I am a Big Player
Chapter 158 - 157, Anxious Liu Erbao (Third Release)_1

Chapter 158: 157, Anxious Liu Erbao (Third Release)_1

As the two of them located a spot to feast on skewers, people nearby were still discussing the events of the evening, indicating that the concert and Yang Xi’s identity reveal had quickly become a phenomenal occurrence.

At this point, Yang Xi and Ren He had both put their baseball caps back on and nestled in a corner of the skewer shop, going unnoticed in their low profile.

What Ren He didn’t know was that his mother-in-law was already on the verge of losing it...

The pair sat in an inconspicuous little shop, completely ignoring the tumultuous waves outside, foreseeing that countless people were searching for Yang Xi.

When Yang Xi checked her phone, she saw innumerable messages, and before she could even begin to read them, an unknown caller interrupted her.

Yang Xi frowned and decided to turn off her phone. Ren He chuckled and said, "Someone must have leaked your number. After all, so many of your classmates know it, but this is all normal. Tomorrow, let’s get two new phone numbers, one for the agency and the other for personal friends."

Yang Xi had no concept of what it meant to become famous; after all, how long had it been since her exposure? She hadn’t been able to feel the online surge. But those few hundred messages and missed calls from unknown numbers finally made her realize she was now a star!

Ren He reflected, "You’re going to be very busy from now on, with countless bookings waiting for you."

"I don’t plan on it," Yang Xi thought about it and said calmly, "I told you before, I just want to sing. I’ll only do singing gigs. Interviews, variety shows, commercials, let’s just skip all that."

"But that’s all money," Ren He expressed his surprise.

"I’m not short of money," Yang Xi mimicked Ren He’s earlier tone, "If you’re not short of money, doesn’t that mean I’m not either!"

Ren He was torn between laughter and tears; what she said seemed to make a lot of sense. Besides, if Yang Xi became popular enough, just the income from concerts, records, and various audio-visual rights was indeed substantial.

It was good that she could think that way. Getting lost in money is the most regrettable thing, even though in his past life, Ren He had most looked forward to losing himself in wealth, but he never got the chance!

Thus, people reach different stages of life and, only then, do they achieve different levels of enlightenment. When you’re penniless, saying not to lose yourself in money is just showing off, and the result is inevitably getting your face slapped...

However, another issue that Ren He was contemplating was that since Yang Xi was not planning to take on all those bookings, that meant she would have lots of free time. Nevertheless, it was foreseeable that she would be the subject of much adoration even in the school.

He figured it would be difficult to get anywhere near her...

And he couldn’t just approach her casually either, or they’d be plagued by scandalous headlines every day.

At that moment, Ren He’s phone rang, and it was from Liu Erbao! Ren He wondered why he would call at this time and answered, "What’s up, Erbao?"

"Sss," Liu Erbao took a sharp breath over the phone, "You have an extraordinary talent for nicknames. People call me ’Brother Bao,’ you know?"

"Get to the point..."

"Well... I just saw something on the internet and thought I should talk to you about it. Did you know there’s this little girl who became famous for singing?" Liu Erbao seemed to be choosing his words carefully on the other end of the line.

"Yeah, I know," Ren He said calmly.

"Uh... those nine songs she sang are really good! Have you listened to them?" Liu Erbao asked.

"Yeah, I have," Ren He continued calmly.

Liu Erbao was sitting on the sofa at their headquarters when he suddenly stood up, pacing two steps before asking, "Brother, where are you? Dao wants to treat you to a drink at Back Sea."

"I just came out of Back Sea, I’m a bit tired, let’s not drink tonight," Ren He said with slight amusement in his tone, waiting for what Liu Erbao would say next.

Liu Erbao seemed to make up his mind and asked, "I saw that girl’s photo... um... I think I saw her yesterday... you know what I mean..."

"I understand."

"Brother, tell me the truth, is the little sister called Yang Xi?" Liu Erbao finally asked the question he’d been most eager to ask from the start. After howling into the night, he saw the news revealing the mysterious singer’s identity. But when he saw the photo, he felt something was off. Although they were howling like ghosts and wolves last night, they hadn’t drunk any alcohol; they were sober!

Moreover, he had looked at Yang Xi carefully; otherwise, how would he have invited her to be the model for their commercial advertising video? So, when he saw the photo, he recognized Yang Xi at first glance, but he was also somewhat uncertain. After all, he had listened to those nine songs, and he could even say that it was the song "Go to Dali" that influenced him to want to play in a band!

A middle school student being so awesome at extreme sports was something he could accept, but adding a musical prodigy to the mix was more than his brain could handle!

Liu Erbao quietly listened on the phone, waiting for Ren He’s response...

Ren He calmly said, "Yep, her name is Yang Xi."

These five words struck Liu Erbao like thunder out of the blue, both confirming his guess and igniting a hope within him!

"Damn," Liu Erbao suddenly yelled to his brothers, "It’s really the two of them, you tell me, aren’t Ren He brothers the shit!"

"The shit!" A group of people suddenly roared so loud they nearly made Ren He’s phone drop to the floor!

Then Liu Erbao excitedly said to Ren He on the phone, "Brother, you know I’m into music. Although I love to boast and show off to you, we know our own limits. Previously, we didn’t know you had this talent. I thought you were just letting my bullish boast slide as farting, which was freaking embarrassing for me, but seriously, we do love music. Back when we were in high school, we already wanted to play in a band. The songs we wrote were crap, and we refused to cover other people’s stuff since that’s a loss of face, right? No matter how big a name, we feel it’s a downgrade to cover their work because it’s not our own. You get what I mean?"

"I get it," Ren He replied with a laugh. He had long understood the quirks of this group. They aimed high in their hearts and indeed had the pride to back it up. When it came to commercial photography, they truly were among the best in the business, second to none.

Liu Erbao nervously said, "I was just thinking... now that little sister’s album has enough songs for a complete set.... could you spare the time to write one for us as well? Just one! Don’t worry about anything else, we’ll take care of her future music videos. We’ve got all the equipment, and we’ll do it free of charge!" Liu Erbao spoke with slight trepidation; he really wanted them to have a song of their own—a testament to the dreams of their younger days. At this moment, he was even willing to let go of his pride in commercial photography.

Liu Erbao took a deep breath and asked, "Just one song, is it a deal?"

The phone fell into silence, and Liu Erbao became anxious again. He wasn’t afraid of rejection; what frightened him was this kind of silence. Silence could mean many things. It might signify a refusal, but it could also mean agreement. No one knew what the other person would say next, and Liu Erbao could only wait.

Then Ren He suddenly laughed, "Just writing one song, I’d feel bad for taking advantage of you. Be patient, and I’ll slowly put together an album for you. But let’s make it clear, you guys are covering all of Yang Xi’s future music videos, and I won’t pay a cent, nor will I charge you for the songs."

...

Sponsored Chapter update: I’m truly exhausted today, only managed three Chapters... let me take a breather...