Chapter 0144: Anli

Failures in life are nothing more than the result of two things: using one's own mouth to interfere in others' lives, or using others' brains to think about one's own life.

Even Zhao Fusheng hadn't expected the script of events to be so dramatic.

Many things come rushing in when you don't need them, but when you do, they are nowhere to be found.

When he received Li Jian's call, he was completely stunned.

"What did you say?"

Zhao Fusheng held the phone with a look of astonishment, utterly unable to believe it.

"I just got a call from President Mu. She said the company has decided to return the song 'Prose Poem Written by Father' to you and terminate my contract early," Li Jian said with a bitter smile.

"Terminate the contract?"

Zhao Fusheng frowned, then thought of an important question: "So, they're not planning to back down?"

"Yeah, I didn't expect President He to be so tough," Li Jian remarked with a sigh. Even he hadn't anticipated that He Yunzhi would be so resolute, choosing the most unexpected path.

"Hmph, I overestimated her," Zhao Fusheng said with a contemptuous smile.

If He Yunzhi had chosen to compromise, Zhao Fusheng could have admired her ability to bend and stretch, seeing her as a natural businesswoman. But her choice to confront him so harshly was, in his view, the most foolish move.

"Overestimated?" Li Jian clearly didn't understand Zhao Fusheng's meaning.

Zhao Fusheng smiled and asked, "Do you think she had to do this?"

"It's normal, isn't it? After all, this kind of thing is rare in the circle. Especially for Qingcheng Culture, my actions amount to threatening them," Li Jian said doubtfully. In his view, what he and Zhao Fusheng had done was quite risky; in the music industry, threatening a record company was like digging one's own grave.

With a sigh, Zhao Fusheng couldn't be bothered to correct Li Jian's perspective: "Do you know what maturity is?"

Maturity?

Li Jian was baffled. After a moment's hesitation, he ventured, "Maturity is a cruel thing. It represents the youth running under the sunset, the dreams fading from life..."

"Bro, I'm not one of those literary young women," Zhao Fusheng interrupted impatiently. "Maturity means following certain rules in doing things, not acting on personal whims."

Li Jian fell silent. Reluctant as he was to admit it, he had to concede that Zhao Fusheng's words made sense.

"So you're saying that He Yunzhi's actions are not what a mature businessperson would do?" Li Jian wasn't stupid; having been admitted to Tsinghua, he was among the top students in the country. In other words, even if he gave up music, he could still have a bright future.

Sometimes it's frustrating to think about: things that many people would spend their lives striving for, others discard like worn-out shoes. Truly, comparisons can be odious.

"Exactly. A mature businessperson's ultimate goal is to make money. As long as it doesn't involve principles like national integrity, all conflicts can be resolved through negotiation," Zhao Fusheng said, holding the phone and settling into a comfortable position on the bed, speaking eloquently to Li Jian. "At the very least, neither your demands nor my attitude are really issues in the business world. 'Ask a high price, bargain on the spot'—that saying has been around forever. But why did He Yunzhi choose to be tough with us? Simple: to protect her pride and save face."

Sometimes people have inexplicable intuitions, like a sixth sense. Without evidence, they firmly believe something is about to happen.

Li Jian suddenly had that feeling now. He felt that Zhao Fusheng would one day reach a very high position. Even just from these few words, it was clear that this junior-year college student already had a mindset comparable to many seasoned business veterans.

Though the feeling came out of nowhere, Li Jian still believed his intuition was right.

"Fusheng, things aren't as simple as you think. The rule in this circle has always been that artists are subordinate to production companies..." Li Jian hesitated but decided to warn Zhao Fusheng.

"Production companies represent capital, and artists are just tools for them to make money, right?" Zhao Fusheng interrupted before Li Jian could finish.

Li Jian was taken aback, then nodded with a wry smile: "Yes, that's the logic. So President He's attitude is normal. And I can guarantee that even though they're polite about the termination now, once I leave Qingcheng Culture, they'll use all their influence in the circle to blacklist me. And that includes you."

"Me?" Zhao Fusheng's tone turned light. "I'm not planning to enter the entertainment industry. How can she blacklist me?"

"Huh?"

In that moment, Li Jian felt terrible. So in the end, he was the only one who got the short end of the stick, wasn't he?

"Feeling like you're the only one who got screwed?" Zhao Fusheng seemed to know what Li Jian was thinking and asked with a laugh.

Li Jian nodded without beating around the bush: "I feel like you've tricked me into this."

Zhao Fusheng burst out laughing: "Brother Li, have you ever thought about what kind of songs suit you?"

Hearing this question, Li Jian was stunned and remained silent for a long time.

In fact, when Zhao Fusheng first met Li Jian, he was also dumbfounded. In his memory, this person shouldn't have become famous at this time; it should have been two years later.

But through their conversations during the arrangement, Zhao Fusheng discovered that Li Jian's life trajectory had already changed before he appeared.

In 1992, Li Jian, admitted to Tsinghua University's Department of Electronic Engineering, served as class monitor. He formed a team with classmates and won first place in the school's first campus song competition. Skilled at playing classical guitar, he accompanied nine bands on campus. He was also a member of the school choir and often performed as a solo singer. That same year, he won first prize in the Capital University Students' Solo Competition. In 1994, he won the gold medal in the CCTV Studio 12 University Students' Song Broadcast. In 1996, Li Jian graduated and became a network engineer. Less than a year into the job, he quit his stable position and began his music career.

Later, he formed a band with another alumnus and released an album. Until this summer, due to differences in musical philosophy, the two went their separate ways.

In Li Jian's own words, he preferred a calmer style, while his partner favored rougher rock content. This led to a major rift between them.

That's why, upon seeing the song 'Prose Poem Written by Father,' Li Jian fell in love with it. He genuinely liked this style of music.

Zhao Fusheng's words, like a firefly, instantly illuminated Li Jian's thoughts. He realized that Qingcheng Culture was no different from Shuimu Nianhua for him. If he was going to sing so-called pop music, why had he left Shuimu Nianhua in the first place?

"It seems you understand what I mean now, Brother Li," Zhao Fusheng said with a smile.

"I understand. But you still haven't explained why you dragged me into this," Li Jian asked solemnly.

He wasn't stupid; on the contrary, he was highly intelligent. Naturally, he wouldn't be easily fooled by Zhao Fusheng.

Zhao Fusheng smiled mysteriously: "Brother Li, have you heard of Future Advertising?"