Chapter 136: Capital Never Loses

The production team is already making a fortune just from the current broadcast rights. By reinvesting only a tiny fraction of those profits to maintain viewership, the director is playing the role of a shrewd capitalist. However, since it is a win-win situation, Ji Fei does not dwell on it too much. After all, if he were to let Lin Yu switch to any other show right now, he could easily rake in a substantial appearance fee.

The reason the production team is showing Ji Fei such respect this time is, at most, because the foundation has just been laid. With the airing of the second episode, the production team has gained a firm grasp on audience traffic and has spent a significant sum to invite a national-level expert to serve as a guest mentor. This move is sure to bring a great deal of buzz and attention to the show. Many variety programs start out unnoticed, only to leverage explosive topics or top-tier celebrities to bolster their own standing and attract investment from industry titans. Su Xiaolin estimates that "Talent Show" has likely caught the eye of several major investors, which is why they have the capital to invite someone from the national team. Had Ji Fei’s agency not been so formidable, they probably wouldn't have been able to secure that compensation at all.

...

Lin Yu ushered Su Xiaolin out. A man and a woman alone in a room for ten minutes is just about the limit to avoid gossip. Before pushing her out, Lin Yu remembered something important.

"Shall we go record the songs tomorrow?"

"You have new songs again?" Su Xiaolin’s reaction was noticeably less surprised than the previous times. She had seen his creative ability with her own eyes. Even though they always came as unexpected surprises, she had grown accustomed to it.

"That's right. I couldn't sleep last night and wrote a few. By the way, have you ever heard of a 'Bathroom War God'?"

"What’s that?" Su Xiaolin shook her head; she clearly hadn't.

"When you're in the shower, your mind is in a blank state. That’s when you have the most inspiration for songwriting. A tune you hum to yourself might just become a future hit song." Lin Yu explained with a grin. He wasn't exactly lying; many people pretend to be singers in the shower, though they usually sing others' songs. The only lie in his statement was the word "original."

Though the songs were stolen, his ambition to reach the pinnacle remained unchanged. To achieve one's goals, isn't a bit of ruthlessness sometimes normal?

Su Xiaolin agreed to his proposal. She had to report to Ji Ya anyway, and keeping an eye on him in person was better.

...

The night passed without incident. At five o'clock, Lin Yu woke up as usual for his aerobic workout and coffee. He then picked up Tai Chi, which he hadn't practiced in a few days; luckily, he hadn't forgotten the basics, and the routine went smoothly. At six-thirty, he went back to bed for a nap. He had no appointments today, so he could take it easy. He set the air conditioning to 26°C—the perfect temperature for resting—and quickly drifted off.

At eight o'clock, Su Xiaolin called, her voice bursting with excitement. "Wake up! Look at the social media post the Boss just made!"

A social media post? Because of his consistent exercise, Lin Yu didn't feel any discomfort from being woken up. He clicked on Ji Ya’s profile and saw that familiar, cold, and aloof CEO face, arms crossed, with the Statue of Liberty in the background. In comparison, her elegance was clearly superior.

"Is the boss done with her business?"

"I don't know, but this trip to the States seems to be for a collaboration with her childhood sweetheart, the boy who grew up next door. This photo was definitely taken by him!" Su Xiaolin’s voice on the other end grew even more excited. "Oh my god! That guy is so handsome, and he’s the General Manager of a multinational listed company! But since it’s his family business, he’ll be the boss sooner or later."

"If it weren't for her parents passing away, forcing Ji Ya to go abroad for further studies at fifteen, they might already be married with kids by now!"

"If Ji Ya rekindles that old flame with Mr. Song, wouldn't that be a power couple? Looking at this photo, they might even be dating already!"

Lin Yu stared at Ji Ya’s cold expression in the photo. If the person who took it was indeed this Mr. Song, and if she truly liked him, her attitude wouldn't be so indifferent. Her coldness was merely a disguise for the outside world; in front of him, she was a real person, not the untouchable deity others saw. It wasn't that he lacked confidence, but Lin Yu felt an inexplicable urge to go to the States. He needed a valid reason, otherwise, people would surely assume he had fallen for Ji Ya.

Travel thousands of miles just to stake a claim? They weren't that close; they were just boss and employee.

"Uh, didn't the boss say she went over to negotiate a very important partnership? How does she have time to go sightseeing?"

"Oh! I get it. She’s slacking off, isn't she? Let's go, let's catch the boss and make her pay a fine!"

Hearing Lin Yu’s self-determined plan, Su Xiaolin slowly calmed down. "Wait, are you jealous? Going over to catch her in the act?"

Lin Yu curled his lip. "Catch her in what act? The boss said no office romances the moment I signed the contract."

"But the key is that Mr. Song doesn't work for Ji Fei, right?" Su Xiaolin’s eyes darted around, trying to bait him. The two of them had already reached the point of hugs and piggyback rides; how was this not jealousy?

"You just said it yourself, she’s there to negotiate a partnership, and one of the projects involves Mr. Song. If they reach a deal, we'll be colleagues."

"Enough talk. If we confirm they're actually together, we'll split the fine 50-50!"

Hearing the mention of money, Su Xiaolin was wide awake. Gossip didn't matter; weren't working stiffs just there for the paycheck?

"OK, it's a deal! We're leaving now. Let's launch a surprise attack!"

...

The demo recording was temporarily put on hold. There were still a few weeks until the next show recording, so there was time. Of course, the production team hadn't stopped filming; they were currently shooting a resurrection round for eliminated contestants, who would then compete against the low-scorers from previous rounds in a "four-select-three" advancement match. Lin Yu’s vote count was far ahead of everyone else, and he had advanced two rounds in a row, so he was relatively free during this period.

The flight to the United States takes about a day, and coincidentally, the city they were in was one of the closest to the U.S.

"The boss ordered me to help you finish recording the MV for your new song as soon as possible. I'm looking for options now; if you want the new song to get more exposure, a fantastic MV is essential."

Su Xiaolin was busy working in the registration room. The private jet was ready for takeoff at any moment. Lin Yu didn't want to waste time; after all, finding the right person to feature in the MV was a real headache. Right now, he just wanted to fly to the States as fast as possible to see who took that photo of Ji Ya, and perhaps find out how much of a fine he could collect for exposing his boss's secret romance.

Su Xiaolin was practically dragged onto the plane by Lin Yu.