The girls' dormitory.
Lin Yanyu held the phone, her delicate eyebrows furrowed.
"Yanyu, the finals of 'Voice of China' are in two months. I heard Zhang Tingting hired a senior producer from Guangnian Entertainment to write a song for her. If we stick with this song from a mid-level producer, our chances of winning might not be great."
The agent, Li Fang, sounded a bit heavy.
"They're quite extravagant. A song from a senior producer probably costs around five million."
Lin Yanyu rubbed her forehead. She was currently participating in a music variety competition and had been performing very well, now reaching the finals.
Her final opponent was the Zhang Tingting mentioned by her agent.
Both were very popular singers among China's new generation. This final would determine who would become the top idol singer of the new generation.
The finals weren't just about singing freely; there was a theme.
The theme for this final was the promotion of Chinese culture, so the songs were to be in the Chinese style.
To this end, Lin Yanyu's agent had specifically found a mid-level producer to write a song for her. She hadn't expected her opponent to be willing to spend a large sum to hire a senior producer to win the championship.
In China, music producers were divided into Beginner, Mid-level, Senior, and Ace.
Finding beginner and mid-level producers to write songs was relatively simple; it just required money.
Senior music producers were already few in number. Hiring them required not only money but also connections.
Without the right connections, even with money, it might not be possible to secure a senior producer.
As for the top-tier Ace producers, only Heavenly Kings and Heavenly Queens were qualified to collaborate with them.
The layman watched the spectacle, while the insider observed the craftsmanship.
Once a song became popular, the general public paid the most attention to the singer, as their voice was the most direct point of contact.
However, as industry insiders, their focus was different; they paid more attention to the producer behind the scenes.
After all, the soul of whether a song was good or not lay in its lyrics and melody.
There was a saying in the industry: "Many can sing this song, but only one can write it."
An entertainment company that possessed a formidable producer could support a large number of singers.
Therefore, music producers were a highly respected profession in the music industry.
"Yanyu, why don't we ask your father's company for a senior producer..."
Seeing Lin Yanyu's silence, the agent tentatively asked.
"No!"
"I won't go to him."
Lin Yanyu refused without a moment's thought.
"Alright, then I'll think of another way to see if I can find connections to hire a senior producer..." Agent Li Fang sighed softly.
She knew Lin Yanyu's personality, so she hadn't held much hope for her suggestion.
"Pick me up at school tomorrow. We can talk then," Lin Yanyu nodded and hung up the phone.
She took a deep breath, placed the phone on the bedside table, and lay flat on the bed.
As an idol singer, the school had arranged a single dormitory for her privacy, so she had no roommates.
This status also meant she didn't have many friends at school. Although she seemed glamorous on the outside, she felt very lonely inside.
"Su Yu, it's a good thing you're here now."
Thinking of Su Yu, Lin Yanyu's worries instantly vanished. She had work tomorrow and couldn't see her "dog," but thinking that she could have dinner with him the day after tomorrow, the corners of her lips involuntarily turned up.
...
The next morning, Su Yu was woken by an alarm.
Then, the groans of Zhao De and Zhou Tao followed.
"Zhang Yang, you don't have class today, why set an alarm?"
"Damn it, it's only eight in the morning. Are you trying to summon ghosts?"
The two gave Zhang Yang the middle finger and then buried their heads back under the blankets.
"Zhang Yang, why are you up so early today?" Su Yu asked as he went to the bathroom and saw him excitedly grooming himself.
It was known that Zhang Yang was the type of person who wouldn't cut his hair unless it covered his eyes, and flip-flops were his standard attire.
But today, he was uncharacteristically wearing a sharp suit and had styled his hair in a flamboyant middle part.
Hmm? And he was wearing perfume?
"Did you forget? I told you yesterday that I'm meeting my online girlfriend today." Zhang Yang put the perfume in his bag, winked at Su Yu, and struck a cool pose. "How is it? Am I handsome as hell?"
"Not bad, you're only a tenth of me." Su Yu finally remembered that he had indeed mentioned meeting his new online girlfriend yesterday.
"One-tenth of you is enough." Zhang Yang looked in the mirror, then at Su Yu, and nodded with satisfaction after the comparison.
Just then, his phone beeped. He opened a voice message: "Honey, are you out yet? I forgot to tell you, I brought two girlfriends along. You don't mind, do you? We agreed to go shopping together."
The voice was sweet and high-pitched, a standard "girly" voice that made Su Yu's scalp tingle.
"Online girlfriend?"
"Brought girlfriends?"
With a swish-swish sound, Zhao De and Zhou Tao suddenly appeared behind them.
"Damn it, weren't you two sleeping..." Zhang Yang yelped, startled by the two, nearly dropping his phone into the toilet.
"Not at all, we're early risers!"
"Heh heh... Yang Ge, we're brothers. Can we go and give you some backup?"
"Yeah, online dating is risky. Be careful of honey traps. With me and Zhao De there, we can protect you."
Zhao De and Zhou Tao crowded around, their faces full of fawning smiles.
"So you want to come along? It's not impossible, but..." Zhang Yang straightened his chest, deliberately drawing out his words.
"But what?" the two quickly asked.
"I think I'm a bit hungry..." Zhang Yang rubbed his stomach.
"Let's go, let's go to the cafeteria right now. My treat!" Zhou Tao grabbed him and was about to pull him out.
"Hmm, my legs hurt a bit from carrying boxes yesterday..."
"Here, I'll carry you. How can I let Yang Ge walk!"
The three walked out of the dormitory with their arms around each other.
Suddenly, only Su Yu was left in the dormitory, holding his toothbrush in a daze, unable to recover for a long time.
It had to be said, Zhou Tao and Zhao De were quite a pair.
Shaking his head, no longer bothering with these lively fellows, Su Yu finished his simple wash-up and also left the dormitory.
After Qing University started, students were given a day to get acquainted before military training began, so there was nothing much to do today. It was a good opportunity to apply for a job at an entertainment company.
...
Xinghui Entertainment was considered one of the top entertainment companies in Shuangqing City.
It was only a little over a ten-minute drive from Qing University, where Su Yu was located.
After a simple breakfast, Su Yu arrived at Xinghui Entertainment.
【Ding, Random Mission Activated.】
【Mission Content: Successfully join Xinghui Entertainment.】
【Mission Reward: Obtain Random Song Component *1】
【Host, do you accept the mission?】
"Accept!"
This system mission was truly timely.
He was already planning to join Xinghui Entertainment, and the system was kindly providing a song component. Freebies were always good.
"Who are you looking for?" the receptionist asked politely when she saw Su Yu.
"I'm here for an interview?" Su Yu approached the girl and asked with a smile.
"What position are you applying for?" The girl showed a professional smile, but inwardly she was a little surprised.
Su Yu looked only in his teens and was quite handsome. Was he applying to be a singer?
Su Yu continued, "Music Producer."
"Please wait, I'll check with the composition department."
Hearing that Su Yu was applying to be a music producer, the girl was even more surprised.
It was known that most mature music producers on the market, even junior ones, were in their twenties, and some even in their thirties.
It was indeed rare for someone so young to be in this profession.
After all, writing songs required life experience; it was difficult to write songs that moved listeners through sheer imagination.