A grand feast for the Chinese entertainment industry

Chapter 144 The Desire to Seek Refuge
Today, Chen Shuhua insisted on using her mouth.

She didn't like this method in the past, but Su Huilun was quite accepting of it. However, she was very proactive today. Although she didn't smell any blood, Lin Jianlu didn't care since she liked it.

After fussing around for a while, she went to the bathroom to tidy up and then snuggled into Lin Jianlu's arms again.

She seemed exceptionally tender and gentle today—in fact, not just today, but since last night, she had seemed even gentler than usual.

Lin Jianlu didn't know what had gotten into her, but she cherished her. Seeing her nestled in her arms, she gently stroked her hair. But suddenly, she asked, "What's it like to be a genius?"

"Hmm...it's pretty enjoyable."

She sat up halfway and looked over. Having no other choice, she had to make up a few more lines. "It's like... I don't think I'm great. I just think this is good, so I write it down and make it. Hey, everyone likes it and praises me as a genius... Being recognized, acknowledged, and admired by others is, of course, great!"

She nodded, then nodded again, and lay down.

A moment later, she asked again, "Honey, those two girls are so pretty...they must be very gentle, right?"

Lin Jianlu laughed and leaned back to look at her. "It wasn't easy. You've been holding it in for so long, but you finally managed to ask."

She laughed too, "Just curious!"

Lin Jianlu thought for a moment, then said in a normal tone, "Gentle... well, I guess you could say she's gentle!"

She hummed in agreement, and after a moment, said, "How about I help you persuade Huilun to stay? Tell her not to go to New York and cause trouble for you. Then you can do what you want to do in your peaceful life."

Lin Jianlu couldn't help but look at her again, "So good? Huilun will listen to you?"

She laughed, rubbing her cheek against Lin Jianlu's chest, and suddenly said, "My period this month... hasn't come!"—and then she didn't look up.

Lin Jianlu was stunned for a moment, then immediately stepped back, her face full of surprise, "Really?"

She finally looked up and saw the joy on Lin Jianlu's face. She immediately breathed a sigh of relief. "You're happy?"

"Of course I'm happy! My period not coming means..."

"Not necessarily. It might be delayed, but I still hope to have a baby in my belly, so I don't dare let you... you're too deep, I'm afraid it will hurt him."

Holy crap! Am I going to be a dad?!

She pursed her lips and smiled, genuinely happy now, because Lin Jianlu had actually agreed to let her have a baby for him, just as he had said before. So she couldn't help but tell him, "Huilun didn't come either."

Lin Jianlu was stunned.

She laughed, "Our periods are four days apart. It's been eleven days for me and seven days for her, and neither of us has gotten our period yet! We haven't gone to the hospital to check, and we're afraid it'll all be for nothing."

Lin Jianlu took a deep breath, "Damn!"

Unlike his current mindset, in his previous life he was someone who longed for a stable marriage. He had dated several girlfriends, two of whom were on the verge of marriage, but unfortunately, for various reasons, they never came to fruition. Therefore, when he first transmigrated to this life, his earliest and once very firm goal was to earn ten million, then stop, find a suitable and beautiful girl, get married, and have children.

He initially planned to date Gao Yuanyuan, but later met Jiang Qinqin and Zuo Xiaoqian while filming a music video. He thought these two girls were also quite nice. Then he actually met Gao Yuanyuan, but was a little disappointed, thinking she was a bit clumsy. And then... well, his mindset gradually changed, and he became less and less willing to get married.

But he still really wants children.

I am still very willing to be a responsible person.

If a girl he likes also likes him, he can sleep with her. But after sleeping with her, as long as she is willing to stay with him, he is willing to spend money to support her.

He buys houses, cars, jewelry, and clothes for them. Even more extravagantly, for girls like Chen Shuhua and Su Huilun who are willing to live with him, he not only spends tens of millions of dollars to buy them luxury homes, but also provides them with butlers and other service staff, so that they can live a life of luxury even after they retire and stop singing.

They even give you money directly. A monthly living allowance.

Each person receives one million NT dollars per month and is responsible for all household expenses. This amount is quite substantial. Regardless of whether the two of them actually want children, Lin Jianlu's actions are essentially saying, "Have children for me, and I'll support you for life!"

Money? Just go and earn it.

Whether having more children will lead to fights or messy disputes over inheritance is a matter for later.

Let's get it first and then talk about it.

"I'm awesome! I really did get two holes in one shot!"

Chen Shuhua chuckled. "What we discussed was most likely that night."

Lin Jianlu also remembered, "Yeah, you two were definitely a bit flirtatious that day."

"puff……"

…………

Having not slept well all night, Lin Jianlu called Su Huilun the next morning, "My flight is in a bit, I'm flying to New York. Recording is important, it can't be delayed. You're not allowed to throw a tantrum, come back obediently after the publicity is done, you two go to the hospital for a check-up together, understand?"

Su Huilun hesitated for a while. She was actually throwing a little tantrum because she hadn't called for several days, but she was actually being a little obedient today. "Okay, okay! Why are you being so fierce!"

Ah, I feel relieved now.

So around 9 o'clock, I met up with Zhang Aijia, Zhao Mingxin, and Lin Xilei, and we all flew to New York together.

Perhaps it was because she was in high spirits and relaxed, or perhaps it was because she hadn't slept well the night before, but in any case, Lin Jianlu slept very well on the plane this time.

I took two naps, ate something in between, ate something else when I woke up the second time, read a book for a while, and then I arrived.

As usual, Zhao Mingxin had already arranged a car, but when the car stopped and everyone got out, Lin Jianlu was surprised to find that it was not a hotel, but a villa area along the street.

Zhao Mingxin also got out of the car, smiling and pointing, "A townhouse in the Upper East Side, four stories, six rooms in total. Ah Lu, you can stay here whenever you come to New York to record."

Lin Jianlu turned to look at him and chuckled. "It's quite nice, though. Staying in hotels all the time can get boring, even in large suites. Having a townhouse like this to stay in makes the recording sessions here a little more comfortable."

Upon opening the door and going inside, the interior decoration was quite nice, in the old-money style of the Upper East Side—but of course, it was still several levels below the comfort of Lin Jianlu's own large villa in Taiwan.

Upon inquiry, the market price was estimated to be around seven or eight million US dollars.

Well, a villa on New York's Upper East Side, even just a townhouse, would definitely be considered one of the most luxurious residences on a global scale, but actually, it's not that expensive these days.

I just didn't know much about American real estate in my previous life, and I don't know what the prices will be like in twenty or thirty years.

Thinking about it, I decided against it. I'm only coming here for a short-term job, and Zhao Mingxin has arranged this kind of house for me. I can stay for a few months. If we're talking about living comfort, I still prefer the large detached houses or courtyard houses in China.

But the sudden availability of a secluded private space made Lin Jianlu's heart flutter again.

This time, I definitely won't be able to record all twelve songs in one go. I don't have that much time. For example, this time I can only stay for a week and record two or three songs at most. Then I have to go back to the capital because Forbidden City Film Studio is about to be officially established, and the CCTV Spring Festival Gala will have its first rehearsal. So of course I have to go back. And I can't come back directly. I have to go to Hong Kong and stay for several days.

Ge Fuhong secured eight endorsement deals in one go. In the past, just signing contracts and shooting commercials would take many days. If she also spent time with her friends and women, it would take more than ten days.

So, I probably won't be able to come back until early January. I'll stay for about ten days to two weeks to record two or three songs, and then I'll go back to the capital to participate in the second round of Spring Festival Gala rehearsals.

Time is so fragmented it's almost unbearable.

The more famous you are, the harder it is for you to truly have control over your time.

But... seven or eight days is still a lot of time! I can't bear to waste it!

After a moment's thought, he still called Yu Feihong. She was very happy to hear this and immediately said she would book a ticket and fly over right away. It seemed that Lin Jianlu's call to ask her to come to New York to accompany her during the recording session was not just a matter of being happy, but also a matter of being very proud.

That evening, before noon Beijing time, she had already boarded the plane.

My desire to seek refuge here is extremely urgent.

The next morning, Lin Xilei was arranged to pick her up from the airport, but Lin Jianlu still went to the Columbia Recording Studio with Zhao Mingxin and Zhang Aijia.

I saw many old friends again.

Preparations for the upcoming recording work began that very day.

A phone call later, Chris Martins, who had provided backing vocals for Lin Jianlu during the recording of "Baby," quickly arrived. Everyone laughed, bumped fists, shook hands, and hugged.

This guy is Black, a small-time singer who is good at rap, soul and R&B. He released two albums on a small label under Columbia Records, but the sales were so-so. He made a little money, but his finances collapsed a long time ago. He currently makes a living by performing in nightclubs and running around bars and music festivals all over the United States. To be fair, his singing skills are pretty good.

Otherwise, Zhao Mingxin wouldn't have chosen him.

In the US, the rule is that any musician with a certain status who participates in the creation of a work must pay a share of the royalties, unless they give up the project themselves to get a quick buck. He contributed some backing vocals to "Baby," which was considered backup singing, and he received 0.1% of the song's royalties.

For a struggling singer like him, most people would prefer to receive a lump sum of money directly, since copyrights and performance rights are simply out of the question. However, he and his manager were very optimistic about the song "Baby" and insisted on receiving royalties. Lin Jianlu didn't care, since it wasn't his money, and Zhao Mingxin agreed.

During the collaboration, this guy was pretty good; he was easygoing, hardworking, and had a good voice.

Moreover, after the previous collaboration ended, this guy repeatedly expressed that he was particularly impressed with Lin Jianlu's musical talent and wanted to follow him around—it is said that black people have this custom, and they especially like to follow a leader.

However, Lin Jianlu has no intention of recruiting followers in America; for now, their relationship is purely cooperative.

We'll still be using him for backing vocals and backup singing, but it will still be a purely collaborative project—we'll definitely pay the royalties he's owed, but no matter how deeply involved he is, he can forget about performance rights or anything like that.

What is performance right?
That means if this song is released and I go out to do commercial performances, as long as I sing this song, I have to get a share of the money. If he goes, he gets his share of the money according to the agreed ratio. If he doesn't go, you have to find someone to take his place, or you can just play the backing track for his part, and he still has to get his share of the money.

If you don't give it to him, he can sue you, and he'll win every time.

In extreme cases, if he doesn't agree to perform and you dare to accept a commercial performance, he can sue you directly!

In the US, disputes arising from collaborations in areas such as creation, recording, and performance result in a large number of lawsuits every year—it's a headache for everyone!
Therefore, over time, new market rules have gradually formed, which are more and more detailed.

Copyright is copyright. From the earliest lyrics, music, and arrangement to the later recording and performance, depending on the level of participation, if it's a collaboration among multiple people, it should be clearly stipulated from the beginning who has how much share.

The right to attribution is the right to attribution. If a newcomer contributes a few lines of singing, I would rather forgo royalties than compromise on the right to be credited.

Performance rights are performance rights. Unless the collaborator is of a high enough status or indispensable enough, the creators will absolutely not grant you performance rights. Even with a big-name collaborator, everyone must sign a pre-arranged understanding stipulating that you can sing your part even if they are not present, and can take on commercial performances and earn money on your own. Conversely, if you are not present, they cannot sing the song on their own in a commercial performance.

And so on.

In short, it's far less straightforward than the logic used in the Chinese music scene.

On the positive side, this cooperation mechanism protects the legitimate rights and interests of all parties and even promotes the development of the entire music industry. On the negative side, however, one lawsuit after another leads to disputes, and many works end up being neither sung nor performed by anyone else. In any case, once the relationship is broken, no one can make any money.

So after acquiring the initial three songs, Zhang Aijia and Ge Fuhong flew here immediately. The first thing they did was find a professional copyright lawyer here. They spent the money and figured out the pitfalls in advance.

There can only be one main creator for the entire album, and that is Lin Jianlu.

No one is given the right to be credited, and no one can even think about the right to perform.

As for royalties, as long as it doesn't affect Lin Jianlu's income, Zhao Mingxin's Sony Columbia can give him whatever they want—that's why they could only choose a down-on-his-luck, obscure singer like Chris Martins.

They chatted and quickly warmed up to each other again.

Let's get to work. The recording of the next twelve songs, along with a lot of harmonies and backing vocals, requires the participation of a Black voice.

***
12,000 today!

I'm begging for your monthly votes!

(End of this chapter)