Chapter 106: Those Who Climb the Mountain and Those Who Descend It

Onstage, Liu Xingyun had finished singing as well.

Only after hearing the audience’s thunderous applause did a faint smile appear on his face.

Tang Zhichu was not nearly as easy to deal with as Liu Xingyun had imagined. He was stronger than expected.

After listening closely to Tang Zhichu’s song, Liu Xingyun no longer felt certain of victory. The song he had spent three days writing did not truly match the lyrical depth of Tang Zhichu’s Passing Through the Human World.

Still, there was no need for false modesty. Liu Xingyun had put real effort into the arrangement, and its atmosphere was no less compelling than the other song’s.

In Liu Xingyun’s view, it should be an even match. It all came down to how the production team would decide.

Tang Zhichu stepped onto the stage and exchanged nods with Liu Xingyun as a greeting.

Behind the scenes, more than twenty musicians all rose to their feet, tense and uneasy.

Especially those from Stellar Alliance; this round would determine who got eliminated.

They were all professionals, but taste was not fixed. Some thought Tang Zhichu’s work was better, while others favored Liu Xingyun’s.

That was the frightening part: a song Tang Zhichu had written in a single day, chosen only because of Liu Xingyun’s passive selection, was actually fighting him to a standstill.

And that was Liu Xingyun. A perennial giant of the pop music world. The founder of Stellar Alliance.

After the host rattled on for a while, the choice was handed over to the production team.

Zhang Ansheng leaned toward the microphone and said with a grin, “If we’d known the show was going to be at this level, we would have come to pick the theme song instead. We rushed it.”

Laughter spread through the venue. The atmosphere eased somewhat, and his words also hinted that Liu Xingyun and Tang Zhichu should not cling too tightly to the result. It was only an ending song, after all.

“Let me ask something unrelated first,” Zhang Ansheng continued. “Tang Zhichu, what a good name. Would you be willing to try making films?”

Tang Zhichu smiled and shook his head. “Director Zhang, you think too highly of me. Every trade has its own craft. I can’t act.”

Zhang Ansheng smiled too, and did not pursue the topic further.

Who should they choose?

Zhang Ansheng leaned toward Liu Xingyun. Looking at the whole picture, Liu Xingyun’s stature was what it was; as long as the work was not too far behind, choosing him would produce a result that was two points of effort for a six-point effect.

As for Tang Zhichu, he was relatively unfamiliar to Zhang Ansheng.

But even he had said it himself: it was only an ending song. The main purpose of coming here was to promote the film.

For something that was not so important to either him or the movie, yielding a little was simply the wisdom of someone who had spent years in the business.

Zhang Ansheng glanced at the producer beside him and said with a smile, “Then you decide.”

The producer froze for a moment. Out of sight of the others, he slipped his phone into his pocket.

It was not a big matter. Under normal circumstances, he would have pushed the decision back to Zhang Ansheng, but thinking of the text message he had just received, he stepped up to the microphone.

“Film is the art of light and shadow, but in the end, it is still about story. From the perspective of the story, if a song can make a film give people more to think about, then that is my responsibility as a producer. Business is no place for childish games. Xingyun, my apologies,” the producer said gravely.

“So my choice is Passing Through the Human World.”

When he finished, the producer looked at Zhang Ansheng. He had not spoken on behalf of the entire production team; he had only stated his own choice.

The producer was an old hand as well. Earlier, the moment Liu Xingyun finished singing, he had sent Yuhua a message asking for his opinion.

He knew Yuhua well. Yuhua had invested in this film because the producer had brought him in.

Since this was for promotion, there should be more references to consider, and the host should also be given face. That way there would still be room to talk next time.

Yuhua’s reply was simple: he hoped Tang Zhichu would win.

Since they were all familiar with one another, Yuhua did not state it outright, but the direction was clear enough: Yuhua valued Tang Zhichu and wanted to support him.

That gave the producer something to think about. Choosing Liu Xingyun was the safest option, but Liu Xingyun’s market had long since solidified. Unless a work surpassed his own classics or reached the peak of his former glory, it would not really add much to the film.

Otherwise, when the audience heard it, the most they would feel was that it had the right flavor, and nothing more.

Tang Zhichu was different. A newcomer carried the ability to open up the market. When audiences heard him, they would be surprised, curious, and start asking: who is this? What song is this?

If Yuhua was also going to back him, then for the film, that would be enormous leverage. They could borrow that momentum to promote the movie.

Zhang Ansheng spread his hands. He did not think about it so complicatedly. Since the producer had made the choice, then they would go with the producer.

Even if Liu Xingyun felt a thorn in his heart and held a grudge, he would blame the producer, not him.

“Congratulations to Passing Through the Human World. Congratulations to Tang Zhichu,” Zhang Ansheng said with a smile, announcing the final result at once.

Tang Zhichu frowned slightly, but immediately bowed his thanks, and also bowed to Liu Xingyun.

Liu Xingyun walked over. Though there was some helplessness on his face, he was not angry. Instead, he lowered his voice beside Tang Zhichu’s ear and said, “Not surprising. You should be careful from here on out. This is only the beginning of the pressure. Your ceiling will decide the quality of this show, so don’t overthink it. The stronger you are, the more exciting the program becomes. That’s also the thing the few of us initiators care about most.”

He had not said those words into the microphone. Tang Zhichu’s performance had already won his recognition, and he was not the kind of man who could not bear to lose over a business decision. If that were the case, he would have spent all these years for nothing.

As initiators, they had burdens of their own. Looking at it another way, the stronger the people below them became, the better it was for them.

It was a helpless thing: those descending the mountain and those climbing it had just brushed past one another.

And yet it was also gratifying, because Liu Xingyun felt the weight on his shoulders could finally be set down a little.

A perennial figure in music, and whoever wanted that title could have it. He was going to take a vacation for himself.

Liu Xingyun’s complicated feelings were also why Tang Zhichu had frowned. He had not originally intended to win this round, but once the atmosphere had been built to this point, winning had become unavoidable.

“Teacher Liu, I’ll do my best,” Tang Zhichu replied softly.

Liu Xingyun smiled with satisfaction and gave Tang Zhichu a hug. The applause in the venue rose like thunder.

Under the host’s witness, Tang Zhichu and the production team signed another contract, and only then did he step down from the stage.

Backstage, after exchanging pleasantries with everyone, Tang Zhichu sat down beside Shen Jianxin.

Tang Zhichu’s thoughts were a little complicated. Winning did not feel any easier than losing.

Liu Xingyun was an open and straightforward man.

Just as Liu Xingyun had said, since he had now spoken directly with Yuhua, he would have to carry a burden on his shoulders. From now on, he would need to be even more careful with his song selections.

“Don’t listen to Liu Xingyun spouting nonsense,” Shen Jianxin said in a low voice. “He’s always liked doing those so-called meaningful things. He cares more about face than I do. Otherwise, would he have been the first of the initiators to step into the arena? Who cares about that these days? As long as everyone’s happy, that’s enough.”

Through the monitor, he had seen Liu Xingyun whispering to Tang Zhichu, and he could roughly guess what had been said.

Losing and then just dumping the pressure on Tang Zhichu? Not your own man, so you don’t know how to cherish him at all, old-timer.

Tang Zhichu nodded and smiled, not feeling nearly as heavy as before.

To build a career, if you want to take a shortcut, you have to use a few special methods.

If you want to wear the crown, you must bear its weight.

Onstage, the second production team had already taken their seats.

There was less pressure on the musicians for this round, since they did not have to perform themselves. They only needed to let the singers perform two songs.

This model reduced the musicians’ sense of participation, but it was understandable.

If the musician himself happened to be brilliantly gifted, and the version you bought ended up worse than his own performance, wouldn’t that make you the fool who paid the bill?

That was why few people wanted to touch projects like this. They were troublesome. The songs had to be written while communicating constantly with the singer, tailor-made from the ground up.

Thanks to Brother An Sihuo for the generous tip of five thousand one hundred coins.

Thanks to Brother Wang Qingzhi for the generous tip of three thousand coins.

Thanks to Brothers Song Zi and Fallen Leaves, Several Autumn Sounds for the generous tip of one thousand eight hundred coins.

Thanks to Little Particle for the earlier tip of five hundred coins.

Thanks to Brothers Book Friend 20200111135419092, Yao Youye, Cat Face, Is It Zhao or Is It Zhao, and Lonely Leaf for their kind support.

The End.