Chapter 29: I Have More Songs Like This

“What happened?” Kong Qishui asked with a frown.

“It’s nothing, just a minor disagreement,” Su Chen replied calmly.

Kong Qishui knew it wouldn’t be appropriate to press further, so after a moment’s silence, he relented. “If that’s the case, let’s switch to someone else. I think Lin Fei’er is also quite suitable.”

He was well aware of Wu Di’s usual conduct. In most cases, as long as things didn’t go too far, he would simply turn a blind eye. Hearing Su Chen mention a small conflict, he immediately guessed the general situation. Since there was such a hitch, it would be better to just use someone else. For him, the company’s interests were paramount.

“Director Wang, I’ve already promised these two songs to Luo Jiaxing and Qu An’an!” Su Chen insisted.

Wang Yan’s expression darkened upon hearing this. Being contradicted again and again left him humiliated. Adjusting his posture, he half-reclined in his chair, his tone hardening as he looked at Su Chen and said sternly,

“Su Chen, I hope you understand that you’re just a senior composer right now. When it comes to how songs are used, you can only make suggestions. You don’t have decision-making power!”

The message was clear—whoever sang these two songs, it wasn’t up to Su Chen to decide. Although he was a genius and might one day become a gold-label producer, right now, he wasn’t there yet. What wasn’t in hand was always illusory. Even if Su Chen had written several songs in a week, no one could guarantee what the future would bring.

Su Chen had anticipated this scenario. He shook his head calmly.

“Director Wang, these two songs must go to Luo Jiaxing and Qu An’an.”

Seeing Wang Yan’s face darken visibly, Su Chen seized the moment and raised the stakes.

“As for the others, there’s no need to rush. I have more songs.”

At these words, Wang Yan, Kong Qishui, and Liu Wenxiong, who sat nearby, all jolted in surprise.

“More… songs?”

“Yes, several more,” Su Chen affirmed.

Wang Yan exchanged glances with the others, his tone urgent. “Where are they? Let us take a look!”

Su Chen smiled and tapped his temple with his right hand, implying that they were still in his head.

Wang Yan felt a twinge of disappointment—it turned out nothing had been written yet! He’d always been the one selling dreams to others; when had it become someone else’s turn to sell dreams to him? Yet this was a dream he had no choice but to accept. After all, Su Chen was the company’s brightest hope for a gold-label producer. Why create animosity with someone like that? He realized he’d been too impulsive earlier. Better to extract the last bit of value from this situation.

“I need a promise from you,” Wang Yan said. “Help the company cultivate at least one more singer who can break into the second tier or above—at least someone like Wu Di. If you can do that, then we’ll go with your plan.”

Kong Qishui, after thinking it over, stared sharply at Su Chen as he spoke.

Su Chen knew that, working in the company, this was an issue he could never avoid. He agreed without hesitation. “Agreed.”

A sharp glint flashed in the eyes of all three men. Just from Su Chen’s confidence, they already believed most of what he said.

“Very well! Since you’ve agreed, I support pushing these two newcomers onto the August Rising Star Chart!”

“Old Liu, in a bit, pull up the files for those two trainees. In August, we’ll add a new task—helping these two make their debut.”

It was done! Su Chen quietly observed everything from the sidelines, feeling a surge of satisfaction. From the start, he hadn’t wanted to give the songs to established artists. Beyond the unpredictability of the top charts, there was another key reason: writing songs for them brought only fleeting appreciation and favor, but nothing of real substance. Worse, as he was only a senior composer, the profit share would tilt in their favor.

It was different with trainees. He was the one who discovered Luo Jiaxing and Qu An’an. They respected him, were grateful to him. If he ever set up his own company, these two would likely be his core team.

Everything was unfolding just as he’d hoped.

------------------------------

In a luxurious riverside apartment somewhere in Jiang City, Wang Yan lounged comfortably on the sofa. Nestled beside him was a stylishly dressed woman—none other than Wu Di.

At that moment, Wu Di was resting her tired head on Wang Yan’s shoulder, sighing softly in complaint. “Sigh, I’ve been so busy lately. As soon as I finish one gig, I have to rush to the next… I barely have any time to rest! It was only by chance that I finally got to see you today.”

Wang Yan tightened his arm around her shoulders, his tone gentle with concern. “If you’re tired, just take a break. There’s always more money to be made. The company doesn’t need your earnings from a couple of gigs. I’ll have someone arrange more rest for you.”

Wu Di’s eyes lit up, and she rewarded Wang Yan with a quick kiss. “Thank you, Director Wang. You’re so good to me!” She raised a wine glass from the table, clinked it lightly against his, and emptied it in one gulp, exposing a swath of snowy skin below her neck. “This way, I can see you more often.”

Then, as if she suddenly remembered something, a look of regret appeared on her face. “It’s just that I won’t be able to go to the company for a while.”

Wang Yan asked curiously, “Why not?”

Wu Di hesitated, looking troubled. Wang Yan immediately understood, his demeanor shifting to that of a domineering executive. “It’s alright—just say it.”

“The other day at the company, I was really embarrassed,” Wu Di said, aggrieved. “I went to record a song, but all the studios were booked. Since it was urgent, I found another studio to negotiate. Who would have thought I’d be kicked out by someone from the composition department! Afterward, Kong Qishui promised me a satisfactory explanation. But two days passed, and all I got was a perfunctory apology—he just said the song they were recording was important, and that was the end of it. If word gets out, how can I hold my head up in the company?”

Listening to her, Wang Yan’s brow furrowed as well. “Kong Qishui? He didn’t give you any other explanation?”

Wu Di replied pitifully, “None at all—just brushed me off with a sentence. The rest was all empty pleasantries. From the moment he walked in to when he left, I doubt it even took three minutes!”

Wang Yan’s expression grew grim. Because of his relationship, people were usually quite polite to Wu Di.

As the director of the composition department, Kong Qishui ought to know better than to make such a mistake. Still, Wang Yan also knew Wu Di well—her words couldn’t be taken at face value. So he promised her, “Don’t worry, I’ll go have a word with Kong Qishui.”

He then asked casually, “So, who was he protecting? Who was worth him treating you that way?”

As he spoke, a thought suddenly occurred to him. Could it have been Su Chen? If anyone in the composition department had been favored recently, it would have to be Su Chen. And Su Chen had mentioned a minor conflict with Wu Di.

Sure enough, his suspicion was quickly confirmed.

Wu Di said with a pitiful look, “I think he’s a newcomer, named Su Chen. A newbie in the composition department, and he already doesn’t respect the seniors. How is anyone supposed to respect their elders in the future?”

As she spoke, a hint of pride flickered in her heart. In this company, she had a direct line to the top—how could others hope to compete?

She was still reveling in this thought when she suddenly heard Wang Yan’s next question.

“Su Chen! You didn’t do anything inappropriate to him, did you?”

“What?” Wu Di turned to Wang Yan in disbelief, only to see him looking at her seriously. This wasn’t how the script was supposed to go—she was the victim! But faced with his stern expression, reminiscent of his imposing presence in meetings, she dared not be careless.

“N-no… It was just a bit of an argument about the recording studio. We didn’t do anything—if anything, he scolded us and threw us out.”

Wang Yan let out a sigh of relief. Thank goodness nothing excessive had happened. If Su Chen had developed a grudge against the company over this, it would have been a needless disaster. Today they had just resolved a dispute over the song chart, ending on good terms—he didn’t want any more drama. It was clear to him now that Su Chen wasn’t someone who could be pressured; he needed to be appeased.

“That’s good, then.”

“Pfft!” Wu Di was almost spitting blood inside. Was this really something a person would say? She couldn’t help but ask, “Who exactly is Su Chen?”

Wang Yan gave her a meaningful look. “It doesn’t matter who he is. Just don’t provoke him for now.”

Wu Di replied absentmindedly, “Alright.”

Seeing her casual attitude, Wang Yan frowned. “Did you hear me?”

His voice rose, startling Wu Di. She hurriedly put on a smile. “Got it, got it—you really scared me! I won’t mess with him, alright?”

As she spoke, her eyes grew sultry, and she leaned forward, lowering her head.