Chapter 114: I, Ye Yuanhang, Shall Set Sail Once More

Ye Yuanhang was fuming; his lungs felt as if they were about to explode. He was already feeling depressed, and his manager had the audacity to tease him. What a pathetic excuse for a manager! He wanted to fire him on the spot.

However, the manager’s expression turned serious. "Yuanhang, I didn't mean to tease you."

Ye Yuanhang scoffed, "Then what did you mean?"

The manager explained, "Think about it. Wuyan released three songs in December all at once. What does that signify?"

Ye Yuanhang thought for a moment and replied, "It signifies that he is incredibly talented."

The manager shook his head. "No, there is a proverb here: things turn into their opposites when they reach the extreme. Wuyan’s three songs occupied the top three spots on the new song chart this month, which is certainly glorious. But a person's inspiration is limited, and so is their energy. Wuyan hogged the spotlight in December, which means he has exhausted all his reserves. Unless something unexpected happens, it is impossible for him to write new songs anytime soon."

Ye Yuanhang glanced at his manager. "Are you suggesting I release a song in January?"

"Exactly!" the manager said. "While Wuyan is weak, we will launch a counterattack. It just so happens that when you released your last song, there was another good track we didn't use. That track can be used to top the charts in January."

Ye Yuanhang pondered for a long time before looking up and saying, "What you say makes a lot of sense, but... I don't trust you."

"That’s fine," the manager replied. "I will go to Yunhai Media to dig for information. This time, we must ensure everything is foolproof."

Over the next few days, the manager exhausted almost all of his connections and gathered several valuable pieces of information:

First, Wuyan really had no intention of writing songs recently.
Second, even Hao Mingxing would not be singing a new song in his next competition.

"Is the information reliable?"
"Absolutely reliable. If this is false, I’ll take my own head off."
"Swear it."
"I swear."

Seeing the manager’s solemn expression as he took the grave oath, Ye Yuanhang finally believed him.

Then, Ye Yuanhang’s spirit soared. "It’s time for me to take the number one spot on the new song chart."

He gathered all his strength, determined to challenge the new song chart in the new year, in the new month. This time, he was going all in. He refused to believe that a person could be unlucky forever. He had suffered three consecutive streaks of bad luck; it was time for his fortune to turn.

Canstar Culture also poured massive energy into Ye Yuanhang’s new release. After confirming again that Wuyan had no intention of writing songs for the next month, the board voted unanimously: Ye Yuanhang would release a new song in January! The honor of being a quasi-superstar must be maintained!

The new song: "Against the Current"!
The meaning: To go against the current, to struggle tenaciously, and to fight against fate!

...

The information from Ye Yuanhang’s manager was accurate. Wang Mo indeed had no plans to write songs in the coming month of January. Having completed two major orders, he decided to slow down. He had no choice; those two orders had brought him too much attention. Sometimes, being too prominent was not a good thing, as it easily attracted unforeseen trouble. Therefore, Wang Mo decided to take a break and focus on his livestreaming.

In fact, over this recent period, Wang Mo’s livestreaming had stabilized. Basically, every time he went live, the viewer count stayed above 30,000. His follower count had also reached 4 million. With these numbers, "Xilou" could be considered a solid top-tier streamer on Douyin.

According to Yuan Xiong, within a month at most, the company would allow Wang Mo to monetize his Douyin account. Perhaps through advertisements or live commerce—it was uncertain. Wang Mo didn't seem to care either way.

However, Yuan Xiong mentioned that the company was in a difficult position because the executives didn't want Wang Mo to do live commerce. After all, live commerce was seen as "low-class" and could easily tarnish his reputation. Since Wang Mo aimed to return to the entertainment industry, building a good reputation was the most critical factor.

Yuan Xiong said, "The executives' intention is to see if there's a way to monetize the livestreams while also building a positive image for you. But they haven't found such a method yet, which is why the monetization plans have been delayed repeatedly."

Wang Mo laughed, "You handle that, Brother Xiong. I'll just follow your advice."

Yuan Xiong nodded. "Alright."

It was now late December, and the weather in Shanghai was getting colder by the day. One day, Wang Mo stood downstairs at the company, wearing a thick down jacket, waiting. Before long, a Hummer pulled up and stopped beside him. Hao Mingxing poked his head out and said, "Brother Mo, get in quickly."

"Right." Wang Mo opened the door and hopped in.

A wave of warmth greeted him. He took off his down jacket and asked, "Brother Xing, how is everyone free today?"

Hao Mingxing laughed, "You were busy during the last get-together, so everyone has been waiting for you. We have a lot of free time now, but New Year's Day is coming soon, followed by the Spring Festival. Everyone will be extremely busy then. So, meeting up with you now is the best opportunity."

Soon, Hao Mingxing brought Wang Mo to a quiet yet elegant restaurant—a hotpot place. Once inside the private room, the cold air was shut out, and the room was filled with steam. Three people were already there: Su Xueyao, Fu Zhuang, and Tang Qinyun. Seeing Wang Mo enter, the three stood up immediately.

"Brother Mo."
"Brother Mo."
"Hello, Brother Mo."

Wang Mo greeted them one by one. Soon, they were all busy eating hotpot, the atmosphere incredibly lively. Tang Qinyun, the young girl, was particularly bubbly, chattering away throughout the meal while busy scalding vegetables and mixing dipping sauces. Her cheerful personality made the hotpot dinner very enjoyable for everyone.

After a while, Wang Mo looked at Su Xueyao. "Xueyao, how have things been lately?"

Su Xueyao put down her chopsticks and said, "I've been busy with the Spring Festival Gala. The rehearsals have officially started. Because 'Invisible Wings' has had such a broad social impact, I've been assigned a solo performance."

A newcomer singer, on her first appearance at the Spring Festival Gala, getting a solo spot—this kind of treatment showed how much importance was being placed on her. But Wang Mo knew this was only natural.

Su Xueyao continued, "Brother Mo, there's also good news you don't know about, right?"

Wang Mo asked, "Oh? What good news?"

Su Xueyao looked at Fu Zhuang with a beaming smile. Fu Zhuang scratched his head in embarrassment. "It’s not even a sure thing yet, Xueyao. Why are you saying it? What if I don't get selected? Wouldn't that be embarrassing?"

Su Xueyao giggled. "I’m at the Spring Festival Gala production team every day, how could I not know the inside story? It’s because you were confirmed that I’m telling you."

Wang Mo’s curiosity grew. "Tell me, what is it?"

Before Fu Zhuang could speak, Su Xueyao blurted out, "A few days ago, Brother Fu also received an invitation from the Spring Festival Gala to perform 'Scales of the Heavens and Earth.' According to information I gathered from the production team, Brother Fu has been confirmed to participate in the gala, and the chances of a solo performance are very high."

These words shocked not only Wang Mo but also Hao Mingxing and Tang Qinyun.

At that moment, Wang Mo felt quite emotional. In his previous life, because Wang Leehom had gotten into trouble, "Scales of the Heavens and Earth" missed the chance to be performed at the Spring Festival Gala. He hadn't expected that in this life, Fu Zhuang would fulfill his regret from his previous life.

As for Hao Mingxing and Tang Qinyun, they were stunned because this meant that at this year’s Spring Festival Gala, Wang Mo would have two songs on the stage! And they would both be high-profile solos!

*Brother Mo! You’re amazing!*

Wang Mo’s heart surged for a moment before he turned to Hao Mingxing. "Brother Xing, what about you? How do you feel on 'Singer Style'?"

Hao Mingxing laughed, "Ever since I sang 'Empty City,' the attitude of everyone in the production team, both the staff and the other singers, has changed a lot. So, I feel pretty good about the show right now. However, I’ve made a decision: for the next round of the competition, I won’t sing the new song you gave me, but will perform a rearranged song instead."

"Oh?" Wang Mo asked, surprised. "Are you confident?"

Hao Mingxing nodded. "The song was carefully selected for me by the show's music teachers. After rearranging it, I practiced it a few times and it sounds pretty good. The next round is the battle for the top eight, and I feel this song is enough. There's no need to waste your new song."

Wang Mo replied, "Better safe than sorry. What if you don't perform well and get eliminated?"

Hao Mingxing laughed, "I won't be eliminated, because I have confidence in the rearranged song."

As he said this, a powerful sense of confidence shone in his eyes. He then added, "Even if the rearranged song doesn't work, even if I sing like crap on stage, the director won't let me be eliminated. At least until the top four. After all, my presence is what brings enough buzz and hype to the show."

Wang Mo gave Hao Mingxing a thumbs up. "Brother Xing, you’ve mastered the essence of variety shows!"

However, this meant that Wang Mo calculated Hao Mingxing would likely perform "He Must Love You Very Much" on the stage of "Singer Style" around early February, which would be the last one or two episodes of the show.

That was fine, too. In Wang Mo’s view, the quality and popularity of "He Must Love You Very Much" surpassed that of "Indifferent" and "Empty City," so having Hao Mingxing save it for the finale would definitely create a greater impact.

Thinking of this, and looking at the four of them chatting and laughing together, Wang Mo felt a sense of pride: his small "Black Alliance" group was beginning to take shape.

But then he thought, "Although I wrote three songs for Brother Xing, I only wrote one for each of the other three. Their foundations are still too thin. It seems that if I want to strengthen the 'Black Alliance,' I need to give each of them one or two more songs."

With this thought, another name popped into his head: the Best Actress, Xu Mengqi. He had given her a song as well, but her status and background made it unlikely she would join the Black Alliance.

Speak of the devil. Wang Mo’s phone suddenly rang. He glanced at the caller ID and smiled knowingly. It was Xu Mengqi.

He answered the phone, and Wang Mo said with a smile, "Sister Qi, I was just thinking about you, and you call me."

Xu Mengqi teased, "It’s only been a few days, and you’ve become such a smooth talker."

Wang Mo replied, "It’s the truth."

Xu Mengqi said, "Alright, enough with the chatter. I’m calling to tell you some news: 'The Ancient Spirit Connection' has been sold to Mango TV and is scheduled to air on New Year’s Day. Since you’re one of the actors, don't miss the premiere."

Wang Mo laughed, "I only appeared on screen for a few seconds; what kind of actor does that make me?"

Xu Mengqi retorted, "Even one second makes you a cast member."

Wang Mo replied, "Alright..."

Xu Mengqi continued, "One more thing. On the night 'The Ancient Spirit Connection' airs, the ending theme song I sang, 'Peach Blossom Promise,' will be released simultaneously on major music platforms. This is the first time I’ve sung such an important song. If the response is good, I’ll treat you to a grand dinner!"

"Then that dinner is on you for sure," Wang Mo laughed heartily.

Not to mention the influence of a Best Actress like Xu Mengqi, just based on the quality of the song "Peach Blossom Promise," once it hit the major music platforms, it was destined to sweep the charts. If you added Xu Mengqi’s fame on top of that, Wang Mo couldn't even imagine how popular "Peach Blossom Promise" would become.

In any case, it would certainly leave the January new song chart in ruins.