Big Cat's Disciple: [Congrats, Ninth Brother, on finally clearing your name!]
[Thanks to the evidence you gathered—it wouldn't have been this easy otherwise.] Chu Zhi replied.
Big Cat's Disciple: [Ninth Brother, I've got some materials here. Take a look when you have time.]
A file popped up on WeChat—"Analysis of Domestic Talent Agencies." Chu Zhi downloaded it.
He opened it out of habit and—whoa—this wasn't just some slapped-together document. It was a full-blown due diligence report, the kind produced by professional market research firms.
[Orange Sky Crown Entertainment Co., Ltd. Business scope covers film and TV production, music and musicals, artist management, advertising, and new media. One of China's most comprehensive entertainment companies...]
The introduction was standard, stuff you could find online. But what couldn't be found online were the five evaluation metrics: "Star-Making Ability," "Resources," "Promotion & PR," "Performance," and "Strategic Fit"—all tailored specifically for Chu Zhi.
What made Chu Zhi feel this was professional wasn't just the sheer volume of text (though there was plenty), but how concise and direct it was. At first glance, he wondered if some categories overlapped—like, wouldn't strong resources and promotion naturally mean strong star-making ability?
But the report dug deeper. The entertainment industry had a funny quirk: the best star-makers were actually mid-tier agencies. The giants mostly focused on poaching already-established stars. Chu Zhi quickly grasped why—big companies suffered from internal bureaucracy, resource dilution, and too many artists fighting for attention.
In the report compiled by Su Shangbai (Big Cat's Disciple), agencies like SB Media scored high in Star-Making Ability because they had a factory-like idol production line. Sure, audiences might criticize their cookie-cutter approach, but they delivered.
As one of the Big Three, Orange Sky Crown scored:
Star-Making Ability: 73
Resources: 88
Promotion & PR: 90
Performance: 69
Strategic Fit: 60
That last one—Strategic Fit—barely passed. Su's analysis pointed out that Orange Sky's long-term strategy was laser-focused on the film market. They had thirteen wholly-owned subsidiaries, all in film/TV. Even signing a top-tier idol wouldn't make them pivot.
"This guy understands me better than I understand myself. That 'Strategic Fit' section breaks down not just my career path, but the entire agency's roadmap."
"If this kid had applied to my company in my past life, I'd have given him a department manager position on the spot." Chu Zhi's inner CEO instincts flared up.
"Wait—" He snapped back to reality and checked the chat. Half an hour had passed.
Big Cat's Disciple:
[Talent agencies are crucial for artists. I know Ninth Brother has his own ideas, but hopefully this data helps.]
[Ninth Brother, have you been keeping your promise to eat on time?]
[Never mind, of course you have. You always keep your word.]
[Got a company meeting to chair. Logging off for now.]
Four messages, the last sent 23 minutes ago.
"Chairing meetings? Xiao Bai must be from a family with a business to inherit—no, wait, he's probably already inherited it."
The report was so engrossing that Chu Zhi had lost track of time. He quickly replied:
[Sorry, got absorbed in reading. Yes, three meals a day, no skipping. The file's incredibly helpful—must've taken you ages to compile.]
He expected no immediate reply—Su did say he was in a meeting. But before he could switch back to the document—
Big Cat's Disciple:
[The first four metrics (Star-Making, Resources, Promotion, Performance) were done by our market research team. I only handled 'Strategic Fit.' Didn't take much time.]
[Don't apologize to me, Ninth Brother. If this helps your career, it's worth the effort. Back to my meeting now!]
"Replying instantly while chairing a meeting? This guy's too good." Chu Zhi sent back: [Focus on your work!]
An hour later, Chu Zhi finished the entire report. The top three agencies were:
—Double Heart Entertainment
—Waji Waji Media
—Sun River Media
His initial pick, Sun River, ranked third.
Double Heart dominated endorsements and fashion connections.
Waji Waji excelled at fanbase cultivation and hype.
Sun River? Strong in film/TV resources (securing hot IP adaptations) and music production ties.
Three paths to profit:
—Endorsement money (Double Heart)
—Fan economy money (Waji Waji)
—Content money (Sun River—good or bad, it sells)
"Double Heart seems the easiest… Tempting."
After an internal tug-of-war, Chu Zhi stuck with his original choice—Sun River. Why? Because beyond money, he still had some artistic pride.
"An artist's work matters—especially for a singer. Imagine becoming a global pop icon like MJ or Elvis. Now that's a rush." Chu Zhi grinned. After all, foreign audiences were ripe for harvesting.
"Wait… All world-class pop icons are American. Is that cultural hegemony?"
It hit him—back on Earth, the most internationally recognized Chinese singers were Jacky Cheung, Teresa Teng, and Jay Chou. But their fame was mostly Asia-centric. Calling them global icons was a stretch.
As for those "breaking into the U.S. market" or "topping Western charts" claims? Mostly smoke and mirrors—inflated numbers to fool domestic fans.
This parallel world was even worse. There were Asian superstars, but none on the level of MJ or Madonna.
"One step at a time." Chu Zhi murmured, leaving his thoughts hanging.
Meanwhile, in Golden Eagle Plaza (Star City)—
Pei Louguo, a man with the face of a stern leader, reviewed a budget sheet and guest list. Unlike the rough-edged Wang Ke, Pei's sharp features and deep nasolabial folds made him seem perpetually severe—like a stricter version of Dictionary Uncle (Hou Yubin).
The atmosphere in the [Creative Meeting] was tense. The official agenda was "brainstorming fresh ideas for variety shows."
The real agenda? Deciding which guests to invite.
"Red: Dream of the Red Chamber" was a hit. If not for its live broadcast format (which skewed viewership metrics), it'd rank just below "Who's the Murderer" and "I'm Really a Superstar" on Mango TV's charts.
So why fix what wasn't broken? No risky reboots. Just maintain the cash cow.