Chapter 152 The International Stage, Come and Try It If You Dare!

Do you know how many songs you've written in the last six months?

Shishi was a little confused; she really hadn't considered that!

Kong Pan looked at Shishi with a look of pride and joy, like a mother watching her daughter grow up: "Mom is so proud of you. You've almost 70 songs. While not every song is a classic, what's remarkable is that none of them were sloppyly made just for the sake of money."

Shishi was a little embarrassed.

Shi's father chimed in, "Every time you release a song, your mother and I listen to it. We don't just listen, we discuss it!"

"Oh? So which song is your favorite?"

"I love the lyrics to 'As You Wish' the most; it uses a small thing to reveal a big truth. It's simple yet full of emotion, which is great. I even used this song in my classes."

After saying that, Mr. Shi thought for a moment and said, "As for the arrangement..."

"The song 'Living' is very interesting. I like the sudden burst of rock energy in 'Living'."

Shishi was a little surprised, not expecting that her seemingly gentle and refined father would actually like rock music.

Shi Shi's mother's preferences were exactly as she had guessed.

"Pang Ying and that little boy's rendition of 'As Long As I Have You' was really good. I also really like 'Left Finger Pointing to the Moon'. But lately, my favorite song of yours is your newly released 'Red-Clad Lady'. Why is there only an a cappella version? You should go to the recording studio and record the full version as soon as you have time!"

Mr. Shi nodded in agreement. He was aware of his daughter's literary talent; the lyrics of these songs were quite good. They didn't use overly complex allusions, but rather possessed a grand beauty in their simplicity.

He used to use his daughter's songs as topics in his classes. Recently, word got out that he was Shishi's father, and students have been asking him for autographed photos. Now he feels uncomfortable mentioning his daughter in class anymore, as it would seem like he's just peddling his own wares.

"By the way, I printed out a lot of your photos. Please leave me some autographed photos before you leave my study. I want to give them to my students as end-of-term rewards."

Shi Shi was speechless at her father's bizarre actions: "Okay."

Kong Pan steered the conversation back on track, saying, "Everyone inside and outside the industry is watching this opportunity to represent the country. The pressure is immense, and if we lose, we'll be heavily criticized. But it's also an opportunity; if we achieve something, it'll be like adding a gold brick to the foundation of our career."

"You have nationally recognized abilities, have won prestigious professional awards, and have produced an astonishing 100 songs in just six months. You will definitely lead the team in the third round of the competition. Among the rookies, I don't think anyone's abilities surpass yours."

Half a year, and that's already so much? An average of 10 songs per month, one every three days. That's a bit scary!

Just as she was wondering whether she should avoid his sharp edge, wondering if she was being too conspicuous, she heard Kong Pan continue speaking.

"Moreover, this year's Brian from the United States, Kenta Tanaka from Japan, and Oliver from the United Kingdom are all child prodigies. These people are all prodigies, not only achieving fame at a young age, but also having their songs that are well-known worldwide."

"Especially Brian from the United States, whose background music was created when he was 13 years old. It has garnered an astonishing 5.2 billion plays worldwide. Even Kenta Tanaka completed the creation of 100 songs before he was 20 years old."

Hearing this, Shishi's initial thought that she was exaggerating was instantly suppressed. Compared to true geniuses, her small achievements were far from enough to be proud of.

Kong Pan also looked a little nervous: "Among these people, you are the only one who has not won an international music award. But among the new generation of talents in China today, there is no one stronger than you."

Shi Shi immediately understood; she had been chosen as the best among the worst.

"Besides me, how many other people are participating in the third round of the competition?" Shi Shi asked.

"For the third round, each country can only send two people. Besides you, the other one is Hua Hu. He has won a major pop music award in the United States. His song won the Best Original Song Award at the last Golden Voice Awards."

"Shouldn't we let him lead the team? I'll follow his lead."

There's nothing to hide from my own daughter. Kong Pan said bluntly, "Compared to Hua Hu, you're nothing. He's a real tough guy... you can't beat him with three sticks..."

"Cough cough..." Professor Shi's cough interrupted his wife's impending rude remark.

Shishi instantly understood the unspoken meaning. The implication was that Hua Hu was undeniably capable, but lacked social skills. He was unsuitable for public speaking. Although the third round of the competition only involved normal responses, they couldn't send two taciturn individuals up. Thus, Shishi, with her high IQ and EQ, was chosen.

"Since you've said so, of course I'll participate." Shi Shi realized what she meant.

"Chairman Kan Hong introduced me to the association last time. Could it be in preparation for this competition?"

Shi's mother gave her a knowing look: "What else? You're representing the country in a competition, do you expect to be an unofficial member?"

"Okay, I agree to this."

"That's right, you're a true daughter. Mom believes in your abilities! You just need to focus on the third round. What you can do now is write as many songs as possible before the competition, songs of all kinds."

Mr. Shi nodded: "As long as you have enough knowledge and a solid foundation, you don't need to panic no matter what kind of question you get! During this time, you should also listen to some European folk songs. In the final round of the competition, the judges will be from other countries. Their personal preferences will definitely have some bias."

After having dinner with her parents, Shishi gave them her exclusive tickets to the Spring Festival Gala. She left behind a bunch of autographed photos and, with her car full of things, headed home.

Before Fu Yingzhou returned, Shi Shi plunged into her study. She was starting to feel a sense of urgency! From writing songs and composing music at the beginning, to now producing albums, serving as music director for films, and participating in international competitions, she was taking increasingly bigger strides. She was genuinely afraid of making a mistake!

Oh, she doesn't have balls. That means she's afraid of accidentally twisting her ankle!

Only extensive knowledge of music theory and solid musical skills can put her at ease.

Otherwise, relying solely on the system's assistance will ultimately leave you lacking confidence!

Since agreeing to be the music director for Jiang Haichao's "Peace Wish" production team, she has used a lot of points to redeem several books, including "Learn Opera Quickly," "Film Score Tutorial," and "Top-notch Arrangement."

She hadn't finished studying those three books yet, so it seemed she'd have to start on new ones. She opened the system shop and redeemed "A History of European Music Development," "Global Music Trends," and "Contemporary Popular Music."

After redeeming the books, Shi Shi also redeemed a few classic background music tracks. She certainly wouldn't dare call upon the system to temporarily redeem songs during the competition. With her chuunibyou-esque system, what if it glitched and said, "I can't do it!"? Wouldn't she be completely helpless?