The night was still young, and Youssef stuck close to Dayo, not giving him any chance to leave. Watching all of this was Luna. She took a deep look at Dayo, her heartbeat rising each time.

"How can someone be so cool, handsome, and intelligent at the same time? Indeed, the saying all fingers are not equal is true," she muttered under her breath.

As if noticing her gaze, Dayo looked toward her, gave a wink, and a helpless smile. He couldn't leave because Youssef wasn't letting him go.

"So JD, that brings me to why I've been bugging you. Haha. That original you just sang — what's your plan for it?" Youssef asked, his eyes fixed on Dayo.

Youssef had been blending traditional Arabic and pop for more than five years, There had been progress, but not up to his expectations. The reason he was here tonight with his friends was to find inspiration for his new album. He never expected to meet JD, who would surprise him with something beyond his own ability and imagination.

Dayo smiled. The song he sang was one of the most popular blends of Arabic and pop back in his old world, that had taken the charts by a storm beyond all limits. So, he understood Youssef's excitement.

But right now, Dayo couldn't commit to singing it himself. His plate was full first the Global Competition, Lois's album promotion, and countless other things. Still, after listening to Youssef play him a few tracks, Dayo knew Youssef had the skill and heart to do the song justice.

"Well, that depends. I would have opted to sing it—" Dayo began slowly, watching Youssef's reaction shift from expectation to disappointment.

"Haha, relax, Youssef. I would have opted to sing it, but I have a lot on my plate right now. I can't juggle singing it. But if there's someone interested in singing, I might—"

Youssef didn't even wait for Dayo to finish. He cut in quickly, his face both anxious and relieved. "I do, JD."

Dayo burst into laughter at the way he answered so quickly. Youssef, realizing he was being teased, narrowed his eyes playfully.

"Ya akhi, hal kanat hajatan li-tahriduni kadha?"

("Brother, was it necessary to tease me like that?")

Dayo shook his shoulder, still laughing. "Haha, kunt mutakhdir kayfa takoun shadid al-hamas li-hadha al-ughniya."

("Haha, I just wanted to see how enthusiastic you are about this song.")

Youssef smiled, but this time it was softer, more genuine. He had dealt with enough artists in his career to know how prideful some of them could be. Many acted too big to collaborate, quick to belittle others. But Dayo wasn't like that. Despite his fame, he was approachable, respectful, even playful. It spoke volumes about his character.

"You're full of surprises, Dayo," Youssef said with a genuine smile. He meant it. In this industry, not everyone was accommodating. Even though Dayo and him had different fan bases, Dayo treated him with respect.

Dayo smiled back. "You have no idea."

"Actually… I just thought of something. What if we sing it together? A duet. Your touch with my style i believe it could work."Youssef suggested.

Dayo paused, considering. He wanted to refuse at first; he really did have too much on his plate. But the more he thought about it, the more sense it made. This could be an opportunity—an opening into a different market, a chance to leave another mark.

"Alright," Dayo finally said. "We can try that. When are you planning to release it?"

"Probably three to four months from now, give or take," Youssef replied.

Dayo frowned. That would land right in the middle of the Global Competition, which would eat up every ounce of his time and energy.

But Youssef seemed to anticipate his worry. "Don't stress. Since you already know the lyrics, you can just record your part in advance. We'll handle any corrections or edits later. That way, you won't have to worry about scheduling conflicts."

Dayo nodded slowly. "That works. Once the transfer of ownership for the song is complete, I'll start recording."

The two discussed the deal. Dayo set the price at $80,000—a figure Youssef felt was almost too good for the quality he was receiving. Not only was the song itself gold, but Youssef also knew the exposure would be priceless. By the time his album rolled out, Dayo would be competing on the global stage. That meant free publicity—every mention of JD would indirectly spotlight the track. Youssef could barely contain his excitement.

For him, this was more than just a collaboration. It was the breakthrough he had been craving, the push that could finally take him toward international fame—his ultimate goal.

***

Meanwhile, in a skyscraper office forty stories above the city, Michael was working late as usual. The view outside was breathtaking, but his eyes were fixed on his computer screen, fingers clicking steadily across the keyboard.

A knock sounded on the glass door. Without looking up, Michael waved for the person to enter. His assistant stepped in, holding a tablet, her expression tight with urgency.

"Sir, there's an update concerning JD," she said.

Michael's brow arched. "Another one? It's been barely three weeks since the last. Let me see."

He knew she was competent enough not to bring anything unimportant.

She handed over the tablet. The video began playing—footage of JD performing at the World Cup, his announcement at the end performance the then said.

"And please support me in the upcoming Global Competition draw. Thank you!"

Michael leaned back in his chair, watching closely. For once, he couldn't hide the surprise flickering across his face.

He turned to his assistant. "And how come you never knew about something this big?"

The woman flinched but answered firmly. "He never showed any signs of competing, sir. No public mention, no private hints either. This was news to me too."

Michael tapped the desk, deep in thought. "This changes everything."

Silence hung heavy for a few minutes as he leaned back, staring at the ceiling. Then he asked, "Does he have anyone backing him? Any suspected supporters?"

"Yes," she replied, flipping to the next page of her report. "After some digging, I confirmed UC Label is behind him. Apparently, he struck a deal with them after his breakthrough with Luna. Since they didn't have anyone competing this year, he convinced them to give him their support and competition slot. In exchange, he promised to handle Luna's comeback. Since Luna had been out for more than a year and she's their label star, and they had no way to solve it.They had no choice but to agree."

Michael's face twitched in shock. He muttered under his breath, "How can someone so young think this far ahead? Here I thought it was luck. Turns out, he's far smarter than I expected for him to figure that the Global Competition have deals with major record labels hmm this is getting interesting."

He exhaled slowly, then asked, " Hmm. Is that all?"

"Not quite." She pointed for him to swipe again.

Michael did, and the moment he read the next page, his expression shifted from calm to rage. His fist slammed against the desk.

Bang!

"They dare try to snatch someone from me?" His eyes narrowed sharply. "Do they know I already have my eye on him?"

"Not that I'm aware of, sir," the assistant replied carefully.

"What about our inside man?" Michael asked.

She hesitated. "He was found out, sir. We're blind now and can't confirm if they're aware or not."

Michael sighed, rubbing his chin. "Then send a message… and make it very clear."

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