"Su Lin, the TV drama has wrapped up. When is your new album coming out?" Manager Xu, the top agent, called the artists under her wing one by one as she left the company.
Su Lin was her ace, so she naturally paid extra attention to him.
Su Lin, sprawled on the sofa, replied weakly, "I just finished work. Can't you let me catch my breath?"
"Then tell me, who promised to reward their fans with a new song on Qixi Festival?" Xu Jing rolled her eyes silently.
Su Lin pouted. "There's still over a month left, what's the rush!"
"Easy for you to say! Do you think writing and recording a song is all there is to it?" Xu Jing couldn't help but nag. "What about the MV? Don't we need to arrange online and offline activities?"
Su Lin was immensely talented, his songs were all classics, and he was hailed as a musical prodigy by industry insiders. But he was genuinely lazy! Once the songs were written, he couldn't be bothered with anything else, leaving his entire team scrambling.
"Isn't that what you're here for, Sister Jing!" Su Lin said lazily.
"Just wear me out! Let's see who's willing to indulge you in the future!" Xu Jing snapped back.
After a brief back-and-forth, they returned to the main topic.
"Seriously, what are you thinking? If you really can't make it work, you'd better tell me in advance so I have enough time to solve the problem."
Xu Jing was, it had to be said, a very dedicated agent.
Su Lin moved his mouth, switching the lollipop to the other side. "I've mostly figured out the content of the song, but the melody still needs some refinement."
"What style of song?" Xu Jing immediately took out a pen to record.
"Hold on a moment." Su Lin got up from the sofa and went to the practice room, playing a melody inspired by his recent experiences.
Listening to the cheerful tune, Xu Jing nodded continuously. "Not bad, it's quite pleasant. Where did you get the inspiration?"
"I was on set during this period and suddenly thought of it," Su Lin replied casually. He had officially debuted at eighteen and had been in the industry for six years, writing countless songs. However, this style was a first for him.
This made Xu Jing suspicious. "Tell me honestly, are you dating someone?"
Su Lin's playing hand suddenly paused. "What are you guessing for!"
"I'm not blaming you! You're in your twenties, it's perfectly normal to be in a relationship! However, you need to report it to me beforehand. I don't want to be cleaning up your mess after the fact."
"How could that be! Nothing of the sort." Su Lin denied it flatly.
"Really? The actress you're acting with is quite beautiful, haven't you felt even a little spark?" Xu Jing became gossipy, no less than any celebrity gossip enthusiast.
"We barely exchange a few words privately," Su Lin was a straight shooter. When he wasn't filming, he'd be holed up in his chair playing games. On occasion, many actresses had tried to get close, but he'd politely rebuffed them with his gameplay.
"Su Lin, do you have a charger? Can I borrow it?"
"There's a tech store right outside. Can't you have your assistant buy one?"
"Su Lin, your clothes are quite nice. Where did you get them? I want to buy some for my brother too."
"Forget it! My clothes are all uniquely designed for me by my sister!"
"Su Lin, I don't quite understand this scene. Can you help me run the lines?"
"You can't even understand this? Are you illiterate?"
The actresses who had previously held a favorable opinion of him were utterly disheartened, their little schemes immediately abandoned.
After hearing her assistant's report, Xu Jing almost burst into laughter.
It wasn't without reason that he was still single at twenty-four.
Thus, besides worrying about his career, Xu Jing also fretted about his personal life. What girl could put up with his personality! If this child continued to be so stubborn, he might end up alone for life!
"Alright, just record this song and send it to me first," Xu Jing said, too lazy to banter with him.
She still had several other artists to manage.
Su Lin mumbled an affirmative and turned back to the sofa, completely unwilling to work.
This state had persisted since he returned from filming; he just couldn't muster any enthusiasm. In the past, when he wasn't working, he enjoyed lounging around, but as soon as he thought about things he loved, he'd become exceptionally energetic.
Now, even music couldn't pique his interest. This was highly abnormal!
*
"Boss, isn't your brother's contract about to expire?"
Su He was momentarily stunned before remembering who she was talking about. "What about it?"
"Have you considered poaching him to our company?" the assistant asked with a smile.
"I've thought about that. However, with our studio's current strength, we can't poach him yet," Su He sighed softly. "Firstly, the studio was only recently established and has little fame. Secondly, Su Lin has a relatively good working relationship with his original agency. The company is promoting him, and he has good resources in all aspects."
Su He had a good sense of self-awareness. Moreover, she didn't have overly ambitious goals; she just wanted to do what she loved. If she managed to poach the great Su Lin, she wouldn't even know how to keep him happy!
"Then let's poach his agent as well," the assistant declared ambitiously.
"Did you hear something?" Su Lin looked at her curiously.
The assistant tucked a strand of hair behind her ear and said mysteriously, "Insider information. The boss of Su Lin's company failed an investment and seems to owe a lot of money. To make money, the company is taking on many endorsements for the artists under its name. And they're not refusing any type of endorsement. Several artists under them are already finding it unbearable and want to jump ship."
Su He frowned upon hearing this. "What has Su Lin been busy with lately?"
"He's doing alright, he's on vacation," the assistant continued. "However, despite his popularity, the incident last time caused considerable losses to the company. It's only a matter of time before the company starts signing him for dramas."
Su He knew that Su Lin didn't actually like acting. He agreed to participate last time purely for her sake.
When she visited him on set, she always saw him sitting alone in a corner, playing games, seemingly out of place with the entire crew. His fans were worried sick! They tried every trick in the book to appease the crew members, hoping to build momentum for him.
If the company had truly reached this point, how could they let go of Su Lin, their cash cow?
His contract had only six months left. If they didn't squeeze out his remaining value during this final period, they certainly wouldn't give up easily.
Su He clenched her fist. "I'll ask him about this first."
"Okay."
"Also, what kind of person is that agent, Xu Jing?"
"She's a strong woman, very famous in the industry. All the artists she's managed have developed well, and her professional capabilities are outstanding."
"Go and meet her first, probe her out."