Chapter 146: "Courage" Teaser

Ten minutes later, Fang Xiao arrived, looking sharp in her professional attire. Upon entering, she caught sight of Xu Shuang and paused, momentarily stunned, before she could even greet Su Chen.

"Xu Shuang?" Fang Xiao asked, surprised.

Seeing this, Xu Shuang stood up, extended her hand, and said gracefully, "Hello, I am Xu Shuang."

Fang Xiao shook her hand lightly and introduced herself: "I’m Fang Xiao, Director of the Artist Department at Star Orange Entertainment."

Su Chen, sitting to the side, asked curiously, "Do you two know each other?"

Both women shook their heads simultaneously. Fang Xiao then added with a smile, "She probably doesn't know me, but I certainly know her. She was one of the 'Four Little Flowers' of pop music back in the day. In our industry, who wouldn't know her?"

Turning to Su Chen, she asked, "So, what did you need to see me about?"

Su Chen briefly described the situation and explained his goal, hoping that Fang Xiao might be able to help him find channels for promotional resources. Fang Xiao grasped his intent instantly.

"No problem!" she said. "Doesn't Star Orange Entertainment already have ready-made promotional channels? We can just use those!"

Su Chen was taken aback by her prompt agreement. He worried about the implications of using Star Orange’s resources directly. "Sister Fang, since Xu Shuang is an independent artist, would using Star Orange’s resources cause any issues?"

Fang Xiao chuckled. "It’s fine. These resources aren't exactly rare commodities; if you went to another company, you could get them just the same. If it comes down to it, we can just pay the standard market rate for the channel fees."

*This is perfect!* Su Chen thought. Using established promotional channels would be far less of a headache than organizing it himself. He had only intended to ask if she knew of any external contacts, so her offer to let them use Star Orange’s own infrastructure was a pleasant surprise. He just wasn't sure if Xu Shuang could afford the fees.

He looked at Xu Shuang, who immediately understood. "The channel fees are not a problem at all; that’s only fair." She then turned to Fang Xiao and expressed her sincere gratitude.

Fang Xiao waved it off generously. "It’s nothing! Just a small favor. Alright, I’ll arrange for someone to coordinate with you. If you run into any issues during the process, you can come directly to me."

As always, she was efficient and decisive. Once the matter was in Fang Xiao’s hands, progress was rapid. Less than half an hour later, a staff member contacted Su Chen to begin coordinating the requirements for the single's release.

The next day, the promotional campaign went into full swing. Xu Shuang posted her first update on Weibo in years:

"Long time no see! Be the master of your own life and move forward bravely. Even if you fail, there is no regret for the path you have walked! My new single, 'Courage,' will be released on TianTian DongTing on January 15th. Hope you’ll take a listen! @Su Chen"

It was a standard promotional post, but by tagging Su Chen at the end—echoing his own recent post—it immediately caused a stir online.

"Wait, who? Xu Shuang? Is she making a comeback?"
"Who is Xu Shuang?"
"The person above must be a kid. You don't even know Xu Shuang? Do you have any idea how big she was? At her peak, she outshone every other singer in the industry!"
"Meh, never heard of her."
"That’s why you’re a kid. Go ask your parents; they’ll tell you!"

At first, it was mostly old fans of Xu Shuang spreading the word, sparking questions from others. But as more people shared her history, those unfamiliar with her began to realize just how legendary she had been.

*Wait, Su Chen?* After seeing him tagged, and recalling his post from a few days ago about a January 15th release, many quickly pieced it together.

"So Su Chen’s new song is written for Xu Shuang? Wow, this is going to be interesting!"
"How so?"
"One is a red-hot composer who just helped Jiang Yan reach diva status with two hit songs. The other is a legendary rising star from back in the day. I can't wait to see what kind of spark they create together!"
"I admit Xu Shuang is a legend, but Su Chen? I sympathize with his recent troubles, but his actual talent is still up for debate!"
"Well, let’s just wait and see!"

Driven by Su Chen’s recent viral popularity and the grassroots efforts of Xu Shuang’s fans, a wave of discussion began to build. Soon, major influencers affiliated with Star Orange Entertainment began sharing the news.

"Flower Loves to Sing: A powerhouse composer and a genius singer—what kind of magic will they make?"
"Song of the Day: Five years in the making, genius singer Xu Shuang returns. Can she reclaim her former glory?"
"Selling Emotions: The word 'Courage' hooked me. Whether we are giving it or receiving it, we all need courage. This song is already on my must-listen list!"

With the help of online music promoters, "Courage" became a trending topic before it even launched. Of course, there were still skeptics questioning Su Chen’s talent, and gossips speculating on Xu Shuang’s past.

"Did you know? Xu Shuang left the industry because she married a billionaire!"
"Now that she's back, I bet she was dumped. She couldn't play the rich housewife anymore, so she's crawling back to the industry to make money!"

Regardless of the noise, the combination of these factors made "Courage" a hit before it even hit the airwaves.

***

At Dynasty Entertainment, Zhao Hengyuan slammed his palm onto the desk with a loud "Bang!"

The person standing next to him trembled. As the director of the Artist Department, he was the one who had planned and executed the scheme at the Golden Melody Awards. He had intended to use the situation to show Su Chen the weight of Dynasty’s influence and teach him a lesson. Instead, a single video had landed several of his own artists in a firestorm of public pressure.

Although they were only second-tier artists, the company had invested years of effort and resources into them. Now, that investment was going up in smoke. The loss of revenue from their song releases and endorsement deals was a significant blow to the company, and he was the one who would have to answer for it.