Rebirth 03: Starting a Business After Giving Up a Secure Job

Chapter 153 Signing a Future Super Girl

On Saturday, Tang Lei arrived in Chengdu.

Lin Feng drove his Audi to Shuangliu Airport to pick him up. Tang Lei was still wearing his black-rimmed glasses and had long hair. In the past year, his song "Lilac Flower" had become a hit all over the country, and he was full of energy.

"You've been making quite a splash these past six months." Tang Lei opened the car door and got into the passenger seat. "Besides the MP3 and ringback tone services, you've also started a local life services website. I also heard you guys got into a fight in Huaqiangbei. Haha!"

Lin Feng joked, "I invited you here today to fight."

Tang Lei jokingly replied, "Why didn't you say so earlier? I would have brought more people from Guangxi—"

The two of them burst into laughter.

"I've already made arrangements with Teacher Lai Li, and I've also notified the four female singers I'm preparing to sign."

Tonight at the Jinjiang Hotel, I'm treating everyone to dinner. The second reason is that I need your help. Of these girls, only Shen Jingyi is a junior from my school; the other three don't know me.

If I, someone who makes digital products and websites, suddenly say I want to sign them as singers, they'll definitely suspect I'm a scammer. You'll have to endorse me.

"No problem at all!" Tang Lei readily agreed, ready to help.

However, he also wanted to meet these girls to see if they were worth Lin Feng's investment.

Lin Feng arranged to have dinner with Teacher Lai and the others in the evening. At noon, he found a Sichuan restaurant, and the two ordered several classic Sichuan dishes, chatting as they ate.

Lin Feng explained the situation of each of the four girls one by one.

Shen Jingyi and Tang Lei had known each other for a long time. They were both from the Digital Music Club of Sichuan University of Technology. Teacher Lai was working on her vocal range and breath control. She had strong original songwriting abilities, but lacked stage experience.

Li Yunchun and He Jie are both students at the Sichuan Conservatory of Music's Popular Music Academy. Li Yunchun is naturally relaxed on stage, while He Jie has a strong charisma and can make the whole audience sway with her as soon as she steps on stage.

Zhang Liangying is a resident singer at Music House Bar. Last year, she won the National College Student Singer Competition and the PUB Singer Competition National Championship. Her dolphin voice is extremely powerful.

Tang Lei smiled after listening: "The combination of these four girls you chose is very interesting: one is an original singer, one is a stage performer, and..."

One is charismatic, the other technically skilled; if they can truly develop together, other regions on the Super Girl stage will be in for a headache.

"These girls might not believe me just by talking. That's why I invited you here."

"Okay! Tonight I'll use my own experience to support you."

6:30 p.m., Peony Hall on the third floor of Jinjiang Hotel.

Li Yunchun and He Jie were the first to arrive.

Li Yunchun changed into a clean white T-shirt, and her short yellow hair was even shorter than before; He Jie followed beside her, wearing a pink sweatshirt, and greeted President Lin with a smile, then warmly stepped forward to shake hands with Tang Lei and greeted Teacher Tang.

A short while later, Shen Jingyi arrived. She greeted Tang Lei and Lin Feng warmly. Then she chatted enthusiastically with Li Yunchun and He Jie.

Zhang Liangying arrived shortly after, dressed in a very ladylike black dress, exuding femininity.

Her makeup and appearance were much more mature than the other three female college students.

Professor Lai Li arrived last, wearing a dark blue cheongsam-style top, looking elegant and graceful.

At the Sichuan Conservatory of Music, Lai Li taught Li Yunchun a popular singing elective course for a semester, and they were acquainted.

Although He Jie was not in Lai Li's class, she performed a solo song at the freshman welcome party when she first entered the university, and Lai Li was one of the judges at the time.

Professor Lai also knew Zhang Liangying. Last year, Zhang Liangying won the national PUB singer competition. The music circle is not big. Although they may not have met before or eaten together, they knew each other.

Lin Feng invited Professor Lai to sit in the main seat, while he himself sat to Professor Lai's left, and Tang Lei sat to Professor Lai's right.

Four girls sat opposite each other in turn.

Shen Jingyi sat next to Zhang Liangying, while Li Yunchun and He Jie sat together.

Once all the dishes were served, Lin Feng stood up and took a cup of tea, saying that everyone present was a distinguished guest he had invited. Professor Lai was a leading figure in vocal music at the Sichuan Conservatory of Music, and Tang Lei was an old friend of his who had flown in specially from Guangxi.

He introduced several girls to everyone: Shen Jingyi, Li Yunchun, He Jie, and Zhang Liangying, who are the future stars he has his eye on and hopes will shine on the Super Girl stage.

During the meal, Tang Lei recounted how he met Lin Feng.

Two years ago, he sang at the "Ben Se Bar" in Shenzhen and posted the song "Lilac Flower" online. At that time, the song was not popular. He wrote songs in his rented room during the day and sang to drunk customers at night, earning very little money in a month.

Lin Feng helped him escape the control of a bar owner with ties to organized crime and collaborated with him to launch ringtones.

"Later, he took me to various universities in Chengdu to participate in music festivals and campus tours. Later, he also helped promote my album recording and national tour. The ringtone downloads of 'Lilac Flower' have reached tens of millions of times."

He looked around at the four girls sitting there.

"You could say that without Lin Feng, there would be no Tang Lei standing here. He said he wanted to sign you, and I won't interfere with what the terms are; that's between you and him. But I vouch for him as a person."

Inside the private room, He Jie, Zhang Liangying, and Li Yunchun listened attentively, occasionally casting admiring glances at Lin Feng.

Shen Jingyi had complete faith in Lin Feng, and she was willing to sign a contract of servitude even if it meant selling herself into servitude.

Of the four, He Jie was the most lively. She said that she had only seen Tang Lei on TV before and never thought that one day she would sit at the same table with Tang Lei.

She then asked Tang Lei what it felt like when people shouted "One more song!" during his campus tour.

Tang Lei said that he almost forgot his lines the first time he was called out, but he got used to it later. However, every time he is called out, he still feels that leaving the bar was the right thing to do.

Li Yunchun added from the side that she also wanted to experience that feeling someday. Tang Lei looked at her and said, "Then practice hard. You'll know what it feels like when you stand on that stage."

The atmosphere in the private room relaxed a bit.

He Jie picked up a piece of boiled cabbage and put it in her mouth. After chewing it a couple of times, her eyes lit up. She nudged Li Yunchun with her elbow and told her to try it quickly.

Zhang Liangying and Shen Jingyi chatted about the differences between performing in bars and performing on campus. Shen Jingyi said that the sound system on their school's stage was mediocre, and the mixing console was a temporary welded-on piece.

Zhang Liangying told her that the sound system in the bar was actually not good either. The drummer could knock the microphone away with one stomp of the snare drum, and halfway through a song, she had to be careful not to let drunk customers come up and snatch the microphone.

Lai Li has taught vocal music for twenty years and has trained many professional singers, but she has never seen anyone like Lin Feng who dared to bet on four amateurs in one go several months before the audition.

After dinner tonight, she officially took on the vocal lessons for these four students.

Tang Lei said he had only heard Jingyi sing once, and had not heard the others sing live.

Now that Teacher Lai has taken on apprentices, we might as well go to the KTV tonight to check it out and see how their live performance is. The girls all agreed.

There was a KTV next to the Jinjiang Hotel, and Lin Feng asked the waiter to open the largest private room.

Tang Lei was the first to test the microphone. He fed it twice to confirm that the sound system was working properly, and then placed the microphone on the stand.

Li Yunchun was the first to sing. She chose "My Heart Only Has You, Not Her." As the intro started, she stood in the middle of the private room, holding the microphone, her shoulders naturally slumped, and she immediately entered a relaxed state.

Her voice was deep and powerful, and every note was clear and crisp.

He Jie swayed to the rhythm beside her, while Zhang Liangying sat on the sofa, gently tapping her fingers on her knees.

Tang Lei leaned back on the sofa without saying a word. After Li Yunchun finished singing, he nodded slightly and said that a sense of relaxation is innate and cannot be trained by ordinary people.

Lai Li added from the side, commenting that Chun Chun's composure during the typhoon was quite mature for her age; she remained calm and collected on stage, a quality that is also a talent.

Zhang Liangying then sang an English song. She stood in front of the microphone without making any unnecessary movements. As the dolphin-like high notes slid out of her throat, Shen Jingyi's mouth opened, and the popcorn in her hand stopped in mid-air.

Tang Lei turned to Lai Li and said something, and Lai Li nodded.

After Zhang Liangying finished singing, He Jie and Li Yunchun applauded enthusiastically.

"Sister Liangying, how did you produce that sound just now? It was even better than what I heard on the CD."

Zhang Liangying returned to the sofa, picked up the bottled water on the table, and took a sip.

"Practice."

He Jie was the third to sing, and she chose a fast song. As soon as she started singing, the atmosphere in the entire private room changed.

She sang and danced, her movements not very proper but extremely infectious. When she sang the chorus, Li Yunchun swayed along on the sofa.

Tang Lei said with a smile that this kind of stage presence is innate.

Finally, it was Shen Jingyi's turn. She took the microphone, sat on a high stool, and sang her newly written song a cappella.

She wasn't satisfied with the chorus of the song yet, but her voice was very steady in the verses, and her breath control was much better than when she first started taking classes.

During the chorus, her voice became slightly hoarse in the vocal break. She persevered and finished the song, and Tang Lei was the first to applaud.

Although she didn't sing as well as the previous three girls, Shen Jingyi sang her own original song.

"The melody of the verses has a wonderful quality. After the emotion in the chorus rises, don't rush to bring it down; give the listener some breathing room before concluding."

Tang Lei told Professor Lai that Shen Jingyi's biggest advantage is her original songwriting ability; a singer who can write songs has more potential than a singer who can only do covers.

Shen Jingyi thanked Tang Lei and sat back down in the corner. Her expression was calm, but her fingers gripped the microphone more tightly than usual.

She noticed the admiration in Tang Lei's eyes when he commented on Li Yunchun, exchanged a glance with Lai Li after listening to Zhang Liangying's dolphin-like high notes, and smiled and said "naturally gifted" after He Jie finished singing.

As for herself, although she knew her original compositions were an advantage, she still felt her shortcomings. Compared to the other three girls, Shen Jingyi was noticeably inferior in both vocal quality and stage presence.

Li Yunchun sang both on and off campus for three years, Zhang Liangying was a top resident singer at a bar, and He Jie performed at the Children's Palace since he was a child.

Shen Jingyi's most formal stage appearance was at the Digital Music Festival at Xichuan University of Technology last year.

That evening, Teacher Lai also sang a folk song. Her voice and breath control impressed the young girls, making her truly deserving of the title of vocal master.

It was already late when I left the karaoke bar.

Lin Feng arranged for Tang Lei to stay at the Jinjiang Hotel, and he first drove Professor Lai, He Jie, and Li Yunchun back to the Sichuan Conservatory of Music.

Then they sent Zhang Liangying and Shen Jingyi.

After Zhang Liangying left, only Lin Feng and Shen Jingyi remained in the car.

The Audi drove towards Sichuan University of Technology, the streetlights flashing across the windshield. Shen Jingyi leaned against the passenger seat, her face turned towards the window, and remained silent for a long time.

"What's wrong?"

"It's nothing." She didn't turn her head.

Lin Feng noticed that Shen Jingyi seemed a little down tonight.

Li Yunchun's composure on stage is something she can't learn; Zhang Liangying's voice is a natural asset; He Jie can make the whole audience sway as soon as she steps on stage.

She revised the chorus of one of her new songs several times but was still not satisfied, feeling that she was the worst one among the four.

I couldn't help but feel disappointed.

Lin Feng parked the car at the entrance of Sichuan University of Technology and then drove Shen Jingyi back to her dormitory.

The two walked side by side on the campus road, and Lin Feng encouraged her, saying, "The three of them have more stage experience than you, but you also have your own advantages. Your songwriting is your moat. None of the three of them can replace your original works. The auditions rely on comprehensive strength, but the further the competition goes, the more valuable original works become."

On the national finals stage, the number of people who can sing original songs can be counted on one hand.

Shen Jingyi looked down at the tips of her shoes, tears streaming down her cheeks and falling to the ground.

"Then I'll go back and finish writing that new song. I have a new idea for the chords tonight. As Tang Lei said, we should push the emotion up and not rush to let it fall back down."

Lin Feng saw light in her eyes again!

"Thank you, Brother Feng!" Shen Jingyi stretched out her arms and hugged Lin Feng tightly before running towards the girls' dormitory building.

On Monday morning, Lin Feng was in his office when the receptionist called to say that four girls were looking for him at the door.

Li Yunchun, He Jie, Zhang Liangying, and Shen Jingyi entered the office one by one. Li Yunchun said that the four of them had discussed it for a long time after going back last night and decided to come together to sign the contract.

He Jie added from the side that they all agreed with what Tang Lei said, and that Teacher Lai Li was willing to teach them. They had come this far, and it would be a shame not to give it their all.

Zhang Liangying said she had one additional request: that her musical style and song selection not be interfered with during the contract period.

Lin Feng agreed; he had no intention of interfering with the song selection in the first place.

He rang the bell and asked Su Wan to bring in four contracts, each with a note: creative freedom will not be interfered with during the collaboration.

Shen Jingyi was the first to sign, followed by Zhang Liangying, He Jie was the third, and Li Yunchun was the last.

Each person's contract was made in duplicate; one original copy was filed by the company, and the other original copy was given to each of the four girls.

Lin Feng told them that starting this week, they should go to Teacher Lai Li's class according to the schedule.

Teacher Lai provides one-on-one instruction, with each student's lesson time arranged individually. You need to go to the practice room to coordinate the specific time with Teacher Lai.

The four girls carefully put away their respective contracts.

Li Yunchun pulled He Jie's sleeve and left first, saying that they still had rehearsals in the afternoon.

Zhang Liangying nodded to Lin Feng, then turned and left.

Shen Jingyi was the last to leave. She took an envelope out of her bag and placed it on Lin Feng's desk, saying that the chorus was finished.

Lin Feng opened the envelope and read it from beginning to end; this time, the lyrics were noticeably more energetic.

The four girls left after receiving their contracts, each carrying their own dreams.

For Lin Feng, this is another major undertaking following Tang Lei and Yang Chengang.