Chapter Fifty-Seven: The Invitation of the Master

The primary reason Wang Mo had come to the capital this time was to make connections at the national television station, to prepare for his eventual return to the entertainment industry. Yet, to his surprise, before he had even gotten to know anyone at the station, he instead found himself acquainted with these eminent figures of the literary world standing before him now. In fact, at this very moment, these distinguished gentlemen even seemed inclined to openly support him.

Wang Mo understood clearly: the influence wielded by these men far surpassed that of Wu Yong, Luo Yun, and their ilk. Of course, he was well aware that, as of now, he had no real relationship with the likes of He Zhixing. The words spoken today could only be taken as polite conversation, not something he could truly rely upon. But the future was long, and opportunities would arise. Hadn’t He Zhixing mentioned that he had a granddaughter who was Wang Mo’s fan? There was plenty of room to maneuver here.

Autographs. Photo albums. Group pictures. Whatever the girl wanted, he could provide. If all else failed, he could even use his looks as a last resort. He refused to believe that, with his appearance—no, no, with his talent—he couldn’t win over a young woman still inexperienced in the ways of the world. And once she was won over, would He Zhixing not fall squarely into his corner? With He Zhixing on his side, all these other literary giants would surely give him some face as well.

As he pondered this, Wang Mo grew increasingly excited.

Inside the room, after He Zhixing finished speaking, Li Nianren followed up, “Old He is absolutely right. Young Wang never committed any serious wrongdoing. If he can truly admit his mistakes and change, and even guide his fans to idolize in a healthy way, he would be more than worthy of being called a role model.”

Tang Xuanyuan grunted in agreement, “Exactly. If, at that point, certain self-media outlets still dare to stir up trouble and cyberbully you, that would be a gross violation of proper values. I might just have to speak out then.”

While none of these literary titans were yet vouching for Wang Mo, their words made it clear to him that this trip to the capital was already more than worth it.

Afterward, the elders asked Wang Mo a few more questions. Then He Zhixing patted him on the shoulder. “Young Wang, with your mindset, your breadth of vision, and your talent, it will not be difficult for you to rise again. I know you’re still under contract with your company, so I won’t say too much on that front. But as long as you stay true to yourself and work hard, you will one day shine anew.”

“Thank you, Elder He,” Wang Mo stood up at once to express his gratitude.

He Zhixing nodded and smiled. “All right, let’s leave it here for today. Originally, we old men just came out of curiosity, wanting to know who had composed ‘Dragon Scales of Heaven and Earth.’ We did not expect to be so pleasantly surprised. I hope that one day, you can proudly stand before the camera once again, so my granddaughter will know she has chosen the right star to admire.”

With that, he exchanged a glance with the other elders, and together they left the room. They did not leave Wang Mo any contact information, nor did they say anything about helping him in the future. But Wang Mo knew in his heart that he had already planted a seed in their minds, one that was bound to sprout someday.

He followed behind them, restoring his usual composure.

…

As they exited the room, Wu Yong, Yuan Xiong, and the others who had been waiting outside hurriedly approached.

“Elder He.”
“Professor Tang.”
“Teacher Li.”

They greeted the elders, their eyes repeatedly darting toward Wang Mo, their faces full of confusion and curiosity. After all, Wang Mo had just spent over half an hour alone with these literary luminaries. Everyone was dying to know what they had discussed.

But soon, their curiosity surged even higher—especially Yuan Xiong, who wanted nothing more than to drag Wang Mo into a side room and get to the bottom of things. This was because He Zhixing turned to Wu Yong and said, “Little Wu, we’ll head back for now. If the documentary requires our assistance in any way, just contact us at any time.”

Then He Zhixing suddenly looked at Wang Mo. “Young Wang, how long will you be staying in the capital this time?”

Wang Mo thought for a moment. “At most two or three days.”

Once the singer for “Dragon Scales of Heaven and Earth” was confirmed, he would have to rush back to Shanghai. His livestream couldn’t be paused too long, or the hard-won fans might scatter. Besides, he had a side quest to complete in order to claim his reward. This time, the reward was a special treasure chest—a special chest, which was sure to contain something valuable!

Upon hearing this, He Zhixing looked disappointed. “Two or three days? That’s a bit rushed. I had hoped that if you had more time, I could shamelessly invite you to meet my granddaughter in a few days and give her a little surprise. But since you’re too busy, let’s save it for next time. When you return to the capital, we’ll have a proper get-together.”

Tang Xuanyuan laughed heartily. “Old He, you’d better invite me too.”

Li Nianren also smiled. “And me as well. Young Wang has been hiding his abilities today. Time was short, and I didn’t get to delve into his true capabilities. Next time, I’ll have to test him thoroughly.”

“That’s right.”
“Hahaha, a young man like Wang Mo, I must get to know him better.”
“…”

The literary titans began to discuss enthusiastically.

This scene left Wu Yong and the others utterly stunned.

What was going on?

Had they heard wrong? These giants were actually taking turns inviting Wang Mo? And doing so with such eagerness?

Especially Yuan Xiong, who had been in the entertainment industry for so long that he knew very well that figures like He Zhixing almost never mingled with people from the entertainment world. The pride and aloofness ingrained in literary figures made it unlikely for them to associate with entertainers—especially a disgraced, pretty-boy idol like Wang Mo, whom they would naturally look down upon.

The only reason they agreed to meet Wang Mo this time was the song “Dragon Scales of Heaven and Earth.” Previously, none of them had known that “Wuyan” was Wang Mo; otherwise, they might not have come at all.

But now, watching He Zhixing and the others invite Wang Mo so warmly, Yuan Xiong thought he must be dreaming.

Not until all the literary luminaries had left did Yuan Xiong rub his eyes, his heart churning with shock.

This brat Wang Mo, in just half an hour, had silently won over all these literary giants?

Unbelievable!

How had he done it?

Yet this was not the time to question Wang Mo, so he could only suppress his overwhelming curiosity. Wu Yong and the others, naturally, couldn’t ask either.

…

Then the official meeting regarding the theme song for “Dragon Scales of Heaven and Earth” began. As the chief producer of the “Forbidden City” documentary, Wu Yong stated the terms offered by national television: the program would pay 200,000 yuan for the right to use “Dragon Scales of Heaven and Earth” in the documentary. Any other profit-sharing arrangements would be negotiated between the songwriter, lyricist, and singer; the station would not be involved.

As for the singer, Wu Yong proposed, “Tomorrow morning, we’ll have a national team singer come and audition alongside Fu Zhuang, the vocalist you brought. Whoever performs better will be selected.”

Wang Mo asked, “What about the revenue split?”

He had already discussed his terms with Wu Yong before.

Wu Yong nodded. “I’ve already informed the other party of your terms. While the split is a bit tough on the singer, after seeing the sheet music for ‘Dragon Scales of Heaven and Earth,’ three national team singers still expressed strong interest. In the end, we chose the most suitable one from among them for the audition.”

Three!

Wang Mo was a little surprised. He had thought the national team singers would reject his terms, but three had agreed. Most likely, after seeing “Dragon Scales of Heaven and Earth,” none of them were willing to give up the chance to perform the song.

After all, compared to the singers from entertainment companies, national team singers cared less about profit-sharing and placed more importance on the quality of the music.

But this meant the pressure on Fu Zhuang was intense. Any one of the national team singers could easily outshine the majority of mainstream singers.