I Became an All-round Artist

When "Red Rose" soared to the top of the charts, its download numbers had already exceeded 1.2 million! This wasn't just an impressive figure; it also meant that Lin Yuan officially qualified to advance to the rank of Senior Composer.

To put it more plainly:
It was time for Xianyu to get a new profit-sharing contract!

Lin Yuan's previous contract was a standard rookie deal, where the company took 80% of the earnings. Now, he needed to negotiate with the company to figure out the new terms. Senior composers at the company didn’t all have the same contracts, and it varied based on negotiation.

Having just met the requirements for Senior Composer status, Lin Yuan was approached by Old Zhou, who got straight to the point: "You've reached the company’s threshold for a Senior Composer. What are your thoughts on the new contract?"

Thoughts?
Lin Yuan glanced at Old Zhou, confused. Wasn't it obvious? The more money, the better!

"..."
Old Zhou seemed to understand the meaning behind Lin Yuan's gaze and wasn't offended. He smiled warmly, "I'll personally negotiate the contract with the company for you."

Lin Yuan hesitated. Could Old Zhou be trusted?

Just then, a knock sounded at the door, followed by a familiar figure walking in—it was Zhao Jue. After entering, she glanced at Old Zhou and said, "Since Lin Yuan has reached Senior Composer status, I intend to negotiate the new contract on his behalf."

Old Zhou glanced at Zhao Jue, "I can handle it."

Zhao Jue shook her head, "I can secure a better deal."

Old Zhou frowned, "Don’t forget, Lin Yuan is part of our Composition Department. Do you think your face carries more weight than mine, or do you believe I'll sell Lin Yuan short?"

Zhao Jue, undeterred, reminded him, "Lin Yuan was signed by me."

"I'll handle it."
"I'll handle it!"
"I, Zhou Ruiming, can challenge the higher-ups!"
"I’m close with the boss!"
"..."

As the two looked about ready to argue, Lin Yuan interjected, "How about you both go together?"

"Together?"
Old Zhou and Zhao Jue exchanged glances, then suddenly shared a knowing smile. "Alright, expect good news from us."

Lin Yuan nodded.

Five minutes later, Old Zhou and Zhao Jue arrived at the Finance Department. In Star Mang Entertainment, there were specific personnel responsible for handling contracts for senior composers.

"What wind blew you both here?"
The contract officer was visibly startled to see both Old Zhou and Zhao Jue at the same time but quickly plastered on a welcoming smile. These were two of the company’s power players.

Old Zhou spoke up, "We’re here to renegotiate Xianyu’s contract."

The officer's face fell. "You’re personally negotiating for Xianyu?"

Old Zhou nodded.

The officer sighed. These types of contracts were usually handled directly between the composer and the company. Only when a composer showed exceptional potential did a department head step in to help negotiate. This was the officer's worst nightmare.

Supervisors, eager to build good rapport with their talents, always fought tooth and nail for better terms, fully siding with the composers. Meanwhile, the officer’s job was to protect the company’s interests and negotiate down.

"And Chief Zhao?"
The officer turned to Zhao Jue.

Zhao Jue replied, "Same thing."

The officer blinked, confused. "For whom?"

Zhao Jue said flatly, "Xianyu."

The officer gestured helplessly, at a loss for words.

...

When Old Zhou and Zhao Jue returned to the Composition Department, they had an air of triumph. They dropped a fresh contract on the table, saying, "Here’s your new contract."

"What’s the profit share?"
Lin Yuan asked expectantly.

Zhao Jue smiled, "From now on, if you collaborate with smaller artists, you’ll directly receive 50% of the profits. You’ll have full say over how much the artist gets, though they can refuse. But I doubt any small artist would pass up the chance to work with you."

Lin Yuan quickly did the math:
Under this new agreement, his previous 15% cut would now jump to 45%, tripling his earnings. This meant his monthly income from songs would skyrocket, making his system-customized songs far more profitable.

"Additionally," Old Zhou added, "if you collaborate with major artists, you’ll get 30% of the profits. The company will handle negotiations with the artist and their management for the remaining 60%, which won’t involve you."

Lin Yuan: "..."

This was precisely why he disliked working with big-name artists. When working with smaller artists, he could keep 45% of the profits, only giving up 5%. But with major artists, his cut dropped to 30%, leaving a 15% difference!

Don’t underestimate that 15%. The earnings from his previous songs had largely come from that difference, netting him quite a bit of money over time.

"Lin Yuan,"
Old Zhou smiled, "For someone who’s just become a Senior Composer, this contract is already one of the best. Other senior composers, despite having more successful works, don’t necessarily have better deals than this."

"Yeah," Zhao Jue agreed, "Once you produce even more high-quality songs, this contract can be renegotiated. When that time comes, both Old Zhou and I can represent you again."

"Thank you."
Lin Yuan skimmed the contract to make sure everything was in order, then signed it with both "Xianyu" and his real name.

"Oh, by the way,"
Lin Yuan suddenly asked out of curiosity, "How do the ‘Song Kings’ split their profits with the company?"

"They get the full amount," Zhao Jue replied with a smile.

Singers don’t get a share?
Before Lin Yuan could feel envious, Old Zhou added, "Some of the Song Kings even participate in various revenue streams outside of downloads."

Lin Yuan was stunned.
Song profits didn’t just come from downloads. They included singer endorsements, concert performances, and more—these revenue streams were often even bigger than the download profits!

"Keep working hard," Old Zhou said with a grin, "Once you reach that level, I’ll let you in on an even bigger secret. Star Mang has several aces up its sleeve, but not even they have deals as good as the Song Kings. They live in a completely different world."

Lin Yuan nodded.

Meanwhile, as Lin Yuan celebrated his new contract, Chen Zhiyu was at a restaurant with his manager, enjoying a full fish feast. Suddenly, Chen Zhiyu grimaced, clearly uncomfortable.

"What’s wrong?"
His manager asked with concern.

Chen Zhiyu yelled, "Bones! This fish has bones!"

Enjoying this story? Support me on [Patreon](patreon.com/aiden_connor) to unlock more chapters early and get exclusive content!