Chapter 23: Dance of the Fish Dragon

Only heaven knows how long it took Zhao Jue to figure out the meaning of Lin Yuan's last words after he left. She found it both funny and heartwarming.

It was funny because...

Did Lin Yuan really understand what level of song she was missing?

The heartwarming part was...

Lin Yuan must have wanted to help her by sparing her from this dilemma.

Years of experience in the industry had made Zhao Jue accustomed to the ups and downs of human relationships. She knew what was genuinely valuable.

Whether it was a signature piece or not, a composer treated each of their songs as a cherished creation, fearing that their work would be underestimated.

Who would consider such a piece a simple thank-you gift for a meal?

Lin Yuan dared to say it, but Zhao Jue couldn't possibly accept it that way.

At this moment, whether the song was representative or not is no longer important.

Even if Lin Yuan's song couldn't solve her problem, it didn't matter.

Just his thoughtfulness and support were worth cherishing.

Her smile warmed up.

Zhao Jue opened her email, put on her headphones, and listened to the song titled "Flammable and Explosive."

"Ha-ha."

The familiar electronic synthesizer sound at the beginning of the song made Zhao Jue smile knowingly.

The last time Lin Yuan sent her "Life Like Summer Flowers," he used the same distinctive electronic synthesizer sound.

The three-minute and twenty-second song would finish quickly.

But after listening to it, Zhao Jue's expression changed slightly.

She unconsciously played the song again.

It was still three minutes and twenty seconds, but this time, time seemed to slow down.

After listening to the song, Zhao Jue stood up and almost wanted to catch up with Lin Yuan, who had left earlier.

However, her steps paused, and she suddenly stopped, looking down at Lin Yuan's half-eaten lunch. She murmured, "Do you really consider this a thank-you gift for a meal..."

"Oh, Zhao, what are you thinking about? You seem so absorbed," said Old Zhou, who had also come to the cafeteria and noticed Zhao Jue wearing headphones with a complex expression.

"Ah."

Old Zhou suddenly remembered something. "Are you still worrying about how to sign the champion of 'Rising Star' this year? Don't worry, I'll help you find a few songs to try out. Our composition department is full of talent, so there should be a solution."

"I think you don't need to."

Zhao Jue tilted her head and removed her headphones.

Old Zhou was puzzled. "Why not?"

Zhao Jue smiled slightly. "You'll understand later."

Old Zhou chuckled, "Why are you keeping me in suspense? Anyway, I'll share some good news with you! Lin Yuan is truly a genius. He just joined the Composition Department and already secured a five million RMB commission! Amazing! Even with more than ten ace composers, none of them could have clinched this deal. He aced it! Moreover, the quality of the song he composed is exceptional. In my many years of experience, I can confidently say that this song has a very high chance of becoming a hit! This is a fantastic find you've brought to me. Brother Zhou owes you one!"

Zhao Jue's mouth hung open.

All she could think at the moment was, "What kind of monster did I sign back then?"

...

At 3:00 PM.

In a hotel in Qin Prefecture.

Zhao Yingge, this year's champion of "Rising Star," had a gloomy expression. "I've received so many songs from the big three entertainment companies in the past few days, but none of them satisfy me."

"You said 'Mountain and Sea' was pretty good," Zhao Yingge's cousin, Zhou Xiaoli, spoke up. After becoming this year's champion of "Rising Star," Zhao Yingge received numerous offers from companies, so Zhou Xiaoli temporarily acted as her manager to handle external affairs. Since there were no immediate activities, Zhou Xiaoli was mainly responsible for making calls.

The song "Mountain and Sea" mentioned by Zhou Xiaoli was sent by the Dazzling Silverfire Entertainment.

Zhao Yingge shook her head, "'Mountain and Sea' is good, but it's just 'good'. It hasn't reached the point where I must sing it. What I want is a song at the level of a masterpiece. I want my first official single to become a signature piece, so that in the future, when people mention it, they'll immediately think of Zhao Yingge as the singer."

Zhou Xiaoli whispered, "Your expectations are quite high..."

Zhao Yingge sighed, "You don't understand the industry. My vocal skills are indeed excellent, but my goal is to become the future queen of the music industry. Without great songs, even the best voice won't matter. Despite the companies' sincere intentions to sign me, once they sign me, they won't be as committed. After all, I'm currently riding the wave of being the champion of 'Rising Star,' and once I enter a company in the future, which company doesn't have a bunch of song kings and queens sitting around."

"That's true," Zhou Xiaoli advised, "But you don't need to rush things. Good songs take time, and even star singers don't become stars overnight. You can't expect someone to write a song for you right away. Moreover, recently, the songs sent by the big three companies were all composed by well-known senior composers in the industry. Just their attention shows their commitment. If it were me, I'd consider Dazzling Silverfire, especially since you mentioned that 'Mountain and Sea' is good."

"We'll see," Zhao Yingge replied.

Just at that moment, Zhou Xiaoli's phone rang again. She looked at it and smiled, "It hasn't been long, but the big three companies have sent a few new songs again."

Zhao Yingge was listless, "Whose songs are they?"

Zhou Xiaoli checked and said, "This song from Dazzling Silverfire is composed by Yang Shan, the song from Sahara is composed by Jiang Yi, and the song from Starlight is composed by Xian Yu."

Yang Shan?

Jiang Yi?

Xian Yu?

Zhao Yingge arched an eyebrow, and details about these people flashed in her thoughts. "Yang Shan and Jiang Yi are highly regarded composers in the industry. Now, this Xian Yu is a newcomer who just entered the scene last month. His first track, 'Life Like Summer Flowers,' claimed the top spot in the Newcomer Rankings. However, I wasn't particularly fond of that song. It's surprising that Starlight is attempting to deceive me with a newcomer. Previously, their company's ace composers were behind all the songs they submitted, regardless of their quality."

"A new composer?" Zhou Xiaoli was concerned, "It seems the big three companies are losing patience with you. Starlight has even sent a song by a new composer. How about we quickly choose one company? You can listen to these songs first."

"Forget it."

Zhao Yingge had been continuously disappointed over the past few days. "Let's wait until we accumulate more songs to choose from. When the time comes, regardless of the result, I'll choose one to sign with. Dragging this on doesn't seem practical."

"Alright."

Zhou Xiaoli smiled, "In that case, let me treat you to a movie. Next Tuesday, there's an animated film called 'Dance of the Fish Dragon' coming out. You love watching animated films, and now you can still pick a good seat if you buy tickets."

"You buy the tickets."

Zhao Yingge also wanted to watch a movie to clear her mind. Lately, she had been listening to various songs sent by different companies, and her head was about to explode. If things didn't work out, she might have to consider the "Mountain and Sea" song from "Dazzling Silverfire."