Chapter 514: Wen Ming 4
Ye Li knew that musicians like these rarely respected each other; only true skill could win them over. He didn’t argue with them. "You’ll understand once you hear her sing. She can do more than just belt high notes. Her voice is incredibly versatile."
"When she sings love songs, her voice is ethereal and soaring. But when she sings rock, it becomes rich and heavy, almost like she has multiple sets of vocal cords."
"That’s a total exaggeration," Old Mo said, lighting a cigarette. "How can a person have multiple sets of vocal cords?"
Ye Li pushed his cigarette down. "You should smoke less. You think your throat isn’t trashed enough already?"
Old Mo waved his hand dismissively. "My throat is already like this, what can I do? I’m at the point where nothing’s off-limits—smoking, drinking, whatever."
Ye Li sighed. "Alright, let’s not talk about depressing things. She’s about to start. And I have to say, she really has stage presence."
Old Yan said, "Didn’t I say so? She has that star quality, which is rare. With her looks, if she also has talent and vocal skill, she’ll be a massive hit with the right packaging."
"She just needs to be a bit thinner. She looks a little too voluptuous right now. The younger generation might not go for this style."
Ye Li grinned mischievously. "Is Old Yan getting ideas?"
Old Yan lamented, "There’s a talent gap in the market right now. After Little Cao went abroad, the company’s ’top sister’ spot has been empty. And the newly signed artists haven’t finished their training... Ugh, and our competitors are circling like vultures..."
"Everything depends on her performance now..."
Just as he said that, an ethereal and gentle voice suddenly filled the air. Old Yan froze, his body immediately snapping upright as he stared intently at Tan You on the stage.
Old Mo rubbed his arms, feeling goosebumps break out all over his skin.
The people who had been dancing enthusiastically on the floor also fell silent, all of them staring, dumbfounded, at Tan You. Tan You didn’t even look at the crowd below the stage. She just closed her eyes slightly, her hands gripping the microphone in front of her as she began to vocalize softly.
Her high notes were crystal clear and soaring, yet never shrill. Her low notes were gentle and melodic, and the transitions between them were as smooth as flowing water. That short vocalization alone was enough to be considered legendary.
’This was a technique Tan You had learned from the siren race. She had put in a great deal of effort to master it back then. Judging by the audience’s reaction, it seems to be going over well, doesn’t it?’
After the vocalization, Tan You began the main part of the song. To be honest, choosing such a quiet song for the opening was an extremely risky move in a bar. But Tan You’s skill gave her courage, and her gamble paid off.
It just goes to show that gold shines wherever it is.
The song mainly described the underwater scenery she had experienced in the Western Fantasy World. With just a few lines of lyrics, she painted a picture of that magnificent and fantastical undersea world.
Accompanied by the band’s performance, she quickly drew everyone into that mysterious and beautiful ocean world.
Old Hu, Old Yan, Old Mo, and the others no longer had the mind to critique. Their hearts and souls followed Tan You’s voice, soaring with her through the sea, roaming with her across the sky, completely immersed in the mystery and beauty of the ocean.
Ye Li, having heard it a few times that afternoon, had built up some resistance. Now, seeing his friends’ reactions and the dumbfounded guests on the dance floor, Ye Li knew Tan You had scored a massive win.
No matter how beautiful, every song must end. It was only when Tan You bowed in thanks that the crowd slowly came back to their senses.
Old Mo was the first to jump to his feet, clapping and shouting, "Bravo!"
Not to be outdone, Old Yan and Old Hu followed suit. With them leading the charge, the dance floor erupted with cheers, applause, and even many calls for an encore.
Tan You glanced in the direction of Old Yan and his group, offering a generous smile. "The next song is a pop song called ’Late.’ I hope you all enjoy it."
She was a willful singer; she wouldn’t pander to the audience. Her main purpose in coming to Ye Se was to fish, and now that the fish were on the hook, Tan You’s objective was achieved.
However, she would continue with her planned performance. That was her respect for the stage.
Old Yan was the most impatient. "Old Ye, what’s her story? How are her vocal skills so good?"
Ye Li answered calmly, "You all know Qi Ying, right?"
"Of course, isn’t he the one who produced Ah Mei’s album?" Old Hu, ever the well-informed one, asked. "What does this have to do with Qi Ying?"
Ye Li said, "She’s Qi Ying’s ex-wife. They just got their divorce certificate this afternoon, and she came straight over to my place."
Old Yan was shocked. "She’s this talented and sings this well, and Qi Ying divorced her?"
Ye Li replied, "He’s got a screw loose. She had a good career developing in G Province; she was known for being an excellent singer. But then Qi Ying pursued her, so she moved here from G Province, and after that, she didn’t make a single splash."
"Qi Ying is a bit of a chauvinist," Old Hu said, lighting a cigarette. "It’s good that she left him. It’s just that, a divorced woman..."
Old Yan was not happy with that. "What’s wrong with being divorced? Can’t a divorced woman live her life? I say the divorce is a good thing! When she becomes a huge star, it’ll be a slap right in Qi Ying’s face. Let’s see if he has anything to be proud of then."
Ye Li grinned. "Is there a story behind that?"
Old Yan spread his hands. "A promising newcomer I had my eye on joined Qi Ying’s record label just for him. Just think, if we make his ex-wife a star, wouldn’t that prove Qi Ying is blind as a bat?"
Old Mo thought about it and couldn’t help but smile. "You know, the thought of that is actually really satisfying."
Ye Li lamented, "She was clearly a shining star, but he insisted on cooping her up at home. What a waste. It’s a good thing they divorced."
Old Yan had already made up his mind. "We’re signing her!"
Naturally, neither Old Hu nor Old Mo had any objections. While it was rare for singers to be divorced these days, it wasn’t unheard of. Besides, they couldn’t be happier at the chance to give Qi Ying a taste of his own medicine.
Especially since Tan You had such incredible skill. They had truly struck gold.
Tan You finished her two songs. In response to the crowd’s pleas to stay, she sang "Siren" one more time before finally stepping off the stage. The bright lights made her a bit dizzy, and given that she really needed to rest well for the next few days, her vision momentarily blurred.
Ye Li quickly steadied her. "Are you okay?"
Tan You shrugged. "I’m fine. I just haven’t been resting well. I’ll be sure to get some rest later."
"You were in a hurry to find me. What was it about?"
’In truth, she already knew from the Beauty System, but Tan You had to ask anyway.’
Ye Li was grinning from ear to ear. "I have a few friends who want to meet you. They run their own record label."
Tan You raised an eyebrow. "They want to sign me?"
Ye Li wasn’t about to say it outright at this moment. He just chuckled and said, "Let’s go to the break room to talk. This isn’t something we can explain in just a few words."
Tan You naturally agreed with Ye Li. When it came to her own interests, Tan You wouldn’t budge an inch. The world was a big place; she would always find a spot for herself. Even if she couldn’t reach an agreement with Old Yan and his group, it didn’t matter. She would just find another offer.