Chapter 2745: Making a Big Deal Out of Things

Zhou Andong's words were more potent than Shi Quan Da Bu Wan; looking at everyone's faces, each one was glowing with health. Mainly because there were actual examples—employees of the Gong Tribute Liquor Factory all had shares, so they knew Zhou Andong wasn't just painting them a pie in the sky but was genuinely giving them meat to eat.

"Today I saw a few familiar new faces," Zhou Andong said with a smile. "For example, Chen Lin—regarding future culture, you're a new face, but because of your songs, I'm quite familiar with you.

Your tenderness I will never understand; it's playing all over the streets. One could say that in all of 1993, the hottest singer was Chen Lin. On my way here today, I even heard shops along the street playing your music.

Zhou Andong looked at Chen Lin; at this time she hadn't yet suffered depression, still an optimistic, music-loving girl pursuing purity. During the Gong Tribute Music Festival, Zhou Andong happened to meet her and thus invited Chen Lin to join Future Culture.

Actually, Zhou Andong hadn't expected Chen Lin to agree, after all, Chen Lin was too big—your tenderness I will never understand was rated by the authoritative music magazine Audio-Visual World as the Best Domestic Album of 1993.

This year, this girl swept all major music awards—Best Newcomer, Best Vocal Performance, Best Female Singer of the Year, the Top Five in the Mandopop scene, and so on. Every award you could see her figure. One could say Chen Lin debuted at the peak, truly an overnight fame.

So, Zhou Andong inviting her was just a case of casting a net hoping to catch a fish, even if there might not be any—just in case he could net this little girl into Future Culture? Now it looks like his net actually caught her.

Zhou Andong remembered that after Chen Lin became famous, she indeed had conflicts with the company, and her thriving career began to suffer setbacks. It was said that due to differences in development direction, the two sides had a falling out.

But even so, until her contract expired did Chen Lin leave the company, joining her first husband's company, becoming a money-making tool, wearing down her body, and finally suffering betrayal and divorce.

Immediately after, in a state where her body and mind had suffered severe harm, she rushed into a second marriage. This let no one expect that Chen Lin was climbing out of a mire only to jump into a fire pit.

Before marriage, her second husband cared for her attentively and looked after her well, but after marriage he turned into another person entirely. Not only was his desire for control extremely strong—he installed surveillance in the house, monitoring her every move, and even subjected her to domestic violence. Thus, when they had been married just a hundred days, she chose to leap from the upper floor.

Zhou Andong looked at Chen Lin; now that this girl had joined Future Culture, perhaps she wouldn't encounter those two scumbags, or perhaps her life would be rewritten.

"Hello, Zhou Dong!" Chen Lin stood up with a smile on her face, greeting him openly: "You have always been my idol. I went to Jiangzhou to watch the music festival, and actually I had some small hopes in my heart—just hoping to meet you.

Perhaps heaven heard my prayer and really let me meet you. At that time I was so nervous my mind went blank; I don't remember what you said to me. Just now I was still thinking about what you said to me that day."

Zhou Andong said with a smile: "That day I invited you to join Future Culture, but you didn't agree."

"Ah?" Chen Lin's face showed surprise, then immediately regret: "If I hadn't been so nervous back then, if I had heard your words clearly, I would have agreed then to join Future Culture."

Zhou Andong felt a sigh in his heart: no matter what field, those who succeed—regardless of gender—have it never easy.

"It's not too late to join now."

Zhou Andong then looked at another little girl—Xie Jin. Just recently, Zhou Andong happened to hear the song Rap Face Mask and thought of this little girl who had fallen into difficulty.

So he had Ma Xiaotong pay attention to her, to lend this little girl a hand, because this little girl, like Chen Lin, had also jumped from a high-rise building. After all, this is a life—if we can help, we help.

Moreover, this little girl's contracted company is Warner. After Zhou Andong acquired Sony, he needed to create momentum, so Warner became his target. If the person who clashed with this little girl was a Warner executive, then he would use this matter to drag Warner into the water, wanting to sail far by stepping on Warner's heads.

(Forgot to refer back to Chapter 2257)

"Xie Jin!" Zhou Andong said with a smile: "I also know you—your rap song Face Mask swept the nation this spring during the Spring Festival Gala; my little sister loves your song the most, and whenever she thinks of it she sings a few lines.

When Zhou Andong looked at her, Xie Jin stood up; as soon as his words ended, she bowed deeply: "Zhou Dong, Ma Zong told me it was you who had her come forward to help me—thank you."

Zhou Andong waved his hand and asked: "Just what exactly happened back then? Did you really slap that surnamed Song guy?"

Hearing Zhou Andong's question, everyone perked up their ears. This matter is known among insiders, but it's all hearsay—no one knows exactly what happened.

Therefore, Zhou Andong's question immediately sparked everyone's gossip heart. Even Dou Xian'er put down her score in her hands, lifted her head, and looked at Xie Jin with a face full of curiosity.

Xie Jin did not avoid this question, her tone still carrying a hint of anger: "The equipment malfunction was his doing."

Zhou Andong frowned slightly: "You're a Warner artist, and you're this hot right now—why would he do this? What's in it for him?"

Xie Jin hesitated a moment, then finally took a deep breath and said: "He has been harassing me, trying to make me his girlfriend, but I refused him, so he has been suppressing me everywhere, even directing the sound engineer to tamper with the equipment during my performances, forcing me to comply."

Zhou Andong snorted coldly, looking at Ma Xiaotong: "How did the task I assigned you turn out?"

Ma Xiaotong said: "At first I looked for Song Hui, asking him to withdraw the lawsuit against Xie Jin, on any terms he wanted. But that guy is very domineering, declaring he must ruin Xie Jin's reputation and make her lose face—my influence is useless."

Saying this, Ma Xiaotong laughed: "Since there's nothing to talk about, let's not talk—I brought Xie Jin directly to Jingcheng, letting the lawyers handle everything fully. As for this Song Hui's dirt, we've already preliminarily gathered some evidence and are still investigating."

"Progress is a bit slow." Zhou Andong tapped his finger on the table: "Money can make the devil push a mill—since the investigation is difficult, let's just spend money to buy his dirt; I don't think anyone would refuse money over this."

Ma Xiaotong agreed: "Okay, I'll arrange it after the meeting ends."

"Mm!" Zhou Andong hummed: "Once we've gathered his dirt, we'll immediately hold a press conference to expose it, making a big deal out of things."