Chapter Ninety-Eight: Talent Scout-Empire Superstar(Hepburn Downstairs)

No one knew who started clapping first, but gradually, the applause followed in waves, unending as a mighty river. Many people stood as they clapped, their faces filled with reverence.

"Uncle A!"

As the performance ended, the potato chips in Gao Feiliu’s mouth tumbled to the floor. Beside him, his peer and friend Mei Shuguo was clapping her small hands furiously, her cheeks flushed with excitement, her voice hoarse from screaming.

"Incredible, truly incredible!" Gao Feiliu murmured. "What’s his name?"

"The God A!" Mei Shuguo replied excitedly. "Stinky Feiliu, do you still dare claim you can take on ten people at once?"

"Not anymore, I really don’t dare!" Gao Feiliu’s eyes sparkled as he gazed at the masked figure sitting alone on the stage. "That was an original piano piece! I never expected it—he’s a true genius. Hm, he might even be better than Liao Yuan!"

"Liao Yuan? The one you’re always praising?" Mei Shuguo pouted with disdain. "Compared to our God A, he’s miles behind!"

"No, I think they’re evenly matched," Gao Feiliu replied, still hearing the lingering notes of the piano in his ears, his skin crawling with goosebumps. "But from the atmosphere of this performance—this God A is truly… extraordinary!"

On stage, Liao Yuan stood up and bowed to the audience.

The host hurried onto the stage, exclaiming, "Just now, the viewership for our Southern Regional broadcast surpassed twelve million! Mr. Liang has announced that today, 666 lucky viewers will each receive a limited-edition Banana figurine from our Jili Gulu collection! Be sure to keep an eye on your phone notifications after today’s competition!"

Thunderous applause erupted.

The host approached Liao Yuan and praised him, "You truly live up to your title, God A. May I ask, what is the name of this piece?"

Liao Yuan paused and said, "Let’s call it ‘Rhapsody of War’."

The host, at a loss for words, replied, "A rather casual title."

Immediately after, live voting began. Another contestant who had previously performed exceptionally now looked utterly defeated.

The votes were quickly tallied: Liao Yuan received 1,719 votes, the other contestant 287, and 96 audience members abstained.

Applause once again swept through the hall!

Lin Weiyin gazed at the mask on stage, as if suddenly understanding something, and broke into a smile. She stood up, walked out, and disappeared down the corridor.

…

"Oh my god, Brother Yuan, is this your company?"

In the Central Tower at Lujiazui, Xiao Peng stood in the spacious office, incredulous. "You’re the boss now?"

Looking around, the office spanned three to four hundred square meters—though not comparable to a major company renting an entire floor, this was prime real estate in the center of Lujiazui!

Even at just three or four hundred square meters, the annual rent must be close to a few million.

Xiao Peng stared at Liao Yuan as if looking at a monster.

He knew Brother Yuan’s income: sixty thousand a month in royalties, plus several million from selling the film rights to "Ghost Blows Out the Light." That was probably enough to rent this office space.

But this was still a new company, with no income yet—spending millions just for appearances?

Most importantly, opening an agency in such a prime location—wasn’t that a bit excessive?

And it was actually a talent agency…

Xiao Peng felt his brain struggling to keep up.

Liao Yuan smiled, "Do you think I’m crazy?"

"Van Gogh, Nietzsche, and Copernicus were all thought to be mad in their time, but they turned out to be geniuses for the ages!"

Xiao Peng chuckled, "Brother Yuan, tell me, what do you want me to do?"

"I need your help." Liao Yuan invited Xiao Peng to sit. "I have few connections in Donghai. Since my new company is opening, I need trustworthy people. You’re a local, you know the area well, and we’ve worked together before. I know your character, so I think you’re exactly who I need."

Xiao Peng was deeply moved. "Brother Yuan, you trust me?"

"Of course!" Liao Yuan poured Xiao Peng a cup of tea. "Back at the radio station, you were the only one willing to speak up for me. Of course I trust you."

Xiao Peng blushed. "Honestly, I’m not really good at anything…"

"But are you willing to learn?" Liao Yuan asked.

Xiao Peng paused, picked up the teacup, and said shyly, "Um… what’s the salary?"

"Base salary is ten thousand a month, with commissions. Insurance and benefits included, meal subsidies, and travel expenses reimbursed," Liao Yuan replied with a slight smile.

Pfft!

Xiao Peng nearly spat out his tea.

Liao Yuan quickly dodged.

"Ten thousand?"

Xiao Peng coughed, stunned. "Brother Yuan, are you serious?"

At Donghai Broadcasting, after three years, his base salary had only increased from 4,500 to 6,500. Including bonuses, his annual income barely reached a hundred thousand.

Now, Liao Yuan was offering ten thousand as a base, with much better benefits. Xiao Peng was overwhelmed.

But once he calmed down, he realized it might not be appropriate.

The radio job paid less, but it was stable—a state-owned enterprise unlikely to collapse. As for Brother Yuan’s Little Yellow Fish Culture…

Seeing the hesitation on Xiao Peng’s face, Liao Yuan smiled, "Go home and think it over. Take your time—there’s no rush."

Xiao Peng, deeply grateful, said, "Thank you, Brother Yuan."

…

After Xiao Peng left, Fu Xiaoci walked over, puzzled. "Boss, this guy has no degree, no experience—why hire him?"

Liao Yuan replied, "He’s a friend."

"A talent scout’s job could be done by anyone," Fu Xiaoci remarked carelessly. "Just hire a few people to hang around the university district, hand out business cards to pretty girls and handsome guys—eventually you’ll find some suitable ones."

Assistant Liu Hai, who had come to help with Little Yellow Fish, laughed. "Xiaoci, if everyone thought like you, there would be no need for talent scouts at all."

Fu Xiaoci’s brows arched. "Oh, Liu Hai, are you unhappy that my brother asked you to help? Do you have to contradict me at every turn? Would you die if you didn’t?"

Liu Hai quickly put on a smile. "My dear lady, I wouldn’t dare! I’m just making a suggestion."

"Hmph, I thought not!" Fu Xiaoci replied haughtily.

Liao Yuan rubbed his temples, feeling surrounded by chaos.

A so-called talent scout is someone who discovers individuals with star potential. They search the city, following company or client requirements, to find suitable "targets." These candidates might be sent to agencies to become print models, commercial models, runway models, or directly trained as actors, singers, or idols. From toddlers to the elderly, everyone is a potential candidate.

Early talent scouts originated with assistant directors in the film industry, whose job was to cast actors. Some entertainment companies would also recruit singers from bars and package them.

Now, talent scouting is a recognized profession—those with keen eyes can discover superstars in the most unlikely places.

Of course, that’s rare. Most talent scouts are nothing more than loafers.

"How many people did we hire today?" Liao Yuan asked.

Liu Hai opened the folder in his hand. "We interviewed thirteen people in total; five met our expectations. Here are their profiles."

Liao Yuan took the documents and read carefully.

Three men and two women: two professional managers, one PR specialist, one accountant, and one… hmm?

A professional bodyguard?

Liao Yuan thought he’d misread and blinked.

"You read it right," Liu Hai smiled. "Mr. Liao, considering you’re currently in the spotlight, having a bodyguard for your personal safety isn’t excessive."

Indeed, Liao Yuan was at the center of a storm. The fallout from his recent public criticism of the popular artist Han Yu had been relentless. Not only was his company now inaccessible, but even his home address had been leaked. He vividly remembered the suspicious figures lurking outside his house a week ago, forcing him to stay in hotels for a while.

He’d just moved into a new place two days ago, but if he ran into Han Yu’s crazed fans on the street, who knew what might happen.

Thinking this over, Liao Yuan nodded. "One isn’t enough—hire another."

Liu Hai replied, "…Understood."