“So this is where you’ve been hiding.”

A voice sounded in Lin Yuan’s ear, and soon after, a handsome and fair face blocked the dazzling starry sky in front of him.

“Jian Yi.”

Lin Yuan instinctively called out the name.

This boy, handsome and tall, was Lin Yuan’s friend from elementary school, middle school, and even university — truly a lifelong buddy. And now, this close friend had already reached out to pull Lin Yuan off the ground.

Immediately, Lin Yuan felt a weight on his shoulder — a woman’s coat had been draped over him. He turned his head and saw a beautiful smiling face. It was a girl with long hair draped over her shoulders, wearing light makeup, possessing classic beauty.

“Xia Fan.”

Just as he had unconsciously called out to Jian Yi, Lin Yuan did the same with this girl’s name. Like Jian Yi, Xia Fan was also Lin Yuan’s friend from elementary school, middle school, and university — another lifelong buddy.

“There’s a breeze tonight, remember to put on a coat before you go out,” Xia Fan advised Lin Yuan, even though both she and Jian Yi, as well as everyone else running on the track, wore summer-fitting short sleeves.

“Alright,” Lin Yuan replied.

As soon as he said it, both Jian Yi and Xia Fan looked at him in unison, their eyes carrying a hint of doubt.

“Why do I feel like something’s off with you?”

It was Jian Yi who said this. Xia Fan, though not speaking, clearly shared Jian Yi’s sentiment through her expression.

“It’s because I’m not entirely Lin Yuan anymore,” Lin Yuan said with a smile, considering his statement to be a rather objective description. Half of him belonged to the original owner – at least his feelings for family and friends, as well as his physical attributes, matched the original owner.

“Possessed by a ghost?” Jian Yi laughed heartily, taking no real concern from it. Xia Fan, too, seemed inexplicably relieved.

Lin Yuan breathed a sigh of relief. This way, he did not need to explain himself.

Growing up alongside Xia Fan and Jian Yi, they knew Lin Yuan’s situation well, taking care of him since childhood due to his weak health. Emotionally, Lin Yuan did not want to deceive them, yet he had no choice but to deceive a little.

“Lin, let me objectively say something.”

Jian Yi spoke seriously, “The so-called ‘novelist,’ is one of the top ten most desired professions among young people across continents. Just in our Qinzhou, there are countless people striving towards this goal. It’s really difficult for you to stand out in this industry based just on a sudden hobby, so there’s no need to doubt life in the cold wind on a dark and windy night.”

“Novelist…” Lin Yuan thought to himself.

Jian Yi mentioned novels for a reason. Not long ago, the original owner had the idea to write a novel and put it into action, submitting a manuscript of one hundred thousand words to an online essay competition, hoping to debut as a “novelist.” These types of contests were bustling. If successful, not only would the winner’s work gain a precious publishing opportunity, but if it reached a certain sales threshold, it could also be adapted into anime, film, or games. It was something countless people aspiring to be novelists dreamt of — and most importantly, it was very lucrative!

Unfortunately…

Due to the popularity of such events, coupled with the original owner’s average talent for novel creation, his entry was eliminated in the first round of the competition.

So, Jian Yi judged that the reason Lin Yuan was on the playground, feeling the cold wind alone, was due to his failure in the contest.

However…

Neither Lin Yuan nor the original owner really cared about the outcome of this writing competition. The original owner had no intention to commit suicide due to the competition’s failure; it had nothing to do with it. His participation was just for fun, so to speak, wondering if he could earn some money from it. He was someone who constantly thought about graduating early to make money.

He always carried a sense of guilt towards his family, working hard towards his goals. He felt that his older sister, younger sister, and mother sacrificed too much for him, and he wanted to repay them in any way he could. Being a singer was not only a dream but also a job capable of earning substantial money!

Never say things like “dreams shouldn’t be sullied by money.” For the original owner, if contaminating his dreams could bring money, he’d happily have his dreams filled with holes — so he could buy a beautiful dress for his sister, free his sister’s life, and relieve his mother from hard work.

“Don’t listen to Jian Yi.”

Xia Fan, also assuming Lin Yuan was annoyed by the contest’s failure, did not advise him to give up, but instead encouraged him to persist: “There are actually many similar opportunities. For instance, next month, the ‘Supernova’ novel award will be held by a top-ranking publisher, Yin Lan Library. You can try participating then.”

“Oh, come on, Xia Fan,” Jian Yi rubbed his forehead, “Lin Yuan couldn’t even pass an amateur competition, and you want him to challenge the ‘Supernova’?

“It’s the participation that counts.”

Xia Fan replied sheepishly. She didn’t actually expect Lin Yuan to succeed; she just wanted him to have something to do. Since his voice trouble and transfer to the composition department, Lin Yuan’s mindset hadn’t been great.

Jian Yi, not as delicate as Xia Fan, was passionately explaining the situation: “Even I, someone who doesn’t follow the novel circle, know how fierce Supernova is. Participants are essentially seasoned veterans who have been fighting for their debut dreams for years. Occasionally, some already-debuted but struggling authors would join. For many, it’s just a matter of changing pen names and donning a new cloak to become so-called newcomers…”

In summary: Supernova is a battle of gods.

“I get it, I get it,” Lin Yuan interrupted Jian Yi with a smile, secretly noting the Supernova event to himself.

In a world ablaze with artistic passion, channels for gaining recognition seem plentiful. But right now, he didn’t have a novel. He needed to wait for the system to generously provide one.

However, the song “Life is like Summer Flowers” needed to be released some way, and he glanced at Xia Fan.

Xia Fan was a student from the vocal music department. While Lin Yuan hadn’t changed departments, the two were classmates, and in terms of professional ability, Xia Fan certainly didn’t lag behind – her singing talent was almost on par with Lin Yuan before he lost his voice.

But Xia Fan was just a student. Would a student release a song through online channels? That would be too slow a process to gain recognition. Without proper promotion, the song could just end up sinking without a trace.

“What’s wrong?”

Seeing Lin Yuan looking at her, Xia Fan felt a bit strange, “Are you craving some food or drink? I’ll go get you some now.”

“No,” Lin Yuan replied. “I have a friend… yeah, a friend, who wrote a song and wants to release it, but doesn’t know how. Do you have any recommendations?”

“Are you dumb?”

Jian Yi sneered. “Didn’t you sell yourself to Starlight Entertainment Company for fifty thousand dollars back then? If you have a song, of course, you should go to the company behind you. Such a big company, it’d be a waste not to use it.”

Lin Yuan was stunned for a moment, then realized. After entering Qinzhou Music Academy, his astonishing vocal talent was recognized, and during his freshman year, he was signed by a reputable entertainment company through an agent. The original owner desperately needed the money, so even knowing that a fifty-thousand-dollar signing fee was really cheap, he still didn’t hesitate to sign an eight-year contract. The money was immediately given to his mom!

Unexpectantly, though…

That young boy with astonishing vocal talent lost his ability to sing shortly after signing the contract.

The entertainment company that signed Lin Yuan had to just accept their misfortune, leaving Lin Yuan to do as he pleased from then on. Perhaps aware of Lin Yuan’s family situation, the company didn’t ask for compensation either, although they never mentioned termination of the contract, probably having forgotten about Lin Yuan among their signed artists.

“Wait a minute,” Jian Yi suddenly realized while Lin Yuan was lost in thoughts, “Lin, since when did you have a friend Xia Fan and I don’t know about?”

“Imaginary friend,” Xia Fan giggled behind her hand, then added: “Actually, there’s an opportunity to release a song coming up. In a few days, the annual ‘Newcomer’s Season’ will occur. During this time, all major entertainment companies will make an effort, provided you meet their registration standards…”

“Understood,” Lin Yuan smiled.

This is a utopia for artists, an ideal land where entertainment flourishes! Here, if you have the ability, roads to fame stretch out like red carpets, crisscrossing to your doorstep!

The Music Newcomer’s Season.

It’s one of the avenues for fame, a rule specifically set by Blue Star to cultivate musical talent:

Each November, a Music Newcomer’s Season event is held worldwide on Blue Star!

During this time, the seniors in the music scene will all silently stop releasing albums or even singles, halting their activities to give the newbies some space. Some seniors may even actively support promising newcomers.

Then the major entertainment companies would seize this opportunity and push new talents with all their might, as generation after generation of newcomers give it their all to stand out!

Originally, Lin Yuan had this opportunity to debut in the Newcomer’s Season.

But unfortunately, now he can only try to debut as a lyricist and composer.

Although Lin Yuan was no longer the original owner, he felt happier to debut as a lyricist and composer.

The revenue sharing model for newcomers includes:

For songs generating profits from downloads or streaming, the company generally takes eighty percent, leaving the remaining twenty to be split between the singers and lyricists/composers, with costs for composers and producers often settled by the company.

The specific ratio depends on the contracts.

Typically, the singers and composers get the larger share.

Excluding the major share taken by the company, Lin Yuan didn’t need to share the earnings with many people since he handled both the lyrics and melody, and the arrangement and production effects were pre-made by the system. Now, what he needed was simply a channel to compete in the Newcomer’s Season and a revenue-sharing partner — someone who could sing, a tool for music creation.