Chinese Entertainment King: Starting as a Fat Boy and Becoming a Singing King

The tour ran from October to November 2014.

Xu Yao leaned against the window seat in the last row of the tour bus, with Zhou Shen sitting next to him.

The bus traveled along the gray highway, next stop Qingdao, a six-hour drive away.

During the first few shows of the tour, the bus was quite lively.

Yu Feng played the intro on his guitar, Xu Jianqiu sang a duet with Chen Yongxin, Zhang Bichen practiced his vocals in his seat, and Liu Mingxiang listened to the song with headphones on and hummed along.

As soon as the car started moving, some people played games on speakerphone, while others played music, the noise spreading from the front to the back, creating a noisy atmosphere like a spring outing.

Xu Jianqiu then ran up to Xu Yao, winking and saying, "Brother Yao, this tour is so awesome! Audiences are calling my name every day. I've never been called like that before in my life!"

What about a month later?

Now, the bus is so quiet that only the roar of the engine and the whooshing sound of the bus speeding by can be heard.

Some people are sleeping, some are listening to music with headphones on, and some are staring out the window in a daze.

The expressions on everyone's faces were similar: tired and weary.

Working non-stop without rest, the exhaustion that no amount of sleep can make up for is written on every face.

Xu Yao withdrew his gaze and leaned back in his seat.

His gaze swept over the faces in the carriage.

Zhang Bichen was holding a thermos and leaning against the window, staring blankly. His dark circles were so heavy that it looked like he had been punched twice.

Yu Feng lay motionless on the last row of three seats, his head covered by his coat.

Even Zhou Shen, who is usually very talkative and likes to talk to Xu Yao, is now fast asleep.

As the performances continued, but the quality of the performances and the target audience declined, everyone's enthusiasm gradually dissipated.

The third stop was the opening of a real estate project in a fourth-tier city. The stage was set up in the parking lot in front of the sales office, with a huge inflatable arch behind it, with the words "Grand Opening of XX Real Estate Project" written in red on a yellow background.

The audience consisted of homebuyers waiting for the lottery to determine their desired unit price, clutching brochures and floor plans in their hands; no one was looking at the stage.

After Xu Yao finished singing three songs, the applause was sparse.

The fourth stop was a company's annual meeting. Fifty tables were set up below the stage, and the sound of glasses clinking was louder than Xu Yao's singing.

When he sang "You Got Me Drunk," waiters were running around the room carrying hot dishes, some people were toasting, some were playing drinking games, and some were standing up and making loud phone calls.

Xu Yao was most impressed by the fifth stop.

In a county-level city in central China, the performance venue was an old local cinema. The stage floor creaked underfoot, and the backstage dressing room didn't even have a mirror.

When Zhou Shen finished singing "By the Lake Baikal" and came down, Xu Yao noticed that his eyes were red.

I wasn't moved; I was so angry I cried.

Someone in the audience shouted, "Is this a man or a woman?"

"It's possible that she's neither male nor female."

Zhou Shen thought he had become famous on The Voice of China and that audiences across the country had accepted his unique voice.

Little did people know that his fame had not reached third- or fourth-tier cities.

The majority of viewers are unfamiliar with Zhou Shen and do not approve of his voice.

Xu Yao stared into that group chat.

The group is called "The Voice Season 3 Old Friends," and it contains more than 30 contestants.

Right after the finals ended, the group chat was as lively as if it were Chinese New Year. Some people were sending red envelopes, some were posting backstage photos, and some were posting the night view outside the hotel window.

Each and every one of them was a young student, full of vigor and passion.

The group has been much quieter these past few days.

Someone posted: "Running around every day, I'm exhausted, and I don't make much money. I might as well sing in a bar."

A string of agreement followed.

"Yesterday in Linyi, the sound system on the stage set up in the atrium of a shopping mall exploded halfway through the performance, so the organizers made us sing a cappella. After we finished singing a cappella, they said the effect wasn't good and deducted 5,000 yuan. 5,000 yuan! My voice was hoarse from singing, and they still deducted money."

"At least you guys have a stage. Last time I sang standing on a flatbed truck, and the wind blew my hair all over my face."

Someone posted a long message, filled with resentment: "When we signed the contract, the company said the tour was 'the best opportunity to reach a national audience.' But what happened? We didn't see any national audiences, but we ended up seeing all the properties in second- and third-tier cities. If we keep touring like this, I could become a real estate agent; I'd know exactly which properties are opening and which shopping malls are opening."

Xu Yao scrolled down the list one by one.

He saw a message and paused for a moment.

It was posted by a female student in the group. She didn't name names, but said, "At the company's annual meeting last week, the organizers had been drinking and kept staring at me from the audience. After I finished singing, they even asked for my WeChat. I didn't give it to them, so they pressured people from my company."

After the message was sent, the group went silent.

No one replied, no one asked "Are you okay?", no one said "That's too much".

It's not indifference, it's not knowing what to say.

This isn't the first time this has happened, and it won't be the last.

One female student was cornered in the dressing room backstage of a commercial performance in a small city by the organizers and told to "chat." In the end, another student pretended to have something to ask her before she was able to leave.

Xu Yao placed his phone face down on his lap.

He recalled the night of the finals, when everyone stood on the stage, holding hands and singing "I Believe," and everyone's eyes shone with light.

A month ago, everyone felt they had reached the pinnacle of their lives, with a bright future just around the corner.

A month later, he discovered that he had simply been placed on an assembly line.

"Not to mention the exhaustion, sometimes we even have to pay out of our own pockets," another student complained.

For the official tour of The Voice of China contestants, champion Xu Yao's asking price was the highest, at 30 to 35 yuan as a package deal.

The runner-up, Zhou Shen, earned 28-30 yuan, while Zhang Bichen earned around 25 yuan.

Other students pay between 8 and 15 yuan.

Then, according to the contract, the company takes a 70-80% cut, and the trainees receive 20-30%.

For students with average fame, they can earn several thousand to ten thousand yuan in one session.

After a month, Xu Yao's income had indeed increased significantly compared to before. After all, he was the champion, and his bank account had received around 150,000 yuan.

The complaints in the group continued.

"The amount of money isn't the point. We're all newcomers, and we're not here to make money. It's just that with this endless performances, no new work, and no continuous exposure, our popularity will eventually run out."

"Yeah, once the hype dies down, who'll remember us? Three months from now, who'll remember what songs you sang on The Voice of China?"

"Sigh, only the champion is entitled to enjoy the company's resources to release a single."

The group chat was silent for a few seconds.

Then Chen Yongxin posted a message and tagged Xu Yao: "Brother Yao, has your single been confirmed yet?"

Xu Yao picked up his phone and typed a few words: "It's settled. Now we just have to wait for the music video to be filmed and released."

"Brother Yao is awesome." Xu Jianqiu replied instantly.

Congratulations, Yao!

"Keep it up, Xu Yao! Make Yang Kun's team proud!"

"Looking forward to the new song! Remember to let us hear it first!"

The group chat became lively, with congratulatory messages flooding in, a conversation that seemed to be from two different worlds compared to the complaints from before.

The company contract clearly states in black and white that only the champion can enjoy the company's resources for releasing singles, filming music videos, and promotional distribution.

Zhou Shen leaned closer for a look: "Brother Yao, I'm so envious of you. I wonder when I'll be able to release a single?"

"Soon."

Xu Yao replied, without going into details.

Zhou Shen didn't truly break into the mainstream until 2016 with "Big Fish". After listening to "Joyful Face", Gao Xiaosong produced an album for him at his own expense, making him the third exception after Xiao Ke and Pu Shu.

"Um."

"Yao-ge, what style is your single? A love song? Or rock?"

"love song."

Zhou Shen opened his mouth, wanting to ask something more, but ultimately, thinking of the gap between reality and the insults, it felt like he had returned to the old days, and he didn't want to speak anymore.

The tour is still ongoing.

The bus is still running on the highway.

Xu Yao leaned back in his seat with his eyes closed.

The 100-city, 100-show tour was not accidental; it was a task the company had to complete.

An industry insider revealed that Dream Voice, the management company behind The Voice of China, signed a performance-based agreement with Zhejiang Fuchun Holdings. From 2014 to 2016, Dream Voice's net profit must reach 1.6 million, 2.2 million, and 2.8 million yuan respectively, otherwise it will be compensated in cash according to its equity ratio.

Touring is the best cash flow business.

Each time a competitor runs a race, the company takes the lion's share, which increases net profit.

What about the students? The students are just victims on the financial statements.

Most of the contestants from "The Voice of China" became famous after their contracts expired.

My phone vibrated.

It wasn't a group chat; it was a private message from Sister Lin.

"Xu Yao, you can put your tour on hold and go back to Shanghai to shoot the music video. The day after tomorrow, go straight to the studio."

Xu Yao sat up straight and typed a few words: "Sister Lin, has the female lead for the music video been decided yet?"

"It's settled."

"Who?"

"As per your request, Bailu has been selected."

"Okay, Sister Lin, I'll be there on time."

The winner of The Voice of China can enjoy the company's resource support, including the opportunity to have a single and music video filmed and promoted.

Xu Yao produced an original song, with lyrics and music composed by him, saving the company the cost of buying the song.

In exchange, the female lead for the music video was chosen.