I Became an All-round Artist

It was another regular workday.
On his way to the company, Lin Yuan gave Sun Yaohuo a call: “Senior, I’ll be at the office soon. You can wait for me in the recording studio or come to the 10th floor in the composition department.”
“Alright,” Sun Yaohuo replied.

After hanging up, Lin Yuan felt something was off. His senior, usually quite talkative, seemed much quieter today.

Ten minutes later, Lin Yuan arrived at the composition department, where he found Sun Yaohuo sitting on a small stool outside the door.
“How’s the practice going?” Lin Yuan asked.
“I…” Sun Yaohuo hesitated.

Lin Yuan assumed he hadn’t practiced enough and was about to offer some encouragement when a voice interrupted: “Is Teacher Xianyu here?”
“What’s this about?” Lin Yuan looked up at the man who had spoken.

A well-dressed man with glasses smiled politely. “I’m Tao Ran. You must be Teacher Xianyu. You’re even younger than I expected. This isn’t the best place to talk. How about we head upstairs to the café?”
“One moment,” Lin Yuan said to Sun Yaohuo. “I’ll come find you in a bit.”
“Alright, you handle your business first,” Sun Yaohuo replied with a forced smile.

Tao Ran shot a brief glance at Sun Yaohuo before turning back to Lin Yuan, maintaining his polite smile. “This way, please, Teacher Xianyu.”

Lin Yuan followed him upstairs to the café, noting that Tao Ran appeared eager to treat him, which Lin Yuan found satisfactory.

“Allow me to introduce myself again,” the man said once they were seated. “I’m Tao Ran, the manager of singer Jin Shuyu. I’m here to ask if you would consider writing a song for him. Jin Shuyu is a big fan of your recent song, Red Rose.”

Lin Yuan frowned. “That song hasn’t even been released yet.”

Tao Ran smiled, brushing off the comment. “You don’t need to worry about how we heard it. The important thing is that Jin Shuyu really wants to collaborate with you. He’s a huge fan of yours and often mentions your name. He’s very excited about the possibility of working with you.”

“Sorry,” Lin Yuan said. “That song is already spoken for.”

Tao Ran, still smiling, responded, “From what I understand, you’ve given it to Sun Yaohuo. However, Sun Yaohuo is still a new artist with a small fan base. Honestly, giving Red Rose to him would be a bit of a waste. We’ve spoken with him, and since you haven’t signed a formal contract, the decision is still yours. Jin Shuyu, on the other hand, is a top-tier artist. The difference between them could lead to entirely different outcomes. I’m sure you understand that.”

“A top-tier artist?” Lin Yuan shook his head and stood up, preparing to leave.

What is this? Isn’t a top-tier artist a good thing?
Tao Ran was stunned by Lin Yuan’s immediate rejection and quickly tried again: “Teacher Xianyu, if you have any specific requests, feel free to mention them. Anything within my power, I’ll make happen…”

Lin Yuan’s voice was firm: “No top-tier artists.”

Tao Ran was completely thrown off. Most composers dream of working with top-tier singers, so why is Lin Yuan rejecting this? What’s going on? Does he expect to collaborate with a superstar?
But if that’s the case, why did he choose Sun Yaohuo?

In a last-ditch effort, Tao Ran offered, “We can adjust the profit-sharing arrangement. Normally, this isn’t allowed, but to ensure your satisfaction, we’re willing to make an exception. Additionally, we’re prepared to make a private payment directly to you. How about two million yuan, no need to go through the company?”

In short, they were willing to offer more money!

Lin Yuan stopped in his tracks.
Tao Ran breathed a sigh of relief. It’s about the money after all! He mentally noted down this weakness for future use—Xianyu’s weak spot is greed!

Regaining his composure, Tao Ran smiled confidently, believing the negotiation was now in his favor. “Now, let’s talk specifics, Teacher Xianyu. Please, have a seat.”

“No,” Lin Yuan turned and asked, “Can you tell me who leaked my song from the review department?”

Tao Ran’s expression shifted.
Lin Yuan’s tone was serious: “You might not care that it happened at your company, but today they leaked it to you. Tomorrow, they might leak it elsewhere. How can I trust people like that to handle my work?”

“We can pretend this never happened,” Tao Ran said, his expression darkening.
“If you won’t tell me, I’ll find out myself,” Lin Yuan replied as he pulled out his phone and called Lao Zhou. “Someone in the review department leaked my song to a company artist.”

Lao Zhou was momentarily stunned. “Huh?”

“Do we investigate?” Lin Yuan asked.

Lao Zhou chuckled, “If someone in the review department has this kind of influence, they’re probably backed by a senior executive. But don’t worry, this won’t affect you. I’ll raise hell and make sure you get your justice.”

“Investigate?” Lin Yuan repeated.

Lao Zhou suddenly sounded fierce. “We’ll investigate! We’ll dig up everything! I don’t care who they are, I’ll make sure they’re fired!”

“Good,” Lin Yuan said and hung up.

Lao Zhou put down the phone, grumbling, “Who’s the idiot that messed with Xianyu? I’m going to have to fight with the higher-ups over this.”

His assistant asked, surprised, “Did someone offend Xianyu?”

Lao Zhou nodded. “Xianyu’s got a new song. But what’s with his attitude? He’s starting to act like a big-shot composer. The kid’s becoming more and more like those temperamental industry veterans.”

“Are you angry?” the assistant asked carefully.

Lao Zhou burst into laughter. “Why would I be mad? It wasn’t me he’s upset with. And he’s still young—young people are supposed to be hot-headed!”

Back in the café, Tao Ran’s expression had soured as he overheard Lin Yuan’s conversation.
Lin Yuan, unfazed, dialed another number, this time calling Zhao Jue. “Someone in the review department leaked my song to a company artist.”

“Leave it to me,” she replied.

Lin Yuan hung up the phone and walked over to the register.

The cashier smiled. “That’ll be 120 yuan.”
“I just want to pay for my coffee,” Lin Yuan clarified.
The cashier glanced at the now fuming Tao Ran and coughed. “Sixty yuan…”
“What a rip-off,” Lin Yuan muttered under his breath as he paid. He had no idea that Tao Ran, hoping to impress him, had ordered the most expensive coffee on the menu.

Returning to the composition department, Lin Yuan found Sun Yaohuo still sitting outside, looking downcast and defeated.
Lin Yuan frowned. “Have you been practicing the song?”
Sun Yaohuo looked up, his eyes slightly red. “Huh?”

“Recording tomorrow,” Lin Yuan said, heading back to his desk.

Sun Yaohuo sat there for a moment, stunned. Then, tears began streaming down his face. He bowed deeply in the direction of the composition department.
In the restroom, Sun Yaohuo called his manager, wiping his tears. “I’m still singing Red Rose.”

“Xianyu didn’t accept Tao Ran’s offer?”
“No.”
After a pause, his manager sighed, “He’s not just a great composer; he’s practically like family…”

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