AFVSIBS ### Chapter 171: "Last-Minute Efforts" to Be Launched

Chen Xiaoyu was extremely displeased that he was not the first choice for "Music 2023" but rather Zhou Chen. After all, he was a top-tier superstar with numerous achievements, whereas Zhou Chen was just a newly debuted trainee.

"Mr. Chen, it seems like Wei Wentao and his team had Zhou Chen as their first choice. I reckon they only chose to invite you because Zhou Chen agreed to participate in 'Sino-Foreign Music Festival.' They had no other option but to choose you since only your influence can compete with Zhou Chen," a staff member analyzed.

"That Wei Wentao! I refuse to be the second choice. I’ll call him right now to settle this," Chen Xiaoyu fumed.

"Mr. Chen, wait. Consider looking at this from a different perspective," the staff member quickly advised.

"What do you mean?" Chen Xiaoyu asked.

"Think about it, Mr. Chen. You and Zhou Chen are both participating in shows on the same day. This is a perfect opportunity to prove to everyone that you are still the top-tier superstar. Zhou Chen’s recent popularity and trending status are only because he hasn't faced you head-to-head," the staff member explained.

Chen Xiaoyu thought for a moment and nodded, agreeing with the logic.

"When the time comes, we can mobilize your fan base and easily dominate the trending lists. It’s even possible to take over the top ten spots. As for Zhou Chen, even if he trends, it’ll be far below you. This is an excellent opportunity to show who is stronger," the staff member added, hitting the nail on the head for Chen Xiaoyu.

"Alright, let’s do it your way," Chen Xiaoyu said happily.

"Great, then we don't need to bother with Wei Wentao. Besides, they offered a high price, so we can take the money without any guilt."

"Money isn’t the point. The important thing is to show everyone that Zhou Chen is nothing compared to me," Chen Xiaoyu said confidently.

Meanwhile, Zhou Chen was unaware of the news online. His agent, Wan Fangfang, had seen the news and shared it with him.

"Zhou Chen, Wei Wentao has invited Chen Xiaoyu to 'Music 2023,' and you two will be on the same show. This will likely increase the online attention and discussion," Wan Fangfang said.

"Fangfang, are you saying they might intentionally steer the topic towards comparing the influence between me and Chen Xiaoyu?" Zhou Chen quickly caught on, given his past experience in the entertainment industry.

"Exactly. They need the buzz. I suspect Chen Xiaoyu also sees it this way. Before you appeared, he was the acknowledged top-tier superstar, and his shows guaranteed high ratings. Now that you’ve burst onto the scene, he wants to prove he’s still the top," Wan Fangfang analyzed.

"It doesn’t matter. Let him prove whatever he wants. If he likes, I can even tweet acknowledging him as the top star," Zhou Chen said nonchalantly.

Zhou Chen didn’t care about such vanity titles anymore. In his past life on Earth, he cared too much, working tirelessly and exhausting himself. Now, he just wanted to live without such burdens. 

"You might not care, but others do. With both of you on the same show, there will be endless comparisons and discussions. Be prepared for that," Wan Fangfang warned.

"I don't need to prepare for anything. I’m not even thinking about it. I’m just focused on making enough money to buy a nice villa," Zhou Chen replied.

With his three-year contract still in effect, making money to buy a villa had become one of Zhou Chen’s top priorities.

"If you’re so eager to make money to buy a villa, how about we arrange for you to take some advertisements? What do you think?" Wan Fangfang suggested.

"I can take ads, but I need to personally vet and use the products before considering them. Also, the company can’t interfere with my decisions. I want the freedom to accept or reject any brand," Zhou Chen stipulated.

Zhou Chen made this request to ensure he wouldn’t endorse products that might deceive his fans, who he felt were innocent and didn’t deserve to be misled.

In his past life in the Earth’s entertainment industry, Zhou Chen had seen too many celebrities endorse problematic products just to earn advertising fees. He was determined not to do such things.

"Fine, as long as you're willing to endorse, that’s good enough. We’ll help you find products with decent quality for you to choose from," Wan Fangfang said.

She used to work with top-tier celebrities, and many of them were very cautious with endorsements to avoid negative publicity. She understood why Zhou Chen had such a requirement.

"Besides taking on advertisements, you could also release more songs. Right now, every song you release has very high download numbers. Posting new songs is essentially a guaranteed profit," Wan Fangfang continued.

"Alright," Zhou Chen agreed.

However, he wasn't in a rush. He planned to release a new single after he and Wu Heng finished participating in this week's "Our Music."

As for Wu Heng, he had been practicing the song "Last-Minute Efforts" over the past few days. Although the song wasn't particularly difficult and was easy to sing, he cherished this opportunity.

He knew this was a rare chance in his life. If he could seize it, his future would be bright.

Time quickly passed, and soon it was Friday. After having a simple meal, Zhou Chen, Wu Heng, and Wan Fangfang drove to Starfruit TV.

Once again, they were the last group of artists to arrive.

However, this time Jiang Lin and Lu Jie didn't seem as displeased or angry as before. In their minds, tonight would be the best chance to defeat Zhou Chen and Wu Heng, allowing them to vent all their previous frustrations.

"Zhou Chen, you finally arrived. So, how was it? Wasn’t it tough coming up with a song for the 'Last-Minute Efforts' theme? Did you rack your brain and still fail to find good inspiration?" Jiang Lin stepped out with an arrogant look and taunted Zhou Chen.

"Not really," Zhou Chen replied simply with two words and then ignored Jiang Lin, brushing past him.


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