Chapter 7 - Continuous Surprise

Translator: Lynn

Long Zichen, who was quite outgoing, didn’t hesitate to share some inside information and gossip about their company with Jian Jie. He didn’t exaggerate the company’s strength, but instead provided an honest account of what they had to offer. Despite having only met a few times, Long Zichen had a favorable impression of Jian Jie and appreciated his calm temperament, so he didn’t feel the need to deceive him.

Jian Jie listened attentively as Long Zichen introduced Xinghuo Music. He felt satisfied with what he heard. Although the company was small, it seemed well-established and not too crude. What mattered most to him was that he believed Long Zichen would be a great mentor, and he didn’t foresee any barriers to working with him. Being only nineteen years old, Jian Jie possessed a pure and simple mindset. He was focused on creating meaningful music and wasn’t concerned about money, fame, or fortune. Jian Jie believed that his aspirations would be fulfilled in this company, and that was enough for him.

As they reached the third floor, Long Zichen mentioned that he would introduce some important figures in the company to Jian Jie. They entered Yuan Chao’s office, where Yuan Chao and two others were already waiting. To the left of Yuan Chao, sitting on the sofa, was a sharp and capable woman in her mid-thirties. On the other side of the sofa sat a middle-aged man dressed casually. Upon seeing Jian Jie and the others enter, the man smiled and remarked, “Finally, you brought him here. Let me see… he’s quite handsome. With this appearance, he’s already an A+.”

“That’s right, can I think otherwise? His voice is even better, and I’ll demonstrate it with my hands later,” Long Zichen proudly compared Jian Jie to his thumb, then introduced the individuals, saying, “This handsome uncle is our vice president and marketing director at Spark, you can call him Brother Chai. And this beautiful and charming big sister is our head of the artist department, senior manager Miss Xiaohui.”

“Why am I the uncle while Xiaohui is the big sister?” Chai Xuyang pretended to be upset.

Tang Xiaohui couldn’t help but laugh and scold Long Zichen, saying, “Look at your flattering tongue.”

Jian Jie followed Long Zichen’s lead and greeted Tang Xiaohui and Chai Xuyang, while also acknowledging Yuan Chao once again. Yuan Chao sighed, saying, “You’re really polite. From now on, we’ll get along just fine.”

“Everyone seems friendly and welcoming. That’s good,” Tang Xiaohui commented. “How old are you? I have a form here that you can fill out to update your profile.”

Long Zichen quickly explained to Jian Jie, “Everyone needs to fill out this information. We need a comprehensive understanding of the artist to tailor our packaging and promotion accordingly.” Jian Jie nodded, picked up a pen, and began filling in the profile. Long Zichen leaned over the table, peering at Jian Jie’s writing, and explained anything he didn’t understand.

Upon seeing this, Yuan Chao couldn’t help but sneer, “Dachen, are you trying to become an assistant? Brother Chai, Sister Xiaohui, how do you think Dachen appears right now?”

Chai Xuyang pondered, then said, “Like a eunuch?”

“He looks more like a nanny to me,” Tang Xiaohui added, unable to contain her laughter. “Seems like Xiaochen is trying to steal our manager and assistant’s jobs.”

Yuan Chao laughed, saying, “I knew it. This is the first time I’ve seen him so active. Oh, Dachen, if you want to be Xiaojie’s assistant, just say the word. Brother here will fulfill your wish.” Jian Jie felt a bit awkward hearing them joke at his expense. Long Zichen quickly reassured him, saying, “You focus on filling out your form. Don’t mind them.” He rolled his eyes at Yuan Chao and the others, disdainfully adding, “My appearance fee is quite high, around a million every few minutes. Can you afford that? But if it’s to be Xiaojie’s assistant, then I might consider it. After all, my eagerness for talent and affection allows me to sacrifice my heart.”

“I really want to give you a good beating for your Chinese teacher,” Chai Xuyang mused, feeling out of touch with the young people’s banter.

Amidst the jokes, Jian Jie finished filling out the form. Tang Xiaohui took it and examined it closely. Chai Xuyang said to Jian Jie, “If you’re still satisfied with our company, you can start training with our trainees first and then sign the contract after considering it. Here’s a contract for you to review. Xiaochen worked on it after discussing it with us. Take it home, have a look, and we can discuss it if you’re not satisfied.”

Long Zichen nodded in agreement, saying, “I mentioned it on the phone before. I negotiated this contract with them, and it’s absolutely fair and reasonable. Take it home and let your family have a look.”

“I have a friend who’s more familiar with these things. My family is worried about me, so he’ll come later to help me review it. Is that okay?” Jian Jie asked.

Long Zichen immediately smiled generously and replied, “Of course, it’s natural for your family to be concerned. They’re welcome to visit and investigate.”

Chai Xuyang and Tang Xiaohui’s primary goal today was to meet the so-called “Genius Boy” that Long Zichen had mentioned. Now that their objective was fulfilled, they didn’t want to delay any further. They briefly explained the situation to Jian Jie, then stood up to leave. Long Zichen offered to stay, guiding Jian Jie to his own office.

Long Zichen’s excitement got the better of him as he rushed into his office, pushing the door open. The office walls were adorned with a few posters, and on one side, there were various musical instruments, including electric guitars, basses, and keyboards. The shelves on the other side were filled with records. Long Zichen motioned for Jian Jie to take a seat on the sofa and hurriedly went to a small cabinet to retrieve scented tea, which he brewed and placed in front of Jian Jie.

“Since you aspire to be a singer, you must take good care of your voice. In the future, pay attention to your diet. Avoid spicy and stimulating foods, and consume fewer carbonated drinks,” Long Zichen advised. “It may seem troublesome, but it’s beneficial for your overall health.”

“Okay,” Jian Jie replied.

Today, Long Zichen was in high spirits and couldn’t stop talking. He rushed to the record rack against the wall, picked out a few albums, and returned to Jian Jie, excitedly laying them out. He said, “Have you heard these singers’ albums? Lu Lin and Zhou Jiayuan are top singer-songwriters in our country. These albums are of exceptional quality. And this one, Ding Jiangyu, though relatively new, has an extraordinary voice and a good background. All his albums are high-quality. I think you’ll enjoy the songs he selected, so take them home and give them a listen.”

Jian Jie nodded, carefully examining the albums of the mentioned artists before putting them in his backpack. He earnestly thanked Long Zichen, saying, “Thank you, Mr. Long, for lending me these albums. I will listen to them attentively.”

“You’re quite serious, kid,” Long Zichen chuckled. “But I like your earnestness. Being polite will never harm you.”

Jian Jie felt a bit conflicted and asked Long Zichen, “Mr. Long, aren’t you much older than me?” Long Zichen always referred to him as a child, and Jian Jie found it a bit awkward.

But Long Zichen laughed, patting Jian Jie on the shoulder, and said in a playful manner, “Why are you so concerned about a kid like me? I’m already twenty-eight years old, almost ten years older than you. It’s not appropriate for me to call you a kid!”

“Twenty-eight… not that old…”

“Come on, give me a chance to act older!”

Jian Jie couldn’t help but give in. Long Zichen then made an appointment for Jian Jie to come for auditions and training in a few days. He said, “Don’t be put off by our recording equipment here; it’s not the most professional. You’ll audition first, and record a few songs to practice your feelings. Later on, if you receive a good song, I’ll take you to a professional recording studio to record it.”

Jian Jie had never been in a recording studio before, so he couldn’t help but feel excited. Upon hearing that he needed to collect songs, he thought about the dozen or so songs he had composed. He cautiously asked, “Mr. Long, I’ve also dabbled in songwriting. Can I show you the songs I’ve written?”

“You can write songs too?” Long Zichen’s eyes lit up. “Show them to me quickly. It would be fantastic if you can write songs.”

Jian Jie took out his staff book from his bag, and Long Zichen eagerly flipped through it. After just a few pages, his face was filled with surprise. He hummed along to the melodies, tapping his fingers to the beat, getting carried away. After a while, he exclaimed

, “Ah, this is amazing! I thought it would be mediocre, but I didn’t expect it to be so mature! Oh, with a little tweaking, a few of these songs can be used! I particularly like this song, ‘Paradise,’ and this one, ‘Dream.’ Oh, and ‘Restart’ is also excellent. Xiaojie, you have great potential to become a singer-songwriter!” Long Zichen was completely ecstatic, pulling Jian Jie along, dancing and celebrating. “You’ve truly surprised me! Let’s rehearse in the next two days, and we can start recording songs soon! I’ll send a few songs to the music company, and I’ll also inquire about the copyright situation. I sent a message a few days ago mentioning that ‘Paradise’ and ‘Restart’ were selected…”

“Which company?” Long Zichen interrupted.

“Thunder.”

“Did they purchase the rights to your song?”

Jian Jie was unaware of this and replied sheepishly, “I’m not sure. I asked my friend to handle it.”

“I think I’ll visit Thunder tomorrow and try to reclaim the copyright. It would be convenient for us to use it in the future. But don’t worry, even if we can’t get it back, you can write a few more high-quality songs,” Long Zichen reassured him with a smile.

“Okay,” Jian Jie smiled and nodded.

Please let me know if there are typos/mistakes in the chapter.

Support me on ko-fi for faster releases ^^