Perfect Superstar.

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A plate of spicy stir-fried river snails, a plate of salt-and-pepper crayfish, a plate of tender pan-seared beef strips, and a plate of tangy shredded potatoes filled the table. 

Simple dishes, accompanied by some peanuts and smashed cucumbers, set the scene for Lu Chen and Li Feiyu, who sat across from each other, each with two packs of beer, celebrating their success that evening.

Li Feiyu was particularly excited, downing an entire bottle in one go. He slammed the empty bottle on the table with a grin, wiped the foam from his lips, and exclaimed, "That's refreshing!"

Lu Chen chuckled, "As long as you're happy."

Li Feiyu took a deep breath and said, "It feels so good. Big Chen, you don't know how long I've been doing Live Streaming, but I've never been as excited as I was tonight. I have no regrets!"

Lu Chen paused for a moment before asking, "Brother Li, if I start a Studio, would you be willing to help me out?"

"A Studio?" Li Feiyu's eyes widened with excitement. "Are you serious?"

Lu Chen nodded firmly, "Absolutely."

Starting a Studio had been a long-held dream for Lu Chen, but the timing had never felt right. He had kept the idea to himself, rarely mentioning it to anyone.

But now, things were changing. He was stepping onto a bigger stage and entering a wider circle. Looking ahead, he knew his workload would inevitably increase, and working alone would no longer be feasible.

Take tonight's Live Streaming event, for instance. It had only been successful and profitable because Li Feiyu had managed everything.

With many more rounds of Singing China ahead and his sights set on the championship, Lu Chen realized he couldn't keep relying solely on Li Feiyu's goodwill.

Even though Li Feiyu was more than willing to help, Lu Chen wanted a long-term solution.

The best option was to establish his own personal Studio and build a dedicated team!

Many Celebrities, after gaining fame, often left their contracted companies to set up personal Studios, taking full control of their careers— like Tan Hong and Chen Fei'er.

Lu Chen was simply skipping the intermediate steps and taking charge of his destiny earlier.

Of course, he lacked the influence and connections of those big celebrities, so starting out would be challenging. But as the saying goes, where there's a will, there's a way. With the invaluable knowledge he'd gained from his dream world, he felt he was already standing on the shoulders of giants.

Lu Chen was confident about the future!

For a manager, he planned to have his sister, Lu Xi, take the reins. Li Feiyu, on the other hand, was perfect as his assistant, handling day-to-day tasks and allowing Lu Chen to focus on music and acting.

After careful consideration, Lu Chen sincerely invited Li Feiyu to join him— it was far from a spur-of-the-moment idea.

Seeing Lu Chen's serious demeanor, Li Feiyu finally believed he wasn't joking.

Brother Little Fei hesitated for a moment, swallowing hard. Suddenly, he slapped his hand on the table and declared, "Big Chen, if you're willing to have me, then I'm in! I'll do the hard work, the dirty work, whatever it takes!"

"This current job of mine is meaningless anyway. I've been wanting to quit for ages!"

The car sales market hadn't been great lately, and the 4S dealership where Li Feiyu worked didn't represent a popular brand. As a salesperson, his income depended entirely on commissions, which had taken a significant hit.

Even if Lu Chen hadn't approached him, he'd been planning to switch jobs.

Lu Chen said, "Then it's settled. No need to rush, though. Take your time resigning, and then come help me. First, we'll find a suitable office space and get the license approved. Then, we'll gradually build the team."

He planned to take things step by step, avoiding spreading resources too thin and minimizing financial pressure.

"As for your salary, it'll be at least as much as you're earning at the 4S store— if not higher— with added performance bonuses. How does that sound?"

Having thought it through in advance, Lu Chen's plan was well-organized.

Li Feiyu beamed. "That sounds great."

The two had known each other for a long time and understood each other well. Li Feiyu trusted that Lu Chen wouldn't shortchange him.

As they spoke, Li Feiyu's expression suddenly turned shy, as if he had something on his mind but didn't dare to say it.

Lu Chen grinned and asked. "Are you thinking I should hire Sister Little Mei too?"

If there was anything Brother Little Fei couldn't let go of at the 4S dealership, it was undoubtedly Sister Little Mei.

Li Feiyu's unrequited affection for Little Mei had never wavered.

Caught off guard by Lu Chen's question, Li Feiyu's face turned red. He awkwardly scratched his head and stammered, "I was thinking about it, but if it's too much trouble…"

"There's nothing difficult about it!" Lu Chen interrupted, "Since we're opening a Studio, we'll definitely need a front desk receptionist. If Little Mei is willing to work in our humble little place, I'd absolutely welcome her!"

Li Feiyu breathed a sigh of relief. "She'd probably come. There are too many lecherous customers at the 4S dealership."

Lu Chen smiled knowingly and cracked open a can of beer, raising it toward him. "To a happy collaboration!"

…

"To a happy collaboration!"

On the afternoon of July 11, at the Blue Sky Creative Park, Nirvana Studio.

Lu Chen firmly shook hands with Wang Changsheng, the manager of Nirvana Studio. Beneath their clasped hands lay a freshly signed contract.

The day after the first qualification round of Singing China, Lu Chen returned to Nirvana Studio, entrusting them with the production of all ten tracks for his debut album.

Compared to the earlier single-track recording sessions, this was a much larger project, with a contract amount of 100,000 Yuan! Each song still cost 10,000 Yuan, but since it was a complete album that included Lu Chen's vocal recordings, the quality requirements were much higher, and the production timeline was significantly extended.

After the previous collaboration, Lu Chen had developed a strong trust in Nirvana Studio. He admired their serious and professional approach to work, which was why he entrusted such an important task to them.

Lu Chen's plan was to synchronize the production of his new songs with the Singing China competition, using the show's platform to promote his work and eventually release his debut album, "Dust in the Wind", to the market.

His only requirement for Nirvana Studio was quality. While it might not match the level of the renowned Heavenly Sound Studio, it couldn't fall too far behind.

Manager Wang Changsheng of Nirvana Studio was deeply grateful.

"Thank you!"

Lu Chen replied, "I should thank you too. The composition for 'Walking While Singing' was excellent."

Wang Changsheng's eyes crinkled into a smile. "I watched the qualification round last night. Your performance was outstanding, Mr. Lu! I'm sorry— I almost forgot to congratulate you on advancing to the Top 32!"

Lu Chen said, "If Manager Wang truly feels apologetic, could you do me a favor?"

Wang Changsheng was momentarily stunned but quickly recovered, nodding repeatedly. "No problem, no problem. Just say the word. If it's something I can do, I'll make it happen!"

While Wang Changsheng wasn't the sharpest manager but he clearly saw Lu Chen's immense potential. Securing a client like him could not only lift Nirvana Studio out of its current struggles but even propel it to unprecedented success.

The moment he signed the new contract, Wang Changsheng was so thrilled he even considered marrying his daughter off to Lu Chen!

He had truly given his all for the survival of this Studio.

Lu Chen smiled and said, "It's nothing major. I'm planning to rent an office here in Blue Sky Creative Park to set up a personal music Studio. A space of about 100 to 200 square meters would be enough. Since you're familiar with the area, could you keep an eye out for me?"

It was becoming increasingly popular for freelance singers and actors to open personal Studios, though this trend was more common among industry veterans and big-name celebrities. That Lu Chen was planning to start his own music Studio caught Wang Changsheng slightly off guard.

However, Lu Chen's Studio clearly wouldn't compete with Nirvana Studio. If it did, he wouldn't have entrusted his album production to Nirvana or asked Wang Changsheng for help.

The two Studios could collaborate well. Once Wang Changsheng realized this, he immediately said, "No problem, no problem. I'll find you the perfect office space. Soon, we'll even be neighbors! Haha."

As he spoke, he couldn't help but laugh.

Lu Chen nodded but found his thoughts drifting far into the future.

(End of Chapter)