"Liu-ge! You misunderstood! Actually, it's not just you! From now on, all the artists at Xingyao Entertainment will sign this same contract."

Gu Xingyi waved the contract in his hand, smiling.

"I think, binding someone with a contract is the stupidest thing. If the company is really good, even with a free contract, I believe you wouldn't leave. If the company isn't good, even if you're here, you won't truly dedicate yourselves to the company."

"And, uh, I'll say something a bit arrogant, but I don't think anyone in the entertainment industry is more reliable than me!"

Gu Xingyi's confidence made everyone present look at him with admiration. Even Liu Tianwang's eyes showed a hint of appreciation.

Indeed! Right now, only Gu Xingyi has the right to say these words, and only his talent can support such statements.

"Alright! I'm really looking forward to my time at Xingyao Entertainment! Mr. Gu, I'm so happy to join Xingyao Entertainment!"

Liu Tianwang picked up the pen and signed his name on the contract. Then, he stood up and walked over to Gu Xingyi, extending his hand.

"Liu-ge! Welcome to Xingyao Entertainment! I won't disappoint you!"

"You two, stop acting all sentimental now! Mr. Gu, did you forget about us?"

Xue Xiaoqian, having signed the contract as well, teased the two who were shaking hands. Liu Ruoying, who had also signed the contract, smiled and looked over.

Since returning, Gu Xingyi hadn't stopped smiling. He laughed heartily.

"I didn't forget, didn't forget! Not one of you is getting away! I said it! Welcome to Xingyao Entertainment!"

The three of them laughed and then handed their contracts to Gu Xingyi, keeping a copy for themselves. By now, only Miao Anyun hadn't signed, and everyone's gaze naturally shifted towards her.

Yu Ranran, the little assistant, was almost dying of anxiety. She had no idea what Yunyun-jie was thinking. If it were her, she would have signed her name on the contract at the first chance!

Seeing that Gu Xingyi was also curiously looking at her, Miao Anyun gritted her teeth.

"Mr. Gu, I need to make some changes to this contract."

At these words, everyone in the room frowned. They couldn't understand why Miao Anyun wanted to change such a contract. What was she thinking?

Only Gu Xingyi and Xia Xiyao vaguely understood what Miao Anyun meant. Before Gu Xingyi could speak, Miao Anyun continued.

"At the very least, the penalty fee you advanced for me should be added. After it's deducted, then the contract can proceed as normal!"

"Penalty fee?"

Several people who still didn't fully understand the situation looked at Miao Anyun with curiosity. It seemed like there was some backstory here!

Gu Xingyi thought for a moment. When he saw the determined look in Miao Anyun's eyes, he finally spoke.

"As for the penalty fee, we'll draft a separate agreement for it. When you have the ability, you can repay the company. As for this contract, it stays as it is. This is the standard for all future artists at the company!"

Hearing this, Miao Anyun finally sighed in relief and quickly signed her name on the contract.

This result was exactly what Miao Anyun wanted. What she lost, she would earn back with her own abilities. The kindness from Gu Xingyi and Xia Xiyao was personal, and she kept that in her heart. But business is business, and she wanted to keep the two separate.

"Now that the contracts are signed, Mr. Gu, what's the next step?"

Xue Xiaoqian, seeing that everything had been settled, spoke up.

"Lao Xue! As of now, we don't need you guys just yet. Please wait patiently for your turn to shine. For this upcoming 'Hua Country's Strongest Voice,' I'm going to teach the other companies in the entertainment industry a lesson!"

"Hiss~ What you're doing is about to change the history of the music industry! Haha! I love it!"

Seeing Gu Xingyi like this, Xue Xiaoqian couldn't help but get even more excited for what's to come. He felt that it would surely be an unprecedented spectacle!

In the following days, everyone went about their tasks. Gu Xingyi and Xia Xiyao were busy with auditions every day. Unfortunately, so far, few of the newcomers had passed the interviews. Both Xia Xiyao and Gu Xingyi were professional singers and songwriters, so their standards for auditions were a bit higher.

Moreover, at Xingyao Entertainment, Gu Xingyi had set the bar high, aiming for a boutique approach. When it came to personnel, it was about quality, not quantity. After several days of auditions, only a handful of people passed.

Before they knew it, Friday had arrived.

Regarding the joining of Xue Xiaoqian and the others to Xingyao Entertainment, the company's confidentiality measures were very effective. No one knew about it yet, and if they did, it would surely cause a stir.

The second episode of Hua Country's Strongest Voice was also coming on schedule. Online, the situation was clear: everyone was eagerly waiting to see what kind of surprise Gu Xingyi would bring this time.

After Tianmei Entertainment issued their challenge, Xingyao Entertainment hadn't made a move, but the viewers knew Gu Xingyi had surely prepared something big!

They all thought that Xingyao Entertainment's silence was just a build-up for a huge surprise!

So, at 8 PM, countless netizens gathered in the official livestream room, and the scene was already packed.

At that moment, other matches were already underway, but the viewership was sparse. Those songs were old, they had already heard them, and there was no excitement left. Only the fans of the respective artists were still cheering for their favorites.

At 8:30 PM, under the spotlight, the challenger Wei Wei finally stepped onto the stage.

He wore a black knit cap, dressed in a hip-hop style, his expression arrogant. As soon as he stepped on stage, he grabbed the microphone and, facing the audience, loudly declared:

"I heard there's a Gu Xingyi! He's good at making songs! I'm not as good as you with love songs, but in rap, you can't beat me!"

He declared loudly, drawing boos from the audience, and the livestream was filled with a barrage of comments, most of them cursing him.

Then, Wei Wei lifted his head and said:

"Do you know why so many people are cursing me online? It's because of me! The bigger the tree, the more wind it catches!"

After saying this, he suddenly jumped up, and the explosive music blasted through the entire venue!

"All because of me! The bigger the tree, the more wind it catches! The bigger the tree, the more wind it catches!"

"All because of me, the bigger the tree, the more wind it catches! The bigger the tree, the more wind it catches!"

"They all ask who I am! But they never thought I'm a thunderstorm!"

"They all memorize my lyrics! The taste of fame with just one battle!"

"All because of me..."

This explosive opening didn't elicit explosive applause, but instead, it triggered explosive laughter.

The livestream turned into a sea of joy!

   "What the heck! The bigger the tree, the more wind it catches! Is this rap? More like a chant loop!"

   "All because your voice is loud! You just keep repeating the same thing! I'm laughing so hard!"

   "No, seriously! Brothers! How is this any different from clutching at straws?!"

   "Emmmm~ Is it a four-syllable rhyme turning into a five-syllable rhyme? Isn't that a big difference?"

   "Hahahahaha! All because I didn't go to middle school! Didn't go to middle school! Didn't go to middle school! Limited education! Limited education! Appreciation! Not coming! Can't appreciate it!"

   "Oh my god! This has completely shattered my perception of rap! Someone save this child!"