The next day passed quite routinely. I continued typing "It", occasionally taking breaks to study materials on "mechanical engineering". Heather and Barbara often stopped by my office to discuss issues regarding the game and the future of the company. I must admit, when such charming beauties work next to you, it gives you a boost of energy for the whole day!
The early morning was cloudy. It was drizzling. As usual, I woke up very early. Despite the bad weather, I went for a run. I jogged through the park as raindrops struck my face. The air was filled with the fresh scent of the forest. I love this kind of weather; I don't know if I loved it before...
In the rain, my mind clears, and my body fills with strength. Halfway through, I stopped to warm up my muscles. In the beginning, exercises had been incredibly difficult for me, but systematic training brought results. Now, I can confidently say I am in excellent physical shape.
Yes, my body still has great potential, and the black silhouette with two sharp ears is determined to unlock it as quickly as possible. Little by little, I'm starting to adapt to his radical training methods. The rain stopped. I glanced at my wristwatch—well, that's enough for today, I think.
Before I even entered the office, Heather greeted me with good news right from the doorway. The video for "River Flows in You" was ready. The Platinum film crew had worked overtime and finished editing it early this morning. Their representative was already waiting to hear my opinion on their work. I watched the video and was very pleased.
The small company had done their job conscientiously. Honestly, it turned out even better than I expected. Initially, we agreed they would do the job for $6,000. But because of their fast, high-quality work, I decided to pay them $7,000.
They deserved it. We shook hands and said our goodbyes, expressing hopes for future cooperation. I opened YouTube and created my channel. I kept the title simple: Alex Reath. I uploaded my first official video: "Alex Reath – River Flows in You".
But YouTube wasn't the only site I intended to use today. I closed YouTube and went to "In-Twitter".
In my previous world, there was a popular social network for public messaging called "Twitter". It was a microblogging service—posting short notes. "In-Twitter" was its larger counterpart here. Celebrities from all over the world registered on it, and of course, your humble servant couldn't ignore this platform. Users posted notes, videos, and audio files, and it acted as a bridge for celebrities to communicate with their numerous fans, share photos, shoots, and official announcements.
You could say "In-Twitter" also replaced "Instagram" because this world doesn't have Instagram! Yes, you heard that right—there's no Instagram here!
I registered a new account with the username: Alex Reath. In my bio, I wrote: writer, game developer, pianist, and composer. Of course, I'll add more professions in the future.
Registration time: July 10, 2010, 12:15 PM. I posted the video clip here as well. Just as I finished my work and was about to return to my daily routine—typing the thick book "It"—Heather interrupted me.
"Master Reath, the director of the record label 'Metropolis Music Group', Norwood Bailey, has come to see you."
What? This was unexpected, but I was more or less ready for his appearance. Well, let's meet this "respected" person.
A man over forty entered the office. Strands of gray were visible in his hair. He had a sharp gaze but wore a kind smile. If I hadn't known what I knew about him, I might have described him as a very nice man at first glance.
"Alex Reath, I apologize for the sudden visit, but I was eager to meet you. I'm glad to find you here. My name is Norwood Bailey."
"Nice to meet you, Mr. Norwood," I said, standing and extending my hand. He shook it slowly.
"Alex, I've heard a lot about you. I must say, you are a very talented young man."
"Thank you. Please, have a seat."
"I'll get straight to the point. Your composition 'River Flows in You' left a great impression on me. Have you considered how you plan to develop as a musician?"
"Of course. I think I'll pursue an independent career."
This wasn't the answer my guest wanted to hear. I'm sure if I had said I wanted to sign with a recording studio, he would have presented arguments in favor of his company.
"It's quite difficult to succeed in show business alone, even if you have excellent compositions," Norwood said. I won't deny it. At present, even for independent Internet celebrities, without professional promotion and advertising, breaking into the market and achieving universal fame is nearly impossible.
Some rely on advertisements, others on positive reviews, black PR, or strategic promotion. Doing this alone is tough. But with connections and a significant sum of money, these problems disappear. This man—the director of a leading label—must have dug up some information about me.
To him, I'm just the owner of a small mobile game company. There's no big money in that. As for the books I've written? Pfft. They were published by Wayne Enterprises, which likely took the largest share of the profits, leaving me with a small percentage at best.
So where could I possibly get a large sum of money? His reasoning makes sense—unfortunately for him, it's far from reality.
"I'll still try," I said confidently.
"Alex, a video of you playing the piano in the restaurant has already surfaced on the Internet. Our label posted it, and now everyone assumes you're collaborating with us. If people find out otherwise, rumors might spread that you rejected us…"
"No, of course not. It's simply a very likely outcome," he said with a faint smile.
"You know, I've already released an official video for this composition on my channel. Your video, on the other hand, is just surveillance footage of the filming process. Can I sue you for this? Just kidding—I wouldn't do that." I laughed and pulled up the video on my computer for him. His face changed several times as he watched.
"I shot this video myself, without your label's help. So, when exactly did I collaborate with you?"
"Quite an original clip," he muttered, his voice darker. "And it's very well-made, especially in such a short time."
"So, you're not planning to sign with our company?"
"Won't you at least read the contract?"
"I don't think that's necessary," I replied, shaking my head.
"Well, fine. In that case, I won't linger. It was a pleasure talking to you. I hope there will be a chance for favorable cooperation in the future."
His expression spoke volumes. My refusal was clearly not part of his plan.
Since becoming the owner of one of the largest record labels in the world, he had prided himself on never being turned down. Everyone he approached signed, no matter how unfavorable the terms.
And now, I—a newcomer in this field who hadn't even officially begun his career—ignored his generous offer without bothering to read the contract. Unthinkable! But this isn't over. Today's conversation may have ended, but the story isn't finished yet. With those thoughts likely swirling in his head, Norwood left my office.
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