FWTS ### Chapter 147: Four New Songs
For "Weekly Shonen J," it was hard to imagine that an unknown manga author would refuse their invitation, especially a native Chinese author!
Yes, Chen Yixin's response was effectively a refusal in the eyes of "Weekly Shonen J"!
It was unexpected, even infuriating!
But they didn't ignore it.
This editor had read "Xuanyuan Sword Master" and "Nine Heavens" from start to finish. He recognized their value and knew what level these works belonged to.
Furthermore, the editor-in-chief had also read them and had given clear instructions to sign "Nine Heavens" no matter what!
He knew that for the editor-in-chief, the quality of "Nine Heavens" was one reason, but the rapidly growing Chinese market and the benefits of legitimate manga had brought to the Japanese market was another.
He knew this reply must be sent to the editor-in-chief, even though he thought the demands were extremely greedy!
...
For now, Hou Muyun had no time to worry about overseas serialization. After leaving Qiqiyue, he returned to the studio and plunged directly into its first official work.
"Three teachers," Hou Muyun made a rather "brotherly" gesture towards the three members of the studio, "I'm like a headless fly, always buzzing around and causing trouble. In the future, I'll need to rely on you three a lot. Today, we'll start with our studio's first official task: we're going to create four songs by tomorrow. Tomorrow is our official opening, and instead of a grand opening ceremony, we'll just release these four songs."
The three were dumbfounded by Hou Muyun's words.
They didn't care much about an opening ceremony, but four songs in one night?
Hou Muyun knew it was hard to explain everything clearly to them at once, so he took out the already written lyrics and music and handed them to the three teachers, saying, "These are the four songs for tonight. Let's start with the arrangement. I'll explain my ideas, and you can add yours. The singers should arrive soon, and we can collaborate on the recordings."
"Singers too?" The three were even more puzzled. The oldest, Lao Fu, adjusted his glasses and said, "Boss Hou, the more you talk, the more confused I get!"
The youngest and most impatient of the three, Wu Geng, frowned and said, "Monkey, recording four songs in one night is doable if we have the lyrics, music, and arrangement. But our studio, including you, has only four people. How can we manage? None of us know how to mix! And what about the instruments? We can't cover everything!"
"Right, right. You can just call me Monkey, like you always do. Calling me Boss Hou feels awkward," Hou Muyun said with a smile. "Don't worry about those things. Our equipment is all set up, so everything else is manageable. As for the instruments, I've talked to the singers, and they've each brought a few people."
The three were speechless. The singers brought their own people?
And there were several singers!
Hou Muyun started spreading out the arrangements. The three reluctantly got into the groove and, as they understood the lyrics and music, their eyes lit up. Listening to Hou Muyun's ideas for the arrangements, they gained some respect for him. While the studio boss might seem unreliable, his talent was undeniable, just as the rumors said.
During the discussion about the arrangements, the three naturally learned which singers would be recording that night. After all, the arrangement had to fit the singers' characteristics, and Hou Muyun couldn't hide this information for dramatic effect.
Shi Shiwufu, Ami, Xianxian, and Hou Muyun himself were the singers for the night!
Ami and Xianxian were fine, but they were surprised Shi Shiwufu was coming. It's not that Shi Shiwufu was more famous than the other two, but he typically only performed songs he wrote himself. Even though they knew Shi Shiwufu and Hou Muyun had a good relationship, it was still unexpected.
### Chapter 147: Four New Songs
Thinking about it, it made sense. No singer would want to miss out on such great songs!
By around 9 PM, the arrangements for the four songs were basically finalized.
At about 10 PM, Shi Shiwufu arrived with a few musicians. By 10:30 PM, Ami and Xianxian also arrived with their own musicians.
Ami was undoubtedly there for "Flowers on the Path Bloom Slowly," while Hou Muyun had written a song for Shi Shiwufu and Xianxian as well.
"North Sea Has a Fish" was for Shi Shiwufu, a song about the romantic fantasies of a fish.
"Forget to Forget" was for Xianxian, another love song.
Hou Muyun initially wrote a song for Xianxian and sent her a demo, which she loved. Later, Shi Shiwufu found out that Hou Muyun had written songs for Ami and Xianxian and, knowing their recording schedule, joined in the fun and asked Hou Muyun to write one for him too.
...
After recording the four songs—with the singers and their accompanying musicians, all becoming perfectionists in their excitement—it was already past 5 AM the next day. Shi Shiwufu and the others left, and the three teachers went to rest.
Hou Muyun was left alone in the studio. He used a "Mixing Skill Card" to handle the mixing and mastered the tracks himself.
With these skills and the necessary equipment in the studio, Hou Muyun's speed was astonishing.
By 11 AM, after taking a nap in his chair, Hou Muyun played the masters for Shi Shiwufu and the other three when they arrived at the studio and asked, "If everything sounds good, should I release the songs online?"
The three naturally agreed.
Typically, artists of their caliber would release albums or singles first and then add them to online music platforms, at most synchronizing the releases.
This time, they understood it was to promote Hou Muyun's Monkey Music Studio, so they decided to do things differently.
For Hou Muyun, it was about making a strong debut for his studio, making connections, and facilitating future projects. It also helped him repay some favors and gain some face, as well as earn some points. Moreover, it was a way to build up the studio's repertoire. Although the songs were made for free, the copyright of the lyrics and music still belonged to Hou Muyun.
"Then I'll leave the rest to you guys," Hou Muyun said to the people in the studio. He rubbed his messy hair and smiled apologetically at Shi Shiwufu, "I need to go catch up on some sleep."
Shi Shiwufu was speechless. "You're still thinking about sleep? We need to go to Changsha for the rehearsal of the New Year's Eve gala this afternoon, and the recording is tonight!"
Both Shi Shiwufu and Hou Muyun had been invited to the gala, obviously to perform a duet.
Hou Muyun slapped his forehead. "It's already the 19th! I'll go home, take a shower, and sleep on the plane. Oh right, I don't think I've booked a ticket yet. Xiaopang, can you book one for me? See if I can be on the same flight as Shiwufu so I don't miss it."
"It's already booked!"
By 2 PM, they arrived in Changsha.
The New Year's Eve gala was a pre-recorded show, taped on the 19th and aired on the night of the 20th.
"See, I told you he'd be here. And here he comes!"
Shi Shiwufu and Hou Muyun had just entered Studio 1 when four female celebrities, hand in hand, walked towards them, ready for rehearsal.
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