Chapter Twenty-Eight: My People Have Run Away Again?
After much deliberation, the two of them eventually heeded Wang Mo’s advice and went to discuss with Qian Lun about turning down their upcoming commercial engagements.
At first, Qian Lun, who hadn’t a clue as to what was going on, erupted in fury. “Xueyao, tell me, who told you not to attend these commercial events? Is someone trying to manipulate you behind my back? I’ll skin him alive!”
The company had poured so much effort into nurturing its singers—wasn’t it all so they could make money? Now, with “Invisible Wings” blowing up across the internet, this was the perfect opportunity for Su Xueyao to cash in. So when Qian Lun heard that Su Xueyao wanted to cancel her commercial appearances, he was absolutely livid.
Su Xueyao said, “Brother Mo suggested it.”
Qian Lun asked, “Who?”
“Wang Mo,” Su Xueyao replied.
“Wang Mo? Hmph, Wang Mo…” Qian Lun’s lips twitched.
Su Xueyao explained Wang Mo’s reasons for making this suggestion. Qian Lun nodded. “I thought so—no one else would dare say such things. Since it’s Wang Mo, hmm… then just wait a few days. Let’s see if the song really will, as he claims, keep climbing in the charts.”
…
In the days that followed, Su Xueyao discovered that Wang Mo was absolutely right!
Day after day, “Invisible Wings” shattered records across every metric.
Many had initially thought that “Invisible Wings” breaking into the top ten of the new song chart was down to luck, especially since surpassing Ye Yuanhang’s song was seen as the result of a collective effort to bring it down.
But now—
Those voices had fallen completely silent.
Because, after overtaking Ye Yuanhang, “Invisible Wings” held the number one spot on its very first day and, in the coming days, widened the gap by a huge margin.
Only then did both fans and industry insiders realize: being number one on the new song chart was far from this song’s limit.
On every social platform, discussions about “Invisible Wings” abounded.
“It really gets more addictive each time you listen.”
“If you’re at the lowest point in your life, this song will instantly bring tears to your eyes.”
“Every time I finish listening, I feel an invisible force pushing me forward.”
“I’ve heard so many inspirational songs, but only this one truly resonates with my heart.”
“Only after experiencing hardship yourself do you feel how much this song can motivate you. Thank you @Su Xueyao, thank you for this song. I’ve had it on repeat countless times these days.”
“I just went through something incredibly painful and hopeless. I thought my life was nothing but darkness. But this song gave me immense strength and helped me through the toughest times. I believe I have a pair of invisible wings, and one day I’ll soar across the sky.”
…
On Weibo, WeChat, Bilibili, QQ groups—
Similar sentiments could be found everywhere.
But what was even more astonishing was Douyin.
Now, any user who opened the Douyin app would find that nearly half of all short videos used “Invisible Wings” as their background music.
It was as if, in an instant, the entire internet was swept up in a tide of inspiration.
Any story or video meant to uplift or motivate seemed unworthy of the label if it didn’t feature this song.
Number of plays?
They could scarcely be counted anymore.
Some professional data analytics institutions announced: in September, this song’s total plays across the internet had surpassed one billion!
Especially since this was an uplifting, motivational song—everyone knew that songs like these were always favorites with the authorities.
And a song like “Invisible Wings,” with its positivity, massive popularity, and stellar reputation, was almost certain to become a darling of the official channels in the days to come.
“One song to seal the legend!”
Within the industry, countless people stared in awe.
A phenomenon like this all but guaranteed a singer’s place among the legends.
…
While the outside world boiled with excitement—
At Yunhai Media.
Thanks to turning down all her commercial activities, Su Xueyao suddenly found herself with a lot of free time.
And since she was so idle, she spent nearly all her time in the composition department.
More precisely: by Wang Mo’s side.
“Brother Mo, here’s your tea, just as you asked, with a bit of goji berries.”
“Brother Mo, your afternoon snack—I ordered two little cakes.”
“Brother Mo, there’s a new bubble tea shop downstairs. Would you like to try it?”
“Brother Mo…”
This girl hovered around Wang Mo every day.
At first, Wang Mo felt a little awkward, but after telling her off a few times to no avail, he decided to accept Su Xueyao’s attentions openly.
Honestly, with a pretty, clever young lady attending to you like a maid, how could you not feel comfortable?
Wang Mo certainly did.
Others in the composition department looked on, green with envy.
But what could they do? If they had the ability, they could write a song as good as “Invisible Wings”—otherwise, they’d just have to watch and accept it!
In the vocal department, Qian Lun looked at Su Xueyao’s perpetually empty seat and felt a pang of discomfort. “She didn’t show up again today?”
The assistant nodded. “She’s in the composition department.”
Qian Lun asked, “What’s she doing there again?”
The assistant replied, “Someone in the group chat just mentioned she’s making coffee for Wang Mo.”
…
Qian Lun felt a surge of exasperation—he’d never even had the pleasure of Su Xueyao making him coffee.
After a moment, he gazed out the window and muttered, “Does this mean I’ve lost another one of my people?”
Fortunately, they were just two newcomers. It wouldn’t do any irreparable harm.
Steady now.
Don’t panic.
…
At the same time—
Wang Mo took a sip of coffee and smiled at Su Xueyao. “See? Wasn’t I right?”
“Mmm!” Su Xueyao nodded enthusiastically. “Brother Mo, you really are a genius. In just a few days, my regular appearance fee has jumped from a hundred thousand to two hundred thousand, my fee for a permanent variety show slot has soared from five hundred thousand to two million, and my endorsement prices have skyrocketed from six hundred thousand to three million. If I’d signed those contracts a few days ago, I’d be regretting it to death now.”
Wang Mo chuckled. “See?”
Su Xueyao continued, “Also, my agent told me that CCTV reached out to her this morning. They’re interested in inviting me to perform at a gala. Brother Mo, you said before that if it’s CCTV inviting, I should accept. Should I take this gig?”
“Absolutely!” Wang Mo nodded at once, thinking to himself: CCTV, at last.
With CCTV on board, could the Spring Festival Gala be far behind?
Wang Mo knew that only by appearing on CCTV, or even the Spring Festival Gala, could Su Xueyao’s fame skyrocket and the value of “Invisible Wings” rise to a new level.
And then… the quotes for Su Xueyao’s various commercial activities would climb even higher.
That way, Wang Mo would earn even more!
After all, their contract stipulated a 1:9 split of commercial performance income between Wang Mo and Su Xueyao.
The higher Su Xueyao’s rates, the more money Wang Mo would pocket.
Why else would he be so invested in this?
It was all for the money!
…
Wang Mo cared about money because he was worried about not being able to pay off his villa and having it repossessed by the bank.
Zhou Peng was different. Money meant little to him.
What he cared about most was retaining his position as admin of the “Discoverer No.1” group.
So, recently, he’d been analyzing what made “Invisible Wings” such a runaway success. If he could pinpoint the secret behind these hits, it would be so much easier to spot the next big song.
“An inspirational track?”
“A catchy melody?”
“Positive energy?”
“A distinctive voice?”
Zhou Peng listed out all the factors and dove into his research.
But the more he studied, the more confused he became.
In the end, his gaze settled on the song’s credits.
Lyrics: Wuyan.
Music: Wuyan.
Arrangement: Wuyan.
Zhou Peng slowly straightened in his seat, a look of puzzlement in his eyes, for he felt he had seen the name “Wuyan” somewhere before.