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

Chapter 84 Xu Yao Terminates Contract Alone, Facing Enemies from All Sides (First Update, Begging for First Subscription)

This wasn't Xu Yao's first time in the conference room of Zhejiang TV.

That day, when Sister Chen from the legal department handed over the pen, she said, "You can continue recording the show after you sign it." He and Zhou Shen signed it together.

That was the starting point of all the contestants' dreams, and also the starting point of their eight-year contract of servitude.

Today is different.

The meeting room was on the sixteenth floor. The double mahogany doors at the end of the corridor were twice as wide as those in a regular office, and two staff members wearing name tags were standing at the door.

When Xu Yao reached the door, one of the people pushed it open for him and gestured for him to enter.

Xu Yao was about to enter when he was searched. This was to prevent him from recording; he was terrified of being tricked.

"OK."

Xu Yao spread his arms wide to cooperate, and his phone was temporarily put into storage.

A long conference table was surrounded by a dozen leather swivel chairs. Some of the people in the room were wearing suits and ties, some were wearing the program crew's signature black windbreakers, and a few had laptops in front of them with their screens lit up, as if they were keeping up with some data.

The head seat was empty, but sitting next to it was someone Xu Yao knew—General Manager Liu.

Today, Mr. Liu was wearing a collared shirt, which was unusual for him, and his posture was much more upright than usual in the Canxing office.

"Xiao Xu, you're here. Sit down and let's talk."

Mr. Liu stood up, his tone more formal than on the phone. He pointed to the only empty chair opposite him, which was directly facing the head of the long table and was the focus of everyone's attention.

Xu Yao didn't sit in the empty chair. He pulled out the corner chair closest to the door and sat down.

Mr. Liu's eyebrows twitched slightly, but he quickly regained his smile and began to introduce the items one by one.

"This is Deputy Director Wang from Zhejiang TV's Program Department. This is Director Jin, the Production Director of The Voice of China's program team. This is General Manager Chen from Canxing Culture. This is General Manager Zhao, the Vice President of Operations for Dream Voice. And this one, you should know, is Director Zhou from Dream Voice's Artist Management Department, whom your students all call Sister Lin's former boss."

Xu Yao stood up and bowed slightly.

"Hello, Director Wang."

"Hello, Director Jin."

"Hello, Mr. Chen."

"Hello, Mr. Zhao."

"Hello, Minister Zhou."

He had anticipated a big scene on the day of the contract termination, but he didn't expect it to be this big.

It wasn't just one or two agents discussing contract renewal terms with him, nor was it the legal department of Canxing approaching him alone to discuss the amount of liquidated damages. It was several of the most core companies in the entire Voice of China industry chain, and even a few leaders from the station, who gathered in a semi-enclosed arc in this conference room bearing the logo of the title sponsor of "The Voice of China," quietly observing a new singer who had just debuted and was doing commercial performances.

In this situation, which newcomer could possibly withstand it?

"Xiao Xu, how have you been lately? Is rehearsals tough?"

The first to speak was Deputy Director Wang, whose tone was kind, as if he were concerned about a younger relative.

"Thank you for your concern, Director Wang. I'm feeling much better. The rehearsal intensity for the Spring Festival Gala is normal, and Sister Na is taking good care of me," Xu Yao replied neither humbly nor arrogantly.

After exchanging a few polite words, Mr. Liu took over the conversation.

"Xiao Xu, I invited you here today because I want to have a face-to-face talk with you."

"The company is currently facing a lot of negative news online. After that recording was leaked, there was a lot of resistance to the tour arranged by the company. The tour being canceled not only affects the company's revenue, but more importantly, it affects the exposure of you contestants. If this continues, in a month or two, the popularity of our season of The Voice of China contestants will completely fade away."

Xu Yao, of course, understood the unspoken meaning in his words.

This translates to: You were the most popular of all the trainees, but you had a falling out with the company, the tour was canceled, the other trainees had no work, and their popularity cooled down. You single-handedly ruined everyone's future.

Xu Yao thought for a moment and asked, "President Liu, I didn't cause the negative news about the company, did I? I don't understand what you mean, President Liu."

He spoke so politely, as if he genuinely hadn't understood.

Mr. Liu paused for a moment as he held the teacup.

A middle-aged man wearing a black windbreaker from the production crew spoke up.

"Xiao Xu, Director Jin is getting so many calls from the media every day that he's exhausted. They're all asking the same question—is there really a problem with The Voice of China's contract? Sponsors are also watching and waiting. Let me be blunt: record the conversations, release the full version, arrange an exclusive interview with China Overseas Chinese Network, and turn a personal contract termination into a social issue. Even veteran singers who have been in the industry for two or three decades might not think of these kinds of moves."

Jin Lei also took the opportunity to speak. His tone was not sarcastic, but every word was sharp.

"Xiao Xu, all the leaders are here today, you saw it yourself. Director Wang took time out of his busy schedule, and all the department heads are here. Stop playing dumb and beating around the bush. Tell me, what's next? We can't let the golden brand of 'The Voice of China' be ruined by us in the third season, can we?"

Xu Yao stared at him for a long time.

He recalled how this person sat backstage at the show recording, legs crossed, lecturing each student; he remembered the staff member's words on the tour bus, "I'll make you tough it out"; he remembered the female students who were arranged to accompany the trainees for drinks; he remembered the company cutting off Sister Lin with a statement, as if all the oppression was Sister Lin's personal behavior, and had nothing to do with the station, the production company, or the brand.

After that, the entire production team of "The Voice of China" played tricks on the audience, the mentors, and the contestants. The name "The Voice of China" truly collapsed completely in the episode with Xue Zhiqian.

Xu Yao tentatively spoke up: "Now that things have developed to this point, we can only discuss and come up with a solution."

The atmosphere at the table changed instantly after those words were spoken.

Some people subconsciously cleared their throats, while others lowered their heads to flip through the documents in their hands.

Mr. Liu finally spoke, his voice unhurried and deliberate, as if he were reciting a negotiation outline that he had prepared in advance.

"Xu Yao, the contract was signed voluntarily by both parties, and the law will recognize it. The termination fee is not low, so you should be prepared for that. Moreover, after the termination, the copyright of the singles you release will belong to the company, and whether you can still sing these songs in the future is not up to you."

He took a sip of tea, looked at Xu Yao, and then continued.

"Moreover, the music industry is only so big. Which company would risk public pressure to sign an artist who has terminated their contract by issuing a statement within the industry? Without the title of champion of The Voice of China, it's not just starting over. To be precise, it's even harder than starting over. Because the entire music industry will not cultivate a new singer who has fallen out with their old company and has a scandalous past."

"So, you're already making your move?" Xu Yao didn't answer immediately.

He asked for his phone, scrolled through his contacts, and then dialed a number.

"Sister Sisi, it's me."

"Xiao Yao?" Liu Yifei's soft voice came from the phone speaker. "Didn't you go to the TV station to discuss something? How did it go?"

Xu Yao spoke up: "Sister, the company says I breached the contract, and terminating it might cost me a lot of money. If I don't continue to fulfill the contract, the company might have other grounds to sue me."

Liu Yifei didn't hesitate for a second: "How much? Do I need it today?"

"I don't know, maybe more than ten million."

"Xiao Yao, whatever the amount, I can cover it for you. The studio and the lawyer have already communicated and made arrangements. Also, the amount isn't up to them; it's negotiated by both lawyers or decided by the court. Don't agree to whatever they suggest right away, understand?"

"I heard you. Thank you, sister."

Liu Yifei's voice carried a hint of amusement: "No need for thanks, we're family. I'm hanging up now, I have another gig. Call me anytime if you need anything."

Xu Yao hung up the phone, and his phone was temporarily taken away by the staff again.

The meeting room was silent for about three seconds.

Mr. Liu leaned back in his chair, for the first time making no attempt to hide the frustration in his eyes.

Of course, this phone call was arranged in advance by Xu Yao and Liu Yifei.

I absolutely have to terminate the contract, even if it costs a fortune; I'm not short of money.

Jin Lei picked up the pen from the table and didn't say anything more.

Deputy Director Wang, who was sitting next to the head of the table, remained silent.

Judging from his slightly reclining posture and the way his hands were folded on the edge of the table, he was the highest-ranking leader today.

His silence lasted long enough for the entire conference room to quiet down before he slowly spoke: "Xiao Xu, do you mean that you won the championship, released a single, and are confirmed to be on the Spring Festival Gala, but now you're determined to terminate your contract?"

His voice carried the composure and anger of an elder.

"Is there absolutely no room for maneuver? Do you no longer care about the company, the production team, or the station's support?"