Upbeat pop remix music boomed inside the home gym. Jin Chonglin roared as he finished his final burpee. His chest heaved, gasping for air. He was completely drenched in sweat. He removed his sleeveless hoodie, revealing his extremely toned upper body. The sweat accentuated his muscles, especially his eight-pack abs.
Lin Dong threw him a bottle of chilled water and a towel.
"Thanks," he said, immediately chugging the water. Water always tasted the best after an intense workout. He finished the entire bottle, and then began wiping the sweat off his body with the towel.
"You're falling down the music charts," Lin Dong said.
"I know."
"So what are you gonna do about it?"
"What do you mean?"
"You're not gonna post something online to encourage your fans to help boost your music back to the top?"
Jin Chonglin pretended to think for a couple of seconds before saying, "Nah, not interested."
"What do you mean you're not interested? You're Jin Chonglin!"
Lin Dong sighed deeply, feeling frustrated. "You know exactly what I mean. You're being trampled by a second-rate pop singer who used to chase you around and a horrible theme song from a popular romance TV drama."
"Second-rate pop singer?" Jin Chonglin threw the towel hard near Lin Dong's feet. He looked furious. "Say that again!"
"Ah?"
"If Iris Long is second-rate, then nobody is first-rate! Are you deaf or what? Have even listened to her music? How dare you call her second-rate?!"
Lin Dong was taken aback by his sudden outburst. He didn't know how to react.
"I'm Jin Chonglin! I'm an artist, a musician! I know music when I hear it! I can differentiate between first-rate and second-rate! Don't you dare degrade a musician's work with your careless comments, you bastard!"
"Ah… Alright, I get it. Calm down now, okay? I'm sorry. I didn't really mean it," Lin Dong hurriedly said.
"Hmph!" Jin Chonglin glared at his manager one last time before starting his cool down exercises.
Lin Dong sighed. He was careless this time. He momentarily forgot that Jin Chonglin was extremely serious when it came to music. He didn't want to trigger Jin Chonglin again, but he was the manager and it was his job to be concerned about his artist's career.
"No." Jin Chonglin's tone sounded final.
Lin Dong sighed.
Jin Chonglin gave his manager a side-eye. "Why do you look disappointed? My song and album both debuted at number 1."
"I know. But you're not number 1 anymore."
"The music charts aren't meant to be dominated by a single artist for a long period of time. If something better is released, then it's only natural that it replaces the one on top. That's just how this game works."
"So you're admitting that Iris Long's music is better than yours?"
Jin Chonglin paused before replying. "Yes, her 'Rebirth' album is certainly better than my current album, but that doesn't mean that she's a better musician than me. She may have won the battle this time, but she hasn't won the war. She has a long way to go before she can completely defeat me, Jin Chonglin. She needs to get to my level first."
Lin Dong sighed again.
"Let her enjoy the feeling of being on top for now," Jin Chonglin continued as he did some stretching on a mat. "She deserves it. 'Rebirth Melodies' is also great in its own right but too bad it's not mainstream. It won't reach the top of the music charts like 'Rebirth', especially in this country. I think other countries will appreciate it more than here, especially in Europe. They love that kind of instrumental music."
"Like I said, I'm a musician. I respect other musicians who create great music. Iris Long creates great music, at least the music after her comeback."
"Fine. I get it."
Jin Chonglin had a deep and thoughtful expression. "You know what? I think I need to thank Iris Long for defeating my music in the music charts."
Lin Dong frowned. 'What is he saying? Did he turn into a masochist?'
"I now realize that I've let fame get into my head and focused too much on pleasing my fans. Analyzing my music from when I just debuted to my current music, I feel very ashamed of myself. I unknowingly lost my true essence as a musician. Ever since I became famous, it was all about choosing the kind of music that will likely sell the most. Listening to 'Rebirth' reminded me that quality music never lies. That's why I'm not going to act bullheaded and insist on boosting my current album when I know that it's inferior to 'Rebirth'. I don't want to sacrifice my dignity as a musician and use my fans to beat someone's music which I know is better than mine."
Lin Dong couldn't count how many times he sighed in the last few minutes.
"Fortunately, I realized this just in time. From now on, I want to return to the basics, to my roots, and to rediscover my true essence as a musician."
"Eh?" Lin Dong didn't understand.
Jin Chonglin gave him a mysterious smile. "Like I said, Iris Long still has a long way to go to reach my level. She's not the only one who can compose her own music."
Jin Chonglin nodded. "Yes, I'm going to compose my next music by myself like I used to do when I just debuted. I feel very inspired. I'm not sure whether it's going to be a single or a full album. We'll see."
"That's great! No, that's awesome!"
It had been years since Jin Chonglin composed his own music. Lin Dong couldn't help but feel excited, especially because he had been with Jin Chonglin ever since he debuted.
Lin Dong smiled and rubbed his hands together. 'Iris Long, beware. Jin Chonglin is coming. The true king of the music charts will return to take back his rightful throne from you.'