It should be said that fame is indeed a good thing.

  Because of his fame, even the proud Wang Jingxue took the initiative to seek out Li Qian, hoping to get his work. Because of his fame, Li Qian said he was willing to write songs and produce a new album for Wu Xing Wu Su, and Hua Ge Shang Pian immediately agreed. Li Baolong directly led the team south, also because of his fame. Although Li Qian is only a 17-year-old boy, since contacting Hua Ge Shang Pian, cooperation with producer Li Baolong and other girls from Wu Xing Wu Su has been smooth and pleasant - all brought by just five songs.

  However, turning fame into more benefits in reality and continuing to exchange for greater fame, or even converting this fame into a solid reputation in the Jianghu world, is not a simple matter. In this regard, Li Qian, who had been rooted in the entertainment circle for over a decade, had long had a clear understanding and sufficient mental preparation.

  When a person is in the world, they need to eat, drink, wear clothes and have a place to live. In the future, they will also need to support their wife and children. Who doesn't think about making money? When a person is in a circle of people, whether they look up or down, everyone is a colleague. Who doesn't want others to respect them a little bit?

  With Li Qian's current situation and his own personality, he will not think about doing anything big or small for the time being. However, he should earn what he deserves to earn, get what he deserves to get, and take the Jianghu position that he should have - whether it's called ideal, dream, or hobby, art, money, and fame do not contradict each other, but rather complement each other.

  Now, with the explosive rise of Liao Liao's five songs directly hitting the charts and bringing him inner-circle fame, Li Qian needs to establish his own first-stage reputation as a master songwriter and gold-medal producer!

  The combination of Wu Xing is his first shot!

  So, no room for mistakes.

  …………

  Sunday, September 5th, afternoon.

  Jinan Prefecture old Dou singing disc, A1 recording studio.

  A little less than a quarter to, Li Qian arrived on time. When he pushed the door in, including the musicians and recording engineers invited by Lao Dou Records, including Wu Mei's sisters, even their agent Wu Jie, producer Li Bao Long, as well as the boss of Lao Dou Records Fu Zhen Bang, were all present, and the recording engineer who had come from Shun Tian Fu had already arranged the positions for the musicians and instruments.

  The agreed time was two o'clock, Li Qian couldn't be considered late, it could only be said that the people in the house were too serious.

  He went in. Li Qian, as always, smiled and joined his hands together to greet those he knew and didn't know - no matter which circle you mix with, young people who understand politeness are definitely good, and more courtesy is not a bad thing.

  When the host arrived, everyone greeted him one after another. Fu Zhenbang even took Li Qian over to introduce the musicians who were invited today.

  The arrangements of the two songs "Sister, Sister Stand Up" and "Let's Row the Oars" were both done by Li Qian. The arrangement of the former song is fast-paced with a playful tone, giving it a very youthful feel, similar to the original version in his mind, about 70-80% alike. The arrangement of the latter song mainly emphasizes the heavenly chorus feeling, and according to Li Qian's plan, the entire song is sung by the chorus, without any individual solo sentences, so the arrangement is made relatively light, with only piano and guitar accompaniment besides the rhythm.

  It can be said that although this is almost the final version of the arrangement, it's still relatively simple. The required instruments are also just those few.

  Among them, Li Qian is most concerned about the bass.

  In his previous life, he listened to "Sisters Stand Up" and was deeply impressed by the bass at the beginning of the arrangement, so when it came to doing the arrangement himself, he unhesitatingly retained it.

  But in his heart, he had been demanding that this bass must come, and for this reason, he had specially contacted Li Jindong and Fu Zhenbang a few days ago to ask them to find a bass player with a slightly higher level.

  No reason, bass is born cool!

  But Li Qian just wants a cool word!

  Of course, people who make music know that a band must have at least one bassist, one drummer, one guitarist and one lead vocalist. This is the basic configuration. However, in recent years when rock music has cooled down, guitar has become very popular due to its ease of learning and fun, thus owning a huge market. Bass, on the other hand, is relatively less known, at least for those who don't pay much attention to music or instruments. They can't even tell what bass is, let alone which sound in a song is the bass. And such people will definitely make up the majority of fans who like the song "Sisters Stand Up"!

  So, first comes an extremely cool bass solo, which will make them think this song is awesome and cool! Then quickly cut into a bright and bouncy rhythm, add those catchy lyrics... This is the way to directly grab people!

  Moreover, in fact, when arranging the song, he himself thought back to the original arrangement and considered the overall style and rhythm of the song. Li Qian couldn't help but admit that adding bass to the intro was a perfect match!

  So, based on this consideration, when Fu Zhenbang introduced the bassist, Li Qian bumped fists with him and patted his arm, smiling and saying, "Big Ice Brother, you'll definitely get up later!"

  His name is Da Bing, said to be the number one bassist in the Jinan music circle. He looks very cool and confident, with long hair, sunglasses, and a toothpick in his mouth, which he flips around while bumping fists with Li Qian. When Li Qian speaks, he responds with a lazy and dismissive attitude.

  But Li Qian didn't mind.

  Those who make music, especially rock music, have seen this kind of person many times before.

  As long as we all live well in the end, it's good for you, me and everyone - anyway, the whole song only needs his two bass segments at the beginning and the end, just getting up is enough.

  When Li Qian had become acquainted with everyone, Li Jinlong said: "Since everyone has arrived ahead of time, then... start ahead of schedule? First record 'Sisters Stand Up'?"

  Li Qian nodded and said, "Let's start ahead of time, teachers are working hard! Everyone got the scores of two songs yesterday, I suppose you've all taken a look, but let's go through them twice first. Let's start with 'Sisters Stand Up', everyone find your feeling, and get familiar with each other."

  Then, he smiled and looked at Bass Da Bing. He also deliberately added a sentence, "Da Bing Ge, your SOLO must be so good that people will fall in love with the sound and the instrument as soon as they hear it!"

  He lazily nodded his head and forced out a sentence, "You're really something, bro!"

  That means you don't need to teach!

  Li Qian just smiled and didn't say anything. He simply turned his head to remind the Wu Xing Wu Su sisters, asking them not to sing for now, but instead follow the rhythm quietly to get a feel for it, and wait until the band was more in sync before they joined in.

  The sisters nodded to show they understood, and Li Qian clapped his hands. "Everyone, let's take a walk first! OK, everyone, 'Sisters Stand Up'! Ready... GO!"

  A low-pitched bass suddenly emerged, and in an instant, everyone in the recording studio subconsciously narrowed their eyes.

  Those who have heard it live know that when the bass sound comes out, it's really loud and shocking.

  But... Li Qian furrowed his brow.

  He played well, but he dragged on for several notes!

  But this was just the first rehearsal, Li Qian only remembered it in his heart and then paid attention to listening to the musicians behind him.

  The first time, it's definitely stumbling, not that the drums are too early. It's just that the keyboard is a bit hesitant, although it's only a tiny difference, but even an ordinary person can hear something unnatural with a little attention.

  But it's okay, at least Li Qian confirmed that the strength of this batch of musicians brought by Lao Dou is above standard, and recording a small sample is completely no problem.

  So when this song ended with the bass at last, Li Qian smiled and said: "Great. You are all great!"

  Then. He started from the keyboard, pointing out some problems he had heard besides the grinding, all the way to the end, before finally mentioning the bass, "Dà Bīng Gē (Big Ice Brother), your bass is indeed enough, but those last two notes, it's better not to drag them, OK?"

  Da Bing furrowed his brow upon hearing this and continued to fiddle with the toothpick, saying: "What do you want? How can it be otherwise?"

  Li Qian was taken aback for a moment and smiled: "Can't it be done without dragging out the sound?"

  Da Bing stretched out his two hands.

  To be honest, Li Qian may have grown up a bit, but he's only 17 years old after all. No matter how much he tries to look mature, his face is still too tender. The musicians invited by Lao Dou may not be big names, but they are experienced and knowledgeable, and well-known in the local music scene. When Li Qian directs them, it's natural that he can't quite control the situation.

  However, he was already mentally prepared for this, so when faced with Da Bing's attitude, he just smiled and said: "Find the feeling, I believe you're fine, Fu Laoban told me that you're the number one bass in Jinan Prefecture!"

  Fu Zhenbang, having been in this circle for many years, was originally a smooth talker and didn't rush to leave just because it was only a rehearsal. He naturally spoke up first: "Of course, this isn't bragging, but Da Bing is the number one bassist not just in Jinan Prefecture, but in the whole province! Da Bing, follow Teacher Li's requirements!"

  Da Bing reluctantly nodded his head.

  So this is the end of the mediation, and the second rehearsal begins.

  This time the bass was indeed not dragging, but the result was just as Da Bing said, that cool feeling, that feeling, was gone in an instant - following the rules was no problem, this time he absolutely didn't go out of bounds, but completely lost the flavor Li Qian wanted.

  Li Qian couldn't help but furrow his brow again.

  Of course, after the second rehearsal, the band immediately sounded much smoother than the first time.

  There is only this bass.

  The beginning and end are all it, it's not outstanding, in Li Qian's heart, the entire arrangement of this song immediately drops by half a level!

  So he waited until the end of this rehearsal, and couldn't help but walk to Da Bing's side, whispering: "Da Bing brother, what do you say? Can't play any fancy moves without dragging the sound? Brother, bring out some of your ultimate skills!"

  With a "poof", Da Bing spat out the toothpick.

  "Special move? You want a special move? I'll give it to you! Don't drag out the sound!"

  Li Qian was speechless upon hearing this.

  Yes, he also played in a band and knew that bassists often like to play with slides and glissandos because the bass instrument can sound particularly cool at times. But obviously, a top-notch bassist is not just someone who randomly swings around; he must be able to dance within the grid given by the score.

  And this big ice, if put into a rock band, especially live, he should be an awesome bass. But in a more rule-bound recording studio, he is clearly not up to par.

  At least in Li Qian's requirements, he did not meet the standard.

  Especially at this time, with a thoughtful mindset, he looked again. He felt that this big ice seemed to have disliked himself from the very beginning?

  This is getting weird!

  Li Qian nodded slightly and gradually withdrew the smile from his face.

  "Alright, let's do it again, everyone! Please get into the spirit. We're going to record two songs today! After we finish, I'll treat you all to dinner! Okay, everyone, ready... go!"

  The bass sound rises, with a bit of recklessness and a bit of violence.

  He is indeed a good bassist.

  When this round was over, Li Qian took a deep breath and turned to walk towards Fu Zhenbang and Li Jindong who had been listening in the corner - no way, everyone was a mature musician, and they had already received the score in advance for pre-practice, so after a little rehearsal, they quickly found their rhythm. Only Li Qian's most valued bassist couldn't produce the effect he wanted.

  Or perhaps they simply didn't want to give it out?

  Li Qian didn't quite believe this inference, Lao Dou's record company had asked Huage to sing instead, and they were all paid in real gold and silver, who would be willing to give up the money? Or did he think he himself didn't dare to switch people?

  Walking up to Fu Zhenbang, Li Qian said in a low voice: "That big ice brother... I think my request was quite clear, but he seems not to be able to produce the effect I want without dragging out the sound. I wonder if it's possible to ask Boss Fu for help with communication?"

  Fu Zhenbang has been in this line from the very beginning and is an old hand. How could he possibly not understand what's going on?

  He nodded upon hearing this. He comforted Li Qian by saying "Don't worry, leave it to me!" and then walked towards Da Bing.

  Li Qian nodded and smiled at Li Jindao, then walked back.

  They all knew that Fu Zhenbang was a local old-timer, and his old records in the music circle of Jinan Prefecture should also have some energy, so he wasn't afraid to handle a bassist.

  What's surprising is that before Li Qian could take two steps away, Da Bing loudly said: "If you think my level isn't good enough for you, then hurry up and switch to someone else! What a joke of a Golden Author, just because he was popular with a few songs? That's his level, and he still dares to call himself light rock? Can that even be called rock? He comes in front of us and puts on airs like a big shot?"

  Got it... This target is too obvious!

  Fu Zhenbang's face fell, "Big Ice, we've been brothers for more than a year or two, I'm telling you, leave some room for me to maneuver, otherwise don't blame your brother for not holding back!"

  Then, he pointed at Li Qian, "You go apologize to Teacher Li right now, don't think that just because Teacher Li is younger than you... I'm telling you, Da Bing, even if he's a lot younger than you, you're still here to accompany him, so don't be arrogant!"

  Da Bing's face turned cold, and he immediately walked out of the recording studio, saying nonchalantly: "Apologize? Get out! I'm Da Bing, and I've said my piece. You think my bass isn't cool enough, right? Fine, go ahead and search all over Jinan, if you can find anyone who says their bass is better than mine, I'll leave immediately!"

  After finishing speaking, he also glanced at Fu Zhenbang, completely disregarding the fact that Fu Zhenbang's face had almost turned black with rage. With confidence, he said: "It's not brother giving you a boast, in the entire Jinan Prefecture, I, Da Bing, stand here and say this is my territory, no one dares to make a sound!"

  Li Qian listened and nodded slowly.

  This is getting out of hand!

  Recording, finding musicians or recording engineers, or even renting a studio, everyone is after money, and getting the job done quickly to get paid is the norm. Li Qian didn't expect to record anything special with just a small demo anyway.

  But unexpectedly, even after spending money to hire someone, things didn't go smoothly.

  To be honest, at this time, even he himself was unclear whether it was because that big shot had already had opinions about him and his work before meeting, or if it was simply because he saw himself as just a big boy with an always polite attitude, so he didn't take himself seriously, and slightly unhappy would want to kick up a fuss.

  But... there's nothing to be afraid of anyway.

  He nodded at Da Bing, "Good, well said!"

  After finishing speaking, he turned around and took out his mobile phone.

  Before he could dial, several girls standing behind him had already gathered around, Xie Bing whispered: "Li Qian, why not just forget it, after all, it's just a small test, when the formal recording is done, there are many good bass hands in Shun Tian Fu, our company has signed many of them! Don't bother, let's just finish the recording quickly and be done with it, okay?"

  The other girls also nodded in agreement upon hearing this.

  At this time, Li Jinlong also walked over quickly, his face looked very bad, but he was still suppressing his anger and persuading Li Qian, saying: "Calm down, if we can record it, let's continue recording. If not, I'll call someone from Shuntian Fu to come over, how about that?"

  Li Qian shook his head, "No need."

  He realized that this was probably what they called the power of a "tiger sitting on the ground".

  That big ice, since he dared to shout out such a loud tone, I'm afraid that even if Fu Zhenbang is willing to help and find another way, it would be difficult. As for inviting someone else from Shuntian Prefecture... what a joke! Huage Records is an outsider, but Li Qian is a local!

  It's fine if he didn't know anyone at all, but who would have thought that he had just met someone recently!

  Besides, the whole house is watching. If Li Qian can't handle this matter smoothly, with so many local musicians from Jinan Prefecture in the room, once they spread the word, what kind of reputation will it be?

  The phone was answered.

  "Hey, what's up?"

  "Cao Ge, how many years hasn't touched the bass?"

  "Has it been seven or eight years? What's up?"

  "I'm making a song for someone here, but I'm short of bass, and I'm afraid you can't even find the right note."

  "When?"

  "Now."

  "Where?"

  "Old Dou's records, you know?"

  "Wait. Twenty minutes."