A band, or a battleground?

Qi Yuan pointed at Ning Qianyu: "Scratch her."

Jiang Yi beamed: "Okay!"

Ning Qianyu panicked immediately: "No, Yi Yi, you're not his dog, you can't be so obedient!"

Qiu Mengxue smiled and reminded them, "Yi Yi, keep your movements quiet, Qian Yu, keep your voice down, don't attract other people's attention."

Ning Qianyu: "So don't tickle... Oh oh, sob sob!"

Then Qi Yuan went to choose food.

He walked to the long table laden with various delicacies, when he suddenly heard a familiar girl's voice behind him, tinged with a playful tone:

"Congratulations, champion! Do you remember 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.

The Speculations of 142 Detectives

When Qi Yuan turned around, a natural smile was already on his face. He looked the young woman in front of him up and down, noticing that she was wearing sunglasses that covered half her face, and guessed that she didn't want to attract attention.

As for the voice he just heard, it was even more familiar to him.

So Qi Yuan lowered his voice and said, "How could I forget Sister Yihan?"

Before she finished speaking, Shen Yihan couldn't help but curl up her lips.

"You have a good memory, all that effort I put into helping you guys boost your viewership during the live stream wasn't for nothing," Shen Yihan pushed up her sunglasses, glanced around to make sure no one noticed the corner filled with food, and then got to the point, "Actually, I came here with a mission today."

Qi Yuan put down the empty plate he had just picked up: "A mission?"

Shen Yihan nodded, her expression becoming more serious: "Our CEO Shen from Tianhua Entertainment wants to see you. Do you know him? Shen Xingyun, the founder and leader of Tianhua."

Qi Yuan's eyes flickered slightly: "Now?"

Shen Yihan: "Yes, right now. And he has limited time and only wants to talk to you, is that okay?"

Qi Yuan thought for a moment and then said, "Okay."

He certainly wouldn't have agreed so readily to anyone else, but since this was his current boss, things were different. Moreover, considering the rumors that Shen Yihan had extremely powerful backing, and that this boss also shared the surname Shen… things seemed to be getting interesting.

Shen Yihan smiled and said, "Okay, come with me. There's an employee entrance over here, so we can avoid these people. Keep a little distance from me, just like you're going to the restroom alone."

The two walked several meters apart, one in front of the other, along the edge of the long table, quietly heading towards the side of the banquet hall.

In this world of fame and fortune, everywhere you look, there are people with wine glasses in hand, searching for their prey. Upon seeing Qi Yuan, it's natural to strike up a conversation.

Shen Yihan stopped after walking to the side corner.

Qi Yuan thought she had left on her own and was about to remind her when he noticed a small, white finger sticking out from around the corner.

So he felt relieved, talked with a few people for two minutes, added three WeChat friends, and then went to the corner under the pretext of needing to use the restroom.

Qi Yuan's behavior was so natural that almost no one noticed anything unusual, except for Qiu Mengxue.

She silently watched the entire process of the woman in sunglasses talking to Qi Yuan and then walking away one after the other.

Beside her, Jiang Yi was still scratching Ning Qianyu's waist, it was hard to tell whether she was really serious about carrying out Qi Yuan's orders or just enjoying it.

Then Qiu Mengxue suddenly said, "Alright, you two stop fooling around."

Sensing the seriousness in his voice, Jiang Yi stopped what she was doing: "What's wrong?"

Ning Qianyu felt as if she had been granted a pardon. She quickly straightened her somewhat disheveled clothes and followed Qiu Mengxue's gaze, asking, "What are you looking at?"

Qiu Mengxue lowered her voice even further: "He went out with a woman."

"A woman?" Ning Qianyu was taken aback.

Jiang Yi's expression also turned serious: "What woman?"

Qiu Mengxue recalled the scene she had just witnessed: "She was wearing sunglasses, so I couldn't see her face clearly. She had a good figure and was dressed quite modestly. Qi Yuan talked to her for a while and then went over there."

Upon hearing this, Ning Qianyu stroked his chin and pondered, "This situation isn't right... Those PR people couldn't sway him even with 30 million, but now a woman appears and takes him away with just a few words? Do you think someone might be trying to use a honey trap since bribery didn't work?"

Upon hearing this, Jiang Yi's face turned pale: "Then, what should we do?"

Qiu Mengxue rolled her eyes at Ning Qianyu with a hint of helplessness: "Don't talk nonsense. Qi Yuan isn't that stupid. That woman from the Katz band tried to do the same thing before, did she succeed?"

Jiang Yi felt a little relieved, but still couldn't help frowning: "But why did he leave with a woman he didn't know? What do we do now? Should we hurry up and tell Sister Liu to go and find Qi Yuan?"

Qiu Mengxue glanced at Liu Weiting, who was being chatted with by several colleagues not far away, and shook her head.

“Sister Liu is currently entangled. If we go to her before we understand the situation, what if Qi Yuan is just meeting an acquaintance or has some important business to attend to? If we make a scene, it will only embarrass him.”

Ning Qianyu: "So we're just going to wait here?"

Qiu Mengxue thought for a moment and said helplessly, "They've already gone far away. Even if we wanted to follow them now, we couldn't catch up. We can only trust Qi Yuan's willpower."

Just then, Ning Qianyu felt a vibration in her pocket, took out her phone and saw: "Qi Yuan sent a message in the group."

Qiu Mengxue and Jiang Yi quickly picked up their phones and saw the message:

Shen Yihan came to see me just now, saying that the big boss of Tianhua wants to see me. I'm going to talk to him. You guys enjoy your meal, don't worry about me.

Jiang Yi asked subconsciously, "Why did Shen Yihan relay the message that Tianhua's boss wants to see him?"

Qiu Mengxue also asked, "What does that boss want to talk to Qi Yuan about? And what is the relationship between Shen Yihan and the boss?"

Ning Qianyu picked up a fork and put it in her mouth, pretending it was a cigarette butt, then rested her chin on her hand in a thoughtful pose.

Qiu Mengxue said helplessly, "Shouldn't you stop pretending to be a famous detective at a time like this?"

Ning Qianyu shook his head and said in a low voice, "This is the time for a master detective. First of all, even casual netizens know that Shen Yihan has excellent resources in the entertainment industry. She dared to turn down bed scenes and kissing scenes and still got the lead role, and she even received movie offers. Combined with the fact that she relayed a message for the boss of Tianhua, we can deduce that her relationship with this boss is very unusual!"

Jiang Yi: "Is it a sugar daddy/sugar baby relationship?"

“I don’t think so,” Qiu Mengxue recalled. “We spent a few days with her, and I felt that she didn’t seem like the type to be kept by a sugar daddy…”

Ning Qianyu checked on her phone and continued, "There's no information about the boss of Tianhua Entertainment online, nor is there an encyclopedia entry. Tianhua Entertainment does have an entry, though, stating it was founded ten years ago. Why would such a mysterious and low-profile boss agree to meet Qi Yuan? And why would he only meet with him, not the three of us?"

Jiang Yi complained, "You're not a good detective either. After all that reasoning, all you come up with are problems."

Ning Qianyu slowly shook her head: "No, I have come up with three conjectures, but I lack evidence."

Qiu Mengxue asked curiously, "Which three?"

“First,” Ning Qianyu held up an index finger, “Tianhua Entertainment was founded ten years ago. And we all know that a major event happened in Qi Yuan’s family more than ten years ago: his biological mother ran away from home. Is it possible that the big boss of Tianhua Entertainment is Qi Yuan’s biological mother?”

Jiang Yi's mouth involuntarily opened into an "O" shape.

Qiu Mengxue sighed: "What about the second guess?"

Ning Qianyu raised her index and middle fingers: "This boss is a man, but he is very low-key and never appears in front of the camera. Because whenever he does appear, people can easily notice his abnormality from some details. For example, his effeminate gestures."

Qiu Mengxue: "...Why do you need to have orchid fingers?"

Ning Qianyu boldly deduced: "Because he's a 'gigolo'! And Shen Yihan's relationship with this boss isn't just that of best friends; she also helps the boss find men. The reason she called Qi Yuan over alone this time is because this 'gigolo' boss wants to sexually harass Qi Yuan!"

Jiang Yi: "Then he's in even more danger! Qianyu, what's your third guess?"

Ning Qianyu shrugged: "The third one is the most boring. The boss called him over to discuss business. Shen Yihan came to deliver the message because she's the boss's daughter, which is why she's gained such good entertainment industry resources in the past two years. Do you think the truth is that boring?"

Qiu Mengxue covered her face and sighed, "I'd rather be bored like this."

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.

143 ways to make money

In a VIP reception room, Qi Yuan met the elusive and rarely seen President Shen.

If this were on the street, Qi Yuan felt he definitely wouldn't mistake this man for some kind of business tycoon, because he looked like a fifty-year-old recluse. He wore glasses, was thin, his features were barely decent, and his clothes were very casual.

Of course, just the fact that her figure hasn't changed is already quite good for her age.

His first words were: "Hello, nice to meet you. My name is Shen Xingyun, and I am the owner of Tianhua Entertainment."

Qi Yuan greeted him politely, "Hello, Mr. Shen."

Shen Xingyun said, "First of all, congratulations to you and your teammates on winning the championship. This result has brought a sigh of relief not only to you but to many others."

Qi Yuan smiled and said, "I also want to thank President Shen for his help, otherwise it wouldn't have gone so smoothly."

Shen Xingyun nodded and said, "Tianhua did contribute to this championship, but ultimately it's all thanks to you. Actually, this band program wasn't our initial goal. Tianhua is in the idol industry; boy groups, girl groups, and idol drama actors are the areas we're familiar with. Although we've been considering expanding into that area recently, we didn't expect this result to come so quickly and easily. So I also want to thank you."

At this point, Shen Xingyun picked up his teacup and took a small sip.

Then he asked, "What are your plans next? From what you're saying, it sounds like you're going to go back to high school?"

Qi Yuan nodded: "Yes, that's what all four of us in the band think."

"Why?" Shen Xingyun put down his teacup and asked, "With your current popularity, even if we only have a two-year contract, it's enough to make a lot of money."

Qi Yuan thought for a moment and said, "I don't know what they think, but I feel that there's no need to rush to make money. I hope we can take a long-term view and not rush to increase our exposure."

Shen Xingyun scrutinized him for a while, then asked in a low voice, "Is this a form of scarcity marketing to fans?"

Qi Yuan smiled and said, "You really hit the nail on the head."

Shen Xingyun pondered for a moment and said, "So, you're confident that you can write good songs in the future, which is why you're not in a hurry now?"

Qi Yuan added, "Moreover, I hope to create a more profound persona. That way, when I release various types of original songs in the future, it will be more convincing."

Shen Xingyun smiled: "I never expected to hear the word 'persona' from you. It seems you've been thinking about this much deeper than we thought... So, will you stay in the band Spring Shadow?"

Qi Yuan: "I might have other plans in the future, but for now, I feel that this band is the best fit for me."

Shen Xingyun was silent for a moment, then shook his head: "It's good for young people to be proud and arrogant. I've met many talented young people. They all think they can stay talented forever. But I've seen that all of their talents can only last for a period of time. The shortest is only one or two years, or even a few months, and the longest is only a few years. Almost none of them last more than ten years."

Qi Yuan: "So your creative peak will end within ten years?"

This is actually not hard to understand. Most famous singers only have a few or a dozen truly popular hits. Those with more than thirty hits are top-tier legends in the music industry.

But Qi Yuan's playlist from his previous life contained hundreds of such songs.

At two albums and twenty songs a year, that's enough to sustain him for decades.

However, Shen Xingyun said, "Even for someone like Chen Jiashu, I can tell you that the most acclaimed songs on his two most recent albums were not all written by him. You might think that inspiration will always be on your side, but it isn't."

Qi Yuan understood why this person was advising him, and said, "But even if I can't write songs anymore, what loss would it be for Tianhua? We signed a short-term contract."

Shen Xingyun raised an eyebrow: "You mean if you can't maintain your current creative ability, we won't renew your contract?"

Qi Yuan nodded: "That's right."

"But if it's always a short-term contract, there are many things that can't be done... Hmm, you don't mean to say that you don't need Tianhua to help you with publicity or to help you grab long-term opportunities, and that everything depends on your own abilities, right?"

Shen Xingyun's eyes held a hint of surprise and uncertainty.

I talked to this kid today, and he originally wanted to persuade him to renew the contract for a longer period. That way, the company could invest a lot of real money to operate the business and further boost Kasuga Shadow's reputation. Otherwise, investing long-term operating costs in a short-term contract would be too uneconomical for the company.

However, the young man's idea was completely unexpected.

Shen Xingyun had assumed that Qi Yuan would either agree or refuse out of pride as a musical genius. But he never expected that Qi Yuan's reason for resisting the long-term contract would be even more bizarre.

Qi Yuan said, "That's exactly what I mean. As long as Tianhua provides me with good support, it will be perfect."

Shen Xingyun pondered for a long time.

He drank a cup of tea, refilled it, drank another cup, and then nodded.

"Then I can agree. As long as your fans don't blame our company for poor management. But since you all want to go to school, you'll definitely want to continue your studies at university, right? Are you interested in going to the China Conservatory of Music?"

Huaxia Conservatory of Music is located in the city center of Beijing and is recognized as the highest music institution in China.

Qi Yuan blinked: "Of course you can, do you have connections?"

Shen Xingyun smiled and shook his head: "There are connections, but the requirements there are high. You will still have to pass the exam to get in."

Qi Yuan: "Putting everything else aside, we are confident about the exam."

Shen Xingyun: "Okay, you can continue to be in your second year of high school in September. It's a good time to reflect and make a physical album. Let's see if we can make a name for ourselves at next year's Golden Music Awards. After finishing your second year of high school, there's no need to go to your third year. Go to a music academy, where you'll have more free time and it'll be easier to arrange your work."

Chunriying's contract with Tianhua Entertainment is only for two years, and the performance fees are mostly split 50/50. Given that, shouldn't someone be allowed to earn money and share the profits?

Qi Yuan nodded and said, "I will discuss it with my teammates, but I am confident that they will agree."

"Then let's have a pleasant collaboration. I hope we can renew the contract in two years."

The two shook hands.

After shaking hands, Shen Xingyun said, "By the way, since you're usually at school, could you occasionally take a day or two to do something other than music?"

Qi Yuan: "What are you doing?"