Chapter 10

"Regarding this music and travel program, I believe I have made myself quite clear: it is not worth the investment." Yu Congyan stated bluntly.

Originally, Yu Congyan could not be bothered with such small-scale quarterly investments. Had it not been for the elder Mr. Yu insisting he come down to dampen Yu Xuan’s arrogance, he would never have deigned to visit the headquarters to perform such a thankless task that earned him nothing but resentment.

However, he now understood why he had been sent.

If he did not find someone with industry expertise to filter out projects truly worthy of investment, then based on Yu Xuan’s tendency to burn through the entire budget in one go, no amount of liquid capital would be enough to satisfy him.

Most entertainment companies simply swindle laypeople, blowing their programs out of proportion, while very few are actually worth investing in.

"Mr. Yu, this program has been a long-term investment project for our company for years. It has always been funded by default." The presenter on stage, who was also a writer for the program, had expected this to be a mere formality. Having been abruptly interrupted, he raised a hand to wipe sweat from his brow, masking his embarrassment.

Previously, all company investment proposals were decided by Yu Xuan, and they only needed to fool that amateur "crown prince." Naturally, they had included quite a bit of personal gain to line their own pockets. As long as they claimed their program would definitely become a massive hit, Yu Xuan would agree to the investment without hesitation.

They had not expected Yu Congyan to show up in person for this quarter’s investment meeting. This actual person in power seemed to have done his homework, spotting the embellished data at a single glance.

"This program's viewership ratings have been declining for several consecutive quarters, yet the guests' fees have continued to rise. I see no reason to continue investing in such a show," Yu Congyan said coldly.

Looking at the program introduction, it had only been on for two seasons, yet it had managed to go from being anticipated by the entire internet to a niche, obscure flop. It was unlikely to have any chance of revival.

The presenter on stage still tried to hold his ground, saying tactfully, "Mr. Yu, the invitations for the program’s guests have already been sent out. It wouldn't be good if you were to withdraw the funding now."

The outside world had assumed the program was under the Yu Group’s banner. If they were to suddenly withdraw funding and cancel the show, it would inevitably have a negative impact on the Yu Group’s reputation and even its stock price.

"That is the Public Relations Department's job," Yu Congyan retorted without yielding.

Just then, the meeting entered its intermission.

The presenter hurriedly called the director’s team to report the emergency, looking flustered.

Taking advantage of the empty room, an assistant quietly leaned in and whispered to Yu Congyan, "Mr. Yu, the headquarters' stance is that we should invest in this program after all. After all... Shao Huan is also one of the guests for this season."

The director’s team had likely already tipped off the elder Mr. Yu. The old man had built his business from scratch and cared about maintaining a good reputation above all else. Since the two families were long-time friends and the program wouldn't cost much in the grand scheme of things, it was better to treat it as an investment in their friendship.

Yu Congyan was noncommittal. He tapped his finger on the design proposal submitted to him. "There is no need to invest in this program. The money saved would be better spent as a favor to the Shao family than thrown into a bottomless pit where it won't even make a splash."

Rather than investing in this obscure program to help Shao Huan pursue his so-called "artistic dream," it would be better to use that money to help the Shao family when they were actually in trouble. The latter would certainly yield greater economic benefits.

Seeing that pressure from the director’s team was useless and that the "crown prince" was determined to withdraw the funding, the program writer truly panicked.

He leaned closer to Yu Congyan, desperate to explain the program's advantages again. "Our program has great potential! It combines music and travel, and can even boost local tourism. We have already registered it with the Culture and Tourism Department!"

"Since the production team was replaced in the second season, the reputation has plummeted, and the promotional cooperation with the Culture and Tourism Department has been sloppy, resulting in many counterproductive effects," Yu Congyan countered calmly.

The writer grew even more urgent. "We have invited famous singers from home and abroad, the fans are very enthusiastic, and we even released several pieces of merchandise a while ago."

"Sales were dismal. You bought followers on social media, and your growth rate from lucky draws isn't even as fast as an D-list celebrity," Yu Congyan said, hitting the nail on the head.

The D-list celebrity he referred to was Xia Wansheng. Ever since the five-million-dollar lucky draw was posted on social media, Xia Wansheng’s follower count had skyrocketed like a rocket, making him the fastest-growing new blogger of the week. Many curious onlookers had joined in, leading to a surge in shares and follows, landing him on the trending topics several times.

Tomorrow was the day of the draw. It was the last day for participation, and everyone was notifying their friends and family, fearful of missing out on this final opportunity.

The program writer felt a wave of despair and pleaded, "Our program is only temporarily in a slump. Mr. Yu, please give us another chance..." He felt his words were hollow, but he racked his brain to stall for time, desperate to find anything to cling to as a lifeline from the Yu Group.

"By the way, the guest we have brought on this time is the controversial Xia Wansheng! He was blacklisted by the entire internet before, but recently his followers have surged. His inherent topic-worthiness will surely win back a lot of viewership!" The writer was grasping at straws, unaware of what he was even making up by the end.

Surely, unless Mr. Yu had lost his mind, he wouldn't believe such a clumsy excuse. Moreover, he had heard that Xia Wansheng had once pestered Yu Congyan. What if Mr. Yu wanted to withdraw the funding even more upon hearing his name?!

"Xia Wansheng is a guest this season?" Yu Congyan asked suddenly.

Was Xia Wansheng’s return actually to participate in such a time-consuming, expensive, and unsightly program? Forget it; at least it was better than him staying home and being emotionally unstable all day.

The writer couldn't fathom the man's intentions and said tremblingly, "That is our plan, but we have only touched base; it is not yet finalized." What was going on? Did Mr. Yu hate this little celebrity who had pestered him so much that he wanted the production team to deliberately smear him?

Yu Congyan called his assistant over. "If we invest in this project, will it affect other investment plans for this quarter?"

The assistant looked troubled. "Yes, Mr. Yu. It is not a small sum, after all."

The glimmer of hope in the writer's eyes was extinguished again; he feared his job was likely gone.

"Then just proceed through the branch company’s investment plan. Handle all future cooperation directly with them; that will save my older brother from having any complaints," Yu Congyan said.

By bringing this project under his own control, he could observe Xia Wansheng’s changes up close. He didn't want him to be bullied on the show and then come home to stage another "jumping out the window" drama.

Yu Congyan looked at the writer, his expression complex. "Remember to take extra good care of him when the time comes." If there were any issues, report them directly to him to prevent things from suddenly spiraling out of control. Consider it paying for peace of mind.

The program writer: !!!

He stammered, "Don't worry, I will definitely inform the director’s team when I get back; we will definitely take extra good care of Xia Wansheng!"

The writer hadn't realized it at first, thinking he meant to look after Shao Huan, given the families' long-standing friendship. He had been about to say "Shao," but realized from the look on Yu Congyan’s face that he meant Xia Wansheng.

The instruction to "take good care of him" sounded, to the writer, like it was laced with malice. It seemed Mr. Yu truly harbored deep hatred for the Xia Wansheng who had once pestered him. He was willing to pay out of his own pocket just to ensure Xia Wansheng was hounded and cursed by the entire internet on the show.

The cooperation was finally settled. Yu Congyan signaled for his assistant to see them out, and the others left the conference room one by one.

Yu Congyan stood up and looked through the floor-to-ceiling window at the skyscraper opposite. In his previous life, it was at the entrance of that very building that he had lost everything he had strived for over many years. With the past fresh in his mind, he had purchased the floors opposite immediately after his rebirth, just to keep himself alert at all times.

The assistant knocked on the door. "Mr. Yu, the guests have left. The writer wanted to invite you to attend the program's start of production."

"No time." Yu Congyan did not even ask which day it was.

"But they said they would have a surprise for you, regarding Xia Wansheng." Having worked for Yu Congyan for years, the assistant knew about their past connection, so he added this extra detail.

Yu Congyan: "..."

He felt that anything involving Xia Wansheng wouldn't go smoothly, so it might be safer to go after all.

"Schedule it into the itinerary," Yu Congyan dared not take the risk. It would be good to go and keep an eye on things. If something went wrong, he could salvage the situation immediately.

The assistant was shocked inwardly. "Understood, I will prepare it right away." It seemed the relationship between these two was truly like fire and water. Mr. Yu was going to the show in person to slap him in the face; he was probably going to issue a stern warning to Xia Wansheng not to harbor delusions of climbing the social ladder.

The Emerald Bar had just opened for business when a group of well-dressed, debauched rich kids walked in. The servers, recognizing the familiar faces, rushed forward to greet them. These were people who didn't lack money and were easily excitable; if they could please these masters, the tips they would toss around would be enough to cover several months of their wages.

"Brother Shao, want to go racing in a bit? A buddy of mine has connections to a mountain road in the suburbs. Shall we rent it out and have a go?" a lackey offered, trying to curry favor.

"I don't know which godforsaken place you dragged me to last time based on your word. You had the nerve to call it a newly built professional track. If you try to waste my time again, don't blame me for flipping out."

Shao Huan was bantering with his companions when a notification popped up on his latest smartphone from his personal assistant: "Brother Shao, the new program has revealed its members. Xia Wansheng is among the guests."

It was finally set. It was worth all the effort he had put into recommending it to the director’s team and his own company, spending a fortune, just to personally expose Xia Wansheng’s "original singer" persona on the show. He had to watch with his own eyes as Xia Wansheng’s reputation collapsed, as he was ruthlessly abandoned by his fans, and finally blacklisted by the industry. Only then would the injustice in his heart be quelled.

Since his debut, everyone had been comparing the two of them, but everyone felt that Xia Wansheng’s talent was superior. Shao Huan had always believed that Xia Wansheng must have hired a ghostwriter. He had wanted to announce this to the world, but his manager had stopped him.

"You are just spreading rumors," the manager had said coldly. "The idea that Xia Wansheng uses a ghostwriter is only your speculation."

"There is no way he could write so many songs in such a short time! I’ve talked to him; he doesn't even know the most basic music theory!" Shao Huan had said furiously.

This program was the best opportunity. He wanted to see what kind of tricks Xia Wansheng could pull under the lens of a live broadcast.

"Hey, Brother Shao, this name sounds familiar. Xia Wansheng?" A lackey nearby noticed the message and asked curiously. "Is that the little celebrity who pulled out five million for a lucky draw? I retweeted it too."

"Enough!" Shao Huan cut him off coldly.

Shao Huan turned to face them, his already thin lips drained of blood, looking chillingly cold. "From now on, no one is allowed to mention the name Xia Wansheng in front of me."

Shao Huan swore in his heart that he would make sure everyone saw Xia Wansheng’s true face on the show.

We shall see.