Chapter 73

In the afternoon, there was an elective class, and Song Haowen, using an excuse, decided not to attend. He returned to the store, where Qian Youlai and Wang Li were both present.

He briefed them on the recent developments in the music studio, requesting them to manage the business store, electronic recycling, and antique retail.

As for the antique collection , he decided to temporarily halt it unless something particularly interesting came up. He would revisit it once he got through his current busy period.

After instructing Qian Youlai and Wang Li, Song Haowen went to the free market and bought a second-hand bicycle, serving as his transportation between the music studio and the store.

When he last bought bicycles for his family, he only considered the urgent needs of his second sister and his parents, neglecting his own. Now that he promised to help in the music studio, he realized the inconvenience of traveling between the two places, which were miles apart, without proper transportation.

Song Haowen’s arrival brought relief to the overwhelmed Su Yan. The two of them decided to first establish a solid organizational structure for the music studio.

Song Haowen incorporated advanced management concepts from his past life into rules and regulations, introducing performance assessments for employees on top of their basic salaries, with no upper limit on performance bonuses.

Although Su Yan didn’t fully understand Song Haowen’s proposed management methods, she had a great deal of trust in him. Whatever plan he suggested, she would firmly follow. As for the outcomes, she was open-minded and willing to let time be the judge.

Therefore, Song Haowen found working here very satisfying. Everything in the music studio proceeded in an orderly and systematic manner. Before long, the studio obtained the rights for audio-visual production and small theater performances, and the staff quickly grew to over fifty people.

Su Yan served as the legal representative and manager of the music studio, overseeing overall operations, focusing on office management, finance, distribution, performances, and logistics. Song Haowen and Tian Nana, as they were still attending school, took on a smaller workload.

Song Haowen served as the deputy manager and music director, responsible for songwriting, audio-visual production, and theater; Tian Nana served as the deputy manager, overseeing commercial performances, bands, rehearsals, and signing performers.

Song Haowen decided to start with the theater. Following his past life’s experience, he not only advanced the hardware such as seats, lighting, and sound systems in the small theater but also made bold changes to the performers’ costumes, program arrangements, and band line-ups.

He gave each audience member custom-made glow sticks and plastic clappers to enhance the interaction between the stage and the audience. He also introduced snacks like beverages and popcorn, essential for cinemas in his past life, creating a visual and gastronomic feast for the audience.

As a result, the theater, once launched, immediately caused a huge sensation in the capital city. Tickets for performances were often hard to come by.

At this time, many artists involved in music, singing, drama, and cross talk also turned their attention to the small theater. Some volunteered themselves, while others sought recommendations, all expressing their desire to join the theater performances.

After discussions between Song Haowen and Su Yan, they carefully selected some distinctive performers and programs to participate in the small theater performances. As a result, the variety and excitement of the theater’s performances increased, and the enthusiasm of the audience soared.

With the success of the theater, songs like:

“My Chinese Heart,

” “Your Eyes,”

“The Great Wall Never Falls,”

and “Seeing Her Again” gained widespread popularity.

The National Radio and Television Center specifically invited Song Haowen and Tian Nana to host several music talk shows, promoting their popular works to the entire society.

In no time, they became widely known, and invitations for performances kept pouring in.

Originally, Song Haowen had gradually distanced himself from the lucrative path of live performances. However, with the establishment of the music studio, he couldn’t let Tian Nana travel around the country alone while he enjoyed success at the music studio.

Helpless, he had to take on many commercial performances. Besides the small theater performances, he spent the rest of his time traveling around the country for performances.

Apart from his busy schedule in performances, Song Haowen, together with Su Yan, produced and distributed records and tapes. They collaborated with renowned bands, signed contracts with qualified record and tape production companies, not only producing albums and tapes for themselves but also accepting external business.

As a result, this venture achieved tremendous success. The sales of Song Haowen and Tian Nana’s collaborated albums and tapes broke domestic records, selling a million copies (units) in just one month.

During this period, all three sets of Song Haowen’s quadrangle courtyards had been renovated and were now available for rent.

His parents initially thought that without farming, they would have plenty of free time. However, the reality was that they not only had to take care of the two gardens at home but also handle the rental affairs.

They were extremely busy, and complaints filled the air. Song Haowen, not wanting his parents to be too busy, suggested hiring one or two domestic helpers to assist.

However, his parents criticized him, saying he hadn’t changed much and should handle the household chores themselves. Helpless, he had to go along with their wishes.

Although Song Haowen spent most of his free time in the music studio, he insisted on staying overnight at the store unless there were special circumstances.

This way, he could also keep track of the business store’s operations. Due to the large volume of repair work, Zhu Hongyu and Ren Hua often needed to work late into the night.

Going back to the school dormitory could easily lead to gossip. As a result, the two of them decided to stay overnight at the store, foregoing returning to the dormitory.Top of Form

After finishing up his tasks at the music studio’s theater, Song Haowen returned to the business department, and it was already past 10 p.m. Two beautiful female classmates were still busy repairing electrical appliances. Feeling guilty, Song Haowen invited them to go for a late-night snack on the street.

Naren Hua took a bite of a lamb skewer and suddenly remembered something. “Xiao Songzi, do you remember the incident last year when you brought us to the courtyard dormitory?”

Zhu Hongyu also nodded and said, “If you hadn’t mentioned it, I would have forgotten.”

Song Haowen smiled. “Don’t blame me for that. Initially, you said you were going to buy bedding, and I asked you to help me get a set. In the end, you didn’t even get your own set.”

Zhu Hongyu blushed slightly. “It’s not that we were stingy and didn’t want to help you buy it. Later, we thought living there might be inconvenient, so buying a set of household items to leave idle there seemed wasteful, and we dropped the idea.”

Ren Hua blinked her big eyes and stared at Song Haowen. “You won’t go back on your word, right?”

Song Haowen spread his hands outward and muttered, “Do I seem like that kind of person to you? I welcome you to stay anytime.”

Zhu Hongyu glanced at Ren Hua and suggested, “Let’s discuss this later. We’re currently fine living here; it’s very convenient.”

Ren Hua pouted. “I’m just reminding this little Songzi; don’t forget the promise because it should never be broken.”

Song Haowen said with a hint of regret, “Actually, I also want to move into that house in Peach Blossom Alley. Unfortunately, this place is very important, and I don’t have the time to move there.”

“Tomorrow is Saturday, and I have some free time in the morning. How about we go together to buy household items and take a look at the house? I haven’t been there for a while.” Song Haowen invited his two classmates.

Zhu Hongyu shook her head. “Forget it. Let’s not consider this for now.”

Ren Hua, with a twinkle in her eyes, said, “Buying things is fine. But about the money…”

Song Haowen immediately said generously, “I’ll cover the expenses for buying things. You can choose the styles you like.”

“Okay, I agree.” Ren Hua agreed immediately.

Zhu Hongyu, unimpressed, said, “We don’t have time to go over and sleep. Buying things and leaving them idle is a waste.”

Ren Hua advised, “Sis, we can occasionally spend weekends there! Change the place where we sleep, experience the life of city residents in Beijing.”

“That’s right. It’s settled then. Tomorrow, we’ll go shopping together!”

The next morning, the three of them went to the street and bought three sets of household items, including bedding, bed sheets, and toiletries. Because they bought a lot, they arranged for the department store to deliver the goods to their door.

Mr. Wang and his wife, who lived in the courtyard, were happy to see Song Haowen and helped organize the delivery of the items.

Three of them had finished arranging their respective rooms, and it was almost midnight. Mr. Wang and his wife invited everyone to their room for dinner.

Seeing no way to decline, Song Haowen went to the street and bought a few cooked dishes, combining them with the dishes prepared by Mr. Wang’s family.

After the meal, the three of them returned to their respective rooms to rest for a while before reluctantly parting ways.

Song Haowen handed the keys to the main gate and the two rooms, one to Zhu and the other to Ren Hua allowing them to come over easily in the future. Then, he hurriedly went to the music studio, preparing for the evening’s theater performance.

Tonight, both Tian Nana and Song Haowen were participating in the performance. Despite the ticket price being raised from one yuan to five yuan, it was sold out two days ago.

When Song Haowen arrived at the second floor of the music room where theater was being held, Tian Nana was rehearsing with the contracted dancers on stage.

Before he could even sit down, a security guard hurriedly approached him, panting, and told him that a group of unruly young people had gathered at the entrance, seeming to cause trouble.

Upon hearing this, Song Haowen’s reaction was swift. He sprang up from the chair as if it were equipped with springs.

“Let me go and see what’s going on,” he said, not waiting for the security guard to lead the way, and rushed downstairs on his own.

Arriving downstairs, Song Haowen found the courtyard entrance, which had been empty just a moment ago, now occupied by seven or eight young individuals in their twenties, wearing floral shirts and sporting unconventional hairstyles.

They were arguing with the security guard, while Su Yan and several employees were trying to persuade them. He walked over to Su Yan, got an update on the situation, and learned that these troublemakers wanted to watch the rehearsal in the theater.

However, rehearsals were not open to the public, and when the security guard refused them to enter, they insisted on forcing their way in, leading to the altercation.

Before Song Haowen could intervene, the leader of the troublemakers, with green hair, suddenly threw a punch at the security guard’s face. The guard’s face was instantly covered in blood as he fell to the ground.

The music room staff present at the scene shouted in shock, loudly reprimanding the troublemakers. One of the security guards, who had witnessed his companion being attacked, couldn’t bear it and rushed forward to confront them. However, the troublemakers swarmed him, quickly knocking him to the ground.