Chapter 36 The Entangled Silent Abyss

After listening to Shi Shi's two songs, Shen Jingyuan finally understood what she meant by feeling overwhelmed by a difficult decision. Now the problem was his.

The problem is, he can't choose either! He called everyone in the studio together, saying, "Come on, let's listen together. The opinions of the masses are the most reliable!"

So, what started as Shi Shi and Shen Jingyuan's conflicted expressions turned into a collective expression of confusion, startling their manager, Sister Qiao, when she entered.

"What's wrong? Everyone looks so worried."

Xiao Meng quickly handed the stool he was sitting on to Sister Qiao: "My goodness, you've finally arrived. We're all just amateurs, how would we know what kind of songs the market would welcome? You should quickly choose a theme song for Brother Chen's new album."

Sister Qiao looked at Shen Jingyuan with some surprise, and when he nodded, she was even more puzzled. She and Shen Jingyuan had always had a clear division of labor; she didn't interfere with anything related to music, only handling his announcements, public relations, and keeping track of industry developments. This was truly unprecedented! She wanted to hear what kind of song had him so conflicted!

Shi Shi wrote two songs for Shen Jingyuan: "Yong Qing" (用情) and "Guo Huo" (过火). Both were once incredibly popular songs, hitting every corner of the world. The original singer, Jeff Chang, is known for his deep, delicate, and gentle style, especially his love songs. His voice is very similar to his aunt's.

After listening to the two songs, Sister Qiao remained silent for a while before saying to Shen Jingyuan, "You definitely like to be emotional. But the market tends to favor the excessive."

Shi Shi nodded in agreement. Sister Qiao was a very astute manager. She didn't understand music, but she was very keen on market trends. Before the time travel, "Love in the Eyes" was only in the top five of Jeff Chang's songs, while "Over the Top" became a hit everywhere. It wouldn't be an exaggeration to say that it dominated a generation's playlist.

"Then let's release 'Over the Top' as the lead single. We also need to include 'Emotion.' Cut one of the original tracks. Hurry up and record it, Lao Shen." Sister Qiao could already foresee the buzz "Over the Top" would generate. They needed to revise the marketing plan. The original one was too conservative!

Shi Shi was also very happy for her uncle. She knew he was a workaholic and would definitely start production immediately. She was about to say goodbye when Shen Jingyuan said, "Sister Qiao, draft the contract and settle the payment for Shi Shi according to Grade A."

Within the industry, there are different levels of pricing for songwriting. Level A is the highest, and generally only top-tier songwriters receive this treatment.

Shi Shi had already been informed by Song Ming, so she looked at Shen Jingyuan in surprise: "Uncle, isn't it unnecessary? B-level is fine." Actually, she wanted to say C-level would also be acceptable, but given the quality of these two songs, C-level seemed a bit unreasonable.

Singers at Shen Jingyuan's level no longer care about this amount of money. He waved his hand: "Don't argue with me, listen to me. This song is worth this price. Now it's also benefiting from Shi Shi's fame. If you released the song directly to the market, I would have to raise the price and compete with others!"

This isn't an exaggeration. Actors can gain attention by playing positive roles and frequently appearing in public. Unlike actors, singers need a hit song to establish themselves. A hundred bad songs can't compare to one hit. But a hit song can't be created by money alone.

The phrase "lack of inspiration" can knock 99% of songwriters to the ground.

The arrival of a small sum of money brightened Shi Shi's mood considerably.

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The popularity of "Crossover Joyful Voice" is gradually rising, and this episode, in which celebrities will sing with amateur contestants they recommend, has already generated a lot of buzz even before it airs.

Laji Xiaoxin: A fan site admin captured photos of Jiang Haichao going to rehearsal! So exciting!

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The combination of ex-wife and ex-husband is quite amazing...

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Cherry Calf: A long-time fan reporting in.

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Oreo: Fu Zhixu's wife fan is here~ I'll support my brother for ten thousand years.

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Not only were the fans incredibly curious, but the production crew was too! Fu Zhixu and Shi Shi were placed in the same dressing room. This was to reveal the post-production recording process as a bonus, so the cameras started rolling as soon as the two entered the TV station. Shi Shi was wearing a white high-waisted skirt, which visually elongated her already slender and straight legs. Her long black hair was casually styled in a bun, giving her a pure yet alluring look. Shen He, acting as her assistant, followed closely behind.

Fu Zhixu had already arrived at the dressing room early. Upon seeing Shi Shi, he gave her a faint smile: "Was there a traffic jam on the way?"

Shi Shi nodded naturally, "The roads in Kyoto are always congested, but today is alright." She knew what Fu Zhixu wanted to ask, because the original owner of this body suffered from mild motion sickness, only feeling better when she was driving herself. Fu Zhixu subtly observed Shi Shi. Perhaps what is lost is most precious. From the moment he received the divorce certificate, he always told himself he wouldn't regret it. But when Shi Shi's face appeared before him, he felt as if he had returned to the beginning of their relationship. She was like a sweet candy, her sweet aroma filling his mouth. Now, Shi Shi was also a piece of candy, sweet to the point of sadness.

"You look a little tired, take a rest and don't push yourself too hard." Fu Zhixu is very dedicated. Although he relies on his popularity to make a living, he has a very good reputation among his seniors.

"The same to you."

Seemingly unable to find any topics to talk about, the two decided to rehearse twice in advance. Unexpectedly, someone else had the same idea.

Seeing that it was Jiang Haichao and Jiang Peng, the two of them also began to watch with great interest.

"I never expected Jiang Yingdi to be this good. The entertainment industry is truly full of hidden talents," Shi Shi couldn't help but exclaim.

“Brother Haichao comes from a family of Peking Opera performers; his grandfather, father, and second uncle were all senior Peking Opera performers.” Fu Zhixu clearly knew more than she did.

As the music ended, Jiang Haichao noticed the two people in the audience. They walked towards them. Fu Zhixu reacted quickly and went to greet them.

"Long time no see, Brother Haichao. Hello, Teacher Jiang."

"The online uproar will pass eventually. Come visit me sometime." Shi Shi was a little surprised; she hadn't expected the two to have such a good relationship. Seemingly sensing her confusion, Jiang Haichao spoke up, "I had a cameo role in a drama starring Zhi Xu. We hit it off immediately. Old Wang told me you're doing another original piece today, right?" Old Wang was, of course, referring to director Wang Jinsheng.

Shi Shi nodded: "Please give me your guidance, teacher."

Uncle Jiang exposed Jiang Haichao's true abilities: "With your level, we can't teach you anything. Besides, Haichao is not as good as me."

Jiang Haichao had a good relationship with his second uncle, so he called out to him helplessly. Then he said to the two of them, "I'm too busy today. I won't keep you company with pleasantries. We'll talk next time we meet."

Fu Zhixu was overjoyed. He knew this meant Jiang Haichao wanted to introduce him to resources. A smile appeared on his usually cold face. He truly lived up to his top-tier status; at least his looks were undeniably striking. His smile was like the moon goddess descending, sprinkling silver frost upon the earth.

Shi Shi also had to admit that this face was worthy of the original owner's early marriage.