Chapter 73

Of course, with Liao Liao's current status, as General Manager Zheng Changsheng said, as long as it's someone from the company, no matter who she likes, she can choose! In fact, a singer whose first album sold over a million copies in just two months and is expected to sell two to three million more, with five songs simultaneously topping the hit charts, is already worth any agent fighting over. So, it's only a matter of her choosing, not whether anyone is willing to take her on.

After a moment, Liao Liao said, "Then it's still Brother Xiao. After this month of working together, I feel his abilities are strong enough, and his personality matches mine! Yes, him, he's pretty good!"

Huang Wenjuan nodded, "I'll talk to General Manager Zheng later."

Then, she wrote a few notes in her small notebook and flipped to the next page.

"The fifth matter, commercial performances. General Manager Zheng said that the company has already received three to four hundred commercial performance invitations for you, with the highest offer reaching 250,000 yuan per performance..."

Before she could continue, Liao Liao waved her hand to interrupt, "You can directly reply to General Manager Zheng and tell him I won't take any commercial performances."

Huang Wenjuan was taken aback and then cautiously said, "Sister, this... isn't good, right? I saw how excited General Manager Zheng and the others were when they mentioned this yesterday! Think about it, 250,000 yuan per performance, and they want to sign you for twenty performances, which means 5 million yuan in total. It's like they're just handing over the money, and you can't rake in money that fast even with a rake! If you directly turn down all the offers and don't take any performances, I'm afraid General Manager Zheng will be unhappy?"

Liao Liao thought for a moment and said calmly, "This album will definitely sell at least two million copies, and there's a good chance it will reach three million. Assuming it sells two million, General Manager Zheng will make at least four to five million yuan after deducting costs. Is that not enough? So, my decision is that I won't take any commercial performances!"

Huang Wenjuan hesitated, seemingly wanting to say something more, but in the end, she didn't.

Liao Liao picked up her cup and took another sip of water, then said calmly, "Continue. Next is the sixth matter! Finish quickly, and we can get on with our business!"

Huang Wenjuan pouted, thinking about how rare it is for someone to turn down millions of yuan. In the entire industry, there might be only a few people like this, but... who is she if not Liao Liao!

If she didn't have this kind of personality, would she have been willing to spend 400,000 yuan to buy songs from Li Qian, who was then just a nobody? Without those songs, would she be as popular as she is now?

So, if you think about it carefully, it's all about personality determining destiny!

Liao Liao's personality and musical talent have decided that she is destined to be a big star!

And I am destined to be a small assistant!

Just being by Liao Liao's side and feeling a bit of her power is already making me feel like I'm flying...

She cleared her throat and continued, "The sixth matter. Endorsements. The company has received three endorsement offers for you, one for down jackets, one for windbreakers, and one for sunglasses. The initial endorsement fees are..."

Before she could finish, Liao Liao said directly, "Turn down the down jackets. I won't wear down jackets for ads. I already have a big frame, and wearing a down jacket would make me look even worse!"

Huang Wenjuan was taken aback by her decisiveness and then timidly said, "But the down jackets have the highest offer! Actually... Sister, your figure looks good in anything. Why don't you think about it again?"

Liao Liao smiled, propped her chin, and still shook her head, "No, no! The windbreaker can be considered. Once Brother Xiao is confirmed as my agent, let him handle the negotiations. The sunglasses... I like sunglasses!"

Then, she waved her hand impatiently, "Next, next! I haven't touched a piano for over a month, hurry up!"

Huang Wenjuan pouted again, wrote a few more notes in her small notebook, and then said, "The last matter. The company has received invitations from seventeen TV stations for various gala performances, mainly for the Spring Festival Gala. However, the most important ones are the Mid-Autumn Festival Gala from Shuntian City TV, the New Year's Eve Concert from Oriental Star TV, and the Spring Festival Gala from China TV. General Manager Zheng's opinion is that we can't refuse any of these three, regardless of whether they pay appearance fees. Of course, the Spring Festival Gala has the highest status, so the songs must be chosen by them. They have selected 'My Passionate Hometown,' and they require that you not perform this song on other TV stations before the Spring Festival Gala. Therefore, the Mid-Autumn Festival Gala has chosen 'Unfinished Love,' and the New Year's Eve Concert requires you to perform three songs: 'Persistence,' 'Wildflowers,' and 'Cheers, Friends.'"

Liao Liao pouted.

It's not that she's being picky. This is different from commercial performances and endorsements. Receiving invitations to the most influential galas from these TV stations is a recognition of one's status in the industry, regardless of the money. So, as General Manager Zheng said, this can't be refused!

However... you're even dividing the five hit songs...

In the end, she nodded, "I will follow the company's arrangements."

Huang Wenjuan breathed a sigh of relief and was about to close her notebook, declaring the meeting and communication complete, but then she suddenly remembered there was still one matter she hadn't clarified!

She quickly flipped back to the first page, glanced at it, and asked, "What about the upcoming publicity?"

Liao Liao waved her hand, sat up straight on the sofa, and said seriously, "These seven matters: the MV and new songs are fine, the celebration banquet and inviting Old Xie are fine, the agent we've discussed, the endorsements we've discussed, and the galas I've agreed to. Then... I won't take any commercial performances. As for the upcoming publicity, tell General Manager Zheng that I'm very tired and want to take some time to write a few songs quietly. So, one radio station, one TV station, one newspaper, and one magazine—just these four. Let General Manager Zheng and the publicity department choose the specific ones, and turn down the rest!"

Huang Wenjuan was taken aback, finally wrote a few notes in her small notebook, and then looked up at Liao Liao.

At this moment, Liao Liao said, "So, it's your job to schedule my calendar from now on, right?"

Huang Wenjuan nodded blankly.

Liao Liao said, "Alright, the next month will definitely be busy, and there's nothing to say about that. But from late October to before New Year's Day, please arrange it so that I have two months with nothing to do!"

Huang Wenjuan blinked and asked, "To write songs?"

Liao Liao nodded, "Yes, to write songs!"

Thinking about what General Manager Zheng had whispered to her yesterday, the small assistant blinked and shifted uncomfortably, saying, "Then... for the next album, you don't plan to have Li Qian help write songs or produce it?"

Liao Liao turned to look at her, a bit puzzled but still patient, "Of course I do. I'm not stupid. Why would I not find Li Qian and instead ask someone else for songs?"

Huang Wenjuan immediately breathed a sigh of relief.

Yesterday, General Manager Zheng had already mentioned this concern, and before he spoke, as the person closest to and most familiar with Liao Liao, she had already been a bit worried.

Liao Liao is, of course, a very smart person, but even smart people can be stubborn.

Her album became popular because of Li Qian's five songs, and no one would argue with that. The decision to buy and use those five songs was certainly something Liao Liao could be proud of. However, don't forget, she is also a creator!

She can write songs herself!

And she is a proud person!

So... who can guarantee that after becoming famous, she won't have a little impulse and decide to make the next album on her own? Who can guarantee that she can make the next album as popular as this one?

If she insists on doing it herself and fails...

This is what General Manager Zheng wants to avoid, and it's also what Huang Wenjuan, as a small assistant, is worried about. In the past month of publicity, as the album became more and more popular, Liao Liao has already shown a bit of a rebellious attitude.

That is... she's not satisfied!

However, now that Liao Liao has personally said she will continue to invite songs from Li Qian, Huang Wenjuan feels much more at ease. Even if Liao Liao writes a few songs herself, it's fine as long as there are a few of Li Qian's songs to anchor the album. Even if it doesn't sell as well as this one, at least it won't flop!

Indeed, in the minds of Zheng Changsheng, Zhao Meifeng, and even Huang Wenjuan, Li Qian's songs are a guarantee of success. Liao Liao's new album should have at least a few of his songs to anchor it.

Because, the victor is always right.

However, before Huang Wenjuan could fully relax, Liao Liao said, "But I still want to try and see if I can write some good songs. If I can, then we can reconsider inviting songs from Li Qian!"

Huang Wenjuan was taken aback, shuddered, and quickly straightened her back to look at Liao Liao, "Sister, don't be impulsive. If you want to write songs, that's fine, and I'll make sure you have the time. But... you still need to invite songs!"

Liao Liao looked at her, pointing at her, "See, see, I knew you'd react like this!"

Huang Wenjuan was taken aback.

Liao Liao leaned back into the sofa and said, "Everyone thinks I just got lucky and met Li Qian, and then had the foresight to buy a few songs from him, which made me famous. But don't forget, I can write songs too!"

At this point, her face showed a bit of frustration, and she said helplessly, "Actually, I don't dislike Li Qian's songs at all. I want to open his two big notebooks and see how many good songs are inside, and buy them all, no matter the cost! But... I also want to prove myself! At least I want to show Li Qian that I can write songs too. Look, how are my songs? Not worse than yours, right?"

Huang Wenjuan stared at her, speechless.

What Liao Liao said is indeed a common human sentiment, but... Sister, shouldn't we ensure the album's success first?

At this moment, perhaps influenced by the past two months of Li Qian's five songs, Liao Liao gradually became more excited when talking about her own creations. She gestured while sitting in the sofa, "Do you remember when we bought songs from Li Qian? He opened his big notebook, flipped through it, and tore out a few pages... I tell you, that scene has replayed in my mind like a movie for the past two months! Do you know what that is? That's amazing! Imagine, in ancient legends, those great heroes, like the bearded man, who talk to you casually, and you think they're just ordinary people, but then they wave their hand, and in a flash, they take someone's head from a thousand miles away... Doesn't that sound similar?"

Huang Wenjuan nodded blankly, and indeed, after Liao Liao's description, even she felt it was similar.

Liao Liao became even more excited, "I'm famous now, and Li Qian's five songs have made me a big star. But I tell you, no matter how famous I am, whenever I think of that scene, whenever I think of the songs that made me a star, which were just a few pages torn from his notebook, I feel I can't even compare to his little finger!"

She paused, her face filled with longing and excitement, "I know my talent can't match Li Qian's. What he does isn't something a normal person can do, especially since he's only seventeen. But... I want to have a day when I can take a few good songs to him, sit down with him, and slap the songs on the table, saying, 'Look, these are my songs, give me your comments,' and he picks them up, looks at them, and immediately looks surprised, saying, 'Wow, Sister Liao, I didn't expect your songs to be so good, why do you even need to buy songs from me?'... Think about it, wouldn't that be great?"

Huang Wenjuan still had a blank look, and despite nodding subconsciously, she couldn't help but say, "That... would be great?"

Liao Liao nodded, "Of course! I want to be a great hero too!"

Huang Wenjuan still didn't fully understand, thinking that people in the music industry are indeed a bit eccentric. But the question is, Sister, you're already so famous, do you really need to seek recognition from Li Qian? Besides, you're famous for your singing and the quality of the songs, so why not continue to get songs from Li Qian and sing them well? Why insist on writing your own songs, which is not your strong point, and compete with Li Qian's strongest point?

Yes, you might be good at writing songs, but that's compared to others. Compared to Li Qian, can you still say you're good at it?

The small assistant was puzzled but could only勉强 ask, "A great hero?"

"A great hero!" Liao Liao affirmed.

She paused and explained, "It's like Li Bai, who was given an official position for his poetry, but he was unhappy and was eventually dismissed. He didn't want to be a court poet entertaining the emperor; he wanted to be a prime minister or a general, to be recognized for his ability