Chapter 8 - Unyielding Humanity The missunderstanding between them had deepened.
“Okay.”
Lin Suyan didn’t even ask what would happen if **Yu Aolan** was dissatisfied.
“Shall we start now?” When it came to his area of expertise, Lin Suyan seemed like a different person, full of eagerness.
“Actually, I’ve already written a lot of drafts in the hospital recently, including some that align with the theme of rebirth. However, I’ll come up with a new melody and deliver the perfect piece to you.”
**Yu Aolan** raised an eyebrow, slightly surprised by the situation. “Alright, once you finish writing, go to headquarters and find the secretary who assisted you last time. She’ll bring you to me.”
“Got it!”
After watching **Yu Aolan** leave, Lin Suyan felt inspiration surge within him like bamboo shoots after rain; he couldn’t wait to showcase his full potential to her.
Finally, after accepting the challenge, Lin Suyan felt a sense of grounded reality. He slowly exhaled, releasing a breath of relief.
Right, if he wanted to become the first artist of the Yu Group, he needed to embrace such challenges!
He couldn’t just expect a huge opportunity to fall into his lap; he had to prove his worth.
He could afford to lose at anything but music; that was something he wouldn’t give up!
After telling his mother, Lin Suyan hurried home to focus on writing songs.
In the morning, after finishing with patients, **Yu Aolan** returned to the company to handle affairs, especially those related to the new company. She had to consider all the various details, as this was a completely new field and challenge for the entire company, and no one had much experience.
After a hurried lunch, she continued working, immersed in her tasks, unaware of the passing time.
Suddenly, there was a knock at the door.
“Come in,” **Yu Aolan** said without looking up.
Her secretary, Dai Lin, gently and respectfully said, “President Yu, Mr. Lin has arrived.”
“…Lin Suyan?” **Yu Aolan** finally looked up.
She glanced at the time, puzzled. It was only 4:34 PM, meaning he had spent less than twelve hours since starting to write, which was half of the given time.
Had he really completed the so-called perfect piece in just half a day?
Was it confidence in his work that drove him to be so efficient, or was it just youthful bravado?
Though slow work produces fine results, she hoped he wouldn’t disappoint.
**Yu Aolan** stood up, stretching her neck slightly. “Since he’s here, let’s go see what he’s accomplished.”
To adapt to the transitional phase of Aohuang’s ongoing construction, **Yu Aolan** had converted two seldom-used meeting rooms on this floor into a recording studio and an instrument room for the artists’ convenience.
Upon meeting Lin Suyan, **Yu Aolan** guided him directly there. As they walked, she got straight to the point. “Time is tight. I’ve temporarily set up a recording studio and an instrument room here, which Xiao Dai should have mentioned to you. Make do with what you have; you can start whenever you’re ready. Oh, by the way, once the contract is signed, you’ll keep the keys to both rooms.”
“Mm-hm.” Lin Suyan nodded confidently, filled with anticipation.
It seemed they both tacitly understood that this challenge was merely a bridge to deepen their mutual recognition—failure wasn’t an option.
Lin Suyan had never felt this driven before; he tightened his grip on his backpack, his eyes burning with a desire to prove himself.
There was no doubt he was full of confidence.
However, he underestimated the Yu Group’s financial capabilities.
The moment he opened the door, his eyes were overwhelmed by the lavish equipment and instruments, and his eyelids fluttered, unsure where to focus.
This was what Sister **Aolan** meant by… “making do”???
Initially, with the secretary’s reminders during the wait, Lin Suyan was somewhat prepared, but he had imagined the meeting room being about 60 square meters at most.
However, the instrument room before him, converted from a meeting room, looked almost 200 square meters. This wasn’t a meeting room; it was practically an auditorium!
When Lin Suyan’s gaze landed on the piano in the corner.
**Yu Aolan** said, “Oh,” and crossed her arms. “I don’t know much about pianos or what musicians prefer, but I figured going with a brand name wouldn’t be a mistake, so I had Xiao Dai oversee the purchase. This one should be…”
“Steinway.” Lin Suyan suppressed his voice’s tremor and stepped forward to gently press a white key.
Bang—
Wow, this sound was richer and fuller than the Steinway he had seen at the music store, and its design was even more elegant and grand.
The store owner had mentioned his piano was nearly a million, and if this one was better, wouldn’t it be even more expensive?
“That’s right; Mr. Lin has a good eye. This is a Steinway B211 grand piano,” Dai Lin said with her usual smile.
Although she managed the purchase herself, she hadn’t expected it to be this costly.
She remembered reporting the budget to President Yu and only receiving a nonchalant response: “For the transitional period, don’t buy anything too expensive.”
Dai Lin took note, thinking a piano costing around a hundred thousand or several hundred thousand should suffice.
“As long as the price of one doesn’t exceed ten million, and since we bought one, we might as well buy a few more as backups. Once Aohuang is established, they can be moved over for continued use; it won’t go to waste.”
Dai Lin: “…”
Wow, was this the difference in financial perspectives between an employee and a boss?
She had thought that earning a monthly salary of 200,000 with a year-end bonus of 500,000 made her a successful woman stepping into the high-income bracket—not to say she was extravagant, but her worldview was broadened.
Yet compared to President Yu, her perspective was still limited.
No wonder President Yu was the boss!
Thinking it wouldn’t be fair for only one person to get hurt, Dai Lin surprisingly spoke up. “Three million.”
Lin Suyan’s fingers had been gliding over the piano keys, but at those three words, he quickly retracted his hand, leaving a ghostly trace in the air.
He looked at Dai Lin, his eyes wide like a startled cat.
Seeing Lin Suyan so surprised, Dai Lin felt an odd sense of balance.
Indeed, joy shared is joy multiplied.
“The instrument room currently has only one piano, while there are three other brands: Bechstein, Bösendorfer, and Fazioli. Let me know which one you prefer, and I can arrange to have it switched out.”
As Dai Lin spoke, her voice echoed in the instrument room, adding a sense of space.
It seemed the room was specially designed—not only soundproof but also effective in acoustics.
Lin Suyan struggled to swallow, scanning the room filled with instruments.
Though he wasn’t a master of every instrument, he had some understanding, and everything here was high-end gear.
Just from the selection of pianos, it was clear that nothing here was within his means to afford.
If the instrument room was this luxurious, wouldn’t the adjacent recording studio be even more extravagant?
Dai Lin answered his unspoken question.
“The recording studio next door was decorated by a professional team, with a budget of around… a million.”
Lin Suyan instantly understood her subtle pause. “Around a million” likely meant it was less than ten million.
The unspoken understanding deepened.
If it weren’t for the inappropriateness of the situation, Lin Suyan would have happily clapped his hands and shook his head in disbelief.
What a “makeshift” setup!
It was settled then; from now on, he would be spending every day in these two rooms!
Switching between the two!