Chapter 17: Youthful Arrogance

In the following days, Lin Yuan had a packed schedule with his classes, and he didn't visit the music room again.

During his occasional breaks, he spent time with Jianyi and Xiafan.

Towards the end of the month, Lin Yuan returned to the company.

Instead of spending time in the composition department, he spent a day and a half recording the song "Big Fish" in the recording studio. This time, he handled everything himself, including writing the lyrics, composing the music, and arranging the song. He even personally played the piano part in the arrangement.

Although a girl at the university had described his piano skills as "lousy," the level of the company's assigned pianist was similar to Lin Yuan's. So, Lin Yuan decided to do it himself to feel more involved.

After finishing the recording, he sent the work to his department's boss, Old Zhou, through the company's internal email, with a note attached:

"Soundtrack."

Soundtracks typically reflect the worldview or emotions of the original work. "Big Fish," with its lyrics and style, aligned well with the atmosphere of the animated series, making it a typical soundtrack.

After sending the song, Lin Yuan saw that his work for the morning was done and went to the company cafeteria for lunch. The cafeteria at the company was not only cheaper but also served delicious food compared to the university's cafeteria.

Meanwhile, in the manager's office, Old Zhou was preparing to go to the cafeteria when he received Lin Yuan's email. His movements stopped, and he couldn't hide the frown on his face.

"Lin Yuan submitted a soundtrack?"

Lin Yuan was the first one on the entire tenth floor to submit his task!

But Old Zhou, as the department's boss, was not pleased with this fact. He was already feeling down due to the potential failure of "Dance of the Fish Dragon," and Lin Yuan's action only added to his irritation. He even had the impulse to call Lin Yuan over immediately to reprimand him.

However, considering that Lin Yuan was a newcomer he had personally brought into the composition department and that Lin Yuan's ability to handle criticism might not be as strong as a seasoned musician's, Old Zhou decided to hold back his anger.

But he couldn't help feeling disappointed. After all, it had only been a little over two weeks since he had assigned "Dance of the Fish Dragon" to the entire tenth floor's composition department.

For any composer, what kind of masterpiece could they produce in such a short period of time?

This was the downside of achieving fame at a young age.

Youthful and arrogant!

It would lead to future disadvantages.

Lin Yuan was not exempt from this problem, especially after the success of the Newcomer Rankings, which had made him proud and complacent.

Old Zhou didn't expect that Lin Yuan would have the audacity to submit a song he had composed in just two weeks.

"Later, I need to have a good talk with him."

Old Zhou sighed lightly, filled with concern.

The emergence of "Life Like Summer Flowers" made him have high hopes for Lin Yuan. He couldn't stand by and watch a promising talent who might become another ace composer for the company go astray.

"Just today!"

While working in the afternoon, I must figure out a more concise method to teach Lin Yuan!

At this particular time, Old Zhou hesitated to open the song "Big Fish" that Lin Yuan had sent, despite it being part of his supervisory responsibilities.

However, in order to provide constructive feedback during the upcoming discussion in the afternoon, Old Zhou entered the company's internal temporary password and played Lin Yuan's song.

He even skipped using headphones out of sheer laziness.

...

In the loudspeakers, the distinct piano trills, characteristic of the instrument, resonated, setting the stage for a melodic prelude.

Soon after, the main verse arrived.

Merely after listening to the first two lines of the lyrics, Old Zhou let out a soft "hmm." His deeply furrowed brows gradually relaxed.

It seemed...

promising?

As the main verse gradually ended and transitioned into the chorus, Old Zhou's heartbeat slightly quickened, and his expression changed.

He leaned forward, as if trying to get closer to the speakers.

By the time the song reached its final harmonious part, Old Zhou's mouth was slightly ajar, and throughout the entire song, he couldn't bring himself to close it.

"This song..."

Taking a deep breath, Old Zhou took out his most cherished custom-made headphones from his drawer and carefully put them on. He then replayed "Big Fish."

The same melody.

But this time, the surround sound effect of the headphones enhanced the presentation of the song, making every detail more distinct and immersing him even further in the music.

Thus, when the song reached its harmonious part, his body was covered in goosebumps.

Almost every hair on his body stood on end.

He swallowed hard.

Old Zhou clicked the "play" button for the third time.

Actually, the song's melody remained the same, and it didn't change with the number of plays. What changed was the person listening to it.

"Hehehehehe..."

Old Zhou laughed, and his body swayed with the song's final notes.

The chair he was sitting on creaked and squeaked as it rocked in tandem with his body, accompanying his laughter.

Midway through his laughter, he suddenly slapped his forehead.

Carefully downloading the song, encrypting it, and sealing the original, Old Zhou stood up with a dreamy expression. His face had turned slightly red.

...

Lin Yuan's favorite dish in the company cafeteria was the braised pork knuckles.

Unlike the overly sweet ones he used to eat, the cafeteria's version had a tender texture, and even the skin was soft enough to melt in your mouth, which he enjoyed immensely.

At a table behind him sat a few composers, talking in hushed voices.

"That's Xianyu."

"He looks so handsome and young."

"This Xianyu, heh, he's young and handsome, but he disrespected Sister Jing."

"Yeah, this guy is a bit arrogant."

"Tsk, getting famous at a young age, relying on talent to be arrogant. In this industry, we've seen our fair share of newcomers like him."

"He thinks he is a Music Dad just because he wrote a decent song."

"By relying on inspiration, he wrote one good song. That's all there is to it. This industry will teach him a lesson about humility, and he'll understand his place in the future."

They discussed animatedly, pointing fingers and nodding in agreement.

One of the composers felt a sudden chill behind him and turned around, only to be startled by a face as dark as the bottom of a pot. It was none other than Old Zhou, who was approaching Lin Yuan with a stern expression.

"Man... Manager..."

"You came to eat in person."

"Tell me what you want to eat, and I'll get it for you!"

In front of Manager Zhou, the composers shivered in fear.

Old Zhou exuded an icy aura, and his voice was far from friendly. "Have you all been eating too well?"

"Manager... we..."

Old Zhou coldly remarked, "Oh, it seems you've been eating quite well. In that case, you can do some exercise. Auntie, who cleans the twelfth floor, is on leave today. You can clean the twelfth floor thoroughly, especially the bathrooms."

"Yes..."

The composers reluctantly raised their heads, leaving with a sense of defeat. Just before leaving, one of them apologized, "Sorry, Manager, we won't gossip about our colleagues behind their backs anymore."

"That's no right," Old Zhou pointed out, "You can talk about others behind their backs all you like. I do it too. But you shouldn't gossip about him!"

"Huh?"

The composers looked puzzled, wearing expressions of bewilderment.

Just as they were about to leave the cafeteria, one of them turned back and was shocked to see that Old Zhou had transformed into a completely different person. He was walking over to Lin Yuan with a warm and friendly smile.

"What the hell?"

The employees exchanged baffled glances, looking as though they had seen a ghost.

...

Lin Yuan was enjoying his pork knuckles when he suddenly saw someone trying to serve him vegetables. "Young man, you shouldn't be picky. You need to eat more vegetables."

"Okay."

Lin Yuan agreed verbally but continued to eat the pork knuckles.

Old Zhou didn't mind and maintained a kind demeanor. "You've been with the composition department for a while now. Are you getting used to it? If there's anything you're not comfortable with, you can tell me."

"It's been good."

Lin Yuan answered truthfully. He hadn't interacted much with people from other floors, but he found the colleagues on the tenth floor to be friendly.

"That's good to hear."

Old Zhou was satisfied with the response and nodded. "You know, anything Little Zhao could provide you with in the past, I, Zhou Ruiming, can provide as well, even more than she could. So, if you have any needs, just let me know."

"Can I not eat vegetables?"

Lin Yuan looked a bit reluctant to touch the plate of greens.

Old Zhou was almost choked but soon burst into laughter. "Of course, young people are still growing, and they should eat more meat!"

"Okay."

"How's it been at school?"

"It's been good at school too."

"I see. I know that university students have it tough. If you encounter any difficulties at school, you can talk to me."

"Thank you."

Lin Yuan continued eating, and Old Zhou watched him, nodding with satisfaction. He was growing fonder of this young man with each passing moment.

That's right!

Young people, especially sophomores, should be full of youthful spirit! They shouldn't be afraid of authority figures! This is what makes them young!

Is it still youthful without a bit of arrogance?