novelraw Chapter 10: Hong Kong Island's Last Diva - Rewards Unlocked!
Chapter 10: Hong Kong Island's Last Diva - Rewards Unlocked!
"Is it just a pre-order? We can discuss the terms! After all, even good songs need singers with enough influence to perform them."
Zheng Xiuwen's confidence stems from her current status; she believes the young man should reconsider because of her.
Seeing her somewhat anxious look, Li Shuo was secretly pleased.
All this preparation is for the system to function properly.
Once initial trust and goodwill are established, the opportunity to redeem rewards for works is offered, and here it is.
But he still replied with a smile first.
"Sister Sammi, thank you for your kind words. But when I wrote these two songs, 'The Happiness I Want' and 'Darkness Falls,' they were 'tailor-made' for the voice and temperament of that junior sister Sun. So, I really can't give them to you."
Li Shuo's attitude was gentle yet firm.
What a joke! Not to mention that he had no intention of changing the brilliant trajectory of this junior sister, a future "niche singer" whom he really liked.
In terms of compatibility alone, who could be more suitable for these two songs than Sun Yanzi?
In the year 2000, this short-haired girl burst onto the scene with her self-titled album, "Sun Yanzi".
It immediately swept across various charts, and the second album "The Happiness I Want" broke the record for the fastest weekly sales of 10 copies at the end of the year.
What followed was winning countless awards!
In the fierce competition of that year's strongest newcomer, he decisively snatched the spotlight from the soon-to-be superstar Jay Chou, winning one of the most important awards for any star: the "Best Newcomer Award"!
This is something that Jay Chou will never be able to let go of for the rest of his life!
So these two songs originally belonged to Sun Yanzi. Li Shuo had already planned that after taking advantage of this "momentum," he would only give them to her... and they could only be hers.
Besides, there are plenty of better and more suitable options for you, Hong Kong's queen of pop.
I'm currently pondering which song to give Zheng Xiuwen a "home run" first, and also to test the mechanism of the reward redemption system.
Lin Junjie, who was watching the excitement from below the stage, started making a fuss with a drawn-out "Wow!" and making faces.
This drew a murmur of laughter from the audience.
All eyes began to focus on Sun Yanzi.
The latter was taken aback at first, then her cheeks flushed red at a visible speed. She subconsciously pursed her lips and her eyes darted frantically between the floor and Li Shuo on the stage for a few seconds. Finally, she simply turned slightly to the side and met her parents' questioning gaze.
"Ah~ No! It's not him! I didn't!"
When did he take her measurements... no, when did he order this custom-made for her?
Do you usually pay this much attention to me?
But I'm five years older than him!? Hmm~ What is she thinking!
Feeling completely confused, Sun Yanzi could only lower her head and pretend to be focused on studying the patterns on the chair next to her, while her ears grew increasingly red.
Lin Junjie immediately became obedient after being glanced at by Principal Li Weisong…
Li Shuo, unaware of the disappointment on Zheng Xiuwen's face below the stage, quickly and sincerely said...
"Sammi, I'm a fan of yours. Actually, my collection of self-composed works was inspired by some of your previous works. But since the senior students who are going to interview are waiting, let's not take up everyone's time. Shall we talk later?"
Is she a fan? How come she didn't notice? You're not just saying that to brush me off, are you?
Zheng Xiuwen looked at Li Shuo suspiciously. With so many things going on and the need to record an album and continue the tour immediately, she didn't want to wait any longer.
Looking down at the waiting area, the remaining five trainees were pushing each other, clearly not wanting to come up.
Who would have thought that the junior apprentice, who was originally the least involved in this audition performance, would suddenly become such a bright "jewel"...
Thinking about their original preparations, it would be foolish to go up now...
The two Li brothers in the audience could only watch helplessly as the situation unfolded, so Principal Li Weisong took the opportunity to smooth things over.
"It's alright, Li Shuo. If you have any better works to showcase, please continue... Today's audition performance, while showcasing the achievements of our music school students, is also an exchange of high-quality musical ideas. This is a great opportunity, given the request from top-tier seniors in Hong Kong!"
Okay, I'll do as you say.
Actually, he hadn't really thought about going down there... but considering the timeline, the crisis was coming soon, and his position on the stage was just right, "eye-catching" enough.
Li Shuo thought for a moment and then sat down on the same bench where he had started to continue answering Zheng Xiuwen.
"Sammi, what I'm envisioning for you is a rather disruptive, fast-paced electronic dance track, along with some makeup and visual design ideas, and even choreography. As for the arrangement, it'll take some time to find a professional audio workstation to complete. It'll just take two or three days… But there's a Cantonese song I think would suit you perfectly, how about I show it to you?"
This piqued Zheng Xiuwen's interest.
The first part of what Li Shuo said was very similar to her thoughts. Indeed, the fast songs she had received were not the feeling she wanted. On the contrary, the direction that Li Shuo just described... had the feel she wanted.
Hearing that there are ready-made works available is a good opportunity to verify whether this handsome guy really has the ability to help her.
"Let's use my recording studio at your school. It has all the equipment! Let's sing that Cantonese song you mentioned right now. The album's title track has already been decided, but I can adjust it if there's something better."
Down in the audience, Zhou Jianhui from Warner Music also came to Li Dongli's side and politely handed her his business card.
Watching the young man interacting with his top female singer from Hong Kong Island, he felt that today's trip was truly worthwhile.
Li Shuo's second aunt is now very proud of her nephew's excellence, and she is dealing with those who have high hopes for Li Shuo in a proper manner, as a parent.
Xu Huanliang, standing beside him, was naturally not to be outdone, smiling but his words were loaded with meaning.
"President Zhou, Warner Music is a large and powerful company. We at Ocean Butterflies will not compete for such a good newcomer as Sun Yanzi. But let's all talk about this young man."
Seeing the two people her nephews were trying to win over, Li Dongli, with her years of experience in the Singaporean business world, quickly tried to smooth things over.
"You two are too kind. Xiao Shuo is still a child. Such an important matter definitely needs to be discussed with his own father and his opinion. There's no rush to talk about it today."
Hearing Li Dongli say this, the two who were planning to start setting conditions or scheduling a meeting had no choice but to temporarily back down.
On stage, Li Shuo picked up his Martin unplugged guitar again.
Looking at Zheng Xiuwen's expectant expression in the audience, I felt a pang of emotion.
It's a pity that after a few years, she developed such a severe case of Yu Yu syndrome because of that "scumbag".
I remember you were nominated ten times and lost nine times before finally winning the Hong Kong Film Award for Best Actress, and you still maintain such an amazing state at over 50 years old.
This song perfectly encapsulates your career path throughout most of your life.
"The next song, 'Lifelong Beauty,' is dedicated to Sister Sammi. In my opinion, this song can be unrelated to love. The 'he' in it can be a fan like me who supports you, or it can be yourself who finally reconciled with you and it was worth it."
There is no fancy prelude, just fingertips plucking chords.
The value of the "Sammi Cheng Singing Ability Fusion Card" obtained from the newbie gift pack lottery, which was previously tied to this diva, is still increasing.
Although Li Shuo's version wasn't as pure and androgynous as Zhou Shen's later cover, it still sang this version.
However, the richness and stable pitch of the mid and high frequencies still make it very comfortable to listen to.
"The spire still remembers how wonderful that embrace was."
Love weighs a thousand pounds, heavier than an endless railway.
Even if your fingers are clumsy or rough, you can still repair your skin.
Zheng Xiuwen, who was initially listening, was conducting a professional review.
This is clearly her stubbornness in getting back up every time she falls.
It is a confidence that has been gradually rebuilt by oneself after being scrutinized by public opinion and worn down by self-doubt.
She suddenly felt a lump in her throat... but soon she heard the chorus...
"Could one be beautiful forever?"
Only then is it worth making a pinky promise.
More than just gratitude and respect for you
When you truly know someone, it's all hypocrisy.
These words seemed to carry warmth, striking straight into the heart.
Actually, the first person she thought of at that moment was that man, but when she recalled what Li Shuo had said before he sang, she felt that it was a kind of implied meaning... Was it just her imagination?
Zheng Xiuwen was still lost in thought.
But Li Shuo, who was performing at the moment, had already entered a state of multitasking.
Because in his original consciousness, on the scales, his human-shaped weight appeared on one of the empty pans, and the poem "Lifelong Beauty" was engraved on it.
He also tilted his head up slightly, and then the message appeared.
[Ding! Host's first successful placement of a favorable item.]
[Upon first placement of a favorable item, the host's rank will increase by 1 level when drawing rewards.]
[Start drawing rewards: Confirm/No]