Chapter 5 Thunderbolt and Dew_1

Bronze Treasure Chest?

Lin Yuan looked at the storage space provided by the system, feeling somewhat concerned for no specific reason, "There isn't a bomb in this box, is there?"

The system ignored Lin Yuan.

Just to be safe, Lin Yuan found an excuse to go to the bathroom, and then opened his first Bronze Treasure Chest.

[Task reward: Professional-level piano skill]

The moment the Bronze Treasure Chest was opened, countless piano techniques suddenly filled Lin Yuan's mind.

All sorts of arpeggios, chords, tremolos, big jumps and octaves, up to three-six degree scales and so on.

"Is this it?"

Lin Yuan was not very satisfied.

Because the original host already possessed a Blue Star level ten piano skill, which is not a significant achievement for a child who aspired to music from a young age.

It would be better to reward me with songs or novels.

The system also seemed dissatisfied with Lin Yuan's attitude. It responded to Lin Yuan in a mechanical, emotionless synthesized voice, "The Treasure Chests are divided into four levels, Bronze, Silver, Gold, and Diamond. However, even within the lowest level Bronze Treasure Chest, what it holds will inevitably have a certain value."

"So what exactly is the standard for professional-level piano playing?"

Lin Yuan needed to understand the system's standard for "professional".

The system replied, "The Host now possesses a piano skill level that most ordinary people cannot achieve. Even a talented piano prodigy would have to practice for at least ten years to reach this level. As for your so-called level ten piano skill, isn't it the level that elementary school students can pass?"

"Alright."

Lin Yuan accepted this result, ignoring the system's last sentence's subtle attempt at mockery. He asked, "What level is above professional?"

"Following professional, the levels are Elite, Master, and Perfect Level, respectively corresponding to the Silver Treasure Chest, Gold Treasure Chest, and the precious Diamond Treasure Chest."

"When will these treasure chests be given to me?"

"This requires the host to draw on their own strength and luck. Generally speaking, there are two ways to obtain them. The first is to complete the tasks assigned by the system; the second is to reach a certain benchmark with prestige points, such as a total prestige of over ten thousand."

"How much prestige do I have now?"

No sooner had Lin Yuan's words fallen than several lines of light blue text appeared before his eyes:

[Age: 19]

[Lifespan: 22]

[Painting: 45]

[Literature: 105]

[Music: 2509]

[Combined: 2659]

[Other: Waiting to be unlocked]

Neither the painting nor literature categories changed, but the music category had increased quite a bit.

It's likely due to the piano techniques he'd just acquired and the prestige he'd earned from recording the song, "Life Like A Summer Flower."

Looks like he'll have to wait for "Life Like A Summer Flower" to be officially released to reach a total prestige of over ten thousand.

Leaving the bathroom after washing his hands, Lin Yuan saw the finance and legal departments of Starlight approaching him to sign a contract. It was a common procedure for signing the contract for the song "Life Like A Summer Flower".

The contract stipulated—

After the song "Life Like A Summer Flower" was released, eighty percent of the profits belonged to the company, and the remaining twenty percent would be divided between Lin Yuan and Sun Yaohuo.

Of that, Sun Yaohuo would receive 0.5 percent.

Lin Yuan, having written the lyrics and composed the music, as well as single-handedly completing the arrangement, would receive 1.5 percent.

Sun Yaohuo had no objections.

He put himself in a humble position, not treating the performance of "Life Like A Summer Flower" as an opportunity to make money, but as his debut opportunity, so he signed very simply.

Lin Yuan had no objections either.

Although he too wished to receive a larger profit share, he, like Sun Yaohuo, was a newcomer and didn't have any bargaining power with the company. The company could distribute the income however they wanted to.

Only industry leaders could make companies give in to their terms about the distribution of profits.

After signing-

The man from the finance department reminded Lin Yuan, "The song will be officially released on November 1st, and at that time, music from this song will appear on all major channels cooperating with the company."

"Understood," Lin Yuan nodded.

After signing the contract, a staff member from the resource promotion department also came to find Lin Yuan. There was a form to sign, and it required Lin Yuan to fill out some information.

"First, your name," said the worker from the resource promotion department, guiding Lin Yuan to fill out the form. "In the lyrics and song columns, you can write your own name, or you can write a pen name-like moniker. However, once it is written, you should not change it arbitrarily."

"Xian Yu, is that okay?"

"You're not planning on using your real name?"

Lin Yuan nodded, he was a bit resistant to exposing himself; it was better to remain low-key if he could.

"It's okay," said the staff member.

Then Lin Yuan wrote the two characters "Xian Yu" in the signature column for lyrics and music composition.

Although the memories from his previous life were vague, Lin Yuan could still roughly remember some classical lines of poetry, like this one:

Facing the abyss and envying the fish, better to retreat and cast the net.

However, didn't "Xian Yu" sound a bit like "Salted Fish"?

Next, the form required Lin Yuan to write about the background of the song's creation.

Lin Yuan fell into deep thought.

Seeing Lin Yuan's difficulty, a staff member advised him with practiced ease, "Don't stress out too much. You just need to come up with something. The lyrics by other mentors weren't carefully crafted either. No one would really care."

"Okay."

After some contemplation, Lin Yuan penned down a line, "Life's as splendid as a summer flower, death's as serene as an autumn leaf."

This was the origin of the song title.

After finishing, he turned around and left.

The staff member who received the paper from Lin Yuan saw the line he left. For a moment, he seemed to lose himself in thought—Life's as splendid as a summer flower, death's as serene as an autumn leaf.

On a planet without Tagore, the impact of such a short poem was quite intense.

Even those without a literary bone in their body could immerse themselves in these beautifully crafted words, savoring the heaviness of life.

Regaining his wits, the staff member chuckled, murmuring, "The PR team won't need to worry about a headline this time."

...

Lin Yuan texted Zhao Jue when he was leaving but didn't get a response and therefore decided to take a taxi back to the college.

In the meantime,

In general manager's office at Starlight,

Zhao Jue was dealing with the pressure from the company's boss and didn't have the time to check her phone.

"Sand Sea is planning to launch Qian Xingyu during the newcomer season this year. How do you plan to counter this move?"

The boss's voice was calm.

Zhao Jue could detect the displeasure hidden behind his tones.

And it was reasonable for him to be upset. After all, this Qian Xingyu is not really a newbie but a secondary lead from a hot TV series last month-

What's the fundamental rule of newcomer season?

Every newcomer of the music industry can release their songs during this period.

Then, actors like Qian Xingyu, who have already gained some fame, and are looking to sing, can also be considered newcomers to the music industry.

After all, he only acted before and never sung.

But it's unfair to the other newbies.

That's why some insiders suggest not letting the actors debut as a newbie singer. The newcomer season is an opportunity for pure novices!

But this proposal was not accepted.

The suggestion, although, made a difference.

Many famous actors value their reputation, and even if they want to venture into the music industry, they usually avoid releasing their song during the newcomer season in November, to prevent controversy and competition with pure novices.

New actors, on the other hand, don't fall in this category.

Qian Xingyu hasn't been in any drama until this year. So, he is a newbie in the entertainment industry too!

So his situation is special.

Even if he comes to compete with the pure novices in the newcomer season, it wouldn't attract much controversy since he just shot into fame just before the newcomer season's starting.

Therefore, Qian Xingyu's advantage is enormous.

After all, he has a hit drama to back him up. It would be straightforward to promote him. Even if the quality of his song is not that great, his fans can still help him climb up the charts!

Think about this,

Zhao Jue could only prepare her words cautiously, "Qian Xingyu, for sure, aims for the first position, having him at the top, the second and the third place would hold more value ..."

"You've really covered all the bases."

The boss was a middle-aged man with an elegant demeanor.

The general manager of Starlight did appear to be easygoing, but everyone in the company knew not just to judge a book by its cover.

This seemingly elegant and easygoing boss could turn into an outright terror when he launched into a volcanic eruption.

Lightly tapping his fingers on the table, the boss quietly said, "You made a quite hasty promise this year... Securing a spot in the top three in the newcomer season! If you fail to meet this target, even I can't help you... Then, you may have to step down temporarily. You'd have to bear the predicament for a year, or even a year and a half, then you could come back to your position as the chief manager."

"Okay."

Zhao Jue took a deep breath. Since Lin Yuan had throat problems, she already made up her mind to be prepared for any consequences.

"Also..."

The boss reminded her, "Even if none of our artists makes it to the top three, we have to snatch up as many spots in the top ten as possible while pushing the rank of our newbies as high as we can. Only this would help me defend you in front of the executives."

"Understood."

Zhao Jue knew that the boss was quite nice to her, she became the chief manager thanks to his continual promotion over the years.

"You may leave."

The boss waved for her to leave.

Zhao Jue nodded, left the office. After adjusting her mindset, she pulled out her phone, called Lin Yuan, and said, "Where are you? I'll give you a ride to the school."

"I'm already back at school."

Lin Yuan replied, "I texted you earlier, but it seems you didn't notice."

Zhao Jue was taken aback, responded, "Okay, then you go ahead, be careful on your way. When the newcomer season comes in November, I'll try to get you the best resources possible. You could strive for a place in the top ten. Personally, I think your song is quite appealing. You have a shot."

"Yeah, thanks, Ms. Zhao."

Even if Lin Yuan was unaware, he could still feel Zhao Jue's care towards him. Through many details, it's clear that Zhao Jue truly appreciated Lin Yuan.

"No need to thank me, I'm hanging up."

Zhao Jue said with a smile, but the smile was somewhat bitter.

Helping you is also helping myself. If one more spots in the top ten are occupied, the thunderbolt striking down on me might be a little lighter...