"What? You really want to perform only new songs at your next concert?"
Jasmin sat at her large desk, casually placing her two oversized stuffed bears on top of it, making quite the spectacle. Especially today, as she wore a low-cut top that revealed a white jade pendant resting on her skin. Paul couldn't help but glance twice—this pendant was really smooth and shiny.
This isn't the time to get distracted.
He had just shared all his plans and thoughts with Jasmin. She remained remarkably calm, where anyone else might have been incredibly nervous by now.
After all, what's the primary goal of a company? Benefiting society? Bringing glory to Germo?
Wrong!
Those were just surface-level statements. The real goal is simple: making money.
Like all companies, Germo Entertainment's value was judged by how much wealth it can create, just like famous artists. The company may appear to be thriving, expanding from TV shows and the music industry to making strides into film, but Jasmin knows the reality.
While the TV industry seems stable, with rising stars like Shindy and Rido—one specializing in costume dramas and the other in modern shows. They still needed time to grow and eventually replace Jasmin's own position in the TV world. After all, in a few years, she will hit 30, and in the entertainment world, once a woman reaches 30, her influence and appeal begin to wane. She needs to plan ahead for the company's future.
Jasmin was confident in herself; even at 40, she believed she'd still be the most attractive one in the room. But for the company and its shareholders, she had to think long-term.
While the TV side was manageable, the company's second pillar—its music division—wasn't as strong. Paul was the only singer they had who could really deliver.
The rest?
They were all losing money. That's why the company has always been quick to meet Paul's demands. As long as he stayed, Germo Entertainment could maintain its dominance in the music industry. If he left, the whole division could be scrapped.
That's the harsh reality. Even with new singers signing on, most of them wouldn't sell even if they paid to perform! The truth was simple: no one, not the singers nor the music production team, could compete with Paul.
And now, Paul suddenly said he didn't want to just breeze through his concerts anymore?
Jasmin was frustrated, casting a sharp glance at him.
Who didn't know that his fans came to his concerts to sing his songs? Now he wanted to surprise them by debuting new songs. Honestly, even Jasmin wasn't sure about this risky move.
First, the quality of the new songs had to be top-notch. Germo Entertainment could throw its full weight behind them, but with less than a week until the concert, no one could guarantee whether fans would like the new tracks. Second, did the fans even want to hear him sing new songs? That was the real question.
Jasmin understood Paul's frustrations; he had complained before that he didn't get to sing at his own concerts. But with Germo Entertainment striving to be one of the top five in the nation, there could be no mistakes.
She looked at Paul and finally spoke.
"Paul, you're joking with me, right?"
Her hopeful gaze fell on him, waiting for him to back down. She could still offer him some sort of compromise. After all, her office was secure—no cameras, one-way glass, and even the door could only be unlocked from her desk. It was safer than a five-star hotel.
But then…
"I'm not joking," Paul said seriously. "I truly hope you can help me this time."
Silence.
Jasmin stopped licking her lips. She could tell Paul wasn't going to budge until he had a concert where he could actually sing.
"Do you know what you're saying?"
After a moment, she spoke again, more seriously, her hands crossed on the desk.
"Do you know how many singers in this country envy you? A famous artist can perform at most 30 concerts a year. That's impressive. But you have done nearly 100 concerts this year alone! Do you know what that means?"
Paul shook his head. "What does it mean?"
"It means that you alone could support one of the top 20 entertainment companies in the country!"
"Are you talking about our company?"
"Of course not. The company still has me to hold it up. I can keep things going for at least another three to five years!" Jasmin said confidently, puffing up her chest, which made Paul chuckle.
He trusted her confidence and strength. The once-tense atmosphere lightened up a bit.
"It's not that I don't understand your thoughts, but you need to realize that if other artists had your situation, they'd be ecstatic. But you're proposing to sing only new songs at your next concert. Do you know that the tickets for your next show are already sold out?"
"Not to mention the partnership with StarG Network. Even scalpers have raised prices by ten times!"
"Of course, I admit, our company will make some extra profit from that. But if you change your setlist now, it won't just affect us…"
"If you really want to do this, how about I help you arrange it for the next concert next month?"
Jasmin looked at Paul, waiting for his reply.
"I've already made up my mind. I don't want to change my decision because of anything else. If I let you convince me today, someone else might try to change my mind next month. So… I'm sorry, Jasmin, I can't accept." Paul said as he smiled.
Jasmin was so frustrated she could feel a headache coming. Why was Paul always so difficult?
She stood up abruptly and walked to the window.
"You see that building over there? That's where I started, in a tiny office with big dreams."
Paul joined her at the window.
"I know, and I'm grateful. But if I don't do this now, when will I ever get the chance?"
Jasmin saw the passion in Paul's eyes, and something in her softened. She realized this meant more to him than just a whim.
"You won't give up, are you?"
Paul's voice was firm but respectful. "I promise I'll make it work. Trust me on this."
Jasmin leaned back in her chair.
Did he really think the only way to convince him was to persuade him in a more personal manner?
Why is he always so difficult? She shook her head. But deep down, she knew it was that same stubbornness that made him the star he was today.
She tried to keep her expression calm before continuing to speak.
"Tell me, why are you so insistent on changing all the songs to new ones for your next concert?"
Paul didn't hesitate at all and immediately responded.
"It's simple. Over the past ten concerts, I haven't even sung the length of a single song in total."
"As a professional musician, my moral integrity can't accept that!"
"..."
Jasmin was completely dumbfounded by Paul's explanation.
Seriously, are you not just flexing in front of me? You don't even need to sing at your concerts, and that's not good enough for you?
You know, even actors at my level get torn apart by critics if they dare to use CGI or stand-ins in TV dramas!
But you? You don't know how lucky you are!
"So... Paul... this is... your real reason?"
"Just because you haven't sung a full song in ten concerts, you're going to switch to all new songs for the next one?"
Seeing Jasmin's wide-open mouth and the flash of incredulity in her eyes, Paul calmly nodded. That's right, he wanted to prove that he's not only great at writing songs but also an excellent singer.
A true singer-songwriter, both a performer and a creator.
Seeing his serious nod, her face twisted into an expression that could only be described as a pain mask.
"What's so bad about not singing even one full song over ten concerts? You're still making money. And it's not like you're exhausting yourself."
"Plus, everyone comes to your concerts because they love your songs, and they sing along to them for you!"
"Which musician in this world has songs that are so widely known?"
"And let's be real, even if you just stood on stage snacking on sunflower seeds, everyone would still be thrilled."
"Each show is sold out, with five-star reviews. Other singers would cry tears of envy."
"This is a lifetime meal ticket, and your fans even said it themselves!"
"Even if something happened and you couldn't make it, or even a hundred years from now, they'd just put your black-and-white photo on stage, and people would still pay."
"Not for anything else, but just to sing your songs to you!"
"They'd even go sing at your grave if they could!"
"They'd jump... er, maybe not..."
"Isn't that good enough?"
"Besides, you're still young. You could totally rake it in now and then enjoy life."
"Being a singer isn't bad for your health, after all."
And speaking of your health, I've checked—you've got six-pack abs, strong and almost perfect!
As Jasmin gazed at Paul, he sighed and spoke helplessly.
"But, Jasmin..."
"Even though everything you said is good and makes sense..."
"I just want to sing well!"
"..."
Silence.
His words left Jasmin speechless again. After working in the entertainment industry for so many years, what kind of person hadn't she encountered?
But someone like Paul? This was a first.
This is absurdity opening the door to more absurdity—it's absurd to the extreme.
Jasmin pressed her hand to her chest, which was heaving with emotion. Looking at Paul in front of her, she realized he wasn't going to budge at all.
If that's the case, there's nothing more she could do. She decided to take a different approach.
"Paul, you do know that a concert needs at least 20 or so songs, right? You only have a week left. How do you plan to..."
Before she could finish her sentence, Paul cut her off.
"I've already written the new songs."
"???" Jasmin was once again thrown for a loop.
"What? You've already written them? When did this happen? How come I don't know about it?"
Facing Jasmin's surprise, Paul casually replied.
"On the way back to the hotel yesterday, I wrote twenty new songs. That should be enough for the next concert."
"???"
Are you kidding? It only took you a little more than half an hour to get from the concert to the hotel... And you wrote twenty songs in that time?
And you're planning to use them in your next concert?
Earlier, she thought Paul was joking on the phone. She hadn't expected it to be true!
It's not that she doubted his talent, but she was just curious to see it for herself today!
As Jasmin spoke, Paul didn't hesitate. He pulled a thick stack of papers from his bag. They were the new songs he had written yesterday, already printed out by Julian.
She looked at the hefty stack of papers on the table, then at Paul's calm face, and couldn't help but ask in disbelief.
"Are these the new songs you wrote?"
"Yes. If they're not enough, I can write more."
"???"
Jasmin took a deep breath, and her chest—round and almost playful—bounced slightly, looking quite soft.
"All of these..."
"Written in..."
"Just half an hour?"
Hearing her astonished and disbelieving tone, Paul nodded again.
"Yes."
"..."
Jasmin gave him an awkward but polite smile. She knew Paul could write songs, and they were good ones too. But writing more than twenty songs in just half an hour? That's pushing it, right?
Not even the great poet Goethe could write that much in such a short time.
"Are you sure you wrote all these?" Jasmin asked again, just to be sure.
If Paul had secretly bought songs from an underground songwriter to perform at his concert, it would be a disaster if the truth ever came out. His reputation would be ruined. His career as a singer would be over.
This wouldn't be the first time something like that happened.
That's why most singers buy songs through their companies. Even if there's a scandal, the company can always scapegoat someone. But if Paul bought these songs privately, and it got exposed, it'd be a huge problem. Especially if he planned to perform them at his next concert—he'd be playing with fire.
Paul could see Jasmin's concern and spoke seriously.
"Don't worry, Jasmin. I really wrote these. My assistant was right there, watching the whole time."
Jasmin: "..."
She immediately rolled her eyes at him. If these songs really were written by him, then there was another issue.
"Can you guarantee the quality if you write twenty songs in such a short time?"
"At the very least, they should meet a decent standard, right?" Paul said.
"What, you think this is some web novelist writing tens of thousands of words in a day?"
"That's unrealistic! Sure, you can write, but won't your audience suffer?"
Jasmin began to worry that Paul had hastily written these songs just to prove a point.
"Jasmin, how about you take a look at what I've written?"
Hearing Paul's suggestion, she picked up one of the songs to read. In an instant, she was completely stunned.