Chapter 39: Running Right Into It

Chapter 39: Running Right Into It

Chen Feng felt deep regret.

So much so that he wanted to break his promise by tomorrow morning.

He admitted he had been somewhat tempted. After all, just getting Zhong Lei’s management contract in hand would mean even a fool could rise to greatness.

But now Chen Feng believed he could live a fulfilling life even without Zhong Lei’s management contract. Why go looking for trouble?

Right up until he fell asleep, he was still puzzling over why he had agreed.

In the end, he reached a conclusion.

Zhong Lei had awakened.

There was magic in her singing voice, something that could make people lose their minds.

He had let his guard down around her, even daring to agree to go with her into such a cramped space as the bathroom.

The result was that he was brainwashed by her singing and agreed to it without even thinking.

It was even possible that Zhong Lei had planned this from the very beginning.

She was afraid of being rejected, so she first showed her ability without holding anything back. She intended to use her singing to paint a beautiful picture of the future.

If the two of them maintained this kind of deep cooperative relationship long-term, things would definitely get better and better in the future.

Chen Feng guessed about half of it correctly.

Before coming downstairs to sing for him, Zhong Lei had received management offer calls from several top domestic companies, one after another.

But she politely refused them all.

Compared to being tied to a big agency, losing her freedom, and becoming a caged bird, she much preferred working independently on her own.

But if she didn’t sign with some company, the calls would never stop.

So, the best method was naturally to find someone in the industry she could trust, who had no ulterior motives and wouldn’t restrict her freedom, sign a simple contract, and eventually form a personal studio model.

She had zero interest in operations, hype, promotions, or that sort of thing. She just wanted to create and just wanted to sing.

Actually, earlier when Chen Feng asked her how much money it would take to build a high-standard recording studio, Zhong Lei had already started thinking about it.

Five million seemed very far away, but the sudden explosive popularity of “Dullness” gave Zhong Lei hope.

As long as she could produce a few more songs on the same level as “Dullness” next, five million wasn’t so distant.

Then Chen Feng immediately gave her “Monotony,” a song that surpassed its predecessor, finally igniting Zhong Lei’s ambition.

Her ambition seemed small: just freedom.

But the word “freedom” was heavy. It was easy to say, but walking that path was destined to be full of thorns.

Having gone through the schemes of Lin Youyi and Zhou A, Zhong Lei had secretly grown a lot.

She forced herself to start learning how to be cunning.

Her tricks weren’t sophisticated, but fortunately, the effect was pretty good.

But within these schemes of hers, there was no filth or ill intent.

She didn’t want to scheme against Chen Feng either. She just wanted to calm her mind to create better songs.

In her eyes, Chen Feng was simply too strong, so strong that she felt she was holding him back.

She refused to admit defeat. She wanted to catch up to him.

Public opinion was always an illusion.

Public opinion never knew the truth.

Right now, the online evaluation of her was very high.

In just over half a day, Zhong Lei already had her own forum. The number of fans on the forum quickly broke fifty thousand and was still growing.

She didn’t even have a verified Weibo account herself, but instead, one verified fan club after another for her was popping up like bamboo shoots after rain.

This external fame and influence kept growing, but she didn’t feel enjoyment from it. Instead, she kept thinking that the truly talented person was the unknown Chen Feng behind the scenes. She had merely sung the songs he created.

Only when she could also write songs of the same level and sing them with the same effect would Zhong Lei feel satisfied, believing she hadn’t failed her own dream.

Early the next morning, Chen Feng quietly got up, planning to slip away.

He felt too embarrassed to break his promise outright, but he really wasn’t psychologically prepared either. So he thought about delaying for a couple more days. Maybe Zhong Lei would change her mind on her own.

Chen Feng believed people could change.

Especially sudden fame could most easily cause a huge impact on a person’s state of mind. Maybe she would feel her wings were strong enough now and she didn’t need him anymore?

“Huh? Chen Feng, where are you going?”

He never expected that as soon as he opened the door, Zhong Lei had already poked her head out from the upstairs hallway. Who knew if she had been lying in wait.

Chen Feng smiled awkwardly. “Going to the company.”

“How about you ask for leave today? Let’s go register our own company.”

“Some other day?”

“‘Other day’ isn’t as good as ‘right now.’ Today is perfect.”

Zhong Lei said with an expressionless face.

Seeing he couldn’t weasel out of it, Chen Feng could only say, “I’m afraid that won’t work. I’m planning to resign from the company. Today I’m going to pack my things and leave.”

This was clearly just a forceful excuse from Chen Feng to leave, but unexpectedly, Zhong Lei was overjoyed, absolutely delighted.

“Is that so! Your efficiency is really high! Then go ahead, good luck!”

She ducked back inside.

Chen Feng thought to himself, did you misunderstand something again?

Ah, forget it.

At nine in the morning, Chen Feng entered the company right on the dot for work hours.

First, he went to handle the resignation procedures.

The person handling his procedures was actually Lin De again.

A day had passed. The side of Lin De’s face that was slapped was slightly swollen, but it didn’t look serious. It would probably go down in three or four days.

Lin De, of course, didn’t look at him with even a hint of a good expression. “Take it. This is your form. Take the form and go to the Finance and Administration departments yourself.”

Chen Feng thought Lin De was intentionally trying to make things difficult for him. He didn’t expect him to be so straightforward. Taking the form and looking at the terms, Chen Feng was amused.

“Oh! Oh oh oh! Has the Sun risen from the west?”

Full compensation for three months’ salary plus performance bonus, after taxes, came to a high twenty-four thousand.

The company agreed to let Chen Feng continue living in the Weston apartment at a price lower than the market rate, slightly higher than the employee benefit price.

These two major clauses were clearly listed, completely beyond Chen Feng’s expectations.

He originally thought he might get at most one month’s subsidy at best, that the Weston apartment would revert to market price, and he might even have to make up the previous price difference.

Lin De glared fiercely at Chen Feng, but then remembered his superior’s instructions. Gnashing his teeth, he squeezed out a hideous smile. “The procedures are all done for you. You should hurry up and go. Looks like you don’t want to stay in the company anyway.”

Chen Feng took the approved form. Before leaving, he asked, “By the way, who will take over Weston after I leave?”

Lin De put down the file and slightly lifted his eyelids. “Why are you asking? It’s none of your business.”

“I’ll be your customer in the future. I need to know who will serve me.”

Lin De was frustrated by his argument again, but this matter was his proud achievement. “Zhou Yunbo. How about that? Don’t you worry. He will definitely do his utmost to serve you, our valued customer, well.”

As he spoke later, Lin De’s chin lifted slightly, exuding an indescribable smugness.

That expression seemed to say, what are you so happy about? Didn’t I get my way in the end after all?

Chen Feng regretted asking a bit.

It had ruined such a good mood, making him feel somewhat uncomfortable.

Next, he ran around up and down going through the procedures. By about ten in the morning, Chen Feng had finally finished packing. He put all his personal belongings into a cardboard box, carried the box, and left his workstation.

Other than Tang Shuang, not a single person saw him off.

This scene was no different from what was often shown in TV and movies, where a fired employee slinks away in disgrace.

“Chen Feng, what are your plans next?”

The two walked side by side through the aisle of the office hall when Tang Shuang asked with concern.

Chen Feng said indifferently, “I’ll figure it out later. Anyway, I’m not short of money for the time being.”

Adding today’s twenty-four thousand to the little over thirty thousand he got from selling the song before, he now had over fifty thousand in his bank card again.

With money in his pocket, he would never panic.

As the two were talking, a commotion arose from the company’s main entrance ahead.

Chen Feng craned his neck to look. “What’s going on?”

Only then did Tang Shuang seem to suddenly remember something. She quickly grabbed his sleeve and pulled him to the side.

“I forgot to tell you! The company’s newly hired spokesperson, He Jiaqi, has a commercial performance in the High-Tech Zone this afternoon! She’s coming to visit the company! Let’s stand to the side a bit, don’t block the way.”

Up ahead, many of the big leaders of Kelai Apartment were clustered in a crowd.

Everyone’s eyes were focused towards the center.

Lin De, with his plump figure, was quite pitifully on the edge of the crowd, smiling apologetically at the air.

Chen Feng raised an eyebrow.

He Jiaqi?

Interesting!

With just a light glance, he saw someone standing out prominently from the crowd, with an outstanding and unique aura…

That damn sissy Mai Hui.

Mai Hui was effeminate, but he was quite tall. You could spot his plaster-like, snow-white face at a glance.