Huayu: That year, I withdrew from the Super Boy competition.

Backstage at Hunan TV's Studio One, outside the director's office.

dong dong dong~

A series of knocks sounded on the door.

The door was ajar.

"Come in."

A woman's voice came from inside.

When Su Wei pushed open the door, Long Danny was sitting behind his desk.

A pile of process sheets were spread out on the table, and the walkie-talkie occasionally emitted static and the voice of the on-site director.

She raised her hand and turned off the intercom, and the office suddenly fell silent.

"sit."

Danny Long didn't beat around the bush and pushed a document in front of him directly.

"I think you should think this through. If you sign this contract, we guarantee you a top-three finish. Winning the championship isn't out of the question."

Her tone was calm, as if she was already certain that Su Wei would sign.

Su Wei glanced down at the contract.

Over the past two months, people from Tianyu Media have contacted him several times.

From regional competitions to national competitions, the frequency has increased, and the attitude has become more and more assertive.

Today, it's finally the director's turn to take charge.

"Director Long," Su Wei looked up, "I think I've made myself very clear before."

Long Danny's expression didn't change, but his eyes clearly turned cold.

"Su Wei, do you know how many people want a spot in the top five nationwide?"

She leaned forward slightly and tapped the table twice with her right index finger.

"We can get you to where you are today, and we can also bring you to your end."

After he finished speaking, the office fell silent; you could hear a pin drop.

Su Wei lowered her eyes and didn't speak.

Long Danny stared at him for two seconds, then softened his tone slightly:

"You are different from the other contestants."

Your vocal qualities, appearance, and stage presence are all top-notch among this year's contestants.

"I, Danny Long, have been involved in the draft for so many years, I'm sure I can spot talent."

"Keep singing well, and the championship might just be yours."

Once you sign the contract, the company will give you their full support.

They'll release an album and get endorsements then.

You're only seventeen; your future is limitless.

This statement was half a threat and half a promise.

Su Wei could tell, of course.

But he knew even better what this contract meant.

An eight-year contract.

Full-contract broker.

The broker takes a 70% cut.

Artists are not allowed to accept any commercial activities without the company's consent.

Artists must comply with all work arrangements made by the company, including but not limited to commercial performances, announcements, and film and television shooting.

The penalty for breach of contract is tens of millions.

He had read this contract more than once.

There have long been rumors in the industry that EE-Media's approach to signing new artists is to "cast a wide net and catch as many fish as possible."

Signing dozens or even hundreds at once, if even one of them becomes famous, is considered a win.

The successful ones are responsible for being the company's cash cow, while the unsuccessful ones are left to fend for themselves in a corner, their contracts holding them by the throat.

Want to go?

Sure, give me the penalty for breach of contract.

Then they make their last profit off your penalty fee.

Su Wei doesn't want to be anyone's cash cow.

He has his own path to follow.

Long Danny looked at the seventeen-year-old boy in front of him and frowned almost imperceptibly.

She has seen too many players' reactions when faced with signing a contract.

There were all sorts of people: some cried, some made a scene, some gave in, and some bargained.

I've never seen anything like this before.

It's too peaceful.

She was as calm as if all her words had been thrown into cotton.

This feeling made her very uncomfortable.

She withdrew her fingers from the table, leaned back in her chair, and her voice returned to its formulaic, emotionless tone:

"Su Wei, I think you might not understand the situation."

"Once it is revealed that you lied about your age, all your competition results will be invalidated."

"At that time, everything you have now—fans, popularity, attention—will be yours."

"Everything will be reset to zero."

Do you think anyone would still care whether you sang well or not back then?

"In the end, everyone will only remember you as a forger."

She paused for a moment before adding the last sentence:

"I hope you can bring your parents to Beijing as soon as possible. This is the last time I'm asking you this."

The office fell silent again.

Su Wei remained silent for a long time.

It took so long that Danny thought he was making a final mental struggle.

She had been waiting so long that she was already mentally planning how to make him give in.

Then Su Wei stood up.

Danny Long subconsciously thought he was about to back down.

But Su Wei did not do that.

He simply straightened up, looked into Long Danny's eyes, and spoke in a calm yet firm tone:

"Director Long, I'm withdrawing from the competition."

Five words, light and airy, yet like a bucket of cold water poured down.

Long Danny's hand froze in mid-air.

She thought she had misheard.

"What did you say?"

"I said," Su Wei repeated, speaking slowly but clearly, "I'm withdrawing from the competition."

Long Danny's pupils contracted slightly.

Her first reaction wasn't anger, but disbelief.

In her opinion, no contestant would choose to withdraw from the competition at the point of being among the top five in the country.

Only the contestants themselves know the sweat, the sleepless nights, and the pressure they endured to get to this point.

Moreover, Su Wei's popularity has been rising, with support posts for him everywhere on forums and online communities, and the championship trophy is practically within reach.

Withdrawal from the competition?

Who would withdraw from the competition at a time like this?

A crack finally appeared in her calm expression.

Do you know what you're saying?

"Know."

Su Wei nodded.

"You're even skipping matches to avoid signing a contract?"

"right."

Su Wei's tone remained calm.

Long Danny stared at his face for several seconds, trying to find a trace of hesitation, impulsiveness, or resentment on that face.

But she found nothing.

That face was clean and expressionless.

She suddenly realized that the child wasn't sulking, nor was he acting impulsively.

He was informing her of a decision that had already been made.

"Su Wei," Long Danny took a deep breath, suppressing the surging emotions within him, "Do you know what it means for you to withdraw from the competition now?"

"Know."

"Your fans' expectations, your family and friends' support, and all your efforts over the past two months have gone down the drain."

"I know."

"Do you think you'll have another chance to perform on a stage like this again?"

Su Wei remained silent for a while.

Then he looked at Long Danny and the corners of his mouth curved slightly.

"Director Long, I know exactly what I'm doing."

He walked toward the door.

"I will go on stage as usual tonight during the live broadcast. After I finish singing my song, I will announce my withdrawal from the competition to the public."

"As for the reason, I would say it's for personal reasons and won't involve Tianyu Media."

His hand was already on the doorknob when he suddenly stopped, as if remembering something, and turned his head to add:

"By the way, you can announce my age if you want. Anyway, I've already withdrawn from the competition, so whether my results are invalidated or not is not important to me anymore."

"However, I suggest you don't do that, because it won't be good for anyone if word gets out."

With a creak.

The door opened.

"Goodbye, Director Long."

After saying this, Su Wei closed the door from the outside.

The footsteps faded away along the corridor, growing ever more distant, until finally they were completely swallowed up by the music coming from the studio.