Chapter 12: Yida Film and Television

Speaking of Oasis Real Estate, Garen couldn’t possibly be unaware of it—after all, the apartment complex he was renting had been developed by Oasis Real Estate just a few years ago!

From Zhao Liang, he learned that back when Wen Tao was a bar singer, he’d caught the eye of Shi Li. At the time, Wen Tao already had a girlfriend, but Shi Li had forcibly broken them up through her schemes. After getting together, Shi Li, in order to promote her boyfriend, put him on the stage of Dream Show and even started an entertainment company for him—Star Stone. The very bar they were in now had also been funded by Shi Li.

Hearing this, Wu Yusheng suddenly understood. “Ah, that makes sense. I’d heard Wen was supposed to sign with Dream Starlight, but suddenly he signed with another entertainment company. That’s why his weekly champion spot didn’t last long before he got knocked out!”

“Heh, to tell you the truth, Star Stone reached out to me a few days ago, asking me to sign with them. I said I’d consider it! They’re just a newly established company, so I'm a bit worried!”

Zhao Liang’s indecisiveness, worrying about both sides, was why he hadn’t signed with Dream Starlight and ended up not even winning a weekly championship.

Listening to them drift back into talking about the industry, Garen lost interest. He picked at his food for a bit, then stood up. “You all take your time! I’m really tired, so I’ll head out first!”

“Alright! Don’t forget you’re treating us tomorrow!” Zhao Liang said with a grin.

Wu Yusheng stood up. “Wait for me! Let’s go together—I’ll give you a lift, it’s on my way.”

“Oh! Sure.”

Garen and Wu Yusheng gathered their things, said goodbye to Wen Tao, and left together.

As soon as they stepped outside, Garen asked, “Wu, why are you leaving so early too?”

“Come on, they’re a couple—I’m not going to be the third wheel!” Wu Yusheng said casually.

Garen was momentarily stunned. No wonder Zhao Liang always hovered around Aiya every night, barely letting her out of his sight. If she so much as exchanged a few words with another man, Zhao Liang would get jealous. So the two of them were actually together!

“What are you thinking about? Don’t just stand there—get in the car!”

Looking up, Garen saw that Wu Yusheng had actually driven himself. The car was only worth a few tens of thousands, but still, it was a car!

“Wow, Wu, you’ve got yourself a car now!”

Garen got into the passenger seat and grinned. “I’ve got to learn from you!”

“It’s secondhand! Cost just over twenty grand!” Wu Yusheng said, half laughing, half exasperated. “You could buy two of these with a single night’s worth of your tips, so don’t give me that fake modesty!”

Though it was already three in the morning, the area around Houhai was still busy with cars. With limited visibility at night, Wu Yusheng’s small car had trouble making its way out.

As the car slowly edged forward, Garen suddenly spotted two black luxury cars parked one behind the other by the roadside. The car in the back was shaking.

A few seconds later, a man stepped out of the back car, pulling up his pants. It was the same chubby guy who’d been showing off in the bar earlier.

“Hey, Wu, isn’t that the fat guy from earlier?”

“Don’t get involved! People like that are way out of our league,” Wu Yusheng said with a quick glance.

Garen stared out the window. To his shock, the fat man, after straightening his clothes, dragged someone out of the car. Though the person’s hair was a mess and her face was obscured, Garen instantly recognized the outfit—it was Liu Qianqian!

A chill crept down Garen’s spine. He’d seen things like this happen before, but this time was different—Liu Qianqian was a minor celebrity, after all. They’d all just been together earlier, and now this…

But thinking it over, Garen quickly let it go. People live for fame and fortune, especially in the entertainment world—a wild mix of all sorts. Only those who know how to make tough choices can preserve their integrity.

Back home, Garen collapsed onto his bed. Knowing he’d have to get up early the next day to meet the young man, he pulled out the business card he’d been given and finally read the details:

Liu Xiahui, shareholder of Yida Group, CEO of Yida Film & TV.

Using his new computer, Garen looked up information about this man online. To his surprise, the man’s background was even more impressive than he’d imagined. The detailed profile made his head spin: Liu Xiahui was a bona fide super-rich second-generation heir, already thirty-eight years old, and the only male heir to a vast family fortune.

His wife was a world-famous French model who’d given him twin mixed-race children, but he was still surrounded by beautiful women and constant scandal.

A few months ago, he’d started dating a sophomore at the Film Academy, lavishly investing in a movie for her. The film was still in production and set for a summer release.

Even though Liu Xiahui was approaching forty, online comments suggested he had a youthful mindset and got along well with young people.

Netizens affectionately referred to him as “God Hui.”

The nickname had an origin: once, on Weibo, he’d mocked an actor who’d won the Golden Watch Award for Best Actor, saying, “If that’s the best actor, then my acting should be called divine.” Netizens picked up on this and started calling him “God Hui,” and he embraced the moniker, often using it to poke fun at himself.

Even his own father joked, sharing one of his Weibo posts with the caption, “This is our family’s God Hui!”

Because of this, his father was dubbed “the Divine Father.”

Yida Group was a massive private enterprise, its core industries spanning real estate, hotels, culture, and finance. Its investments and reach were enormous, and the family’s accumulated wealth was the greatest in Asia.

Yida Film & TV was a subsidiary under Yida’s cultural division, currently managed directly by Liu Xiahui. Thanks to heavy investment and an extensive network, they’d produced many hit films, TV series, and variety shows in recent years.

The next morning at 10:20.

Following the address, Garen arrived at the Yida Film & TV building ten minutes early.

He called Liu Xiahui, introduced himself, and was instructed to take the elevator straight to the thirtieth floor.

When the elevator doors opened, Garen was surprised to see Liu Xiahui himself waiting with his female secretary.

“Right on time! Come on, let me show you around!”

Liu Xiahui greeted him with a big hug—utterly unpretentious.

His voluptuous secretary led the way, with the two men walking side by side behind her, making Garen feel almost like some high-ranking official inspecting the workplace.

The president’s office alone took up an entire floor of the building, with other departments occupying several more.

As expected of an entertainment company, Yida Film & TV’s employees all seemed quirky and creative, with fashionable clothes and hairstyles.

Most striking of all, they seemed to have no fear of Liu Xiahui, joking with him without restraint.

Even the company’s decor was playful, with the office area resembling a café.

Liu Xiahui brought Garen into his personal office. Once seated, he gave Garen an outline of the film’s story.

The movie was called “Youth in the Wind,” telling the story of a music-loving boy and a dance-loving girl’s campus romance.

The boy, the lead singer of a band, would be played by the popular young idol Li Fengfeng. The female lead was Liu Xiahui’s new girlfriend, Yang Xue, marking her screen debut.

The plot was formulaic, leaning into nostalgia for youth—which happened to be the current trend.

In the story, the male lead enters a music competition for the sake of the girl and ultimately wins with an original song.

That original song, Liu Xiahui explained, was to be Garen’s “Just Once.”

“Garen, you haven’t signed with any company yet, have you?” Liu Xiahui suddenly asked.

“No,” Garen replied, shaking his head.

“Excellent!” Liu Xiahui said. “I thought about it more on my way home yesterday—film and music are inseparable. So I’m planning to spin off the company’s music production department and turn it into a brand. Why don’t you sign with us? You won’t regret it!”

“This…”

The sudden offer left Garen unsure how to respond. He wasn’t a celebrity and knew nothing of the industry’s ins and outs. After the nightmare with Lin Ruiliang, he was wary of contracts, and besides, he had his doubts—Yida’s core was film and TV, and although both were entertainment, music and film were two very different worlds. Could they really succeed in music?

Sensing Garen’s hesitation, Liu Xiahui reassured him. “We’ve actually been doing music for years—soundtracks for our shows and movies were initially outsourced, but in recent years we’ve started producing our own. Yida also has a mature distribution network, and many record companies now use us to release their albums. So this isn’t a spur-of-the-moment idea!”

“I believe in the company’s strength,” Garen replied, “but I’ve only been at Wen’s bar for less than a month. The only reason I’m here is because he gave me a chance. If I leave now, it wouldn’t be right.”

Liu Xiahui laughed. “You really don’t need to worry about that! If we’re building a music division, it’ll take some time—from initial preparations to official launch, say three months at the fastest. During that period, you can keep singing at the bar. We’ll negotiate your performances with them, and the company will also plan lots of projects to boost your popularity. If you sign with us, you’ll just be busier than before—and make more money, too!”

Seeing Garen still hesitate, Liu Xiahui sweetened the deal. “If you agree, every show we’re producing now will use your songs. Whether it’s fame or fortune you want, you’ll get it easily!”

The opening and closing songs in movies and TV were the fastest way to make a song a hit. Many classic songs had become famous through shows—sometimes the song outshined the show itself.

“Alright, I’m in!”

With the offer laid out so clearly, Garen knew that if he refused, Liu Xiahui might turn against him, and the plan for “Once You” as the movie’s theme song would fall through.

When Garen agreed, Liu Xiahui broke into a broad smile. “Welcome to Yida!”

He picked up the phone on his desk and dialed. “Old Li, come to my office! And bring Old Wu with you!”