Huayu96: My Thirty Years of a Prodigal Son

When the van arrived at Sony's Formosa branch, there were already people waiting downstairs.

"Mr. Qin, welcome, welcome!"

The leader was a capable-looking middle-aged man named Lin Linan, who was the music director at Sony.

Qin Sheng politely exchanged pleasantries and shook hands with the other party.

After exchanging pleasantries, Lin Linan said with a smile, "Mr. Qin, we have prepared a welcome dinner at the Grand Hotel tonight to welcome you back."

Several singers in our company have also heard a lot about you and would love to get to know you.

These are normal social activities that occur after entering the circle.

Although he doesn't care about his connections in the entertainment industry and always tries to avoid them in Beijing, he's not so aloof as to completely reject any social interaction.

So he smiled and nodded.

Sister Zhao has visited Taiwan many times.

After Sister Zhao, who knew the area well, settled them into their hotel, Qin Sheng and Sister Zhao went to the Grand Hotel at 7 p.m. on time for the banquet.

As soon as Qin Sheng entered the opulent private room, he felt several eager gazes directed at him.

Lin Linan began his introduction.

"This is Harlem Yu Chengqing, this is Meng Tingwei, this is CoCo Li Wen, and this is Lin Zhixuan."

They're all key members of our company, haha, and of course, they're all your fans too.

Goodness, they're all familiar faces.

By this time, Harlem Yu had become a household name across China with "Let Me Love You Once More".

Meng Tingwei is the "Moon Princess" in the hearts of countless young men.

Coco Lee has just joined Sony and is on the eve of a breakout.

Lin Zhixuan has just gone solo from Youke Li Lin, and his clear voice is already well-known in the industry.

Lin Linan's dinner party guests can be described as a gathering of talents from three generations of Sony Taiwan.

Qin Sheng's gaze swept over the crowd before finally settling on Li Wen.

To be honest, as Li Wen got older, she became so obsessed with the Western style that it no longer reflected her own aesthetic.

But 21-year-old Li Wen is truly outstanding.

Not only is she incredibly tender, but she's also sexy, hot, and full of energy.

If I remember correctly, my family used to have her poster on the wall calendar when I was a child.

Whether it was to fulfill a dream or for the sake of youthful vitality, Li Wen was still very tempting to him at this time.

However, Qin Sheng only glanced at it briefly before looking away.

This woman, who later revealed the inside story of The Voice of China and died of depression due to marital problems, almost became a saint.

But in reality, she herself is not simple.

How could a simple person choose to marry a foreign tycoon who is sixteen years older than her?

Is it really just because of love?

Human nature is ultimately complex, and Qin Sheng naturally wouldn't consider developing a long-term relationship with a woman like Li Wen who is somewhat of a landmine.

But it's still okay to take a bite and try it when you have the chance.

They sat down and continued exchanging pleasantries.

Harlem, known for his high emotional intelligence, has already begun skillfully flattering Qin Sheng.

"Ah Sheng, I'll just call you Ah Sheng then. Ah Sheng, you don't know that your album, not just the song 'Too Softhearted,' but all the songs on your album are very popular in Taiwan!"

People in our industry speak very highly of you!

I really don't know how your brain works, to be able to write so many songs with such different styles, and they're all so good!

Qin Sheng smiled and nodded his thanks.

These kinds of polite words are just for show; anyone who takes them seriously is a fool.

Meng Tingwei, Lin Zhixuan, and others echoed Harlin's praise of Qin Sheng.

The atmosphere became very lively for a moment.

But beneath this warm atmosphere, Qin Sheng could sense a hint of ingratiation in their words.

Qin Sheng could certainly understand why they were acting this way.

Singer-songwriters, especially top-tier ones, are considered gods in this industry, but it's no exaggeration to say they are universally admired.

Reference figure: Li Zongsheng.

Not only can he sing, but he can also write songs for others, and what's most impressive is that he can make others famous.

In any circle, those who can both create a large pie and share it with others are always the most popular.

He used to think he was like Li Zongsheng, but now he's probably considered the next Li Zongsheng.

Sure enough, halfway through the meal, after they started drinking tea, Harlem, as the eldest brother, brought up the topic.

"Sheng, we're all from the same company, so if you have any good projects in the future, you should give us priority consideration."

This is what Yuege meant, just expressed in a very euphemistic way.

Qin Sheng chuckled inwardly as he listened.

I guess the other party heard that I never write songs for outsiders in Beijing, and thought I was the kind of person who was hard to get songs from, so they didn't dare to be too direct.

But actually, I don't mind writing songs for others.

I didn't write anything while I was in Beijing because I felt the album's sales hadn't reached a high enough level yet.

Back then, songs didn't fetch a good price.

Although album sales haven't reached their peak yet, popularity is pretty much there.

Now that I can sell my songs, I'm entitled to quote the price I want.

Now that the price is right, there's no need to drag it out any longer.

Taking over the conversation, Qin Sheng said with a smile, "Seniors, requesting a song is of course no problem."

After everyone looked at him with surprise, Qin Sheng took a leisurely sip of tea and said slowly, "However, I have some rules for inviting songs, which may be different from others."

There was a moment of silence in the private room, then Lin Linan, as the music director and host, asked with a smile:

"Sheng, just tell us what the rules are. We're all on the same side."

Qin Sheng put down his teacup, glanced around, and then smiled, "I usually don't sign buyout contracts when I sell songs; I only sign revenue-sharing contracts."

And my cut will be a bit high.

Revenue sharing is something that only top creators in the industry are entitled to request.

The people present exchanged glances, but none of them saw surprise in each other's eyes.

It is clear that everyone agrees that Qin Sheng is entitled to a share of the profits.

Harlin was the first to speak.

"Of course, Ah Sheng, with your talent and current status in the industry, a share of the profits is a must. I just don't know, what percentage do you usually ask for?"

After a pause, Qin Sheng smiled and said, "I'll take care of both the lyrics and the music, and I want 40% of the profits."

Upon hearing this ratio, everyone present gasped in shock.

Forty percent!

Only a handful of the industry's top songwriters can negotiate a 20% cut of the profits.

Qin Sheng has now doubled his money!

That's too ruthless!

Qin Sheng's offer surprised even Sister Zhao, who was standing next to him.

She was all too familiar with this profit-sharing ratio!

Isn't it just the percentage Qin Sheng got from Sony in Beijing?

However, the fact that Sony in Beijing agreed to this price was already an exceptional exception, as it was for the purpose of low profit margins and high sales volume, and to secure Qin Sheng's commercial contracts.

So now he quotes the same price when he writes songs for others?

Sister Zhao gave Qin Sheng a strange look.

This kid is always mature, steady, and poised in his speech and actions.

But whenever money is mentioned, he becomes extremely greedy and always tries to squeeze others to death.

Just like the big boss in the company, he has the style of a capitalist!

I really don't know how he developed this kind of thinking!

After looking at each other for a moment, Harlin spoke first.

"This... Ah Sheng, isn't it a bit too high?"

With a 40% cut, not only do we not make any money, but the company doesn't make any money either.

"How about this revenue split? Can we discuss it further?"

Harlem practically pointed his finger at him and said, "Aren't you making us all work for free?"

How could you be so heartless!