Chapter 8: Never Seen The World

The company proudly secured the third spot in the Newcomer Rankings! 

As soon as the Newcomer Rankings were revealed, the news spread like wildfire throughout Starlight Entertainment, and it got everyone buzzing with enthusiasm.

"Wow, having a top-tier newcomer is just what we needed to boost our reputation."

"Maybe this means no more cuts to our music department bonuses this year?"

"In the film and television department, we're setting a company-wide task to download 'Life Like Summer Flowers' at least once. We've finally clinched the third position this year, and we've got to defend it."

"Absolutely."

"After all, Starlight Entertainment ranks among the top three entertainment companies in Qin Prefecture. Falling short on the Newcomer Rankings could seriously dent our company's image. Many recent music school graduates in Qin Prefecture look to these rankings when deciding which company to join."

Qin Prefecture had many entertainment companies, but the top three were Starlight Entertainment, Sahara Entertainment, and Dazzling Silverfire.

In the past, newcomers introduced by these three companies usually took the top spots in the Newcomer Rankings.

However, in recent years, Sahara and Dazzling Silverfire continued to perform well, while Starlight Entertainment's performance fell behind. This raised doubts about its standing in the music industry.

The consequences of this decline were significant!

This is why the company's top leadership put pressure on Zhao Jue, who was in charge of this issue.

Normally, the Newcomer Rankings worth wouldn't be substantial enough to make the company's higher-ups worry and intervene, unless there was a problem like this.

As conversations buzzed throughout the company, Xianyu's name quickly gained widespread recognition.

On the flip side, Sun Yaohuo remained in relative obscurity, with very few discussions surrounding him.

You see, we're in an era where even everyday folks are paying more attention to the composer, especially in an industry as traditional as entertainment.

The composer's status often eclipsed that of the singer, and that's why you've got folks talking about "Music Daddies" in the industry.

One thing was abundantly clear to everyone: the success of a song hinged on the composer's ability to infuse their melody into people's hearts.

In other words, Xianyu's creation, "Life Like Summer Flowers," had broad appeal. Even if the company had picked a different singer than Sun Yaohuo, anyone with decent vocal skills could have skyrocketed to stardom with the company's promotion.

This was why the composer's status was highly regarded by everyone.

Of course, exceptional vocalists were a league of their own. Their singing abilities were so remarkable that they could turn any song into a masterpiece, making them a valuable asset. They held a status comparable to that of Music Daddies.

Some of these extraordinary singers collaborated with Music Daddies, mutually enhancing each other's talents. It was a partnership where one couldn't shine without the other.

However, it didn't necessarily imply that the more difficult a song was to sing, the better it was. Some songs could be effortlessly sung by anyone, and yet they stood out from the challenging ones, perhaps due to their catchy melodies, meaningful lyrics, musical arrangements, etc.

...

Outside the company, the buzz of the Newcomer Season had taken over Qin Prefecture as the Newcomer Rankings were revealed.

Major companies, which had primarily focused on Sahara Entertainment, which held the top spot, were now turning their attention to Starlight Entertainment, one of the three leading entertainment companies.

"Looks like Starlight's back in the top three this year."

"Well, among the established top three, it's expected that Starlight Entertainment won't underperform every year."

"That's the thing about the big companies. Sahara Entertainment holds an unshakeable first place, Dazzling Silverfire keeps its grip on second place, and Starlight Entertainment secures the third spot. They enjoy the feast while we smaller companies get the leftovers."

...

In addition to entertainment companies, music critics also paid attention to the Newcomer Rankings, with the top three songs being the focal point for many.

On Weibo, music critics enthusiastically shared their top song picks for the Newcomer Season.

Surprisingly, the majority of music critics independently chose the third-place song, "Life Like Summer Flowers"!

This rhythm piqued the interest of many passersby regarding "Life Like Summer Flowers," and a significant number of comments in the recommendation threads reflected the same sentiment:

[]: "The song title sounds beautiful."

[]: "'Life as lovely as summer flowers, death as serene as autumn leaves. I haven't even listened to the song yet, but in terms of description, this one is the best.""

[]: "I follow ten music critics, and seven of them recommended 'Life Like Summer Flowers.' I have to give it a listen."

[]: "I've listened to the song, and it's quite good. I'm downloading it to show my support."

[]: "I've listened to it too, and personally, I think the song is just average."

[]: "It really comes down to personal taste. I, for one, was captivated by 'Life Life Like Summer Flowers' on my first listen. It's the first time a song has impressed me so much without high notes."

[]: "Wow, there's something truly special about this song."

[]: "Huge thanks to the music critics for their recommendations. This song is probably my best discovery from this year's Newcomer Season. No more chatter; it's going straight into my playlist and getting downloaded."

...

This was the norm in Qin Prefecture.

During each Newcomer Season, nearly every music critic would ride the wave of excitement surrounding the newcomers.

They either recommended their favorite songs or took bribes from entertainment companies, publishing pre-prepared articles.

The former was relatively high.

The latter, surprisingly, had fewer.

In Qin Prefecture, music was considered a sacred art, and the general public was not naive enough to be swayed by music critics.

This was due to the unique characteristics of Qin Prefecture.

Blue Star had eight continents, and Qin Prefecture was one of them, along with Qi, Chu, Yan, Han, Zhao, Wei, and the "capital" continent, Zhong Prefecture.

Each continent had its own distinctive features.

Qin Prefecture, however, was universally recognized as the "Land of Music" throughout the entire Blue Star!

It was a breeding ground for musicians.

The neighboring continent, Qi, is known as the "Hall of Films."

However, official statistics showed that most of the film scores in Qi were composed with the help of Music Daddies from Qin Prefecture.

At the same time, eighty percent of active composers in the Blue Star's artistic scene were almost all native to Qin Prefecture!

Here, one could find an array of musical genres, from various song styles to piano, violin, symphonies, and more.

Thus, the people of Qin Prefecture had a deep love for music, and this was why the Newcomer Season remained a traditional and cherished event in Qin Prefecture.

Growing up in this environment, the people of Qin Prefecture considered themselves to have a high musical taste.

If a person from Qin Prefecture discussed music-related topics with someone from the other seven continents, their sense of superiority would be quite evident.

...

Zhao Jue made a call to Lin Yuan.

When the call was connected, the chief manager's words were full of excitement: "Lin Yuan, you'll be able to transfer to the Composition Department soon, and congratulations on reaching third place on the Newcomer Rankings!"

"Am I in third place?" Lin Yuan asked.

After giving it some thought, Lin Yuan seriously asked, "Is this ranking considered good in the Newcomer Season?"

Zhao Jue was taken aback by this question, which left her at a loss.

After a while, she regained her composure and, somewhat puzzled, responded to Lin Yuan's underlying meaning, "Didn't you pay attention to the Newcomer Rankings today?"

"It seems like my classmates were keeping an eye on it," Lin Yuan replied.

Zhao Jue couldn't help but find Lin Yuan's comment amusing. There were so many points to remark on in his words that she didn't know where to begin.

She could only try to continue the conversation, "Yes, being in third place is an excellent achievement, but today is only the first day. I'll help you maintain your position in the rankings in the future."

"Thank you, Sister Zhao."

Lin Yuan still held a lot of respect for Zhao Jue.

Zhao Jue, however, felt that Lin Yuan's casual and composed demeanor created a stark contrast to her own excitement. She couldn't help but think, "Has this boy not seen the world?"

She could only forcefully conclude the conversation, "When you have time, come to the company to complete the paperwork, and your song's earnings will be transferred to your account at the end of the month. I'll hang up now."

"Okay."

When it came to the income from the song, Lin Yuan's voice instantly became more expectant, finally giving Zhao Jue a sense of, "Oh, he has seen the world."

"This kid..."

Zhao Jue shook her head with a smile, hung up the phone, and refocused her attention on the computer screen.

She was looking at the Newcomer Rankings interface. Since finishing lunch, she has been glued to the screen, not daring to step away for a moment.

She was afraid that if she blinked, the third place would slip from their grasp.

However, as she continued to monitor the rankings, Zhao Jue began to sense that something was amiss.

It wasn't because the fourth-place contender was gaining ground.

Their download count was still about 30,000 behind, which was a considerable gap.

In contrast, the download count for "Life Like Summer Flowers" had increased from 33,000 when the rankings opened to a solid 50,000 by now.

The strange part was that it seemed like the download count for "Life Like Summer Flowers" was increasing rather quickly.

The second-place song was from Dazzling Silverfire, titled "Aries," sung by Zeng Yi, and composed by Li Yang. It had a download count of 53,000.

When the rankings first opened, "Aries" had 43,000 downloads, and now it has increased by 10,000. However, "Life Like Summer Flowers" had only 33,000 downloads when the rankings opened, and by now, it had surged by nearly 20,000!

What did this mean?

Was Starlight trying to outdo Dazzling Silverfire's "Aries"?

The moment this thought crossed Zhao Jue's mind, it took root and grew like a weed, speeding up her heartbeat.

Refresh!

Refresh!

Refresh!

Moving her mouse, Zhao Jue continuously refreshed the webpage, and sure enough, the data for "Life Like Summer Flowers" and the second-place song were getting closer and closer. This made her heartbeat race faster.

At six o'clock in the evening.

Approaching the end of the workday.

Zhao Jue couldn't count how many times she had refreshed the rankings. However, this time, she distinctly saw that the second place on the Newcomer Rankings had changed to:

"Life Like Summer Flowers"!

Download Count: 59,800!

In the third place, Dazzling Silverfire's song "Aries" had a download count of 59,100, falling out of the top two!

At this moment, Zhao Jue nearly burst into laughter.

She had been thinking about maintaining the third place, but "Life Like Summer Flowers" had quietly surpassed Dazzling Silverfire and secured the second place on the Newcomer Rankings!

But the first place was still quite extraordinary.

In previous Newcomer Seasons, "Life Like Summer Flowers" would have dominated the entire Newcomer Rankings with this performance, directly taking the championship!

Just then, her phone rang.

Zhao Jue answered, pretending to be ignorant. "Old Zhou, what's up?"

The voice on the other end of the phone said, "Open the door."

Zhao Jue was momentarily stunned but complied and opened the door.

Outside, a middle-aged man with an excited smile greeted her. "Sister Zhao, um, it's been a while since we hung out. How about having dinner together tonight? My treat! By the way, when is Xianyu coming to the composition department? We're really short on people."

"Oh," Zhao Jue replied, looking at Old Zhou's puppy-like expression, and she couldn't help but think, "Has this guy not seen the world too?"