I was exposed for adding my female boss to my group of female friends.

"I don't know the specifics, but JX mentioned it to me a few days ago when I asked Daolang," Jiang Xinhai said.

Gao Xiaobai gripped his chin: "So, that means JX and Daolang are still in contact, right?"

Jiang Xinhai nodded.

The two must be connected, after all, Dao Lang was a singer discovered by Chen Ya.

Moreover, in some ways, he was the "first disciple," more senior than himself.

After all, when I released the album "Encounter" with JX, the album that Dao Lang and JX collaborated on was already very popular.

Gao Xiaobo suddenly laughed, and everyone looked at him, not understanding what he was laughing at.

He laughed harder and harder, until he was out of breath, and it took him a while to slowly stop laughing.

He Ling asked, "Teacher Gao, what are you laughing at?"

"Haha, sorry, that's too funny," Gao Xiaobo said. "I just felt that we had been connecting with some of the world's top musicians before, and now suddenly Dao Lang is showing up, it just doesn't feel right."

The group looked at each other for a moment, finding it difficult to understand his sense of humor.

However, everyone understood what he meant.

After all, Dao Lang has been out of the music scene for a long time. Back then, Yingzi even criticized him, saying that "only farmers sing his songs." Comparing him to artists like Lang Lang and Pink Floyd from Music Private Collection does feel a bit off.

Jiang Xinhai felt very uncomfortable after hearing this.

“Teacher Gao, Dao Lang’s music no longer suits your taste. After all, he was a very popular musician.”

Gao Xiaobo raised his hand and said, "I'm sorry, I misspoke just now and it caused a misunderstanding. What I meant was that Dao Lang perfectly embodies the reason why the development of our Chinese music scene is not as good as that of the foreign music scene."

The crowd was somewhat confused.

"What does this have to do with Dao Lang? Didn't he retire from the music scene many years ago?" Even He Ling felt that what he said was too elusive and outside the bounds of common sense.

Dao Lang, who has been out of the music scene for so many years, is now flying over to take the blame for the Chinese music scene. What kind of nonsense is this?

Gao Xiaobo said, "Let me finish. I'm not saying that Dao Lang should be responsible for the current state of the Chinese music scene. The main point is, why was Dao Lang able to become popular back then? Wasn't it because the aesthetic standards of the audience in the Chinese music scene were generally not high?"

He counted on his fingers and added in detail: "You can see from the data how many dedicated music rooms each school in China has on average."

"What is the average number of music teachers per student? How many musical instruments can each student use?"

"And what are these figures abroad?"

"With just a little observation, it is easy to conclude that the level of music education and aesthetic appreciation in China is far lower than that in other countries. Any European or American country, or even Japan, is several times better than us."

After saying that, he sighed deeply and said:

"As for Dao Lang, this self-taught 'musician'—and I'm putting the word 'musician' in quotes—in my mind, he doesn't qualify as a true musician."

Musicians who have not received formal music education and do not have good aesthetic sense have instead driven music trends and become popular in China, while those who seriously make music are ignored.

This is a tragedy. Because of inadequate music appreciation education, our overall audience's level is low, which in turn leads to a poor overall level of popular music, making it uncompetitive internationally. "Dao Lang" perfectly exemplifies this.

After he finished speaking at length, many viewers in the live stream echoed his sentiments:

“Yes, I discovered after I married a Japanese man that every kid here can play a musical instrument, and even high school students are in bands, doing a pretty good job. Kids from China, on the other hand, often seem dull and lacking in spirit when they come here…”

"It's not that there aren't good works, but that there aren't good audiences. The theory of Gresham's Law applies everywhere!"

"So I think JX's promise to the Chinese music scene for ten years was hilarious. He may be awesome, but if he were in China and didn't have that many listeners, would he have become popular?"

……

Jiang Xinhai was furious, but she didn't know how to refute Gao Xiaobai.

It's not that she's bad at talking; she has a knack for being sarcastic. But she just feels she could say something really harsh at any moment, and she's afraid of making things too awkward, so she doesn't dare to speak up casually.

Xu Xiangxiao noticed her displeasure and whispered:

"Let's not argue about this for now. The actual situation might be different from what we imagine. Why don't we just... contact Dao Lang directly?"

“Yes, let’s connect directly. JX has definitely thought everything through,” Qin Yunchu said.

Xu Xiangxiao asked Jiang Xinhai, "Xinhai, could you talk to them later? I'm afraid I don't know anyone and won't be able to connect with them."

Jiang Xinhai was still sulking, and nodded with a flushed face.

Then, Xu Xiangxiao pressed the button on the screen.

……

Haiya Company, Chairman's Office.

Lu Qingzhou sat in the leather chair, his face full of dejection, as if the tide had turned and a hero was past his prime.

It's collapsed, completely collapsed.

Just an hour earlier, he was opening champagne to celebrate Li Xingliang joining Haiya Entertainment.

This deal of the century, a massive transaction with a cash flow of over 100 million, was something that only Lu Qingzhou's boldness and the confidence provided by the Lu family could accomplish. It was expected to help the Lu family complete the final piece of their entertainment empire...

No one expected it to end like this.

Li Xingliang had just bought the property, and less than an hour later, an online troll incident broke out, leading to his immediate ban.

Moreover, the ban on him was the most severe kind—there was no room for negotiation, all his works were taken down, all his activities were stopped, and all his influence was eliminated.

Lu Qingzhou felt as if he had just floated up to the clouds and was happily wandering in the sea of ​​clouds, but before he could enjoy it for even an hour, "thud," he fell to the ground.

That fall cost him most of his life.

A cash flow loss of over 100 million is an unbearable loss for a small company like Haiya, but for Aihua, it is just a drop in the ocean.

But bad news kept coming. At the same time as learning that Li Xingliang had been blacklisted, the Lu family, on which Lu Qingzhou relied for support, and the Aihua Company under the Lu family, actually collapsed...

He was still angrily calling Rayark Entertainment, accusing them of being dishonest and dumping a product on him knowing it was going to fail.

He also called the legal department, subtly inquiring whether they could cancel the order, or if not, whether Li Xingliang could personally compensate the company for its losses.

He even called Li Xingliang's team and threw a tantrum, talking until his voice was hoarse...

Then he received news that Gu Yuqing had acquired Aihua.

Then he received another phone call, during which his cousin's daughter was crying her eyes out.

Lu Yuanlong is his cousin, and his daughter Lu Ningna is his cousin's niece.

Lu Ningna is now saying on the phone that Lu Yuanlong has been taken away.

She also said that she is currently with a strange man who said her house is under investigation and she doesn't know where to go.

After hearing this, Lu Qingzhou's hand slipped, and he almost dropped his phone.

The sky is falling.

Lu Yuanlong is the core of the Lu family. To put it bluntly, he is the current head and leader of this sprawling and vast family.

This entire family has prospered and achieved great success through their kinship ties and mutual support and cooperation in various industries.

The only one who can coordinate everyone in the entire family and control the lifeline of the entire family is Lu Yuanlong, who sits at the center.

But in just one day, the family's biggest source of wealth—Aihua Company—is gone, and the family head is gone too.

If this isn't the sky falling, what is it?

He kindly told his cousin not to go home yet, but to find a hotel to stay in.

Then he hung up the phone and started thinking about what he should do.

After making several phone calls to confirm the current situation, he began to devise a plan to preserve what little business the Lu family still had.

...After all that fuss, he had lost all his energy.

Now he sat slumped in his chair, staring blankly out the window, contemplating his future.

Right now, the most pressing issue he faces is his own company, Haiya.

Haiya Company was a wholly-owned subsidiary of Aihua. With the change of ownership of Aihua, Haiya is now at the mercy of others.

His position as chairman could be ousted at any moment.

Strictly speaking, Haiya Company is no longer his company.

"Chairman."

The door was open, and Qi Xiaochun stood in the doorway holding a pile of documents.

"Come in," Lu Qingzhou said weakly.

Qi Xiaochun walked in with a worried expression and said, "Chairman, the Gu family has made their decision. Haiya Company and the newly established Zhichi Tianya Company will merge and be renamed Zhichi Tianya Company."

"A humiliating disgrace, a humiliating disgrace!"

Lu Qingzhou stood up and pushed everything on his desk to the ground. The items clattered and fell all over the floor, startling Qi Xiaochun, who quickly took a few steps back.

"Zhichi Tianya is Zhichi's company! Zhichi sold the company before, and now he's brought it back without spending a penny. What is this if not a humiliating disgrace?"

Lu Qingzhou's anger was threatening to consume him.

He simply couldn't understand how Zhichi had managed to climb into the Gu family's hands. How much money had Aihua spent back then? It was a "proper" marriage that brought Haiya Company under his control, and now, the company was somehow going back to its original owner.

Qi Xiaochun frowned and said, "Chairman, don't be angry, getting angry is bad for your health..."

"Stop calling me Chairman Chicken Feather, I'm no longer the chairman," Lu Qingzhou said dejectedly.

He plopped back into the chair, a sharp pain shooting through his buttocks. He lifted his buttocks and realized that he had just knocked a small ornament from the table onto the chair.

He angrily picked up the little ornament that had hurt his bottom and threw it out the door.

"This JX, right? He's a complete hypocrite and a scoundrel!" Lu Qingzhou shouted. "He puts on this act of being concerned about the country and its people, talking about revitalizing Chinese music, but what does he actually do? He's just looking out for himself!"

"He's only after money! Give it back! Give me back my Haiya Company!"

Lu Qingzhou roared, then, exhausted from roaring, lay back in his chair, panting heavily.

“Zhichi is indeed a bit hypocritical,” Qi Xiaochun put down the documents and poured Lu Qingzhou a cup of tea. “He packages himself as a creator, but in essence he is still a businessman, and a very cunning one at that.”

"He keeps emphasizing the ten-year promise and the quality of the music, but in the end, isn't he just starting a company to make money?"

"Ultimately, the cultural industry is all about making money. Big fish eat small fish, and small fish eat shrimp. If you don't make money, you'll be eaten by big fish. Haiya Company was the small fish, and Aihua was the big fish. He was eaten by the big fish back then, so he vented his dissatisfaction on the environment. Little did he know that it was his own mismanagement that caused the problem."

"Now he's come back all high and mighty, and has swallowed up Haiya again. Isn't this just another form of extortion? What wrong has Aihua done by operating honestly?"

Qi Xiaochun spoke with righteous indignation, and Lu Qingzhou felt much better after hearing it.

Lu Qingzhou drank his tea, looked Qi Xiaochun up and down, took a breath, and said:

"Xiaochun, aren't you a long-time employee of JX? I'm a lion that has already lost power, what are you still doing circling around me? Shouldn't you hurry up and show your loyalty to the old boss?"

Qi Xiaochun smiled obsequiously and said, "Sir, you're joking. I'm just your soldier!"

Lu Qingzhou nodded. He had already tested Qi Xiaochun's loyalty and was somewhat relieved. He said:

"Then you can continue to follow me. Don't worry, I won't mistreat this old minister."

"Of course, you will always be my leader."

After saying that, Lu Qingzhou rallied himself, stood up, and said, "Go and inform everyone that we are holding an emergency meeting now, and all employees must attend."

"Yes." Qi Xiaochun nodded and hurried off to prepare for the meeting.

Lu Qingzhou picked up his phone and started sending messages to his network of contacts.

He must seize this opportunity to turn the tide, save the collapsing empire, and bring the Lu family back to life.

...Half an hour later, he was already in the venue.

The venue was already full of people, and at this moment, everyone's face showed a hint of despair.

“This is an emergency meeting,” Lu Qingzhou said. “Those of you who are well-informed may already know the purpose of this meeting.”

He paused, glanced around the room, and said, "Our Haiya Company is about to merge with Zhichi Tianya Company."

As soon as he finished speaking, a commotion erupted from the audience.

He continued into the microphone, "The message I received is that the reorganization will begin today. Everyone should get their spirits up and think carefully about their future as soon as possible."

Qi Xiaochun crouched down, quickly ran to his side, held her phone in her hand, and whispered something to him.

Lu Qingzhou immediately spoke into the microphone: "Just this one thing, and I just received news that JX from Zhichi Tianya Company is coming to our company soon, and he's already downstairs."

As soon as he finished speaking, the crowd erupted in cheers.

Lu Qingzhou had anticipated that the news would shock the audience, but he hadn't expected the reaction to be this extreme.

"Zhichi! Has Zhichi returned?"