Chapter 154: A Pleasant Collaboration

“Don’t joke about that!” Su Chen shook his head with a helpless smile after his initial surprise.

His first thought was that Fang Xiao was teasing him.

“I’m serious!” Fang Xiao put away her smile this time, looking at Su Chen with a solemn expression.

Hmm?

This truly puzzled Su Chen.

Was she serious?

“Your abilities are exceptional, and your connections in the industry are extensive,” she said. “If you join, I would definitely welcome it wholeheartedly!”

“But I can’t quite understand why.”

“Star Orange Entertainment isn’t a major company, but it’s certainly not just any small studio either.”

“And you are the head of the artist department here, with the potential for even greater advancement. Why would you consider leaving?”

“Moreover, the place you want to leave for is a small studio that’s barely even on the radar?”

After confirming repeatedly that Fang Xiao was not joking, Su Chen finally voiced his doubts.

Fang Xiao smiled wryly and shrugged.

“You should know what kind of person I am!”

“I want the team I lead to achieve outstanding results.”

“But as you’ve seen, at Star Orange Entertainment, no matter what I do, I’m constantly hindered.”

“Whenever I want to do something, there’s always an obstacle because I can’t get around the general manager, Wang Yan.”

“Although some on the board support me, they’ve only promoted me to artist department director, and that’s it.”

She finished with a self-mocking smile.

“Maybe it’s just my own limitations.”

“In an environment like this, it’s just too hard to accomplish anything.”

To be honest, hearing her say this, Su Chen couldn’t help but feel something stirring inside.

Setting aside everything else, in terms of personal capability alone, Fang Xiao was by far the best manager he had ever met, with a clear and effective management style.

She handled things cleanly and decisively.

Whenever she helped with a task, the result was always impeccable.

But this sudden revelation left him a little overwhelmed.

If it were just what she said, Su Chen felt it wasn’t quite enough reason for her to join his team.

After all, switching to another big platform would also offer great opportunities.

Why choose a small studio like his?

“Of course, the most important reason is you!”

“Me?” Su Chen was intrigued, then heard Fang Xiao continue.

“To me, you’re the most talented composer in the industry right now—no flattery.”

“Others might not know, but I’ve watched you rise step by step here at Star Orange Entertainment.”

“Whether it’s the quality of your songs or your way of working, it suits me perfectly.”

“And...”

Fang Xiao paused, staring unblinkingly at Su Chen.

“I feel like you’re holding back, not showing your full strength!”

“Oh? How so?” Su Chen looked at her with interest, curious how she came to that conclusion.

“Because you make it look too easy.”

“To me, you always seem to be playing around.”

“When there’s a task, you complete it; when you want to climb the charts, you do just that.”

“You effortlessly achieve your goals every time.”

“Compared to other composers, the difference is huge!”

“I’ve seen many talented composers who struggle through the process, often scratching their heads and sometimes even losing sleep over it—that’s normal.”

“So...”

Before Fang Xiao finished, Su Chen smiled and interrupted.

“How do you know I’m not like that? Maybe I do lose sleep and get depressed over my work.”

Fang Xiao smiled helplessly.

“You don’t have that vibe. You can’t fake a person’s state of mind.”

“You don’t look like someone who’s sleepless or depressed.”

She added, “I have strong observational skills.”

Su Chen nodded silently, saying no more.

Fang Xiao fell silent too, as if quietly waiting for his decision.

After a long pause, Su Chen spoke.

“I’d really like you to join, but I need to think it over.”

“I’m not sure if our goals are aligned, or whether there might be conflicts between them.”

“If our goals clash, then cooperation won’t work.”

Fang Xiao looked at him meaningfully.

“What are your goals then?”

Su Chen shook his head, choosing not to answer.

“I’ll think it over.”

“Let’s leave it at that for today.”

After leaving Star Orange Entertainment, Su Chen kept pondering Fang Xiao’s motives.

Her explanation was indeed the most reasonable so far and fit her character well.

But cooperation couldn’t be rushed; he needed to consider it carefully.

If Fang Xiao had no issues, her joining would be a huge surprise for him.

Since the Golden Melody Awards ceremony, he had realized the feud with Imperial Dynasty Entertainment couldn’t last forever.

Nor could they wait for him to be fully prepared before making a move.

That was why he had taken a tough stance this time, even exposing Tang Guo’s identity.

Though it caused some trouble and losses for them, it was far from enough for what Imperial Dynasty Entertainment had done to him.

Establishing his own studio to target Imperial Dynasty’s singers was his true goal.

But he couldn’t handle everything himself, nor allow himself to be trapped by any one matter.

Having someone to oversee operations while he steered the overall direction would be perfect.

When Fang Xiao asked about his goals, he didn’t answer, partly because he wasn’t sure if her motives were truly as she said, and partly because he wasn’t used to revealing everything so quickly.

Back home, he lay comfortably in his bedroom chair, eyes closed, as memories of everything related to Fang Xiao played through his mind like a movie.

Early the next morning, Su Chen took out his phone and sent Fang Xiao a message.

“If my studio’s purpose is to take on Imperial Dynasty Entertainment, would you still want to join?”

He had spent all day yesterday analyzing everyone and everything related to Fang Xiao, and was confident there were no issues.

She wanted to achieve something in her career, and he happened to be the best partner for that.

Even if she had some ulterior motives, they wouldn’t significantly affect him at this stage.

Because the studio’s core resource was songs, and the core resource was in his hands—there was nothing to worry about.

Fang Xiao replied quickly.

“I guessed it! Not afraid!”

Those few words were brief but powerful.

A smile immediately spread across Su Chen’s face.

“Welcome aboard! Looking forward to working together!”

“Looking forward to working together!”