Due to the direct approval from the highest authority in the company, everything that followed went very smoothly. After all, when even Georg agrees to something, coupled with Jasmin granting Paul special privileges, how could the process not be efficient?
"Have you ever seen the company move this fast?" one executive whispered to another.
His colleague shook his head. "When Georg speaks, we listen. And when Jasmin backs it up? It's like lighting a rocket."
The entire company had practically shifted all its short-term focus onto Paul. The success of his upcoming concert was almost tied to the future development of Germo Entertainment.
The whole company, with hundreds of people, started operating like a giant machine for this.
Arrangements for the new song's composition…
The registration of the song's copyright…
Submitting changes regarding the songs for the upcoming concert to the relevant departments…
All these tasks, Paul didn't have to handle personally—there were dedicated professionals in charge of each.
"Copyright registration is underway. We should have everything cleared by tomorrow," reported one team lead during a meeting.
"Great. We've got the arrangements flowing smoothly. Lars hasn't left the studio in days."
"Keep me updated on any hiccups. We can't afford delays," Jasmin said.
Paul himself was fully focused on preparing for the concert. After all, barring any unforeseen circumstances, he was going to perform the entire concert by himself from start to finish.
This was a hard-earned opportunity, and he absolutely couldn't afford to mess up at the critical moment. Even Jasmin understood the gravity of the situation and didn't try to slip him her room key or villa address.
Men, in her view, should focus on establishing their careers before pursuing other interests. That's how she preferred it. Anyway, she had already waited for Paul for one or two years—what difference would another week make?
She even thought about attending Paul's concert in person. After all, this could very well be the first time in his career that he performed fully live. It was hard to imagine just how stunning the effect of his new songs would be at the concert.
---
As time passed, the preparations were finally completed, just one day before the concert. For Germo Entertainment, this was the first time they had faced such intense preparation.
"Is it always this intense?" a young man asked, wiping sweat from his brow. He had just finished helping to set up the complex lighting rig.
"Not usually," a veteran employee said as he shook his head. "I've been in this company for almost ten years. And I've never seen anything like this. Paul's team is incredibly particular about every detail."
If Paul had been with a slightly smaller company, it would have been incredibly difficult to complete everything in just one week. Sometimes, personal capability isn't enough. Once you step into society, you need a highly competent team to help you achieve your goals.
Fortunately, everything went smoothly, from music composition to copyright registration, and even reporting the new songs to the relevant departments.
Paul was naturally deeply moved by all this, especially by Jasmin. Without her help, the company wouldn't have cooperated so thoroughly. In the future, he would certainly repay her, from top to bottom, inside and out, with his gratitude.
If he had convinced the company but had to complete all the tasks himself, it simply wouldn't have been possible. Just the music composition alone would have been enough to give him a headache.
Singing and composing are two different things, especially when it comes to coordinating various instruments and accompaniment details. Even relatively simple songs involved the use of guitars, drums, bass, and synthesizers.
From guitars to synthesizers, every instrument needed to be perfectly balanced. It wasn't just about recreating songs; it was about bringing his vision to life. Though he had listened to these songs many times in his previous life, he couldn't guarantee he could perfectly reproduce them in such a short time.
However, the music composition team at Germo Entertainment, especially Lars, really had some serious skills. Not only did they perfectly recreate the songs, but they even made some pleasantly surprising tweaks.
Given Paul's sharp musical intuition, he could already imagine how explosive the effect would be at the concert.
Whether these composers truly loved the songs or were doing it for reputation, he was sincerely grateful to them. This was something he couldn't have achieved on his own.
With more than twenty songs, even with the composers working alongside their assistants, they had to finish one song every day and a half in just about a week.
The intensity of the workload was a huge challenge for them, especially since many of them were getting on in years! But it was their genuine love for Paul's music and their dedication to their craft that pushed them to surpass themselves professionally.
It was said that Lars had worked on the compositions for nearly a week and had barely slept for more than ten hours in total.
"That man's running on pure passion and coffee now," his colleague replied, shaking his head.
"And have you seen these songs? I'd give up sleep for them too."
This was one of the reasons Paul decided to stay with Germo Entertainment.
Aside from Jasmin, there were others here who truly loved music and were willing to devote themselves wholeheartedly to what they loved. To live up to everyone's efforts, he had locked himself in the rehearsal room for the entire week.
For a week, the rehearsal room became Paul's world. Each song was dissected, understood, and rebuilt from the ground up. To ensure the best possible performance for the concert, he repeatedly practiced every song, striving to understand the deeper meaning that each song was meant to convey.
It's not about hitting every note perfectly. It's about making the audience feel every emotion. That's real music, Paul reminded himself as he practiced.
Take the song This Path, for example. The reason he was able to move the company's top executives so deeply with just an a cappella performance was because he truly understood the mindset in which the original composer created the song.
His understanding differed from the common views held in today's music scene. He believed that vocal technique was secondary; what mattered most was the emotion and power conveyed through the song.
Any performance filled with excessive theatrics wasn't music—it was just an act. Sometimes even boring art...
During his practice sessions, Jasmin took meticulous care of him, worrying that over-rehearsing might strain his voice. She even personally made him soup in the company office.
"Paul, you need to rest your voice. Here, I made you some soup," Jasmin said, entering the rehearsal room with a steaming bowl.
Paul looked up, surprised. "Jasmin, you didn't have to... wait, did you make this yourself? You can cook?"
Jasmin blushed slightly. "Well, I had some help from a recipe..."
Rock sugar and pear soup, a recipe Jasmin had specially learned from a music industry veteran, was her way of helping.
"I'm not completely hopeless in the kitchen," she retorted.
"Hmm, it smells interesting. Is this some sort of magical elixir? Perhaps aphrodisiac?" Paul asked as he sniffed the bowl.
Jasmin playfully swatted his shoulder. "Oh, stop it! It's mostly pancake soup... I added some pear because I heard it's good for the lungs. And before you ask, yes, I had some help from a recipe. I'm your boss, not a master chef."
"Pancake soup with pear? Thank you..."
Rock sugar, pear and pancake soup, a recipe Jasmin had specially learned from a music industry veteran, was her way of helping.
Despite being the company's boss, she would go out every day to hand-pick the best and freshest pears just to ensure Paul's voice stayed in top condition.
I promise, I'll make all of this worth it, Paul thought, touched by her dedication. He had already made up his mind to repay her kindness.
---
Soon, the day of Paul's nationwide tour concert arrived.
He woke up early. His last nationwide tour concert had been in Niche, conveniently close to home. But today's performance was set to take place in Gart. Although the concert wouldn't officially start until the evening, he had to catch an early flight.
As he double-checked his luggage, making sure he hadn't forgotten any essential items, Julian called out.
"Paul, the car's ready. We need to leave for the airport in 10 minutes."
Paul nodded, grabbing his bag. "Right. Is everything set at the venue?"
"Yes, the team's already there. We'll do a final run-through once you arrive."
Paul knew that all the stage arrangements and on-site requirements needed to be rehearsed once he reached the venue. This concert was incredibly important to him because it marked the beginning of his journey to completely redeem himself.
Starting today, he would finally begin singing as a true singer.
Two and a half years... It feels like a lifetime. But today, it all pays off.