The video on Shen Tao's phone was a short clip from the Doukuai platform. He had already heard the guitar chords once, but listening to them again filled him with a sense of exhilaration.
As Director Zhang listened to "Blooming Life," his fists clenched. If not for Tomato TV's unwavering support, he would have abandoned the entertainment industry long ago, living comfortably off his earnings and traveling across China's magnificent landscapes. How wonderful it would be to explore the country's breathtaking scenery!
The video ended, and the song finished playing.
Director Zhang snapped out of his reverie and retorted, "So, what does this have to do with launching the show on schedule?"
"Teacher," Shen Tao explained, "this song was written by an unknown songwriter. He composed the music, arranged it, wrote the lyrics, and handled all post-production himself. After being performed in a local bar, it went viral on Doukuai, and netizens are scrambling to find the singer. If we could get the songwriter on our show, wouldn't that be a sensational draw?"
Shen Tao's words struck Director Zhang like a thunderbolt. He realized he didn't need some bogus "youngest Gold-tier Composer." What he needed was a compelling hook to attract viewers to the show.
Director Zhang had already decided on a last-place elimination format for the show. If this artist's talent proved to be a flash in the pan, it wouldn't matter as long as the first episode was a success. He was confident that he and his entire team could create a new benchmark for idol audition variety shows.
"How do we contact him?" Director Zhang asked.
Anticipating this question, Shen Tao pulled out his tablet and opened Guochuangwang, where the creator, One Leaf Knows Autumn, had a personal account with an email address listed.
Shen Tao had sent a message earlier, and he had rushed over to find Director Zhang the moment he received a reply, without even reading it first.
When he opened the email, he first showed Director Zhang the message he had sent:
Hello, One Leaf Knows Autumn. I'm Shen Tao from Tomato TV. I heard your song "Blooming Life" on Guochuangwang, which I believe is the current viral hit on the Doukuai platform. I'd like to invite you to participate in our new show, "I Am a Creator." Would you be available? If you have any questions, we can discuss them in person.
At the end of the message, Shen Tao had included the address of his studio.
A bolded sentence stood out: "I might consider it if the price is right... Also, I don't do overtime!"
"What does he mean... 'No overtime'?" Director Zhang was dumbfounded. He was in his forties and still working around the clock to meet deadlines. For someone to say that, they must be even older than him. This... this whole message reeked of laziness.
"Teacher, we're just using his viral song as a promotional gimmick. He might not even make it to the later stages of the competition. Once our show gains momentum and our reputation grows, arrangers and lyricists will be lining up at our door!" Shen Tao argued, convinced that a small compromise now would pave the way for greater success later.
"Fine, you handle this. Just get him on board. I'll take care of the show's publicity. This time, there absolutely cannot be any more slip-ups!"
"Understood, Teacher. Rest assured," Shen Tao said, puffing out his chest in a gesture of confidence.
Director Zhang nodded, picked up his extinguished cigarette, and walked out of the office.
"I can't believe I actually agreed to this," Ye Huanqiu muttered as he returned to his cramped pigeonhole apartment. At barely twenty square meters, calling it a "pigeonhole" might be an exaggeration, but the living space was undeniably cramped.
Despite its size, the rent was outrageously expensive. The main advantage was its proximity to downtown companies, saving him a significant amount on transportation costs. Renting further outside the city wouldn't actually save much money, considering the added commute.
The only real difference was that he could get a slightly more spacious apartment in the suburbs, but at the cost of a long and tiring commute.
Ye Huanqiu was stuck here. The previous Ye Huanqiu had signed a lease for the year with the landlord last year, and fearing breach of contract, he had insisted on adding numerous clauses to prevent any sudden termination of the lease during its term. Violating it would result in a hundredfold penalty.
In other words, even if Ye Huanqiu wanted to cut his losses and move to the suburbs to save money, he couldn't. He would still have to pay the rent here! He simply couldn't afford the penalty for breaking the lease.
Later that evening, bored and restless, he suddenly received an email. After checking the sender's address, he confirmed it was from Tomato TV, a satellite television station in Demon Capital. Tomato TV was financially strong but lacked the deep-rooted history and prestige of established networks like Toilet TV or Zhe Lan TV.
An employee from the show had invited Ye Huanqiu to participate. It was only then that he remembered to check the Doukuai Platform. His song, "Blooming Life," was still trending in the top five search results.
Sometimes, a casual action yields unexpected results...
This sudden windfall could be Ye Huanqiu's only chance to turn things around. But feeling playful, he requested a "9-to-3" work schedule.
Shen Tao replied: "If you can complete the challenges within the show's regulations, you're free to leave early."
As for compensation, he would receive ¥100,000 per episode. He would retain full credit for any original songs he wrote and could even sell the rights to interested celebrity singers while still being credited as the songwriter and composer.
In other words, a base salary of ¥100,000 per episode, with a ready buyer for any standout songs.
What thrilled Ye Huanqiu most was that the show concealed everyone's creator certification levels, revealing them only upon elimination. This was a deliberate measure by Director Zhang to prevent uninformed viewers from blindly supporting contestants based solely on their certification tier.
Everyone agreed to let their work speak for itself, postponing any discussion about author certification levels.
Ye Huanqiu knew he was currently a Bronze One-Star. He was thrilled that the show wasn't publicly revealing certification levels.
He had previously worried that his certification level might lead to his songs being undervalued, but now that concern was gone.
To improve their certification level, composers and lyricists need to successfully record, produce, and promote their original songs.
The success of a song determines its tier. Authors can then apply to the Cultural and Creative Association, and if everything checks out, their certification level will be upgraded.
The live performance video circulating on Doukuai didn't count towards this process. Besides, there was no official audio release of "Blooming Life" online, and Ye Huanqiu wasn't even a professional singer.
The fact that the other party had agreed to several seemingly unreasonable requests made Ye Huanqiu suspect the show was facing some kind of trouble, forcing them to accommodate him.
Seizing the opportunity, Ye Huanqiu quickly drafted the contract. He even had Starbeam scan it to ensure there were no hidden pitfalls before signing.