Looking at Sun Jian's flushed face, Chu Tian didn't continue to make things difficult for him.

"Alright, everyone come in. What I said just now was true; all of you will get a song. However, whether or not it becomes popular, how long it stays popular, and how far you can go with it—that's up to you."

With his words, irrepressible joy filled everyone's faces.

Yang Lin and Chen Feng, in particular, exchanged a glance and tacitly made faces at each other; their years of rapport allowed them to grasp the other's meaning in an instant.

Compared to the others, who were more or less established singers, these two had always been hustling in the underground scene. Apart from bar gigs, they had never set foot on any remotely reputable stage.

This rare opportunity heralded a path completely different from their past.

As for whether they could continue on it, that depended partly on luck and partly on their own efforts.

But the two, who had drifted for so many years, had long since planted stubborn seeds in their hearts.

They had each traveled from small cities to the Capital, eventually finding their way to each other.

Friends had come and gone, one wave after another, but they had persisted. Wasn't it all for the dream of a day like today?

Now that it was within sight, the word "excited" couldn't even begin to describe their emotions.

Compared to them, Wu Ya and Sun Jian were feeling somewhat better.

Apart from Sun Jian, who was feeling somewhat downcast after being chided by Chu Tian, Wu Ya seemed comparatively composed.

After all, he had debuted relatively early in his career and had once been a singer with boundless potential at a major company.

However, due to personal reasons, he had entered a state of semi-retirement, and contractual issues, among other things, had led to his current predicament.

His choice to come to this small studio was largely due to his advancing age, diminishing market value, and the scarcity of companies interested in him.

Another reason was his distaste for the pervasive commercial atmosphere of those larger companies; he preferred to focus his energy on singing itself.

Facing this so-called debut song, he was genuinely happy, but the passionate fervor of his younger days was long gone.

In comparison, his emotions were much more stable.

Li Guang, watching these seniors who had arrived before him, wore a somewhat awkward smile.

He was new and not very familiar with everyone. Now, being the first to receive a song, he felt a twinge of guilt when facing them.

If I speak, it might seem like I'm showing off, but staying silent would be impolite.

Fortunately, Chu Tian didn't give him much chance to overthink, effectively extricating him from his dilemma.

"Stop staring. You remembered everything I said just now, right? Go on, try singing it once."

"Oh, oh, okay."

Jolted by Chu Tian's words, Li Guang hastily fumbled with the lyric sheet in his hands and began to read.

It had to be said, he might just have been born for this.

His previously restless and distracted mind quickly became immersed upon seeing the lyrics.

Soon, he adjusted his breathing, tapped out a simple beat with his right foot, and began to sing.

"A long, long time ago,

A dragon suddenly appeared,

Bringing disaster,

Taking the princess away, then vanishing without a trace."

The moment he began to sing, the others, who had just settled onto the sofa, instantly shot back up.

"Hmm?"

"HOLY SHIT!?"

"What the hell is this?"

Whether it was the arrogant Sun Jian, the grassroots duo Phoenix Legend (Feng-Lin Group), or the perennially composed and unflappable Wu Ya, everyone stared wide-eyed, completely dumbfounded, as if they had seen a ghost.

Chen Feng, especially, was so dumbfounded that he blurted out a potent curse. Yet, no one found it offensive, because they all felt like cursing too.

"Is... is this even a proper song?"

These words, naturally, came from Sun Jian, whose thought process was indeed unique.

The others were wondering if this was truly Li Guang's voice. Although they had only met him that day, they were already somewhat familiar with his speaking voice.

A person's speaking voice generally differs somewhat from their singing voice, but the disparity shouldn't be too great.

So, what in the world was this? Why would a voice that clearly belonged to a little girl come from a young man's mouth?

While they were still puzzling over how bizarre the voice was, Sun Jian's remark made everyone's expressions twist into strange, bemused looks.

Yang Lin, in particular, wanted to laugh but felt it would be impolite.

Even Wu Ya, usually so calm and as if he had seen through the ways of the world, rarely showed such a reaction, but now the corners of his mouth twitched upwards.

"Brother Sun, that mouth of yours... it's really something else."

What does he mean, 'a proper song' or not? Can a debut song actually be improper?

Chen Feng didn't know whether he should criticize Sun Jian for his tactless remark or lament the song's peculiarity.

But no matter how peculiar it was, the company had produced it, and Music Director Chu Tian was right there.

Saying something like that, isn't he just asking for trouble for himself?

No wonder President Chu chided Sun Jian earlier; that mouth of his really does offend people easily.

Having a strong personality is one thing, but sometimes it's just not very likable.

Chu Tian had, of course, heard Sun Jian's comment but didn't take it to heart. His thinking was straightforward: so what if someone had a strong personality? If they were a good fit, they would collaborate. If not, they could find the door. He wouldn't make things difficult for anyone, nor would he go out of his way to curry favor. If fate brought them together, they would meet; if not, they would part ways. It was as simple as that.

By then, Sun Jian had also realized his gaffe. But since the words were already out, he merely glanced awkwardly at Chu Tian and then shut his mouth, deciding not to say anything more.

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