Chapter 28: Partnership Finalized, A Solo Album!

"Li Can, you really have set quite a challenge for me."

Upon entering the office, Director Ma shook his head and laughed.

"My apologies, Director Ma, I..."

"I'm not talking about the business with Luo Zhongwen."

Disdain was written all over Director Ma's face.

"I wouldn't care if you'd beaten him up; a guy like that is bound to get hit sooner or later."

"I actually did hit him," Li Can said, scratching his head sheepishly. "But I didn't go too hard."

"Forget it, let's not talk about him. Just mentioning him is annoying. As long as he isn't injured, it doesn't matter."

Waving his hand impatiently, Director Ma's expression cleared up instantly, shifting from stormy to sunny in a flash.

"What I mean is, every song you sent me is excellent, but they are difficult to choose from. Moreover... they have immense potential for development, which adds a significant amount of extra work for me."

Recalling his initial excitement, Director Ma praised them with a sigh.

"The song 'Longing' has such incredible qualities—a strong melodic hook, a progression that avoids clichés, and a very fresh arrangement. Most importantly, it possesses both substance and depth!"

"It’s just a pity that if this song is only used as a theme song... it would be a bit of a waste. I want to use it as a character theme instead; it would be more moving and hold much more value."

"That is why I wanted to discuss the details with you."

Hearing this, Li Can didn't feel disappointed; instead, he nodded with keen interest.

"I understand what you mean, Director Ma."

The song "Longing" had a powerful capacity to evoke empathy, its melody was exceptionally strong, and its hooks were memorable.

Once presented in a way that seeped into the audience's hearts, coupled with character imagery and specific plot points, it would vastly enhance the brilliance of the story.

For instance, a version of the theme without lyrics could be re-arranged as background music, used repeatedly to build the atmosphere. Then, at a pivotal moment in the plot, the full version could be played to awaken the emotions cultivated over time.

It would be like a dagger to the heart of the audience.

It would most likely create an iconic scene.

Using it merely as a promotional theme song would be a complete waste of its artistic value.

Therefore, Director Ma wanted to further exploit its emotional value, even going so far as to suggest minor adjustments to the editing.

"As for the theme song, I feel 'Annual Rings' might be better, but I'm torn. That one is also very suitable as a character theme, especially that line... 'Dense and crowded is my pride'—hiss! It’s brilliant!"

As he spoke, Director Ma opened his computer and began to heap praise on every single track, clearly satisfied with all of them.

***

Li Can keenly seized this opportunity and spoke up immediately.

"Director Ma, I have an idea. I don't know if it might work."

"Let's hear it." Director Ma was intrigued.

"If you choose these songs, you are welcome to use them, and you can also make other requests for us to provide additional suitable tracks."

Li Can smiled slightly.

"Personally, I hope to produce an original soundtrack album for the drama, leveraging the show's popularity for promotion. At the same time, we will also promote our own singers, and in doing so, we will naturally bring a certain amount of buzz back to the drama."

"Oh?" Director Ma was slightly taken aback.

Original soundtrack albums or background music collections were common enough. It was a mutually beneficial arrangement that required no extra effort.

Li Can would simply provide the usage rights and then ride the wave of the drama's popularity. The production team, in turn, would get the songs for free and attract more potential viewers through the accessible medium of music.

Then, each side could go back to making money in their respective fields.

After all, film and television were different tracks from the music industry; they wouldn't compete for the same interests, but rather complement each other. If the two could be combined to create a qualitative change, the results would be quite gratifying.

This was a deal worth making.

With that in mind, Director Ma nodded decisively.

"No problem, I can sign off on this myself!"

Changing the subject, Director Ma looked at Li Can and said very seriously, "However, we have very high standards for quality and the singers' abilities. We can sign a preliminary agreement now, but you must keep a close eye on the quality later on. Please produce the final versions as soon as possible. If there are no issues, we can proceed to the formal contract."

"No problem. Our progress is fast, so the finished tracks won't take long. Maybe... three or four days?"

Director Ma's eyes lit up upon hearing this.

"Oh? That fast? Can you guarantee the quality?"

"Yes, the singers are very capable, and the recording is scheduled for these next few days," Li Can said with a smile and a nod. "Director Ma, you've already heard them; the files I sent you were finished masters. Now it's just a matter of having the singers record them."

"That’s wonderful."

Director Ma raised an eyebrow, seemingly lost in thought for a moment before saying, "Then I’ll speed things up too. There happens to be a preliminary interactive marketing event in a week. I hadn't planned on releasing a trailer or promotional video, just unveiling the final poster and some behind-the-scenes footage. If we can make it in time, we could release a teaser trailer as well. It doesn't hurt to have one, and it's not much trouble to put together."

With that, Director Ma looked at Li Can with interest.

"Why don't you come to the event as well? I'll introduce you to some people in the industry!"

***

"Then I wish us a pleasant cooperation." Li Can smiled, stood up, and held out his hand.

Ma Shuliang shook it firmly with a hearty laugh, and they both nodded.

"Pleasant cooperation!"

Having confirmed the cooperation, Li Can was very happy. The road ahead for further promotion and development was wide open.

He got into his car and headed back to the studio. He needed to finish the work quickly to seize the opportunity provided by the upcoming marketing event.

However, Li Can did not notice that just after his car turned a corner, on the side of the street not far away, there was someone in a commercial vehicle who was thinking of him.

"Sss! Damn, that hurts."

Luo Zhongwen sat in the car, having his forehead tended to by his assistant. The headbutt had been quite damaging, and his forehead had already begun to swell.

"Who the hell is that guy? Why is Director Ma so biased toward him?!"

Thinking of the handsome, six-foot-three youth, Luo Zhongwen gritted his teeth. I’m usually the one hitting people—when did it become my turn to get hit?!

"Brother Luo, I'll ask around when we get back," the assistant said, putting away the cotton swab. "But don't worry too much. If he were famous or had a strong background, we would have known. He couldn't have been abroad the whole time! Maybe he's some relative of Director Ma?"

"That’s true."

Luo Zhongwen curled his lip. Although he was still annoyed, he didn't continue his hysterical outburst. Director Ma's influence was significant, and the current period was critical; he really couldn't afford to cause too much trouble.

"I’m not in the same world as him anyway."

He curled his lip, unwilling to dwell on it further. Emptying his thoughts and pushing today’s events out of his mind, Luo Zhongwen took a few deep breaths and turned to ask his assistant, "What's the next job?"

"The next project is in a week. The production team of 'Immortal Heroes' has an interactive marketing event for industry insiders and media reporters. You'll need to attend in your costume for photos and release some behind-the-scenes footage to build hype."

"Fine, get everything ready in advance."

Luo Zhongwen was silent for a moment.

"I don't want to run into any more unpleasantness like this!"