Chapter 120: How Did You Manage to Apply It Like That?

Lin Huiyin had not expected Tang Chong to sing so well.

Perhaps this was the legendary once-in-a-century talent?

He could sing and dance; if such a person were to dedicate himself to the entertainment industry, it would be easy for him to become a star—and more importantly, he wasn't bad-looking.

When Tang Chong first started singing, she had been leisurely drinking water. Gradually, however, the frequency of her sips decreased until she completely forgot she was still holding the cup.

It wasn't until the cup tilted and lukewarm water poured into her slipper that she snapped back to reality.

Lin Huiyin quickly placed the cup on the glass coffee table in front of her. While pouring the water from her slipper into the trash bin, she said, "Not bad."

She was looking down as she spoke, not meeting Tang Chong's face or eyes, but everyone present knew exactly who she was talking about.

To be called "not bad" by Lin Huiyin meant it was truly exceptional. She was not one to offer polite praise, nor would she ever say things she didn't mean.

More importantly, she was a true powerhouse of talent herself. Coming from her, those two words carried immense weight—far more glorious than any "first place in class" trophy Tang Chong had earned back in middle school.

"Oh my, even Huiyin says Little Heart sings well! That’s wonderful!" A-Ken clapped his hands in delight. Tang Chong’s glory was his own. "Su, I previously thought your 'imitation' strategy was quite clever, but now I think it’s bad—very, very bad. If we were to take our Little Heart and debut him solo, he could carve out a world of his own!"

"I hadn't anticipated this either," Bai Su said with a smile. She thought to herself that even if she had known Tang Chong was talented in both arts and combat back then, she probably couldn't have packaged him as a solo act—because his aspirations lay elsewhere.

"He has more important things to do." That was what Bai Su truly believed. Not to mention anyone else, but the woman she had encountered—would she ever be content with her own son spending his life as a mere celebrity?

"What wasn't anticipated?" Zhang Hepburn asked as she walked downstairs, having finished brushing her teeth. "What happened?"

Before anyone could answer, she looked at Tang Chong with a mischievous grin and asked, "Did he sing? Was it terrible?"

"Hmph. Little Heart sings beautifully. It makes my little heart go pit-a-pat—like it’s about to jump out of my chest. So moving," A-Ken said, naturally trying to restore Tang Chong’s reputation.

"No way, right?" Zhang Hepburn didn't believe A-Ken. She plopped down next to Lin Huiyin, hugged her arm, and acted spoiled. "Sister Huiyin, you’re the only one in this room whose words I can trust. Tell me, did Tang Chong sing?"

"He did."

"And?"

"Very well."

Zhang Hepburn’s mouth formed an "O" shape in surprise. She might doubt others, but she had to believe Lin Huiyin, who would never joke about such a thing.

Lin Huiyin fell silent. Zhang Hepburn knew then that what they said was true. Tang Chong could actually sing? And he sang well?

"Can I go on stage?" Tang Chong asked with a smile.

Bai Su and A-Ken exchanged glances. Bai Su said, "Your singing is indeed good, but your voice is ultimately a man's voice. If it were your own solo concert or a guest appearance, that would be fine. But you are currently replacing Tang Xin; your voice must be a female voice. No matter how we package it, we cannot turn a woman's voice into a man's—and while you can use falsetto for singing, you can't just stand on stage and not say a single word, can you?"

"That’s right," A-Ken added, nodding. "Little Heart, don't worry. It’s okay. Let us think some more. I will definitely find a way to get you on that stage."

"Don't stress yourselves out too much," Tang Chong advised. "If I really can't go on stage, then so be it. Losing face is better than being exposed, right?"

"Sigh," A-Ken sighed. "Actually, if we really had to cancel or postpone the concert, aside from the bad press, it wouldn't be the end of the world. We could just work harder later. The main thing is that we can't swallow this insult."

"What do you mean?" Tang Chong asked, puzzled. Was there more to the story?

Bai Su gave a bitter smile. "I told them not to tell you, and it’s not really that big of a deal—it’s just two companies feuding."

"I don't understand," Tang Chong said.

"I know you don't, which is why I didn't think it was necessary to tell you." Bai Su motioned for Tang Chong to sit down. "The Butterfly Group, myself, and A-Ken are all under Huasheng Entertainment, one of the three major music companies in the country."

"Besides Huasheng, the companies EMI and Boyi are also very powerful. EMI is an established king, while Boyi is a rising star. Rumor has it that Boyi’s backer has deep connections and plenty of money. Although they are a new company, they have poached several top-tier superstars and signed a large number of newcomers and A-list artists. As a result, Boyi is now one of the 'three carriages' of the Chinese entertainment industry."

"What does that have to do with us?" Tang Chong asked.

"Boyi’s boss really liked the Butterfly Group’s performance and believed in their potential. He once talked to me privately, wanting to poach me and the group, promising to make Butterfly the top female group in the country. Because we have contracts with our company, we couldn't just leave. Furthermore, I felt Boyi was expanding too rapidly and many things remained unproven. Besides, Butterfly is currently in a growth phase; I couldn't risk your careers, so I rejected him."

"Later, Boyi created another female group called 'T4,' also known as the 'Long-Legged Group.' They chose four beautiful, talented women with long legs, specifically targeting a sexy image. Once launched, they were immediately sought after by fans."

"Because both the Butterfly Group and the Long-Legged Group are female ensembles targeting the younger generation, competition was inevitable—some unconscious, some intentional. This time, the Butterfly Group scheduled concerts in Mingzhu, Yanjing, and Hongtan, and the Long-Legged Group scheduled three concerts at the same time and in the same locations."

"Are they that confident?" Tang Chong sneered.

It was no wonder people said the entertainment industry was a beauty pageant for the powerful and a laundromat for the wealthy. The powerful chose beauties to keep as companions, while the wealthy used it to launder money. Stories of coal magnates spending millions to make their mistresses famous were not entirely false.

The Long-Legged Group was clearly a toy created by Boyi’s backer out of spite after being rejected by Bai Su. They had money and connections, and they were using legitimate means to dominate the industry. Even if you were spitting blood from anger, you couldn't do anything about it.

Whether it was an open plot or a hidden scheme, in the end, it all came down to resources.

"If Tang Xin were here, they wouldn't necessarily win. But now..." Bai Su said, troubled. "If you can't go on stage, or if we cancel or postpone, under Boyi’s manipulation, all the media will attack Butterfly, claiming they were afraid of the Long-Legged Group and backed down due to cowardice."

"If that happens, it will be a permanent stain on the Butterfly Group. Even if they become more successful in the future and win more awards, even if they leave T4 far behind, this wound will never heal. Escaping out of fear will hurt your image and the feelings of the fans who support you. They don't believe you’ll lose, but if you give up on yourselves..."

Tang Chong looked at Bai Su and asked, "Are you making up this story to force me onto that stage?"

"This isn't the first time something like this has happened." Bai Su was speechless at his caution and suspicion. "You can just search it online."

"I will verify it," Tang Chong said.

After talking a bit more, Lin Huiyin and Zhang Hepburn went upstairs to rest. A-Ken and Bai Su discussed things further, and then A-Ken drove off alone, though it was unclear what he was off to do.

Now, only Tang Chong and Bai Su remained in the living room.

"Anything else you want to ask?" Bai Su looked at Tang Chong with a smile.

"What is Boyi’s true goal?" Tang Chong asked. "They wouldn't do something like this just because you rejected them. If they created a competing act every time an artist refused them, do they think they're God?"

"I knew I couldn't fool you." Bai Su shot him a look, placed her two long legs on the table, and said, "Boyi’s boss didn't just want to poach the Butterfly Group; he made some inappropriate demands of me as well. I didn't want to agree, so I refused."

"This was a personal matter, and I shouldn't have refused their acquisition of the group based on my own feelings. Perhaps Butterfly could have had better development at Boyi—that is my selfishness. I couldn't bear to let them go, couldn't bear for them to leave me just as they were spreading their wings. So, I kept them."

"It’s less about him retaliating against the group and more about him retaliating against my perceived insolence. In this industry, it is truly difficult for a woman to get things done."

"I understand. Huiyin and Hepburn should understand as well," Tang Chong comforted her.

He reached out and took Bai Su's foot—delicate and white as jade—from the coffee table, admiring the beautiful dark purple nail polish. He sighed and said, "You are my person now; no one is allowed to bully you. It seems this battle is unavoidable."

Bai Su blushed deeply, pulled her leg away from Tang Chong’s grasp, and chided, "Speak properly! What are you doing, grabbing my foot?"

Tang Chong pointed at her toes and asked with a serious expression, "How exactly did you paint these on?"

"......"