The atmosphere in the entire restaurant felt rather peculiar.
Morita Yumi was overjoyed to be able to sit so close to Su Yu during dinner.
After all, in her eyes, her father's willingness to collaborate with Ting Yu indicated he valued him highly. This meant her own infatuation with Ting Yu was no longer an issue.
Her younger sister, Morita Yui, however, kept subtly brushing her silk-clad legs against Su Yu's feet.
She wasn't worried about her father wanting to partner with Su Yu, as she held a powerful trump card.
This trump card was Su Yu's identity in Jiangnan. As long as she played this card, she still had a chance to turn the tables.
Now, it all depended on Su Yu's intentions. Being as smart as she was, she was certain Su Yu's visit wasn't solely for a collaboration with Nivie Entertainment as a singer; he would undoubtedly pursue opportunities in film as well, so she had no reason to worry.
With both sisters placing their ultimate reliance on Su Yu, a very delicate balance was formed.
And the one to break this balance was Su Yu himself.
"Mr. Ting Yu, would you care for a drink?" Morita Yui asked Su Yu, holding a flask of sake.
"I apologize, I don't drink," Su Yu replied with a smile, shaking his head.
"Oh... alright then," Morita Yui said, clearly disappointed.
She had envisioned that once Su Yu got drunk, she and he would surely have a memorable night, but unfortunately, this man didn't drink.
Sensing her dejected gaze, Su Yu couldn't help but sigh inwardly.
"A boy out in the world must learn to protect himself!"
"The main reason for inviting you, Mr. Ting Yu, is regarding the theme song for an anime," Morita Sho said, taking a sip of wine and setting down his cup.
"What anime?" Su Yu turned his attention to Morita Sho.
He preferred getting straight to the point, finding this approach more agreeable.
"Mr. Ting Yu, you must know that ninjas are a distinctive profession in our country. This anime has been in preparation for two years, and it's a passionate series about ninjas," Morita Sho continued.
Upon hearing the word "ninja," Su Yu's eyes lit up.
This was money falling right into his lap.
"What are your requirements?"
"The musical style should lean towards passionate youthfulness. However, the lyrics must be in our country's language. After all, this is the project we've valued most in recent years, and it's also a cultural export we're preparing for the future."
Morita Sho had researched Su Yu and knew he understood Japanese. He had listened to the song Su Yu performed at the izakaya countless times and was naturally confident in his ability.
"The song is no problem, but I need to see your sincerity in terms of pricing. After all, for the show..." Su Yu tapped his index finger lightly on the table.
Morita Sho's smile remained amiable.
Before he could speak, Miyamoto Ze beside him interjected, "Ting Yu, I was outdone last time and lost to you. But I'm nearing the completion of this theme song, so you'll need to compete with me."
After speaking, he glanced at Morita Sho, whose smile widened, making him feel even more confident.
His guess was correct; Morita Sho had brought him along to increase his bargaining chip.
"Oh?" Su Yu looked at Miyamoto Ze with a hint of surprise.
There was a competition?
"You're almost done with it? Alright then, I'll let you have the opportunity."
With that, he buried his head in his food, showing no concern whatsoever.
His reaction, however, left Morita Sho bewildered.
"Damn it, why isn't this Ting Yu playing by the rules?"
They were having a good discussion, and now with competition, he was just giving up?
He should at least put up a fight!
Or make some demands, so they could continue negotiating.
What was the meaning of just giving up now...
"Ahem... Mr. Ting Yu, our company places great importance on this project, so we will be preparing two options. However, I guarantee that even if your theme song isn't chosen, you will still receive a very good fee for your efforts."
At this point, Morita Sho had no choice but to speak up, as he was the one seeking collaboration with Su Yu.
Moreover, Su Yu was currently the most suitable partner.
His number one ranking on the Era积分榜 alone was enough to generate buzz!
"How much?" Su Yu asked directly. If Morita Sho wanted to play mind games with him, too bad, the initiative would always remain with Su Yu.
"We will promote both Mr. Ting Yu's and Miyamoto's songs with the best resources, and then determine whose is used based on market reception. If Mr. Ting Yu wins, we will pay a production fee of ten million US dollars," Morita Sho said with a smile, holding up one finger.
"Of course, if Miyamoto wins, we will also pay you a three-million-dollar fee for your efforts. For Mr. Ting Yu, this is a sure win-win situation."
Morita Sho believed that when dealing with someone like Su Yu, conventional tactics wouldn't work. He ultimately chose to be direct and straightforward.
After all, if he probed further, Su Yu would end up dictating the terms.
Su Yu found the offer quite tempting.
It wasn't just about the production fee; that was minor money, and he genuinely had a suitable song. It was a no-brainer to earn this money.
However, these weren't the primary reasons.
The main reason was that he had more important matters to discuss with Morita Sho later, concerning Xinghui's film division venturing onto the world stage. Collaborating as a singer first would make future discussions smoother.
"Alright, when do you need it?" Su Yu stopped eating and took a napkin handed to him by Morita Yumi.
"I've heard about Mr. Ting Yu's songwriting speed. How about within these few days?" Morita Sho asked, his mind finally at ease upon Su Yu's agreement.
Honestly, with Su Yu's current popularity, he had even surpassed Shawn.
A ten-million-dollar production fee was actually too little for him. Morita Sho had been prepared for Su Yu to demand an exorbitant amount, but unexpectedly, he had agreed so readily, once again defying expectations.
Morita Sho couldn't help but wonder in his heart, "What kind of contestant is this???"
"Okay, but I have one requirement." Su Yu had finished eating and drinking.
The others hadn't touched their food yet.
"Please state your requirement, Mr. Ting Yu." Morita Sho was somewhat flustered by the unpredictable Su Yu.
You never knew what he would say next.
"I need you to provide a singer," Su Yu said, looking towards Morita Yumi.
"Who?" The latter lowered her head shyly as Su Yu looked at her.
"Momoka Kana," Su Yu uttered the name.
Miyamoto Ze froze for a moment, and then his entire face darkened.
"No, she's my singer!" he shouted internally, but managed to restrain himself from speaking.
Momoka Kana was his exclusive singer for the current Era Music King competition. Now, Su Yu not only wanted to snatch his theme song but also his singer...
The thought of his originally intended theme song being replaced by Su Yu's, and sung by his exclusive singer, filled Miyamoto Ze with a deep sense of humiliation.
Wasn't this a form of cuckoldry!
"I'll have Yumi arrange it for Mr. Ting Yu!" Morita Sho agreed without hesitation.
He was even filled with joy, as Su Yu had chosen the most talented young female singer in Japan. The collaboration between these two would undoubtedly make the theme song shine.
Upon hearing Morita Sho's words, Miyamoto Ze completely deflated.
Since a choice had already been made, why was I brought here?
Why is everyone fawning over him?
And I've become the clown??
...