The entertainment industry: My 99 future timelines!

Li Xu held the microphone, slightly out of breath, beads of sweat glistening under the spotlight on his forehead.

The stage lights softened slightly, changing from intense white light to a gentle warm yellow.

He raised his eyes, his gaze sweeping across the audience, and seemingly casually, finally landing on a figure in blue in the first row.

The camera zooms in, revealing a close-up of Liu Yifei.

She looked up, her eyes fixed on the stage, her eyes slightly red, filled with emotion, pride, and an almost devout focus.

She clapped her hands gently, the movements small, but each beat resonated in her heart.

"Thank you, thank you everyone for coming."

Li Xu's voice came through the microphone, hoarse and tired from singing, but more than anything, it was sincere.

"I disappeared for a long time recently."

"Many fans online have asked me where I went and what I'm doing."

Li Xu chuckled self-deprecatingly: "Actually, there's nothing I can't say. During that period, I was a bit mentally broken. I felt like I couldn't write songs, couldn't sing them with feeling, and felt like an empty shell on stage."

"So I ran away, ran away to a place where nobody knew me, like a... deserter."

There was a moment of silence from the audience, then an even louder roar erupted:

"You're not a deserter!"

"Brother Hao, we'll always support you!"

"It's good that you're back! It's good that you're back!"

Li Xu raised his hand and made a downward gesture, and the audience gradually quieted down.

"There, I met many people, experienced many things, and heard many... different voices."

His voice softened, and the stage lights warmed up, like the evening sun.

"One of the voices was very distinctive."

"It doesn't belong to our circle of music stars. It lacks technique and is even a bit clumsy, but it's exceptionally clean and powerful. It reminds me of why I initially fell in love with singing."

The audience fell completely silent, and all the "fans" held their breath.

"Today, I've also invited the owner of this voice to the event."

Li Xu turned around, facing the aisle on one side of the stage, and extended his hand. "She was a friend I met during that time, a girl who... could sing very well."

"Her name is Song Qing, and I hope everyone will like her."

At the entrance of the passage, Liu Yifei froze.

The camera zoomed in on her face, clearly showing the contraction of her pupils, the pause in her breathing, and then the slow movement of her standing up. Her hands and feet moved somewhat in unison, but her steps were unusually firm.

A soft spotlight shone on her.

She walked from the dimly lit audience seats to the brightly lit stage, like a luminous stream slowly flowing towards the center of the light.

He walked onto the stage and stood next to Li Xu.

Shen Ao held his breath behind the monitor.

Below the stage was a dense crowd of people, flashing light boards, and countless pairs of eyes.

The bright light shone on her face, and Liu Yifei could feel her cheeks burning. Her fingers unconsciously gripped the hem of her skirt.

Then, a warm hand inadvertently and gently touched the back of her hand.

It's Li Xu.

He didn't look at her, still facing the audience, but he shifted his body slightly to subtly shield her from some of the direct line of sight and the lights.

It was just a very small action.

But Liu Yifei suddenly wasn't so nervous anymore.

The music begins with a soothing and beautiful guitar melody.

This is a choral piece set in the script; the melody is simple, and the focus is on emotional exchange.

This is a song that requires two people to sing together and has a conversational nature. The melody is relatively simple, but the focus is on emotional exchange.

Li Xu spoke first.

His imitation singing was still accurate, and his gentle gaze fell on Liu Yifei's face. His eyes contained encouragement, trust, and a silent message of "Don't be afraid, I'm here for you."

It's Liu Yifei's turn.

Her voice was a little strained at first, but when she looked into Li Xu's eyes and saw the unreserved trust and encouragement that Du Minghao had for Song Qing, she understood.

When she opened her mouth, her voice became firm and clear, with a slight tremor, but she pronounced every word carefully and sang sincerely.

There are no techniques involved, only emotions.

The two sang together, their voices intertwining.

Offstage, Li Deyuan nervously directed the "fans'" reaction—

Some people showed expressions of surprise and swayed gently to the rhythm.

Some people whispered among themselves, pointing at the stage and speculating about the relationship between the two.

Some people frowned, raised their phones as if to take pictures, their expressions full of dissatisfaction...

These reactions were faithfully recorded by several drones.

On stage, the lighting technician created a dreamy bubble effect, with tiny specks of light floating in the air, enveloping Li Xu and Liu Yifei and separating them from the slightly noisy environment below the stage, as if it were a small universe that belonged only to them.

As Liu Yifei sang, she almost forgot that she was acting.

They forgot that there were three hundred extras in the audience, forgot that there were clappers, tracks and cameras all around, forgot that Shen Ao was watching from behind the monitor, and forgot that this was a shoot that required precise positioning, lighting adjustments and performance instructions.

She only saw Li Xu.

I saw his profile in the light, his hand holding the microphone, and the slight upturn of his lips when he sang a certain lyric.

At this moment, she was Song Qing, looking at the radiant Du Minghao on the stage, filled with both pride and sorrow.

But it seems that it's not just Song Qing.

That bittersweet feeling blurred the lines between the play and reality.

-

"Okay! Pass—!!!"

Shen Ao's excited, almost choked voice came through the walkie-talkie and echoed throughout the theater.

The lights came on, and the music stopped.

The frozen state of the performance, both on and off stage, instantly dissipated, erupting into a huge uproar.

The staff applauded, and the extras relaxed, stretching and chatting amongst themselves.

Li Xu almost instantly snapped out of his "Du Minghao" persona the moment his voice fell.

He first habitually bowed slightly to the extras playing fans in the audience, a gesture of courtesy that Du Minghao should show.

Then he turned to Liu Yifei beside him and naturally reached out to support her elbow, helping her stabilize her body, which had become somewhat weak from the sudden relaxation after the intense performance.

"Are you alright?"

Li Xu's touch was brief, and he quickly separated from Du Minghao, his tone returning to its usual calm, devoid of any of Du Minghao's emotions.

But Liu Yifei was still somewhat immersed in the previous "Song Qing" state. She stood there, looking at Li Xu, her eyes slightly dazed.

"Senior Yifei, your nervousness when you went on stage was very real, but you could relax a little when you came to my side."

"Of course, this isn't a flaw. Although it's not perfect, it's enough. Just keep up this performance level for the rest of the filming."

Liu Yifei was still in a daze, but Li Xu had already entered director's debriefing mode and started his daily script review.

"Okay, I've got it."

Liu Yifei listened and nodded gently.

When she was with Li Xu, she always felt like a student being lectured.

But this feeling... isn't unpleasant.

In fact, compared to empty praise or perfunctory guidance, this kind of specific, direct, and incisive commentary makes her feel more at ease.

In his eyes, she was first and foremost an actress, and only then did she have any other identity.

"I've got it," she said softly.

"Go take a break and touch up your makeup. We need to reshoot some close-ups and establishing shots of the audience's reactions later."

After Li Xu finished speaking, he turned and walked towards the monitor, his back showing no sign of lingering.

Liu Yifei looked at his back and then at the elbow that he had just gently supported.

There seemed to be a little warmth left there.

It was very faint and dissipated quickly.

She let out a soft breath and walked towards the rest area, where her assistant, Xiao Tang, quickly handed her a thermos and a coat.

-

After resting for a while.

Filming continued efficiently, and Li Xu then shot some close-up shots of the "audience's" reactions, as well as some empty stage shots.

All the additional shots were not completed until it got dark.

Hundreds of extras lined up to receive their pay under the organization of the production crew, and then dispersed in twos and threes, chatting and laughing.

The theater fell silent again, with only the sounds of the crew dismantling equipment and packing up supplies remaining.

Li Xu was finally able to sit down, took the bottled water handed to him by the stagehand, and took a big gulp.

The cool water slid down my throat, extinguishing some of the heat from the continuous work.

He then realized that the T-shirt under his black leather jacket was soaked through and stuck tightly to his back.

My physical strength and energy were almost completely exhausted during the entire day of filming.

But he was in high spirits, and he won another tough battle.

At that moment, Wang Jing appeared out of nowhere.

He held his phone in his hand, his expression somewhat subtle.

Li Xu looked up at him, but didn't speak. He gestured with his eyes: "Speak."

"Um... regarding the movie theme song, we've received initial feedback from the songwriting team."

Wang Jing lowered his voice, and although it was noisy around him, not many people could hear him.

What did Wang Lihong's studio say?

Li Xu perked up and sat up straight.

The theme song is an important part of a movie, especially for a film like "Love Announcement" which has a lot of musical elements; a good song can enhance the film.

"Wang Lihong's agent was very polite."

Wang Jing carefully considered his words.

"He said that Teacher Wang has read the movie synopsis and character biographies we sent him, and he is quite interested in them. He also feels that the character of Du Minghao has room for creative development..."

Li Xu didn't respond, waiting for that "but".

Sure enough, Wang Jing changed the subject: "However, they also said that Professor Wang's schedule is currently very full, and creation requires time and inspiration. In the short term, it may not be possible to guarantee that he can deliver a work that fully meets the needs of the film and satisfies them."

"At the earliest... it will be the end of July, or even August."

"In particular, they know that we have a limited budget and it's a new director project... so the intention is positive, but the timeline is a bit... uncertain."

Wang Jing added another sentence.

Li Xu frowned almost imperceptibly.

Wang Jing always speaks so euphemistically.

What does "positive intentions but uncertain timeframe" mean?

This translates to: We can write songs, but they're not a high priority for you. We'll take our time, you can wait. Can't wait? Then forget it.

However, this was within his expectations.

Musicians of Wang Lihong's caliber have a long line of requests for her songs.

As a new director, I had previously rejected someone's audition for the male lead. The fact that the other party even responded and didn't completely ignore me was already a great concession.

In the entertainment industry, everyone does give each other face.

But the prerequisite is that you have to have the means to earn respect from others.

He doesn't have enough capital yet.

"We can't wait that long."

Li Xu quickly calculated the filming and post-production schedule in his mind, his voice calm, "The theme song must be finalized by mid-July at the latest, and then we can move on to recording and post-production. Late July is too late. Let's try to find alternative plans."

"Yes, Director Li, that's what I meant too."

Wang Jing nodded quickly, "Then... should we directly negotiate the licensing of existing songs? Or should we continue to find other musicians to create? It's quite difficult to find existing songs that perfectly fit the storyline."

"If we continue looking for people... I can't guarantee the quality, and time is tight."

Li Xu remained silent, his fingers unconsciously tapping lightly on his knees—a daily habit he had when he was thinking.

In his mind, fragmented, out-of-tune melodies and a few scattered lyrics inexplicably flashed through his mind.

It was something that automatically popped into his mind today when he was on stage, completely becoming "Du Minghao," holding the microphone, looking at the sea of ​​lights below the stage, and looking at the nervous Liu Yifei beside him.

"It's a pity, if only I also had musical talent..."

He gave a self-deprecating twitch at the corner of his mouth.

Li Xu shook his head, deciding not to let his mind wander.

After all, actors are actors, directors are directors, and songwriting is another matter entirely.

He sings well, and he learned some basic music theory in elementary school, but that foundation is far from enough to be considered a "composer".

Those melodies and lyrics are probably just illusions caused by getting too caught up in the drama.

Professional matters should ultimately be left to professionals.

"Be prepared for both possibilities."

Li Xu made his decision decisively.

"On one hand, you use your connections to find out if there are any suitable songs available, with clear copyright information and negotiable prices."

"On the other hand, you continue to reach out to other musicians. They don't necessarily have to be at Wang Lihong's level. Anyone with potential, ideas, and availability is fine. Song quality is the most important thing, as for the budget..."

He paused for a moment, then continued, "We can increase the budget appropriately. Our filming schedule is faster than expected, which should save us at least 500,000 yuan."

"This money can be used to get the music sorted out."

"Tell Wang Lihong that the budget can be raised to 300,000 yuan. That price should be enough to show sincerity for a single hit song. Any higher is unnecessary. Her current status doesn't justify that premium."

Upon hearing this, Wang Jing breathed a sigh of relief.

Li Xu's handling of the situation was very mature.

After all, they are both people in the same industry, one in the music scene and the other in film and television.

It's not a real grudge, just a minor friction. Wang Lihong's agent's attitude wasn't bad either. The fee of around 100,000 yuan for inviting her to sing is indeed not much, so it's normal for them to decline.

Li Xu did not act impulsively because of the previous unpleasantness, nor did he give up contacting the other party because of their delays.

At the same time, being willing to raise the lower limit of the budget, maintain the upper limit, and look for alternatives, rather than putting all your eggs in one basket, is what it takes to be someone who does great things.

If Li Xu were to really make an enemy of Wang Lihong over such a small friction, then he wouldn't dare to follow this master.

"Okay, Director Li, a budget of around 300,000 for the title track is definitely enough."

"In the current market, the buyout fee for inviting a well-known singer or songwriter to create and license a movie theme song is generally between 50,000 and 500,000 yuan, and 300,000 yuan is already very competitive."

After agreeing.

Wang Jing turned to leave, but after thinking for a moment, he hesitated and stopped himself from saying anything.