⭐ Final chapter of Volume 2.If you're enjoying the story, please vote, comment, and add it to your library to support it! ⭐
You don't find talent in studios.
You find it in the places the industry forgot to look.
I discovered that the hard way.
The rehearsal building had mostly emptied out by the time Yueyin finished practice. Her voice was tired, but she was satisfied. That alone told me she had improved since the acoustic session.
"Progress?" I asked.
She stretched her shoulders.
"Still not perfect."
"Good."
She rolled her eyes. "You're impossible to please."
"Perfection is boring," I replied. "Improvement isn't."
Xiaoyu laughed quietly beside us.
For a moment, everything felt stable.
Then we heard the music.
It wasn't coming from a studio.
It came from the underground parking level.
The sound was raw.
Electric.
Not polished like idol music.
A guitar riff cut through the concrete space like a spark jumping between wires.
Then a voice followed.
Low.
Rough.
Controlled chaos.
Not pretty.
But powerful.
Yueyin stopped walking.
"…That's not from the company."
"No," I said.
"It's better."
She didn't sound offended.
She sounded curious.
We followed the sound down the stairwell.
The parking level smelled like oil and rainwater.
At the far corner, someone had set up a cheap amplifier beside a pillar.
A girl stood there with a black guitar slung over her shoulder.
She looked maybe twenty.
Dark hair tied messily behind her head.
Leather jacket.
Torn jeans.
The opposite of everything Jinhai trained their idols to be.
And she was singing like the room owed her something.
⭐ If you enjoy discovering new characters and expanding the story's world, vote, comment, and add the story to your library! ⭐
When the song ended, she noticed us.
Her expression immediately hardened.
"Private concert's over," she said.
Yueyin stepped forward first.
"That was amazing."
The girl blinked.
Compliments clearly weren't common.
"…Thanks," she muttered.
Her eyes shifted toward me.
Recognition flickered there.
"You're Li Chen."
Not a question.
I nodded once.
"And you're the girl everyone says writes the songs," she continued.
"That's an exaggeration."
"Doesn't sound like one."
She slung the guitar strap over her shoulder.
"Don't worry," she said. "I'm not asking for help."
Interesting choice of words.
Most people who approached me did exactly that.
"You work here?" I asked.
"Contract trainee."
Her tone suggested the title meant very little.
"Name?" Yueyin asked.
"Su Yara."
Not a stage name.
Just a name.
Yueyin tilted her head.
"You're not an idol."
"No."
"You're a rock vocalist."
"Yes."
"So why are you here?"
Su Yara snorted.
"Because companies sign everything that might explode later."
Fair answer.
Xiaoyu watched the exchange quietly.
She noticed the same thing I did.
The room felt different.
Electric in a way rehearsal studios never were.
This girl wasn't polished.
She wasn't controlled.
But she had something rarer.
Presence.
The system appeared suddenly.
Brighter than usual.
[New Artist Candidate Detected]Name: Su YaraGenre: Rock / AlternativeTalent Rating: High PotentialCompatibility with Manager: ExceptionalRecommendation: Acquire
I stared at the interface.
Then at the girl tuning her guitar like we barely existed.
"You're wasting your time here," I said.
She stopped adjusting the strings.
"…What?"
"This company doesn't know what to do with someone like you."
Her eyes narrowed.
"And you do?"
"Maybe."
Yueyin looked between us.
"Wait," she said slowly.
"You're recruiting her?"
"I'm offering an option."
Su Yara laughed.
Loud.
Unfiltered.
"You already manage a rising idol," she said. "Why would you take on a rock singer that doesn't fit the company image?"
Good question.
One the system had already answered.
But I gave the real one.
"Because the industry rewards variety."
She studied me carefully.
"And what do I get?"
"Freedom to become dangerous."
Silence followed.
Then a slow grin spread across her face.
"Alright," Su Yara said.
"Let's see if you're as good as people say."
Yueyin crossed her arms immediately.
"Hey."
We both looked at her.
"If she joins," Yueyin said, "I'm still the number one artist."
Su Yara smirked.
"That depends on the charts."
Yueyin stepped closer.
"Oh, it's on."
Xiaoyu sighed.
"…This is going to be exhausting."
The system flashed one more time.
[Volume 2 Objective Complete]Primary Artist EstablishedSecond Artist Acquired
I closed the interface.
Because the real challenge was just beginning.
Managing one rising star was difficult.
Managing two artists—
From completely different musical worlds—
Inside the same company?
That was going to start wars.
And somehow—
I was looking forward to it.
⭐ End of Volume 2If you're excited to see Li Chen manage two completely different rising stars in Volume 3, vote, comment, and add the story to your library! ⭐