mijobooks Chapter 8 You Will Become a Big Star
Chapter 8 You Will Become a Big Star
Wang Bo plucked the strings, and a smooth prelude flowed out.
Unlike the gentleness of "Encounter", this prelude is more expansive, with a sense of freedom like a road movie.
He started singing.
Zhou Yuji leaned forward slightly.
The lyrics, the melody...
Wang Bo's voice rises slightly in the chorus, carrying a sense of relief and determination after experiencing vicissitudes.
The simple onomatopoeic melody has a wonderful magic that makes people want to hum along.
In the second verse, Wang Bo sang with even more passion, his eyes slightly closed, his fingers skillfully sliding across the guitar strings.
Zhou Yuji was already in tears.
She didn't wipe away her tears, letting them slide down her cheeks.
Isn't this song about her?
The chorus started again, this time Wang Bo's voice was even more powerful, carrying a resolute farewell to the past and a fearless outlook on the future.
As the last chord fell, its lingering sound echoed throughout the recording studio.
Wang Bo looked up and saw Zhou Yuji's face covered in tears, but he wasn't surprised.
"Sister Zhou..." he began.
Zhou Yuji did not respond, but simply stood up and walked to him.
Then, before Wang Bo could react, she suddenly bent down, cupped his face, and kissed him hard on the cheek.
It made a loud "snap" sound.
Wang Bo was completely petrified.
"This song..." Zhou Yuji released him, her eyes red like a rabbit's, but a bright smile on her face, "This song was written for me, right? And it's also written for yourself, isn't it?"
Wang Bo opened his mouth, but didn't know what to say.
He can't exactly say, "No, this is a song from another world," can he?
"I'll take that as an example," Zhou Yuji said to herself, wiping her face haphazardly with her sleeve. "The song title is really good: past dreams, past arrogance, past love, past wounds..."
She walked to the control panel, picked up the box of tissues on the table, pulled out a tissue, and blew her nose. The action was anything but elegant, yet strangely real.
"Wang Bo, you know what," she said, her back to Wang Bo, "when I was listening to this song, I suddenly didn't want to close the door anymore."
Wang Bo's heart skipped a beat.
"I think, why don't I persevere a little longer, run the company well, and promote you properly? Let's work together to make this song a hit all over the country..." Zhou Yuji turned around, her face showing an almost naive longing. "We can go on tour, release albums, appear on variety shows... You will become a big star, and I will become that legendary female boss with discerning eyes."
Her eyes grew brighter as she spoke, but then the light dimmed again.
"But that won't work." She shook her head, smiled, and sat back on the sofa. "I've already let go of the remaining artists in the company one by one. Xiaoling, the girl at the front desk, I gave her three months' salary so she can find a new job. Old Chen... I gave him an extra six months' salary as a thank you for his hard work over the past three years."
She counted on her fingers: "And those two trainees who had just signed with me not long ago, I didn't even ask for breach of contract fees, I terminated their contracts directly. One of them cried and thanked me, saying that she had actually wanted to leave for a long time, but was too embarrassed to say so."
Zhou Yuji looked up at Wang Bo: "Do you know why? Because I'm really not cut out for entrepreneurship. I started the company on a whim, and I run it based on my mood. If an artist throws a tantrum, I just let them go because I find it annoying; if a project doesn't go well, I just cut it off. For the past three years, Yuji Entertainment has been like a big toy to me, something I play with and then throw away."
She stood up, walked to Wang Bo, and this time did not hug him, but gently patted his shoulder: "But you are different, Wang Bo. You are serious, your music is serious, your dream is serious, so I also have to be serious about you this time—letting go, so that you can go to a place that is more suitable for you."
Wang Bo looked at her and suddenly asked, "Sister Zhou, have you really decided on the first stop for your round-the-world trip?"
"It's settled," Zhou Yuji said. "We'll go to the Western Regions first, see the Tianshan Mountains, eat lamb skewers, and then travel along the Silk Road into Central Asia. I've even bought my backpack—a 60-liter professional mountaineering backpack."
Her eyes lit up when she talked about traveling: "I've bought all the gear: a windproof jacket, hiking boots, a sleeping bag, a tent... I may not use it many times, but the gear has to be professional; it's a matter of attitude."
Wang Bo smiled: "So when are you leaving?"
"After the provincial university's centennial celebration ends," Zhou Yuji said, "I want to see your performance. After your performance, I'll leave."
She paused, then added, "But don't feel pressured, just perform normally. Even if you mess up, I'll still leave—I'll just treat you to a meal before I go to comfort you."
"I won't mess it up," Wang Bo said earnestly. "I have to do a good job for this final farewell."
"Good, that's ambitious!" Zhou Yuji gave a thumbs up. "Then I won't bother you anymore. You can continue with your work. Just let me know if you need anything. Yuji Entertainment still has some resources before I leave."
She walked to the door, then stopped and turned back to look at Wang Bo: "By the way, what are your plans for the arrangement of this song?"
"I want to create a symphonic rock style," Wang Bo said. "It needs the typical rock band setup: guitar, bass, keyboard, drums, but I'll also add a string section, and maybe even consider trumpets and saxophones. For the onomatopoeic words in the chorus, I want to use a choir to create the atmosphere."
Zhou Yuji's eyes lit up as she listened: "That's a great idea! Do you need any musicians? I know a few good ones..."
"Maybe," Wang Bo said honestly. "I can record the guitar myself, but the drums, bass, strings, and the choir parts will require professional musicians..."
"Leave it to me." Zhou Yuji patted her trembling chest. "Although my company is closing down, I still have connections. I know people at the provincial music academy who can borrow the student orchestra at a cheap price. Just give them a small fee for their help."
She thought for a moment and said, "Okay, you can finish recording the guitar and other parts yourself first. Make a list of the parts that need to be recorded live, and I'll contact them for you in the next couple of days."
"Thank you, Sister Zhou," Wang Bo said sincerely.
"Don't thank me, this is the last thing I can do for you." Zhou Yuji waved her hand. "Do a good job and let everyone see that the people I, Zhou Yuji, sign are not useless."
She opened the door and glanced back at the focused young man in the recording studio.
"Wang Bo," she said softly, "when you become famous, remember to send me postcards. From every place you go in the world, send me one."
"Definitely!" Wang Bo promised.
The door closed.
Wang Bo sat back down at the console, looking at the project file for "Encounter" on the screen, and then at the newly created blank project next to it.
He opened his phone and saw several WeChat messages from Su Yiyi: "Wang Bo, do you need vocal coaching for the songs we're preparing for the provincial celebration? I'm free this afternoon."
"Is the full version of 'Encounter' ready yet? I'm really looking forward to it."
"By the way, I have some suggestions regarding the resonance point in the chorus..."
Wang Bo smiled and replied, "Teacher Su, are you free tomorrow afternoon? I'd like to invite you to listen to the full version of 'Encounter' and also ask you some questions about singing techniques."
He replied almost instantly: "Are you free? What time? Where are you?"
"Rain Princess Entertainment's recording studio, 2 PM."
"Okay, I'll be there on time."
Putting down his phone, Wang Bo put on his headphones and immersed himself in the music again.
Upstairs in Zhou Yuji's office, she was staring blankly at her computer screen.
The plane tickets and hotels are booked, the visa has been processed, everything is ready, and we're just waiting to depart.
But why do I feel a little reluctant to part with it?
She picked up the photo on the table taken when Wang Bo had just signed the contract—he looked young and reserved, his eyes filled with confusion and anticipation.
He was completely different back then compared to the confident and focused Wang Bo in the recording studio now.
"I'm the one who held you back, but you're also the one who made me who I am," Zhou Yuji murmured to herself, carefully putting the photo into the innermost part of her suitcase.
The place was already filled with travel gear, and this photograph was the only memento of the city she decided to take with her.