be discussing contracts with the players today. We don't know when exactly they will be discussed!"

"That's good!"

Although I don't know if history has changed, I still breathed a sigh of relief knowing that Tianyu Media wouldn't be signing any players today.

……

That evening, the 2005 Super Girl finals came to a spectacular close.

Li Yuchun won the championship, Zhou Bichang was the runner-up, and Zhang Liangying was the third place.

Just as Lu Jiuge had predicted, he and Zuo Wei waited on the street behind the Hunan TV station, and after the fans dispersed, they were the first to see Zhang Liangying appear.

His face showed signs of fatigue and uncertainty about the future.

"They're here, let's go!"

Lu Jiuge gave a low shout and stepped forward with Zuo Wei to greet them politely:

"Hello, Ms. Zhang Liangying."

Zhang Liangying looked up and recognized Lu Jiuge at a glance.

"Hello, Mr. Lu!"

Zhang Liangying forced a smile and gave the answer directly:

"I will not accept your invitation!"

She was well aware of Lu Jiuge's current situation.

Getting involved with him is like playing with fire.

Lu Jiuge did not approach, maintaining a polite distance:

"Miss Zhang, please let me finish!"

"I want to offer you a contract, a contract that can make you a queen of the Chinese music scene."

Upon hearing this, Zhang Liangying laughed, a laugh tinged with self-deprecation and disdain.

"Mr. Lu, I know you are very talented, but you are now in a precarious situation and have been blacklisted by the entire industry."

"If you can't even protect your own company, what gives you the right to give me a future?"

Zhang Liangying's words are sharp, yet they reflect reality.

Zuo Wei was extremely anxious, but didn't know how to refute him.

Lu Jiuge remained expressionless, offering no explanation or empty promises, but simply extending her hand and handing over a printed sheet of music.

"I really have nothing."

Lu Jiuge looked at Zhang Liangying and said domineeringly:

"Without the backing of a big company, without exorbitant signing bonuses, and with no interest in making empty promises to you."

"But there's one thing none of them can give you."

"A song tailor-made for your dolphin-like voice, guaranteed to make you a legend upon release."

Lu Jiuge's tone softened:

"Don't rush to refuse. I've already contacted a recording studio. Let's go there and try out this song to see if it suits you. Then we'll make a decision!"

Zhang Liangying wanted to turn around and leave, but her eyes swept over the title of the sheet music in Lu Jiu's hand:

After reading a few more lines of the lyrics to "Painting Heart," my heart skipped a beat.

As a professional singer, she could tell at a glance that this was a top-tier hit song.

After hesitating for a few seconds, her desire for a good song finally overwhelmed her concerns, and she finally nodded gently.

……

Ten minutes later, the three arrived at the recording studio that had been reserved in advance.

Lu Jiuge connected the data cable and played the accompaniment that she and Liu Sixi had recorded before coming to Shashi, signaling Zhang Liangying to go into the recording area to prepare.

Zhang Liangying walked in with the sheet music, carefully looking at the lyrics, but she became more and more shocked and liked them more and more as she read them.

Half an hour later, Zhang Liangying, relying on her excellent basic skills, had become quite familiar with the task and gave Lu Jiuge an OK sign.

Then, taking a deep breath, closing his eyes to calm himself, he began to hum the first verse:

La la la...

La la la...

I can't see through you; it's your lost soul.

I can't guess the color of your pupils.

A gust of wind, a fleeting dream; love is as unpredictable as life itself.

What has bewitched your heart?

……

By the time she reached the chorus, Jane Zhang was completely immersed in the song:

Looking at you, holding you, yet feeling worlds apart...

Loving you, hurting you, silently...

The dolphin-like vocalizations burst forth, clear, beautiful, and incredibly powerful.

Without any flashy techniques, it perfectly matched Zhang Liangying's vocal range, which is both her strongest point and the one that is most criticized.

As the song ended, the recording studio fell into a deathly silence.

Even Lu Jiuge, who already knew the power of this song, was completely shocked by Zhang Liangying at this moment.

This isn't singing.

This is a voice born to be the queen of OSTs!

Zhang Liangying stood frozen in place, her eyes involuntarily reddening slightly.

She knows better than anyone.

This song perfectly made up for all her shortcomings and amplified all her strengths.

After she finishes singing this song, those voices mocking her for "only showing off her skills" will completely disappear.

This is no ordinary song.

This was a masterpiece that could rewrite her life.

Lu Jiuge pressed the call button on the console, summoned Zhang Liangying, and then played the newly synthesized song "Painting Heart".

"So, now, do you still have any prejudice against my Qianxing Entertainment?"

"Other companies offer you contracts, money, and fleeting popularity."

"What I'm giving you is a promise of standing at the pinnacle of the Chinese music scene!"

Zhang Liangying took a deep breath, and when she looked up again, the wariness and confusion in her eyes had completely transformed into determination.

She looked at Lu Jiuge, her voice trembling slightly, yet perfectly clear:

"Mr. Lu, after the competition, I will sign with Qianxing Entertainment."

"No matter what others say, no matter how difficult it is, I will go with you."

A relieved smile finally appeared on Lu Jiuge's lips.

[The host has successfully persuaded future pop diva Jane Zhang, gaining +50000 positive faith points!]

After seeing the reward given by the system, Lu Jiuge became even more excited and reached out her hand:

Welcome to Qianxing Entertainment!

Zhang Liangying reached out and shook hands with Lu Jiuge, then asked:

"Mr. Lu, when are we going back? I want to take advantage of this momentum to perfect the song 'Painting Heart' and release it as soon as possible!"

Lu Jiuge shook her head:

"No rush, besides you, I also have someone else I need to sign a contract with!"

Zhang Liangying's heart skipped a beat:

"Mr. Lu, would you like to sign... Li Yuchun or Zhou Bichang?"

That was the champion and runner-up of the Super Girl competition!

The object of fierce competition among countless giants!

Lu Jiuge's lips curled into a smile of complete control; her voice wasn't loud, but every word was thunderous:

"I want both of them."

"The top three contestants of the 05 Super Girl competition are all future superstars slated by Qianxing Entertainment!"