Liang Yin said with a hearty laugh, "Why are you so nervous? He's my employee now, no need to be tense!"
"This is my sister, she just came back from studying abroad. She was a top student since she was little, skipped grades, and is four years younger than me."
"She majored in African Drumming and is currently an African Drum teacher at an educational institution. As soon as she heard you were recruiting a drummer, she immediately applied!"
Jia Lu took a deep breath and said, "Sister Liang is right, I want to be the band's drummer."
This sentence probably took a lot of courage for Jia Lu to say. Only after she finished speaking, did she dare to look up at Lin Chudong.
Her idol was right in front of her, and she was still a little flustered.
Lin Chudong said, "Relax a bit, don't be nervous. Boss, let her play the African Drum and let's see."
Liang Yin brought over a high-end African Drum. "This is the most expensive one in our shop, over ten thousand."
Jia Lu clamped the drum between her legs and took out her phone, picking a random song.
"I'm starting!"
She exhaled softly, and with the music, her hands began to gently tap.
The soothing music, paired with the ethereal sound of the African Drum, was incredibly relaxing.
Jia Lu's high and low notes were very accurate, and the tone was handled well. Her arms also moved quite gracefully.
After the song finished, Jia Lu's face was full of anticipation.
"Fei Bro, was I okay?"
Lin Chudong nodded. "Pretty good. Your African Drum skills are definitely professional. Try the drum kit now."
Jia Lu was overjoyed by the praise, her dimples deepening.
Sitting in front of the drum kit, she asked, "Fei Bro, what song should I play?"
"My song, 'Follow the Rhythm'."
This was a fast song by Da Fei Band, mostly sixteenth notes, which tested the drummer's abilities. It was considered an intermediate to advanced drum kit piece.
Jia Lu nodded, her expression becoming serious. This was her idol's song, and playing it in front of him put a lot of pressure on her.
Liang Yin patted her shoulder. "Don't be nervous, just do your best."
After saying that, she stood to the side, arms crossed.
Lin Chudong was speechless. Am I supposed to be watching her or you?
Dong dong dong dong…
The intro began, and Jia Lu's hands started moving.
She was professionally trained in African drums and taught herself the drum kit. Although they were both drums, there were some commonalities, but they were, after all, two different instruments, and she still had to learn them anew.
Jia Lu's rhythm was steady, but it was obvious she was self-taught. Even her posture and the way she held the drumsticks were amateurish.
Just as the chorus was about to begin, Lin Chudong suddenly stood up and walked behind Jia Lu.
One could feel a hint of pressure, but the rhythm didn't change. Jia Lu continued to pound on the drum surface with her dong ci da ci beat.
The chorus ended, and Jia Lu wanted to show off a little, muttering to herself.
"123412341234..."
Time to add some fills! Drum kit fills are essentially a combination of thirty-second notes and syncopation.
Appropriate fills sound very pleasant, stirring the audience's emotions and elevating the song's appeal.
Boom-chick boom-boom…
Jia Lu's hands began to move rapidly. The thirty-second notes were fast, but then she paused.
Her kick drum had been off! She was so focused on her hands that she'd neglected her feet, causing a slight delay.
However, after a half-beat gap, she went back into the boom-chick.
"Okay, that's good."
Jia Lu stopped, her expression a little aggrieved. After practicing for so long, she still messed up. Though it wasn't a huge deal, Lin Chudong stopping them at this moment clearly meant her mistake would be a factor. She probably wouldn't get into the band.
Liang Yin said, "Hey, give her another chance, yeah?"
Lin Chudong said, "No need. I've seen enough of her skill."
Liang Yin frowned, giving him a look. "Inside."
The two of them went into the room. Liang Yin said, "It wasn't that bad, was it?"
Lin Chudong laughed. "Who said she was bad?"
"Then what was with that serious face! You scared my sister. She's your fan, be nice!"
Lin Chudong sighed. "This is an audition, sis. If I'm not serious, your money won't last long."
Liang Yin was speechless. "Alright, so how is she, exactly?"
Lin Chudong said, "She's skilled, her rhythm is very steady."
"The two most important things for a drummer are, first, rhythm, and second, mental fortitude."
"Although there's a metronome, the drummer is the one who controls the rhythm of all the instruments on the stage. Their on-the-spot performance has to be good. When I stood up just now, she wasn't affected."
"After the mistake with the fill, she was off by half a beat, but she handled it quite well. Overall, she's a good prospect, but she needs some guidance from an expert."
"Let me sum it up: this girl, if her monthly salary is over thirty thousand, don't use her. If it's under thirty thousand, you can use her."
Liang Yin breathed a sigh of relief. "Why didn't you say so earlier! You made it sound so serious, it scared me to death!" She patted her chest, which jiggled like jelly.
"I offered her a base salary of eight thousand, and she agreed on the spot."
Lin Chudong gave a thumbs up. "Alright, we can sign the contract after the paperwork is done. Don't let her perform the drum kit outside for now. I'm afraid someone will try to poach her."
This kind of potential, with a little nurturing, could become a great drummer. A professional drummer at this price? If it got out, people would be fighting over her.
Keeping her hidden was a basic move.
Liang Yin nodded. "I understand. Your… personal property."
"..."
That phrase didn't seem quite right, did it?
He went out and told Jia Lu the good news. Jia Lu's face lit up, and she twisted the hem of her clothes, standing up shyly. She then bowed directly to Lin Chudong.
"Thank you, Fei Bro! I'll work hard!"
Lin Chudong held out his hand. "Welcome to the Liang Music Band."
Jia Lu squeezed his hands excitedly, her smooth little hands were cold with nerves.
Liang Yin got excited too. This damn sense of ceremony, she could almost see their band's concert.
Lin Chudong let go of her hand and said, "I'll find a master to train you sometime."
"Thanks, Fei Bro!"
After the tense atmosphere passed, everyone started chatting.
Liang Yin said, "Da Fei, for the promotion of Chengdu, I plan to spend some money on Douyin. After all, it's short videos, and it's easy to become popular now. Maybe you can become popular again with this song."
Lin Chudong shook his head, "It's not suitable. Chengdu is folk, slow-burning, and not suitable for short video platforms. Even if we spend money to promote it, it'll be a waste."
"Then what do we do?"
In the release of a song, promotion is a crucial step. Otherwise, what's the point of having great music if no one hears it?
Actually, Lin Chudong was also worried about this.
"Don't worry, there are still a few days. Let's wait."
Just then, a group of people suddenly rushed past outside, and many of them were holding cameras.
"What are they doing?"
Jia Lu said, "I know! It's the Super Challenge Program Team. They're filming a reality show right here in Modu. Do you want to go and take a look?"
"Yeah! Maybe we can be chosen as lucky audience members and interact with the stars. Let's go!"
"Fei Bro, are you going?"
Lin Chudong nodded.
"Go!"
(End of chapter)