Approaching the Target

After the first round of auditions ended, Song Ya submitted the list to Daniel.

"Sit down, we're going to have a quick meeting."

Behind his executive desk, Daniel checked the list while intently searching on his Apple Macintosh portable computer. "Are you still insisting on using Mira?" he asked.

Daniel's office was large but narrow, with long bookshelves filled with trophies, photos, and vinyl records taking up most of the space. Aside from the desk, there was only enough room for a low sectional sofa.

"Mira meets my requirements."

Song Ya sat down. The sofa was so soft that he felt like his backside was about to hit the floor. "Didn't her mother already transfer her to your management?"

"Yes. When a close relative acts as a star's manager, this is often the case. A lack of professional capability leads them to lose sight of the essence of things; they often pick up sesame seeds only to lose the watermelon, and they make decisions very impulsively." Daniel was actually quite dismissive of Mira's mother "defecting" to him. He looked up. "But since you've done what I asked, I'll say it again: I have no problem with it. However... there are many people watching the second round of auditions. Your conclusion must be convincing, or at least leave no room for others to question it too much."

"I understand. I'll find time over the next two days to give Mira some special training or something," Song Ya replied.

Daniel chuckled without exposing his thoughts.

Just then, the door was knocked open, and six or seven people walked in, filling the sofa completely. Most of the middle and upper management at SBK were old colleagues who had worked together for a long time. Everyone who entered was just like Daniel: thirty or forty years old, white, and male. There were no pleasantries and no nonsense; they went straight to the point. Song Ya didn't even know who was who or what they were responsible for by the time the meeting ended. Of course, he didn't have much motivation to spend energy figuring it out either.

Releasing a single wasn't just as simple as finding someone to record a song; every aspect had to be considered. As an independent producer temporarily collaborating with SBK, while Song Ya didn't have to be responsible for the other aspects beyond the song's production, his opinion still had to be the focus for the overall tone of all the work.

Since that was the case, the main content of this small meeting was Song Ya accepting various inquiries and challenges.

"That's right, she's Black, she comes from Broadway, and her singing skills are unquestionable, but she isn't suitable for this song. Her voice, her delivery—it makes the performance sound like a passionate accusation, and I absolutely do not want that effect."

"Please take note! This song is a very personal work; it is an expression of my attitude. This is the prerequisite foundation for my cooperation with you all. The song title cannot be changed, and the style cannot be changed."

"No, no, no. There's no need for any flashback scenes. No Dr. King, no Kennedy. I don't need any political figures appearing in the music video... Let's put it this way: I am indeed expressing my attitude regarding the current situation in South Africa, but at the same time, I must give the listeners and viewers a very clear and obvious hint that my way of thinking is naive—the immature thoughts of an ordinary high school student in the USA. So, it's best if the music video makes people forget about the record industry. Keep it simple, maybe even a bit rough. Don't have any deliberate polish. A young person walking along the road of life, humming and singing—that is enough."

"Because de Klerk is our friend. The song is scolding him, but he is still our friend. He released Mandela, he pushed forward the process of equality in South Africa; I'm just complaining that he isn't moving fast enough."

"Yes, I need a sense of contrast. Singing a song about equality while the tone is lighthearted—I don't want to incite hatred toward de Klerk..."

"Regarding promotion, I personally have some resources in equality activism..."

"Of course, of course, your influence is greater... Right, as long as it's operated properly, we'll have both the topic and the exposure..."

"You decide which version... Are you saying that if we take the route of event exposure in the early stages, there will be many opportunities for live performances, so the coordination between the singer and the band is very important, and we need to rehearse while recording the studio version, right?"

"OK, I have no objections to the band members... Delay is fine, just keep using him as the keyboardist."

"Everything is going smoothly. The schedule was delayed by one day because of Isco's issue, but I made up for it by moving up the second round of auditions."

The "small meeting" went on for a long time, until everyone finally stopped talking.

"So..." Daniel spread his hands. "Have we reached a consensus?"

Everyone looked at each other, nodding or agreeing.

"Very good. APLUS, you did well. Go back to work." Daniel stood up to see them out.

Song Ya had been holding it in for a long time. Once he got out, he quickly found the restroom and locked himself in a stall.

"Does that boy want to run for President in the future? He's got a whole set of talking points," the sound of men talking came from the sinks outside.

"The reason the White House is called the White House isn't because it was painted white," another man replied. The voice was familiar; it must have been one of the people from the office just now.

"Heh, your girl is in danger. Judging from the results of the first round, her vocal timbre doesn't please that boy."

"I don't care."

"Really don't care? Your girl seems very anxious lately."

"FXXX! Even you know?"

"Are you implying that I'm the least informed person at SBK?"

"You have been a bit antisocial lately."

"My wife keeps a tight leash on me. Forget it, let's not talk about that. Back to your girl."

"Are you willing to help?"

"Of course, but there are conditions. You have to..."

The voices faded as they walked away.

"It seems the battle for the second round has already begun..." Song Ya frowned as he came out of the restroom. The competition for opportunities within a large New York record company was far more intense than he had expected.

Back in the recording studio, Hayden was waiting for him. "How did I do?" he asked, fishing for credit the moment they met. "With just a few words, I convinced Mrs. Jovovich."

"Not bad, not bad."

Song Ya was very satisfied. "She acted incredibly fast. Your persuasion was very effective."

"Hahaha."

Hayden laughed. "Actually, it wasn't that difficult. Her backers got Mira into the second round, and then Daniel forcibly pushed her back down. As long as she isn't stupid, she can figure out who the person with real power at SBK is. Plus, with so many people fighting for your song, she couldn't possibly be unaware of the opportunity involved. It's only natural to decide to switch sides."

"Anyway, thank you. You've done a great job this time." Song Ya gave Hayden a small compliment. "How did you arrange things with Mrs. Jovovich?"

"She rented a private music studio near Brooklyn..." Hayden pulled out a map to check. "It's quite far from here."

"Mira must have made a lot of money, right? Where did their money go? I've observed that Mrs. Jovovich drives a cheap car worth about ten thousand. It was that same car in Chicago, and it's still that same car in New York, which means they are driving back and forth between the two cities." Song Ya knew that the public safety in Brooklyn wasn't great; its status in New York was roughly equivalent to the South Side in Chicago. Renting a place near there was purely for the sake of being cheap.

"Who knows? The money Mira has earned over these years..."

Hayden did some mental math. "It's definitely over a million dollars."

There is no such thing as a nine-to-five in the record industry. By the time Song Ya finished guiding the band through their first rehearsal and grabbed a bite to eat, it was already nine o'clock at night. He and Eric hopped into a yellow cab and headed straight for the meeting spot.

"Taking a taxi is way too expensive." Song Ya paid the fare plus a tip, his heart aching slightly at the cost.

"Hello, APLUS..."

Mrs. Jovovich had been waiting expectantly outside the music classroom for a long time. She let out a sigh of relief upon seeing Song Ya. "I thought you weren't coming. I still owe you an apology for what I said the other day; I misunderstood you."

"It's fine. We're all Mr. Daniel's people now, so helping each other out is only natural." Song Ya walked into the music classroom. Mira was sitting on the bench in front of the upright piano. When she saw him enter, she immediately looked away. She was still giving him the cold shoulder, but she didn't look as puffed up with anger as she had that day.

Hayden had dumped all the blame on Daniel, and Daniel hadn't exposed him, so the mother and daughter's opinion of Song Ya had likely improved significantly.

"Uh... Mrs. Jovovich, could you tell me where the restroom is?" Eric, acting as the wingman, initiated his move.

"It's this way..." Mira's mother was led away.

"Hi, Mira." Song Ya quickly approached his target and plopped down onto the bench next to the beauty. "You only have two nights, so I won't waste any time. Are you ready? If you are, let's start from the first lesson."