Taking Liu Yifei back to Northeast China for the Chinese New Year has sent the entire internet into

Less than two minutes.

A series of hurried footsteps echoed down the corridor.

From far to near.

Da da da da.

The next second, there was a knock on the door of the president's office.

"Enter."

As soon as Mr. Zhang finished speaking, the door was pushed open.

Cai Kun rushed into the office, his chest still heaving, and the stray hairs on his forehead were disheveled.

But as soon as he entered the door, he immediately stood up straight.

"General Manager Zhang! Brother Yu! Director Li!"

After greeting everyone, his gaze immediately fell on the desk.

There lay a black USB drive quietly.

very common.

So common that you can find a dozen or so identical ones just by randomly opening a drawer in the company's administration department.

But Cai Kun knew.

This is no ordinary thing.

Over the past few days, after finishing his dance practice and returning to his dormitory, he would take a shower and lie down on his bed. His body felt like it was falling apart, but his mind just wouldn't stop.

When I close my eyes, all I see is the list of contestants for "Idol New Generation".

On the top labels, there are contestants who have been training for five or six years and are on the verge of debuting.

Among those who returned from overseas were some tough guys who had spent three or four years in training camps.

There are also several independent trainees whose fan base has already formed even before the show has started airing.

Just post a dance practice video and you can get at least 100,000 likes.

They brought a finished stage with them.

They brought a well-established team.

They even prepared contingency plans for trending topics in advance.

What about Cai Kun?

Aside from being a Star Trainee, he had almost nothing else.

And now.

That black USB drive contained a song that Fang Yu had written for him.

It was also the weapon he used to go head-to-head with those top brands.

Fang Yu sat across from the desk, his posture still languid.

He gestured with his chin towards Old Li.

"Director Li, please put it down for a moment."

"Why."

Old Li pushed his chair around to the computer and plugged in the USB drive.

Double-click the mouse.

The folder pops up.

There is only one audio file inside.

"Because You're Too Beautiful" - Demo.wav

"This name..."

Old Li stared at the file name for two seconds, and his professional habit kicked in on the spot.

"It sounds like a love song."

"Was it too risky to sing a slow love song for your debut stage?"

Having worked in music production for over a decade, he knows all too well what the initial stage of a talent show is like.

That wasn't an ordinary performance.

Hundreds of trainees crowded together for their appearance.

The camera pans quickly.

Audiences forget even faster.

It's impossible for a tutor to give everyone ten minutes to present at their own pace.

In such situations, what always stands out is a strong rhythm, strong visuals, and strong memorability.

It needs to be blown up.

That's ruthless.

You have to grab the audience's attention right from the start.

Of course, slow love songs can be sung.

Singing a slow love song on the debut stage can be considered high-quality if sung well, but just background music if sung poorly.

The person went up, and the song was over.

The audience turned around and asked—

Who was that person just now?

That's the most awkward part.

Mr. Zhang frowned.

"Old Li, put it down first."

Cai Kun was also a little anxious, looking at him expectantly.

"Teacher Li, let's listen to it first."

Fang Yu leaned back in his chair, his hands clasped behind his head, a smirk playing on his lips.

Old Li: "..."

No.

I just have one question.

Why do I look like a villain deliberately blocking the way?

He took a deep breath and moved the mouse to the play button.

Click.

next second.

The rhythm burst directly from the speaker.

There was no foreshadowing, nor any intention of slowly building up to something.

The drum beats, synthesizers, and bass lines all came crashing in almost simultaneously.

Immediately afterwards, the demo's vocals came in.

"Just because you're so beautiful, baby, just because you're so beautiful, baby—"

"Just because you're so beautiful, baby, just because you're so beautiful, baby—"

Old Li's hand was still on the mouse, but he was no longer moving.

He stared at the audio waveform, with only one thought in his mind.

Is this what you call a sentimental ballad?

Which slow song starts with a BPM of 120 or higher?

Cai Kun also stared at the speaker, standing straighter and straighter.

Before he could think it through, the vocals had already switched into the verse.

"You walking towards me make me so restless—"

"I've never felt this way before—"

"Cause I got a crush on you, who you——"

rap.

The rhythm was very tight.

Every word is perfectly timed to the beat, and the flow pushes forward along with the beat, leaving almost no room for the listener to lose focus.

The atmosphere in the office has changed.

At first, Lao Li checked the songs according to the producer's standards.

Mr. Zhang inspects the goods according to the boss's standards.

Cai Kun, on the other hand, was preoccupied with whether he was worthy of the song.

But as you listen...

The three of them began to sway gently back and forth to the beat.

a bit.

a bit.

No one spoke.

Immediately afterwards, the mood surged dramatically during the pre-chorus.

"This is the first time I've become like this—"

"No matter how much I deny it—"

The demo's vocals switch from rap to singing.

Next shot.

The chorus came crashing down.

"Just because you're so beautiful, baby! Just because you're so beautiful, baby!"

"It's simply because you're so beautiful, baby! It's simply because you're so beautiful, baby!"

The atmosphere in the office was instantly turned upside down.

Snapped!

Old Li slapped his thigh.

"pretty!"

He felt embarrassed as soon as he said it.

I haven't been this unsteady in years.

But the chorus is just too catchy.

Simple, direct, and repetitive.

It's precisely brainwashing.

It doesn't require listeners to wear headphones and study it three times or read several music reviews before they can slowly appreciate its flavor.

Listen to it for the first time.

Those few words can penetrate into your brain.

It's impossible to pull it out.

Cai Kun stood to the side, his breathing gradually becoming heavier.

From the moment the intro started, not a single hair on his arm fell.

The drumbeats are strong enough.

The rhythm is strong enough.

The whole song also has a youthful, almost flamboyant energy.

When the words "Just because you're so beautiful" were uttered again, all the jumbled thoughts in Cai Kun's mind were instantly cleared away.

What top labels, overseas training camps, and contestants on the verge of debut?

They were all pushed out by the drumbeats.

He has only one thought in mind right now.

I want to jump.

Jump now!

Cai Kun's shoulders swayed uncontrollably to the beat.

The right index finger is making a virtual tap in mid-air.

He slid his left foot back half a step, leaned his upper body forward, and slammed his shoulder forward.

The movements were not entirely complete.

It's even a little strange.

But that moment came right on the beat of the drum.

Even Cai Kun himself was taken aback.

He didn't know what the action was called.

I don't know if it would look good on stage.

But as soon as the song started, his body had already made the decision for him.

Fang Yu, sitting beside him, witnessed this scene but remained silent.

The smile in his eyes only deepened.

The song continues to progress.

"Oh oh oh—tell me now for sure—"

"Oh oh oh—to whom do you belong—"

"Oh oh oh—tell me now for sure—"

"Oh oh oh—to whom do you belong—"

Tell me now—

The last note faded away.

There was a two-second silence in the office.

No one spoke up immediately.

There was only a slight background noise remaining in the computer speakers.

Old Li took off his glasses and rubbed his ears.

The phrase "Just because you're so beautiful, baby" is still playing on repeat in my head, like it's set to autoplay.

He turned to look at Fang Yu and simply gave him a thumbs up.

"Teacher Fang, it has to be you."

"This style is perfect for a debut stage!"

After he finished speaking, he turned to look at Cai Kun.

Cai Kun maintained the half-step back posture from before, his shoulders moving slightly in sync with the rhythm in his mind.

Old Li added a sentence.

"This suits Cai Kun so perfectly!"