The next day, there were even fewer people in Xu Qingqiu's studio. Chu Tian glanced at the seats beside him to find that half were already vacant.
One of the two who used to chat with him right after he had transmigrated had left—the one known as Brother Rui.
However, the plump kid called Yu was still here. Chu Tian had no idea whether he just couldn't find another job or simply didn't want to leave.
He couldn't be bothered with these matters and just sat in his chair, wearing headphones, and stared blankly at the movie on his computer screen.
In reality, he wasn't taking any of it in. Instead, he was frequently switching to the system in his mind, constantly checking his Reputation Points.
After all, these were crucial to whether his voice would recover or not. If this song didn't increase his Reputation Points, he would be in quite a bind.
He wasn't worried now, though, because after Xu Qingqiu had finished singing yesterday, he had noticed an increase in his Reputation Points. It wasn't much, but at least it showed that others singing his song could still boost his score, even without his name credited.
The system was quite intelligent in that respect.
Right now, what he was most concerned about was just how high the Reputation Points could actually go.
One bottle of Sea Blue Essence cost 18,000 Reputation Points, and he had a meager 326 to start with, barely reaching four hundred even with yesterday's addition.
How long would he have to wait?
If the increase wasn't much and he didn't reach 18,000, wouldn't it be as good as having none at all? What use would that be...
Chu Tian felt anxious, and the remaining employees in the company were likewise unsettled.
Having gone through contract disputes and salary arrears, none of those present could help but worry about the studio's future.
They had heard a few days ago that the boss had a new song and had participated in a program; the remaining employees were all waiting for the results.
If they were good, a single song could bring in quite a bit of money, and the studio might be able to keep going. They would get their salaries and compensation, without the need to go through the hassle of finding new jobs.
If the program was a massive hit, that would be even better. The studio would surely enter a period of rapid development. Being veterans, they might even have a chance at a promotion and a raise.
Of course, there's also the possibility of getting eliminated in the first round, or of the show causing no stir at all, right?
In that case, there would be nothing more to say; everyone could just pack up and leave. What else could be done?
So, most people had no interest in work. This included Xu Qingqiu and Sister Hua. The two were chatting about work but soon lost the spirit to continue. One gazed out the window, lost in the scenery, while the other incessantly scrolled through various updates on her phone.
「At noon, the official account of The Sound of Nature released its first update.」
["The Sound of Nature" pilot episode is online now! Go check it out, everyone!]
"It's online, it's online!"
"What's online?"
"The pilot episode! The one President Xu recorded last night for The Sound of Nature."
"I know, quick, quick, let's watch it!"
"You have a computer, go watch it on your own. Yuan, come over here, let's watch it together!"
The employees who had ordered takeout instead of going out for lunch were now gathering. They discussed amongst themselves as they deftly opened Lanjiang Media, Lanjiang TV's dedicated video app. Right upon entering, The Sound of Nature's landscape poster dominated the homepage banner.
Nine singers lined up side by side, with the enormous program logo beside them.
After clicking in, there was just one pilot episode video.
At the beginning of the video, it was just a normal interview process, with only sparse on-screen comments.
But just over a minute in, a flood of on-screen comments swept across the entire screen.
"I'm here to see our Zhenzhen! Zhenzhen is so cool!"
"Goddess Xiao! Goddess Xiao! Those long legs could kill me!"
"Our sister Ruyue is finally willing to come out, BOO HOO HOO, I've been waiting for so many years!"
"Xu Qingqiu! President Xu's aloof and cool style is simply the best!"
"President Xu is so cold, she has such a unique personality. I heard she's going to sing a new song today; I wonder how it will be."
"A new song? Are any new songs worth listening to nowadays? Why isn't she singing some of her old hits? Isn't singing a new song just a way to fish for votes? Just pandering to the audience."
"What do you know? She doesn't own the rights to the old songs. Besides, the pilot episode is just an exhibition match that doesn't affect ranking, so what votes are there to fish for? Haters, get lost!"
Whether someone was deliberately stirring things up or there were really that many haters, as soon as Xu Qingqiu appeared, many people started being sarcastic and snarky.
Many bystanders and fans of other celebrities were baffled, and those who loved watching a spectacle just added fuel to the fire.
Several employees from the studio who had been following Xu Qingqiu were already grinding their teeth with rage, cursing under their breath while furiously typing away in a battle of words.
Things only quietened down a bit when the screen switched to the official recording, showing everyone leaving their hotels or companies.
"Wow, who is this celebrity? So stylish with those sunglasses, they look so cool and handsome!"
"Eh? Not a celebrity? Could it be an assistant?"
"Don't you see Xu Qingqiu in the back? Definitely not a celebrity, probably an assistant or something."
"Damn, are celebrity assistants this competitive now? Six-foot-tall with a sharp jawline—this body, this skin, this face—and you're telling me it's an assistant? This is outrageous!"
"BOO HOO, don't say that. I can accept being inferior to a celebrity, but when an assistant is of such high quality, I'm already disheartened."
"Cut it out, what's the big deal? He's at most half as handsome as I am. He probably has tiny, beady eyes; otherwise, why would an assistant wear sunglasses?"
"Could be a bodyguard, right? If he's such a handsome bodyguard, that would be amazing! AHHH! I can already picture it! The handsome bodyguard with his goddess celebrity!"
"Fujoshi, get out!"
"You're the one who should get lost! Just learned a new word and can't wait to use it? Do you even know what 'fujoshi' means before you blabber nonsense?"
The on-screen comments flew thick and fast, a mix of supportive messages, flame wars, and general arguments.
Meanwhile, Chu Tian was looking at his system's Reputation Points with a bewildered expression.
From the moment he appeared, the system was like Mario collecting coins, with Reputation Points ticking upwards, albeit in small amounts of one or two points each time.
But the sheer number of them kept his score rising non-stop, and it quickly surpassed five hundred.
Is this even possible? Without even a name, just a figure appearing with half his face showing could increase Reputation Points?
It seems that in this life, relying on my face rather than my voice to make a living doesn't seem impossible, does it?
As he was basking in this realization, the program had already moved on to the performance segment.
The songs before were old wine in new bottles—old songs sung anew.
Most of them received polite compliments from the fans, which was expected.
This continued until Xu Qingqiu appeared on stage.
Her face, lean and cool, gazed calmly ahead.
Clad in a black dress that left her smooth, pale arms and a sliver of shoulder bare.
The slit in the dress reached up to the back of her knee, offering tantalizing glimpses of her calf.
Black and white, a timeless classic—the mystery of black combined with skin like snow made her splendidly striking.
Many were already breathless at the sight, afraid that even their breath could disturb such a beautiful moment, their eyes glued to the screen.