The next day, December 9, in the rented apartment.
With Dai Ying's approval, Li Xun could focus on writing at home without a worry. After breakfast, he lay in bed browsing the trending news.
"Five TV dramas that lost the most money over the years."
"NO. 5: The Marriage Battlefield
"Production cost: 110 million. Dou Miao Score: 5.6. Average ratings: 0.8. Average views per episode on online platforms: 37 million. Estimated loss: 50 million."
"NO. 4: Legend of the Harem
"Production cost: 160 million. Dou Miao Score: 4.9. Average ratings: 0.9. Average views per episode on online platforms: 42 million. Estimated loss: 75 million."
"NO. 3: Love Amid the Storm of War
"Production cost: 210 million. Dou Miao Score: 5.6. Average ratings: 0.6. Average views per episode on online platforms: 41 million. Estimated loss: 93 million."
"NO. 2: Divine Soldiers Descend from Heaven
"Production cost: 230 million. Dou Miao Score: 5.9. Average ratings: 0.7. Average views per episode on online platforms: 45 million. Estimated loss: 110 million."
"NO. 1: The Demon Clan
"Production cost: 270 million. Dou Miao Score: 5.3. Average ratings: 1.1. Average views per episode on online platforms: 51 million. Estimated loss: 160 million. (Production company Tianyang Entertainment went bankrupt, and Guangyue Media was acquired.)"
"So here's the question: do you think Young Bao Qingtian will make the list?"
Li Xun opened the comments:
"Probably not, right? Didn't they already debunk the rumors? Uncle Ming and Huang Zhou weren't paid that much, so the cost of this drama probably couldn't even reach 100 million."
"You believe them just because they debunked it? Put it this way: a rumor is just the truth getting a head start!"
"Uncle Ming posted his fee. How could that be fake?"
"Company bosses take an annual salary of one yuan, too. Do you believe that? Just look at how hard Chen Minghao's been helping promote the show. You can tell his fee and his shares are two different things."
"And Huang Zhou—if he really only got 400,000 an episode, why would he turn down an international director's movie to act in a web drama?"
"Penguin Video has money, sure. Too bad they're not spending it in the right places. Instead of wasting money on publicity, they should focus on making better dramas. Once it's online, whoever wants to watch it can watch it. I won't. I'm making a prediction right now: if this drama gets a Dou Miao Score above 6, I'll run naked outside Penguin Innovation Building!"
Just then, a text message came through on his phone. Li Xun opened it and saw a bank deposit notification: the licensing fee for Predestination had arrived. After thinking it over, he transferred every last cent to his family. He'd wait until he got his share of the profits from Young Bao Qingtian before moving.
He spoke with his mother, Wang Huiqing, on the phone for a few minutes, briefly telling her about work. After hanging up, Li Xun sat down at his computer. As episode seven of Young Bao Qingtian played in his mind, he got ready to write the script for the second arc.
"A clear sky above our heads, a belief within our hearts. We're not young and naïve; we're simply unafraid of a challenge."
As the opening song played in his mind, Li Xun suddenly realized there was a problem. He had written the script for Young Bao Qingtian, but he hadn't had time to write its theme song or ending song!
The theme song for Young Bao Qingtian, Unburdened Heart, and its ending song, As Long As There Is You, were both songs that had left a deep impression on Li Xun. In his memories, the two songs had practically become one with the drama. Whenever he heard them in a mall, a plaza, or on the street, scenes from Young Bao Qingtian would naturally come to mind.
And both songs were genuinely great, especially the theme song, Unburdened Heart. Its lyrics perfectly captured Bao Zheng's character and the drama's themes.
He'd already plagiarized the drama. What were two songs on top of that?
Li Xun took out his phone and sent Dai Ying a WeChat message.
Li Xun: "President Dai, I had some free time, so I wrote two songs for the drama: a theme song and an ending song. Would you like me to send them over?"
After sending it, Li Xun browsed the news while waiting for her reply. About half an hour later, it came.
Yingying: "You can write songs, too? Don't worry about the theme song or ending song. I'm planning to ask the veteran composer Huang Ting to write songs specifically for Young Bao Qingtian. Your job now is to focus on writing the story for the second arc."
From his predecessor's memories, Li Xun knew that Old Gentleman Huang Ting was one of the top ten composers in Chinese pop music. If they could really get him to write and compose songs for Young Bao Qingtian, his work might not be any worse than the two songs Li Xun had.
But from what Dai Ying had said, he hadn't agreed yet, had he?
Li Xun: "I'll send you the lyrics first. You can take a look."
"Theme song: Unburdened Heart"
"A clear sky above our heads
A belief within our hearts
We're not young and naïve
We're simply unafraid of a challenge
We seek the truth in everything
It's just the way I am
If I can give you justice
Why wouldn't I?
A few casual words
Clear away my doubts
An inexplicable urge
Tells me to keep searching
Every move you make
I watch with special care
As long as the truth comes to light
I'll have nothing to regret
..."
Li Xun: "President Dai, I can't compose music, but there's always a melody in my head. I'll hum it, and if it works, you can get some professional musicians to transcribe it. I'm not a good singer, so once they've worked out the music, you can have a professional singer try it and see whether it fits Young Bao Qingtian."
Li Xun pressed and held the voice-message button and began to sing.
He'd never taken singing lessons, and at best he was probably a little better than the average person. He could win over a few clueless fangirls at karaoke, but he couldn't compare to a professional singer.
It was a very long voice message, a full four and a half minutes.
Without waiting for Dai Ying's reply, Li Xun sent over the lyrics for the ending song, As Long As There Is You.
"President Dai, the ending song is a duet for a man and a woman, called As Long As There Is You."
"(Female) Can anyone tell me
If there's a pen like that
That can draw eyes that never cry
Keep the fleeting moments of this world from slipping away
And make all beauty last forever
(Duet) No youth that turns to darkness
No love that ends in loss
All our promises last forever, like the stars
(Female) Can anyone tell me
If there's a pen like that
That can draw eyes that never cry
Keep the fleeting moments of this world from slipping away
And make all beauty last forever
(Male) If it were so
I could comfort myself
On nights when you're not here
I could draw a line of light
And keep all the happiness
To give it all to you
The bitter taste would turn sweet
..."
After sending the lyrics, Li Xun messaged her again: "President Dai, I'm not a good singer, so please bear with me."
Then came another long voice message, a full four minutes and twelve seconds.
Dai Ying's office.
Dai Ying looked at Li Xun's barrage of messages, her delicate brows knitting together.
Especially when she saw those two voice messages, each over four minutes long, she couldn't even bring herself to tap them open.
He should just focus on being a screenwriter. Hadn't he ever heard that every profession had its own specialty?
Young Bao Qingtian was incredibly important to her. Since taking over Penguin Video's Original Drama Center, she had raised its production budget from 10% of Penguin Video's content spending to 30%. That extra 20% hadn't fallen from the sky; she had wrested it from the Acquisition Department's share.
The reason she had managed to become a senior vice president at Penguin Video at such a young age was that she had practically built the Original Drama Center from the ground up and made it thrive all by herself.
But since the start of this year, the Original Drama Center hadn't produced a single smash hit. Meanwhile, a drama brought in by the Acquisition Department had done quite well.
If the Original Drama Center failed to produce a decent drama by the end of the year, then it was obvious that it would be at a disadvantage in next year's budget battle with the Acquisition Department.
That was why Dai Ying had been under so much pressure lately. She took Young Bao Qingtian extremely seriously and wanted every aspect of it to be the best. That was why she had gone to such lengths to get Chen Minghao to play the Eighth Prince.
The theme song was the audience's first impression of a drama. How could she let just anyone hum a couple of lines and decide on it? Though, the lyrics did seem pretty good?
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