The Power of the Glittering World

The recording afterwards also went smoothly.

Originally scheduled for over twenty days to record three episodes, it ended up taking less than twenty days, with everything completed by the afternoon of August 16th.

Even finishing a few days early meant the production team could save a significant amount of funds.

For Zhu Shao, who was also the producer, this was a major benefit.

The more they saved in the early stages, the more ample the budget would be for later.

For all the staff, it was also a rare opportunity to relax and unwind.

Except for the camera crew, who had a tough time, everyone else was quite relaxed.

Those responsible for costumes, makeup, and props, for instance, each gained several pounds!

That evening.

Zhu Shao treated the entire production crew and the eight mentors and trainees to a grand meal at the Huazhou Peace Hotel.

A film crew from Hong Kong happened to be shooting there, but it didn't affect the guests' dining.

Then, something interesting happened.

Because there were so many people, the production team booked a large banquet hall and set up seven or eight tables.

The chief director and the four groups of guests were at one table. As they were eating, someone suddenly came to visit.

The visitor was the chief director of the film crew shooting there, Gao Qun, a renowned figure in the Xia Kingdom's television industry.

In his youth, he had directed numerous classic Hong Kong films and TV dramas, and his move north had been seamless.

He released one drama every few years, and each was a classic.

He was considered an evergreen figure in the industry.

Zhu Shao quickly rose to welcome him.

Gao Qun, over sixty and wearing a baseball cap, strode in. He first shook hands with Zhu Shao, then turned towards Lin Fei, who had stood up with a somewhat bewildered expression.

Speaking in fluent Mandarin, he said, "Hello, Teacher Lin, long time no see!"

Lin Fei didn't know him well, but she recognized him.

Under the gaze of everyone in the room, she also smiled with a hint of confusion.

"Hello, Director Gao."

"Forgive my intrusion. I heard Teacher Lin was here, so I couldn't wait to visit. It's about this: could I ask you... oh, could I ask Teacher Water Strike Three Thousand to compose a song?"

Lin Fei had been a bit confused earlier, but upon hearing this, she immediately understood.

She instinctively wanted to look towards Song Dao.

Fortunately, she managed to control herself.

"Thank you for your trust, Director Gao. You can have someone send over the materials, and we'll give it a try. I can't guarantee it will be to your liking."

"Haha, I understand, I understand. But I believe that since Teacher Sanqian could write excellent songs with different styles for Immortal Sword Asking for Love and Demon Love, his creative ability is beyond doubt."

Gao Qun laughed heartily and continued, "My visit is rather abrupt, mainly because it was a chance encounter. I just wanted to say hello. I'll have my assistant contact your agent later. In any case, Teacher Lin, you must help with this matter..."

It wasn't that a drama would become a hit solely because of a song, but at the very least, it would be a perfect addition.

Besides, he believed in metaphysics.

Lin Fei felt a mix of amusement and helplessness, but she maintained her smile. "Alright, I'll contact Teacher Sanqian later."

"That's wonderful! Sorry to have disturbed everyone. Please continue!" Gao Qun clasped his hands together and bowed slightly to everyone before leaving in a hurry.

Zhu Shao, Lin Fei, and a few assistant directors saw him to the door before returning.

Zhu Shao looked excited.

He felt a sense of shared pride.

Even though Lin Fei was a Heavenly Queen, Gao Qun held a very high position in the industry!

He had nurtured several Best Actor and Best Actress award winners.

Such a prominent figure, even when crossing fields, was someone everyone wanted to meet and connect with.

Who in the circle doesn't have some connections?

Big shots like Li Jun didn't mind being ignored by Gao Qun, whom he didn't know.

But Ma Shen and Sun Meiqi, after understanding Director Gao Qun's intentions, showed a hint of envy in their eyes.

It was only at this moment that many people suddenly realized that a hidden master was within Lin Fei's small company!

Water Strike Three Thousand!

This person, the mastermind behind Lin Fei's comeback, had stunned the entire music scene with his first move.

Always Been Quiet had made a small test of skill.

Two sad love songs had made the young amateur Hu Wei famous.

A single song, Lovesickness, not only brought about Lin Fei's successful comeback but also propelled her to immense popularity.

It's funny how the show "Best Songwriter" itself has a connection to the emergence of Water Strike Three Thousand!

The stagnant Chinese music scene seemed to be injected with a mysterious power by this person, beginning to regain its vitality.

Gao Qun's visit was a minor interlude, but the subsequent conversation quickly shifted from the viewership ratings of tonight's second episode to Water Strike Three Thousand.

Facing the curiosity of several associate directors from the production team, Lin Fei just smiled faintly.

She absolutely refused to reveal Water Strike Three Thousand's identity.

She hadn't touched a drop of alcohol tonight either.

And when not recording, even without deliberate effort, the cool, aloof aura of a Heavenly Queen naturally emanated from her.

Besides hall-of-fame level musicians like Li Jun, even Zhu Shao maintained a respectful demeanor in her presence at all times.

If she didn't want to say, no one dared to ask further.

Zhong Yutong, sitting beside him, quietly asked Song Dao, "Brother, do you know Teacher Sanqian?"

Song Dao nodded.

"Really? Is he a man or a woman? How old is he?" Zhong Yutong asked with a face full of curiosity.

Xue Lin and Zhao Qi, standing nearby, couldn't help but prick up their ears.

Everyone was desperate to know this.

Although they were all creators, compared to Water Strike Three Thousand, who released a sure-fire hit with every attempt, the gap was immense!

Let alone these trainees, even the three mentors who were skilled in songwriting, besides Li Jun who had the qualifications, the other two didn't dare to casually comment.

If it were just the first three songs, it would be one thing; everyone had popular hits with comparable heat.

But the song "Lovesickness" had truly astonished the entire music scene.

A song of this caliber would quickly stand out even in an era where gods battled.

You could dislike it, but apart from trolls, very few people spoke ill of it.

This was the advantage of using a pen name.

Let them guess.

If it were his real name, it would inevitably attract endless doubt along with the praise.

A mere "Die You!"

Even precise attacks.

"A man, very old, and as young and handsome as me."

Song Dao responded to Zhong Yutong with a chuckle.

Having spent these days together, he had a good impression of this girl.

Smart, high EQ, and perceptive.

"Okay, okay, I'm asking you seriously, and you're just giving me a perfunctory answer, little sister! If you don't want to say it, fine, hmph!"

Zhong Yutong rolled her eyes.

Song Dao shrugged with a smile, "I'm being serious too."

Zhong Yutong pouted, "I'll believe that when pigs fly!"

This matter, as long as someone continued to pay attention, there was always a possibility of exposure.

Even if it would be difficult to investigate, it wasn't entirely without a trace.

Especially since he was going to compose two more songs for Lin Fei next.

As a Heavenly Queen, Lin Fei wouldn't sing just any song.

Even if he didn't use the songs obtained from the two golden treasure chests, Song Dao couldn't just casually create any two songs for her.

They had to have special significance for Lin Fei.

In this way, his "creative" ability would naturally attract external attention and interpretation.

It was better to stir up the waters from now on.

Water Strike Three Thousand? I know him. He's as young and handsome as me, the same age, so what?

The dinner ended at 8:30.

The old Western-style house had been vacated.

Some people had houses in Huazhou and went home directly.

Some left overnight.

Song Dao and Lin Fei booked two rooms at the hotel.

They planned to check the response to the second episode after returning.

When the two arrived at the hotel, Sister Qing was already waiting there, having pre-booked their rooms.

Song Dao intended to go back to his room to rest.

Despite how relaxed and casual things were, the past few days of recording had left him somewhat exhausted.

Especially when singing in public, he'd taken both Emotion Stabilizing Candy and Steady Typhoon Candy.

Lin Fei called out to him, "Come to my place, drink a little less."

Got it.

He knew it.

This sister was craving alcohol.

She hadn't touched a drop in over twenty days, which must have been difficult for her.

Fortunately, Sister Qing was also there, so it wasn't just a man and a woman alone.

The three of them arrived at Lin Fei's suite.

The room wasn't very large, just a bedroom and a living room.

Upon entering, Song Dao understood why Li Qingqing had stayed by Lin Fei's side for so many years.

Various food containers of all sizes were already laid out on the coffee table.

Besides that, there were two bottles of red wine.

"We'll only have a little, we have to fly back tomorrow."

Lin Fei reassured Song Dao.

Li Qingqing took out the red wine glasses that had already been washed clean.

Then she opened the wine and poured it.

"Hotel glasses aren't clean, I went out and bought some new ones."

She said while pouring, "A decanter is too much trouble, we'll let it breathe in the glass, just make do."

Song Dao and Lin Fei opened the food containers.

There was Greedy Frog, but no scallions.

He glanced at Lin Fei.

Lin Fei smiled, "It wasn't me who said it, your Sister Qing is very thoughtful."

Li Qingqing glanced at Song Dao and smiled, "Every time we went home for the Lunar New Year, my dad would say it was a shame I didn't take the civil service exam when I was serving guests."

Song Dao asked, "Sister Qing is from Luzhou?"

Li Qingqing paused for a moment, then laughed heartily, "Does the whole country know?"

Lin Fei also started laughing.

Afterward, the three of them sat down to eat.

Although the previous crew banquet had been lavish, they had mostly been chatting at their table and hadn't eaten much.

It was almost impossible to get full.

However, Lin Fei and Li Qingqing only had a few bites, while Song Dao didn't hold back and ate heartily.

After a while, Lin Fei raised her wine glass and looked at Song Dao, "After all the recording is done, you should become famous. In the future, if you get variety show invitations, don't easily accept them unless you're a mentor."

Song Dao looked at her with a questioning expression.

"It's not that interesting. This time, I just made my comeback and needed a show to make an appearance."

"Also, don't think that just because I was crowned Heavenly Queen back then, it was all solid. Although my songs were popular, I didn't have enough of them."

"That era really needed someone like me. If Sun Meiqi had debuted a few years earlier, I might not have had a chance."

This statement was actually her being modest.

Minor fame is achieved through promotion, but great fame is determined by destiny. Lin Fei's rise to Heavenly Queen status was a combination of timing, opportunity, and human factors.

"Even with this comeback, many people still see it as superficial, and I think so too."

"So I won't easily participate in variety shows anymore. If you want to participate, it's best to ask Sister Qing first. Don't agree impulsively yourself, so you don't get tricked."

Li Qingqing added from the side, "Variety shows look profitable, but they actually lower your status a bit. Fei Fei is making a comeback, and you've just emerged. You need these opportunities, but one is enough."

Song Dao nodded.

He had actually been thinking the same thing.

Next, he would continue the lucky draw for songs.

Continuing to find suitable people to help him make money was the kingly way.

The three of them took a gentle sip of their wine.

Li Qingqing looked at Song Dao, "Director Gao's assistant just contacted me, saying he wants to commission a song from you?"

Song Dao hummed in response, "I don't know what kind of drama he's filming yet. I'll see the information when he sends it over."

Li Qingqing covered her mouth and chuckled, "Aren't you curious about how much he's paying?"

Song Dao was taken aback, "Not much?"

Lin Fei said, "It shouldn't be possible. Since he mentioned 'Always Been Quiet' and 'Lovesickness,' the starting price is at least a million."

Li Qingqing nodded. "One hundred fifty thousand for usage rights. If Sister Fei sings it, the price doubles."

Song Dao suddenly felt a bit dazed.

The previous 'Demon Love' couldn't be used as a sample.

But this time, it could.

After a few months in this world, he had written songs for major productions, successfully evolving from "high prices" like two hundred thousand to a stable "sky-high price" of over a million?

And this was without even considering other copyright revenue.

The power of the entertainment industry.

Truly terrifying.