He Fired the Cannon

With the involvement of Miracle Media, many issues were resolved quickly.

By early May, Little Chensheng had officially terminated his contract with Tianyu Entertainment. The local arbitration ruled that Little Chensheng had to pay a termination fee of 5 million yuan.

But Tianyu wasn’t satisfied.

They continued to appeal, dragging the case to court in an attempt to stall Little Chensheng.

However, at this point, there wasn’t much left to argue about. After all, Little Chensheng wasn’t alone—Miracle Media was constantly causing trouble for Tianyu behind the scenes.

Wielding the power of money, they poached employees left and right.

Tianyu still had some talented staff, especially in variety show production, with many seasoned professionals.

This was exactly what Miracle Media lacked at the moment.

So they just went ahead and poached them.

Since the relationship was already beyond repair, what was there to fear?

If Tianyu refused to settle the termination properly, Miracle would just hollow them out.

As for industry norms or taboos? Young Master Cao couldn’t care less. What did an outsider like him have to worry about?

...

Tianyu angrily lashed out: "You’re playing dirty! Everyone, beware of unscrupulous companies like Miracle Media—they’re ruining the healthy atmosphere of our entertainment industry..."

The statement was meant to rally others against Miracle and warn them to stay vigilant.

But it lacked conviction.

It sounded more like impotent rage.

Miracle fired back: "This is just normal business operations. Talent flows where opportunities are better. If Tianyu can’t provide what we can, then it’s only natural for people to make the rational choice. If you’re unhappy, why not just raise their salaries?"

If their treatment improved, wouldn’t they stay?

"Honestly, it’s Tianyu’s own stinginess to blame. So many loyal, hardworking employees, yet they’re treated like dirt—even an outsider like me can’t stand to see it."

"And,"

"The public’s judgment is clear. Rather than sinking with your sinking ship, why not jump aboard our rising flagship and set sail toward new horizons?"

"..."

"Pfft!"

The sharp retorts came one after another.

Tianyu was fuming.

...

By May,

Everything for the show was ready.

June marked the official start of the promotional campaign—the premiere was just around the corner!

Mid-June.

After taking a month-long break and dabbling in the stock market, Cao Cheng held a press conference.

This was the official promotional event for The Voice.

Even though practically the entire country already knew about it, formalities had to be observed.

Dozens of media representatives were invited.

These journalists had a natural "soft spot" for Young Master Cao.

Because,

Ever since he entered the industry, none of them had to worry about their next meal.

In the past six months, which media professional had gone hungry?

No need to chase after news anymore—just sit back, keep an eye on Young Master Cao, and the headlines would write themselves.

Work had never been easier.

They all knew exactly who was responsible for this change.

So,

At the press conference, everyone arrived early, waited patiently, and eagerly anticipated Young Master Cao’s grand entrance.

The venue was decorated with banners for The Voice Season 1, alongside congratulatory flowers and messages from partner companies.

Refreshments were served.

Groups of attendees chatted animatedly—

About Young Master Cao.

About Tianyu.

About Little Chensheng.

About... The Voice!

...

Finally,

At 3 PM,

Young Master Cao made his dazzling entrance!

Accompanying him was an unfamiliar man—someone the crowd didn’t recognize.

But it was clear this man was close to Young Master Cao. Dressed like a wealthy heir, his watch alone was worth hundreds of thousands.

This was none other than Wang Haodong.

Cao Cheng brought him along today to give him some exposure.

Also present were representatives from Zhejiang TV and the online streaming platform Youku.

Once everyone was assembled, the room fell silent as a professional host took the stage to introduce The Voice...

Not that there was much left to say—everyone already knew the show inside out.

A talent competition for undiscovered singers.

Only the voice matters.

Even the general public could recite the premise by heart.

Except...

No one knew about the spinning chairs.

That was the twist.

Best kept under wraps for maximum impact.

...

After the presentation,

The final segment was the Q&A with the media.

"Mr. Cao, hello. I’m a reporter from XX Entertainment. I have a question."

Young Master Cao nodded at the plain-looking female journalist. "Go ahead."

"Regarding Little Chensheng—The Voice promotes itself as a pure amateur competition, but we all know he was last year’s national champion in another music contest. Doesn’t his participation create an unfair advantage over other contestants?"

Nice.

Are you Tianyu’s plant or something?

Cao Cheng smiled. "That’s a sharp and pointed question... Are you sure you’re not from Tianyu?"

"HAHAHA..."

The room erupted in laughter.

The flustered reporter quickly shook her head.

After lightening the mood,

Cao Cheng’s expression turned serious. "But it’s a valid concern. What you might be overlooking, though, is that true talent often lies hidden among the masses."

"There are countless brilliant musicians working behind the scenes—unknown, but blessed with heavenly voices."

"I’ve said it before: this show is about authenticity. From the auditions onward, we’ve structured it completely differently from other competitions."

"99% of our contestants are amateurs, but they’re the best of the best."

"I can’t reveal specifics—no spoilers."

"But I can guarantee this: even though Little Chensheng is strong, and even though he’s signed to Miracle Media, winning The Voice won’t be easy for him..."

"Just wait and see."

He left them with a cliffhanger.

Many in the room realized then that Young Master Cao was no pushover.

Not only did he deftly handle tough questions, but he also knew how to spin them into intrigue.

"Mr. Cao, I’m from..."

A bespectacled male reporter asked, "As we know, talent shows often face criticism—rigged formats, biased judges, behind-the-scenes manipulation... While The Voice remains somewhat mysterious, could it fall into the same traps? Fans are concerned."

"After all, you’ve vowed to create China’s best music competition, but you’re new to this industry. Where does your confidence come from?"

"..."

Even sharper.

Cao Cheng pointed at him, addressing the crowd. "This guy’s definitely from Tianyu."

"HAHA..."

Just like that, Tianyu became the running joke.

Little did they know, this would become an inside joke in the entertainment world—whenever someone was criticized, they’d jokingly retort, "You must be from Tianyu."

Cao Cheng chuckled. "But again, a great question. You’ve hit the nail on the head—where does my confidence come from?"

"Honestly, at first, I had none. I’m an outsider, after all."

"I'm crossing industries, so I should always approach a new field with reverence and a willingness to learn."

"But..."

"When I stepped into this circle, into the world of talent shows, I suddenly realized—it’s not that I’m confident, it’s that everyone else is just trash."

"Whoa—"

The room erupted in murmurs—

He’s firing shots.

He’s firing shots!

He. Is. Firing. Shots!!

Every journalist in the room was electrified.

Wasn’t this the moment they’d been waiting for all night?

What’s the duty and mission of a reporter?

To document the tides of the times? To drive social progress? To uphold justice?

That’s for serious journalists.

Not entertainment reporters!

For gossip journalists, the creed is no different from Auntie Wang’s.

Spreading rumors and stirring the pot is their sacred calling.

Cameras flashed wildly, click-click-click-click.

Video recorders hummed, dut-dut-dut-dut.

A few days ago.

The interview with the state broadcaster had been released, barely edited.

It was almost entirely Cao Cheng’s unfiltered words…

That interview was still being dragged online—people called him way too arrogant.

But today, it seemed he was doubling down.

……

The room simmered down for a moment.

Wang Haodong watched with envy burning in his chest.

He wanted to be the center of attention like this.

Maybe then, he could catch up to Ren Yushang.

Ren Yushang was on another level now.

Wang Haodong could barely even get a meeting with her.

So,

he had to become "Principal Wang," the industry’s uncompromising watchdog, just as Cao Cheng had dubbed him.

The radio station’s executive looked slightly uncomfortable—this was way too bold—but today, he was just a bystander with no real say.

Once the room settled,

the bespectacled reporter spoke up again: "Mr. Cao, we all know you’re a powerhouse in finance, but in entertainment, you’ve never produced anything before. So when you say everyone else is trash… what’s backing up that confidence?"

Cao Cheng pointed at the banner behind him. "This is my confidence!"

"I get it."

Cao Cheng smiled at the crowd. "Words alone don’t prove anything, and empty bragging is worthless. But the show is already in production. By early next month, it’ll be airing on TV and streaming platforms…"

"You won’t have to wait long."

"The proof’s in the pudding."

"Mark my words—if this show doesn’t crush every talent show that came before it, I’ll leave the industry for good."

"……"

The crowd gasped.

Another bombshell.

Back then, "leaving the industry" wasn’t even a common phrase yet.

The sheer audacity of it was explosive!

Just that phrase alone would dominate headlines for days—Billionaire Exits the Industry!

Look at those four words. Pure clickbait.

Cao Cheng continued, "Of course, past music shows had an advantage. Back then, there was no online streaming or replays, so TV ratings weren’t split. Take that one singing competition’s finale—it hit over 10% viewership at one point. That’s insane. A record that’ll probably never be broken."

"But…"

"It’s just that—insane. I’m fully confident that, even in this dying era of TV ratings, I can surpass it."

"I’ll crush it in ratings, and I’ll crush it in revenue."

"Just wait and see!"

Flashbulbs exploded, rapid-fire.

Reporters scribbled notes, drafting articles on the spot.

They’d publish the second the presser ended.

Tonight’s soundbites were relentless, one after another.

Once the interviews went live, a lot of companies were going to lose it.

Especially the ones under Toilet TV.

Another industry bloodbath was coming.

And Toilet TV?

They don’t go down easy.

They’re the real heavyweight in this game.