Chapter 47: Unfathomable Shamelessness (4,000 words)

Lu Zhou was woken up in the morning by his mother’s relentless phone calls, his face still clouded with sleep as he answered.
“How late is it? Still sleeping! You’re lazy even on the show. Girls will think you’re idle and unserious. Do you even want to get married?”
“Stop sleeping and get up. Check the video you posted last night—so many likes! It startled me. Are you about to get famous?”
Lu Zhou: …
He couldn’t help but find his mother a little endearing.
After hanging up, Lu Zhou opened DouMusic and checked the backend. Despite being prepared, he was still a little surprised.
Just one night, and the momentum of this was far faster than he’d expected.
Looking closer, he realized that Ye Fangfei’s debut video last night had ignited the topic #WhatIsAnImage#.
Overnight, countless netizens uploaded spoof dance videos mimicking Ye Fangfei’s style and even tagged her for a PK challenge.
Night owls, truly…
Does nobody sleep anymore?
Soon enough, the traffic ball of Ye Fangfei’s debut video kept rolling bigger, because she tagged Lu Zhou’s account again, continuously funneling new traffic his way in a short time.
This hot start—
Though somewhat embarrassed, he had to admit, she did it beautifully!
Lu Zhou smiled, finally waking up fully.
He rolled out of bed, washed up at record speed, changed, and headed out.
The villa was empty.
He couldn’t tell if everyone else had gone to work or out on dates.
In any case, this round of dates didn’t include him; without a task, he was free to dedicate today to following up on his song release.
Pan Chengyi called, urging him to come to his studio.
As soon as Lu Zhou walked in, Pan Chengyi greeted him with a fervent embrace.
“Not a penny spent, and the new song became a DouMusic hit overnight—our first battle was spectacular!” Pan Chengyi exclaimed excitedly.
“We can only thank Ye Fangfei,” Lu Zhou found a seat and replied.
“What’s your relationship with Ye Fangfei? She’s letting you piggyback like this—simply incredible. This morning, I saw you two trending together; netizens are guessing the song was written for her, suspecting you might be each other’s first love.”
Pan Chengyi raised an eyebrow with a probing smile, “Could that really be true?”
Lu Zhou’s lips twitched, “With imagination like that, it’s a shame not to write novels. We’re just casual acquaintances. She probably feels a bit sorry for my untapped talent, so…”
Pan Chengyi was amused; he never believed such absurd rumors anyway.
“Actually, it’s the quality of your new song that drew listeners; only a video with strong retention can ride the traffic to become a hit. I’ve promoted plenty of new songs on DouMusic—some that lacked highlights, even with huge marketing budgets, barely made a splash.”
Setting aside the banter, Pan Chengyi got down to business.
“Now that the video’s traffic is still surging, we must seize the momentum to promote the song. We can’t rely on just one viral video. If the song blossoms everywhere on DouMusic, that’s real fame.”
Lu Zhou nodded in agreement, “That’s exactly what I came to discuss.”
“My plan: enlist some DouMusic promo accounts for coverage, have influencers post videos using your song as BGM, and as you suggested, leverage film accounts to promote by embedding your song as BGM in clips from ‘That Year, We.’ I’ve organized our resources and drafted a budget.”
Pan Chengyi carried over his laptop as he spoke.
“With the song’s heat rising, we can now negotiate collaboration with music streaming platforms. Without exclusive licensing, we should have leverage for decent promotional support.”
He opened the laptop and brought up an Excel sheet.
Just then, Lu Zhou’s phone rang.
He glanced at it—his former manager, Xu Mengdan, was calling.
A few question marks flashed in his mind. Lu Zhou looked at Pan Chengyi, “Chengyi, give me a moment, I’ll take this call.”
Pan Chengyi was unhurried, waiting beside him as he pulled up the data.
Lu Zhou didn’t bother to step aside and answered the call right in front of him.
“Hello? Dan, what brings you to call me out of the blue?”
Ever since Lu Zhou had failed to debut with the Chasing Light Youth group, his contact with Xu Mengdan had been rare.
Now executive manager for the group, she’d become swamped as their fame rose. Occasionally, they’d bump into each other at the company and exchange brief greetings.
So Lu Zhou was surprised by her sudden call.
“Lu Zhou, it’s been a while. I heard you terminated your contract with the company—wanted to invite you for a meal and a chat, but never found the time. Today I happen to have a bit of free time and thought of you, so I’m calling to see how you’re doing.”
Xu Mengdan’s voice came through the receiver, warm and caring like a big sister.

Lu Zhou chuckled, “I’m doing well. How about you? Still going smoothly at work?”
“Oh, still the same—busy, worries never end.”
A light sigh and laugh sounded from her end; after a pause, her tone shifted naturally:
“I heard you were considering leaving the industry for another field. I thought you’d really given up on entertainment, but today I saw your new work trending on DouMusic—I was surprised. Not only have you stayed, but you’ve made real progress.”
“The new song’s numbers look promising. I’m genuinely happy for you.”
Lu Zhou smiled, “Thanks, Dan. The song’s just out, still awaiting the market’s test. Too soon to say if it’s good.”
“That’s true, but I have confidence in you,” Xu Mengdan replied. “By the way, which company are you with now?”
Lu Zhou paused briefly, “Currently, not with any company. I’m exploring on my own.”
“Really?” She sounded a bit surprised. “Going solo gives you more freedom—do whatever you want. That’s good.”
“There are pros and cons,” Lu Zhou answered honestly.
“Definitely. The entertainment world isn’t easy to navigate alone.”
Xu Mengdan shifted the topic again.
“Your new song premiered on DouMusic. Have you thought about the follow-up promotion?” she asked.
Lu Zhou detected a hint in her words and glanced at Pan Chengyi.
Pan Chengyi suddenly felt uneasy, ears pricked.
“Promotion’s still under consideration,” Lu Zhou replied.
“You released the song but haven’t planned the promotion?” Xu Mengdan’s tone betrayed her surprise.
She let out a long “Hmm,” paused for a while, and then her voice came through slowly:
“Premiering on DouMusic is good, but if you want to break out, a single viral video isn’t enough. There’s a lot more to it.”
“As everyone knows, DouMusic has popularized many songs, but most of those were already trending elsewhere.”
“A song’s success depends on many factors—methods of operation, capital promotion, artist packaging. For example, when ‘Green’ became a hit, it was because the copyright company mobilized more than ten MCN agencies and recruited nearly a thousand influencers to promote the song upon release, creating a huge splash.”
“‘Desert Camel’ shot to fame thanks to forty thousand spent on hired hype and water armies.”
“If you rely solely on yourself for promotion… given your financial situation, a good song could end up lost like a grain of sand in the sea.”
“Lu Zhou, have you considered returning to the company?”
“I can help negotiate favorable terms for you. The company’s professional team could handle promotion for your new song.”
Xu Mengdan’s true purpose finally surfaced.
Lu Zhou’s lips curled in an elusive smile, which made Pan Chengyi beside him feel even more unsettled.
Pan Chengyi couldn’t hear what was being said, but from Lu Zhou’s responses, he already guessed the call’s nature: a poaching attempt!
He cleared his throat deliberately.
Lu Zhou glanced at him.
“Thanks for your consideration, Dan, but ‘First Love’ has already been agreed on with another collaborator. Returning to the company isn’t on my mind.”
Lu Zhou declined, straightforward yet polite.
But Xu Mengdan didn’t give up.
“You’re working with Pan Chengyi, right?”
The new song’s credits listed him as producer.
Pan Chengyi was a well-known independent music producer, often hired by record companies for their artists.
“That’s not a problem. Your career won’t be defined by one song. The company values you, not just this single.”
“If you come back, they’ll draw up a new development plan for you.”
“You could invite Pan Chengyi for a joint discussion. I believe collaboration can be worked out.”
Lu Zhou: …
Xu Mengdan: “It’s hard to explain everything over the phone. How about we meet and talk in depth when you have time?”
“Dan,”
Lu Zhou decided to be more forthright.
“I spent nearly ten years at Jinhua Entertainment—you know my situation best. Honestly, I was never prioritized there. Since terminating my contract, I’ve no intention of going back. I want to see more of the world outside.”
“Thank you for your kindness. If there’s a chance in the future, let’s collaborate again.”

Pan Chengyi, listening nearby, finally breathed a sigh of relief.
After a few more exchanges, Lu Zhou hung up and turned to see Pan Chengyi staring at him.
“Jinhua Entertainment wants to sign you back?”
Pan Chengyi made a sarcastic face.
“They do.” Lu Zhou pocketed his phone and grinned, “All thanks to the new song.”
“They couldn’t promote you before, but now that you show promise, they want you back? Shameless.” Pan Chengyi couldn’t help but complain.
Lu Zhou just smiled, saying nothing.
Without thick-skinned businessmen, how could fortunes be made?
He saw nothing wrong with Jinhua Entertainment’s actions—it was just business, after all.
“The company has great resources, but how much would actually go to you? If you’re lucky and make it big, resources will flow. But if you’re not, and they restrict your freedom, your future will be dictated—hardly ideal.”
Pan Chengyi feared Lu Zhou might waver, so he voiced his opinion.
“I really believe in ‘First Love.’ As we agreed, I’ll front the promotion fees and have the strategy ready—look!”
He tapped his laptop screen.
“The playbook’s essentially the same; signing with a company gets you similar promotion, just with their backing for easier negotiations. But after so long in the industry, I’ve got plenty of contacts myself.”
“Trust me.”
“We can keep making music together, try all sorts of creative things, and play as we wish. I believe in your talent—no need to lock yourself up in a cage.”
Pan Chengyi spoke sincerely. With Lu Zhou’s earlier answer, he wasn’t worried Lu Zhou would return to Jinhua Entertainment, but he sensed more companies might try to poach him.
Best to give a heads-up.
Sure enough, just as Pan Chengyi finished speaking and was about to get back to business, Lu Zhou’s phone rang again. One call after another.
“Hello, is this Lu Zhou? I’m from DouMusic’s independent artist project…”
“Hello, Mr. Lu Zhou, this is Huaxuan Music…”
After handling two calls, Lu Zhou turned to Pan Chengyi and spread his hands, smiling, “I seem to have suddenly become quite popular.”
Pan Chengyi clutched his chest and asked, “Who called?”
Lu Zhou: “DouMusic music department, and Huaxuan Music.”
Pan Chengyi: …
The release platform itself is trying to poach him?
Even more absurd—Huaxuan Music? Isn’t that the company Ye Fangfei is signed to? Lu Zhou’s song gained traction thanks to her, and now Huaxuan Music, after boosting his popularity, is aiming to recruit him?
Pan Chengyi’s mouth twitched. “What do you think…”
Lu Zhou was amused by Pan Chengyi’s expression and decided to tease him.
“DouMusic says they can leverage their platform algorithm to turn my song into a DouMusic anthem.”
Lu Zhou pretended to look troubled.
“Huaxuan Music is sincerely inviting me to their company for a chat.”
Pan Chengyi: …
All these big companies—do they have to move so fast?
Their market sensitivity is off the charts.
“‘First Love’ is already agreed upon, but for the rest, I can’t decide for you. My advice: be cautious, don’t act impulsively.” Pan Chengyi said.
Lu Zhou patted him on the shoulder, smiling,
“Let’s focus on business! Everything else is just talk; right now, the priority is to promote ‘First Love’ well. Even if I sign with a company, I need to raise my value first to negotiate well.”
Only then did Pan Chengyi realize Lu Zhou was quite set in his ways, with his own plans, not easily swayed by others.
He wondered, why had Lu Zhou failed so badly at Jinhua Entertainment?
He couldn’t figure it out.
Clearly, in the entertainment industry, timing, luck, and connections are everything.