She debuted after having a child with a celestial being.

He first typed "The Only One" into the search box.

In my memory, this song was written and composed by Pan Yun'an and Deng Ziqi and was only released in 2023. At this moment, the copyright library is as quiet as if it never existed, with no registration record whatsoever.

He then searched for "The World Gave Me," a special single that Faye Wong would perform at the 2025 Spring Festival Gala, with lyrics by Yuan Jing and music by Cao Zhengjie, but at that moment, it was also blank.

Li Ronghao's "Plum Jam" was released with the album in 2022, and Li Ronghao himself wrote the lyrics and music.

"Parting Blossoms" will not be released as a single by Sony Music until July 2023. The lyrics and music are by Li Haorui, and the arrangement is by Tan Kankan.

The original version of "What I'm Expecting Isn't Snow" was released in November 2023, with lyrics by Wang Chen and music by Zhu Ziyou.

None of the five songs have any copyright registration records.

Xiao He leaned back in his chair, his fingers hovering over the keyboard for a moment.

It's 2018 now.

Some of these songs haven't even been written by the lyricists and composers themselves.

However, copyright registration only recognizes timestamps; whoever registers first legally owns the copyright.

As a reborn individual, he has no obligation to wait for others to finish writing before buying.

He has every right to register those melodies that have not yet been created using his memories of the future.

First come, first served, no problem.

The copyright office only recognizes two things in the definition of originality: the creation time and the registration time. He remembers every note and every lyric of these songs; therefore, he is the creator. As for those songwriters who haven't yet started writing, he'll consider this song as something he'll write himself for the rest of his life.

He summoned Hechao Music's legal counsel to his office early the next morning.

The other party was a copyright lawyer recommended by Liu Yifei's team, who had been practicing for more than 15 years. When he entered the room, he saw five blank work registration application forms and corresponding sheet music, lyrics, and audio demos spread out on the table.

Xiao He laid out all the application materials and fee details required for the process in front of him at once.

"Can we register them all at once?" Xiao He asked.

The lawyer looked down and flipped through a few pages of sheet music, his brow furrowing slightly before relaxing, then turning into slight surprise.

All five documents comply with the requirements for copyright registration.

The base files include complete sheet music and lyrics, MP3 audio files, and a description of the composition. The creation date of each file is recorded with a timestamp automatically generated by the file saving server at the time, accurate to the hour.

He looked up at Xiao He and asked only one question: "Did you write all of this?"

"right."

The lawyer didn't ask any more questions.

Having worked in the copyright industry for so many years, he has seen far too many cases of people fighting tooth and nail over a single hit song.

Register early for peace of mind; he understands this industry rule better than anyone.

The two logged onto the official website of the China Copyright Protection Center on their office computer, registered an account, and completed real-name authentication.

There are two pathways for music copyright registration: one is the copyright registration through the China Copyright Protection Center, and the other is the MORP digital music copyright registration system of the Music Copyright Society of China (MCSC).

Xiao He chose to pursue a two-pronged approach.

Official registration is handled through the Copyright Protection Center, while online filing is done through the Music Copyright Society of China (MCSC) MORP system, ensuring the maximum possible retention of timestamps.

The lawyer uploaded the materials item by item: lyrics file, sheet music file, and MP3 file of the song. At least one of the three items had to be uploaded, but Xiao He insisted on uploading all three, leaving no loopholes in any detail.

When filling in the work information, each song was accompanied by a detailed explanation of its creation.

The creation time, location, and source of inspiration must be clearly stated to ensure that the claim of originality can withstand any legal challenge.

After submission, the system generates an application number. Both offline and electronic versions are automatically submitted online and then automatically enter the acceptance window, with the entire process completed within a few hours.

The cost is not high. The registration fee for each song is about 300 yuan, and the total cost for five songs is 1,500 yuan. Legal fees are calculated separately, and the overall cost is less than 20,000 yuan.

Locking in the copyrights to five hit songs with a combined total of over 10 billion plays for less than 20,000 yuan is a legendary return on investment in any business case.

When the last application number was generated, Xiao He archived a screenshot of the confirmation page and then sent these screenshots one by one to the shareholders of Hechao Music for filing.

Liu Yifei's phone lit up a few seconds later.

She clicked on the first screenshot, the title of which was "The Only One".

The second album is titled "What the World Gave Me".

The third one is "Plum Jam".

……

After saving all five screenshots, Xiao He sent a message: "Sis, these songs are so cheap right now it's like they're free. In a couple of years, during the copyright war, I predict a hit master tape could sell for seven figures. HF's arsenal is ready to be stockpiled in advance."

She replied quickly, with only three words: "You brat."

Then she replied, her voice very soft but her tone serious: "You did this all night? Don't you care about your health?"

"If you feel sorry for me, sister, give me a full-body massage later."

"Get out of here!"

Xiao He smiled at the screen but didn't reply.

He leaned back in his chair, the July night in Beijing outside his office window as quiet as if it had been muted.

These five songs are now unknown and unnoticed by anyone, except him.

On the same day, however, the voices online were utterly unforgiving.

An article attributed to "talent scouts in the industry" was widely circulated.

"Is the transition from actress to singer a step up or a fall? Liu Yifei couldn't make it in the film and television industry, so her decision to switch to singing was a desperate attempt to find a solution."

The comments section was abuzz with arguments. Some mocked her, saying, "She can't even be a good actress, yet she wants to be a singer," while others saw through the underlying logic: "This is capital forcing Liu Yifei to back down. She doesn't sign with a company, doesn't curry favor with anyone, and forms her own group and starts her own label. She's too disobedient."

"No celebrity can compete with capital, even if that person is Liu Yifei."

Liu Yifei did not respond, but simply forwarded the link to the article to her lawyer.

Her team then updated the progress report on the rights protection efforts: more than 20 accounts spreading rumors have been locked, five of which have entered the litigation process, and the court schedules for some cases have been published. Among the accounts held accountable, four entities have been ordered by the court to pay compensation and issue public apologies, while several others are currently exchanging evidence.

That evening, Liu Yifei posted a message on her WeChat Moments for the first time ever.

No pictures, no links, just a few lines of text: My movie is being pushed back, my song is about to be released, my company has opened, and my lawyer's letter has been sent.

Who's next?

The accompanying images are the five copyright registration screenshots that Xiao He just sent. The copyright numbers have been blurred out around the edges of the screenshots, leaving only the song titles and dates.

"Wait until I make a graceful turn."

The next morning, she received a message from her lawyer: "The master tapes of 'Crossing the Line' have been handed over."

This means it is completely completed.

The copyright of the lyrics and music belongs to Hechao Music and the creators, while the copyright of the recording and production is exclusively owned by Hechao Music.

She took a screenshot of the message and sent it to Xiao He, adding the caption: "HF Group is about to open for business."

Xiao He leaned against the mirror in the tour rehearsal room, looked at the screenshot, and typed a line: "Sister Xixi, let's row our boats together in the music scene."

There's something off about Liu Yifei's comment!