Chapter 29: The Attention of Peak Prosperity and Red Leaf

"Brothers, good news! I’ve reached an agreement with Director Ma."

Returning to the studio, Li Can couldn't wait to share the announcement with the guys.

"The TV series' self-titled album will serve as the debut album for both Lin Feng and Han Jiayin."

Having said this, Li Can tapped Lin Feng on the shoulder and arched an eyebrow. "How about that? I’ve done you a solid, right?"

"Oh my, Brother Can must be thirsty! Quick, get some water!"

Lin Feng and Han Jiayin beamed, the couple showing perfect chemistry. Han Jiayin went to fetch water, while Lin Feng moved behind Li Can to start kneading his shoulders.

"You must be exhausted, Brother Can. Take a load off."

"Alright, that’s enough! Get moving; we need to finish production quickly so we can start rehearsals." Li Can brushed Lin Feng’s hands away, feigning annoyance. "I need to register our band as well. Once that's done, we’ll be a proper band. Aside from work, don't you guys slack off on your instrument practice and professional courses."

"You got it!"

The group dispersed, full of motivation. Only Winnie remained, frowning.

"Winnie, what’s wrong?" Li Can asked, puzzled.

Following her gaze, he realized she was looking at his trousers. Although hard to discern, from a slight distance, the faint outline of a footprint was visible.

Winnie spoke coldly, "Senior, did you get into a fight with someone?"

"Huh?"

The others froze, turning their heads in unison. As their eyes landed on the footprint on Li Can's pants, the atmosphere suddenly turned heavy. Lin Feng frowned, looking at Li Can. "What’s going on?"

Seeing Li Can hesitate, Winnie understood. It was confirmed—damn it, someone had fought with Brother Can! This was unacceptable. She immediately pressed, "Who?"

"Oh, it’s nothing major." Li Can shrugged and recounted the sequence of events.

"Wait? Luo Zhongwen?"

"...Yes, that very same Luo Zhongwen whose persona is a 'gentle, warm-hearted guy.'"

After a brief moment of shock, the group exploded in anger.

"I knew there was nothing real in the entertainment industry!"

"It’s all acting; the contrast with this bastard is just too huge!"

"How can he be such a fake?"

"What a piece of work, damn it!"

"Alright, everyone, don't get worked up. I didn't come out on the losing end." Li Can waved a hand. "Don't talk about this outside; he’s still useful and can make us a lot of money. Let it be for now—he’ll bring about his own downfall soon enough."

"..."

Winnie clenched her fists, her expression turning even colder, though she said nothing more. She simply took a few extra looks at Luo Zhongwen’s profile, as if trying to etch his face into her memory.

***

The brief interruption did not affect the studio's progress. With everyone pulling their weight, work moved along quite rapidly.

Han Jiayin and Lin Feng possessed immense talent, and their ability to interpret the songs was entirely consistent with their status as top-tier students. They even brought forth numerous derivative ideas and clever flourishes, and their speed in learning the music was remarkable.

Almost within a single day, the song intended for the teaser trailer was finished.

Having read the script, understood the intricate romantic relationships within the story, and reviewed some of the clips Director Ma intended for the trailer, Li Can eventually decided to focus on the story arc of the male and female leads. He selected the most fitting track to serve as the soundtrack for this debut teaser. As for the song "Mutual Longing," several different instrumental versions would be adapted to weave through the entirety of the series.

In the drama, the righteous male lead and the demonic female lead encounter each other in their youth, leaving a deep impression. When they meet again as adults, they don't recognize each other's identities but realize they have found their "white moonlight" from their youth. They spend a period of time filled with memories, playing the zither and dancing together.

As their affections grow, their true identities are exposed. This leads to a series of traditional, nested romantic tropes: turning dark, turning back, turning dark again, parting, meeting again, parting again, longing, misunderstandings, resolving misunderstandings, only to have new ones arise.

They eventually save the world, solidify their feelings for one another, and find a happy ending. Naturally, the story also includes traditional Xianxia elements, such as sect tournaments, alliances of the righteous, the clash between good and evil, adventures in secret realms, large-scale war scenes, the Abyss of Demons, and threats from outside the world. It was a very traditional narrative, but it was effective.

Based on this plot, and the business requirement that "the first teaser should not reveal too much content and should prioritize emotional resonance," Li Can quickly completed the production of the music for the trailer.

Upon receiving the tracks, Director Ma listened to them immediately. After finishing, he couldn't help but sigh at how sharp his own eye for talent truly was. The music was an absolutely perfect fit. Its inherent quality far exceeded his expectations; it was like trading a common item and receiving a treasure in return.

This brand-new trailer song actually shifted his perspective on the editing once more. Director Ma immediately began an urgent, refined readjustment of the teaser. Inspired, he couldn't stop, his creativity flowing with the intensity of an animation studio.

The editing work was completed very quickly. Looking at the final cut, Director Ma was moved. The combination of visuals and music had produced a qualitative leap. This was a piece of art.

It is not uncommon in the industry for drama footage to act as a music video, and for music to serve as the background score. But to achieve this level of quality? Very few could manage that.

Director Ma had a premonition that after this interactive marketing event, revealing the teaser to the public would likely trigger a massive wave of hype. He grew even more excited for the campaign.

***

Time flew. Soon, the day of the first interactive marketing event arrived.

Li Can arrived on schedule. However, just as he entered the venue, he ran into a familiar face: Luo Zhongwen.

Luo Zhongwen was dressed in his period costume from the drama, his gaze toward Li Can somewhat vacant. The black eyeshadow of his "Sword Demon" makeup made the scene look incredibly ridiculous.

Li Can grinned. Seeing so many people around, his eyes darted, and he waved at Luo Zhongwen with a mischievous smile, acting extremely enthusiastic.

"Oh? Is that Brother Luo? I’m a fan! I’ve admired you for a long time."

"You...!"

The surprise came too suddenly. Luo Zhongwen’s blood pressure spiked, and his brain buzzed. *Why is this guy here? Who is he exactly?! My fan? Admired me for a long time? That’s not what you said when you were beating me up!*

However, with reporters nearby and the importance of the occasion, he couldn't afford a scene. Luo Zhongwen had to suppress his complex emotions, forcing a smile to maintain his professional facade.

"Thanks for the supp—"

"Li Can! Come here!"

Director Ma, seeing Li Can from a distance, called out and beckoned. Hearing the director's voice, Li Can ignored Luo Zhongwen completely and turned to walk away, leaving the actor standing there with a rigid, fake smile.

"Coming!"

Once Li Can arrived, Director Ma happily pulled him over and introduced him to two unassuming middle-aged men standing nearby.

"This is Li Can, the new music producer at Starry Beauty Entertainment and our collaborator for this project. His professional ability is truly impressive!"

Director Ma’s praise and enthusiasm piqued the interest of the two middle-aged men.

"Come, come, Li Can, let me introduce you." Director Ma began. "This is Zheng Jun, an investment research manager at Dingsheng Fund, and this is Gao Jun, the founder of Red Leaf Venture Capital."

"Nice to meet you, nice to meet you." Li Can shook hands with both, feeling a bit surprised. He had encountered these names while researching Luo Zhongwen. Dingsheng Fund and Red Leaf Venture Capital were very bullish on the emerging entertainment industry and kept a close eye on valuable talent and companies. They were quite active in entertainment investments.

Gao Jun sized Li Can up. "Li Can... I’ve heard of you. You’re quite interesting." Privately, he was a bit skeptical, wondering what kind of work Li Can had actually produced to earn such high praise from Director Ma.

"Enough, let’s not beat around the bush," Zheng Jun said with a chuckle, shaking his head. "To be blunt, we are both very interested in you. Perhaps we can talk privately later."

Time was precious, and they wanted to get straight to the point. The two men handed their business cards to Li Can. "If you have any ideas, feel free to contact us."

"Absolutely, I will."

Li Can accepted the cards and glanced at Director Ma, who gave him a wink. Before he could say anything, Gao Jun and Zheng Jun spoke up. "Alright, you two go ahead and chat; we’re going to look around over there."

"Take care, gentlemen."

After exchanging pleasantries, Gao Jun and Zheng Jun turned to leave. Watching their backs, Li Can arched an eyebrow. *As expected, to make a name for oneself in an entertainment industry where profit is king... one must have the value to bring others profit.*

"Come on, let’s go too. The interactive session is about to start."

"Coming."

Answering, Li Can tucked the two business cards away and turned to follow Director Ma toward the marketing venue.