Chapter Twenty-Five: Zuo Qiu

In the evening, Zhou Miao took leave from his night study session and went to the Japanese restaurant Zhang Liangkuan had mentioned. Upon entering the private room, he discovered that besides Zhang Liangkuan, there was also a woman in her late twenties or early thirties. She had an oval face, willow-like brows, and exquisitely beautiful features. Her eyes were particularly striking, bright and expressive, as if they could speak. Her long hair cascaded freely over a black dress, which made her fair skin seem to glow.

When Zhou Miao entered, the woman’s gaze was eager. Zhang Liangkuan introduced, “This is my friend’s daughter, Zuo Qiu, who’s here to join us for dinner.”

Zhou Miao smiled and nodded as a greeting. The three sat down, Zuo Qiu ordered the dishes, and Zhou Miao chatted with Zhang Liangkuan in a casual manner. Zhang Liangkuan didn’t mention the purpose of his visit, and Zhou Miao wasn’t in a hurry—he knew it would come up eventually.

“I agreed to help Zhao Weiming because he promised to advertise my music shop,” Zhang Liangkuan complained, “but I watched his video several times, and that rascal didn’t even get my shop’s name in. Just a couple of shots of the store—who could tell where it is? Next time I see him, I’ll make sure he pays for it!”

Zhou Miao laughed heartily. Zhang Liangkuan sighed and shook his head, saying, “I listened to your song—it’s really good. I always thought you were born for this business, but I didn’t expect you to become famous so quickly. Are a lot of companies lining up to sign you these days?”

At this topic, Zuo Qiu, who had been silent, looked at Zhou Miao, her expression slightly tense.

Zhou Miao nodded, “Quite a few, maybe a dozen or so. It’s been rather bothersome lately.”

“What terms are they offering? Would you mind sharing?” Zhang Liangkuan asked.

“The highest offer was five million for signing, a thirty-seven percent split—I get thirty percent—and I keep the rights to my songs,” Zhou Miao replied.

“That much?” Zhang Liangkuan was surprised.

An outsider wouldn’t know, but entertainment companies rarely offer such favorable terms to newcomers. Usually, it’s a ten-ninety split, and only the hottest new stars get thirty-seven. Zhou Miao keeping his song rights was even more remarkable.

“So, did you accept?”

Zhou Miao shook his head, “No, I turned them all down. Honestly, the money doesn’t matter much. It’s just that their planned career paths don’t match what I want. They want to mold me into a commercial idol, but I just want to make music.”

Hearing this, both Zhang Liangkuan and Zuo Qiu brightened. Zhang Liangkuan said, “To be honest, I came here today to talk to you about signing with a record company…”

“Uncle Zhang, let me speak,” Zuo Qiu interrupted. She extended her right hand to Zhou Miao. “Let me formally introduce myself. My name is Zuo Qiu, and I’m the general manager of Rainbow Records.”

Zhou Miao was suddenly enlightened. He shook her hand gently. “A pleasure to meet you.”

“Uncle Zhang and my father have been friends for years. I couldn’t reach you, but Uncle Zhang knows you, so I asked him to bring me here. I hope you don’t mind.”

Zhou Miao smiled, “It’s fine, but I haven’t heard much about Rainbow Records. Is it a new company?”

Zuo Qiu looked a bit embarrassed. “Actually, Rainbow Records has been around for over thirty years. It was once quite successful, but then some accidents happened, and we haven’t been very active lately. It’s normal you haven’t heard of us.”

At this, Zhang Liangkuan interjected, “You’ve heard of Wave Entertainment, right? One of the top ten record companies in the country. Their original team split off from Rainbow Records. Ever since, Rainbow has been struggling and never recovered.”

Zhou Miao naturally knew Wave Entertainment; its roster was filled with stars and it was very powerful. In fact, one of their artist managers had recently approached him. He hadn’t expected them to have originated from Rainbow Records.

Zuo Qiu’s expression turned bitter. “That’s all in the past, let’s not dwell on it.”

“Zhou Miao, although Rainbow hasn’t made much noise in recent years, as one of the country’s oldest record companies, we are second to none in distribution and promotion. And we are among the few companies deeply committed to music itself. We have many professional mentors who can help you refine your musical style. More importantly…”

A fine sweat appeared on Zuo Qiu’s nose as she spoke. “I can give you the greatest freedom!”

Zhou Miao was curious, “Freedom? How much freedom?”

“I know you don’t like variety shows or commercial performances. I promise you, if you sign with Rainbow, everything will be up to you. We can write this into the contract.”

At these words, Zhou Miao’s finger, which had been tapping lightly on the table, suddenly stopped. Such a promise from a record company was almost laughable.

He frowned, “Let me ask, if I don’t take commercial gigs, don’t appear on variety shows, and don’t do endorsements, how will you make money from signing me? Albums hardly bring in much these days.”

“We’re not signing you for profit. We hope you’ll become a flagship for Rainbow. The entertainment industry is ultimately a game of capital, but Rainbow has been out of sight for too long. We want the world—and investors—to hear Rainbow’s name again, and only then can Rainbow grow and survive.”

Zhou Miao nodded, “I understand, but I can’t give you an answer now. I need time to consider, and my main focus at the moment is still the college entrance exam. I don’t plan to debut any time soon.”

The fact that Zhou Miao was even willing to consider it relieved Zuo Qiu immensely. It meant there was hope. Other companies had all been flatly rejected, some without even meeting him.

Zhou Miao himself wasn’t fully aware of how sought-after he was. The entertainment industry hadn’t seen so many companies vying for a single newcomer in ages.

His qualifications were simply unmatched: a naturally handsome face worthy of a top idol, solid musical training from a young age, and dazzling creative talent. Each of these qualities was rare, let alone combined in one person.

If this were in Zhou Miao’s previous life, he’d be like a blend of Edison Chen, a modest Lang Lang, and Jay Chou! Such a superstar seed needed hardly any grooming—even plastic surgery would be unnecessary. If you were a record company, wouldn’t you fight for him?

If not for Zhou Miao’s demanding requirements, Zuo Qiu wouldn’t have had a chance—he would’ve been worshipped by other companies already.

The rest of the meal, they didn’t discuss signing any further. Their conversation drifted to other topics. The restaurant was well-known, but Zhou Miao found the food mediocre; he thought pancakes tasted better.