Chapter 89: The Golden Commercial Register
With the help of professionals, the progress soared.
Tang Zhichu arrived at half past one, started working at two, finished the arrangement in less than two hours, and sang the vocal track only three times in total.
As the band members exchanged bewildered glances, Tang Zhichu pushed open the door to Recording Studio One.
The moment he stepped out, the teachers all shrugged.
“Damn, this guy’s not ordinary!”
“His songwriting is impressive, but his singing is even better. His vocal range sits right in the most popular high register, the golden commercial range. I haven’t seen a newcomer like this in ages.”
“Haha, if Sister Wei finds out, she’ll probably spit blood!”
“Old Shen’s sharp, isn’t he? How did he know about this guy? I heard Old Shen went all-in with his points to bring him in!”
“Must’ve been luck. Look at how this song was produced—Old Shen didn’t even show up.”
“If only every production went this smoothly.”
“Take a break, guys. I’m going to report to the director’s team. With this piece, we can finally breathe easy this episode.”
...
He entered the recording studio at one thirty and didn’t come out until almost six.
Tang Zhichu moved quietly, not wanting others to know he was the first to use the studio.
It wouldn’t really matter if they did—music shows aren’t like dating shows; the work comes first, everything else is secondary.
But dealing with people is always a hassle, and it makes him look a bit naïve.
He headed downstairs, about to turn a corner, when he heard footsteps and quickly spun around, pretending to be heading upstairs.
“Hey! Tang!”
Tang Zhichu turned, stepped aside respectfully, and said, “Teacher Guo!”
Guo Jinglong nodded, then grinned mischievously. “Were you trying to snoop for news?”
Tang Zhichu scratched his head and chuckled, “No, no, I was just curious about what’s upstairs. This building seems pretty impressive.”
Guo Jinglong shook his head but didn’t call him out. There really wasn’t much to see—everyone was just curious.
Since they’d bumped into each other, going upstairs now would seem petty.
“Well... there’s not much to look at. I’m hungry anyway. Teacher Guo, want to grab a bite together?”
Guo Jinglong glanced upstairs and waved his hand. “You haven’t eaten yet? I’m already done. Go, or the cafeteria’ll run out of food.”
Tang Zhichu paused, “Alright then, I’ll go eat first. I’ll find you for a drink sometime.”
“Anytime, but let’s do it during meal hours. I’ll add you to the main group chat, and call you when we’re drinking.”
“Okay, Teacher Guo, I’ll leave you to it.”
“Mm, go on. I’m not busy, just wandering around.”
Tang Zhichu headed downstairs.
Guo Jinglong listened for a moment, and after the footsteps faded, went upstairs himself.
Many had already visited the third floor of the creative building, but the recording studio was fully soundproofed. Someone waited half an hour, saw nothing, and gave up.
The shock was that someone was recording on the very first day; in the previous two episodes, the earliest recordings started late morning on the third day, and went on until night.
Guo Jinglong was here for the first time and was taken aback by the intensity. He’d barely managed to wait until evening, and when no one had figured out who it was, he couldn’t hold back and came over.
Just as Guo Jinglong appeared at the third-floor stairway, he ran into Teacher Qin from the band, who was heading to talk to the director team.
“Hey, Guo, what are you doing here?”
Guo Jinglong hesitated, “Um... Have you eaten?”
“Who’s got time for food now? I’m going to chat with Director Yu.”
“What’s up? You need to talk to Director Yu?”
Teacher Qin glanced at Guo Jinglong, thinking, even at his age, he’s as curious as the youngsters. Is this the charm of the rules?
“Nothing, just some program matters.”
“You’re done then?” Guo Jinglong eyed him suspiciously.
“Yeah, finished ages ago.”
Guo Jinglong: “......”
...
In the cafeteria, five or six people sat scattered around.
It was buffet style. Tang Zhichu grabbed some food, greeted everyone, and found a spot by himself.
He’d joined the show’s musicians’ group chat that morning, and the messages were already at 99+.
“Bai Xiwei: Own up, who is it? So competitive, it’s too much! Hmph! (o￣ヘ￣o)!”
“@Sister Wei: I thought it was Teacher Pu, but Teacher Pu’s in the creative room!”
“@Sister Wei: There are two suspects, neither have shown up. Rumor is they’re working in their own studios, and the crew is on location—but who knows if that's true!”
“Bai Xiwei: You’re using process of elimination, huh? @All members, folks, let’s take it easy!”
...
Tang Zhichu glanced at the chat, but didn’t reply.
If they figured out it was him, so be it. He hadn’t made any close connections yet, so no one would bother him.
Though he stayed silent in the group, he was already chatting privately with Yu Hua.
“Producer Qin came to me. You finished recording your song?”
“All done. I wanted to ask about the stage and the rehearsal.”
“Well, looks like my eye for talent is sharp! He praised you, said the quality’s high. I’ll handle arrangements. Nothing fancy on stage—keep it normal, don’t overshadow the song. Time’s tight. Rehearsal is set for tomorrow, just run through the process a few times. Better to get it done early than pull all-nighters later...”
“Thanks, Director Yu.”
With Tang Zhichu’s arrival, the whole atmosphere of the show shifted.
The next morning, someone else handed in their piece, and by afternoon, production began.
While everyone was busy guessing who was rushing things, Tang Zhichu was already quietly rehearsing with staff in the performance hall.
The rehearsal was simple, just running through the process.
Having someone rehearse early made everyone happy; otherwise, squeezing together later would only burden the staff.
On May twenty-ninth, the day after Tang Zhichu’s rehearsal.
He slept in until nine.
Going downstairs, he bumped into Yun Miao and Shen Jianxin.
“Miao, Teacher Shen, good morning!”
“Morning!”
Yun Miao didn’t answer right away, but beckoned him over. Tang Zhichu walked up.
“Be honest, was it you?” Yun Miao asked.
Everyone was curious who produced first on day one, but by day two, their attention moved on, as two more started recording.
To be fair, the show’s art supervision team was thrilled this time; unlike previous episodes which felt like battles, where they had to chase everyone, ending with collective all-nighters and even a stage recording that was postponed a day.
Shen Jianxin laughed, “Of course it was him. Haven’t seen him at all these days—I thought you’d dropped out!”
Tang Zhichu grinned, “No choice, time’s too tight later on. I can’t compete with the veteran’s schedules.”
Yun Miao was stunned—it really was him!
“So you’ve finished the process? Nothing left to do now?”
“Pretty much. Don’t expect too much from me—I’m really not that good. I’m just here to pave the way for Brother Xi.”
Shen Jianxin glared at him, “Don’t talk nonsense. With this efficiency, you’re the first, and that’s impressive enough. Later, let’s go to the performance hall together and watch their rehearsal...”