Respawn Entertainment: Days of Glory

Chapter 980 "Horse"

After the song "Wait for the Waves" was finished, the veterans of the Rolling Stones all felt a long-lost feeling.

As Bianlang has become increasingly busy, he has had very few days to enjoy making music. In this respect, it is a good thing that Bianlang has been banned.

"Sing one more, Lang-ge!"

"One more, this style is perfect!"

"Bian Lang, don't tell me you only have this one song!" Bian Lang could ignore what others said, but he couldn't fool Guo Sichu when she spoke: "I do have the song, I'll give it to you later."

Bian Lang absolutely cannot sing "Unparalleled Beauty" with feeling; it must be sung by Guo Sichu.

Wu Qingfeng's voice is unique in the entire Chinese music scene, but Bian Lang believes that his songwriting talent is also not to be underestimated.

Every year at Taiwan's Golden Melody Awards, one name always stands out and attracts attention: Wu Qingfeng. He is not only the only grand slam winner in the history of the Golden Melody Awards, but also a landmark figure in the Chinese music scene.

But behind this title lies a lot of heartbreaking stories.

Wu Qingfeng's current achievements are unparalleled by ordinary singers, but the halo of fame has not brought him true happiness.

During his childhood, he lived in his father's shadow and suffered from domestic violence. His father's violence forced young Wu Qingfeng to record his experiences on the calendar, marking each one with an "X" to indicate whether he was safe.

This kind of life made him increasingly introverted. During his adolescence, he even suffered bullying from classmates and was ridiculed as a "sissy." These painful experiences became permanent wounds in his heart.

In the world of music, Wu Qingfeng found an outlet for self-redemption. While performing at Witch House, he met his soulmate, Deserts Chang. The two confided their past pains late at night, and Deserts Chang's concern brought Wu Qingfeng a sense of warmth.

During his university years, he actively participated in campus singing competitions and successfully formed the band "Sodagreen," thus beginning his musical journey.

In 2005, Sodagreen released their debut album. At the concert, Wu Qingfeng expressed his deep gratitude to his mentor, Lin Weizhe, for his support. However, as the band's fame grew, so did the pressure from public opinion. Facing relentless online bullying, he remained true to himself and even wrote a song in response.

In 2009, a negative report about him caused a huge uproar, and Wu Qingfeng decided to suspend his music career to protect himself and the people around him.

After experiencing many hardships, Wu Qingfeng finally won the Golden Melody Award for Best Lyricist in 2016 with "He Raises His Right Hand to Call Roll", becoming a leading figure in the music industry.

However, fate's cruel joke did not end there. In 2018, he terminated his contract with his mentor, Lin Weizhe, hoping to make a fresh start. Unexpectedly, his mentor sued him, leaving him feeling disappointed and helpless.

Despite this, Wu Qingfeng did not give up. He continued to create in his own way, releasing his debut solo album "Astronaut" in 2019, for which he won the Golden Melody Award for Best Mandarin Male Singer. His demeanor at the awards ceremony remained humble and low-key. Wu Qingfeng's story is not only about musical brilliance, but also about reflection and redemption regarding life.

Whenever he stands on stage and looks back on the past, Wu Qingfeng can feel the pain and struggles he once endured. But he believes that gentleness and strength are not opposites, but can coexist within a single person. He uses music to comfort himself and to warm others, becoming an "olive tree" in the hearts of many.

In this highly competitive music scene, Wu Qingfeng's story teaches us that true strength stems from inner steadfastness and a love for life.

Speaking of the lawsuit, it's another trial of law and morality. The whole matter involves not only Wu Qingfeng, but also the trademark of Sodagreen.

Back on Earth, who didn't have a few Sodagreen songs in their youthful memories? "Little Love Song," "The Singer," "I Miss You So Much," "When We Walked Together," "Rainy Night," "Unparalleled Beauty"...

As a well-known band originally from Taiwan, Sodagreen officially debuted in 2004 and has a wide appeal among young people born in the 80s and 90s.

From 2006 to 2015, Sodagreen, who had been in the industry for over a decade, maintained their creative output, releasing many highly popular songs with a fresh and warm style and distinctive characteristics. They have a large fan base and have won numerous awards over the years.

In 2018, Sodagreen and their former manager, Lin Weizhe, parted ways. It is reported that at the end of 2018, both parties signed a contract termination agreement in the presence of lawyers. However, in 2019, Wu Qingfeng was sued by his former mentor, Lin Weizhe, for violating the Copyright Act because he sang a song he wrote.

A series of disputes led to the band being unable to continue using the name "Sodagreen". On July 3, 2020, Sodagreen announced on Weibo that the band had changed its name to "Yu Dingxi", officially announcing Yu Dingxi as a sequel to Sodagreen.

The new band name is a deconstruction of "Sodagreen," taking parts from the traditional Chinese characters for "Sodagreen": the fish of "Su," the ding of "Da," and the silk of "Lv." In addition, the band members also adopted new stage names: Afu changed to Ketian, Jiakai changed to Shidou, Xiaowei changed to Ba Nu, Agong changed to Jinba, Xinyi changed to Xiangwo, and Qingfeng changed to Richu.

The dispute over the band Sodagreen changing its name to "Yu Ding Xi" and demanding that Lin Weizhe return the trademark rights to Sodagreen continues.

Since the split, Wu Qingfeng and others have consistently sued Lin Weizhe Music Company for possessing the "Sodagreen" registered trademark and demanded its return. However, after two court hearings, Wu Qingfeng and others lost both cases, and the trademark rights still belong to Lin Weizhe.

When the case went to trial for the second time in May 2021, Lin Weizhe accused Wu Qingfeng of "setting a trap" to frame him. Wu Qingfeng admitted that when the band went on hiatus in 2017, everyone ostensibly used "Wu Qingfeng is taking a vacation" as a reason for publicity, but in reality, they were coerced by Lin Weizhe.

Despite losing the second trial, Wu Qingfeng and his bandmates stated, "The more biased the judgment, the stronger our belief in reclaiming our band name becomes. Trademark law cannot continue to ignore the rights of artists and creators. We will appeal to the end and get back our band name 'Sodagreen'."

No one expected that not long after the news of the defeat was announced, the trademark battle would take a turn for the better when former agent Lin Weizhe announced that he would give up the trademark rights.

Lin Weizhe stated, "I knew I had to make a decision, to let go of the past, whether it was good or bad. So I decided to relinquish ownership of the trademark and wish the name a better future."

This dispute has finally come to an end. On October 1 of the same year, according to the announcement, the trademark rights to the name "Sodagreen" were acquired by Sodagreen Limited from October 1, 2022, for a period of 10 years, and the six members decided to reclaim their original band name.

But in Bian Lang's view, the value of the Sodagreen trademark would be almost nonexistent once these individuals were no longer involved.

Just like the Rolling Stones now, if there were any disputes, Bian Lang and his brothers could simply start a new band under a different name and continue their activities. Fans appreciate their music; "Rolling Stones" is now a label attached to them. There are similar examples on Earth; without Shin's band, it's difficult for them to achieve much. As for Black Panther, that's a different story altogether.

In the end, the group didn't get what they wanted, so Bian Lang called everyone to wait for Nuozhen to start the show.

Considering Guo Sichu's influence, Bian Lang didn't dare to let her mingle with the regular audience. Instead, the group set up camp in the middle of the barrier. Despite the slight obstruction, Guo Sichu's discovery still caused quite a stir among the music fans in the audience.

Especially since she appeared at the music festival as a couple with Bian Lang...

Guo Sichu is used to causing trouble and handles the well-intentioned harassment from fans in a very organized manner, but Bian Lang seems to be making a bit too much of a fuss.

The calls for photos and group shots continued until Nuozhen's performance began.

The first song was "Lanruo Tara," which I had sung before. Some fans at the event had heard it before, so the atmosphere was quite good.

When it came to the second song, and seeing that it was titled "Horse," Bian Lang was still a little worried. To put it this way, the song's emotional expression was so rich that Bian Lang felt it would be difficult to portray it well without experiencing the emotions firsthand.

According to Bian Lang's understanding, the first thing that comes to mind when he thinks of the white horse is to ride a dream, and every child is an extension of the parents' dreams.

So what Bian Lang heard was a terminally ill father's dying words, filled with hope and regret for his child.

In most of our families, the father carries a dignified and solemn air. He seems to never cry, always a silent figure standing in our hearts. The children are in their prime, their eyes filled with colorful scenery, their hearts filled with restless expectations.

But the dying father knew that behind the world's splendor lay thorns, and that unrealistic expectations might only bring more worries when they were shattered. Yet he couldn't bear to extinguish the burning fire in his child's heart. Behind the contradiction and struggle lay the little time left. You don't know that even on a silent mountain, water flows quietly. The dying father also wanted to take off his mask of pretense.

Perhaps all the regrets can only be hidden in that silent, deep mountain. In the few days left, I only want to firmly engrave the image of my child into the hardest stone of my heart. I wish to use my last strength to pray for you. May the future journey be filled with the warmth of spring and sunshine, and may we travel slowly without wind or waves.

Bian Lang also saw Dou Dou's interpretation of this song, which was as follows:
The second song is called "Horse," and then, this song is about...

Um, I wonder if you have someone like that in your heart, someone who may have been planning to leave you for a long time, or someone who, in some sense, is packing their bags and going to a faraway place, and we know that we are watching them go, but we can't stop them.

All we can give him is this song, "Horse".

I don't want to simply describe the above instances as suicide or death. I've always believed that leaving this world doesn't happen in a single moment. For some, it's like the ending only becoming clear after countless layers of thin paper have been stacked. If sunlight can still shine through the back of the paper, death might not actually occur. Sometimes, premeditation isn't even a matter of subjective will.

Therefore, if we take "Horse" as the answer to "What Can I Use to Keep You?", judging from the lyrics, it seems that I couldn't keep you.

You said the scenery is picturesque
I see you're distracted.

Don't listen to me anymore.

Let's take off our disguises...

It refers to someone who is planning to die but cannot be honest about it, because people in normal social situations tend to "be strong."

"Can you hear me crying? You probably can't, so go away like a white horse, carefree and at ease..."

This sentence often reminds me of the scene where my friend cried and told me what she could do for me. The image of the white horse appears for the first time here. White in this murky world may symbolize an ideal state, and those who cannot face reality are like a white horse trying to run away.

"Let me take a good look at your appearance, counting down to your final curtain call. Forgive me for stopping too early. My beautiful one, do you know how scarred I am?" The first two lines are self-evident, but the words "counting down" seem too blunt.

"My beloved, do you know how scarred I am?" This lyric is so endearing. Who isn't carrying a heavy burden? The dead are gone, but the living remain. Even with another wound in their hearts, they still have nowhere to complain about life. That's why this world needs love!
Everyone carries a burden, and not everyone is struggling, so we shouldn't be cold-hearted and dismiss others' emotions as mere affectation. If possible, we should offer more understanding; empathy and kindness are true resilience compared to indifference.

My white horse, please slow down!

This time, I won't be taking you home.
Spring, warm sunshine, come quickly!
Ensure he had a smooth and uneventful journey.
My white horse, slow down!
I won't be taking you this time.
go home……"

The imagery in these lyrics is like something that feels ethereal, but is actually very close to you deep inside. You might not understand it at first, but you'll always resonate with it. And when you truly understand it, it's an empathetic feeling that you can't escape.

Just like how Bian Lang always gets teary-eyed when he listens to Zhang Chu's "Sister," perhaps he's too fascinated by the imagery of "going home."

Bian Lang has always believed that the family is the root of the tragedy of the Chinese people, which ironically makes everyone yearn for the image of a stable and peaceful "home". For many people, this place may be anime, a game, a celebrity, or a sport; in short, it is a spiritual paradise for people.

But sometimes, it is also the stark reality of the world. These final words of blessing feel like a farewell. Life is never without its storms. This time, not being able to "take you home" might mean leaving this world forever.

Therefore, when Bian Lang heard this, he felt as if he had truly found a home on the Blue Planet.

"Home" may not be a beautiful place, but it is everyone's spiritual practice in this lifetime.

(End of this chapter)