After teasing Mo Jianing on the phone for a long time, to the point where Mo Jianing was almost begging her, Xia Qingtian reluctantly accepted the 1000 yuan transfer.
Upon receiving the payment, Xia Qingtian specifically replied, "I'll contact you again after the song is recorded."
"As soon as possible." Mo Jianing, afraid Xia Qingtian would procrastinate, sent a weary-looking emoji.
"I didn't expect you to like my voice so much. Don't worry, I'll definitely sing at the level of 1000 yuan," Xia Qingtian said, a smile playing on her lips, before putting away her phone.
The next day was the National Day Golden Week holiday. Father Xia had originally planned to arrange a family road trip.
However, Xia Qingtian directly poured cold water on his plans, saying that they had a group project and wanted to finish it early, so they would be going out for a study session on the first day of the Golden Week.
Father Xia was disappointed for a while, but seeing Xia Qingtian's dedication to her studies, he didn't want to be a hindrance to his daughter.
Fortunately, Xia Qingtian repeatedly assured him that she would definitely squeeze out two or three days during the seven-day holiday to spend with her family. Father Xia finally sighed in agreement, his face gradually lighting up, "Seeing how interested you are in finance, I feel at ease."
"Doing business is good, living a down-to-earth life is much better than your useless dream of being a star."
"The entertainment industry is so chaotic now; good girls go in and get corrupted."
"Besides, it's an industry where you only make money when you're young and can't earn for a lifetime. It's better to go into business. Dad can even help you out a bit, right?"
Hearing Father Xia start his lecture again, Xia Qingtian felt a little uneasy.
In her previous life, she would have started arguing with Father Xia from the moment he said the first word.
But in this life, Xia Qingtian had learned the art of indirect diplomacy.
Since virtual idols didn't show their faces, Father Xia didn't know she was chasing her dreams.
Pretending to be his obedient daughter and appeasing him on the surface wasn't so bad.
So, Xia Qingtian went along with Father Xia's words, making him incredibly happy.
The next day, Xia Qingtian, who was supposed to be attending the group project, arrived at the Yuecheng Recording Studio in the new district precisely on time.
After stating her name, Xia Qingtian was led to the VIP recording booth.
Wen Ning was already inside, along with three other people: a staff member with a name tag, someone who seemed to be a vocal coach, and a slightly plump girl wearing round glasses, who looked rather amiable. Upon seeing Xia Qingtian, the girl offered a shy smile.
Xia Qingtian nodded and then looked at Wen Ning, wondering what kind of opening remark would be appropriate for their initial greetings.
Before she could even begin, Wen Ning directly said, "Let's begin."
This saved her the trouble of an opening.
After confirming the song she was to sing with the staff member, Xia Qingtian entered the recording booth. She did a brief vocal warm-up, put on her headphones, and started recording.
Xia Qingtian had always been confident in her voice, and she had chosen songs that suited her vocal range.
There were a total of three songs. None were Xia Qingtian's original compositions, but they were chosen to showcase her fundamental skills and excellent vocal quality from different angles.
"She's the type that Heaven itself has blessed with talent," the vocal coach said approvingly to Wen Ning from outside the booth. "Your Gu Corporation is about to sign another superstar."
A rare hint of pride flashed in Wen Ning's eyes before she suppressed it, saying softly, "There are capable people everywhere these days, so many that even Heaven can't feed them all. Character is the most important factor to screen for."
The vocal coach nodded in agreement, recalling the frequent scandals in the entertainment industry.
The girl beside them listened with excitement, tapping her foot to the beat. This was the first artist she would be working with!
She had a feeling this artist would be a hit!
After Xia Qingtian emerged from the recording booth, she looked at Wen Ning, knowing that this was the moment that would decide everything.
"Alright," Wen Ning's tone remained somewhat cool. She raised her wrist to check the time on her watch and said, "Come with me to Gu Corporation now and sign the contract."
"We're… signing the contract now?" Xia Qingtian was a little stunned.
"Do you have any issues?" Wen Ning asked Xia Qingtian.
"No, it's not that. I mean, it's Golden Week, and I thought… you guys would be on holiday," Xia Qingtian mumbled, using a casual excuse to hide her nervousness.
Being so close to her dream made everything feel… unreal.
She was afraid it was all just a dream.
"Heh." Wen Ning chuckled, a rare occurrence. "Golden Week? That term doesn't exist in this industry. Let's go, I have a meeting this afternoon and can't stay with you for long."
Hearing Wen Ning's words, Xia Qingtian didn't waste any more time. She simply asked the staff to email her the songs she had just recorded, and then she followed Wen Ning to Gu Corporation Entertainment.
Just as Wen Ning had said, even during Golden Week, people at Gu Corporation Entertainment were still busy.
Contracts were handed to Xia Qingtian one by one. She reviewed each one, and Wen Ning did not rush her, even ordering a drink for Xia Qingtian.
"Thank you," Xia Qingtian said softly before continuing to read the contracts.
During this process, Wen Ning handled work on her phone while discreetly observing Xia Qingtian with her peripheral vision.
Logically, she had planned not to take on new artists for the next two years, especially for small experimental projects like virtual idols, which she had no interest in.
However, this was someone Mr. Gu had personally asked her to mentor, and Wen Ning wouldn't refuse.
On the other hand, Wen Ning was also filled with curiosity about Xia Qingtian.
Xia Qingtian possessed excellent appearance, a great voice, and even extensive performance experience. She didn't seem like a freshman who had just started university, just as the vocal coach had said.
This Xia Qingtian was indeed the type that Heaven had blessed with talent.
It was a shame for her to be a virtual idol and participate in such an experimental project.
However, the good thing was that Xia Qingtian was young enough to afford mistakes and had the opportunity and time for transformation.
If the virtual idol project didn't take off, she was confident she could promote Xia Qingtian as a regular newcomer.
If the virtual idol project succeeded, with that as a foundation, Xia Qingtian could go even further and more smoothly.
Considering this, Wen Ning calculated in her mind and couldn't help but admire Mr. Gu's vision once again.
Everyone said that she, Wen Ning, was a rare talent scout, but few knew that Mr. Gu was the true benefactor and soulmate who recognized her potential.
Although he was much younger than her, his decisive execution and strategic planning were something even the elders of the Wen family could not match.
At this moment, Xia Qingtian finally finished reviewing the contract and began to sign.
Soon, the procedures were completed. Xia Qingtian took a deep breath and extended her hand to Wen Ning, "Sister Ning, please guide me."
From this day forward, she would embark on a completely different life.