I Became an All-round Artist

Lin Yuan’s journey to Qi Continent wasn’t easy. It had a lot to do with the flight route and the model of the plane he chose. However, after the new transportation system was implemented, Lin Yuan noticed something surprising when he arrived in Qin Continent—he had made the trip in just an hour and a half.

Technology changes everything.

It’s said that the high-speed “Flying Train” is also incredibly efficient. Lin Yuan planned to try it on his way back, though he couldn’t help but feel that it was just an enhanced version of a subway. If Earth advanced a bit more technologically, it might also reach similar speeds. After all, the fastest ground transportation on Earth had already achieved remarkable velocity.

Arriving at Xingmang.

The environment was still familiar, but Lin Yuan didn’t need to act as a tour guide this time. The company had arranged for someone to meet them. He and the others were then led to a spacious meeting room within the company.

Upon entering the meeting room.

Gu Qiangyun and the others seemed a bit restrained, speaking in hushed tones. Gu Dong, however, cautiously edged closer to Lin Yuan, perhaps finding some sense of security in his composure.

“Lin Yuan…”

Not long after, Old Zhou appeared.

Lin Yuan stood and greeted him.

Old Zhou smiled, “Good to have you back. You might not need to stay in Qi Continent as an exchange student any longer. I’ve confirmed with the school that next semester, the exchange program will switch from students to teachers.”

Lin Yuan asked curiously, “What does that mean?”

Old Zhou explained with a hint of humor, “It means your teachers will be going to Qi Continent to teach their students, while their teachers will come to teach here at Qin Art Academy. The exchange will have more practical value from now on. After all, the two continents are practically one family now. Students from Qi Continent can take our entrance exams, and we can take theirs.”

Lin Yuan nodded.

Old Zhou had other matters to attend to and left soon after, though not before greeting Gu Qiangyun and the others. No sooner had Old Zhou left than Zhao Jue arrived to meet Lin Yuan as well. She, unlike Old Zhou, kept the pleasantries to a minimum and briefly commended Lin Yuan for his achievements at the branch company.

After Zhao Jue departed.

Only then did Gu Qiangyun and the others breathe a little easier. Though Gu Qiangyun was a manager at the branch company, he lacked confidence in front of the higher-ups from headquarters, despite their relatively similar job titles.

A few minutes later.

The senior management from headquarters finally arrived. It was a female leader, Han Xiu, Vice President of Xingmang Headquarters, one of the company’s most influential figures after the chairman. Lin Yuan didn’t know her personally, but she clearly knew him.

“Welcome home.”

Han Xiu greeted him with a smile and extended her hand.

Lin Yuan politely shook her hand.

Gu Qiangyun and the others were taken aback. They had assumed Lin Yuan was just another star composer sent by headquarters to the branch, and Xingmang should have many such talents. However, Old Zhou, Zhao Jue, and now Vice President Han Xiu’s treatment of Lin Yuan shattered their preconceptions.

Lin Yuan’s status was far beyond that of an ordinary star composer!

This was no ordinary composer—this was clearly someone of great significance at headquarters!

Gu Dong, on the other hand, was more adaptable. She had long suspected that Lin Yuan’s transfer to the branch had little to do with his rank and was simply due to his status as a student in need of attending classes in Qi Continent. Managing the branch was just a side task.

It made sense.

With Lin Yuan’s composing skills, it was unthinkable that he held a low position in headquarters. Even among star composers, few could so effortlessly fulfill two high-value orders as he had.

Back to the meeting.

After shaking hands with Lin Yuan, Han Xiu took the seat closest to him. “The branch’s performance in recent months has been commendable, but as you all know, the future will be different. Qi Continent and Qin Continent are now one.”

The group nodded.

Many had already come to terms with the merger of the two continents, though most were still anxious about the future and had yet to fully experience the changes it would bring.

“So…” Han Xiu glanced at Lin Yuan and smiled. “The company hopes that some of the staff from the branch will stay and work at headquarters. Now that the barriers between the continents have been lifted, we still need a point of contact over there, but you’re free to decide.”

Everyone exchanged glances.

Han Xiu smiled again. “You have time to consider it, but the company needs your answers by tomorrow. One more thing I want to remind you: with the advances in transportation, traveling between the two continents will become even easier. Today, it only took you around two hours to get here. In the future, it will be even faster, as new, more efficient transportation systems are already in development. The other continents will soon join in this merging process as well.”

The group nodded again.

Han Xiu then turned to Lin Yuan. “Now, regarding changes within headquarters: Lin Yuan, your excellent performance at the branch has led the company to offer you the position of department representative for the composing division on the ninth floor.”

Lin Yuan was stunned.

Was he being promoted to supervisor?

Seeing his confusion, Han Xiu patiently explained, “I know you have your studies, so this would be more of an honorary role. The day-to-day management would be handled by an assistant, but you’d still hold the highest authority on that floor.”

Lin Yuan thought about refusing.

But Han Xiu’s next words changed his mind. “The base salary for this role is 100,000 yuan per month, plus you’ll receive a commission on the works of composers under your leadership. The detailed contract will be drawn up next week. Do you have any objections?”

“No,” Lin Yuan replied decisively.

Han Xiu nodded. “The company will also be reorganizing the composing staff across the floors. Aside from you, the other departments will be led by our top-tier composers like Yang Zhongming. They’ll all hold the same rank as you. In other words, while the other floors are managed by composers at the ‘Qu Dad’ level, you’ll be managing the ninth floor despite not being one yourself.”

Boom!

It felt like a thunderclap. The branch staff were completely dumbfounded. All the other floors would be managed by ‘Qu Dads,’ yet Lin Yuan had been given the same authority despite not holding that prestigious title!

Lin Yuan gave a slight nod.

The calmness with which he accepted this news left everyone in the room, including Han Xiu, feeling slightly perplexed. The company had placed him on equal footing with legendary composers, and yet he remained so composed, as if it were completely natural.

After all…

The company had made this bold decision because they saw immense potential in Lin Yuan. With the upcoming competition from Qi Continent’s companies, a star composer like him was sure to become a highly sought-after asset.

The company made this decision to keep their golden asset secure.
Though, when it comes to experience and accomplishments, Lin Yuan truly can’t compare with the other master composers. When this proposal was first brought up, it sparked intense debate among the higher-ups. Ultimately, it was Old Zhou who said a simple line:

"His future is limitless."

These four words moved Chairman Li Songhua, which is why the appointment was finally handed to Lin Yuan. His past achievements and his accomplishments at the branch office had already set him far ahead of the other top-tier composers.

Calling Lin Yuan a "master composer" might be a bit too much, but considering his age and achievements, calling him a "young master composer" wouldn't be far off. After all, the level of success Lin Yuan has achieved at his age shows he has a great chance of becoming a true master composer in the future!

After clearing her throat, Han Xiu said, “This is just a temporary decision. The company won’t fully implement these changes until January. In the future, we won’t be setting up too many additional floors. Including the one led by Teacher Xianyu, there will only be floors nine to fifteen designated for the composition department. The total staff numbers won’t change much. Above those floors will be recording studios and other areas. Lin Representative, you can take a look around later to get familiar with it.”

“What about Director Zhou?” Lin Yuan asked.

Han Xiu smiled again, “Teacher Xianyu still cares about his former boss, it seems. Director Zhou will continue to oversee all floors, but his responsibilities are increasing since the company is establishing a film division to match the scale of the music department. He’ll be managing part of that too. He has officially entered the company’s executive decision-making team.”

Lin Yuan understood.
The company couldn't resist getting into the film industry. Although Starmang had a film division before, it was obviously not a priority, as their main focus was music. But with the shifting market, the company had no choice but to adapt.

"Things are changing."

Han Xiu sighed. “But the music department is still highly valued because the film industry will inevitably require soundtracks and scoring. When the time comes, Lin Representative and the other master composers who manage their floors will frequently collaborate with the film side. Directors, screenwriters, and other important figures will be visiting the composition department, so everyone should familiarize themselves with this new dynamic.”

Lin Yuan didn’t respond.

What he was really thinking about was the system. In the important categories the system provided, apart from culture and music, film was another major area. So it was very likely he’d also be getting involved in the film industry, and not just limited to scoring. The system was still upgrading, so he couldn’t interact with it yet, but once the upgrade was done, he figured he’d be able to craft scripts and other things as well.

As for leaving Starmang...

Jian Yi had once discussed the possibility with Lin Yuan. According to him, companies in Qi Zhou would certainly be willing to offer an enormous price to recruit him. But Lin Yuan wasn’t the type to jump ship easily. His long-term partnership with Silver Blue Publishing, writing novels, already showed that. If the relationship with his current company was good, why bother seeking something far away? He didn’t believe Qi Zhou’s offers would be much better than what Starmang could provide.

After the meeting, everyone dispersed.

The branch employees were taken care of by the company, while Lin Yuan went to the composition department to greet his old colleagues. Since the department would soon be reorganized, he didn’t know if they would still have a chance to work together.

“Our little master composer is here!”

As soon as Lin Yuan walked through the door, he was greeted with warm enthusiasm. His old colleagues had clearly missed him, especially Wu Yong, the senior who had originally helped him settle in. Wu Yong grinned from ear to ear like a blooming flower.

“Hey everyone,” Lin Yuan smiled, offering a socially appropriate greeting. He had grown fond of these colleagues. Somewhat nostalgic, he even sat at his old desk for a bit, soaking in the familiar atmosphere, and asked Wu Yong, “What’s this about ‘little master composer’?”

“You don’t know?”

Wu Yong chuckled, “You’ve probably received the company’s announcement by now. From now on, you’ll be representing an entire floor, but unlike the other representatives who are all master composers, you’re the only one with the title of top-tier composer. So, everyone’s been calling you Starmang’s ‘little master composer’!”

“And no one’s questioning it!”

Another colleague chimed in, “Even though you’re technically still a top composer, your achievements since joining the company are undeniable. Word is you’ve really turned things around for the branch in Qi Zhou!”

“Stop with the ‘you’ stuff!”

“From now on, it’s Representative Lin!”

“Representative Lin will be our new boss. I’d love to be assigned to your team, but rumor has it the company plans to mix things up, so whether we work together again depends on fate.”

“Pity so many have left.”

“Our floor lost twenty-one people, all poached by Qi Zhou companies. Other floors are in the same situation. No one thought this day would come, so nobody signed non-compete agreements when they joined.”

“...”

Lin Yuan finally noticed that the department was indeed missing a few familiar faces. It seemed that Qi Zhou had already made moves, and poaching so many people at once was a bold tactic. Starmang had taken a serious hit.

“No real loss.”

Just as someone was commenting on the company’s losses, Wu Yong grinned and said, “You guys don’t know yet, huh? We’ve poached over a hundred people from major companies in Qi Zhou, including top-tier directors, screenwriters, and even some famous actors. And our moves were even faster!”

Some were shocked, while others seemed to already know.

As Lin Yuan listened to the conversation, he gained a clearer understanding of the company’s situation. Just as he was thinking about heading home, a voice suddenly echoed in his mind:

"Expanding the film library..."
"Director template selection in progress..."

Lin Yuan wanted to ask more, but the system ignored him, still in the middle of its upgrade. This only confirmed that his next big move would likely be in the film industry.

Film, huh.

It seemed most likely he’d start by writing scripts. However, the system had also mentioned directing, so Lin Yuan decided it was time to research the film industry on Bluestar. That way, he could be prepared when it came time to collect prestige in the film field.

Meanwhile, the merger between Qi Zhou and Qin Zhou had entered its first phase, and the impact was growing stronger by the day. The entertainment companies from both regions were starting to feel the heat, and it was clear that the upcoming battles in music and film were going to be intense...

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