Chapter 69: Convincing the Judges

In the afternoon, in the coffee lounge of the Peninsula Hotel, Leslie Cheung was leisurely flipping through a French magazine.

"Gor Gor!" Xiang Fei walked over briskly, a brilliant smile on his face.

Leslie Cheung looked up, his eyes lighting up: "Ah Fei? What wind blew you here?" He closed the magazine and gestured for Xiang Fei to sit. "I heard you've been doing some kind of... singing show lately?"

Xiang Fei took a gold-stamped proposal from his briefcase and slid it in front of Leslie Cheung: "Xiangjiang's Got Voice — I'd like you to be a judge."

Leslie Cheung's slender fingers flipped lightly through the pages, the corners of his mouth gradually lifting: "Blind auditions? Swivel chairs? Interesting..." He suddenly looked up, a glint of mischief in his eyes. "I want to add one condition."

"Any condition!" Xiang Fei agreed at once.

"Each episode I want an 'Angel Button' that can save an eliminated contestant at any time." Leslie Cheung gave a wink. "What do you say?"

Xiang Fei burst out laughing: "Perfect! It's a deal!"

Leaving the Peninsula Hotel, Xiang Fei headed straight for Anita Mui's rehearsal room.

He pushed open the door. Anita Mui was directing a group of dancers in rehearsal. The moment she saw Xiang Fei, she waved him over: "Ah Fei! Come here!"

Xiang Fei jogged over. Before he could speak, Anita Mui pinched his cheek: "You've grown taller again! So, what do you want with me?"

"Anita-jie..." Xiang Fei rubbed his cheek, caught between laughter and tears, and handed over the proposal.

After a quick scan, Anita Mui made the call on the spot: "I'm in! When do we start recording?"

"Next month..."

"Done!" Anita Mui turned and shouted to her assistant, "Clear my entire schedule for next month!" Then she pinched Xiang Fei's cheek again. "Remember to treat me to dinner!"

At dusk, Xiang Fei arrived at Roman Tama's mansion.

The butler led him to the study, where Roman Tama was practicing calligraphy without looking up: "Xiang Shao graces us with his presence — to what do we owe the honor?"

Xiang Fei set the proposal on the desk: "Wen-ge, I'd like you to be a judge on Xiangjiang's Got Voice."

Roman Tama finally looked up and let out a laugh: "I've been very busy lately..."

Unfazed, Xiang Fei pulled out his phone and dialed a number: "Hello, Uncle Qiang? Wen-ge says he doesn't have time..."

"Wait!" Roman Tama suddenly snatched the phone and hung up, cold sweat beading on his forehead. "I... I'll think about it again..."

Xiang Fei smiled: "Wen-ge, this show really is very interesting.

Leaving Roman Tama's house, Xiang Fei's phone rang. "Ah Fei!" It was Sam Hui's excited voice on the other end. "I heard you got Leslie and Anita as judges? Brilliant! I have an idea..."

"Sam-ge, please go ahead."

"The four of us judges could do a 'Super Mentor' segment — each of us mentors one contestant, and in the end we go head-to-head on the same stage!"

Xiang Fei's eyes lit up: "Brilliant idea! It's a deal!"

That evening, the moment Xiang Fei got home, he saw Xiang Qiang sitting in the living room.

"Ah Fei, all wrapped up?" Xiang Qiang asked without looking up.

"All wrapped up." Xiang Fei poured himself a glass of water. "Leslie and Anita agreed right away, and Roman Tama 'volunteered' too."

Only then did Xiang Qiang look up, and a smile spread across his face as he gazed at Xiang Fei: "Not bad. By the way..." He pulled out a cheque. "This is the show's startup capital."

Xiang Fei took the cheque, counted the zeros after the number, and exclaimed in surprise: "This much?"

Xiang Qiang stood up and clapped his nephew on the shoulder: "Remember — if you're going to do it, do it the best." He walked to the door, then turned back. "As for Roman Tama's side... I've already 'taken care of' it."

The next day, Yongsheng Pictures held a press conference.

Four superstars — Leslie Cheung, Anita Mui, Sam Hui, and Roman Tama — appeared together, sending the media into a frenzy. Under the flash of cameras, Xiang Fei announced:

"Xiangjiang's Got Voice will open a new era for the Xiangjiang music scene!"

Down in the audience, Eric Tsang whispered to Zhou Huimin: "Tsk tsk, this lineup... the other TV stations are going to cry!"

Zhou Huimin looked at the triumphant Xiang Fei on stage, her eyes full of pride.