Volume One: Debut at the Pinnacle Chapter Four: Signing the Contract

Chen Jing naturally had no idea that "The Return of the Condor Heroes" would be valued so highly by Huaxia Publishing House. But even if he had known, he wouldn't have been too surprised. After all, in his previous life, "The Return of the Condor Heroes" was one of Master Jin Yong's representative works. Especially the television adaptations, which once became benchmarks for TV ratings and were remade several times over.

The reason Chen Jing refused to sign away the other rights to "The Return of the Condor Heroes" was because he figured he would use the film and television rights himself in the future. Even if he didn't film it himself, selling them to others would be a significant bargaining chip. Anyway, holding onto those rights was the best strategy.

At two in the afternoon, Chen Jing arrived at the office building of Jingrun Entertainment.

He walked up to the front desk and gave the receptionist a warm smile. "Hello, I'm here to see your general manager, Miss Lin Xi."

"Hello, sir. Do you have an appointment?" The receptionist greeted him with a sweet smile, her heart skipping a beat.

Wow! This guy's smile is so bright and handsome.

"Yes, I do."

"Alright, please wait a moment. I'll call Miss Lin's assistant for you." The receptionist picked up the phone. "May I have your name, sir?"

"Chen Jing."

There was no melodramatic scene of being looked down on as often depicted in TV dramas. Once his appointment was confirmed, the receptionist led Chen Jing upstairs.

They took the elevator up to the sixteenth floor. As soon as he stepped out, Chen Jing saw an elegant woman in professional attire waiting by the elevator.

Upon seeing Chen Jing, Lin Zitan took a step forward and smiled. "Hello, Mr. Chen. I'm General Manager Lin's assistant. She is waiting for you in her office. Please follow me." She gave a polite nod.

"Thank you."

Chen Jing followed Assistant Lin to the door of an office.

Lin Zitan knocked twice and announced, "General Manager Lin, I've brought Mr. Chen."

The office door was slightly ajar. Lin Xi was sitting at her desk, reviewing some documents.

When she saw Chen Jing enter, she motioned him in. "Come in."

Chen Jing stepped inside, nodded politely at Lin Zitan, and smiled. "Thank you."

Lin Zitan's cheeks flushed slightly. "You're too kind, Mr. Chen, it's my job." Once Chen Jing entered, she quietly closed the door behind him.

Chen Jing sat down across from Lin Xi, waiting silently.

Lin Xi set her work aside, looked up at Chen Jing, and asked, "Have you made up your mind?"

Chen Jing nodded. "Yes, I have."

"Then take a look at the contract." As if she had known all along that he'd accept, Lin Xi produced a prepared contract and handed it to him.

Chen Jing took the contract and read through it carefully. After going over it twice, he exhaled softly, his gaze complicated as he looked at Lin Xi.

"Is there something wrong with the contract?" Lin Xi asked, puzzled.

Chen Jing shook his head. The contract was fine—exceptionally favorable, in fact. Yet, the very lack of problems was the biggest issue.

So he asked, perplexed, "I have one more question."

"Oh? What is it?" Lin Xi frowned slightly.

"Do you really believe in me that much?" Chen Jing looked at her intently.

Before Lin Xi could answer, Chen Jing continued, "I did some research online yesterday." He paused, gazing at her refined features, and went on unhurriedly, "Lin Xi, twenty-five years old, general manager and star agent at Jingrun Entertainment. In six years, you produced two pop stars and a girl group. The first, male singer Xu Ce, became a top star in less than two years. The second, Su Tingting, was virtually unknown before you became her agent; within two years, she was at diva level..."

Lin Xi listened quietly, showing no reaction.

"Two years ago, you joined Jingrun's executive team and became the agent for a budding girl group, which is now the most popular idol group in Huaxia—the National Style Girls."

Chen Jing finished in one breath. Honestly, he had been stunned when he found this information last night. Only then did he realize how weighty Lin Xi's offer—"I'll be your agent"—actually was.

Seeing Lin Xi remain unmoved, Chen Jing couldn't help but press, "Did I get it right?"

She shrugged gracefully. "More or less."

"I thought your contract would be much stricter." He waved the contract in his hand. "But these terms are on par with those offered to top-tier stars. With your reputation, you could have your pick of celebrities. Why choose me?"

"It's not that I lack self-confidence," Chen Jing said, "but we have no prior connection. Why go to such lengths for me?"

Lin Xi didn't answer immediately. She tapped her finger gently on the desk, her gaze fixed on Chen Jing.

After a long silence, she finally spoke. "Perhaps many people can't understand my decision. But I've never doubted that my choice is the right one."

She looked straight into his eyes, speaking earnestly: "As I said before, I value you more than anyone else. Maybe there's no concrete reason, but that's simply how it is."

Looking into her clear eyes, Chen Jing felt his doubts melt away. He laughed. "Alright, with that reason, how could I possibly refuse? Even if you're lying to me, I'll accept it."

He stood and extended his hand. "Then I'll be relying on you, my manager."

Lin Xi blinked in surprise, then smiled and stood, shaking his hand. "Looking forward to our collaboration."

No one knew that this handshake marked the beginning of the most famous agent–artist partnership in the Huaxia entertainment industry.

There were no further issues; Chen Jing signed the contract on the spot.

Afterward, a thought struck him. "By the way, aren't you still managing the National Style Girls? If you become my agent, what about them?"

"I'm no longer their agent."

"Huh?" Chen Jing was surprised.

"They've had internal problems. The group will disband soon, though the news isn't public yet." Now that he had signed, Lin Xi didn't mind sharing some insider information.

"I see," Chen Jing said, realizing.

"Alright, next there are two things to arrange," Lin Xi continued in her crisp, businesslike tone. "Since you're already participating in 'Voice of Huaxia,' let's use this opportunity for your debut. I'll make arrangements to ensure you place in the top three. That will give you a strong start."

"Sure," Chen Jing agreed without protest. That's how the industry was; if he couldn't accept it, there was no need to be part of it.

"And most importantly, I'm planning to find you some music teachers. You need to study music theory and solidify your basic skills."

At this, Chen Jing hesitated. Noticing his reluctance, Lin Xi frowned, "Sharpening your axe won't delay your work. In the entertainment world, it's not hard to become popular—the challenge is to stay popular. I've seen too many flash-in-the-pan celebrities. They never last because they lack real ability."

She continued, "Your talent for original music is clear from 'Birch Forest.' It's a gift you shouldn't waste. So learning music theory and building a solid foundation is the most important thing for you right now."

Chen Jing scratched his head and nodded. "Alright, arrange the teachers for me."

"Also, you should learn several instruments, especially the more common ones." She paused and glanced at him. "You played 'Birch Forest' on the accordion, right?"

"Yes."

"Can you play guitar?"

"Yes," he nodded again.

Lin Xi wasn't surprised. Guitar was the most common instrument, after all.

"What about bass?"

"Yes," he replied once more.

"Oh? And keyboard?"

"That too."

Lin Xi was momentarily at a loss. After a brief pause, she said, "Don't tell me you can play drums as well."

"Uh, as it happens, I do," Chen Jing shrugged. "Actually, I can play most of the instruments commonly used in rock music."

Lin Xi stared at him as if he were some kind of anomaly.

After a long silence, she asked, "You're not lying to me?"

"Want to test me?" Chen Jing rubbed his nose sheepishly. "I'm self-taught on all these instruments, so I don't know what counts as proficient. But I can play through a piece cleanly from the sheet music."

"Let's go to the practice studio," Lin Xi said decisively, immediately leading Chen Jing out.

When they opened the door, Lin Zitan was still waiting outside.

Seeing them, she greeted, "General Manager Lin."

Lin Xi nodded. "We're going to the practice studio."

The building had an entire floor dedicated to practice studios for their artists, equipped with all kinds of instruments.

Chen Jing followed Lin Xi as they made their way to the studio, catching the attention of staff members who whispered among themselves.

"Who's that handsome guy with General Manager Lin?"

"No idea..."

"Maybe the new artist she signed..."

"Probably. He certainly looks the part."

"I heard the National Style Girls are disbanding, so is this Lin's new artist?"

"No way! They're so popular right now—why would they disband?"

"Rumor has it there were issues over resource allocation, so the members are going solo."

"I see..."

"This is inside information. Don't spread it around."

"Of course not. Our lips are sealed."

"Right, right..."

Chen Jing didn't hear any of this gossip. He followed Lin Xi into the spacious practice studio, where there were multiple rooms and several recording booths.

Lin Xi led him into an empty rehearsal room, well-equipped with a variety of instruments.

Chen Jing looked around with interest. He'd never been in such a professional practice studio before. The soundproofed walls and array of instruments were impressive.

Without waiting for instructions, Chen Jing picked up a guitar and strummed it a bit, satisfied with the sound quality. Big companies really did have the best equipment.

He turned to Lin Xi and smiled. "Shall I play something at random?"

"Go ahead," Lin Xi nodded, curious to see if he was really as versatile as he claimed.

"Hmm, what should I play..." Chen Jing pondered for a moment. "Got it. Let's go with this one."

He pressed the strings with his left hand and gently plucked with his right. Bright, lively guitar notes began to fill the room.