Chapter Fifty-Two: A Modest Sum

"Damn! Did Lin Xinrou really plagiarize? Come out and give us an explanation! @Lin Xinrou"
"This is so disgusting! I trusted her so much!"
"Are we fans just monkeys for her to play with? If you can do it, fine; if you can't, that's it. Why plagiarize?"
"As expected! These streaming singers who only rely on hype and trending topics will never make it to the real stage..."
"It's not just Lin Xinrou, I think her whole company is problematic."
"I heard that Heart Trace Entertainment was exposed recently for shady contracts, tricking trainees with termination fees!"

In the boss's office of Heart Trace Entertainment, Wang Tao stood with his hands on his hips, his face dark as he stared at Lin Xinrou before him.

Her collapse on stage was only a ploy to escape the scene and dodge the public confrontation with her fans. At this moment, Wang Tao could hardly resist the urge to tear apart this top star of Heart Trace Entertainment.

"So this is the surprise you promised me?"

"What? Did I offend you somehow? Tell me, I'll change. But ruining my show and my company—what does that accomplish?"

Ever since attending Ai Ting's concert, Lin Xinrou had repeatedly caused him trouble, each time pushing the boundaries of their fans. This time was even more outrageous—mobilizing the entire company's resources against Chen Nian without Wang Tao's knowledge, only for things to backfire spectacularly.

Now every artist in the company had become a target for the fans' rage.

"President Wang, I—I didn't know it would turn out like this," Lin Xinrou said, her face drawn.

"It's all Chen Nian's fault! He and Xing Fei set me up on purpose."

"I really didn't know things would get so bad!" Seeing Lin Xinrou still trying to shift the blame, Wang Tao finally lost his temper completely.

"If I'd known hiring you would end like this, I should have blacklisted you! Blacklisted!"

In all her years with the company, Lin Xinrou had never seen Wang Tao so furious. She shrank into her chair, frozen with fear.

Yet deep inside, she was still cursing Chen Nian's shamelessness. If he and Xing Fei hadn't conspired against her, how could she have ended up like this? If not for Chen Nian's sudden appearance, she would still be the brightest rising star in the music world!

Thinking of this, Lin Xinrou's brows furrowed, her anger growing ever more intense.

"What, what? I say a few words to you and you want to hit me?" Wang Tao frowned.

"No, no, President Wang, I was just—"

Before Lin Xinrou could finish, Wang Tao pulled a stack of papers from the drawer and threw them on the desk.

"What’s this?" Lin Xinrou asked, puzzled as she looked at the documents.

"You’re not going to the next episode of 'Who Is the Singer.'"

"President Wang, the show’s almost finished recording. If I don’t go now, what about my trainees?" Lin Xinrou immediately stood up, protesting.

She had paid dearly to secure her spot on "Who Is the Singer." Now, with the show reaching its climax and popularity peaking, being forced to drop out was unbearable.

"If I let you go, what will happen to my show?" Wang Tao slammed the table, roaring.

Tonight's "Who Is the Singer" was being streamed live across the web, and Lin Xinrou's plagiarism was an undeniable fact. Letting her appear now would be like throwing a rat into a pot of soup.

As the owner of Heart Trace Entertainment, Wang Tao would never be so foolish.

After a few harsh words, Lin Xinrou calmed down.

"This is a contract for 'Creative Camp.' Sign it. The show starts filming next week."

"'Creative Camp'?" Lin Xinrou frowned. "Isn't that a talent show for amateurs? You want me to participate in that?"

It was absurd—even with the plagiarism scandal, she was still a top-tier star. How could she join a low-profile, unpopular amateur talent show?

Absolutely impossible!

"Isn't there any other show? Something with a bit more popularity?"

Wang Tao said nothing, just looked up at Lin Xinrou.

"Either you participate, or you get out!"

Seeing Wang Tao’s unwavering stance, Lin Xinrou, despite every reluctance, could only helplessly sign the contract.

Meanwhile, as Chen Nian and Xing Fei were leaving the recording site, Luo Xiaoyi pulled up in a Xiaomi 911 and stopped in front of them.

"Get in," Luo Xiaoyi said, lowering her sunglasses and window, looking sharp and energetic.

Chen Nian and Xing Fei didn’t hesitate, opening the door and climbing in.

"Sister Xiaoyi, where are we going?"

"To my place, for a meal," Luo Xiaoyi replied succinctly.

Twenty minutes later, they arrived at Luo Xiaoyi’s home.

"Uncle Luo, long time no see," Chen Nian said as soon as he walked in, greeting Luo Youdao.

"Ah, no need to be so formal," Luo Youdao responded warmly, inviting them to sit.

At the dining table, besides Chen Nian and his companions, were Wei Xi and another man Chen Nian hadn't met before.

"Chen Nian, let me introduce you. This is Ye Hao, a close friend of mine despite the age gap. He’s an investor—you’ll probably have plenty to talk about," Luo Youdao said with a smile.

"Hello, I’m Chen Nian." Chen Nian smiled and shook Ye Hao’s hand.

"Nice to meet you. Just call me Haozi. I’ve listened to all your songs," Ye Hao replied with a smile.

As they ate, the group chatted idly.

"Chen Nian, Uncle Luo said you’ve been dabbling in media lately?"

"Heh, just messing around, nothing serious," Chen Nian laughed.

"I’ve recently invested in a show, about to start filming. Would you be interested in joining?"

Chen Nian instinctively glanced across at Luo Youdao.

Seeing this, Luo Youdao quickly lowered his head, pretending to chat with Wei Xi.

Chen Nian smiled—he understood.

Luo Youdao was simply doing him a favor.

"Tell me about it. I’ll listen," Chen Nian said, not agreeing outright in spite of Luo Youdao's involvement.

"It’s an amateur talent show. The previous seasons didn’t do well, so I put some money in this time to see if it can be revived."

"Amateur talent show? Is it 'Creative Camp'?" Xing Fei asked curiously.

Ye Hao didn’t mind the interruption, replying with a smile, "That’s right, I think it’s called that. What, you watch it too?"

Xing Fei nodded, "Yeah, I’ve watched it. But the show isn’t very popular, is it?"

"It used to be like that, but this season will be different." Ye Hao smiled confidently.

"Why?" Xing Fei asked, intrigued.

"Because I invested a bit in this season," Ye Hao said, raising his hand to gesture, "Forty million..."

"Forty... forty million?"

"A bit of money?"

Xing Fei was stunned, frozen in place.