Chapter 14: Iron Dumbbell_1

"Damn, this kid!"

*Faced with Lin Yuan's proactive offer, Ol' Zhou's expression turned just as baffled as everyone else's. His mouth fell slightly open as he momentarily forgot to respond, his entire body frozen except for the gears of his brain spinning on autopilot.*

*Wasn't he just calculating costs a moment ago?*

*Did he seriously mean to offer the singer just 0.5?*

*Established singers certainly wouldn't settle for that split. 20% of 0.5? That's textbook pricing for a mere tool—a rate generally accepted only by minor artists or rookies just entering the scene.*

*Wait, wait, what the hell am I even thinking?*

*Ol' Zhou made a concerted effort to reel in his scattered thoughts and to stop his mouth from twitching uncontrollably.*

He quietly cleared his throat, carefully choosing his words. "Look, enthusiasm is a great quality to have, especially for someone young like you. But this particular gig isn't something an average rookie can handle. Then again, Lin Yuan, you're no ordinary novice. That being said, we should still brainstorm collectively. How about this: within the next month, you submit a demo to me. Same goes for everyone else on the tenth floor; each of you must deliver a demo."

*He couldn't dampen Lin Yuan's enthusiasm.*

*While the rest of the room bathed in despair, Lin Yuan boldly stepped up to shoulder the extremely challenging task of the songwriting department. Such behavior deserved encouragement, so Ol' Zhou couldn't bear to throw cold water on him.*

*As for Lin Yuan's earlier confrontation with Zheng Jing in the group chat, Ol' Zhou was well aware, but he had no intention of blaming Lin Yuan.*

*After all, Ol' Zhou was familiar with several of the company's Maestros.*

*Each of them had wildly quirky personalities.*

*Take Zheng Jing, for instance. Despite being a Maestro-level composer, she spent little time composing music. Instead, she was obsessed with painting and had even funded her own solo exhibit—almost as if composing were just her side gig.*

*Lin Yuan might not be a Maestro yet, but judging by his current demeanor, he wasn't all that different from them.*

*So Ol' Zhou treated this eccentricity as par for the course.*

*Still, was this rookie, who shared so many Maestro-like eccentricities, acting so ambitious out of artistic passion… or a fixation with those five million dollars?*

*No matter how he analyzed it, the motives were questionable.*

Of course, although composition was fundamentally about art, most people ultimately worked for the money. That was just the reality of life.

Still.

*Watching Lin Yuan whip out a calculator mid-meeting to compute the royalty split—it had to be a first in the history of Starlight's songwriting department.*

Not only Ol' Zhou.

The entire conference room was collectively mystified, unsure where to even begin venting their disbelief.

Especially Wu Yong and Zheng Han, seated on either side of Lin Yuan, who were utterly dumbfounded.

*Recalling Lin Yuan's chat banter with Zheng Jing earlier that day, everyone finally reached a shared conclusion:*

"Genius teenager Xian Yu?"

*He's just a complete goofball.*

*Come to think of it, didn't that make Lin Yuan a bit more endearing?*

*At least he was genuinely himself.*

As this thought occurred, people began laughing, slowly lightening the mood in the conference room. Someone even joked with Lin Yuan, "Remember to treat us all to coffee if you win that bonus!"

"Sure."

Lin Yuan hesitated for quite a while before agreeing.

The group burst into even louder laughter.

*There was no mockery in their laughter. On the contrary, it came from a place of genuine good will, especially from a few female members who wore nothing but gentle smiles.*

*Who could blame them? Lin Yuan was just a sophomore in college,*

*and an exceptionally good-looking boy at that.*

But jokes aside.

None of them truly believed Lin Yuan could nail this assignment.

Even the top arrangers on the tenth floor couldn't conquer this task, so how could Lin Yuan—still working through basic sophomore coursework—possibly succeed?

Let's not kid ourselves.

No one in the room doubted the excellence of "Life Like a Summer Flower."

But those dozen Maestro-level arrangers who had their submissions rejected? Each of them boasted more than one hit song under their belts.

And any random pick from their portfolio of representative works would match or surpass "Life Like a Summer Flower" in achievement.

Otherwise, what earned them the title of company Maestros?

...

*Lin Yuan, of course, had no clue what everyone else was thinking. His mind was entirely consumed by thoughts of those five million dollars—even if his actual share would be just 1.5%.*

After the meeting.

Rather than leave directly, Lin Yuan asked Ol' Zhou, who was tidying up his belongings, "Boss, where do I find singers?"

"Singers?"

Ol' Zhou frowned, "Aren't you planning to take on Qi Continent's job? Your primary task now is to write a song. Only if you write a good one can you start looking for a singer. If the song isn't good enough, what's even the point of finding a singer?"

*Ol' Zhou didn't hold any real hope that Lin Yuan could deliver a stellar composition.*

Still, he wanted Lin Yuan to understand the basics of creative workflow.

*After all, Ol' Zhou did have high hopes for Lin Yuan. The ability to pen "Life Like a Summer Flower" indicated massive potential for growth. Otherwise, why would Ol' Zhou shamelessly beg Zhao Jue for talent in the first place?*

"Then once I do write a good song, how do I find the right singer?"

Lin Yuan had to settle for a more realistic angle—he couldn't exactly say the song was already finished, could he?

*That would make him seem far too suspicious.*

Ol' Zhou pondered for a moment, "Normally, finding a singer involves coordinating with the Artist Department. Just fill out a form. If you're looking to work with one of the company's top-tier artists, you'll need to apply far in advance. Then I'll personally step in to negotiate with that department."

Lin Yuan nodded.

As if remembering something, Ol' Zhou smacked his forehead and added, "Almost forgot—you've got leverage with Zhao Jue. Even if the job doesn't go through, you could just reach out to her directly if you really want to release a song. After all, every singer in the company reports to her. Of course, your song will still need to pass company review and be deemed worthy of publication!"

"Got it."

Lin Yuan nodded again.

Exiting the meeting room, he returned to his desk and immediately called Zhao Jue to inquire about the process of finding singers.

"Singers?"

Zhao Jue chuckled, "Wow, you're working fast! Already got new material? Alright, give me some specifics. What kind of singer are you looking for?"

"I'm looking for..."

Zhao Jue interrupted him, "Never mind. I'll send you the profiles and audio samples of some rookie singers who aren't currently busy with any projects. With your understanding of voices, I'm sure you can pinpoint what you need. Once you've made your choice, leave the rest to me. As for elite singers…"

"What about elite singers?"

"Elite singers have exceptionally high standards for the songs they accept."

"How high?"

"Put it this way—unless your composition matches or exceeds the caliber of 'Life Like a Summer Flower,' they likely won't give it a second glance. Generally speaking, elite singers commission songs exclusively from the company's Maestros. It's understandable, given their status, and their royalty split is leagues above what secondary-tier artists get."

Lin Yuan's eyes narrowed warily. "Royalty split?"

Zhao Jue laughed, "You didn't really think every singer accepts the 20% of 0.5 cut, did you? That's rookie-tier pricing. High-profile singers command higher splits, often rivaling composers. For top-tier singers, their share can climb to 1.5% of the 2%, leaving just 0.5% for the composer."

"I'll take the tools!"

Lin Yuan's strategy instantly crystallized.

Zhao Jue laughed again, "Looks like you've really been influenced by the folks in the songwriting department. I wonder who started calling our second-tier and below artists 'tools.' Honestly, it does fit! But let me remind you—not all songs can be handled by rookie singers. If you eventually grow in stature, don't let the royalties keep you from collaborating with big-name singers."

"Understood."

*Lin Yuan replied, "Thanks, Ms. Zhao."*

"No need for thanks. I'm signing off now."

A few minutes later, Lin Yuan's inbox was flooded with audio samples and profiles—106 in total.

Time to get to work.

Lin Yuan put on his headphones and began carefully listening to each audio clip from the 106 singers.

*Unlike "Life Like a Summer Flower,"*

*his upcoming piece, "Big Fish," couldn't just be performed by anyone off the street.*

*Sun Yaohuo was certainly out of the question.*

*After all, not everyone was Zhou Shen.*

Lin Yuan wasn't confident he'd instantly find the perfect voice, which meant he had to start scouting candidates early.

If nothing came of it, he had a backup plan.

That was to select a female singer with a vocal range close to the original performer and use technical tweaks to fill any gaps—

A million-dollar sound engineer ought to do the trick.