## Chapter 8: The Heart Beats (Part 1)
### 7:40 PM
In a modest but sophisticated apartment building, a middle-aged man bent down to turn on the TV, tuning it to Beijing Satellite TV.
The man, named Ma Xukeng, was forty years old, a professional agent, and a producer. However, he didn’t belong to any media company. In simple terms, he was a freelancer, leveraging his strong network in the industry to work with various production companies and earn high commissions.
His most famous and symbolic success was in his youth when he successfully created the once-popular Windmill Band. The remarkable achievements of Windmill Band significantly boosted Ma Xukeng's reputation.
At that time, Ma Xukeng was known as the "Platinum Godfather," a title of great significance, indicating that any artist he managed would achieve a minimum sales figure of one million records!
Numerous companies tried to secure this Platinum Godfather with high signing bonuses, but most failed.
After the disbandment of Windmill Band, Ma Xukeng gradually faded from the public eye, showing no signs of making a comeback. Some speculated he had retired, but more insiders believed that Ma Xukeng's absence was because he had yet to find someone worthy of his effort.
Ma Xukeng never denied such rumors, as his inaction indeed stemmed from similar reasons. At forty, he still had plenty of time to discover new talented singers. However, nearly five years had passed since the disbandment of Windmill Band.
Windmill Band rose to fame in the late 1980s and disbanded in the early 1990s, existing for just four years. Afterward, its members scattered, some leaving the music scene, some debuting solo, and others moving to the film industry. Regardless, the band’s disbandment marked the end of its former glory.
Windmill Band was popular for only four years but had been gone for five. With their departure, rock music also started to decline.
As the person who had propelled Windmill Band to fame, Ma Xukeng was very fond of rock music. However, in the past five years, he hadn’t come across more than a handful of decent rock songs, none of which truly became hits.
He knew rock music had indeed declined, so in recent years, he shifted his focus from rock talents to singers of various other styles. Yet, whether they were underground singers or those who had debuted and achieved some success, none met his standards.
This led him to become somewhat pessimistic about the future of the music industry, making him more cautious about his next move.
He had high standards and, although not particularly attached to the title of Platinum Godfather, he didn’t want to ruin his hard-earned reputation with a careless move.
However, a call from his good friend Jiang Zhongnan a few days ago stirred something in him.
Old Jiang ran a blues-style bar in Beijing. It was a tranquil, sophisticated spot amidst the hustle and bustle, attracting middle-aged men and women who were experienced and sentimental. Though it didn’t rake in huge profits, it consistently made a decent income.
During that call, Old Jiang mentioned two singers who were performing at his bar: Bao Yunyun and Li Qing.
Ma Xukeng knew Old Jiang well. Like himself, Old Jiang was a rock music lover and talent admirer. But he didn’t quite agree with Old Jiang’s praises over the phone. According to the information Ma Xukeng had obtained, Bao Yunyun was an extremely polarizing singer. People either hated her or loved her passionately.
Such a polarizing singer intrigued Ma Xukeng.
As for Li Qing...
Based on the information Ma Xukeng had, apart from his good looks, Li Qing had no unique strengths in singing. To put it politely, he was almost tone-deaf.
Despite Old Jiang’s high regard for Li Qing, especially his rock talent, Ma Xukeng believed Li Qing was beyond redemption.
From the data, Ma Xukeng found out that Li Qing was already a formal singer, having debuted in a duo. Their only album release had earned a gold record certification, but the duo quickly disbanded due to internal conflicts.
Ma Xukeng even found a copy of the duo’s album from a friend to listen to. The other member, Zhao Wendi, had a decent voice and singing skills but nothing impressive. Li Qing’s singing, however, was a disaster.
Ma Xukeng felt like his ears were being assaulted whenever Li Qing sang.
Thus, although he agreed to visit Blue Moon Bar, he was more interested in Bao Yunyun.
Hoping not to be disappointed again, he sighed.
“The highly anticipated ‘Music Star’ is about to begin. Which contestants will pass tonight?”
“Ladies and gentlemen, from now until the show starts, please call 12992333 and participate in the ‘Music Star’ hotline. Tell the staff the number of the contestant you think will pass. Correct guesses may win a special gift pack from Beijing TV!”
“...Hurry and call now!”
Returning from his thoughts, Ma Xukeng focused on the TV.
The director of Beijing TV’s “Music Star,” Zhang Heng, was a former collaborator. Although their relationship wasn’t particularly close, Ma Xukeng wondered why Zhang Heng insisted he watch tonight’s show.
He knew about the show and had watched it a few times. While he appreciated the concept of music talent shows, he hadn’t paid much attention to the details.
Based on what he knew, the contestants were mostly mediocre, which was one reason.
Another reason was that the contestants already had their own agencies. Even if a contestant was outstanding, it would be challenging and expensive to poach them.
Therefore, Ma Xukeng didn’t focus much on such shows.
However, Zhang Heng must have had a compelling reason to insist he watch tonight’s episode.
Ma Xukeng’s guess wasn’t far off.
When Zhao Wendi hinted at blacklisting Li Qing and cutting his footage, Director Zhang refused, citing ratings and reputation. While not afraid of Zhao Wendi, Zhang Heng was wary of Far Journey Media, Zhao Wendi’s powerful backer.
Far Journey Media was one of Beijing’s top three record companies, dominating production, distribution, and promotion. Zhang Heng wasn’t worried about Zhao Wendi but feared the company’s backlash.
Thus, after much consideration, he decided to involve Ma Xukeng, an industry heavyweight with extensive connections, as a buffer.
Zhang Heng’s move was strategic. With Ma Xukeng as a shield, any backlash from Far Journey Media wouldn’t affect him directly.
Moreover, Zhang Heng believed he wasn’t harming the industry veteran. He was confident that Ma Xukeng would be impressed once he saw Li Qing’s performance.
After being dormant in the entertainment industry for so long, Ma Xukeng would surely be moved by Li Qing’s talent.
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