Adele was sitting on her couch, lost in her thoughts. She had been waiting for hours for Deborah, her agent, to call her and tell her the good news. She wants to get a song that she was sure would be a hit, and Deborah had promised to a buyer for it. Adele checked her phone again, hoping to see Deborah's name on the screen. Suddenly, it lit up. She smiled and picked it up. It was Deborah. She pressed the answer button and said eagerly, "Hello, Deborah. Were you able to seal the deal?"
There was a brief silence on the other end, before Deborah answered in a low voice. "Hmm, you won't believe this. He asked for a hundred thousand. Imagine, a whole hundred thousand for a newbie. I feel it's not worth it. And he was even arrogant."
Hearing this, Adele's face froze. Then, she broke into a smile and said, "Hehe, very well. It seems the young man knows my situation and the worth of the song. Seal the deal, but add a clause that states that he has to be here when I am producing the song. I want to see how bold he is for him to quote such a price." In her mind, she thought, "Such an interesting person."
At first, Deborah thought she misheard. She was about to refute, but she held back. "Okay, no problem. I will inform you once the contract is done." With that, Deborah hung up and went back to the café where she had met Hamza and Samuel. They were both chatting and laughing. Deborah approached them with a straight face and said, "Very well, the deal has been accepted. But only if you accept the clause that you will be there to help with the production of the song." Deborah said, still wondering why Adele accepted the deal. In her mind, she thought, "What if the song fails?"
Samuel looked at Hamza, who just smiled and nodded. Then, he said, "Okay, we have a deal. You can amend the contract, then we move to signing it."
With that, Deborah went out to fix the contract, which didn't take much time. She came back and the contract was signed. Hamza then asked, "So, when is the production starting and where?"
"You will be informed via e-mail for the time. As for where, be ready to go to London." With that, she stood up and left the café, signaling the end of the deal.
It had been three weeks since Hamza signed the deal with Adele. He had received the payment the week after the contract was signed. He was feeling like a millionaire already, but he reminded himself to put the money to savings. But that was after he had bought some equipment for his music, like a piano, some affordable professional speakers and microphones, along with headphones, cables, and stands. They cost him roughly around 30,000 USD. Although it was a bit expensive, it was for his music, so he didn't mind. Then, he put the rest to savings. He had just got an e-mail from Deborah, telling him to meet them in London and giving him the date and time. Seeing this, Hamza contacted Adekunle, his mentor and friend, about it and was given the go-ahead. This made him smile. He was just happy to have such an understanding fatherly figure behind him, who supported his music career. What excited him the most was that he was going to see Adele. Although in his parallel world, she was not really popular, she was loved by those who knew her as she sang love songs that suited people. With that in mind, Hamza prepared his luggage, as he had already taken a pass from his school.
Hamza arrived at the airport and did his clearance before boarding the plane. He was excited to go to London and meet Adele, the famous singer who had bought his song. He had written the song with the help of his system, a mysterious device that gave him skills and rewards for his musical performance. He had no idea how he got the system, but he was grateful for it.
The flight took off and landed after approximately ten hours. It was already dark when Hamza got off the plane. He looked around and saw Deborah waiting for him. She was Adele's agent and the one who had negotiated the deal with him. She had a smirk on her face as she saw him.
"Hey, Deborah. How have you been?" Hamza greeted her with a smile.
Deborah rolled her eyes. She didn't hate Hamza, but she felt he was too arrogant for a newbie in the industry. He had asked for a hundred thousand dollars for his song, and he had agreed to help with the production only if he could meet Adele in person. Deborah thought he was overestimating his talent and underestimating Adele's fame.
"Hamza, nice to have you in London. This way, please. We'll go to your hotel, then tomorrow we'll move to the studio." Deborah said in a cold tone.
Hamza just chuckled as he could guess what was going on in Deborah's head. He knew people would see him as arrogant, but for him, it was confidence. He followed her to the car, which took them to the hotel. He bid her goodbye and went to his room.
Hamza was on the bed, his mind was going wild. Although he was physically tired, his mind was running. He couldn't wait to see Adele. He had always admired her voice and her songs. He wondered how she would react to his song and his system. With that thought on his mind, his mind refused to let his body rest. So he decided to check his system, as it had been a long time since he did.
DING
Name: Adekunle Hamza
Age: 17 years
Singing level: Beginner 9 Composing level: Beginner 3 [5,000 PP to improve Composing to the Next level]
Dance skill: NIL [2,000 to Unlock]
Acting skill: Beginner 2 [7,000 to improve to the next level]
Instrument level:
Guitar: 7 [4,000 to improve to the Next level]
Kambili: 5 [2,000 to improve to the Next Level]
Flute: 4 [4,000 to improve to the next level]
Piano: 4 [8,000 to improve to the next level]
Performance Points (PP): 35,653
System Level 35,653/100,000]
Skills
Emotion Harmonizer: [This allows the user to stimulate any emotion and portray them on point; also, there is a possibility of making the audience feel the same emotion the user feels]
Spin Wheel (1): [If the user upgrades the system, the user will be given a chance to make a draw, and the reward might include skills, leveling up in skills, language proficiency, a piece of art, etc. The spin wheel can also be gained when the user performs an incredible achievement.]
Note: The player should level up for more features and functions.
Hamza smiled when he looked at his performance points. He could not help but remember what had happened recently. He had found his PP increasing because of the song that Bruno Mars had sung. That was his song, too. He had written it with David, his friend and collaborator. Even though he was not there or didn't sing with Bruno, the system still awarded him some PP as the song grew popular. Although it was not much, since he didn't help in the production of the song, it was still something. That was why he readily agreed to the terms that Deborah had included, as this would earn him more PP. He then decided to try his luck with the spin wheel, to see what skill it would give him. Maybe it would help him in his meeting with Adele tomorrow.
With that, he said, "Spin wheel." And the wheel spun and stopped at…
**DING**
[Perfect pitch]: This is a skill that allows user to identify and produce any musical note without a reference tone. It also enables user to detect when a musical instrument or a singer is out of tune and how to adjust it accordingly. perfect pitch can enhance your musical abilities and appreciation, as you can easily recognize melodies, chords, intervals, and keys by ear.
The wheel stopped at "Perfect pitch." Hamza's eyes widened with excitement. This was like an overpowering skill. This meant that if he was singing or heard any song, he would be able to know when to go high pitch or low, and this skill would take his singing to another level. Learning this new skill would definitely come in handy for him in his meeting with Adele tomorrow. He then decided to try the skill and picked up his phone to play the song that David had helped him edit. As he listened to the song, Hamza found it a bit displeasing to the ear, because he could already hear how he went off in the singing. He now knew how it was meant to sound.
Feeling satisfied with his spin wheel outcome, Hamza decided to get some rest for the big day ahead. He set his alarm for the morning and drifted off to sleep, his mind filled with anticipation.
The next morning, Hamza woke up feeling refreshed and ready to take on the day. He quickly got dressed, packed his belongings, and headed downstairs to meet Deborah. She was waiting for him in the lobby, looking as stern and no-nonsense as ever.
"Good morning, Hamza," she greeted him with a nod. "Are you ready for your first day in the studio?"
Hamza nodded eagerly, trying to contain his excitement. "Absolutely! I can't wait to meet Adele and start working on the song."
Deborah led him to the car, and they embarked on the journey to the studio. Along the way, she briefed him on what to expect and emphasized the importance of professionalism and hard work. Hamza listened attentively, taking mental notes and promising himself that he would give it his all.
As they arrived at the studio, Hamza couldn't help but feel a mix of nervousness and excitement. The studio was buzzing with activity, filled with musicians, engineers, and producers. He could hear snippets of music and laughter in the air, creating an atmosphere of creativity and collaboration. As he stepped in, they all turned and started to whisper, pointing towards him. They were probably curious as to why Hamza was walking with Deborah. "Don't mind them. They're just curious to know why you're with me," Deborah said. Hamza just nodded.
Deborah guided him to a private room where Adele was waiting. Hamza's heart skipped a beat as he entered, and there she was, sitting gracefully in front of a grand piano, her eyes filled with curiosity and intrigue.
"Hamza, meet Adele," Deborah introduced, her voice filled with pride.
Hamza had already thought of what to say, but standing in front of her, he was speechless. He just tried to remain composed and said, "Hello, it's nice to meet you. I'm a huge fan of yours."
Adele smiled warmly, hearing this, and extended her hand for a handshake. "Oh, that's lovely to hear. And it's good to finally meet you. I've heard great things about you from Deborah," she said, intending to tease Hamza.
Hearing this, Hamza knew what she was talking about, and he just chuckled weirdly and shook her hand. "Thank you, Adele. I'm honored to be working with you."
Adele chuckled, her eyes twinkling with amusement. "Well, let's not waste any more time then. Shall we start?"
Hamza nodded eagerly, feeling a rush of adrenaline. The moment had finally arrived, and he was ready to show Adele what he was made of. Little did he know that this collaboration would be the beginning of a musical journey that would change his life forever.