A grand feast for the Chinese entertainment industry

Chapter 135 Genius
I enjoyed dinner very much.

Yu Feihong gradually came back to life.

She still didn't talk much, but it brought back the feeling Lin Jianlu had during that meal when they went on their blind date—she was undoubtedly an extremely intelligent girl, quite different from Chen Hong.

Of course, they have to be different; otherwise, what's the point?

"That's exactly what Auntie said! Anyway, Teacher Li told me that she relayed it word for word! So, in my opinion, saying that you went back and thought about it again and again and felt that you were not good enough for me, doesn't that just mean you didn't like me?"

"No! I haven't been to your company since then. How could I possibly go back? You didn't even like me, so why would I go hanging around your aunt's place? She probably likes me, but that would only make her feel more embarrassed. What if she goes back and complains about you? Wouldn't that put you in a difficult position?"

"I don't know where it came from. It was a coincidence when I heard it. I was on my way to the library to borrow books, and before I even got there—you've been to our school library, right? Oh, it's... there's a corner there—I was walking right there when they heard my name. Two girls, clearly saying, 'A senior from our school, she's really pretty, her name is Yu Feihong, and she's his girlfriend!'"

"No way! You're lying! I didn't use that opportunity to brag about my looks! ...You're so annoying!"

"Hmm... I'm really conflicted too. I don't know what to do. I'm so conflicted and in so much pain! I really like you. I fell for you the day we went on our blind date, but the next day, my teacher told me that you didn't like me. You have no idea how disappointed I was."

"That night on the phone, I was so happy to hear you say that you didn't look down on me, you were just afraid of holding me back! I was so happy that I cried again after hanging up!"

"Actually, thinking about it afterward, I know you were lying. You weren't afraid of tarnishing my reputation; you just felt that my personality would never allow me to accept that you were dating me while having so many lovers, besties, and... 'good friends' at the same time. That's why you rejected me from the beginning, right?"

"See, I knew it! That's why I told myself, no, I have to fly there, right now, immediately, not even a moment longer!..."

After dinner, we took a walk back, chatting as we went.

Back at the hotel, the two were walking hand in hand toward the elevator when, unexpectedly, a girl in the lounge area stood up. She opened her mouth as if to call for help, but then stopped.

But Yu Feihong had already seen her, and then Lin Jianlu saw her too.

With nowhere to hide, she had no choice but to walk over.

…………

I saw that girl again.

I already know her name from Lin Xilei; it's Yu Feihong.

But I know nothing else.

Lin Jianlu led her back by the hand—but Chen Hong still had a bright smile on her face. Her gaze only glanced at Yu Feihong's face before she focused all her attention on Lin Jianlu.

Unexpectedly, Lin Jianlu actually let go of the girl's hand. When he got closer, he hugged her and kissed her right in front of her.

Then he let go and said, "Let me introduce you. This is Chen Hong, my girlfriend."

"Yu Feihong is also my girlfriend."

This introduction was both awkward and bizarre.

Both girls immediately extended their hands, maintained polite smiles, shook hands, and greeted each other.

Lin Jianlu continued, "Chen Hong is currently studying in a performance training program in New York, and she plans to finish it early. Her workplace is the Capital Youth Art Theatre. She is... from the Shanghai Theatre Academy, right? Yes, the Shanghai Theatre Academy's Department of Performance, class of '86! Yu Feihong is from the Beijing Film Academy's Department of Performance, class of '89. After graduating, she stayed on to teach at the school. Later, she also came here to study for a few years. She just went back and plans to return to the Beijing Film Academy to continue teaching."

Both girls maintained polite smiles, and then said "Oh" in unison.

They gripped each other's hands again, even though they hadn't let go.

Then Chen Hong said with a smile, "I was just bored and came to take a look. Now that I've seen it, I'm going back first." Yu Feihong was stunned for a moment, but then quickly came to his senses and said with a smile, "No need! We just went out for a meal. I ate a bit too much, so I took him for a walk. I'm tired too. You guys chat, I'm going back to take a shower and go to sleep. I haven't been sleeping well for the past few days!"

The confrontation came suddenly and ended quietly.

Both girls had warm smiles on their faces.

However, Lin Jianlu no longer felt the same chills she had during that typhoon night in Taipei.

He immediately pulled Yu Feihong into his arms and gently kissed her forehead. "Then go back and rest! Get some rest, and I'll take you shopping tomorrow!"

"it is good!"

Yu Feihong smiled and agreed, then waved to Chen Hong, "Goodbye, Sister Chen Hong!"

Chen Hong smiled and nodded, "Goodbye!"

…………

She chased after him and flew back to New York, and it had been almost ten days. They had even slept together, but this was actually the first time Chen Hong had entered Lin Jianlu's hotel room.

"Wow, you rich people really live a life of luxury, even your hotel rooms are so big! How much does it cost per night?"

"I don't know! You'll have to ask Lin Xilei."

She glanced around, then turned back and saw Lin Jianlu already taking off and hanging up his clothes. She went over immediately, but before she could, Lin Jianlu had already hung them up himself. He even tried to take her clothes, but she said, "I can do it myself!" She took off her coat, hung it up, and turned around to see him looking at her.

So she smiled, went over and hugged his neck, pulled him up, and kissed him.

He smiled and asked, "Are you jealous?"

Chen Hong laughed, "It's not that bad! I was prepared! I just regret it a little. I missed you so much. We've only been apart for an afternoon, and I missed you terribly, so I forgot that she was still in the hotel."

He added, "I'll try to avoid it in the future! I won't say I'm not jealous, I just want to avoid seeing it."

Lin Jianlu laughed out loud, bent down, scooped up her buttocks, and picked her up.

…………

Lin Xilei's eyes were opened again.

In the past six months, since becoming Lin Jianlu's assistant, she has seen countless things.

Have you ever seen someone who has been rumored to be dating five female celebrities in a single week?

That's my husband!

Have you ever seen a girl who is surrounded by men on both sides, yet they don't argue or fight with each other?

That's my husband!

Have you ever seen a house where two women, two big stars and singers, live together and still not quarrel and are as close as sisters?

That's my husband!

Have you ever seen two girls who are complete strangers and rivals for each other, yet they can walk together in perfect harmony, each arm in arm with the same man, and in a music store that neither of them is particularly interested in?
My husband... is doing just that!

Convinced!

I'm truly impressed!
The three of them went shopping together, leaving her behind like a little tail. Even without anyone saying anything, Lin Xilei felt incredibly awkward.

However, there was no way around it; Zhao Mingxin and Ge Fuhong had to keep an eye on the soundtrack and were unwilling to leave. They were going to Columbia's headquarters together, but he couldn't join them for that game.

I'm just a pitiful little assistant!
Upon entering New York's largest, and supposedly the world's largest, record store, Lin Jianlu walked ahead, while his two female companions each browsed their own items. Only he himself carried a shopping basket.

But suddenly, the music in the store changed. Lin Jianlu didn't pay attention at first, but after listening for a while, he suddenly stopped and listened quietly. Then he strode towards the cashier. The three girls had no choice but to follow him. When they got to the cashier, he asked, "Excuse me, what song is this?"

The cashier was an older woman, but she was very friendly with a smile and replied, "Haven't you heard of it? You should catch up. Blondie, Debbie Halle, 'Rapture.' You know, punk!"

Lin Jianlu thanked him and then asked which section it was placed in.

The kind-hearted older woman offered to lead the way and quickly helped them find the record. …………

Great harvest.

Lin Xilei grimaced as she carried the bag.

However, as soon as Lin Jianlu left the record store, she immediately took out her phone and called Ge Fuhong. "Blondie, a punk band, what should it be translated as? Blondie? They have an album called Autoamerican, I think it was released by Capitol Records, what should it be translated as? Capitol Records? It doesn't matter, ask President Zhao, there's a song on this album called 'Rapture,' have President Zhao get me the sampling rights for this song."

The call was quickly transferred to Zhao Mingxin, so Lin Jianlu had to repeat herself.

Zhao Mingxin only reacted slightly, "Rapture, I know that song, no problem, you want to sample it? I'll take care of it! Just write it, I can get it done before you record!"

After hanging up the phone, Lin Jianlu couldn't help but snap her fingers.

It wasn't a professional habit that made him subconsciously feel the song sound familiar, and then quickly connect it to another song called "Levitating." It was a sudden thought about sampling—don't just mock derivative works in the Chinese music scene; the Western music scene also loves derivative works, only the forms are much more diverse. Unlike the Chinese music scene, where simply adding Chinese lyrics doesn't constitute creation, sampling old songs and creating new styles is the norm for derivative works in the Western music scene.

If done well, it will be a resounding success!

There's nothing shameful about creating derivative works; there's nothing to laugh at. Buying the rights to someone else's Chinese cover song is simple, but it's a way to make money, and it's not shameful. However, if you confidently write your own song and claim it as original, but an expert hears it and immediately knows it's plagiarism, then that's when you'll be truly shameful!
Turning around, the first person she encountered was Lin Xilei, who was carrying a large bag. She even had a free hand to hand her paper and pen, asking, "Do you want to write now?"

Lin Jianlu was stunned for a moment, then came to her senses.

This is Ge Fuhong's confession—a creative genius, who knows when he might suddenly have an inspiration? Every one of his inspirations is worth a fortune, so of course it must be written down quickly!

Therefore, Lin Xilei always carries paper and pen in her backpack.

However, Lin Jianlu raised her hand and tapped her head, "It's right here!"

He was very happy. Seeing that Lin Xilei had put away her paper and pen, he smiled and said, "Thank you for accompanying me shopping so diligently, ladies. Now, I'll give each of you a gift. Choose one yourself... I'll go with Dior!"

So they went to kill Dio.

Good heavens! This is Dior!
Lin Xilei graduated from the University of California, Yu Feihong studied in America for two years, and even Chen Hong, before coming to America, had been to Taiwan and was not someone who had never heard of Western luxury brands.

Everyone knows Dior is expensive!
However, Lin Xilei foolishly bought a bag for over $9000, thinking she might as well rip off someone. Yu Feihong and Chen Hong weren't interested in these so-called luxury items at all. In the end, they only chose one item each because of Lin Jianlu's repeated requests.

Yu Feihong chose a perfume for around $900, while Chen Hong chose a pair of beautiful earrings, which were a bit more expensive, over $2000 – they swiped their cards and left!
…………

I booked my flight for tomorrow morning.

Lin Xilei went with her car to help Chen Hong pack and move. She was going to move to the hotel tonight so that everyone could take a direct flight to the capital tomorrow.

Lin Xilei was very excited and thrilled.

It wasn't just about a bag worth over $9000. She had been following Lin Jianlu for half a year, and this was the first time she had been allowed to go to the capital with him. When she first heard that the plane tickets to the capital had been bought and that she was going to go with him, she was stunned for a moment before she came to her senses!

We're getting closer and closer to our boss's inner circle!

Even when it was clearly hard work like helping people move, she did it with great enthusiasm.

After leaving Lin Jianlu and Yu Feihong inside the hotel, Lin Jianlu asked her, "Want to come to my room for a bit?"

She agreed without hesitation.

So they went to the large suite together. Lin Jianlu was too lazy to bother with the fuss, so she called the front desk and ordered two cups of hot coffee. When Yu Feihong, who had been lagging behind, came over after hanging up their clothes, he smiled, hugged her, and, feeling her slight tension and stiffness, asked with a smile, "How was it spending the afternoon with your rival? Did you feel any hatred and want to get rid of him as soon as possible?"

Yu Feihong's pretty face flushed. Nestled in Lin Jianlu's arms, she felt a little uncomfortable. She raised her eyes, looked up slightly, and asked with a shy smile, "Can you get rid of it?"

Lin Jianlu laughed, "Not so easy. I'm too lecherous."

She laughed, but quickly rolled her eyes at Lin Jianlu.

That's Chen Hong!
Although Yu Feihong has always had absolute self-confidence since childhood, even when facing Chen Hong, she believed that she had no reason to belittle herself in terms of looks, figure, or intelligence. However... that was Chen Hong!
I don't think I'm bound to lose, but I'm not so arrogant as to think I'm bound to win!
"By the way, when you were at the record store earlier, you went to ask someone about that song. Did it inspire you? I heard you later made a phone call asking someone to buy you samples. What do you mean by samples?"

Lin Jianlu immediately became interested. "Interested? I'll sing it for you?"

Yu Feihong was taken aback. "Great! But you've already... finished writing this?" Growing up, she had heard many stories of great writers and musicians creating works, stories of geniuses who could write instantly without revisions. But she never expected that it was already finished.
I only listened to one song in the music store, and afterwards I stayed with him all the time, we were practically inseparable, and I never saw him write a single word!

His assistant, Lin Xilei, handed him paper and pen on the spot, but he refused, saying that the idea was in his mind. I thought he had a breakthrough and was going to come back and create!

So... was it all just creation in one's head?

But he had already run to the bathroom, grabbed two toothbrushes and two glasses, and put them directly on the coffee table. He sat down and casually started tapping them.

In just a few moments, a melody suddenly appeared.

Yu Feihong was dumbfounded.

I don’t really remember what the melody of the song I heard in the store was, but when I heard him tap it now, I vaguely felt that it was somehow related.
But you can't really hear anything clearly.

Then he started singing, his enunciation incredibly fast, almost like rap popular in America, yet it wasn't rap; it had an indescribable rhythm, and it sounded amazing—

"If-you-wanna-run-away-with-me, I-know-a-galaxy-and-I-can-take-you-for-a-ride,

I-had-a-premonition-that-we-fell-into-a-rhythm, Where-the-music-don't-stop-for-life,

Glitter-in-the-sky-glitter-in-my-eyes,

Shining-just-the-way-I-like,

......"

In about a minute, he seemed to have finished singing, tapping his toothbrush hands together to create a beautiful ending, and then he looked up at Yu Feihong.

Yu Feihong was completely bewildered at this moment.

So... such a beautiful song was written just like that?
They can even sing it now?
Even if she was completely ignorant about the music industry and the creation of popular songs, she knew that this was definitely not the norm for musicians when they were creating songs—the difficulty musicians faced in writing works was immense; Beethoven certainly knew how difficult it was!
Popular songs certainly can't compare to Beethoven, but the essence of creation should still be the same!

But he... he just...

The song I heard with him, but to be honest, I don't remember anything about it at all, or what the melody was like!

And he, just like me, only heard it once, and actually wrote a new song based on it? And it's... so good!

Before I met him, I had seen reports about him, and the titles "musical genius" and "musical prodigy" seemed to have been attached to him for a long time. After getting to know him, listening to his speech and hearing his knowledge, I could indeed feel that he was a person with a broad knowledge base and exceptionally profound insights. He had many insights and understandings that I had never heard of before. Based on this, I deduced that he was indeed a great talent.

And he's exceptionally talented!
but……

Only today, only now, have I suddenly come to understand what a genius is!

"Does it sound good?" he asked.

Yu Feihong nodded vigorously and repeatedly, almost subconsciously, "It sounds great! It sounds really great!"

Then, in the next moment, she took two steps over, bent down, and kissed his lips fiercely.

After a moment, she stepped back a little, her face filled with shock and fascination.

"Jianlu, you're a genius!"

***
I don't have enough monthly tickets, please give me a few more!

(End of this chapter)