Ate so much, I'm stuffed.
Lin Yuan felt satisfied.
Just as he was about to head back to his department, Ol' Zhou, who was sitting across from him, suddenly said, "Let me tell you some good news, I'm planning to send your song to Qi Continent!"
"Sure."
Lin Yuan nodded lightly.
Ol' Zhou had assumed Lin Yuan would be excited.
But to his disappointment, Lin Yuan's expression remained unchanged, his tone as calm as ever.
In that moment, Ol' Zhou understood what Zhao Jue had experienced before.
He couldn't help but press further: "Hey... don't you have anything to say about it?"
"I do."
Lin Yuan replied earnestly, "In the arrangement for 'Big Fish,' the piano segments were played by me personally, so I hope the company will include compensation for that as well."
What?
That's it?
Ol' Zhou froze for a few seconds before nodding in agreement and sent the finalized version of "Big Fish" to Qi Continent later that afternoon.
...
Qi Continent.
Inside a post-production meeting room for the animated film "Dragon Fish Dance," Director Zheng Li lightly knocked on the table, "Our movie is about to premiere soon. How much longer is it going to take to finalize the theme track?"
"Director Zheng."
The producer shook his head, "This isn't my fault. Previously, Starlight Entertainment on Qin Continent sent a total of fourteen theme tracks over. All were composed by gold-standard songwriters, but none of them met your approval."
"That's not the issue."
Zheng Li said, displeased, "You guys know very well what kind of story 'Dragon Fish Dance' is about. The music they sent doesn't match the storyline—it's a fact. Are you suggesting my standards are too high?"
Everyone coughed and avoided her gaze.
Zheng Li's temper flared immediately. So that's how it is! They really think my standards are too rigid!
She said sharply, "Fine, since everyone feels this way, I won't make this a one-person decision. After all, we're all part of the creative team for the movie. From now on, let's decide together. Producer, you'll handle this. Play all fourteen tracks they previously sent. If any of you think one of them is suitable for our theme track, I'll have no objections."
"No need for that."
The producer laughed awkwardly, "A theme track is too important to the movie. Ultimately, it should still be up to you, Director Zheng. I'll follow up on it… huh?"
The producer froze.
"What now?"
Zheng Li asked.
The producer glanced at his phone's inbox and laughed bitterly, "No need to follow up. They just sent another track. Director, I'd appreciate it if you could review it later."
"Later?"
Zheng Li sneered, "Forget later! Let's do it now! Everyone is here anyway. Play the track immediately. I want to see if the song meets everyone's satisfaction. I also want you all to judge—am I really asking for too much?"
The producer whispered, "Isn't this a bit much?"
Zheng Li raised her voice, "There's nothing inappropriate about it."
Left with no choice, the producer started the projector and connected it to several speakers in the meeting room to play the newly received song.
The projector was used to display the lyrics.
Whether or not the song was satisfactory was one matter, but Starlight had been thorough, providing the complete lyrics and related materials.
The music began.
A beautiful melody floated in, accompanied by a ethereal voice:
"The silent waves drown the deepening nightfall,
flowing over the skies to the furthest edge of the horizon.
The Big Fish swims through the seams of dreams,
gazing upon your sleeping silhouette..."
As the music played, everyone's eyes shifted to Zheng Li with a peculiar expression.
Zheng Li fidgeted uneasily but couldn't help perking up her ears as her heart gently swayed.
This song… it seemed different from the ones sent before?
Was it really that coincidental?
"Watching the sea and sky, a blending of colors,
listening to endless wind and rain intertwined,
hand in hand dispersing boundless waves,
The wings of the Big Fish are already too vast,
I let go of the rope binding time itself..."
The performance continued, and by the time the verse transitioned to the chorus, no one was paying attention to the director anymore.
Zheng Li, as the director, had long forgotten any worries about being embarrassed—she was anticipating and nervously awaiting the upcoming chorus:
"Afraid you'll fly too far,
afraid you'll leave me forever,
even more afraid you'll stay here eternally,
every teardrop flows toward you,
reversing into the seabed of the sky."
When the Big Fish leapt over the Dragon Gate, turning pure white, the little girl could never see him again.
"If you hadn't crossed the Dragon Gate, you could've stayed with me forever."
"But without crossing the gate, how could I ever protect you?"
"Turns out, reunion is the beginning of the end."
During the song's play, Zheng Li's mind suddenly conjured the storyline of "Dragon Fish Dance," and scenes from the script she personally approved faintly surfaced.
Her eyes grew misty with faint redness.
Just then, the piano paused and the whistle register burst forth!
Like the cry of a dolphin—bright and crystal clear.
At that very moment, everyone seemed to forget how to breathe.
Immersed completely.
They seemed to feel the vast expanses of the ocean, perceive the boundless blue of the sea's sky, sense the forceful surge of the waves...
When the song concluded,
everyone sat in their chairs, dazed.
It was only after a long while that the producer murmured, "So... truly, only Qin Continent can be called Blue Star's Land of Music... this song is stunning beyond belief..."
"What's the name of this song?"
Everyone snapped back, murmuring among themselves.
The producer replied, "The song is called 'Big Fish.'"
The group, filled with satisfaction, couldn't help expressing slight doubt: "Fish? Shouldn't we change it to something else? Our film is called 'Dragon Fish Dance,' but the story is actually about a little girl and a white dragon..."
"No need to change it."
Zheng Li stood up, her voice firm and resolute, "I'm the director! It's my call!"
Everyone turned to look at her: "..."
Zheng Li gritted her teeth, "Don't stare at me like that! It's not that my standards are too high! The previous fourteen songs? Those really didn't work!"
Everyone burst into laughter.
Of course, they believed her—the previous fourteen were good, but none could surpass "Big Fish." Still, seeing the director humbled was undoubtedly amusing to them.
"So this one works, right?"
The producer teased her.
Zheng Li shot him a glare, "If this one doesn't work, do you think you'd find me a better song? Do you have the budget to hire a Maestro? Even if you did, there's no way a Maestro could produce a better track than this one. And as for the composer..."
"Xian Yu."
The producer read the composer's credit.
Zheng Li nodded, "This composer, Xian Yu, is the soulmate of our film. He truly understands the emotions I wanted to convey!"
The company had purchased this theme track for five million.
According to industry standards, the production team of "Dragon Fish Dance" had the right to modify the title, lyrics, arrangement, and even replace the performer to re-record if necessary. Starlight would have no objections—at most, they would offer a few suggestions.
But to Zheng Li...
"Big Fish" was perfect as is!
So perfect, she didn't want to make any changes to the track—not to the vocalist, not to the arrangement, not to the lyrics, and certainly not to the title.
"Maybe it's because the first impression was too stunning?"
Zheng Li pondered silently, still feeling goosebumps from the song.
But the reason no longer mattered.
To her, "Big Fish" was a perfect level theme track. It was genuinely a match made in heaven for her soon-to-be-released movie.
Qin Continent's music scene.
Truly full of hidden talents!
Xian Yu, she would remember the name.