Chapter 518: Wen Ming 8
Liuu Yize smiled. "Not at all. I’m just incredibly honored you’d say so. I can sing every song on Teacher Wen’s album, and the more I do, the more I realize your talent is extraordinary."
Tan You’s lips curved. "This isn’t the best place to talk business. Shall we find somewhere more private?"
Ye Li said, "There’s a lounge upstairs. Why don’t we talk there?"
Tan You said, "I’m fine with that. Mr. Liuu...?"
Liuu Yize said, "Of course. I’m deeply honored to have the chance to speak with you directly, Teacher Wen."
Tan You couldn’t help but narrow her eyes slightly. ’Some of the men here might be philanderers and others cold-hearted, but they all shared one trait: their voices were incredibly smooth and pleasant to the ear.’
The group relocated to Ye Li’s lounge. Tan You didn’t beat around the bush; she was always direct and straightforward. After flipping through her notebook, she found a song, tore out the page, and handed it to him. "Can you sing this?"
’Who just slaps down sheet music and lyrics the moment they meet? Jiang Hua had certainly never seen anything like it.’
He nudged Old Yan with his elbow. "Teacher Wen... is she always this direct?"
"Never seen anything like it, huh?" Old Yan said smugly. "Teacher Wen doesn’t mess around."
Inside the lounge, Liuu Yize’s breath hitched after reading just a few lines of the score. Once he had gone through the complete lyrics and music, he let out a sigh. "Teacher Wen, I’m sorry. I lost my composure."
Tan You calmly speared a piece of fruit. "It’s fine. Can you sing it?"
Aze looked it over carefully one more time. "I can."
"Good," Tan You said, her eyes narrowing slightly. "To be honest, your vocal color is truly special. Sticking to a purely pop route would be a waste. If you sign with us, I’ll do my best to develop you as a true artist."
"Can you dance?"
Aze shook his head. "No."
Tan You nodded in understanding. "So you’re a stationary performer. That’s perfectly fine."
She flipped through her notebook as she spoke. "Old Yan, I’m suddenly interested in that music director position."
Old Yan didn’t stand on ceremony. "How many songs do you have ready right now?"
"Wait, you’ve been writing again? I thought you were supposed to be resting at home."
Tan You shot him a look. "I said I was taking a break. Did you really think I’d just do nothing? Life is all about constantly making waves."
Old Mo chimed in, "You should know her by now. She can’t sit still."
Old Yan asked with great seriousness, "How many songs do you have right now that would suit Aze?"
Tan You replied, "I have eight for now. My other songs aren’t a good fit for him, so we can discuss those later. Of course, this is all just talk until there’s a contract. If you do sign, all the songs I give you will be on the same level as this one."
Old Yan looked toward Liuu Yize, who nodded immediately. "I’ll sign. I’ll sign right now."
’Tan You was offering to tailor-make an album for him, and at such a high level of quality. He’d be an idiot not to sign. So what if Wen Ming was a newcomer? She had already won everyone over with her talent. When someone this powerful offers you a chance, you take it.’
The news that Tan You had become the music director at Old Yan’s company and signed Liuu Yize spread through the industry like wildfire. Many were watching from the sidelines. For one, they thought Tan You was getting ahead of herself, acting so high and mighty after releasing just a single album.
Others were predicting the failure of her collaboration with Aze. Honestly, everyone in the industry coveted Liuu Yize’s voice. But what good was envy? Who among them could guarantee they could produce an album that was actually suited for him?
Although she was the music director, Tan You rarely set foot in the office, spending nearly all her time in the recording studio. ’She was producing an album for Aze, so why is Jiang Hua tagging along?’
Jiang Hua explained, "I’m here to learn a thing or two from the master. A man can’t just write about puppy love all the time, can he?"
Tan You deadpanned, "It’s not easy to write about puppy love well, either. And since Mr. Jiang understands women so well, I could never compare."
Jiang Hua said self-deprecatingly, "What do I know about women? I can’t figure you out at all, Teacher Wen."
Tan You remained expressionless. "Mr. Jiang, I’ve told you before. We can talk about money, not romance."
"Got it. Teacher Wen has sworn off love," Jiang Hua said, raising his hands in surrender. After his daily attempt at flirting, he sat down across from Tan You. "Aze’s voice is what got him noticed, but it’s also the very reason he’s been stuck in limbo for so many years."
Tan You’s lips curved into a smirk. "Once this album is out, no one will be able to hide his brilliance."
"It’s already the end of September. If you release an album now, you’ll be competing against yourself," Jiang Hua said, curious. "Aren’t you afraid Aze might be the one who wins the awards?"
"I don’t care if he wins. I’m not in it for the awards anyway," Tan You shrugged nonchalantly. "Truthfully, I prefer working behind the scenes, but I don’t want to give up on being a singer either."
As Tan You, she truly wanted to work behind the scenes. But Wen Ming didn’t. Wen Ming loved to sing, loved being on stage. So Tan You had to just grin and bear it, continuing down the path of a singer.
"If Aze does win, it just proves my work is top-notch," Tan You said, taking it in stride. "At the end of the day, whether as a singer or a producer, I’ll still get the recognition."
Liuu Yize asked in surprise, "We’re releasing the album this year? Not pushing it to after the new year?"
Tan You replied, "There’s no need. True talent will shine no matter what; the timing is irrelevant. We don’t need to play those games. As long as we consistently put out good work, that’s all that matters."
The manager, Old Gao, smiled. "Exactly. The Director’s talent transcends all that scheming. Whatever they throw at us, we’ll just steamroll right past it."
Tan You looked at Old Gao. "Brother Qi, what scheming?"
After releasing her album, she had taken the position of music director, so she needed someone to help manage her affairs. Since the company had also just signed Aze, Old Yan simply put Old Gao in charge of everything related to both Tan You and Aze.
Back then, the company’s managers had practically been at each other’s throats fighting for the chance to manage Tan You and Aze.
Old Gao took a sip of tea. "Since you signed Aze, it’s not like everyone in the company is happy about it. The gist is, you’re the music director, and you’re producing an album for him. Others are getting jealous and want you to give them some guidance too."
Tan You understood. "Once Aze’s album is completely recorded, I’ll step back from the rest of the process."
"You’re right. Since the company signed them, we have a responsibility to their careers. Give me another week to finish this current wave of work, and then I’ll get to them one by one."
She suddenly felt a sense of fulfillment, like she was nurturing new talent. Watching these unknown singers begin to shine under her guidance, Tan You felt a long-forgotten sense of anticipation.
Old Gao breathed a sigh of relief. "Great. I’ll talk to their managers. The truth is, everyone is eager to improve."
"I get it," Tan You said, cutting Old Gao off. "You’ve told them about my requirements, right?"
"I did, of course I did," Old Gao nodded emphatically. "Is there anyone who doesn’t know about your high standards for an artist’s personal conduct?"