532: Chapter 532 Brokerage Contract, Top-Tier Family

The young man was Cheng Jiashu.

He had already changed out of that grand white suit, wearing only a simple black shirt with a slightly open collar and rolled-up cuffs.

Stripped of the dazzling and overpowering halo from the stage, he looked much more casual at this moment, wearing his signature smile on his face.

After entering the room, his gaze swept across the entire venue and did not linger on Zhou Xiumei for too long, instead locking onto Fang Cheng as he greeted him cordially:

"I saw these two beautiful ladies on stage just now, but I wonder what this gentleman is called?"

As he spoke, he walked straight over and took the initiative to extend his hand.

Fang Cheng stood up, a trace of politeness at meeting a celebrity appropriately appearing on his face, and reached out to grasp the other party's palm:

"Fang Cheng, Fang of Fangyuan, Cheng of Chengshi. I am a friend of Zhou Xiumei, and the child next to me is the neighbor's younger sister."

As their hands met, the tactile sensation was somewhat beyond Fang Cheng's expectations.

The skin on the other party's palm was delicate, feeling as soft as if it had no bones when gripped, and not a shred of strength could be felt at all.

It was just like a precious orchid carefully nurtured in a greenhouse, perfectly matching the outside world's stereotype of him as a "little fresh meat" idol singer.

Fang Cheng's heart stirred slightly, but on the surface he remained calm, giving a polite shake before letting go and sitting back down on the sofa.

"Fang Cheng..."

Cheng Jiashu withdrew his hand, playfully chewing on the name in his mouth, gave Fang Cheng a deep look, and smiled:

"Good name! Mr. Fang gives people a very special and steady feeling, no wonder you can Cultivate such an excellent singer as Young Miss Zhou."

"Mr. Cheng flatters me. I'm just a rough man who works as a sparring partner at a boxing gym, here to cheer on a friend."

Fang Cheng spouted nonsense casually, his tone relaxed.

Cheng Jiashu raised an eyebrow, obviously not believing it, but didn't expose him either.

After sitting down, he turned to look at Zhou Xiumei, who appeared somewhat restrained.

He casually picked up an orange from the fruit plate on the table, peeling it while saying gently:

"Don't be nervous. Once off the stage, I'm just an ordinary person who loves listening to songs."

He handed the peeled orange to Wen Xin, who was watching eagerly from the side, prompting the little girl to let out a surprised gasp and quickly express her gratitude.

Afterwards, Cheng Jiashu pulled a tissue to wipe his hands, looked at Zhou Xiumei, and switched to the identity of a mentor:

"There was no time to elaborate on some things on stage just now."

"Young Miss Zhou, your talent is very good, and the emotional explosive power of that song is also very strong, but from a professional perspective, your handling of the second section of the chorus was a bit over the top."

Zhou Xiumei immediately straightened her body, like an obedient primary school student:

"Please guide me, Teacher Cheng."

"Although this song belongs to the lyric rock style, singing is not purely shouting and roaring."

Cheng Jiashu pointed to his own diaphragm position and explained patiently:

"Your emotions were too excited at that time, causing a trace of disorder in your breath, relying entirely on a good voice to hard-carry it through."

"If you hadn't been lucky, performed beyond normal, and found a supporting force, your vocal cords would probably have become congested and edematous on the spot."

Fang Cheng's eyes flickered slightly.

This guy's perception was quite keen; he actually noticed some signs.

Cheng Jiashu seemed not to notice Fang Cheng's gaze and continued:

"When I won the championship back then, I was about your age. At that time, I also felt that as long as the emotion was true, even cracking your voice was a style."

"But after taking losses later, I understood that if you want to go far in this circle, technique and control are the armor that protects talent."

After speaking, he looked at Zhou Xiumei and offered earnest advice:

"When the main competition arrives, you can try to sing with a bit of restraint. Learning to leave blank spaces is more touching than spilling everything out."

"Thank you, Teacher Cheng! I've remembered it!"

Zhou Xiumei nodded hard, her eyes filled with gratitude.

The other party not only gave her the pass card first, but also imparted experience without reservation as a Senior, which deeply moved her heart.

"You're welcome. I just cherish talent; it would be such a pity if such a good sapling were buried."

Cheng Jiashu smiled, then changed the subject, casting his gaze once again toward Fang Cheng sitting aside:

"Of course, no matter how good a singer is, they still need good works to support them."

"Mr. Fang, I heard Young Miss Zhou say just now that this song 《Until the End of the World》 was given to her by you?"

Fang Cheng nodded and openly admitted:

"Yes."

"This song is written with great grandeur."

Cheng Jiashu leaned forward slightly, his peach-blossom eyes looking like torches, as if trying to see through Fang Cheng's inner thoughts:

"Especially the sense of decadence and redemption of the 'end of the world' in the lyrics; it's portrayed too realistically."

"Pardon my bluntness, this doesn't look like something someone who only knows how to practice boxing could write. Where did Mr. Fang's inspiration come from?"

"Actually, it was the first draft written by a friend of mine, I just added icing on the cake."

Without changing his expression, Fang Cheng shifted the blame onto a non-existent "friend" and shrugged:

"He's a weirdo who likes to wander around everywhere, and I haven't seen him for a long time. He said this song was written when he was watching the sunset in the desert, probably because he starved into fainting back then."

"Hehe, wandering is good. Wandering brings stories."

Cheng Jiashu gave two dry laughs and did not continue to press.

Afterwards, he picked up the landline phone on the table and pressed a number:

"Sister Hui, come in for a moment."

In just a few seconds, the door was pushed open.

Zhang Hui walked in quickly, holding a document that had been prepared long ago.

"Young Miss Zhou, Mr. Fang, let me introduce you."

Cheng Jiashu pointed at Zhang Hui and said:

"This is my manager, Sister Hui. This National Rookie Singing Contest is actually also a channel for our company to scout newcomers."

Zhang Hui stepped forward at the appropriate time and handed the document in front of Zhou Xiumei, wearing a professional and cordial smile on her face:

"Young Miss Zhou, our company 'Starsea Entertainment' is one of the organizers of this contest, and has deep strategic cooperation with Dongdu TV Station."

"Not only do we possess the top-tier recording studio and production team, but we also control a large amount of film and television OST resources."

She paused, and then dropped a bombshell:

"If you are willing to sign with our company, we can guarantee that you can enter the top three in this competition at least, or even... as long as your performance is stable, the championship is not impossible."

Zhou Xiumei was struck dizzy by this sudden surprise, her hand holding the document trembling as she subconsciously looked toward Fang Cheng.

Fang Cheng leaned on the sofa, his fingers tapping lightly on the armrest without interrupting, simply giving her an encouraging look.

Cheng Jiashu keenly captured the interaction between the two, smiled as he stood up, and took the initiative to propose:

"The matter of the contract is relatively complicated with many clauses, and it cannot be read through in a short while."

"How about this, Sister Hui, you take Young Miss Zhou and this lovely little friend to the meeting room next door."

"Even if you don't sign temporarily, you can first explain the pros and cons in detail to her, and help make some future plans."

Zhang Hui immediately nodded in assent.

Afterwards, Cheng Jiashu looked at Fang Cheng again, his eyes carrying a hint of meaning that only the two of them could understand:

"If Mr. Fang doesn't mind, would you stay and chat with me?"

"I am very interested in that wandering friend of yours, and I have some ideas about copyright and arrangement that I'd like to discuss with you."

This was to dismiss the others and talk about some secrets alone.

The corners of Fang Cheng's mouth curved up slightly, and without much thought, he nodded toward Zhou Xiumei:

"Go ahead. Listening to professionals' opinions doesn't hurt; I'll wait for you right here."

"Th—Alright."

Only then did Zhou Xiumei set her mind at ease, and holding Wen Xin's hand, she walked out of the room following Zhang Hui.

"Click."

The heavy mahogany door closed again, shutting all the noise outside the door.

The lounge instantly quieted down, leaving only two men looking at each other.

Cheng Jiashu maintained an idol star's business smile on his face, but that casual posture had vanished.

He leisurely unbuttoned his cuffs, rolling his sleeves up a bit higher, revealing firm and smooth forearm lines.

Then he picked up the teapot on the table, refilled the cup in front of Fang Cheng with water in a smooth and flowing motion, his tone profound:

"Alright, now there are no outsiders, we can chat about things ordinary people shouldn't know."

Fang Cheng picked up the teacup, gently blowing on the floating tea leaves without even lifting his eyelids:

"What do you want to chat about? Music? Or boxing?"

Seeing that Fang Cheng was still playing dumb, Cheng Jiashu helplessly spread his hands and leaned directly against the sofa, his peach-blossom eyes narrowing slightly with a hint of banter:

"Old Fang, we carried rifles together and blew up buildings together; at the very least we're comrades-in-arms with a life-and-death bond, aren't you being boring like this?"

"Must I dig out the surveillance footage from that night and point at the masked White Owl to ask who you are?"

Fang Cheng shrugged, put down the teacup, instantly shed the disguise on his face, and revealed that calm demeanor familiar to the other party:

"I didn't plan to pretend either, I was mainly worried that you, big star, have a noble and forgetful memory, and wouldn't want to recognize a powerless commoner like me."

"Come off it. If you're a commoner, wouldn't those high officials and noble lords in Dongdu all be lambs waiting to be slaughtered?"

Cheng Jiashu shook his head with an amused smile, carefully sizing up Fang Cheng's face, clicking his tongue in wonder:

"But seriously, at the first glance just now, I really almost didn't recognize you."

"In the past, although you weren't ugly, your skin definitely wasn't this good."

"How come after not seeing you for a while, this face is getting more and more Yingjun, so fair and tender that even I'm jealous; how on earth do you maintain it?"

Fang Cheng touched his own cheek and talked nonsense with a straight face:

"I earned a bit of money recently and went to do some medical aesthetics, the effect is quite good. If you're interested, I'll recommend that clinic to you another day."

"Spare me, I'm afraid of disfigurement."

Cheng Jiashu waved his hand, then restrained his smile, his tone becoming slightly more serious:

"No more joking. When shaking hands just now, I felt that it's not just the skin—your physical fitness compared to before has also become stronger by more than a notch."

"Sitting opposite you, I can even feel that the Qi and blood in your body is as vigorous as a big stove, baking people until they're all warm and hot."

"You're not bad either."

Fang Cheng's pupils flickered slightly, and then he responded:

"Your gaze has become even more profound and restrained, just like a bottomless pool of water, or like a black hole in the Universe, possessing a fascinating magic."

"If I guessed correctly, your ability should have already broken through the Bottleneck and reached S-grade, right?"

"Thanks to your blessing."

Cheng Jiashu did not deny it, poured himself a cup of tea, and a trace of emotion was carried in his tone:

"Although the battle at Noah Building that night was extremely dangerous and almost sank into the Inner World, fortunately I had some fortuitous encounters and touched that threshold between life and death. After going back, I diligently Cultivated for a period of time, and my strength has indeed improved quite a bit."

The two looked at each other and smiled, sharing a tacit understanding.

Cheng Jiashu then took the initiative to steer the topic toward business:

"Although I've also used the identity of 'White Owl', after you appeared that night and had a fierce brawl with Minister Luo Lie, the Noah Organization probably already guessed some clues. Have they looked for trouble with you afterwards?"

"They should be unable to look after themselves right now."

Fang Cheng took a sip of tea and replied with a calm expression:

"Their lair was raided and the laboratory was blown up. Besides hiding everywhere like stray dogs, what else can they achieve?"

"At least until now, I haven't encountered any decent retaliation."

"That was before."

Cheng Jiashu shook his head:

"After Noah Pharmaceuticals was sealed off for investigation, the Special Investigation Team arrested members of the Dongdu Branch all over the city, which indeed caused them heavy losses."

"However, right at the beginning of this month, the wind direction changed. Someone helped them wipe their backside, forcefully suppressing this matter and even bailing out several arrested Advanced cadres."

Hearing this, Fang Cheng raised an eyebrow:

"Who has such great energy?"

"There are high-ranking officials at the government level, and there is also our local local tyrant in Dongdu, the Xiao Family."

"Xiao Family?"

Fang Cheng's eyes condensed slightly, and in his mind instantly surfaced the two Men in Black with special abilities encountered in the Noah laboratory.

Although they didn't state their specific identities, they claimed to be people from the Xiao Family, wanting to use this identity to intimidate him, and in the end they were beaten and chased away by his punch.

Seeing Fang Cheng fall into deep thought and thinking that he didn't understand this Family, Cheng Jiashu continued to speak:

"This Family is quite remarkable; in Dongdu, and even the entire Summer Country, they are truly behemoths."

"Beginning their layout decades ago, nowadays they not only monopolize nearly half of the domestic energy and pharmaceutical industries, but also possess intricate networks in the political circle, dealing with both underworld and upperworld, with extremely powerful forces."

As he spoke, he extended three fingers and waved them in front of Fang Cheng's eyes:

"The most crucial point is that the Xiao Family alone has three Advanced S-grade experts on the surface; as for how many trump cards are still hidden in secret, I'm afraid nobody can tell clearly."

Seeing that Fang Cheng's expression was still calm, Cheng Jiashu couldn't help emphasizing his tone to remind him:

"You mustn't fail to take this seriously."

"Looking across the entire Summer Country, there are less than a hundred S-grade ability users in total, and that's even counting all the major Families, Special Investigation Teams, military forces and other organizational powers, plus casual practitioners like us."

"Therefore, on this one-mu-three-fen plot of land in Dongdu, a mere Family sits upon three top powerhouses. You should have a clear idea in your heart what this means."

Fang Cheng nodded slightly, expressing agreement with this:

"Since the Xiao Family is willing to make a move at this cusp of the storm to become the umbrella of the Noah Organization, it shows that they have colluded for a long time."

"Even... everything Noah has done in Dongdu itself cannot be separated from the Xiao Family; they very likely participated in Noah's Board of Directors."

"You guessed correctly."

Cheng Jiashu gave him an appreciative look:

"According to reliable news I recently investigated, when the Noah Organization was initially able to gain a foothold in Dongdu and smoothly create the Dongdu Branch, there has always been the shadow of the Xiao Family behind it."

"And not only that, even behind the Xiao Family, there is an even larger and more terrifying power existence."

Fang Cheng's heart moved abruptly, and then he asked:

"What power?"

Cheng Jiashu took a deep breath, his eyes fixed tightly on Fang Cheng, spitting out three words one by one:

"Utopia."