CHAPTER 108: CHAPTER 104: UNLIMITED ENTERTAINMENT

In the following days, the group practically lived in the recording studio.

The band constantly practiced and adjusted to the new arrangements. Since it wasn’t a performance but merely recording accompaniment, and it was all done separately, there wasn’t a high demand for seamless cooperation. At most, they coordinated during practice to familiarize themselves with their parts more quickly.

It wasn’t so easy for Xu Qingqiu, though. The so-called crash course she was promised sounded quick, and indeed it was, but it was also exhausting. Chu Tian was stuffing her head with all sorts of knowledge, like force-feeding a duck. She was learning new things every day. He seemed like a bottomless pit, always having new and novel things to teach, and Xu Qingqiu endured both the pain and joy of learning.

Fortunately, Chu Tian knew they couldn’t afford too much delay; after recording the songs, there was still production to be done and music videos to shoot. The previous four songs seemed to be hits, but the actual income wasn’t very substantial. Compared to the golden age of the music industry, its current decline was directly related to reduced earnings.

Take a popular song from the late 90s to the early 21st century for instance: ringtone sales alone could generate sky-high income. A hit song could easily bring in hundreds of millions. But now, a hit song with hundreds of millions of plays might only yield a few million in royalties, sometimes not even reaching ten million. The difference was stark. Furthermore, physical albums commanded higher prices back then, naturally leading to greater profits for both singers and record companies. Therefore, relying solely on the revenue from four songs was not enough to sustain the entire studio indefinitely. This was why everyone, from Sister Hua to Xu Qingqiu to Chu Tian, was anxious.

"Alright, let’s stop here for today. I feel it’s almost there. We’ll start the official recording tomorrow."

"Ah? But... I feel like there are still many areas I don’t quite understand."

"You don’t need to understand everything. Just do as I say when we record."

"How about we extend it by two more days?" Xu Qingqiu was still somewhat reluctant. To say nothing of other things, the knowledge she had gained in just the past two days was enormously valuable. She always heard many novel theories from Chu Tian. When combined with her past experience, it felt like an epiphany. She felt an insatiable urge to keep learning, loathing the thought of stopping.

But Chu Tian had no choice; there wasn’t enough time. "We’ll have more opportunities in the future. Let’s focus on recording the album for now. Don’t worry, I’m here."

When she heard Chu Tian say, "Don’t worry, I’m here," memories flooded her mind as if a dam had burst. Her past came pouring out like a raging torrent, and she unconsciously nodded.

"Alright."

Only after answering did she realize what she had done, but she didn’t deny it. It wasn’t just her; even Chu Tian was momentarily stunned. He found such scenes eerily familiar, as memories surfaced in his mind. It seemed that whenever Xu Qingqiu encountered a problem in the past, he had assured her with the same conviction, saying, "Don’t worry, I’m here." And she would always nod obediently, smiling and replying, "Alright," like a little kitten.

Was it habit? Or was it an influence that had subtly taken hold? He shook his head, dismissing these thoughts, and walked out absentmindedly, murmuring a goodbye. He didn’t even hear Xu Qingqiu calling for him to share a ride home.

"Sister Qiu, what’s wrong with him?"

Yiyi, following Xu Qingqiu with a lollipop in her mouth, asked curiously.

"I don’t know..." Xu Qingqiu watched Chu Tian’s retreating back with a complex expression, a hint of loss in her eyes. Ultimately, she didn’t chase after him.

"Let’s go. We’re heading home."

"Oh, okay."

Chu Tian didn’t know what had gotten into him. Perhaps he was simply too tired. He just wanted to walk alone, take in the scenery, and breathe some fresh air. However, this wish proved difficult to fulfill.

"Hey, President Chu, the company registration is complete. Do you want to come and have a look?"

"Hmm? It’s done already?"

"Yes, the office location has been rented, the registration information confirmed, and the business license has been obtained. Also, the company account has been properly set up.

"But the office lease agreement stipulated that the rent for the first six months must be paid within a week, and the registered capital must be transferred within a month."

Hou Yichuan was direct and focused on the essentials. Upon hearing this, Chu Tian understood. The first reason for the call was to inform him that company matters were settled; the second was to ask for money. To put it bluntly, Hou Yichuan was calling to remind him about the money. From his tone, Chu Tian could clearly sense Hou Yichuan’s lack of confidence and even a hint of panic.

How could he not panic? After all, Hou Yichuan had been running around handling registrations and leasing the venue for so long. Not to mention the effort, he had fronted the money for many expenses himself. The boss had said the funds would be in the account within a month. Now, half a month had passed without a penny in sight, so his anxiety was understandable.

In truth, this was a misunderstanding Chu Tian had created without realizing it. He had thought royalties would be coming in this month, and that royalties added to his manuscript fees should amount to quite a bit. It turned out to be a significant sum—almost two hundred thousand at first glance. While different from his initial expectations, it was certainly enough for startup costs. However, he then discovered that the platform wouldn’t issue the manuscript fees until the 15th of the month, meaning he suddenly had to wait another half a month. A comedy of errors had led to this major blunder.

"I understand. Where are you now? I’ll come over and take a look."

Issues had to be resolved, and he wasn’t a swindler. Having kept Hou Yichuan busy for so long, Chu Tian felt a bit embarrassed. Fortunately, he had previously agreed to give Hou Yichuan a share of the profits and would reward him with stock options later. Otherwise, with his current approach, the man would have likely left long ago, certainly not continued working for him.

He rushed to the address Hou Yichuan had given him: Xingyue Building, Block A, 16th Floor, Area 3.

The location was nice: a very new office building with clean surroundings and convenient transportation. The area was a cultural industry belt, meaning, in layman’s terms, that it was surrounded by media, news, and entertainment companies. It wasn’t far from Xu Qingqiu’s studio, roughly one or two subway stops away.

"President Chu, I’m sorry for making you come all this way so late."

To Chu Tian’s surprise, Hou Yichuan was already waiting for him as soon as he stepped out of the elevator.

"You’ve worked hard. Let’s go inside and take a look."

Following Hou Yichuan on a tour of the company, Chu Tian found it to be a good size, around eight hundred square meters—perfect for a startup.

What surprised him was seeing two other people in the office.

"Sister Liu, Brother Lin, you’re both here too?"

"Haha, President Chu, these two you found are truly excellent! They’re very capable and have been a great help to me in handling matters recently!"

Indeed, these two were recruits Chu Tian had brought in: Liu Ting, the company’s finance officer, and Lin Xiu, manager of the human resources department. These two areas had always been core to any business, and he wasn’t foolish enough to entrust them to just anyone.

Hou Yichuan was truly adept at handling people. His work ethic and the quality of his work were commendable. Crucially, he knew what to say. He had been waiting by the elevator before Chu Tian even arrived, and upon Chu Tian’s appearance, he immediately praised the individuals Chu Tian had hired. Regardless of their actual competence—it was too early to tell—it was clear they were the boss’s personal hires. So, even if they were utter fools, they deserved praise. After all, they were the boss’s trusted people, likely there to keep him in check. He was just a manager and needed to remember his place.

To Chu Tian, this flattery was not only pleasant but also felt natural. Of course, he wasn’t a fool; whether Liu Ting and Lin Xiu were suitable would only be revealed with time.