Chapter 58: School Grass? Straw? Both are Better than Fur!

At the forefront was a middle-aged woman in a black business suit, her figure gaunt, her cheeks sunken, and her face framed by a pair of old-fashioned black-rimmed glasses, giving off a rather sharp and unkind impression. Even with a smile on her face, she did not appear approachable or kind.

She extended her hand to Bai Su and said, "Manager Bai, it will be a lot of work for you."

"President Cai, you're too kind. This is what we should be doing," Bai Su shook her hand and feigned surprise, "Why did you come in person, President Cai?"

This woman was the chairman and founder of Miaoren Company. Normally, such advertising shoots would be handled by the company's advertising department or outsourced to external advertising agencies. It was rare for a big boss like her to personally get involved.

"Originally, it was assigned to the marketing department to handle the coordination. It just so happened that there wasn't much going on at the company today, so I thought I'd come and take a look. You know, the quarterly advertising campaign is a top priority for the company. I have high standards, and to avoid any dissatisfaction with the final product and the need for rework, I decided to come and supervise today. Any issues can be addressed on the spot."

"President Cai is truly dedicated," Bai Su said admiringly. "You've already met Benben and Huiyin. Tang Xin's vocal cords are injured and she needs some time to rest. Please bear with us, President Cai."

"Oh?" Cai Yanfen turned to look at Tang Zhong and said, "Tang Xin, are you okay? How serious is your injury?"

Tang Zhong smiled shyly but did not speak.

Bai Su quickly shifted the focus back to herself, giggling in a flirtatious manner, "The doctor advised Tang Xin not to speak for now. As you know, there's a Butterfly Duo concert in two months, and we're worried that her voice won't recover in time. Sigh, we're also anxious. If her voice doesn't recover, how can we face the fans who bought tickets?"

Upon hearing Bai Su's words, Tang Zhong's knees buckled, and she almost fell to the ground.

A concert?

There's actually a concert? Why has no one ever mentioned it to me?

Am I going to accept flowers on stage or get cursed out?

"Oh, then you should rest well," Cai Yanfen said understandingly. "But, what about Tang Xin's lines for the ad shoot?"

"Can we use a voiceover first?" Bai Su suggested. "Or, we can shoot the visuals first. Once Tang Xin's voice is better, we'll have her record the audio in the studio. What do you think?"

Advertising usually consists of visuals and audio. The visuals are typically shot first, and the audio is recorded in a studio or by a voice model. Even if the audio isn't recorded in the early stages, it's still manageable.

Cai Yanfen nodded and said, "That works."

Behind Cai Yanfen stood a small old man in a white Tang suit, with white hair and a long string of prayer beads around his neck. He was stern and aloof.

"Director Feng, it's been a while. You still look as sharp as ever," Bai Su said with a smile, extending her hand.

The old man was named Feng Yang, a professional director of advertising films who had worked on commercials for luxury brands like Mercedes-Benz and BMW. He was quite famous in the industry. Miaoren Company had clearly paid a significant amount to bring him in to direct this new ad, which explained why Cai Yanfen had come to 'visit the set' in person.

Moreover, given his seniority in the industry, there might be many more opportunities for collaboration, so Bai Su had to flatter him.

He shook Bai Su's hand with a reserved gesture and said expressionlessly, "Manager Bai, it's good to see you again."

"Yes, please take care of these young ones," Bai Su said, pointing to the three members of the Butterfly Duo.

"My standards are very high," he replied curtly, handing over a document. "The lines are minimal. Each person has only one line. Have them look it over and practice their expressions. I want it to be perfect today. Understand?"

"Of course," Bai Su said, though she was annoyed by the old man's attitude, she still smiled and took the script.

Bai Su distributed the script to the three members of the Butterfly Duo and whispered, "Take a look. If it works, we'll shoot according to the script. If not, we'll follow our plan."

Tang Zhong glanced at the script and almost fainted from shock.

Each of them indeed had only one line, or rather, they all had the same line.

The script was set as follows: The three girls, dressed in school uniforms, played students walking out of the school gate. Zhang Heben saw a child eating an ice cream and said, "I want to eat Miaomiao." Lin Huiyin also said, "I want to eat Miaomiao." Tang Xin then said, "We all want to eat Miaomiao."

Then, the three of them ran to buy three ice creams and ate them with happy faces, even mimicking the child by licking their lips.

The final voiceover for the ad was: "Miaomiao, making life more wonderful!"

Tang Zhong thought, who wrote this script? Can't you put a little more effort into it?

However, the worse the script, the more it would help their plan.

The three pretended to discuss the script with Bai Su, and then Bai Su approached Feng Yang and said, "Director Feng, they have some thoughts about the script."

"What kind of thoughts?" Feng Yang raised an eyebrow, clearly displeased. The script had been approved by him, so any objections from the Butterfly Duo were essentially a challenge to his judgment.

"Well, they think the script is quite good and fits their image well, as if it was tailor-made for them," Bai Su started by giving Feng Yang a compliment, which visibly improved his mood. "However, they feel that the ad lacks a strong highlight or a memorable point."

"What are their ideas?" Feng Yang asked, his expression still displeased.

"Actually, we've been discussing how to shoot this ad for a long time," Bai Su, a shrewd person, said. On one hand, she was deliberately prolonging the 'thinking' time to avoid making Feng Yang feel outsmarted. On the other hand, she wanted to make Cai Yanfen feel grateful for their dedication.

No boss dislikes a dedicated and responsible partner. While Cai Yanfen was paying the Butterfly Duo for their endorsement, they could have just gone through the motions, but instead, they were fully committed.

"You've really worked hard. I'll have to reward you properly," Cai Yanfen's expression softened even more.

Bai Su pointed to Tang Zhong and said, "Subversion. First, image subversion. Tang Xin has always had a neutral image, looking quite manly. She can easily play a male role, which will give people who know the Butterfly Duo a fresh perspective. Director Feng won't forget the sensation caused by Fan Bingbing's appearance in Paris in a black riding outfit. Women can also be very cool and stylish."

"Then what?" Cai Yanfen's interest was piqued.

"Emotional subversion," Bai Su continued, feeling a bit more relaxed now that her first point had convinced Cai Yanfen. "Most ads feature men pursuing women, so let's do the opposite. This will give the audience a fresh feeling."

"Hmm. What's the story setting?" Cai Yanfen asked again, completely forgetting to consult Feng Yang. The professional director felt utterly useless and his face turned red with embarrassment.

"We're not professionals, so we came up with a rather vague story," Bai Su glanced at Feng Yang and smiled. "Director Feng, you're a master. Can you give us some feedback? See if this story can work."

"Manager Bai, you flatter me," Feng Yang smiled, a rare occurrence. "Go on, I'm curious."

"Since the target audience for eating ice cream in winter is young people, we set the story in a school. Tang Xin is the most handsome boy in school and a good friend of Heben and Huiyin. Both Heben and Huiyin like him. After school, they both plan to confess their feelings. When Tang Xin walks to the school playground, he sees Heben approaching. He turns around, and Huiyin is also coming towards him. He looks at both of them, then eats the Miaomiao ice cream in his hand and shouts, 'I only have one.'"

Cai Yanfen looked a bit disappointed and said, "Isn't that a bit silly?"

Feng Yang also said, "Isn't it a bit cliché?"

Bai Su remained silent, watching the two of them.

Cai Yanfen and Feng Yang exchanged a glance. After a few seconds, they both laughed.

"Not bad. It's interesting," Feng Yang laughed. "Very interesting. The visuals are humorous and memorable."

"The two girls originally planned to confess, but he misunderstood and thought they were after his ice cream," Cai Yanfen adjusted her glasses and smiled. "The lines are also interesting. 'I only have one' refers to the ice cream, but it also implies that he is the only one. This subtly suggests the dilemma the two girls face in their feelings for him, doesn't it?"

"That's all I could think of," Bai Su smiled. "Maybe the audience will come up with even more interpretations."

"Director Feng, what do you think?" Cai Yanfen asked Feng Yang.

"The story is simple, but the message is good. Linking Miaomiao ice cream with emotional states is quite innovative," Feng Yang said. "Let's give it a try."

In a corner, Zhang Heben pouted and complained to Lin Huiyin, "Someone is really shameless. Setting herself up as the school heartthrob and making others chase after her. Hmph, school heartthrob, more like a straw."

Tang Zhong pretended not to hear her and thought, whether it's a school heartthrob or straw, it's better than wearing fur.

He looked over at Bai Su, wondering if they had accepted his creative idea.