After Transmigrated as a Black-Hearted Entertainment Boss [Transmigration] - Chapter 38

Tao Zui had never expected that the moment he confirmed the plot possessed the power to right itself, the three younger boys would give him a stinging slap in the face with their actual achievements.

Although they were currently only at the stage where their songs were popular but they themselves were not, and they could walk down the street without being recognized, Tao Zui believed that with more exposure, Infinite would undoubtedly come to represent the “Hwa-flow” (Chinese pop trend) and become a massive boy band that swept across the globe.

This wasn’t just because the original plot had destined things to develop this way, but also because the three possessed the genuine strength and quality to explode in popularity.

In terms of ability: Diwu Zou had been practicing dance since childhood; his skill was comparable to professional dancers, and he even had the capacity for independent choreography. His dance prowess stood unrivaled in the domestic entertainment circle.

Zeng Yinuo, at a mere seventeen years old, had written the hit track “WE.” His songwriting and composition abilities had earned the recognition of both the industry and the market, firmly seating him as one of the youngest original songwriters in the domestic scene.

As for Chen Xing, he had broken out into the mainstream purely on the title of a genius rapper before being scouted by Taoli to become a trainee. The rap segments in “WE” had stirred up intense discussions in the hip-hop scene, further affirming his strength.

In terms of appearance: while the three weren’t “god-tier” handsome men or stunning beauties like Gu Nan or Su Jiqiu, their distinct, characteristic features were still eye-catching. They were the kind of “idiosyncratic handsome” that was in short supply in the domestic entertainment circle. Even if they couldn’t sweep fans of every age group, conquering the demographics of junior high, high school, and college students was well within their reach.

This was already becoming evident in their respective schools.

What Tao Zui had to do now was ride the wave of “WE”‘s popularity to promote the trio, seizing every opportunity for exposure to bring Infinite from behind the scenes to the forefront.

After returning to the hotel, Tao Zui pinned down the three younger boys, who were bouncing around in excitement, and started a video conference with Zhang Ling on the spot.

Upon learning that the North City Blueberry Music Festival would be held from October 3rd to 5th, and that Infinite had been invited as a warm-up guest with a two-song set, he made a grand gesture and issued his instructions:

“You three will pack your bags and head back to North City immediately to prep your two-song stage performance. Zhang Ling, I’ll need your help booking the flight tickets—book the next available flight after dinner. Also, please find time to contact the major video platforms and the production company organizing the music festival to seek out exposure channels for Infinite.

“I recall we have three company vans, right? Designate one as Infinite’s exclusive vehicle, and assign a driver to pick them up and drop them off for school and training from now on. Notify the HR department to recruit an artist promoter—someone capable of filming and editing—dedicated to shooting promotional videos for Infinite.”

No matter how large a music festival was, the audience was limited to the fans and listeners in the crowd; its reach was extremely constrained. No matter how much offline applause they received, it couldn’t compare to online viral marketing.

However, as absolute newcomers, Infinite wouldn’t have fan-operated “station sisters” (fansite masters) recording focus-fancams for them. Even if some audience members happened to fall down the rabbit hole right there on the spot and uploaded photos or short clips online, those amateur efforts lacked quality control and were rarely able to capture the most stunning moments. It would be far better for the company to send their own people to film and meticulously edit the footage to post online. Even if it didn’t go viral immediately, it would become a weapon for fans to use later to “archaeologize” and evangelize the group.

With all tasks arranged, Tao Zui paused briefly before adding: “By the way, when accepting notices, be mindful of the timing. School starts in September. Diwu Zou and Yinuo have to take the College Entrance Examination next year, so try to schedule work for weekends—get them back and forth within two days so it doesn’t affect their classes. Halt all activities after the winter break so they can focus on their exam prep.”

Hearing this, an expression of sheer complexity appeared on Zhang Ling’s face. After a long while, she spoke with tactful persuasion: “Young CEO Tao, halting activities just as an artist is entering their rise might severely affect their careers…”

Tao Zui waved a hand, cutting her off. “I understand what you mean, but life isn’t just about fame and fortune. I don’t want them to miss out on the life experiences they should have at such a young age just for the sake of chasing fame. Regardless of the final outcome, I hope they don’t harbor any regrets.”

Most importantly, the talent show policies would loosen up by the year after next. Every major video platform, having been starved for four years, would launch their own talent shows—that was the best stage to showcase Infinite’s strength. Halting activities for a mere six months was something both the company and the trio could easily afford to lose.

Finishing his instruction, Tao Zui looked at the three younger boys, his expression deadly serious: “The same rule applies: all activities are predicated on their grades not dropping.”

The three younger boys nodded frantically, offering their guarantees in a cacophony: “We guarantee our grades won’t drop!”

Tao Zui nodded with satisfaction. “Excellent. Go back and pack your bags. I’ll send you to the airport after dinner.”

After dismissing the three younger boys, Tao Zui checked in on Su Jiqiu’s situation.

Recently, he had been too busy monitoring the progress of The Afterlife to look after Su Jiqiu, so he had delegated that task to Zhang Ling. He had instructed her to stay in regular contact with both Su Jiqiu and Long Feifei to keep tabs on the crew situation.

Fortunately, the filming of The Case Files of Dali Temple was going smoothly. The crew, poor and obscure as they were, had no divas causing drama, and everyone got along quite happily. Su Jiqiu, thanks to his superb acting and excellent delivery, had become a de facto acting teacher on set, often helping other actors untangle the plot and understand their characters; he was very popular among the crew.

Long Feifei had also rapidly adapted to her identity and work as an execution agent, becoming the bridge of communication between Su Jiqiu and the crew, successfully securing quite a few benefits for him.

Take the issue of the recreational vehicle (RV), for example. Because the crew’s funds were stretched to the breaking point, they had initially only prepared one RV for the leads. The other actors were forced to sit on small stools in the middle of the scorching summer sun while waiting for their scenes.

No one knew how Long Feifei negotiated with the crew, but shortly thereafter, they announced that the RV would be communal—any principal actor waiting for a scene could board the vehicle to escape the heat.

The strangest thing was, despite their own interests being compromised, neither the leads nor their staff raised a single objection; everyone was packed into that one RV in perfect harmony.

In any other crew, this would have sparked a conflict, yet Long Feifei had resolved it beautifully. Zhang Ling had been absolutely incredulous when she brought it up, but Tao Zui merely smiled upon hearing it.

Had it been anyone else, he might have been surprised, but coming from Long Feifei, he found it completely expected.

In the original novel, Long Feifei was described as a sharp, capable agent with plenty of tricks up her sleeve, and Tao Zui had experienced this firsthand in Hengdian.

After all, very few employees could bounce back so quickly and focus their attention on their work after having their authority undermined by their boss right to their face, rather than harboring resentment and slacking off.

After finishing his check-in regarding Su Jiqiu, Tao Zui added one final instruction: “Send me the resumes once you receive them for the artist promoter role. I’ll do a preliminary screening before notifying anyone for interviews.”

Who knows if some rabbit might come stumbling in just like Long Feifei? I can’t afford to miss such a golden opportunity to scoop up talent!

After ending the video call, Tao Zui stretched his arms, intending to sprawl out on the sofa. But as he lifted his head, he saw Gu Nan still sitting there, eyes fixed unblinkingly on him.

He hurriedly sat up straight, putting on a mature and stable facade as he asked: “Why are you still here? Aren’t you going back to your room to rest? And let me state this now: there’s no grilled meat for you; your dinner is just a vegetable salad!”

Gu Nan cast an indifferent glance at the packed takeout meat on the coffee table. After a moment of silence, he spoke: “I heard you talking about that Long Feifei just now. Don’t you think the difference in personality between her and Qiu-qiu is a bit too vast? Are you sure she can manage Qiu-qiu well?”

Tao Zui raised his eyebrows slightly, silently marveling that Gu Nan was worthy of being the protagonist who could tame Long Feifei—his ability to perceive subtleties and grasp the human heart was no worse than his own.

On the surface, Long Feifei had proactively helped Su Jiqiu secure better treatment, but digging deeper, that was only possible because The Case Files of Dali Temple was such a poor, obscure crew. Anywhere else, it would have just erupted into a massive fight.

“Long Feifei isn’t stupid. She did it because she saw the feasibility of success. Furthermore, at this stage, her interests are perfectly aligned with Qiu-qiu’s. I believe she will do her absolute best to help him. As for the future…”

Tao Zui drew out the inflection for a long moment before offering a faint smile: “That will depend on the capability of this boss here.”

He paused, looking at Gu Nan. “Actually, I had other considerations for arranging Long Feifei to manage Qiu-qiu. Qiu-qiu is too kind and straightforward. He needs someone to help him discern the people around him.”

In the original novel, the person who helped Su Jiqiu discern character was Gu Nan in the early stages, followed by the protagonist shou. Su Jiqiu had always been well-protected, like a flower in a greenhouse.

However, with the intervention of Tao Zui and the mastermind, the original plot was no longer reliable. Gu Nan had to fight for his own future, and Su Jiqiu had entered the career path early. The consequence of the plot spiraling out of control was that no one would be able to shield Su Jiqiu before the protagonist shou appeared.

At this juncture, Long Feifei’s appearance felt incredibly timely.

She was indeed overly shrewd and intensely ambitious, and her values differed significantly from Su Jiqiu’s, but she was bold, meticulous, and possessed exceptional capability—and her eye for discerning character was even more outstanding. Only with someone like that by his side to protect Su Jiqiu, who was far too attractive for his own good, could Tao Zui set aside his worries and concentrate on assisting Gu Nan.

“Rest assured, my concern for Qiu-qiu is no less than yours. You only view him as a younger brother; I view him as a cash cow!” Tao Zui joked. “Alright, go back and get some rest. We have to send Diwu Zou and the others to the airport in a bit.”

Gu Nan stood up and left, letting out a helpless sigh in his heart.

A cash cow, indeed! What kind of company boss leaves money on the table, only to send their cash cow to sit for the College Entrance Examination? This man is constantly spouting nonsense; sometimes I really want to crack his skull open to see what on earth is going on in there!