[Goal Plan for Myself—
Step One: Release three free albums (4/3)
Step Two: Receive recognition from the four major domestic music festivals (Chinese Music Media Awards, China Music Top Chart, Chinese Songs Music Ceremony, Global Chinese Music Chart)
Step Three: Expand music internationally, gain recognition across Asia (Little Fruits Are Sweet sold over 4.6 million copies in Asia, After the Clouds Clear, A Small Expectation for the World repeatedly broke records in Japan and Korea)
Step Four: Win a Grammy (currently trying, released Sugar as a test)
Step Five: Gain worldwide recognition for music]
Chu Zhi clicked into [Mastering the Big Orange], the section in the app where he set his career goals, working alongside his fans.
Looking at the five-star rating, he remembered that this goal column once had a PS note: "Steps three, four, and five are ideals, hahaha, people need dreams." The PS had been removed sometime later.
"Steps three, four, five were supposed to be ideals, but the third is already overachieved. Jiu-yé, Jiu-yé, we thought you were joking. We didn't expect you to take it seriously," Wuxing muttered.
"In three and a half years, four Chinese albums, two foreign EPs, more than ten singles and theme songs. A creation monster," Wuxing commented, then shifted tone: "But Orange Home's daily activity is really high."
Wuxing was an independent musician, primarily based on NetEase Cloud Music, which had an [Original Chart], a platform allowing indie artists to build popularity.
Being half a Little Fruit himself, Wuxing posted his work Ming Yue Tian Ya to the forum's music group.
During the New Year, Wuxing relaxed, enjoyed family time, and checked his NetEase Cloud [Original Chart] ranking (updated weekly). Surprisingly, he ranked third; his works had previously hovered in the teens.
His follower count jumped from 76,000 to 123,000. Wuxing was stunned. Could it really be that he suddenly went viral? He checked the comments under his songs.
Crossing Border 0: [Recommended by Jiu-yé, this is really my type.]
Sweet Orange: [Awesome, awesome, awesome]
Jerry Uncle: [Xiao Jiu likes this song, I like this song too, so Xiao Jiu likes me, hahaha]
Hepburn Dog Run: [ID above, a guy right? Deceptive Zero]
Wuxing extracted keywords: "Jiu-yé" and "Little Jiu." Immediately, an idea formed. He opened Chu Zhi's Weibo and saw the latest post, realizing he had been "called out."
He knew Chu Zhi was popular but never expected this level! One post equaled the exposure he had built over three to four years of releasing music.
Mixed emotions surged, but Wuxing quickly accepted reality. His first reaction was to upload all his songs to Orange Home. He was a representative case.
Independent music channels were limited: Wang Wen, Bandcamp, and a few others requiring VPN access. Chu Zhi's recommendation was equivalent to a major platform homepage promotion. Everyone would be envious.
Even if Chu Zhi might not post a song recommendation on Weibo, it was easy to upload songs to another platform. Many independent musicians followed suit, not just for traditional-style songs.
It should be noted that one of the four major internet music critics, Zhang Mingyi, gained his fame by following Chu Zhi.
Over three years ago, when Chu Zhi returned, Zhang Mingyi said, "He has strong musical sensitivity, has the talent of a future Asian King." It was flattery at the time, but Chu Zhi actually became the Asian King.
After this, Zhang Mingyi paid extreme attention to Chu Zhi. As many independent musicians posted in Orange Home's music group, he also posted his [Yiming Chart, Sharp Music Critiques].
Chu Zhi never expected that his casual action would give the Orange Home music group a trend of breaking through the niche.
During the New Year, Chu Zhi visited several friends for meals, experimenting with the French version of Do Not Go Gentle Into That Good Night, while the Ye Zhi anthology draft was titled After Long Silence.
The key was to work in secret and then astonish everyone.
On the first day back at work after the New Year, Chu Zhi familiarized himself with business operations. New Year's Day Eight wasn't busy; the real workload came on Day Nine. Many contracts expiring this year had brand partners negotiating renewals, all expecting higher rates.
Seven brands needed renewal, multiple variety shows sent invitations, including a joint production between Mango TV and August First Film Studio for the national defense education program True Man, Season Two.
Different parties also requested music rights, such as the Asian Youth Games wanting to use Proud Youth as the promotional song for the 2023 event in Tuocheng.
Music competition variety shows and licensing requests all coincided unexpectedly.
Emperor Beast spent the entire day in the meeting room. He was eager to join True Man, Season Two.
Compared to the first season in a military camp, the second season went to Yimu River Outpost, the first post in the northern frontier.
The outpost, deep in the Daxinganling mountains within the inner gate, bordered Russia across a river. In the coldest season, temperatures reached minus 57 degrees Celsius. Chu Zhi looked at the production plan. Would such a harsh environment make celebrities a burden?
The workload made things interesting. Niu Jiangxue stood up: "Add overtime. For advertising, business, and copyrights, we'll sort out an overview today."
Thus, Chu Zhi's usually busy schedule felt relatively lighter.
He only needed to take a few photos with Elder Chen, then review the endorsements, commercial performances, and variety show opportunities the team filtered out.
Chu Zhi became a delivery runner, personally bringing several tables of nearby restaurant dishes.
It was too much to carry alone, so two building security brothers helped transport the orders upstairs.
"Thanks, Brother Li, Brother Wu," Chu Zhi said.
"No problem, a small effort," Security Wu, around twenty-seven or twenty-eight, replied.
Security Li, slightly older at thirty-something, smiled, revealing slightly yellow teeth from smoking.
"Without you two, I couldn't have carried these up," Chu Zhi said.
"No big deal. We'll head down, can't leave our posts too long," Security Wu said.
Chu Zhi watched them enter the elevator and then turned to bring the tables into the meeting room.
A new employee immediately wanted to help.
"Focus on your work. I've got this," Chu Zhi said.
Emperor Beast grew step by step on Earth.
Being good to employees produced better results than exploiting them. A contractor once "taught" him this lesson.
As a minor, he worked summer jobs at a construction site. The contractor, with his wife, would cook a pot of green bean soup for free. He wondered why something so cheap moved him so much. Two bowls outside cost four yuan. Why would he work so hard for four yuan?
Emperor Beast realized the key: the contractor made him feel valued.
Meanwhile, the two security guards returned to their posts, chatting.
"The big star called me brother. So hyped! I feel my life peaked," Security Wu said.
Security Li rolled his eyes: "Someone calls you brother casually and you get this excited? Pathetic."
"Chu Zhi is not just anyone, he's a famous Asian star, regularly in People's Daily," Security Wu said.
"Just because, the chairman shakes hands with workers too. Does a celebrity top the chairman?" Security Li replied.
"Makes sense," Security Wu considered.
"I don't know when it started, but whenever a star is slightly approachable, people hype it up. What's there to hype?" Security Li said. He did not mean Chu Zhi.
Security Li actually had a good impression of Chu Zhi. He surfed the web but never saw Chu Zhi self-promoting his approachability.
Chu Zhi had no arrogance despite his fame.
"Yes, when did it start?" Security Wu added.
When it had started, no one knew.
People around the world seemed to think celebrities were above everyone else, but just because everyone thought so, did that make it right?
Chu Zhi also knew that when something weighs on the heart, even the best food loses its appeal. He stayed busy until nine in the evening before slowly leaving the office, while the core team still had work to finish.
"Can we do a live stream during the Lantern Festival, and I'll sing a few songs for everyone?" Only after finishing the main tasks did Chu Zhi propose the plan he had been holding onto, asking the core team to review it.
"That's possible…" Niu Jiangxue replied instinctively, then thought for a moment and added, "We'll have to negotiate carefully with the streaming platform."
"Jiu-yé live streaming—" Old Qian said, "I can already imagine the servers overloading."
"Which Little Fruit could refuse Xiao Jiu's live stream?" Wang Yuan said. "I certainly can't refuse."
"There was no Chu Zhi at the New Year's Gala or Spring Festival Gala, so actually a Lantern Festival live stream is a good idea," Qi Qiu added.
The lucky one, Li Guixun, didn't speak but nodded in agreement. Li Guixun, responsible for Japan-related operations, integrated well with the group but wasn't very talkative.
Most of the company's core team agreed, leaving only…
Fei Ge, acting as the group's cooling agent, opposed if necessary. Even if his words were blunt, they prevented the team from collectively overexciting.
"Live streaming a few songs actually lowers one's star status. Generally, traffic celebrities avoid live streams," Fei Ge said frankly. "If Chu Zhi insists, I suggest shaping it as a formal [online concert] and, if possible, issuing virtual concert tickets."
Cow Jiangxue and Old Qian didn't think this would lower his status.
Wang Yuan, speaking from an emotional perspective, said, "Virtual concert tickets? Do people need to buy them?"
"No, the ticket only appears the first time someone enters the stream. It will show something like [Online Concert, Night of XXX Ticket, Seat Anywhere on the Planet]," Fei Ge explained. "Use strong ritualistic elements to enrich this live stream format."
"The Little Fruits will like this format," Wang Yuan said.
"Displaying an image as a ticket should be technically easy," Old Qian considered. "Since it's Jiu-yé's first live stream, it makes sense to include some flashy touches."
"Since it's an online concert, we need to plan the duration properly, at least ninety minutes," Niu Jiangxue, as the main manager, focused on the big picture.
"Does Chu Zhi need guest performers?" Niu Jiangxue asked the key question.
If so, arrangements would need to be rushed; it was already Day Nine of the lunar calendar, just a few days from the Lantern Festival.
"No offline concert, no guests are needed," Chu Zhi said. "As for live stream length… sing twenty songs, chat a bit, about one hundred twenty minutes."
120 minutes was a standard concert length. Most singers had encore performances; for example, Earth's singing god Jacky Cheung performed ninety minutes of encores, singing from 8:30 p.m. to midnight, which justified his title.
"Got it." Niu Jiangxue lowered her head and began contacting Douyin executives.
An online concert required attention to many details: venue, song list, and most importantly, promotion strategy. The last point could wait until the platform was confirmed.
After arranging everything, the team left the company at 11:30 p.m., marking the busiest day.
Chu Zhi thanked them, "Sister Niu, Sister Wang, Brother Qian, Brother Qi, Fei Ge, Brother Li, thank you. Time is tight for the online concert; this is a bit selfish of me."
"What selfishness, Jiu-yé? I think the online concert is great."
"It's not unpaid overtime, we're getting paid."
"Next time, it should be mentioned earlier, maybe before New Year, otherwise it's rushed."
"Super excited for Xiao Jiu's online concert."
Everyone went home to their families. Emperor Beast didn't have a mother at home.
He turned on the living room lights. Previously, he left lights on when leaving because he disliked returning to a dark house. Last year, due to record heat and power restrictions in Sichuan and other provinces, Chu Zhi changed this habit, turning off all lights when leaving.
"For the song list, since it's an online concert, pick two more from Little Fruits Are Sweet."
[ To Everyone Who Knows My Name
Angel
Our Song
You Are My Greatest Pride ]
"Four songs are enough, but we definitely need Chinese-style songs," Chu Zhi said, planning to perform the difficult pieces Moonlight and The Unspoken Sutra.
Several unreleased singles could also be added, bringing the total to eighteen songs.
"First online concert, add two new songs," Chu Zhi thought of Tang Dynasty Band's The Internationale he had quietly prepared.
Not necessary, probably not needed. One online concert didn't have to feature The Internationale.
Even without album customization tickets, Chu Zhi had an album ticket, plus he had stockpiled albums.
The online concert became the company's top priority. Since Chu Zhi was still Douyin's [Chief Auditor], Niu Jiangxue immediately contacted Douyin.
Don't be surprised about the auditor role; it was similar to a chief experience officer—basically a brand ambassador.
Douyin executives were not naive. "Chu Zhi's Online Concert" carried massive traffic potential. Even though Chu Zhi was their ambassador, the contract didn't require the stream to be on Douyin. To maximize traffic, money had to be spent.
Pop-up virtual concert tickets were necessary, but sponsorship fees required negotiation.
Douyin executives tried delaying slightly, since the Lantern Festival was near, to gain leverage.
Niu Jiangxue wasn't easily fooled. While preparing, she also contacted Bilibili.
Remember, Chu Zhi's Bilibili followers exceeded ten million, becoming the fifth account to do so, two of which were "Bilibili Comics" and "Bilibili Premium Members." Douyin executives backed down.
A 30 million yuan sponsorship covered Chu Zhi's Lantern Festival online concert. Contracts and promotion plans were negotiated quickly, completed within two days.
On the eleventh day of the lunar calendar, traditionally the father-in-law hosts the son-in-law, though few still observed it.
Four days until the Lantern Festival, ByteDance worked at full speed: Xigua Video, Douyin, Douyin Volcano, Pipixia, even Faceu and LightFace apps promoted it.
Chu Zhi's Lantern Festival Gift Is Here—My Heart is Zhi Hot
"My Heart is Zhi Hot · Online Concert" Chu Zhi Lantern Festival 8 PM
Official Announcement! Chu Zhi Online Concert
Chu Zhi First Online Concert Invitation
The concert name, My Heart is Zhi Hot, came from the Little Fruits' support slogan: Being with Chu Zhi feels sweet. Your heart is Zhi hot, warming the world.
Reportedly, the slogan was written by hardcore Little Fruit Ling Feisi.
ByteDance acted like a machine, pushing promotion across all channels, including overseas Douyin-TikTok.
Combined with Chu Zhi's team promoting on Bilibili, Weibo, Instagram, Twitter, Facebook, YouTube, the impact multiplied.
Self-media riding the hype need not be mentioned; fans in Japan, Korea, Thailand, Vietnam, Russia, and elsewhere eagerly anticipated it.
"TikTok? Is that the TikTok app? I'll download it immediately."
"The Lantern Festival is a Chinese holiday? The professor specifically chose this day."
"Why not an offline concert? Maybe the online concert is practice for offline. Either way, I'm excited."
"Live concert streaming is a novel format. As long as Ragdoll is present, I'm thrilled."
Brave Niu Niu wanted to showcase muscles and remind everyone of Chu Zhi's influence. The promotion was vigorous.
"Make sure the tipping feature is disabled," Chu Zhi repeatedly reminded.
As soon as the promotion went out, brands rushed to sponsor, paying to place products in the live stream.
Three brands were accepted, most declined. Fans came for the concert, not the ads.
Accepted brands included Nongfu Spring; the concert was long, and drinking water was necessary.
In just four days, Chu Zhi's online concert became Asia's trending news.
ByteDance profited greatly. TikTok downloads surged.
The promotional work was grand, the venue was a rehearsal studio with vine and star-patterned backgrounds.
Not only the venue, but performance outfits were ready too, three sets in total. Since it was online, frequent costume changes weren't needed.
The time finally arrived: the Lantern Festival!
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My 2 project already finished the book vetting and it can be found on my profile: The Villainess isStealing the Male Lead's Script! and The Cube Queen's Apocalypse Feast
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Jing Shu has seen the end of the world, and it's literally a storm of epic proportions, and she's been given the ultimate do-over: a ten-year rewind. Thrown back in time to just two months before everything goes to hell, she has one mission: to make her apocalypse as comfortable as possible.
Forget just surviving. While others are scrambling for canned beans, Jing Shu is building a fortified sanctuary, raising soon-to-be-extinct poultry for gourmet meals, and cultivating a garden of forgotten veggies. Armed with a mysterious evolving rubik cube that grants her a private pocket dimension and a magical spirit spring water, she's set to ride out the disaster in style.
But what's the point of living like a queen if you can't enjoy a little revenge? The apocalypse is about to get a serious upgrade in style, and Jing Shu can't wait for her enemies to see what they're missing. Let them hear the sizzle of her steak and smell the aroma of her barbecue. Their despair is just the seasoning she needs.
In a world where humanity itself is changing, mutating into powerful "New Humans" fused with the chaos, Jing Shu is ready to evolve right along with them. She's got her cube, her spring, and a plan. The storm is coming, and she has a front-row seat.