Chapter 59 - 58: Money is an External Thing l
At this point, it seemed like nothing could stop Carrie Thomas.
Avril Green called a servant to take Carrie to the practice room.
Avril also deliberately instructed the servant to bring out her expensive top-notch guitar.
As for the piano, there was no need to prepare one specifically, as there was already a top-level Steinway worth more than a million in the practice room.
Usually, at this time, Avril would have gone for a simple workout and then washed up and went to bed.
But today she couldn’t bear to leave, she wanted to see just how many surprises Harrison Clark would bring.
So far, Harrison had brought out five new songs at her birthday party.
Each of them was of high quality, worthy of being called a classic, and able to withstand the test of time.
If it were anyone else, just writing one of these songs would have been enough for a lifetime.
But Harrison had brought them all out at once, like a head of cabbage.
If it were a less discerning listener, they might become numb to the numerous classics encountered in a short period and think these songs were nothing special.
To digest such a vast amount of information and classic charm, an ordinary person would have to savor it repeatedly, experience forgetting, recall it, and listen again to generate new feelings before understanding why classics are called classics.
But today’s attendees, even the seemingly unreliable Ward Owen, had actually put a lot of effort into music.
It was precisely because they were knowledgeable that they were more shocked.
Leah Clark’s agent made a call to the company’s big boss backstage, preparing to change the contract.
Ward Owen next to her was so envious, “Bro, what about mine! I’ve called you bro already, help me out man! I really don’t want to go back and manage the company, I’m not cut out for that, my dad is just messing around.”
Avril laughed, “Mr. Owen, if your father heard that, he’d probably spank you. You at least graduated from the Ivy League School of International Trade and Commerce, and even got an MBA, right? How could you not be cut out for that?”
Ward Owen responded irritably, “Let him spank me. What Ivy League, what MBA? All that was just to please the old man. I used some tricks to get those. People have their own ambitions. Can’t I be myself in the second half of my life?”
Harrison was surprised, “You can cheat your way through the Ivy League too?”
Ward Owen shrugged, “Of course, it’s just a matter of how much money you spend.”
Harrison admitted defeat, saying he couldn’t understand the world of the rich.
“Okay, you win.”
“Don’t talk about me, let’s talk about the songs. Bro, I’m begging you, write a song for me too!”
Ward Owen had none of the grandiosity a wealthy second-generation should have, shaking Harrison’s hand persistently.
Harrison felt overwhelmed by Ward Owen’s tongue twisters and pushy approach.
He figured since it had come to this, he might as well make the most of it and make all the money he could.
“Fine! I’ll write one for you! I’ll write one for you right now!”
He slapped the table and said so.
“Huh? Really? Uh… Harrison, you haven’t even heard my song yet. Can you tell what style I’m suitable for just by looking at me?”
Harrison thought to himself, what do I care about your style!
I only have those three songs from Logan Lee in my head!
He already had blurred his conscience to this extent, so he didn’t care about integrity or not.
He smiled kindly, “Saying that I can tell by looking at you is an exaggeration, but it’s not that terrifying. However, after listening to you talk so much, the characteristics of your voice have formed a complete framework in my mind, and I can write a song for you.”
Ward Owen exclaimed, “Really?! That’s amazing, bro!”
Jenny Hart next to him couldn’t help but interject, “The difference between singing and speaking is huge! You wouldn’t expect my specialty turns out to be rock.”
Harrison chuckled, “I can only say it’s a feeling. If you ask me what the basis is, I can’t tell you. Alright, I’m going to start writing now. As usual, after I finish writing, Mr. Owen, you can listen first, and then decide if you want it or not.”
Harrison deliberately didn’t mention the price, as Ward should understand on his own.
“I want it! Of course, I want it!”
Ward Owen said decisively.
This time, Harrison’s speed increased even more, taking less than an hour to produce the three songs, with only a simple sing-through.
After finishing writing, Harrison’s face was tired, taking deep breaths and wiping the fine beads of sweat on his forehead.
It was quite exhausting, even copying answers in an open-book exam required physical strength.
Others thought he was overusing his brain and felt both amazed and relieved.
Finally, they saw his limit, he still got tired, barely making him a regular person.
Harrison secretly observed everyone’s facial expressions and knew without asking that he had nailed it.
Logan Lee was an artistic singer, and his core representative works were mainly folk songs.
Logan’s classic songs weren’t as numerous as Carrie’s, but the three that Harrison carefully selected, in a sense, were not much worse in quality than Carrie’s representative works.
After all, it was these few folk songs that established Logan’s status in the music world a thousand years ago.
“Folk song? Is this really the best fit for me?”
Ward Owen stared at the lyrics book in his hand, somewhat incredulous.
Harrison nodded, “The specific effect will likely be known only after you’ve made the complete song. You can now try humming a few lines. But I can be sure that if you want to make a breakthrough as a singer, folk songs are indeed the most suitable for you.”
Ward Owen tried humming a few lines.
Despite his clumsy appearance, his singing was surprisingly good, with a magnetic voice that was perfect for this artistic style.
His desire to be a singer was not just a fever dream, he had some talent, much better than Harrison.
After singing, Ward Owen nervously asked Avril Green, “Lucia, how did it sound?”
Avril, who had been staring at Harrison’s face in a daze, suddenly came back to her senses, “Ah! It’s good! Very good!”
“Really?””Absolutely!”
Actually, Avril Green couldn’t really tell if Ward Owen was truly suitable for folk songs.
Maybe the main reason was that the songs themselves were of such high quality that even a mediocre singer could achieve surprisingly good results.
But at this moment, Avril didn’t want to dampen Ward’s confidence; she wanted Harrison Clark to close this big deal.
“The songs are, of course, impeccable. I have a newfound respect for you, Mr. Clark,” she said, unreservedly picking up the notebook and examining it.
She had previously thought that Harrison could only write songs for women, but after the three songs, she felt her judgment was wrong.
The three songs were titled “Buds in the Heart,” “In Love with the Gallery Bridge,” and “Wind-blown Flowers.”
Just looking at the titles, one might think they were somewhat effeminate.
But the lyrics within and the melody Harrison hummed didn’t seem effeminate at all.
Just by imagining the scene in her head, she could picture a man with deep emotions and a vicissitude background, waiting for his ideal woman.
Everything seemed harmonious, further proving Harrison’s talent.
Avril couldn’t help but think of Carrie Thomas, who was currently working on her songwriting in her rehearsal room. After carefully analyzing the lyrics, her keen intuition told her that these three songs were Harrison’s love letters to Carrie.
At this very moment, Avril felt lost.
In her eyes, Harrison seemed to be gradually shrouded in a thick fog, making her unable to understand him.
It’s like fate playing a joke.
Harrison knew that Logan Lee, the older competitor, had pursued Carrie after gaining fame despite the nine-year age gap, but he hadn’t realized that these three peak songs of Logan’s life were inspired by his love for Carrie and were love songs dedicated to her.
But Avril, another highly accomplished person in the room, had discerned the details.
It can only be said that low artistic taste can kill.
Avril gave Ward confidence, and as a true spendthrift, Ward immediately declared that he would buy all three songs!
Two million for each song!
Harrison hesitated, but Ward was firm, and they quickly reached an agreement.
Ward’s high price made Leah Clark a little embarrassed.
But Ward was good at dealing with people and explained the reason for his doubled offer.
He summed it up, “Leah, I’m not trying to compete with you. You don’t know my current situation—I really need these three songs. Harrison is saving my life. Half of the price is my gratitude for him saving my life!”
And so, Harrison, Leah, and Ward signed contracts on the spot. One contract for each, fair price, and no deception.
However, since the amount involved was too large, Leah had to wait until the next day for her agency to transfer the funds.
Ward, on the other hand, was straightforward and immediately pulled out his phone and successfully transferred the money with a swipe.
Harrison kept a calm expression, but his heart was racing at a rate of two hundred.
Six million in hand!
He truly had his eyes opened. If he hadn’t joined this circle and met this “miracle man,” he really wouldn’t have known that mobile transfers could handle such large amounts!
Lesson learned.
Harrison’s account received the money within seconds, followed by a text message alert.
Ward slapped his forehead, “Damn!”
Harrison was startled, “What’s the matter?”
“I forgot about taxes.”
Harrison: “Uh…”
“No problem, tomorrow I’ll have my finance department sign a tax contract with you. We’ll withhold the tax. This is the net price!”
Harrison continued to be calm, but he only wanted to swallow his tongue.
Oddly enough, the chubby man’s pancake face seemed more and more pleasing as he looked at it.
By the time everything was settled, it was already past ten at night.
Asking Carrie, she seemed not planning to sleep tonight, and stubbornly stayed at Homey Rose.
Avril didn’t want to chase her away, just smiling and reassuring Harrison that she would take good care of her.
Harrison was about to call a cab when Ward Owen popped up from behind him, “Master, I can’t let you take a taxi! Ride in my car! Let’s go!”
Just in one night, Ward’s address for Harrison changed from “teacher” to “brother” and now to “master.”
Harrison got goosebumps, “Stop playing tricks. I’m younger than you!”
Ward waved his hand generously, “Age doesn’t matter! Whoever has ability comes first! Since you’re so capable and saved half of my life, you’re my master! I insist you ride in my car tonight.”
After saying that, he used his plump body to squeeze Harrison into the back seat of the Magotan parked nearby.
Before Harrison could even ask, Ward turned around from the passenger seat and said pitifully, “Master, don’t look down on my car. I have no choice. My old man doesn’t like my singing and won’t let me drive his luxury car. It’s really heartbreaking.”
“No, I’m not. Who am I to judge? I don’t even have a car.”
“Master, are you hinting that I should buy you a car?”
“No! Really not!”
The Magotan drove off into the night.
At a street corner, a Toyota Land Cruiser started quietly and followed behind.
Ward in the passenger seat turned his head, glanced at the rearview mirror, and noticed the Land Cruiser following them.
An eerie cold smile spread across his plump face.
Unfortunately, Harrison couldn’t see his face right now, otherwise, he would think that this chubby man was not as naive and slow as he first seemed; he was quite cunning..