Chapter Sixty-Two: The Lineup of Debut Singers

“Hurry up and finish learning it. I have important business to attend to later.”

“Alright.”

Yan Yu agreed readily, extremely satisfied with the song he had so carefully selected. He could hardly wait to cradle his guitar, sitting in the quiet, deserted garden with his little girlfriend, playing and singing for her. Then, with the cool breeze gently blowing and the beauty beside him, everything would be perfect…

Tsk tsk.

Of course, all these fantasies were his wishful thinking.

…

“Sing with me!”

Since it was just two men, and with no one around to gossip, Ren Qian decided to let loose for once.

Men, after all. Why be shy? For a song this bold and boisterous, there's no need for affectation. The point is to abandon all restraint!

‘Lamb kidney is good~
Lamb kidney is wonderful~
Do you know the effects of lamb kidney?!
Lamb kidney is beautiful~
Lamb kidney leaps~
Eat lamb kidney and you’ll be amazed~
Lamb kidney is fragrant~
Lamb kidney is strong~
Lamb kidney heals the wounds you’ve suffered!
Lamb kidney is exhilarating~
Lamb kidney is wild~
Lamb kidney will tear you apart all night long!!’

Though the lyrics were simple, the song had an air of returning to basics. Good, wonderful, beautiful, leaps, fragrant, strong, exhilarating, wild—these eight words were concise, skillfully chosen. You could try to swap them out, but after days spent poring over the dictionary, you’d find it nearly impossible to find words that fit the context better.

The collective wisdom of the people is truly formidable.

If you savor it carefully, you'll notice that these eight words actually follow a progression, each having its own significance. Good, wonderful, beautiful, leaps, fragrant, strong, exhilarating, wild—the tone grows steadily more intense, and in a few words, the song describes the effects of lamb kidney as a powerful tonic with vivid detail.

And when ‘tear you apart all night long’ appears, doesn’t the imagery become strikingly strong?

One of music’s highest realms is the ability to convey imagery to the listener, and “The Legend of the Lamb Kidney” undoubtedly demonstrates this in textbook fashion!

‘Lamb kidney for a boost, to ease a man’s hardships!
Lamb kidney for a boost, to make a woman happier!
Lamb kidney for a boost, to grant true prowess!
Lamb kidney for a boost, for family harmony!’

Yan Yu shook his head and swayed along, hyped up with Ren Qian.

He could already picture his little girlfriend’s adoring, enamored gaze. Then she’d pledge herself to him, and their love would be wild and passionate… Just the thought of it made him grin.

Ahem… Back to the point, keep singing!

‘Lamb kidney is good~
Lamb kidney is wonderful~

Do you know the effects of lamb kidney?!
Lamb kidney is beautiful~
Lamb kidney leaps~
Eat lamb kidney and you’ll be amazed!
Lamb kidney is fragrant~
Lamb kidney is strong~
Lamb kidney heals the wounds you’ve suffered~
Lamb kidney is exhilarating~
Lamb kidney is wild~
Lamb kidney will tear you apart all night long!
Lamb kidney for a boost, to ease a man’s hardships!
Lamb kidney for a boost, to make a woman happier!
Lamb kidney for a boost, to grant true prowess!
Lamb kidney for a boost, for family harmony!
Lamb kidney for a boost, to ease a man’s hardships!
Lamb kidney for a boost, to make a woman happier!
Lamb kidney for a boost, to grant true prowess!
Lamb kidney for a boost, for family harmony!
Lamb kidney for a boost, to ease a man’s hardships!
Lamb kidney for a boost, to make a woman happier!
Lamb kidney for a boost, to grant true prowess!
Lamb kidney for a boost, for family harmony!
Lamb kidney for a boost, to ease a man’s hardships!
Lamb kidney for a boost, to make a woman happier!
Lamb kidney for a boost, to grant true prowess!
Lamb kidney for a boost, for family harmony!’

Over and over, Young Master Yan finally learned the entire song by heart.

He wiped his dry lips, gulped down a big cup of warm tea, and let out a heavy sigh.

Then he looked at Ren Qian with gratitude.

To help him win over his girlfriend, Ren Qian had written a song just for him and taught him by hand.

Brother Qian was truly painstaking, pouring his heart and soul into it.

Remembering how he’d once used Brother Qian’s phone number to make a dishonest fortune, Yan Yu felt a pang of guilt. Next time, he’d treat Brother Qian to a celebratory dinner…

Feeling uneasy, Young Master Yan’s cheeks flushed. He hurried to change the subject: “The more I sing this song, the catchier and more flavorful it gets.

Maybe I’m too shallow, but I’ve only now realized this song might have a deeper central theme. I’ll have to study it carefully at home!”

Ren Qian: “……”

There’s no ‘central theme’ here—it's a song meant to be taken at face value.

Dirty is dirty, no need to clean it up!

“Think it over at home. It’ll benefit you for life.”

Ren Qian was already used to making mountains out of molehills and speaking nonsense with a straight face.

Sigh… Though he appeared indifferent to Young Master Yan, he still felt a pang of sorrow.

What a pity—a perfectly good rich second generation, with all the makings of a dashing gentleman, yet he insisted on walking the path of a loser.

Who instilled these aesthetic values in him?

Truly cruel and inhumane.

“One more thing! ‘The Legend of the Lamb Kidney’ has nothing to do with me. You must never reveal the true author to anyone!”

Ren Qian reminded him once again. This kind of dirty, embarrassing history, once exposed, would certainly get him publicly denounced.

…

Finally, he sent off the ridiculous Young Master Yan.

Ren Qian changed into a suit, applied a bit of hair wax, styled himself handsomely, and took a cab to Jiangnan TV’s broadcast headquarters.

It had been a few days since the program details were finalized.

Hong Tao had finally called with news: all the singers needed had been contacted.

Around noon today, the initial singers would gather at the station, awaiting Jiangnan TV’s arrangements. Actually, Hong Tao was waiting for Ren Qian’s guidance; Ren Qian was undoubtedly better at handling many things.

So Ren Qian needed to arrive early.

First, to inspect the music equipment, backstage dubbing team, and musical director to see if they met his standards.

Second, to observe the singers’ real abilities—what’s on a CD and what’s live are two different things.

Today, he was once again the domineering CEO.

Even though he arrived by taxi—which was hardly a multimillion-dollar luxury car—his manner and the way he got out created an aura as if he were strutting down the Oscar red carpet, cool and impressive. Of course, most of that coolness was probably his own imagination.

Familiar with the routine, he went straight to Director Hong’s office, and together they headed for the studio.

Beside Jiangnan TV’s broadcast headquarters lay the Window of the World; now there was no amusement park.

That entire area naturally belonged to the broadcasting authority.

As such, the broadcasting authority had three studios, each twelve hundred square meters.

“I Am a Singer” managed to secure an exclusive studio for this season!

Such treatment could hardly be described as anything less than luxurious—

On Mango TV, “I Am a Singer” shared a studio with “Happy Camp” and “Day Day Up”; equipment was installed temporarily for each show and dismantled afterwards.

The process was cumbersome, and moving equipment risked damage.

Now, none of those problems existed. Truly, the rich are willful.

After ‘inspecting’ the place, Ren Qian was quite satisfied with Director Hong’s efficiency: the stage had been designed, lasers and lighting were being installed, the orchestra’s position was marked out, and the whole recording site was taking shape.

Excellent. Ren Qian gave Director Hong a thumbs-up, then hurried off to the meeting room.

As a flagship show, every aspect had to be compelling, to captivate the audience.

The initial lineup is the most direct magnet for ratings.

If the singers recruited were all second-rate, the show would flop from the start.

If the singers’ stage styles were monotonous, the show would flop after two episodes.

Ren Qian’s selection of the initial lineup considered every angle.

There were veteran singers with classic hits,

There were current, active A-list stars,

And there were promising dark horses about to sweep the country!

As for which singers those were, that would be revealed when Ren Qian opened the door.

The answer…