Duan Qianji had not been in a great mood originally. Polar Light had lost the online poll and a whole host of sarcastic comments had followed. Even though she had gone through the same routine countless times before and was mentally prepared, she was still disappointed. After all, it was the first time Silver Wing had successfully launched a virtual idol. Maybe she had set her expectations too high because they had gotten off to such a great start.
Then again, even though they lost, they didnât lose by a big margin. And it was still far from clear who Fiery Bird would pick in the end.
As her train of thought made this twist, Duan Qianji started looking forward to Fang Zhaoâs progress on the Fiery Bird score. Just as she was pondering the matter, she got a call. It was her assistant.
âWhat? Weâve been picked? So soon?â Duan Qianji listened to her assistantâs briefing in disbelief. Fang Zhao had just submitted his data card yesterday and now Fiery Bird had made up their mind?
This was the score for the new gameâs opening animation. Eighteen other masters had been invited to submit scores.
How come they had decided so soon?
If she hadnât vetted Fang Zhao, Duan Qianji would have wondered if Fang Zhao was in cahoots with Fiery Bird. Otherwise, how come they had decided on the score so quickly?
Duan Qianji was thinking Fiery Birdâs sound effects team would have to convene a meeting to sift through the submissions and take a vote. The whole process would take two or three days at least.
But the fact of the matter was that Fiery Bird had decided yesterday. The reason they had waited until today to make contact was because they were still debating how to compensate Fang Zhao.
Fiery Birdâs custom was to invite submissions from composers and then offer a price based on the final submissions. Even pieces that ultimately werenât placed would be evaluated and paid for. This was a practice that industry insiders were familiar with and didnât take issue with.
âWhat are they offering?â As a businesswoman, this was Duan Qianjiâs foremost concern.
Fang Zhao was signed to Silver Wing, but after the completion of the four movements of the âPeriod of Destructionâ series, he had signed a new contract. The deal gave Fang Zhao a certain degree of freedom. It was a quasi-partnership. He could take jobs on his own other than his assignments from Silver Wing, but he had to notify the company. He was also banned from defecting to another label before the end of his contract.
Compared to other composers, these were already exceptional terms. This was an act of generosity on Duan Qianjiâs part. She cherished the fact that she had landed someone who could carry a virtual project, someone talented enough to rival the entire Flying Pegasus cooperative. Duan Qianji had moved on the new contract quickly after consulting Fang Zhao, but it was never made public, listed only as an A-grade contract in the labelâs internal database.
As for Fiery Birdâs assignment, this was a collaboration between the game studio and Fang Zhao, not between the studio and Silver Wing. In this case, Silver Wing was riding on Fang Zhaoâs coattails, so regardless of how much Fiery Bird offered, the sum would be pocketed by Fang Zhao entirely. But now, Silver Wingâs fate was intertwined with Fang Zhaoâs. The better his work, the higher his pricing, the better prospects for Silver Wing.
But Duan Qianji wore a puzzled expression after hearing her assistantâs response. âThatâs what they said? OK, got it.â
After ending the call, she instructed her driver, âWhen we reach the office, head to the 50th floor, not the top floor.â
When she arrived, the entire virtual projects department stood in attention.
The big boss was dropping by. Of course they had to be on hand to welcome her.
Zu Wen was a little nervous. He was afraid of Duan Qianji. Even though he had been to the top floor with Fang Zhao quite a few times and was less nervous now, he was still tense.
The others didnât fare much better. Thinking back to the Polar Light interview they had completed a while back, they didnât remember any big hiccups. The technical aspects and director had been confirmed well in advance. Pang Pusongâs dubbing had gone smoothly. He had delivered his lines according to the script. There shouldnât be any issues. Why was the big boss visiting now? Surprise inspection?
Even though Duan Qianji wore a faint smile, she still projected a serious aura. The 50th floor went silent and everyone became extra cautious.
The only calm person was Fang Zhao, who arrived even later than the big boss.
Fang Zhao had rushed back from home after getting word from Duan Qianji. He ended up being slower than his boss.
âYouâre here.â Duan Qianjiâs smile deepened. âI have some news. Your score has been picked by the Fiery Bird sound effects department.â
The only people present were the core members of the Polar Light project team. Their discretion could be counted on and they could use the morale boost. That was why Duan Qianji didnât bother keeping the news a secret, although she didnât specify where Fang Zhaoâs score would be used. She didnât have to elaborate. Fang Zhao knew what she was talking about.
Fang Zhao was happy to find out that his work had been chosen by Fiery Bird, but he wasnât overemotional. He merely smiled and waited for Duan Qianji to continue. She wouldnât have come to the 50th floor in person just to share that piece of news.
Duan Qianji observed Fang Zhaoâs facial expression. She was impressed that he could maintain his composure.
âThe head of Fiery Birdâs sound effects team, Hua Li, has approached us with an offer. As you would probably expect, they will definitely pay more for the chosen piece than the other submissions, but they havenât offered an exact price yet. They want to give you a choice.â Duan Qianji paused before continuing, âDo you want to get paid in cash or receive Fiery Birdâs once-in-a-decade limited edition gaming console instead?â
For most of the people present, this was a no-brainer.
Who would go for the gaming console?
Most people would choose the former without hesitation. If the pay was meager, that would be cause for consideration, but the amount was no doubt generous. That Leizhou film studio had spent 10 million to license one movement exclusively for a month. Fiery Bird wouldnât be cheap. After all, everyone knew that Fiery Bird was loaded.
But after Duan Qianji asked the question, Zu Wen and the other tech geeks, whose ears were perked, looked conflicted. Even though this had nothing to do with them, they still wondered how they would choose.
Such a tough call.
Cash?
Of course, regular joes like them liked cash even though they were already getting paid handsomely with the success of the Polar Light project and the rise of the virtual projects department. Who would turn down more cash? But the other choice was a Fiery Bird console. It was the latest once-in-a-decade release, a limited edition console. Who knows how many of them Fiery Bird would make. It couldnât be more than a handful.
Word had already traveled in tech geek circles that Fiery Birdâs new console would be significantly more advanced than their last console. It was rumored the console was developed in conjunction with army technicians. Tons of folks had been dying to get their hands on one. Zu Wen had never thought something like this would happen to someone he knew.
A real tough one. Such a tough call.
How would I choose?
But before Zu Wen and company became consumed in mock indecision, Fang Zhao had already given his answer.
âI want the console.â
Duan Qianjiâs expression was one of resignation when she heard the answer. She felt she had fallen behind the times. It was hard for her to figure out what was going on in the minds of these youngsters.
While he had still been working on the âPeriod of Destructionâ series, Fang Zhao had applied for gaming equipment. During quite a few of Duan Qianjiâs previous visits, Fang Zhao had been gaming in the departmentâs dedicated gaming room when she arrived. When she had heard Fiery Birdâs offer from her assistant, she had a hunch that Fang Zhao would make the unconventional choice.
âYouâre positive?â Duan Qianji asked.
âPositive.â
âThen send a message to You Chuan. Theyâre waiting to hear from you.â
The person who had reached out to Duan Qianji had been Hua Li, the head of Fiery Birdâs sound effects team. Why hadnât Fiery Bird contacted Fang Zhao directly? Because Fang Zhao was napping at home and had set his bracelet to alert him to calls from VIPs only. You Chuan was not listed as a VIP, so his call went unannounced and unanswered.
Duan Qianji left after chatting with Fang Zhao a bit more.
âBoss, a Fiery Bird console!â Zu Wenâs eyes burned with envy. âWhen is it arriving? Can I touch it? Can I take a picture with it? I want to show off.â
âThe limited edition consoles are the most advanced consoles. Itâs hard to put a price tag on them. Boss, I think you made the right call. Even if you suffer financially, youâll be rewarded spiritually,â said an equally jealous Rodney.
Fang Zhao sent You Chuan a message. You Chuan immediately responded, âThe console will arrive between late August and early September. The exact timing still has to be confirmed. The console is still being tested. Weâll give you a heads up before we send it out. Youâve made the right choice. Youâll make a decent profit if you resell it.â
In reality, Fang Zhao wasnât as conflicted as others thought he might be. For someone who had survived the apocalypse like him, money wasnât a big deal as long as he had enough to cover his expenses. Of course, no one would mind making more money, but in contrast, Fang Zhao was more curious about a gaming console from the New Era. He liked to try out new things in the New Era. Plus, he was also looking forward to âBattle of the Century.â The right hardware was a must. He could only enjoy the game if he had the proper console.
That afternoon, Silver Wing announced that Fang Zhaoâs score had been picked by Fiery Bird, but again, the statement didnât mention where the score would be placed. Still, the news itself was enough to dispel some skeptics.
âHe was really chosen?â
âWho knows? We only have Silver Wingâs word for it. No one can back up their story.â
âAre we sure this isnât a charade staged by Silver Wing?â
âI donât think they would stoop so low as to lie, but there will be so many scores in the game. Fang Zhao may have written some token sound effect that doesnât feature prominently in the game.â
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âWho cares? Itâs just another composer, not an A-list celebrity.â
To respond to the noise, Silver Wing released an additional video. It was an excerpt from an interview with a few key members of Fiery Birdâs production team. Silver Wing had isolated a comment from Hua Li, the head of Fiery Birdâs sound effects team.
Hua Li said the sound effects for the game had been more or less completed. He also thanked the composers that worked on the scores and mentioned Fang Zhao by name.
âFang Zhao is composer full of surprises. We look forward to working with him again.â
The fact that Hua Li identified Fang Zhao as a composer suggested Hua Li held him in high esteem. It was confirmation of Fang Zhaoâs talent.