Another workday began.
While on his way to the company, Lin Yuan called Sun Yaohuo, "Senior, I'll be at the company shortly. You can wait for me in the recording studio or come to the composition department on the 10th floor."
"Alright," Sun Yaohuo replied.
After ending the call, Lin Yuan couldn't shake the feeling that something was off. Sun Yaohuo used to be quite talkative, but today he seemed more reserved than usual.
Ten minutes later, Lin Yuan arrived at the company's composition department and spotted Sun Yaohuo sitting on a small bench near the entrance. He asked, "How's your song practice going?"
"I..."
Sun Yaohuo hesitated, then fell silent.
Thinking that Sun Yaohuo hadn't made much progress, Lin Yuan was about to offer some words of encouragement when someone else approached them, asking, "Is Teacher Xianyu here?"
"What's the matter?" Lin Yuan inquired, looking at the newcomer.
The man, wearing glasses, smiled at Lin Yuan and introduced himself, "My name is Tao Ran. You must be Teacher Xianyu. You look younger than I expected. It's not appropriate to chat here. Shall we have a brief discussion in the coffee shop upstairs?"
"Just a moment," Lin Yuan said to Sun Yaohuo. "I'll be right back."
"Sure, take your time," Sun Yaohuo replied with a forced smile.
Tao Ran glanced at Sun Yaohuo indifferently before turning his attention back to Lin Yuan. "Teacher Xianyu, please follow me."
Lin Yuan nodded and followed Tao Ran to the coffee shop upstairs, pleased that the man was treating him.
"Allow me to reintroduce myself," Tao Ran said politely. "My name is Tao Ran, and I manage the company's singer Jin Shuyu. I'm here today to invite you to collaborate with us. Jin Shuyu is a big fan of your recent song, 'Red Rose.'"
Upon hearing this, Lin Yuan furrowed his brow. "But that song hasn't been released yet."
Tao Ran smiled. "It doesn't matter how we came to know about the song. The point is, Jin Shuyu really wants to work with you. He admires your talent and has mentioned your name to me several times. He's eager to collaborate with you."
"I'm sorry," Lin Yuan said firmly. "I've already given that song to someone else."
Tao Ran maintained his smile. "As far as I know, you've chosen Sun Yaohuo as the singer this time. However, Sun Yaohuo is a newcomer with a limited fan base. It's a shame to waste such a great song like 'Red Rose' on him. Since you haven't signed a formal contract yet, you have the authority to decide. Jin Shuyu is the company's top-tier artist, and singing the same song could yield very different results. I'm sure you understand."
"A top-tier artist?" Lin Yuan shook his head and stood up. "No, thank you."
Tao Ran was taken aback by Lin Yuan's straightforward refusal. "Please, feel free to make any requests. As long as it's within my power, I'll do everything I can to accommodate you..."
Lin Yuan interrupted him. "I don't want a top-tier artist."
Tao Ran couldn't comprehend Lin Yuan's thought process. Most composers would jump at the chance to work with top-tier artists. Why was Lin Yuan turning down such an opportunity?
"Do you want a superstar instead?" Tao Ran asked. "Why did you choose Sun Yaohuo then?"
Lin Yuan's next words caught Tao Ran off guard. "We can offer you a higher royalty rate. It may not be standard procedure, but we're willing to make concessions to ensure your earnings. Additionally, we can arrange a private payment for you. How does one million sound? This transaction will be kept confidential, separate from the company's records!"
In short, they were offering more money!
Lin Yuan's steps halted abruptly.
Tao Ran breathed a sigh of relief. It seemed that money was the key after all!
He made a mental note of Lin Yuan's weakness: greed!
With renewed ambition, Tao Ran smiled again. "Now, let's discuss the details of the deal. Please, have a seat, Teacher Xianyu."
"No," Lin Yuan turned to Tao Ran and said, "I want to know who leaked the song from the auditing department. Can you provide me with the name?"
"Teacher Xianyu," Tao Ran's expression turned serious.
Lin Yuan's expression mirrored his seriousness. "You may think the company is secure, but if someone leaked the song to you today, they could just as easily leak it to others tomorrow. I'm not comfortable having someone like that review my songs."
"We assumed it was an isolated incident," Tao Ran said, rising from his seat with a displeased expression.
"If you won't tell me, I'll find out for myself," Lin Yuan said, taking out his phone and dialing Lao Zhou's number in front of Tao Ran. "Someone from the auditing department leaked my song to one of the company's singers."
Lao Zhou was caught off guard. "What?"
Lin Yuan simply said, "Investigate it."
Lao Zhou chuckled. "Those with that kind of influence in the auditing department are likely top-tier artists in the company. There might be higher-ups involved as well. But don't worry, it won't affect you. I'll handle it discreetly. You just leave it to me."
Lin Yuan repeated his earlier instruction, "Investigate it?"
Lao Zhou's tone turned stern. "Absolutely! It must be investigated! This is an affront! How dare they make light of the efforts of our composition department! No matter who it is, I'll uncover them!"
"Alright," Lin Yuan replied before hanging up.
After the call, Lao Zhou muttered to himself, "What audacity! Provoking Xianyu like this? I'll need to take this up with the higher-ups."
His assistant asked cautiously, "Are you upset?"
Lao Zhou laughed heartily. "Why would I be upset? It's not like I'm the one who was offended. Besides, Xianyu is still young. Young people are bound to get angry!"
"..."
Meanwhile, at the cafe...
Tao Ran's expression had completely changed after listening to Lin Yuan's call.
Unfazed, Lin Yuan made another call, this time to Zhao Jue. "Someone from the auditing department leaked my song to one of the company's singers."
"Leave it to me," Sister Zhao replied.
With that, Lin Yuan paid his bill at the cashier.
The waiter smiled and said, "That'll be 120 yuan."
"I said my treat," Lin Yuan reminded him.
The waiter glanced at Tao Ran, who was seething with anger, and coughed, "Sixty yuan..."
"It's getting late," Lin Yuan muttered under his breath as he settled the bill.
Unbeknownst to him, Tao Ran had ordered the most expensive coffee in an attempt to impress him.
Returning to the composition department, Lin Yuan saw Sun Yaohuo sitting at the entrance, looking dejected with his head bowed.
Frowning, Lin Yuan asked, "Are you done recording?"
Sun Yaohuo looked up at Lin Yuan, his eyes red with tears. "Huh?"
"Let's record the song tomorrow," Lin Yuan said.
With those words, Lin Yuan returned to his seat.
Sun Yaohuo sat outside for a few more moments, stunned by Lin Yuan's unexpected decision. Then, tears began to flow, and he bowed deeply to the composition department.
Retreating to the bathroom, Sun Yaohuo called his agent, wiping away his tears as he spoke, "I'll sing 'Red Rose.'"
"Didn't Xianyu agree to Tao Ran's offer?" his agent asked.
"Yeah," Sun Yaohuo replied.
After a moment of silence, the agent said, "This is Daddy Linfor you..."