Chapter 6: Thirteenth Music Department

Today wouldn't mark the official recording session. Singers needed time to familiarize themselves with the song. Lin Zhibai's primary purpose for being here was to hold auditions. After each candidate had their turn, they would select the singer who best suited the song.

It was akin to casting auditions.

As for what an agreement was, Lin Zhibai hadn't formally studied composition yet, so his judgment wasn't as sharp. However, he had his own instinctive methods.

It was quite simple: find someone whose style resembled the original singer's from Earth.

After auditioning three singers, Lin Zhibai still hadn't found a particularly satisfactory result. It wasn't that these new singers couldn't sing well—they were all trained and part of Shinhwa Entertainment's music department, so their level was certainly above average. The problem was their style. None matched the original singer from Earth, making it hard for them to deliver the song as intended. Lin Zhibai was getting a headache.

Perhaps it wouldn't be as popular as the original song. Many covers couldn't rival the original artists. But Lin Zhibai didn't yet have the expertise to make such judgments, so he continued with his instinctive methods.

"Next person."

Lin Zhibai's brow furrowed slightly. There were only six singers auditioning, and three had already been ruled out.

If the next three couldn't deliver the desired effect, he would have to ask his sister for another solution.

"Hello, teacher..."

The fourth auditioner entered the recording studio. Perhaps the previous auditions had intimidated him, as he seemed quite nervous, stumbling over his words.

"Are you familiar with the song?"

"Uh-huh!"

"Try singing a few lines," Lin Zhibai said, putting on his monitoring headphones alongside the sound engineer.

Clearing his throat, the newcomer began: "When you walk into this joyful place..."

He sang a few lines before Lin Zhibai interrupted: "Stop."

"Teacher!" The newcomer's legs were trembling with nerves, but he mustered the courage to plead, "I want to try again. Please give me another chance..."

"Relax," Lin Zhibai smiled. "Your voice is good, but it's shaking a bit too much. Try to calm down."

The newcomer's voice was indeed pleasant, somewhat reminiscent of the original singer. Though not a perfect match, his deep, low-pitched voice was comfortable to Lin Zhibai's ears.

Encouraged, the newcomer relaxed slightly and tried singing again. After a few lines, Lin Zhibai declared, "That's it."

Lin Zhibai then auditioned the remaining two singers. After all six had performed, he chose the fourth singer, who almost fully met his requirements.

"It's up to you."

The sound engineer smiled and advised the singer, "Go home tonight and thoroughly familiarize yourself with the song. We'll try recording tomorrow."

"Thank you, teacher!" The newcomer was overjoyed and bowed repeatedly.

As Lin Zhibai looked at him, he suddenly felt a strange sense of familiarity. "What's your name?"

"Lin Shouzhuo!" the newcomer replied loudly.

Lin Zhibai's expression turned peculiar. No wonder he seemed familiar. It appeared Lin Shouzhuo was a relative, possibly someone he'd seen at family gatherings. Despite being older, Lin Shouzhuo should technically address him as "uncle" due to family hierarchy.

Lin Shouzhuo left the recording studio, his back drenched in sweat, but his face alight with excitement.

"It's him!" Lin Shouzhuo's heart raced with joy, almost causing him to jump for joy as he returned to the dormitory. When he encountered other employees, he hurriedly composed himself. Back in his dorm, he eagerly called his mother.

"Shou Zhuo?"

"Mom, guess who I saw at the company today?"

"Who?"

"Uncle Lin's youngest son!"

"Wasn't he in poor health?"

"He looked quite healthy. And guess who wrote my debut song?"

"Could it be your Uncle Lin's son?"

"It's him! It's him! It's him!"

"Really? According to our family tree, you should call him Uncle Lin . So, Uncle Lin Dong's son is also your uncle." (TN : Uncle-ception)

"This generation... I'm older than him though... but the song is fantastic, I love it!"

"Son," his mother said seriously, "your Uncle Lin Dong has been very kind to our family. Don't let him down."

"I won't," Lin Shouzhuo assured her. "I remember Uncle Lin Dong lent money for Dad's surgery!"

After finding a satisfactory singer, Lin Zhibai discussed follow-up recording plans with the sound engineer. He then roamed around the Thirteenth Music Department until his sister finished work, and they headed home together.

In the car, Lin Xi asked, "Did you find a singer you liked?"

"I did," Lin Zhibai replied.

"Efficient," she noted. "I'll listen to it once it's recorded."

"Sure."

Sipping her milk tea, Lin Xi continued, "How did you find your first day at the company?"

"Everyone seemed busy," Lin Zhibai observed.

"That's normal. Shinhwa Entertainment has twenty music departments, and competition is fierce. Departments even poach each other's talents. The old man likes this wolf culture."

Lin Zhibai nodded. For those at the top, singers and songwriters could choose whichever department they preferred as long as they stayed within the company.

"But I am the director of the Thirteenth Music Department," Lin Xi said, driving onto the elevated road.

"Excellent composers and singers are the department's core strength. My performance as a director depends entirely on these individuals. Fortunately, I have a good relationship with several top songwriters here. Other departments can't recruit them easily, and our singers usually stay unless there's a special reason. The relationship between composers and singers is key."

"If a few core members leave, my performance would plummet. If my performance consistently drops, I might get demoted. Even our uncles would face pressure if their performance slips."

No wonder their father wasn't a company leader. Lin Zhibai asked, "Who holds the power?"

"Ultimately, the old man does," Lin Xi replied. "He values performance over personal relationships. If you do well, he rewards you. If not, even his own sons face consequences."

"In a corporate environment, competition sometimes breeds cooperation. There are no permanent enemies or friends, except for certain people."

Lin Zhibai smiled, knowing exactly who his sister meant. Since their grandfather valued performance over personal ties, completing tasks should be straightforward.

Competing for the Shinhwa legacy required more than studying hard. Physical recovery didn't equate to healed emotional scars. Some scars still needed settling. The events at Xicheng Manor had nearly destroyed his life. Lin Zhibai wouldn't forgive those responsible—at least, not before making them pay.