CHAPTER 102: CHAPTER 98: HAVE I ALWAYS HAD A GOD BY MY SIDE?

Actually, Xu Qingqiu had misunderstood this point.

If we consider the golden age of music, her Singing Skills were already sufficient. After all, despite the abundance of great works during that era, how many fledgling Singers honestly possessed top-notch Singing Skills?

Didn’t everyone gradually hone their abilities as their careers developed?

Moreover, in this era eroded by capital, Singing Skills? How could they compare to quick marketing?

Refining Singing Skills day by day, year by year, is not only arduous and time-consuming but also depends on talent and requires a huge investment of time and money.

In this era of fast consumerism, who has that much time and money to squander?

Thus, the quality of Singers is deteriorating generation by generation, year by year.

Let’s not even talk about Singing Skills; simply being on pitch with stable breath control is enough to outperform a large number of Singers.

Nowadays, awards are also difficult to earn solely on merit; it’s merely a case of being the tallest dwarf.

Her title as "Queen" is well-deserved; there’s no doubt about that.

The key issue now is that this album is too classic. Even with her current Singing Skills, it would still stand out as supreme.

If released to the market, as long as people are purely listening to the songs without any influence from fan culture, it would be an unbeatable presence, utterly without competition.

But this is an album of classics.

Guo Jingtao really couldn’t bear to see such an album treated hastily. It was too much of a waste, an irreplaceable loss, and a regret that would be hard to compensate for!

"Do you understand what I’m saying? It’s not that your ability is insufficient, but I believe that if you’re going to do something, you should do it to the best of your ability,"

"just as you said, we are making music—a sacred and serious endeavor. We should share the best of our work with others, not something half-finished."

After Guo Jingtao’s explanation, Xu Qingqiu finally understood.

But she couldn’t help feeling troubled.

"Teacher Guo, I understand what you mean, but I’ve improved a lot recently, and it feels like I’ve already exhausted my prior accumulated progress."

"It seems very difficult to make rapid improvements in a short period..."

"Moreover, I can’t find the right person to teach me. As you know, I’m still blacklisted, and it’s difficult for me to invite many established figures in the industry."

She was speaking the truth. It wasn’t that she didn’t want to find someone for guidance, but that she genuinely couldn’t.

Yet Guo Jingtao thought differently.

"No, you claim you can’t find anyone to guide you, but who have you been learning from recently? The level of progress you’ve shown is extremely rare; that’s not something an average person could teach, let alone achieve."

"Besides, I’ve listened to the two new songs you released. Both in terms of their overall composition and fluidity, they are top-notch."

"Based on my expertise, it feels like both songs were recorded in a single take; at least, I couldn’t detect any signs of editing."

"Your condition during those recordings was much better than your performance today. Don’t tell me that was just an extraordinary fluke."

"With such a master right under your nose, you’re telling me you can’t find anyone? Qingqiu, I came to help you at this time, considering you practically family. There’s no need to be secretive with me, is there?"

Guo Jingtao, looking rather vexed, finished speaking and stared straight at Xu Qingqiu, awaiting her explanation.

But Xu Qingqiu was stunned speechless after hearing this.

"Really... is it that impressive?"

Impressive? It was incredibly impressive!

As the one directly involved, she was suffering from a classic case of being too close to see the bigger picture and hadn’t realized the true magnitude. However, for industry insiders, everyone who heard those two songs was utterly astonished.

Industry circles were already speculating which master was behind the production of those two songs. Guesses pointed to either an outstanding music director who not only improved her Singing Skills but also masterfully controlled the rhythm of the entire song.

Recording them flawlessly in a single take might sound simple, but one only realizes how incredibly difficult it is when attempting it.

Even veteran performers in their forties and fifties couldn’t guarantee they wouldn’t need to adjust some detail while recording, thus failing to achieve that seamless, natural perfection.

Another theory was that some god-tier audio engineer had intervened. When others’ top-tier, million-dollar sound engineers were already considered the best of the best, if this too was the work of such an engineer, forget a million—people would be lining up, willing to pay tens of millions for their services.

Whichever type of person it was, they would be considered a legendary figure. Isn’t that astounding?

That’s why Guo Jingtao accused her of secretly harboring such a master.

But how was Xu Qingqiu being secretive? Chu Tian had helped her record both songs, and from her perspective, listening to them simply made her feel satisfied, natural, and comfortable.

She hadn’t given it much further thought. Previously, she had even worried about Chu Tian’s lack of experience in album production and considered asking him to come over and learn, but he had refused.

Xu Qingqiu didn’t want to be too demanding, so she hadn’t forced him. It was only now, after others pointed it out, that she began to realize why Chu Tian hadn’t come.

Could it be that he wasn’t lazy, but had long surpassed this level and already considered such things beneath him?

If that was the case, had Chu Tian always been such an exceptional talent, and she simply hadn’t realized it?

Seeing her remain silent for a long time, a look of dejection crept into Guo Jingtao’s eyes.

"Is it something you can’t talk about, or is it inconvenient? If it’s inconvenient, then never mind."

"Ah? No, Teacher Guo, let’s call it a day. We can continue tomorrow. I need to go back and discuss this with someone."

Discuss? Discuss it with someone?

A gleam of hope suddenly lit up in Guo Jingtao’s eyes. Did this mean there was a chance?

He had long wanted to meet this mysterious master, and now it seemed he might have his chance. He quickly nodded in agreement.

"Of course, of course! Everyone’s tired today anyway. Let’s go home and rest. We’ll continue tomorrow. I’ll be looking forward to your good news!"

"Okay."

Xu Qingqiu responded vaguely, her mind already elsewhere. She quickly gathered her things and, ushering Yiyi into the car, sped towards the company.

「...」

"Chu Tian!"

"Damn!"

In the company, Chu Tian was lounging with his legs propped up on a nearby chair, currently grappling with the system.

These past few days, following the online release of Xu Qingqiu’s songs, both tracks had already exploded in popularity on the music platforms.

Countless other songs had been overshadowed, regardless of whether they were new releases, old hits, or catchy earworms; all had been swept aside.

On the very day of their release, the two songs surged to the top of the trending charts. Within just three days, they simultaneously dominated the new song charts, hit charts, and trending charts.

And after reaching the top, they remained as steadfast as an ancient tortoise, calmly watching the shifting tides below, utterly unshakeable.

Consequently, Chu Tian’s Reputation Points had soared. Whenever he had a moment, he made sure to spend all his accumulated Reputation Points.

In the past two days, he had drunk another bottle of "Sea Blue Essence." He felt his throat growing stronger and his speech becoming much smoother, his voice gradually nearing a normal person’s vocal tone.

Although it occasionally still sounded a little hoarse, it wasn’t severe, nor was it as uncomfortable as before when it felt like speaking through a layer of phlegm.

Besides that, he had acquired quite a few new songs and various other small items lately. The Refreshing Skin Water, in particular, worked wonders.

He felt his skin had become much more hydrated recently. Currently, he was lounging in his chair, idly trying his luck with the prize draws,

and simultaneously enjoying the sight of the little fatty at his feet, who wore a thoroughly resentful expression.

A sudden shout nearly startled him out of his wits.

Scrambling up from the chair, he quickly looked around to see who had called him and saw Xu Qingqiu standing at the door, her expression complex.

What’s going on here? What happened? I didn’t do anything, did I? Why does she look like she’s just been abandoned?