Chapter 7 Chapter 7

Quan Zhilong was indeed very satisfied with Lia's changes. Because the next day, she received a private message from him on MSN. In the early morning, her phone buzzed twice. Lia opened her eyes drowsily, reached over the pillow, and lit the screen.

From JiYo: SOS [tears.jpg] She stared at the message for a few seconds before realizing who was on the other end. Then, an audio file popped up.

Attachment: Bridge_tryout.wav Lia sat up and rubbed her eyes. Although she was still half asleep, her hands had already untied the headphone cable and turned on the audio.

It's a clip of less than 10 seconds, probably the bridge part of a song, but it's obviously only in the skeleton stage, like a casually recorded inspiration clip.

Perhaps guessing the other person's intention, she leaned forward, pulled the MIDI keyboard from the table, and casually pressed a few keys to start laying out the basic chords. The phone screen lit up again.

As if suddenly realizing it was early morning, Kwon Ji-yong's next message followed hesitantly. JiYo: Are you asleep? Lia: I've already started ^^ JiYo: [starry eyes.jpg]

Looking forward to our Lia's brilliant idea. Lia laughed, shook her head, saved the adjusted version, and replied casually. Lia: Give me 15 minutes, Oppa. *

Soon, Quan Zhilong began to give her some small tasks from time to time. Lia slowly realized that Quan Zhilong's phone must have stored a large number of such casually recorded melody clips.

Between performances, photoshoots, and program recordings...inspiration is fleeting, and he can only quickly record fragmented notes on his phone during breaks. YG has a team of professional arrangers, but with his current qualifications, he can't always draw on these resources.

By the time he finally got back to the studio and started working on these clips, the inspiration he had at the time had often dissipated completely. Perhaps it was Lia's adaptation of "Fool" that made Quan Zhilong realize new possibilities -

It should be okay to borrow Teddy's apprentice occasionally. At first, he was a little embarrassed and asked sincerely and politely. But soon, Teddy's apprentice naturally became his apprentice -

JiYo: The end of the chorus doesn't sound right, try adding some falsetto harmony? Lia: Okay, I'll try a few versions first, and then listen to it when you have time. JiYo: Can the bass be a little more muffled? It doesn't feel thick enough.

Lia: Live Bass? JiYo: Yeah, Live, give it some flexibility. Lia: OK, wait a minute. Trivial things also followed one after another——

JiYo: I'll save the harmony version of the verse from last time and send it to Teddy, please~~ Lia: Got it, GD-sama. JiYo: [tears of gratitude.jpg]

The conversation started to become more and more casual, sometimes even just showing off: From JiYo: Wrote this five minutes ago, remember to praise me after listening~~ Attachment: 041502_piano_idea.mp3

From JiYo: The god of inspiration is dancing above my head... Ha! Ha! Ha! [self-satisfied.jpg] From JiYo:

You say, if a song has no main melody, only drums and bass, would it be awesome? Lia couldn't help herself and sent a reply: It would be awesome enough to make fans wonder if you were a drummer before your debut, Oppa. *

Although it seemed that Lia was helping, she was well aware that being able to access these sound sources was a rare opportunity for her. It was not just a simple accumulation of experience, Quan Zhilong often did not set any restrictions for her.

Most producers have a strong desire to control their own works. If they are just starting out in this industry, they can usually only do a lot of repetitive and trivial work, such as sound editing and sampling.

Even in Teddy's recording studio, she mostly just followed the arranger's instructions to do technical processing. But Quan Zhilong let her participate in the real creative process.

These songs could actually be published, and if she grew quickly enough, she might even be able to have her name on the official source material, something she had never dared to imagine before.

Therefore, Lia took Kwon Ji-yong's requests very seriously, always completing them quickly and efficiently. Even at the cost of severe sleep deprivation and relying on iced American coffee to get by. However, her trainee life didn't get any easier.

A new round of trainee screening is underway, and rumors are beginning to circulate among the trainees that this time the company is screening candidates for the new girl group project.

Because they have no experience in operating large-scale groups, YG's upcoming group should be a small girl group of similar size to the boy group Bigbang.

Everyone was anxious, worried that the cruel elimination would happen to them at any time. Soon, Lia received a notice from Sister Bao Heng - the company's upcoming trainee performance was tentatively scheduled for two weeks later.

This is not only a display of training results, but probably also a selection of candidate members for the new girl group.

Lia stood in front of the bulletin board in the practice room, looking at the latest updated performance list. Her name was prominently listed, with a small "Vocal & Production" marked below it.

"Production?" She muttered, frowning slightly. This was the company's current positioning of her. Most of the other trainees' names also had "Dance &

But the problem is that her vocal condition is not outstanding and her technique is not mature at present.

If she were to perform vocally, she was sure she wouldn't be as impressive as Bo-eun. And production, unlike dancing or acting, couldn't be performed directly on stage...

The trainees around her have already started discussing song selection. Most of them would choose popular K-pop songs and add some simple dance choreography, but she is still undecided.

It seemed unwise to compete with others' strengths with my own weaknesses. It wasn't easy to put on a performance that satisfied me in such a short period of time. ... That night, Lia went to Teddy's recording studio alone.

When she pushed open the door, Teddy was leaning back in his chair, his fingers casually tapping on a synthesizer. "Are you going to perform?" He glanced at her with concern. Lia was a little surprised. "Has Oppa heard about it?"

"Yeah, I ran into Baoheng yesterday and chatted for a while." "Well... I haven't decided what to perform yet." Lia sighed distressedly, "I don't think the chances of success are good."

Teddy chuckled and took off his headphones. "As for singing, it's true..." He had recorded Bao En before and knew a thing or two about the trainees' abilities. "Aren't you better at arranging music? Why not try a different approach?"

"Change your approach?" Lia was stunned. Teddy tapped his fingers on the keyboard a few times and said casually, "Focus on arranging the performance repertoire. Wouldn't that suit your strengths?"

Lia's mind buzzed - yes, this would bring her advantages to the table, right? She jumped up like a spring, hurriedly thanked Teddy, and hurriedly left the recording studio.

After returning to the practice room, she immediately began to select pop songs on her MP3 player that could be adapted. Her fingers slid up and down the keys briskly, her eyes fixed on the screen while her mind imagined the stage.

YG has always been on the Hip-hop route, but if she were to adapt this style, even if she did it well, it would be hard to surpass her predecessors. It would be better to do the opposite and choose a fast-paced Hip-

She took a hop track, rearranged the melody, and adjusted it to an R&B style... She spent several nights practicing, repeatedly adjusting the accompaniment, arrangement, and rhythmic connection, and the work in her hands gradually took shape.

Finally, the day of the performance arrived. The company rented a nearby underground space and built a small stage. In the audience sat the trainee instructors, former debut artists, and President Yang Hyun-seok.

Their expressions were not serious, they wore faint smiles and occasionally chatted quietly. But the trainees could not laugh. They were nervously preparing backstage, repeating the movements they had already memorized with small movements.

Lia stood at the side of the stage, clenching her hands, her fingertips slightly cold. She was the second trainee to take the stage. The first trainee was rapping, and the judges' expressions remained calm, heightening the tension backstage.

When it was Lia's turn to go on stage, she could clearly hear her own heartbeat, like a sound system connected to the entire world, pounding in her ears. She stood in the center of the stage, holding the keyboard, adjusted the microphone, and then glanced at President Yang.

The other person had a faint smile on his face, but it didn't convey any friendly emotions. It was like a mask of smile that was skillfully covered. Lia took a deep breath and nodded to the sound teacher on the side stage.

The music slowly sounded, and the adapted melody flowed out.

She chose the famous song "Tell Me" by Jinusean and Uhm Jung Hwa. This song, with its bright melody and conversational rap, shows the mutual testing of feelings between men and women.

Lia retained the original song's iconic chorus, but re-laid the drum beat to make the overall rhythm more relaxed. She also wrote a new melody for the original rap part, turning the entire song into a subtle monologue:

"Tell me the truth, tell me what you really think. Do you really love me? How much do you love me? Let me see your true heart."

Lia sat at the piano, her fingertips gently touching the keys. Her voice was clean and gentle, blending seamlessly with the piano. The light cast a faint hazy shadow on her profile. The accompanying drum beats were faint and steady, like a quiet heartbeat.

She brought a brief moment of silence to the stage. ... When the song ended, the audience erupted in applause.

Lia didn't look in President Yang's direction, but instead glanced sideways at Sister Baoheng, who was standing behind her. She gave her a thumbs-up. She breathed a sigh of relief. The atmosphere seemed good; at least she hadn't messed things up.

After all the trainees finished their performances, the judges began to comment. Lia's performance put a lot of effort into the arrangement of the song. Although her technique was still immature, she had both spirit and basic skills.

For YG Entertainment, the creativity of artists is their life. Even the usually strict President Yang Hyun-seok mentioned in his review: "Good style." * The results of the performance were soon revealed.

At the end of practice the next day, the girls were called into the third-floor conference room one after another for a discussion. This was Lia's second visit to the third floor. The first time was on her first day at the company, when she was taken to handle personnel-related paperwork.

The company's floors were divided like a kingdom with strict hierarchies. The first and second floors were where the trainees gathered, while the third floor and above were reserved for company officials. A middle-aged man sat in the conference room.

Lia had a vague feeling she'd seen him somewhere before, but couldn't place it for a moment. She bowed slightly in greeting, then pulled up a chair and sat down at the table.

The man nodded at her, flipped through the information in his hand, and said straight to the point: "Through this performance, the company will select some trainees as candidates for the new girl group."

"The trainees who become substitutes are divided into two groups, A and B. Group A is the core substitutes, and Group B is the temporary reserve trainees." He paused, looked up at her and said, "Which group do you think you will be assigned to?" Lia thought quickly.

Although the performance was an opportunity, the data in the man's hand probably recorded her practice evaluation during this period. This means that this is a comprehensive judgment.

A good performance can earn you extra points, but it doesn't necessarily carry a lot of weight. After all, a three-minute stage performance can hide some shortcomings, but three months or even three years of practice won't lie. "Group B," she replied curtly.

The man smiled slightly, as if appreciating her keen sense. "Well," he said, "you have a knack for arranging music, but your vocals and dancing skills are still far behind those of the members of Group A, so you've been assigned to Group B."

"From now on, follow Group B's training schedule. If there are any new changes, the company will notify you separately." Lia nodded, and the conversation ended. * Back in the practice room, the air was filled with anxiety.

The trainees who had already received their evaluations sat together in groups of three or four, exchanging information in low voices, while the trainees who were still waiting to be talked to sat there blankly, their eyes fixed on the floor in front of them.

Lia sat down next to Baoen and whispered, "Is Ouni in Group A?" Baoen nodded and looked at her, asking, "What about you?" Lia shook her head slightly and made a B sign.

Bao En moved closer and whispered to comfort her, "I heard that there are still people who haven't been grouped yet. They probably haven't even been selected as substitutes." Lia nodded obediently. Although she was a little disappointed, she was not surprised by the result.

Becoming a trainee is just the beginning. What awaits them is endless judging: judging by their instructors, judging by their company's planning department, and if they make it to their debut, judging by the audience.

Talent may be objective, but there is no clear path to being liked by the audience. Those who make their debut are picked out of thousands, and those who become popular after their debut are picked out of thousands again.

This was an overcrowded race, with far more people eliminated than left behind. But even so, someone would eventually reach the finish line. She wanted to see how far she could go.

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