Li Xiaomai's face lit up with excitement.
She had become somewhat popular right after graduation. Although Da Fei's company wasn't large, it had a lot of potential. When the company grew bigger in the future, she would be one of the founding members!
The next day, Lin Chudong and Huang Wei chatted on WeChat. Based on the current progress, it was likely that the drama Beginning would earn them over a hundred million. The current total views across the entire network had exceeded four hundred million, which was a terrifying number.
It was expected that they would earn over a hundred million within two months.
According to the contract, this money would be settled within three months after the drama was broadcast.
Lin Chudong wasn't in a hurry. Everything was developing well, and the future looked bright.
The only thing lacking was money, specifically to expand the company's scale.
Li Xiaomai had already been signed, and it wouldn't be right to let her sit idle.
Fortunately, Lin Chudong had some connections in the industry. He recommended Li Xiaomai to Gao Lingling, so she could get some roles. Gao Lingling's family was in the film and television business, so resources weren't a concern.
However, it wasn't a Liangyin Company production, so Li Xiaomai wouldn't be playing the lead role.
Luckily, Li Xiaomai wasn't arrogant. She knew she'd only gained a little bit of popularity, so having roles to play was fine.
When the funds arrived, the film and television department would be established immediately, and preparations for the next drama would begin, with filming starting after the New Year.
Lin Chudong lay in his room, closed his eyes, and stared at the countdown of the Golden Treasure Chest.
This was the first Golden Treasure Chest, and he'd waited a long time for it. He wondered what good things it would contain.
The countdown ended. Time's up!
Open!
[Golden Treasure Chest x1] [Law Master Level]
The Golden Treasure Chest indeed didn't disappoint, yielding a Master Level item.
Above Master Level is Grandmaster Level, and above that is the highest level, Hall of Fame Level.
Although Law isn't related to the entertainment industry, this is a Master Level item, and quite valuable.
The last Master Level item opened was for chess. This time, it's Law Master Level, much more practical than chess.
Open the Golden Treasure Chest.
[Countdown: 15 days] [Acceleration requires: 150000]
This time it took two days longer than the previous treasure chest, and the amount was twenty thousand more. It seems the growth rate will be faster in the future.
Fortunately, Lin Chudong is finally starting to make money now. If he didn't spend money, he really couldn't afford this treasure chest.
After eight episodes of Beginning aired, several film and television companies contacted Liangyin Company, wanting to discuss commercial cooperation.
Liangyin Company wrote them all down, but didn't agree.
Seeing that their drama was making money, they all wanted to reserve the next one. Of course, there's no such easy thing in the world.
Lin Chudong plans to shoot his next drama himself. With money, who needs investment?
Now many bosses of these commercial films cooperate together. It's not that they can't afford the money themselves, but they don't want to bear the risk themselves.
Everyone contributes a little, losing money together, and the loss is not considered significant.
However, Lin Chudong has a golden finger, how could the drama he shoots flop?
Lin Qiqi called, and Lin Chudong, who wasn't wearing a shirt, answered the video call in his dorm room.
"Qiqi."
"Ugh, Da Fei, why aren't you wearing any clothes!"
"I'm in the dorm, aren't I? How was the second review?"
"It passed, hehe. Director Sun said my performance was good and praised you."
Lin Chudong smiled. "That's good."
Song Jing suddenly took the phone and said,
"Da Fei, I watched Beginning. The effect is great. I didn't expect you to have this talent. We can cooperate sometime. It's not actually that expensive to ask Qiqi to be the female lead."
Lin Chudong gave a wry smile. "Sister Song is right. If I have a suitable script, I'll definitely ask Qiqi to act in it."
"Alright, just let me know if you need any help."
After chatting with Lin Qiqi for a few minutes, he hung up and then called Yao Qiang.
He heard Yao Qiang yawning on the other end, sounding like he'd just woken up. Lin Chudong said, "Just waking up?"
"Yeah, just woke up. I stayed up all night working on something. So, how's it going? Your drama's a hit, but why did you withdraw from the singing competition?"
"It's a long story. The drama is indeed a hit, and the 100,000 you invested in me is probably going to multiply several times over."
Yao Qiang said, "That's great! I'm short on cash. If I'd known, I would have sold everything and invested more in you."
"Haha, what's wrong? Is the game not doing well?"
"Ugh, don't even get me started. Losing money. You in the entertainment industry have it easy."
Lin Chudong said, "Every industry has its struggles. I'll look into collaborating with you later."
Yao Qiang was taken aback, "You want to collaborate with me? Do you know how to make games, or do I know how to sing?"
"I know how to make games. Just wait, I'll get in touch with you after I've prepared."
Originally, Lin Chudong wanted to focus on his singing career, but now he saw that without money or power, he was constantly held back. The power of capital was still strong, so he might as well make some money while he had the time.
Yao Qiang was a childhood friend and knew him well. Lin Chudong would provide the money and the planning, and he would provide the technology. They wouldn't have to worry about making money.
But this matter had to wait until Beginning was over and they made a killing.
Saturday, the day of the finals.
Zhang Yiran threw another tantrum at Mango TV, and Hong Wentao became the scapegoat.
"Sister Zhang, if you have any issues, you can talk to Jingdong. It was their sponsor who specifically requested that Da Fei re-enter the competition. What can I do?"
Actually, Hong Wentao was quite pleased. Firstly, Da Fei's withdrawal had caused a huge public outcry, and the show's effect was unprecedentedly explosive, with very high ratings.
Secondly, the sponsor's sudden change meant that both sponsors had paid, so they made an extra profit, which naturally improved their financial performance.
Thirdly, Da Fei's return to the stage meant the show's reputation wouldn't collapse, and the final round would be even more interesting.
It was a win-win-win situation, and Hong Wentao was the one who benefited the most.
Zhang Yiran said coldly, "Then manipulate the votes, don't let him win, got it?"
Hong Wentao said, "Sister Zhang, you really think too highly of me."
"Tonight, the boss of Jingdong will also be at the scene, and the leaders of the station are all here. They're sitting right below. Am I going to rig things in front of everyone? I wouldn't want to work on the second season, would I?"
"Tonight, it's all about skill. Aren't you confident in your ticket count, Sister Zhang?"
Zhang Yiran narrowed her eyes. This Hong Wentao seemed quite weak, but in reality, he was unyielding.
Before, there was Snowy White Laundry Detergent sponsoring them, and he was very polite to Zhang Yiran. Now that the sponsor had changed, Zhang Yiran was just an ordinary singer. He was polite on the surface, but who knew what he was thinking in his heart.
But Hong Wentao was right. If she performed well tonight, she didn't believe that Da Fei could really be so much better than her? Could she really not surpass him in two rounds of voting? It seemed she would have to bring out her best skills!
Lin Chudong and the others arrived at Mango Station and saw the director again, Hong Wentao's expression was somewhat complicated.
"Da Fei, I've transferred the appearance fees, including this performance. Did you receive them?"
Qian Duoduo immediately raised his hand, "Yes, we did."
"Good. Perform well tonight. Rest assured, I guarantee with my integrity that there will be no underhanded dealings!"
Lin Chudong said, "Director Hong, thank you for your trouble. I will definitely perform well."
\n\n
Arriving at the rest area, a figure rushed forward as soon as the door was pushed open.
"Da Fei! Surprise!"
Lin Chudong widened his eyes. "Qiqi? What are you doing here?"
Sister Song was also in the makeup room, smiling as she spoke.
"Qiqi took a day off today, insisted on coming to watch your finals live. We're going straight back to the capital after the competition, and there's an event to attend tomorrow."
Lin Chudong looked at her with doting eyes, ruffling her hair.
"You don't mind the hassle?"
Lin Qiqi giggled, "I'm here to cheer you on."
After accompanying Lin Chudong in the dressing room for a while, Lin Qiqi went out and sat in the audience seats as the show was about to begin.
Hong Wentao spoke into the walkie-talkie.
"Live broadcast countdown, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1! On air!"
The live broadcast screen on TV immediately synced up.
Li Chuanxing walked out, and the entire venue erupted in thunderous applause.
"Welcome to the first season finale of I Am the King of Singers, round two."
"Tonight, we will witness the birth of the first King of Singers. The seven singers are ready. Let's see who will take the crown!"
"In the last round, Queen Zhang topped the charts with twenty-five percent of the votes. Will she create another miracle tonight? Let's give a warm welcome to Zhang Yiran!"
Unexpectedly, Zhang Yiran was the first to perform.
It seemed she was very confident this time!
Zhang Yiran wore a purple gown today, appearing like a queen, with excellent charisma.
The few musicians behind her were also carefully selected. For this final, she chose her signature song, The Crown.
This song was from ten years ago, now re-arranged to be very modern. It was also a challenge for the queen to sing her classic song again.
The camera kept switching, and the first shot of the audience was Lin Qiqi.
Lin Qiqi's breathtakingly beautiful face was a total visual knockout.
Then, the camera switched to Jing Qiang, whose "a little bit" of an uncle-like charm also sparked heated discussions among netizens.
"Holy shit, Mango TV is amazing. My father and my wife are both in the audience?"
"My wife is the most beautiful. Even the queen of heaven pales in comparison!"
"The queen of heaven is pulling out all the stops this round. This song's sentiment score is perfect!"
"I admit Da Fei is strong, but this year's champion is probably the queen of heaven."
"There's no way around it. Da Fei missed a round, so his score is half of what it should be. How can he compete?"
"The program team should only consider the results of this round and disregard the previous one."
"Is it fair to Zhang Yiran that the last round was voided? Is this show just here to support Da Fei?"
"Da Fei withdrew himself; you can't blame anyone else."
"Heh, anyone with eyes can see the inside story of the withdrawal. Are you an idiot?"
"..."
Following a barrage of insults in the comments, the first song ended.
Zhang Yiran's performance this round was also impeccable. Even though she took first place, no one accused it of being rigged.
A diva is a diva; her strength is truly formidable.
Even those who criticized her only said that the diva had low EQ, but no one said she was bad.
Da Fei might not win this time.
Even the fans who were very confident in Da Fei were silent now. The diva had performed to her absolute best in this round.
The audience below stood up and applauded, the applause lasting a long time.
It was a showstopper right from the start of the finals!
Hong Wentao applauded in satisfaction. This was the effect he wanted. If he didn't push these singers, he wouldn't know how much potential they had.
Next up was Zhu Sikai.
Although they wouldn't make the top three, they had all given it their all, presenting their best songs.
Every singer had performed at their best, and they had basically all sung their famous songs.
This was the finals. It was safer to sing old songs.
When the penultimate singer, Yang Han, finished his performance, the entire audience erupted in thunderous applause.
Up to this moment, "I Am the King of Singers" could conclude perfectly; it was truly spectacular.
The first season of such a phenomenon-level variety show often has the highest value. These god-tier live performances would probably be classic scenes that could never be surpassed later on.
Yang Han left the stage, and Li Chuanxing took the microphone, saying, "The last singer is probably the one everyone is most looking forward to."
The audience responded with roaring applause. Lin Qiqi in the audience shouted loudly, just like a little fan attending a concert.
Li Chuanxing's mental fortitude was also super strong, not mentioning the previous episode's withdrawal, as if it had never happened.
"The last singer of this season, and the last performance, will begin immediately."
"Now, let's give the stage to the Liangyin band!"
"Please welcome the Liangyin band, who will perform the song, 'Sailor'!"
The lights dimmed, and Lin Chudong walked to the center of the stage.
"How are you all doing, my friends!"
The audience below screamed wildly. Seeing that familiar face and hearing that familiar voice, many fans in front of their TVs had tears welling up in their eyes with excitement.
Da Fei was finally back on stage!
A few seconds later, the venue quieted down.
Lin Chudong took out a harmonica and started to play.
The upbeat drumbeats were accompanied by the sound of a harmonica, and a beautiful intro began, immediately setting the atmosphere.
The intro finished, and Lin Chudong's voice rang out, causing the audience to scream immediately.
"The bitter sand, the feeling of it stinging my face Like a father's scolding, a mother's crying, forever unforgettable When I was young, I liked to be alone on the beach
Rolling up my trousers, bare feet, stepping on the sand..."
Jing Qiang, in the audience, saw his daughter's performance and a look of satisfaction appeared on his face. Jing Feifei winked at him. Performing in front of her father was something no stage could compare to.
Lin Qiqi cupped her face, her eyes filled with adoration. Da Fei was so handsome!
The comments section also exploded.
"Da Fei is just Da Fei, still trying to do original stuff at a time like this. Isn't 'The You of the Past' enough?"
"It's not enough. Da Fei has always been someone who expresses his emotions through songs. After going through the experience of withdrawing and then returning to the competition, his mood is definitely different from other contestants."
"Da Fei has never disappointed us. Let's wait and see him create a miracle!"
Behind the scenes, Liangyin clenched her fists, her body trembling with nervousness.
She had seen the hardships Da Fei had endured over the past half year. Tonight, it would definitely be his most dazzling moment!
"Always fantasizing that there's another world at the end of the ocean
Always thinking that brave sailors are true men
Always looking like a weakling
Always hearing the sailors say when being bullied!"
The fast-paced bridge ended. Jia Lu's hands cut the sound, and all the instruments suddenly stopped, pushing the audience's emotions to their peak.
Then, Lin Chudong's voice exploded.
"He said in the wind and rain, this little pain is nothing
Wipe away the tears, don't be afraid
At least we still have dreams
He said in the wind and rain, this little pain is nothing
Wipe away the tears, don't ask, why!"
The atmosphere at the scene instantly reached a climax, and several audience members burst into tears on the spot.
They seemed to see the grievances Da Fei had suffered, his somewhat gaunt figure appearing incredibly strong in the wind and rain.
What is this pain in the wind and rain? Wipe away your tears, don't be afraid, at least we still have dreams! In Da Fei's heart, he had never admitted defeat! He was kicked out of the band, framed by his peers, forced to withdraw from the competition, and criticized by the entire internet.
He never complained.
He never gave up! Because he knew that if he had dreams in his heart, he would be invincible!
-----------------------
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