Chapter 13

When Su Xiuxiu heard the complaints, she interjected appropriately, saying, "Mao Mao is right. What were they singing? Especially that first contestant, Ye Ming. He sang so poorly and still got such a high score. People like him should be the first to be eliminated. Just now, he was so arrogant outside, not giving Mao Mao any face, let alone giving you any face, Mao Mao."

"What is he, anyway, to dare not give you face, Mao Mao? Disrespecting his seniors, not knowing his place, he absolutely cannot be let off easily."

In the industry, once someone is labeled as disrespectful to their seniors, they will be suppressed by everyone. In this regard, Ye Ming was hit even when he was lying down.

Hearing Ye Ming's name, Mao DuoDuo immediately became serious. This guy not giving him face indeed deserved a lesson, but Mao DuoDuo had other plans.

Mao DuoDuo then said, "Ye Ming, to be honest, his singing wasn't that great, but the song, to be frank, was actually quite good. It's impressive that he could find such a song to participate in the competition."

Hearing this, Su Xiuxiu was taken aback. Mao DuoDuo was such a proud person, but she didn't expect him to speak well of Ye Ming, especially a newcomer who had offended her.

Suddenly, Su Xiuxiu felt unbalanced. They were all newbies starting from the same point. In terms of talent and appearance, she, Su Xiuxiu, was far superior to Ye Ming. Why should Ye Ming receive praise from a top star like Mao DuoDuo?

A twisted mind began to grow.

But Su Xiuxiu was very cunning. She said calmly, "I used to be in the same company as him. I know his level very well. This song is definitely not his original work; it must be a copy. Otherwise, if he really had this level, he would have become famous long ago and wouldn't need to participate in this singing competition."

Although not entirely agreeing with Su Xiuxiu, Mao DuoDuo had his own calculations. He nodded and said, "Maybe. A good seedling might be ruined like that, which is a bit of a pity."

George, who had been with Mao DuoDuo for a long time, understood his thoughts very well.

At this moment, George approached and said, "What do you mean, Mao Mao? Are you interested in this song? If you are, it's just a matter of a word. With your status in the industry, there are plenty of newbies who would want to curry favor with you. A word from you could save them three years of struggle."

George wasn't intentionally flattering Mao DuoDuo; it was the truth. Mao DuoDuo really had such influence. As a top star, he had the right to do so. Just a little help from him could be a shortcut to fame for a newcomer.

Looking at George with satisfaction, Mao DuoDuo nodded and said, "Not bad, not bad. George, you're getting better at handling things. Go tell him that if he agrees to sell the song to me, he shouldn't expect to win first place in this competition. It's already been decided. But if he wants to make it to the top three, it's just a matter of a word from me. I believe he won't refuse such a temptation."

With a buzz, Su Xiuxiu's head felt like it was about to explode. No one understood Mao DuoDuo's influence better than she did.

One could say that if Mao DuoDuo was willing, helping Ye Ming would be effortless.

Feeling resentful, Su Xiuxiu could no longer hide her feelings and said fiercely, "Mao Mao, how can you give such an opportunity to someone like him? He should have been eliminated in the preliminary round. Even if he made it to the finals, he shouldn't be allowed to succeed. He has offended you, and you can't let him off easily."

How did Ye Ming offend Mao DuoDuo?

It was just that he was a bit disrespectful to Mao DuoDuo just now. In the entertainment industry, a small action, even a casual look, could offend someone.

Mao DuoDuo looked at Su Xiuxiu with cold eyes and said bluntly, "Offending me is the same as offending you. Women, long hair, short sight. If you want to follow me, it's best to put away your petty schemes. Otherwise, I'll make sure you have no place to stand in this industry. Do you believe me? George, go handle this. I don't want any changes."

At this moment, Su Xiuxiu's face turned pale. She had worked hard to climb up the tree of Mao DuoDuo and was unwilling to let go easily.

George gave Su Xiuxiu a cold look and said, "Women, what do you know? If you delay Mao Mao's big plans, I can ruin you without him saying a word. Just do your job and keep your schemes to yourself."

No matter how petty Mao DuoDuo was, he still had his eyes. To reach the status of a top star, it wasn't by chance.

This singing competition was indeed of very low quality. The result was clear: Ye Ming advanced to the next round with a second-place finish. As for the first place, well, as Mao DuoDuo said, it was a matter of not saying it, even if it looked a bit unsightly.

They invested in this competition, so why couldn't they promote someone? The TV station wanted efficiency and benefits. As long as the money was in hand, who cared who the champion was?

But even second place was worth celebrating. Ye Ming called Hong Fei, but the phone was off, which was quite unusual.

After hanging up the public phone, Ye Ming was about to go to the bus stop to head back when a familiar figure appeared.

Ye Ming stopped and looked at the person with interest.

It was George, Mao DuoDuo's agent. This guy, with his effeminate manner, was easy to remember, especially since he had cursed out the TV station staff like a fishwife.

It was hard not to remember him.

But George did have the clout. As Mao DuoDuo's agent, he had such privileges.

George looked at Ye Ming and said, "Hey, where's your little girlfriend after the competition? Did you have a fight? Young people, everything is good, but they are easily impulsive. How about giving me some face and having a coffee together?"

Although Ye Ming had no reason to believe George would be so kind as to buy him coffee, there was no reason to refuse.

They found a coffee shop near the TV station.

Chopin's Minute Waltz, in a lower key, flowed gently.

Whether it was genuine elegance or pretentiousness, the coffee shop had its own atmosphere.

After the waiter served the coffee, George stirred it and got straight to the point, "I won't beat around the bush. You offended Mr. Mao. Originally, my Mr. Mao wanted to eliminate you. I believe, with his influence, it would be just a matter of a word. The TV station wouldn't offend my Mr. Mao for an unknown newcomer, right?"

Ye Ming had no argument against this. Indeed, no one would offend a top star for a newcomer. The TV station relied on these top stars to boost ratings for their programs.

Ye Ming narrowed his eyes and smiled, "So, I should thank Mr. Mao for his magnanimity, right?"

Instantly, George felt a mix of anger and embarrassment. Since becoming Mao DuoDuo's agent, how many people in the industry dared to speak to him with such contempt? Even the TV station's leaders spoke to him politely.

Otherwise, George could easily turn down the TV station's program invitations.

But this newcomer, who didn't even have the qualifications to touch the newcomer wall, dared to speak to him with such contempt, as if he didn't even consider him.

George's face turned cold, and he said, "Actually, you have no choice. But Mr. Mao is magnanimous. Even though you offended him, there is still a way to make amends. Sell the copyright of 'Rice Loves Rice' to Mr. Mao. After that, the song will have nothing to do with you except for the credit. As for you, you can forget about winning first place in the original song competition, but making it to the top three is still possible. Otherwise, you'll have no future in the music industry. Banning a newcomer is just a matter of a word for me."

This was a blatant threat. George was a straightforward villain, speaking clearly: either sell the song's copyright or guarantee a top-three position. This award would be very helpful for a newcomer.

And in George's view, it would also be a favor to Mao DuoDuo. For a newcomer, such treatment should make Ye Ming dream with joy.

But Ye Ming knew this was a song of hall-level quality, with milestone significance, at least a pioneering work in the realm of online songs, a representative of early online music.

A mere third place was not enough to fool him.

Ye Ming said firmly, "I'm sorry, I can't agree to this. Also, thank you for the coffee; it was quite good."

With that, Ye Ming left without looking back.

At this moment, George was stunned. Ye Ming actually refused his request. Were newcomers these days so arrogant?

Did they not understand the consequences of offending a top star, or were they so arrogant that they didn't even consider Mao DuoDuo?

Realizing this, George's face turned red and then white. He said to Ye Ming's back, "You'll regret this. A newcomer daring to refuse Mao DuoDuo's kindness, you'll be banned from the music industry. I guarantee you'll never make it."

Enraged, George decided to use all his connections to ban Song Jun.