For a long time, seeing that no one spoke.
Zhao De gave a wry smile, "Heh, I grew up in an orphanage."
Zhou Tao was taken aback and said, "Why haven't you ever mentioned it before?"
Zhao De shook his head, "It's not something to be proud of."
"I'm sorry, I didn't know..." Zhou Tao was a bit at a loss.
It seemed he had inadvertently touched a sensitive spot for his good brother.
"Zhao De, don't be sad. Although I have a father, it's as if I don't. I'd even rather not have one," Zhang Yang put down his phone and continued, "When I was little, my dad used to go out drinking and chasing women every day. After drinking, he'd come home, and my mom would say a few words to him. He'd then get drunk and beat my mom. Sometimes, when I tried to intervene, he'd beat me too. Those days were like hell. It only became peaceful after they divorced." Da Feng Xiaoshuo
After Zhang Yang finished speaking, a cold smile played on his lips, but his eyes were slightly red.
Su Yu had always known about this.
Moreover, Zhang Yang had been sticking to his plan of reuniting with his mother for nearly ten years.
It was because of this secret that he and Su Yu became the best of brothers.
"We will all get better slowly,"
Su Yu said softly, looking at the two of them.
He never expected that Zhao De, who always appeared honest and carefree, would have such a past.
"Heh heh, don't comfort me. Although I'm an orphan, I'm not inferior. I think life in the orphanage was quite good. I had playmates, and the院长 treated me very well. Moreover, recently, he found out I could earn money and praised me happily."
Facing everyone's comfort,
Zhao De scratched his head sheepishly.
His personality was straightforward, and he wasn't used to being comforted like this.
Also, despite being an orphan, he didn't feel inferior.
Instead, he hoped to do something for the orphanage with his own strength, to repay their nurturing.
During his part-time job, his wages were donated to the orphanage.
The院长's praise made him very happy.
"We're relieved that you can think this way,"
Zhou Tao said, slinging an arm around his neck with relief.
Zhao De gave a simple laugh, a hint of shyness returning to his face, "Heh heh, actually, the reason I learned to sing, besides wanting to earn money, is that if I become famous, perhaps my parents will come looking for me."
"You don't hate them?" Zhang Yang asked in surprise.
"I don't hate them, I just want to ask why they abandoned me by the roadside," Zhao De said with a bitter smile, shaking his head.
"Don't worry, when you become a big star, they'll definitely come looking for you. And when they see how amazing you are, they'll regret it to death!"
Zhou Tao patted his shoulder and comforted him.
The latter gave a simple smile.
"I want you to debut as a group. Are you interested?"
Su Yu suddenly said.
Zhao De and Zhou Tao were stunned at first, then ecstatic.
"Really?"
"Is it finally our turn?"
They knew Su Yu's capabilities.
He wrote a few songs, and they became hits.
In school, he had propelled Zhang Yang and the other two forward.
And Su Yu had promised to write songs for them before, which they had kept in mind, but hadn't dared to rush him.
They had been quietly waiting and honing their singing skills.
Now, was it finally time to start?
"Familiarize yourselves with this song. I'm planning for you to sign with Xinghui and debut after the new year."
New Year's Day had passed.
The school would be on holiday in a few days.
The Lunar New Year was approaching.
Xinghui would be very busy during this period.
Furthermore, many Heavenly Kings and Queens would be participating in New Year's Eve performances.
It wasn't a good time to debut.
"Alright! Thanks, Brother Yu!"
Zhou Tao flipped over and got off Zhao De's bed, then took the USB drive.
He excitedly ran to his computer and started playing it.
Zhao De also got off the bed.
When he saw the song title on the screen, he was stunned at first.
"Father..."
Such unfamiliar words.
"Zhao De, is it okay for you to sing this song?"
Su Yu was concerned that his background might make him averse to the song. If he didn't want to sing it, Su Yu could customize a new one for them or pick another.
"Don't worry, I, Zhao De, am not a sentimental person. And I truly don't hate them. Brother Yu's songs have soul. Perhaps when I sing it, I can feel fatherly love."
Zhao De chuckled.
Growing up in the orphanage, the院长 often taught him to be less judgmental and to have love, for a more comfortable life.
He listened to the院长 very well, so his mindset had always been good.
"Alright, if you have any technical questions, you can ask me anytime while I'm here."
Su Yu finished speaking.
The two nodded quickly.
Then they listened to the song attentively.
...
The next day.
Su Yu took some time to go to Xinghui.
In Zhao Yuan's office.
"Su Yu, I finally understand why you're so confident. With the release of this song, 'Bencao Gangmu,' there's really nothing to fear."
She was full of amazement after listening to the demo of the song Su Yu gave her.
This song was a style that had never appeared in the Chinese music scene before.
Rap blended with Chinese style. Two fundamentally incompatible styles managed to fuse so well together; in her many years in the industry, she had never heard of anything like it.
Moreover, the lyrics of this song were witty and humorous, and they perfectly satirized those who blindly worshipped foreign things.
It could be said to be a perfect counter-attack against Qin Shousheng!
"However, this song seems quite difficult. For a rapper to perform it perfectly, newcomers are really not up to it. How about I speak to the artist department? With your current fame, the singer's share won't be too high."
She continued.
From the demo alone, it was evident that this song required a singer with a strong sense of rhythm and groove.
"Never mind."
Su Yu shook his head.
"Su Yu, in this line of work, you really get what you pay for. I'll try my best to negotiate the lowest rate for you, what do you think?"
Zhao Yuan was somewhat helpless.
This child was good in all aspects, except he was too concerned about the share.
It was understandable when he was still a student.
But he had earned quite a bit in the past few months.
Could he still be short of money?
"Manager Zhao, I didn't mean it that way. I mean, there's no need to find a singer. I'll do it myself this time."
Su Yu said with a light smile.
Zhao Yuan was stunned by his words.
"You want to be a singer?"
In her eyes, Su Yu's appearance was definitely that of a singer.
But this child had always been low-key.
He had never done anything that required him to be in the spotlight. Now, his sudden declaration to sing left Zhao Yuan speechless for a long time.
"A studio singer. I don't plan to perform on stage for now."
Su Yu said with a chuckle.
Some singers lacked vocal skills but had popularity, so they rarely sang live, relying mostly on studio autotune.
Su Yu was different.
He was familiar with all singing techniques, and his physical condition was perfect, allowing him to apply these techniques.
His vocal skills were perfectly capable of live performances. However, to avoid causing too much of a shock and triggering an episode, he thought it would be safer to start in the recording studio.
This was also the system's suggestion to him.
Step by step, from behind the scenes to the front stage.
His mindset needed gradual stimulation.
"That's fine, but will you use the name Su Yu?"
Zhao Yuan had never heard Su Yu sing. Of course, she didn't doubt Su Yu's singing ability either, as being able to write so many good songs meant his sense of pitch wouldn't be an issue.
If the child wanted to play, let him play. As long as they indulged him.
Anyway, if he didn't sing well in the studio, there were autotune engineers.
"Using two names feels awkward. I'll just use 'Listening to Rain' directly."
After thinking about it, Su Yu made his decision.
Otherwise, the song information would read: Performed by Su Yu, Lyrics and Music by Listening to Rain.
It just looked awkward.
"Okay, go to the recording studio and record a test. I'll go inform the artist department."
Zhao Yuan was decisive and implemented her decisions immediately.
"Alright, come over when you're done."
Su Yu nodded with a smile.
The two walked out of the office, one after the other.