I became a music industry godfather by writing confidantes.

Chapter 029 A Dilemma

An apartment in Beijing.

"If the final effect of a movie soundtrack is simply to make the audience..."

"Snapped!"

The video on the laptop was paused, and the focus was on Yang Du's excessively young face.

Xu Xiao sat on the sofa, looking at that handsome face that she wanted to scratch a few times, and felt a sense of absurdity, so absurd that she couldn't help but sneer.

"A difference in ideas?" She crossed her arms and leaned back. "I was only in the recording studio for a few minutes yesterday. I didn't even get to see the complete sheet music for 'Painting Heart' before he kicked me out."

Xu Xiao turned her head to look at her manager, Qi Qiao, sitting beside her, her tone full of mockery: "Now he's running up to the camera, emphatically implying that I should change his arrangement, saying that our ideas clash? Is this how universities teach students to lie through their teeth in front of a camera these days?"

Qi Qiao turned off her phone screen and rubbed her throbbing temples; she had just been comforting her fans.

Xu Xiao has had a smooth ride in this world of fame and fortune for far too long.

With five Golden Chart Music Awards, she's a rising star, and wherever she goes, she's surrounded by admirers.

Yesterday's audition was a planned show of force by the management team, who wanted to take advantage of Yang Du, the novice producer, to seize control.

To everyone's surprise, Yang Du flipped the table and quit the game.

Outrageous.

"Have the PR team clarify, and stick to the reasons we agreed on earlier."

Qi Qiao shook her head: "That excuse won't work now."

"Why isn't it working?"

"Xiaoxiao, according to our previous plan, if Yang Du dares to come out and tell the truth, we can take advantage of the situation and play the business card to put him in a difficult position."

Being late for a commercial shoot is a reflection of an artist's commercial value and a testament to their dedication, albeit without their consent.

Then, by feigning weakness and saying that Xiaoxiao, a top star, personally apologized and smiled apologetically, but Yang Du, being unreasonable and showing no consideration for his senior, could naturally push the other party to the center of a media storm.

"But did he mention anything about us being late today? No, he even praised your talent."

"Look at what he's saying, linking himself to millions of fans of the original work and potential moviegoers. Faced with such righteous rhetoric, if we were to release a press release saying we were late because of a commercial shoot..."

Qi Qiao looked at Xu Xiao and analyzed, "Do you think netizens today would side with a female celebrity who was late because she wanted to earn endorsement fees, or would they support a producer who chose to stick to their principles for the sake of the work's effect?"

Xu Xiao was stunned.

She was no fool to have climbed to her current position, and she immediately understood Qi Qiao's meaning.

To talk about commercial interests in the context of artistic pursuits is tantamount to nailing the label of profit-seeking firmly to one's own forehead.

Admittedly, everyone in this circle talks about interests, but at least it shouldn't be said so bluntly.

You have to save face.

"Since we can't say I was late..." Xu Xiao said irritably, "then issue a statement, state the facts: I never even saw the sheet music for 'Painting Heart,' I didn't audition, and I never requested any changes to the arrangement. What right does he have to slander me?"

As she spoke, she angrily threw a cushion onto the ground.

"This is the most disgusting part," Qi Qiao sighed.

"Xiaoxiao, let's go through this carefully. If we issue a statement refuting Yang Du, claiming there's no ideological disagreement or modification of the arrangement, then netizens will immediately follow this logic and raise a fatal question—"

"Since there's no conflict between you, why wasn't you, Xu Xiao, chosen as the final singer of 'Painting Heart'? Instead, you just picked some random nobody?"

Xu Xiao's breath hitched.

"At that point, how are we supposed to explain it to our fans, to the public? Are we supposed to just admit that we auditioned, but in a fair competition, a top pop star like you was outmatched and lost to a newcomer who doesn't even have a signature song?"

"Absolutely impossible!"

"Yes, we absolutely cannot accept that possibility. Losing to a newcomer would severely diminish your commercial value." Qi Qiao nodded and continued her analysis, "Then, we're left with only one explanation: we didn't even audition."

"Then netizens will ask, why didn't you audition? Xiaoxiao, haven't you figured it out yet? Being late because of a commercial shoot is a tactic that can only be used for defense and counterattack. If you reveal it yourself, your situation will be even more embarrassing."

"In the eyes of fans, your lateness is because your sister is working too hard to keep up with her schedule, but what will netizens think?"

The same thing said by different people in different situations can have completely different effects.

Being forced to explain is understandable.

To reveal it voluntarily is to act like a big shot.

Xu Xiao suddenly realized that this was a suffocating dead end.

Moving forward means facing a business crisis due to being less skilled than others.

Taking a step back is a professional ethics crisis stemming from diva-like behavior.

The ideological differences mentioned by Yang Du in the interview have become the only fig leaf she can use to gracefully extricate herself from the situation.

But unfortunately, this fig leaf is covered in dog poop.

"Ha..." Xu Xiao laughed angrily, "So, I just have to accept it and watch helplessly as those trashy idiots online use tired jokes to laugh at me?"

She picked up her phone, and the hashtag #XuXiaoofXerdinger# on Weibo's trending topics list had already climbed to number 90, and its popularity was only increasing.

Clicking in reveals nothing but merciless mockery from onlookers.

"When faced with two evils, choose the lesser one," Qi Qiao said calmly. "Admitting to differing ideologies will at most result in being ridiculed by netizens for a couple of days."

"How much memory can the internet retain? Besides, that's all fan behavior, what does it have to do with you as the idol? Once new gossip comes out tomorrow, everyone's attention will be diverted, and it won't shake your core supporters."

"But if you really can't swallow this insult and reveal the truth, then you'll lose tens of millions of dollars."

"Don't forget, several of your endorsements require a positive image. You also have a high-end luxury brand contract renewal negotiation next month, so you absolutely cannot be associated with unprofessionalism at this crucial juncture."

As Qi Qiao spoke, she felt remorseful.

After being tricked in the recording studio yesterday afternoon, they thought of using their fans to disgust the other party, but they underestimated their opponent. Yang Du didn't play by the rules at all.

Is this the kind of coping ability a newcomer to the industry should have?

"The PR department has been confirming our team's opinion. I'll call them back now and have them pay to remove the trending topic and let it cool down. We absolutely cannot let this matter generate any more buzz."

Xu Xiao sneered as she watched Qi Qiao make a phone call to the public relations department.

How could I possibly let it go after suffering such a huge loss in silence?

She suggested, "Yang Du is currently cooperating with Jinshi, so we can't touch him for the time being, but we can touch that newcomer."

Qi Qiao, who had just hung up the phone, immediately understood what Xu Xiao meant.

"Right, what if that newcomer named Jiang Yan doesn't sing it herself?" Qi Qiao's mind started working. "Later, I'll spread the word within the company that anyone who takes on 'Painting Heart' is making trouble for us."

"I'll contact Jiang Yan's agent personally. At worst, I'll just give her a resource. If Jiang Yan quits singing, others won't dare to take over because of your status as a pop diva. At that point, the project will be suspended. No matter how talented Yang Du is, he's still just a student."

"Can he take responsibility for the entire project schedule of 'Eternal Falling Flowers'? That's tens of millions, even hundreds of millions, of profits!"

"When the company and the production company put pressure on him at the same time, his only way out will be to humbly ask you to come back and beg you to sing this song."

Hearing Qi Qiao's words, Xu Xiao's eyes lit up completely, and she said triumphantly, "Yes, that's how it's done. I want him to come crying and begging me."