Chapter 7: Spend What Should Be Spent, Save What Should Be Saved

As the roar of the Porsche 918 gradually faded in the parking lot, Su Chen finally arrived at his destination.

Studio 442.

Su Chen had recommended this recording studio to Lin Yanran back in the day. Several songs he’d written had been recorded by Lin Yanran right here.

He hadn’t chosen to record here out of nostalgia—plainly put, it was just the studio he was most familiar with. Plus, the owner was a kind man, easy to talk to, and they shared a bit of friendship.

Besides, the past was behind him. If he still indulged in sentimental memories, it would mean he hadn’t truly moved on.

Su Chen pushed open the door. The owner was sitting at the bar, idly strumming a guitar. When he saw Su Chen enter, he immediately stood up with a smile. “Chen, what brings you here today?”

“I’m here to record a song. Is there an open booth?” Su Chen replied.

“There is, of course! I always keep one for you. Are you booking by the hour or by the song?” the owner asked.

“If it’s by the hour, the minimum is two, right?”

Su Chen thought for a moment. “By the hour, then. I’ll start with two.”

“Two hours?” The owner was a bit puzzled. “What kind of song are you recording? Isn’t that cutting it a bit close?”

“The song is already polished—two hours is more than enough.” Su Chen smiled, though inwardly he couldn’t help but grumble.

Did the owner think he was here for afternoon tea? This booth cost thousands per hour!

“Alright.”

Hearing Su Chen’s answer, the owner didn’t press further and led him into an available studio.

Su Chen glanced around, then said to the owner, “No need to call in the recording engineer this time. I’ll handle everything myself.”

The owner blinked in surprise.

Coming to a studio and not using the engineer? What kind of odd request was this?

He might as well have stayed home and used karaoke apps!

The owner eyed Su Chen curiously, wanting to say more, but in the end, since Su Chen was a regular and the customer’s wish was king, he let it be.

When Su Chen inevitably got stuck with the equipment, he’d call the engineer himself.

“Alright, just let me know if you need anything.”

“Absolutely. Thanks for your help.” Once the owner left, Su Chen chuckled to himself.

Perfect—he’d just saved the engineer’s fee!

Spend smart, save when you can, splurge when you must—riding a bicycle to tour the bars!

He looked at the room full of instruments and stretched.

“It’s been a long time since I’ve recorded. I almost missed this…” With that, he wasted no time and began working on “Queen of the Night.”

He swiftly laid down the instrumental tracks, layered them, built up the arrangement, then recorded the vocals in a single take.

Flawless—perfection itself.

From scratch, with no outside help, Su Chen completed the entire song in under an hour.

All that remained was final mixing, which he could leave to the studio—once done, it would be a fully polished track.

He glanced at the clock, murmuring, “The minimum payment covers two hours—I can’t let the remaining time go to waste…”

Since he was already here, why not record another song?

Meanwhile, Wang Qi and his assistant, Xiaomeng, arrived at the entrance of Studio 442.

Wang Qi was a new artist from Stardom Entertainment, debuting this year via the talent show “Creation Camp 007.” His delicate features fit perfectly with the current trends among young female fans.

Stardom Entertainment had poured considerable resources into him, guaranteeing him a spot in the final group of “Creation Camp 007”—their attempt to break into the pretty-boy market.

Wang Qi hadn’t let the company down. On the show, he quickly amassed a rabid female following with his carefully crafted sob stories and melodramatic persona.

Now, he was trending online, his fans fiercely loyal.

In fact, aside from lacking any actual works, his fanbase rivaled those of second-tier celebrities.

Today, Wang Qi was here to record a single the company had selected for him, aiming to hit the new release charts and shore up his thin credentials.

“Qi, this is the place,” Xiaomeng said, pointing at the studio sign ahead.

Wang Qi, his face hidden behind a mask and oversized sunglasses, couldn’t conceal the disdain in his eyes.

“This is it? The place looks tiny. Isn’t it beneath me to record here? And what kind of name is this—Studio 442? It sounds so low-rent!”

Today, Wang Qi was already in a foul mood. Scrolling through social media early in the morning, he’d been tagged in a trending topic: “How Many Singers Got Slapped by ‘Queen of the Night’?”

Many male users had tagged him, telling him to come take his lumps, calling him a workless pretty boy who couldn’t hold a candle to the guy in the video.

Wang Qi had actually burst out laughing in anger. Sure, “Queen of the Night” was well written—but how could some nobody be compared to him? He’d debuted on his own merit through “Creation Camp”!

And that nobody’s name was Su Chen—the same as the guy rumored to be mooching off Lin Yanran at his company.

Ha! As expected, anyone named Su Chen was trash.

What a waste for that song—if he sang it, it would be perfect.

Xiaomeng forced a smile and explained, “Qi, Studio 442 may be small, but it’s got everything you need. It has a great reputation in Hangzhou. The owner’s a clarinetist who likes to tune to 442Hz for performances, so he originally wanted to call it Studio 442. But the business license required a Chinese name, so it became Studio 442.”

Wang Qi scoffed, “Why should I care about the name or reputation? What I want is status! If my fans find out I’m recording in a place like this, won’t it drag down my image?”

Xiaomeng, unfazed by his complaints, replied carefully, “This was Sister Yuan’s choice for you…”

“Sister Yuan? Xu Fangyuan?” Wang Qi was startled, his scowl fading.

Xu Fangyuan was Stardom Entertainment’s top agent, with an impressive résumé and extensive industry connections. Now, having brought up Lin Yanran—a rising diva—her reputation was soaring. Even Wang Qi, a powerful rookie with a huge fanbase, hoped she would take over his career management.

Seeing that Wang Qi’s temper had cooled, Xiaomeng continued, “That’s right. Sister Yuan told me Lin Yanran’s hit songs were all recorded here—every track became a sensation. Everyone at the company says this place has great luck.”

“Every track became a hit?” Wang Qi clicked his tongue, then broke into a smile. “Well done, Xiaomeng. You’ve found a good spot. I’ve decided—I’ll record my new song here!”

“Yes, Qi!” Xiaomeng quickly pushed open the door and ushered Wang Qi inside.

The moment they entered, Wang Qi nearly ran into a refined-looking young man, making him pause. The man’s silhouette looked oddly familiar, yet Wang Qi couldn’t place him…

Just then, from behind, Xiaomeng called out in surprise.

“Wait… Su Chen?”