Respawn Entertainment: Days of Glory

Chapter 1006 Once you enter Rolling Stone, there's no turning back; fashion becomes a distant memory.
At the celebratory banquet that followed, Bian Lang and Guo Sichu only attended half of it before returning to their hotel to rest. Those who had planned to get Bian Lang drunk and have him perform another drunken stunt were ultimately disappointed.

Although Bian Lang didn't perform, he followed the entire three-day rehearsal schedule. His workload was no less than that of the bands performing at the music festival. Although he appeared fine on the surface, he was under more pressure than anyone else.

Now that everything has settled down, Bian Lang, whose tense nerves have relaxed, went back to the hotel and immediately lay down on the sofa and fell asleep.

After turning up the air conditioner temperature a little, Guo Sichu sat on the carpet in front of the sofa, leaned her head against Bian Lang, and started browsing Weibo.

The top three spots on the entertainment charts were all occupied by the Rolling Stone Music Festival, with the number one spot naturally going to be Guo Sichu's debut as the new lead singer of the Rolling Stones.

Apart from her first two new English songs, her performances online have been met with mixed reviews.

The vast majority of those who criticized Guo Sichu for "slacking off" and said "it doesn't matter whether she's there or not" were just passersby and marketing accounts who didn't attend the event and were just making empty boasts.

Although Guo Sichu wouldn't take it to heart, she had a habit of checking what others were saying.

When Guo Sichu opened the article on Boiling News, she couldn't help but laugh. Just the headline made it seem like Rolling Stone's rivals had spent a fortune again... "Pop Queen Music Festival: Showing Off but Not Putting In Her Effort. How Long Can Rolling Stone Consume Her Fame and Goodwill?"

As for the content, Guo Sichu only glanced at it a few times before losing interest. It was only when she saw the Chu Army members in the comments section still stubbornly defending her that she felt somewhat apologetic…

It's not an exaggeration to say she "went through the motions." Rock fans thought it was amazing, but not everyone thought so.

Some of the Chu army members who came specifically for her only heard her sing two songs in their entirety. It's impossible for them not to feel a little uncomfortable. After all, some had traveled from the far north to the far south just to support Guo Sichu's band debut, only to have her sing two songs in full…

This was a situation that Guo Sichu hadn't anticipated at all. If it were just Guo Sichu's own concert, it would be much easier to manage; at worst, she could cancel some parts or reschedule others, and there would always be a way to satisfy her fans.

But this is the Rolling Stones Music Festival, so doing this is inappropriate. She guesses that Liang Kuan is also having a headache over this matter.

The most crucial point is that if only a small number of her fans had these thoughts and were venting their frustrations online, these would be easily resolved as internal conflicts. But Rolling Stones' rivals certainly wouldn't let such an opportunity pass!

Guo Sichu's rhythm is difficult to control, but if you manage to get it going, the rewards will be enormous.

Before she could even message Liang Kuan, he called her: "Chu Chu, if you're not asleep, come out and let's chat!"

A few minutes later, the two started chatting in Liang Kuan's room: "The other side bought trending searches, this won't be suppressed for at least 24 hours... What do you mean?"

"Sister Kuan, it's rare for you to have the chance to ask my opinion, and I feel a little uncomfortable... I'm performing on stage as a member of Rolling Stone this time, and I think there's nothing wrong with doing so. You saw the atmosphere in the audience..."

Liang Kuan didn't sigh when he heard this, but smiled and continued, "That's right, but have you thought about it seriously? If this matter is not handled well or not handled at all, it's not a big deal once or twice, but if it keeps happening like this, then it's the kind of situation that was mentioned in the Boiling News, where you're using up all the goodwill you've accumulated over the years for Rolling Stone."

Rock fans had a blast at today's event, but it's a bit of a stretch to explain to your fans. If you've always been determined to play in a band, then it's fine, but both the record company and Bianlang himself want you to develop in both areas. So I'm worried... There's no precedent for this, and it's really not easy to handle. Also, Rock Records' manager is Chen Shuting, and I'm just your personal manager. Chen Shuting is Rock Records' manager; she's probably still at the after-party right now…”

"Let's wait and see. If things don't escalate too much, we'll handle it quietly..."

No sooner had Guo Sichu finished speaking than there was a knock on Liang Kuan's door. Liang Kuan went over and looked through the peephole, seeing Chen Shuting standing there. He chuckled to himself, "Speak of the devil!"

As soon as Liang Kuan opened the door, a strong, pungent smell of alcohol and perfume hit him...

"Shuting, how much did you drink?"

Liang Kuan's question was out of concern, but Chen Shuting's mind was completely blank: "You all left so early, wouldn't I have to entertain all those people who went to see Chu Chu?"

Sensing the slight "complaint" in her voice, Liang Kuan first ushered Chen Shuting into the house: "Is it over?"

"The rest are just drunkards from the rock scene. Tiger, just keep responding. Give me a drink, I'm dying of thirst!"

Upon hearing this, Guo Sichu got up and poured Chen Shuting a glass of water. Chen Shuting gulped it down before letting out a sigh of relief and saying, "I feel a bit better now! I've seen the online comments, and I've come up with a compromise. What do you think? The Rolling Stones tour can't wait any longer. I think it has to be arranged after we get back from the US. So, how about we organize a few special shows for Guo Sichu's fans?"

Upon hearing that Chen Shuting had come to discuss this matter, Guo Sichu and Liang Kuan both considered it. It was indeed a good direction; if some distinctions were made in the song selection, rock fans shouldn't have any objections, or if they did, it would just be a few words that passed quickly.

"I think we can give it a try. Since what Chuchu is doing is unprecedented in the industry, we can definitely give this uncharted territory a shot. The only question is whether the Rolling Stones musicians can handle it?"

Guo Sichu naturally listened to Liang Kuan. Since Liang Kuan had spoken, she had no reason to disagree: "Then let's give it a try. If the musicians feel they can't handle it, doesn't Rolling Stone have backup musicians?"

Speaking of this, Chen Shuting remembered what Yang Meng had just told her, so she asked directly, "Chuchu, Compass wants to invite you to complete the final map of all-female rock music. What's your opinion?"

Upon hearing this, Guo Sichu and Liang Kuan exchanged glances, both feeling a sense of "once you're in Rolling Stone, you're lost forever in the world of pop." However, it must be said that the invitation was still very tempting for Guo Sichu herself.

If she were in Liu Yao's position, she would have agreed without hesitation. So after thinking for a moment, she asked, "Yang Meng is such a great lead singer, why does she want to give up her position?"

"Her exact words were, 'With just the few of them, Compass might not achieve much in the future, but if you join, the ceiling for Compass's future might be terrifying.' Also, she thought that the two songs you sang tonight would have been even cooler if performed by an all-female rock band!"

There's nothing wrong with either part of the statement, except that Guo Sichu felt the first half wasn't necessarily true. However, the second half was undeniably true!

The lyrics, written entirely from a female perspective, would definitely be more effective on the Compass track. Besides, if these two songs from today's album remain with Rolling Stone, then selecting songs for Rolling Stone's tour after Bian Lang's return will become somewhat difficult.

"I'll think about it. Sister Shuting, you should talk to Yang Meng and tell her to be more confident! With such great vocal qualities, Compass Music will definitely be good. Even if I don't agree in the end, they can be guests at my future solo concerts!"

This answer was within Chen Shuting's expectations. While Guo Sichu taking over Rock Records was inevitable, the preparation time might have been longer had it not been for Bian Lang's ban. After all, there are many incompatibilities between pop and rock, requiring adaptation and leading to numerous unforeseen circumstances…

Just like what happened today, no one at Rolling Stone could have predicted it beforehand.

There are indeed a few people in the Chinese entertainment industry who waver between the two circles, but saying they play rock is just a gimmick, or simply adding another label to their image. Two of them even participated in The Big Band with their bands, but then they turned around and went on to gain fans and become idols on shows like "Sisters Who Make Waves."

Guo Sichu certainly doesn't think or act that way, but she definitely needs to prioritize certain things for a period of time. A large part of the reason Guo Sichu was able to ignite Rolling Stones is because of Bian Lang, but if it were Compass, her motivation might not be as strong.

"Okay, I'll talk to a few girls. So it's settled then. You guys can draft the announcement and we at Rolling Stone will forward it... Oh, and there's something else. Ivo's agent just contacted me, asking if it's possible for Chuchu to sign an overseas management contract with their company?"

Liang Kuan loved hearing this kind of news. She knew that DGM was determined to secure Guo Sichu's overseas management contract, but the more troublemakers there were in the tug-of-war, the better it would be for Guo Sichu. Furthermore, who Guo Sichu's manager would be after she signed was also a crucial question.

Rolling Stones and Guo Sichu are quite different. When Rolling Stones and Bianlang signed DGM, they considered them a band with great potential, a band that could potentially reach the pinnacle of fame, across Europe. But Guo Sichu is a top-tier female pop star in China. If she received the same treatment in every way, she simply wouldn't be able to succeed.

Judging from Guo Sichu's endorsements, only top international brands can afford to hire her. If her agent didn't have enough resources and connections, they probably wouldn't be as successful as Guo Sichu is now.

Secondly, let's consider the final outcome. If Guo Sichu only achieves third- or fourth-rate success abroad, then she might as well not go overseas at all. Why endure being disliked abroad and then criticized and looked down upon domestically? True world-class status means being globally popular, like Madonna, Michael Jackson, and Taylor Swift.

So if you don't have the resources to promote Guo Sichu, even if you sign her for a sky-high price, Guo Sichu herself won't be happy. If she has to rely on the Crazy Horse Show to get ahead, that would be incredibly embarrassing.

DGM's core strength is impeccable, and with the prior collaborations between Bianlang and Rolling Stone, there's a solid foundation for communication and coordination, eliminating the need for re-understanding and rebuilding trust.

To be honest, after all these years, why doesn't China have any world-class singers? One explanation is that the domestic entertainment industry and the entire Chinese-speaking world are enough to make them incredibly wealthy, so they've lost the desire and motivation to cultivate international markets.

Don't talk about Chinese foundations. Whether it's directors or actors, Chinese people have won all three of the highest awards in the European film industry, including the Oscars, with Ang Lee being a representative.

But what about the Grammys? They follow the principle that only those with national significance can win international awards, and they manage to get a few minor, peripheral awards.

This refers to the situation on Earth in the past. The situation is similar on Earth now. Some people have won awards in classical music, but others struggle to even get a nomination.

However, with Bian Lang involved, Guo Sichu is undoubtedly the first Chinese female singer to potentially challenge for a Grammy. As for the Rolling Stones, it's a done deal, just a matter of time, and Bian Lang has the patience to give CAA a good run for their money. Because once something you really want becomes readily available, the focus shifts to enjoying the process itself.

"Let's arrange it then. Should we talk here tomorrow, or back in Kunming?"

"Well, as long as you give me a definite answer, I'll have someone make the contact... By the way, has Chuchu already coordinated the schedule for the US tour?"

Guo Sichu didn't even have a say, because Liang Kuan handled most of the arrangements: "No problem, Chuchu can go with Rock Records without worry. There will be a few events in North America, but it won't affect Rock Records' schedule in any way!"

The three women chatted for half the night, and when Guo Sichu returned to her room, Bian Lang was still fast asleep, snoring loudly.

Guo Sichu had planned to take a nap in bed. Their flight back was at noon, and if no one disturbed her, she could get a few hours of rest.

But just as she finished washing up, Liang Kuan sent her a message: "Dong Youbian released a sample! I really didn't realize before, this girl is quite combative, the key is that this is all so inexplicable..."

Guo Sichu sneered, then replied "I know," and went to find the link on the external website...

"They hope I go mad, and they also hope I won't live alone."
You want me to be aloof and elegant, and you also want me to be frivolous and base.

I want to be sunny, and I also want my charm to remain unwavering.

They made me laugh and cry incoherently, and they even made my heart as withered as a dead tree…

After listening to just the beginning, Guo Sichu immediately closed the link and sighed, "As expected, I can't do without Bian Lang. Looks like I'll have to drag Bian Lang back tomorrow to record a demo first!"

(End of this chapter)