The plot thickened.
Jiang Kui's move caught Sun Yaohuo off guard, leaving him somewhat impressed.
Jiang Kui was proving to be a formidable opponent.
And Lin Yuan's next words struck a nerve with Sun Yaohuo!
Lin Yuan took the initiative to inquire of Jiang Kui, "Do you have any plans to release songs soon?"
Jiang Kui's heart raced suddenly; she didn't want to be outdone by Sun Yaohuo.
But she never expected to be offered such an opportunity. In that moment, she understood Sun Yaohuo completely: There's... a new song slated for release after Chinese New Year, but I haven't found the right piece yet...
Sun Yaohuo's envy burned hot.
The flames of jealousy were ignited!
Lin Yuan nodded, "Then your lung capacity should be sufficient?"
Jiang Kui nodded eagerly, "I've been working on expanding my lung capacity during vocal training!"
"What about splitting the earnings?"
This was Lin Yuan's main concern.
Jiang Kui was quick to respond, almost without hesitation, "If you're willing to collaborate with Lin Yuan again, I'm open to any suggestions you have; I'll follow your lead!"
"Alright," Lin Yuan replied nonchalantly.
He was a master negotiator.
Lin Yuan furrowed his brow slightly. In truth, what he feared most was someone saying, "It's up to you."
Give too little, and he'd feel embarrassed; give too much, and he'd regret it.
Jiang Kui waited for Lin Yuan's response, but when she realized he had fallen silent, a tinge of unease crept into her heart:
Did I say something wrong?
Meanwhile, Sun Yaohuo was getting antsy.
Though he was Jiang Kui's competitor, seeing her potentially lose out on this rare opportunity, he couldn't help but intervene, jesting as he interjected, "If the little brother wants to collaborate with me, I'll do it no matter what. Let's not split the earnings."
Recalling their previous meal with Lin Yuan, Sun Yaohuo caught a glimpse of Lin Yuan's preferences.
Quickly correcting herself, Jiang Kui echoed, "Yes, I don't want to split it!"
Hearing this, Lin Yuan breathed a sigh of relief.
He wasn't one to push too hard; he couldn't bear to say, "Alright, let's do it!" and leave her with nothing.
Jiang Kui glanced gratefully at Sun Yaohuo. She didn't realize that Teacher Lin Yuan was wrestling with the dilemma of splitting profits.
It worked!
Sun Yaohuo, too, offered advice with a glimmer of hope. He didn't expect this unique student to take the bait, making him realize that perhaps he, too, had a chance!
The next day, Lin Yuan sent the manuscript for the next month to Editor Yang Feng's mailbox. After all, the volume had already been divided by the system.
It was late January.
Universities across the country were on winter break.
Students at Qinzhou Art College were busy packing up, preparing to head home the next day.
Lin Yuan was eager to go home too.
So, the day before winter break, he went to the company to request time off from Lao Zhou.
According to the contract, he was required to work at the company during his breaks. Failing to do so would result in a deduction from his salary.
It wouldn't hurt to ask for leave.
Arriving at the tenth-floor composition department office, Lin Yuan found it deserted. He asked his colleague Wu Yong about Lao Zhou's whereabouts.
Wu Yong replied, "The boss usually works on the twenty-second floor. What do you need?"
"I'm here to request time off," Lin Yuan said.
Wu Yong shook his head. "I suggest you abandon that idea. It's not easy to get time off right now. Many people have tried to ask Lao Zhou for leave before the annual break, but they ended up in a bad way. It's a busy time for the composition department with the New Year approaching."
"I'll give it a try," Lin Yuan said determinedly.
Ignoring Wu Yong's warnings, Lin Yuan took the elevator to the twenty-second floor, where the head of the composition department's office was located.
""
Wu Yong didn't budge from his seat. He had tried to dissuade Lin Yuan, so he remained silent. But when Lin Yuan hit a snag, he understood how difficult it was to get time off at this time.
Arriving at the twenty-second floor, Lin Yuan heard Lao Zhou's angry voice from inside his office: "Time off? No way! Don't think just because you're a senior composer, I'll go easy on you! Do you know how many singers in the artist department are gearing up for performances during the New Year? You should know that at this time, there's no such thing as free time! If you really want time off, then all the composers in your department better provide me with a decent song!"
"Got it," Lin Yuan said.
The colleague who had just been reprimanded by Lao Zhou slinked out of the office.
Lao Zhou noticed Lin Yuan standing at the door and, not wanting to appear too harsh, forced a smile. "Lin Yuan, what brings you here?"
"I'm here to request time off," Lin Yuan said.
Lao Zhou: ""
His smile disappeared.
He had just scolded someone for asking for time off, and now Lin Yuan was here.
He coughed, attempting to soften his tone, but it still came out a bit blunt. "You're supposed to be on winter break now, but according to the contract, you're required to work during the break."
"Understood," Lin Yuan said.
Recalling what Lao Zhou had said earlier, Lin Yuan asked, "Can I request time off after submitting the song?"
Lao Zhou almost choked. "That's what I said, but the songs you've submitted are of good quality. After the New Year, many singers will be releasing new singles. Some big names even have plans for new albums. There's a huge demand for songs..."
"Are these top-tier opportunities?" Lin Yuan asked.
Lin Yuan showed Lao Zhou "Balloon" on his phone.
"A new song?"
Lao Zhou stared at Lin Yuan.
Lin Yuan nodded. "Yes, a new song."
Without saying much, Lao Zhou put on his headphones and listened.
After listening, Lao Zhou's eyes widened slightly.
The quality of Lin Yuan's new song was impressive. While it might not be on par with "Big Fish," it was still catchy enough.
But was Lin Yuan too prolific?
Lao Zhou had thought Lin Yuan was burnt out, yet here he was, producing another hit.
"Can I request time off?" Lin Yuan asked.
Lao Zhou nodded mechanically. "Alright... okay... Who are you planning to give this song to?"
Lin Yuan already had a candidate in mind: ~Jiang Kui?
After pondering for a moment, Lao Zhou said, "Jiang Kui is indeed looking for a song for her upcoming release. "Balloon" seems like a good fit; she shouldn't turn it down."
"Great," Lin Yuan said. "Can I go now?"
Old Zhou had no objections to "Balloon."
Lin Yuan nodded and returned to the tenth floor. Seeing Lin Yuan return, Wu Yong teased, "Wow, the boss must be in a good mood this year, to approve leave requests so easily."
"Excuse me," Lin Yuan said, packing up his belongings.
Wu Yong was taken aback for a moment before his face lit up with joy. "The boss is being reasonable this year? Well, in that case, I'm going to request time off too!"
"Sure," Lin Yuan said.
He finished packing and was about to leave when he ran into Wu Yong, who had just returned. Seizing the opportunity, Lin Yuan asked with concern, "Did you manage to get time off?"
""
Wu Yong shot Lin Yuan a bitter look. "I got an earful from the boss. Why didn't you mention that you traded a holiday for a new song?"
"Right," Lin Yuan said matter-of-factly. "Can't you just swap songs for time off?"
Wu Yong felt slighted. "Why would you assume I have a song worthy of exchange for time off?"
After a moment's thought, Lin Yuan replied, "I just thought you might."
With that, Lin Yuan slung his backpack over his shoulder and left with a smile.
Wu Yong watched Lin Yuan's retreating figure, recalling his seemingly casual tone. He couldn't help but wonder:
Is it really that easy to produce a high-quality new song?