Qizhou.

Not long after the premiere of “Dance of Fish and Dragon” ended, the film’s creators, including the director Zheng Li, eagerly checked the reviews on the Qizhou Film Network.

“Cried a storm after watching the movie!”

“I declare that from today, the genre of melancholic films has gained a new formidable contender.”

“I hope the producers release a high-definition image of the white dragon transforming into a big fish flying in the sky. I want to use it as my wallpaper.”

“The ending song was heart-wrenching.”

“After watching the credits, I found out that the song at the end, called ‘Big Fish,’ is the best theme song of the year, bar none.”

“I felt quite sad after the movie, and then my friend next to me said the whole movie was just a music video for the last song, and I burst out laughing.”

“The movie was okay, but the lyrics of the last song were too heartbreaking.”

“…”

With a perfect score of ten, “Dance of Fish and Dragon” currently holds an 8.5 rating, prompting the creators to cheer, “We’re on the path to success!”

This is a very high score!

It far exceeded the creators’ expectations.

After all, “Dance of Fish and Dragon” wasn’t a blockbuster, and its promotion, cast, and screening schedule were all mid-tier at best. For such a film to succeed, it had to rely on word-of-mouth.

Amidst the cheers, everyone naturally noticed the discussions about “Big Fish” in the comments.

The producer laughed helplessly, “A bunch of people are saying our movie is just a music video for ‘Big Fish.’”

“I actually think there’s some truth to that,” another creator said with a peculiar expression.

“Now you understand why I was so strict about the soundtrack, right?” Zheng Li was in a good mood and didn’t feel offended by the comments, knowing that most people were just joking.

From another perspective, this was the audience praising her for the excellent choice of the ending song.

She herself admitted that the final song, “Big Fish,” added points to the movie.

Whether it was the song’s artistic conception, the vocals, or the lyrics that perfectly matched the plot, it maximized the audience’s resonance with the film.

Before this, Zheng Li had been racking her brains on how to conclude the film. The overall tone of “Dance of Fish and Dragon” was somewhat melancholic, and this melancholy had accumulated significantly by the end. She needed a point to ignite the audience’s emotions—

Clearly, “Big Fish” became the focal point for this emotional explosion.

Just then, Zheng Li’s phone rang. It was a call from the investors.

“The movie turned out great!”

The representative from the investors sounded excited, “The company has decided to increase the promotion for ‘Dance of Fish and Dragon.’ I’ve already sent someone to contact the theaters to increase the screening slots. Also, you need to call Qinzhou and invite the singer of the last song…”

Zheng Li replied, “‘Big Fish.’”

The investor representative quickly said, “Yes, yes, ‘Big Fish.’ Invite the singer to Qizhou, and have her perform the song during promotions. It will definitely have a great effect!”

“Alright.”

Zheng Li then added, “Weren’t you all against me spending five million to buy a song before, saying that the soundtrack wasn’t that important and that the budget should be spent on visuals? I had to plead for a long time before you agreed to let me spend five million to commission this song.”

Zheng Li had high standards for the soundtrack.

Previously, the investors thought it was a waste for Zheng Li to spend five million on a song for “Dance of Fish and Dragon.” They only reluctantly agreed after much persuasion.

“In the end, we did it your way.”

The investor said sheepishly, “How about this, I promise to increase the budget for your next project, including the funds for the soundtrack. You’re more professional in filmmaking than we are. Sometimes we don’t understand, but if you communicate with us more, we can solve the problems.”

In any industry, results speak louder than words.

Before the future of “Dance of Fish and Dragon” was clear, the investors had a high stance. After all, those who provide the money are the bosses.

But seeing the current trend, it’s clear that Zheng Li’s film is going to be a hit. The investors have to temporarily lower their stance to appease Zheng Li, the director who can make money for the company, even proactively mentioning the investment for her next film. This means that Zheng Li’s status in the industry has been elevated to some extent.

“Deal!”

Zheng Li said with a smile.

She was now considering collaborating with Xian Yu again for the soundtrack of her next film, even showing him the full script. At this point, she only trusted Xian Yu’s brand.

…

In Qinzhou, Starlight Entertainment reacted quickly. Almost immediately after the film’s premiere, the audio of “Big Fish” appeared on the recommendation lists of major music platforms. This made it easy for many viewers who were interested in the ending song to find it.

In the office of Starlight’s supervisor, Old Zhou was already waiting in front of the computer, anticipating the reviews and feedback for “Big Fish.” Based on his years of experience, he believed this song had the potential to be a huge hit, as he had arranged for the music recommendation slots himself.

And indeed, it was.

Within five minutes of going online, “Big Fish” quickly surpassed 30,000 downloads, and the song’s comment section was bustling with activity—

“Here to check in after watching ‘Dance of Fish and Dragon’!”

“Count me in!”

“So this song is called ‘Big Fish,’ love it!”

“What are you waiting for? Listen, download, and add to your collection.”

“It made me cry.”

“As everyone knows, this song has a nearly two-hour-long music video.”

“I’m afraid you’ll fly away, afraid you’ll leave me, and even more afraid you’ll stay here forever. Combined with the movie, these lyrics are truly heart-wrenching.”

“…”

Not only movie fans but also some passersby noticed the song and, through it, learned about the film “Dance of Fish and Dragon.”

“It’s actually the theme song of a movie, making me want to watch ‘Dance of Fish and Dragon.’”

“After listening to the song, I immediately bought two movie tickets. Going to watch it with my girlfriend this weekend. Now everything is ready, just missing a girlfriend.”

“I’m taking my goddess to watch it! I’ll confess after the movie! My lifelong happiness depends on this movie and this song!”

“…”

Some also noticed that the lyrics, composition, and arrangement of “Big Fish” were all credited to “Xian Yu.”

The singer Jiang Kui was a newcomer, unfamiliar to many.

But Xian Yu was not a complete newcomer. Many listeners had some impression of this name: “Isn’t Xian Yu the composer and lyricist of ‘Life Like Summer Flowers’?”

“Xian Yu? The one who topped the Newcomer Chart?”

“Yes, yes, I noticed this person too.”

“This Xian Yu is quite impressive. Last month, he topped the Newcomer Chart, and this month he released ‘Big Fish.’ Both songs are exactly my taste!”

“…”

Seeing these comments, Old Zhou couldn’t stop smiling.

Although he hadn’t watched the movie, he could tell from the fans’ comments that the quality of “Dance of Fish and Dragon” was probably quite good, providing a significant boost to the song’s promotion.

“Great.”

Old Zhou thought happily, “Lin Yuan’s growth rate is terrifying. He’s only in his sophomore year. At this rate, it might not take long for the company to have another ace composer in the composition department!”

In the industry, it usually takes over ten years for most newcomers to become ace composers. But Lin Yuan’s potential is so great that he might not need a decade to become a new ace for the company—

That’s what Old Zhou is most looking forward to!