Chapter 77: Daughter Kingdom

On site, as soon as Shen Yinuo heard that Luo Mo had another song created based on "Daughter's Love," she immediately perked up.

She and Jiang Ningxi were in desperate need of a signature work.

To what extent did they need it?

If the quality of this song by Luo Mo was high enough, she personally could accept receiving no share of the royalties.

As the heiress of Xinyu, with deep pockets and great wealth, spending money to buy a hit that breaks out of the circle was no big deal.

Jiang Ningxi, meanwhile, fixed her gaze on Luo Mo; Luo Mo exchanged a glance with her, and gave his old desk-mate a slight smile, causing this cool-tempered, beautiful young girl to immediately look away.

However, her peripheral vision remained focused on Luo Mo.

Jiang Ningxi asked herself, she liked this "Daughter's Love" and the poem on the screen at the end very, very much. Her personal level of affection for them was higher than for the previous "Red Actor."

But Xu Chujing was her Idol, and since her Idol wanted this song, she knew she couldn't compete for it.

Moreover, from the perspective of vocal performance, this song's female part was indeed better suited for Xu Chujing than for her and Shen Yinuo.

However, the moment she heard there was a sister piece with stronger pop attributes, Jiang Ningxi felt her heart rate accelerate.

Wei Ran looked at Luo Mo and let out a long sigh.

Wei Ge could not control his curiosity; even though he knew Luo Mo was deliberately baiting him, he still took the hook.

He felt his curiosity was like a fish with a memory of only seven seconds.

At first, he thought, "I cannot take the hook, that bait is deliberately tempting me."

Seven seconds later: "Oh my, it looks so delicious!"

Wei Ran was seen holding the microphone, letting out a long sigh, and saying: "Luo Mo, since it's a sister piece, why don't you... sing a few lines?"

Luo Mo looked at him, said nothing, and just smiled.

Seeing his cheeky expression, Wei Ran felt a bit annoyed and said: "Hey! You're still young! Sing, sing it for me right now!"

"Who sells a song without letting people hear a sample? Do you think we don't know the business?" Wei Ran turned his head and shouted to the live audience, inciting the whole crowd to join in the clamor.

The audience gave a huge reaction immediately; everyone wanted to hear the other song Luo Mo mentioned.

Shen Yinuo was now feeling an unbearable itch in her heart; it was just too itchy, too itchy.

Luo Mo turned his head to look at Tong Shu and said: "Tong Shu, do you still remember the lyrics?"

Tong Shu nodded.

He had taught Tong Shu this sister piece to "Daughter's Love." Because the chorus of this song had a vocal style that was actually very suitable for Tong Shu to use for practice.

Luo Mo looked toward the mentor seats and the audience, saying: "Then Tong Shu and I will sing a small part a cappella. I haven't produced the music for this song on my computer yet, so I'll use it as my vote-soliciting segment, is that okay?"

Cheers erupted on site immediately.

But, as the saying goes, the joys and sorrows of humans are not connected.

The more heated the atmosphere on site, the more desperate it was in the waiting room.

Many trainees lamented in their hearts: "Here it comes, the familiar segment where the main show can't beat the easter egg."

Their previous stages weren't even as impressive as the electronic music suona Luo Mo used to solicit votes.

Now, if he and Tong Shu just sing a few lines a cappella, won't they crush us again?

Luo Mo then spoke up: "This song is called 'Daughter Kingdom'."

This was a song he personally liked very much, originating from a film with mediocre box office and word-of-mouth, "Journey to the West: Daughter Kingdom," and it was the theme song for this film.

This song was a duet by Li Ronghao and Zhang Jingying, created on the basis of the classic song "Daughter's Love," and at the same time, it incorporated that poem by Cangyang Jiacuo, which was the one that appeared on the big screen just now.

From the overall style, this song was actually quite stunning. The creator was named Zhao Yingjun, a musician who was very talented, optimistic, and humorous, but passed away at a young age.

During his lifetime, he often sported an afro and was active on various variety shows.

Luo Mo coughed a few times and began to calm his mind to find the right state.

The creative angle of this song was actually the respective perspectives of the Holy Monk and the Queen.

Once prepared, Luo Mo exchanged a glance with Tong Shu and then nodded.

Without accompaniment, the feeling of this song still existed because its singing method was very unique; singing it a cappella actually amplified this uniqueness.

"【How can one find a perfect solution in this world,

To not fail the Buddha, nor fail you.

Reflecting on mortal thoughts damages the monastic path,

It has always been this way, do not be clever...】"

As soon as Luo Mo started, everyone had a very clear feeling: this singing style was very much like a monk chanting Buddhist scriptures, possessing a sense of coldness and detachment.

When Li Ronghao sang, his articulation always seemed standard and clear, but it sounded with a slight sense of ambiguity.

This singing method of his could very well create a sense of scripture chanting.

Luo Mo sang the preceding part directly, and then it was Tong Shu's cross-dressing part.

With Luo Mo's help, Tong Shu's improvement in vocal skills during this period was not just a little bit.

The voice that could not be distinguished as male or female soon echoed throughout the venue.

"【Speak not of royal power and wealth,

Fear not the commandments and rules.

My heart yearns for you in a hundred twists and turns,

Quickly take me away to fly far away...】"

From the vocal line and singing method, it was that same style of holding back, yet with a clear and winding timbre.

This feeling could very well shape a woman who longed to break through constraints and give everything for love.

This song had a very magical charm: it had a sense of Character Shaping and was also very evocative of a story.

The moment Tong Shu sang the first line, Shen Yinuo and Jiang Ningxi's eyes lit up.

The part Tong Shu sang was the part that belonged to them.

"I like this song! I like it so much, so much!" Shen Yinuo said in her heart.

She imagined what it would be like if she used her own voice and sang with this kind of technique... Shen Yinuo was so excited she wanted to tremble.

"It will be effective, it will absolutely be effective!" She was very certain of this point.

It's not like Tong Shu is more feminine than her, right?

Jiang Ningxi and Shen Yinuo's focus was slightly different; she mainly liked the song's form of expression, rather than starting from personal listening experience like Shen Yinuo, only thinking "it sounds good, it sounds good, it really sounds good!"

She really liked this feeling of being bound, yet still acting recklessly and disregarding everything.

"Hm? Wait!" Once she thought of this, she couldn't help but glance at the man on the stage.

Being bound, and disregarding everything for the sake of Romance?

For some reason, this girl group member suddenly felt a bit distracted.

She would give it her all to sing this song well.

………

………

"【Even if the next life withers into ash, I will trade it for following you in this life.】"

After Tong Shu finished singing this line, the two's simple a cappella ended just like that.

If it were the official version of the song, there would be a male-female duet section at the end.

The low, chanting-like voice would overlap with the female voice, creating a resonance with excellent effect.

But this part is best accompanied by music, otherwise, a cappella would seem a bit messy.

At this very moment, many audience members were still immersed in this song.

This kind of storytelling form is still very capable of getting people hooked.

The listeners all still felt unsatisfied, but a preview is just like a free sample at a mall; you take what you can get.

Anyway, it doesn't cost money, so don't complain about it being short.

What about next? What about next?

Hehe, it's gone again!

………

………

It cut off on Luo Mo's side, but we still have more here.

At the stage of Creating Idols, a VIP area was set up in a relatively hidden location.

There was an independent box here, provided for certain special people to watch the trainees' performances on-site.

This area was actually prepared for the debut night of the grand finale.

At that time, representatives from various talent agencies or entertainment companies would gather here to watch their own trainees' final performances.

But today, two special guests came here.

They came from Pineapple TV and Pineapple Entertainment.

Pineapple TV is one of the largest video platforms to date, with the number of active users ranking third in the country.

As for Pineapple Entertainment, it is one of the four major companies in the entertainment industry, much stronger than first-line companies like Xingshi Entertainment or Xinyu.

Having their own video platform and their own entertainment company is very terrifying.

Since the variety show Creating Idols is broadcast on the two major platforms of Pineapple TV and Penguin Video, even Ning Dan could not refuse when Pineapple's top management wanted to come and watch on-site.

At this time, a middle-aged man wearing a polo shirt, dressed like he was going to play golf, glanced at the distant stage outside the glass and said, "Zheng Quan, I think this Luo Mo has a lot of potential."

The middle-aged man named Zheng Quan replied, "Boss Wang, I personally think he has a chance to debut in the C-Position."

The man called Boss Wang, whose full name is Wang Shisong, is the helmsman of Pineapple Entertainment and also the second-largest shareholder of Pineapple TV.

He has a younger brother named Wang Shibai, who is the major shareholder of Pineapple TV and the second shareholder of Pineapple Entertainment.

In other words, the two brothers each take charge of one, one mainly responsible for the company, the other mainly responsible for the video platform.

The brothers joined forces to create a massive entertainment empire!

As for this man named Zheng Quan, he is the Music Director of Pineapple Entertainment, having personally helped several First-line Singers rise to fame, and he is very famous in the industry.

At the same time, this Zheng Quan himself is also a very formidable Lyricist; his lyrics are of the somewhat literary type—some people think they are a bit pretentious, but some people love them to the extreme.

Wang Shisong listened to Zheng Quan's words and said, "An Individual Trainee with no company behind him, debuting in the C-Position in the end?"

Zheng Quan smiled and said, "That would indeed become a great miracle in the entertainment industry."

Wang Shisong also smiled and said, "However, I am not a person who likes miracles."

He looked at Zheng Quan and said, "After the public performance ends later, go find this Luo Mo and talk to him. He is a good seedling; it's a pity he only signed a 3-year boy group Contract."

Zheng Quan nodded; he was very willing to do this, as Luo Mo was a talent worth cultivating in his eyes.

As the Music Director, he naturally hoped to have more elite troops under his command.

"Boss Wang, then what level of Contract should I use to talk to him?" Zheng Quan asked.

"C Class—forget it, let's go directly with B Class," Wang Shisong changed his mind.

Zheng Quan nodded; honestly, this was the most generous he had ever seen Wang Shisong be.

Pineapple as a company is slightly different from the other three of the four major companies in the industry; the other three have risen abruptly in recent years, while Pineapple has a deep foundation and has been in the industry for many years, counting as an absolute Boss-level entity.

This company had created glory as early as the nineties.

But because of this, in the eyes of Zheng Quan and many industry insiders, they also felt that Pineapple carried a bit of a rotten, old atmosphere and still retained many customs from decades ago.

That era was an era where a single word from a big shot could ban an artist or force them into Xuezang.

At the same time, many big shots who came from that era had a deep-rooted idea in their minds: the stars under their command must be obedient enough; "I can make you famous, and I can make others famous too, so don't take yourself too seriously."

Similar situations are also very common on Earth; like when Zhang Weijian became a hit playing Sun Wukong, he was already a popular young actor and wanted to improve his treatment slightly.

The boss scolded him right to his face and told him, "Jian-zai, are you stupid? Don't think you're very famous just because you finished filming the monkey. You have no fur on your face, so you are worthless."

When Zheng Quan first heard about the C Class contract, he was inwardly complaining, knowing this was another thankless task.

Many working professionals have likely experienced similar situations: the boss offers an outrageous price, assigns the task to you, and tells you to go negotiate. If you can't reach a deal, then it's your work ability that's the problem.

But if it's a B Class contract, then it's something presentable.

In Zheng Quan's view, Luo Mo's current popularity is worthy of an A Class. But don't forget, once you debut as part of a group, you have to sign a 3-year boy band contract with Pineapple.

When the time comes, won't the distribution of resources within the group be entirely up to a single word from Pineapple?

The characteristic of the Idol market is that while traffic is high, fans are also very forgetful.

If there are no resources and no exposure during these three years, it will be very hard to hold on.

No matter how high the starting point is, it would all be in vain!

You are completely at the mercy of us at Pineapple for these three years; can you afford to waste that time?

But if you sign with us at Pineapple, then everything is easy to discuss, isn't it?

Zheng Quan felt that the matter of signing the contract was easy to negotiate; it's just coercion and inducement, very simple.

He looked at Wang Shisong and said, "President Wang, what about Director Ning..."

Wang Shisong glanced at him and said indifferently, "Just say a word; he is only a contestant under Ning Dan, not anyone special to her."

"That woman knows very well how to keep her distance; rest assured, she won't overreach," Wang Shisong said.

"Mm, alright." Zheng Quan nodded and turned his gaze back to the stage.

By this time, Luo Mo's Anonymous Team had already left the stage, and the audience had finished casting their votes.

Immediately following, it was Shen Mingliu's team's turn to go on stage for Singing and Dancing, performing their dark-style fairy tale.

As someone who is relatively conservative, Wang Shisong frowned immediately upon seeing this style of Typhoon, feeling it was somewhat unsightly.

Zheng Quan also felt, what kind of thing is this?

Wang Shisong stood up and said, "I'm leaving first."

Naturally, it was impossible for him to go and talk to Luo Mo in person.

Zheng Quan immediately went to see him off.

Just like that, in the entire VIP area, only Zheng Quan remained.

Although he is a Music Director and also a Lyricist, he is tone-deaf himself.

"Speaking of wealth and power..." he hummed a few lines.

He is just like you all when you go off-key; he himself has absolutely no idea that he is off-key.

Time passed second by second, and the fourth public performance stage finally came to an end.

(PS: First update, 4000 words.)

(End of chapter)