Chapter 64: Older Men Know How to Care

Previously, Tao Linlin had been puzzled about how Chen Huan, a top-tier agent in the industry, had joined Xianyu Music, a newly established small company.

With her connections and professional abilities, she could have chosen freely among the industry's leading music companies.

Now she understood—Chen Huan was "investing in the future."

She was betting that "Sixth Sense," who had already composed "Ti Mian" and "Apple Fragrance," would become a legendary figure in the music scene!

In the music industry, those called "legends" generally fall into three categories: the first are regional overlords—the actual owners of the major music companies; the second are superstars who have remained popular for over a decade or two; the third are songwriters who have created multiple hit songs and launched the careers of numerous singers.

Some music companies grew strong precisely because they had a legendary songwriter on board—so long as he was there, the company had an endless ability to create stars.

If a music company is likened to a car, then the songwriter is its engine; the more powerful the engine, the faster the car runs.

Looking at today's music scene, the older generation of legendary songwriters have passed their creative peak and hardly release new songs anymore, while among the new generation, no one has yet earned the title of "legendary songwriter."

Chen Huan's joining Xianyu Music was precisely because she saw the potential in "Sixth Sense"—after all, he was only twenty-two, and she clearly intended to make a big bet.

If this "Sixth Sense" teacher at the company truly becomes a legendary songwriter, then Xianyu Music will surely rise to become one of the country's top music companies.

Joining an already top-tier music company is entirely different from personally building one from the ground up.

For example, consider an NBA player—you join a team that was already a champion; how do you prove your own value?

So, do I now have the chance to witness a "legend" being born?

Thinking of this, Tao Linlin felt unexpectedly excited; she had come to Xianyu Music at Chen Huan's invitation, originally treating it as just an ordinary job.

But now its meaning had suddenly changed—if she could accompany Xianyu Music on its rise to become the industry's top company, she would not only gain immense personal satisfaction, but fame and fortune would naturally follow!

Zhang Dongshan naturally had no idea that one song had sparked so many thoughts in Tao Linlin; hearing their praise, he genuinely felt proud.

This incredible song was written by his son, Zhang Dongshan!

"Xiaoxian has always inherited my musical genes—he could write songs as early as high school, so I'm not at all surprised by his creative ability."

Zhang Dongshan happily bragged.

In front of the woman he loved, he had to show off—why was his son so outstanding? That was thanks to his father's influence.

"Shan Ge, I know a TV drama is currently seeking a theme song—'Fan Ren Ge' is perfect. I'll reach out; it's a big-budget production. If selected, we'll not only make money but save a lot on promotion costs."

A few days ago at a dinner party, Chen Huan met the famous director Kong Sanmin, who specifically mentioned that if she had any suitable songs, she should recommend them to him.

He had originally arranged with a renowned songwriter for the theme song when the drama started filming, but by the time post-production was nearly complete, the songwriter finally delivered a track—it had nothing to do with the drama, and the quality was mediocre.

Kong Sanmin had sent Chen Huan the drama's materials earlier; the title was "Flowing Years," a realistic drama about a family's life spanning thirty years.

"Alright, once I finish recording the song, send it over."

This was a good opportunity—Zhang Dongshan had no reason to refuse.

The three waited a little longer in the company, then Zhao Xiangqian arrived with his team.

"Whoa, Huan Jie is here too!"

Zhao Xiangqian recognized Chen Huan, but she was someone he looked up to—he was just an unknown music producer, while Chen Huan was the industry's well-known top agent; their status was vastly different.

"Chen Zong, this is Lao Zhao, Zhao Xiangqian—a friend of mine for decades."

"That's the recording engineer Juanmao, the guitarist Datou, the keyboardist Lao K..."

Zhang Dongshan then introduced the others who came with Zhao Xiangqian—he had known all of them for many years.

Everyone was here—let's get to work.

Chen Huan and Tao Linlin had originally planned to go out for dinner, but seeing Zhang Dongshan and the others start working, they ordered takeout instead.

During breaks, everyone ate together—it helped them get to know each other better, since they'd be working together going forward.

Zhang Dongshan had already agreed with Zhao Xiangqian that he'd join the company's music production department, but he couldn't be made director—first, his skill level was limited; second, his name recognition was insufficient.

Zhao Xiangqian had no objections—he knew his own worth.

After finishing the late-night snack, everyone resumed work.

Tao Linlin, with nothing else to do, left first, but Chen Huan stayed—she was waiting for the demo to be finished so she could send it to Kong Sanmin.

His drama "Flowing Years" had already locked its air date—only the theme song remained; this had to be done urgently, because if they finalized someone else even an hour later, the deal would be off.

Two a. m.

Zhang Dongshan finally finished recording "Fan Ren Ge"—this version satisfied both him and Zhao Xiangqian completely.

Stepping out of the recording booth, Zhang Dongshan remained immersed in exhilaration, utterly free of the fatigue from working nonstop.

Meanwhile, Chen Huan in the break room had fallen asleep on the sofa; seeing this, Zhang Dongshan quickly signaled to Zhao Xiangqian and the others, who were still talking loudly, to be quiet.

"Lao Zhao, take the guys somewhere first—I'll join you later."

By tradition, after recording a song, they'd celebrate with drinks; Zhao Xiangqian and the others were discussing whether to have hotpot or barbecue—this time of night, only these two options made sense.

Hearing Zhang Dongshan's words, Zhao Xiangqian instantly understood; he whispered teasingly, "Lao Zhang, if you can win over Huan Jie, you don't even need to come—just buy the drinks!"

"Enough, get going!"

Zhang Dongshan shoved Zhao Xiangqian lightly, who immediately laughed and led the group out.

Inside the break room, only the two remained; Zhang Dongshan walked over to the sofa and draped his jacket over Chen Huan.

He had planned to wait until she woke up—staying up all night was exhausting; an older man knows how to care for others!

But the moment he placed the jacket over her, she woke up.

"Finished?"

Chen Huan instinctively prioritized work, then noticed the jacket on her.

No matter how strong a woman is, she's still a woman—she still needs care.

Zhang Dongshan's gesture of covering her with his jacket seemed small, but it brought Chen Huan, who had been single for years and emotionally vacant, a long-missed warmth.