Chapter 21: Huh? Is that Lu Yao?

Zhao Rongrong initially assumed Lu Yao was just some rich kid playing at being a musician to kill time. After all, "artsy" types were still a marketable commodity these days. Many wealthy youths would start a band or two just to show off and pick up girls.

However, she never expected that the venue for Lu Yao's performance would be NFA. As a woman working in finance, she was well aware of the place and had often accompanied clients there for drinks. Everything clicked into place instantly. No wonder Lu Yao dressed so plainly yet possessed such a mature mindset, and could come up with so much money—it was all earned from the nightlife scene!

A handsome younger man like him surely had plenty of wealthy benefactors—perhaps even older women—which meant Lu Yao had massive, untapped potential. Yes! Zhao Rongrong felt she had discovered another treasure. A young man earning money from wealthy benefactors and then using that money to boost her performance metrics? Oh my! Zhao Rongrong, you really are a wicked woman. To ease her guilty conscience, she decided to attend his show to cheer him on and inflate the market value of her "little brother."

…

Lu Yao was unaware of Zhao Rongrong’s thoughts, and even if he had known, he wouldn't have cared. Once he had exhausted all his ammo, he settled in to begin rehearsals with Xiao Nali. Under the guidance of a vocal coach, Lu Yao, naturally gifted, made rapid progress. After just over a week of training, the teacher even began instructing him on how to infuse emotion into his singing—a sight that left Zuo Zuo and Zhou Bella completely stunned. They finally understood the saying: "Some things cannot be achieved through hard work alone; the finish line of your best efforts might not even reach the starting point of someone else’s casual attempt."

Lu Yao was precisely that kind of talent. The same song, when performed by him, was simply more infectious than anyone else’s version. What could you even do about that?

His rapid progress left Xiao Nali exceptionally satisfied. After two weeks of pre-job training, she prepared a contract for Lu Yao and his group. The salary and benefits had already been negotiated, so they had no issues there. The only sticking point was the three-year contract term, which felt a bit too long.

Seeing their hesitation, Xiao Nali smiled. "The contract is with the entertainment company under my name. If you have other aspirations in the future, I can help you with those as well."

Trusting Sister Nali’s character, Zuo Zuo, Zhou Bella, and Song Jing agreed after a brief consideration. But Lu Yao politely declined. "I’m just doing this as a side hustle for extra cash; I’ll do it for a year at most."

Having spent this time together, Xiao Nali knew exactly what Lu Yao was really up to. She pulled him aside and urged him earnestly, "Lu Yao, you have great vocal talent, an excellent look, and the ability to compose. You were born for the entertainment industry! I can help you make a name for yourself."

The subtext was: Stop living off others. Let me provide for you instead.

Pursue a career in entertainment? Lu Yao thought about the trajectory of the industry over the next few years. The massive success of "The Voice of China" in 2012 had reignited the craze for reality talent shows, leading to an endless stream of music programs. Some people did indeed rise to fame and fortune through them, like the "Master Mao" of *The Coming One*, the "Gai-ye" of the rap scene, or the "fangirl harvester."

But this popularity was merely a flash in the pan. The domestic music market was largely shrinking, even bordering on death. The primary cause was the rapid development of smart devices and high-speed broadband, which brought about a diversification of entertainment that cannibalized the music market, leading to diminishing returns for artists.

Compared to that, being in the entertainment industry might not even be as profitable as livestream e-commerce. A single livestream by Three Sheep could move 50 million in mooncakes—what singer had that kind of pull? Even if one wanted to mine gold from the entertainment world, wouldn't it be far more satisfying to become a big-time investor in films? Two years later, box office dark horses like *Goodbye Mr. Loser*, *Wolf Warrior*, *Hello Mr. Billionaire*, *The Wandering Earth*, and *Hi, Mom* were all gold mines. With so many ways to make money, why bother starting from the bottom to chase the dream of stardom?

So, Lu Yao smiled and said, "I have no interest in entering the entertainment industry." Before Xiao Nali could object, he added, "I know about the recent affairs at NFA, Sister Nali. Don't worry, I’m happy to sign a non-compete agreement."

Xiao Nali was silent. She stared at him intently, feeling a deep sense of regret for his choice. If he were willing to debut, he could at least become a regional star, if not a national sensation. It was a pity his heart wasn't in it.

She nodded. "I respect your choice, but if you change your mind, come find me anytime."

"Thank you, Sister Nali," Lu Yao replied. Although she wore her hair in a sharp, short cut, favored suits, and acted with the decisive, ruthless efficiency of a "devil boss," she was a very soft-hearted person.

After the contracts were signed, preparations for the group’s debut began in earnest. To compensate for the loss of interest caused by the absence of their main star, Xiao Nali met with NFA’s top brass and decided to hang a massive, center-stage poster of Lu Yao outside the venue. The promotional slogan read: *NFA Unearths a Raw Superstar for an Exclusive Performance! An Absolute Feast for the Senses!*

To create a buzz, the poster featured Lu Yao at the center, with several well-known local artists from Shangnan City endorsing him in the background. Placed in the most conspicuous spot on Zhongshan Road, it immediately caught the attention of passersby.

"Raw talent!" "Unearths!" "Feast for the senses!" Combined with NFA’s reputation, the public was filled with curiosity about this newcomer. It was easy to understand—much like the courtesans of ancient times, when a house put its heart into training a new star and announced it, patrons would inevitably be curious, regardless of whether the hype was real. Consequently, NFA’s business saw a surge in interest after the poster went up.

Such a flashy sign in a prime location on Zhongshan Road, with a daily foot traffic of over 300,000, was naturally seen by many and shared online. The day after the sign was hung, Luo Yuyan, who had been invited to Zhongshan Road by a boy for a night out, naturally spotted the giant poster of Lu Yao.

Seeing Lu Yao on that massive poster—handsome, his eyes languid yet looking down upon the passing crowds with a sense of superiority—Luo Yuyan froze. No way! What is going on here?! Why is that guy on an NFA poster? Didn't he go off to live off a woman? How is he suddenly hanging on Zhongshan Road, radiating such blinding star power? And it’s an NFA poster!

As a vain, gold-digging girl who had been studying in Shangnan for so long, how could she not know about NFA? It was one of the top nightlife spots in the city. Its prestige and the sheer cost of consumption made it a place she didn't even dare to enter—girls of her caliber weren't even invited to venues of that tier.

She couldn't wrap her head around it! How long had it been? That guy was now appearing on a massive poster in a prime location just like a real celebrity.

Luo Yuyan felt a surge of heartache and gritted her teeth. But then, her eyes darted around, and a brilliant idea struck her. She took out her phone, snapped a picture of the giant poster, and posted it to her WeChat Moments. This feature, launched in version 4.0 of WeChat in April 2012, marked a key shift from a communication tool to a social platform.

After more than a year of development, WeChat Moments had become quite lively. Especially for a girl like Luo Yuyan, whose "Moments" were filled with countless "brothers" who loved to like and comment on her posts. Although Luo Yuyan was no longer in contact with Fan Shushu, they were still WeChat friends and could see each other’s posts.

And so, Luo Yuyan captioned her post: "Huh? Is this Lu Yao?"