Chinese Entertainment King: Starting as a Fat Boy and Becoming a Singing King

The champagne glasses in the living room had been replaced, and the dishes on the dining table had been cleared away.

Tang Yan and Luo Jin continued their affectionate interactions from one place to another.

Zhu Yawen had already left sometime earlier, I don't know when.

Zeng Yike was curled up in the corner of the sofa scrolling through his phone. His expression wasn't exactly indifferent, but it always seemed a little distant from the warm atmosphere of the room.

Zhang Liangying, holding a half-empty glass of red wine, stepped out of the crowd and walked straight to the single sofa in the corner of the living room.

Xu Yao was sitting there with a glass of champagne on his lap that had barely been touched.

Why are you sitting here all alone?

Zhang Liangying sat down next to him, crossed her legs, and her black velvet skirt elegantly draped over her knees.

"Today is your celebration party, and the main character is hiding in a corner. That's not right."

Xu Yao smiled and placed the champagne glass on the small coffee table next to him.

"I'm not used to this kind of occasion. I'm rather introverted and a homebody."

"Then we can talk about music."

Zhang Liangying smiled slightly and took the initiative to clink glasses.

The two began to discuss music, and the more they talked, the more they clicked, feeling as if they had known each other for a long time.

Xu Yao felt that it was about time, and his tone became serious.

"Sister Jane, there is actually something I'd like to ask you."

"you say."

"I've been having problems with my company lately, as you've probably heard. To be honest, I've been wanting to terminate my contract. So I'd like to ask, I heard that you were the only singer from the Super Girl competition who left Tianyu Media without losing a single penny and came out unscathed. How did you manage that?"

Zhang Liangying leaned back on the sofa armrest, traced a circle with her finger on the rim of her wine glass, remained silent for a few seconds, and then looked up at Xu Yao.

Zhang Liangying picked up her wine glass and took a sip, as if carefully choosing her words. After a while, she finally spoke.

"My situation was actually quite simple. It wasn't that I had any special background; it was just that someone had already prepared a backup plan for me before I even signed the contract."

She paused and looked at Xu Yao.

"During the competition, Feng Ke hired a legal team that thoroughly examined every single document I had signed. At that time, Tianyu Entertainment had just been established, its legal department was weak, and there were many loopholes in the contracts. Most importantly, he did something very important."

Her tone of voice slowed down involuntarily.

"Feng Ke told me to record every conversation I had with people from Tianyu Media, every contract discussion. Back then, we were still using MP3 players, so I just carried one in my pocket and recorded everything we talked about. Later, Tianyu Media tried to use the contract to pressure me, but my lawyer laid out the recordings and the loopholes in the contract on the table, and they couldn't be so tough anymore."

"Then there's the procrastination," Zhang Liangying said.

"They dragged me from the top 20 to the top 10, from the top 10 to the top 6, and all the way to the top 6 to the top 5. By then, I was already very popular, and no matter how tough Tianyu Entertainment was, they didn't dare to kick me out in front of the national audience. So when it came to the top 6 to the top 5, they finally compromised and signed a special friendly agreement with me."

"What agreement?"

"A nominal contract for one year."

She slowly placed the wine glass on the armrest of the sofa.

"Nominally, I'm still an artist under EE-Media and can still participate in performances under the Super Girl name. But EE-Media has no real control over me. I have complete autonomy over my commercial activities, and they can't interfere with anything. The contract will automatically terminate after one year, and there won't be a penny of penalty for breach of contract."

Xu Yao listened attentively and absorbed the experience, while the red wine in her glass swirled slightly.

Xu Yao involuntarily sat up straight.

"So the key is not to sign and then terminate the contract, but to not sign their indenture in the first place."

"Yes." Zhang Liangying looked at him and said seriously, word by word.

"Treating a contract and going to court afterward is always a waste of time and money, and the artist is always the one who suffers. No matter how weak Tianyu's legal department is, it is still a company, and it can drag you out until you're dead. The best window of opportunity is to leave yourself an escape route before the contract is signed and before it's absolutely finalized. If you don't sign it absolutely, it will be easier to negotiate later."

Xu Yao fell silent.

Yes—the best window of opportunity is before signing the contract.

However, Zhang Liangying's window of opportunity was in 2005, when Tianyu Media had just been established, its legal department was weak, and the Super Girl competition was at its peak.

His window of opportunity was in 2014, by which time Dream Voice had already sued Jin Chi, Zhang Wei, and Jin Zhiwen, and the contract templates became increasingly airtight year by year.

His contract was already signed and finalized, and unlike the man behind Zhang Liangying, he didn't have anyone come forward to negotiate with the company.

"Sister Jane, can you still contact the legal team that helped you with your contract back then?"

"You've hit the nail on the head."

Zhang Liangying smiled and took her phone out of her bag.

"Feng Ke hired a law firm in Beijing that specializes in artist contract disputes. My own studio has continued to work with them since then. I'll give you their lawyer's WeChat contact. Just say I recommended them, and you can go for a meeting tomorrow."

Xu Yao took the phone and scanned the QR code on the business card that Zhang Liangying pushed over.

A WeChat contact card popped up on the screen: Liu Dong, lawyer, BJ Han Kun Law Firm, specializing in entertainment law for over ten years, and has represented many well-known artists in contract disputes.

She was the witness lawyer for the prenuptial agreement between Zhang Liangying and Feng Ke back then.

His profile picture is a professional-looking photo, and his WeChat Moments cover photo is a row of law books.

Xu Yao clicked "add friend," put his phone away, and sincerely thanked him.

Today's objective has been achieved thanks to Liu Yifei's arrangement.

"What are you thanking me for?"

Zhang Liangying waved her hand, picked up the red wine and took another sip, then looked at Xu Yao with a curious gaze.

"By the way, Xu Yao, since you're a songwriter, have you listened to my latest song, 'The Seventh Sense'? I'd like to hear your honest opinion as a young musician."

Xu Yao picked up his champagne and took a sip, quickly reviewing the information about "The Seventh Sense" in his mind.

This album was just released on July 21, 2014, by Sony Music, and all the top Chinese music producers, including Jay Chou, Khalil Fong, and Ah-Di-Zai, participated in its production.

But to be honest, the market reaction was as he expected: the reviews were polarized, and the song's popularity didn't keep up, far from being a national hit like "Painting Heart" or "Finally Waiting for You".

But Xu Yao certainly couldn't directly say, "Your album is critically acclaimed but not commercially successful."

He thought for a moment and then threw the question back at him.

"Sister Jane, I want to ask you first. When you released this album, what part were you most satisfied with?"

Zhang Liangying's eyes lit up.

At this clinking glasses and lively family dinner tonight, most people said to her, "Jane, you sing so well," and "Your new album is so good," but no one could explain why.

"Rhythm. The rhythm of the entire album is something I've never experienced before."

As she spoke, she tapped her fingers lightly twice on the sofa armrest, as if she were playing a syncopated rhythm.

"In the past, when singing ballads like 'Painting Heart,' the melody was straight, and the emotion was straightforward. As long as you pushed your voice up, the audience would be taken to that high point. But in R&B, the melody is curved, like ripples on water."

Xu Yao looked at the rare desire to confide on Zhang Liangying's face and his heart suddenly stirred slightly.

"That's the problem."

Xu Yao suddenly spoke.

"Sister Jane, you think this album is good, and I think it's good too. The rhythm, arrangement, and production team are all top-notch. But it goes against the general public's listening habits."

Zhang Liangying's eyebrows twitched, but she didn't interrupt him.

"Because the songs that become popular everywhere are always those with simple melodies, repetitive choruses, and straightforward emotions. Ballads, traditional Chinese songs, and sweet pop songs—the simpler they are, the more they can be sung."

Xu Yao put down his champagne glass, his voice calm and unhurried.

"But 'The Seventh Sense' doesn't follow this path. Producers like Fang Da-Tong and A-Di-Zai mainly produce niche Western R&B, Soul, and Funk tracks. The rhythm is catchy, and the arrangement is sophisticated, but the barrier to entry is there; it's not the kind of song you can hum along to after just one listen."

Zhang Liangying leaned against the sofa armrest, her fingers unconsciously tapping the rim of her glass, remaining silent.

Xu Yao continued, "There's also the issue of timing. If you listen to this album again seven or eight years from now, it might be hailed as a masterpiece. But right now, the public's aesthetic sense hasn't reached that point yet; the album's quality is too ahead of its time."

He paused for a moment and looked at Zhang Liangying.

"But I think this precisely shows that you chose the right direction. What you wanted wasn't just widespread popularity, but your own distinctiveness and professionalism. This album has helped you achieve that."

Zhang Liangying remained silent for a long time before letting out a soft breath.

"No one has ever said this much to me before. Your understanding of music and the market is unique."

She leaned back on the sofa armrest, her gaze towards Xu Yao changing.

It's no longer the kind of appreciation a senior gives to a junior, but rather a singer's recognition of another person who truly understands music.