Chen Rong was so shocked that Su Yu was Ting Yu that she was speechless for a long time.
After Zhao Yuan confirmed it, the surprise on her face lessened. She looked at Su Yu, her eyes shining with excitement. The person her daughter liked and the producer she admired were one and the same. Was this true love?
Tang Feng, standing beside them, was experiencing a turbulent storm in his mind. The office air conditioning was set to eighteen degrees Celsius, but tiny beads of sweat had formed on his forehead. This was because, on the way, he had asked Bai Hongsheng why he had left immediately upon hearing the name Ting Yu. Bai Hongsheng then sent him a screenshot of their internal group chat, which stunned Tang Feng.
In the chat, a message read, "Ting Yu, please be a human!" This message conveyed a deep sense of despair even to an outsider like him. He never expected that Su Yu was actually Ting Yu. Ting Yu, a name that struck fear into people's hearts, was merely an eighteen-year-old freshman? How could this be possible?
Now, he finally understood why Gong Juren had been so respectful to Su Yu. Everything made sense. But why hadn't Su Yu revealed his identity at the hot pot restaurant?
"You are Ting Yu, why didn't you say so at the hot pot restaurant?" Chen Rong had the same question. Her daughter had praised Ting Yu to the heavens, yet he hadn't revealed his identity.
"Uh... there's no need to talk about such things everywhere. Well, let's talk about the song," Su Yu said, his expression a little unnatural.
However, Chen Rong saw a hint of mischief in his expression. She raised her eyebrows and teased, "Are you afraid that Yan Yu will come looking for you for the five million if you reveal it?"
Su Yu was taken aback. As expected, she was a seasoned veteran. She could see his thoughts at a glance.
"Sister Chen, even close brothers settle their accounts. Although Yan Yu and I are friends, friends are friends, and brothers are brothers. The five million has already been given, and I can't take it back just because we're friends." He earned money by his own skills; business was nothing to be ashamed of.
"Heh heh... I'm not asking you to return the money, but you might regret it later," Chen Rong said, covering her mouth and chuckling. If close brothers settle their accounts, do husband and wife need to? Do mothers-in-law and sons-in-law need to? These two were truly interesting. They kept secrets from each other. What would happen if they revealed the truth later? If Su Yu knew that half of his family's money was taken by the company, he would probably regret it to the point of wanting to vomit his intestines. Thinking of this, Chen Rong's mischievous side surfaced. Since that was the case, she wouldn't expose them. Watching a good show with a little money was quite worthwhile.
"Why would I regret it?" Su Yu was confused. What a joke, who would regret making money? Regret only came from not making money.
"Alright, let's talk about the song. But since you're calling me 'sister,' you can't charge too much," Chen Rong said, not dwelling on the matter and teasing him with a smile.
"Don't worry, Sister Zhang. I'll give you a friendly price. Please sit down, and I'll play the song," Su Yu said, relieved.
Zhao Yuan's computer was already on. Su Yu directly took out the USB drive and plugged it into the computer. Zhao Yuan watched quietly from the side, her expression unchanged. However, Chen Rong found some small details in this. The fact that he could casually use his superior's computer without asking for permission could only mean that this superior greatly valued him. Thinking of this, the admiration in Chen Rong's eyes intensified.
"This song is called 'Chi Ling'." Su Yu turned on the projector and opened the lyrics folder. This time, in addition to the lyrics, there was another file named 'Chi Ling Story Background'. Su Yu knew something about the background story of this song; he had originally planned to edit it himself, but unexpectedly, the system had gifted it directly. It had to be said, it was very thoughtful.
"Chi Ling?" Chen Rong nodded to herself. A performer in red, the song title was good. As Su Yu clicked on the audio file, the familiar instruments of erhu, dizi, and ancient-style music played. Especially the desolate feeling of the erhu instantly set the mood of the song's prelude. As the prelude progressed, various classical instruments blended, pushing the prelude's emotions to their peak.
The vocals began, still a synthesized female hum. Although it lacked emotion, the pitch was very accurate. At this moment, Chen Rong's expression changed. Her eyes fixed on the lyrics projected on the screen. She hummed along with the vocals in her mind. Gradually, in the verse part, just before entering the chorus, there was a progression of emotions like a surging tide. Chen Rong looked at the lyrics, and as she heard this, she couldn't help but clench her hands.
Finally, it was the opera-style chorus. Chen Rong could no longer hold back and stood up from the sofa. Tang Feng, who had already been standing and listening, stared at the lyrics with wide eyes. Zhao Yuan looked at them with pride, unable to suppress the smile on her lips. She had heard this song before; Su Yu had written it earlier, and at that time, he had asked her to find someone who could sing opera style. However, since there was no suitable candidate, it had been shelved. Zhao Yuan thought Su Yu would give this song to Lin Yan Yu, but to her surprise, he hadn't. Did he have a better song than "Chi Ling"? Thinking of this, Zhao Yuan's expression changed. Was this still human?
While Zhao Yuan's thoughts were racing, the song "Chi Ling" had finished playing. However, no one in the office spoke. Tang Feng suddenly shivered, goosebumps rising all over his body, and his scalp tingled. Chen Rong stared blankly at the lyrics, lost in thought. She took a deep breath, her eyes slightly moist, and murmured, "Though of humble status, I dare not forget the nation; even if no one knows me..." Patriotism! The song's entry point was the patriotism of a performer! So, the "Chi" in the song title didn't mean red, but blood-red! She looked at Su Yu and asked with a solemn expression, "Su Yu, are you really planning to sell this song to me?"
"Of course, and I believe it's the most suitable song for you right now," Su Yu said with a smile.
Chen Rong said with difficulty, "But we only have a budget of two million. This song of yours could sell for at least ten million in Kyoto. If we find a suitable buyer, twenty million is not impossible." Although she had only heard a preliminary sample, in Chen Rong's experienced opinion, the quality of this song was comparable to that of a top producer. Moreover, it perfectly fit their theme this time. Even a star producer couldn't write such a fitting song in a short period.
"I know, but it is my honor as Su Yu to do something for the opera industry. After all, the inheritance of traditional culture is the responsibility of our generation," Su Yu said with a faint smile. Although he wanted to make money, he was not greedy to that extent. He had earned the five million from Lin Yan Yu with "Blue and White Porcelain" without any guilt. Chen Rong was Lin Yan Yu's mother, and he felt a good rapport with her. It was only right and proper to help her.
Furthermore, there was another important reason: the opera industry in China was truly in decline. Meanwhile, neighboring countries were constantly coveting Chinese opera culture. However, young people were simply not paying attention to it in their pursuit of internet fame. He also hoped to use his meager strength to do something for the Chinese opera industry. After all, national treasures were the pride of a nation and the inheritance of culture; they should not be coveted by others, nor should they be buried by a fickle market. This was true in his previous life and in this life as well. Opera is our own traditional culture and should receive public attention!
"Good, good child..." Chen Rong was so moved that tears welled up in her eyes. Tang Feng also looked at Su Yu with great respect. In his eyes, Su Yu was emitting a faint glow at that moment.