Ready, let's do this

Cao Cheng had been staying in Pengcheng for some time.

His main focus here was the abundance of investments, particularly in cutting-edge fields like artificial intelligence and robotics.

Not that he was there to micromanage—he was simply touring his domain and, in the process, reaping some emotional dividends.

Many of these enterprises were investments made by Third Sister.

Third Sister was following the roadmap Cao Cheng had laid out.

But...

There were plenty of places Cao Cheng had never visited, having only reviewed reports and documents at most.

So, since he was already here, he figured he might as well inspect his territory. The employees were thrilled, and the emotional payoff was substantial.

It wasn’t just Pengcheng.

He also made rounds in Qiantang.

......

......

March.

Over fifty domestic talent agencies received the same invitation.

An invitation from Produce Camp 101.

The name was straightforward and blunt—just a glance told you what it was about.

"Going this big?"

"Holy crap!"

"As expected of Boss Cao..."

The executives at these agencies were all taken aback when they saw the invitation.

If this hadn’t come from Miracle Media,

they would’ve assumed the sender had lost their mind.

Just look at what the invitation letter said—

It called for over a hundred entertainment agencies across Asia to participate, selecting 101 female trainees from a pool of thousands, both domestic and international.

The show’s genre? A survival reality program where idol girl groups compete and train!

Recording duration: Six months.

Six months of closed-off training and filming, culminating in the selection of nine outstanding trainees, with the highest vote-getter debuting as the center of the final group.

Insane.

The first reaction upon receiving the invitation was, What kind of scheme is Cao Cheng pulling now?

A variety show wasn’t unusual—everyone would support that.

But to gather over a hundred agencies, select a hundred female trainees from thousands, and then narrow it down to the best nine?

The sheer level of competition was terrifying just to imagine.

Especially when compared to some international trainees—well, that was another story.

Still...

This was Cao Cheng’s show. Surely he wouldn’t let the final lineup consist entirely of foreign trainees, right?

That’d be a massive embarrassment.

Old Du from Yuehua Entertainment studied the invitation for a long time, deep in thought.

Finally, he called his assistant: "Book me a flight to Zhonghai. The earliest one available."

Meanwhile,

Old Wang from Huaxiong Entertainment instinctively called Cao Cheng after receiving the invitation.

Cao Cheng didn’t elaborate, simply telling him to come discuss it in person.

With no choice, Old Wang set aside his current affairs, told the woman with him to get dressed and leave, then had his assistant book a flight...

......

Among these companies, some had collaborated with Cao Cheng before, while others had been bitter rivals before settling their grudges.

Regardless, after receiving the invitations, the major agencies all responded promptly.

Smaller agencies had no reason to refuse either—they wasted no time heading to Zhonghai, even without further details.

Three days later.

At a conference venue in his own hotel,

over a hundred entertainment executives and their entourages gathered.

Some of these were companies Cao Cheng had invested in—his own people.

But when Cao Cheng appeared,

the attendees still found it surreal.

"Seriously?"

"It’s just a variety show."

"Boss Cao is personally involved?"

"This..."

"Is this even normal?"

"Who’s the girl next to him? His girlfriend? An assistant? Doesn’t seem like it..."

"Wait—isn’t that...?"

"Who?"

"Little Sister Ma."

"No way~~ Damn, how big is this show gonna be?"

Many were both shocked and puzzled.

They had assumed Sister Ali would handle the presentation and explain the show’s concept.

At most, Cao Cheng might invite a few major agency bosses for drinks afterward,

discussing deeper collaborations.

But no.

Cao Cheng was here.

And so was another heavyweight.

It wasn’t Ma himself, but his presence was implied.

This could only mean one thing: the show was no ordinary project.

Realizing this, everyone’s interest grew.

The invitation alone had suggested the show had potential—if executed well, it could be a hit.

But now, they were even more invested.

They all knew—when Cao Cheng personally backed a show, it didn’t just succeed. It became a phenomenon.

......

Soon after,

Cao Cheng outlined the show’s core concept.

It wasn’t complicated.

Within half an hour, everyone understood the premise.

They also grasped what "idol girl group survival reality program" truly meant.

For agencies, this was a chance to gain exposure—especially for smaller ones.

For trainees, it was an opportunity.

Many companies had debuted their own boy or girl groups, but few ever achieved real fame.

Let alone reaching the heights of TFBOYS.

The domestic market wasn’t ideal for idol groups.

Not because it was inherently difficult, but because the market was too vast.

Organizing fan support for a group was already a logistical nightmare.

And dedicated idol platforms?

China didn’t need them.

Plainly put—the country was just too big.

......

The next hour or so was spent addressing questions, with Cao Cheng providing answers.

Not that he handled everything alone.

Little Sister Ma was there too.

She fielded what she could, and Cao Cheng filled in the gaps.

Afterward,

once the main meeting concluded, Little Sister Ma showcased her impressive networking skills, engaging with attendees and discussing contracts.

Participants had to sign.

The contracts covered all relevant details—especially regarding trainee selection and post-debut revenue distribution.

The gist?

Miracle Media would produce the show, secure broadcasting platforms, and retain all profits during its run.

Other agencies wouldn’t see a cent from the show itself.

However,

after the show—whether trainees were eliminated or debuted—their original agencies would take the lion’s share, with Miracle Media only claiming a modest training fee.

No one objected.

In fact, some were willing to pay just to participate.

After all, strictly speaking, Miracle Media’s show was promoting their talent.

Even eliminated trainees would gain significant fame.

Far better than debuting independently.

And this was the first season.

The hype and novelty would be at their peak.

Plus, agencies were urged not to hold back—send the best trainees. Missing this chance meant even debuting in a second season might not guarantee success.

They were all smart.

They knew opportunity when they saw it.

......

Elsewhere,

Cao Cheng held a private meeting with the heads of major agencies.

What was discussed? No one else knew.

But when they emerged, the bosses were all smiles.

To put it bluntly, it’s about promising them a few guaranteed spots.

Not many.

But enough.

There are only 101 seats to begin with—if you take one more, someone else gets one less.

And that’s not even the main issue.

Even after going through rigorous selection and making it onto the 101-seat list, whether someone ultimately debuts successfully still depends on Cao Cheng’s personal preference.

Because.

This is a variety show.

A single episode of a reality show averages around ninety minutes.

That includes ad breaks, post-production edits, flashbacks, and other added footage.

So, when you break it down, each of the 101 contestants gets less than a minute of screen time per episode on average.

Just imagining that alone gives you an idea of how fiercely they’ll fight for those precious seconds.

And no matter how hard they compete during filming, the final edit still needs Cao Cheng’s approval.

In other words, Cao Cheng decides who gets more screen time.

And the more screen time someone gets, the more fans they attract, which naturally leads to more votes—people tend to support the faces they recognize.

That’s the key to debuting.

So,

when Cao Cheng promises a few spots and a bit of airtime to the major agencies, it’s already an enormous favor.

How could they not be thrilled?

Of course, nothing comes for free—they’ll have to give up a bigger share of profits and cooperate with Miracle Media’s promotions.

……

Let’s not talk about fairness or unfairness.

For small and mid-sized agencies, just being allowed to participate is fairness enough.

Cao Cheng doesn’t expect these smaller companies to produce top-tier trainees anyway.

This isn’t about looking down on them.

It’s about resources.

To put it bluntly, many instructors at small and mid-sized agencies—whether for dance or vocals—are just part-timers.

Their skills are limited.

Can teachers like that really cultivate exceptional talent?

Unless the trainee is a once-in-a-generation prodigy.

But if someone’s that gifted, why wouldn’t they just go straight to a big agency?

Let’s be real.

Trainees at small agencies are the ones the big companies didn’t want.

That’s the harsh truth.

So,

letting them compete in the selection is already Cao Cheng’s way of showing fairness and goodwill.

However,

as someone who’s been around the block, Cao Cheng knows that sometimes raw talent isn’t as important as luck and timing.

Take Yang Chaoyue from his dreams—whether her persona was manufactured or not, you can’t deny she had the right luck, right?

She still debuted in third place.

And the craziest part? While the whole group eventually flopped, she kept rising.

That’s destiny.

That’s also why Cao Cheng invites small agencies—what if another one like her shows up? The emotional payoff would be huge.

If someone like that does appear,

Cao Cheng will just take over their contract and make them a Miracle Media artist.

What?

Their original agency refuses?

Then buy out the agency!

No big deal.

……

It’s not just these fifty agencies.

Notices have also gone out to companies in other regions—Japan, Korea, Thailand—everywhere.

This is a pan-Asian stage.

If Cao Cheng’s going to do this, he’s going big.

He has the confidence and the clout to pull it off.

Just his status alone—Asia’s richest, top three globally—means even if some don’t want to participate, they’ll at least show face for the sake of appearances.

At the same time, deals are being made with TV networks and media across Asia.

The show will premiere and stream live simultaneously across the East.