HDIEUMDBTSB **Chapter 68: A Promising Future**

 **Volume Two: The Path to Winning Fans**

**Chapter 18: A Promising Future**

People often say that fans' actions shouldn't be blamed on their idols and that idols can't control their fans. However, Chu Zhi has proven that it is entirely possible to manage or at least restrain them.

The five main fan leaders responsible for fundraising quickly left comments.

One comment from "Yikouyigexiaojuzi" (A Bite of Little Orange): "[Respecting Jiu Ge's wishes, we have a clear record of every contribution from 'little fruits,' so we guarantee we can return the money. Jiu Ge, keep up the good work. We 'little fruits' are your strong support.]"

Wei Tongzi, a host on Mango TV, is definitely an insider in the industry. Chasing stars within the same circle isn't unusual and might even turn into a well-known story in the industry. But for an insider to become a fan leader is quite exaggerated, leading conspiracy theorists to imagine all sorts of scenarios. Thus, "Yikouyigexiaojuzi" is her alternate account.

They immediately started refunding the money. Anyone who has handled funds might know that refunding is harder than collecting. Even if everyone is tagged and an announcement is made in the group, not all 'little fruits' will see it promptly.

Wei Tongzi busied herself for an entire night and didn't feel like she was doing something pointless. Although their idol didn't want the money and wouldn't accept it, he had reopened his Weibo comments because of them, allowing them to leave messages of support.

Helping their idol was worth all the trouble and exhaustion, the 'little fruits' believed.

The group formerly known as "Orange Revival," now called "Orange Garden," was discussing major issues.

Mosha: "Refunding a hundred yuan is just the price of a game skin. Supporting Jiu Ge is something I'm willing to do."

Qiyueqingchu: "Agreed, group owner, stop tagging us. Refunding the collected money isn't easy. Don't you know it's easier to invite the gods in than to send them away (super loud jpg)?"

HILDA: "Successfully left a comment. In the time it took to refresh, Jiu Ge's comment section had hundreds of new messages. So great, everyone supports Jiu Ge."

Yumianlangjunmyc: "@Yikouyigexiaojuzi (group owner), have you thought about the fact that many 'little fruits' don't want a refund and still want to support Jiu Ge with money? Could we do charity work in Jiu Ge's name to help more people?"

As expected from someone with 'wolf' in their name, their suggestion was highly constructive, and the 'little fruits' agreed.

Wei Tongzi also found it reasonable. Fans doing charity work for their idol would improve the public's perception of the star.

Chu Zhi has the best public image among all the top celebrities, but Wei Tongzi believed it could always be better.

"Jiu Ge will do his best to help others, so we 'little fruits' doing charity work is practicing our idol's good deeds," Wei Tongzi said. She then notified the whole group.

Around three or four in the morning, quite a few night owls were still active in the Weibo group. They strongly agreed with doing charity in Chu Zhi's name.

Among the fans, some had previously worked for charitable organizations, and there were professionals like lawyers who began discussing the specific details.

Ruoduozhixia: "Have you thought about giving A Jiu a gift?"

A familiar ID, Ruoduozhixia, had previously suggested changing the name of a fan, Qingshuangyanyu, during the karaoke incident when she couldn't change her nickname back. This person was the first to suggest the idea, proving that anyone who noticed Chu Zhi and followed the trending topic was likely converted into a fan.

Ruoduozhixia then posted a screenshot—

It was from the official Guinness World Records account congratulating Wu Tang on setting a record in March last year. Wu Tang's Weibo post at twenty-five years old had over 47 million retweets, earning the "most retweeted post on Weibo" certification.

Comparatively, the Earth record is not far off. The leader of TF Boys had 42 million retweets on his fifteenth birthday, also earning a Guinness record.

Ruoduozhixia continued typing: "Didn't A Jiu say he hopes we leave messages of support in his comment section? Could we possibly create a Guinness record for the most comments?"

Mentioning the Guinness World Records immediately broadened their scope. The idea was a two-in-one: leaving supportive comments for their idol and demonstrating the power of the 'orange fans' to the outside world.

Wei Tongzi and the other 'little fruits' felt like a new world had opened up for them. They realized they had been too conservative in their thinking.

Reflecting on their idol's struggles with depression and debt, they felt a strong sense of responsibility and were energized to achieve the Guinness World Record for the most comments on Weibo.

Someone had looked up the current record. The most commented Weibo post was by Su Yiwu a few years ago on his eighteenth birthday, with over 30 million comments.

After some discussion, the fan leaders decided they needed at least 50 million comments to surpass the record significantly and qualify for the Guinness World Record.

Fifty million comments were a staggering number and a difficult task. Even with a million participants, each would need to leave fifty comments.

However, underestimating passionate young fans would be a mistake. The current Guinness World Record for the most comments on a Weibo post was set by Luhan's fans, with over 100 million comments.

Chu Zhi had no idea his fans were planning two major surprises for him. The next day, he participated in the final recording of "Dream of the Red Chamber." The event went smoothly and concluded successfully.

The show's director, Meng Teng, hosted a dinner to celebrate the unexpectedly high ratings. During the meal, Chu Zhi reminded Wei Tongzi to take care of her health, as her eyes looked as if she had a red-eye effect turned on.

The China Poetry Network had not been updated for about ten days. As Chu Zhi's life returned to normal, he selected two poems to publish.

["Life"

Death belongs to life, just as birth does.

Lifting a foot is walking, just as putting it down is also walking.

"Untitled"

I have suffered, I have been disappointed, I have experienced "death," so I take joy in my existence in this great world.]

Chu Zhi had not appeared in the "Daily Good Poems" section for a while, and poets who were eager for attention believed their protests against favoritism had succeeded.

The black clouds dispersed, and the 500-yuan sky returned to the public.

"Hehe, a steamed bun a day, I’m back again, everyone." Chu Zhi successfully published his poems.

Great, done. Chu Zhi checked the time and saw that there was still a while before his appointment to meet Yang Chu at Sun River. The program ended, so he first enjoyed a Meimeng Miaomiao chocolate.

After the show, there was no need to maintain a state of constant nightmares. Chu Zhi had a voucher for a song and a piece of chocolate in his mind. 

He ate the chocolate in a few bites and commented, "Apart from the lack of chocolate flavor, this piece is not bad."

His body felt a noticeable but subtle change, like shedding an invisible cloak that, while not heavy, felt burdensome. Now, it felt as if the cloak had been removed.

"Immediate effect. If only this chocolate could be mass-produced. Poor sleep quality due to nightmares is a common issue in modern urban life."

Making a few small targets with just one product would be completely feasible. He had seriously discussed this matter with the system. The system's response was simple: "The system's function is to create a unique star, not to develop pharmaceuticals."

"Normal bowel movements mean a promising future." After a trip to the bathroom, Chu Zhi continued recording his album.

Why do albums sound better than live performances? Because each track can be repeatedly recorded, combining the best takes of a few lines or even half-lines. Simply put, the recording studio is like a game where you can save progress and revive at any point. Even the clumsiest player can succeed.

In the studio, details can be meticulously polished word by word. Ensuring coherence and musicality is where the producer's role shines.

Songs typically begin with either a melody or lyrics. Remaining questions include whether to hire an arranger, which instruments to use based on the melody and lyrics, and whether to record externally or internally. Even if the budget allows for internal recording, should it be analog or digital?

The album's budget also needs to be controlled by the producer; otherwise, overspending would mean settling for lo-fi quality instead of hi-fi.

Some young singers claim to be their own music producers to shape their public persona, when in reality, they just take on some traditional producer roles while the company handles the rest. Fans, unaware, praise their idol for being versatile, but it's not the same.

"Xu Gao, who’s been drained dry, is genuinely versatile, handling all aspects of album production, even getting involved in mastering—coincidentally, I need to put on the same act."

Chu Zhi smiled smugly. His real intention was not to praise Xu Gao but to highlight the difficulty of the task.

It took over four hours to record just one song, leaving him speechless. The album's quality didn't need to be outstanding, but it had to be at least decent.

"Before I traveled back in time, I read a news article about Zhang Liangying recording fourteen songs in four hours, mostly in one take. Is such a terrifying talent really possible?" Chu Zhi sighed.

He wished the system had a way to improve his singing skills, similar to Lin Zhixuan, Han Lei, or Liu Huan. The former recorded his album "One.take" in a live session with a TV station, completing each song in one take.

"Does the system have a singing skills option? Having 'Despairing Voice' and 'Perfect Non-Lyrics Voice' doesn't seem sufficient." Chu Zhi inquired, remembering that apart from Vitas's vocal talent, there didn't seem to be a similar option in the blind box.

[It belongs to the rare blind box category, with very few available.] The system responded.

As long as it exists, Chu Zhi felt confident, even though he hadn't drawn any special prizes yet.

He couldn’t rely entirely on the blind box. When he signs with a management company, he plans to hire a vocal coach to learn techniques, keeping the initiative in his own hands.

Half an hour later, Chu Zhi, wearing a baseball cap, prepared to go out. Standing in front of the full-length mirror, he marveled at his appearance, feeling that the myth of Narcissus might be real.

"My hair is a bit long, covering my eyes. I need to get a haircut when I have time."

His original appearance was excellent—not only did he have good skin, but his hair was also black and thick without getting oily.

His destination was Yuzhilan, reachable by taking Line 4 and exiting at Jing'an Temple.

Yuzhilan is a famous private restaurant in Shanghai, with an average spending of about 2,000 yuan per person. The head chef, Lan Guijun, is highly renowned in the Sichuan cuisine world, and the restaurant’s signature dish, "Gold Thread Knife Noodles," is quite a gimmick.

Whether the food was good or not didn’t matter to Chu Zhi. He chose the place for its ambiance. Yang Chuanhe, the CEO of Solar River, and the heavily pregnant head of the artist department had come from Beijing.

The company's headquarters are in Beijing, as are most headquarters in the entertainment industry, providing fertile ground for the residents of Chaoyang District.

A message from a fan, Damao's Apprentice: "Jiu Ge, you don't need to mention my name. I didn't help much."

Before dining, Chu Zhi glanced at the message and replied.

After sampling the dishes without drinking any alcohol, both sides began their discussion. The conversation was polite, with both sides tugging back and forth over details.

In business, without a personal connection, concessions mean losses. After a lengthy negotiation of about forty minutes, they agreed on a "2+ Cooperation" model.

2 means exactly 2, not 3. It’s a two-year S++ contract, followed by two years where Solar River will support the establishment of a studio using their resources, forming a close cooperative relationship with the studio.

The two S++ additional conditions are "no company share of merchandise revenue" and "autonomous selection of the management team."

Choosing scripts or endorsements doesn’t need to be written into the contract; if you’re popular, no one can force you to choose.

"Happy cooperation. Joining Solar River will definitely give you a brighter future." Yang Chuanhe stood up to shake hands.


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