Chapter 19 - 18: Shocking Everyone - Part 1
I’m so full.
Lin Yuan is very satisfied.
Just as he was preparing to go back to his department to work, Ol’ Zhou sitting across from him suddenly said, “I have some good news for you. I’m going to send your song to Qi Continent!”
“Okay.”
Lin Yuan nodded.
Ol’ Zhou had expected Lin Yuan to be excited.
But to his disappointment, Lin Yuan’s expression didn’t change much, and his tone was as calm as ever.
At this moment, Ol’ Zhou experienced what Zhao Jue had felt before.
He was a bit unwilling and asked, “Don’t you have anything to say?”
“Yes.”
Lin Yuan said earnestly, “In the arrangement of ‘Big Fish’, I played the piano part myself, so I hope the company can take this part of the reward into account for me.”
What?
Is that it?
Ol’ Zhou was stunned for a few seconds before nodding in agreement. He sent the already reviewed ‘Big Fish’ to Qi Continent that afternoon.
…
Qi Continent.
In a certain conference room of the post-production department of the animated film ‘Dragon Fish Dance’, the female director Zheng Li was tapping the table lightly, “Our movie is about to be released soon. When will the matter of the impression song be settled?”
“Director Zheng.”
The producer shook his head, “It’s not my fault. Before, Starlight Entertainment from Qin Continent sent over fourteen impression songs one after another. All by gold medal composers, yet you didn’t like a single one.”
“No.”
Zheng Li disagreed, “You all should be very clear about what kind of story ‘Dragon Fish Dance’ is. The fact that the music they provided does not match well with the story is true. Do you think I’m being too demanding?”
Everyone coughed, avoiding eye contact.
Zheng Li became angry, so they really think I’m too demanding, huh!
She angrily said, “Fine, since everyone feels this way, I won’t be the only one in power anymore. After all, everyone is part of the creative film team. From now on, which song to choose will be decided by everyone. Producer, please, play the previous fourteen songs now. If any one of you thinks any of these could be used as our impression song, then I have nothing to say.”
“It’s not necessary.”
The producer gave an embarrassed smile, “The impression song is too important for the project. It should be you, the director, who makes the decision. I’ll push them again… Eh?”
The producer was taken aback.
Zheng Li asked, “What’s wrong?”
The producer glanced at the incoming box on his phone and said with a wry smile, “No need to push, they sent another one. Director, please listen to it when you’re free.”
“When I’m free?”
Zheng Li scoffed, “Not when I’m free! Do it now while the creative team is here! Play the song, I want to see! What everyone thinks about it after listening. This way you can judge if I’m being too demanding.”
The producer whispered, “Isn’t that inappropriate?”
Zheng Li loudly said, “There’s nothing inappropriate about it.”
Left with no choice, the producer had to turn on the projector, and then open the speakers in the conference room to play the just-received song.
The projector is for viewing the lyrics.
Whether they were satisfied with the song or not, the lyrics and other accompanying things were always well served by Starlight.
The music started.
Within the beautiful melody, an ethereal voice began:
“The silent waves drown the deep nightfall,
Crossing the distant corner of the sky,
The big fish swims through the cracks of dreams,
Gazing at your sleeping silhouette…”
Amidst the music, everyone looked at Zheng Li with strange eyes.
Zheng Li shifted uncomfortably and could not help but raise her ear. A slight ripple stirred in her heart.
This song seemed to be different from the ones sent before?
Could it be such a coincidence?
“Looking at the sea and sky as one,
Listening to the wind rise and rain fall,
As I hold your hand, blowing away the vast mist,
The wings of the big fish have become too vast,
I let go of the rope of time…”
The performance was still ongoing, but when the main verse transitioned to the chorus, everyone had forgot to pay attention to the director.
Director Zheng Li, no longer cared about showing her true emotions on the spot, she was expectantly and nervously waiting for the following chorus:
“I’m afraid you’ll fly far away
I’m afraid you’ll leave me
I’m more afraid you’ll stay here forever
Every tear is flowing towards you
Counter flow into the seabed of the sky
…”
When the fish jumps over the dragon gate, it is pure white, but it can no longer see the little girl.
“If you hadn’t crossed that dragon gate, you could have stayed with me.”
“But, without the effort to cross the dragon gate, how can I protect you?”
“So reunions are the beginning of the end.”
As the song played, the script of “Dragon Fish Dance” popped up in Zheng Li’s mind. Several images she had planned for the movie vaguely flashed before her eyes.
Her eyes were slightly reddened.
The piano paused, and a whistle register abruptly rang out!
Like the sound of a dolphin, clear and penetrating.
All the people present seemed to forget to breathe at that moment.
Caught in the moment.
They seem to feel the vastness of the ocean, the deep blue sky above the sea, and the powerful impact of the waves…
By the time the song ended.
Everyone was sitting on their chairs, lost in thought.
After a long while.
The producer murmured: “So…only Qin Continent… is the land of music of our Blue Star… this song is startlingly impressive…”
“What is the name of this song?”
One after another, the crowd came to their senses.
The producer replied: “The song’s name is ‘Big Fish\'”.
Whilst all felt gratified, few also wondered: “Fish? Should we change the song title? Our movie is called ‘Dragon Fish Dance’, but it’s actually about the story of the little girl and the white dragon…”
“No need to change.”
Zheng Li stood up, her voice firm and decisive: “I am the director! What I say goes!”
Everyone looked at her: “…”
Zheng Li gritted her teeth: “Don’t look at me like that! It’s not that I have high standards! Those previous fourteen songs were really unacceptable!”
Everyone burst into laughter.
Though they surely believed her words because no matter how good the previous fourteen songs were, they certainly wouldn’t have been better than the song ‘Big Fish’. It was just that seeing the director in a moment of discomposure was genuinely amusing.
“So, is this one feasible?”
The producer asked mockingly.
Zheng Li retorted impatiently: “If this one isn’t feasible, can you find me a better song? Are you planning on hiring a maestro? What’s more, even if we got a maestro, they’d never be able to surpass this level because regarding the composer…”
“Xian Yu.”
The producer looked at the name of the composer.
Zheng Li nodded: “This composer, named Xian Yu, understands the emotions I want to express in our movie!”
This song costs the company 5 million as a theme song.
According to industry rules, the production team of “Dragon Fish Dance” can change the name of this purchased work, and even have the right to change the song and lyrics arrangement, even replacing the singer to re-record the song. These are all rights the film production team should have. Even Starlight Entertainment wouldn’t have any objections, at most they would make some suggestions.
But for Zheng Li…
This is the best ‘Big Fish’!
So perfect that Zheng Li didn’t want to make any changes to the song, including the singer, the arrangement, the lyrics, and the song title ‘Big Fish’ that someone just proposed to change!
“Perhaps it’s because the first impression was too perfect?”
Zheng Li thought silently, the goosebumps she got while listening to the song had just faded.
But the reason no longer mattered.
In her view, the theme song ‘Big Fish’ was of Perfect Level, and it suited perfectly her upcoming movie.
The music scene in Qin Continent.
Indeed, it is rich in talent!
Xian Yu, she’ll remember that.