Chapter 154: Challenging the First Tier (Begging for Double Monthly Votes!)

As the song ended, Sun Yi's eyes turned red.

This song, "Young and Promising," deeply stung him, causing his memories to begin churning and a sharp pain to twist in his heart.

"If I were young and promising and not self-deprecating..." he couldn't help but hum softly, his voice trembling slightly.

Luo Mo looked at Sun Yi, not expecting this senior to have such an intense reaction after listening to the demo of this song.

"Looks like he's also a person with a story," Luo Mo thought to himself.

He didn't say much, only stating: "It's ten o'clock sharp now, I have some things to handle in the company. You digest this song on your own first, and I'll come back later to try singing it."

Luo Mo pretended not to notice Sun Yi's abnormality at all and walked straight out of the recording booth.

Just as he reached the door and closed it, Sun Yi slumped over the table, his shoulders heaving, yet he made no sound of crying.

Some people, once missed, are missed forever.

Luo Mo left Sun Yi in the recording booth to adjust his emotions and headed to Shen Shaoqiu's office.

"General Manager Shen said he brought me three bottles of good wine today," a smile appeared on Luo Mo's face; this was something he had extorted last time.

"If there's nothing to do tonight, I could invite Run Jie to my place for a drink," Luo Mo thought.

His relationship with Ning Dan now was actually more like drinking buddies.

This woman naturally possessed an indescribable charm; those full, red lips, paired with a face flushed from a slight buzz and hazy eyes—this scene was more delicious than any appetizer.

When Shen Shaoqiu's secretary saw it was Luo Mo, she hurried forward to greet him, saying: "Director Luo."

"Mm, is General Manager Shen busy right now?"

"Not busy. General Manager Shen said that if it's Director Luo, you can just go right in," the secretary said.

Luo Mo nodded, followed the secretary forward, knocked on the office door, and then walked inside.

Shen Shaoqiu was currently looking at a report on his computer, and upon seeing it was Luo Mo, a smile appeared on his face.

"Do you know? The data for 'Sunny Day' has exploded," he looked up at Luo Mo, and this was his first sentence.

Luo Mo had checked when he woke up this morning; the live version of "Sunny Day" had topped both charts on Penguin Music, and it had a strong trend of topping the Hot Song Chart!

The viewership and play counts for the first episode of "King of Love Songs" were terrifying; the starting point of this program was a cut above "Creating Idols."

And by the second episode, it had soared even further!

This caused the song "Sunny Day" to become famous across the country almost overnight.

Music critics vied to post reviews, and listeners downloaded it in unison.

It is worth mentioning that the copyright for all songs in "King of Love Songs" belongs to the Singer, including the revenue from these live versions, of which the Singer takes the lion's share, while the production team only takes ten percent.

This song stirred up the youthful memories of countless people, and most importantly, many felt it was very satisfying.

For an entire week, because of Zhao Xueqin's commentary in the first episode, Luo Mo had been bashed for a week.

There is no one in this world loved by everyone; Luo Mo also had quite a few haters, not to mention that Zhao Xueqin's fans had long found him unpleasant.

Of course, there was also that group of NINE-T fans who had been abused countless times but still persisted, waiting for an opportunity to act.

This nine-member boy band had been cut down right after their debut and had now fallen into becoming a second-rate boy band.

Their commercial value had fallen again and again, plummeting all the way, and the investments major companies put into them might not even break even.

But the more this was the case, the more die-hard and brainless some fans became.

"The brothers only have us!"

And toward Luo Mo, they were inevitably filled with deep-seated hatred.

And so, with Heavenly King Zhao leading the charge, they immediately followed behind, Shouting and waving flags.

But who could have imagined that the program had only aired to the second episode, and Luo Mo was already number one!

Moreover, the melody of "Sunny Day" was too invincible; professionals on the internet were full of praise, and its sales performance was truly heaven-defying.

Whether looking at it from the degree of love by the Masses or from the reputation within the industry, you could not attack it.

Zhao Xueqin couldn't save face at all, and his Weibo received who knows how many tags every day.

Those netizens skilled at being sarcastic would often "@Zhao Xueqin" and then say: "Heavenly King Zhao, is this melody still okay?"

What made this man of refined temperament feel most exasperated was that many netizens started saying he had a sense of middle-aged greasiness.

This term had been very popular in recent years; Zhao Xueqin had always been proud, feeling his temperament was good and that he had nothing to do with this term.

Just when most male celebrities of the same age were being struck hard by this term, he was still quite self-satisfied, feeling he stood alone and aloof from the world.

Now look at this; netizens were all scolding him for being "full of dad-vibes," "fond of lecturing others," and "don't judge a book by its cover, his heart is covered in lard."

Some netizens even said that Heavenly King Zhao was leading the industry's involution.

In short, the harder he had suppressed others before, and the stronger the guidance on the internet had been, the more severe the backlash he was suffering now.

"Sunny Day" was too well-liked by young people, and on the internet, the ones with the strongest fighting power were always the young.

The song "Second Cup" that Zhao Xueqin sang in the second episode, although hanging high at second on the charts, actually only had half the data of "Sunny Day."

This was truly being crushed.

The lyricist and composer of "Second Cup," the Great God Huang Xishan, was already thinking about whether he really wanted to retire at this time.

Retiring now would truly be failing to maintain his integrity in his later years.

But the slogan of retirement had already been shouted, and when promoting the album, it was also said that it was the last album he would produce.

If he didn't retire now, wouldn't that be deceiving the fans' feelings and using false news to build hype?

At the same time, Huang Xishan had recently felt increasingly powerless.

"Am I really old?" he began to doubt.

After Luo Mo sat down in the chair, Shen Shaoqiu looked at him and said: "It should be a bit tiring these past few days, right?"

Luo Mo nodded and said: "There are indeed quite a lot of things to be busy with."

Shen Shaoqiu said: "Prioritize getting your own songs to the best they can be."

He hoped Luo Mo could distinguish between what was important and what was not.

In his eyes, even if Sun Yi and Chen Shanqi were added together, they would not equal half of Luo Mo.

This kid's momentum is too fierce right now; he started by challenging a Heavenly King, he is completely unstoppable.

At this moment, the outside world no longer calls him the strongest Newcomer King; some are already saying he is the leader of the new generation in the music scene.

"After all, there are Newcomer Kings every year, but there can only be one leader for a generation," Shen Shaoqiu thought to himself.

Intuition told him that Xinyu would soon have a Super First-line Superstar as well!

If one does not have a Super First-line general in their hand, how can one talk about joining the ranks of the Big Four?

Therefore, Shen Shaoqiu's regard for Luo Mo is beyond measure.

Luo Mo looked at Shen Shaoqiu and said, "I actually prepared the song for the fourth episode a long time ago; there won't be any problems."

"As long as you are confident in your heart, that's fine," Shen Shaoqiu said.

Although he only ostensibly let Luo Mo temporarily fill the position of Music Director, in his heart, he wanted him to sit firmly on this throne.

Even if the outside world is shouting: "How can there be a 24-year-old Music Director in this world!?"

He does not care.

In his view, ability is always ranked first; seniority is just seniority.

Since he let Luo Mo be the Music Director, he would delegate authority to the greatest extent and let Luo Mo call the shots regarding music.

When Luo Mo left Shen Shaoqiu's office and returned to the recording studio, Sun Yi had already adjusted his emotions.

"Director Luo, we can begin." Sun Yi's gaze was calm and firm, only his eyes were a little swollen.

Luo Mo nodded and let him give it a try.

As a result, the moment Sun Yi opened his mouth, his eyes lit up.

"【The TV keeps flashing, the contact information hasn't been deleted yet...】"

Luo Mo gave him a thumbs up directly and said, "Very good, the emotion is very rich!"

When Sun Yi was singing this song, his emotions were actually quite restrained, but it was just very moving!

Some singers, when singing, will deliberately sing until they are hoarse, deliberately creating a singing style similar to a smoky voice to create an effect.

But in reality, many powerful singers can hide surging waves within calmness and move people's hearts amidst plainness.

Or, for different types of songs, they can produce different types of excellent handling.

In this regard, the representative figures are the two Song Gods, Zhang Xueyou and Chen Yixun.

Their handling of song emotions has many methods and is absolutely master-level; otherwise, they would not be crowned with the title of Song God.

"Keep this state, and strive to challenge the top three in the next round," Luo Mo said to Sun Yi.

"The top three?" Sun Yi said in his heart.

This was a position he never dared to think about before.

But for some reason, he himself felt that this might not be wishful thinking.

It is very strange; he had sung many hit songs before, but he felt this "Young and Promising" would be his peak work.

It was a feeling; he felt that when he sang other songs, it would be very difficult to sing with this feeling again.

Perhaps it was because of empathy, perhaps it was because the sense of immersion was very strong.

He only knew that this song seemed to be tailor-made for him.

No matter what the outcome, he wanted to sing this song well.

Even if... she might not necessarily watch "King of Love Songs".

Throughout the entire morning, Sun Yi practiced repeatedly, and Luo Mo felt he was making steady progress.

Honestly, he felt that this "Young and Promising," under Sun Yi's handling, was qualified to threaten Zhao Xueqin.

"If Heavenly King Zhao is second place again next episode, that would be three consecutive episodes in second; I'm afraid he will be called the 'eternal second' by everyone."

"How can that be! I must help him!" Luo Mo thought in his heart.

"Next episode, I can only let you take third at most."

Before one o'clock in the afternoon, Chen Shanqi had dressed up meticulously, then came to the company, waiting for Director Luo's summons.

Strictly speaking, this was her first meeting with Luo Mo.

When people interact, the first impression is very important.

Most singers come to record songs without makeup, but she had full makeup on today to show respect to Director Luo.

Sometimes, she even felt she wasn't here to audition in the recording studio, but to interview.

Perform well, and there will be plenty of opportunities for cooperation in the future!

Perform averagely, and she might be sent to the cold palace!

What she was seeking today was the favor of Director Luo.

When Luo Mo walked into the recording studio, the first thing he saw was Chen Shanqi's back.

This woman eats salad all day long; her physique management is excellent, and she has always persisted in morning runs and fitness.

Therefore, the most eye-catching thing about her back was her round peach buttocks.

This buttock shape of hers was trained; therefore, she was actually very good at squats.

She squats well and persists for a long time, having the potential to become a perpetual motion machine.

As soon as this quasi-First-line Singer heard the sound of the door opening, she immediately turned around, then came up to shake hands with Luo Mo.

"Director Luo, we finally meet." Her smile was bright as she looked at this man who could change her destiny.

With just one glance, she reached a conclusion: "He is already this handsome on TV, yet he is actually the type that isn't photogenic; he is even more handsome in person than on TV."

Chen Shanqi understood at this moment why many women in the circle like to play with younger-man romances, and why some wealthy women also like to find younger brothers.

Physical fitness is one aspect, and that unique aura of a young person is another.

As for Luo Mo's height, appearance, and unique temperament, the "little brother" fans will go crazy for it, right?

"Some people, just relying on these innate conditions, can become resource-backed artists," Chen Shanqi thought to herself.

Not to mention that the man before her also possessed unparalleled talent.

Luo Mo glanced at this Xinyu Singer who had once been "ridden" by him on the charts, smiled, and said, "Chen, nice to meet you. Have you familiarized yourself with the lyrics and melody these past few days?"

Chen Shanqi nodded, appearing quite confident, though her palms were slightly sweaty.

She was, after all, a quasi-First-line Singer who had debuted for many years, had experienced great storms, and had held many concerts for tens of thousands of people.

Even though there was only one listener today, and she knew she was well-prepared, she couldn't help but feel a little nervous.

A man who could take on ten thousand alone.

"Shall we just start then?" Luo Mo said.

Chen Shanqi nodded and obediently walked into the recording booth.

Being "ridden" on the charts is different; she already had the awareness that a "mount" should have.

As soon as she began Singing, Luo Mo nodded slightly.

"【Standing at your door again,

We repeat our silence,

This kind of one-sided waiting,

How much longer can it last.】"

Chen Shanqi's handling of this song was somewhat similar to Sun Yi's, also using that rather restrained technique.

This was what Luo Mo liked.

Seeing Luo Mo standing in front of the control console outside the glass nodding to himself, Chen Shanqi gained some confidence and began to hit her stride.

She finished Singing the entire A-section in one breath, and Luo Mo never once spoke to interrupt.

"Not bad!" Luo Mo evaluated.

He pointed out a few detailed issues and some inappropriate handling of the breathing points, and Chen Shanqi was able to digest them immediately.

In Instructor Luo's view, training these mature Singers was indeed much less effort than that group of trainees.

Chen Shanqi understood at a single hint and could absorb everything Luo Mo poured into her.

Some people cannot hold much; no matter how much you give them, they will show that they are already full, and any more would spill over.

This is the gap in talent and technique.

Although her fame in the music scene had not progressed in these few years, her Singing skills were steadily improving; she was worthy of being a self-disciplined woman with a peach-shaped butt.

The afternoon passed quickly; both Luo Mo and she felt very comfortable, the process was not agonizing, the collaboration was very pleasant, and no irritable emotions arose.

"Very good, Chen, let's stop here for today," Luo Mo said.

Chen Shanqi nodded; after working all afternoon, her body was also a bit overwhelmed.

In Luo Mo's view, the good show of the King of Love Songs had actually only just begun in the fourth episode.

Before parting, she expressed her gratitude to Luo Mo with a very humble posture.

Through her mouth, Luo Mo learned that Shen Shaoqiu had done quite a bit of building momentum for him, actually telling Chen Shanqi that it was Director Luo who made the final decision to select her for the competition.

This was also equivalent to wanting to tell all the Singers at Xinyu through her: "Director Luo is not a figurehead; he is a person with real power."

If Chen Shanqi took advantage of the momentum to take off, Luo Mo's prestige among Xinyu Singers would be at its zenith!

At this moment, Chen Shanqi looked at him and said, "Director Luo, I am truly grateful to you, and I cherish this opportunity very much. You should also know that I have been stuck at the quasi-First-line level for four years."

This had almost become her long-cherished wish, and she now wanted to hear some words of comfort and encouragement from this man who was good at creating miracles.

Unexpectedly, what she heard was:

"Chen, for now, you only want to push for First-line, right?"

(PS: Second update, 4400 words, asking for double monthly tickets at the end of the month.

The end of the month is too crazy; those who were originally thousands of votes behind me have chain-exploded me in one night, even though they only exploded their update count for one day, usually only doing five or six thousand words, while I have been exploding for over a month.)

(End of this chapter)