Chapter 29

"Sorry, Mr. Lin, I didn't confirm the information before asking you to create a demo of the 'Bao Qingtian' theme song. I only found out this morning that the senior from the music department had already asked someone else to do it, and the senior received the song last night."

Lin Zai Shan was taken aback, "So you mean I did it for nothing?"

"Sorry!"

It was as if she had committed a grave mistake, Liu Mengmeng remained on her knees, too embarrassed to lift her head.

If she had lived in Lin Zai Shan's world, she would surely think of herself as a monkey sent to make a fool of herself.

Someone like her shouldn't even be a manager. On her first attempt to find work for an artist, she made a huge blunder, which was really embarrassing!

Lin Zai Shan was speechless, unable to understand what Liu Mengmeng was doing!

Was she intentionally fooling him?

Or was this girl really that stupid, assigning him work without confirming the information?

Sigh...

He had originally hoped to earn a few thousand yuan with this song to improve his life. It seemed that wasn't going to happen.

Lin Zai Shan sighed helplessly.

In his previous life, he had experienced many such situations.

Many jobs that seemed fine at first ended up fizzling out for various reasons.

This was the harsh reality.

One cannot be defeated by reality.

At his age, there was no need to get angry with reality.

Lin Zai Shan had long cultivated a resilient and calm personality.

Since he had seen through it, there was no need to dwell on it.

This song wasn't something he had put a lot of effort into. If it wasn't used, so be it. What was the point of getting angry over it? That would be punishing himself for someone else's mistake, and Lin Zai Shan wasn't that foolish.

He reached out and lifted Liu Mengmeng's small shoulders, saying, "Get up."

"Mr. Lin, I'm sorry!"

She looked up, her beautiful eyes filled with innocence and regret, and Liu Mengmeng pitifully continued to apologize to Lin Zai Shan.

To be honest, Liu Mengmeng was quite afraid of Lin Zai Shan getting angry.

This man had a history of violence, and she was truly afraid of angering him.

However, since this was her mistake, she had to take responsibility. Avoiding it wasn't a solution.

"What's the point of saying sorry? In the future, if you have such work, confirm it before assigning it to me. Don't make such mistakes again. If you keep making such mistakes, there's no need for us to continue working together."

"Will you give me another chance?" Lin Zai Shan's calm attitude made Liu Mengmeng feel as if she had been granted a pardon, and she felt a sense of relief.

"I'm not the type to completely dismiss someone because of a small mistake. But I won't forget this one. If you really want to be my manager, I hope you can show a more professional and cautious attitude. If you keep making such low-level mistakes, why should I trust you?"

"Mr. Lin, I will definitely confirm the work thoroughly before contacting you in the future. I won't make such low-level mistakes again!"

"Let's see how you perform."

"Thank you, Mr. Lin!"

"Alright, stop talking and let's eat. I'm hungry."

Lin Zai Shan didn't hold it against Liu Mengmeng.

From another perspective, he thought Liu Mengmeng seemed quite honest.

Even if Liu Mengmeng had accepted the demo, delayed for a few days, and then said the senior from the music department was unsatisfied and returned the demo, he wouldn't have had much to say. This way, Liu Mengmeng wouldn't have to bear the blame for the mistake.

But now, Liu Mengmeng bravely stood up and took responsibility for her mistake, an attitude that Lin Zai Shan appreciated. This was also a quality a manager should have.

He was afraid of managers who played tricks and did everything behind the artist's back. Working with such managers was too exhausting.

Liu Mengmeng didn't expect Lin Zai Shan to be so lenient, seemingly not angry at all. But behind this calm and lenient attitude, Liu Mengmeng could sense that Lin Zai Shan had a strict standard in his heart. If she dared to touch this strict standard again, she would probably be in trouble.

"Let me order the dishes. I'll treat you today. Order whatever you like, it's my way of apologizing."

Liu Mengmeng handed the menu to Lin Zai Shan with both hands.

"Can you reimburse it?"

Lin Zai Shan asked again.

The dishes here were really expensive.

Looking at the menu prices, a plate of sashimi—250! A small portion of wagyu—120! A slightly larger sushi platter—400!

If Lin Zai Shan ordered freely, he could probably eat enough to buy a small domestic car.

Liu Mengmeng smiled sincerely and said, "Even if I can't reimburse it, I will still treat you well. Otherwise, I would feel really bad."

"If you can't reimburse it and I eat a lot, I would feel bad." Lin Zai Shan suggested, "Why don't we go somewhere else? Let's not eat here."

"It's fine, let's eat here. I'm not very rich, but I can afford a Japanese meal."

"You don't know how much I can eat. You'll regret saying that. I suggest we go somewhere else. If you cry later, don't blame me. Also, I didn't bring any money today, so if you don't have enough to pay, don't ask me for it."

Liu Mengmeng, hearing Lin Zai Shan's words, suddenly felt a bit nervous. She had a budget of 1000 to apologize to Lin Zai Shan. Now, hearing Lin Zai Shan's words, she suddenly felt that 1000 might not be enough. If she had to spend more, she would feel heartbroken, as she wasn't rich.

"Change or not? If you change, do it quickly. I don't like Japanese food."

Seeing Liu Mengmeng's hesitation, Lin Zai Shan gave her a way out.

"Let's change, hehe. You choose the restaurant, pick what you like."

Liu Mengmeng awkwardly and charmingly took the way out Lin Zai Shan gave her.

Then, the two left the Japanese restaurant. Liu Mengmeng, driving her very unique domestic car, took Lin Zai Shan to a nearby home-style restaurant for a hearty meal.

This meal really opened Liu Mengmeng's eyes!

Lin Zai Shan, who looked slim, had an astonishing appetite!

He ate four large bowls of home-style rice!

He also finished five large plates of hearty dishes!

Liu Mengmeng didn't eat much herself, just watched Lin Zai Shan eat.

Lin Zai Shan's mouth seemed like a black hole, sucking in the food, making Liu Mengmeng feel a chill down her back.

Truly extraordinary people do extraordinary things!

If she hadn't listened to Lin Zai Shan's suggestion to change the restaurant, she would have probably spent half a year's salary at that Japanese restaurant.

Lin Zai Shan enjoyed this meal, even eating enough for the evening.

Not only did he eat, but he also learned an important piece of information about 'The Strongest Singer' from Liu Mengmeng.

Actually, it wasn't that he had to ask; Liu Mengmeng told him voluntarily.

For Lin Zai Shan's future in this competition, Liu Mengmeng specifically told him during the meal that it would be best not to choose Luo Benxiong as a mentor during the initial selection.

In the initial selection of 'The Strongest Singer,' 60 contestants would perform one by one, and the four mentors would personally select the singers they liked to form their teams. According to the plan, each mentor would select 8 singers to form a team, totaling 32 singers who would enter the team competition stage.

Coincidentally, this show had many similarities to the most popular show 'The Voice' from another life.

In the initial selection, the mentors would face away from the contestants, unable to see them. They could only see the lyrics on the screen and hear the contestants' voices.

If a mentor liked a performance, they would turn their chair around, similar to 'The Voice.'

This chair-turning segment was a world-first in this life, making 'The Strongest Singer' very innovative.

According to Sun Yuzhen, this idea was conceived by the main PD, Park Dae-cheng.

Because this creative idea was highly praised, the Eastern Channel invested heavily to create a top-tier music show.

During the initial selection, if multiple mentors liked a singer, the singer could choose which mentor to join, similar to 'The Voice.'

Liu Mengmeng advised Lin Zai Shan not to choose Luo Benxiong as a mentor because Luo Benxiong had a very good personal relationship with Ma Xiaodong, which was very disadvantageous for Lin Zai Shan.

Liu Mengmeng knew that Ma Xiaodong harbored resentment towards Lin Zai Shan.

That afternoon, after Lin Zai Shan slapped Ma Xiaodong's face during the interview, Ma Xiaodong's mood was gloomy for the rest of the day, clearly harboring resentment towards Lin Zai Shan.

Liu Mengmeng knew that Ma Xiaodong was the type to hold grudges and seek revenge. He might try to sabotage Lin Zai Shan in this 'Singer' competition.

However, since the PDs and staff of the entertainment department, including Park Dae-cheng, highly regarded Lin Zai Shan's talent, Ma Xiaodong couldn't go too far.

Liu Mengmeng advised Lin Zai Shan not to choose Luo Benxiong as a mentor to avoid giving Ma Xiaodong a chance to sabotage him.

Luo Benxiong was also a rock musician, three years older than Lin Zai Shan.

But in terms of seniority, Luo Benxiong was not as experienced as Lin Zai Shan.

Back when Lin Zai Shan became famous with the 'Wheat Field' album, Luo Benxiong was still wearing a conservative pair of glasses and playing the cello at the Royal Music Academy.

Luo Benxiong only truly emerged as a rock musician during the decline of the rock era in the mid-1990s.

Unlike other rock musicians, who had low educational backgrounds, Luo Benxiong, a graduate of the prestigious Royal Music Academy, had a much stronger artistic foundation.

With his solid musical skills and the artistic atmosphere cultivated at the Royal Music Academy, Luo Benxiong managed to create a cultural rock boom in just over a decade, despite the decline of rock music.

Although his rock style was different from traditional rock, and many rock musicians didn't respect him, thinking his rock was too commercial,

It couldn't be denied that Luo Benxiong was the top figure in the rock scene of the Chinese Empire.

In the entire music industry, Luo Benxiong's status was among the top 10.

Among the four mentors, Luo Benxiong was the only professional rock musician, so Liu Mengmeng was worried that Lin Zai Shan might choose him as a mentor.

Actually, this worry was unnecessary.

Because Lin Zai Shan had never considered choosing Luo Benxiong.

Lin Zai Shan had studied the seniority and status of the four mentors over the past few days.

Among the four mentors, Li Zongheng, 58 years old, was undoubtedly the most senior and prestigious mentor.

Since the mid-1970s, when new Chinese pop music began to sprout in the fertile soil of the Chinese Empire, Li Zongheng had been active in the music industry.

Over nearly 40 years of his career, Li Zongheng had written countless classic pop songs, spanning the entire history of pop music. He could be considered a pioneer of the new Chinese pop music scene.

He was an absolute master, far surpassing Luo Benxiong.

Another mentor, Zhou Qinghua (46 years old), was also a more senior and prestigious veteran of the music industry than Luo Benxiong.

Zhou Qinghua was known for his romantic ballads, but his songwriting skills were also remarkable.

However, his achievements in singing overshadowed his songwriting talent.

During the golden age of Chinese pop music in the 1980s, when Lin Zai Shan was at his peak, Zhou Qinghua was one of the most prominent singers among the stars.

Unfortunately, he wasn't very handsome, even considered a bit unattractive, so he wasn't one of the top-tier superstars of that era.

But he was known as a "superstar killer," very down-to-earth, and although he didn't have many die-hard fans, almost no fans disliked him.

When the superstars released albums, they would avoid the time when Zhou Qinghua released his albums, as no one wanted to compete with the "superstar killer."

In the historical ranking of total album sales in the Chinese Empire's pop music industry, Zhou Qinghua ranked third.

If he had the looks of those superstars, his achievements would have been even greater.

The only female mentor among the four, Guan Yaling, was 28 years old and unmarried.

She was the least experienced among the four mentors.

She was a pop singer, songwriter, and producer.

In terms of pure popularity, Guan Yaling might not rank in the top 10 female singers.

But in terms of comprehensive singing and songwriting ability, Guan Yaling could be considered the second-best among female singers in the Chinese music industry, with no one daring to claim the top spot.

Guan Yaling was a talented female songwriter.

In the past five years, one of her songs was selected as one of the top ten annual hits in the Chinese music industry, though she didn't sing them herself. This still demonstrated her exceptional songwriting talent.

Before she learned to play the guitar at 18, Guan Yaling had no professional music training.

With just a guitar and a passion for music, she carved out her own niche in the music industry.

Initially, she worked behind the scenes at a record company, writing songs for others.

Later, when her songs became popular, the record company noticed that this guitar-playing girl had a good voice, a decent appearance, and a large chest, so they promoted her as a singer.

In her five years as a singer, Guan Yaling didn't rely on her large chest or sex appeal but attracted many fans with her fresh and pleasant music.

Although this era was dominated by singing and dancing groups, truly talented and passionate musicians could still attract a loyal fan base.

Among the four mentors, Lin Zai Shan's first choice was Guan Yaling.

The reason for this choice was not because of her resemblance to another life's Liu Jia玲 or her 33F chest.

He mainly felt that Guan Yaling's lack of seniority meant she wouldn't interfere too much with his work.

For this competition, Lin Zai Shan planned to use mature works from the other life's great masters.

These works were the result of the original authors' meticulous refinement and hard work, and they were already in their best form, leaving no room for modification. Lin Zai Shan didn't want his chosen mentor to make too many suggestions or, worse, change the works, which would lose their original flavor. He didn't want to ruin the great works of the other life's masters.

The other three male mentors, especially Li Zongheng, were all masters. If Li Zongheng were to suggest changes to his songs or ask him to make changes, Lin Zai Shan might be exposed, so he definitely wouldn't choose Li Zongheng as his mentor.

Only Guan Yaling, with her less senior status, was less likely to interfere with his work, so Lin Zai Shan wanted to choose her.

Additionally, drawing from the experience of 'The Voice' in the other life, the stronger the mentor, the more talented the team. Competing in a strong team would be much harder than in a weaker one.

Guan Yaling, being the least prestigious among the four mentors, would likely attract less talented contestants.

Being the best in a weaker group and then competing against the best from other groups seemed like a better strategy.

...

There was still some time before the recording of 'The Strongest Singer.'

While Bai Ge was away, Lin Zai Shan wanted to earn some money. He planned to improve their living conditions when Bai Ge returned.

That afternoon, Lin Zai Shan was walking down the bar street with his guitar, looking for a bar that needed a singer. Just then, his phone rang.

It was Liu Mengmeng calling.

Lin Zai Shan walked to a shady spot, wiped the sweat from his forehead, and answered the call, "Hello?"

"Mr. Lin, are you busy now?"

"Not really, what's up?"

"I found you another job. It's a live performance. Are you interested?"

"Of course, I'm interested, but this time, you better be sure it's not another mistake."

"This time, it definitely won't be!"

"What exactly is the job? Where is the live performance? Is it a one-time gig or a long-term position?"

"It's a one-time job. A friend of mine is doing a wedding banquet with a lineup of celebrity performances. They had all the singers lined up, but one of them backed out at the last minute, leaving an opening. It's very urgent. The performance is tonight. Do you have time?"

"You're really in a rush, but luckily I do have time. But how much will I be paid?" This was what Lin Zai Shan was most concerned about.

"The fee is a bit low, only 1000 yuan. You just need to sing one song, mainly to fill the number of celebrities. If you come, I won't take a cut this time, to make up for the previous mistake."

"Is dinner included?"

"Yes, yes! You can eat at the wedding banquet! There's a special table for the celebrities!"

"OK, this job sounds good. I'll take it."