Why did the system take my request to take photos with a cosplayer seriously?

Back then, "First Snow" was a flash of inspiration, and there were even rumors that it was ghostwritten by Longhe.

Ding Heng smiled but remained silent.

It's not Zeng Jie's fault; her thoughts basically represent the mainstream view of Longhe in the market today.

At first, people regarded her as a singer with some talent and popularity, but now she has gradually become "a female singer who relies entirely on popularity for hype".

Therefore, Longhe needs this final competition and needs to use a brand-new work to silence the overwhelming public opinion.

As for why Long He was able to write "First Snow" in the first place?

That was a product of a real-life experience of hers, a way for her to release her emotions.

Later, her life went smoothly, and she no longer had the creative environment and motivation, so naturally she couldn't write any decent works.

Ding Heng gave her a dreamlike vision, which enriched her creative inspiration.

On stage, the previous group of singers had finished their performance, and the staff quickly adjusted the microphones and set design.

The host announced: "Next, let's welcome—Long He."

As Long He stepped onto the stage, the prelude began, and the entire audience fell silent.

Even Ding Heng, sitting on the equipment box, unconsciously straightened his body slightly.

The music ended, and three seconds later, the applause was enthusiastic and rapid.

Sister Zeng put down her coffee and started clapping as well, but her heart was filled with complex emotions.

While I feel gratified for Longhe, I also feel a little confused.

She had a hard time explaining exactly what made the song so good.

The melody is not flashy, the arrangement does not use any complicated techniques, and even the high notes do not have any dazzling bursts of skill.

But this made her, now 38, suddenly think of her ex-husband, whom she had divorced five years ago.

She blinked hard to suppress her inappropriate emotions, then quickly unlocked her phone.

The trending topics have exploded.

The hashtag #LongheNewSong# shot straight to the top spot, followed by a bright red "Explosive" sign.

Hundreds of new posts are refreshed every minute on the real-time square, with all sorts of opinions.

[Is this another ghostwritten song? Can she really write a song like this?]

Regardless of who wrote it, her singing gave me goosebumps!

To be honest, I'm genuinely impressed!

Fans have gone berserk, with their comments getting longer and longer, while bystanders are arguing it out in the comments section.

Amidst the chaotic comments, one highly-rated comment was pushed to the top, consisting of only four simple words.

[Championship secured!]

Sister Zeng looked up, wanting to say something to Ding Heng, only to find that there was no one beside her.

Ding Heng passed through two security gates, bypassed the staff who were moving equipment, and finally stopped in front of a door with a sign that read "Control Room".

He strained his hearing and heard conversations coming from inside the house.

"This is troublesome..."

The middle-aged man couldn't hide his frustration: "After she finished singing, the internet exploded. If the audience votes beat her, not only will her fans object, but even casual viewers will find it unacceptable."

Another voice chimed in: "Director Liu, isn't there a second round? It's not like it's decided now."

"You don't know anything."

Director Liu sighed, "With this performance in the first round, as long as she doesn't underperform in the second round, the championship is definitely hers."

The conversation was interrupted; the man was probably smoking and thinking for a few seconds before continuing.

"She didn't sing like this during rehearsals; it was like a complete transformation..."

"They're deliberately being wary of us."

"Alright, since things have come to this, let's see how it goes in the second round!"

For Director Liu, it's easy to handle whoever has a meltdown on the spot, since they have the final say on the voting data anyway.

Only Longhe!

They are genuinely popular and have a large fan base!

However, the champion had already been decided in advance... All the publicity, endorsements, and follow-up resources were signed in advance. If something unexpected happens, the losses will be considerable, and Director Liu himself will have a hard time explaining it.

There was a moment of silence inside the door. Ding Heng stood outside, his expression unchanged.

Suddenly, the door was pushed open.

The conversation abruptly stopped.

Everyone in the room turned their heads in unison to look at the uninvited guest at the door.

One of the young men was the first to react, and asked in an unfriendly tone, "How did you get in? Where's the security guard at the gate?"

Someone else recognized Ding Heng and sneered without any attempt to hide it: "You're Long He's assistant, right? If your artists have any issues, they can ask their managers to handle them. Don't run around like a little assistant."

Ding Heng ignored the two men and looked straight at Director Liu.

Director Liu, with an unlit cigarette dangling from his mouth, looked back at Ding Heng with curiosity.

Ding Heng spoke up: "Director Liu, shall we talk?"

Director Liu took the cigarette out of his mouth and asked, puzzled, "Who are you?"

"My secretary should have contacted you; her surname is Lin."

"Forest……!"

Director Liu's hand holding the cigarette trembled, and he secretly swallowed.

"Alright, alright, you can all go out now and prepare for the second round."

The group exchanged glances, and although they didn't understand, they still got up and left the control room one after another.

The door closed behind him, and Ding Heng walked over and sat down.

He didn't rush to speak. First, he slowly adjusted his chair to maintain a comfortable sitting posture.

Director Liu put the cigarette back in his mouth and lit it, scrutinizing Ding Heng with the eyes of a seasoned veteran.

"What's your name?"

"His surname is Ding."

"Mr. Ding."

Director Liu exhaled a smoke ring: "You're here to lobby on behalf of Longhe?"

Ding Heng shook his head: "I just want fairness."

Director Liu chuckled and said politely, "There's no need for that! We're a legitimate competition, and after so many years, we still maintain the necessary fairness."

Ding Heng ignored him and began to tell his story on his own.

“I know you signed an agreement with that senior. I also know the sponsors have invested a lot of resources in her. I don’t need you to change the rules at the last minute, nor do I need you to give Longhe extra votes. I just want fairness!”

"Mr. Ding, rest assured, we will definitely ensure that the competition is fair and just."

Director Liu still speaks in the same old official jargon.

Lin Man did approach him, using both overt and covert threats and inducements to give him a general idea of ​​the capital behind Longhe.

In his view, emerging capital of dubious origin is not trustworthy and even less stable.

What he couldn't understand was why these emerging financial capital firms couldn't just honestly make money in their own industries, instead of coming to the entertainment industry to pick up these paltry sums.

Is the Chinese entertainment industry doomed?

Then, seeing that Ding Heng appeared backstage as Long He's "assistant," Director Liu suddenly realized what was going on.

He was still young and impetuous, acting on impulse.

Ding Heng turned his gaze to the large screen on the wall.

The results of the second round of draws have been announced... Longhe drew number one and was the first to appear.

It was another new song, and after the song ended, Director Liu remained silent for a long time.

If the first song only made him feel that Ding Heng "had something," then the second song gave him a feeling that went beyond just "having something."

It's like listening to someone who has lived for fifty years earnestly recount all the joys and sorrows of her life.

He has been in this industry for over twenty years, and he can tell the general idea of ​​what kind of singer and what kind of voice they have just by listening to them. But what Longhe sang today was not just a change in his voice, but a transformation from top to bottom.

Her breath control, her handling of the pauses between notes, and even the way she sat on the high stool with her guitar were completely unlike her former self.

What puzzled him even more was when Long He learned to play the guitar?

Ding Heng suddenly asked again, "Director Liu, do you think she can win the championship?"

Director Liu did not answer directly, but quietly stubbed out his cigarette.

He remarked, "With just two songs, Long He had already won; she didn't need a championship to prove anything."

Ding Heng's tone remained unchanged: "Whether it's needed or not is not up to you to decide."

Director Liu's smile faded, and he politely probed, "Mr. Ding, Mr. Yang and I are old acquaintances. We all make a living in the industry, so I hope everyone can maintain a dignified appearance, don't you think?"

"Decent?"

Ding Heng stared coldly at Director Liu.

"You don't want to be respectable!"

Director Liu suddenly felt a chill run down his spine, a nameless fear welling up from the bottom of his heart.

"Mr. Ding, what exactly are you trying to say?"

Ding Heng began his narration.

"Director Liu, for that touring performance you organized in Haicheng the year before last, you reported a production cost of four million, but actually spent one million two hundred thousand. The remaining two million eight hundred thousand went through your brother-in-law's cultural company account."

Last autumn, you promised He Fangfei's team a 60/40 split in the sponsorship contract, but the actual deal you negotiated with the sponsors was completely different.