Chapter 212: A Playing Style With Higher Revenue
The atmosphere had reached this point, so Yu Wei naturally had no reason to refuse.
Setting aside the direct benefits, performing one more time on such a large stage was inherently greatly beneficial, not only showcasing himself but also elevating his status.
If he truly rescued the performance, it would be a great achievement upward and a good story downward.
Yu Wei was just a salted fish, not someone who didn’t know what’s good for him; there was no need to miss such an opportunity—the better his performance, the thicker his health bar would be afterward.
Xu Xinian was a perfect example; his house collapse was self-inflicted, but after the incident, the organizer immediately cut ties with him. Besides the so-called issue of saving face, there was actually another point: he had no irreplaceability.
In other words, he didn’t qualify for protection.
For the concert, he was just a harmless 6-point singer—stable but nothing else, and replacing him would cause some trouble but not much.
If it were a truly big shot, to be honest, even if they collapsed, the trending search could be instantly suppressed.
For an artist, fame was just reputation; importance was the health bar.
Yu Wei didn’t think he would collapse house, but in today’s environment, even if you behaved properly, you couldn’t withstand others slinging mud; even if you sat upright, you couldn’t resist various scheming. Arming himself in advance was always right.
Who would dislike having a thicker health bar?
Not to mention there was double performance fee and a Spring Festival Gala direct qualification slot; what more was there to say? He’d just sing and be done.
Seeing Yu Wei agree, Wang Qi and the music supervisor visibly breathed a sigh of relief, but they didn’t relax for long before assuming a posture of strict readiness again.
Agreeing to the rescue performance was just the first step; next came a crucial question: what would he sing?
Xu Xinian’s originally scheduled song definitely couldn’t be sung again; at this time, the cut had to be thorough, minimizing his sense of presence.
Changing the song would involve a rehearsal time issue; it was just past eight in the morning, less than 11 hours until the performance officially began, and the band might not have time.
With the performance imminent, other programs needed practice too; they couldn’t revolve everything around this one song, right?
The current best solution was to find an existing song that met the requirements for Yu Wei to cover directly; the band would be familiar enough with the melody and easy to get up to speed.
“I’m not used to singing others’ songs.”
Actually, Yu Wei could sing other songs now, but relying on his true level, the effect would definitely be average—not unpleasant, but not quite enough for a national-level stage for the time being.
To rescue the performance, he definitely needed to deliver a perfect-level performance.
“Oh, I see.”
Wang Qi wasn’t surprised by Yu Wei’s response; the entertainment industry wasn’t without musicians who insisted on only singing their own songs. Since Yu Wei became popular, he seemed not to have sung others’ songs.
Although it wasn’t the optimal plan, they had nothing to say; they were asking for a rescue performance after all—couldn’t dictate terms while asking for help, right?
Besides, practicing others’ songs also cost time; better for him to sing one he was familiar with.
Fortunately, they had considered this, knowing Yu Wei might not comply with adjustments, so they prepared a backup plan in advance.
“Then pick one of your own songs to sing, and we’ll adjust your performance order.”
Yu Wei’s works currently had no reunion theme; picking one to sing would definitely slot into one of the other sections.
Although this change would affect the entire program list arrangement, it was indeed the most suitable playing style; Yu Wei was definitely very proficient with his own songs, and the band had basically heard them all.
It wasn’t elegant in form, but it was the fastest to get up to speed, acceptable to the organizer, and the steadiest solution…
Unfortunately, Yu Wei had no reunion-themed song before; otherwise, singing it again now would be perfect.
Yu Wei rarely fell silent; this was indeed the most reliable choice—the program could be filled, and he could deliver a perfect performance, but it would disrupt the rehearsed program process.
However, besides that, the program effect would actually be somewhat discounted; after all, many had heard the other songs.
Singing two songs in the same performance already made aesthetic fatigue easy; another sung before would inevitably leave the audience feeling lackluster.
The unsung “Blue Lotus” and “Mountain Hill” also weren’t quite suitable for the concert’s overall atmosphere.
If covering someone else’s reunion song was high risk low revenue, then singing his own non-reunion song was medium risk medium revenue.
The question was, was there a higher-revenue playing style?
If it was just singing an old song, it would merely complete the rescue performance task; to go further and exceed expectations, there was only one method.
Very simple: he’d just become a god…
“What do you think about singing a new song?”
Hearing this, Wang Qi couldn’t help but furrow his brow slightly; with only about ten hours left, how dared he sing a new song?
“I know you have a lot of song inventory, but the concert is a major event; if the new song isn’t fully prepared, an old song would be more reliable.”
Wang Qi didn’t seem too optimistic about the suggestion; his view was quite sensible.
A new song that didn’t match the concert’s overall tone, even with novelty for the audience, wouldn’t tie closely enough to the gala itself.
This concert carried some tasks; it wasn’t pure musical exchange—there was no best, only most suitable.
“Actually, it’s just a reunion song…”
Since it was a new song, it definitely needed to fit the theme in form too; it wouldn’t even require disrupting the program list—just swap directly.
Wang Qi’s furrowed brow instantly relaxed, and he exchanged a meaningful glance with the music director.
Just knew this kid had inventory, perfectly matching the concert; if they hadn’t approached him today, would he have kept it hidden?
Not shock or surprise, but mutual understanding.
Actually, Yu Wei’s suggestion was within their expectations.
With so many people from the organizer specially meeting to discuss, they wouldn’t come to discuss cooperation blindly; life isn’t a novel, and the officials aren’t idiots.
They knew exactly what they were doing.
Yu Wei had released so many new songs before, even bringing “The Song Requester” during the concert rehearsal; they didn’t believe he had no inventory.
Actually, their true optimal solution was betting that one of Yu Wei’s inventory songs perfectly matched the gala’s tone.
Just as the reason they approached Yu Wei: they didn’t want steady, they wanted to turn rotten into miraculous.
If they wanted someone to sing old songs or classics, they had many choices; could others not sing Yu Wei’s old songs?
They chose Yu Wei from the start for his new song about reunion; face was already lost, only overturning everything could perfectly resolve it.
But they didn’t know if Yu Wei’s inventory truly had such a song, hence the earlier exchange.
If there was no matching song, choosing the steady playing style wasn’t impossible; if there was, it meant their bet paid off.
Disrupting the program list could be major or minor; avoiding it was best, and Yu Wei’s new song quality was absolutely guaranteed.
Yu Wei immediately noticed their not-shocked-but-pleased expressions; sigh, all old foxes.
He had some premonition too; the organizer chose him for his irreplaceability—the optimal and steadiest solutions weren’t exclusively his.
They probably aimed for the new song from the beginning, just unsure if he had it, so they proposed the fallback plan first.
In the end, he was the one to break the window paper, sort of half-pushing to achieve the result both sides wanted.
Yu Wei wanted to outstandingly complete the task, and the higher-ups needed him to do so too; then they hit it off and reached consensus.
“Then, no time to lose—rehearsal.”
Though time was tight, with Yu Wei and the national team’s professionalism, their strong alliance could still make up for it with extra practice now.
“The song is still a bit unfinished.”
Yu Wei’s earlier words were within Wang Qi’s expectations, but this one truly caught him off guard—what did “unfinished” mean?
Just this sentence made his scalp tingle; he thought everything was under control, but those three words “not finished” were like a bucket of cold water, drenching him from head to toe.
“How much is left?”
The music director’s voice trembled slightly; if there was no new song at all, accepting a steadier plan was fine.
But knowing the song’s result couldn’t be sung was too torturous, feeling like ants crawling all over.
No going back now…
“About two hours.”
The two hours Yu Wei planned to use went without saying: writing the song into the novel to redeem it.
He even made an excuse for himself: this was a song he wrote after hearing the insider theme was reunion, but it wasn’t finished when reporting the program, so it wasn’t used; now just some details left.
Could only say he had talent for making up stories in novels; this reason sounded flawless.
Wang Qi and the music director breathed a slight sigh of relief; two hours was acceptable—worst case, skip lunch break and make up with overtime.
“Teacher Yu, no more delays—go write the song.”
What was a done deal now had new risk; creation timing was unpredictable—this was a high-stakes gamble.
But the organizer knew the reason well: if you doubt someone, don’t use them; if you use them, don’t doubt. Since they passed the ball to Yu Wei, they believed he could do it.
If he still couldn’t finish by then, switching to the steady plan wouldn’t be too late.
Yu Wei didn’t dare delay either; once out the door, he hurriedly sent a message to Qi Luo An: help me write a song, quickly.
Yes, he had no intention of writing this song in his own book.
The reason was simple: he didn’t want to gamble.
Last time redeeming a song, protagonist popularity value was just enough; it hadn’t grown much since. What if luck failed this time and it exactly matched the protagonist popularity value?
Ten hours of kung fu, plus rehearsal time—no time to farm data at this critical juncture; no need to gamble.
In contrast, Qi Luo An’s book had exchange data as a fraction of his; a few minutes after posting a chapter could accumulate enough—efficiency far superior.
In an emergency, prioritize speed.
Moreover, everyone knew his routine; writing a new song in his novel now, readers could immediately guess the concert plot.
No one suspected Qi Luo An’s book; this move was unexpected.
Of course, there was one point he had to admit: she wrote faster than him…
“Now?”
Qi Luo An had just gotten up and hadn’t washed up; she had nothing to do, just waiting to watch the live broadcast tonight, truly not expecting a sudden task.
Hearing it was for Yu Wei, she skipped washing up, rubbed her eyes, and hunched over the computer, tapping the sleeping keyboard.
She didn’t ask why, just what song and what style; at this time, asking questions was pointless—solve the problem first.
After quickly explaining the song details, Yu Wei finally breathed a sigh of relief; hearing the clacking keyboard sounds on the other end brought a sense of reassurance.
Having a helper felt pretty good…
Though the song was entrusted to Qi Luo An, Yu Wei wasn’t idle; with lunch break rehearsal and evening concert, he had no time to write today—perfect timing now.
The news that Yu Wei was temporarily writing a new song instantly spread to every corner of the concert hall.
It was a major matter, so they didn’t dare disturb; they didn’t know what kind of work Yu Wei would produce under pressure.
His creative ability was beyond doubt; presumably, he was now immersed in music, finishing the final touches for the birth of art.
While everyone was guessing Yu Wei’s progress during rehearsal, the person in question leisurely slipped into the audience seat, hands cradling his mobile phone, typing away happily.
Yu Wei found a comfortable corner to sit; these past two days of writing under the stage daily had formed a path dependency habit—he couldn’t produce a word in the lounge.
This felt right.
“Why look at me? You all continue practicing.”
The big shot should be nearing one million subscriptions soon; wonder if my firefly light can add a tile to his path to godhood.
