This song, "Qian Si Xi," was completed by Lin Zhaoyang, his wife, and his son-in-law.
Qi Shenghua scoffed at this.
It seemed his old rival, Lin Zhaoyang, placed great importance on him.
But did they really think this would guarantee a win?
How naive.
The sound system in Qi Shenghua's office was worth millions.
It had been custom-made by masters found abroad.
Every detail in the music could be clearly discerned.
As the prelude began,
Qi Shenghua leaned back in his chair.
He crossed his legs, settling into a figure-four.
Listening to the prelude, the ancient-style instruments blended with rhythmic drumming, suggesting a lively song.
"Mocking who flaunts their beauty, how can a heart without one match..."
In the official version, Lin Yanyu's voice was even more stunning.
After all, a recording studio offered countless retakes, allowing for the selection of only the most perfect takes.
So, the moment Lin Yanyu opened her mouth,
Qi Shenghua froze.
The jiggling of his crossed leg stopped.
Why... did something feel off...
"Without you, it's the original sin; without a heart, it's easier to match..."
Qi Shenghua slowly sat up straight.
The ominous premonition grew stronger.
Was this about love?
He leaned closer to the computer screen, staring intently at the adjacent one.
"Fingers like orchids twist the mortal world like water..."
The moment Chen Rong's Peking Opera-style vocals appeared,
Qi Shenghua's heart sank.
A chill washed over him, causing him to shiver involuntarily.
He looked up at the thermometer on the wall. The indoor temperature was 23 degrees, and the office had heating on.
Those textbook-perfect operatic vocals, emanating from the million-dollar sound system, conveyed every subtle change, every emotional nuance with remarkable clarity.
Qi Shenghua stomped his foot, shifting his posture to allow blood to circulate through his slightly numb leg.
"As you pull me, I dance and fly..."
The song continued.
Fine blood vessels began to appear in Qi Shenghua's eyes.
The helplessness and sorrow in the song drew him uncontrollably into the music's emotion.
Lin Yanyu and Chen Rong's collaboration was nothing short of perfect.
As if resentful, as if yearning, as if weeping and narrating.
The blend of singing and operatic vocals sent a tingling sensation through his scalp.
Empathy!
Yes, it was empathy!
A flicker of shock crossed Qi Shenghua's eyes.
Having been in the entertainment industry for so many years, he had heard countless songs, and over time, he rarely felt empathy for music.
Yet, this song, "Qian Si Xi," had evoked that feeling in him once again.
"Turn to ash in misty waves, perfect in departure..."
Finally.
The song concluded.
Just as Qi Shenghua was about to breathe a sigh of relief, a dialog box popped up on the screen.
[Watch the Live Story Version?]
"How much money did NetCloud Music take from Lin Zhaoyang!"
Qi Shenghua's voice trembled, but his fingers moved of their own accord, clicking "Agree."
The story version was edited, retaining only the most captivating parts of the originally lengthy puppet show. It preserved the narrative while perfectly serving as the song's music video.
As the puppet show began,
Qi Shenghua's mind exploded.
It wasn't about love, it was about puppets!!
Damn it, it's about traditional culture again!
This "Ting Yu" is barely a teenager, how does he know so much about traditional culture!
Porcelain, traditional Chinese medicine, opera.
He seemed to find suitable themes for everything, always delivering unexpected surprises... No! Shocking scares!
Qi Shenghua cursed inwardly.
His eyes remained fixed on the screen.
When he saw the puppet bowing to the elder,
Qi Shenghua's eyes welled up, and he felt an urge to shed tears.
No!
He, Qi Shenghua, was a powerful CEO, how could he cry!
He glanced up and saw his assistant looking at him with a bewildered expression. He quickly suppressed the feeling and, with a stern face, barked at his assistant, "Go home early if there's nothing to do. Are you trying to earn overtime pay by staying here!"
"I'm leaving now!"
The assistant felt wronged but dared not show it. He left the office, thoughtfully closing the door behind him.
Only then did Qi Shenghua breathe a sigh of relief.
The video had finished playing. He clicked on the song again, setting it to repeat.
Then, he leaned back in his chair and closed his eyes.
...
After an unknown period of time,
Qi Shenghua shook his head desperately.
He picked up his phone and dialed Chen Shuhao's number.
The call was answered shortly.
"President Qi." Chen Shuhao's tone was indifferent.
"Have you heard Ting Yu's new song?" Qi Shenghua asked directly.
"I'm listening to it." Chen Shuhao continued.
"I'm listening to it too," Qi Shenghua said.
Suddenly,
A brief silence fell between them.
"Do you have confidence?" Qi Shenghua asked faintly.
"This song is better than mine..." Chen Shuhao replied plainly.
"Finished?"
"Finished..."
Their voices were filled with deep helplessness.
No one had expected this.
They had initially intended to give Ting Yu of Royal Entertainment a warning.
To aim for first place using the ancient-style genre that Ting Yu excelled at.
Unexpectedly, he had directly released "Qian Si Xi," a song that surpassed Chen Shuhao's in both listenability and narrative depth.
They were not amateurs and knew what this result implied.
Now, all they could do was pray that Ting Yu's song wouldn't climb to the top spot too quickly.
After all, February was nearing its end. If they were lucky, by the end of the month, Ting Yu might not have reached number one, and the charts would simply update to the next month.
At least that way, they would lose with some dignity...
"He can't take the first place!" Qi Shenghua exclaimed.
He paused, and hearing Chen Shuhao's silence, he continued, "I definitely can't let the water army buy votes. After all, Ting Yu has the backing of that old fox Lin Zhaoyang. He's definitely waiting for me to do something like this. As soon as I buy votes, he'll surely find evidence, and I'll be completely on the defensive..."
The punishment for vote rigging on Blue Star was severe. If caught, artists would be banned from releasing songs for two years, so most people dared not engage in such practices.
"President Qi, let's just let it go this time. Consider it a test of his skill. I've already written the next song, and Mianmian and I will perform a duet. It's a love song, my specialty."
Chen Shuhao's tone was stiff.
He didn't need to resort to vote rigging; it was an insult to his talent. If anyone else had said this, he would have lost his temper, but since Qi Shenghua was his current boss, he couldn't get angry.
Qi Shenghua remained silent for a long time.
Finally, he nodded and said, "Alright, we concede this time. Let them have their moment of triumph one last time. Next time, even if you lose again, I'll deploy my ultimate trump card!"
With that, Qi Shenghua hung up the phone.
He felt a bit drowsy.
He picked up the coffee on his desk and took a sip. However, the coffee had gone cold. The sudden chill caused him to spit it out.
"Xiao Zhang!"
He called out habitually, then remembered that his assistant had already left for the day...
He rummaged through his drawers and cabinets, eventually finding a pack of cigarettes in a corner.
He opened the package, took out a cigarette, and lit it.
After a few puffs, the drowsiness began to dissipate.
Qi Shenghua looked up at "Qian Si Xi" on his computer screen and let out a cold snort, "Enjoy your arrogance for a few more days!"
He had already found experts for voice comparison. This kid named Ting Yu was too uncanny. Regardless of whether Chen Shuhao won or lost with his next song, they had to destroy Ting Yu!
ps: I have a cold and feel groggy. Readers, please forgive any typos. It's truly difficult to write in this state. I really need to have some drafts saved...