Chapter 61: Auditions

Even though Zhao Entertainment held targeted auditions simultaneously, being geographically distant in Shangjiang City was still a disadvantage. Plus, Lin Xiyue had recently gained a lot of attention, so Lin Entertainment still received a large number of resumes and demo submissions from across the province.

This was when the importance of the company’s leading star became apparent. Everyone knew that joining a company didn’t guarantee they’d reach the same heights as the leading star, but it was hard not to dream that way.

However, most resumes were just for show. Many applicants overestimated their abilities.

Many people dream of being a star, but few are truly destined to be one. The idol profession relies heavily on talent.

Some people practice for years and still can’t sing in tune; others open their mouths and sound like angels. The reality is harsh.

Among all the submitted resumes, only a very small portion made it to the offline audition stage. But the total number was still huge, and in the end, two hundred people were selected for the next round.

Lin Entertainment, however, only planned to add a dozen or so new artists. Even at the offline audition stage, the elimination rate was still shockingly high.

“Notify those selected to stay at the hotel and wait for further instructions. The rest can be politely rejected —”

It was the first day of auditions, and Lin Xiyue and Xu Wei were personally overseeing the process in the recording studio.

Over thirty people auditioned today, and only seven or eight were selected, and even for these few, final admission would depend on further competition. The competition was fierce.

For someone like Xia Jinnian, whose talent could immediately make her a potential leading star, the odds of being recognized were extremely rare. If such talent were wasted due to Xia’s mother’s cautious nature, it would have been a huge loss.

“Primary focus is talent; secondary is skill.”

The mother-daughter duo discussed the evaluation criteria with the remaining producers.

Since Lin Entertainment was now financially strong and aiming for further growth, long-term potential became a priority.

For example, a professionally trained candidate in their twenties might score 50 in singing ability, while an untrained seventeen- or eighteen-year-old might score 35.

In the past, Lin Entertainment would probably choose the first candidate, as they could immediately contribute to the company’s value without requiring additional training.

Now, however, they decided to choose the latter. Even if it meant investing more time and resources, the long-term potential would be much higher.

Lin Xiyue also proposed an intriguing rule — extra points could be awarded for dance skills and talent.

This was rare in the entertainment industry and even puzzled the other producers. “Aren’t we selecting singers, not dancers?”

But Lin Xiyue had her reasoning. She knew that in a few years, performances combining singing and dancing would rise in popularity. If they could prepare in advance, Lin Entertainment would gain a significant advantage.

Moreover, in the current suppressed environment, doing nothing new and following the old rules of established companies would never allow them to break through the blockade.

So, Lin Xiyue not only added this rule with her mother’s agreement but also began practicing dance basics alongside Xia Jinnian, while the company planned to recruit choreographers for training and creative development.

“This is risky,”

The other producers frowned after hearing Lin Xiyue’s plan. They were used to playing it safe, given Lin Entertainment’s prior fragile situation.

“A bit risky, yes, but we can afford it now,”

Xu Wei said confidently. Although they were facing suppression again, Lin Entertainment now had plenty of liquid funds.

The movie’s box office had yielded over ten million in dividends, the single Rush That Year was projected to sell seven hundred thousand copies, bringing nearly twenty million in returns.

Unknowingly, the two newly debuted girls, Lin Xiyue and Xia Jinnian, were about to achieve a diamond-level milestone of five hundred thousand single sales.

Even for established second-tier stars, a diamond single was often unreachable; even quasi-first-tier stars rarely enjoyed the treatment Lin Ziyu had.

This thirty million in liquid funds gave Lin Entertainment ample flexibility, allowing for trial-and-error and adjustments.

With Bai Family’s previous help, the company’s corporate account had been unfrozen, restoring the cash flow.

With money, nothing was impossible.

If Zhao Entertainment held simultaneous auditions, Lin Entertainment would increase subsidies and recruitment numbers.

If many clients avoided submitting projects to Lin Entertainment to maintain relationships with Zhao Entertainment, they would ignore the lost income and focus promotion online instead.

If Zhao Entertainment announced that any producer who had worked for Lin Entertainment in the past year wouldn’t be hired elsewhere, Lin Entertainment would simply raise compensation — there were always producers needing money, and Zhao Entertainment couldn’t enforce a full industry-wide ban.

Thus, Lin Entertainment effectively minimized Zhao Entertainment’s influence.

Two conditions remained: first, Zhao Entertainment wouldn’t escalate their suppression out of frustration; second, the cash flow had to stay ample.

The first was uncertain; the second depended on Lin Xiyue and Xia Jinnian, the company’s “money trees.”

From this perspective, Lin Xiyue’s importance to the company was enormous, increasing her influence.

******************8

After the first day of auditions, Lin Xiyue decided to have a small celebration.

She, Xia Jinnian, Bai Lulu, and Ran Zhu — all four had received acceptance letters and enrollment notifications from Guangnan University. It became a small alumni gathering, a chance to unwind.

“I never thought anyone would call me ‘teacher’ one day, haha —”

On Bai Lulu’s drive, Xia Jinnian laughed.

She had been at the auditions but didn’t like giving opinions. Now, however, she had the authority to interview newcomers. All the candidates called her “Teacher Xia” or “Teacher Jinnian.”

In just two months, from ordinary people to stars, from interviewees to examiners, they had swiftly conquered the entertainment circle — a record anyone could check.