In Lin Yuan's eyes, Taylor Swift was a generous, kind person.
She had achieved fame and fortune, yet she never begrudged sharing the profits with those around her.
During Taylor's 2023 world tour, ticket sales from the North American shows alone exceeded 2.2 billion USD, not including 1 billion USD in streaming revenue and the more than 5 billion USD in consumer spending it generated.
She was unquestionably one of the era's biggest superstars.
After the concert ended, she handed out a one-time bonus of 55 million USD to all the behind-the-scenes staff.
Even the truck drivers who had only helped out temporarily received bonuses of 100,000 USD each.
Taylor's decision to give everyone a 100,000 USD bonus shocked even the transportation company owners.
They said that in the past, each driver would receive at most 5,000 to 10,000 USD, while Taylor had handed out bonuses more than ten times that amount in one go.
A generous person like Taylor was absolutely nothing like those miserly, tightfisted bosses.
Taylor was a good boss herself. Perhaps that had something to do with how badly she had been taken advantage of by her own bosses when she was an employee.
She had dreamed of music since childhood, and in order to help her achieve that dream, her family had moved to Nashville, the capital of country music.
That was probably why Lin Yuan had met her on this train.
In Nashville, she caught the attention of a record label under Sony Music, but the company told Taylor that she would have to wait another four years before they released an album for her.
Unable to endure the wait, she signed with a company called Big Machine Records and quickly made her official debut.
She was a newcomer to the music industry, while Big Machine Records was also a newly established small company.
It should have been a beautiful story, the two of them moving forward together, building everything from nothing through hardship and forging a business legend side by side.
But at the height of Taylor's glory, Big Machine Records betrayed her.
Using its control over the master rights to her records—the mechanical reproduction licenses—the company stabbed Taylor in the back.
It caused her immense pain for a time.
Fortunately, Taylor was simply too talented. Though the master rights to those albums belonged to the company, she had written all the original songs herself and owned the original copyrights to the lyrics and music.
Based on those songwriting copyrights, she could rerecord the albums and bypass the company's restrictions.
Although she ultimately managed to turn things around, that period at her lowest point still greatly affected her musical path.
Without all that mess, Taylor should have climbed even higher and created even more musical miracles.
In his previous life, Lin Yuan had been furious as a fan that such a beautiful, kind, and extraordinarily talented female singer as Taylor had been hurt by capital through such filthy means.
So even without the system's requirements, Lin Yuan wanted to help Taylor. Besides, doing so would bring him many benefits.
"Taylor, let's change the subject. You like music, especially country music, right?" Lin Yuan considered his words before speaking.
"How did you know?" Taylor's eyes turned somewhat wary.
"I've seen some of your performances before." To make himself more convincing, Lin Yuan continued, "For example, your performance before that Philadelphia 76ers game. You were amazing! You're incredibly talented musically!"
"Really? You really think so?" Having someone acknowledge her musical talent was what made young Taylor happiest.
"Of course. I imagine you need some help right now to begin your musical journey as soon as possible." Lin Yuan smiled as he guided her step by step into his trap.
"Yeah. My dad has taken me around to visit record companies everywhere, but we always get rejected."
"Why not start a record company? One that belongs to you and exists to serve you." Lin Yuan tempted her further.
"Where would I get that much money? Even the smallest possible record company would need at least 500,000 USD, and that doesn't even include the later expenses of releasing albums." Taylor shook her head in distress.
"How about I provide the money? I think very highly of you and want to invest in your future." Lin Yuan finally revealed his true intentions.
"I'm very grateful for your appreciation, but I need to discuss this with my parents." Taylor truly was a precocious child. Her calm and composed nature was impressive.
"This is my phone number. Later, I'll make a detailed plan and we can discuss it properly." After writing down his number, Lin Yuan continued:
"Though I believe in you, you still don't have what it takes to debut yet. You need complete foundational music training."
"You're right. I still have a lot to learn." Taylor nodded.
"Don't rush. The faster you want to run, the more you need to make sure your footing is solid. I have plenty of patience. We can take things one step at a time."
Lin Yuan had no intention of forcing a seedling to grow too quickly. Though he wanted to help Taylor soar to fame as soon as possible, the necessary stages of growth could not be skipped.
Otherwise, she would be destined not to go far in the future.
What Lin Yuan could do was use his money to clear the obstacles from her path forward.
Of course, this help would not be free. He would start a record company with Taylor.
With his shares in that company, he would receive unimaginable returns.
After ending his conversation with Taylor, Lin Yuan quietly returned to his seat and slipped gently beneath the blanket.
He reached out again, wrapped his arm around Liu Yifei's waist, pulled her close, and fell peacefully asleep.
That night, there were no more dreams.
At eight o'clock the next morning, the sightseeing train they were riding arrived in Nashville.
In this beautiful capital of country music, the two enjoyed a magnificent musical feast brought by singers from around the world.
The music festival featured performances in all kinds of styles, not limited to country music but also including blues, rock, jazz, and more.
Beyond the music, Nashville was also filled with all sorts of other cultural performances: street art, acrobatics, song and dance shows, stand-up comedy...
Under the warm early winter sun, Lin Yuan held the girl's soft, warm hand as they wandered through the streets and alleys.
Everything seemed covered in a dreamy, gentle glow. The moving music, the girl's bell-like laughter, and the bustling streets all came together to form the beauty of youth.
Those living through their youth often did not know to cherish it, believing everything would remain that way forever.
Only years later, when youth had faded, would they pick up those moments from the corners of their memories and sigh:
Flowers may bloom again, but people are never young twice.
Lin Yuan experienced the beauty of that day with all his strength, solemnly writing the memories into his heart. It was the most basic respect a reborn person could show to youth.
Throughout the entire day, Lin Yuan and Liu Yifei had a wonderful time.
It was not until night was about to fall that they boarded a flight to New York and left.
If she did not go home soon, her mother's check-in would expose her.
Only after taking Liu Yifei home did Lin Yuan return to his own residence.
The moment he pushed open the door, the system flashed golden words before his eyes:
You have once again completed a date with a girl. Host performance evaluation: S! Host has received a skill reward: Boxing (Master Level)
Before you continue