novelraw Chapter 83 Meng Ziyi sings karaoke for 3 hours
Chapter 83 Meng Ziyi sings karaoke for 3 hours
Song Ze didn't rush to reply, waiting for her to finish.
Wang Churan paused for two seconds, then blurted out, "Senior, the director told me today that he's going to add two more passionate kissing scenes for Liu Xiyin, and one more... intimate scene. He said it's to 'increase the character's tension.' We're filming tomorrow."
Song Ze tapped his knee with his finger.
Liu Xiyin.
For a character who has no romantic storyline throughout the entire series, are more kissing scenes added? To increase the character's tension?
Zhang Li's bullshit.
Where are you now?
"In the nanny van."
Song Ze heard her sniffle, but she didn't cry. This girl is stubborn and can endure.
"Don't worry, I'm here!" Song Ze leaned back in his chair. "First of all, don't cry, don't make a scene, and don't lose your temper on the spot."
"..."
"Go back and tell the assistant director that the major changes to the script involve changes to the contract terms, which require review by the company's legal department. We can give them a reply as early as tomorrow afternoon."
Wang Churan was taken aback: "What if they don't agree to delay?"
"They'll agree. The contract is right there, in black and white. Even if you read Article 7, Section 3 of the contract aloud on the spot, they wouldn't dare say they don't want to follow the proper procedures in front of the whole team."
Song Ze paused.
"Remember, be polite in your tone, be cooperative, and don't let anyone feel like you're being defiant. You're just a new actor following the script, understand?"
"...I heard you."
Wang Churan's voice became a little more steady.
"Senior brother, then before tomorrow afternoon..."
"This matter will be resolved by tomorrow afternoon."
Song Ze hung up the phone.
He leaned back in his chair and closed his eyes for two seconds.
He took out his phone and opened the background check document from the investor that Zhang Juan had sent him half a month ago.
"Oh My General," wow, it's a joint production by five investors.
The problem isn't who the other person is.
The problem is that Xingyao's current size is not strong enough.
Send a lawyer's letter?
Tear it apart forcefully?
Wang Churan, a newcomer who just joined the crew, was constantly being bullied and bullied until her feet were raw.
Is this going to cause a public outcry? The show hasn't even aired yet, and they're already ruining their own reputation?
Will not work.
Song Ze turned his phone over, thought for a moment, and then called Liu Yifei.
Third tone.
I accepted it.
"What's wrong?"
Liu Yifei's tone rose slightly, with a hint of amusement.
"Missing me again?"
Song Ze didn't beat around the bush with her.
"Sister Fairy, something urgent has happened."
He recounted the situation in the shortest possible sentence: Wang Churan joined the cast of "General and I," forced in by the investor's son, and the co-director added more kissing and intimate scenes for Liu Xiyin. Filming starts tomorrow.
After he finished speaking, he added a sentence.
"Give your future apprentice, Wang Churan, a hand."
There was a moment of silence on the other end of the phone.
Liu Yifei smiled.
"Last time you gave me Bai Lu as a junior apprentice. This time you're giving me Wang Chu Ran as a junior apprentice?"
Her smile held a hint of helplessness.
"Song Ze, you're taking on a disciple on behalf of your master."
"Please." Song Ze rubbed his nose. "Next time, I'll treat you to stir-fried chicken at Jingxiu Restaurant."
"Just one meal of stir-fried chicken?"
"Add a king crab."
"...Alright then." Liu Yifei's smile faded, and he changed his tone. "Seeing how sincere you are, I'll let it go."
She didn't waste any time and gave me a solution directly.
"No need for Xingyao to intervene. I'll have my Hollywood co-agent send a formal email directly to your production's director, posing as 'Wang Churan's personal acting advancement consultant.'"
Song Ze narrowed his eyes.
"From what angle?"
"The core of the character and the aesthetics of tragedy." Liu Yifei spoke these eight words slowly. "The dramatic value of the character Liu Xiyin lies in her strong inner strength and resourcefulness. Adding intimate scenes would destroy the character's arc. The email will not mention any names or investors, only professional judgments."
She paused for a moment.
"But they can understand the email signature and the agency letterhead."
Song Ze leaned back in his chair.
It's enough if you can understand it.
An official email from a Hollywood co-agent, bearing the title of a top international agency, is sent to the director under the name of "private performance consultant"—the power of this lies not in its content, but in its signature.
"Thanks, Sister Yifei."
"No need to thank me. Put the braised chicken and king crab on the tab."
After hanging up the phone, Song Ze immediately dialed Zhang Juan's number.
"Sister Juan, can you do me a favor?"
"explain."
"Through clandestine channels, we contacted the original author of 'Oh My General,' 'Ju Hua San Li,' and the core screenwriter. We conveyed the information that 'the investors forced actresses into the production, arbitrarily altered Liu Xiyin's character, and added more kissing scenes to a character who is 'gentle on the outside but strong on the inside' and 'loves with her life.'"
Zhang Juan reacted quickly: "Are you trying to put pressure on the author?"
"Yes. Fans of the original work are natural allies. If the author himself posts a Weibo post, even if it's just a vague sentiment like 'I hope Liu Xiyin can be treated well,' the comment section will explode. The screenwriters are even more direct. If the core screenwriter publicly states at the script reading meeting that 'this scene is unreasonable,' the directing team will have to think twice."
Zhang Juan quickly took notes on the other end of the line.
"One more thing," Song Ze added, "Keep the channels clean and don't let anyone trace it back to Xingyao."
"clear."
I hung up the phone.
Song Ze turned to the next page of his mixing notes, picked up his pen, and then put it down again.
Four hours.
He drew a line for himself. If Wang Churan's matter wasn't resolved within four hours, he would consider a third plan.
During those few hours, he sat in the rehearsal room, wearing monitoring headphones, and went through the remix demo of "The Lone Warrior" several times.
My phone vibrated.
Wang Churan's voice messages bombarded in like a machine gun, one after another.
"Senior brother!! The director just received an email, and his face immediately changed!"
"Someone from the investors made a phone call, and that guy surnamed Lu got yelled at by his father for a full ten minutes on the phone!"
"He just came to apologize to me, his attitude completely changed, and he said he was the one who didn't know the rules before!"
"All the added scenes have been cut! The assistant director confirmed it with me personally!"
In the last voice message, her voice trembled slightly.
"Senior brother."
He uttered those two words, followed by a long silence.
After listening, Song Ze put down his phone.
He didn't reply.
About thirty seconds later, he picked it up again and typed a few words.
"Are you done crying?"
A voice message replied instantly, the voice sounding very nasal: "I didn't cry! Who cried!"
"If you haven't cried, go memorize your lines. You have costume fitting photos to take tomorrow, so don't go on camera with swollen eyes."
"knew!"
Song Ze locked the screen and put the phone back in his pocket.
He stood up, walked to the door of the rehearsal room, and pushed it open to go inside.
The microphone was placed in the center, the lights were adjusted, and the musicians were in position.
The final dress rehearsal for "The Lone Warrior".
He stood in front of the microphone, closed his eyes, and adjusted his breathing.
In the first round of competition, eight contestants were narrowed down to seven. He didn't just want to pass; he wanted to win the championship.
He opened his eyes and nodded to the sound engineer.
When the intro started, he began to sing the first line of the verse.
……
Bang bang bang.
The door to the rehearsal room was banged on.
Song Ze swallowed the last syllable back down his throat.
The door opened, and a middle-aged man covered in sweat rushed in, wearing a name tag that read "Grade One: Graduation Season" on his chest. He bowed three times as soon as he entered.
"Teacher Song! Teacher Song! Teacher Song! Please help me!"
Song Ze removed his in-ear monitor and looked at the middle-aged man who looked like he had just run 800 meters.
"Our artist has been stuck for over three hours, the sound engineer is about to go on strike! Please come and help us get through this! Just a little bit!"
Who is in your family?
The agent wiped away a bead of sweat.
"Meng Ziyi..."