Just a Hobby

"I've already booked a recording studio. How about we record a demo first? They've arranged for a bar singer to help out, and with a sound engineer too, it may not be perfect, but it'll be enough to make a judgment."

Li Vida had rushed over so quickly because he was impatient by nature and did not want to waste time.

He had been tempted after hearing Wang Yi say it would be no worse than "Lone Brave."

Lyrics and composition came cheap. Music creators simply could not sell their work for high prices, but singers looking for songs that suited them were much the same. Both sides were looking for the right match.

At the very least, "Lone Brave" was considered a rare gem in recent years. The key was that it had a somewhat universal appeal—young people, or rather, even children, could accept it.

If it really was of the same caliber, two hundred thousand would absolutely not be a loss.

Independent Musicians could not sell good songs for very high prices because they lacked the proper channels. But if the copyright landed in his hands, the markup from operating it would be far more than this.

That was why singer-songwriters were actually the ones who could maximize their value. They could both enrich their own image as singers and raise the price of their work.

"Sure."

Seeing that the other party had prepared a recording studio before even arriving, Wang Yi knew the deal was basically done. This man genuinely wanted songs.

And from the looks of it, his financial backing was even stronger than expected. He seemed like a young man eager to prove himself to his elders—impatient, throwing himself headfirst into his career.

The recording studio was not far away. Since this was a Film Studio, there was certainly no shortage of recording studios nearby.

After Li Vida led Wang Yi inside, a scruffy but handsome man with long hair, a small mustache, and an artistic style of dress greeted Li Vida with a grin.

"Yo, Eldest Young Master Li, you got here pretty fast."

Judging by that casual teasing tone, they were probably acquainted.

Li Vida had said over the phone that he knew people throughout Shudian's film industry, and apparently he had not been bragging. Someone capable of running a recording studio here would definitely have some connections.

"Please, can you sew your mouth shut when there are guests around? Do you want everyone to roast me over a fire once that gets out?"

Li Vida shot the scruffy handsome man a helpless glare.

The latter reined himself in a little.

Their bickering also made Wang Yi notice something interesting. Was it something that could not be brought into the light?

An illegitimate son?

But Wang Yi was only here to do business and had no interest in digging deeper.

"Hello, Teacher Wang Yi. You can call me Sayre. Your 'Lone Brave' is really good."

The scruffy handsome man came over and introduced himself to Wang Yi.

But there was obvious politeness in his words. For someone who played music, he probably did not hold any particular admiration for "Lone Brave" alone. Everyone had their own preferences. A song others praised to the skies might sound merely average to someone else.

"Hello. I'll have to trouble you later."

This Sayre was probably the Boss of the recording studio. He had a group of people working under him, and the equipment here looked quite high-end, though the many external cables made the place seem a little messy.

Soon, a small team was assembled, along with a beautiful woman with fully dyed red hair and revealing clothes.

"This beauty is Jiang Xin. We'll be relying on her for the singing later. Don't worry, she trained professionally in bel canto, and her vocal skills are quite solid—more than enough for Vida to make a judgment."

Sayre introduced the female singer separately.

Someone trained in bel canto had ended up singing regularly at a bar. It was clear just how fiercely competitive the music industry was.

Jiang Xin herself looked sleepy and listless. The darkness around her eyes, whether dark circles or eye shadow, suited her quite well.

Wang Yi also liked to save time. Since everyone was already in place, he immediately took out the two songs he had registered this time.

"Wheat Wave" and "Night of the Port." Neither existed in this parallel world, and both had gentle, soothing styles that appealed to all ages.

At first listen, they did not seem particularly impactful. Their style was completely different from songs like "Lone Brave," yet they easily drew people into a relaxed atmosphere.

Overall, neither song had much variation in tempo, but both had more changes in vocal intensity. As long as the technique met the standard, they could be recorded quite quickly.

Although Jiang Xin looked lazy and half-asleep, she became quite professional once recording began. As someone with formal bel canto training, her singing technique was fully up to the task, and the effect was immediately apparent.

Before the finished tracks even came out, Sayre, as a professional musician, was already stunned during the recording.

He had seen a great deal while running a recording studio in Shudian. There were often striking pieces in film soundtracks, but it was quite rare to encounter two high-quality songs at once. Especially "Night of the Port"—paired with its lyrics, it could become a main-melody song praising the navy.

That was a massive bonus!

What a steal!

Li Vida was equally excited. Since he had chosen this path, he was naturally fairly knowledgeable in the field as well.

It was absolutely worth it. He had not made the trip for nothing.

Just as Wang Yi had guessed, he really did want to achieve something and show it to others.

"What a pity. If Teacher Wang Yi were also a singer, you'd definitely become famous overnight. The music scene is really in a slump these days."

Li Vida spoke regretfully. The singers who could truly hold their ground now were singer-songwriters. Then he looked at Wang Yi expectantly and asked,

"There's equipment right here. Want to give it a try?"

Just as Wang Yi was about to explain that music was only his hobby and that his main profession was scientific research—

Li Vida's next words made him swallow those words back down.

"If you sing well, I'll pay extra."

"Then I'll sing a couple of lines. My throat was feeling itchy anyway. By the way, how much extra?"

Wang Yi wore a cheerful smile and looked very amiable.

"Fifty thousand per song."

Li Vida answered immediately. He had already decided that even if Wang Yi's singing was only average, he would still add the money to maintain their relationship. That way, Wang Yi would definitely give priority to his side in the future.

Li Vida was not short on money—or rather, not short on this little bit of money. What he valued more was a long-term partnership.

Wang Yi coughed and adjusted his voice. Mainly, he needed to suppress some of the pronunciation techniques from the Elf Race. In the modern world, he should still act like a human.

But even so, as that ethereal, melodious voice with its distinct shifts in intensity emerged, everyone present could not help widening their eyes.

Jiang Xin, who had been listless the whole time, instantly perked up. Hey, hey, had this guy trained in traditional opera before?

Could a man produce such an ethereal tone?

After the recording ended, the room remained in shock. The impact was even greater than when they had first heard the songs.

They had heard plenty of good music. They could immerse themselves in the melodies and acknowledge that these were two good songs, but they would not get overly excited.

But now, combined with Wang Yi's voice, which was nearly at the limit of what a human could achieve, the effect had been completely elevated.

It was as though they were witnessing the rise of a shining new star.

"Teacher Wang Yi! Please, you must join my management company!"

Good heavens. Li Vida had transformed from someone buying songs into the owner of a talent agency? Perhaps he was planning to start one on the spot.

"There's really no need. We can just do business normally. I won't debut. I think I told you before—I'm a scientific researcher."

Wang Yi smiled and dismissed the idea. He had actually held back while singing, yet he had not expected such a huge reaction.

The excuse of being a scientific researcher left Li Vida somewhat speechless. Still unwilling to give up, he said,

"You can be like Jay Chou and keep all the copyrights in your own hands. I'll handle the operations! The value in it will be ten times, a hundred times, even a thousand times greater than selling songs outright!"

Getting Wang Yi to agree through extra money earlier had worked, so he tried once more to paint a grand vision of the future.

"No. I still want my main profession to reach that level."

Selling songs was merely a way for Wang Yi to make quick money. He had no intention of debuting and becoming an idol.

Music, like cooking, was merely one of the many hobbies and skills Wang Yi had mastered, something he used to adjust his state of mind in his spare time.

He had only one ultimate goal now.

That was the Truth of magic and technology...

Two updates complete! I'm asking in advance for your continued reading next Tuesday~