Chapter Forty-Three: A Distinctive Style Emerges

Hearing Xu Buyear’s words, Chen Qi couldn’t help but laugh and cry at the same time.

“President Xu, do you really have that much faith in me?”

“Of course I do! Otherwise, I wouldn’t have come to find you.” Xu Buyear grinned as well and continued, “Don’t worry. Even though I’m just stepping into the business myself, I’ve built connections in the advertising industry over the years. I know people at both television stations and film companies. I shouldn’t end up holding you back.”

Chen Qi smiled, not particularly concerned about all that.

What occupied his mind now was the form his cooperation with Xu Buyear would take.

“What are your plans next?” he asked.

“I’ll register the company first,” Xu Buyear replied, rising to pour him a cup of tea. “Once I have the business license, I’ll recruit a few people and set up the basic team.”

Chen Qi nodded thoughtfully, hearing the well-laid plans or at least a clear direction.

“How long do you think that will take?”

“A good ten days to half a month, at least.”

“And after that?”

“Then, depending on how things go, I might sign a few promising singers or actors. But the specifics will depend on your next move.” At this, Xu Buyear’s gaze grew intense. “Have you decided what you want to do next, specifically?”

He was shrewd enough not to suggest signing Chen Qi directly, knowing well enough that such an idea was unrealistic.

He had positioned himself very clearly.

A partner!

A partner with Chen Qi at the helm!

“Me?” Chen Qi was taken aback for a moment, then said, “To be honest, I haven’t settled on anything specific yet. What if…”

After a moment’s thought, he said, “What if I register a company myself?”

Hearing Xu Buyear talk about building a team, he realized he too ought to assemble a group he could trust completely.

Since that was the case, he might as well get the company registered—after all, it was something he’d have to do sooner or later.

“Great!” Xu Buyear raised both hands in approval.

His willingness to register a company at least showed he intended to take root in the industry.

“I have to go through the registration process anyway,” Xu Buyear suggested, “so why not give me your details and I’ll register it for you as well?”

Chen Qi burst out laughing. “That’s exactly what I was thinking.”

“In that case, you’ll need to decide on a name in advance,” Xu Buyear said, looking at him intently, excitement flickering in his eyes.

It was as if he’d found the passion of his very first venture!

“A name…” Chen Qi hesitated, then asked with interest, “What name did you choose?”

“Future Films.”

Chen Qi’s lips twitched. “Let me guess, ‘Blueprint’ was your idea too?”

Xu Buyear looked surprised. “How did you know?”

Chen Qi looked at him, half amused. Did it really need guessing? The style was obvious.

“Maybe I’ll just call mine ‘Chen Qi Studio.’”

“Chen Qi Studio?” Xu Buyear repeated the name a couple of times, but had no objection.

Names like that were common enough in the entertainment industry; most big stars or pop icons had their own studios.

It was essentially a small company.

“What about the office?” Xu Buyear asked.

To register a company, you needed a fixed office address.

“Where did you rent?” Chen Qi asked.

“I rented an office in a business building—chose a less flashy location to save on costs.”

“I’ll skip the business building. I’ll look for something else in the next couple of days.”

“Alright.” Xu Buyear had no objections.

“Let’s eat, let’s eat. The food’s getting cold.” With the partnership decided, Xu Buyear was in high spirits, his earlier worries swept away, and he urged Chen Qi to start on the dishes.

Chen Qi didn’t stand on ceremony. Picking up his chopsticks, he began to eat, saying as he did, “Later, send me a checklist of all the documents I’ll need to register the company. Once I’ve found a place, I’ll get everything ready for you.”

“Will do!”

They spent nearly an hour over the meal, discussing a few finer points after they’d finished eating, before Xu Buyear hurried off.

He was now impatient to get the company up and running.

What reassured him even more was that Chen Qi really did intend to make a name for himself in the entertainment world.

With that certainty, he had no worries left.

After Xu Buyear left, Chen Qi also departed the restaurant.

He hailed a cab to the real estate agency where he’d rented his last place and found the same young agent, asking him to help find a detached house.

Compared to those fancy office buildings, he preferred the standalone, low-rise houses.

He wasn’t considering the city center; it was too expensive, and it would be a waste for a small studio like his to occupy such prime space.

As long as it wasn’t too remote, he didn’t care much about the location—convenient transportation was enough.

“Brother, we’re just a small agency and don’t have listings like that. If you trust me, give me two days and I’ll see what I can find. How about it?” The young agent was straightforward.

“Alright.” Chen Qi didn’t mind; he wasn’t pressed for time.

After clarifying Chen Qi’s requirements and acceptable price range, the agent promised to be in touch within two days.

Leaving the agency, Chen Qi called Xu Buyear again, intending to ask him to recommend a good music teacher.

He planned to pick up some basic musical knowledge.

Since he’d decided to enter the entertainment industry, he needed to understand at least the basics—he should at least be able to read and write sheet music.

Without that, how could he have the nerve to show off so many classic songs from Earth?

If he couldn’t even read music yet produced these songs, it would be far too easy for someone to see through him.

Yet as soon as he dialed out, a thought struck him and he quickly hung up.

After thinking it through, he shook his head lightly.

Forget it, better to handle this on his own.

It was best not to let anyone know he had no background in music, to avoid unnecessary embarrassment.

After pondering a while, he stopped at a nearby shop to buy sunglasses, a mask, and a hat before hailing a cab.

“To the Conservatory of Music.”

Once inside, he put on his new gear and checked himself in the mirror. Satisfied that even Xu Buyear wouldn’t recognize him, he finally relaxed.

As he donned his disguise, the cab driver kept glancing at him in the mirror, as if wondering whether he was a superstar or about to commit a robbery…

More than half an hour later, he got out at the music academy.

The driver watched him go.

Just as he stepped out, he received a message from Xu Buyear listing all the documents needed to register a company—just things like ID and lease agreements.

Since he hadn’t found an office yet, he let Xu Buyear know and decided to put things on hold for the time being.