Volume One, Chapter Ten: Earning Money by Copying Books

"Jiang Yu, I truly admire your talent. Have you considered becoming a singer? If you’re interested, I’d like to invite you to sign with Huayue Entertainment. We can arrange for someone to record that song, ‘Bare-Faced.’"

Jiang Yu had thought about recording a song before. But with his current fame, he wouldn’t be able to secure a favorable contract, and even if his good song was recorded, he wouldn’t earn much from it. He needed to wait for the right opportunity. The same went for signing with an agency.

He pondered for a moment. "Aunt, I’m sorry, but I don’t intend to join an agency at this time."

Su Ling was a little surprised at his response.

"If you’re concerned about the terms, you can rest assured. The contract we offer is the best among newcomers."

Jiang Yu remained silent.

"Is it the resources you’re worried about? Our company mainly focuses on film and TV, and only recently ventured into music. If you join us, we’ll do our utmost to support you with music resources."

"And I heard from Xiao Yu that you’re studying film and television. Once you become famous, if you want to act, we can find you roles—good ones, too."

Jiang Yu glanced at the two women opposite him.

"Aunt, it’s not that I don’t trust your resources. I just want to ask, are the conditions you mentioned earlier really achievable?"

Su Ling raised her brows. She finally understood Jiang Yu’s reservations. "So what you want is..."

Jiang Yu smiled. "To be honest, if I ever decide to sign, your company would be my first choice. But now isn’t the best time. How about waiting a few days, after our graduation gala?"

"Understood," Su Ling’s eyes were filled with a hint of appreciation.

This young man wasn’t impulsive—he wasn’t the sort to jump at the first offer just because a company approached him. He had ambition.

Truthfully, what she’d said was indeed true—the contract terms were top among newcomers. But she knew very well the length of the contract and the actual compensation. She was a businesswoman, always seeking to maximize profit in a deal. Even if this young man was her niece’s close friend, or even her future nephew-in-law, business was business.

Of course, if someone could be coaxed into signing with just a few words, he wasn’t fit to stand beside her niece.

From what she could see, Jiang Yu wasn’t that type—he had a clear mind.

Her little niece had some taste, after all.

"I understand," Su Ling nodded.

"By the way, have you registered the copyright for ‘Bare-Faced’? If someone else registers it, singing this song at the bar could lead to infringement issues and quite a bit of trouble. This song is so popular online—the copyright’s valuable."

In this industry, copyright theft happens often. Many veteran singers had suffered from it.

Jiang Yu nodded with a smile. "Thank you for the reminder, Aunt. It’s already registered."

Su Ling was even more surprised. This young man handled matters with quite a bit of maturity.

Just then, Su Muyu looked at Jiang Yu. "Earlier you said you’d sing an original song at the graduation gala—is it ‘Bare-Faced’?"

"No, it’s another song," Jiang Yu replied instinctively.

Su Ling’s eyes brightened. "What kind of song? Could you tell us a little about it?"

Ordinary songs might be full of fancy words, but lack soul. Good songs tell a story, painting a scene in the listener’s mind.

‘Bare-Faced’ was such a song—it told a story.

A singer who could write a masterpiece like that was rare. Su Ling was eager to know if Jiang Yu, who had already written one great song, was a true genius or just a flash in the pan.

Even Su Muyu’s eyes sparkled with anticipation.

But Jiang Yu shook his head. "I haven’t decided yet."

Su Ling frowned slightly.

A masterpiece requires repeated refinement. With less than two weeks left before the graduation gala, he claimed he hadn’t decided.

No one had ever written a masterpiece in just two weeks.

Su Ling silently began scoring Jiang Yu in her mind.

Clarity of thought: +2 points.
Personality (a bit arrogant, not too reliable): -2 points.

She’d still have to observe him further. If he turned out to be unreliable, she’d have to tell Xiao Yu to keep her distance.

If Jiang Yu knew his standing in Su Muyu’s aunt’s mind, he would definitely cry out in protest!

What he meant by ‘haven’t decided’ was that he had so many songs in his backpack, he hadn’t chosen which one to perform.

Time was running out. Su Muyu still had some appointments to keep.

"Jiang, we won’t keep you any longer. We still have things to do today. I’ll be attending the graduation gala at the Film University. I’m looking forward to your performance."

Jiang Yu nodded.

"I won’t let you down."

In the following days, Jiang Yu found himself troubled.

The side effects of singing ‘Bare-Faced’ had arrived.

"Hello, Jiang Yu. I’m the manager of the artist reserve department at Model Entertainment. I heard your song yesterday and I think you’re very talented. Your image and temperament are also a perfect fit for our company. Are you interested in becoming an artist? If so, please contact me at ****."

"Hello, Jiang Yu. Are you willing to sell your song ‘Bare-Faced’? I can offer the highest price for a newcomer: 5,000 yuan..."

He received many such messages every day, as well as countless phone calls.

All from various agencies—some wanted him to debut as an artist, some wanted him as a trainee.

He had no idea how his phone number had leaked.

It was a minor issue though. More troubling were the offers to buy his song for just a few thousand.

It was frustrating.

His original plan had been to sing at bars for quick cash.

But now, circumstances seemed to prevent him from going out.

Ways to earn money at school?

After some thought, Jiang Yu realized he could only write web novels.

With that in mind, he typed out a few words on his computer.

"Heaven and earth are heartless, treating all things as straw dogs."

This was a novel that many transmigrators brought with them. No wonder—it was the most legendary web novel in everyone’s mind, one of the three great masterpieces of the previous era, influencing a whole generation!

CatCat Site—the largest novel platform in this world.

What should he name it? Jiang Yu thought for a moment, then chuckled.

Pen name: Fried Chicken-Flavored Crackers.

But before he could finish two chapters, his phone rang again.

Would it never end?

He frowned, but looked closer—this time, it wasn’t one of those annoying calls. It was Su Muyu.

She’d been busy with appointments lately and they hadn’t met. Now she’d sent him a message.

Xiao Yu: "Do you have time? The school has approved your solo, but the teacher in charge of the graduation gala wants to hear your work."

Xiao Yu: "Sure, now? I’m available."

Jiang Yu understood—the graduation gala wasn’t just for him. If someone without talent performed, the school would be embarrassed. It was only right for the teacher to review his work.

Xiao Yu: "Room 502, Yifu Building. I’ll be waiting for you here."