Invitation

"Mr. Chen Ze, please wait!" Chen Ze was walking along when a voice suddenly called out to him.

Chen Ze stopped and looked toward the voice, seeing two women walking toward him.

"Can I help you with something?" Chen Ze asked.

"Well, Mr. Chen, I'm Zhang Ting, a music producer with Tianmei Entertainment Company, and this is my assistant, Li Xiaoli." After introducing them both, Zhang Ting handed Chen Ze a business card.

"We met at the graduation party earlier!" Zhang Ting added.

Chen Ze nodded. There had been many important people sitting in the front row, and he seemed to recall seeing the two of them there.

"What can I do for you, Miss Zhang?" Chen Ze asked.

"This isn't the place to talk. Why don't we find somewhere to have a proper conversation?" Zhang Ting said.

"Sure!"

The group found a café, and as soon as they sat down, Zhang Ting said eagerly, "I came to your graduation party to scout singers with potential. The song you sang tonight, 'My Old Classmate,' meets our company's standards in every respect, from the lyrics and composition to your singing skills. Would you be interested in joining our company, Mr. Chen?"

Tianmei Entertainment was a top entertainment company in the Great Xia Nation. Its businesses covered songs, media, variety shows, television dramas, music production, and other fields. It had multiple Heavenly Kings and Queens among its artists and cultivated several rising entertainment stars every year. Its strength was formidable!

"You flatter me, Miss Zhang. I just wrote that song on a whim. It's hardly fit for an elegant hall," Chen Ze said modestly.

"You're too modest, Mr. Chen. I'm a music producer myself, and I often write music for the artists under me, so I know how difficult it is to create a good song. Your 'My Old Classmate' is outstanding, whether in its lyrics, composition, or expression of emotion! And your singing technique in particular is unlike anything I've ever heard. You're a born star!" Zhang Ting looked at Chen Ze as though she were looking at a piece of uncut jade, her eyes shining as she spoke.

Chen Ze was embarrassed by her praise. "You flatter me, Miss Zhang. If I were to join your company, what terms could you offer me?"

"If you join Tianmei Entertainment, Mr. Chen, we'll not only devote ourselves to nurturing you, but also bring you plenty of resources. You can both produce music and sing, which is very rare. On top of that, your looks and presence are so outstanding. I can promise you right now that we'll give you a C-grade contract at the very least!" Zhang Ting pledged confidently.

Although Chen Ze didn't know what terms a C-grade contract entailed, he thought it over and declined. "I'm sorry, Miss Zhang. I'm still a student, so let's discuss it after I graduate from university!"

Seeing Chen Ze refuse, Zhang Ting said urgently, "Hear me out first, Mr. Chen. In our line of work, youth is our bread and butter. The earlier you debut, the better! Besides, joining our company won't interfere with your university studies. We'll even give you a spot at Capital Jinglan Art Academy through a recommendation. Please give it some thought!"

Chen Chen was genuinely tempted this time. He had been worrying about where to study after graduating from high school, and learning music production at an art academy didn't seem like a bad idea! He might even copy classic songs from his previous life in the future, and learning about the field would be a great help. At the very least, he wouldn't be completely in the dark about things like backing tracks and accompaniment.

Chen Ze kept his expression neutral. "What are the terms of the C-grade contract you mentioned, Miss Zhang?"

Seeing that Chen Ze seemed tempted, Zhang Ting hurried to strike while the iron was hot. "Our C-grade contract runs for three years. During that time, the company will direct traffic your way, give you resources and publicity, and provide songs for you to sing, among other things. If you produce an original song, we'll give you thirty percent of all its earnings. You'll also receive twenty percent of the earnings from songs you sing, but the company will own the copyrights."

"A one-year contract, and I want all the copyrights to the songs I create. Agree to that, and I'll sign!" Chen Ze said, leaving no room for refusal.

"I can't make that decision myself. Please give me a little time, Mr. Chen. I'll submit a request to our headquarters," Zhang Ting said.

"All right!" Chen Ze said.

"Please don't join another entertainment company before I get back to you, Mr. Chen," Zhang Ting said.

"Of course!" Chen Ze understood. If her headquarters agreed and he had already joined another entertainment company, it would put Zhang Ting in a difficult position!

The two chatted for a while longer, and then Zhang Ting hurried off.

"Sister Li, why do you think so highly of this Chen Ze?" her assistant Xiao Li asked.

"This Chen Ze is no ordinary person. My eye for talent has never been wrong! His 'My Old Classmate' is incredibly moving, both in its imagery and its emotion. Didn't you see how everyone at the party was affected? Even a gold-medal music producer might not be able to create a song that good. I guarantee that after tonight, this song will be a massive hit! And why did he insist on owning the copyright during our negotiations just now? That shows he must have other songs that rival 'My Old Classmate'! To create such an outstanding song at such a young age, and to have first-rate singing skills, not to mention being so beautiful! I'd stake everything on it: as long as our company nurtures him properly, he'll definitely become another Heavenly King superstar!"

Assistant Xiao Li's face was full of admiration. "Your eye is as sharp as ever, Sister Zhang. You saw so far ahead after such a brief encounter!"

"That's why you still have a lot to learn!" Zhang Ting said with a smile.

"Ding~ Congratulations, the song the host sang resonated with Wang Hao. Reward: empathy points +10!"

"Ding~ Congratulations, the song the host sang resonated with Zhang Tao. Reward: empathy points +10!"

"Ding~ Congratulations, the song the host sang resonated with Lin Yu. Reward: empathy points +10"

Early the next morning, Chen Ze was jolted awake by a barrage of system notifications.

"System, what's going on?"

"Ding~ Host, the song you sang resonated with others."

"The song I sang?" Chen Ze's brain hadn't caught up yet. He froze for a moment, then seemed to remember something and hurriedly took out his phone to check online.

Among the headline news was an eye-catching trending topic marked "hot." Its title read: "'My Old Classmate' bursts onto the scene at Hangcheng high school graduation party!"

Chen Ze opened the topic. It showed scenes from the graduation party, with a video embedded among them. Chen Ze opened the video, and a melodious song played. It was his performance of "My Old Classmate." He hadn't expected someone to upload a video of him singing!

"System, what did you mean about rewarding me with empathy points?"

"Ding~ Host, as long as a song you sing resonates with someone, you can earn empathy points!"

"That works too? Then how many empathy points do I have now?"

"Ding~ Host, as of now, you have earned a total of 115,830 empathy points. The system has automatically deducted 115,830 empathy points. You still owe this system 294,170 empathy points."

They were gone before he'd even had time to warm them in his hands! Chen Ze was speechless, but this wasn't bad either. He hadn't expected to earn empathy points this way.

"System, can I get attribute points this way too?"

"Ding~ No, host. Attribute points can only be obtained by completing system missions!"

"I see!" Chen Ze said, a little disappointed. Meanwhile, the system's dinging notifications continued to sound in his head.

"System, can you mute those notifications?"

"Ding~ Notification sounds have been muted for the host. From now on, the host will only hear mission notifications."

"I didn't expect you to be so smart!"

It looked like the only way to earn more empathy points from now on was to take the entertainment industry path!