Chapter 14: The Clueless Genius

Damn it, this young man!

Faced with Lin Yuan's proactive volunteering, Old Zhou's gaze, like everyone else's, turned peculiar. He seemed to have forgotten to respond as his brain went into overdrive.

Was he calculating money just now?

Was he only planning to give the singers a 0.5% share?

Seasoned artists definitely didn't work with such a low split. 0.2 times 0.5—this was a typical fee for novices, small-time singers, or newcomers in the industry.

Wait a minute! What am I even thinking?

Old Zhou had to rein in his wandering thoughts and the slight twitch at the corner of his mouth.

He cleared his throat gently and chose his words carefully, "Well, it's good to have young people with determination. However, this project isn't something an average newcomer can handle. Lin Yuan, you're not an ordinary newcomer, but we should still brainstorm together. So, within a month, submit a sample, and everyone on the 10th floor must also submit one."

Old Zhou couldn't stifle Lin Yuan's enthusiasm.

In a room filled with complaints and moans, Lin Yuan voluntarily stepped up to take on a challenging task within the composition department. That was commendable, and there was no room for criticism.

Regarding Lin Yuan's conversation earlier in the group chat with Zheng Jing, Old Zhou was aware of it too, but he wouldn't blame Lin Yuan for it.

Old Zhou had some acquaintances among the company's Music Daddies. Each one of them had a unique personality.

For example, Zheng Jing, despite being a Music Dad, rarely composed music in her daily life. She was a passionate artist who loved painting and even held a personal art exhibition with her own funds.

It's as if composing is just her side job.

Lin Yuan might not be a Music Dad, but based on his personality so far, he has more in common with these Music Dad than others.

Therefore, Old Zhou found nothing strange in Lin Yuan's behavior.

It's just that this new artist, who doesn't follow the usual norms and has a personality similar to many Music Daddies, is very energetic. Is it because of his love for creating music, or is it because of the influence of the five million yuan?

It appears questionable from any perspective.

Naturally, while creating music is a form of art, most individuals primarily work for financial reasons, which is reasonable.

However, a new element was introduced into the equation. Lin Yuan had calculated the profit split, which was undoubtedly a first in the history of the Starlight Composition Department.

Not only Old Zhou, but everyone in the meeting room also felt a deep sense of bewilderment, not knowing where to start with their comments.

Particularly, Wu Yong and Zheng Han, who were sitting on either side of Lin Yuan, wore expressions of utter confusion. The entire group has now collectively come to a conclusion:

Lin Yuan was a clueless genius.

He was an absolute dork.

In this light, Lin Yuan seemed even more endearing.

At least he was genuine.

Considering this, the room gradually filled with laughter, and the atmosphere lightened. Some even teased Lin Yuan, saying, "Don't forget to treat us to coffee when you get your reward!"

"Sure," Lin Yuan hesitated for a long time before agreeing.

The people in the room were good-natured, and their laughter was more affectionate than mocking. Especially some of the female members, whose expressions were filled with warmth.

Who told Lin Yuan to be just a sophomore?

He's certainly a good-looking young man.

But in the end, fun remains fun, and problems remain problems.

No one believed that Lin Yuan could actually succeed in this task.

Can Lin Yuan, a newcomer currently studying sophomore-level courses, achieve a task that many experienced arrangers on the tenth floor haven't been able to accomplish?

Stop joking.

In this meeting room, not a single composer would deny the excellence of "Life Like Summer Flowers."

However, each of the more than a dozen ace composers whose songs had been rejected had multiple hit songs in their portfolios.

Just by picking any one of those songs, their achievements wouldn't pale in comparison to "Life Like Summer Flowers."

Otherwise, how could they be called the company's ace composers?

...

Lin Yuan naturally didn't know what others were thinking. Right now, his mind was filled with five million yuan, even though he could only get a 15% share of it.

After the meeting, Lin Yuan didn't leave immediately.

Instead, he asked Old Zhou, who was packing up, "Manager, where can I find a singer?"

"A singer?" Old Zhou furrowed his brow.

"Aren't you trying to take on this project from Qi Prefecture? Your top priority right now is to write a good song. You need to create a quality song first before you can find a singer. What's the point of looking for a singer now if you haven't produced a good song?"

Old Zhou didn't hold much hope for Lin Yuan's ability to write a good song, but he hoped Lin Yuan could grasp the basic creative process.

After all, Lin Yuan had shown great potential by composing "Like Summer Flowers," and there was room for significant growth in his talent. Otherwise, why would he go begging Zhao Jue for assistance?

"Okay, but how do I find a singer after I've written a good song?"

Lin Yuan had to consider alternatives, as he couldn't say, "I've already written the song," as that would seem suspicious.

Old Zhou pondered for a moment and said, "To find a singer for a collaboration, you usually need to get in touch with the Vocal Department, fill out a form, and that's it. If you're looking for some of the top-tier artists from our company, you'll need to apply well in advance. I'll personally liaise with them."

Lin Yuan nodded.

Old Zhou seemed to remember something and slapped his forehead. "I almost forgot about your relationship with Zhao Jue. If your project doesn't get approved, it's not a big deal. If you really want to release your song, just go directly to Zhao Jue. All the company's artists fall under her management. Of course, the prerequisite is that your song passes the company's evaluation and is deemed worthy of release."

"Oh." Lin Yuan nodded.

After leaving the meeting room, he returned to his seat and called Zhao Jue to inquire about finding a singer.

"Looking for a singer?" Zhao Jue chuckled. "I didn't expect you to be so productive. You already have a new song? Alright, tell me, what kind of singer are you looking for?"

"I want to find..."

Zhao Jue interrupted Lin Yuan, "Never mind. I'll send you the profiles and audio files of some new, lesser-known artists in the company who haven't had much work recently. With your understanding of vocal tones, you should be able to find the right fit yourself. Once you do, leave the rest to me. As for A-list singers..."

"What about A-list singers?" Lin Yuan asked.

"A-list singers have very high demands for songs," Zhao Jue explained.

"How high?" Lin Yuan asked again.

"To put it in simple terms, unless your song is on the same level as 'Life Like Summer Flowers,' they won't consider it. Usually, A-list singers work with the company's ace composers, given their status. The revenue share they get is also much higher, almost on par with the songwriters. In the case of top-level singers, they can even claim 15% of the total, leaving only 5% for the songwriter."

Lin Yuan's eyes widened with suspicion. "Revenue share?"

Zhao Jue laughed, "You didn't think all artists get the standard 2.5%, did you? That's the rate for smaller artists. The shares for high-profile artists can increase significantly. In most cases, they share almost equally with the songwriter. Top-level artists might even take 15%, leaving just 5% for the songwriter."

"I want a 'workhorse' then!" Lin Yuan's strategy became clear.

Zhao Jue chuckled and said, "It seems like the folks in the Composition Department have had a bad influence on you. I don't even know who started calling our artists in the Vocal Department 'workhorses.' But I have to remind you, some songs are difficult for lesser-known artists to handle. If you continue to grow as a songwriter, don't avoid collaborating with A-list singers just because of the revenue share."

"Alright," Lin Yuan agreed. "Thank you, Sister Zhao."

"No need to thank me," Zhao Jue said, ending the call.

A few minutes later, Lin Yuan's email inbox was flooded with profiles and audio files from 106 artists.

He put on his headphones and started listening to the voices of these 106 individuals.

This one is unlike "Life Like Summer Flowers."

This time, Lin Yuan was working on a song called "Big Fish," and it required a specific kind of singer. Sun Yaohuo wouldn't be a good fit, as not everyone possesses the talent of Zhou Shen.

Lin Yuan didn't feel sure about finding the right voice right away, so he had to begin searching for potential candidates in advance.

If he couldn't find the right person, he also had a contingency plan.

He could look for a female singer with a vocal range similar to the original singer and use some technical methods to make adjustments.

Perhaps it was time to get acquainted with a million-dollar sound engineer.