Don't call me a singing god, I just want to go back to doing scientific research.

Ling Luo picked up a piece of roasted meat and placed it in Gu Yang's bowl before slowly looking at Feng Yuxi, who was sitting opposite her, looking rather reserved.

"Senior, the main reason I asked you to come here is to ask if you have any plans to release a song recently."

"Hmm?" Feng Yuxi sat up straight and quickly waved her hand upon hearing this. "Teacher Ling, you can just call me Yuxi. I'm still a student, and since I haven't signed with a company, as for releasing songs..."

He didn't finish his sentence, but his hesitant expression caught the attention of the two men.

Releasing a song requires equipment, promotion, and most importantly, the song itself.

He's just a student now and can't afford to spend that much money on songs.

"I have the song here." Ling Luo shook her head slightly. "I've heard your voice before, it's very suitable. As for the release channels, I've signed a cooperation agreement with Starry Sky Entertainment, you can record it there."

Feng Yuxi's pupils contracted sharply, and she almost dropped the chopsticks in her hand.

The final song, through Star Entertainment's channels...

Any one of these opportunities is something that countless people in the music industry dream of, and now it's right in front of him.

He had considered the possibility that, given the current online buzz about "anything produced by Luomu is guaranteed to be a masterpiece," he might mess up his performance...

For a moment, he became even more hesitant and pondered for a long time with his head down.

The barbecue restaurant was steaming hot, and the aroma of cumin and chili powder mixed with the smell of charcoal filled everyone's nostrils.

On the wire mesh, the pork belly sizzled as it grilled, its fat dripping onto the charcoal fire and creating small flames.

Seeing this, Gu Yang, his mouth stuffed full and cheeks bulging like a hamster, swallowed the whole skewer of meat with force, and patted Feng Yuxi's shoulder indistinctly: "Hey, what are you afraid of! Just sing if Ling Luo tells you to. Do you think he'll kick you into a pit?"

This statement may be crude, but the principle is sound.

Feng Yuxi took a deep breath, looked up at Gu Yang, and then at Ling Luo, who was busy feeding Gu Yang.

The hesitation in his eyes was replaced by a resolute look, and he nodded heavily: "Then... alright! Thank you, Teacher Ling!"

"You're welcome." Ling Luo seemed to have anticipated this outcome. "The profit sharing will be the same as Gu Yang's, five percent. If there are no problems, we can sign the contract now."

"Huh? Now?" Feng Yuxi was stunned again.

That's too... decisive and efficient.

"Otherwise what?" Ling Luo retorted, then took out a printed contract from her laptop bag and pushed it in front of Feng Yuxi.

  

The movements were so fluid, as if they had been rehearsed countless times.

Feng Yuxi glanced at the contract, then at Gu Yang, who was urging her to sign quickly, and finally her gaze settled on Ling Luo's calm and composed face.

He gritted his teeth, picked up the pen on the table, and quickly signed his name.

Ling Luo nodded in satisfaction, put the contract away, and handed over a USB drive and sheet music: "The song is in there. Practice hard. Go to Xingchen Entertainment to record next Monday."

After saying that, he stood up and walked to the front desk.

"I'll pay the bill!"

The whole process was smooth and efficient, giving Feng Yuxi no chance to regret or overthink.

……

After sending Feng Yuxi back to school, the two got into the car to go home.

The car was quiet, so Yang leaned back lazily in the back seat.

"Ling Luo, which singers are you planning to bring to the 'New Voice Songwriting Camp' next month?"

"I don't know many people," Ling Luo said, also pondering the issue. "Currently, only you and Feng Yuxi are qualified to perform on stage. Suo Binbin and Zhang Minghui from Changba have good singing skills, but Suo Binbin has a company behind him and may not be willing to cooperate with us."

"In addition, I would like to invite Ms. Ni Yuelan."

"Teacher Ni?" Gu Yang sat up straight immediately. "That's a superstar! It's incredibly difficult to invite her!"

"It's very difficult." Ling Luo rubbed her temples. "If you think about it that way, we're still far from having enough manpower. I've checked the competition requirements, and in previous years, the songwriters basically brought ten singers with them. Although one person can sing two songs, it will be a big disadvantage."

"Damn, we're definitely short a lot of people." Yang, dejected, slumped back into his seat.

"Let's ask Teacher Zhuo and Teacher Ni tomorrow if they have any suitable recommendations." Ling Luo reached out and ruffled Gu Yang's meticulously styled hair. "You should get some sleep first; you've had a long day."

"Hmm, you should rest for a while too," Gu Yang muttered, tugging at his coat and closing his eyes.

I'm completely exhausted, both physically and mentally, from getting my hair styled this morning until now.

He had only closed his eyes for a short while when he suddenly opened them again and sprang up like a zombie.

"No, no!"

He frantically pulled out his phone and opened the trending topics list.

"What's wrong?" Ling Luo was somewhat exasperated by his overreaction.

At this moment, the trending topics list is almost entirely dominated by "Sunshine in the Cracks" and "Luoyang CP". The fans' fighting power is amazing. The previous rumors about a love triangle have long been wiped out.

But Gu Yang flipped through it several times from top to bottom and still couldn't find what he was looking for.

"Ling Luo, what about 'Puppet Show'?" Gu Yang shoved his phone in front of Ling Luo's face. "The song is getting a great response, and the stage design is amazing, so why isn't it trending on social media? This doesn't make sense!"

Ling Luo glanced at it and breathed a sigh of relief, thinking something serious had happened.

He took Gu Yang's phone, casually locked the screen and tossed it aside, then pulled Gu Yang's coat up.

"This song needs hype. It's not time for it to make its move yet."

"Huh???" Three big question marks appeared above Gu Yang's head.

Ling Luo explained calmly, "Most of the audience today know very little about the traditional culture of the Dragon Kingdom."

The reason they were amazed on the show was largely because they had never heard this kind of opera singing before and found it novel.

But what happens after the novelty wears off? They don't understand the underlying puppetry culture, so they can't discuss it in depth, and the initial excitement quickly fades.

"But 'Sunshine Through the Cracks' is different. It's about life, about the predicaments and hopes that everyone may experience, making it easier to resonate with. Compared to the two, it's normal that 'Puppet Show' isn't gaining popularity right now."

"Oh—" Gu Yang suddenly realized, "So, you mean we need to find some knowledgeable people to promote the cultural background of this song?"

"We don't need to look for them." A barely perceptible smile appeared on Ling Luo's lips. "Someone will help us."

Who is it?

"Teacher Jiang."

Ling Luo smiled and reached out to press down a stray hair sticking up on Gu Yang's head: "Professor Jiang is a professor in the Department of Music History, and he knows quite a few intangible cultural heritage inheritors. He knows the inheritors of puppetry like the back of his hand."

"..." Gu Yang was silent for a few seconds, then rolled his eyes at Ling Luo. "Ling Luo, you've changed! Where did you get all these cunning schemes from before? You're even plotting against Teacher Jiang!"

Ling Luo's face darkened, and she reached out her devilish hand to ruffle Gu Yang's newly done hair.

"Damn it! Ling Luo, what are you doing! My hair! I've been doing it all morning!" Gu Yang's scream suddenly rang out in the car.