Joining the Composition Department

November 7th.

Taking advantage of the school's weekend break, Zhao Jue drove to Qin state Art Academy to pick up Lin Yuan, and they headed to Starlight Entertainment to complete the procedures for his transfer to the composition department.

Lin Yuan was carrying textbooks for his specialized courses.

This time, Lin Yuan was seated in the passenger seat.

On their journey, Lin Yuan listened to a song playing in the car, "Life Like Summer Flowers", set to loop mode.

For the past week.

Every day, whenever Zhao Jue was in the car, this was the only song she listened to. Surprisingly, she never grew tired of it. Occasionally, she'd even hum along to its melody when she was in a good mood.

This song probably held a special significance in Zhao Jue's life.

"By the way."

As they were about to reach the company, Zhao Jue suddenly said to Lin Yuan, "Although 'Life Like Summer Flowers' is in second place, its download growth rate over the past week has surpassed that of the first place. Therefore, after the morning meeting, the company officially decided to contend with Sahara for the top spot on the newcomer charts."

"It's in second place?"

Lin Yuan was slightly elated hearing this.

Zhao Jue choked up, unable to respond immediately.

She felt like grabbing Lin Yuan by the ear and stressing, "Can you please pay a bit more attention to your song's rankings?"

In the end, Zhao Jue held back.

She just warned Lin Yuan, "However, the situation with the first place is a bit unusual, so I'm not sure we'll be successful."

Lin Yuan nodded.

He didn't know that Starlight originally didn't plan to contend for the top spot with "Life Like Summer Flowers". The current first-place song was quite dominant, and the cost to challenge its position was enormous.

However...

Lin Yuan's song was commendably competitive, its download growth rate consistently surpassing that of the first-place song.

Moreover, Zhao Jue approached a senior executive of the company who had the authority to finalize the decision, and artfully persuaded him by saying:

"We can give Sahara a run for their money!"

This is where Zhao Jue's cunning strategy was evident.

Directly requesting more resources for the promotion of "Life Like Summer Flowers" to seize the top spot on the newcomer charts might have been met with reluctance.

After all, it's just a song by a newcomer, and investing heavily in promotion might not be cost-effective.

But if doing so could give Sahara a headache?

The executive hesitated briefly before giving his approval.

It's just a matter of spending some money. If it can annoy their competitors, then it's absolutely worth it.

Why is it that the three major entertainment companies in Qin state are not on good terms, with Sahara and Starlight being particularly at odds?

The specifics of their feud had become ancient history.

At the end of the day, competitors everywhere are natural rivals.

Most importantly, following this decision, a full-scale online promotion of "Life Like Summer Flowers" was launched, hyping up the song!

...

Arriving at the company entrance, Zhao Jue tossed the car keys to the approaching security guard and led Lin Yuan straight to the composition department.

"Hello, Miss Zhao."

"Hello, Miss Zhao."

Walking inside the company, even more employees greeted Zhao Jue than when Lin Yuan first visited. Their attitudes were notably warmer.

Some even glanced at Lin Yuan.

But due to Lin Yuan's young age and college-student appearance, few would associate him with the recent topic of company gossip: "Xian Yu."

They took the elevator to the 10th floor.

Soon, they reached the composition department.

Standing at the entrance, Lin Yuan took in the department's interior.

It was bigger than he had imagined, with a spacious, refined atmosphere, and a hint of cultural ambiance.

The desks inside were spaced far apart, separated by rows of bookshelves ensuring personal privacy. These shelves were lined with various books related to music.

The work environment reminded Lin Yuan of his school library. It felt comforting.

"Miss Zhao."

Old Zhou, the head of the Composition Department, had been waiting at the entrance with a big smile on his face. However, upon seeing Zhao Jue and Lin Yuan, his smile slightly faltered as he asked, "Where's Xian Yu?"

At this moment, members of the Composition Department paused their tasks, turning their curious eyes to the entrance. They were informed during the morning meeting that Xian Yu, the composer of "Life Like Summer Flowers", would be joining their department today. They were eager to see what he looked like.

"Isn't he right here?"

Zhao Jue gracefully gestured to Lin Yuan.

Old Zhou was momentarily startled. He had naturally noticed Lin Yuan following behind Zhao Jue, but he assumed the young man to be some new artist introduced by Zhao Jue. He had never imagined this boyish-looking young man to be the legendary Xian Yu.

Zhao Jue couldn't help but chuckle.

She understood Old Zhou's surprise.

When she first signed Lin Yuan, she was full of confidence. Not only did he possess an enchanting voice, but he also had a face one couldn't help but admire. With such attributes, he was destined to shine in the limelight.

Moreover...

Not just Old Zhou was taken aback, members of the Composition Department were collectively stunned as they exchanged glances—

This young man, with the appearance of an idol, was Xian Yu?

"Haha!"

Old Zhou's smile widened again as he approached Lin Yuan enthusiastically, extending his hand, "Welcome, welcome!"

Xian Yu is young?

To Old Zhou, this wasn't a setback; rather, it was a golden opportunity. The younger the age, the more it indicated Xian Yu's prodigious talent.

He just needed to provide Lin Yuan with room to grow!

Once Lin Yuan matured with experience, perhaps he could produce songs even surpassing "Life Like Summer Flowers". In this light, Old Zhou's spirits lifted even more after the initial surprise.

"Thank you."

Lin Yuan shook his hand.

Zhao Jue chimed in from the side, "Old Zhou, this kid's real name is Lin Yuan. He's a second-year composition student at Qin state Art Academy. On school days, he can't come to the company. I hope you understand. Also, regarding his compensation, I expect it to be the same as other members in the Composition Department."

"No problem."

Old Zhou readily agreed, "Our department has signed students before. And everyone knows that our Composition Department is the most laid-back. Some of our veterans only come to the company less than five times a year. What can I do other than coaxing them daily?"

Zhao Jue frowned, "Watch your language in front of the kid."

Old Zhou chuckled, nodding repeatedly. However, he realized something significant: he had never seen Zhao Jue be so protective of someone in the company. To Zhao Jue, Lin Yuan must be someone truly special.

However...

Once in the Composition Department, if this youngster could produce songs of the same caliber as "Life Like Summer Flowers", then he'd become Old Zhou's personal gem as well.

Never underestimate Old Zhou.

As the head of the Composition Department at Starlight, Old Zhou held significant sway. After all, some of the company's top composers were under his purview.

The catch was that these elite composers rarely ever came to work.

Why? Well, they were "finding inspiration."

As long as these composers could produce profitable hits for the company annually, even the company's boss wouldn't object to their absence.

"Alright then."

Zhao Jue patted Lin Yuan's shoulder, instructing, "From now on, you're part of the Composition Department. If you have any issues, come to me. If you need a ride to the company, just call me. I'll pick you up if I can, and if not, I'll send someone else."

"Handing over your ward?"

Old Zhou chuckled, "Relax, Little Zhao. With me, Brother Zhou, watching over him, he'll be just fine. Go on with your tasks!"

Zhao Jue: "…"

Calling yourself "Brother Zhou" is fine, given your age and all.

But from being addressed as Sister Zhao to Little Zhao just after delivering Lin Yuan?'

Too real.

She turned around, waving her hand as she headed towards the elevator.

Lin Yuan also waved at Zhao Jue, even though she had turned her back and didn't see it.

Subsequently, Old Zhou had Lin Yuan sign several contracts.

After the contracts were completed, Lin Yuan officially became a member of Starlight Entertainment's Composition Department!

"Here's your seat."

Old Zhou chose a spot by the window for Lin Yuan.

It was one of the best seats in the company, offering a panoramic view of the landscape outside.

Watching Lin Yuan take the seat, the other members of the Composition Department couldn't help but feel a twinge of envy.

"That used to be Master Yang's seat."

"It doesn't matter. Those temperamental composers hardly come to the office anyway. It's been empty for years, and none of us would have had a chance to sit there."

"..."

Next, Lin Yuan opened the backpack he had brought to the company and took out several textbooks, starting to read them.

After all, he had exams approaching.

The department members, many of whom had graduated years ago, couldn't help but peek at Lin Yuan. To their astonishment, they thought they were mistaken when they saw the titles of his books. One of them even rubbed their eyes in disbelief.

The books Lin Yuan was studying were titled: "Foundations of Composition," "Theory and Practical Knowledge in Composition," and "Explaining Simple Chords."

"Is that..."

"It looks like..."

"The syllabus for a sophomore..."

Unaware of the attention he was attracting, Lin Yuan focused on reviewing potential exam topics, softly reciting:

"Whichever note of the chord is in the highest voice determines the chord's inversion."

"Major and minor chords have three inversions: root position, first inversion, and second inversion."

"In practice, no matter how the chords are arranged—tightly or openly—one must avoid voice crossing. Voice crossing is when the alto voice is higher than the tenor, the bass is higher than the alto, or the soprano is lower than the tenor."

"..."

Was this the same Xian Yu who composed "Life Like Summer Flowers"?

Faced with this unexpected scenario, the atmosphere in the Composition Department suddenly turned peculiar.

And then, an odd mix of "inferiority" and "pride" began to manifest in everyone, conflicting emotions elicited by the presence of such a young yet immensely talented composer amidst the seasoned veterans.