Chapter 153: Passed on the First Try

To say that Aidi was a man of deep passion and emotion would be no exaggeration at all.

Although this was only their first meeting, Liu Qingshan could already perceive his unrestrained nature, his transparent emotions, and his penchant for acting purely on impulse.

Conversely, those who interacted with him frequently wore looks of utter astonishment and disbelief at this moment.

Aidi spoke up again, "Mr. Liu, I only just learned a little bit about you. Is it true that rumors about your exceptional martial arts skills are flying everywhere outside?"

Unaccustomed to Aidi’s erratic and free-flowing conversational style, Liu Qingshan merely replied instinctively, "Those are just groundless rumors spread by some friends in the Hong Kong stunt community."

Aidi grinned broadly, his train of thought instantly leaping to an entirely different subject: "Have you taken a liking to A-Jie?"

"I appreciate him quite a bit. I wouldn't go so far as to say I've 'taken a liking' to him in that sense, but wanting to collaborate with him is the truth!"

"So that's why you had him debut the song? Don't misunderstand; I'm neither an elder figure to him nor do I hold any contract of his. It's just that after spending a long time with this kid, I've developed a fondness for him."

"Actually, he is the most suitable person to sing it. 'Unyielding Heart' is, after all, a pure rock song. Don't you agree?"

"Well, although your own rendition sung in your vocal range isn't bad, to be honest, it always lacked a certain something. How should I put it? Unbridled expression—yes, that unrestrained cry following the sudden emotional eruption in the chorus."

"That is precisely my view as well."

"Actually, you sang it very well too, but why is it that only the voice-cracking phase at the absolute climax is more touching? The essence of this song is to pierce the heart, to make people empathize. It's the cry of a frustrated, down-and-out person facing endless hardships in pursuit of a dream. Within that cry, there is confusion, struggle, anguish, and the brave determination to burn one's boats behind, ultimately deciding to march onward with optimism and steadfastness. Am I right?"

"That pretty much sums it up."

"Therefore, your verse starts off very steady and calm. Even as the emotions build up layer by layer, that composure remains present from beginning to end, as if every impending difficulty could be resolved with ease, making one feel secure and reliable. But what is the spirit of rock? It is a rebellion against the hypocrisy of a certain culture, a profound form of subversion, and the most authentic feelings of the soul cried out in the most primitive voice."

"So you're saying my singing style pursues stability a bit too much?"

"That's only one aspect. You merely expressed a youth's independent consciousness, but you've already successfully conveyed the musical essence of such a meaningful theme—which makes it nothing less than appropriate for your video."

"And that's the extent of it?"

"Just my personal understanding, mind you, and I hope Mr. Liu won't take it to heart. I believe that if it's treated as a live performance, it falls short of A-Jie's version. His exceptional expressive power and stage performance will give this rock song an extraordinary level of incitement. People love rock music more for the crazy audience atmosphere and the equally crazy musician performances at a venue. You could consider my view somewhat vulgarized, but unfortunately, reality is just like that. Rock music is a great thing, but the premise is that you have to survive first; only by adapting to market demands can you have the conditions to realize the so-called spirit of rock!"

Hearing this, Liu Qingshan could not help but chuckle softly, entirely devoid of any mocking intent.

"I never expected Aidi that you would share my exact thoughts. But after taking such a huge roundabout way, aren't you simply reminding me to make proper use of A-Jie? Rest assured, once he is willing to return to the mainland with me, my passion for rock music will be even calmer than yours!"

"Oh? Mr. Liu, please elaborate!"

"Hard rock like 'Unyielding Heart' is enough with just this one for now, purely to stamp a distinct mark upon him. Next, I will craft a few rock-style pop songs for him. Before he truly makes a name for himself, he can only use this method to quickly build his reputation, catering to the market as much as possible rather than making the market adapt to him."

These words clearly struck a chord with Aidi, causing him to involuntarily straighten his back, adopting the posture of someone listening intently.

Liu Qingshan, however, stopped elaborating and instead looked toward A-Jie: "Brother Jie, do you have any thoughts about developing your career back on the mainland?"

A-Jie had been listening closely all along. Hearing the question directed at him, he pondered for a moment before asking in return, "Does Mr. Liu own a record label on the mainland?"

Liu Qingshan chuckled. "Not yet, but perhaps there will be one by the time you go! I am currently preparing the debut album for Kim Hee-sun, which includes all the lyrics and composition. I would like you and your band to become the second signing of Snowfield Studio, but your previous works will have to wait for a while, or perhaps be selected to join the first album!"

"I understand, but I need to discuss it with the band. Some of them might not want to leave Hong Kong!"

"There's no need to leave; Snowfield will establish a branch in Hong Kong in the future. By the way, how much do you all know about Snowfield?"

Most of them shook their heads, except for Manager Bian, who chimed in, "I've heard it's a high-tech team specializing in movie special effects. Stephen Chow's *Kung Fu* was produced by Snowfield."

Strictly speaking, this wasn't really an answer, but rather sounded more like feeding lines to Liu Qingshan, with the intention to flatter being quite obvious.

Liu Qingshan chuckled and nodded. "My studio will develop very rapidly, and future branches will also receive support from Emperor Motion Pictures. Therefore, Brother Jie, you don't have to worry about your bandmates at all. Once you truly make a name for yourselves one day, you can entirely consider returning to Hong Kong!"

Immediately shifting the topic, he added, "No need to rush your answer; I'm staying in Hong Kong for over a month! Let's officially start recording right now. We have work to do tonight, so time is very tight!"

Manager Bian, however, immediately raised an objection, "Boss Yang gave us plenty of time; it wouldn't be too late to record in the afternoon. After only two rehearsals, our coordination with each other must still be quite unfamiliar, right?"

"That is true in theory, but I really don't have the time! How about this: let's try recording it once. If there are too many flaws, we'll re-record it in the afternoon!"

Liu Qingshan smiled helplessly. With the complete orchestration ready, he could guarantee a one-take pass, though collaborating with a live band was indeed a first for him.

He immediately gathered with the band members to discuss briefly, then nodded toward Aidi, who was in charge of recording.

Aidi chuckled as he walked back to the control console, while Liu Qingshan and the others picked up their instruments and entered the recording studio.

After getting briefly familiar with the instruments, Aidi's voice came through the loudspeaker: "Relax, just play it like the rehearsal just now. After all, it's just an instrumental piece; as long as the integrity of the song is guaranteed, there won't be any problems!"

This time around, the effect of the performance was vastly different from what it had been outside.

The three walls of the recording studio were made of brick-structured soundproof panels, and the remaining side featured a thick, sealed, soundproof glass window.

Moreover, the surfaces were covered with very expensive suspended soundproofing layers and acoustic absorption materials, making the indoor reverberation effect exceptionally superior.

The superb live acoustics not only allowed Liu Qingshan to deliver a performance even more invested and flawless than before, but the band's accompaniment was also executed at a super-high level. The sheer impact was far more mesmerizing than it had been outside.

Just a few minutes later, Aidi's excited shouting came through the loudspeaker: "We did it! We actually passed in a single take! Mr. Liu's vocals are practically flawless!"