Chu Zhi's new album 25,117 Possibilities had been announced for a March release. Now Lin Xia, Li Xingwei, and Wu Xi were all dropping albums at the same time—coincidence?
Chu Zhi didn't believe in coincidences. "There are always villains plotting against me." Variety shows avoided pitting top stars against each other, let alone album releases. Did they think this was Earth in the early 2000s during the golden age of pop battles?
After mentally running through eight million conspiracy theories, Chu Zhi asked, "Is this because my album is free?"
Niu Jiangxue was momentarily surprised by how quickly he connected the dots but quickly regained her composure. "Brother Nine figured it out. No matter what, pitting sales-driven albums against a free one is a no-lose scenario for them. It's a guaranteed win."
"Oh?" Chu Zhi raised an eyebrow. "What if my album sweeps the market and crushes theirs?"
Clearly, Li Xingwei wasn't worried. He was itching to take Chu Zhi down a peg. Regardless of whether his earlier provocations were orchestrated by Da Hua Entertainment, this time it was personal—he'd even argued with his own manager over it.
Ever since Chu Zhi's lawsuit against Kaifeng Entertainment, Da Hua had gone radio silent, pretending they'd never targeted anyone while quietly importing more Korean idols.
Li Xingwei had won I Am a Singer, but most viewers called his victory stolen. Who could tolerate that?
Besides, he was one of the "Soaring Ambition" duo—a man who'd always looked down on others. In his eyes, Chu Zhi was just a "scandal-ridden has-been" who'd milked his victim narrative for sympathy. "If things were really that bad, he'd have offed himself already. Surviving just proves he's faking it."
Lin Xia, perpetually on the cusp of top-tier stardom, had no beef with Chu Zhi. His March release was purely to settle scores with Li Xingwei. Despite their cordial "dual champions" act on I Am a Singer, he secretly wanted to stab the guy.
Put bluntly: Lin Xia respected Chu Zhi's talent but saw Li Xingwei as a fraud who needed to be put in his place.
As for Wu Xi's Greatest Hits compilation? Pure revenge. Chu Zhi had eliminated him on I Am a Singer with "Waves of Wheat." This was his chance to strike back.
"Then I'm on board. If three rivals are gunning for Brother Chu, we need all the ammunition we can get," Fei Ge conceded, despite his earlier reservations about ROI.
The other PR managers quickly fell in line. Li Xingwei and Lin Xia were formidable opponents, and Wu Xi had a loyal rock fanbase.
"This sister is seriously intense," Fei Ge thought, sneaking a glance at Wang Yuan.
Dressed in a gray power suit, A-line skirt, and black heels, Wang Yuan radiated such dominance that Fei didn't dare entertain any unprofessional thoughts.
"Wang Yuan seems like a die-hard fan—too emotionally invested. Fei Ge is all data, no instinct. Old Qian and the others each have their own agendas. This team won't be easy to manage."
Under immense pressure, Niu Jiangxue silently recited her mantra: "Things are getting interesting."
Noticing the tense atmosphere, she steered the conversation back on track: "Brother Nine, what's your artistic vision for the historical MV?"
"I want it to promote Hanfu culture and showcase five thousand years of traditional Chinese aesthetics," Chu Zhi said diplomatically.
Fei Ge and Wang Yuan exchanged glances. How the hell do we fit "cultural promotion" and "five millennia of aesthetics" into one MV?
Niu Jiangxue looked down at her flat chest (a fleeting moment of sorrow) before refocusing. Translating Chu Zhi's high-EQ phrasing into blunt terms: He just wants to look pretty.
"Let's start by discussing the most stunning historical costumes you've seen, or your favorite styles," she suggested.
"At least she's got the comprehension skills of a middle-school honors student," Chu Zhi mentally applauded.
Everyone had iconic historical looks in mind. Ideas flew fast as Niu took notes:
The Silver-Haired Immortal: Who could resist an aloof, godlike figure gazing down on mortals like ants?
"Most actors butcher this trope, but Brother Nine could pull it off," said Wang Yuan, a longtime historical drama fan. "The world's suffered enough ugly 'immortals.'"
The Demonic Temptress: A gender-bending, bewitching villain post-corruption.
The Bloodied General: Armor shattered, fighting to his last breath on the battlefield.
The Strategist Scholar: Fan in hand, treating the world as his chessboard.
The Wandering Swordsman: A carefree drunkard who slays monsters between swigs of wine.
Niu slammed the metaphorical gavel: "We'll hire a writer to script a 5-minute short. The protagonist cycles through five identities—scholar, general, celestial emperor, demon, and drunken swordsman. Minimal dialogue, key text via subtitles."
"If I were the writer, I'd throw my keyboard at these demands," Chu Zhi mused.
Five identity shifts in one MV? Even with an extended runtime (most capped at 4.5 minutes), this was essentially a glorified costume showcase.
But—
These archetypes covered most male lead tropes in historical dramas. "Maybe I should show the film industry how it's done."
With the album already recorded, he greenlit the MV.
"Then I'll leave it to you all," Chu Zhi said, departing as his assistant Xiao Zhu—a recent grad—prepped the company van.
The real work began after Chu Zhi left. Under Niu's direction, the team tackled endorsement deals as the business manager joined.
"Our running-in period with Brother Nine is short, and due to... past circumstances, he currently has zero sponsorships. We'll need to expedite this—overtime pay guaranteed," Niu explained.
"Workaholic," Old Qian thought, blaming his aged appearance on chronic overtime (and definitely not his nocturnal browsing habits).
Wang Yuan agreed, though her posture relaxed noticeably without Chu Zhi present.
"She's actually kind of sexy when she's not in battle mode," Fei Ge noted, carefully keeping his gaze professional.
"Twenty-plus brands reached out this week," the business manager reported.
"Brother Nine's clout is unmatched," Wang Yuan said. "I suggest blacklisting any brands that previously dropped him."
"We've prescreened seven new candidates with strong value and sincerity," the manager assured, distributing dossiers.
Two hours later, they'd narrowed it down to three.
"Old Qian, handle initial outreach and pricing," Niu directed.
Standard industry practice: Business managers filtered options, execution brokers negotiated terms, and only then did the artist choose. Bureaucratic, but battle-tested.
A competent team was a godsend. By the next day, Niu had already shortlisted directors and stylists for Chu Zhi's approval.