After the first round of auditions, A+ submitted the list to Daniel.
"Have a seat, we'll have a short meeting later."
Behind his desk, Daniel was intently checking the list on his Apple Macintosh laptop. "Are you still sticking with Mira?" he asked.
Daniel's office is large but long and narrow. Long bookshelves filled with trophies, photos and vinyl records take up most of the space, and apart from the boss's desk, there is only enough room for a low sectional sofa.
"Mira meets my requirements."
A+ sat down on the very soft sofa, feeling as if his bottom was almost touching the ground. "Didn't her mother already transfer her to your company?"
"Yes, that's often how it is when close relatives become celebrities' agents. Their lack of professional skills prevents them from seeing the essence of things, and they often lose sight of the bigger picture. Moreover, they make decisions very impulsively." Daniel was actually quite dismissive of Mila's mother's 'relying on' her. He raised his head and said, "But since you've done what I asked, I'll say it again, I have no problem with that. However… there are many people watching the second round of auditions, and your conclusions must be convincing. At the very least, you can't leave too much room for doubt."
"I understand. I'll try to find some time in the next couple of days to give Mira some special training or something," A+ replied.
Daniel chuckled, but didn't say anything.
Just then, there was a knock on the door, and six or seven people walked in, filling the sofa to capacity. Most of the middle and senior management at SBK were long-time colleagues. Like Daniel, they were all in their thirties or forties, white men. There were no pleasantries, no small talk, just straight to the point. A+ didn't even figure out who was who or what their area of responsibility was by the end of the meeting. Of course, he didn't have much motivation to bother figuring it out anyway.
Releasing a single is not as simple as just finding someone to record it; it requires considering all aspects. As a temporary independent producer working with SBK, A+ may not be responsible for the song production itself, but his opinions should still be taken into account in the overall tone of all the work.
Therefore, the main content of this small meeting was for A+ to answer various questions and doubts.
"Yes, she is Black, she comes from Broadway, and her singing ability is undeniable, but she is not suitable for this song. Her voice and her delivery made the performance sound like a passionate accusation, which I absolutely did not want."
"Please note! This song is a very personal work, an expression of my attitude. This is the prerequisite for my collaboration with you. The song title cannot be changed, and the style cannot be changed."
"No, no, no, there's no need for flashbacks, no need for Dr. King or Kennedy, I don't need any political figures in the music video... Let's put it this way, I am indeed expressing my attitude towards the current situation in South Africa, but at the same time, I must give the audience a very clear hint that my thinking is naive, the immature thoughts of an ordinary American high school student. So the music video should make people forget about the record industry, keep it simple, even rough, without any deliberate embellishment. A young person, strolling along the road of life, singing softly, that's enough."
"Because de Klerk is our friend. The song is criticizing him, but he is still our friend. He freed Mandela and promoted the equality process in South Africa. I just think he didn't act fast enough."
"Yes, I need a contrast. I'm singing songs about equality, but the tone is upbeat. I don't want to incite hatred towards de Klerk…"
"I personally have some resources in the field of public relations for equality activities..."
"Of course, of course, you have more power... Yes, as long as it's handled properly, you'll get the publicity and exposure..."
"You decide which version... Do you mean if we go for exposure through events in the early stages, then there will be many opportunities for live performances, so the collaboration between the singer and the band is very important?"
We need to record the studio version while refining the sound, right?
"OK, I have no problem with the band members... Dilraba is fine, we can keep him as the keyboardist."
"Everything went smoothly. The schedule was delayed by a day due to Isco's issue, but I caught up by moving up the second round of auditions."
The small meeting' lasted a long time, until everyone stopped talking.
"So…" Daniel opened his arms, "have we reached an agreement?"
Everyone looked at each other, some nodding, others agreeing.
"Very good, APLUS, you did a good job. Go back to work." Daniel got up to see him off.
After holding it in for a long time, A+ went out and quickly found the restroom, closing the stall door behind him.
"Is that boy planning to run for president someday? He's got quite the talk." Just then, the sound of men talking came from the sink outside.
"The White House isn't called the White House because it's painted white," another man replied. His voice sounded familiar; he must have been the same person from the office earlier.
"Hehe, your girl is in danger. Judging from the results of the first round, her voice doesn't suit that boy's taste."
"I don't care."
"Are you really not bothered? Your girl seems to be pushing you a bit lately."
"F*** you! You found out too?"
"Were you just implying that I'm the least informed person in SBK?"
"You've been a bit out of place lately."
"My wife is too strict with me, let's not talk about that, let's get back to your girl."
"Are you willing to help?"
"Of course, but there's a condition: you have to..."
The sounds of their conversation gradually faded into the distance.
"It seems the battle for second-round qualification has already begun..." A+ frowned as he came out of the restroom. The competition for opportunities at the New York record company was far more intense than he had expected.
Back in the recording studio, Hayden was waiting for him. "How did I do?" he asked, boasting as soon as they met. "I convinced Mrs. Jovovich with just a few words."
"Not bad, not bad."
A+ was very satisfied. "She was incredibly fast. Your persuasion was very effective."
"Hahaha."
Hayden laughed, "Actually, it wasn't that difficult. The people behind her got Mila to the second round, and then Daniel forced her back. If she's not stupid, she'll figure out who the real power in SBK is. And with so many people vying for your song, she couldn't possibly be unaware of the opportunities involved. It's only natural for her to decide to switch sides."
"Anyway, thank you. You've done a great job this time." A+ gave Hayden a small compliment. "What were Mrs. Jovovich's arrangements?"
"She rented a private music classroom, near Brooklyn…" Hayden pulled out a map and looked around, "It's quite far from here."
"Mira must have made a lot of money, right? Where did her money go? I've observed that Mrs. Jovovich drives a car that costs a little over ten thousand dollars. She drove the same car in Chicago and the same car in New York, which means they drive back and forth between the two places." A+ knew that the safety of Brooklyn was not very good. Its status in New York was roughly equivalent to that of the South Side in Chicago. Renting a place close to it was simply for the sake of being cheaper.
"Who knows, all the money Mira has made over the years..."
Hayden did the math in his head, "It must be over a million dollars."
There's no such thing as a 9-to-5 job in the record industry. After finishing directing the band's first rehearsal and having something to eat, it was already 9 p.m. A+ and Eric got into their little yellow car and headed straight for the agreed-upon location.
"Taking a taxi is too expensive." A+ felt a pang of regret after paying the fare and tip.
"Hello, APLUS..."
Mrs. Jovovich had been eagerly waiting outside the music classroom for a long time. She breathed a sigh of relief when she saw A+. "I thought you weren't coming. I have to apologize for what I said that day. I misunderstood you."
"It's alright. We're all Mr. Daniel's people now, so it's only right that we help each other." A+ walked into the music classroom. Mira was sitting on the bench in front of the upright piano. When she saw him come in, she immediately looked away and ignored him, but she wasn't as angry as she had been that day.
Hayden shifted all the blame to Daniel, and Daniel didn't expose her. Now, the mother and daughter's opinion of Song Ya should be much better.
"Uh... Mrs. Jovovich, where is the restroom?" wingman Eric initiated.
"Over here…" Mira's mother was lured away.
"Hey, Mira." A+ quickly approached his target and plopped down next to the beauty. "You only have two nights, so I won't waste any more time. Are you ready? If you are, let's start from the first lesson."