The weather in Harbor City was beautiful today, sunlight weaving between the skyscrapers, struggling to cast warm brightness over this international metropolis.
In front of a small white Western-style villa, Hu Songnan was watering the flowers in the yard.
This was his son's home. The villa didn't look large, wasn't particularly luxurious, and even had a bit of an aged feel. But don't underestimate it—anyone who could afford a villa in Harbor City, where land was worth its weight in gold, was no ordinary rich person!
Hu Songnan had been staying at his son's home for nearly a week now, but he hadn't gone out much to "see the world." Mainly because he preferred quiet over noise—playing the piano and tending to flowers had become his only pastimes.
His grandchildren were well-behaved, but they were young and had their own lives. Their company was naturally limited.
"Dad, let's go!" A middle-aged man, nearly fifty but well-preserved, walked out and said respectfully.
This was the old man's eldest son, Hu Yongxiang, the owner of Tianxiang Records, ranked fourth among Harbor City's record companies. Despite his lofty status, he still showed great respect before his father.
"What can an old man like me possibly guide you on?" Hu Songnan muttered as he sat in his son's car. "I'm not into pop music. I'm afraid I can't handle you young folks' stuff!"
Hu Yongxiang was driving his father himself, a slight smile on his face: "Not at all, Dad. You've been a teacher for so many years, with all that experience. You're just the one to whip these musicians in my company into shape! I can't think of anyone more suitable for the position of music director than you!"
Actually, he was just making things up.
Record companies had music directors, but he'd never heard of a "music director" position! Hu Yongxiang had created it for his father, wanting to keep the still relatively healthy old man active. Otherwise, staying cooped up at home all the time would lead to health problems.
At the company, Hu Songnan didn't throw his weight around. He maintained a kind smile, greeting everyone he passed and having gentle conversations with the executives his son summoned.
"Grandpa Hu, you can actually speak Cantonese?" Hu Yongxiang's secretary, Ye Xiaofeng, was a young girl, the daughter of a company shareholder sent here to gain experience. She was quite straightforward, even a bit blunt. (For ease of understanding, the Cantonese dialogue below has been automatically adjusted to Mandarin.)
"Mm, when I was young, I also studied in Harbor City." Hu Songnan didn't mind, nodding with a smile in response.
"Xiaofeng, even though he's from the mainland, don't underestimate him!" Hu Yongxiang was a bit displeased. He had always regarded his father as his lifelong idol, so he showed off like a child: "When he was young, he studied and taught in many places—Harbor City, the Federal Republic of Germany, Vienna in Austria, and more. Before my father turned fifty-five, he was invited to perform at the Vienna State Opera almost every year or two..."
Although Hu Yongxiang himself wasn't musically gifted and had limited skill, his excitement showed just how deeply his father had influenced him!
"That impressive?" Ye Xiaofeng's eyes seemed to sparkle like little stars.
"No, no, that's all in the past. To connect with you young folks now, I need to talk about pop music. I'll be learning from you!" Hu Songnan laughed heartily, speaking very modestly.
After chatting for a while, Hu Yongxiang had his secretary accompany his father. As the boss of a big company, he had a mountain of things waiting for him.
Ye Xiaofeng didn't know how to arrange things, so she just took the old man on a tour, introducing the company's various departments and interesting spots, treating him like a tourist.
"...This is our recording studio. The fifth and sixth floors are all studios—eight in total. Sometimes we rent them out, but mostly our own singers use them."
Although Ye Xiaofeng wasn't very skilled at her job, she was sharp. Noticing Hu Songnan's rare look of interest, she slowed down.
"Grandpa Hu, how about I check which studio is free and you give it a try?" Ye Xiaofeng pulled out her phone, smiling.
Hu Songnan was indeed interested. He nodded and said, "Ask, but don't look for empty ones. See which studio is in use. If it's not a bother, I'd like to observe."
"Hehe, how could it be a bother? Your guidance would be their blessing!" Ye Xiaofeng said sweetly.
She quickly found one—the studio being used by the company's top male singer, Chen Yijie. There was no issue with communication. Who would dare say no to the boss's father wanting to observe?
Of course, Chen Yijie himself was a humble person. He set aside his work to introduce his current situation to Hu Songnan: "...I've been preparing for this year's new album recently. In industry terms, we call it 'song gathering.'"
Chen Yijie was the hottest male singer under Tianxiang, with self-composing abilities. At his peak, he could stand shoulder to shoulder with Harbor City's four kings of song.
But being a singer-songwriter had its awkward moments—creative ups and downs! His recent songs hadn't sold as well as before, and he'd gradually fallen behind! This had caused Tianxiang's ranking to slip from third to fourth.
So for this year's new album, the company decided to help him collect songs, rather than releasing another album of purely personal compositions.
"What I've written and what the company has gathered is basically enough for an album! But we're still missing a lead single!" Chen Yijie said with a bitter smile. "You see, I'm practically sleeping here, and I've got no clue."
"Eason, you're too hard on yourself!" Ye Xiaofeng, with her strong background, didn't hesitate to chime in. "Even Sister Gezi says it's hard to satisfy you!"
Chen Yijie shrugged helplessly.
"Being strict with yourself is a good thing!" Hu Songnan said with a slight smile. "Without painstaking effort, how could fans experience joy and sorrow when listening? Young man, when you have time, listen to more classical music. Those masterpieces were forged by great masters over half a lifetime or even their entire lives!"
"You're right, but society is so restless now. If I don't release an album in a year, I might be overtaken by others and never have a chance to bounce back." Chen Yijie sighed.
Given his age, Hu Songnan got tired standing after a while. He sat down on the sofa behind him, smiling: "I just wanted to see how you young folks record songs. Don't bother with me—it'll hold up your work. Xiaofeng and I will just sit back here and quietly listen and watch."
Chen Yijie didn't put on airs. He quickly got back to work, treating Hu Songnan and Ye Xiaofeng as if they were invisible.
Chen Yijie's work process was actually quite tedious. He repeatedly played the sheet music he'd written earlier, carefully weighing the lyrics' structure, occasionally stopping to jot something down on paper, and just as often crossing out what he'd written and starting over!
Hu Songnan could handle it, as he was familiar with this state, but Ye Xiaofeng found it boring.
"So dull! Grandpa Hu, let me take you somewhere else to play!" Ye Xiaofeng couldn't sit still after less than fifteen minutes.
Hu Songnan waved his hand, signaling Ye Xiaofeng not to disturb Chen Yijie. He himself listened intently to the song Chen Yijie was humming.
Fine, Ye Xiaofeng covered her face in resignation.
Soon, she grew even more restless.
It was just so boring!
With this time, she might as well sneak out and chat with the girl at the front desk on the first floor about how to get the new thing.
This idea took root in Ye Xiaofeng's mind like wild grass, hard to control. Within a few minutes, her eyes were darting around, plotting an escape!
But suddenly, Hu Songnan stood up.
"Huh? Time to go?" Ye Xiaofeng was overjoyed and stood up too.
However, Hu Songnan walked straight over to Chen Yijie. He patted Chen Yijie on the shoulder and said with a smile, "Your voice has great recognition—a magnetic, introspective sadness!"
"Coincidentally, a few days ago, I heard a song that would suit you perfectly. Want to give it a try..."