Chapter 3: The Pledge

"When dealing with a longer melody in a song, you can break it down into smaller sections, known as phrases. Each phrase should be played with some variations, like this..."

The next morning.

Music composition class.

Lin Yuan was attentively listening to the professor's explanations, taking notes diligently in his notebook. Though the original host had switched from the vocal department to the composition department and didn't have exceptional talent in composing, all fields related to music fell within Lin Yuan's area of interest now.

Just like the original host, Lin Yuan had developed a keen passion for music.

He didn't want to end up with a bunch of songs but struggle to read even basic sheet music.

What Lin Yuan didn't expect was that taking his composition classes seriously would bring an unexpected surprise.

A notification sound suddenly chimed in his ear: "Ding-dong, the host is detected studying composition knowledge, triggering a beginner's task."

Following that, several lines of softly glowing blue text manifested in front of Lin Yuan:

[Task Name: A Student's Task is to Learn]

[Task Description: Achieve a ranking within the top 25 in the next class exam of your college's professional course.]

[Task Reward: Obtain a bronze treasure chest.]

This sudden beginner's task caught Lin Yuan a bit off guard, but he wasn't entirely surprised. After all, was it even a system if it didn't issue tasks?

Lin Yuan then considered the difficulty of this task:

Qin Prefecture Art Academy had a full ten classes in the composition department, each with around fifty students. Lin Yuan's class consisted of precisely fifty students.

However, this wasn't a concern for Lin Yuan because he didn't need to compete with students from other classes. The beginner's task only required Lin Yuan to rank within the top 25 of his own class in the upcoming exam.

For Lin Yuan, this didn't seem too challenging. His usual performance in class ranked around the thirtieth position, so with a little extra effort, he should easily break into the top 25.

"What happens if I fail the task?" Lin Yuan couldn't help but wonder. "Will the system electrocute me? Or will it erase me from existence? Wait, will it deduct my money?"

The thought of losing money made him slightly pale.

[System's First Guideline: Never harm the host.]

[Friendly reminder: Electrocution, erasure, and every other option are worse than losing money. Host, please prioritize accordingly.]

"Just don't deduct money, please."

Lin Yuan breathed a sigh of relief. However, he realized he didn't have the money to give to the system, even if it wanted some.

This realization left him feeling somewhat dispirited.

...

After class.

Instead of heading back to the dormitory, Lin Yuan found a quiet place and dialed a number saved in his phone, labeled "Manager Zhao."

The phone rang twice and was answered by a somewhat weary female voice: "Lin Yuan, what's up?"

Lin Yuan said, "I have a song I want to release."

The voice on the other end of the line suddenly sounded more excited: "You want to release a song? Has your voice recovered, and you can sing again?"

"No, it hasn't."

Lin Yuan continued, "I've switched to the composition department now, and I have a song. I want to see if Starlight Entertainment can help find a singer to perform and release it."

"Is this for the upcoming November Newcomer Season?" Manager Zhao inquired.

"Yes."

"I have to remind you, you are signed with Starlight Entertainment as a singer, not as a composer. The company has a dedicated department for composers, and most singers have their own preferred composers..."

Manager Zhao's refusal was subtle but clear.

However, Lin Yuan didn't give up and asked, "Can I transfer to the composition department now?"

He needed the company's distribution channels. Without the resources and promotion that a company could provide, even an excellent song might easily get lost in obscurity. In the past, promising newcomers who shone during the Newcomer Season all had the backing of entertainment companies.

"Sorry, that's not possible."

Manager Zhao firmly declined.

The air was still for about ten seconds, and then Manager Zhao sighed with some resignation, "Alright, encrypt the song and send it to me. If the quality is acceptable, I'll try to find someone to perform it. But if the quality isn't up to par, we'll pretend this never happened."

"Thank you," Lin Yuan sincerely said.

Manager Zhao had high hopes for Lin Yuan when she initially signed him, and she was willing to help him even after his vocal cords were damaged. This was already a significant gesture.

"That's it for now. I'm hanging up."

Manager Zhao sounded a bit impatient and promptly ended the call.

...

Manager Zhao's impatience wasn't directed at Lin Yuan but rather at the hectic preparations for the upcoming Newcomer Season, scheduled for next month. She had a lot on her plate, as several recently signed new artists needed to make a mark during this high-stakes event.

Originally, Lin Yuan was supposed to be one of these new talents.

Manager Zhao had even considered inviting a couple of the company's ace composers to help Lin Yuan craft some songs to ensure he made a remarkable debut in the Newcomer Season. Lin Yuan's vocal talent was genuinely astonishing.

However, fate had different plans.

"You can't make it as a singer, so you want to transition to composing?" Manager Zhao shook her head with a bitter smile. Writing songs wasn't as simple as it sounded; otherwise, why would some top-tier singers still hire professional composers? Was it because they didn't want to write themselves?

No, it was because they couldn't compose the kind of hit songs that would resonate with their audience.

In the current era, a composer's position is often considered more critical than that of a singer, especially in the pragmatic music industry. Composers were the backbone of the industry.

"Maybe this kid is truly talented at composing?"

Recalling some past memories, Manager Zhao felt a touch of nostalgia.

When Lin Yuan was in the hospital, Manager Zhao, as his manager, did visit him once. However, she ultimately stopped at the door of his ward.

She could hear the hoarse and sobbing cries from inside the room, like the cries of an injured puppy.

Everyone had a compassionate side.

That's why Manager Zhao was willing to give Lin Yuan a chance, regardless of the outcome. She wanted to show him that success in this world wasn't guaranteed just by wanting it.

"But you've really made it tough for me," Manager Zhao sighed, a sense of worry casting a shadow on her face.

Every year, during the Newcomer Season, all major entertainment companies vied to promote their new talents. During this period, the competition was fierce, even among the top companies.

Starlight Entertainment was one of the most prominent entertainment companies, both in Qin Prefecture and on a broader scale. In Qin Prefecture, Starlight Entertainment ranked in the top three in terms of comprehensive strength.

Yet, for the past three years, Starlight has been struggling in the Newcomer Season. The best they managed were two newcomers who barely made it to the top ten, ranking ninth and tenth...

Compared to their peers, it was a lackluster performance.

What frustrated Starlight Entertainment the most was that their main rival, Sahara Entertainment, had secured four positions in the top ten of last year's Newcomer Season.

These four positions even included the highly coveted second and third places.

This caused quite a bit of discontent among Starlight's high-level executives, and the pressure fell heavily on their chief talent manager, Manager Zhao.

Under pressure, she had made a bold promise in front of all the high-level executives: "This year's Newcomer Season must yield at least one of the top three positions. If we fail, I'll voluntarily step down."

Manager Zhao dared to make this promise not only because the executives were pressing her but also because she had recently signed Lin Yuan, a young talent whose vocal abilities had stunned her. She believed Lin Yuan could help her fulfill this goal.

But now, with Lin Yuan's vocal cords damaged, the challenge still stood.

The executives only cared about the results; they wouldn't consider the unexpected setbacks along the way.

That's why Manager Zhao had been frantically searching for a replacement for Lin Yuan, someone who could help her achieve her mission. She had already submitted nine new talents as potential candidates.

But Manager Zhao knew deep down that even if all nine succeeded in entering the top 25, breaking into the top ten would be a matter of luck.

As for reaching the top five or the top three?

It was wishful thinking; those dreams were for sleep.

The company could allocate resources for ten positions. Now there was only one spot left, and Manager Zhao hadn't found a worthy candidate to replace Lin Yuan.

She was nearing the point of giving up.

That's why, in the end, she agreed to Lin Yuan's request. After all, this was just the last spot. If Lin Yuan's song was passable in quality, why not give the poor kid a chance?

At this moment, her phone pinged with an email notification.

The email was encrypted, sent through the company's internal channel, and it was from Lin Yuan.

Manager Zhao opened the email, and in the subject line was "Life Like Summer Flowers."

"Life Like Summer Flowers?"

Manager Zhao couldn't quite grasp the meaning of the phrase, but it did evoke a certain image.

She put on her headphones and clicked to play the audio file.

As the music played, Manager Zhao quickly finished listening to the entire song. Her expression displayed a mix of surprise and amazement.

Compared to the rough drafts she often received, Lin Yuan's song was incredibly complete. Not only did it have a well-developed melody, but the arrangement was also excellently done.

This wasn't something that could be produced quickly.

However, the vocals were purely instrumental, synthesized by a machine. Yet, even this lifeless voice sounded more natural than most synthesized voices.

Manager Zhao, with her experience, sensed that this emotionless humming would shine if replaced with a human voice.

"Interesting."

Manager Zhao, being a talent manager, might not fully understand composition, but years of experience have honed her instincts. Her eyes began to glisten with anticipation. She believed that "Life Like Summer Flowers" might turn out to be an excellent song, even though she had only listened to the instrumental version.

"Does this guy have genuine talent for composing?"

Raising an eyebrow, Manager Zhao made three phone calls in quick succession.

The first call went to the review department: "I have a song here; please review it urgently. I need a result by tonight."

This was a crucial checkpoint. Technical reviews were crucial to ensure that Lin Yuan's "Life Like Summer Flowers" didn't bear too much resemblance to other songs on the market, potentially causing plagiarism concerns. If an issue arose, it would severely damage the company's reputation.

The second call was to her subordinates, other talent managers: "Record a song tonight. This is the last spot for the Newcomer Season. Find a promising talent, but don't overtax our audio engineers with excessive autotuning."

For a talent manager, a few steps of difference in vocal quality didn't matter much; the audio engineers could fix it. The only concern was whether the singer could make it to the top 25, and autotuning could help with that.

The third call was to Lin Yuan: "What time do you finish your classes today? I'll pick you up at your school, and we'll record the song."

"Alright," Lin Yuan agreed.

The tone of his response seemed... unsurprised?