Chapter 123: The Elimination Round

Chen Duo bear-hugged Liao Yuan!

Nearly twenty thousand people in the venue witnessed this scene, and countless fans erupted into excited screams. Amidst the chaos, Liao Yuan was escorted backstage by staff.

"Outrageous! This Chen Duo is completely out of line! It's sheer lawlessness!" The head of the management team cursed as he walked toward Liao Yuan, asking with concern, "Mr. Liao, are you all right?"

"I'm fine," Liao Yuan replied with a smile.

Fu Xiaoci also hurried over, asking, "What happened?" She had just stepped out of the restroom to see that scene, and her heart had skipped a beat. After learning the details of the incident, she couldn't help but say angrily, "That Chen Duo must be crazy for fame! No, she has to pay the price for her recklessness!"

"It's not that big of a deal," Liao Yuan said. "Let it go, they're just kids."

Fu Xiaoci’s beautiful eyes widened instantly. Not a big deal? Are you kidding me? Even I haven't hugged him yet!

At this moment, Fu Yuntao and the others also walked over quickly. After some negotiations and Liao Yuan’s persuasion, Fu Yuntao nodded and said, "Chen Duo’s ranking is low, and she has missed the cut for the top twenty-two. She’s emotionally unstable, but since Mr. Liao doesn't mind, we will let this matter slide. I will have the editing team cut this shot."

Liao Yuan nodded, checked the time, and asked, "If there’s nothing else, may I leave now?"

"No, wait, there is one more thing," Fu Yuntao said hastily. He turned to call Liu Hai, took two envelopes, and handed the thicker one to Liao Yuan. "Mr. Liao, this is your appearance fee, twenty thousand. Please don't think it's too little."

After speaking, he took out another thinner envelope. "This contains a bank card with one hundred thousand yuan. It’s a deposit. The password is your birthday."

"A deposit? What is this for?" Liao Yuan asked, puzzled.

Fu Yuntao smiled. "The *Produce 101* finale is in a month. I’d like to ask you to write a song, preferably one suitable for a grand chorus by all the contestants! If possible, could you please finish the composition a week before the live broadcast of the finale?"

"Oh, sure." Liao Yuan didn't stand on ceremony. After taking the envelope, he asked, "Are there any general themes for the composition?"

Fu Yuntao thought for a moment and said, "Anything about dreams will do!"

There are at least eight hundred, if not a thousand, songs about dreams on the market. Because of the sheer volume and inconsistent quality, writing one that stands out is even more difficult. But for Liao Yuan, there was no real pressure, so he nodded and said, "I'll email it to you tonight."

"Tonight?" Fu Yuntao was stunned, thinking he had misheard. Is a song written in a single night really okay?

Liao Yuan smiled. "I’ve written songs like this before that haven't been released. Don't worry, the quality will definitely meet your expectations."

Fu Yuntao felt a bit uneasy, as if he had dug a hole for himself, but thinking of Liao Yuan’s previous work, his confidence increased slightly.

Soon, Liao Yuan and Fu Xiaoci drove away from the Donghai Film and Television City base. He didn't stay for the rest of the performances, as the showcase stage had concluded, and the contestants had other activities scheduled. Moreover, Liao Yuan had to participate in the "One Emperor, Four Kings" Piano Competition the next morning. Every contestant who had emerged from the major regional trials possessed genuine skill, and a momentary lapse in concentration could cause Liao Yuan to stumble. Given this, he chose to leave early. Most importantly, the competition was held at the Imperial Opera House, and he had to fly to the capital overnight to make it in time.

The tickets had been booked in advance. At eleven o'clock that night, Liao Yuan, Fu Xiaoci, and two bodyguards boarded the flight to the capital. During the two-hour flight, Liao Yuan didn't waste any time; he opened his laptop and dove into the songwriting process. For Liao Yuan, a price of one hundred thousand for a song was already acceptably low; for instance, his piece *Chronicles of the Western Regions* had once sold for over a million. Fu Yuntao couldn't have been unaware of this, which was why he emphasized the word "deposit."

However, Liao Yuan didn't harbor overly high expectations. After all, composing a piano concerto was inherently more difficult than writing a pop song. Therefore, a lower price was quite normal. In the entire music industry, the only people who could sell a single song for a million were composers of Liao Yuemin’s caliber. That price reflected not just the quality of the song, but also the prestige and fan base of someone like Liao Yuemin. But such composers were few and far between. Liao Yuan's current popularity naturally couldn't compare.

"There's still plenty of time, no need to rush."

Seeing Liao Yuan staring blankly at his laptop, Fu Xiaoci closed her book and whispered, "Get some sleep, and I'll wake you when we arrive."

"I can't sleep," Liao Yuan said, snapping back to reality as his fingers began to dance across the keyboard. Soon, lines of lyrics appeared on the blank document.

Fu Xiaoci leaned over and read silently: "This day, I began to look up at the starry sky and realized, the stars are not far, dreams are not far, as long as you stand on your tiptoes..."

What beautiful lyrics!

After a moment of blind admiration, Fu Xiaoci quickly lost interest. She turned back and resumed reading her book: *On the Self-Cultivation of an Agent*. In the field of talent management, Fu Xiaoci was a complete novice. Recently, she had been cramming professional knowledge, and the more she read, the more overwhelmed she became. In many books, authors compared the relationship between an agent and an artist to that of both enemies and friends. This wasn't the kind of relationship Fu Xiaoci was looking for. What she was hoping for was how to subtly establish "unspoken rules" with her artist without anyone noticing...

Two hours later, the plane landed safely in the capital.

The next morning, at the Imperial Opera House, audiences began to arrive and take their seats early. Outside the theater, all sorts of sports cars lined the long street. Many male and female streamers ran around excitedly with selfie sticks, striking up conversations with passersby. One moment they were exclaiming over the logos of various luxury cars, and the next they were introducing the "One Emperor, Four Kings" competition. The scene was lively. Although the "One Emperor, Four Kings" Piano Competition wasn't accepted by the classical music world, it held immense popularity among the public. From six in the morning, crowds had been gathering incessantly. Even in the two parks nearby, many people were playing various instruments to attract the attention of passersby.

This situation led to traffic congestion. Coupled with the morning rush hour, by the time Liao Yuan and his group left their hotel for the Imperial Opera House, the roads were gridlocked. The four of them had to get out of their car early and jog the rest of the way, barely managing to arrive on time.