Chapter Seventeen: The Chosen Candidate

Wang Mo’s smile didn’t waver. After He Zhi left, he turned to Li Yating and Chen Yiying. “What are your thoughts?” he asked.

He had expected that, like He Zhi, these two would also refuse the audition. If that was the case, he’d have no choice but to find another way. But to his surprise, Li Yating was the first to speak. “I’ll give it a try.”

With that, she began to sing a cappella: “Every time, I find strength in loneliness. Every time, though I’m hurt, I never let my tears fall…”

She sang a few lines before Wang Mo signaled her to stop. Li Yating’s voice was lovely, full of strength, but it leaned toward a sweet, gentle style. It lacked the piercing power and resolute delivery he was searching for, something akin to Zhang Shaohan’s distinctive timbre.

He shook his head. “I’m sorry. This song might not be the best fit for you.”

Li Yating took it with grace. “It’s all right. I suppose I’m not quite good enough.”

“Don’t underestimate yourself,” Wang Mo replied with a gentle smile. “You have real talent. It’s just that your style doesn’t suit this song. If you trust me, whenever I have a piece that fits your voice, I’ll invite you to try it.”

“Of course!” Li Yating exchanged contact details with him before leaving.

Wang Mo then turned to the last singer, Chen Yiying.

Chen Yiying stood and gave a wry smile. “My voice is similar to Li Yating’s. If she’s not suitable, then I suppose I won’t be either. You’d better look for someone else.”

Wang Mo didn’t press. “All right.”

Once all three had left, Liu Zhengwen looked at him with a mixture of frustration and disappointment. “You’re too stubborn, you know that? You should’ve agreed to He Zhi just now—she’s a second-tier singer! If you’d given her this song, with her position, there’s at least a fifty percent chance it would hit the top ten in next month’s new song chart. You’re missing a golden opportunity!”

If He Zhi sang “Invisible Wings” and pushed it into the top ten of September’s new song chart, Wang Mo would become a composer whose works broke into the top ten for two consecutive months—August and September. What an honor that would be!

Wang Mo said, “If He Zhi won’t audition, I can’t tell if her voice suits the song or not. How could I just hand it to her?”

Liu Zhengwen could only sigh. All three candidates had failed to match.

Only Zheng Wanru and Su Xueyao remained.

On the third day, Zheng Wanru rushed back from an out-of-town event and agreed to audition. Unfortunately, she still failed to satisfy Wang Mo.

Now, only Su Xueyao was left—his final hope. If she wasn’t up to the mark, he would have to lower his standards and give the song to Li Yating. With enough takes and post-production edits, the result would be passable.

One day passed. Two days. Several more slipped by. With only three days left in August, just as Wang Mo was preparing to contact Li Yating for recording, he received word: Su Xueyao had finally returned to the company.

Without hesitation, Wang Mo arranged to meet her immediately.

From the first moment he laid eyes on Su Xueyao, Wang Mo was taken aback. The girl was far prettier than the photos in her file. She was not tall—about five foot three—but radiated a crisp, capable air, and her eyes were exceptionally clear and bright.

“Brother Mo, I’m really sorry. I’ve just been so busy this month that I got back late,” Su Xueyao apologized repeatedly, bowing as she spoke. All the while, she sized up this legendary top star she’d heard so much about.

He really is handsome!

Wang Mo studied her carefully before speaking. “You’re still a newcomer, right? That busy already?”

Su Xueyao looked embarrassed. “It’s not that I have a lot of jobs—just odd gigs here and there.”

“Odd gigs?”

“Yes. The competition in the vocal department is fierce. If you can’t make a name for yourself with the one or two songs the company gives you, your chance to debut is basically gone. Someone like me, who’s been in the department for over a year without any results, is in the most awkward position. Not really a newcomer, but not established enough, either.”

Her voice was crisp and pleasant. She spoke of hardship, yet there was no hint of complaint. “To survive in the company, I have to take whatever work I can get. Now it’s summer break, and there are so many company openings, wedding banquets, and graduation parties that need singers to liven things up. That’s why I’ve been so busy.”

Wang Mo understood. As expected, until you’ve made a name for yourself, life isn’t all that glamorous.

Soon, they got down to business.

“I’ve already explained the basic situation to you and sent you the demo in advance. How do you feel about it?” Wang Mo asked.

“I really like this song, but I’m not sure if I can do it justice,” Su Xueyao replied.

“Could you sing a few lines now?”

“Of course.”

She took a small sip of water to moisten her throat, then began to sing.

From the very first lines, Wang Mo’s eyes lit up.

This young woman, as she sang, conveyed the perseverance and indomitable spirit embedded in the song. Her voice was clear and recognizable. While her projection wasn’t quite as strong as he’d hoped, this was only an a cappella performance—after some post-production, she would likely meet all his expectations.

Soon, she reached the high notes. A bright, ringing sound pierced the air, rivaling even the original singer in his memory.

But what truly moved him was the emotional depth she expressed. It was as if she’d really lived through hardships, and her feelings came through perfectly in her voice.

A look of joy appeared on Wang Mo’s face.

This was it! After waiting more than ten days, he was not disappointed.

When Su Xueyao finished her audition, she looked at him nervously. “Brother Mo?”

Rather than answering, Wang Mo asked, “Su Xueyao, I have a very important question for you: are you willing to split the song’s earnings equally with the lyricist and composer?”

Su Xueyao was taken aback. “You mean, after the company’s cut, the singer gets 50% and the composer 50%?”

“No,” Wang Mo shook his head. “The singer, lyricist, and composer each get an equal share. In other words, after the company’s portion, you’d only receive one third of the remainder.”

On both his previous world and this one, producers and arrangers were not entitled to a share of the song’s profits—they received only a one-time payment. So, even though many recognized the importance of arrangement, arrangers were generally excluded from royalty splits and held no copyright.

Su Xueyao was silent for a moment, then looked up and asked, “Could you tell me if Xing-ge also splits profits this way?”

“Yes,” Wang Mo replied.

“Then I can accept it,” she said.

A brilliant smile finally broke across Wang Mo’s face. “In that case, the song is yours. I’ll send you the full score in a bit. Take a few days to get familiar with it, and once you have it down, we’ll record right away. The sooner we release it, the better.”

“Thank you so much for your trust, Brother Mo! I’ll go practice right away—I won’t let you down!” Su Xueyao’s face glowed with excitement.

“I’ll be waiting,” Wang Mo replied.

She nodded repeatedly, then hurried off toward the vocal department.

But after just a few steps, a thought struck her: It was already the end of August. If she took a few more days to learn the song, August would be over. By the time she recorded and post-production was finished, the master would probably be ready well into September.

By then, releasing the song and competing for the charts would be nearly impossible.

But hadn’t Wang Mo just said they’d try to release the song as soon as possible?

What did he mean by that?

Su Xueyao was left feeling quite confused.