usenovelgroup Chapter 13: I've licked it; it's more precious than imported goods.
Chapter 13: I've licked it; it's more precious than imported goods.
When I finished recording the last note of the song for the centennial celebration of the provincial university, it was already three in the morning.
Wang Bo slumped in the control panel chair, feeling like his fingers weren't even his own anymore—twelve consecutive hours of high-intensity work, playing guitar until his hands cramped, recording vocals until his throat was parched.
But looking at the twenty-eight audio tracks neatly arranged on the screen, and listening to the surging symphonic rock energy in the final mix, he felt it was all worth it.
perfect!
It is at least the most perfect version that can be produced with the current equipment and manpower.
The phone screen lit up; it was a WeChat message from Su Yiyi: "Just woke up. I dreamt you were working all night in the recording studio. If you really were, remember to drink some warm water; there should be honey in your drawer."
Wang Bo was taken aback for a moment, then opened the control panel drawer and found a small jar of honey with a note attached: "For the all-nighter dog - Zhou."
The handwriting is messy but elegant, clearly Zhou Yuji's style.
He made himself a cup of honey water and texted Su Yiyi back: "I was indeed working all night, just finished recording. Found the honey, thanks. Also, I have an idea..."
A few seconds after the message was sent, Su Yiyi called immediately.
"Wang Bo, are you crazy? It's 3 a.m.!" Her voice was soft from just waking up, but her tone was clear. "Finished recording? How's the quality?"
"I think it's alright," Wang Bo said, taking a sip of honey water. "But after listening to it for a while, I'm a bit numb to it; I need a second pair of ears. However, Yiyi, I was thinking, could we do a live band version of the provincial celebration performance?"
"A live band?" Su Yiyi's voice was clearly excited. "You mean no backing tracks, just live music on stage?"
"Yes, the feel of this song, paired with a real band, would create a completely different effect," Wang Bo said. "Imagine, the trumpet solo in the interlude, if a musician were standing on stage playing it; the drumbeats in the chorus, if a drummer were actually playing them; and the string section—if there were a few violinists sitting backstage..."
"The live performance would be ten times more impactful!" Su Yiyi chimed in, and Wang Bo could almost picture her eyes lighting up on the other end of the phone. "But Wang Bo, a live band means hiring at least seven or eight more musicians, plus rehearsals, coordination, equipment transportation... and the school might not be supportive. They might prefer using backing tracks for convenience."
"So I need you to help me analyze the feasibility." Wang Bo spoke frankly, "You're a professional. Do you think we can put together a band that can perform on stage in ten days with our current connections and resources? Not necessarily top-tier, but at least professional."
Su Yiyi pondered for a moment: "Finding musicians isn't actually that hard. The people Yu Ji knows, plus a few of my good students, can easily put together a temporary band. As for rehearsal space... we can use the practice rooms at our school, they can lend them to us in the evenings. The biggest problem is money. We need to pay the musicians, even the students; we need to give them a fee for their hard work; transporting and setting up the equipment requires a specialist; and then there's the food and transportation during rehearsals..."
She paused, her voice hesitant, "Wang Bo, this is a significant expense. Although Xiao Xiao has expressed her intention to collaborate, that's after you've proven your worth. Asking her to pay for the band upfront now might make her reconsider the return on investment."
Just as Wang Bo was about to speak, the recording studio door was suddenly pushed open.
Zhou Yuji stood at the door, wearing a wine-red silk robe with the belt loosely tied at the waist, revealing her delicate collarbone and a large expanse of fair skin.
She was barefoot, holding a glass of red wine, her hair disheveled and draped over her shoulders, her eyes half-open and half-closed, looking as if she had just been woken up.
"Who are you talking to on the phone in the middle of the night?" She yawned and walked in. "I could hear you chattering away upstairs—wait, you're not talking to Yiyi on the phone, are you?"
Su Yiyi on the other end of the phone had clearly heard it: "Is Yu Ji with you?"
"At my company, no, soon to be my former company." Zhou Yuji leaned closer to the phone. "Yiyi, why are you still up so late? What are you talking about with Wang Bo? Could it be...?"
"Yu Ji!" Su Yiyi's voice rose a little, which was unusual for her. "We're talking about serious business. Wang Bo wants to use a live band for the provincial celebration, and I'm analyzing the feasibility with him."
"A live band?" Zhou Yuji raised an eyebrow, a gesture that made her already upturned eyes even more alluring. "Not bad, Xiao Wang, you've got big ambitions. Do you have enough money?"
Wang Bo honestly shook his head: "I have no money!"
Zhou Yuji snatched the phone: "Yiyi, estimate how much it will cost?"
Su Yiyi quickly calculated on the other end of the phone: "Eight to ten musicians, at half the market price, five hundred per person per day, five days of rehearsal would be twenty thousand; equipment rental and transportation, about eight thousand; meals, transportation and miscellaneous expenses, two thousand; totaling around thirty thousand. This is the minimum budget, it may actually exceed it."
"Thirty thousand." Zhou Yuji repeated, tilting her head back to finish the glass of red wine. "Okay, I'll pay for it."
Wang Bo and Su Yiyi were both stunned.
"Sister Zhou, this isn't appropriate..." Wang Bo said, opening his pocket as he refused.
"What's inappropriate about it?" Zhou Yuji shoved the phone back into his hand and plopped down on the control panel. Her robe opened wider with the movement, but she didn't care. "Consider it my graduation gift to you—a gift for graduating from my lousy company. Thirty thousand yuan for a chance to give you a perfect performance, it's worth it."
Perhaps because her beautiful buttocks were a little bumpy, she jumped off the table, walked barefoot to the sofa, threw herself into it, and curled up like a cat: "Besides, if you really become famous at the provincial celebration, and the media asks, 'Who funded your initial dream,' and you say, 'My former boss, Zhou Yuji,' then my reputation as a spendthrift woman might be cleaned up a bit, and I might become a discerning female CEO."
On the other end of the phone, Su Yiyi said softly, "Yu Ji, thank you."
"No need to thank me, I'm happy to do it." Zhou Yuji waved her hand with her eyes closed. "Wang Bo, tomorrow—no, during the day today—give me the list of the types of musicians you need. I'll find people and negotiate prices. Yiyi, you're in charge of the venue and equipment. Let's divide the work and put together a band that can impress people in ten days."
She opened her eyes, looked at Wang Bo, her gaze unusually serious: "But Wang Bo, I have a condition."
"Please speak."
"If I really become famous, please save me a front-row ticket for my future concerts." Zhou Yuji laughed. "I want to sit in the very front, holding a glow stick, and shout 'Wang Bo, I love you' just like a little fan—how fun would that be?"
Wang Bo smiled and said, "It's a deal."
"Then it's settled." Zhou Yuji stood up, stretched, and her silk robe clung to her body's curves, outlining breathtaking lines. "I'm going back upstairs to sleep. You two can continue chatting—but don't chat for too long, Yiyi has class tomorrow."
She walked to the door, then turned back: "By the way, Wang Bo, is the honey water good?"
"It tastes good."
"That's fine then. That jar of honey costs over two hundred yuan. I've tasted it; it's even more precious than imported honey." Zhou Yuji waved her hand and disappeared out the door.
Wang Bo's lips twitched.