Chu Tian had taken the medicine he exchanged from the system. It didn't take effect immediately, so he could only wait and see. After all, the instructions said to use one drop every half month, so he guessed it would take up to half a month to see any effects.
However, in reality, it didn't take half a month at all—just one night.
「The next morning」
Chu Tian, after washing up, stood in front of the mirror and habitually tried his throat.
"AH AH AH~ AH~"
Huh? Can I speak now?
"AH AH OH OH~ WOO WAH WOO WAH?"
Damn! I can actually make sounds?
No, that's not right. Can I actually speak continuously?
That's not right either.
How should I put it? His current state was indeed one where he could speak, but while the words that came out could be clearly understood, his voice was just really awful.
You know what a drake's squawk sounds like, right? Do you know what a broken gong sounds like?
Combine the two, and that's how he sounded now: like a squawking drake with a voice like a broken gong.
Simply put, his voice was hoarse and shrill, the kind that made you want to hit someone after hearing it.
But this was already very good news, much better than not being able to speak at all. At least it was a good start, which meant that the Sea Blue Essence worked!
"That's amazing! I'm finally not a mute anymore!"
Excited, he saw he was about to be late and hurriedly ran to the company.
Along the way, he greeted everyone he saw, wishing the whole world knew he could speak.
As a result, everyone looked at him as if he were a lunatic, which quickly dampened his excitement.
When he arrived at the company, the atmosphere was noticeably different. It wasn't as lifeless as before; today, the employees seemed to have arrived earlier and were more motivated.
It seemed Xu Qingqiu's return to the stage had boosted everyone's confidence quite a bit.
「In the office」
Xu Qingqiu was discussing follow-up matters with Li Chunhua.
"Sister Hua, how is the new song's data?"
Li Chunhua, who had been keeping an eye on various pieces of information, replied without even lifting her head,
"The song was released online together with the pilot episode, in two versions. One is our studio version, and the other is the live performance version. Currently, the live version has over three million streams, while the studio version has over seven hundred thousand."
"Besides that, the live version has been downloaded 630,000 times, and the studio version has been downloaded 320,000 times. The studio version's downloads are almost half of the live version's."
These numbers were absolutely phenomenal.
You have to understand that in my previous life, variety shows didn't reach such numbers unless they were sensational. Even well-known singers, whose songs were performed on average variety shows, would only get around one hundred to two hundred thousand streams within 24 hours, and not many could reach three hundred thousand.
Things are different now. Back then, listening to music entirely depended on online players. Nowadays, various short video platforms divert attention, and the traffic isn't what it used to be.
For The Sound of Nature to achieve such figures with just a pilot episode proved how popular the show was, ranking it at the very top of sensational programs.
The combined streams of the two versions were nearing four million, and this was in less than 24 hours. Even among veteran singers, this was one of the very best.
Based on these numbers, the clicks on the pilot episode must be approaching ten million by now, with at least three million effective plays.
The ratio might be higher in the first 24 hours, possibly due to effective promotions beforehand and high fan retention rates, so even half of the plays could be considered effective views.
This means that, barring any unforeseen circumstances, the majority of those who watched the show searched for the song to listen to it repeatedly.
Excluding plays from song looping and casual listeners, at least half of the viewers specifically sought out this song to listen to it.
This was already a very high engagement rate.
"That's great. These numbers have exceeded my expectations," Xu Qingqiu said while looking at the comments on the computer.
"By the way, Sister Hua, how is the revenue from the song divided?"
"Hmm? How to split it? How else can we split it? After our studio re-registered as a company, it became your sole proprietorship, and the song is yours as well. How else could we divide it?"
Li Chunhua didn't quite understand what she meant at first.
"No, of course not."
Xu Qingqiu shook her head and, looking at her, explained,
"Sister Hua, don't forget, this song isn't mine. Even though we don't know who provided it, this song has never truly been mine from the beginning, understand?"
"I can't accept what isn't rightfully ours."
Li Chunhua opened her mouth as if to say something but then swallowed her words.
"Alright then, what do you suggest? We don't even know who it is. Who do you want to share the earnings with?"
Indeed, this was a problem. She didn't want to take the money because it wasn't hers, but she didn't know who to give it to.
"Let's do this: help me set up a separate bank account, under my name for now. Later, instruct the finance department to split the earnings into two parts—one for the company and one for the other party."
"Okay, then how do you propose we divide it? If you ask me, just earmark 200,000 yuan. That should do it, right? Why make it so complicated? Isn't 200,000 yuan generous enough for a song?"
But Xu Qingqiu still shook her head.
"We can't calculate it like that, Sister Hua. This isn't just any song; it's a lifeline thrown to us when we were at our wit's end. Can you buy a song from a master for 200,000 yuan? Considering the song's quality, its completeness, and even the arrangement—it was practically tailor-made for me—200,000 yuan definitely won't cut it. Let's split it fifty-fifty."
"This..."
Li Chunhua wasn't an unreasonable person. An average song might go for tens of thousands of yuan at most. Songs from well-known masters were truly valuable but usually involved revenue sharing and participation in production.
To be honest, she was reluctant to share a large portion of the earnings for a song that had just appeared out of nowhere.
But Xu Qingqiu was right; one shouldn't be too greedy.
"Fine, we'll do it your way. I'll take care of it."
After Sister Hua left, Xu Qingqiu sat in her chair, absorbed in thought for a moment. Then, she stood up and walked towards the recording studio. She needed to practice her vocal exercises.
The competition was just a few days away, and to maintain her condition, she couldn't afford to slack off.
What she didn't know was that, at this very moment, someone had already sneaked into the recording studio.
Indeed, it was none other than Chu Tian.
After arriving at the company in the morning and seeing everyone busy, he just couldn't sit still.
His throat had just gotten a bit better, and he felt an urge to test it out everywhere, just like a child with a new toy.
In his previous life, he had sung his whole life. He often felt he had sung enough and really didn't want to sing anymore. However, after being in this world for so long, he was itching to sing again.
It's confirmed. I must truly love singing; otherwise, I wouldn't feel this way.
So, taking advantage of the empty studio, he snuck in, planning to try singing a couple of songs.
Looking at the dazzling array of instruments, he ultimately chose the guitar.
"I once found it hard to extricate myself from the vastness of the world... COUGH COUGH."
This won't work. Let's change the song.
"A toast to tomorrow... COUGH COUGH COUGH. Nope, still not right. It's too unbearable."
I just can't sing a serious song. Does this mean I can't sing at all? Is there any song that suits a voice like a broken gong?
That's it! Secondhand Rose! Isn't their stuff perfect for this?
"Oh, I say, fate~ AH HA~ survival~... COUGH COUGH COUGH."
Forget it. Hopeless.
"Oh my heavens, my worn-out shoe's leaking at the toe! Teacher asks for tuition, and I say, 'Wait for two more days'~"
Well, what do you know? This song actually fits quite well.