Chapter 22: When a Man Gains Wealth, He Turns Wayward

The progress that followed was remarkably swift.

Qin Pei received a call from her agent, and within two hours, she returned from the neighboring city’s announcement venue. She dared not be negligent about this matter. Her agent had mentioned over the phone—it was the theme song for the “Strange Tales” film crew. And “Strange Tales” was directed by Li Chengnian; what did that mean? If she could leverage this opportunity well, she might soar to new heights.

The recording process went smoothly enough. Qin Pei was an average vocalist, but her voice was her advantage. There were a few hiccups, but with some guidance, she quickly adjusted. The entire song, from accompaniment to recording, was finished in less than an afternoon.

Throughout the process, Su Chen merely watched from the side. After all, the studio had professional instructors—his involvement wasn't necessary. Once the recording was complete, they listened to the playback. The fidelity was astonishingly high, almost identical to the sound from his previous life. They copied the track and presented it to several senior staff members, all of whom were thoroughly satisfied.

Previously, they had only seen the sheet music and had to rely on their own expertise to judge the quality. Now, they simply needed to listen. Even those who knew nothing of music theory could appreciate it. After listening, Wang Yan instructed the music director to work with Liu Wenxiong to finalize and copy the file, then send it to the film crew.

Just before sending, they remembered to ask Su Chen for a pseudonym. According to company confidentiality rules, composers were to use aliases externally while employed by the company. Internally, everyone signed a confidentiality agreement forbidding disclosure of identity—otherwise, they'd face hefty fines and lawsuits. No one dared risk it. Competition in the industry was fierce; poaching talent was commonplace.

Su Chen struggled to come up with a suitable name.

"Let’s call it Tang Guo," he said.

Wang Yan burst into laughter. "Sounds like a woman’s name—perfect, even more secret!"

It was worth noting that Qin Pei was quite savvy and personable. She didn’t harbor any prejudice against him for being a newcomer. On the contrary, she continuously addressed him as “teacher... teacher...” throughout, showing great respect. Before leaving, she even exchanged contacts with Su Chen.

"Mr. Su, thank you so much for your guidance! I absolutely love this song!"

"I have a show to record in the city these days—my time is limited. Next time I’m back, I’ll definitely treat you to a meal!"

Su Chen smiled and said it wasn’t necessary.

When Su Chen walked away, Qin Pei turned to her agent and whispered,

"Sis, you asked me to be so humble to a newcomer—it's really a bit awkward for me."

Her agent, slightly older than Qin Pei, shot her a glance. "Who says you can’t respect newcomers? All those gold medal composers started as rookies."

Qin Pei’s eyes lit up. "Sis, are you saying he could become a gold medalist? Do you know something?"

Her agent sighed helplessly. "I don’t have any inside information. But for him to land the theme song for 'Strange Tales'—he must be talented. Think about who his competitor was. Lao Jie—a gold medal composer! Showing a little respect never hurts. If he really does rise to those heights, we’ll have established a connection early. Saying a few kind words doesn’t cost anything."

Qin Pei finally understood.

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"Have you heard? Our 'Strange Tales' theme song project won the bid!"

"Really? Who told you?"

"Who needs to tell me? Didn’t you see Old Liu’s excitement—he’s not even swearing anymore, looks like he just married a new wife!"

"Better not let him hear that, or you’re doomed!"

"I heard someone from the recording studio mention it—seems legit!"

"Who got it? If only it were me!"

"Come off it—if it were you, they’d have told you by now!"

"Ugh, pity my all-nighter went to waste."

The second group in the composing department was in lively discussion when Su Chen walked back alone. Dong Xiaojie asked in surprise, "Hey, Su, where were you? Didn’t see you all afternoon."

Su Chen didn’t hide anything, smiling as he answered, "Just recorded a song!"

"Ah? Your piece was chosen?"

Su Chen nodded with a smile.

The office erupted.

"Oh my God, Su is amazing!"

"What’s the song, let’s hear it!"

"Su’s made it—he must treat us!"

"Yes, yes, treat us!"

Everyone congratulated him, their envy and jealousy showing unabashedly. Su Chen promised to treat everyone when his bonus arrived and then settled at his desk to rest.

Having been busy all day, he hadn’t checked his phone. When he finally did, he saw a message from Jiang Yan sent that morning.

"I’m leaving, thanks for breakfast!"

Not receiving a reply, she probably felt unsatisfied. Over an hour later, she sent another—a voice message. Su Chen played it without thinking.

"When there's time, big sister will come play with you!"

The speaker blared, and the word “play” was pronounced with exaggerated emphasis—an instant recipe for social disaster!

The office had just quieted down after the commotion, when this voice echoed. Suddenly, the atmosphere turned strange. Some people looked at Su Chen with odd expressions, some suppressed laughter. Su Chen looked up and met the gaze of an older colleague, who grinned at him and gave a discreet thumbs-up.

Dong Xiaojie, beside him, quietly muttered, "Scumbag!"

"Men really do turn bad when they have money!"

"He just made some cash and is already finding women!"

Well, it was clear there was no explaining himself now. Jiang Yan had really put him in a tight spot!

Fortunately, his skin was thick, and the embarrassment faded quickly. He soon went back to browsing his phone as if nothing had happened.

Celebrity chat group.

[Ji Xiangyang: So tired, I don’t want to work! Another hosting script to rush—no rest tonight.]

[Luo Zhe: Don’t do it, let your wife support you!]

[Ji Xiangyang: @Luo Zhe, be a decent human!]

[Jiang Jing: @Luo Zhe, be a decent human!]

Then the group started lining up to banter.

With the end of the workday approaching and nothing else to do, Su Chen replied in the group.

[Su Chen: @Ji Xiangyang, I reflect on myself three times a day—can I skip this task, can I do it tomorrow, or can someone else do it?]

[Ji Xiangyang: Haha, Su Chen finally shows up! That’s so wise—I have nothing to say!]

[Jiang Jing: Su Chen, you’re hilarious...]

[Luo Zhe: Su Chen, is Jiang Yan still at your place?]

After a few more messages, with nothing substantive to discuss, Su Chen simply closed the chat group.