69novels Chapter 58 The best whetstone is often the one that damages the knife the most.
Chapter 58 The best whetstone is often the one that damages the knife the most.
The air conditioning in Starlight Media's conference room was set a bit low.
Li Xuan sat at the end of the long table, his hands neatly placed on his knees, his back ramrod straight, like a primary school student waiting for the teacher to hand out test papers.
Sitting next to him were two younger faces, a boy and a girl—both trainees at the company. The girl's name was Lin Xiaoya, and the boy's name was Zhao Chen.
There was a bottle of mineral water in front of each of the three people, but no one dared to touch it.
The conference room door was pushed open, and three people walked in: artist director Liu Wei, music production department manager Zhang, and a middle-aged woman whom Li Xuan had never seen before but who looked very capable. She was wearing a Xiangyun yarn cheongsam, her hair was neatly combed into a bun, and she was holding a purple clay teacup.
"Everyone's here." Liu Wei sat down in the main seat, looked around, and her gaze lingered on Li Xuan's face for an extra 0.5 seconds.
Li Xuan's heart skipped a beat.
During this period, he was almost completely sidelined.
The company doesn't provide him with resources or arrange activities, and his agent ignores him, especially after he led the attack on Wang Bo.
He once thought he was going to be terminated, and even secretly contacted several potential employers—but as soon as they heard he was from Starlight Media, they immediately declined.
I never expected to be suddenly called to a meeting today, especially one of this scale.
"Let me introduce you," Liu Wei said, pointing to the woman in the cheongsam. "This is Professor Chen, the company's newly hired art consultant. He used to be the deputy director of the vocal music department at a music academy."
Professor Chen nodded slightly, said nothing, and simply sipped his tea slowly.
That aura was so overwhelming that Li Xuan didn't dare to breathe.
"I called you all here today for an important task." Liu Wei opened the folder in front of her. "You've heard of Lin'an TV's 'The Voice of China,' right?"
Lin Xiaoya's eyes lit up, and she nodded quickly: "I've heard of it. It's one of the highest-quality music competition programs in China right now!"
Zhao Chen chimed in, "Yes, yes, it wasn't called this last season, but the champion has already released an album!"
Li Xuan didn't say anything, but his heart started pounding.
"The Voice of China"? Why would the company even consider a show of that caliber?
Liu Wei glanced at him and continued, "The company has secured three spots for the competition. After careful consideration, we've decided to send the three of you."
After he finished speaking, the conference room was silent for three seconds.
Then Li Xuan stood up abruptly.
The movement was too violent, and the chair legs scraped against the floor with a screeching sound.
"Sister Liu..." Li Xuan's voice trembled, "You mean... I, I can go too?"
Liu Wei frowned: "Sit down, what kind of behavior is this?"
Li Xuan quickly sat down, but his bottom was only touching the edge of the chair, and he was still in a dazed state as if he had been hit by a big prize.
"The company has high hopes for you all," Liu Wei continued, her tone serious, "especially for you, Li Xuan. The company wanted you to take some time to reflect and shed your impetuousness. And it seems that the results are good."
Li Xuan was stunned.
Was he sidelined to allow him to reflect?
What... what kind of amazing move is this?
"Sister Liu, I..." Li Xuan's eyes instantly reddened, "I misunderstood the company, I thought..."
"You think the company is going to give up on you?" Liu Wei raised an eyebrow. "If they really wanted to give up, they could just terminate the contract without any compensation. Our legal department isn't just sitting around doing nothing."
Li Xuan was completely speechless.
He recalled how he had spent his days complaining and blaming everyone in his rented room, how he had secretly cursed the company for being heartless and ungrateful, and how he had even considered changing jobs...
Looking back now, it was so naive!
The company is really cultivating him; they've put a lot of effort into it!
"Thank you, company! Thank you, Sister Liu! Thank you, General Manager Zhang! Thank you, Professor Chen!" Li Xuan stammered, practically kneeling down. "I will definitely perform well and not let the company down! If I don't get a good ranking, I..."
"Alright, alright," Liu Wei waved her hand, "Save your declarations of determination for when you get on stage, let's get down to business now."
Li Xuan quickly sat up straight, his back even more upright than before.
"The competition format for the show is one song per week, which can be original or adapted," said Mr. Zhang, the head of the music production department. "The company will provide production support, but the prerequisite is that you have to come up with something that will truly impress people."
Lin Xiaoya asked cautiously, "Mr. Zhang, are there any restrictions on original works?"
"No, but I suggest avoiding sensitive topics." Mr. Zhang adjusted his glasses. "Also, the show starts eliminating contestants in the first episode, so you should choose songs that best showcase your unique qualities."
Zhao Chen nodded: "Understood!"
Li Xuan quickly nodded in agreement.
Liu Wei suddenly said, "Oh, right, I have something to tell you. Wang Bo will be attending Xiaoyi Media's event."
Upon hearing the name "Wang Bo," Li Xuan froze.
Wang Bo?
Wang Bo, who was an obscure figure a month ago but is now becoming increasingly popular?
Wang Bo, the singer of "Once You Were Here," who wrote "Facing the Sea, With Spring Blossoms," and whose new song "Encounter" garnered over five million views within two hours of its release?
He's going too?
"What, scared?" Liu Wei looked at Li Xuan.
"I'm not afraid!" Li Xuan practically roared. "I couldn't be happier!"
It's something I truly longed for but couldn't have.
During this period, he watched Wang Bo trend on social media every day, watched Wang Bo release new songs, and watched Wang Bo receive all kinds of praise. The jealousy in his heart could drown the Huangpu River.
Why should I?
Three years ago, when they joined Yuji Entertainment together, Wang Bo's singing wasn't as steady as his!
Now Wang Bo is standing in the light, while he is still in the shadows.
He is not satisfied.
"Very good." Liu Wei nodded. "That's the kind of spirit we need. Wang Bo is a hot topic right now, and you're generating a lot of buzz. Sharing the stage with him is exposure in itself. But remember, the company sent you there not so you could be just background figures."
Li Xuan clenched his fist, his nails digging into his palm: "Don't worry, Sister Liu, I will definitely beat him!"
It's not just about wanting to win, it's about being determined to win.
He wanted to prove to everyone that he, Li Xuan, was no worse than Wang Bo!
He wanted to shut up all those who had looked down on him and those who said he was inferior to Wang Bo!
"It's good to have confidence." Professor Chen, who had been silent until now, suddenly spoke, her voice gentle, but every word sharp as a needle. "But confidence alone is not enough. Wang Bo's singing technique may not be top-notch, but who among you can match his songwriting ability and stage presence?"
All three of them fell silent.
"So," Professor Chen put down his teacup, "starting today, you will practice vocals for an extra four hours every day, and I will personally guide you."
Li Xuan's eyes lit up again.
Personal guidance from a music academy professor—that's some serious treatment!
"Thank you, Professor Chen!" the three said in unison.
The meeting lasted another half hour, during which the program schedule, precautions, publicity coordination, and other details were explained.
At the end, Liu Wei concluded by saying, "The company has invested a lot in you, so don't let us down."
"Absolutely not!" Li Xuan's voice trembled with excitement.
When Li Xuan walked out of the conference room, his steps were unsteady.
In the corridor, Lin Xiaoya whispered to Zhao Chen, "Brother Li Xuan is so excited."
Zhao Chen pouted: "How could I not be happy? After being hidden away for so long, suddenly being given such a big opportunity, I would be excited too."
"But..." Lin Xiaoya hesitated, "I heard that Wang Bo is very talented. His song 'Once Upon a Time' is still on the hot song chart."
"So what?" Zhao Chen said dismissively. "The show isn't about one song, it's about the ability to consistently produce hits. Wang Bo only had one hit song. His second song, 'Encounter,' was also good, but it still couldn't compare to 'The You of the Past.' I think he's just a flash in the pan."
The meeting room door closed again.
Liu Wei, General Manager Zhang, and Professor Chen did not leave.