At that moment, everyone in the office turned their gaze toward Liu Yutong, waiting for her decision. After a moment of thought, Liu Yutong named someone: "Xue Qian."
"Here," Xue Qian said, sitting up straight immediately.
"What's your take on not being allowed on variety shows?" Liu Yutong asked.
Xue Qian pondered briefly and replied earnestly, "Chairman, to be honest, the impact is definitely there. Several of our company's artists were really hoping to get some exposure on the popular stage of 'Base Camp,' but they all got cut. For me personally, it's not a big deal—I rarely go on variety shows anyway—but..."
"But you feel frustrated, right?"
Xue Qian gave a wry smile and nodded. "Yeah, a little."
Liu Yutong nodded, then abruptly shifted the topic with a seemingly unrelated question: "Do you like singing?"
Without hesitation, Xue Qian replied, "Of course I do. If I didn't love singing, I wouldn't have chosen this path."
"Then would you be willing to be a mentor on a music show?"
"Huh? Me, a mentor? I've only been in the industry a few years."
Without elaborating, Liu Yutong turned to Lin Muyang. "Muyang, what does Longkan Vision need most right now?"
Lin Muyang answered without missing a beat, "Content—especially popular content that can be produced steadily long-term, spark discussions, and draw in new users. Right now, major TV stations are holding onto variety show copyrights tightly. Even if we're willing to spend big money, it's hard to buy suitable programs."
"Then we'll make our own."
The moment Liu Yutong said this, everyone in the office felt a familiar rhythm. A thought crossed their minds in unison: The young lady/chairman is about to stir things up again.
Lin Muyang paused for a second, then confirmed, "Chairman, do you mean we develop our own variety show?"
"Yes."
Liu Yutong nodded lightly. She then asked Yu Xin for a notepad and pen and began writing as she spoke.
"The name will be 'The Voice of Dragon Country'—a music talent show. It'll air primarily on Longkan Vision, with simultaneous syndication on Lucheng Satellite TV. The core concept of this show is two words: blind selection."
"Blind selection?"
The term stoked everyone's curiosity.
Liu Yutong explained, "Four mentors sit with their backs to the stage, listening only to the voice, not the appearance. If a mentor feels moved by the voice, they press the button in front of them, and their chair spins around. If multiple mentors turn around, the power shifts—the contestant gets to choose which mentor's team to join."
"Remember, this isn't a beauty contest; it's a voice contest. Contestants don't need to be handsome or pretty, they don't need to flatter others, and they don't even need to be articulate. As long as they have a great voice, they deserve a spot on that stage."
Upon hearing this, Xue Qian started thinking seriously.
He understood too well what this meant.
Talent shows in the Dragon Country's music scene had been around for over a decade, from early shows like 'Super Girl' to various later incarnations—all essentially picking idols rather than real singers.
Most of the time, factors like contestants' looks, stage presence, popularity, and buzz mattered far more than the voice itself. Many truly talented singers couldn't even get past the preliminary auditions, simply because their appearance didn't meet the standard.
The blind selection model proposed by the chairman completely overturned the traditional talent show logic.
But would this really work?
However, when Lin Muyang and the others heard about the format of this new music variety show, their reactions were completely different from Xue Qian, who was an industry insider.
“Genius!”
“Absolute genius!”
“Chairman, this model feels incredibly fresh to me. Right now, whether it’s cover songs or competitive performances, the audience has already figured out all the tricks. With blind selection, just the setup of the mentors turning their backs to the contestants can max out anticipation.”
“Plus, the buzz will definitely be huge—which contestant gets fought over by multiple mentors, which one doesn’t get a single turn, why a mentor turned around, why a contestant picked one mentor over another... these are all hot topics. As long as the production isn’t a letdown, this is bound to become a blockbuster hit!”
The others nodded in agreement, their thoughts aligned with Lin Muyang’s.
The key was picking the right mentors, because in this blind selection format, the mentors were the real stars.
Liu Yutong seemed to have already thought of this and scribbled a few names on her notepad.
Xue Qian leaned in curiously to take a look, and when he did, he couldn’t help but exclaim, “Holy crap!”
“Jay Chou, Faye Wong, Han Hong... and me?”
Liu Yutong looked up at him and asked, “What do you think?”
“Chairman, this lineup is too stacked. A pop king, a diva, a legendary singer... with my current status, sitting alongside them as a mentor—I’m afraid I don’t quite measure up.” Xue Qian wasn’t being modest; he was stating facts.
“None of that matters. Whether you’re qualified is up to us to decide. We’re the money behind this.”
Liu Yutong then said to Lin Muyang, “Get those three to come on board as mentors. Money isn’t an issue. Also, let them know this is a purely music-oriented program with no behind-the-scenes manipulation—we can guarantee that.”
“And as for Lucheng Satellite TV, I’ll personally give them a heads-up. Haven’t they always wanted to create a phenomenal variety show? If we fully fund the production and just borrow their broadcasting platform, there’s no way they’ll refuse.”
“As for the show’s budget—four words: no ceiling at all!”
“President Zhang, make sure Weibo is fully involved to maximize buzz. The finals’ voting will be hosted on Weibo, but it needs strict control. No vote rigging, and no links that could easily be tampered with.”
Zhang Dalong replied, “Got it. I’ll have my team coordinate with President Lin.”
Liu Yutong then turned to Zhao Tianyi: “Tianyi, as for those platforms trying to surround us, keep hitting them hard. Also, the legal contracts for the new variety show will be handled by your law firm.”
Zhao Tianyi nodded. “Understood!”
“Miss Liu, since this variety show is self-produced, should we include a clause for a ‘pre-competition exclusive artist management contract’? Every contestant who passes the auditions and enters the blind selection recording must sign a five-year full contract with Longyu Entertainment. If they breach it, the penalty fee will be set at the industry’s maximum.”
“Isn’t that clause too harsh? What if contestants think it’s a predatory contract and refuse to sign?” Yu Xin suddenly interjected.
“This contract is indeed necessary. It won’t be mandatory during the audition stage—they can choose not to sign. But if they don’t, they can’t proceed to the blind selection recording. We’re putting up the money, building the stage, and using our resources to make stars. We’re not going to let other agencies swoop in and reap the benefits after we’ve done the work,” Liu Yutong said.
For the first season of this show, the Wanlonghui Group was definitely the sole funder. Not to mention costs like venue rental and equipment purchases, just inviting those three mentors alone probably required half a small target.
When you add up the entire production and promotional costs of the show, one small target was definitely necessary.
In such a situation, if they didn’t sign contracts with the contestants, what difference would it make from doing charity?
Xue Qian also nodded in agreement: “Signing contracts is indeed necessary, and signing for just five years is already very reasonable.”
Having come from being an unknown himself, he knew the industry’s unspoken rules all too well.
In most talent shows, contracts lasting eight or ten years were common, and contestants had no right to refuse. Their decision to sign for only five years was anything but ordinary—it was incredibly fair.
Moreover, the big boss of Longyu Entertainment was Liu Yutong.
Based on his understanding of her, she definitely wouldn’t stoop to underhanded schemes or deliberately exploit artists.
Even if an artist wanted to leave someday, as long as they followed the contract terms, she would never intentionally hold them back.
Incidentally, Longyu Entertainment was formerly Xue Qian’s studio. It was only renamed Longyu Media after the Wanlonghui Group took a controlling stake.
Sure enough.
Just as Xue Qian thought of this, Liu Yutong made it clear in public.
“Tianyi, all the signing contracts for the show must be clear and transparent. No hidden clauses. We don’t exploit people, and there’s no need to. Also, any form of backroom deals must be prohibited, as well as any pre-determined advancement slots or winners. If discovered, strict penalties will be enforced!”
In truth, she emphasized this not just because she disliked underhanded practices, but also because she personally enjoyed watching music variety shows. In her previous life, she had watched a few seasons of The Voice, though she stopped after that.
From her perspective as an audience member, if she found out the show had backroom deals or a pre-determined winner, she would definitely feel upset.
If it upset her as a viewer, then others would also be upset.
Zhao Tianyi: “Understood! Miss!”
Liu Yutong then turned to Xue Qian: “Teacher Xue Qian, among these four mentors, you have the least seniority, but you’re one of us. During the audition stage, pay close attention. Make sure those truly talented but unknown individuals get their chance. Also, we’re creating content. The premise of good content is that it must be real.”
Xue Qian nodded firmly: “Understood, Chairwoman!”
Lin Muyang then raised another question: “Chairwoman, who will host the show?”
Liu Yutong thought for a moment and said, “Find someone who talks fast.”
“Huh?”
“The blind selection format requires a tight pace. When mentors turn their chairs and compete for contestants, the host needs to quickly guide the segments, control the flow, and cue the procedures. Don’t pick someone who drags out commercial lines. We need someone quick-witted, able to riff, and unafraid of the stage.”
“Got it.”
“Chairwoman, when will we launch the show?”
“As soon as possible, as long as it hits the summer schedule.”
“Also, record and archive all judging segments for review.”
“Understood!”
After finalizing most of the show’s details, Lin Muyang brought up the thorny issue again: “Chairwoman, you’ve arranged the new variety show, but we still have that deadly censorship problem on our end.”
“The web series got blocked. If our variety show also gets blocked, what do we do? If those aristocratic young masters in the capital are determined to mess with us, we won’t be able to handle it.”
This was the real crux of the problem.
No matter how strong one’s local connections were, once they reached the capital, it was a whole different set of rules.
If they couldn’t win over that group, then all the planning would be nothing but a waste of time.
Yet Liu Yutong never seemed worried about it: “I’ll handle this matter. I happen to need to go to the capital again in a couple of days.”
The moment Lin Muyang and the others heard that, they all felt relieved.
It was as if, in their minds, there was nothing Liu Yutong couldn’t solve.
Just then, a knock came at the door.
“Come in!”
Cheng Gang pushed the door open from outside. Zeng Jin and Liang Mengsong, who had just finished touring the Wanlonghui Company, stepped inside.
Seeing this, Liu Yutong turned to Su Mansu and asked, “Is Mata ready?”
Su Mansu replied immediately, “Boss, Brother Ma sent a message ten minutes ago saying everything is set and he’s just waiting for you to bring the guests over.”
“Good.”
Liu Yutong stood up, casually grabbed the black trench coat draped over the back of her chair, and threw it over her shoulders as she walked straight toward Zeng Jin and the others.
Everyone else in the office also rose and followed behind her.
“President Zeng, Engineer Liang, since you’ve finished touring the company, it’s the perfect time for some late-night snacks. This hour, the food stalls are quite lively.”
For some reason, when Zeng Jin heard her say that, his heart tightened inexplicably.
