Respawn Entertainment: Days of Glory

Chapter 965 City of Summer Music
The joint statement from DGM and Bianlang overseas was immediately reposted by major entertainment media outlets in China.

Every media outlet has its own interpretation; some are praising Rolling Stones' success in going global, while others are saying that Rolling Stones is groveling before foreign companies.

Finally, it was the official media's statement that definitively settled the matter: "Recently, the TV program 'The Big Band' has successfully gone global, marking another new achievement in my country's cultural innovation..."

This made the sponsors of "The Big Band" very happy. Although apart from Rolling Stone Beer having a small business overseas, they didn't have much business, but it was definitely a great opportunity to enhance their brand image.

As the main sponsor, White Dog not only profited significantly from this surge in popularity but also felt a sense of crisis. Since a second season of "The Big Band" is definitely in the works, Black Cat, with its overseas operations, would certainly not hesitate to invest again.

Indeed, after confirming the authenticity of the news, Liang Yong immediately contacted Niu Boyi to confirm the contract details between Bai Gou and the program.

His exact words were: "If their contract doesn't cover the overseas broadcasting rights for 'The Big Band,' then can we talk about sponsorship fees for the overseas version?"

In Niu Boyi's understanding, this was a very complicated matter. Even without consulting the legal department, he knew that it was possible to pull off such a thing. However, this process would inevitably offend people: "President Liang, in my opinion, you should talk to Rolling Stone first, and then talk to DGM. That would be the most appropriate approach."

Liang Yong understood immediately. After thanking him, he hung up the phone and went to contact Liang Kuan at his door.

Other sponsoring companies were also very astute, and they all contacted the program team and Rolling Stone immediately to confirm the scope of advertising in the overseas version and offer to pay more if necessary.

Everyone knows that the advertising fees they paid back then, even considering the current popularity of "The Big Band," let alone overseas spending, were a huge bargain. Even if the overseas version edited out all their brand's scenes or blurred them out, they wouldn't be able to find fault with the production team. Not cutting them out is a favor, not their obligation.

So Tank was very generous and directly negotiated the price with Rolling Stone.

As for Amir and a group of international musical instrument dealers, they immediately began contacting DGM, which put DGM, which had not yet signed a contract with them, in a passive position.

As Rolling Stone's overseas agent, Evelyn wouldn't get involved in this matter. Even with all sorts of attempts to persuade her within the company, she showed no sign of backing down.

When Adams approached her, he always said the same thing: "I'm sorry, I'm just the Rolling Stones' overseas manager. There are too many investors for the 'The Big Band' project. Even Wave, with so many investors, can't give you a direct answer, let alone me."

“I know, but you’re one of our DGM members, so why don’t you speak to Bian Lang in a personal capacity? Let’s stick to the previous plan, we…”

“No, no, no! Mr. Adams, I hope to continue serving Rolling Stone and Wave overseas. You should handle things that could damage our relationship.” Evelyn had already made her own judgment on this matter.

She can offend the company, she can argue with her superiors, but she absolutely cannot ruin her relationship with Bian Lang. As long as she has this connection with Bian Lang, no one in DGM can do anything to her, but the premise is that Bian Lang is a very sentimental person.

Ultimately, Adams and Liang Kuan, separated by the entire Eurasian continent, fought a fierce battle over the phone for a full hour, finally securing the overseas rights they wanted at a price 20% higher than before.

However, this deal alone has already recouped a third of the cost from just a few major musical instrument dealers, so this back-and-forth is just a common tactic of capital, not their real purpose.

When Martin approached him, Adams knew that the project was no longer what he had imagined.

Next, with the help of Rolling Stone, negotiations began with advertisers in China...

As for the domestic situation, with the foreign affairs department taking further action, the relevant authorities directly instructed Weibo to cool down this trending topic.

Meanwhile, the release of Guo Sichu and Rolling Stone's new poster immediately went viral on Weibo, sparking enthusiasm among both rock music fans and Guo Sichu's own fans. Although Bian Lang wasn't mentioned at all, music fans could clearly see the deep affection between the couple.

Bianlang had barely been released overseas when Guo Sichu followed suit domestically, without any hesitation. With this coordinated attack, even if Liu Xingwu was furious, he could only rely on an insider within the company to control the fans.

He thought that since Bian Lang couldn't make a sound in China, and he was now a hot commodity at music festivals, he could challenge him. But who knew that Bian Lang's diva girlfriend wouldn't agree!

As for Xia Yuxi's haters, without the guidance and support of capital, they could only scatter like birds and beasts...

With such a massive influx of traffic boosted by multiple sources, Bilibili's pre-orders reached a new high for "The Big Band".

When this news reached You Xuefeng, the entire Blueberry TV team was hoping to achieve a new ratings peak.

Yu Xuefeng mobilized all his resources, replacing all media advertising slots with posters for "The Big Band." With Director Wu's support, "The Big Band" promotions began scrolling across the large screens of major commercial complexes in Kunming, making the entire city feel like a "The Big Band City."

At 7 p.m. on Friday, half an hour before the program was scheduled to start, the large screen in People's Square had already begun displaying a scrolling promotional message.

Inside the Sisters Who Make Waves Fried Chicken store, Monkey, who had been reassigned, was exhausted: "This feels like what my dad's generation used to say, watching a movie together on the threshing ground."

After hearing this, my colleague laughed and said, "But Brother Lang is really something else. He didn't even show his face, but he stirred up the entertainment industry like crazy, and our business is booming too. Do you think you might be among the people going to Shanghai this time?"

The monkey waved his hand and said, "Who knows? Anyway, I've submitted my application. It's up to Sister Lan to decide who to choose. I've worked in the lab before, so I should have some advantage, right? Number 768, your fried chicken is ready!"

After the monkey finished calling out the number, it placed the packaged fried chicken on the counter, waiting for the customer to come and collect it.

Several mature-looking women walked over, checked their food order numbers, picked up their food, and left. They muttered to themselves, "It's been so many years since our Chu army has had a collective activity. Do you think the King of Chu will really show up tonight?"

"It's hard to say. Anyway, she's in Kunming. I heard she'll be in several places tonight. Forget about the Rolling Stones LAB; it's a place for hundreds of thousands of hippies and rock fans. We won't be able to get a spot there. This should be the biggest open-air venue in the city, so they should be arranging a stop there."

The voice wasn't quiet, and the monkey behind the counter overheard it. To show off his superiority as a quarter of the staff, the monkey suddenly blurted out, "7:45, definitely here!"

Upon hearing this, the bright-eyed, white-toothed girl who was leading the group turned around and asked suspiciously, "How did you know?" At that glance, the monkey knew he had been tricked.

"Hey, our Sister Lang Fried Chicken is owned by Bian Lang's older sister, so shouldn't we have some inside information?"

After hearing the monkey's somewhat hesitant answer, the girl stood there for a moment, then exclaimed softly, "Oh yeah, so this is our sister's business! Tell me quickly, what other inside stories are there?"

Six or seven out of ten people who came here today are here to watch The Big Band. They are either rock music fans, Guo Sichu's fans, or fans of Xia Yuxi. When they heard that there was inside information here, the people in line behind them did not rush them. They were all waiting for the monkey to give them spoilers.

The monkey's knowledge was indeed limited, but it was definitely more than what these fans knew. He reviewed what Bian Lan had casually let slip during the meeting, and then said, "You guys are just waiting to be fed dog food!"

"Oh!" Upon hearing this answer, a chorus of cheers erupted from the audience.

Today, there are a total of 9 large screens in Kunming showing "The Big Band". In order to maximize the momentum, bands or guests participating in the finals of "The Big Band" will appear on each screen at different times.

Of course, there was no official announcement about this event; it was just circulating among private fan circles. Those in the know understand—fans are often most likely to believe rumors from unclear sources.

At this moment, Guo Sichu had indeed arrived at People's Square. Without anyone noticing, she concealed herself completely and, led by Bian Lan, went directly into the kitchen through the back door of the Sisters Who Make Waves Fried Chicken restaurant.

When the monkey saw that it was the boss lady who brought people, she assumed that the boss lady knew about the staffing pressure and came to help. So she immediately started making arrangements: "Hey colleague, you come and take orders here, I'll go help with the fried chicken!"

Hearing this, Bian Lan and Guo Sichu were both slightly taken aback. After they came to their senses, Bian Lan jokingly scolded the monkey, "If you're not afraid that our shop won't be able to close tonight, then let your sister Chu go!"

Upon hearing this, the monkey felt his heart skip a beat. After turning his head to look again, he suppressed the urge to swear and shouted, "Girl from number 768, come back here! I'll give you Sister Chu's autograph!"

Guo Sichu looked at Bian Lan with a puzzled expression after hearing this, as if to say, "Why is everyone's style so rock and roll?"

Bian Lan could only sigh and say, "He knows the second brother, and he's probably been influenced by him to go a little crazy. But, most people in Yunnan Province are probably like that..."

When girl number 768 heard the shout, she assumed it was just another typical pickup line and didn't want to pay any attention. But her friends egged her on: "Wang Ying, this is probably your best chance to get close to the King of Chu. Anyway, it's broad daylight, and Emperor Qianlong is right here, so he can't possibly do anything outrageous. Going back and taking a look won't hurt!"

Wang Ying thought about it and it seemed to make sense, so she smiled and turned back.

The people around were just enjoying the spectacle, joining in the commotion even before it started. Some even took out their phones to record short videos…

Wang Ying wasn't filming these kinds of shots. As she walked, she added her own dramatic flair: "Everyone can be my witnesses! If that guy pulls out an autograph, I'll think this 'Sisters Who Make Waves' fried chicken place is definitely a fake! Don't even think about trying to fool me with a fake one. We've been working here for over ten years; we can tell the difference between a real and a fake autograph at a glance..."

"Yep!"

"Hey bro, have you thought this through? We're all die-hard fans, don't ruin our sister's reputation!"

Listening to these conversations, Guo Sichu couldn't help but burst into laughter, clutching her stomach in the control room. Caught up in the atmosphere, she too became playful, and while the monkey's attention was entirely on Wang Ying, she nimbly dodged and hid in a corner of the control room.

Bian Lan smiled and stepped forward, completely blocking her view.

Wang Ying walked back to the Sisters Who Make Waves Fried Chicken restaurant and, amidst the cheers of the crowd, reached out to the monkey and said, "Why don't you give it to me!"

The monkey reached out and asked her, "Give it to me! Why don't you prepare your own things before signing it?"

Seeing the monkey's calm and collected counterattack, Wang Ying's heart rate soared to 180: "No way, no way, am I really going to stand shoulder to shoulder with my idol up close?"

But after scanning the store and not seeing anyone resembling Guo Sichu, she calmed down a bit: "So it's the same old story: adding me on WeChat to ask for my name, then waiting for Queen Chu to sign her autograph before asking me out for drinks, right?"

Normally, the monkey would think the same way, but right now, his desire for prestige outweighed the pleasure of picking up girls. He simply smiled and said, "Ready in a minute, add me on WeChat or not, it's up to you..."

Now Wang Ying was puzzled again: "This guy..."

However, as a loyal Chu soldier, she always carried various support supplies with her. At this point, she directly opened her backpack, took out a brand-new CD with its plastic wrapping still intact, and handed it to Monkey: "Wang Ying, Ying who stood out..."

The monkey took the CD, tossed it to Wang Ying with a look that said, "Just wait and see," and then turned around confidently.

In an instant, as the monkey's face fell, all five people in the workshop burst into laughter!
Those outside who were always eager for a good show started laughing when they saw what was happening in the control room: "What the hell is this? Is this guy just here to be funny?"

"Damn it, this guy's going to be famous! But he's definitely going to get fired from the show tomorrow, it's so embarrassing!"

Wang Ying laughed out loud too. Although it was a bit boring, she was quite happy, after all, this kind of thing...

Before she could finish her thought, she saw a woman with her hands on her hips behind her in a blind spot in the control room.

With her keen eye honed over a decade of experience with the Chu army, Wang Ying immediately let out a scream comparable to a sonic attack: "Ah!!!!!! King Chu!!!!"

(End of this chapter)