Tokyo: The evil god doesn't want to be the top star

Every March, the weather news company will publish the "Cherry Blossom Front" of the year to predict the blooming time of cherry blossoms in various places, so that cherry blossom lovers can arrange "Cherry Blossom Viewing Tour Line" to enjoy the scenery of various places along the way.

"Singing 'Sakura' in a place where cherry blossoms are in full bloom... It's so appropriate and romantic. The atmosphere on the scene must be very infectious!"

"Xia Fan, you are amazing to come up with such an idea!"

Imagining the beautiful scene of herself singing under the cherry blossom tree, Hoshina Hanami's girlish heart burst into tears and she nodded in agreement like a chick pecking at rice.

Chapter 23: Sakura Front, the Beautiful Girl's Farewell Song

2024-07-13

"Every year, there are many tourists chasing the 'Sakura Front', locals also gather together to enjoy the cherry blossoms, and there are many students taking graduation photos. If you follow the 'Sakura Front' and sing along the way in the cherry blossom viewing spots, you don't have to worry about the popularity of the scene."

"Oh, by the way, we can also make a series of planning videos and post them on Hanami's personal social media account, so we don't have to worry about running out of content for online promotion. A beautiful girl singing about parting sorrow in the cherry blossom rain is touching just thinking about it..."

After thinking about the "planning proposal" put forward by Xia Fan, Yoshihide Higashino and Ryoko Tachibana suddenly felt their ideas become clear.

"Not only did he write a masterpiece like 'Sakura', but he was also able to come up with this highly profitable S-level project..."

"You kid, you're so weird!"

Then, they all looked at Xia Fan with incredible eyes at the same time.

"That's not an exaggeration. I just know this song better and it just came to my mind..."

Xia Fan waved his hands repeatedly.

What he didn’t say was that in the previous life on Earth, when “Sakura” was first released, no one was interested in it. The original singer, Naotarou Moriyama, used this “walking singing” method to promote it, and eventually its popularity blossomed like cherry blossoms, and it was called the “Sakura Miracle.”

"There's no time to lose. The flowering season in Kyushu is almost over. We have to hurry and set off! The name of this project is "Sakura Front, the Farewell Song of the Beautiful Girl!" I'll write a proposal right away..."

"Leave the tour route, accompanying team and equipment to me for overall coordination."

Yoshihide Higashino and Ryoko Tachibana were both action-oriented people. Their eyes immediately lit up and they began to make arrangements.

"Following 'Sakura Front' from Kyushu all the way to Hokkaido? There are many cities I haven't been to yet. This must be a trip worth remembering for a lifetime..."

Xing Minghua held her chin with anticipation and glanced at Xia Fan secretly.

"If we sing on the road, will Xia Fan come to help?"

She asked hesitantly and in a low voice.

"Originally, Xia Fan could have been an intern. Not only would it be good work experience, but it could also help me increase the number of people and earn a decent salary."

"Unfortunately, he got another job..."

Higashino Yoshihide held a cigarette in his mouth and typed on the keyboard without raising his head.

"Huh? I have a new job?"

Xia Fan, whose forehead was just short of the word "poverty", showed an expectant look.

"That's right. Who told you to go crazy with the first song you wrote?"

"Late last night, the head of the music club, Touguchi Norio, called me and repeatedly confirmed with me whether 'Xia Fan' was a pseudonym for some big music producer. After I guaranteed with my life that you were a newcomer, he insisted that I find a way to sign you to the music club."

"I didn't tell him that you were my contracted artist. I only said that we were in a partnership. At most, I helped him get you to be a 'part-time musician'. I finally managed to trick you into getting this 'unequal agreement'."

Having said that, Dongye winked slyly and threw a document to Xia Fan.

Originally, Xia Fan had only signed an performing arts agency contract with his company and had not signed a long-term contract for music creation, so he was not lying.

"Part-time cooperation agreement for the Music Department of Company B?"

Xia Fan quickly flipped through it and found that it was a work contract. The content was that he would cooperate with Company B in music production on a "part-time" basis, and the remuneration would be in the form of "sharing of the works", without any "exclusive" restrictive clauses.

"Those who can work in Bethesda's music department, whether part-time or full-time, are all top musicians in the industry. Your work experience here will be of great benefit to your future development, but Bethesda is a difficult ship to get on and off, so there's no need to be tied down from the start."

"Besides, you are still studying. It's ok to work part-time, but if you delay your studies because of working full-time, your dad will kill me."

Dongye rubbed his dark circles and stretched.

Bethesda has always been quite overbearing in terms of contracts and copyrights. If Xia Fan had signed the contract when he was an amateur, his future development would have been limited.

He had obviously thought it over carefully, which was why he argued with Tongkou Jinao for most of the night and strived to "maximize benefits" for Xia Fan.

"I have no opinion."

As always, Xia Fan signed the agreement without hesitation.

Bethesda's music department is the industry's top song creation and publishing platform. There is no reason for me to refuse this non-restrictive work contract.

"By the way, speaking of work, didn't Xia Jun ask me to recommend a part-time job like a well-paid advertising shoot?"

"I recommended you to someone I know at SUN Advertising yesterday. Please contact him to schedule an audition when you are free."

After hanging up the phone, Tachibana Ryoko came up with an intoxicating fragrance and handed Xia Fan a business card with "SUN Advertising Company" printed on it.

"Xia Fan has so much work to do, there's really nothing we can do. He's going out to sing this time, and I don't know how long it will take him to come back..."

Thinking that she might not be in Tokyo for a while, Hoshina Hanami's face shrugged.

"By the way, Xia, Xia Fan, I wanted to tell you on the phone yesterday that this debut went so smoothly, all thanks to you. If I have time to go back to Tokyo, please let me treat you to a meal!"

Then, she cheered herself up again and made a request to Xia Fan.

"As for eating, it's fine when everyone is free. You must do your best when you go to sing this time!"

Xia Fan nodded in agreement and encouraged her seriously.

The better the publicity effect of Hoshina Hanami is, the greater the potential of "Sakura" can be squeezed out, helping himself to earn more faith and commissions.

"Ok?"

"Oh?"

Yoshihide Higashino, who was writing a plan, and Ryoko Tachibana, who was talking on the phone with someone, looked at each other silently.

"Hey, hey, there seems to be something wrong with these two..."

"When did you start calling each other by name? Something's wrong. I need to observe you carefully."

The "Yokohama Two-Headed Dragon" has developed an "encrypted communication channel" that can communicate with eye contact only after hundreds of fights. It has awakened again after ten years.

"Advertising shooting, music production..."

"I've been picking my feet for half a month, and now I get two job offers?"

Without noticing other people's different thoughts, Xia Fan just stared blankly at the part-time job agreement and business card on the table.

"Speaking of which, what would the Bethesda music department, the place where music students dream of getting a good education, look like? There should be a suitable channel for publishing "Gurenge"..."

He had a feeling that he would be very busy in the coming period.

……

A few days later, in Shinjuku, on the 10th floor of the B-company building, in the music club.

"Hello, Section Chief Yamazaki. My name is Xia Fan. I have made an appointment to join the company. Here is my resume and the cooperation agreement."

In the spacious office, Xia Fan took out a stack of documents from his bag and handed it to the man sitting opposite him.

Chapter 24 Joining the Music Club

2024-07-13

"Xia Fan, male, of Dragon origin, 19 years old, a first-year student in the Department of Music at Tokyo University of the Arts."

"Work experience, including acting experience as a KKC advertising model, a poster model for a waist-strengthening and kidney-strengthening beverage... Part-time work experience includes flyer delivery, Chinese restaurant kitchen helper, convenience store clerk, and arcade clerk..."

“Qualification certificate, motor vehicle driving license (within the beginner identification period)…no bad record…experience of being defrauded: 1 time…”

A middle-aged man in a suit and tie with sparse hair took the information and read it carefully.

"You're a college student? You have quite a lot of work-study experience... You even wrote down the number of times you've been defrauded. It's simply the most you've ever seen..."

When he read to a certain point, the middle-aged man raised his head and looked at Xia Fan with a strange expression.

Then, he brought the cooperation agreement close to his face and looked at it carefully from top to bottom through the thick lenses of his glasses.

The meticulous posture was as if what was in front of him was not an agreement, but a banknote that needed to be verified for authenticity.

"Well, the agreement is indeed the company's standard format, and the seal on it is also genuine."

After a while, he adjusted his glasses and looked at Xia Fan again with a serious expression.

"Ahem, Xia Jun, right? My name is Hiroshi Yamazaki. I am the head of the music department of Company B. I am responsible for the overall planning, coordination and management of music production business."

"Mr. Xia, I don't want to know how you signed this 'part-time' agreement, which is only open to senior musicians in the company. But I want to confirm first, given your appearance and work experience, if you want to work part-time, it should be in the performing arts department. Why did you choose the music department?"

After introducing himself, Yamazaki Hiroshi asked seriously.

"Well... because I'm a student in the music department and I love music creation?"

Xia Fan answered tentatively.

You can't just say "I'm short of money, I have a terminal illness, and I'm possessed by an evil spirit, so I need a stable and controllable channel like the music department to make money and gain faith."

"Passion?"

"So, how do you think you'll work in the music department with your freshman degree and lackluster work-study experience?"

Hearing this answer, Yamazaki Hiroshi's eyes twitched.

"Well...if I work hard on writing songs, today I will be proud of the company, and tomorrow the company will be proud of me?"

Xia Fan tilted his head and gave another tentative answer.

"Pfft, being young is good..."

"If high-quality music works, like class assignments, can be produced through 'seriousness' and 'hard work', then the status of our department in Bethesda would not be so special."

Yamazaki Hiroshi sneered and shook his head.

"Forget it. Since you were assigned to this position by your superiors, I won't make things difficult for you. I'll just show you around first."

He sighed, stood up and walked out the door.

"This entire floor is the music department's territory. How is it? It's huge, right?"

Following Hiroshi Yamazaki, Xia Fan visited the music department's office.

"This is the lounge in the middle. When producers are tired from work or lack inspiration, they will rest here. There are various musical instruments and sound testing equipment, music theory books and music scores. The tea room next to it is equipped with drinks and food, and there is also a 24-hour meal delivery service."

As a core department of a top entertainment company, the working conditions in the music department are truly impeccable.

The lounge alone has six sofa sets, an entire wall of music books and materials, and all kinds of valuable musical instruments and recording equipment piled up in the corner like garbage.

"The one on the right side of the corridor is the master studio, which is a single room for senior music producers who have a cooperative relationship with Bethesda."

"On the left is the centralized office area, where the professional music producers who work on the 'regular shift' all have their workstations."

"The music producers who have changed jobs at Bethesda represent the top level of the industry. They must be elites with solid academic qualifications and rich industry experience. Most importantly, they must maintain more than three best-selling works within two years to be eligible to continue to sit here."

"I don't know, nor do I want to know, how you got here, but since you're in my music department, you have to make a living based on your abilities and discard those unrealistic ideas."

Leading Xia Fan into the office area in a chattering manner, Yamazaki Hiroshi specially emphasized the pronunciation of the words "education", "experience" and "representative works".

"I have been waiting for the day when I can meet you again, on that path where cherry blossoms are dancing..."

In the office area separated by floor-to-ceiling glass, Xia Fan could hear a familiar singing voice from afar.

“The melody doesn’t have overly complicated techniques, which can best accommodate the audience and better set off the vocals.”

"The lyrics are very heartfelt, without any difficult or flowery words, and resonate with the 'common memories' that most listeners have!"

"Also, the design is easy to learn and catchy. Maybe it has taken into account the subsequent KTV request rate..."

Inside the room, several music producers were gathered in front of the blackboard, discussing something intensely.

On the huge blackboard is the complete handwritten musical notation of "Sakura" with lyrics.

"Hey, old man Yamazaki is here..."

"Who's that guy behind him?"

"He's quite handsome. Could he be an artist here to invite me to sing?"

The music producers stopped discussing and looked curiously at Xia Fan behind Yamazaki.

"Are you discussing 'Sakura' again? That's right. We can't just work in isolation. Music producers need to keep an eye on the market trends."

"Everyone, let me introduce you. This is Xia Fan, our new part-time worker. He's a top freshman in the Department of Music at Tokyo University of the Arts. You can slowly get to know each other better."