AFVSIBS Chapter 165: To Invite Zhou Chen, Go Directly to the CEO

Zhao Liang naturally understood the point the staff member was making; this was precisely the effect he desired.

For him, it didn't matter if it was positive or negative attention; as long as there was controversy and focus, it was fine.

Thus, he confidently said, "Just go ahead and announce it. I thought about it last night, and with Zhou Chen's talent, Jiang Lin's challenge won't stump him."

"Alright, I'll have someone announce it right away."

With that, the staff member immediately went to handle the matter.

Soon, the final six group matchups for "Our Music" were announced online, including the creative themes each group set for their PK opponents.

"Didn't expect 'Our Music' to play it so thrillingly this time. This is going to be interesting."

"The most interesting is Zhou Chen's group; their opponents are Jiang Lin's group. In the past two episodes, they were the first and second place respectively. Now that they're facing off, it's sure to be explosive."

"Damn, I didn't notice until you mentioned it. And the theme Jiang Lin's group gave Zhou Chen is too difficult: just the two characters 'Buddha's Foot.'"

"'Buddha's Foot' is indeed a tough theme. It might be easier for writing a novel, but for creating a song, these two characters are too obscure and unusual. It's hard to even know where to start."

"That's the brilliance of Jiang Lin. On the other hand, Zhou Chen's theme for them, 'Doesn't Matter,' is much simpler."

"Anyway, I believe in Zhou Chen's talent. Let's just wait for this Friday. Zhou Chen won't let us down."

...

Just as Zhao Liang had predicted, the program group's announcement immediately sparked huge online interest.

Initially, everyone discussed the program group's unexpected idea.

Gradually, they began to focus on the fact that Zhou Chen and Wu Heng's PK opponents were Jiang Lin and Lu Jie.

This made things interesting.

Especially when they saw the creative theme "Buddha's Foot" given by Jiang Lin's group, the buzz grew significantly.

Due to the obscurity of "Buddha's Foot," some netizens began to worry that Zhou Chen might struggle with the theme.

Others, however, had unwavering faith in Zhou Chen's talent.

For a while, the phrase "Buddha's Foot" even trended on the hot search list.

Zhou Chen's influence was once again powerfully demonstrated.

"Director Wei, Zhou Chen is really something. The 'Our Music' program group just announced this information, and because 'Buddha's Foot' is his next creative theme, it shot up to the hot search list."

On the other side, Feng Lili, the assistant of "Music 2023," couldn't help but comment to Wei Wentao after seeing the online buzz.

"Yes, that's why I value him so much and want to invite him to our 'Music 2023,'" Wei Wentao nodded.

"Unfortunately, he's so stubborn, insisting we start at 6:00 PM. If it were any other condition, we could agree."

"Let's see what happens this Friday. If he can continue to bring a 4.0 rating to 'Our Music,' we might consider changing the rule for him."

This was something Wei Wentao had pondered over for a long time last night.


    At this moment, unbeknownst to him, Cheng Qiang, the person in charge of another variety show, "Sino-Foreign Music Festival," had already contacted Wanhe's CEO, Chen Jie, through his connections.

Cheng Qiang was currently in Chen Jie's office, sipping tea.

After explaining his purpose to Chen Jie, Chen Jie immediately called Wan Fangfang and Zhou Chen, asking them to come over.

"President Chen, you wanted to see us?" Wan Fangfang asked politely after arriving at Chen Jie's office with Zhou Chen.

"This is Mr. Cheng Qiang, the chief director of 'Sino-Foreign Music Festival.' Lao Cheng, this is Zhou Chen, and this is Zhou Chen's manager," Chen Jie introduced them.

"Hello, Director Cheng. It's nice to meet you," Wan Fangfang immediately stepped forward to shake hands.

Zhou Chen, on the other hand, seemed indifferent, only greeting Cheng Qiang out of politeness.

It wasn't that he didn't understand social niceties; in his previous life, he understood them better than anyone and cared more about them than anyone. But now, he didn't want to go out of his way to please anyone or live such a tiring life.

"Hello, Zhou Chen. I'm glad we could meet here. I've heard you're a straightforward person, so I'll get straight to the point. I'm here to invite you to participate in a variety show I'm producing called 'Sino-Foreign Music Festival.'"

Cheng Qiang didn't waste time, directly stating his purpose for coming to Wanhe.

"Director Cheng, this 'Sino-Foreign Music Festival' is a new show, right? I haven't heard of it before," Wan Fangfang asked curiously.

"Yes, it's newly created, which is why we need top talents like Zhou Chen to support it."

"Did you bring information about the show? Zhou Chen has a habit of thoroughly reviewing a show's information before deciding whether to participate," Wan Fangfang said, knowing Zhou Chen's preferences.

"No need for all that. Just tell me the show's broadcast time," Zhou Chen interjected.

"Straightforward, I like your style. Don't worry, our show airs at the prime time of 9 PM, when viewers are available to watch live. It won't affect viewership at all," Cheng Qiang said, still unaware of Zhou Chen's actual concern, thinking Zhou Chen was worried about the show not airing during prime time.

Wan Fangfang, familiar with Zhou Chen, sensed the atmosphere turning sour, especially since they were in President Chen's office.

"Sorry, but I won't be participating in your variety show," Zhou Chen said without hesitation upon hearing the broadcast time was 9 PM.

"This..."

Cheng Qiang was instantly embarrassed. He had anticipated the possibility of rejection but hadn't expected it to be so quick and decisive.

"Zhou Chen, Lao Cheng has been a friend of mine for many years. Could you explain your reason for declining? Feel free to speak openly; we're all friends here," Chen Jie intervened to ease the tension.

Cheng Qiang smiled and chimed in, "Yes, if you have any requirements, just let me know. I'll do my best to accommodate you. I also told your President Chen earlier that money is not an issue if you're willing to join our show. Although we're a new program, we're willing to spend on top talents like you."

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