A band, or a battleground?

Several hours had passed, but the host showed no signs of fatigue and his tone remained energetic, which made Qi Yuan secretly admire him.

The four people behind the curtain exchanged glances, and the guitar, bass, and drums started playing simultaneously. However, the music wasn't loud; instead, it wove together a melodious and beautiful tune.

The curtain is drawn back.

"That laughter reminded me of my flowers..."

Sigrún has taught at the Iceland University of the Arts as a part-time lecturer since and was Dean of the Department of Fine Art from -. In – she held a research position at Reykjavík Art Museum focusing on the role of women in Icelandic art. She studied fine art at the Icelandic College of Arts and Crafts and at Pratt Institute, New York, and holds BA and MA degrees in art history and philosophy from the University of Iceland. Sigrún lives and works in Iceland.

051 makes sense now.

Qiu Mengxue's one-on-one vocal lessons were really quite useful.

The song "Those Flowers" doesn't have many high notes, so it's not particularly difficult to sing. But if it were the old Qi Yuan, he knew he wouldn't be able to sing it so effortlessly.

When the song ended, applause rang out again from the audience, though it was much weaker than when they sang "Blue Lotus".

This is perhaps because more than half of the forty bands that were eliminated have already left. Only a few eliminated contestants remain in the audience, simply playing the role of spectators.

The host, He Dong, took the stage. This time, he didn't look at the cue cards; he had already memorized the band, especially the lead singer.

"Qi Yuan, you wrote this song too, right?"

"Correct."

He Dong exclaimed, "I don't know much about music, but for this song, I just have one feeling: it sounds great! What do you three mentors think?"

Chen Jiashu spoke first: "From the perspective of pop music, this is a very good song, it is indeed very catchy. However, since this is a band talent show, the instrumental parts of this song are a bit too simple."

Qi Yuan raised an eyebrow, realizing that the situation was not simple.

Chen Jiashu paused for two seconds before continuing, "From an arrangement perspective, the bass and drums aren't very prominent; only the guitar and vocals are truly important. So I think the arrangement has some issues. What do you guys think?"

Liang Fei hesitated for a moment and said, "If this were a talent show for original singers, I would definitely give you full marks. But in a band show, emphasizing vocal performances does create a bit of an imbalance. Your style leans more towards folk, which will be a disadvantage on this stage."

Qi Yuan raised the microphone, instinctively wanting to argue. But before he could speak, he realized something and shut his mouth.

Some mentors are more likely to produce champions; even people outside the entertainment industry can see that. Don't those truly in the know understand? Some groups are coveted by everyone, but can everyone get in? Just because you have a good song doesn't mean you can get in without connections or capital.

Chen Jiashu summarized: "Our program is not about only rock and not folk. But it's not really suitable for my group."

“My group is too…” Liang Fei sighed silently as she spoke, looking at Qi Yuan with a hint of regret in her eyes.

At that moment, Zhou Taishan spoke up: "I actually think this song is good. I said from the beginning that this stage needs real talent. Whether it's rock or folk, this song definitely has real talent."

He Dong looked at the four young men and women and asked, "So what are your thoughts? Which mentor do you want to follow?"

Qi Yuan looked back and saw that all three girls were frowning.

He took the microphone away and said quietly, "It seems we have no choice now."

Qiu Mengxue sighed, "Yes, we had no choice."

Jiang Yi: "How could Teacher Liang change so quickly..."

Ning Qianyu sneered, "I don't think it has anything to do with the song. If you're not choosing songs that sound good in a music talent show, what are you choosing? Even laymen know what sounds good; how could they not know?"

Qi Yuan: "We'll talk about the rest later. We'll choose Zhou Taishan then."

The three girls nodded in agreement.

So Qi Yuan raised the microphone and said, "We hope to follow in the footsteps of Teacher Zhou Taishan."

The rock veteran in his fifties opened his arms wide: "Welcome! Now the average age of my group is finally much lower!"

Sigrún has taught at the Iceland University of the Arts as a part-time lecturer since and was Dean of the Department of Fine Art from -. In – she held a research position at Reykjavík Art Museum focusing on the role of women in Icelandic art. She studied fine art at the Icelandic College of Arts and Crafts and at Pratt Institute, New York, and holds BA and MA degrees in art history and philosophy from the University of Iceland. Sigrún lives and works in Iceland.

The group stage recording ended after 10 p.m.

Before the four members of the Spring Shadow Band even left the studio, Teacher Su Wan had already come to greet them with a complicated expression.

"I was being too simplistic," Su Wan said immediately. "It seems Chen Jiashu's group has the highest entry requirements, and those requirements shouldn't have anything to do with performance style."

Ning Qianyu scoffed, "Isn't it just about giving him money?"

Qi Yuan: "It's not as simple as just paying some money to get in; you need to find the right connections. But there's no point in worrying about that now. It's fine as long as I'm in Zhou Taishan's group."

Qiu Mengxue couldn't help but mutter, "How can it not matter? Zhou Taishan's group must have the highest elimination rate, right?"

Qi Yuan laughed and said, "Think back to when you first signed up. If I had told you that you could pass the preliminary selection, pass the first round, and get into Zhou Taishan's group, what would you have thought?"

The girls were silent for a few seconds.

Qiu Mengxue pursed her lips, her tone much calmer: "They should be very happy, right?"

“That’s right,” Qi Yuan snapped his fingers, “You guys will be jumping for joy. Other bands have to work their way up to this level after years of struggling and signing with a company. But you’ve only been a band for less than a year, and I’ve only been with you for two months.”

Jiang Yi also said, "That's right, we should look on the bright side. Getting through the group stage is a good thing no matter what!"

Teacher Su Wan was about to say something more, but when she caught a glimpse of someone coming over, she shut her mouth.

Soon, the other four people also noticed.

It was a woman wearing a black suit—although it was a trouser suit, the cut was clearly feminine.

She had short, neat hair and wore sunglasses, obscuring her eyes. However, the direction she was walking was clearly this way.

The man walked straight up to Qi Yuan, stopped, and then took off his sunglasses.

Only when you get closer can you see the nasolabial folds on her face and a few fine lines around her eyes. Clearly, she and Teacher Su Wan are of the same generation, perhaps a little younger, but their temperaments are completely different.

Qi Yuan's first impression of this woman could be summed up in one word: shrewd and capable.

"Hello, my name is Sun Man. Let's get acquainted. I am the senior manager of Jufeng Music."

As she spoke, she reached out and shook hands with Qi Yuan.

Ning Qianyu said subconsciously, "Jufeng Music, isn't that..."

Sun Man smiled slightly: "Yes, our company specializes in music, especially bands. We are exceptionally professional in this area. The Titans, who performed at the opening, are signed with us."

Qiu Mengxue asked, "Are you going to apologize to us on behalf of the Titans?"

These words surprised Sun Man: "You have a grudge against them?"

Qiu Mengxue realized that Manager Sun had other intentions, so she kept quiet and just looked at her curiously.

Qi Yuan had already guessed some of it, so he asked, "Are you planning to sign a contract with our band on behalf of Jufeng Music?"

Previously, Su Muluo mentioned that Jufeng Music had only sent two bands to participate in the program, which Qi Yuan found a bit strange. After all, Jufeng is a leading player in the band scene; how could they possibly be so selective in their distribution of resources?

But if Jufeng Music's plan is to directly select and sign promising bands from those that passed the first round, then that makes sense.

Sun Man smiled and said, "Let's sit down and talk about this. You've been filming for so long, you must not have had dinner yet. Come with me, I know a restaurant nearby that's quite nice in terms of both ambiance and food, it's on me."

Sigrún has taught at the Iceland University of the Arts as a part-time lecturer since and was Dean of the Department of Fine Art from -. In – she held a research position at Reykjavík Art Museum focusing on the role of women in Icelandic art. She studied fine art at the Icelandic College of Arts and Crafts and at Pratt Institute, New York, and holds BA and MA degrees in art history and philosophy from the University of Iceland. Sigrún lives and works in Iceland.

052 This is industry practice

The private room was elegant, and the dishes on the table were plentiful and delicious, but no one paid any attention to them.

Even Ning Qianyu, who was usually known as the band's biggest glutton, was completely distracted from the food. Everyone was waiting for Manager Sun to reveal his real prize.

The complicated relationship is between Teacher Su Wan and Qi Yuan.

The three girls appeared to be looking down at their phones, but they were actually busy communicating in a group chat.

Higgs Boson: [This guy seems to be constantly probing into our background, from our school and band experience to Qi Yuan's creative process.]

Fishing Alone on a Snowy River: [It's perfectly normal to gather as much information as possible before signing a contract.]

Higgs Boson: [So how exactly does the contract go? She didn't say a word.]

YiYiYi: [Are we really going to sign with Jufeng?]

Fishing Alone on a Snowy River: [I don't know.]

Higgs Boson: [You don't know what Qi Yuan is thinking, or what your mother is thinking?]

Fishing Alone on a Snowy River: [A Thousand Feathers...]

Higgs boson: [What?]

Fishing Alone on a Snowy River: [You're making it sound like you're insulting someone.]

Higgs Boson: [Oh, so what are Qi Yuan and your mother's thoughts?]

Fishing Alone on a Snowy River: [...I don't know either.]

Higgs boson: [You don't know?!]

Fishing Alone on a Snowy River: [Yeah, let's hand it over to Qi Yuan and my mom first. Then we'll see what conditions this guy proposes and what kind of treatment he can offer before deciding whether to sign.]

YiYiYi: [If I sign with Jufeng, will I be guaranteed a spot in the semifinals?]

Fishing Alone on a Snowy River: [I don't think there's this clause in the contract, and it's unlikely she would make such a definitive statement.]

YiYiYi: [Then let's...]

Higgs Boson: [That's not a problem. Look at her reaction just now. She heard we have a grudge against the Titans, does she really care?]

Fishing Alone on a Snowy River: [Yes, in the eyes of capital, those little grievances are nothing.]

Three phones were being used for chatting under the table, while the three people at the table were also chatting.

After much tugging and probing, Sun Man finally took out a contract from her bag and placed it on the dining table.

Qi Yuan smiled and said, "You've prepared so thoroughly?"

Sun Man said seriously, "I think this can demonstrate our company's efficiency and professionalism, as well as our emphasis on Chunri Film. While you were still performing your second song on stage, we were already busy drafting the contract."

Teacher Su Wan took the contract and looked at it with Qi Yuan.

But as they looked at each other, their brows furrowed even more.

Su Wan asked, "Is the contract term ten years?"

Sun Man replied without hesitation, "Yes, because we will tailor a promotion and growth plan for the band. What route they will take after their debut, what shows they will appear on, and what performances they will accept—these all require long-term planning. Since it's a long-term plan, of course we can't sign short-term contracts."

Su Wan hesitated, as if she wanted to say something but then stopped.

She wanted to mention that she had also been in a band, but she hadn't heard of many bands signing such long contracts. How many decades does one have in a lifetime? Or is it that the constraints imposed by capital have become increasingly severe in recent years?

Su Wan turned to the next page: "It says here that the company arranges what shows the band goes on and what performances they take, and the revenue share is 30%..."

Sun Man interrupted, saying, "This ratio is standard practice in the industry. You should understand that there are a lot of operating costs for each performance."

Qi Yuan suddenly pressed on, "I want to know, is this 30% directly distributed to us by the event organizers, or is it that the organizers first share the profits with Jufeng Music, and then Jufeng gives us 30% from the profits given by the organizers?"

Sun Man stared at him for two seconds and calmly replied, "Of course, the organizers will distribute it to Jufeng, and Jufeng will then distribute it to you."

Qi Yuan: "In other words, let's say we go to a performance and sell one million yuan worth of tickets. How much of that would the organizers usually give to Jufeng?"

Sun Man looked at him quietly.

Teacher Su Wan said, "If it's a concert, according to industry practice, the artist can usually get 40%. Top stars may get more, such as 60%, while newcomers usually get 30%."

Qi Yuan narrowed his eyes: "But that's the total performance fee. Of the one million ticket revenue, four hundred thousand goes to the artists, and the remaining six hundred thousand should go to the organizers and the venue. But according to this contract, that four hundred thousand will be further divided, and only thirty percent, or one hundred thousand, will end up in our hands."

Sun Man glanced at the chopsticks, which appeared to be made of ivory, then looked up again, her gaze and tone remaining calm:

“A concert with a box office of one million is too small-scale; we generally don’t do those. Our company’s bands usually have concert tickets that cost at least ten million. That way, you can get at least a million from each concert.”

Qi Yuan nodded and said, "I see, I understand."

Under the dining table, three mobile phones were being used for frantic typing.

YiYiYi: [This is outrageous! So, when celebrities hold concerts and rake in tens of millions, is the lion's share going to their management companies?]

Higgs boson: [You only just realized that? How naive...]

Fishing Alone on a Snowy River: [Looking at it from another angle, even if we only sang for a whole day, it would still be amazing if the four of us could split over a million.]

Higgs Boson: [Mengxue, don't be so naive! Haven't you noticed the trap in her words?]

Fishing Alone on a Snowy River: [What kind of trap?]

Higgs Boson: [She only said that the concerts their company arranged were large-scale and could sell tens of millions of tickets, but she didn't say that every band they signed would have a concert!]

Fishing Alone on a Snowy River: [...]

Fishing Alone on a Snowy River: 【!!】

Fishing Alone on a Snowy River: [I almost forgot about this possibility; talent agencies can freeze out their artists!]