Back upstairs, Liang Yin asked, "Why didn't you buy the song he offered?"
Lin Chudong said, "Could he even sell it to me? He's just trying to annoy me. Even if he did, it would be at an exorbitant price, millions for a song. I wouldn't buy it even if I had the money."
Liang Yin shrugged. It seemed Lin Chudong understood him better. She hadn't caught on at all, and had thought Shen Jianbin was genuinely interested in collaborating.
"When will the interview arrive?"
"They're on their way, Zhou Ling from Tianxun Video."
"Okay, get everyone who appeared in Beginning ready to come out later."
Twenty minutes later, a young, beautiful female reporter walked over with a cameraman.
"Hello, Director Liang, hello, Brother Fei. I'm Zhou Ling. Today, we're here to ask about the creative process behind Beginning. Just talk freely; this video will be broadcast as an exclusive interview."
"Alright, go ahead."
Lin Chudong and Liang Yin sat down, waiting for Zhou Ling's interview to begin.
"Hello, Brother Fei. This Beginning is your debut as a writer and director. Did you teach yourself directing and screenwriting before?"
Lin Chudong nodded. "I'm very passionate about film and television. I studied it for a while when I was in school..."
The interview went smoothly, with questions about interesting anecdotes from the filming. Lin Chudong also had some behind-the-scenes footage, which would be released after the finale.
If you haven't had enough after watching the fifteen episodes, the behind-the-scenes footage is also quite interesting.
Zhou Ling suddenly asked, "How did you come up with the names for the male and female leads in this drama, Li Shiqing and Xiao Heyun? They sound very poetic. Is there a story behind them?"
Lin Chudong said, "Actually, they come from a poem."
Zhou Ling said, "Oh? Is it another poem you wrote? Your 'Bamboo Stone' received high praise online. Which poem are these names from? Could you recite it for us?"
Lin Chudong said, "The poem is called 'Autumn Poem.'"
"Since ancient times, autumn brings a sorrowful desolation, I say autumn days are better than spring mornings.
A crane soars through the clear sky above the clouds,
Bringing poetic inspiration to the blue heavens."
"The names of the two protagonists, Xiao Heyun and Li Shiqing, are derived from this poem."
Zhou Ling was stunned for a few seconds, then said,
"What a beautiful poem! I didn't expect Brother Fei to be so accomplished in literature."
"Recently, Beginning has been embroiled in a plagiarism scandal. What do you think about the online accusations that you plagiarized?"
Lin Chudong smiled slightly, "I believe the netizens will make their own judgment. It's pure nonsense, just trying to ride the wave."
Zhou Ling said, "Then, do you have anything to say to these rumor-mongers?"
Lin Chudong thought for a moment, "I'll give them a poem."
Zhou Ling's eyes lit up, "Great, I'm all ears."
Lin Chudong said.
"Searching for sorrow and seeking for hate for no reason, sometimes appearing foolish and mad.
Even if one has a good appearance, their belly is actually filled with weeds.
Despondent and ignorant of worldly affairs, foolish and unwilling to read.
Their behavior is eccentric and their nature is perverse, disregarding the world's slander.
Not knowing the joy of work in wealth, unable to endure the desolation of poverty.
Pity to have wasted good youth, hopeless for the country and the family.
The number one incompetent under heaven, unparalleled in all ages.
I say to the pampered and the privileged, do not imitate this child's behavior."
Zhou Ling was stunned for a long time after listening. This poem… how did it sound like it was cursing someone?
She didn't react quickly, and she was only listening, not seeing the words, so she couldn't understand it for a moment.
"Okay, let's end the interview here for today, Brother Fei. Send these poems to me later, and I'll add the subtitles."
"Okay, take care, Reporter Zhou."
After Zhou Ling left, Liang Yin asked curiously.
"Brother Fei, what does this poem mean?"
Lin Chudong smiled, "It's cursing Li Zhilin."
"Ah?"
That evening, Tianxun Video's Beginning was updated, but unfortunately, it wasn't with the main episodes, but with an exclusive interview.
The audience immediately became restless.
"Hurry up and update, did Auntie Pot finally die or not?"
"I only care if Li Shiqing and Xiao Heyun ended up together, it's so good."
"This kind of suspenseful thriller actually has a romance, I'm really starving and thirsty, Da Fei, I'll give you a red diamond, update a few more episodes, okay?"
"It's not up to Da Fei to update a few episodes, it's up to Tianxun Video to decide."
"Forget it, let's watch the behind-the-scenes footage, maybe we can find some clues."
"Damn, isn't that Big-Breasted Sister? A critical hit right from the start. I can't stop my nosebleed."
"Ever since watching Beginning, I inexplicably think Brother Fei is a bit handsome. What's going on?"
"Brother Fei's poem is awesome. 'A crane soars into the clear sky, leading the poetic mood to the blue heavens.' Brother Fei is also a literary youth!"
"That poem, Bamboo Stone, is also well-written: 'Though pounded and struck, it remains strong, defying the east, west, south, and north winds!'"
"But I don't understand this new poem Brother Fei wrote. Can someone explain it to me?"
"'Even with a beautiful exterior, the belly is actually a wasteland.' Think about who that's referring to. It's easy to understand, haha!"
"The beautiful exterior is definitely referring to Li Zhilin. What does 'belly is a wasteland' mean? Is he saying he's a fool? Brother Fei really is harsh!"
"The most classic line is, 'First in incompetence, unparalleled in history.' He's reached a new level of cursing!"
"Brother Fei has been cursing Li Zhilin for quite some time now. The last time, it was the more direct 'Fck you, you motherfcker,' and this time he went with the literary version: 'Unnecessarily seeking sorrow and searching for hatred, sometimes appearing foolish and sometimes mad.' That really hits the nail on the head. Li Zhilin just has to stir up trouble for no reason, acting like an idiot. He even slammed Beginning before, not realizing what garbage he makes himself?"
"He actually said Brother Fei plagiarized? Isn't that hilarious? Retweeting every rumor, what a clown."
"What's the name of this poem? Does it have a title?"
"Xijiang Yue: Scathing Criticism of a Fool."
"Haha, what a brilliant name! Brother Fei has another masterpiece."
"I advise you all upstairs to be careful what you say, Zhang San, the lawless outlaw, will be taking action soon."
"..."
Seeing these comments, Li Zhilin was furious.
"God damn it!"
With a loud bang, he slammed his Apple phone down.
"The bastard dares to curse at me? He's asking for it!"
He had been cursed at by him once in the crew, and had held a grudge ever since. Now, he was even more unrestrained, openly cursing him in an interview program, and even writing a poem to curse him?
He was giving him too much face!
"Contact the higher-ups at Tianxun Video and have them take down Beginning immediately. I'm willing to compensate them for the losses to their website. Don't let me see that bastard jumping around!"
As long as Beginning was taken down, the revenue for Surface would definitely double. He'd rather use the extra income to compensate Tianxun Video than let Lin Chudong have it easy!
"Has the overseas translation of that web novel been completed?"
"Almost, three days at the most."
"Hurry up!"
The new company was gradually stabilizing, and Lin Chudong and the Crossover Singer program team had also set the time; the first recording was scheduled for next week.
There would be one host, four actors, and one athlete performing in the first round.
The biggest name among them was naturally Deng Siqing.
Sister Deng was considered the show's traffic draw. The show's director wasn't famous, and the other actors weren't very popular, so the first few episodes relied on Sister Deng to attract viewers.
There were three judges in total: Lin Chudong, Wang Xi, and Zhang Mingren.
Lin Chudong had met Wang Xi before; he was from Li Zhilin's team and a very famous composer.
They had met before in the Swordsman Love crew. Lin Chudong's Partiality had replaced his song as the ending theme song for the TV series, and they hadn't seen each other since.
This Zhang Mingren is also a musician who has written many duet love songs, and his songs are quite famous.
Of the three judges, only Lin Chudong is a professional singer; the other two are musicians known for their sharp tongues.
It seems the program team doesn't have much funding; their appearance fees are definitely not as high as Brother Fei's.
The director, Zhang Qinxue, is a veteran of Jingcheng Television Station and doesn't have any hugely popular variety shows.
Jingcheng Television Station has been very sluggish lately, mainly because Mango TV is so popular. Several local stations have their own hit variety shows, but Jingcheng Television Station is a bit behind. Their dramas are unsatisfactory, and their variety shows are also mediocre.
Zhang Qinxue called Lin Chudong; her voice was very gentle. She was originally like a big sister, almost forty years old.
"Brother Fei, this is Zhang Qinxue."
"Hello, Director Zhang."
Zhang Qinxue said, "Congratulations on winning I Am the King of Songs. With your participation this time, the quality of our program will definitely improve."
"The program team hopes you can provide a song to be the theme song for our Crossover Singer. When people hear this song, they'll know it's our program. Would your song, Sailor, work?"
This kind of inspirational song is very popular, and it's most suitable as a theme song.
"Director Zhang, I'm really sorry, but I've sold this song to another program."
"Oh, is that so? Then do you have any other songs?"
Lin Chudong said, "Let me think about it. If it doesn't work, I'll write a new one."
"Okay, then I'll wait for your good news. Come record next week."
Jingcheng, Central Television Station.
Cheng Huanhuan said, "Siqing, are you really going to record a variety show? Did the leader agree?"
Deng Siqing replied, "The leader is the one who told me to go. Jingcheng Television Station's ratings are too poor, so they asked me to help."
"Oh, that's not bad. When will Da Fei be here? I'll move out then."
Deng Siqing bit her lip, looking a bit worried.
"Director Sun is on a business trip. Will Da Fei drink this time?"
Cheng Huanhuan shrugged, "Probably not. Can you drink while recording a show?"
"Then what do we do?"
Cheng Huanhuan was speechless. "If he doesn't drink, you won't either, right? Just confess to him already."
"Are you trying to kill me? I said it's just about being a fan, why would I confess?"
"You're a fan, but you need him to know, right? You two have cohabited three times now."
Deng Siqing bit her lip. "I'm embarrassed."
Cheng Huanhuan rolled her eyes. "Pathetic. How about you drink a little? Let him take care of you?"
Deng Siqing's eyes lit up. "Would that work?"
Cheng Huanhuan said, "You'll definitely be able to tell if he's interested in you this time. Think about it, if he really likes you, wouldn't he take advantage of you when you're drunk?"
Deng Siqing's mouth twitched. "No way, Brother Fei isn't that kind of person."
"He definitely wouldn't with a stranger. The point is, you were the one who always took care of him when he was drunk before. Now that you're drunk, he'll have to take care of you, right? Then contact is inevitable. Once there's contact, you'll be able to tell what his attitude towards you is."
Deng Siqing nodded, "You have a point. I can give it a try."
"Huanhuan, you contact Brother Fei and see when he's coming."
Cheng Huanhuan was speechless, "Why do I have to contact him? Don't you have WeChat?"
"Aren't you close to him?"
"Am I as close as you are? You've seen everything except what's inside his underwear, haven't you?"
"You little brat, you can't keep your mouth shut! I'll strangle you!"
Wang Xi called Zhang Qinxue.
"Director Zhang, do we have a theme song for our program yet? I sent you a song, I don't know if you saw it, what do you think of using mine? The price isn't high."
Zhang Qinxue frowned. She had listened to the song Wang Xi sent, and it was still his usual style, a classical-style song. It was just average, didn't fit the program at all, and wasn't inspiring in any way.
The program she was working on had invited some actors who were past their prime, not very popular, like the state Brother Fei was in before he went on I Am the King of Songs.
So she wanted an inspirational song to be the theme song, not a love song in the style of a Xianxia drama, so she hadn't replied at all.
"Teacher Wang, I'm sorry, I've already asked Brother Fei to help write the theme song. Brother Fei will give it to me in the next couple of days, so you don't need to worry about it."
Wang Xi was stunned for a moment, then said awkwardly.
"Alright then."
After hanging up the phone, Wang Xi's face turned grim.
Brother Fei, he's unstoppable, my ass!
The singing was pretty good, and the songwriting was okay too, but Wang Xi wasn't convinced. Previously, these project-specific theme songs were all his work. Brother Fei came along and they gave it to him, wasn't this saying he wasn't as good as Brother Fei?
He'd already lost once on the set of Swordsman Love, and Wang Xi was a bit annoyed at this point.
He immediately reposted the song he'd just released on Weibo.
"New song release, Breaking the Cocoon and Transforming into a Butterfly, a representative of inspirational songs. Unfortunately, no chance for the theme song of Crossover Singer, what a pity."
Wang Xi often went after people on Weibo, so he had quite a few fans, though not many of them actually liked him. They were mostly there to watch the drama.
They could always be the first to see Teacher Wang's commentary and his takedowns.
As soon as this Weibo post went out, the comments surpassed a hundred in just a few minutes.
"What's going on, Teacher Wang? Crossover Singer isn't using your theme song? They're looking down on Teacher Wang, right?"
"That song's alright, a representative of inspirational songs? Didn't you watch I Am the King of Songs? The representative of inspirational songs is 'Sailor,' okay?"
"'Sailor' has already been bought by the production team of I Can 48, so the regret Teacher Wang mentioned shouldn't be being replaced by 'Sailor.'"
"..."
These netizens were also very well-informed. Seeing someone ask, Wang Xi quickly took the opportunity to reply.
"It's not 'Sailor.' Da Fei wrote a new song and it became the theme song for Crossover Singer. I really don't know what he's capable of, being able to surpass my tailor-made 'Breaking the Cocoon into a Butterfly' for the production team?"
Wang Xi's sarcastic comment immediately sparked heated discussion among the netizens.
"Teacher Wang is so awesome, and yet he was cut off by Da Fei? This song wasn't even chosen? The production team is giving too much importance to Da Fei, right?"
"Who's trying to act so cool, daring to steal business from Teacher Wang? Oh, it's Brother Fei? Never mind then."
"If it's Brother Fei, Teacher Wang, it's not an unfair loss. Even if it's not 'Sailor,' Brother Fei can write a more awesome song."
"..."
Everyone's trust in Brother Fei had reached a certain level.
Seeing these comments from the netizens, Wang Xi became even angrier.
Damn it, is Brother Fei really that amazing?
Wang Xi posted another Weibo.
"Brother Fei's internet trolls are too many, what are they even hyping? Just wrote an inspirational song and became a representative? My tailor-made 'Breaking the Cocoon into a Butterfly' for the program is not as good as his? Next Saturday, we'll see."
-----------------------
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