Chapter 14 & 15

Chapter 14: Darkness

Lin Zhibai awoke at six in the morning, greeted by an unusual silence from his sister's room. Checking his messages, he discovered that "Xiaochou" had climbed to the second place on the seasonal chart, a result that satisfied him.

Opening Huoshaoyun, he browsed through the highest-rated comments on the song.

The top comment read: "Raise your glass: one cup to the morning sun, one cup to the moonlight; this is my day. One cup to my hometown, one cup to the distance; this is my year. One cup to tomorrow, one cup to the past; this is half my life. One cup to freedom, one cup to death; this is my life."

The second most popular comment stated: "The single's been on repeat for ten days. Life always has its dissatisfactions, but you have to pick yourself up and keep going. Where there is light, there is darkness. Ultimately, we must move forward in this joyful place of life."

The third commented: "Sane people often die from anger and delusion, while the insensitive remain unscathed."

The fourth added: "What I love is not just the song but the faint confusion, the faint helplessness, the traces of hesitation, and the sadness in this deep and dark night. After dawn, I remain high-spirited and unaware of sorrow."

The front comments were profound and familiar, evoking memories of NetEase Cloud from his previous life. Further down, comments were more straightforward but equally appreciative. Those who didn't like the song rarely took the time to comment.

He wondered how much success this song had brought his sister.

Suddenly, Lin Zhibai heard the system's familiar tone.

"Ding dong."

He acknowledged the system mentally.

The system's voice, as always, was emotionless: "Congratulations to the host. Your reputation has exceeded 100,000, reaching 160,000. You now have a chance to draw a lottery."

Lin Zhibai frowned. He saw that "Xiaochou" had over 16 million downloads, yet only 160,000 in reputation points, granting just one lottery draw.

The system explained: "Reputation = Impressions/100 . For every 100,000 reputations earned, you gain a lottery opportunity."

Lin Zhibai confirmed: "So, with my current 160,000 reputation, I need another 40,000 for a second draw, right?"

"Yes," the system replied.

He calculated that once "Xiaochou" exceeded 20 million downloads, he'd earn another chance to draw. Considering the song's momentum, it seemed just a matter of time.

"Let's draw the lottery," Lin Zhibai decided.

A spinning wheel appeared before him, scrolling rapidly before slowing to a stop. The system then announced: "Congratulations, you have won the song 'For Myself'!"

Excited, Lin Zhibai immediately accessed the song, feeling a tingling in his head as he absorbed all the details about it.

This song, by Li Zongsheng, a legend in music, had won the Golden Melody Award for Best Song of the Year. Though many had covered it, the style wasn't typical for the younger audience dominating the seasonal charts.

Nevertheless, Lin Zhibai needed to focus on finding the right collaborator for this song, ideally someone with more experience than Lin Shouzhuo.

After breakfast, he'd discuss this with his sister.

At 7:30 a.m., the nanny prepared breakfast. Lin Xi found Lin Zhibai already at the table, sipping soy milk.

"Morning," he greeted.

"Morning," she replied, sitting across from him. "You've been getting up earlier than me since your recovery."

"Went to bed, early" he explained. "When will the download share of 'Xiaochou' be distributed?"

Lin Xi laughed, "Usually on the second of each month. Last month you were second on the season rankings, so besides the normal share, the company will give an additional bonus."

"How much?" Lin Zhibai asked with anticipation.

"An additional 700,000 yuan for second place, plus the sales share from 'Xiaochou', totaling about 2.4 million yuan," she estimated.

Only more than two million? Lin Zhibai frowned. This wasn't enough for the second step of his plan. His strategy for acquiring family inheritance involved two phases.

First, he needed to help a trusted person rise in the company. His sister, Lin Xi, was the perfect candidate due to her competence and popularity within Music Department Thirteen. Improving her department's performance would position her to challenge their uncles and cousins for power.

Second, he needed to accumulate enough capital to start a private equity fund. Through this, he could influence the company from the outside, bypassing internal family politics.

Confident in his plan, thanks to the system, Lin Zhibai asked, "Have you finished eating?"

"Why?" Lin Xi inquired, sensing his intention.

"We're going to the company together," he said, wiping his mouth and standing up.

Chapter 15: The Race to Release

Lin Xi sped out of the villa's garage, heading straight for Shinhwa Entertainment.

In the driver's seat, Lin Xi spoke with urgency, "Little brother, don't play coy with me. Do you have any new songs?"

"Yes," Lin Zhibai admitted.

She was thrilled but also a bit annoyed, "You still have songs? Why didn't you release them sooner? We could have finished recording before the new season and released them right away. Do you think you're Qu's father? Not every time you land on the season rankings can you break through like with 'Xiaochou,' unless you don't want to hit the season rankings at all. Let's wait until next month."

"We're releasing it this month," Lin Zhibai stated firmly.

He couldn't explain everything to his sister, but he didn't want to delay. The second step of his plan was urgently short of funds, and he didn't want to wait until next month.

"This season is just starting. Let's get it out there," he urged.

Lin Xi reluctantly agreed, "Alright, but we're lucky this month—no Famous SInger in sight."

She continued, "Your 'Xiaochou' reached second place. This record gives you the pick of singers in our department. We have a range of styles, and you can choose anyone!"

Lin Zhibai was curious, "Can the King of Songs (TN: This seems to be an unofficial title for singers similar to A list actors) do it?"

Lin Xi sighed, "Shinhwa Entertainment has twenty music departments, but only two singing kings and queens. Our department doesn't have any."

"That's so few?" Lin Zhibai remarked.

"There are even fewer Qu fathers," Lin Xi explained. "A singing king is like a rare gem. Even Tianguang, the leader in the music industry, only has five. Zhou Hanjin, who you met last month, is one of Tianguang's top five. If you had debuted against him, you would have topped the list last season."

"Zhou Hanjin is indeed amazing," Lin Zhibai acknowledged.

He had listened to the top-ranked song from last month. While he felt the composition wasn't much better than "Xiaochou," Zhou Hanjin's performance was enthralling.

"You must understand how rare it is to be a singing king or queen," Lin Xi continued. "In the music industry, the top Composers are the real stars, but the kings and queens of songs are also highly respected. Even top Composers treat them as equals. But when it comes to Qu fathers, everyone, including the kings and queens, remains humble."

Lin Zhibai nodded. Exceptional singers often possess voices kissed by the gods, capable of bringing any song to life. Such collaborations often lead to mutual success.

As they neared the company, Lin Xi mentioned, "The two singing kings of Shinhwa are in departments one and three. Forget about department three; Lin Liu, the director there, is not trustworthy. She poached people from me last year with who knows what promises. I'll help you with the negotiations."

"Lin Liu?" Lin Zhibai raised an eyebrow. She was the favored daughter of their third uncle. "If we collaborate with singers from other departments, how is the performance Evaluated?"

"It's complicated," Lin Xi admitted. "Negotiations decide it, but if it's a singing king, they usually get the lion's share, making it hard for us to take the lead."

"Forget it," Lin Zhibai decided. He needed to support his sister and improve her standing. Collaborating within their department was essential for her success.

Lin Xi parked the car and turned to him seriously. "Don't worry about my performance. The most important thing is finding the right singer. ."

Lin Zhibai waved his hand dismissively, "This song needs to feel right. I'll find a suitable singer, and I don't want to collaborate with a singing king."

"Why not?"

"Singing kings are too expensive."

Lin Xi chuckled, "They do reduce your profit share, but aren't you a plutocrat? Does it matter?"

Lin Zhibai now needed to save money quickly for his plans. Collaborating with a singing king wasn't profitable enough. Moreover, he wanted direct support within the company, and nurturing his own talent was the way to ensure loyalty and success.

"Fine," Lin Xi said, getting out of the car. "Do you have specific requirements for the singer?"

"Experienced, not too young," Lin Zhibai specified. "The voice should convey a sense of life's struggles."

"And?"

"The song is emotionally demanding."

"Got it," Lin Xi nodded. "I'll send out notices to potential candidates. Some might arrive this afternoon. You can review them upstairs in the meantime."

"Alright."