Chapter Forty-Seven: Wang Mo's Third Song

Liu Zhengwen’s mind was in turmoil.

He rubbed his brow, gathering his thoughts before asking, “So what you mean is, you’ve written a song and you want to submit it to the ‘Forbidden City’ production team, hoping it’ll be chosen as the theme song for CCTV’s upcoming documentary on the Palace Museum?”

“Yes.” Wang Mo nodded.

Uh.

Liu Zhengwen rubbed his brow again.

Brother, isn’t this a bit too much of a leap?

CCTV’s call for theme song submissions was already several months ago, and now you suddenly mention you want to submit something.

Of course, that’s not the real issue.

The real problem is: this is completely unreliable!

CCTV’s requirements for the theme song of ‘The Forbidden City’ were notoriously demanding. Not only were all the songs from their own Yunhai Media rejected, but works from other companies and independent composers were also turned down across the board.

At first, many were enthusiastic.

But later, no one was interested.

Because—

Anyone who tried, failed!

Several renowned composers had their submissions returned.

Who would bother with this anymore?

CCTV’s reputation may be impressive, but no one is foolish enough to keep charging forward.

Now, there are even rumors in the industry: this theme song for the Palace Museum is unsolvable.

Anyone who participates is just asking for trouble.

Liu Zhengwen steadied himself and said seriously, “Wang Mo, this is an extremely tough task…”

Before he could explain further, Wang Mo interrupted, “It’s fine.”

Alright then!

Only now did Liu Zhengwen remember just how unusual this person before him was, never one to take the ordinary route.

Just look at the way he’s handled things since his fall from grace—has anything been normal?

And the crucial part is, he’s succeeded every time.

Especially after last night’s live broadcast, Liu realized just how talented Wang Mo really was.

He might not be a walking encyclopedia, but he’s certainly read enough to fill several carts.

Damn that Yuan Xiong!

Damn the Artist Department!

At this thought, Liu Zhengwen felt a surge of anger for no reason. Such a promising talent, and the Artist Department turned him into a wasted potential.

Talented and handsome—a clear candidate for a superstar.

Yet they molded him into nothing but a pretty face.

What on earth?

Seeing Liu Zhengwen’s smiling face suddenly twist with barely concealed frustration, Wang Mo was utterly confused. “Director Liu?”

Snapping out of it, Liu Zhengwen said, “Alright, since you insist, I’ll ask around for you now. But since it’s already been three months, it’s possible the submission window on CCTV’s end has already closed.”

With that, he pulled out his phone and sent several messages.

After a while—

Liu Zhengwen looked up at Wang Mo. “There’s good news and bad news.

The good news is: CCTV’s theme song submission is indeed still open.

The bad news is: today is the final day.”

Wang Mo replied, “That’s not really bad news. The song is already written; I just need to submit it.”

Liu Zhengwen shook his head. “You’re mistaken. With a major production team like CCTV, their processes are extremely complicated. They make decisions at least three days in advance. So even though the submission officially closes tomorrow, it’s very likely they finished their selection work ten days ago. If you submit your song now, they might not even open the email—and no matter how good your song is, it won’t matter. I can let the person in charge know that ‘Wuyan’ has written a song. After all, you, ‘Wuyan,’ have become quite a name in composition lately. But whether that will have any effect, it’s all down to luck.”

Top-level official projects always finalize things well in advance.

To select a theme song for a major documentary, there are no fewer than ten meetings.

So for a song submitted at the last minute to be chosen by CCTV—the odds are slim.

Wang Mo nodded. “I understand.”

“Good!” Liu Zhengwen said. “Send me the score, and I’ll submit it for you.”

He said this for two reasons: first, his submission would carry more weight than Wang Mo’s; second, he was curious to see what kind of song Wang Mo had written.

At present, Wang Mo’s two songs were sweeping the music scene.

The composer “Wuyan” had become a household name.

Not long ago, “Wuyan’s” rise even sparked widespread debate about the status of composers.

Now, the entire composition circle—even the whole music industry—was watching “Wuyan.”

All waiting for the third song.

“Can Wuyan create another miracle?”

“Were the first two songs just fleeting brilliance?”

“Can composers influence singers?”

“Are composers’ roles underestimated?”

Various discussions all centered on one thing.

Wuyan’s third song!

At this moment, countless eyes were fixed on Wuyan, eager to see what kind of third song this rising star in composition would bring forth.

Would he perform another miracle and elevate the status of composers?

Or would he fade into obscurity, letting singers remain in control?

As a partial insider,

Liu Zhengwen cared about Wang Mo’s third song more than anyone else.

Of course, Liu Zhengwen didn’t know that Wang Mo had just sent a song called “Empty City” to Hao Mingxing, which, strictly speaking, was actually the third song he’d released.

Back to the main point.

Hearing that Wang Mo wanted to compete for the CCTV theme song, Liu Zhengwen was fully supportive.

Because in his view: a song selected by CCTV represents officialdom, represents authority.

If Wang Mo’s song isn’t chosen, it’s just a missed attempt.

But if it is chosen, it’s a guaranteed win. Even if the public response isn’t great, the official endorsement means little criticism from the outside.

If things go well, it’s a triumph.

If not, there’s still a solid fallback.

Unlike releasing a song independently, where the outcome is a complete gamble.

In truth, Liu Zhengwen’s real thought was: even if Wang Mo’s song is picked by CCTV, the chances of it exploding in popularity are slim. He knew that while CCTV’s standards are high, their selected songs have always been rather conventional.

Official songs have little to do with commercial appeal.

As long as it’s proper and dignified, it’s good enough.

But in today’s restless world, a singer’s song must be innovative to stand out. Songs that are too official rarely catch on with the general public.

“Play it safe!” Liu Zhengwen repeated to himself.

Wang Mo’s third song just needed to be steady.

No need for glory, just avoid mistakes.

After receiving Liu Zhengwen’s go-ahead, Wang Mo left the office. Back at his desk, he sent the score and arrangement for “Dragon Scale of Heaven and Earth,” along with an electronic demo, to Liu Zhengwen.

The electronic demo featured synthesized vocals, allowing one to get a rough idea of the song even without a singer’s recording.

Wang Mo sent such a complete package because he knew time was tight. If he sent only a bare-bones score to CCTV, the person in charge might not pay it much attention.

But now, with the score, full arrangement, and electronic demo, the impact would be different.

I’ve brought the meal right to your lips.

Surely, you’ll at least have a taste?

…

In the office,

Liu Zhengwen, who had been waiting all this time, saw the new email notification pop up in the lower right corner and immediately opened his inbox.

“Title: ‘Dragon Scale of Heaven and Earth’?”

He muttered to himself, suppressing the complicated emotions in his heart, and clicked inside.