"No way, Yue-jie, is this the song he wrote for you?"
Xu Yunshang's voice on the phone was filled with disbelief.
He Yue had just sung "Love's Transaction" to her.
She was almost struck by lightning. Putting aside the quality of the song for a moment,
with that catchy melody, Xu Yunshang could hum it almost perfectly after hearing it once.
She never imagined that Wang Shu could write a song in such a style.
"How much did you pay him for this song?"
Xu Yunshang asked curiously, knowing Wang Shu's greed for money and his certainty not to miss such an opportunity.
"He didn't ask for money, just thirty percent of the song's profits!"
He Yue replied truthfully.
"What? He didn't ask for money?"
Upon hearing He Yue's answer, Xu Yunshang found it incredible.
Was the sun rising from the west? Wang Shu wasn't asking for money but for a share?
Could it be that he thought this song would make a lot of money?
Or was it that Wang Shu liked mature women in their thirties like He Yue?
After hanging up, Xu Yunshang immediately dialed Wang Shu's number.
Wang Shu, who had just finished showering, looked at the name displayed on his phone screen and couldn't help but shake his head in resignation before answering.
"Did you give my number to someone else?"
Wang Shu said directly as soon as the call connected.
"Sister Yue is my senior, so I couldn't really refuse. But is the song you wrote for Sister Yue reliable?"
Xu Yunshang asked with some concern.
After all, He Yue was a prominent figure in the music industry, and Wang Shu's song "Love's Transaction" sounded rather unreliable.
If he offended He Yue because of this song, it could be a devastating blow to Wang Shu's future.
"What's wrong? Do you want one too?"
Wang Shu couldn't help but slightly curve the corners of his lips and said into the phone in response to Xu Yunshang's doubt.
"Forget it, I can't handle this style. But I'll be in Xiangnan tomorrow for a program recording. Do you have time to have dinner together?"
He Yue asked with anticipation, as she and Wang Shu had never truly had a proper meal together.
The last time she invited Wang Shu as a guest, a celebration banquet was prepared, but he had rushed back to the buffet restaurant.
"I have no money!"
"My treat!"
Xu Yunshang knew Wang Shu would use the excuse of having no money to refuse, so she quickly offered to pay.
Hearing the sincerity in the young girl's voice, Wang Shu could no longer refuse and agreed.
The next morning, Wang Shu received a call from Xiao Su, the intern director from Xiangnan TV.
Xiao Su informed him that he needed to arrive at the venue earlier for the program recording today, as it was the official competition with judges and thousands of audience members.
After hanging up, Wang Shu got up, washed up, and headed to Xiangnan TV.
To his surprise, this time the director, Xiao Su, was waiting for him at the entrance.
"Mr. Wang Shu, for the upcoming period, I will be your temporary agent until the end of the program. You can contact me directly with any competition-related questions."
Xiao Su said to Wang Shu with a smile.
She had a very good impression of Wang Shu, especially his song "Qiao Choux" which he sang during the preliminary round last night, a song she absolutely loved.
"Oh, okay. I'll be counting on you then."
Wang Shu also smiled slightly. He didn't dislike this intern director named Xiao Su.
Perhaps it was because she had just left school and hadn't yet been tainted by the complexities of the world.
"Um, can I take a photo with you? I think you'll be famous in the future, and I really like your songs."
After much deliberation, Xiao Su finally mustered up the courage to ask Wang Shu.
"Huh? No problem, go ahead and take it!"
Wang Shu was a little surprised. After all, a girl working at a TV station like Xiao Su shouldn't be interested in an obscure figure like him.
However, since Xiao Su was a fan, Wang Shu didn't refuse and took a few photos with her.
Seeing Xiao Su's satisfied expression, Wang Shu felt a bit happier.
"Wang Shu, what are you doing here?"
Just as they finished taking photos and were heading to the studio, a man patted Wang Shu on the shoulder and asked in surprise.
When Wang Shu heard the familiar voice, he forced a smile and turned to look at Tian Fen behind him.
"Class monitor Tian, your performance yesterday was amazing. You'll definitely place!"
Wang Shu immediately gave Tian Fen a thumbs-up, wanting to get rid of him quickly to avoid any misunderstanding about their relationship.
"Thanks, old classmate, for the compliment. But my goal this time is not just to place; I want to win the championship!"
Tian Fen said, patting his chest with confidence. His company had invested a lot of money to establish connections, and as long as he didn't perform too poorly, he was virtually guaranteed the championship.
"Then congratulations in advance. I'm just here for fun, to experience it."
Seeing Tian Fen's confidence, Wang Shu played along with flattery.
"It's okay, when I'm successful in the future, with our connection, I definitely won't forget you."
Tian Fen was very pleased that Wang Shu was so sensible today and said, patting Wang Shu on the shoulder.
"Thanks, Brother Fen!"
...
Watching Tian Fen's departing figure, Wang Shu couldn't help but take a few deep breaths of air.
He really didn't know what stuff Tian Fen sprayed on himself all day, he almost suffocated him just now.
After breathing for a while, Wang Shu entered the studio with Xiao Su. Compared to yesterday,
there were significantly fewer people backstage today, with only about thirty remaining.
Keep in mind that yesterday there were nearly three hundred people who participated in the preliminary round, and now only thirty remained. That's a rejection rate of over ninety percent!
Among those who remained, apart from those with true talent, the majority had advanced through company maneuvers.
Wang Shu was well aware of such situations.
After all, where would a talent show be one hundred percent fair?
Such paid operations were all too common in the entertainment industry on Earth, there was no need to be surprised.
Just as Tian Fen had said, as long as one had money, buying first place wasn't impossible.
After all, the program's primary objective was profit, not to find a truly excellent singer.
However, Wang Shu didn't care about these things. All he wanted to do was sing his songs.
As for how far he would go, that remained to be seen.