In Terms of Vision, Everyone Here is Inferior

The summer vacation was about to end.

Which also meant that "The Voice" was coming to a close.

Some were happy, others sorrowful.

With the show's explosive popularity turning it into a phenomenon, some people—those who once hoped to become mentors,

brands that hoped to secure naming rights,

and TV stations hoping to collaborate—

all found themselves green with envy as the ratings kept soaring.

No one really knew how much money "The Voice" had made; these figures were never publicly disclosed.

But anyone in the industry who did a quick calculation could tell that just the advertising revenue alone, including the many mid-show commercial inserts added later, amounted to at least 400 to 500 million yuan.

Various ringtone and SMS services, as well as ringtone downloads, were expected to generate around 450 to 550 million yuan in value.

The online broadcasting rights had also been signed with performance guarantees and kept increasing in price, with final earnings expected to exceed 100 million yuan.

This included all kinds of original music copyright downloads.

Not to mention the future earnings from the contestants and singers—though not yet realized, it was definitely no small sum.

Each of these contestants could easily command tens of thousands of yuan for an appearance fee after the show.

Nowadays, they could even rival those mentors who had once been rejected, like Sun so-and-so, He so-and-so, Yang so-and-so...

That was the most infuriating part.

Once this news broke,

it was easy to estimate that Qiji Media had brought in at least 800 million yuan from this wave.

And on top of that,

they had sold the rights overseas, though the fees were unknown.

The next contract with the Jiangsu-Zhejiang channel for season two would come with an astronomical price for the rights.

Competitors were so envious their eyes were practically bloodshot.

Since the first season of "Super Girl" five years ago, plus "Happy Boys," they hadn’t earned nearly this much—or sometimes even close.

The negative emotions among competitors struck hard every night.

One could imagine that many regretted deeply as night fell.

...

By the end of September,

the ultimate showdown of the finals had yet to begin.

Cao Cheng sent Sister Ali to invite various music management companies for business talks.

Among those invited were Tianyu, with whom they had a history of mutual digs, as well as Huaxiong, with whom relations were less than cordial, and even Warner and Universal.

Everyone gathered under one roof.

At minimum, each company sent a director or deputy director from their artist departments.

It was a show of great respect.

After all, many of these companies had just moments ago been trading barbs online with Qiji Media, only to receive an invitation the next second and send their senior executives over.

Inside the company’s large conference room,

assistants served tea and poured water.

Sister Ali was busy hosting.

The attendees couldn’t help but ask around.

“Sister Ali, since Cao Cheng invited us here, is there something he wants to discuss?” the deputy director from Tianyu asked bluntly.

Among all, Tianyu and Qiji Media had the worst relationship.

So there was no need to beat around the bush.

Sister Ali smiled: “How would I know what Cao Cheng is thinking? But as far as I know, his ambitions have never been limited to just this small entertainment circle!”

The Tianyu deputy scoffed, “Yeah, the stars and the sea, huh? Who in the industry doesn’t know that?”

Laughter broke out around the room.

It wasn’t mocking, just a shared sense that Cao Cheng liked to show off.

Young people, after all.

Understandable!

But honestly, who here wasn’t in it for the money?

Who really cared about some soft power or the stars and the sea?

Sister Ali chatted with everyone for a while.

About ten minutes later,

the conference room door opened.

President Cao has arrived.

Don’t be fooled by how young President Cao is, but with that aura, the moment he steps in and sweeps his fierce gaze around the room, many feel a chill down their spine. Smiles instantly vanish, replaced by serious, focused expressions.

At this moment—

Those meeting Cao Cheng for the first time suddenly realize this guy is nothing like his online persona, nor does he seem like an ordinary entertainment figure.

Where else in entertainment do you see this kind of commanding presence?

Every boss in the industry is slimy, sleazy, or downright shady.

When they get together, it’s either talking about dirty gossip or some shady deals.

But Young Master Cao is different.

His aura is unique.

Rarely seen before.

Then, Cao Cheng offers a slight smile and cups his hands politely: “Thank you all for taking time out of your busy schedules to come to Miracle Media.”

The people in the conference room immediately feel like a spring breeze has swept over them.

Many stand up and return the gesture: “Greetings, President Cao.”

“Please, have a seat, everyone…”

“I asked Sister Ali to invite all the industry veterans here because there’s a potential collaboration. I wonder if any of you might be interested?”

The vice president of Tianyu speaks up: “President Cao, as far as I know, our two companies don’t really have any grounds for cooperation, do we?”

“Too small,” Cao Cheng replies with a half-smile.

The Tianyu VP is taken aback: “Too small? What do you mean by too small?”

Cao Cheng gestures vaguely at him: “Your vision is too narrow.”

“...” The Tianyu VP is left speechless.

Those around him are also stunned.

Okay, okay.

So this is a power play, huh?

Not a single person here is under forty, yet this guy in his early twenties is schooling them all.

It’s honestly baffling.

Cao Cheng chuckles and says, “What grudge do our two companies have against each other? It’s just business competition. Calling it a feud over some petty verbal spats… is that all Tianyu’s got?”

“Don’t you see? I roast ‘Little Cannon’ every day, but when we meet, it’s all drinks and laughs. That’s business. Don’t the veterans here understand that?”

“Besides, what kind of big deal is competition in the entertainment world? Back when I was battling it out on Flower Street, I made more enemies than you can count. They even called me the ‘Financial Thief’ on Flower Street!”

“No surprise if the American intelligence agencies have a separate file on me. Compared to that, the entertainment circle is nothing.”

Alright.

Everyone is speechless.

You really nailed that boast.

Cao Cheng waves his hand grandly: “But do I care about Flower Street’s grudges? Not at all. I just treat their complaints as hot air.”

“Even so, when I visit Flower Street, I’m still treated to champagne, red wine, beautiful women, and cigars.”

“And with just one word from me, someone immediately helped me connect with American agencies, landing a project for overseas copyright deals — and I didn’t even have to lift a finger.”

“What does that prove?”

“It proves vision, everyone.”

“In the financial market, there are no grudges—only interests.”

“Is anyone here in the entertainment industry to make enemies? Obviously not.”

“Sure, our goals differ. Take Tianyu and Hua Brothers, for example.”

“You’re here for money.”

“But I’m here to enhance soft power.”

“Still, that doesn’t mean there’s no room for cooperation.”

“Expand your vision a little.”

“Looking at age alone, I’m the youngest in the room, but when it comes to vision, all of you here are my juniors.”

“...”

One sentence, tugging and pulling, praising and criticizing all at once.

What do you mean ‘you’re here for money, I’m here for soft power’?

You’re just trying to sound all high and mighty, huh?

And calling us your juniors?

No way~~

Damn it, if this weren’t Miracle Media, we would have just flipped the table right then and there.

Though everyone was grumbling in their hearts, no one dared to argue out loud.

After all, they were all seasoned businessmen. A bit of attitude was normal, but when it came to cooperation, who could hold grudges?

……

Cao Cheng dropped the act with a faint smile, then waved his hand.

Sister Ali caught on immediately.

She had her assistant bring over a stack of documents.

“Everyone, take a look first. Once you’re done, we’ll talk,” Cao Cheng said with a grin, lighting a cigarette.

One by one, the group picked up the documents in front of them and started reading.

Actually, there weren’t that many documents.

It was just the entire roster of contestants from this season of *The Voice*—over fifty in total!

Let alone the bottom-tier ones who got eliminated early, just looking at the top twenty, each had something special about them, and many already had some name recognition.

Especially with Cao Cheng’s touch, every single contestant’s profile was polished and perfected. Even those eliminated left a lasting impression.

That’s all money right there.

Of course,

The real focus was on the last few—the top ten, the top five, and finally the top four.

The Warner Music director said, “Mr. Cao, I’ve gone through the profiles. But… how exactly are we supposed to cooperate? You’re not seriously planning to hand over all these promising talents to every one of us, are you? Ha ha ha.”

Everyone else smiled too, clearly not expecting Cao Cheng to be that generous.

They all put down their documents.

Eyes locked on Cao Cheng.

Nobody had the slightest clue what he was up to.

“As expected of Warner’s director—your vision is on another level,” Cao Cheng said with a smile, then shifted gears: “I know some of you have privately approached these contestants, but my show has contracts. During the competition period, they’re not allowed to join any other agency. And after the show, under equal contract terms, they’re required to prioritize Miracle Media.”

The crowd nodded slowly.

Indeed, many had been invited. These were some strong prospects.

And many were young, with real potential to develop.

Though it was called ‘The Voice,’ this season’s contestants also had good looks, at least each with their own unique charm.

Not just vocal uniqueness, but distinctive appearances too.

In short, no cookie-cutter faces.

“But…”

“Just as the Warner director said, I do want to share these talents with all of you.”

“But please, don’t rush.”

Cao Cheng pressed down with his hand: “As you all know, Miracle Media is still a young company. Many departments aren’t fully established yet—especially the agents and music distribution sectors. We can’t compare to you veterans in the industry.”

“That would affect their growth.”

“I just can’t bear to see that happen.”

Cao Cheng shook his head with a look of sorrow and compassion.

The others stayed silent but felt a bit annoyed.

Big brother, do you have anything substantial to say?

All this posturing…

It’s getting old.

“My goal isn’t to make money,” Cao Cheng said seriously, “but to see a flourishing entertainment industry with a diverse range of talents, to enhance the cultural and entertainment soft power.”

“That’s well known.”

Suddenly serious, Cao Cheng continued, “So, I’ve invited you all here today to jointly develop the value of these contestants.”

“Simply put, it means having all the contestants sign contracts with your companies, while Miracle Media only takes a small percentage of their future income as a training fee.”

“……”

Wolfish ambition, indeed.

Only now did everyone realize what was going on.

This is called cooperation?

No, this is human trafficking, okay?

What the hell do you have to do with these contestants?

Training fees?

What training fees?

Damn.

Sure, they came from The Voice, but after the show ended, can’t they choose whichever agency they want?

Why should we share the trainees’ income with you?

What right does Miracle Media have?

No one spoke. Everyone exchanged glances, clearly reading each other’s thoughts.

So, no one said a word.

Silence filled the room.

It felt like everyone was deep in thought.

Cao Cheng smiled and said, “Among these trainees, except for Little Chensheng, you guys can pick whoever you want.”

“I know what you’re thinking, but have you considered this…”

“With so many great trainees, if you all secretly try to poach and outbid each other, never mind whether you get the one you want.”

“Even if you do, you’ll waste a lot of time—and more importantly, waste the peak commercial value period of these talents.”

“Besides, Miracle Media’s profit-sharing arrangement is a win-win for everyone.”

“They can keep leveraging The Voice’s brand, bind themselves closer to the show, and next season, they can come back as senior stars, continuing to bask in the spotlight, saving you all the promotional costs.”

“No matter how many seasons The Voice runs, they will always be recognized as the senior stars from the first season—the original champions and runners-up, the ones everyone acknowledges.”

“Moreover, we can collaborate more deeply. For example, in season two, if any of you have promising talents who haven’t debuted yet, you can send them over here and treat this as their debut stage. As long as they’re truly talented, I won’t say no.”

“And there won’t be any extra fees.”

“…”

His words stirred something in everyone.

No need to mention, The Voice is the hottest platform right now.

Why is Funan TV so powerful?

Because they produced several top-tier variety shows—like Super Girl, Happy Boys, and the Happy Family, among others.

These shows can launch stars, which is why Funan TV is so formidable.

Besides,

Carrying the title of senior stars from the first season of The Voice—champion seniors, runner-up seniors—constantly draws on The Voice’s reputation.

Add to that future collaborations and the ability to send talents over, letting The Voice help boost their popularity.

Although Cao Cheng said there would be no extra fees, everyone knew there would be some cost—but who cares about a little money?

Including Cao Cheng himself, the newly minted billionaire of Miracle Media.

That’s right.

Cao Cheng also carries the title of billionaire. Building a good relationship with a capital-rich tycoon like him—even if you take a small loss—is still a win.

In the future, Miracle Media’s variety shows and various film and TV investments can be joint ventures.

And these trainees are pretty good.

Signing them up is never a bad deal.

Even if, hypothetically, these trainees turn out to be useless, it’s still worth signing them just to maintain good relations with Miracle Media and billionaire Cao.

“I want this one…” The Warner director, a straightforward guy, spoke up immediately, pulling out a trainee’s profile.

Where there’s a first, there’s naturally a second.

Even Tianyu stopped playing hard to get.

Better to settle old scores than make new enemies.