Blacklist Xia Xiyao?

Entertainment companies of all sizes were dumbfounded! Was Tianmei Entertainment really planning something this big?

If they were blacklisting some small-time singer with no backing and no real popularity, that would be understandable — they’d all done that before.

But to blacklist a top-tier singer with no scandals and no wrongdoing? That was just asking for a blow-up. Only the Big Three had the guts to pull something like this off!

Even then, such situations were extremely rare — even among the Big Three.

The last time something like this happened was also with Tianmei Entertainment. A famous director from their company had tried to force himself on a celebrity, only for that celebrity to publicly mock him on Weibo in response.

Afterward, that celebrity faded out of the industry, completely blacklisted.

But this time was different. That previous star had been one of Tianmei’s own, and they didn’t have any strong backing behind them.

But Xia Xiyao?

She worked for another giant — Yin Hai Entertainment!

And that wasn’t all! Behind her stood a monster of a husband who could drop god-tier songs every few days, crushing the entire entertainment industry.

Had Tianmei gone insane?

All the small and medium-sized companies looked at each other, stunned and skeptical, yet secretly hopeful that it was true. Because if Tianmei really succeeded in blacklisting Xia Xiyao, their own opportunities and profits would skyrocket.

For now, none of them made a move. Instead, they all chose to wait and see. Their companies were too small to withstand major upheaval.

So they watched. Watched to see how Yin Hai Entertainment would respond. Watched what move Shengshi Entertainment would make. Watched how the capital investors would react. Watched which side the media would take.

On the surface, the entertainment industry appeared calm. But underneath, it was already in total chaos.

At Shengshi Entertainment, Tian Xingchi had convened another meeting. This marked the second time a major entertainment company had held a meeting just because of one person.

Inside the conference room, arguments flew in every direction. Everyone had their own opinion. Some felt this would definitely blow up and that Shengshi shouldn’t get involved. Others believed that Xia Xiyao’s rise was affecting their company’s interests and that they should support Tianmei.

Tian Xingchi, however, just squinted his beady little eyes and dozed off, completely ignoring the commotion. It wasn’t until much later that everyone realized the chairman hadn’t spoken a word, and the room finally fell silent.

Only then did Tian Xingchi adjust the gold-rimmed round glasses on his nose and smile.

“What, no more arguing? Weren’t you all fired up just a second ago?”

Everyone let out an awkward chuckle. Don’t be fooled by how kindly this old guy usually acted — he had built this entire entertainment empire from scratch, starting out in the mining industry. How could someone like that really be as mild as he appeared?

“As everyone knows, in this industry, we — the Big Three — are the standard. We're a collective of shared interests. That’s been clear to everyone for years. Even though our company’s main focus isn’t on the music industry, we can’t ignore a threat like this.”

“But! We’re not going to let that old fox Liu Gao walk away with all the benefits either! Didn’t they send someone to contact us already? Fine — in the film and TV sector, aren’t we currently competing with Tianmei for a new project? Make them give it up. If they do, we won’t make any trouble on our end.”

Tian Xingchi spoke with complete calm, and the eyes of everyone in the room lit up. As usual, the same board member from last time jumped in immediately.

“Brilliant! Truly brilliant, Chairman Tian. A perfect two-birds-one-stone strategy. So you had this all planned out back when you sent that top star to participate in StarSong Gathering? Chairman Tian, your foresight is incredible!”

Tian Xingchi chuckled to himself. The more he looked at this board member named Ma Liang, the more pleasing he found him.

Meanwhile, Yin Hai Entertainment was also holding a meeting. The conference room was in chaos, especially with Yang Chenglin and Zhang Chao, who were both red-faced from arguing — a rare sight.

They were the only ones who had personally witnessed Gu Xingyi rise from nothing, step by step, to where he was now. Only they truly understood just how terrifying Gu Xingyi could be.

Yang Xian, on the other hand, sat with his arms calmly crossed, showing no intention of speaking.

Yang Chenglin couldn't stand her father's silence. Even though she was Yang Xian's daughter, within the company, there were no familial ties — in public settings, she was just a deputy director.

"Chairman Yang! Can you say something? Just give us a clear answer already!"

No one else dared question Yang Xian so directly — but Yang Chenglin could. She glared at her father, face taut with anger.

"At the time, the contract stated: two years, top-level resources, and top-level freedom. If we broke that agreement and Gu Xingyi took her away, we would suffer no losses. So — freeze Xia Xiyao. Pass down the order, withdraw all her resources. Meeting's over."

Yang Xian spoke those words with the same calm as before.

Yang Chenglin immediately burst with frustration. She felt her father had grown more and more cowardly. So what if the other side was one of the top giants? Weren't they one too? Why fear their threats?

Of course, not everyone in the meeting room was upset. Some executives were even pleased. After all, their own artists hadn't had a bite of success in a while — they were full of resentment too.

Once Yang Xian gave his instructions, the rest of the executives left the room — only Yang Chenglin remained standing inside.

"Dad! I need you to give me an answer!"

Facing Yang Xian, Yang Chenglin showed no trace of fear, staring him down with anger in her eyes.

Yang Xian suddenly let out a chuckle, his face showing an indescribable expression. He looked at his angry daughter and quickly stood up to walk over to her, trying to soothe her.

"Xiaolin~ sit down first. Let Dad explain slowly, okay?"

The usually icy Yang Chenglin, who was cold and stern in front of others, now sat down like a pouting child in front of her father, her lips pressed into a sulk as she turned her head away and refused to look at him.

Yang Xian let out a bitter smile. Only those with daughters would understand — no matter how strong you are in the outside world, in front of your daughter, you're just a soft-hearted dad.

"Xiaolin, have you never wondered why Gu Xingyi sent Xia Xiyao to our Yin Hai in the first place, and why he agreed to sign a contract like that?"

“I won’t even talk about the top resources and freedom. But think about it—why was it that specific clause? Two years. For that entire time, we had to provide everything as promised. If we didn’t, he could take Xia Xiyao away at any time without paying any penalty.”

“I have to say, Gu Xingyi is the smartest young man I’ve ever seen. He also gave us a choice. If we stuck to the contract for two years, everyone would be happy. But if we didn’t, it would seem like a clean break with no losses on either side—yet in reality, he would have gained precious time and early development.”

As Yang Xian finished speaking, he couldn’t help but recall the time Gu Xingyi sat in this very meeting room, with that calm and composed confidence. Looking back now, it was clear he had already planned for everything.

Yang Chenglin froze after hearing all this. After a long pause, she widened her eyes and stared at Yang Xian in disbelief.

“Dad, you’re saying… Gu Xingyi had already prepared a way out from the start?”