Every profession has its circles.
Producers are no exception.
An internal group, exclusively for ace producers.
At Huisheng Entertainment, ace producer Qian Qinghua was arguing heatedly with others.
"How would you people, who only make snide remarks, know the terror of Ting Yu and the Music God? It's already impressive to get third place!"
He had previously expressed his admiration for Ting Yu in the group.
Unexpectedly, he was met with ridicule from these individuals.
Qian Qinghua was a proud man and naturally felt compelled to argue his case.
Ting Yu's song "Coral Sea" was undoubtedly top-tier for duet love songs,
both in terms of skill and pleasantness.
He was genuinely impressed to have lost to this song.
"Teacher Qian, you're a pillar of the love song genre, why are you becoming timid now?"
"Ting Yu's current fame is merely because we ace producers haven't made a move yet. Just watch, he'll learn the harsh realities of society at next month's Ace City Competition."
"Inspiration can dry up, and Ting Yu is no exception. Even Chen Shuhao is a spent force now, so don't think too highly of him."
"Haha, it'll be awkward if he doesn't even make it out of the group stage."
"Did you all receive an email from Dingsheng?"
"What email?"
"Haha, it seems some people haven't received it yet. Dingsheng is offering a sky-high reward to 'snipe' Ting Yu. If you encounter him in the city competition and eliminate him, you'll receive a substantial bonus."
"Sky-high reward? It seems Dingsheng really despises Ting Yu."
"Of course they do. Dingsheng Entertainment worked hard to poach Chen Shuhao, and before he could even make a splash, he was utterly dominated. They're naturally furious." Da Feng Novel Network
"Envious of the大佬 who received the email."
"Haha, after years of dormancy, I've quietly written several high-quality songs. I'm confident I can eliminate Ting Yu."
"Me too. It seems everyone has been busy. Let's see who among us is lucky enough to run into Ting Yu."
Looking at the confident posts in the group,
Qian Qinghua sneered and turned off his phone.
"Overestimating themselves..."
He shook his head.
Ace producers have their pride; it's normal.
Without personally experiencing Ting Yu's prowess, they couldn't understand that deep sense of powerlessness.
He didn't try to dissuade them, as he himself had the same thoughts initially.
He reopened his phone.
Qian Qinghua intended to check for new trending topics on Weibo.
When he clicked on the trending list,
he froze completely, his eyes wide open, his breath catching in his throat!
"Hiss... Holy crap!"
After a long moment, he took a sharp breath.
#Two consecutive new songs, is Ting Yu aiming for the heavens?!#
This trending topic was marked in red, shining brightly at the top of the list.
Qian Qinghua suppressed his shock and pressed the screenshot shortcut.
Then, he reopened the chat group from before.
At this moment, some were still boasting about how powerful their songs were.
Others believed that years of preparation and revisions, along with meticulously crafted songs, were enough to rival the Music God.
Chat messages were scrolling rapidly.
Qian Qinghua, with a cold smile, sent the screenshot into the chat group.
The chat messages gradually came to a halt.
Finally, the group fell into silence.
No one broke it for a long time...
...
March weather is often cloudy and rainy.
In the evening.
Ting Yu's first new song, "Gentleman," was released.
According to the latest news, the next song, "Chasing Light," will be premiered by Lin Yanyu at an entertainment gala in a few days.
Dingsheng Entertainment executives were waiting in the conference room for Ting Yu's new song.
As the chairman of Dingsheng Entertainment,
Qi Shenghua did not want to hover around waiting for Ting Yu's new song.
He felt it was unnecessary.
"Hmph, I, the dignified CEO, have no need to care about a young whippersnapper's new song," he muttered as he got out of his car.
A fine rain was falling outside.
His assistant handed him an umbrella.
"You go back first, I'll take a taxi later,"
Qi Shenghua said calmly.
"Yes, Mr. Qi."
The assistant, not one for many words, drove away after speaking.
Qi Shenghua patted his shoulder, damp from the rain.
He opened the umbrella.
"This rain is so annoying!"
He grumbled to himself and walked towards the bar in front of him.
It was a high-end quiet bar.
Qi Shenghua had a small habit after work: when he was in a bad mood, he liked to come to a quiet bar for a drink until he was slightly tipsy before going home.
Despite owning the large company Dingsheng Entertainment,
Qi Shenghua's life was simple.
Even though he was the boss of an entertainment company, he disliked surfing the internet. Even when he went online, he only cared about entertainment news; he wasn't interested in anything else.
The company, home, and occasionally a quiet bar for drinks and music.
Here, there were no business troubles, no workplace flattery. Everyone was a stranger, which made him feel very relaxed.
Occasionally, when he heard songs from his company playing in the bar, he felt an inexplicable sense of accomplishment.
In his forties, he was single. It wasn't that he had no opportunities to marry, but his heart was occupied by someone.
Of course, it wasn't his high school sweetheart, but someone who had encouraged him when his career was just taking off.
This was his other secret.
"It's raining, shall I give you a ride home?"
Just as he reached the entrance of the quiet bar,
a young man and woman emerged from inside.
The man's tone was casual, as if deliberate.
"Never mind, I've already called a car. You should go back and rest early too."
The woman showed him her phone; she had already called a taxi when she came out.
She stumbled slightly, her body swaying suddenly.
"Alright. If you're still in a bad mood, call me." The man's hand, which had been reaching out to support her, stopped in mid-air. After a moment's thought, he withdrew it and continued as if nothing had happened.
"Okay, thank you for your comfort. I'm feeling much better. I'll communicate with him properly when I get back." The woman smiled.
The man also smiled, but his smile hid a barely perceptible bitterness.
At this moment, the car arrived.
The woman got into the car.
"Goodbye."
The man watched the direction she left.
He waved goodbye with a smile.
Finally, he slumped dejectedly onto a stool at the entrance of the establishment.
"No ambition!"
Qi Shenghua shook his head and walked into the quiet bar.
Having navigated the business world for so many years, he had perfected the art of reading people.
The brief conversation he had just witnessed had allowed him to understand the relationship between the two individuals.
...
Music bars are different from regular bars.
They feature resident singers.
Most of the music played is folk and love songs.
When the resident singer is not present, popular sad love songs and light music are played.
After entering the bar, Qi Shenghua ordered a drink and sat down in a corner booth.
It was by the window.
He could see the drizzling rain outside.
"Why is it raining everywhere!"
His mood immediately became somewhat irritable.
He took a sip of his drink.
The resident singer wasn't performing today, so the bar was playing music.
Qi Shenghua leaned back comfortably in his seat, enjoying his personal time.
One song finished.
The next one began immediately.
It was the sound of a cello.
Deep and beautiful.
Interspersed with piano accompaniment, a subtle melancholy filled the air. Qi Shenghua closed his eyes in enjoyment.