Chapter 64 Chapter 64

"My busybody, how are you feeling after the exam?" Zheng Laicai smiled and handed over the menu. She had arranged to meet Lia at a Spanish restaurant in Gangnam to celebrate the Gaokao.

The restaurant is tucked away on a quiet street in Gangnam, near an upscale residential area. Most of its customers are Spanish residents of Seoul. The decor is simple and bright, with bold colors. Several traditional Spanish paintings adorn the walls.

It felt like being transported to a small Mediterranean town. The menu featured classic Spanish dishes, from paella to various tapas, and the rich aroma of spices filled the air. "Very good," Lia replied with a smile as she took the menu.

The two bonded over their collaboration on that OST, and even after Lia was fully focused on preparing for the exam, they still seemed like strangers. "This restaurant's specialty is Spanish ham and cold tomato soup. I absolutely have to try it," Zheng Laicai said, without even glancing at the menu.

As he introduced the restaurant, he casually ordered a few dishes. Clearly a regular, Lia nodded and carefully scanned the menu. "Oh, and there's also the owner's special sangria, it's absolutely amazing." Lia looked up.

"Sangria?" "A drink made with red wine and fruit juice." Zheng Laicai suddenly paused. "Can you drink it?" She subconsciously felt a little guilty - according to Korean standards, Lia was not yet an adult. "It's okay,

"I'm American." Lia winked at her. Zheng Laicai laughed heartily, waved for the waiter, and expertly ordered a few dishes and two glasses of special sangria. "By the way, did you get the money?"

She asked casually while sipping water. Lia paused for a moment, realizing she was talking about the OST compensation. "Not yet. The company hasn't settled it yet. I'll go over next week to confirm."

She had previously signed a semi-formal contract with the company, with a less regular payment cycle than a regular artist. Plus, she hadn't been involved in many productions in the previous two years, so she simply left it alone.

This time, she went there not only to settle old scores, but also to take the opportunity to formalize her contract. After going to college, her schedule would be more flexible, allowing her to devote more time to production.

Zheng Laicai asked her out today not only to "celebrate" but more to discuss cooperation.

"Next year I have three TV series and a movie in preparation." Sure enough, she changed the subject and got straight to the point, "I plan to use all the demos you sent me before." Lia was a little surprised.

When Zheng Lai Cai first asked her for the "Romantic" theme song, she thought he was just asking for a backup.

Previously, most of the notes in her composition book were fragmentary fragments. Due to the heavy workload during the exam preparation period, she only sent a vocal demo she had recorded with a recorder, along with a melody she had written down.

She had thought it would be a good result if she could get one, but she didn't expect Zheng Laicai to accept all of them. She couldn't help but repeat herself, "Use them all?" The meals began to arrive.

Zheng Laicai nodded and said "hmm," as if what she had just said was just a trivial matter. She took a sip of the freshly served sangria and let out a happy "tsk."

"Try it first." She took the glass and nodded at Lia's. Lia heard it, picked up the glass and took a sip.

The next second, a strong smell of alcohol rushed into her nose, and the spicy taste instantly spread to her throat, leaving a slight burning sensation. After a moment, the fruity aftertaste slowly emerged. Lia's eyes lit up, and she looked at the liquid in the glass with some surprise.

The alcohol content of this sangria was much higher than she had imagined, the taste of alcohol almost overpowering the sweetness of the fruit. Even though she had never drunk alcohol, she knew it was definitely not an "alcoholic beverage."

"I told you it's a 'special blend', probably around 30 or 40 degrees." Zheng Laicai couldn't help but laugh a few times when he saw her reaction, "It's just right to help you test your alcohol tolerance." Lia nodded, indicating that she accepted this reasonable explanation.

As she spoke, the initial spicy taste faded away and the sweet fruity aroma became more obvious. She couldn't help but take another sip.

Seeing her like this, Zheng Laicai didn't interrupt, but just waited with a smile. After Lia drank half a glass of wine, she stopped her and said, "Eat some food first. Don't drink too much on an empty stomach." Lia nodded and put down the wine glass reluctantly.

"But are those songs really all right?" The conversation returned to business. "Why, don't you trust my judgment or your own production?" Zheng Laicai raised an eyebrow. "I'm still a newcomer, right?" Lia smiled, still a little incredulous.

"That's true," Zheng Laicai wiped her hands, took the cold tomato soup and gave a portion to Lia, "but the last song was a huge hit." She was not exaggerating at all.

The OST sold by Lia quickly topped the major music charts as the drama was broadcast. Although it was partly due to the popularity of the drama, other OSTs from the same drama did not perform as well as it.

It was simply a buyout, so the subsequent income had nothing to do with her. "Besides, weren't you the producer who had the most involvement in GD's album besides him?" Zheng Laicai added.

Although she primarily worked in the film and television industry, that person's name was well-known to everyone in the industry. When Lia mentioned this, she simply smiled and didn't respond. Zheng Laicai simply took it as modesty and didn't say anything more.

"Anyway, you must give me these songs. I won't buy them out this time." Zheng Laicai seemed very serious. "I'll give you a share of the profits according to the standards of the big producers in the market." Lia took a deep breath.

Although she had expected it, this day arrived sooner than she had imagined. "Thank you, Sister Lai Cai," she said sincerely. "What are you thanking me for?" Zheng Lai Cai waved her hand. "I made a fortune last time. If I try to undercut you again, my conscience will hurt."

Lia couldn't help but laugh. She knew that even if the other party was joking, buying out the company again wouldn't be unreasonable. Her "thank you" came from the heart.

"By the way, about the movie you asked about before." Zheng Lai Cai suddenly remembered something, "I recommended it to another producer, and I heard that the project will be approved in the middle of the year." She was referring to the script of director Liu Quanze.

Because they hadn't found any investors, Lia mentioned it casually during a meeting with Zheng Laicai. She hadn't really held out much hope, but Zheng Laicai asked for Yu Seungho's contact information on the spot, and they actually found an investor.

Lia looked at her with a deeply touched expression. "Stop, stop," Zheng Laicai interrupted with a smile. "I know you're deeply grateful." "Just write a few good songs to repay me," she waved her hand. "I have a movie I'd like to ask Xiaoyu to star in too. Kill two birds with one stone."

"...Xiao Yu?" The address sounded overly familiar. "It's easy to build a good relationship with anyone I want." Zheng Laicai shook his cup, a little proud. "I've already booked him for a role in my play in the second half of the year."

She has always had a keen eye, and naturally wouldn't miss out on a top actor like Yu Chenghao, who is considered one of the most promising young actors in the film and television industry. She wasn't just trying to do Lia a favor when seeking investors.

Lia was also shocked by her super social ability. After a while, she stretched out her hand and gave her a thumbs up: "Ouni, if you don't make money, who will?" Zheng Laicai was quite proud of her praise. After a few sips of red wine, her mood became much better.

After the meal, Lia didn't eat much, but it felt like she was trying some wine. After the first drink, she felt a little dizzy and her face was slightly hot, but the more she drank, the more sober she became.

By the end of the drinking, Zheng Laicai's face was flushing and she was yawning, but she was still in high spirits. "Stop!" Zheng Laicai finally called out. "I have work tomorrow, come back next time." With this kind of drinking capacity, she knew she wouldn't be let down anywhere, so she felt relieved.

—I'd just accidentally found myself a drinking buddy. Lia looked at the empty glass, a sense of lightness rising in her heart. Her mind was clearly clear, but she was a little more excited than usual. She nodded, feeling that this trip had been quite fruitful.

A week later, Lia went to the company to confirm the contract. Baoheng was already waiting in the office.

"The company will first settle the previous production share." She pushed the folder over, "Here are the details of the new contract. Take a look first. After you confirm, I will take you to the Human Resources Department to sign." Lia nodded, sat down at the table, and read it carefully.

Her original contract was a semi-contract producer contract, which meant that although she participated in the creation of many works, she was not officially listed as a full-time producer, and her income and rights were relatively limited.

On the one hand, it is because of the restrictions of high school student status, and on the other hand, the qualifications are not yet sufficient to support a formal contract.

But as she became involved in the production of Kwon Ji-yong's album and her previous OST became a hit, Zheng Laichai launched a new cooperation invitation and the company's attitude began to change.

The new contract clearly defined her responsibilities, rights, profit-sharing ratio, copyright ownership, publicity support, etc. The details far exceeded her expectations.

"You should take a closer look at these. While the company won't cheat you, you still need to have a clear understanding." Baoheng's tone was relaxed, but his words were still serious. YG has always been more generous to musicians than other companies.

Lia had done her homework and, after confirming the key terms, looked up and said, "No problem, Sister Baoheng, I can sign." "Luckily you're an American citizen, otherwise your signature at this age wouldn't count," Baoheng teased with a smile. Lia smiled back.

"This is the profit-sharing settlement." Bao Heng handed over another piece of paper, "Includes Teddy's salary, the income from the sound source of Zhilong's album, and the one-time payment for the OST song." Lia took it casually and glanced down -

More than she expected. Bao Heng was a little embarrassed: "The proportion given to you in the previous contract was indeed not high... Fortunately, the income from the sound source of Zhilong's album was not bad."

At the beginning, it was not expected that she would be able to participate in so many productions, so the previous contract was allocated at the worst ratio. Although trainees also did not receive any income, Lia participated in a lot of behind-the-scenes work as a producer, which was different from the previous one.

Lia nodded, showing her understanding: "It's okay, thank you Sister Baoheng. Now that I've signed a new contract, I will continue to work hard."

Bao Heng nodded and skipped this part. "Also, the company has received several invitations to programs. Although you signed a contract for a behind-the-scenes role, you are a very popular topic. We would like to hear your opinion first."

"A program invitation?" Lia was a little surprised. "Why me?" After withdrawing from "Project A", she never appeared in public again. It seemed impossible no matter how she thought about it.

"You might be more talked about than you think." Baoheng tapped his phone a few times and casually handed it to her. On the screen, a clip of her interview with "Seoul University Volunteer Student" was playing. Lia blushed.

She was probably not in her right mind that day, as she told reporters that she was going to Seoul National University before the results were released.

"It's not just that," Bao Heng put away his phone, "Anyway, if there are suitable programs, I think we can consider one or two. A famous producer can't always hide his face." The front and back of the stage always complement each other.

If I could build a personal brand with some public exposure, this path would probably be easier. Lia thought for a moment and nodded in agreement.

"I understand, Sister Baoheng. Please keep an eye out for it. If there's a suitable program, I'd love to participate." Baoheng smiled and nodded. ... By the time they finished their paperwork at the Human Resources Department, it was only three in the afternoon.

Lia left the office and went directly to Teddy's studio. After officially signing the contract, she became the company's independent contracted producer.

Although she has more freedom and is no longer dependent on Teddy, this also means that she can no longer rely on his support as directly as before.

Her qualifications were not yet sufficient to get an independent recording studio, so for a long time to come, she would have to work in the company's several shared recording studios.

These communal studios are usually shared by all producers within the company and are well-equipped, but lack privacy and the freedom to arrange their own arrangements. She needs to gradually accumulate works and wait until she is qualified enough to fight for her own space.

Thinking of this, she excitedly pushed open the studio door. Three pairs of eyes turned to her: Teddy, Kush, and—Kwon Ji-yong.

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