Chapter 130: The Art of Conversation

Wang Lin watched Su Bai approach the backstage area, and for reasons unknown, her heart began to race in a way that felt strangely beyond her control.

"I'm so sorry!"

Su Bai looked at Wang Lin in confusion. Why was she suddenly apologizing to him? It left him quite bewildered.

Wang Lin hurried to explain, "It’s like this: word just came in from the floor that during your performance, a fan got so excited that she fainted. She has already been sent to the hospital. Because we didn't have many contingency plans in place, I was afraid of further uncontrollable situations breaking out, so I had to cut your performance short. You were originally scheduled to sing one more song."

Hearing that someone had fainted, Su Bai’s expression turned to one of concern. Upon hearing that she had already been sent to the hospital, his anxiety eased slightly. While he was glad to have so many fans who loved his music, he certainly didn't want his popularity to lead to a situation where a fan's life was put at risk due to overexcitement. He could now understand why Wang Lin had made the emergency decision to stop the show.

"You were right to stop it; you did the right thing," Su Bai said, giving Wang Lin an instinctive thumbs-up.

Wang Lin couldn't help but feel her face flush with heat. Only she knew that her apology carried more weight than just the incident at the venue. It was also an apology for her past misunderstandings and the way she had targeted him. Over the last few days, she had been consumed by guilt, wanting to apologize but never knowing how to bring it up. Now that she was face-to-face with him, she couldn't help but feel nervous.

Su Bai observed Wang Lin’s blushing face with surprise. Who knew that the usually stern and efficient Wang Lin had such a cute side? With her cheeks flushed, she looked much more approachable than the cold, stone-faced woman he had dealt with before. He had previously assumed that was just her personality—that she treated everyone with icy indifference. Since they were just business partners, he hadn't felt the need to judge her for her temperament.

At that moment, an assistant ran over. "Ms. Wang, the girl sent to the hospital has regained consciousness!" The assistant then greeted Su Bai, "Hello, Mr. Su Bai!"

Hearing this, the heavy weight that had been hanging over both Wang Lin and Su Bai finally lifted. Thankfully, there were no serious repercussions. Wang Lin’s mood instantly brightened. "Su Bai, would you like to stay and watch the rest of the competition, or..."

Su Bai waved his hands dismissively. "I don't play games, so I think I’ll pass. I wouldn't understand what's going on anyway."

Wang Lin smiled and said, "Then let's head straight to the hotel. Knowing you were coming, a senior vice president from our Tengfei Group made a special trip here and is waiting for you."

Gao Yaguang was the senior vice president in charge of the entertainment division at Tengfei Group. He had taken notice of Su Bai back when he signed the licensing agreement for "The Lonely Warrior" with *War of Kings*. Although Su Bai was a rising star, his popularity had grown exponentially every day. With his songs constantly circulating online, Su Bai had been propelled to a white-hot level of fame. His Douyin followers had already surpassed twenty million and were climbing toward thirty million. The growth trajectory was unimaginable.

Tengfei Group had always had a footprint in the entertainment industry. Recently, the group had decided to invest in a company with potential that was focused on pure artist development—the kind of company that wasn't already tied to other capital forces. When powerful capital was involved, they would inevitably claim the lion's share of the profits, and if Tengfei wanted to buy in, the investment would be much steeper.

Initially, Tengfei had been looking at other artists, but Su Bai's sudden rise quickly shifted their focus toward him, especially because of his immense commercial value. One only had to look at the promotional video he filmed for Daming Lake to see it. If that was the impact of a tourism spot promotion, what kind of chain reaction would he cause if he endorsed a product? Everyone at Tengfei knew the answer.

There was another primary reason: currently, Su Bai was being collectively shunned by the industry. Because of the presence of Huisi Capital, many others wanted to extend an olive branch to Su Bai but were afraid to act, fearful that they might accidentally offend the powers behind Huisi Capital and find the cost not worth the gain.

Others might fear Huisi Capital, but Tengfei Group did not. It could be said that Tengfei had never feared anyone in the country. Their legal team had gone toe-to-toe with countless people who didn't know their place. Investing in Su Bai now meant paying the lowest price for the greatest future return. "Providing help in a time of need" was a principle Tengfei Group had always upheld. The fact that Wang Lin had arrived at the negotiating table with 30 million back when Su Bai’s reputation was still highly controversial was a testament to this.

Of course, for now, Tengfei only had the intention to invest, which was why Gao Yaguang was here to meet Su Bai in person. This level of negotiation was beyond Wang Lin's authority, as she was only the head of the promotional division for *War of Kings*.

"Hello, Mr. Su Bai! It is truly a case of 'hearing your name is not as good as meeting you in person.' I didn't expect Mr. Su Bai to be even more handsome than you appear on camera!" Gao Yaguang laughed. "How does that saying go? 'You could have made a living on your looks, yet you chose to rely on your talent?' How are those who actually rely on their talent supposed to survive?"

Laughter erupted from Su Bai and the staff accompanying them. A brief joke quickly bridged the gap between them.

"You flatter me, Mr. Gao!" Su Bai replied. "I had heard from Ms. Wang Lin that you were a humorous and witty person, and I was filled with curiosity about just how humorous you might be. Seeing you today, it’s all true! I imagine your colleagues who work with you must be very happy, getting their work done every day amidst such laughter and joy. Is there anything more delightful than that?"

The group burst into laughter again. Someone in the back couldn't help but give a silent thumbs-up. That was a truly skillful response. If Su Bai had simply said, "You’re quite handsome yourself, Mr. Gao," it would have sounded insincere. If he had said, "Thank you for the compliment, I am honored," it might have come off as arrogant—as if he really believed he was that good. And if he had tried to be humble by denying it, that would have been even worse, as it would imply that Gao Yaguang was wrong or lying, which would have been a direct insult.

But Su Bai’s retort was masterful. He took the compliment about his looks and talent and pivoted to praise Gao’s wit and the joy of working with him. They were two completely different subjects, creating no friction, and he didn't sound hypocritical. Instead, it made everyone feel at ease and instantly enlivened the atmosphere. Even Wang Lin couldn't help but give him a thumbs-up.