Chapter 774: Must Pay Attention to Safety

After arriving at Yuan Wanqing's office, Ying Chanxi went off to get busy.

Li Luo wandered around here for a while, didn't see Yuan Wanqing, and only learned after asking that she was in the recording studio.

So Li Luo found the recording studio again, and as soon as he entered, he saw Yuan Wanqing recording a song—it was "Displaced Time and Space," the one Li Luo had provided earlier.

After finishing the song, Yuan Wanqing walked out of the recording studio and looked at Li Luo with a smile: "Listen and give me some pointers?"

"How would I dare to point out anything to Aunt Yuan?" Li Luo laughed helplessly and shook his head. "It sounds very good."

"Have you heard Zhusheng's version?" Yuan Wanqing asked with a beaming smile. "Who do you think sings better, me or her?"

Li Luo: "..."

What a deadly question; it's truly surprising that Yuan Wanqing could bring herself to ask it.

It felt intentional.

"Aunt Yuan's style shines more in emotional interpretation," Li Luo commented impartially and seriously. "In comparison, Zhusheng appears slightly immature, but that clear tone has its own unique flavor."

"It feels like you're saying I'm old."

"I didn't mean that at all," Li Luo quickly shook his head. "How can you guess blindly, Aunt Yuan?"

"I won't tease you anymore." Yuan Wanqing covered her mouth and chuckled softly. "It's a pity that finishing the recording here is useless; we still have to make a trip to Jingzhao City."

"What do you mean?" Li Luo asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Douyin isn't confident," Luo Fei chimed in with a hum. "After signing, they want to find a top domestic arranger to re-arrange the track, then have Wanqing and Zhusheng record a version over there."

"Oh, I see," Li Luo nodded in understanding. "Then let's keep Aunt Luo's version for releasing an album later."

"Do you have a new album prepared?" Yuan Wanqing looked at Li Luo with some expectation.

"Ahem..." Li Luo coughed once and shook his head, saying, "Let's release a single album. I feel that with the development of the internet, the traditional album format will gradually become outdated."

"The logic of making money has changed; the traditional bundling sales model, which revolves around a hit song paired with a dozen or so other songs of not particularly high quality, also needs to change with the times."

"The reach and influence of a single are far more important than the album itself."

Actually, it was like this before as well.

It's just that back then, album sales still accounted for the bulk of the revenue.

But as time went on, the situation would be very different.

In an era where free content and piracy run rampant, paid content can only ever remain a niche field.

In the end, one can only pursue an indirect money-making model: use content to exchange for traffic, then use that traffic to exchange for money with platforms and advertisers.

For paid content to truly develop, many, many conditions are still missing.

Yuan Wanqing had never doubted Li Luo's judgment; hearing him say this, she nodded in cooperation and then said with a smile: "Anyway, the contract between the studio and Huayue Film and Television expires next year."

"At that time, I'll have to ask Teacher Chongran for continued support."

"You can't forget me just because you have Zhusheng."

Hearing Yuan Wanqing tease him like this, Li Luo immediately smiled awkwardly: "You two can just discuss it; I can't control inspiration. Whoever the written material suits, that person sings it."

Yuan Wanqing knew Li Luo definitely leaned more toward her own daughter deep down; she wasn't really trying to compete with Yan Zhusheng in jealousy or anything, but simply joking with her future son-in-law.

With the influence of her works now, relying on the old songs from her first two albums, she probably had enough to eat for a lifetime.

Especially after appearing on the Spring Festival Gala, Yuan Wanqing had also connected with the official route; during National Day a while back, she even cooperated with the officials to sing a red song.

Now, the development path for Yuan Wanqing within the studio had essentially set its tone based on this.

Li Luo was also happy to see this happen, after all, he held quite a few red songs in his hands.

For instance, the song "Displaced Time and Space" that Yuan Wanqing just sang actually had a red song lyric version itself.

"Aunt Yuan, is there still a chance to appear on the Spring Festival Gala this year?" Li Luo asked curiously.

"I did receive an invitation from the Spring Festival Gala director," Yuan Wanqing nodded. "But there aren't any particularly suitable new songs this year, so I haven't replied yet."

"Don't you have a new song?" Li Luo reminded her with a smile.

"But your song isn't suitable for the Spring Festival Gala, is it?"

"Didn't Aunt Luo show it to you?" Li Luo looked at Luo Fei in confusion and asked, "What about the other lyric version I gave you earlier?"

"Oh, oh, you said it wasn't needed for now, so I didn't show it to her," Luo Fei said, and immediately opened the computer nearby, found the lyrics Li Luo had sent her earlier, opened them, and showed them to Yuan Wanqing.

"It can actually be done this way?" Yuan Wanqing was surprised; after reading the lyrics, her eyes immediately lit up, and she nodded quite satisfiedly. "This version of the lyrics is good; should I reply to the Spring Festival Gala side?"

"You can record this version of the song first before contacting them," Li Luo suggested.

"That's true." Yuan Wanqing nodded, then thought of another layer. "Then if I can appear on the Spring Festival Gala this year, shouldn't I negotiate terms with Douyin again?"

Reminded by Yuan Wanqing, Li Luo also nodded in realization: "That was indeed an oversight on my part; I didn't think of it before."

"It's fine; anyway, the contract hasn't been signed yet," Yuan Wanqing chuckled. "Let the business side people worry about it."

After a brief chat with Yuan Wanqing, Li Luo, under Luo Fei's arrangement, recorded the few songs he had previously prepared for "The Beginning."

Except for the opening theme "Under Investigation," which had already been reserved for Yan Zhusheng, he recorded the other four songs.

With the version of the original singer from his previous life, along with the simple coaching from Luo Fei and Yuan Wanqing, Li Luo quickly finished the recording work, causing Luo Fei to exclaim in amazement.

"Who was it who said their singing skills were average earlier?" Amidst her amazement, Luo Fei couldn't help but complain, "Zhusheng taught you very well, didn't she? Your pitch is too terrifying, and you adjusted so quickly."

"Ahem... it's passable," Li Luo remained humble, after all, this wasn't his true level; it was purely relying on the technique of the Memory Palace and soul possession to hold on.

A pure copy-and-paste machine.

After recording these few songs, he now vaguely felt his head swelling; it seemed he needed to sleep early tonight to replenish his energy.

"It's a pity," Yuan Wanqing said from the side. "Zhusheng also said your piano skills are quite good; you never learned as a child, yet you picked it up so quickly. If only you had taken the music academy entrance exam back then."

Given the musical talent Li Luo had displayed in front of them, it truly made Yuan Wanqing feel regretful.

If this could be properly developed, combined with Li Luo's songwriting ability, Yuan Wanqing felt Li Luo could easily become a superstar far more popular than herself.

Unfortunately, Li Luo's ambitions lay elsewhere.

Now, as a celebrity lyricist-composer and an Online Novel author, he was already considered a fairly significant public figure.

But these two identities essentially did not require frequent public appearances; the work done was mostly behind the scenes.

By comparison, this offers better privacy.

Li Luo knew very well what his advantage was, so his goal after rebirth was also very simple.

Use the advantage of foreknowledge to earn as much profit as possible, then live a peaceful and happy little life with Chanxi and the other two.

No need to yearn for anything more.

This was already the life he had long dreamed of.

If in the end he were blinded by money and fame, turning around to pursue these illusory things.

Then years later, looking back, Li Luo might discover that the original intention he once sought had long vanished on the road of constant progress.

Sometimes, life should be about knowing when to choose to stop.

Once you have identified the scenery you wish to see and reached that place, you should stop and enjoy it.

Rather than constantly moving forward just for the sake of moving forward.

The road of desire has no end, while life always has a moment of termination.

When departing, if the only images flashing through one's mind are the goals of constant progress, without the scenery along the way, that is completely putting the cart before the horse.

"Music is for playing; the pursuit is simply for it to sound good. Making money is just a byproduct." Li Luo said with a smile. "I think the current situation is very good; there is no need to pursue too much."

"As long as you like it yourself," Yuan Wanqing said helplessly with a smile. "I was just making a comment. Actually, your talents in other areas are equally outstanding, so you don't necessarily have to stubbornly stick to music."

"That's how geniuses are," Luo Fei complained from the side. "A tiny bit of talent that spills over is enough for ordinary people to be out of reach for a lifetime."

Even though Li Luo was so modest, facing the high-level flattery offensive from Yuan Wanqing and Luo Fei, he still couldn't help but feel a bit elated in his heart.

So he immediately cut off the topic, hurriedly took his leave from the recording studio, and strolled into the interior of Huayue Film and Television.

After searching around, Li Luo found the producer, Zhang Ruiwen. From him, he learned that Wang Jun had already taken the assistant director and others to Jingzhao City, and he inquired about the audition situation.

Afterwards, he strolled over to Ying Zhicheng's office.

"You actually came to my side on your own initiative." Ying Zhicheng looked up at Li Luo, slightly surprised, and raised an eyebrow as he asked, "Do you want to spar with me?"

"If Uncle Ying wants to spar, I will naturally accompany you," Li Luo chuckled. "I just came to ask for a cup of tea. Chanxi is still busy, and I have nothing to do right now, so I came to look around."

He had originally planned to come to record a song; now that he was finished, he was just waiting for Ying Chanxi to go home together.

Hearing him say this, Ying Zhicheng picked up his phone to check the time, then said, "Wait for me half an hour, then come downstairs to spar."

"Okay."

Half an hour later, Li Luo and Ying Zhicheng appeared in the boxing gym downstairs. They exchanged heavy blows for over ten minutes in a satisfying bout, then returned to the sofa covered in sweat.

It must be said that sports like boxing indeed do a lot to foster affection.

As the saying goes, "No fight, no acquaintance." Li Luo felt that since he and Ying Zhicheng had been sparring frequently, the relationship between the two seemed to have grown much closer.

"How is the villa renovation going?" Ying Zhicheng asked Li Luo while wiping his face with a towel.

"The renovation is all done; recently we've been airing out the formaldehyde," Li Luo said. "We can move in next month. At that time, I'll invite Uncle Ying and Aunt Yuan over for a meal."

"Hmm." Ying Zhicheng nodded lightly. "Sky Ridge Elegant Residence, right?"

"Yes."

"I discussed it with your Aunt Yuan, and we might also plan to buy a house over there," Ying Zhicheng said. "That way, it will be more convenient for us to visit each other in the future."

"That works," Li Luo said with a smile. "The house next to ours is still empty. Uncle Ying, why not consider it? That way, we'll still be neighbors in the future."

"We'll see then," Ying Zhicheng smiled. "There's no rush right now; let's wait until things stabilize over at Huayue Film and Television."

"Stabilize?"

"The board of directors has been a bit restless lately," Ying Zhicheng said simply. "'A Little Reunion' has made some people a bit carried away; they say they want to add investment and fund several more dramas."

"Heh... they want so badly to rush in and lose money, truly not knowing their own weight."

"Do they really think any new TV drama will be like 'A Little Reunion'?"

Hearing Ying Zhicheng say this, Li Luo couldn't help but raise an eyebrow and ask, "Are they putting pressure on you?"

"It's manageable," Ying Zhicheng said. "It's mainly the competitive relationship between my teacher and another major shareholder. They actually know they can't invest recklessly; they're just using a few people to annoy me."

No one would go against making money.

But if one could completely grasp power in their hands, that would naturally be even better.

Both sides were very clear about each other's little schemes.

Previously, under Ying Zhicheng's arrangement, Li Luo had met Ying Zhicheng's teacher, shared a meal, and essentially paid his respects to establish a connection.

The other party had extensive connections in the industry. When he left the television station back then, relying on the accumulated network of resources, he thrived in Yuhang City.

Now that Li Luo had completely linked up with this line, he could be said to have someone behind him.

"Next year, when 'The Great Patrol Night Bureau' is nearing its conclusion, I'll see what Wenxue Group means by it," Li Luo said, naturally still clearly remembering the plan Ying Zhicheng had mentioned to him before. At this moment, he verbally promised, "If possible, I will strive to secure more."

"Hmm." Ying Zhicheng nodded. "We'll talk about that later; there's no rush for now."

The two chatted for a while, and after resting enough, they went back up to the ring to exchange blows.

After finishing her work, Ying Chanxi went upstairs to look for Li Luo. After searching around, she learned that the two had gone downstairs to spar again, so she hurriedly came down.

As soon as she walked into the boxing gym, she saw her own father delivering heavy punches to her husband.

So, after the two finished, Ying Chanxi casually handed a bottle of water to Ying Zhicheng, then took a towel to wipe Li Luo down, and asked in a low voice, "Why did you seem like you weren't fighting back at all when you sparred with my dad? You can't just keep taking hits; you should hit back."

"Ahem..." Li Luo glanced at Ying Zhicheng. Seeing that he hadn't heard what Ying Chanxi said, he breathed a slight sigh of relief, then spoke in a low voice, "Don't you see why Uncle Ying always asks me to spar?"

"Huh? Didn't he say it was for fitness?" Ying Chanxi was stunned for a moment, a bit slow to react.

"Your dad knows about our situation," Li Luo whispered as a reminder. "It's already good that he hasn't beaten me to death; taking a couple of punches isn't a big deal."

"What?!" Hearing this, Ying Chanxi was instantly shocked. She instinctively looked toward Ying Zhicheng, and her face instantly flushed red.

Fortunately, Li Luo blocked Ying Chanxi's expression in time. Ying Zhicheng saw the young couple whispering there and didn't want to look any more; the more he looked, the more it hurt his heart, so he simply went directly to the shower room to bathe.

"My dad knows?" Ying Chanxi asked in a low voice, her face full of shyness.

"Hmm... he probably knows," Li Luo responded in a low voice. "I just don't know how much he knows. Why don't you go ask him?"

"I, I won't ask!" Ying Chanxi widened her eyes, shook her head repeatedly, and tugged at Li Luo's arm before muttering softly, "How could I possibly ask? If anyone's going to ask, it should be you."

"Do you think I'd dare ask?" Li Luo looked speechless. "The first time I sparred with Uncle Ying, he threw a punch straight at my face right from the start."

"Then why did you say it was fine that time?" Ying Chanxi puffed her cheeks and asked, "Didn't it hurt you?"

"If you ask like that, then yes, it did hurt quite a bit." Li Luo touched his face, then shamelessly leaned toward Ying Chanxi. "I need my dear Xixi to comfort my wounded soul."

"That was so long ago, how could it still hurt?" Ying Chanxi rolled her eyes at him.

The two were just bantering when Ying Zhicheng finished his shower and came out, leaving it Li Luo's turn to bathe.

Thus, only Ying Zhicheng and Ying Chanxi, father and daughter, remained on the sofa.

Thinking that her own father already knew about the matter between herself and Li Luo, Ying Chanxi grew more and more embarrassed with every thought, feeling too shy to even speak to her father.

Ying Zhicheng didn't overthink it; he simply chatted with his daughter here and there, briefly asking about the situation on Douyin.

Upon learning that they were going to Jingzhao City together, Ying Zhicheng fell silent for a moment before finally saying, "Hmm... be sure to stay safe."