Landon sat at his desk, continuing his songwriting.
His debut EP needed a'showstopper.'
A song that could break into the market and bring in massive profits and attention.
The inventory of memories flashed through his mind, and two names stood out: Eminem's 'Lose Yourself' and Usher's 'Yeah!'
'Lose Yourself' was undoubtedly an epic, full of power and narrative, but... Landon's fingers tapped lightly on the table.
The personal touch of that song was too strong, completely tied to Eminem's own struggles and image.
That anger and determination born from the streets of Detroit were quite different from Landon's own self-image.
Furthermore, the rap-rock style wasn't the primary direction he wanted to take.
His gaze finally locked onto 'Yeah!'
Usher's phenomenal 2004 work perfectly defined the peak of Crunk music; it was the go-to party song and a ruler of the dance floor.
It combined popularity, street feel, and an irresistible rhythmic magic, destined to become an overnight hit.
More importantly, its style, blending smooth R&B vocals with the powerful beats of Southern rap, had a natural synergy with his own trained voice.
As for the original singer, Usher... Landon smiled inwardly without any guilt: that talented King of R&B surely wouldn't mind losing one song, right?
After all, he had plenty more classics in his future.
The decision made, Landon took a deep breath and picked up his pen.
He first tried to write the lyrics from memory in his notebook.
Thanks to his familiarity with the song in his previous life, he could recall most of the English lyrics for the verses, chorus, and bridge, with only slight blurring on a few connecting words and slang that could be easily adjusted—no big deal.
But when he turned to the staff paper, trying to record the melody and complex rhythms in his head, he felt a clear strain; after all, he only knew some music theory and was far from proficient.
It seemed that finding a music theory instructor was becoming urgent.
Putting down the pen, he closed his eyes, letting the full arrangement of 'Yeah!' roar in his mind, and tried to deconstruct and describe it in words to communicate with music producers in the future:
The opening must be a futuristic and catchy electronic keyboard riff.
Instantly pulling the listener into a neon-lit urban night scene.
Then, heavy drum beats must cut in simultaneously with dense, rapid hi-hats!
In the middle of the song, a bridge of Southern-style rap, like Ludacris, must be added.
And his own voice would present a completely different texture—smooth, full of R&B soulful tension, weaving effortlessly through the gaps between the wild beats and the rap.
The entire arrangement builds layer by layer, pushing all elements—cold electronic effects, broken heavy drums, dense cymbals, arrogant rap, and smooth vocals—to a peak of fusion in the final section, constructing an ultimate sound field that sends adrenaline skyrocketing to the limit.
Every note and every drum beat should be screaming: 'Move your body! Forget your troubles!'
When he opened his eyes again, the light outside the window had slanted westward.
The notebook was already filled with style descriptions, rhythmic points, and atmospheric keywords for 'Yeah!'
Although the professional score hadn't been written down yet, the blueprint was incredibly clear.
The study door was pushed open gently, and Tracy walked in with excitement.
'What are you busy with? You've been hiding in here all afternoon.' Her gaze fell on the closed notebook in front of Landon.
'Nothing.' Landon naturally moved the notebook aside and rested his pen on top of it.
Tracy didn't press him; she seemed long accustomed to Landon's occasional states of immersion in his own world.
She walked straight over, carrying the faint scent of a recent bath, and naturally sat sideways in his lap, her arms circling his neck as she leaned in to press a refreshing kiss on his lips.
Landon noticed that Tracy seemed particularly fond of this intimate and tender posture, and it usually accompanied good news when she approached him this way.
Sure enough, after the kiss, she leaned back slightly, looking into his eyes with the corners of her mouth turned up:
'We're going to Universal Pictures tomorrow to sign the contract. All terms have been negotiated, and our lawyer has confirmed everything.'
Her eyes were sparkling with a clear 'reward me' look.
Landon looked at the exquisite face so close to his own; the radiance from her work success made her look even more bright and moving.
He leaned down and tenderly yet firmly sealed her full and tempting red lips.
His palm also habitually, with a soothing and possessive intent, reached inside her bathrobe to feel the infinitely beautiful curves of her figure.
Just as both were beginning to lose themselves, gradually immersing in each other's presence...
'Click.'
The sound of the villa's front door opening downstairs came clearly.
'Landon, Tracy! Where are you?' Rachel's crisp voice immediately rang out in the first-floor living room, her footsteps approaching.
Only then did Tracy snap out of it, reluctantly pulling away from Landon's lips.
A faint, lingering silver thread connected them for a moment before breaking on her slightly swollen lips, adding a touch of lazy charm to her appearance.
'Tap, tap, tap...' The steady sound of high heels hitting the wooden stairs approached.
'I knew you'd be here!' Rachel appeared at the study door. Seeing Tracy sitting openly on Landon's lap, there was no sign of surprise on her face.
In recent days, whenever she returned home later than Tracy, she almost always walked in on the two of them being affectionate.
Sometimes Rachel would idly wonder how this Tracy, who was so shrewd and capable at the negotiating table, seemed like a different person once she got home, always liking to snuggle in Landon's arms.
In the end, between her and Tracy, who was actually more like the younger sister who needed looking after?
The next morning, the sun was bright.
Landon, Tracy, and a lawyer drove together to the Universal Pictures campus in Burbank.
Their destination today was a production office building within the campus.
In the second-floor conference room, Landon once again met the producer of 'the fast and the furious,' Neal Moritz.
Neal shook hands warmly with Landon, his words full of anticipation for the start of the project.
What surprised Landon even more was that a heavyweight figure from Universal Pictures—President of Production Kevin Misher—also appeared in the conference room.
Kevin had a relaxed attitude, and when chatting with Landon, he didn't put on any 'big shot' airs; his speech and mannerisms were as pleasant as a spring breeze.
He even gave Landon a vague feeling—that Kevin seemed not only to know Tracy but to be quite familiar with her.
The signing process went smoothly.
After the lawyer Tracy brought had carefully reviewed every clause of the thick stack of contract documents one last time and explained and confirmed them line by line to Landon, Landon solemnly signed his name in the places designated by the lawyer.
The rustle of the pen tip across the paper sounded particularly pleasant at this moment, symbolizing the formal conclusion of an important stage.
When all the documents were signed and Landon, Tracy, and the lawyer were preparing to leave, Kevin Misher appeared again to see them off.
He patted Landon on the shoulder and encouraged him, 'Prepare well, Landon. I have high hopes for this project, and for you too.'
His gaze then turned to Tracy, his smile deepening slightly. 'Tracy, give my regards to your father.'
Tracy responded with a polite smile. This small detail once again confirmed Landon's previous subtle feeling.