"My goodness, I can't find any words to describe this song!"
"No need to search, 'wow' will do!"
"'Wow' is no longer enough to express my feelings."
"Even though I don't understand it, it doesn't stop me from being shocked..."
"The championship is already decided! With 'Qing Hua Ci' out, who can compete!"
"Yan Yu Goddess is destined to become a top-tier singer with this song!"
"'Tian qing se deng yan yu, er wo zai deng ni' (The sky blue waits for the misty rain, and I am waiting for you) - the person who wrote this song tailored it completely for Lin Yan Yu!"
"Exactly! Now, just hearing this lyric, Lin Yan Yu is all I can think of!"
"..."
The cheers from the audience below, like a vast ocean, reflected the shock in their hearts.
That lyric, as if custom-made for Lin Yan Yu, completely bound the song 'Qing Hua Ci' to her.
At the same time.
Inside the live broadcast room of 'Hua Guo Hao Sheng Yin' (China's Good Voice).
The heat had already reached tens of millions.
The screen was completely submerged in "Awesome!"
And everyone knew.
After this song, it would be the ultimate benchmark for ancient-style music.
When people grew accustomed to cheesy, mass-produced songs, hearing such high-quality music would make those others seem like trash.
...
Jiao Yang Entertainment.
Wu Qingyun and Zhou Xin were eating hot pot.
Gong Shixiong Hot Pot, as expected, was the largest hot pot chain in Shuang Qing City.
And they were at the main branch in Qing Zhong District.
The main branch was extremely luxuriously decorated, occupying both floors of the establishment.
The private rooms were well-equipped, with complete audio-visual entertainment.
As industry insiders, they naturally wouldn't miss the 'Hua Guo Hao Sheng Yin' grand finals.
The television on the wall was broadcasting the finals, with Zhang Tingting singing passionately.
"'Liang Le You Liang' (It Got Cold Again) has already climbed into the top ten of the ancient-style new song charts, all thanks to your efforts, Teacher Zhou Xin. Thank you for choosing me; this drink is to you!" Wu Qingyun felt fortunate.
Although the company had been promoting him, a star producer wasn't something a company could demand.
They had extremely discerning eyes and were very picky about selecting singers.
In the eyes of the public, the singer benefited the most from a song, as they only interacted with it during the performance.
However, within the industry, producers held a higher status than singers, especially the big producers.
Generally, there were more junior and intermediate producers, and their songs were commonly heard in the market.
But reaching the senior producer level granted the right to choose singers.
Many singers were happy to collaborate with producers of this caliber.
A good song could increase a singer's value several times over.
For Wu Qingyun, a second-tier singer, the opportunity to collaborate with a star producer was something unheard of in other companies.
"Don't say that. I've only been promoted to star producer not long ago, and I'm still considered a newcomer among star producers." Zhou Xin lacked the arrogance of a big producer; his voice was humble.
"Teacher, you're too modest. You've reached star producer status in your thirties, which is considered exceptionally talented among producers." Wu Qingyun shook his head. Such achievements would be enough for him to go to major entertainment companies in Kyoto and secure higher commissions and better benefits.
"Qingyun, ever since you signed with Jiao Yang, I felt you had great potential, which is why I gave you the song. It's fine for young people to be ambitious, but don't be arrogant, and never underestimate others."
Zhou Xin shook his head, not taking Wu Qingyun's flattery too seriously.
He paused, then continued, "You've achieved this success because there aren't many star producers writing songs nowadays. Do you know why star producers are writing fewer songs?"
Wu Qingyun blinked, confused, "Why?"
"Because the current market is too impetuous. Listeners prefer quirky or cliché, generic songs. Some producers pour months of effort into a song, only for it to not be as popular as those mass-produced tracks. Over time, everyone's creative passion diminishes." Zhou Xin took a sip and sighed.
In the current market, traffic is king, and the weirder the song, the more popular it becomes.
In this environment, countless producers focus on how to grab attention, lowering their standards for quality.
Wu Qingyun, being in the industry, naturally knew how the market was. He nodded in agreement.
"The market's distortion is unavoidable," Wu Qingyun said. He followed the path of a traditional singer and knew how difficult it was now. He asked curiously, "Will star producers stop writing songs if the market remains like this?"
Zhou Xin chuckled at this, shook his head, and said, "Of course not. They are just waiting for a catalyst."
"What catalyst?"
Just then, on the television, it was Lin Yan Yu's turn to perform.
As the prelude to 'Qing Hua Ci' and its introduction appeared, Wu Qingyun spat out his drink.
"Cough, cough... Ting Yu!" He patted his chest, coughing, his face filled with shock.
Ting Yu again? How is this possible?
A gleam flashed in Zhou Xin's eyes. He picked up the remote and turned the TV volume to maximum.
As time passed.
Lin Yan Yu finished her performance.
The clear and melodious Guqin perfectly concluded 'Qing Hua Ci'.
Zhou Xin picked up a bottle of beer and gulped it down.
A relaxed smile then spread across his face. He looked at the stunned Wu Qingyun and said with a light laugh, "This is the catalyst!"
...
The Good Voice stage.
"Thank you, student Lin Yan Yu, for bringing us such a wonderful performance. Now, let's hear what the mentors have to say."
The host stood on stage, with Zhang Tingting on his left, her face grim, and Lin Yan Yu on his right, appearing calm and composed.
On the mentor's seats.
Qin Xu remained standing, his hands clenched, his facial wrinkles trembling slightly with excitement.
Zhou Ning looked at Lin Yan Yu with envy.
As for Park Guo Chang and the other two, their expressions were somewhat flustered.
"What should we do? Lin Yan Yu's song is ten thousand miles ahead of Zhang Tingting's."
"If we let her win the championship, we'll probably be criticized like dogs..."
The other two couldn't make up their minds.
"What can we do? Ning Zhi Fei has leverage over us. Being criticized is better than being banned!" Park Guo Chang's eyes flickered incessantly.
The director, Ning Zhi Fei, had instructed them to make Zhang Tingting the champion.
However, anyone who wasn't a fool could see the gap between Zhang Tingting and Lin Yan Yu now.
And this gap was not ordinary.
He knew what they would face if they made this decision, but offending Ning Zhi Fei meant they would be completely finished.
"It's over, it's over. I shouldn't have gone for a foot massage back then..."
"Who knew Ning Zhi Fei was so despicable, he even recorded it!"
Those two panicked. The decision of who would be the champion was imminent. If they chose Zhang Tingting, at most, they would be accused of rigging the show, and the TV station and the production team would also be criticized.
But if they chose Lin Yan Yu, given China's current zero-tolerance attitude towards artists with scandals, if their ugly secrets were exposed, they would be completely blacklisted.
"I've got it, watch me!" Park Guo Chang pondered for a moment and finally found a solution.