Chapter 43: Chose The Playing Style With The Most Traffic
“Have you read the book?”
“I have, but…” Zhang Lingye looked around, instinctively lowering his voice: “Do we have to talk here?”
Outside the recording studio, two worn small plastic stools were lined up, and the two sat close together, showing no intention of going in, nor did it seem like a temporary rest.
They didn’t dare speak loudly either, just occasionally looking up at the shadows of people appearing around the corner, then pretending to look around elsewhere to cover up their guilty conscience from staking out.
“Yu Wei should come to record a song!”
Qi Yuan looked down at the shadows reflected on the floor, muttering to himself: “That song called Red Bean should be a key step for him to realize his ambition.”
Zhang Lingye didn’t know how to respond to this, so he could only open his mobile phone, mute it, and start scrolling through short videos.
“Didn’t you read the book? Any ideas?”
Seeing him silent, Qi Yuan directly pressed him.
“Uh… how should I put it, apart from the gimmick of original works, it’s pretty ordinary.” Zhang Lingye spoke bluntly, not avoiding it at all even though he treated Yu Wei as a buddy.
“The beginning was pretty cool, but when I got to over twenty chapters and saw the blind little girl being sung to, I couldn’t hold it in. Isn’t Sound of Rain a love song? Singing it to a little girl feels a bit criminal, right?”
“?!”
Hearing this, Qi Yuan frowned slightly in surprise and doubt. Thinking about it this way, it did seem…
No, Yu Wei must have written it with deep meaning.
“You’re still seeing things too superficially. Last time I said Yu Wei’s book is a monster-revealing mirror for the entertainment industry, and now it’s coming true, right?”
Zhang Lingye coughed lightly, somewhat acquiescing.
The fact that he came today already proved his stance. He still deeply doubted Qi Yuan’s words, but some points could still be referenced.
Take this Red Bean incident as an example: Yu Wei suddenly wrote an internet celebrity song into the novel, which is hard to explain purely by interest.
Perhaps he really intended to give the entertainment industry a piece of his mind…
Zhang Lingye felt like he was going a bit crazy, actually believing Qi Yuan’s nonsense. According to him, this would be a major battle.
Although Yu Wei was very skilled at writing songs, winning impressively was still difficult, not to mention the opponent was a million-follower big internet celebrity on a short video platform. If it really blew up, it wouldn’t end well.
To clarify, Qi Yuan came today to probe Yu Wei’s tone, but Zhang Lingye was simply concerned about his friend, seeing if there was anything he could help with.
As for why not ask directly, it was Qi Yuan’s idea— a chance encounter would seem less deliberate.
But did this really count as a chance encounter…
Zhang Lingye instinctively shifted his stool back a bit. For some reason, he suddenly felt a little embarrassed. Weren’t they acting a bit silly like this?
“What if he doesn’t come?”
“Keep waiting. If not today, then tomorrow.”
……
“AUV, Beijing boss, good fortune to you.”
Yu Wei had just noticed that Qi Luo An, who went home for summer vacation, had her IP address changed to Beijing. He should have thought of it earlier—her grandmother was at the national theater, so it made sense in Beijing.
“Stop with the local slang. What were you thinking blasting an internet celebrity song?”
As an entertainment reader, Qi Luo An looked at Yu Wei with new eyes. This guy always came up with new tricks for the novel.
Web novel authors could be mediocre, but they couldn’t lack vitality. Yu Wei had plenty of say in this—every step was beyond her expectations.
Reverse plagiarist, huh? Novel beating reality, huh? Is this something a normal author would pull off?
“Am I not thinking of the readers? Always writing original works first and then releasing them—do it too many times and everyone will get tired of it.”
The way he wrote it was still to give book friends some novelty and immersion. So far, apart from national server readers spontaneously rallying for battle, other places were fine…
With Scarlet as a reference, wasn’t everyone’s reading experience significantly improved?
“You’re right, but I’ve read your book. Precise wording, smooth prose, excellent writing—it’s an immortal grass work. Stay steady without collapsing and it’s platinum for sure!”
Qi Luo An had no need to interfere with Yu Wei’s choices. Besides, she had confidence in this guy’s creative ability and he wouldn’t flip the car.
Winning is easy, but winning across the board is hard.
“Grandmother said, there is no winning in the world originally; winning lies in the strokes. Wang Kou Yue Bei Fan: Wang is crisis awareness, Kou is communication technique, Yue is time, Bei is money, Fan is calmness.”
“You don’t lack the others, but isn’t your crisis awareness a bit lacking?”
As expected of a lady from a great family—her words were different.
Yu Wei actually understood the reasoning: writing real-world songs easily offended people, but entertainment novels were about the entertainment industry. How to advance the plot without offending anyone?
Moreover, he didn’t completely deny their songs in the plot; he mostly praised them. As for the music competition part, it was purely a matching mechanism issue.
“The song is already written. I’ll record it the day after tomorrow.”
Yu Wei had originally planned to record the song early, but he didn’t expect the assistant to contact the house so quickly. Today he had to pack luggage, tomorrow move.
“You’re really prolific like a sow.”
It had only been a few days since finishing the short film, and he had already written another new song so quickly—like birthing piglets…
Qi Luo An had no doubt about the standard of his song; she was mainly worried about some off-field factors—people’s hearts are hard to fathom.
“Thinking on the bright side, me writing about them can also bring them traffic, right? They won’t lose out.”
Yu Wei’s words were indeed true; those viral Internet Celebrity Songs were mostly luck, and the Internet singers who wrote them would gradually become the tears of the times.
Take this song “Scarlet” for example: it was indeed popular when it was hot, but now hardly anyone mentions it. Yu Wei’s move actually fished her a handful.
Yu Wei’s behavior actually didn’t offend many people; those Internet Celebrity Songs were already controversial, and it didn’t lack his one. Writing like this could instead bring them popularity.
Those who truly understand the Internet would secretly rejoice and not have time for anything else.
“The problem lies right here.”
Ordinary listeners can evaluate however they want, but precisely because Yu Wei brings his own traffic, this matter becomes tricky instead. People are greedy, let alone self-media that only chases traffic.
“This is different from an author posting a chapter promo. If you post a chapter promo for a colleague author, he will thank you for fishing him a handful, but if you give traffic to self-media, he will only complain it’s too little.”
Yu Wei’s move did indeed bring popularity to the other party, but those who can eat this bowl of Internet rice are no fools; they can distinguish between one full meal and meals every time.
Not afraid of her understanding the Internet, just afraid of her understanding it too well!
“A novel’s popularity is temporary. I’m afraid she’ll be insatiable and eat negative traffic, truly clashing with you.”
Qi Luo An’s words did have some reason. Yu Wei’s novel did bring Chen Chen a new wave of popularity, but if she just secretly rejoices, this popularity comes fast and goes fast too.
To turn temporary traffic into a long-term meal ticket, the best method is to borrow the chance to take the black-red route. Even if slapped in the face by Yu Wei’s new song later, the traffic can still be eaten.
Opening a live broadcast to get scolded can still earn a full pot…
“Just afraid she’s too savvy about the Internet.”
Yu Wei had some experience with this too; actually, many Internet clowns and mad dogs are just acting, quite normal in private. They eat this bowl of rice getting scolded.
And many Internet celebrity streamers falling out and backstabbing in streams are actually scripts. Making money isn’t shameful; causing a commotion brings traffic.
If she really understands the Internet, she might indeed stir things up. No matter what she thinks inside, on the surface she’ll definitely resist to the end.
Fast-forward to: Yu Wei you old thief heartless, I live and die with “Scarlet”!
Yu Wei was familiar with this routine; it was a common small fry villain segment in entertainment novels. A few righteous punishments and they’d behave.
Just didn’t know how well this Internet celebrity female singer named Chen Chen truly understood the Internet…
He subconsciously opened short video and searched for Chen Chen’s account, but the popped-up account left Yu Wei dumbfounded.
Chen Chen (Benefactor Teacher Yu Wei).
“6.”
They were still wondering if she would take the black-red route and resist stubbornly to the end, but didn’t expect this bloodless high-end operation to eat traffic.
Underestimated her; can’t diss this one, she’s a true master.
In Yu Wei’s original assumptions, singers written into the book would probably have four responses.
Bad-tempered ones directly retort back, good-tempered ones laugh it off, those with bearing openly admit defeat, popularity-chasers resist to the end.
Qi Luo An worried about the fourth layer, but this person was at the fifth layer: drifting half a life without meeting a wise lord, if sir doesn’t mind, take as benefactor teacher.
This was truly understanding the Internet…
She chose the playing style with the most traffic!
