Xue Qian stared at the commercial endorsement contract before him, nearly blacking out from shock. The black-and-white terms clearly stated that he would need to endorse all industries under the Wanlong Group for five years, hold all future signing events exclusively at Wanlong Group venues, and unconditionally comply with the company's demands for several fixed annual performances—no breaches allowed.
Though the contract terms were harsh, he might have accepted them if the compensation were generous. But when he saw the amount listed—just 7 yuan—he froze.
Sure, he loved the number 7, but seven yuan for five years of endorsement? This wasn't just exploitation—it was daylight robbery!
This wasn't an endorsement contract; it was a blatantly one-sided deal. Were they taking advantage of him because he wasn't a big-name star?
And she called herself his fan? What kind of fan treated their idol like this?
Xue Qian wanted to refuse, but as he looked at the girl in front of him, the words stuck in his throat.
At the critical moment, his manager, Wang Lixing, stepped in to save the situation. "Um… Miss Liu, even if our Qianqian wanted to sign this, the company would never approve it. You might not be aware, but endorsement contracts like this have to go through the agency first."
Earlier, Liu Yutong had briefly introduced herself, so both Xue Qian and Wang Lixing knew her name.
Liu Yutong replied calmly, "I know. So, Teacher Xue Qian, you should first terminate your contract with your agency."
Xue Qian: "???"
Are you joking?
The termination fee is sky-high—where would I get that kind of money?
I couldn’t afford it even if I sold my soul!
When he first signed with the agency, the contract explicitly stated a penalty of ten times the initial signing fee—three million yuan at the time, meaning a whopping thirty million in damages.
He didn’t have that kind of money—not even a fraction of it. Otherwise, he wouldn’t have been hustling to fund his own album.
"Uh… Miss Liu, isn’t this a bit too rash?"
"You said the contract wouldn’t pass review, right? Then solve the problem first—sign once you’re free to make your own decisions. If you need a lawyer, I can provide one for free."
Zhao Tianyi adjusted his glasses and stepped forward. "Mr. Xue, my law firm can handle this pro bono. You just need to sign a representation agreement with us."
Wang Lixing panicked at this.
Xue Qian was his only artist. If he left, Wang Lixing would be out of a job. Even though Xue Qian was currently sidelined by the agency, there was still a chance for a comeback if they fought for it.
"I object… You can’t leave me behind!"
Only then did Yun Cheng slowly retract his sharp gaze.
In the end, Xue Qian "willingly" signed two contracts—one representation agreement and a five-year indentured servitude deal.
However, the servitude contract’s effective date was set for a week later.
Meaning, Lawyer Zhao would settle the termination within that week.
Given Xue Qian’s current situation and his agency’s indifference toward him, the termination might not require the full tenfold penalty—two or three times the original fee, around ten million, might suffice.
But even that was an astronomical sum for a rookie singer who had debuted from a talent show.
After signing, Xue Qian felt his life plunge into darkness.
If heaven gave him another chance, he swore he’d never set foot in Bright Pearl City again.
This place was ruthless!
First, they forced him into terminating his contract, saddling him with tens of millions in debt, then made him work for free for five years.
Were they treating him like some kind of slave?
"Teacher Xue Qian, as your fan, I suggest you go independent. Don’t sign with another agency—just set up your own studio and collaborate with companies for album production."
"Speaking of which, you’ll need office space, right? Let’s go upstairs and take a look." Liu Yutong extended the invitation casually.
No matter what Liu Yutong said, Xue Qian couldn’t refuse. This was her turf—if she wanted to make things difficult for him, it’d take no effort at all.
So, he forced a smile and "happily" agreed.
Soon, the property manager of Shunchang Building rushed over, all smiles, to show them around.
After a quick tour, Liu Yutong made her decision.
"We’ll rent floors 40 to 49 in full. Please coordinate with the existing tenants to relocate. Also, floor 49 is your company’s office, right? That needs to be cleared too."
The building’s vacancy rate was high, but the manager had never encountered a client so extravagant—renting ten floors at once. He didn’t dare delay and immediately reported to the owner.
Before long, the decision came back.
The owner agreed to their terms, promising to quickly clear floors 40-49, relocating the existing tenants to lower floors to make space.
Watching Liu Yutong’s decisive, high-rolling approach, Xue Qian couldn’t help but envy her.
When would he ever have the money to produce his own album?
Especially now, buried under crushing debt, that longing burned even stronger.
The three then headed to the observation deck at the top.
Located above the 49th floor, this space was specially designed by Shunchang Building’s management. With floors 40-49 now leased to them, it became Wanlong Group’s private area.
The observation deck had a relaxed vibe—glass rooms, sun umbrellas, telescopes, a bar counter, and even a piano inside one of the glass enclosures.
Suddenly inspired, Liu Yutong walked over to the piano and sat down gracefully, closing her eyes.
In her university days in a past life, she had taken piano lessons. Though amateur, she could still play simple melodies.
"Miss Liu plays piano too?" Xue Qian blurted out, then immediately regretted the redundant question.
Of course a young heiress like her would have a piano at home.
But as soon as Liu Yutong’s fingers touched the keys, Xue Qian could tell her skill level.
Amateur.
Yet, when unfamiliar melodies flowed from her fingertips, Xue Qian felt as if lightning had struck his mind—inspiration exploding out of nowhere.
"Um… Can I record this?" he whispered.
Yun Cheng, already holding a camera, grinned. "I’ve got it covered. You can have the recording later."
Overjoyed, Xue Qian thanked him repeatedly. "Thank you! Thank you!"
After playing fragments of several melodies from memory, Liu Yutong stood and approached Xue Qian.
"Will this suffice as your payment?"
Xue Qian nodded vigorously. "More than enough!"
Though she had only played short segments, in Xue Qian’s mind, they had already formed complete songs.
By repeatedly watching and listening to the recording, it wouldn’t take long to produce at least five songs, all of which perfectly matched his style.
At that moment, Xue Qian was utterly speechless with admiration for Liu Yutong. He even secretly lamented—why would such a musically gifted girl be involved with the underworld?
What he didn’t know was that these songs were actually his own future compositions, both lyrics and melodies. Liu Yutong had merely used this method to help him unlock his inspiration ahead of time.
When Xue Qian returned alone downstairs, his manager, Wang Lixing, was still waiting anxiously. Earlier, when Wang had tried to go upstairs, a cold-faced young man had stopped him, leaving him stranded below with nothing to do but fret.
Seeing Xue Qian with reddened eyes, disheveled hair, and an overall disoriented state, Wang rushed over in concern. "Well? What happened?"
"I’m about to blow up!!!" Xue Qian finally couldn’t contain his exhilaration and burst into laughter. "Hahaha… I’m gonna be famous! I finally have my chance!!!"
Wang Lixing stared in stunned silence. "Great, another one’s lost it."
He couldn’t help but glance upstairs. "Just as I thought—no decent people in Bright Pearl City! I brought in a perfectly fine artist, and now he’s been driven mad!"
