Chapter 32: Preparing to Release the Song

After paying respects to his master, Cheng Chen officially began his two-point life.

Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays he went to Luo Laotou to study music; Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Saturdays he assisted on film sets to hone his acting.

He occasionally met up with Gao Yuanyuan, Jia Jingwen, and others, and also visited Tianhai Records.

But Tianhai Records' situation hadn't improved; after their "number one" Zhang Guangfeng left, things grew even harder.

For this reason, Wang Tianxiao checked in on Cheng Chen's progress learning songs every few days, pinning all hopes on Cheng Chen's five songs turning things around.

Cheng Chen's days were full; two months slipped by unnoticed.

"How many shop windows have you wandered past? How many inns have you stayed in before you feel parting isn't unjust?"

"Is love for browsing, or for keeping, so every day becomes unforgettable…"

In the courtyard house, Cheng Chen stood in the small yard, singing clearly and earnestly.

His voice was good—rich yet slightly hoarse, his phrasing lazy yet uniquely distinctive, highly recognizable.

"Love Transfer" posed the greatest challenge to him; it sounded simple but was in fact extremely difficult.

It was the type where "listeners feel no pressure, but singers are terrified," so he devoted most of his effort to this song.

Cheng Chen's version of "Love Transfer" infused deep emotion into the soul, delivering the lyrics with quiet storytelling.

Listening to him sing was like listening to a story…

"Good. You've fully grasped the emotion and technique of this song. Releasing it as a single is no problem."

After finishing the song, Luo Tong nodded beside him.

"You've crossed so many double beds, changed faiths so many times, before the ring was exchanged without hesitation—such a real and profound line. You're doing well, younger brother."

Today was Saturday; Tang Wei had no class and sat on a small stool, chin in hand, listening to Cheng Chen sing.

Hearing her address, Cheng Chen felt helpless—why did every older woman insist on calling him "younger brother"?

Gao Yuanyuan did the same. Tang Wei did too.

Both studied under Luo Tong; by seniority, he was stuck with the title "younger brother."

"Thank you, Master Luo, for your teaching these past two months," Cheng Chen said respectfully.

Though Luo Tong was strict, his musical mastery was unquestionable.

He often said just a few words that made Cheng Chen suddenly understand; Cheng Chen's scattered music theory knowledge was now systematically organized and updated under Luo Tong.

Even greater gains came in vocal technique—setting aside his natural voice quality.

Luo Tong imparted nearly everything: pronunciation of every lyric, transitions between high and low notes, falsetto, mixed voice, and other singing techniques.

Cheng Chen already knew some music; under the guidance of this master, he explored and refined his skills with renewed insight.

His entire singing technique immediately rose a level.

"Hmm, you're definitely ready for these five songs. As for singing other songs in the future—"

"If you fully absorb everything I've taught you these past two months, you'll benefit for life."

Luo Tong smiled.

Cheng Chen thanked him again and treated Luo Tong and Tang Wei to a meal; this journey of musical study came to an end.

"Come visit me at the Central Academy of Drama sometime—we've got plenty of beautiful girls there. I'll introduce you to a few."

Tang Wei waved to Cheng Chen.

"Then it's a deal."

Cheng Chen replied with a smile.

Every Saturday for the past two months, Tang Wei had been at Luo Tong's when Cheng Chen came.

Later he learned she studied painting under Luo Tong, coming only once a week.

As they spent time together, Cheng Chen found Tang Wei's personality excellent; her tranquil, carefree, elegant aura was unlike any other female star in the entertainment industry.

No wonder someone once remarked: the only female star in the entertainment industry who actually looked like she'd read books.

"This little senior sister…"

If he ever encountered the casting for "Lust Caution," maybe he could help her avoid it.

Save her from ending up blacklisted and bearing years of public scorn.

…

After learning Cheng Chen's progress, Wang Tianxiao immediately began preparing for the song release.

Generally, a singer's song release requires several preparatory steps.

One: song production.

Musicians compose lyrics and melodies; producers select and compile songs for the album.

Arrangers arrange the music; singers and musicians record in the studio.

The songs undergo post-production: pitch correction, mixing, mastering, then finalized tracks are recorded onto tapes or CD discs.

Two: pre-release promotion.

Promotion includes many elements, such as selecting the lead single.

Packaging the artist's image.

Album graphic design (album cover, promotional posters, etc.).

Writing album copy, shooting the music video, producing other promotional materials (pre-sale albums, preview audio, etc.).

Three: copyright and revenue distribution.

Registering copyright for the released works, submitting them for review, obtaining release permits;

Registering with tax authorities, allocating copyright and revenue from the release.

Four: determining distribution channels.

Through distribution channels, the album is delivered to major audio stores, malls, bookstores, and other sales outlets.

Five. On the Shelves and On Sale!

The steps looked clear at a glance, but each one was designed to maximize the album's profit.

Some veteran musicians only needed to leak a hint before their next release, and entertainment media would scramble to report on it, with fans spreading the word from mouth to mouth.

Friends in the circle would rally and show their support, while TV variety shows, interviews, and print media took turns bombarding the public — exposure and sales were never a worry.

But for a nobody like Cheng Chen… every step had to be at least halved, or even skipped entirely.

After all… who would want to buy a newcomer's songs?

Cheng Chen's immediate priority was to record the songs well; all remaining matters were handled by Wang Tianxiao.

This was the benefit of having a company. If he had gone solo, setting aside everything else, he'd first have to rent a recording studio for the early recording, right?

He'd have to run around for copyright registration and approval review, right? If anything went wrong in between, then he could just wait and wait…

After passing review, his songs would still need exposure — otherwise, how would people ever hear his voice?

Just getting to this point already cost the solo brother a pretty penny, let alone talk of distribution channels and the like.

In short, 2002 was nothing like the digital media era of later generations, where uploading a song to a music site or singing one on a short-video platform could make it explode into fame.

While Wang Tianxiao was out handling album-related matters, Cheng Chen threw himself wholeheartedly into recording.

The recording studio at Tianhai Records often had its lights on, and as long as the employees saw the big words "Recording in Progress" on the studio door, they knew the new shareholder was inside.

Everyone was curious what kind of songs this twenty-year-old shareholder could produce.

……

Considering the limits of his vocal cords, Cheng Chen often recorded a few takes, then drank some water and rested a while — this state continued for about a week.

The recording studio door finally opened, and Cheng Chen walked out, his face pale.

At the same time, Wang Tianxiao had finally wrapped up all the preparatory work.

All that remained was releasing the songs.

……