Taking Liu Yifei back to Northeast China for the Chinese New Year has sent the entire internet into

Nine o'clock.

Recording studio control room.

Old Chen, sporting even darker dark circles under his eyes than He Zheng, sat in front of the mixing console, holding a cup of strong, bitter black coffee.

After seeing those people off last night, he stayed up until 4 a.m. to finish the initial editing of the multi-track recording.

He handled everything that needed to be processed, including voice alignment, environmental noise reduction, and level correction.

But there were some things he didn't dare touch.

For example, Fang Yu's endings in a few sentences sounded somewhat casual.

For example, He Zheng's occasional off-key pitch.

For example, the ending of Wu Zheng's laughter was so intense that it almost cracked his voice.

And then there's the final scene, the "accident scene" where the three of them burst into laughter.

Old Chen did consider deleting it.

He listened to it three times, but in the end he still released the mouse.

Because once those traces are cleaned up, the whole song feels like it's lost its breath.

Technically it may be perfect, but the taste is gone.

Sometimes, those flaws are precisely the most authentic vitality of the scene.

"Director He, Teacher Fang, Teacher Wu."

Old Chen put down his coffee cup, turned around to look at the three of them, and gave them a heads-up.

"The rough mixed version is finished."

"But let me make it clear first, this version retains a lot of the original feel of the scene, including some minor technical issues."

He Zheng nodded: "Let it go."

Old Chen took a deep breath and pressed play.

"Zheng—"

The guzheng prelude flowed from the monitor speakers, powerful and crisp.

Fang Yu subconsciously sat up straight.

Wu Zheng also dropped his half-dead posture.

"The vast sea laughs—the tides surge on both shores—"

Fang Yu's voice came from the speaker.

Rough, unrestrained, carrying with it the lingering effects of alcohol and heroic spirit.

……

A moment later, the song ended.

The control room remained quiet for a long time.

No one spoke immediately; only a very faint electrical hum lingered in the monitoring speakers.

Old Chen carefully observed the expressions of the three people.

He Zheng leaned back in his chair, motionless.

Wu Zheng kept his head down, making it impossible to see his expression.

Fang Yu stared at the speaker, his expression somewhat complicated.

He knew, of course, that this version was far from meeting the traditional industrial standard of "perfection".

There are vocal imperfections, pitch inaccuracies, and emotional outbursts.

Three grown men, drunk, laughed wildly without any restraint.

But so what?

"A Laughter in the Vast Sea" is not a song that should be sung in a sterile recording studio with an air of importance.

Old Chen's hand holding the mouse was slightly sweaty.

He hesitated for a moment, then mustered his courage and asked, "Director He, this version..."

"Use this version."

He Zheng suddenly spoke up, interrupting him directly.

Old Chen was taken aback: "Huh?"

"Use this version."

He Zheng opened his eyes, his gaze sharp and firm. "Not a single note is allowed to be changed."

Old Chen blurted out instinctively, "But there are some flaws inside..."

"A flaw is a flaw!"

He Zheng waved his hand dismissively, leaving no room for argument.

"This isn't about submitting data to the lab."

He pointed to the monitor speakers, his voice ringing out, "Those imperfections are what make this song so real and wild!"

Fang Yu was silent for a few seconds, then smiled.

"Director He, since you've already made the decision, what can I say?"

His tone became serious, "Use this version."

Wu Zheng looked up: "I agree, this version has more flavor than any retouched version."

Old Chen opened his mouth, then finally let it go.

He put his monitoring headphones back on and opened the project file: "Okay, I'll continue with the mastering."

He paused, then asked, "How is the signature determined?"

At this moment, Sister Wang walked to the mixing console and opened the notebook in her hand.

"Fang Yu was in charge of all aspects, including lyrics, composition, and arrangement."

"Singing credits: Fang Yu, He Zheng, Wu Zheng."

She looked up at the three of them. "Is everything alright?"

He Zheng answered readily: "No problem."

Wu Zheng nodded, "I have no objection."

Sister Wang lowered her head and wrote it down: "Then what about copyright ownership?"

Fang Yu thought for a moment and said, "I'll keep the copyright to the lyrics and music, but I'll give the recording rights to the film company."

Upon hearing this, He Zheng raised his hand and patted his shoulder heavily: "That's a good friend."

"Don't just say nice things."

Fang Yu rubbed his shoulder, which had been slapped so hard, and said with a relaxed expression, "When the movie is released and does well at the box office, remember to give me a big red envelope."

"roll."

He Zheng chuckled and scolded, "You think you're short of red envelopes now?"

"I don't need anything, I just want to feel the sentiments of my seniors."

Wu Zheng casually added, "You just want to experience the thickness of your senior's wallet, don't you?"

Fang Yu gave him a thumbs up: "You understand me best, Brother Zheng."

Sister Wang closed her notebook, too lazy to pay attention to the banter between the three grown men.

"Alright, I'll coordinate the follow-up procedures with the production manager."

She turned to Fang Yu and said, "Pack your things, we're catching the noon flight back to Beijing."

Fang Yu nodded.

He stood up, glanced at Old Chen who was busy in the control room, and then looked at the two big shots.

"Director He, Brother Zheng, I'll be leaving now."

He Zheng waved his hand: "Go ahead."

Wu Zheng nodded to him: "Get some rest after you return to the capital."

Just as Fang Yu reached the door, He Zheng raised his voice again from behind.

"Xiao Fang!"

Fang Yu turned around.

He Zheng pointed at him.

"After you return to the capital, hurry up and finish that fantasy novel of yours."

"Don't just talk the talk, walk the walk. I'm waiting to see."

Fang Yu grinned.

"Don't worry, it can't escape."

After saying that, he turned and walked out of the recording studio.

The sunlight outside was just right.

The sea breeze from Xiangshan blows from afar, carrying a slightly damp and salty taste.

Fang Yu looked up at the open sky, his mind already preoccupied with another matter.

The recording of "A Laughter in the Vast Sea" is finished.

The cameo appearances in the martial arts film have also been filmed.

Next, it's time for his fantasy of immortals and heroes to officially take the stage.