thefictionvixens Recording begins on Chapter 24.
Recording begins on Chapter 24.
For three whole days, Zhang Yun and Liu Xiaoli visited every major and minor law firm in Jiangcheng, meticulously working on that strange contract. They not only carefully checked all relevant domestic laws and regulations, but also specifically asked someone to review and compare the legal details of similar entertainment collaborations abroad. They scrutinized it clause by clause, going over it again and again, but in the end, they couldn't find even the slightest compliance loophole or potential breach of contract.
"This is really strange. Does Crystal Records really have to have a child singer?" Liu Xiaoli spoke first, her eyes filled with bewilderment. Someone in her family worked at a bank, and she was familiar with the operations of large corporations, so she knew their business tactics inside and out. She had never seen such an outrageous cooperation contract before. The terms of this contract were ridiculously generous, unlike any ordinary artist contract. Instead, it seemed like the company was spending money to carefully cultivate its own CEO's favorite son, showering him with resources and making no demands whatsoever.
Looking at Xie Anran, whose features were almost identical to Xie Weimin's, she even secretly wondered if Zhang Yun had other secrets and connections if Anran hadn't looked so much like Xie Weimin.
Little did she know, Zhang Yun was having the same idea, secretly wondering if the executives at Crystal Records were Liu Xiaoli's close friends who had secretly arranged this special contract for her.
Zhang Yun was straightforward and didn't beat around the bush. She asked directly, "Sister Xiaoli, do you know any leaders at Crystal Records? Otherwise, this doesn't make sense."
"How would I know such an important person?" Liu Xiaoli rolled her eyes immediately upon hearing this and retorted irritably, instead throwing the question back at her, "I suspect it was you. You have a high level of education and a wide network of connections. Maybe one of your old classmates works there and gave you special treatment."
"That's absolutely impossible." Zhang Yun immediately shook her head in denial, her tone firm. "All my classmates went into government jobs after graduation; none of them got involved in the entertainment industry."
The two looked at each other, both utterly bewildered, speechless for a moment. Since neither of them had any connections to pull strings, could this unusually lucrative contract really be because Crystal Records simply valued Xie Anran and Qianqian, and insisted on signing the two children? This answer was too far-fetched, but after eliminating all other possibilities, this was the only explanation left.
In the other room, the atmosphere was completely different. Xie Anran was guiding Qianqian through practicing singing "Little Chicken Beep Beep." The song had a strange melody and tongue-twisting lyrics, making it particularly awkward for both the teacher and the student, and the learning process was extremely difficult.
"Coo coo... Ugh, these lyrics are making my tongue all tied!" After practicing a few times, Sisi lost patience. Her little face scrunched up, and she stopped humming in frustration. The tongue-twisting lyrics were just too difficult to handle, and the more she sang, the more agitated she became.
"It's okay, let's take a break first, no rush to practice." Xie Anran didn't urge them at all. Anyway, the official recording hasn't started yet, so they can teach and practice slowly. There's no need to force the child to rush the progress.
Sisi pouted and hung her head, a feeling of grievance welling up inside her. She couldn't explain why she was sad; she just felt depressed.
Xie Anran casually tidied up the sheet music on the table. Seeing the little girl's sullen expression, she couldn't help but ask in confusion, "What's wrong? Why are you so unhappy?"
"I can never sing well, and it makes me feel bad," Sisi muttered softly, her tone full of disappointment.
"What's there to be sad about?" Xie Anran was both amused and exasperated. She gently patted Qianqian's shoulder and comforted her softly, "Learning songs takes time. As long as you're willing to put your heart into it, there's nothing you can't learn. Don't put pressure on yourself."
"Really? I can really learn it?" Sisi looked up, her eyes full of hope, gazing expectantly at Xie Anran.
"Would I lie to you? Constant dripping wears away a stone, and an iron pestle can be ground into a needle. It's just a few songs, nothing to you." Xie Anran waved his hand, his tone exceptionally bold, giving the young girl plenty of confidence.
Sisi was instantly charmed, her face beaming like a blooming flower. She immediately regained her confidence: "Yes! It's just a few songs, I'm sure I can learn them, I definitely can!"
After calming the little girl down, the subsequent singing lessons went much more smoothly. Having spent so much time with Qianqian, Xie Anran had long since figured out her personality: she was the type who responded better to gentle persuasion than force. If he patiently coaxed her and went along with her temper, she would be obedient and sensible; but if he went against her wishes and forced her, the little girl could throw a complete tantrum—no exaggeration, it was a real tantrum. Xie Anran felt a chill whenever he thought about this; he considered himself just a weak little boy and dared not provoke this little devil.
Just then, there was a soft knock on the door. Sisi immediately ran to open it and, seeing Zhang Yun standing there, sweetly asked, "Aunt Yun, did you come to see us for something?"
The moment Zhang Yun saw Qianqian, the seriousness on her face vanished, replaced by tenderness and warmth in her eyes. She asked softly, "What are you two little ones busy doing?"
"Anran is teaching me to sing!" Qianqian replied in her childish voice, not forgetting to show her seriousness, "I'm learning very seriously and attentively."
"Sisi is such a good girl, so sensible," Zhang Yun praised with a smile, then asked softly, "Auntie, can I interrupt you for a moment? I need to talk to you about something."
"Of course!" Sisi nodded happily, tilting her head up. "Anran and I also need to stop and rest for a while."
"What a coincidence." Zhang Yun looked at the well-behaved and adorable Qianqian, and liked her more and more. Xie Anran, on the other hand, felt inexplicably uneasy. Her mother's gaze was really strange, with an indescribable oddity, completely unlike her usual self.
Everyone then moved to the living room, where Zhang Yun, Liu Xiaoli, and Xie Weimin, the three adults, gathered together, while Xie Anran and Qianqian, the two children, sat to the side. Without much small talk, Zhang Yun went straight to the point and dropped the bombshell: "Anran, the contract has been officially signed. You two will head to the record company tomorrow to record your songs."
"Mom, so fast?" Xie Anran was startled and subconsciously asked back. He had always been suspicious of Crystal Records and had never completely let his guard down.
"We've already been dragging this out for several days. The company has been very sincere and patiently waiting, so we're too embarrassed to keep making excuses," Liu Xiaoli said with a smile, her tone particularly relaxed.
"I specifically asked a friend to inquire about it. This record company has always had a good reputation and is well-regarded in the industry. They rarely have any serious disputes or negative news." Xie Weimin also chimed in, earnestly reassuring his son, "Foreign companies operating in China have very strict rules. Those who don't follow the rules simply can't survive. Don't worry."
The three adults had already made their decision, and Qianqian listened with delight, clapping her little hands excitedly. Only Xie Anran sat there, his brow slightly furrowed, deep in thought, silently accepting the arrangement to start recording tomorrow. The school had already processed the leave application in advance, and there was no strict rule for the recording time; it would all depend on his and Qianqian's condition on the day.
As for the music video, the company is already in urgent contact with a professional filming team. They will also tailor a shooting script and situational drama plot according to the style of the song. After filming, the video will be broadcast on major TV stations for promotion.
The more Xie Anran listened, the more uneasy she felt, and the stronger her sense of unease grew. The cost of recording the single without a music video alone was over 200,000 yuan; now that a music video was to be filmed, the total cost would not be a few hundred thousand yuan, but would probably soar to 500,000 or 600,000 yuan, or even higher.
He couldn't help but wonder: were his songs really that valuable, worthy of such a heavy investment from the company? This thought was quickly dismissed. The 1990s were the golden age of the music industry, and the early 2000s were an era of fierce competition among the music gods. The arrangements of his songs were at best below average, with only one or two showing some innovation. They weren't worth a company investing so heavily in.
Xie Anran decided to stop overthinking and made up her mind: focus on completing the recording task first. With her parents by her side, there was nothing to fear; at worst, she could just quit being a singer.
He never intended to make a living by singing. If he discovered anything suspicious about Crystal Records, he could simply walk away. As for Sisi, he had his own plans. If something went wrong, he could simply take better care of her and raise her properly. As long as he could survive, everything would be fine.