Starlight.
Artist Department.
Zhang Wei kept glancing outside.
He had received news.
Gong Ju Ren was returning to the company today to discuss endorsement matters.
As expected.
Not long after, a group of figures appeared at the elevator entrance.
Leading the way was Gong Ju Ren.
Following their first big hit song of the year, "Qian Bai Du," his popularity had begun to rival that of some first-tier singers.
However, he only had two songs in total, and in terms of quantity, he couldn't yet compare to those first-tier singers.
Even so, his endorsement fees were basically charged at the rates of first-tier singers.
This was the benefit of a good song.
As the original singer of "Qian Bai Du," he was undoubtedly the hottest singer of the year so far!
"I heard from the staff at the milk tea shop that Brother Yu rarely visits anymore. But that's normal; fewer people drink milk tea in winter. It seems we need to develop a new business line."
Gong Ju Ren mused as he walked.
Given Brother Yu's current status, singers with far better vocal abilities than him wanted to collaborate with him, and many were willing to do so without any share of the profits.
But Brother Yu still gave such a great song as "Qian Bai Du" to himself, and even promoted him on Weibo.
This was all due to his long-term efforts, which had made Brother Yu understand his unwavering loyalty!
He knew his place well; since Brother Yu gave him the opportunity to become famous, he absolutely couldn't get carried away.
He even had to do better than before!
Only then would he make Brother Yu's life comfortable. As long as Brother Yu was comfortable, he might casually give him another good song, and becoming a first-tier singer would be within reach!
...
The artists of Starlight, upon seeing Gong Ju Ren's arrival.
All came forward.
"Old Gong, congratulations! You're incredibly popular now!"
"I'm so envious that you can get 'Listening to Rain's' favor!"
"Congratulations, congratulations. You'll probably become a first-tier singer before long, right?"
"..."
Their tones were full of envy.
Among them were not only new artists from the company but also singers who had debuted for a long time.
"Haha, thank you everyone. Let's all work hard together!"
Gong Ju Ren thanked everyone one by one, his expression beaming with pride.
He didn't put on airs like a popular singer.
They were all colleagues, and it was only right to maintain good relationships.
However, in a corner, two figures sat.
They sat quietly, not approaching.
One was Zhou Xia Li.
She was the first singer Su Yu had sought out when he joined the company.
At that time, she looked down on Su Yu, a newcomer, and thus refused to record, giving the opportunity to Jiang Xiao E.
Now, Jiang Xiao E, with the song "Hou Lai," had become popular for several months and was constantly booked with engagements.
As for her, as the online buzz died down, she now had very few fans.
This was the nature of internet celebrities; without outstanding works, their lifespan was only about half a year.
Some even less than that.
Now, Zhou Xia Li deeply regretted her past actions.
If she hadn't been so arrogant then and gone to the recording studio to record the song.
The outcome would have been truly different.
She could have been directly propelled to stardom by "Listening to Rain" like Jiang Xiao E and Gong Ju Ren.
She smiled bitterly and shook her head, withdrawing her envious gaze.
Fortunately, not many people in the company knew about this matter, and it hadn't spread. Otherwise, she wouldn't have been able to stay in the company.
The other person was Zhang Wei.
He also did not rashly step forward.
Because his goal was not to congratulate Gong Ju Ren.
He wanted to become his disciple!
That's right, after much thought, he believed that Gong Ju Ren's success was not coincidental; there must be some unknown reason.
And this reason, he wanted to learn!
He wanted to become his disciple!
Although he currently had more fans than Gong Ju Ren, he knew that "Gu Yong Zhe" could not remain popular forever. Only "Listening to Rain" could keep him popular!
Having finally climbed out of his slump, he didn't want to fall back into it.
Therefore, he had to cling tightly to the "Listening to Rain" opportunity.
And the key to pleasing "Listening to Rain" was none other than Gong Ju Ren!
...
Half an hour later.
Gong Ju Ren emerged from the director's office of the Artist Department.
Only then did Zhang Wei step forward.
"Brother Gong, my name is Zhang Wei."
He said to Gong Ju Ren with a smile.
"I know you, the original singer of 'Gu Yong Zhe'." Gong Ju Ren also smiled kindly.
"Are you interested in having a meal?"
Zhang Wei glanced at the time; it was already lunchtime.
Upon hearing this, Gong Ju Ren raised his eyebrows and smiled, saying, "Sure."
...
In the evening.
Everyone in room 408 was present.
Zhang Yang was chatting on his phone.
Zhao De was doing sit-ups.
His muscular physique was all from his own training.
As for Zhou Tao, he had covered his head with his blanket, his activities unknown.
"Zhou Tao, how is your relationship with your father?"
Su Yu suddenly asked.
Hearing this, Zhou Tao's blanket moved.
Then he poked his head out, "Brother Yu, please wait a moment."
After saying that.
He continued to shrink back under the covers.
A minute later, the bed creaked a few times, and he reached out from under the covers, pulling some tissues inside.
A short while later, he lifted the blanket.
"Heh heh, sorry about that. It was a crucial moment. Brother Yu, what is it?"
Seeing that the rest of the dormitory looked at him in astonishment, he scratched his head with a hint of embarrassment.
"Damn it, Zhou Tao, you're doing this even before the lights are out?"
Zhang Yang said with a speechless expression.
"Damn it, didn't you say you quit?"
Zhao De looked at him with disdain.
While Su Yu's forehead was covered in black lines.
This Zhou Tao was truly a character...
"Heh heh, it's because I got paid. I earned twenty thousand last month, gave half to my parents, and treated myself to a session to celebrate..."
Zhou Tao chuckled and threw the wad of paper into the trash can.
Facing the contemptuous gazes of everyone, he took a deep, refreshed breath and said, "Damn it, what are you all pretending for? As if you've never done it yourselves!"
"I..."
"This..."
Zhang Yang and Zhou Tao wanted to retort, but after opening their mouths, they ultimately didn't.
At this moment, Su Yu sneered, "Hmph, a bunch of losers."
His words were filled with confidence.
And brimming with contempt.
He himself didn't engage in such activities because his body had been weak before, and he hadn't had such thoughts. Now that he was with the "little fairy," he believed they would be living together soon, making him even more disdainful of such actions.
"Ahem, traditional skills must not be lost."
"Exactly, we are all craftsmen, we can't be called losers."
Zhang Yang and Zhao De mumbled vaguely.
Then they continued with their own activities as if nothing had happened.
An awkward atmosphere permeated the dormitory.
"Brother Yu, what were you asking just now?"
Zhou Tao showed no shame. In his opinion, these things were as normal as eating and drinking.
"Right, how are your family situations and Zhao De's?"
Su Yu sat up from his bed.
"My family is from the countryside. Our family's income relies mainly on my parents farming. The reason I could attend Qing University and sing is that I wanted to go all out and become a big star, so that my parents wouldn't have to farm anymore and could just count money at home."
Zhou Tao scratched his head, saying awkwardly.
Zhao De stopped his actions, sat on the bed, and remained silent.
"Zhao De, we've been brothers for so long, and I've never heard you talk about your family situation. Tell us about it?"
Zhou Tao rolled over and got onto his bed. He didn't mind the sweat from his recent exercise and hooked his arm around Zhao De's neck, asking curiously.
Zhang Yang also put down his phone and looked over.
Zhao De frowned slightly, then sighed after a long pause, "I'm an orphan..."
The 408 dormitory fell silent at this moment.