Chapter 86

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 didn't 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 Zhao's progress on the Fiery Bird score . Just as she was pondering the matter, she got a call . It was her assistant .

"What? We've been picked? So soon?" Duan Qianji listened to her assistant's 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 game's opening animation . Eighteen other masters had been invited to submit scores .

How come they had decided so soon?

If she hadn't 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 Bird's 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 Bird's custom was to invite submissions from composers and then offer a price based on the final submissions . Even pieces that ultimately weren't placed would be evaluated and paid for . This was a practice that industry insiders were familiar with and didn't take issue with .

"What are they offering?" As a businesswoman, this was Duan Qianji's foremost concern .

Fang Zhao was signed to Silver Wing, but after the completion of the four movements of the "Period of Destruction" 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 Qianji's 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 label's internal database .

As for Fiery Bird's 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 Zhao's coattails, so regardless of how much Fiery Bird offered, the sum would be pocketed by Fang Zhao entirely . But now, Silver Wing's fate was intertwined with Fang Zhao's . The better his work, the higher his pricing, the better prospects for Silver Wing .

But Duan Qianji wore a puzzled expression after hearing her assistant's response . "That's what they said? OK, got it . "

After ending the call, she instructed her driver, "When we reach the office, head to the 50th floor, not the top floor . "

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 didn't fare much better . Thinking back to the Polar Light interview they had completed a while back, they didn't remember any big hiccups . The technical aspects and director had been confirmed well in advance . Pang Pusong's dubbing had gone smoothly . He had delivered his lines according to the script . There shouldn't 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 .

"You're here . " Duan Qianji's smile deepened . "I have some news . Your score has been picked by the Fiery Bird sound effects department . "

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 didn't bother keeping the news a secret, although she didn't specify where Fang Zhao's score would be used . She didn't 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 wasn't overemotional . He merely smiled and waited for Duan Qianji to continue . She wouldn't have come to the 50th floor in person just to share that piece of news .

Duan Qianji observed Fang Zhao's facial expression . She was impressed that he could maintain his composure .

"The head of Fiery Bird's 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 haven't offered an exact price yet . They want to give you a choice . " Duan Qianji paused before continuing, "Do you want to get paid in cash or receive Fiery Bird's once-in-a-decade limited edition gaming console instead?"

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 wouldn't 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 couldn't be more than a handful .

Word had already traveled in tech geek circles that Fiery Bird's 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 .

"I want the console . "

Duan Qianji's 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 "Period of Destruction" series, Fang Zhao had applied for gaming equipment . During quite a few of Duan Qianji's previous visits, Fang Zhao had been gaming in the department's dedicated gaming room when she arrived . When she had heard Fiery Bird's offer from her assistant, she had a hunch that Fang Zhao would make the unconventional choice .

"You're positive?" Duan Qianji asked .

"Positive . "

"Then send a message to You Chuan . They're waiting to hear from you . "

The person who had reached out to Duan Qianji had been Hua Li, the head of Fiery Bird's sound effects team . Why hadn't 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 .

"Boss, a Fiery Bird console!" Zu Wen's eyes burned with envy . "When is it arriving? Can I touch it? Can I take a picture with it? I want to show off . "

"The limited edition consoles are the most advanced consoles . It's hard to put a price tag on them . Boss, I think you made the right call . Even if you suffer financially, you'll be rewarded spiritually," said an equally jealous Rodney .

Fang Zhao sent You Chuan a message . You Chuan immediately responded, "The console will arrive between late August and early September . The exact timing still has to be confirmed . The console is still being tested . We'll give you a heads up before we send it out . You've made the right choice . You'll make a decent profit if you resell it . "

In reality, Fang Zhao wasn't as conflicted as others thought he might be . For someone who had survived the apocalypse like him, money wasn't 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 "Battle of the Century . " 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 Zhao's score had been picked by Fiery Bird, but again, the statement didn't mention where the score would be placed . Still, the news itself was enough to dispel some skeptics .

"He was really chosen?"

"Who knows? We only have Silver Wing's word for it . No one can back up their story . "

"Are we sure this isn't a charade staged by Silver Wing?"

"I don't 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 doesn't feature prominently in the game . "

"Who cares? It's just another composer, not an A-list celebrity . "

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 Bird's production team . Silver Wing had isolated a comment from Hua Li, the head of Fiery Bird's 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 .

"Fang Zhao is composer full of surprises . We look forward to working with him again . "

The fact that Hua Li identified Fang Zhao as a composer suggested Hua Li held him in high esteem . It was confirmation of Fang Zhao's talent .