Still, Wait For Me (Web Novel)
chapter-168

Two days later, the entertainment tycoon Shi Zhengjun of Tianyi Media soundlessly made a trip to Yanzhou City which had originally had no sense of presence at all in the local entertainment industry.

Of course, due to the popularity surrounding Rebirth during this period of time, Yanzhou had already become a city that was often mentioned as well as received quite a bit of attention.

Thus, Shi Zhengjun kept a very low profile on this trip of his, only bringing three people along with him. Xu Tingsheng brought even fewer people along. Only he and Huang Yaming went.

They discussed for an entire afternoon, also eating dinner together as the few matters they were discussing had all been more or less decided upon.

When Xu Tingsheng returned to the riverside residence after dinner, Fu Cheng was waiting for him in the living room on the second floor. Upon their return, he immediately sprung up from the sofa.

From this, it could be seen that Fu Cheng was exceptionally concerned about this matter. Also, he actually had his own opinions and thoughts on it. Not having participated in the talks, he desperately wanted to know what agreements had been reached.

This was actually precisely why Xu Tingsheng had not brought him along this time.

"I've kept for you. Tianyi's taking away and a new song that I've yet to release," Xu Tingsheng told Fu Cheng.

Because that performance back then might never again be reproducible, because of those two sentences that Fu Cheng had said at the end, already held a different significance for Fu Cheng.

Actually, this song held special significance for Xu Tingsheng as well. The song similarly contained Xu Tingsheng's own story and his feelings regarding those people he had once walked together with, those people he had missed, and also that still insensible, ignorant little girl who could give him guidance in his life's journey, the brightest star in his night sky that could always keep him from losing his way.

These two were different. Only Fu Cheng's story and feelings could be narrated, whereas Xu Tingsheng's…couldn't.

Thus, in his negotiations with Tianyi, Xu Tingsheng had been adamant on keeping this song.

"You still have a new song?" Fu Cheng asked, feeling rather surprised.

"After that one's been released, there won't be any more for the time being. Maybe there won't be any more forever," Xu Tingsheng smiled.

"So, how much did you sell it for?" Fu Cheng's tone had actually changed somewhat, going from its initial despondence to an eventual forced smile, "What I mean is-since there might not be any more next time, you should really try to get more for it."

"Not even a single cent," Huang Yaming replied, seemingly not having discovered the abnormalities in Fu Cheng at all.

"What's that mean?" Fu Cheng turned towards Xu Tingsheng, asking bemusedly.

"With the two songs on the side, Hucheng and Tianyi will have a one-time exchange of some shares on a small scale," Whilst actually having noticed the abnormalities in Fu Cheng, Xu Tingsheng ignored it for the moment as he calmly answered.

"So, you're preparing to go into entertainment?" Fu Cheng asked.

"More precisely, it's Huang Yaming who's going to start doing entertainment. Over the summer holidays, he'll be going over to learn from Tianyi's CEO Shi for a while as our representative. Then, it'll be up to him what he wants to do. I've left this completely for him to decide," Xu Tingsheng pointed towards Huang Yaming who was sitting on the sofa beside him, currently in the midst of examining a box of cigars that Shi Zhengjun had given to him.

"The road to a tycoon begins here," Huang Yaming put a cigar in his mouth, leaning his arms to the sides back against the sofa as he propped up a leg, putting on a look of presiding arrogantly over all under the heavens.

Ever since having met Shi Zhengjun today, a brand new door seemed to have suddenly opened within Huang Yaming's world as he had spent the entire day in an excited state that bordered on zeal.

The three lit up cigars together, sitting there and chatting. Apart from Xu Tingsheng who had smoked these twice before when setting up businesses in his previous life, this was the first time Huang Yaming and Fu Cheng were smoking cigars.

They all tried their hardest to display great enjoyment in doing so.

"How was it?" Raising his head, Huang Yaming tried his best to feign composedness as he asked after having finished the cigar.

Xu Tingsheng looked at his face, all those tear stains running down it as if he had just been figuratively trampled upon by someone.

"I'm still okay, just…a little dizzy," Fu Cheng put a hand on his forehead, saying slowly.

Having already learnt his lesson in his previous life, not having sucked in deeply from it at all, Xu Tingsheng looked at the two of them before chuckling, "I forget to warn you, but this thing's not smoked the same way as cigarettes. I heard that it's for savouring, just that I don't really know how, exactly. Big Tycoon Huang, hurry and look it up on the internet. Then, go and practice it on your own. Otherwise, it wouldn't be good if you cried all the way through the summer holidays."

"That's true," Wiping away the tears and snot from his face, Huang Yaming stood up and entered Xu Tingsheng's room.

Making use of when Huang Yaming was temporarily away, Fu Cheng hesitated for a moment before asking Xu Tingsheng, "Tingsheng, have you ever thought about it? If you do this, will Apple be able to understand? Is it possible that you might hurt her?"

Xu Tingsheng understood what Fu Cheng meant. Apple had entered showbiz as a member of Rebirth. Yet, Rebirth’s new song had now been given to someone else. It might even end up being used by a newcomer to compete with Apple on the music charts.

Facing such a situation, be it the reaction of the fans or Apple’s own feelings, there was indeed some cause for concern.

"How about you…or me give her a call and explain things to her first?" Fu Cheng continued.

"I don’t think that Apple will feel that way. She might instead feel less burdened by things," Xu Tingsheng said, "So, let’s just have it like this. We’ll let this matter pass naturally. Next, regarding the exchange of shares between Hucheng and Tianyi, I hope that this is kept between the three of us…especially Song Ni, you shouldn’t tell her about this."

Fu Cheng looked at Xu Tingsheng, speaking calmly with a composed expression on his face. He hesitated slightly, not continuing to speak in the end.

Fu Cheng had actually not felt so supportive of Xu Tingsheng walking down the path of commerce all along, despite the fact he had easily broken through all obstacles before him thus far, rendering everyone wide-eyed and lost for words.

Fu Cheng's past impression of Xu Tingsheng still weighed down heavily on his mind. He merely seemed always to have possessed a bit of artistic talent, also having a love of freedom as he was comparatively lackadaisical…

"Is such a person truly suited to be a businessman? Even if he is, even if he is very successful in the end, will he still be that Xu Tingsheng? Will he really be happier because of this?"

This was the uncertainty that had been plaguing Fu Cheng for almost the entire past year.

Other than that, Fu Cheng was also rather opposed to this latest decision of Xu Tingsheng's.

"Is money really that pressing to the current Xu Tingsheng? With Hucheng's current situation, it can completely be said as cash rolling in every day. Is he still not satisfied? Also, is he still the same Xu Tingsheng who was willing to sell Hucheng in order to support Apple just last year?"

However, Xu Tingsheng seemed very calm, appearing very natural. Meanwhile, Huang Yaming was very happy and very excited. These two people were his best bros. Also, in actual fact, they indeed hadn't done anything wrong.

Thus, Fu Cheng hesitated to bring up this issue, not revealing what he was actually thinking.

Fu Cheng said that he wanted to go back to his dorm, and Xu Tingsheng didn't stop him. He knew that just a while later, this place would be overwhelmed by a madhouse of football fans.

Whilst accompanying Fu Cheng in walking downstairs, Xu Tingsheng smiled, "If I said that there were originally two artistic youths amongst us three in the past, Fu Cheng, there's only you who can continue being one now. Treasure it well, my artistic youth bro."

Fu Cheng was taken aback, "Is this Xu Tingsheng admitting that he's already changed?"

Xu Tingsheng had indeed changed. There were too many things in this life that he wanted to change. Therefore, he could only first change himself. Regarding this change, Xu Tingsheng only hoped that he would not end up acting against the quintessential core of his being one day.

He had never forgotten the words Ye Yingjing had said on the first day of the Lunar New Year:

"I think that that would not be rebirth, because in truth, everything having changed, that person would no longer be you or I, but someone totally and completely different. That person would only have the same name and appearance as you or I, yet already not being the same, authentic person."

"That person could be a total stranger to us, perhaps even someone whom we would all feel fearful of just thinking about."

Fu Cheng was taken aback: Was Xu Tingsheng admitting to him that he had already changed?

Xu Tingsheng clapped his shoulder, continuing:

"If there's anything you want to voice out in the future, however dissatisfied you are with me, just say it to me. Still, I hope that you won't think anything of Huang Yaming because of this. From a certain perspective, he might indeed be the most profit-oriented of us three. He might not even seem like a very good person in some matters…"

"Of course, you might feel that I am the one with the more serious problem."

"Speaking of Huang Yaming, I hope that you understand that good people may not definitely be your good bros. However, Huang Yaming will forever be our bro. He also treats us as his best bros. This will not change no matter what."

"Also, as we grow, all of us will be faced with choices of our own. We all have our own methods of struggling and surviving within this society and those paths that we're most suited to walk on. No one else has the right to interfere in this."

"The sole thing I can tell you very definitively is that if one day, the both of us are in a pathetic, downtrodden state, he would then be the sole person who would go all out in trying to help us."

The pathetic, downtrodden state of him and Fu Cheng that Xu Tingsheng had just mentioned had actually been experienced personally by him nearing the end of his previous life. It was wholly and unquestionably true.

While the Huang Yaming of that time had been painstakingly navigating modern society, trying to climb upwards with all his might in order to live a little better, on the other hand, he had also been going all out for his two incomparably pitiful bros amidst all their sufferings.

Had he been wrong in doing so?

Now, Xu Tingsheng had changed his life's trajectory. Correspondingly, this had prematurely exposed some problems that should only have surfaced amongst the trio some years later.

This did not mean much to Xu Tingsheng himself. However, Huang Yaming and Fu Cheng would inevitably have to face it at a less mature age, with a still underdeveloped mentality.

This was why Xu Tingsheng was saying all this to Fu Cheng.

As for Huang Yaming, Xu Tingsheng would be watching him even more carefully from the back.

"It's like what you say is always right. I'll think about it when I get back."

Fu Cheng left. Xu Tingsheng stood there for a while before returning to the living room on the second floor. Huang Yaming was just exiting his room, a new cigar in his mouth. He smoked it with poise, already seeming like a professional.

"Hey, where's Fu Cheng?" Looking all around yet not seeing Fu Cheng, Huang Yaming asked Xu Tingsheng.

"He's returned to his dorm," Xu Tingsheng replied.

"Heck, what's this? I was just going to teach him how to smoke a cigar. Also, I wanted to ask him if he wants to go to Tianyi with me during the summer holidays. Anyway, he also doesn't have anything else to do now. He might as well just come into entertainment along with me. He likes playing music, so he should be a little more professional than me," Huang Yaming was still in an excited mood.

"Navigating the entertainment industry and playing music are two different things altogether. One is business, while the other is art…he wouldn't be suited for this," Xu Tingsheng explained.

Huang Yaming seemed to catch something from his words as the excitement faded from his face before he asked Xu Tingsheng somewhat troubledly, "Fu Cheng wouldn't be thinking something about us, right? I feel like he might not agree with what we've done here."

"It's fine. We shouldn't think like this. As soon as we do, barriers will start forming between us," Xu Tingsheng said, "If you're not watching football, you should sleep first. Have fun dreaming your tycoon dreams."

"What about you? Aren't you tired? You're still watching?"

"…I've got no choice. They're watching it in my house, so I've got to accompany them."

This Euro Cup was unquestionably one of the worst football viewing experiences of Xu Tingsheng's life. While he clearly already knew the results, he had to watch all of it yet again, also having to accompany them in being nervous and excited, feigning cries of astonishment. Here, he dared not share his views at all for fear that he might accidentally let slip the results.

……

The next day, in a move that took countless people both within and outside of the industry by surprise, Tianyi Media suddenly announced that they had already successfully purchased Rebirth's new song, , as well as the complete copyright to another of their new songs that had still yet to be released.

Also, these two songs would be released together in the album of a singer that Tianyi would be fully promoting in the near future.

As for the exchanging of shares, as Tianyi and Hucheng were both still not listed companies, not being obligated to announce it publicly, there were only a few higher echelon employees even in Tianyi Media itself who knew of the matter.

As Xu Tingsheng had predicted earlier, because Rebirth had been playing mysterious for too long, also having displayed the poise of artistic youths who were disdainful of the mainstream too greatly before the subjectivity of their fans and the media, also having continually rejected offers through the ringtone company, they had given those of the industry the impression that they were adamant on not selling their songs…

As soon as the matter was announced, an uproar instantly arose on the forums.

Amongst them, some said that Rebirth had indeed still succumbed to the temptation of money in the end, changing their minds and entering showbiz in a descent into the depravity of modernity.

There were also those who said that not only had they forsaken Apple, this was also equivalent to them supporting another newcomer in standing against Apple, being heartless and diabolical.

The small Rebirth webpage and the various music forums had originally contained fans of Apple and fans of Rebirth who were happily united as one. Yet, they now completely separated into two opposing forces, tearing and cursing at each other as it devolved into a hot-headed dispute.

Of course, the Rebirth fans clearly did not stand on the side of reason. Also, they were fewer in number, most people naturally choosing to stand on Apple's side in this matter.

Amidst the uproar, the one who ultimately benefited the most was undoubtedly that newcomer of Tianyi's who was shrouded in a veil of mystery.

After having finished scolding and cursing, finally having calmed down, everyone realised that he or she had already soundlessly attained the recent surging popularity of Rebirth. Still having yet to officially enter showbiz, that person was already receiving incomparably great attention.

"Who is he (she)? Male or female? Of what standard? They'd better not wreck the song."

"Rebirth's unreleased new song? I thought that I wouldn't have a chance to hear another. What style might it take? I'm really eagerly anticipating it."

"I wonder when in the near future is? Give a specific time, man! We're all waiting."

"Having stolen Apple's song, still having the gall to enter showbiz? We're not buying your album regardless."

"…"

Due to the current difference in Rebirth's popularity, the controversial nature of this incident and the power of Tianyi Media, this newcomer whose identity was still unknown was even more eagerly anticipated than Apple who had benefited purely from the mystery surrounding Rebirth.

Huang Yaming found a bunch of articles and posts on the internet and showed them to Xu Tingsheng.