Chapter 3: Aspiring to Make a Fortune in the Entertainment Industry
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Wiping his mouth, Xu Qing silently set down his teacup. He fixed a steady gaze on the slightly embarrassed Li Can. The look seemed to say, “Do you really have no intention of holding back around me?!”
“I think the future of the internet will develop rapidly. Maybe I could explore new media. But primarily, I still want to be a musician. I’ll see how things go; if it doesn’t work out, I might teach kids at a music store. And if that fails too, I’ll just go home and take over my father’s restaurant.”
“...”
The more Li Can explained, the more ridiculous it sounded, prompting Xu Qing to roll his eyes. The last two sentences were better left unheard.
Regarding Li Can’s future, Xu Qing and Sir Henry shared similar hopes—they wanted him to pursue classical music. Li Can was incredibly talented and destined to carve his name into music history—not just with “Fantasy Impromptu.”
In just one short academic year as an exchange student, Li Can had already produced works like “Requiem Mass” and “June Barcarolle,” pieces highly praised by Sir Henry. It even moved Sir Henry to declare, “I will do everything in my power to help you; that is a knight’s vow.”
Yet Xu Qing also understood that the cost and rewards of serious art differed vastly from those in the entertainment industry.
If pursuing serious art required giving 100% effort for a reward of 100, then making money in entertainment only needed 20-30% effort for returns of 10,000 or even 100,000. The gap was staggering.
Though Xu Qing hoped his disciple would have artistic pursuits and reach great heights, he would never disregard the student’s personal life for the sake of so-called artistic prestige or the fame of a great mentor.
After all, most people studying music were wealthy, but most musicians were broke. The financial strain came from studying music—who would play music without passion?
My dear disciple, just make your money! As long as you don’t forget to produce serious music and don’t cross moral boundaries, you won’t be betraying your teachers or ancestors.
...Anyway, your master was the same when he was young.
Xu Qing snorted, muttering to himself before speaking, “I’ll arrange an internship for you at an entertainment company. Go check it out and see if it suits you. If not, I’ll find another path for you.”
“Hehe, you’re the best, Master.”
Li Can chuckled.
“Don’t get too happy just yet. I’m serious about your graduation project, and my expectations are high. Get ready!”
“Don’t worry, Master.”
Li Can nodded, his eagle-like eyes flashing with a spark of mischief. Always ready to channel the ancient masters!
My Beethovens, Mozarts, Haydns, Bachs, Verdis, and Tchaikovskys are all itching to come alive! I’ll shake the earth beneath Blue Star with my creations.
“Alright, prepare yourself.”
Professor Xu Qing nodded slightly.
“For this year’s Outstanding Graduate Works Showcase, the collaborating orchestra is the National Symphony Orchestra. You’re the school’s rising star. Without your work on display, you’d be embarrassing us all.”
“Understood.”
Li Can nodded solemnly.
After a brief silence, Li Can asked, “So, Master, which money-making entertainment company should I report to? Are there many attractive female stars there?”
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“...”
This time, Xu Qing truly couldn’t hold back.
If anyone else said something like that, Xu Qing would have immediately given them a hard slap.
He wasn’t like Xu Qing in his youth; Li Can was even more wild.
“Get out! Get out!”
“All righty.”
Just as Li Can stuck out his tongue and was about to leave the office, Xu Qing took a deep breath and called him back.
“...Wait a moment!”
“Huh?”
“...Remember to check your phone later. I’ll send you the company info.”
“Hehe, Master, you’re so cool.”
“Get out!”
“Sure thing!”
Li Can laughed and waved, then carefully closed the door behind him.
“Pfft.”
Xu Qing shook his head and couldn’t help but laugh quietly. He leisurely sipped his tea and began to look forward to Li Can’s future works. Even if it was pop music, Li Can would surely produce a song that would make him marvel!
...
After leaving Xu Qing, not long after stepping out the door, Li Can’s phone buzzed with a message.
While browsing the internship company’s details, he quietly asked himself,
“Xiao Ai.”
[I'm here.]
“Analyze this: If I intern at a top ten domestic entertainment company’s music studio as an independent music producer, where I might take on some projects, what should I prepare?”
[Buy some cigarettes, bring some tea, play the social game, work hard, listen to the client’s demands. First, get an opportunity to showcase your skills. Singers and composers help each other; early on, you flatter them, later they flatter you.]
“Enough, shut up!”
Li Can rolled his eyes.
True to big data, the answer was brutally honest.
The best preparation for work is apparently… flattery.
“Female stars... cough cough! Let’s put that aside for now.”
Li Can glanced at the address, pocketed his phone, and strode toward the dormitory building.
“Time to check on my big brothers.”
He quickly reached the familiar dorm and knocked.
A quiet, handsome young man opened the door.
Seeing Li Can, the man’s expression stiffened.
“Brother Feng, I’m back, aren’t you touched?”
Li Can grinned and peeked inside.
“Where are Gangzi and the others?”
“Damn! Li Can! It really is you!”
Lin Feng sighed.
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Seeing Li Can gave him a headache.
Not because he was annoyed with him.
Actually, the two were quite close.
It was just that Li Can put so much pressure on everyone.
They were all geniuses, but anyone who had seen Li Can’s skill would have their resolve shattered—not because he was just powerful, but because he was powerful and yet didn’t even try—and still surpassed you.
Besides...
After all these years, Lin Feng knew all of Li Can’s secrets.
At first glance, no one would guess that Lin Feng—the elegant, aloof male idol—was actually…
A hopeless admirer.
“Hey, what’s going on? Let me guess…”
Li Can smirked and eyed Lin Feng, making him increasingly uncomfortable.
“Are you sticking close to Han Jiayin?”
“Shut up!”
Lin Feng blushed, though even his anger was refined.
What must come, will come.
Soon followed a stream of confusing phrases like, “True love isn’t called admiring,” “I’m a gentle and warm guy,” “Jiayin is a good girl, of course I treat her well,” “You’ll understand when you have a partner.”
The air was filled with lively cheer.
“Enough, get to the point.”
Lin Feng sighed, a hint of helplessness beneath his cultured demeanor.
“Chen Gang and Zhao Ze went for training, they’ll be back in a few days. I just got an interview invite, have to report to the internship company tomorrow. I need to sleep early tonight. We’ll all get together again during the holidays.”
Li Can paused.
“Internship? I’m interning too.”
“Where are you interning?”
“Stellar Entertainment. Why?”
Lin Feng looked at Li Can, puzzled.
“...”
Li Can felt this was fate.
Lin Feng was truly his big brother.
“Bro, I have to report to Stellar Entertainment tomorrow too.”
“? Didn’t you just come back from abroad? How did you get through the earlier rounds?”
“I didn’t participate.”
Seeing Lin Feng’s confused expression, Li Can felt a little awkward.
He gave a sheepish laugh.
“I was referred directly, no interview needed. Straight to independent music producer.”
“? You?!”