A grand feast for the Chinese entertainment industry

Chapter 159 Harvest and Arrangements

It is said that they talked twice more.

Ultimately, Columbia Records made significant concessions, and when they revised their promotional plan, it was based primarily on Lin Jianlu's promotional ideas, supplemented by their established promotional strategies.

This was undoubtedly a major victory for Zhao Mingxin.

On March 20th, Lin Jianlu flew to Taiwan with Chen Shuhua, Ge Fuhong and Liang Yongqi flew to Hong Kong, while Zhang Aijia stayed behind with Lin Xilei to continue participating in all the follow-up work for the album "21".

Even after returning to Hong Kong, Ge Fuhong has been keeping busy.

It's time to make a move to fulfill the series of verbal promises made in Hong Kong.

Tang Jili is still in America, supposedly working on an American TV series, but Sammo Hung has been eagerly anticipating it for a long time. Lin Jianlu doesn't accept the traditional Hong Kong film production style. The script must be finalized before filming begins. While it's not that no changes are allowed after filming starts, he absolutely refuses to accept the rough, on-the-spot scriptwriting style of Hong Kong films. And, importantly, Lin Jianlu wants to participate in the investment of his first film.

This will be difficult to negotiate.

Hong Kong films have been successful for many years, and the industry is full of capital. People like Sammo Hung and Jackie Chan can be considered to have entered the ranks of capital themselves, but behind them, there is even greater capital.

Lin Jianlu is renowned for his martial arts skills in Hong Kong and Taiwan, and he has been one of the most popular and talked-about celebrities across the three regions in the past year. If he were to make a martial arts film, it would almost be a guaranteed box office hit. With such a situation, how could investors possibly let him go? People want Lin Jianlu to make films so that he can use his skills, kung fu, and fame to make money for them, not so that he can come in and rake in money himself!

The salary can be negotiated, and there's even a high probability that some box office revenue sharing can be discussed, but participating in investment is destined to be rejected by all capital parties, and negotiations are destined to be difficult.

But this is necessary.

It's not simply that Lin Jianlu wouldn't agree to be a mere stepping stone for others; it's that his vision for his first film was completely different from the approach taken by Hong Kong filmmakers like Sammo Hung.

It's not enough to just have a big explosion in Hong Kong, then take a cut in Taiwan and Southeast Asia and consider it a success!

If "21" is a success, Lin Chien-lu will consider taking the opportunity to expand the film's reach to North America.

Of course, Hong Kong and Taiwan must be considered, but the North American and even global film markets must also be taken into account during the preparation period. Of course, Lin Jianlu himself represents the mainland. As long as Forbidden City Films is brought into the game, the doors of mainland cinemas will be opened simultaneously.

Anyway, let's talk about it first.

It is estimated that once Ge Fuhong returns to Hong Kong, even a slight leak will immediately cause a stir in the Hong Kong film industry.

So let's focus on writing the script first, while also engaging with various parties and getting into a tug-of-war.

Lin Chien-lu, on the other hand, wanted to take this opportunity to go back to Taipei and rest for a few days.

Incidentally, if time permits, he also plans to record a few Mandarin songs to reassure Rock Records and Lao Duan.

Then, once things have progressed somewhat in Hong Kong, he will go there to finalize the script with Sammo Hung and the cooperation model and capital allocation ratio with all parties involved.

Of course, it depends on the progress. If the negotiations on the other side are slow, he will return to the mainland first.

Filming the music video for "Believer" will be no small project. It's expected to take at least ten days to two weeks, and possibly even up to a month. The key is that there will be large-scale scenes and fantasy-level shots. In this era where special effects are ridiculously expensive, to film the scene of the male lead's rage and self-destruction, explosions are needed, with the ground exploding and people and horses being blown away. While this will certainly be extremely time-consuming and costly, it will still be much cheaper than going to America to spend money on special effects.

Moreover, the realistic effect would be much more stunning!

After communicating in advance, Lin Jianlu described the effect he wanted, which even gave Zhang Yimou a headache. First, the amount of explosives was difficult to control, which was extremely risky. After all, the explosives were buried underground, and there were galloping horses and so many actors on top of them. If the amount was not controlled properly, it would cause a big problem. Second, if he wanted to achieve the kind of post-production effect that Lin Jianlu wanted, he would need at least one or two high-speed cameras.

There are no high-speed cameras in mainland China.

No problem, I'll lend it to you.

We can push this through Columbia Records. Columbia Group has a film company, and it's one of the so-called Hollywood Big Six or Big Seven. High-speed cameras are a minor issue.

In short, it will be a story-driven music video that will last about six to seven minutes. It's confirmed that a total of 51 US dollars will be invested – over 400 million RMB. In mainland China at this time, that's enough to make a medium-budget film, or a period drama of about 40 episodes, or a modern urban drama of about 50 episodes! In Hong Kong, it could also make a very good film!

Even if it weren't for personal relationships or saving face, it would still be well worth Zhang Yimou taking on this job.

For him, it might even create a strong urge to "create" something – because for him in the past, a short six or seven-minute music video would be a breakthrough!
…………

Su Huilun came to pick him up at the airport.

Pop diva Alan Tam is currently riding high, with her album selling like hotcakes, appearing on the Spring Festival Gala, becoming a sensation in mainland China, and pregnant with the baby she's been dreaming of. For her, 1996 was simply perfect, and 1997, which has already begun, is absolutely rosy, full of wonderful things.

Although that man is so unfaithful that he can drive you crazy from time to time, when he's by your side, every single moment is incredibly sweet.

She and Chen Shuhua most likely conceived on the same night. Counting the days, it's been more than five months. Chen Shuhua has recently started to lose control of her weight, gaining five or six pounds, so her slightly protruding belly isn't very noticeable. However, Su Huilun's weight hasn't changed much, so she's started to show her belly instead.

But it doesn't matter, she's very young and the baby in her belly is very healthy, so she doesn't care about these little things. After returning from her trip to New York, she got a management company in mainland China and actually went to the mainland, specifically choosing big cities. In just over ten days, she took on more than thirty commercial performances and earned more than one million RMB.

After deducting the commission paid to the agency, I still made $16, which is about NT$500 million!

If her belly hadn't actually started to show, she would have been a little worried and wouldn't have stopped.

"Tch! You deserve a beating! If it weren't for my daughter, I would have spanked you today! Is $16 so great? That's what I make from one performance, okay? Is it worth risking my life to earn that much?"

When Lin Jianlu wasn't home, no one could do anything about her. But when Lin Jianlu returned, as soon as she got home, seeing that Lin Jianlu was about to start getting angry, Tianhou Lun obediently stood there and took the scolding.

She further argued, "When I was at my peak! Your lover also said that right after I performed on the Spring Festival Gala, that was when my influence in mainland China was at its greatest, and I received the most commercial performance invitations. Why wouldn't I make money then!"

So she was picked up and spanked a few times.

She pouted and remained silent.

I tried it again that night. I heard that it's not safe for the first three months and the last three months, but it's basically safe in the middle three months. Of course, I was very careful. Before, when I was in New York, the two of them took turns flying over and tried it. It had an unusual heat inside, which was a very novel experience.

Incidentally, it also helped the two of them, who had been thirsty for three or four months, to quench their thirst a little.

But for Lin Jianlu, it only made her thirstier.

…………

Springtime in Taipei.

A gentle breeze and bright sunshine.

The two pregnant women were already living in seclusion, no longer even going to the company. They were spending time with their husbands, sitting on the large terrace on the second floor drinking tea.

"Duck" was released last November, and it has been more than four months since then. In the Chinese music scene, let alone four months, basically the first three months are enough to exhaust more than 11% of the album's sales.

Sales have basically peaked.

But Su Huilun is already extremely satisfied—this is her most popular album since her debut. It has sold over 900,000 copies in Taiwan, and who knows when it will reach a million—in fact, based on what Ge Fuhong and Zhang Aijia said during the last settlement of "Cold to the End," when Rock Records reported that it had sold over 900,000 copies, the actual sales had most likely already exceeded a million!

Stealing sales figures—no record company doesn't do it!
It's the same principle as cinemas stealing box office revenue.

In fact, the modern version of the cook doesn't steal grains and doesn't harvest them.

So the truth is most likely that the actual sales have exceeded one million copies. Internally, they told the singers that it was over nine hundred thousand copies, but when it came to external publicity and reports, they told the truth: sales reached one million!

Hey, where in the world can you find an account book that's perfectly accurate and exactly what you're looking for?
Let them be. Asking them is just standard practice in the industry, it's not worth arguing about!

In short, Queen Lun has already obtained a million-dollar college diploma and has officially become Queen Lun.

With over 900,000 copies sold in Taiwan and over 200,000 in Hong Kong, plus sales from Southeast Asian countries like Singapore, Malaysia, and Thailand, the total sales have exceeded 1.6 million copies. If sales in mainland China are included, the total is very close to the 2 million mark.

That's all, what more do you want?

That's popular enough!
The departure of Bao Xiaosong and Bao Xiaobo, who had been a golden duo for the past few years, will no longer have any impact on Su Huilun's future prospects.

This year is also her contract renewal year, so she can have a good talk with Rolling Stone about a new contract.

She wanted 13%, and if Lao Duan refused, she would really have to consider changing jobs—there was a ready-made company, Xinli Columbia, right there. Zhao Mingxin, the general manager of Xinli Columbia, was as humble as a little follower in front of her husband. She believed that as long as her husband asked, they might not even refuse 14%.

In fact, there is more than just one company, such as New Century Columbia.

Already a superstar herself, and with the strong support of Lin Jianlu's creative work, which record company in the Chinese music scene wouldn't be eagerly waiting for her?
She's had a great time at Rolling Stone all these years, and as long as she can reach an agreement here, she'll try her best not to switch jobs—Old Duan is so much fun! And all those older guys are super entertaining!
Anyway, I have my husband's backing, so I can do whatever I want!

Compared to her exuberance, Chen Shuhua was much quieter, though as gentle as ever.

Despite being incredibly popular, it's no exaggeration to say that she's currently the most popular female singer in the entire Chinese music scene!
"Chasing the Light" sold a million copies in Taiwan in just seven weeks, second only to Lin Chien-lu's "Cold to the End," making it the number one female singer. In Hong Kong, after eight weeks of release, sales have reached 37 copies!

In the two and a half months since then, the global sales have exceeded 220 million copies. It will easily surpass 250 million copies in the future, and there may even be a chance to reach the peak of 300 million copies.

In terms of data alone, she has already surpassed her peak performance during the "Dream Awakening" period.

In the entire Chinese music scene, no female singer dares to say she's more popular than her.

But she herself no longer cares.

Born in the late 1950s, she received an education that could be considered to be from the Republican era. She inherently possesses the traditional and conservative characteristics of a traditional Chinese woman. Now, in terms of her career alone, she has already achieved great success. After deciding to commit herself to Lin Jianlu, she feels a sense of happiness that she has found a life partner. Anxiety about career transition has long since faded to the point of almost disappearing. She has a man she trusts, a man who gives her a large monthly allowance, a luxurious villa to live in, and her own savings accumulated over the years. And now, she is pregnant with this man's child.

She has no desires or wants anymore.

For her, the only topic that can pique her interest right now is losing weight.

She's the type who gains weight easily, and while she can usually control herself, she's pregnant now. Since last month, she's been feeling hungry very quickly, and she's afraid of neglecting the baby, so she eats a little more and immediately starts gaining weight. At her age, she's already worried that one morning she'll wake up suddenly looking much older, even with gray hair, and that her husband might not like her anymore. Now, with the added worry of weight gain, it's better not to talk about this topic at all; as soon as it's even touched on, she immediately becomes anxious.

For her, she would rather donate all her savings just to avoid gaining weight!

Ideally, aging should come a few years later!

However, what can anyone do about such a thing?

Lin Jianlu has strictly forbidden her from drinking the slimming teas that are currently popular in Taiwan, pointing out many of their drawbacks. This has scared her so much that she doesn't dare to drink them anymore, fearing they might harm the baby. There are some acupuncture slimming treatments available outside, which she had tried before she met Lin Jianlu, but now that she's pregnant, the thought of having needles stuck in her stomach makes her absolutely unwilling to do it.

So, the only thing to do is to control it as much as possible during pregnancy and then lose weight as soon as possible after giving birth.

…………

A gentle breeze caresses my face, bringing a touch of melancholy.

But when the family of three sits together, drinking tea and chatting casually, it unconsciously makes people feel at ease, and everyone appears lazy.

It wasn't until the two of them started talking about their respective trips to New York that this continued.

The main topic of conversation was the woman they had faced off against.

Chen Shuhua had faced off against Liang Yongqi, and it was clear that initially, she disliked the 176cm tall and assertive girl. However, she was gentle and didn't want to cause conflict. Later, Liang Yongqi was stunned by Lin Jianlu's English album, and her demeanor immediately softened. Not only towards Lin Jianlu, but also towards Chen Shuhua, she became much more subdued. This quickly dispelled Chen Shuhua's dissatisfaction with her—she was just that kind and gentle.

Su Huilun had faced off against Chen Hong and admitted she was no match in any way. She was only holding on because her husband doted on her. However, after signing a management contract with Chen Hong, the collaboration went fairly well for a while. "That woman looks so smart! She's definitely smarter than you and me! Maybe it's because my husband is smarter than her that she behaves herself and doesn't bully people! But... husband, will she really be so obedient?"

"Why do you ask?"

"Well... I feel like she must be really arrogant. She's the kind of girl who would argue with her husband's mother, and argue really fiercely!"

"No way! Give her the guts!"

In fact, there's no need to borrow them. The only people Lin Jianlu has taken back to meet her parents are Lin Qingxia and Su Huilun—Xu Qing was just caught in the house by chance, not taken back on her own initiative.

If given the opportunity, the only women Lin Jianlu would be willing to bring home are Chen Shuhua and Gao Yuanyuan.

It goes without saying that Chen Shuhua is pregnant with her own child.

Gao Yuanyuan is quite special – she has always been Lin Jianlu's dream, and since the very beginning of his transmigration, she has been the wife he has always considered his wife.

Emmmm... let's just say she's the first wife.

My mother already had contact with Xu Qing, and could easily contact Yu Feihong, but that's another matter—what I brought back was the most valuable.

"I think Leung Wing-ki is alright, she's just quite tall, much taller than me, and she seems quite imposing, but she's just a little girl after all! She probably has a fiery temper, but she doesn't seem that bad. Actually, she's a very simple-minded girl, a bit like the two of us, not that bad!"

"I don't believe it! I've run into her when I'm doing promotions in Hong Kong. She's super fierce! But I'm not afraid. I just retaliate fiercely. She glares at me, and I glare back at her. Who's afraid of who! But Sister Ge is alright. She'll warn her. Later, I saw that she got warned, and she must have been quite angry. I was so happy!"

"Because your husband spoils you the most! That's why Ge Fuhong is helping you and not her! Actually, she's Ge Fuhong's artist, so the two of them should be on the same side."

"Tch! She would never stand with that Leung Wing-ki! She's terrified right now. Everyone's saying her husband's English album will be a hit, and she probably thinks so too, otherwise she wouldn't be putting in so much effort. But in America, none of her tricks work! Her man can't help her either! She's even worse at English than Ai-Chia. She's probably terrified her husband will kick her out!"

"Then you shouldn't keep getting angry with Leung Wing-ki, it's not worth it, you're pregnant!"

"Relax! I can't be bothered with her!"

***
12,000 today!

Please vote for me, brothers! I don't have many votes...

(End of this chapter)