"Bin, about the theme song for *Panda Hero*, I have an idea. I plan on using two singers to perform the Chinese and English versions of the song. Since we’re aiming for the global market, we definitely have to include some Western elements. The National Preceptor invited Hollywood stars to his blockbusters, and we considered that too, but it didn’t feel quite right. That’s why we decided to invite Hollywood stars for the voice-overs instead." The viewing habits of English-speaking audiences are a bit different from those of Chinese audiences. We’re long accustomed to reading subtitles, while they prefer listening to dubbed versions.
"But that alone isn’t quite enough, so we also plan to invite a singer to perform the theme song. Since we put the word out in the industry, many people have expressed interest. It seems finding a Western singer won’t be a problem, but finding a domestic one is proving difficult." At this, Director Kong couldn’t help but shake his head and sigh. "There aren’t many among the younger generation of singers with outstanding vocal skills. If we were just picking one, it would be easier. ’No comparison, no harm done,’ right? But if they’re compared to a Western singer, it’ll look pretty bad. That’s why we’ve been looking for a long time but haven’t found a suitable candidate."
Back during the Capital City Olympics, Liu Huan and Sarah Brightman were truly a match for each other. But among today’s younger generation of singers, it would be hard to find someone on the same level as Liu Huan in terms of vocal skill. If the contrast was too great, it could become a stain on the film. Of course, Director Kong knew some older singers, but after some thought, their singing styles just didn’t seem to fit a movie like *Panda Hero*.
He had a very good impression of Sun Qian from their previous collaboration on the promotional video, but her vocal skills were still a bit raw back then and didn’t meet Director Kong’s standards. But, through a stroke of serendipity, Director Kong heard Sun Qian’s latest song. He discovered her vocal skills seemed to have improved immensely. In his early years, Director Kong had also helped write some smash-hit songs for Xiangjiang singers, so he had a certain level of discernment in this area. With no one else available, Director Kong thought of her.
"Then I’ll call her as soon as I get back. She’ll definitely agree." Shen Yibin hadn’t yet realized the risks involved, seeing it merely as Director Kong giving Sun Qian a leg up.
"Bin, don’t take this matter so lightly," Director Kong had to warn Shen Yibin. "The Western female singer we plan to invite has incredible vocal skills. Even though she and Sun Qian won’t be singing the same song, I’m sure the audience will compare them. If the gap is too large, I’m afraid it will be harmful to Sun Qian’s future career." This was an opportunity, but it also held a great risk. Because Sun Qian insisted on making her own music and was a newcomer who lacked connections, her relationship with the music industry wasn’t smooth. If she made a mistake like this, her future would be bleak.
Fearing Shen Yibin didn’t understand, Director Kong carefully broke down the critical points for him, finally instructing, "So this isn’t something to discuss over the phone. You two should talk about it face-to-face. Explain everything I’ve told you to her in detail, and then see what she chooses to do!"
"Can you tell me who the female singer you’re planning to invite is? That way, I can tell Sun Qian, and she’ll have a benchmark for comparison," Shen Yibin asked, his tone now much more serious.
"It’s Phoenix." Director Kong uttered a legendary name. Phoenix wasn’t old, only twenty-six this year, but she had already won numerous major music awards—including a Grammy and an Oscar for Best Original Song—for her outstanding vocal skills and songwriting abilities. She held immense influence in the Western music scene. Even Shen Yibin, who didn’t listen to much English music, had several of her songs on his phone. ’Oh, right, the strawberries Maphario grows also like her music.’
"She’s an acquaintance of yours, in a way. Phoenix is actually John Farrell’s younger sister. She just doesn’t use the Farrell surname because she doesn’t want fans bothering her family," Director Kong said with a smile. "And speaking of which, we have you to thank for being able to invite her. Her schedule was originally very tight, with no time to participate in the recording. However, the Monkey Wine that John Farrell brought back was an offer she couldn’t refuse. And since you’re the only one in the world who has this wine, she agreed. But she did set her own condition: she wants to drink this wine while recording the song."
"That’s not a problem. I’ll just give her a jug of it then." The Monkey Wine was of course precious, but since Director Kong had put it that way, Shen Yibin felt he couldn’t very well refuse.
After they talked for a little longer, an assistant returned with the booked plane tickets. The flight was boarding soon, so Shen Yibin and Hah’Er took their leave. On the way to the airport, Shen Yibin called Sun Qian. When he learned she didn’t have any performances scheduled recently, he extended an invitation. "Bring Cheeky back for a few days. I have something I need to talk to you about."
"What is it?" On the other end, Cheeky was already clamoring to come over for some Monkey Wine.
"Uh, I can’t really say if it’s a good thing or a bad thing. It’s too complicated to explain over the phone. Let’s talk about it when you get here," Shen Yibin said. Sun Qian agreed without much hesitation.
After a three-hour flight, the plane landed at Yunzhong City Airport. The moment Xia Shixuan saw Shen Yibin, she gave him a huge hug. "Oh, boss, I missed you to death!" Her exclamation caused the other travelers nearby to turn and stare.
’Sigh, I let my guard down and got teased again.’ Shen Yibin got in the car with Hah’Er and headed back to the store. Along the way, Xia Shixuan updated him on the store’s situation; since the launch of the lottery promotion, their revenue had increased again.
Back at the store, Xiaoliu and Maphario immediately ran up and started a playful rough-and-tumble with Hah’Er. It was their way of expressing their joy at being reunited.
The next day, when Sun Qian arrived at the store with Cheeky, the scene became even more lively. However, Shen Yibin couldn’t be bothered with them right then. He pulled Sun Qian to a quiet corner and explained in detail what Director Kong had told him. "So, that’s the situation. What are your thoughts?"
"Phoenix!" Stars appeared in Sun Qian’s eyes. It was clear she held the singer in high esteem. She never imagined she’d get a chance to work with her so soon.
"If I had another year or two, I’m confident I could catch up to her in terms of vocal skill." Thanks to Cheeky’s coaching, Sun Qian’s singing had improved by leaps and bounds. "But right now... I really don’t have much confidence." Sun Qian hesitated.