This celebrity is absolutely wicked.

Chapter 71, next song: Folk Song (4200 words, please subscribe!)
While learning the Shaanxi dialect, Lu Ran couldn't stop thinking about the "Northwest Hammer King" meme.

This joke comes from the TV series "Ordinary World," and it's something the character Sun Shaoan often says to his wife He Xiulian.

The most classic example is when He Xiulian went to get her hair done, and when she came back, Sun Shaoan asked her, "What did you do?"

He Xiulian said, "I went to Shigejie Commune and asked Hu Delu to give me a fashionable hairstyle."

Sun Shaoan immediately cursed, "You can do whatever you want with that ball head, I really want to beat you to death!"

In reality, the couple had a good relationship, and Sun Shaoan never really beat He Xiulian to death, or even really did beat her.

It's a coincidence that there's a scene in the script where the female lead goes to Shigejie Commune to get her hair done.

Lu Ran felt that if this line could be incorporated into the script, the whole story would be very interesting.

Ma Tieshan's character can be fleshed out, and his relationship with his wife Li Chunxing will become more three-dimensional.

It's a real shame that he's not the male lead!
He was just a minor supporting character.

When filming "Hear the Voice of Home," he was able to add scenes for Lu Jie, and even changed the script in the end, because the entire project belonged to his own company.

All that's needed is for Shen Qingyi to nod.

This project is different.

The director and screenwriter might not even care about you.

Moreover, if more scenes are added for the main character, the actor playing the main character might not agree to it.

Every actor has their own understanding of the role; what you think is good to add, others may think is bad.

Lu Ran could only think about it in his heart.

"I wish I could play Ma Tieshan."

……

While Lu Ran was studying the script, in the reception room of Chang'an Entertainment, a woman dressed in business attire sat opposite Shen Qingyi.

This woman is Ren Xin from Xingyao Media.

After failing to get Lu Ran to sign the contract, she immediately reported the result to Guo Weicheng.

Guo Weicheng was naturally furious.

It's not that Guo Weicheng lacks self-control, but that he could be so easily swayed by a minor celebrity.

Since becoming a top-tier entertainment company in China, Star Media has never encountered anything like this before.

A singer who hasn't even officially debuted yet dared to ask for an exorbitant S-level contract.

They even dared to openly provoke them!

For an artist of Lu Ran's caliber, any person with a brain would be polite and courteous if Xingyao Media made a phone call to him; they would never be as abrupt as Lu Ran.

Years of smooth sailing made Guo Weicheng feel that his authority was being challenged.

He only gave Ren Xin one request.

Go directly to Shen Qingyi; he wants to acquire Chang'an Entertainment!

This is a common practice in the industry.

In a previous girl group talent show, a contestant emerged as a dark horse and became a national idol. Xingyao Media then acquired the entertainment company behind this contestant.

The main reason was that Guo Weicheng initially looked down on Chang'an Entertainment and felt there was no need to acquire it.

Chang'an Entertainment doesn't even have a complete idol industry chain. He can easily set up a small company like this, unlike the company that trained girl group idols before.

But now that Lu Ran is so stubborn, there's no need to be polite.

Once we acquire Chang'an Entertainment, we'll make back all the money we spent on Lu Ran!

He will offer Chang'an Entertainment a price they can't refuse!

Shen Qingyi was much younger than Ren Xin, but sitting opposite Ren Xin, she was just as imposing.

Ren Xin was also sizing up Shen Qingyi.

This female boss exudes confidence and composure in every move she makes; it's not something she's trained for, but rather a quality cultivated from childhood.

He doesn't seem like the owner of a small company.

At this moment, Shen Qingyi was reading the documents in her hands.

Time passed slowly, and Ren Xin took a sip of water halfway through.

A few minutes later, Shen Qingyi put down the documents in her hand.

"It's a price that appeals to me."

Ren Xin smiled.

"We at Xingyao Media have no shortage of money, and we respect talent."

This document is a draft contract that Ren Xin produced.

Xingyao Media invested 70 million to acquire 70% of Chang'an Entertainment's shares, with the remaining 30% to be acquired at the price agreed upon in the performance-based agreement.

If Chang'an Entertainment's net profit is greater than 50 million within the next two years, Xingyao Media will invest 60 million to acquire the remaining shares. If the net profit is less than 50 million but greater than 40 million, Xingyao Media will invest 36 million to acquire the shares. If the net profit is less than 40 million but greater than 30 million, Xingyao Media will invest 20 million to acquire the shares.

If the net profit is less than 30 million, Chang'an Entertainment will transfer the remaining equity for zero yuan.

Given Lu Ran's future development potential, Shen Qingyi could easily earn 50 million in two years if she wanted to, unless she gave up. However, due to the restrictions of the performance-based agreement, Shen Qingyi cannot give up either.

Shen Qingyi is guaranteed to profit from this.

Once the contract is signed, she will receive a large sum of money immediately.

The price was determined based on Chang'an Entertainment's profitability and future potential.

Ren Xin smiled and said, "President Shen doesn't need to worry about profitability. We will not only provide the funds, but also a complete set of services to maximize Lu Ran's commercial value."

She believed that no small company could resist such an offer.

Shen Qingyi's expression remained cold as she said softly, "I have faith in Xingyao Media's professionalism."

Ren Xin said somewhat anxiously, "Then, President Shen, how about we find a time to sign the contract as soon as possible? The second performance is about to air, and the sooner it's done, the better it will be for Lu Ran, and our resources will be easier to connect with."

At this moment, Shen Qingyi reached out and closed the folder containing the documents, then pushed it to Ren Xin.

"I'm sorry, Mr. Ren, Chang'an Entertainment will not agree to this deal," Shen Qingyi said slowly.

Ren Xin's expression froze.

She even doubted that she had heard correctly.

The artists below are stubborn, so why is the boss also stubborn?
"Mr. Shen, this is a contract worth over 100 million. Once you sign it, all of this is yours."

Ren Xin investigated Chang'an Entertainment, and the company's annual profit never exceeded five million.

You're not interested in something worth over 100 million?
"Moreover, Lu Ran is completely different in our hands and in your hands. Some artists only become popular after changing companies. You should know how important a company's marketing is to an artist."

We live in the age of traffic; you can only make money if you have traffic.

But generating traffic is a technical skill.

Star Media has extensive experience in this area.

"Mr. Shen, you can think about it some more. There's no need to rush to give an answer. We can also discuss the contract terms further."

Ren Xin's tone softened.

As she spoke, she was also thinking about why Shen Qingyi refused.

Do you think you can earn more by relying on Lu Ran's money?

Or do you not want to gamble and just want to take the money and leave?
She thought of many reasons.

These were the key factors that helped her persuade Shen Qingyi.

Ren Xin asked softly, "Mr. Shen, would you mind explaining why you're not agreeing?"

Shen Qingyi looked at Ren Xin and said calmly, "Because I don't lack money."

Ren Xin was somewhat surprised and found it hard to believe the answer.

This was not the answer she expected.

What do you mean by "you don't lack money"?

How many people in this world are not short of money?
Your company only makes a few million a year, right? You're not short of money?
"Mr. Ren, I have something to attend to, so I'll have to go now."

Shen Qingyi saw the guests off directly.

Even after Ren Xin left the office building, she was still somewhat unsettled.

What do you mean by not lacking money?

Even Guo Weicheng wouldn't dare say he's not short of money.

"Who is this Shen Qingyi?"

Ren Xin had never heard of a rich second-generation named Shen Qingyi in the entertainment circle.

If he's really a rich kid, why is he so low-key?

If he's a rich kid, he should hurry up and make money off Lu Ran.

Ren Xin only thought about it briefly and then ignored it; it wasn't something she should worry about.

"Jiang Yaofeng is really blind. If he had brought Lu Ran into his class in the first place, we could have talked to him more easily because of that relationship," Ren Xin cursed inwardly.

She took out her phone and called Guo Weicheng.

After the call was connected, she reported the matter to Guo Weicheng.

"Useless! You can't even do this simple thing right!"

If he didn't do something right once or twice, Guo Weicheng could still get angry. But this had happened three or four times already, and Guo Weicheng couldn't take it anymore.

What else can this subordinate do?!
"If we can't reach an agreement, then we can't reach an agreement. Let's do what we need to do. Whether it's this President Shen or Lu Ran, let them both regret it!" "Yes, President Guo."

Ren Xin also breathed a sigh of relief.

With Guo Weicheng having spoken out, Xingyao Media will now be investing resources in its own people.

Let Lu Ran and Chang'an Entertainment see what a big company really is!

……

The next morning, Li Quan arrived at Qincheng University.

Lu Ran took him to have breakfast at the Qincheng University cafeteria, and then the two of them went to the airport.

The promotional video was filmed in northern Shaanxi, which requires flying there.

On the way, Li Quan looked at his phone, his brows furrowed.

"These big companies are really something else, buying so many trending topics."

Lu Ran leaned over to take a look and found that Li Quan was looking at Weibo.

Last night, the fourth episode of Future Singer aired, the second part of the first performance.

This time, Fei Lingyun learned his lesson and asked the production team to edit him into the next episode, thus avoiding Lu Ran.

Then, when the show aired, Fei Lingyun became a hot topic online, trending on various searches.

Fei Lingyun's fan group has also been formed, and the fans call themselves "clouds".

We don't know how much of the trending topics here are genuine, but they're definitely high-value; it's all about money.

Besides Fei Lingyun, other contestants also received a significant amount of media exposure.

In fact, by the end of the second round, it was already clear who would make it to the end.

This reflects both the contestant's individual ability and the strength of the company behind them.

"Fei Lingyun posted a Weibo post saying that he will be performing an original song that he has been working on for a year at the third public performance, and he also released a demo."

A demo is a sample of a song.

Li Quan listened to the demo and found the short piece of music to be quite good.

It's perfectly acceptable to listen to it from the perspective of an average listener.

“He didn’t write this; he’s not at that level,” Lu Ran said directly.

Fei Lingyun sang an original song in the first episode, but it was far inferior to this one.

"It must be a song the company bought," Li Quan said.

This kind of thing is quite common nowadays; people buy a song and claim it's their own, just to glorify their artists.

Li Quan asked with some concern, "This song is no worse than your previous songs. Have you prepared the song for your next performance?"

"Ready."

When Lu Ran drew the song exchange card, he already knew what song he would sing in the next episode.

A song that perfectly reflects his current situation.

"I'll post a Weibo too."

Lu Ran took out his phone and checked Fei Lingyun's Weibo.

"On the stage of the Third Public Performance, I will once again bring you an original song. This is a work that I have carefully polished for a year. It is also a groundbreaking work that breaks through my own limitations. Here is a demo, and I hope you will like it."

The comments section contained organized comments from fans.

He returned to the creation interface and began editing the content.

"Next stop, folk songs."

Music should be like ears of wheat, bowing its head to take root in the soil, and raising its head to sing about life.

See you on August 22nd for the live broadcast of "The Future Singer".

The song he will perform in the next episode is a folk song, which is not in the same style as the three songs he performed before.

Li Quan had been watching from the side the whole time.

After Lu Ran finished editing, Li Quan said in surprise, "Fei Lingyun's song feels really explosive. You're going to sing folk songs next time. Is that okay?"

Singing folk songs in competitive events is inherently a disadvantage.

At least Lu Ran showed off his high notes in his previous performance.

Lu Ran explained, "Strictly speaking, the song I'm going to sing isn't folk, but it can be categorized as such. Would you like to see the lyrics?"

Li Quan was also somewhat curious.

"Show me."

Lu Ran sent the lyrics to Li Quan.

A few minutes later, Li Quan kept sighing.

"oops!"

"Ugh!"

"Hey!"

Each sigh had a different accent.

The driver was speechless.

"What's wrong with you? If you need to use the restroom, I'll find you a place to stop. Don't take it in the car."

Li Quan immediately shut up and didn't say anything more.

The lyrics he just read made him feel bad. How much grievance must this kid have felt to write such a song?

He reached out and patted Lu Ran on the shoulder.

After arriving at the airport, the two took a plane directly to Tuocheng City in northern Shaanxi.

Li Quan had already arranged for a car to wait there. The car sped along, taking the two of them to a hotel in a county town.

After putting their things away, the two headed straight to the film set.

The film set was in a village, and the houses were still mud houses, all of which were rented temporarily by the crew.

As soon as the two arrived at the gate of the courtyard, they heard two people chatting inside.

Inside, a man who looked to be in his fifties was speaking, and opposite him was a woman who looked to be in her twenties.

The girl was wearing coarse cloth clothes, which were brightly colored, and she had two braids. This was clearly the makeup and styling for the show, and she looked quite cute.

Upon seeing Lu Ran enter, both of them looked over.

Li Quan immediately went up and introduced himself.

The older one is Liu Dayong, the director of the film, and the younger one is Ning Sirou, the actress who plays the female lead.

"Hello Director Liu, hello Sister Ning."

Lu Ran also politely went up to greet the two of them.

Liu Dayong was quite friendly to Lu Ran, and said with a smile, "You played Lu Jie very well. You're young and promising."

"You flatter me," Lu Ran said modestly.

Ning Sirou looked at Lu Ran curiously and asked, "Are you the one who plays Ma Tieshan?"

"No, I play Ma Tiefeng."

“But I think you look more like Ma Tieshan.”

Ning Sirou speaks her mind directly.

She's a top-tier actress, and one with real talent.

Upon hearing this, Liu Dayong also took a good look at Lu Ran.

Lu Ran has striking features and an upright demeanor, making him look like a good person.

The actor he chose was more in line with the character of Ma Tieshan than the actor he selected.

Age is not an issue; styling techniques have advanced significantly.

I could make Lu Ran look like an old man without any problem.

Liu Dayong's eyes also grew brighter and brighter.

“Lu Ran, I’ll give you a scene to act out,” Liu Dayong said.

This is for the audition.

"Director Liu, please go ahead."

Ning Sirou was originally standing aside watching the fun, but Liu Dayong said directly, "You come and act with me."

"Okay!"

Ning Sirou's lovely face immediately lit up with excitement.

Liu Dayong thought for a moment and said, "Lu Ran, you play Ma Tieshan, and Ning Sirou plays your wife Li Chunxing. This scene is about Li Chunxing coming back from Shigejie Commune to get her hair done."

Liu Dayong joked for a moment, then said, "Lu Ran, get ready."

"No need to prepare, I can start anytime."

Lu Ran was extremely excited.

Do we even need to prepare for this?
I've gone over it in my head countless times!
(End of this chapter)