Water Strike Three Thousand

Without any hesitation, Kong Xi made the decision on the spot. Even if the production company did not want it, she was determined to get this song.

Though it was not exactly folk music, the song was just like its title—quiet and still. She could perform it.

And even though she had never been in love, she could still feel the rich emotions hidden within the lyrics.

She immediately wanted to drag Yan Yu and Song Dao upstairs to record it.

Yan Yu felt a little helpless. What are you in such a hurry for?

She specifically explained to Song Dao, "Don't worry. She may be a little careless, but she's reliable. She's made some money recently too, so buying this song definitely won't be a problem."

Song Dao smiled. "It's fine."

He had registered it already, anyway. The copyright was his.

More good songs would keep coming in the future. Getting to know a senior like Yan Yu, as well as a newly famous internet celebrity like Kong Xi, was not a bad thing for him.

Of course, that was only if the money was right. Otherwise, there was nothing to discuss!

Yan Yu then reminded Kong Xi.

Even if she was buying it herself, she should still discuss it with her manager.

Only then did Somersault Cat Girl call her manager after asking Song Dao's opinion.

Following Song Dao's wishes, she did not mention his name. He might look very popular right now, but there was still some controversy surrounding him.

He did not want to use that kind of attention to boost himself, either.

Yan Yu agreed with that.

Once the buzz around this incident faded, people might one day discover that the song had been written by Song Dao. That might bring a different kind of surprise.

So Kong Xi told her manager that Sister Yu had helped her contact a lyricist-composer, who had written a song for her. Once she finished recording the demo today, she would return and report back.

Kong Xi's manager knew how influential Yan Yu was and was immediately delighted. She repeatedly said it was great, asked Kong Xi to pass along her thanks, and even complained that Kong Xi had kept it from her before.

From her perspective, Kong Xi must have contacted Yan Yu long ago.

Otherwise, how could she have gotten a song so quickly?

In truth, as long as Kong Xi said yes, the matter was basically settled.

The production company had only required her to sing it. As long as it was not a cover of an old song but a new original written specifically for their drama, there would be no problem.

Kong Xi's voice was not much like A-Sang's.

The original owner's memories had included hearing her sing before.

Though she had always sung folk songs, her vocal range was broad. From a professional perspective, she should still have a great deal of potential to explore.

With songs, different performers brought out completely different styles.

Riding that vague, indescribable melancholy from earlier, Kong Xi insisted on recording a version first before discussing the contract.

Song Dao did not refuse.

During the performance that followed, Kong Xi indeed brought out a flavor that differed from both A-Sang and Song Dao.

Her tone was bright and gentle.

It carried the feeling of a young girl nursing an unrequited crush, wanting something she could not have.

Though there was sadness and helplessness as well, it was not heartrending. Instead, beneath the quietness lay a trace of longing and anticipation for the future.

Coincidentally, it suited the drama's plot too!

Her vocal range really was excellent. With the same soft humming and light singing, her voice was clean, clear, and translucent.

Still, Song Dao offered suggestions regarding Kong Xi's singing style and the fine handling of certain passages.

When they recorded it again, it sounded much better.

During the arrangement and production process that followed, Song Dao made Yan Yu see him in a new light.

The guitar accompaniment in particular was a real eye-opener for her.

People who did not understand would only watch for flashy technique. Those who did understood that playing guitar well was far from easy.

The difference between true masters and showy technique was much like the difference between real martial arts and empty forms in a wuxia novel.

An expert could tell at a glance.

Her junior was a little impressive. Not only could he write and sing, but he was also quite capable of coaching singers. That might seem like a competent producer's basic skill, yet most musicians did not possess it.

She had thought he was merely a young man with some talent.

Someone who had suffered heartbreak and, driven by a burst of emotion, created a song like that.

But now, through two sorrowful love songs of completely different styles, she could say for certain that Song Dao's abilities were far more than a single song that had suddenly gone viral online.

As long as that fire in him did not die out, he was very likely to create songs of even higher quality next.

Perhaps even classic hits, absent from the scene for a long time, were not impossible!

More importantly, he could make stars!

Xiao Xi was so lucky!

Yan Yu sighed inwardly.

Never mind that My Cat Can Do Backflips had made her go viral overnight. Just this desperate, shot-in-the-dark move had somehow unearthed a song like this in the current era, and introduced her to such a gifted songwriter who had only just begun to emerge.

Calling her heaven's chosen might be a bit much, but this kind of luck truly was beyond what ordinary people could compare with!

This industry did have a touch of mysticism to it.

Too many singers with steady stage presence and exceptional vocal skill remained obscure simply because they never found truly good songs.

If Kong Xi developed a deeper understanding with Song Dao, and he tailored several songs specifically for her, she might really make it.

At that point, no one would dare call her an internet celebrity singer again.

She pulled Kong Xi aside and whispered with her for a while.

Kong Xi nodded repeatedly.

Yan Yu then took the initiative to draft a contract for the two of them.

Song Dao accepted it, glanced through it, and revealed a hint of surprise.

As the copyright holder and creator, Song Dao could receive two hundred thousand yuan in cash up front.

In other words, the four hundred thousand yuan offered by the film company would be split fifty-fifty between Kong Xi and him.

But it was not a complete buyout. Just like the production company, they were only purchasing usage rights.

Those usage rights naturally included the film production company that had paid to commission it. They could also use the song for all kinds of promotion.

If anyone else used it for commercial performances, they would have to pay.

And that money would not go to Kong Xi. It would go directly to Song Dao!

The figure of two hundred thousand had been Kong Xi's "own decision" after Yan Yu gave her advice.

No matter what her company's attitude was, she intended to give Song Dao half of her four hundred thousand.

It was not that she did not care about profits. Rather, both she and Yan Yu believed that this song would become popular!

Just as Yan Yu had said, Always Been Quiet would definitely appeal to a broader audience than See Through Love, See Through You.

With the boost from the drama, it might even become a massive hit!

When it came to a song's earnings, the fame it brought to its singer was clearly more important!

Sometimes people made songs famous, but more often, songs made people famous!

The contract also stipulated that if the song was uploaded to music platforms in the future, or released on an album, and Kong Xi's version was included by KTVs or other music venues, the two would split Kong Xi's net earnings fifty-fifty.

For example, if Tencent Music used a sixty-forty revenue split and the earnings reached one million yuan, the platform would take four hundred thousand. Kong Xi's company would take three hundred and sixty thousand from the remaining six hundred thousand, leaving one hundred and twenty thousand yuan before tax for each of them.

There was a condition here as well. The company could not take its share for nothing. It needed to use its resources and channels to promote the song on the charts and generate greater earnings.

In the long run, that was much stronger than fighting alone as an individual.

So this was actually a win-win arrangement.

As for other singers covering the song, or other dramas wanting to use it in the future, if Kong Xi participated, the two would split the proceeds fifty-fifty. If Kong Xi did not participate, all proceeds would belong to Song Dao, the copyright owner.

The contract also specified the copyright usage term.

Fifteen years!

Once it expired, if Kong Xi still wanted to perform the song publicly, she would need to sign a new agreement.

The initiative was entirely in Song Dao's hands.

Honestly, the contract was so favorable that it surprised Song Dao.

He had assumed the two beautiful women had huddled together to whisper because they wanted to use Kong Xi's fame to push down the price.

Instead, they had offered him a contract that was extremely favorable to him.

Even though See Through Love, See Through You had gone viral online overnight, he was still a newcomer in the field of lyrics and composition.

To the mainstream music scene, he was even less than a nobody.

In this world's glorious music scene of the nineties, aside from a handful of godfather-level legends, even first-tier gold-medal lyricists and composers rarely received revenue shares.

Usually, they sold their work outright for tens of thousands to a little over a hundred thousand yuan.

Accounting for inflation, that would be no more than a million yuan today.

As for second- and third-tier creators, or unknown newcomers, whether in the past or now, there were countless cases of songs being bought out for only a few hundred or a few thousand yuan.

Under the current market, lyricists and composers with some reputation could receive a share and earn greater profits.

But it was generally only a bit over ten percent of the singer's share, at most a little over twenty percent.

A fifty-fifty split was basically treatment reserved for famous musicians.

Song Dao did not understand this, but the original owner knew it inside out!

The reason Miao Xiu believed the original owner had no future was that he might not even be able to sell a song for a few thousand yuan!

So Song Dao was very satisfied with this contract.

Once the film production company's payment came through, he could happily collect two hundred thousand yuan before tax.

Of course, the system would take half of his after-tax income.

But that was still very good!

It could solve his urgent problem.

Once the song was uploaded to music platforms later, there would be a steady stream of follow-up income too.

It might not earn less than singing himself.

Once his reputation rose, he could hold the copyrights and find suitable tools to sing songs from the system-approved catalog that were not disposable pop tunes, earning even more money.

By then, it would not be a fifty-fifty split.

Every industry was the same. Whoever was the best held the initiative.

The two quickly signed the agreement, and both sides were delighted.

When Yan Yu asked what name Song Dao wanted to use as the lyricist and composer,

Song Dao thought for a moment and said, "Water Strike Three Thousand."

"A pen name?" Yan Yu asked.

Song Dao nodded.

Public opinion could make things happen, but it could ruin them just as easily.

The private gossip of a few classmates, along with the endless nagging from relatives during holidays and family gatherings, was already unbearable enough.

As a newcomer, as a Music Conservatory graduate who had become famous because his girlfriend cheated on him, what would it feel like to have the entire internet whispering about you?

A pen name could create a sense of mystery, making people think it might be an alias used by some big shot, and steer public attention in another direction.

It would keep that identity separate from him for the time being.

Each could develop on its own.

Once he had truly risen, it would naturally no longer matter.

Senior Xiao Gang had done the same thing back then.

Yan Yu smiled. "When the giant penguin migrated to the Southern Abyss, it struck the water for three thousand li, then rode the whirlwind upward for ninety thousand li, departing on the breath of the sixth month... Your pen name comes from Zhuangzi's 'Free and Easy Wandering'?"

Song Dao was stunned for a moment too. "Senior, you have an amazing memory!"

Knowing it was not difficult. Remembering it was.

"Heh, we studied it in school!" Yan Yu smiled, lifting her eyes to Song Dao. "Junior, you're a man with ambitions! It's hard to imagine that a talented and aspiring young man like you would still..."

She did not continue, but Song Dao understood instantly. "I was indeed a little foolish before. I took that much money and used it to support someone who did not love me. Then I spent it all and finally came to my senses, didn't I?"

Besides, he and the original owner had no connection, but in everyone else's eyes, they were still the same person, so he could not avoid the matter.

He had to clean up the mess the original owner had left behind.

Fortunately, there was not much of a problem anymore.

Yan Yu nodded. "It's good that you woke up, but you don't need to thank her. You should thank that experience for giving you creative inspiration. Using a pen name to write songs for others can indeed reduce a lot of unnecessary trouble."

Song Dao laughed. "You're right, Senior!"

Things were going smoothly, so Yan Yu simply suggested that they re-record See Through Love, See Through You later. They could have lunch here and drink a little to celebrate.

The talk of courting clients had been a joke.

Life is Messy Studio might have been unknown to students like the original owner, but everyone in Beijing's music circles knew it.

Quite a few people had their eyes on Yan Yu, the beautiful studio owner.

So she was not short on business.

She mainly wanted to befriend this young junior.

He was talented without being arrogant, and he was handsome too. Who would not like him?

Only his ex-girlfriend had been blind.

Song Dao agreed. Since transmigrating, he had not had a proper meal yet.

He had only been casually ordering takeout to get by.

To show her sincerity, Yan Yu ordered quite a few premium ingredients through Sea Cow Fresh APP.

They were going to have hot pot.

The three of them then went upstairs again and re-recorded Song Dao's song.