It seems that your two million may not have been spent wisely.

Shen Zhiyao paid no attention to Xi Yuyang. Dressed in a professional suit, she exuded competence and efficiency.

"Hello, Miss Ji, I am Shen Zhiyao, agent from Jiangshan Entertainment. It’s a pleasure to meet you."

Ji Fanxing reached out to shake her hand, then glanced around, hinting, "Perhaps... we could find somewhere else to talk?"

Her location had already been exposed—if Xi Yuyang and Shen Zhiyao could find her, others surely could as well. The thought of a crowd gathering by the seaside was headache-inducing.

Shen Zhiyao and Xi Yuyang had considered this too, nodding in agreement.

The three moved to a pavilion by the shore, surrounded by greenery that offered a degree of privacy and greatly reduced the risk of being discovered.

Both Xi Yuyang and Shen Zhiyao had come with the aim of signing Ji Fanxing; the atmosphere between them was tense, neither willing to yield.

Seeing through it all, Ji Fanxing took the initiative.

"Mr. Xi, Miss Shen, I don’t know exactly why you’re here to see me, but given your status as agents, to avoid wasting time, I’ll state my stance upfront. I have no intention of signing with any entertainment company."

Her words left Xi Yuyang and Shen Zhiyao momentarily stunned. In all their years in the industry, they had met many eager to sign contracts, but never someone who refused outright from the start.

They represented two of the top four entertainment companies in the country—Jiangshan Entertainment and Fengxing Entertainment. Even the most arrogant newcomers would at least listen to the contract terms; who would cut things off so decisively right away?

What kind of game was this?

Xi Yuyang recalled that behind "King of All Songs" stood Golden Tiger Leopard Group—could it be that she had already been snatched up by them?

In Xi Yuyang’s mind, this seemed the only logical possibility. He asked, "Miss Ji, is there a company you’ve already set your heart on?"

Ji Fanxing answered firmly, "No, Mr. Xi. I have no intention of signing anywhere."

"Then after the competition, you don’t plan to debut?"

"You’re joking, Mr. Xi."

"You won’t sign but still want to debut? Are you planning to go solo?"

Ji Fanxing smiled without speaking, her meaning clear.

Xi Yuyang was so taken aback he stood up, his voice rising, "How can you go solo? Just because your father is Ji Changming?"

Ji Fanxing’s smile faded; she looked at him expressionlessly.

"Right! I knew it! Even your father Ji Changming couldn’t make it on his own, so how could you possibly do it..."

Xi Yuyang relaxed, glanced at Shen Zhiyao, who remained unmoved, and then gritted his teeth, pulled out a stack of documents from his bag, and began pitching them like a salesman.

"Come on, take a look at my contract! It’s absolutely top-notch! You won’t regret it, you won’t be fooled!"

He leaned towards Ji Fanxing, whispering conspiratorially, "Shen Zhiyao is very stingy—at most she’d offer you an A-level contract. But I’m different! Originally an A-level contract, but today I urgently contacted the boss and upgraded it to A+!"

He felt a bit awkward after saying this, but with his boss’s instructions and the chance to snatch Ji Fanxing from Shen Zhiyao, he was determined to give it his all.

Ji Fanxing’s eye twitched. Xi Yuyang, the agent from Fengxing Entertainment, was renowned for his discerning eye—whether selecting artists or resources, he had never made a misstep. He rarely lost ground in negotiations, a resource king favored by the company’s boss.

Indeed, seeing was believing.

His seemingly brash approach broke the stalemate; with others, they might have just taken the contract and gone along.

But Ji Fanxing was not just anyone. Her resolve was firm; once she made a decision, she did not change easily.

"If there’s nothing else, I’ll be leaving," Ji Fanxing said, casting a glance at Shen Zhiyao.

This agent from Jiangshan Entertainment had been as shocked as Xi Yuyang by her refusal at first, but now, seeing her relaxed demeanor, it was clear she had a new plan.

As expected, Shen Zhiyao spoke, "Miss Ji, would you be willing to write a song for my artist?"

Having been refused again, Xi Yuyang felt disappointed. He could tell Ji Fanxing’s character was harder than stone.

In his eyes, Ji Fanxing was still less impressive than her sister, Ji Shengxue.

He’d done his best, and if he failed, it was not his fault.

He was about to leave when he heard Shen Zhiyao’s words and slowly sat back down, his mind spinning rapidly.

Write a song for Shen Zhiyao? For which artist? What kind of song?

Ji Fanxing was already dominating the rookie charts—if she wrote a song for Shen Zhiyao’s artist, his own company’s artists would be in trouble.

Silently, Xi Yuyang hoped Ji Fanxing would refuse Shen Zhiyao.

Shen Zhiyao took out her phone and an envelope, and said to Ji Fanxing, "Of course, your competition is the priority right now. We can exchange contact information and discuss specifics after the contest. This is a two million cheque as a deposit—please accept it."

Ji Fanxing raised her brows, did not refuse, and exchanged contact details with Shen Zhiyao, taking the envelope.

"I see your sincerity. Don’t worry—I won’t disappoint you."

"Then we won’t disturb you further. Farewell."

"Farewell."

Ji Fanxing had no reason to refuse.

To go solo in Dragon Country’s entertainment industry, the most crucial thing was capital. To become capital, the first step was to have enough money.

Li Ming’s game music was nearly finished, leaving her with some free time—why not take the job?

In the pavilion, Xi Yuyang was baffled by what had just happened. He circled Shen Zhiyao twice before finally asking, "That’s two million—you just handed it over like that?"

"What else would I do?" Shen Zhiyao retorted.

Someone spent all day humming her songs instead of practicing his own, so to get him to work, she had to give him what he wanted.

Thick-skinned, Xi Yuyang probed, "Whose commission is it?"

"We are not suited to discuss this matter," Shen Zhiyao replied coldly, then departed.

Xi Yuyang followed, tried several times to get an answer, but got nowhere, cursing Shen Zhiyao’s cunning.

If Ji Fanxing really wrote the song, he’d be at a huge disadvantage.

Shen Zhiyao immediately offered two million—he would never shell out that much. With that money, he could hire any producer he wanted, and Ji Fanxing, however popular, was still just a newcomer on a talent show.

She had not yet been tested by the market—whether she truly had talent or was just a flash in the pan remained to be seen.

As he walked, Xi Yuyang pulled out his phone to report to his boss.

Suddenly, he perked up, walking shoulder to shoulder with Shen Zhiyao, feigning a pained expression.

"What a pity. I fear your two million will be wasted."

Xi Yuyang raised his phone and read aloud, "A rightful King? Vain and hypocritical, lies upon lies—how much genuine emotion is there in her songs?"

At the same time, Ji Fanxing, already at the recording studio, opened her phone to see a flood of frantic mentions.

She frowned at the red dots in her inbox, cleared them all with one click, and then opened the source—a video.

The poster was known as Zhiqinwo Yi, famous for original content, with tens of millions of followers online.

She read the long-winded title first, then continued watching.

In the video, a young man looked fresh and clean, speaking slowly, with rows of guitars hanging behind him.

"I see a lot of fans asking how to write songs like Ji Fanxing’s 'Landscape Map.' So, in this episode, let’s talk about her.

Ji Fanxing, how to say it—she didn’t hide her ambition from the start.

...

As expected, her later performances confirmed my impression.

Her so-called original songs—at first, you might be captivated, but close your eyes and what do you find? Hollow, shallow, devoid of soul!"