Chapter 102: Only three million! What a huge profit!

Manager He’s expression was one of utter mortification.

Under normal circumstances, he would never have uttered such brainless words. However, he had been under extreme mental strain throughout today’s meeting, and with the entire room’s attention fixed on him during the phone call, he had committed a low-level error, subconsciously repeating exactly what the other person had said.

"Damn it, that old codger Liu Zhengwen has ruined me!" Manager He cursed inwardly.

It was inconceivable. The other party had only contacted him yesterday to say someone had taken their request. Even if the words on the phone were a joke, it would be impossible to complete a composition in just a single day!

But soon, Manager He calmed himself down. Don't panic. Stay steady.

He took a deep breath and looked at Director Luo. "Director Luo, what I just said was the truth. That is exactly what Manager Liu from Yunhai Media told me. As a giant in the entertainment industry, Yunhai Media is acting so frivolously, using such jokes to brush off our clients. I suggest blacklisting them so we never collaborate with them again. At the same time, our Public Relations Department should issue a formal announcement to expose Yunhai Media’s disgraceful behavior."

Director Luo did not speak.

Manager He’s heart, which had just calmed down, immediately became anxious again.

A moment later, Director Luo suddenly asked, "You just said they sent the song to your email?"

Manager He nodded hurriedly. "Ye... yes."

"Open your email!" Director Luo commanded coldly.

Manager He felt a jolt run through him and quickly opened his inbox. To his surprise, there really was a new email from Manager Liu at Yunhai Media. He clicked on it to find a song titled "Sour and Sweet Is Me."

"This..." It really existed? Manager He was dumbfounded. At the same time, upon seeing the song title, his first thought was how perfectly it fit their "Yousuanru" yogurt brand.

No way? Could it be that Liu Zhengwen wasn't lying to me?

"What are you standing there for? I asked you, is there a song?" Director Luo barked.

"There is..."

"Connect the projector and the speakers. Play it!"

"Yes."

Manager He scrambled to get everything set up, and soon the song title appeared on the projector. A low buzz of murmurs immediately filled the conference room.

"Huh? Is that the song title?"
"It has a nice ring to it."
"It fits our product's core selling point quite well."

Even Director Luo was slightly taken aback when he saw the title, though his expression remained stern. It was just a song title, after all; it didn't reveal much.

Soon, the music began.

The lighthearted melody diluted the heavy atmosphere in the room, and then the singing reached everyone's ears.

"Earbuds in, small horn playing,
Hiding under the covers reading manga.
Although I am still in an ivory tower,
I long to grow up overnight."

Even with the synthesized female vocals, everyone’s first impression was: how sweet. This song actually allowed a room full of middle-aged people to hear a thick sense of youthful sweetness.

"Oh my." Manager He’s face turned grim. How is it that this sounds like a song about a girl enjoying her first sweet love? Are you kidding me? They are selling yogurt—what the hell does it have to do with a girl's first love?

He quickly interjected, "Director Luo... it’s the wrong song. I’ll turn it off right now."

"Stop!"

However, the next second, Director Luo stopped him with a glance, listening to the song with an even more focused expression. Just then, thanks to Manager He’s interruption, the song had reached the chorus.

"Liking the sour and the sweet, this is the real me.
Every day is incredibly fresh to me.
My picky taste buds,
Have the most unique distinction.
I like the sour and the sweet, this is the real me.
Pubescent me, a little bit narcissistic.
The adult world,
Is waiting for me to explore."

The crisp, clear lyrics and the innocent, sweet vocals echoed in the conference room. This time, Director Luo finally caught on. These lyrics. This imagery. It seemed, perhaps, potentially, to fit the Yousuanru product perfectly.

He didn't notice that many people in the company were listening, their expressions turning increasingly remarkable. Director Luo, in particular, stood there motionless, as if he had been struck by a paralysis spell.

"Ha—grow up fast, grow up fast,
Say hi to this world.
I want to be myself, the most like me, myself.
Among the crowd, I am the most unique,
Singing my own song."

By the time it reached this part, there was no other sound in the conference room. Everyone simply listened, letting the music echo in their minds.

"Want to sing my own insights,
I want to be myself, loving myself the most.
Laughter and tears, I remember it all.
Dreams will always have deserts,
But dreams are a kind of happiness."

Director Luo, who had been standing there like a statue, finally moved. He shook his head slightly, as if still savoring the song.

Whether an advertising theme song is qualified depends first on positioning, second on lyrics, and third on melody. Their product, Yousuanru, was targeted at young people, especially teenage girls. That this song, "Sour and Sweet Is Me," could perfectly capture that raw, sour-sweet feeling was what Director Luo found most incredible. Especially since the track used only synthesized vocals.

If this were sung by a sweet-voiced spokesperson, and her image were printed on the Yousuanru packaging, Director Luo could hardly imagine the massive reaction the product would stir.

Then there were the lyrics. They weren't particularly elegant, profound, or deep, but this kind of relaxed, happy, and uplifting style was exactly what suited a girl's heart. In Director Luo's own words: it was just right.

As for the melody, it went without saying; one look at the expressions of the executives in the room was enough to know it was top-tier.

"Manager He..." After the song had ended for a while, Director Luo finally spoke.

Manager He hurried forward. "Yes, Director Luo?"

Even as he spoke, his heart was still in his throat; he had no idea what Director Luo thought after listening to the song. But from his own judgment, the song was well above passing. Although he had initially mistaken it for a first-love song, by the end, he realized how wrong he had been. The meaning expressed in the song was far too perfect for the Yousuanru product. As the advertising manager, he had that much discernment—he had just been too nervous at the beginning, leading to a misjudgment.

Sure enough, Director Luo said in a deep voice, "Call Yunhai Media. Tell them we’ve decided: we’ll take this song."

Manager He asked, "No revisions?"

Director Luo shook his head. "No. The lyrics and melody are just right. To revise it rashly would be gilding the lily."

Manager He: "Understood, I will contact them immediately."

Director Luo nodded, then added, "Ask them who exactly wrote this song, and if it really only took half an hour to finish the music and lyrics."

The claim of half an hour seemed absurd to Director Luo. But even if it had been composed since yesterday, that was still only one day. Which composer at Yunhai Media had such talent?

At the same time, he found it even stranger: if Yunhai Media had a composer of this caliber, why hadn't they taken their request before? Why wait until yesterday?

Soon, Manager He returned with an answer: "Director Luo, Manager Liu from Yunhai Media says this request was taken by their ace composer, Wu Yan. Of course, the claim about half an hour was a joke. It actually took Wu Yan one night to compose this song."

"Wu Yan? Who is that?" As a director for a dairy group, he knew nothing about the music industry.

But when the others in the room heard Manager He’s words, several let out low gasps.

"It's actually Wu Yan."
"Did I hear that right? A song written by Wu Yan?"
"Oh my god."

Hearing the others' discussion, Director Luo asked in confusion, "Is this Wu Yan very famous?"

One person stood up and nodded. "Famous, extremely famous." He then recounted Wu Yan's track record over the past few months, adding, "I hear many singers in the industry have offered millions to get a song from Wu Yan, but none have succeeded. It's truly surprising that he actually took our request for an advertising theme song this time."

"Oh?" After listening to the man's explanation, Director Luo pondered for a moment and then asked, "So, we bought his song for three million—did we get a bargain?"

"Absolutely." The man who had spoken earlier nodded vigorously. "To get a song by Wu Yan for only three million is an absolute steal."

...

At Yunhai Media, after receiving Manager He’s call, Liu Zhengwen felt a sense of shock, despite his prior intuition. He looked at Yuan Xiong and Wang Mo, who were staring at him, and said, "Word from Gaoniu Group is that the song has been approved. And they didn't change a single word or note."

As he spoke, he muttered to himself: What a monster! Such a demanding request from Gaoniu Group, and Wang Mo finished it in less than a day. He's not human! Especially considering that a while ago, when several of the company's composers took this request, their work was torn apart by Manager He, who listed a mountain of conditions for what needed changing. And now, facing Wang Mo's song, Manager He didn't have a single complaint.

Elated, he added, "I should have asked for four million."

Yuan Xiong shook his head with a smile. "Don't get greedy. Three million is already within expectations."

"True." Liu Zhengwen nodded and looked at Wang Mo. "There is one more thing. I told Gaoniu that any song written by Wu Yan must have the singer chosen by you. Gaoniu was a bit hesitant at first, but they didn't object. Wang Mo, do you have someone in the company suitable to sing this?"

"I do." Wang Mo had been prepared; he pulled a slip of paper from his pocket and handed it over. "Her!"

Liu Zhengwen took it, looked at it, and his face instantly fell. "Listen, brother, you picked another rookie? You aren't doing this because rookies have lower splits, are you?"

"Of course not!" Wang Mo said righteously. "I chose her purely because she looks sweet and her voice is lovely. There is absolutely no personal bias involved."

Liu Zhengwen still frowned. "But... Gaoniu probably won't agree to having a rookie sing their theme song. Their preferred choice was the spokesperson for Yousuanru."

"That's easy to solve." Wang Mo pointed to the name on the paper. "Then make her the spokesperson for Yousuanru!"

Liu Zhengwen looked at him as if he were insane. "You think you can make Gaoniu listen to you?"

Wang Mo: "Manager Liu, give Gaoniu a call and pass on my message. Tell them that if they agree to make her the spokesperson, I'll give them one or two more catchphrases for the ad. I guarantee they'll feel it's worth more than what they paid."

Liu Zhengwen didn't react much, but Yuan Xiong suddenly jumped up, looking at Wang Mo with suspicion: "You know advertising too?"