Chapter 41
◎Team Selection◎
"Get out of here!" Pei Yuanzhi looked at Chen Xiaodong coldly.
"Why is Teacher Pei so rude?" Chen Xiaodong smiled instead, as if he couldn't feel the coldness from him.
Pei Yuanzhi almost wanted to punch him in the face with his fist, but was pulled back by Yun Shang behind him, who reminded him that Yuan Minshan, Jiajia and the audience had not left yet.
Chen Xiaodong wasn't afraid at all. After making sure Zhang Li was far away, he shrugged at Pei Yuanzhi, nodded to Yuan Minshan and the others, and then slowly walked off the stage.
Looking at his 'arrogant' attitude, Pei Yuanzhi's anger rose sharply.
Seeing that Zhang Li quickly caught up with the host and Feng Ruo, and Feng Ruo looked shy and surprised after she spoke, Yun Shang knew that Pei Yuanzhi probably had no hope.
Yun Shang whispered to Pei Yuanzhi, "I think this girl clearly likes Zhang Li. Anyway, with her looks, it's hard to say whether she'll be successful. Your company already has a little superstar. Compared to her, Li Ruoxi is more worthy of training. So, why not just forget about it?"
Pei Yuanzhi clearly understood this. He didn't care whether he could sign the singer or not. His anger was fueled by the possibility that she might end up in Ling Man's hands.
However, seeing the other person being sandwiched between the host and Zhang Li, leaving side by side, Pei Yuanzhi completely lost interest in the past when he thought of Zhang Li's previous entanglement.
"Let's go." Pei Yuanzhi said coldly, then left the venue with a gloomy face.
Yuan Minshan, Jiajia and others who were left at the end looked at each other. Jiajia and Cui Shan were a little embarrassed, while Yuan Minshan looked like he had just watched a good show.
-
The production team arranged lunch for everyone, but considering that some mentors or others would want to eat on their own, they not only set up different canteens, but also several lounges.
The teams led by the mentors and singers are not allowed to enter the inner venue and are now waiting in the artist cafeteria outside.
When Zhang Li appeared, Bai Wen and the others noticed him immediately.
They just watched her and the host walking on the outside, with a girl in the middle. After the three of them chatted happily, they noticed something and just greeted each other quietly.
"Sister Li, we've found a place, right over there. Let's go get whatever you want to eat."
Seeing several people gathering around him, Feng Ruo, who had finally relaxed a little, suddenly felt nervous.
Zhang Li noticed it and said, "No need, you guys go eat, I can take care of it myself."
Bai Wen immediately got the hint, nodded, and left with her companions.
After they were a little further away, they began to discuss curiously.
"Who is that girl?"
"have no idea……"
When they finished their meal and sat down together, another assistant took out his mobile phone and clicked back into the live broadcast room.
It was late in the show, and when they saw the familiar face on the screen, they finally understood something.
“It turned out to be the last contestant!”
And the discussion in the live broadcast room was very lively.
[I didn't expect this female contestant's voice to be inversely proportional to her appearance]
[It's so beautiful, why haven't I heard this song before? ]
[The needle is not poking, it would be perfect if it looked better]
[What a pity, such a beautiful voice belongs to such an ugly woman...]
As soon as this last sentence was uttered, it was counterattacked by some righteous netizens, and Bai Wen and others immediately joined in.
[What the hell! What does a good singer have to do with his looks?!]
[If you don't want to watch, don't watch. What's the point of attacking others? ]
[You, the Pacific Ocean, are so nosy. What does it have to do with you what other people look like? ...]
After Pei Yuanzhi's comments, the situation in the barrage became even more chaotic.
Pei Yuanzhi, contrary to his usual behavior, smiled and gave the only A grade.
Pei's fans were envious and jealous, but at the same time they subconsciously felt that their idol would definitely not like Feng Ruo given her looks, and probably wanted to prepare in advance for the team selection.
But not only they noticed this situation, but other netizens and fans of other groups also noticed it.
Because Pei fans were making their presence felt throughout the whole process, they not only attacked Zhang Li, but later gradually involved Yuan Minshan and Chen Xiaodong, who seemed to be very good friends with Zhang Li. Later, they even bit anyone who had a different opinion from them, which made other viewers and fans endure it for a long time.
This time they don't want to let Pei Yuanzhi go.
[This is so funny! Wasn't a certain movie star used to have a cool and aloof demeanor? He's changed so quickly.]
[That utilitarianism is practically overflowing from your face. Do you think others can't notice it? It's really disgusting.]
[The best actor is the best actor, his acting skills come naturally]
[So he can tell whether a cappella singer is good or not. But it doesn't look like he's doing it for free, so it doesn't seem like he's just choosing a team.]
This sentence instantly reminded others.
[There was also a female singer who sang very well and received an A score from the other three groups. Wasn't Pei Yuanzhi acting so arrogant back then? Could it be because she's signed to a company?]
[So this singer is an amateur, so he wants to sign with his own company?]
The truth was revealed in just a few words.
Then it was Zhang Li's turn.
If Pei Yuanzhi's face still had traces of acting, Zhang Li's was more natural. After all, she had always greeted the previous singers with a smile and praised them profusely, but this time she seemed to value Feng Ruo more.
But Pei’s fans didn’t think so. Pei Yuanzhi had just been attacked, and when they saw Zhang Li’s look, they subconsciously began to divert their anger.
[You're still talking about our Zhi Ge. Isn't Zhang Li the same? Why don't you say anything?]
Whose smile is more free? Can't we compare them?
[Speaking of utilitarianism, who can compare to this person? ...]
It’s just that netizens’ counterattacks made them even more annoyed.
[At least Zhang Li treats every contestant very well. If he sees someone he really likes, isn't it okay to express his feelings?]
[Zhang Li seems much more sincere than a certain actor. Can't you see who the other contestants like more?]
There's a difference between pretending and being genuine. I think the contestants on stage should be able to sense it even more...
Seeing that although they were taking the same action, others had completely opposite attitudes towards Pei Yuanzhi and Zhang Li, Pei’s fans were almost irritated.
Many of their accounts were blocked, so their number was not as large as others, so they had to give up the barrage and move to other platforms to make trouble.
Because of their noise, the show "Sing Out Loud" attracted more attention.
-
The host Bi Yan had a very good impression of Zhang Li. The most important thing was that although their program was backed by Xigua TV, they still had to obtain the copyrights of the songs. Behind Lingman was the now very popular Past Studio, whose song album became a hit as soon as it was released. It was said that they had also cooperated with many companies. It was possible that they would have to discuss copyright issues with them in the future. Therefore, Bi Yan had a different attitude towards Zhang Li, a shareholder of Lingman.
From the moment Zhang Li caught up with her, he understood what she was thinking.
Feng Ruo was actually a talented talent discovered by the program crew by chance, and they had to persuade her to participate in the program with great difficulty. Arranging her to be the last to appear also represented the attitude of the program crew.
They had known for a long time that as soon as Feng Ruo appeared, the first thing she would attract was the attention of the agency.
However, because Feng Ruo was specially recruited by them, they naturally have a deeper sense of responsibility towards her.
Bi Yan also wanted to find a more reliable employer for Feng Ruo.
The appearance of Zhang Li reminded him that among the brokerage companies in the circle, Lingman currently seems to have the biggest room for development in the music industry, and they have long heard that Lingman is very protective of its artists and has never engaged in any exploitative behavior.
So when Zhang Li asked if he and Feng Ruo could have dinner together, Bi Yan was a little surprised to see Feng Ruo, so he quickly agreed.
Seeing that Zhang Li asked the team to eat somewhere else, Bi Yan became more certain of her idea.
But Feng Ruo was an amateur and didn't quite understand Zhang Li's identity.
So, when they finished their meal and Zhang Li asked her if she could sign a contract with his agency, Feng Ruo was a little confused.
"I'm sorry, am I being a little presumptuous?" Zhang Li apologized. "Your talent is truly amazing. As a member of Lingman, I'm so moved."
Feng Ruo was simple-minded, and this straightforward approach made her feel a little embarrassed.
She subconsciously looked at Bi Yan.
Bi Yan understood that she still didn't quite understand the rules of the circle, so he explained them to her from an objective perspective.
"Lingman Entertainment is a top-tier agency in our domestic entertainment industry. They are quite powerful. Most importantly, they have a partnership with Wangshi Studio. You know Chen Xiaodong's album 'Farewell Song'? It was produced by that studio, so Lingman's status in the music industry is also rising day by day."
"Teacher Zhang Li is not only a contracted artist of Lingman Entertainment, but also a shareholder of Lingman. If you have any ideas, I suggest you add Teacher Zhang Li's contact information first..."
Bi Yan provides a stepping stone for both parties.
Zhang Li also understood that it was impossible to win him over in one go, so he quickly nodded with a smile, "It was me who suggested that you, Xiao Ruo, sign a contract with Ling Man. The initiative is all yours."
Feng Ruo actually likes Zhang Li very much in her heart. She can also see that Zhang Li's love for her is sincere. If she can sign a contract with the other company, Feng Ruo is inexplicably moved.
Moreover, she knew that Bi Yan was a very reliable person, and what he said would definitely not be false.
So she hesitated for a moment, then said, "I believe you, Teacher Zhang Li, but I know nothing about signing contracts..."
Zhang Li knew she was interested when he heard it, so he struck while the iron was hot. "Lingman's contract is divided into two types: initial contract and renewal contract. From the highest to the lowest, there are five levels: S, A, B, C, and D. However, S-level is only allowed in renewal contracts. When an artist reaches a certain level of fame, the company will discuss whether the contract can be upgraded. So for newcomers, A-level is the highest level, and I also signed this level."
"If you are willing to sign with Lingman, I can assure you that you will definitely get an A-level contract."
Afterwards, Zhang Li roughly reiterated the contents of the A-level contract to Feng Ruo, including the basic salary, promised resources, share of profits, benefits, etc.
Feng Ruo didn't know much about this, but looking at the expressions of Zhang Li and Bi Yan, he knew that the treatment should be very good.
After hearing this, Bi Yan wanted to persuade Feng Ruo to agree directly, because the conditions offered by Ling Man were indeed very conscientious!
However, he couldn't guarantee that Zhang Li's verbal promise was true, so he took a step back and said, "Our program team has a dedicated legal team. Xiao Ruo, you can ask Teacher Zhang Li to send you the contract first, and I'll have our legal department take a look at it for you."
Feng Ruo relaxed immediately after hearing this suggestion, "Okay."
Zhang Li exchanged contact information with her. To avoid any further complications, she immediately contacted Yu Feiyu and asked him to prepare two contracts.
Before participating in this program, Yu Feiyu learned from her that she might target an amateur from the program crew and sign him into the company.
When Yu Feiyu heard that she had actually targeted two in the first issue, he was overjoyed and agreed immediately.
-
Zhang Li asked her to prepare two copies, one for Feng Ruo in front of her, and the other one was naturally for Deng Xu.
She originally wanted to find Deng Xu during the break, but plans cannot keep up with changes. In order to prevent Feng Ruo from stepping into the trap designed by Yun Shang and Pei Yuanzhi first, she had to find Feng Ruo first.
As for Deng Xu, it was naturally handed over to Chen Xiaodong, who was also a man.
Pei Yuanzhi and others who watched Chen Xiaodong leave thought that he must have gone to find Zhang Li. After leaving the venue, they asked the staff to take him and Yun Shang to the lounge. Their assistants had specially ordered meals for them and were waiting for them.
But they would never have thought that Chen Xiaodong didn't go looking for Zhang Li at all. Instead, he followed her instructions in advance and went to the staff to ask where Deng Xu was, and then went all the way to look for him.
Deng Xu didn't expect that a mentor would come to see him specifically.
However, when he first heard the staff say "there is a tutor looking for you", he thought it was Zhang Li. After all, only Zhang Li gave him the highest evaluation at that time.
But he didn't expect that when he followed the staff's instructions and came to the specific location, he found that the person who came was not Zhang Li, but Chen Xiaodong.
There was no big change in Deng Xu's expression, but Chen Xiaodong could clearly sense that he was a little disappointed.
"Are you disappointed because it was me?" Although Chen Xiaodong didn't know why Zhang Li thought this kid had potential, he still believed her.
"No, no!" Deng Xu denied subconsciously.
"Haha, I should be disappointed. After all, I'm not as pretty as Teacher Zhang Li, right?"
After hearing this, Deng Xu finally understood that Chen Xiaodong was just teasing him.
He could only smile awkwardly.
"Hurry and sit down."
Chen Xiaodong asked Deng Xu to sit down before he began to explain, "Originally, Teacher Zhang Li did want to come and talk to you in person, but something came up. Another company wanted to snatch the amateur singer we had our eyes on, but that contestant liked Teacher Zhang Li more, so Teacher Zhang Li gave priority to that contestant."
When Chen Xiaodong said this, he was testing the waters and kept staring at Deng Xu to see how his expression changed.
After hearing that Zhang Li went to find another contestant, Deng Xu's expression showed frustration, disappointment, and inferiority, but he did not show any dissatisfaction, anger or other emotions.
Chen Xiaodong thought it was okay, and then said, "However, before leaving, Teacher Zhang Li specifically told me to come to you immediately after the show."
After hearing this, Deng Xu's depressed mood finally eased a little.
He felt a little embarrassed: "Actually... the other teachers probably didn't like me either. They probably wouldn't ask me to choose the team..."
Deng Xu thought Chen Xiaodong came to talk to him about the team selection later, and never thought about his real purpose.
"I was also planning to choose Teacher Chen and Teacher Zhang Li's group..."
Chen Xiaodong suddenly realized that he seemed to have forgotten to mention what he was doing here.
Thinking of this, he couldn't help but pat his head lightly, "Oh, I was wondering why we were talking so irrelevantly. I forgot to mention that I was here to discuss the contract with you."
"Ah?" Deng Xu finally realized something, his expression was confused.
Signing a contract? Was it the signing he had in mind?
Chen Xiaodong's next words quickly confirmed his guess, "Teacher Zhang Li wants to ask if you are willing to sign a contract with Lingman."
"W...me?" Deng Xu pointed at his nose. "Am I willing to sign a contract with Lingman?!"
"Of course I'm asking you." Seeing his stunned look, Chen Xiaodong finally felt that 'this is right'.
Deng Xu was stunned by this sudden surprise. He originally thought that with his qualifications, he might need to undergo training and let everyone see his progress before he could be noticed by a medium-sized agency.
But what is Lingman Entertainment? It's a top-tier agency in the entertainment industry!
Deng Xu's brain, which had been idle for a while, finally started to work. He understood that Teacher Zhang Li had shares in Lingman, and it must be her who guaranteed Lingman to sign him in. Maybe there was some kind of agreement.
But even if there was an agreement, he was unwilling to let down Teacher Zhang Li's kindness in recognizing his talent!
"Yes! I do!"
"You agreed without even discussing the conditions?" Chen Xiaodong had no idea what he was thinking.
"I'm open to any conditions, as long as I can sing!"
This condition is so simple that it seems like if you sell the other person out, he will help you count the money.
Chen Xiaodong shook his head. "Okay, I'll tell Teacher Zhang Li to send you the electronic draft of the contract from the company later."
"Okay!" Deng Xu sat upright, his face full of excitement and joy as if it was New Year's Day.
Chen Xiaodong sent a message to Zhang Li, and while waiting for a response, he also reminded Deng Xu and him to order food first.
-
Yu Feiyu was very efficient and didn't make Zhang Li wait for long. The two contracts were freshly prepared and sent to him.
Although there are different conditions in the A-level contract, Feng Ruo and Deng Xu are both newcomers, so the lowest standards are still met. Of course, if the two reach a certain level of strength, the resources and treatment provided by the company will definitely increase, and it is not fixed.
Zhang Li forwarded the two documents to Feng Ruo and Chen Xiaodong.
Feng Ruo looked it over with Bi Yan again and found that it was similar to what Zhang Li had said. Bi Yan then sent the contract to the legal department for their reference.
On Deng Xu's side, after receiving the electronic manuscript from Chen Xiaodong, he immediately received and checked it.
But after opening it and seeing the contract title, he immediately thought that Chen Xiaodong had sent it by mistake.
But he looked carefully at Party B's name and it was indeed his name, except that his ID number was not filled in in the first draft.
“A…A-level contract?!!”
In fact, Chen Xiaodong was also a little surprised after reading it, but it was not because of jealousy or envy. After all, the company upgraded his contract to S-level not long ago, and the salary was extremely high. He would not envy a junior who had not yet debuted.
But he didn't expect Zhang Li to have such high expectations of Deng Xu.
But it was different for Deng Xu.
He originally thought that it would be great if he could sign a contract at the lowest level or slightly higher, but he didn't expect that Lingman would give him an A-level contract!
This did not reassure him, but instead made him worried.
"Teacher Zhang Li shouldn't be able to negotiate such a high level for me, right? Did he promise something to the company?"
Hearing his worried tone, Chen Xiaodong didn't know whether to laugh or cry.
"What are you thinking! You don't know Teacher Zhang Li's status in the company."
"Although Mr. Yu is still in charge of the company, Wancheng holds 49% of the shares, and Mr. Yu's people combined only hold 49%. Therefore, the decisive 2% is in the hands of Teacher Zhang Li. Mr. Yu thinks highly of her. In addition, Teacher Zhang Li has a good personal relationship with the CEO of Wancheng and Mr. Li of Past Studio. In addition, she has an excellent eye, so as long as she doesn't make outrageous requests, Mr. Yu will usually agree."
"Is that so?" Deng Xu looked at him with admiration.
"Don't believe the rumors from outside. Once you actually join the company, you will know the situation." Chen Xiaodong was speechless about the rumors that Zhang Li was hanging out with the big boss.
With Zhang Li's ability, why can't he be valued and invested in by the big guys?
However, he also knew that he could not change everyone's deep-rooted ideas now. When Zhang Li's abilities were revealed to everyone in the future, they would naturally understand.
"Hmm..." Deng Xu is now very glad that he signed up for this program, and he deeply remembers Zhang Li's help to him.
-
Bi Yan also quickly received news from the legal department, saying that the contract was very fair and had no loopholes.
When Feng Ruo learned about this, her mood was like flying in the sky. She promised Zhang Li that after the program was recorded, she would go to Lingman with her to sign the contract.
Feng Ruo and Deng Xu's good mood also indirectly affected their expressions.
So, when the live broadcast started in the afternoon, the two of them had lost all their restraint in front of the camera, and they couldn't hide the joy on their faces.
As the program's power display turned on, Bi Yan's familiar voice reappeared before the camera: "Welcome back everyone, this is the second season of 'Sing Out Loud'. I'm the host, Bi Yan. The morning's contestant evaluations are over, so now it's time for the crucial team selection phase."
The camera swept across the mentor's podium, then cut to the stage where all eight contestants were standing above.
"We've divided the eight contestants into two teams based on their ratings. The first team consists of Feng Ruo, Cai Lihua, Jin Quan... and the second team consists of... and Deng Xu."
The order is completely based on the scores, that is, Feng Ruo is first and Deng Xu is last.
"In the first round, the mentors select their favorite contestants, and in the second round, the contestants choose the mentors they want to follow. If both the mentor and the contestant choose, they will be automatically paired. If no pairing is successful, they will choose again."
"The first round begins. Mentors, please tell us your favorite contestants."
The order still starts from Jiajia.
Jiajia chose Feng Ruo and another player from the second team without hesitation.
When it came to Yun Shang and Pei Yuanzhi, they already knew that Feng Ruo would not choose them, so they chose Cai Lihua and the first place in the second team.
In the live broadcast room, the mentor selection segment was about to come to Zhang Li.
Pei’s fans finally remembered something and started to stir up trouble in the barrage.
[Finally, I've been waiting for this scene. I remember Zhang Li gave a high score to that amateur named Deng this morning. Do you think Zhang Li will choose him?]
[It's so funny, the first one to appear and the last one to come in, no one would choose such a condition]
[Two groups of mentors have already made their selections, and as expected, neither of them chose Deng Xu]
Zhang Li is so hypocritical, saying how promising that guy surnamed Deng is. I want to see if you'll choose him as the last one.
[Looking at the way Zhang Li licks Feng Ruo, you can tell how much she wants to win. She will definitely choose Feng Ruo, but if she chooses Deng Xu, I will stand on my head and eat...]
Almost as soon as this barrage of comments passed by, Zhang Li on the screen had already announced his choice.
"Teacher Chen and I chose Feng Ruo... and Deng Xu."
The barrage of comments suddenly quieted down.
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