wavenovel Chapter 4 Best Friend
Chapter 4 Best Friend
Su Xiaoxiao's red luxury car smoothly drove away from the Cloud Top Restaurant parking lot, the interior filled with a faint citrus fragrance.
"Sis, what do you think of him?" Su Xiaoxiao was driving, and the business elite demeanor she had displayed in the restaurant had vanished.
In the passenger seat, Su Yiyi was looking at the flowing lights outside the car window. She turned her head, her eyes shining: "Very talented. Maybe she's someone whose talent has been buried by Yu Ji."
"Buried?" Su Xiaoxiao raised an eyebrow. "Sister, there are plenty of people in the entertainment industry who are buried. Most of them aren't really buried; they were meant to be buried."
Su Yiyi gently shook her head: "Xiaoxiao, you can't always use your business logic to measure everything. Didn't you hear it in Wang Bo's song just now? The integrity of the melody, the imagery of the lyrics, and the emotional handling when he sang... these are definitely not things that can be done casually."
"I could tell," Su Xiaoxiao said nonchalantly, "which is why I gave him the invitation and letter of intent. But sis, being catchy and having commercial value are two different things. What's trending on short video platforms right now? It's 15-second brainwashing songs and addictive dance background music. His narrative ballads..."
"There has to be different kinds of music." Su Yiyi's voice was soft but firm. "If everyone only makes fast-food music, then the Chinese music scene is really doomed."
Su Xiaoxiao laughed: "My dear sister, you're still so idealistic. I admit Wang Bo is talented, but talent needs packaging, positioning, and marketing. What was the song he just sang called again? It didn't even have a proper name, let alone any arrangement or production. From a simple a cappella demo to a complete performance on the stage of the provincial university's centennial celebration, there's a world of difference between them."
"I believe he can do it." Su Yiyi's tone held the natural trust a teacher has in an outstanding student. "You've seen his piano playing level; that's not something you can achieve in a year or two. And he mentioned that he can compose..."
"Being able to create and being able to create works that are accepted by the market are two different things," Su Xiaoxiao said casually. "However, at least he gave me a surprise. I originally thought Yu Ji had given me a pretty face but no substance—you know her judgment of men has never been accurate."
She had barely finished speaking when her phone rang.
The caller ID displayed "Zhou Yuji".
The two sisters exchanged a glance, and Su Yiyi helped connect the call and pressed the speakerphone button.
"Xiaoxiao, are you done meeting with Wang Bo?" Zhou Yuji's voice came through the receiver. "How was it? Did that kid embarrass you?"
"Yu Ji, this is Yi Yi. We just finished meeting and are on our way back. Xiao Xiao is driving." Su Yi Yi gently answered for us. "Wang Bo... is quite nice."
"Yiyi...pretty good?" Zhou Yuji's voice rose eight octaves. "Just pretty good? What about Xiaoxiao? What did she say?"
Su Xiaoxiao asked, "Yuji, are you having him come here for a blind date or a job interview?"
"Hey, aren't all blind dates and job interviews the same?" came the clinking of glasses from Zhou Yuji's side. "Let me tell you, Wang Bo is a really honest guy. He got dumped by his girlfriend who was just starting out, and he was heartbroken for a while. I thought it would be good to keep the good stuff in the family, so I introduced you two. What do you think, Xiaoxiao, have you got your eye on him?"
Su Xiaoxiao rolled her eyes: "Yuji, I'm going to scout out potential collaborators, not to date."
"Isn't it the same?" Zhou Yuji said matter-of-factly. "You have to balance work and life. Look at your sister, all she does is teach students to play the piano and sing, and she's not worried about her personal life at all; and you, all you do is work, work, work, and you're always running around doing things at the company. It makes me anxious."
Su Yiyi tried to steer the conversation back on track: "Yuji, Wang Bo played the piano at the restaurant and even sang a song he wrote himself. He's really talented."
"Right, right!" Zhou Yuji's voice was smug. "I knew my judgment wouldn't be bad forever. When I signed him, I knew this kid had a good voice, he just hadn't found good material... Wait, he wrote his own songs? Wang Bo can write songs?"
"Not only can he write, he writes quite well," Su Xiaoxiao continued. "That's why I gave him a performance opportunity at the provincial university's centennial celebration and even sent him a letter of intent. If he performs well at the celebration, I'll consider signing him."
Zhou Yuji laughed without any restraint: "Fine, finally someone's taking over the last artist I didn't know how to handle... Sigh, I'm not cut out to run a company. Yuji Entertainment has been established for three years, and we've lost money for two and a half! Wang Bo was just wasting his youth following me. If you can get rid of him, I'll thank you!"
Su Yiyi sighed and rubbed her forehead in exasperation, while Su Xiaoxiao was already used to her best friend's extravagant spending: "Yuji, if Wang Bo hears you say that, he'll be heartbroken."
"What's there to be sad about? I'm just telling the truth." Zhou Yuji's voice suddenly became more serious. "Yiyi, Xiaoxiao, I'm telling you the truth. Wang Bo is an honest kid with nowhere to go. Xiaoxiao, if you really think he's good enough, take him with you. Once you take him away, I'll close down the company and go travel the world."
Su Xiaoxiao and Su Yiyi exchanged a glance.
This best friend is the youngest daughter in her family. She inherited part of her father's fortune. She is beautiful, has a carefree personality, and her life motto is "live for the moment."
"Yu Ji," Su Yiyi said softly, "did you tell Wang Bo these things?"
"Of course not!" Zhou Yuji said matter-of-factly. "If I told him, 'Kid, my company is going to fail, you'd better find your own way,' that would be too hurtful. This is much better; you've taken a liking to him, and he has better opportunities for development—a win-win situation!"
Su Xiaoxiao was speechless: "So, Yuji, the blind date you arranged today wasn't a real blind date at all, but rather an attempt to recommend an artist to me?"
"Oh, killing two birds with one stone!" Zhou Yuji laughed. "What if you two hit it off? Wang Bo is good-looking, isn't he? Although he's a bit poor right now, a man's potential is what matters! But it seems like you've hit it off at work first, so that's fine too."
"Rain Princess..." Su Xiaoxiao was speechless.
Zhou Yuji laughed and said, "Alright, that's enough. You two be careful on your way back."
The call ended, and the car returned to silence.
After a long pause, Su Xiaoxiao finally spoke: "Yu Ji is still the same, doing whatever comes to mind."
"But she might have actually done a good thing this time," Su Yiyi said with a smile. "If it weren't for her arrangement, we wouldn't have met Wang Bo."
Su Xiaoxiao remained noncommittal: "Sister, you have a good impression of Wang Bo because you admire his talent. But my company isn't a charity; I need to see his commercial value. The provincial university's centennial celebration will be a litmus test. If he can gain recognition on that occasion, it means his music at least has a certain audience."
"Do you think he can do it?" Su Yiyi asked.
Su Xiaoxiao pondered for a moment: "His piano skills are professional, and his singing is much better than I imagined. But a complete performance requires more: arrangement, accompaniment, stage presence... and he only has half a month."
"I believe he can," Su Yiyi said. "There's a kind of... determination in his eyes. Not the kind of blind confidence, but the kind of determination that comes from knowing what you want."
Su Xiaoxiao glanced at her sister and suddenly smiled: "Sister, you rarely comment on a person like that, especially a man."
Su Yiyi blushed slightly: "I'm just stating the facts, and besides, I'm a music teacher, so evaluating students is my job."
"He's not your student anymore," Su Xiaoxiao teased. "Besides, Yu Ji originally wanted him to be my boyfriend."
"Xiaoxiao!" Su Yiyi gave her sister a reproachful look. "Wang Bo's most important thing right now is career opportunities, not dating."
"I know, I know." Su Xiaoxiao raised one hand in surrender. "But to be honest, if he really performs well at the celebration, I will seriously consider signing him. But the terms will be based on market rules, and I won't give him special treatment just because of Yu Ji."
At this moment, Wang Bo came out of the restaurant carrying the leftover food in a lunchbox.
The night breeze was slightly cool, and he looked up at the sparse stars in the city's night sky.
In just half a month, he had only half a month to transform himself from an obscure, unknown singer into someone who could amaze the entire audience at the provincial university's centennial celebration.