RPAGF Chapter 104: A Feud Arising with the Production Team
Chapter 104: A Feud Arising with the Production Team
At 10 a.m. the day after the interview program finished recording, the strong and healthy Wang Bo pushed open the door of Xiaoyi Culture Media's recording studio.
Chen Mo was squatting under the control panel fiddling with something when he heard the noise. Without looking up, he called out, "Wait, this wire has a bad connection... Fixed!"
He popped out, holding a screwdriver in his hand: "Hey, our great thinker is back? Yesterday, for the first time, President Su praised someone in the group chat, and it was you, not Xiao Mei who has been with her for many years."
Wang Bo tossed his backpack onto the sofa and yawned: "Compared to those three experts, I deserve the praise of the great thinker. It's just that my throat is still a bit dry, more tiring than singing ten songs in a row."
"These days, experts... haha, I know it without even looking. You're bombarding people's impregnable walls of prejudice with the cannonballs of truth, it must be exhausting," Chen Mo laughed.
Wang Bo took out his laptop and several sheets of handwritten sheet music from his backpack: "Get to work, we're recording the fourth episode in three days. The song isn't fully arranged yet."
Chen Mo took the sheet music and glanced at the title: "Isn't this issue supposed to be about 'cities'? People from Lin'an aren't writing about Lin'an, but about other places?"
"What, it's not allowed?" Wang Bo laughed.
"Sure, of course, you can write about Mars, I'll do it." Chen Mo carefully examined the score, his eyes gradually brightening. "Wait... this melody... Wang Bo, you've been to Western Shu, haven't you?"
"I've been there," Wang Bo said casually, turning on his computer.
"When did you go?" Chen Mo pressed.
Wang Bo said, "Two years ago, I was traveling."
Chen Mo didn't ask any more questions, focusing on the sheet music, his fingers unconsciously tapping the rhythm on the control panel, humming fragments of the melody: "This opening is so captivating, and the chorus... wow, it's so evocative."
After looking at the sheet music, he suddenly looked up at Wang Bo and said, "Brother, if you release this song, the tourism bureau there will give you a banner of appreciation."
"But first you have to be able to sing it," Wang Bo said. "I want the arrangement to be simple, mainly guitar, with a little harmonica interlude, and not too much string support, to give that feeling of faint reminiscence."
"I understand, it's all about nostalgia." Chen Mo sat down and started fiddling with the equipment. "But Wang Bo, I have to remind you—this song is good, but it has nothing to do with Lin'an. This episode's theme is 'City,' and all the other contestants will definitely sing about their hometowns. You're singing about a different place… won't that be a bit off-topic?"
Just as Wang Bo was about to speak, the recording studio door was pushed open.
Su Xiaoxiao walked in.
Today she was wearing a smart black pantsuit, with one button undone at the collar of her white shirt, her long hair tied in a low ponytail, and carrying a coffee and a paper bag in her hand.
"Good morning." She handed one cup of coffee to Wang Bo and the other to Chen Mo, then took out a sandwich from the paper bag. "Haven't had breakfast yet? I just grabbed this."
Chen Mo was flattered: "Thank you, President Su! Did the sun rise in the west today?"
Su Xiaoxiao didn't even glance at him: "Eat your food and stop talking nonsense."
She sat down in the chair next to the control panel and looked at Wang Bo: "Yesterday's recording went very well. Lin Wan called me this morning and said that the edited version will air next week, and the unedited version will be released as exclusive content for members. The platform estimates that the number of views will break records."
Wang Bo took the coffee, took a sip, and said nothing.
"However," Su Xiaoxiao changed the subject, her expression turning serious, "Director Zhao also called me."
Wang Bo and Chen Mo both looked at her at the same time.
"He said..." Su Xiaoxiao carefully chose her words, "Could you 'lower your tone' a little?"
The recording studio was silent for a few seconds.
Chen Mo was the first to react: "Suppress it? What do you mean? Tell Wang Bo not to sing so well?"
"Pretty much," Su Xiaoxiao said. "Director Zhao's exact words were: 'Wang Bo is too popular right now. If this continues, Qin Xiao will lose his spotlight, and the sponsors will be unhappy. The production budget for the show and the appearance fees for the guests are all provided by the sponsors.'"
Wang Bo laughed: "So what the big investors mean is that since they've invested money, their people have to win?"
"That's basically the idea." Su Xiaoxiao nodded. "Director Zhao suggested that you don't sing an original song this time, but sing someone else's song. He even thoughtfully recommended a few tracks."
She pulled out her chat history from her phone and read aloud: "'One Night in Dongguan,' 'Three Days in Guangzhou,' 'Auntie in Shanghai'... these are all lukewarm songs, but the copyrights are in their hands."
Chen Mo scoffed, "They're trying to ride on Wang Bo's popularity to make these songs famous, huh? I could hear their scheme even in the recording studio."
Wang Bo asked a seemingly unrelated question: "Did Director Zhao blush when he said these things?"
Su Xiaoxiao was taken aback: "What?"
"I asked him, 'Did he blush when he said all this?'" Wang Bo repeated, "After all, it's quite shameless to so blatantly ask the contestants to go easy on you while also subtly pushing your own agenda."
Su Xiaoxiao thought back for a moment: "It does seem a little unnatural."
"That's it." Wang Bo leaned back in his chair and said slowly, "They approached him, offered him benefits, and wanted to ride my coattails. He, on the other hand, wanted to get something for nothing—both fulfilling the client's request and doing favors for the copyright holders, killing two birds with one stone."
Chen Mo suddenly realized: "Holy crap, that's insidious?"
"It wasn't cunning, it was just business," Wang Bo said. "So when Director Zhao approached me that night at the party, I asked him, 'The champion is already decided, second place is mine, and I'll sing someone else's song.'"
Su Xiaoxiao's eyes widened: "You really asked that?"
"Yes." Wang Bo nodded. "Of course, Coach Zhao disagreed. He said he couldn't make the decision; it depended on the performance in the competition."
"Based on performance?" Chen Mo sneered. "What's the point of looking at performance when the results are already decided? It's just a formality."
"So I said," Wang Bo continued, "I insist on originality, and added disappointedly, I am, after all, a local of Lin'an. Yet a program from Lin'an promotes an outsider, who is even a mixed-race person with foreign nationality. I am very disheartened with Lin'an."
Su Xiaoxiao was stunned at first, then suddenly realized what was going on and burst out laughing: "You're so mean!"
Chen Mo hadn't reacted yet: "Wait, what do you mean?"
Su Xiaoxiao pointed to the sheet music on the control panel: "Look at what he's singing this time."
Chen Mo looked down at the sheet music, then at Wang Bo, and finally realized: "Damn, Wang Bo, you did this on purpose! You didn't sing Lin'an because of what Director Zhao said? You're trying to say—you guys don't support locals, so I won't write songs for locals either?"
"I guess so," Wang Bo shrugged. "But mainly, this song suits it best."
"Suitable what?!" Chen Mo exclaimed excitedly. "You're practically protesting! When the show airs, the audience will hear, 'Hey, Wang Bo isn't singing about Lin'an or Jiangnan Province this episode.' If we spread some rumors, this will definitely be a trending topic."
Su Xiaoxiao calmed down and pondered, "This is actually a good marketing point. If the production team is allowed to use us, why can't we use them in return..."