CHAPTER 100: CHAPTER 96: THE CLASSIC ALBUMS THAT STUNNED THE PRODUCERS

Chu Tian had saved himself a lot of hassle and energy, mainly because he didn’t have the money right now. He had originally planned to use 20,000 yuan from this month’s salary to register the company first.

But Hou Yichuan agreed quite readily, stating that as long as the funds were in place within a month, it would be fine.

In his view, since there was no need to invest, why would a scammer bother scamming him into registering a company? After all, it was just a matter of a few days and a few thousand yuan. How much could he really lose if it were a scam? The key point was that the other party didn’t seem to have any profit either, right? Therefore, the probability of being scammed was extremely small unless someone intentionally sought him out just to give him a hard time. But was that even possible? They had no reason to bear a grudge against each other.

Once things were settled, the two exchanged contact information. After seeing Hou Yichuan off, Chu Tian walked towards the company leisurely, starting to contemplate.

It might have looked like he wasn’t doing anything serious before, but in reality, he was absorbing information about this world every day: from music to film, from the economy to the internet, and then to technology. Online gossiping wasn’t for nothing; he had gained an understanding of many aspects.

Being new in town, acting rashly isn’t my style. No matter how much I stir things up in the company, it’s just a limited space; how big of a wave could I possibly make? If I had relied on my system from the start—or even without it, just on the knowledge in my mind—and plunged headfirst into the entertainment industry... Honestly, no matter how talented one is, in a completely unfamiliar place full of mixed influences, one would definitely be someone else’s prey. You might be devoured without even knowing it.

Now that he had a good grasp of things, he was ready to enter the fray himself.

Baise Entertainment? They are no longer my goal. The voice of the Chinese language is too soft in this world. It’s completely suppressed by Japan and North America, with no power to fight back. Relying on the entire East Asian market, the mainland only manages to hold a spot in the record industry, with just one company among the top ten record companies. The others either have special backgrounds or are established brands, and all of them are based in special regions. When others promote a singer, they have endless shows and are treated with respect wherever they go. Mainland singers either hustle in underground passages and bar stages or at various commercial performance music festivals, hoping to explode onto the scene overnight and get noticed by capital investors. Or they attach themselves to entertainment companies in the south, serving local stars and building connections in the hope of being taken under someone’s wing. Or they have family connections, relying on an ’uncle’ or ’aunt’ in the circle to get them in. For someone like Xu Qingqiu with no backing, once blacklisted by the company, there’s no one to speak up for her, and she has to endure all kinds of disdain and scorn—this is the reality.

Chu Tian had seen through it all in his past life, which is why he wasn’t worried at all about Xu Qingqiu’s plight. He just needed to hold her over with a few songs for the time being, to keep her from being completely defeated.

As for a counterattack? That definitely couldn’t be rushed. Together, Xu Qingqiu and I were flat broke—no money, no connections, no influence. What could we possibly counterattack with?!

But now it was different. The first share of revenue from that batch of songs was about to arrive, and his novel royalties and rights fees were also due soon. Having money naturally provided solutions. Today, he approached Hou Yichuan as part of the preparations for a counterattack.

The first step is to push Xu Qingqiu into the spotlight, making her a true Queen! The second step is to start dealing with Baise Entertainment, make them uncomfortable first. Finally, it will be time to target Habes, the old entertainment empire. You think you’re so formidable? Well then, don’t just compete inland—go out and fight on your own turf!

This was Chu Tian’s idea. Xu Qingqiu was the weapon in his hands—a divine blade to split open this circle and slay the evil dragon!

Of course, Xu Qingqiu’s abilities are still far from enough; it will take some time before she’s ready.

「Indeed, that was the case.」

In the recording studio that had been specially rented, there was currently a heart-shaking silence. All those involved in the album production sat in their seats, quietly listening to the song coming from the speakers. Those who knew each other stared with wide eyes in disbelief. Those without acquaintances just sat there dumbfounded, and some, so excited, even started shaking.

"Teacher Xu... Teacher Xu... is this the album you want to produce?"

Xu Qingqiu turned off the speakers, clapped her hands with a smile, and nodded. This was already the fourth song played, and she had expected the others’ reactions long ago. After all, she herself had been similarly shocked when she first heard them.

"I have a question, does Teacher Xu plan to select two songs as the lead singles, or are all four of these songs going into one album?"

Xu Qingqiu shook her head, looked at the person, and said, "No, to be precise, all twelve songs will go into the new album."

"Twelve songs? You mean there are more?"

"Yes, there are currently eight songs. Here are seven, and one has already been released, which is ’The Original Dream.’ I plan to include that song in this album as well."

"This... Teacher Xu, may I ask, aside from these four, what is the quality of the other songs like?"

"Quality-wise, they’re about the same as these. Each has its advantages and disadvantages, but the theme is rather unified."

"About the same?!"

Now, not only the speaker but everyone present couldn’t sit still.

"Qingqiu! Do you realize what level these songs are? I’m not exaggerating when I say that these songs can definitely be called classics! Even if put in the golden age of music, they would stand out. Are you sure?!"

The person sitting furthest in, an older-looking man, finally couldn’t help but speak up. This was Guo Jingtao, the executive producer of this album and a veteran musician.

Xu Qingqiu quickly turned around and politely said, "Teacher Guo, I’m well aware, but don’t you think these songs fit together perfectly? If they fit, why not put them into one album?"

"I understand your concern, Teacher, but what was our original intention in making music? Isn’t it to produce better and more excellent music for the fans?"

"What about now? An album is made up of one or two lead singles and a hodgepodge of garbage gathered from who knows where. Releasing an album is no longer about sharing songs but more like a business. Teacher, do you think that’s right?"

"I just want to sing good songs, to make fans feel that their purchase is worthwhile, not some watered-down fakes. Is that so wrong?"

Faced with Xu Qingqiu’s questioning, everyone present felt a profound shock in their hearts!

Yes, when had the music scene become like this? In the past, whose album wasn’t popular all over Jiangnan? Whose album didn’t contain a variety of masterpieces? Back then, it was like a battle of gods, every song a classic, creating so many legends.

What about now? Has everyone lost their talent, or have they been blinded by the pursuit of money?

After a long while, Guo Jingtao sighed, looked at Xu Qingqiu with complicated eyes, and said with heartfelt words, "Qingqiu, you are an outstanding singer and a qualified musician. I’ve grown old and forgotten my original intentions. You’re right; good songs should be shared, not hidden away and doled out like squeezing toothpaste or harvesting leeks."

"Your album will be an all-classics album, perhaps the highest quality album in a decade. I’m honored to be the executive producer of this album, but I have a small suggestion."