Chapter 6042

In the past, Tawanna might not have taken Stefanie seriously. After all, Stefanie's position in the music industry is still several tiers below hers. Currently, the most influential singers in the world primarily hail from Europe and the United States, largely due to the longstanding focus on English in cultural production from these regions. Similar to the global dominance of Hollywood films, they hold their top position firmly. While Stefanie may be the top star in the Chinese sphere, her influence on the global stage pales in comparison. However, Tawanna is different. She enjoys immense fame in English-speaking countries and holds significant sway in virtually every nation worldwide. She can be considered one of the most successful singers in today’s era of globalization. In this moment, her demeanor was entirely focused on making Stefanie feel at ease. Although she didn’t know the exact nature of the relationship between Stefanie and Charlie, it was evident from their tone and expressions during their interactions that Charlie held her in high regard. Given Charlie's respect for her, he undoubtedly valued her presence. As Stefanie prepared to meet her idol, she unexpectedly displayed such politeness, saying modestly, "Miss Sweet, I have long revered your name. I was your fan even before my debut!" Tawanna smiled warmly and replied, "We are both singers, so we can consider ourselves fellow travelers. Plus, you are a friend of Mr. Wade’s, which makes you my friend as well—there's no need for such formality!" With that, she graciously invited both of them, saying, "Mr. Wade, Miss Sun, let’s discuss this in the room. I’ll have someone bring breakfast so we can chat while we eat." Stefanie quickly added, "I’m sorry to trouble you, Miss Sweet." Tawanna replied seriously, "If Miss Sun continues to be so polite, I might get upset. It’s clear you don’t see me as a friend." Stefanie smiled and replied, "No, it's a true honor to be friends with you, Miss Sweet." Tawanna blinked playfully, taking her arm as she said, "Just call me Tawanna—there’s no need for formalities." Saying this, she treated Stefanie like a close sister and walked into the room with her. The presidential suite at Shangri-La spans over 400 square meters, making it both spacious and luxurious. Once at the dining area, Tawanna eagerly turned to Stefanie and said, "Ms. Sun, I'm genuinely honored to invite you as a guest at my Eastcliff concert. Regarding your appearance fees, we will gladly accommodate any requests from your agency." Stefanie waved her hand dismissively and replied, "It’s my privilege to be your guest. How could I possibly charge an appearance fee?" Tawanna smiled and explained, "Sometimes, as artists, we must adhere to the business arrangements of our companies. Some agencies don’t permit their artists to perform for free, even when endorsing guests." Stefanie reassured her, saying, "Don’t worry, my agency is entirely controlled by my family's company, so I have the final say in all matters." Tawanna responded with delight, "That’s wonderful! That makes everything much simpler. We can organize this performance exactly how we want. Honestly, past guest arrangements mostly felt like intermissions. While guests performed on stage, I would take breaks backstage and wouldn't interact with them live." She continued, "This time, I genuinely want to engage with you more. Ideally, we could sing one of my songs together and one of yours as well. You can perform your pieces on your own. What do you think?" Stefanie beamed and said, "I’m fine with that! I can sing nearly all of your songs."

Then she added, slightly concerned, "But just to let you know, most of my songs are in Chinese. Can you handle that?" "Of course!" Tawanna replied with enthusiasm. "I've been listening to your music. Everyone makes music, and while some songs are fast-paced, the lyrics may be a bit challenging. But don’t worry; we can memorize them. And remember, we have a teleprompter on-site. I can mark the Chinese pronunciations in your lyrics with similar English words, so we can sing together seamlessly!" Charlie chimed in, "I've noticed that singers worldwide are using this technique. Many Chinese artists also add Chinese markings when singing English songs." As he spoke, a smile crept onto his face as he recalled something, "I remember there was a joke online that became quite popular, and it was a bit confusing." Tawanna looked puzzled, while Stefanie laughed heartily, saying, "Charlie still remembers that joke..." Charlie grinned, "It was pretty famous back then." Stefanie nodded, covering her mouth with laughter, "It really was! Many domestic singers decided to practice their English pronunciation during that time." Not wanting Tawanna to feel left out, she shifted the conversation back, smiling, "So, how many songs do you think it would be appropriate for me to sing?" Tawanna replied, "Five to eight songs would be fine. If the performance drags on too long, it might feel too stretched." Stefanie said with a smile, "Five sounds just right. Too many and it would become overwhelming. Everyone is here to see you, so I won’t take up too much time." Tawanna responded, "With five songs, when you take the stage, I won’t rush off. I will introduce our guest to the audience first, then you can come on stage. We’ll sing one of my songs together, and then I’ll take a break while you perform three songs solo. After your last song, I’ll join you for one of yours. How does that sound?" "Sounds great!" Stefanie smiled, "That arrangement is perfect! It’s decided!" Then she turned to Charlie and asked, "Charlie, will you be backstage during the performance?" "Of course," Charlie nodded with a smile, "I'm the Feng Shui Director, so I’ll be on-site." "That’s fantastic!" Stefanie said with excitement, "Charlie, I happen to have a song that features an ancient assassin theme. I need a masked dancer for it. Would you come help me out by dancing with your face covered?" Charlie quickly shook his head, "How can I dance? No, no, you should find someone professional!" Stefanie insisted, "It's not really dancing; it’s more about creating stage presence. Besides, it won't involve any intricate dance moves—just martial arts movements. You’re great at that! You only need to perform a set of professional martial arts moves. During some special parts, we can interact, but other than that, you can move freely on stage." Charlie shook his head again, "Oh, I’m not a professional either. If I don’t perform well, it would be embarrassing for you!" Stefanie held onto his arm, softly encouraging him, "Charlie, it won’t be embarrassing if it doesn’t go perfectly. Besides, you’re so strong—you won’t mess it up! There’d be a part where you’d be flying on wires in an assassin costume, wearing a mask and wielding a long sword, it would look so cool! You wouldn’t even need to show your face. Even if my parents are in the audience, they wouldn’t recognize you!" Tawanna, who had been listening beside them, interjected, "Is that song called 'Assassin'? I love it too! Why don’t we all sing that together, and let Mr. Wade dance with us?"