Nine o'clock in the evening, a street in Xiangnan City.
Wang Shu, after finishing dinner, was wandering aimlessly on the street and found himself by the Xiang River without realizing it.
Having been reborn, his mentality had become much more peaceful.
Compared to his previous life, where he spent all his time scheming how to become famous, this life he was much more laid-back.
In this world, he simply wanted to live a few more days and truly enjoy his life.
As for whether he could become a big star in the entertainment industry, he didn't really care.
As Wang Shu stood by the Xiang River, enjoying the evening breeze, his phone rang again.
Wang Shu guessed it was likely Xu Yunshang, that little girl. It had been a week since they last saw each other.
However, when Wang Shu picked up his phone, he saw it was an unfamiliar number.
But he thought only a few people knew his number, and he had never seen this number before.
Still, Wang Shu pressed the answer button and put it to his ear.
"Hello!"
"Mr. Wang Shu? I am He Yue, one of your judges today."
"Oh, Teacher He, what is it?"
Hearing He Yue on the other end, Wang Shu relaxed.
He figured she must have gotten his contact information from Xu Yunshang.
"I apologize for the intrusion, but I feel I should meet with you. There are some things I'd like to discuss."
He Yue's voice came through the phone.
"You pick the place, I'll take a taxi there."
Wang Shu said after a moment's thought, as he had a good idea why He Yue was looking for him.
"Send me an address, and I'll come pick you up right now!"
He Yue said directly on the phone.
...
Ten minutes later, a deep red Porsche 911 stopped beside Wang Shu.
"What kind of song are you looking for?"
As the sports car sped down the road, Wang Shu, sitting in the passenger seat, turned his head and asked.
"It seems you've already guessed my purpose for seeking you out. Quite clever. What kind of song do you think suits me?"
He Yue couldn't help but smile, and she liked Wang Shu's straightforward personality.
She didn't answer Wang Shu's question directly but instead asked him in return.
"Are you sure you want me to decide?"
Wang Shu asked He Yue with a serious expression.
"You decide, I'll go with anything."
He Yue replied just as seriously.
Her intention this time was not to commission a song from Wang Shu, but to take the opportunity to befriend a genius songwriter like him.
Although she was already considered a diva in the music industry, her original songwriting ability was a significant weakness.
Therefore, she greatly cherished songwriters like Wang Shu who could both write lyrics and compose music.
"Since that's the case, then listen up. I'll sing it for you."
Seeing how casual her request was, Wang Shu thought for a moment and cleared his throat.
"Selling my love, forcing me to leave, finally knowing the truth, my tears fall, selling my love..."
The highly rhythmic and catchy melody, sung by Wang Shu, directly entered He Yue's mind.
She even started to sway along with the soothing music that was playing in the car.
The car also began to accelerate.
Until Wang Shu's singing stopped abruptly.
"Is this song okay? I think it suits you very well!"
Wang Shu asked He Yue with a mischievous look, but he wasn't really trying to trick her.
After all, how popular was "Love is Not Bought" back then? The downloads for ringtones alone reached seventy million.
Ringtones back then cost two yuan each, and seventy million downloads directly equated to 140 million in revenue.
What was even more terrifying was that at the price levels of that era, 140 million was an astronomical profit.
And most importantly, the song's addictive nature and widespread popularity were incredible.
It had swept through every street and alley, leaving a deep impression on generations, young and old. As long as the intro played, anyone could hum along.
Therefore, Wang Shu was usually reluctant to bring out such songs, as they were guaranteed hits.
"This song sounds interesting, it has a certain indescribable feeling."
He Yue analyzed with a serious expression. As a professional musician, she could discern a good song from a bad one.
Of course, a commercially viable song couldn't be judged solely from an artistic perspective, because songs that were too artistic.
The general public couldn't appreciate them. A good work should be appreciated by both the refined and the common people.
Not something that was highbrow and esoteric, appreciated only by a few. Therefore, although the song Wang Shu just sang sounded a bit colloquial, she had a hunch that it would be a hit.
However, she couldn't figure out how someone who wrote the profoundly artistic "Xiao Chou" could come up with this song!
"Just tell me if you want it or not!"
Wang Shu stared intently at He Yue and asked.
"I want it. Name your price!"
He Yue said directly. She wasn't stupid; she could tell if this song would be a hit.
Wang Shu pondered for a moment, then extended three fingers.
"You want three million? That's so expensive?"
He Yue looked at the young man in front of her with shock and surprise. After all, very few songwriters dared to ask for three million for a single song.
"A profit share. I want thirty percent of the song's revenue!"
Wang Shu replied calmly.
"I thought you were going to ask for three million, you scared me! But if it's just a profit share, don't regret it later."
He Yue stopped the car by the roadside and patted her proud chest, trying to comfort herself.
"I'm not stupid."
Wang Shu replied with a harmless smile.
After all, the value this song could create was far more than three million.
If Wang Shu wasn't mistaken, this song would earn at least a hundred million in this world. By then, who would regret it remained to be seen.
Of course, the premise was that He Yue would personally sing this song.
"I have another question. Are you considering signing with my company?"
Before getting out of the car, He Yue asked Wang Shu with anticipation.
"I don't want to be an employee, so I'm not considering signing at the moment."
Wang Shu directly refused He Yue.
He didn't want to be controlled by others too early. Although it was difficult to go solo in the entertainment industry, it was still possible.
But as someone facing death, why worry so much?
He would earn the money he could now. How long he would live was up to fate.
Finally, the car stopped in front of a small hotel.
Wang Shu got out of the car without looking back and walked into the hotel.
He Yue, still in the car, looked at his thin, somewhat sickly figure and a smile appeared on her lips.
She looked at the lyric sheet in her hand.
"Selling my love..."