Full-time Artist Chapter 4: Tool man

The clock struck six in the evening.

The moment his course concluded, Lin Yuan's phone pinged with a concise message: "Want to grab dinner tonight? Xia Fan's treating!"

"Can't make it tonight, I've got plans. You and Xia Fan go ahead," Lin Yuan typed back.

As he exited the school gates, a sleek red car was already parked by the roadside, awaiting him.

"Long time no see, hop in."

The driver's side window was down, and a woman, removing her sunglasses, smiled and gestured for Lin Yuan to enter the vehicle.

"Hello there," Lin Yuan greeted as he got into the car.

The woman was his agent, Zhao Jue. At 35, faint crow's feet graced the corners of her eyes. Her smile was warm and inviting, yet her expression turned serious and composed when she wasn't smiling, projecting an air of calm capability.

"Lin Yuan," Zhao Jue addressed him, glancing at him in the rearview mirror.

She pressed the accelerator, her voice carrying a hint of concern, "Your song seems to be missing its lyrics. Should I find someone to write them? The newcomer season starts in just ten days."

"No need, the lyrics are already done," Lin Yuan replied.

"The arrangement... did you do that yourself?"

"Yes," Lin Yuan confirmed.

"Impressive," Zhao Jue said with a smile. "Do you know the main focus of the annual newcomer season in November?"

"What is it specifically?"

As she drove, Zhao Jue explained, "'Newcomer season' is a broad term. What every company truly vies for is a spot on a specific chart – our Qinzhou's New Music Chart. Only the top twenty on this list truly make a mark."

"I see," Lin Yuan responded.

This wasn't new information to him.

Halting at a red light, Zhao Jue turned to face him. "Your song is quite good. If it charts well on the November Breaking Chart, I can help facilitate your transfer to the composition department."

"Thank you," Lin Yuan said, his eyes brightening.

Becoming a composer was indeed his aspiration, aligning with his current studies. It offered a path that didn't require public visibility like a singer, while still allowing him to gain the coveted recognition from the system.

Just then, a notification chimed in Lin Yuan's mind.

"Ding dong! Congratulations to the host for triggering a new task."

"Task Name: First Song"

"Task Content: Successfully record 'Born as Summer Flowers'."

"Task Reward: A bronze treasure chest."

He hadn't even completed the previous task, and a new one had already appeared. Lin Yuan felt a pang of anticipation for the upcoming recording session, hoping for a successful outcome tonight.

Half an hour later, Lin Yuan arrived at Xingman Entertainment.

The company occupied a towering 21-story building. Employees in professional attire bustled about, each wearing a badge signifying their department within Xingman Entertainment, a clear display of the company's considerable scale.

"Hello, Sister Zhao," a voice called out.

Zhao Jue, a prominent figure at Xingman, was greeted by many. She offered brief acknowledgments before leading Lin Yuan directly to the ninth-floor recording studio.

"Sister Zhao!" A portly manager, who had been waiting on the ninth floor, hurried towards them as Zhao Jue approached.

"The equipment is almost ready," he informed her, wiping sweat from his brow.

"Where is the artist?" Zhao Jue inquired, scanning the busy studio staff.

"Ah, that one..." the manager stammered, his face paling. "He's stuck in traffic. The newcomer hasn't arrived yet. I've tried to rush him multiple times! When he gets here, I'll definitely give him a piece of my mind!"

"Traffic jam? Couldn't he have left earlier?" Zhao Jue's eyes turned cold.

"If you can't manage a newcomer properly, find someone else who can! Starting now, I expect the recording to begin in 15 minutes. Get me someone useful!"

"Yes, yes..." the manager stammered, his hands trembling as he fumbled for his phone. He had already mentally chastised the tardy newcomer countless times.

At that moment, an assistant emerged from the elevator and approached Zhao Jue.

"Sister Zhao, the manager wants to see you..."

"Understood," Zhao Jue replied, rubbing her temples with a sigh.

She suspected the manager wanted to discuss the newcomer chart. She chided herself for overconfidence, having made such a bold promise to the company's executives.

Glancing at Lin Yuan, whose innocent expression belied his role as the catalyst for this situation, Zhao Jue felt a surge of frustration.

With a heavy heart and a warning in her eyes, she addressed the recording studio staff and the portly manager: "The song was penned by Lin Yuan. For the duration of this song's recording, all decisions will defer to Lin Yuan's judgment, understood?"

"Understood."

The portly manager and the studio crew quickly nodded towards Lin Yuan, positioned behind Zhao Jue, clearly unwilling to defy Zhao Jue's command.

Lin Yuan offered a polite nod in return.

Zhao Jue had business elsewhere and departed.

The manager of the aspiring artist also headed downstairs, making a phone call.

Lin Yuan and the staff waited for about ten minutes. Suddenly, a distant voice could be heard, exclaiming, "If you're even a minute late, you'll miss your chance for this year's rookie season! Don't you know how many years you've waited for a debut in the rookie season? And you actually dared to make Sister Zhao angry? Everyone knows Sister Zhao's temper has been volatile lately, so why would you walk right into the fire..."

"My apologies, my brother, I was wrong!"

A short young man, bowing and scraping before the portly agent who had just descended, offered profuse apologies: "I truly didn't anticipate securing a debut opportunity this year! Rest assured, brother! Today, I promise to seize this chance and won't let you down! Thank you for vouching for me and securing the company's final rookie season slot!"

"Enough of that nonsense. Get ready to record the song."

The portly manager turned, pressing his temples firmly, suspecting his blood pressure had spiked.

The young man let out a sigh of relief, dabbing sweat from his brow. His expression was a mix of nervousness and excitement, but as he looked up, he noticed the boy standing before him.

"Lin Yuan?"

He took a few steps closer, scrutinizing Lin Yuan. Once certain he hadn't mistaken his identity, his face lit up: "It really is you! What are you doing here? Oh, I get it! You're working part-time, right?"

Lin Yuan remained silent, his mind racing to place the individual. Based on the original owner's memories, this person felt familiar.

The young man, oblivious to Lin Yuan's internal struggle, continued.

He puffed out his chest and placed a hand on Lin Yuan's shoulder: "You truly live up to being the top student from our vocal music department. To be working part-time at Xingmang even as a sophomore... Ah, are you working in the recording studio now? In that case, your senior and you are practically colleagues!"

He then produced a thermos from his person and offered it to Lin Yuan.

The young man gestured expansively, saying, "Go fetch a glass of water for your senior. I'm completely exhausted from running here, but it's a small price to pay. After all, once this song is recorded, your senior is about to debut!"

Lin Yuan was wordless. He had finally recalled the young man's identity.

This was Sun Yaohuo, a graduate of the Qinzhou Art College's vocal music department. He had previously returned to the school for alumni events involving vocal music, which was how he had met the original owner. Thus, he was indeed Lin Yuan's senior.

Furthermore, Sun Yaohuo's talent had earned him a contract with Stars Entertainment immediately upon graduation. Juniors from the vocal music department often looked up to Sun Yaohuo, who had joined a major company and held the potential to become a future star singer.

Although Lin Yuan was also under contract with Starman Entertainment, he had never publicized this fact. His peculiar physical condition meant that only Xia Fan and Jian were aware of his affiliation; no one else knew.

"What are you spacing out for?"

Sun Yaohuo grinned, "Go pour me some water. Your senior needs to record his song. You can watch later, too. Observing will be a valuable learning experience for you."

"Certainly."

Lin Yuan went to fetch the water.

The recording studio staff exchanged peculiar glances.

Sun Yaohuo's portly manager happened to turn and witness Sun Yaohuo's directive to Lin Yuan. He felt his blood pressure, which had finally subsided, begin to rise again.

"Sun Yaohuo, who do you think you're talking to?"

He strode forward, giving Sun Yaohuo a sharp tap on the back of the neck, "The song you're about to sing was written by someone! You need to address him as Teacher Lin!"

With that said,

The portly manager turned to Lin Yuan, who was retrieving the water nearby: "My apologies, Teacher Lin. Sun Yaohuo isn't exactly the sharpest tool in the shed..."

"You really should have some water before recording your song."

Lin Yuan responded earnestly, seeing no issue with the statement, and handed the now-full thermos to Sun Yaohuo.

Sun Yaohuo accepted it dazedly.

The stout man, still displeased, turned to scold him, "Show respect to Teacher Lin. Don't be so casual."

""

Sun Yaohuo opened his mouth, intending to speak, but found himself at a loss for words, filled with bewilderment.

He's several years younger than me!

Why am I the one being disrespectful?

The staff member nearby forced a smile and said, "Rookie, have you memorized the melody by heart? If so, why not try to find the tune first based on the lyrics?"

"I'm very familiar with it,"

Sun Yaohuo replied swiftly.

Lin Yuan stated, "Then let's begin."

Stepping into the recording booth, Sun Yaohuo commenced singing along with the lyrics. His skill level was adequate; otherwise, he wouldn't have been signed by Star Entertainment after graduation.

However, Lin Yuan possessed the vocal experience of the original artist, thus his standards were not low. If one intended to share in the profits, even a supporting role needed to demonstrate a certain level of talent.

"The initial humming before the pause wasn't natural enough."

This feedback was relayed back, and Sun Yaohuo nodded in understanding.

The music played once more, only to be halted again by Lin Yuan, "Your enunciation is too forceful. Lighten the 'bite,' and let the emotion flow more strongly."

"Understood."

Sun Yaohuo felt a growing unease being critiqued by someone so much younger. He harbored a suspicion that the other was intentionally making things difficult, causing his complexion to pale. At this moment, he felt utterly mortified.

This internal turmoil was likely impacting his performance.

Consequently, even after several subsequent retakes, Lin Yuan remained unsatisfied. In the end, Lin Yuan decided to call for a break:

"Let's take a ten-minute break before resuming recording."

In terms of pure vocal capability, Sun Yaohuo had no issue completing the song. His subpar performance was likely due to the mental burden he carried.

This wasn't a major problem.

It simply required a shift in his mindset.

Sun Yaohuo let out a sigh of relief and moved to a chair outside the booth, draining his cup of water in one go.

As he set down the glass, he noticed Lin Yuan naturally taking it and heading towards the water dispenser to refill it for him.

Was this a deliberate attempt to humiliate him?

Sun Yaohuo's voice was subdued as he mumbled, "Uh... Teacher Lin..."

"Just call me Junior,"

Lin Yuan replied, pouring the water.

Sun Yaohuo offered a strained smile, understanding he couldn't afford to offend his junior at this juncture.

With a slight exertion, he screwed the lid back onto the thermos, asking, "So, Junior Lin... you also know how to compose...?"

Lin Yuan explained, "I had an illness previously, which affected my throat, so I transferred to the composition department in my sophomore year."

Sun Yaohuo blinked in surprise.

Soon after, he shook his head, let out a soft sigh, and patted Lin Yuan's shoulder, his voice laced with sympathy and regret, "What a shame, such a pity, truly a pity..."

He uttered the word