A grand feast for the Chinese entertainment industry

Chapter 175 Dragon Fighting in the Wild
Bonus chapter for Alliance Leader "Dragon Battles in the Wilds"!
***
On the evening of July 1st, there will be a large-scale gala broadcast live.

At this point, there was no longer any sectarian bias. ATV's studio was built later, and it was larger and better decorated, so the broadcast took place there. ATV and TVB, longtime rivals, broadcast together.

many people.

ATV's studio, while not small, is still not comparable to CCTV's. Organizing a large-scale gala like this, which draws almost the entire Hong Kong arts and culture community, is actually quite challenging.

Of course, this is already a significant reduction in staff.

People who aren't at a certain level aren't qualified to perform on stage—there are many public performances scheduled throughout Hong Kong, and a lot of people are needed. Even people like Leung Wing-ki, who has only released one Cantonese album and whose sales were only so-so, and Rosamund Kwan, who has released albums but can hardly be considered singers, all have performance assignments.

But tonight, it's mainly the superstars.

Earlier, we had Alan Tam and Leslie Cheung's rivalry, Paula Tsui, Jenny Tseng, and Liza Wang; later, we had the Four Heavenly Kings, Anita Mui, Faye Wong, Yee Lin, Sally Yeh, and Cass Phang. The only slight regret was that Princess Hsien couldn't make it—well, these people already had quite a few internal conflicts; if it weren't for such a special day and celebration, getting them all together would be virtually impossible. But today, they all came, and they all behaved themselves.

Even celebrities like Zheng Xiuwen, who has become popular in recent years, and Karen Mok, whose album recently sold very well, are not qualified to participate in a gala like this.

Lin Jianlu is considered a newcomer.

He arrived backstage around 3 p.m. and greeted each of his seniors one by one.

Fortunately, things are very different now compared to a few months ago and last year. Almost no one is qualified to put on airs in front of him. Because of his excellent relationship with Leslie Cheung, which is known throughout Hong Kong, Lam Kin-lu had never even met Principal Tam on various occasions before. Now that they have met, he is quite friendly and speaks highly of "21" and expresses his admiration repeatedly.

Zhang Xueyou and Li Ming, well, finally I met the other two Heavenly Kings.

That means I've completed all the check-ins since my time travel.

Lin Jianlu is now quite familiar with Guo Fucheng and they have a good relationship. In the past few months, Lin Jianlu has been staying in Hong Kong and has invited him out for drinks several times. As for Liu Dehua, they are already old acquaintances who can joke and fool around freely. When they met, they greeted each other and it seemed that the two of them were also on good terms.

Overall, the sense of alienation and rejection that the Hong Kong music scene used to feel is now largely gone.

It's quite friendly to stand together and chat for a bit.

However, among Xu Xiaofeng, Jenny Tseng, and Liza Wang, Lin Jianlu's demeanor was slightly more humble. Xu Xiaofeng, for example, was already considered on par with Teresa Teng, and even had more seniority than her.

In reality, however, they treated Lin Jianlu with far more humility than Lin Jianlu treated them—a global icon who dominated Billboard and became a future global pop superstar was not someone a washed-up singer from a small Hong Kong island had the right to put on airs.

They're all getting old.

Sally Yeh is amazing—she's about 1.7 meters tall, has a bright smile, a great figure, speaks fluent Mandarin, and is quick-witted and cheerful; you can strike up a conversation in just a few words.

In my past life, I occasionally came across some old Hong Kong and Taiwan TV program videos, and I've liked Lin Jianlu ever since.

Natural and unpretentious.

In fact, Lin Jianlu has always preferred women who are a little older. Some girls can be as young as 27 or 28, but most are better after 30. The reason is simple: they are not pretentious.

I'm over thirty now, what haven't I seen, what can't I let go of?

When everyone sits down together to chat, they exchange insightful opinions.

Girls like Gao Yuanyuan and Liang Yongqi are indeed very young and innocent, but most of our time is spent pampering and coaxing them. It's nice to do it once or twice and we're willing to spoil them, but it gets annoying after a while.

Damn, life is short, can't we just enjoy the good things? Why make such a fuss!
I was quite surprised to see Gong Li there.

From afar, she was already smiling. Lin Jianlu was surprised for a moment, then walked over with a smile and hugged her. "Why didn't you say anything a few days ago?"—She smiled and said, "It was a surprise! I even specifically told Guorong not to tell anyone!"

"Hi!"

The current situation is that if the capital needs Hong Kong artists, the first choice is Leslie Cheung and Jackie Chan. The former has always had close ties with the mainland and is appreciated by the mainland. The latter already has two movies being released simultaneously in the mainland, which is what you call respectable.

It's not about the box office revenue in mainland China at all; the difficulty lies in allowing you to enter the market directly.

When Hong Kong has a need, the first choice for mainland artists is Gong Li—the reasons are not hard to understand. First, her qualifications, status, and achievements are all top-notch, making her the number one mainland actor at the moment. Second, she had already come to Hong Kong to film Stephen Chow's movies and played the role of a decorative figure. Hong Kong people really like the unique, magnanimous beauty that belongs to northern girls. Third, well, she doesn't have an official status.

So today, for the grandest gala celebrating Hong Kong's return to China, there are only two mainlanders: one is Lam Kin-lu, who was practically indispensable, and the other is Gong Li.

Before five o'clock, Cheng Long also arrived.

After flirting with Liza Wang, this guy flirted with Sally Yeh, and then ran over to hug Gong Li. Gong Li hid behind Lam Kin-lu and laughed as she changed the subject, saying, "You're a local, why are you so late!"

Cheng Long waved his hand and explained earnestly, "There's no other way, there are just too many occasions."

After a brief chat, he quickly turned his attention to Lin Jianlu. "I've heard a lot about you since I came back. You've invested in Media Asia? Are you going to make period kung fu films?"

This was clearly information that Gong Li was completely unaware of, and she couldn't help but turn to look at Lin Jianlu, "You're going to make a movie?"

Lin Chien-lu explained, "Just give it a try! They've been urging me on."

Cheng Long offered serious advice, "Investing in period dramas is huge, so you need to control the costs carefully! It'll be very difficult to break even if it exceeds 5000 million, unless you can sell it in North America too!"—This one sentence reveals either that his relationship with his fellow apprentice Sammo Hung isn't as good as it seems, or that he's been back for a few days and hasn't seen Sammo Hung and Tong Chi-Lik yet. Otherwise, his warning line wouldn't be 5000 million.

Setting the cost at HK$5000 million essentially means they never even considered entering the North American market.

Hong Kong films generally have low budgets, but Jackie Chan has consistently insisted on making big-budget films since the mid-to-late 1980s. His films are able to sell well in Japan and Korea. Videotapes can also be sold in North America.

His official videotapes can be found everywhere, even in Latin America and Europe.

Videotapes, which don't require revenue sharing with theaters, may seem insignificant, but once sales take off, local videotape distributors can make a profit and earn quite a bit.

Hong Kong, Taiwan, Southeast Asia, Korea, Japan, North America, the whole world.

These are several distinct market segments.

Most Hong Kong films cater to the local Hong Kong market, then package them up and sell them to Taiwan for a fixed price. In fact, for many years, Taiwan didn't produce its own films, so this market was basically Hong Kong films' backyard. Many films could recoup most of their costs simply by selling them to Taiwan for a fixed price. They could easily make a profit by selling them in Hong Kong. Then, whether they packaged them up and sold them to local distributors in Southeast Asia or licensed them for distribution, it was all pure profit.

A small number of films starring big stars can be popular in Korea.

Such as Cheng Long, Leslie Cheung, and Zhou Runfa.

Oh, right, because "A Chinese Ghost Story" was a huge hit in Korea, Wang Zuxian is very popular there.

She was revered as a goddess by the Koreans.

Furthermore, it is very difficult for ordinary people to make money in the Japanese market. Jackie Chan is almost the only one who can do so. Li Lianjie, another kung fu superstar, can hardly get any market share in Japan.

As for North America, well, everyone knows it's the world's largest single consumer market, but it's really too difficult to get in. Films from other regions are generally just released on videotape. A few European directors have managed to get in, but in Asia, the most successful one so far is Jackie Chan's "Rumble in the Bronx".

However, after a brief chat, his mind was probably already on North America. He gave a simple reminder and said hello, but didn't talk much more about Lin Jianlu's acquisition of Media Asia to make movies. In his opinion, Media Asia, a company that had only been established for two or three years and specialized in making low-budget films, was not worth paying special attention to. Lin Jianlu's decision to join forces with them for a large investment could even be considered somewhat uncertain.

He was more concerned about Lin Chien-lu's current huge success in North America and even the world. "Wow, every party I go to plays your songs. You're incredibly popular in America! Many people ask me about you. I tell them we're friends, but you're mainly a musician!"

He was very clever and articulate, but never went too far.

…………

The gala was called "The Glory of the Dragon," a return to cultural performances.

Compared to CCTV's meticulous approach to organizing galas, where everything needs to be considered and balanced, this gala is much more direct. Whoever is popular gets to perform, and if they're popular enough, they can even sing several songs in a row. The goal is to give the audience a good show—Lin Jianlu sang four songs.

There was absolutely no rehearsal; the atmosphere on set felt quite impromptu.

After you finish your turn, he goes on stage and sings his own hit songs and representative works.

He finished singing and left.

Gong Li, being the host, was bound to stay until the end, while Lin Jianlu finished singing at 9:30 and came down to the host's waiting area, quietly asking her, "Where do you live? Do you want to come to my place?"

She laughed and whispered in her ear, "I'm not going! I'm afraid you'll eat me alive!"

Lin Jianlu scoffed and joked along, "Sure, let's eat!"

She laughed again, "I don't want to fight with Xu Qing!"

However, they waited until the regular party ended before taking her back to her hotel. They then went out for a quick late-night snack with Leslie Cheung and Andy Lau.

It's probably unknown to outsiders that she is actually the "white moonlight" of a group of Hong Kong male celebrities.

The next morning, Lam Kin-lu was to perform at Happy Valley.

Since gaining popularity in Hong Kong and Taiwan, Lin Jianlu has performed live quite a few times, but these have mostly been commercial shows. This time, however, is different. The venue is not very formal, yet it is said that around 20,000 people will flood in—since there are no tickets, theoretically, the venue can accommodate as many people as it is large. But the more this is the case, the more worried the organizers become. It is said that over a thousand police officers were dispatched early in the morning to maintain order.

This can be considered Lin Jianlu's first public performance.

All the other celebrities who will be performing live are combined, but none of them are as popular as him.

The organizer's advance announcement even claimed that this would be the live premiere of Lin Jianlu's English song "21"—the album has become incredibly popular in Hong Kong in the past two months, with sales exceeding 60 copies. Many veteran fans can hear Lin Jianlu's unique singing style in this English album, and there has been much discussion in newspapers. Therefore, the popularity of the event was predictable.

Lin Jianlu set off at eight o'clock in the morning and arrived before nine o'clock. He spent some time backstage entertaining people. Soon the concert began. He sat backstage and just listened to the thunderous cheers from the front. But it was almost eleven o'clock when it was his turn. Suddenly, Ge Fuhong, who was next to him, stood up.

Hello Vivian!

"Hello, Hong Gu!"

Lin Jianlu looked up, paused for a moment, then quickly put on a smile and stood up.

Zhou Huimin.

After greeting Ge Fuhong, she immediately looked over and said, "Hello, Mr. Lin!"

Lin Jianlu extended her hand, "Hello, Miss Zhou! Wow... you look so beautiful today!"

She was just as famous upon meeting me; she truly deserves to be the beloved idol of three generations of her family.

In fact, her appearance here is a bit surprising. Since last year, it seems that she has basically stopped being involved in Hong Kong affairs—she went and released two Japanese albums.

There are rumors that she and Ni Zhen have gotten back together, and some even say they're getting married soon.

Lin Jianlu's understanding of her mostly comes from Ge Fuhong—she is one of Ge Fuhong's white moonlight, someone she has always admired but never managed to win over, so she watched helplessly as Ge Fuhong "stuck there," feeling "heartbroken" and "regretful"—well, she herself said that Liang Yongqi was, in her eyes, a substitute for Zhou Huimin.

However, Zhou Huimin's qualifications, whether in terms of appearance, acting talent, or singing talent, are actually at least a head higher than Liang Yongqi's, even though she is about seven or eight centimeters shorter than Liang Yongqi.

Well, Ge Fuhong is an expert with many years of experience. The information she has access to and understands is something that most laymen would never know. From the beginning of her career, Zhou Huimin has been highly regarded by many people, who generally believe that she can at least become the singer Priscilla Chan, but she also has at least one more identity as a "pretty face" in the film industry.

However, her biggest mistake was that she was pursued and won over by Ni Zhen not long after her debut.

They've tried to curry favor with the wrong person.

Well, to put it simply, scumbags are the best at choosing wives.

Ni Zhen has impeccable taste in girlfriends, so he chose Zhou Huimin and has been keeping her firmly in his arms ever since.

But here's the truth: Vivian Chow's appearance, her voice, her singing tone, plus her unique pure and bright temperament, attracted not only Ni Zhen, but any man would like her!
However, for many years, she has been singing, hosting programs, acting in TV dramas and movies, always stuck on the line of being about to become famous but just not becoming famous. No big director, big boss or capital will choose to promote her because she is already taken. There are so many beauties, why offend the Ni family!
Occasionally, someone might disregard the Ni family, covet her, or admire her, and extend an olive branch. However, this would immediately provoke a strong backlash from other actresses—her looks are undeniable, posing too great a threat.

Rumors circulated that Ge Fuhong confirmed that Win's Entertainment once had high hopes for her and wanted to promote her. However, a group of actresses from Win's Entertainment, such as Zhang Min and Wu Junru, immediately launched a strong counterattack. They used their charm, whispered in her ear, and spread rumors to the public, which immediately alerted Ni Zhen. With the combined efforts of both sides, her future was ruined.

In fact, to avoid offending the Ni family, many male celebrities are reluctant to have too much contact with her.

It's a bit funny that she's been repeatedly named one of the "Top Ten Healthy Image Artists." There are countless men in Hong Kong who are envious of her. She's an artist who records, performs, hosts programs, meets guests, and films and TV series, etc., yet she has never had any scandals. Who would dare to have a scandal with her?
Although the Ni family wasn't exactly wealthy, Ni Kuang was a senior figure, one of the so-called Four Great Talents of Hong Kong, with ample connections and significant influence as a literary figure. It was really not worth offending him.

Unfortunately, the Ni family only had influence. If the Ni family were in the film industry, Zhou Huimin should be at the same level as Xia Yufang and Hong Kong actresses now—or at least at a slightly lower level, her name should be on the list.

In the music industry, she should be on par with Wang Fei and Lin Yilian.

But those are all just hypotheticals.

She's always been somewhere in the middle in Hong Kong. Her image is undeniably likable, but her albums have never been big sellers, rarely exceeding 100,000 copies. Her rare Cantonese albums, however, have managed to sell somewhat in Taiwan, though even then, they only managed a little over 100,000 copies. It's worth noting that her looks have given her a significant advantage – looks matter everywhere! There are perverts everywhere!
In 92, she also tried to officially enter the Taiwanese market, signing with Forward Music and releasing a Mandarin album that was apparently called "Rumors," which reportedly sold over 30 copies worldwide.

For her, the results were already quite good, but compared to Wang Fei, Lin Yilian and others who had achieved sales of 300,000 to 500,000 or even 800,000 copies in a single Taiwanese market, it was far from her achievement.

Su Huilun, after "Lemon-tree," has already surpassed her. After "Duck," Su Huilun can be said to have completely crushed her. As for Chen Shuhua, who made a comeback, she doesn't even qualify to be compared to her.

So much so that after trying Cantonese and Mandarin without success, she actually started releasing Japanese albums, wanting to try her luck in Japan—according to Ge Fuhong, this was largely because she wanted to escape Hong Kong and get away from Ni Zhen.

I don't know if her Japanese album was successful or not, but I haven't heard any news about it since.

"Thank you! Uh..."

She let go of my hand, hesitated for a moment, then pulled out a few CDs from behind her back, looking both cute and shy, "Could you please..."

"Oh, haha, of course."

She took the box and looked at the titles: "Cold to the End," "The Light Chaser," and "21." She handed him a pen, and Lin Jianlu opened the box one by one, signing each title carefully, but couldn't help but subconsciously glance up at her.

Their eyes met in an instant, and she immediately looked away, unable to meet his gaze.

Startled like a fawn.

Oh my, I have to admit, those eyes are truly captivating.

Especially her sudden, panicked dodge—Holy crap!
Ge Fuhong looked at this and that, then quietly walked away.

Lin Jianlu, completely oblivious, couldn't help but ask Zhou Huimin, "You like listening to my songs?"

She looked up, met his gaze again, then looked away, but quickly looked back, her eyes much bolder, staring directly into his. "Yes! I love it! I've loved it ever since your first album, it's a pity I've never had the chance to meet you!" She then looked away, pointing to the album "21" that Lin Jianlu was signing. "This album is really amazing! In my opinion, it's even better than Michael Jackson's 'Thriller'!"

However, they quickly turned back and their eyes met.

The gaze, both infatuated and bold—at that moment, Lin Jianlu couldn't help but exclaim "Holy crap!" in her mind again.

After signing, close the pen and hand it back.

She remained motionless, staring intently at Lin Jianlu.

Lin Jianlu raised her hand, and the CD case swung past her eyes. She was stunned for a moment before she came to her senses, took it, and instantly blushed. She didn't dare to look up again. "Thank you!"

Lin Jianlu laughed, "I heard a rumor that you're retiring from the music industry?"

"what……"

She hesitated for a moment, then finally mustered up her courage, looked up and met Lin Jianlu's gaze, and said, "I don't know what to do next, I just want to say, let's take a break first..." This was probably something she was reluctant to talk about. Her career in recent years had been on a downward spiral, and there was not much to say about it.

In recent years, she seems to have been on and off with Ni Zhen. Ni Zhen is a womanizer and has been having affairs. Her various attempts to break free have frequently appeared in the media, to the point that Hong Kong people are tired of seeing it.

Ni Zhen couldn't handle a master like Li Jiaxin, but she could easily manipulate a girl like Ni Zhen.

How amazing is Li Jiaxin? She's already married to a rich second-generation heir. Although she can't handle his father, she has the rich second-generation heir completely under her control. Yet, she still turns around and asks Liu Luanxiong for all kinds of luxury goods. Not only does Liu Luanxiong give them to her, but he also complains to the media and brags about it. Her husband doesn't even have any objections.

Every ordinary citizen in Hong Kong can see clearly that she has a firm grip on both the self-made Lau and the incompetent rich second-generation heir, Hui Tai-shao, and knows how to manipulate men of different personalities and backgrounds.

Ni Zhen pursued her, but was quickly rejected. It's said that he didn't even get a kiss before throwing in two million!
Conversely, it is believed that Zhou Huimin was pursued and won over by Ni Zhen in the late 1980s. They broke up countless times during that period, but have never broken up since—it is said that they recently got back together.

She bit her lip, seemingly trying hard to find a topic to chat with Lin Jianlu a little longer. Just then, she looked down and saw "Chasing the Light" and said, "I really like Ms. Chen's album too. Her transformation is so successful. Mr. Lin, your musical talent is truly... unfathomable."

"Unfathomable? Ha... Thank you!"

"Did I...did I say something wrong? If..."

No! You're overthinking it.

She nodded, pursed her lips, and stared into Lin Jianlu's eyes for a good ten seconds. Perhaps she couldn't find a new topic, she lowered her head and said, "Then... that's it. Thank you, Mr. Lin, for signing for me."

"You're welcome."

She nodded, about to leave, but then, for some reason, she mustered her courage and turned back to look at Lin Jianlu. "I'd like to exchange phone numbers with you, Mr. Lin. I don't know if it's convenient. You know, I might have some music-related questions I'd like to ask you."

Lin Jianlu was slightly taken aback before he came to his senses. "Hey! You should have said so earlier! It wouldn't have been difficult for you to ask for my number, would it?" As he spoke, he reached into his pocket but found nothing.

Hmm, I remember now, he hasn't carried his business card with him for at least six months.

Then just take out your phone and call them.

But before he could take out his phone, Zhou Huimin suddenly opened the pen, handed him the pen with one hand, and reached out with the other.

Lin Jianlu looked up at her, then took the pen, grabbed her hand, wrote down her number, capped the pen, and looked up at her again. Only then did she realize that her gaze had never left her face the entire time.

Their eyes met, and she smiled. "Mr. Lin, you're really handsome! You have such a manly air about you!"

Lin Jianlu couldn't help but chuckle, "You flatter me!"

…………

At 10:46 a.m., Lin Jianlu stood on the temporary lifting platform.

After waiting for about a minute, there was a deafening roar outside. The host must have gone on stage. It was a mess. The venue was too big, and the sound system was hastily selected and set up, resulting in various echoes and flickers. As a result, Lin Jianlu, who was standing on the rising platform, could not hear what was being said outside at all.

He only heard a loud noise outside for a while, and then the platform moved—and gradually the sunlight appeared, and the microphone was held in front of him.

The music started.

He will sing four songs today, two in Mandarin and two in English.

Let's start with "Ten Years," a song that's very popular and highly praised in Hong Kong, to set the tone and leave a lingering impression.

This song has been popular for over a year, and it remains a highly requested song on radio stations in Hong Kong and Taiwan. It's safe to say that at least one or two million people in Hong Kong can sing it.

Sure enough, after only a few lines of singing, the fans in the audience were already singing along enthusiastically.

When he finished singing a song, he wasn't very excited yet, but the fans below were already incredibly excited. When the accompaniment stopped, he smiled and greeted the fans, which drew another wave of thunderous cheers.

Then, release a new song.

"My new album, a Mandarin album, is being recorded. The company doesn't allow leaks, but... I'm quite famous..."

The audience burst into laughter.

More than 20,000 people laughed together, and the effect was quite impressive.

Few people would boast about their own popularity, but Lin Jianlu's claim is perfectly acceptable—she's more than just popular; she's the most popular person in the world right now!

"So... a new song, one that you probably won't be able to buy or hear until August, is being given to you in advance on this special and celebratory day! The song is called 'Let's Rock Together,' thank you!"

Snap your fingers, and the accompaniment begins.

It's an incredibly fun game almost from the very first pick.

Rock and blues.

"Give me your hands and your waist, let us melt into this rhythm..."

The fans below were already quite excited when they heard it was a new song, and with this rhythm, they immediately got hyped up. A song like "Let's Rock Together" is incredibly effective when performed live in such a crowded place. Even though it's a new song and no one can sing along, the effect is still explosive.

The vast majority of the fans in the audience started swaying and nodding along as they listened to the new song.

"Thinking back on all those long nights, do you understand the tears that silently flowed into your heart?"

Let's rock together! Let's rock together! Forget all the pain, let's rock together!

When the song ended, the audience erupted in a deafening roar.

Lin Jianlu stood still, microphone pointed down at the audience, seemingly enjoying the cheers—everyone says that what's called "red aura" is this kind of thunderous cheers.

Because the microphone was pointed at the audience, the fans cheered loudly in support.

If there were measuring instruments, the decibel level at the scene would probably be off the charts.

It wasn't until more than ten seconds later that Lin Jianlu put away the microphone and spoke again with a smile—this is a privilege. Most singers who go on stage will have one to three songs to perform, but many singers are not allowed to speak. They are only allowed to sing. You can't have everyone on stage talking from beginning to end during a performance, can you?

At Lin Jianlu's level, performing this kind of show grants her a great deal of autonomy.

He can speak whenever he wants, and no one will think he's breaking the rules.

Of course, he wouldn't say much. Right now, he felt a bit like he was doing a mock rehearsal for a future concert. "Next... how about we listen to a couple of English songs?"

"it is good!"

The audience responded with a thunderous roar, and countless arms were raised in excitement.

Lin Jianlu smiled and deliberately remained silent, looking here and there. It had been cloudy early in the morning, but now that the sun was out, the scene was actually a bit sunny and hot, so he shaded his eyes with his hand as he looked around.

Every few seconds, a rhythmic pause, until the cheers from the audience were barely subsiding, the topic was suddenly brought back: "My English song, a world premiere! A song called 'Yeah,' for you all!"

The audience went wild!

Since the end of April, when Hong Kong media began to catch up and extensively report on the album "21", Hong Kong fans have successively witnessed three songs, "Baby", "HandClap" and "Yeah", reaching the top of Billboard. It can be said that it is extremely rare to see such a situation locally. So many fans are so familiar with the real-time changes in the Billboard rankings in the United States. "Yeah" is currently the most popular song in the world!

The melody started quickly, and she sang it for the first time without any stage fright.

If recording and later performing songs from "Cold to the End" in various commercial shows didn't put much pressure on Lin Jianlu, and it wasn't much different from live streaming in his previous life, then he put in a lot of hard work and practiced very seriously for the recording of "21".

By now, I've become quite proficient at it.

The upbeat rhythm, coupled with his completely unchoreographed and spontaneous dance, created an incredibly high-energy atmosphere.

As usual, when the song ended, there was a thunderous roar.

Without further ado, here's the last song, "This one, 'I-Surrender,' is for you!"

It's over, the atmosphere is perfect, time to show off my singing skills.

According to Sylvia Chang and Hsi-lei Lin, the recorded version of this song was widely praised in North America as having a "brilliant voice," and was even considered to be comparable to Celine Dion's level of ballad singing.

It can be said that it is an extreme test of the stability of the sound and the brilliance of the high notes.

Lin Jianlu is fine. He has a foundation in both folk and bel canto singing, and he also sang live for many years in his previous life, so he already has his own complete system of vocal techniques.

Magnificent, soaring, and deeply moving.

During the last part of the song, he even voluntarily raised the pitch to K. Although there wasn't the same response as with "Let's Rock Together" and "Yeah," the audience's reaction showed that they were all captivated by his performance.

As the last line was sung, the accompaniment slowly faded away.

Lin Jianlu was already standing on the elevator platform.

Amidst the tremendous roar of the fans below the stage, Lin Jianlu waved as she slowly descended.

Ge Fuhong was waiting downstairs. After handing over the microphone, Lin Jianlu walked over. She took two steps to greet her and whispered, "Absolutely perfect! Your concert will definitely be a huge success!"

Lin Jianlu smiled, took the water glass as he walked, and took two sips.

He hadn't dared to eat his fill that morning, and now he was starving. "Let's go find somewhere to eat!"

Ge Fuhong strode after her, and seeing that no one was around, she whispered excitedly, "I think Zhou Huimin seems to really want to woo you..." Lin Jianlu suddenly stopped, turned to look at her, and she shrugged, "Isn't that right?"

Lin Jianlu didn't answer and continued walking forward. She caught up with him again, still looking excited. "Anyway, you're not afraid of any scandals. If she really wants to date you, I really want to sign her. Her voice is very versatile. If you can make an album for her, even if it's just a single, I'm confident I can make her famous... She's not old yet! She's not even thirty yet. As long as there's a way out, she won't choose to retire!"

Lin Jianlu laughed, "I guess it's because of what you said. Ni Zhen has been clinging to her. If I were to pursue her, would you take the fall for me from the Ni family?"

Ge Fuhong laughed upon hearing this, "Please, don't scare me! You've never cared about these things when you're picking up girls! Aren't you currently pursuing Wang Zuxian? You're not even afraid of Lin Jianyue, why would you be afraid of Ni Kuang?"

"what……"

…………

I've been busy with all sorts of things in Hong Kong.

To be honest, he doesn't even have time to chase girls.

After finishing her own album, she was busy recording with Liang Yongqi. Fortunately, none of the songs were particularly difficult. Given her vocal foundation, she wouldn't be able to sing songs that required too much vocal skill. So, with a little guidance, and considering how well-behaved she is now, she can be easily manipulated in front of Lin Jianlu, unlike Wang Fei who is so proud. Therefore, the progress was quite fast – soon it reached a speed of one song every two days, or even one song every day and a half.

In his spare time, Lin Jianlu would work with Hong Jinbao, Zhuang Cheng and others to repeatedly refine the script. He even made a special phone call to invite a screenwriter he knew in mainland China named Lu Wei to come to Hong Kong. He paid for Lu Wei's food and lodging and asked him to participate in discussions about the script, character development and dialogue.

On the contrary, Tang Jili had already been arranged to go ahead and fly to America to contact Columbia Pictures to see if he could get investment from there.

It seems like there shouldn't be too much of a problem. Firstly, it's using Lin Jianlu's name, and secondly, in recent years, since Sony acquired Columbia Pictures, this film company has been very keen to invest in Chinese-language films.

According to the information that has been relayed back so far, Tang Jili said that the other side is very interested.

Next, after the second draft of the script is finalized, Lin Jianlu will go to America to meet with people from Columbia Pictures. After that, Tang Jili will return and set off with Hong Jinbao to scout locations in mainland China.

At that time, preparations for "Myth" will officially begin.

Of course, Tang Jili also had a job filming an American TV series, so at the end of July, he and Hong Jinbao were going to America to start filming their American TV series. However, it was just a pilot episode, so the workload wouldn't be too heavy. It would probably be finished in a little over ten days. Then, it would depend on Lin Jianlu's next schedule.

Sammo Hung returned to continue pre-production, striving to complete all pre-production work for "The Myth" by early September, or at the latest mid-September, so that filming could begin at any time. Meanwhile, Tang Jili was in America, working on the pilot episode of his American TV series while also contacting special effects companies for advance communication. This was an extremely slow pace for a Hong Kong film, but the investment was too large this time, and the project leader, Lin Jianlu, was so cautious. Although the pace was slow, every step was a solid work arrangement to ensure that the film would be presented in a better way and have more confidence in its box office performance. Therefore, despite the slow pace, no one complained.

In short, since transmigrating, Lin Jianlu has never been as diligent and proactive as she is now.

Now, he has a clear goal and a well-thought-out plan. Although there are still risks ahead, and the risks in filmmaking can be quite significant, they are all within his personal judgment, so he has no fear.

Busy as we were, before we knew it, July had already reached its midpoint.

On Friday, July 11th, at 7 PM, Billboard released its latest chart, and unsurprisingly, "Yeah" once again topped the singles chart!

From May 30th at the end of May, through the entire month of June, until July 4th, and now on July 11th, this song has topped the Billboard Hot 100 for seven consecutive weeks!
A stunning consecutive championship!
Columbia Records even stated that they still had the capacity to push the song to number one for at least another week. The music video premiere for "Believer," intended to take the top spot, was ultimately scheduled for Saturday, July 19th. While Columbia Records would be happy to continue promoting "Yeah" for other artists' albums, aiming for its ninth week at number one, for "21," even if it still had the potential, it was completely unnecessary. Dragging it out too long would cause a potential number one single to gradually lose its momentum, which would ultimately be detrimental to the album's overall promotion.

In addition, Columbia Records has received information that a very significant new album will be released around the end of July. It is said to be a rap album by a guy who is extremely famous in the American rap scene, known in the industry as "Puff Daddy"—reportedly, industry insiders have given his rap album extremely high praise after listening to it!
So, despite its strength and remaining potential, "Yeah" was abandoned!
Eight consecutive weeks at the top is the ultimate glory; that's enough.

Next, we pushed "Believer" up the charts, along with a strong music video, determined to take the number one single that week and suppress the competition from strong rivals. Of course, there were others in Colombia who were more optimistic, but because Lin Jianlu had produced a music video, which they considered to be full of "exotic charm" and had a very impressive visual effect, they judged it to be a worthy contender and agreed to push the song up for the competition.

But if they find that the song can't hold up, they won't force it. They'll just take it to number one for a week and then remove it, replacing it with "Moves-Like-Jagger," which they have higher hopes for.

Columbia Records firmly believed that no matter how great Puff Daddy's album was, this song was enough to halt its rise—it couldn't possibly be better than "Moves-Like-Jagger".

Well, that's about it. Once Lin Jianlu has mostly finished handling things in Hong Kong, even though Liang Yongqi's new album still has three songs left to record, there's no rush. He booked a flight for July 13th to fly to Los Angeles to meet up with Tang Jili and go to Columbia Pictures to discuss things.

Just before he left, and on the same day, he received two warnings. The first was from Lin Jianyue, a famous second-generation rich kid in Hong Kong who was temporarily in charge of Lai Sun Group because his father was stuck in Taiwan and couldn't come back. This playboy, who had recently become very popular for spending HK$69 billion to acquire the Furama Hotel in Central, called Lin Jianlu's mobile phone directly.

"This is Lin Jianyue. I'm calling to tell you: This is Hong Kong, so watch your step!"

That's exactly what was said.

Well, something must have reached his ears. Although in fact, Lin Jianlu has been so busy lately that he hasn't had time to do anything too intimate with Wang Zuxian, and they've even had very few opportunities to meet and play cards together.

Unfortunately, after leaving such a brief and abrupt statement, the other end of the phone hung up, leaving Lin Jianlu speechless before he could even react—he couldn't retort on the spot, and he disdained any further calls to hurl insults. He preferred to arrange a public dinner with Wang Zuxian that very evening.

The second warning came when Ni Zhen called Ge Fuhong.

Back on July 8th, Vivian Chow called Lam Kin-lu, chatted for a bit, and asked if he was free. They then arranged to have tea together, but they were photographed by paparazzi.

However, after the photos were taken, no newspaper was willing to publish them, so they had to contact Ge Fuhong, who spent HK$10,000 to buy the photos along with the negatives. Entertainment Express quickly backed down, and in less than a month, they received more than forty lawsuits, which would make anyone's scalp tingle.

Newspapers are a business, and breaking celebrity scandals is an absolutely lucrative business.

Celebrities are highly popular with readers, and their scandals are a source of great interest and can boost sales. However, these so-called celebrities are actually just earning a meager living. Whether it's fighting the media or dealing with capital, they are generally quite weak and have virtually no ability to resist. But this time, Lin Jianlu not only chose to fight back, but also forced several major brands to help her fight back. Entertainment Express has really bitten off more than she can chew.

Responding to the lawsuit and waging a war of attrition is something their small newspaper simply cannot afford.

If Lin Jianlu were to file the lawsuit himself, they wouldn't be afraid. They could hire lawyers to defend themselves while also giving extensive media coverage to the case, which would attract enough attention and allow them to use sales to fund the lawsuit.

However, the plaintiffs are either BMW, Coca-Cola, or victims who were previously reported in the newspapers as fabricated stories. They can't pinpoint anything about Lin Jianlu and have no news value whatsoever, so there's no way for them to fight back.

So they decisively conceded defeat, and more than forty lawsuits are being settled out of court one by one.

Even newspapers like Entertainment Express, which had tasted the benefits of such coverage, stopped accepting negative news about Lin Jianlu. It's easy to imagine that other media outlets would simply pay a little money to buy the stories and shut them up.

But clearly, the news eventually reached Ni Zhen's ears.

His statement was, "Don't think that just because you're famous in Hollywood, you can recklessly date other people's girlfriends in Hong Kong. Be careful, you might get hacked to death in the street one day!" To be honest, ever since Lam Kin-lu knocked Cheung Kin-ting flying with an elbow last year, the whole of Hong Kong has been superstitious about him being a kung fu master, and some even say he's a deity. So when someone suddenly appeared and threatened him with force, Lam Kin-lu was quite surprised.

Unfortunately, there was no time to spare for him. On July 13, Lin Jianlu and Hong Jinbao flew to Los Angeles together.

Sylvia Chang, Hsi-lei Lin, and Ji-Li Tang were already here. They met up at the airport, went to the hotel for a short rest, and then went to the headquarters of Columbia Pictures.

I arrived more than ten minutes earlier than the agreed time.

Tang Jili was very happy. It seemed that Lin Jianlu's fatigue when he got off the plane had disappeared. On the way here, he had been talking non-stop, and now he had even begun to look forward to a bright future.

He said Columbia Pictures is very optimistic about this collaboration. The amount of money involved is small, so the risk is low. With Lin Jianlu, a superstar who is currently popular all over the world, as a box office draw, even if it is a bad movie that is just a publicity stunt, it is unlikely to lose money. Even if the box office itself does not make money, as long as they acquire the North American distribution rights and earn distribution fees, they will be invincible.

Overall, I feel optimistic about everything.

Tang Jili is also extremely excited about personally directing a special effects blockbuster with an investment of up to HK$100 million.

However, to everyone's surprise, when the appointed time arrived, the group of people arrived early and waited in the waiting room for more than ten minutes, but the production manager that Tang Jili had contacted did not appear.

Tang Jili and Hong Jinbao were still unaware of the situation, but Zhang Aijia's expression had already begun to turn ugly.

In fact, Lin Jianlu's trip to New York to record was smooth sailing, but before that, when she went to Columbia Records with Ge Fuhong and Zhao Mingxin, she had already experienced American arrogance.

five minutes.

ten minutes.

Even Tang Jili began to feel that something was wrong, but Lin Jianlu smiled and patted him on the shoulder, "Wait five more minutes, if they don't come, we'll leave." Tang Jili was a little surprised, but after thinking about it, he nodded.

I felt a little irritated in an instant.

In his view, this was a deal that everyone was optimistic about and willing to work on. He had come over several times before and had discussed it in depth. The producer from Columbia Pictures had also repeatedly expressed his optimism. Apart from insisting on meeting Lin Jianlu in person and having a chat, there was no other discussion. So he thought it was a sure thing. Lin Jianlu was so easy to talk to. He set a date, didn't say a word of nonsense, and came straight over. He arrived at the waiting room early to wait!

Those who haven’t been to America have no idea just how popular Lin Jianlu is here right now!

In fact, Lin Jianlu hasn't made any public appearances or participated in any promotions since the album was released. This time, he's obviously here to start participating in some promotional activities. So, it's conceivable that he will only become more popular in America in July and even in August!

Who would have thought that I would be treated so coldly?

fifteen minutes.

Lin Jianlu glanced at the time and stood up.

Tang Jili and Hong Jinbao exchanged a glance. Tang Jili seemed to want to say something, but then held back. So they followed Lin Jianlu out the door. They hadn't gone far when they saw the door of an office open. A middle-aged man in white walked out, looking a little flustered. But when he saw Lin Jianlu and his group, his eyes lit up, and he strode over to greet them. Tang Jili whispered, "That's the man."

Lin Jianlu didn't stop walking, not even glancing at the person, and completely ignoring the outstretched hand. He just walked right past them until he reached the elevator, where Tang Jili stayed behind, talking to someone.

Lin Jianlu had already entered the elevator and put on her sunglasses.

…………

On Friday, July 18th, at 7 PM, Billboard once again released its leaderboard on time.

"21" unsurprisingly topped the album charts.

And "Yeah" once again successfully topped the Top 100 Singles Chart!

By this time, Lin Jianlu, who had already gotten off the plane in New York and was at her new home with her two pregnant friends, eating oranges and comforting them during their late pregnancy, had learned more about her formidable rival, "Puff Daddy's," new album from Zhao Mingxin.

The album should be called "No-Way-Out," a rap album, and will be officially released on July 22 under the name "Puff-Daddy & the-Family"—it is said that everyone in the industry who has already listened to the album has given it very high praise.

Columbia Records was also on high alert.

Even if "21" is great, it has been on the market for three months. Moreover, the recent discussions about Lin Jianlu's Chinese identity, including some negative rumors about him in Asia, have started to appear in the news frequently. It feels like we need to put a lot of effort into suppressing it - this feeling is not good!

The next day, Saturday, July 19th.

Just as Columbia Records was able to find out about many competitors' new moves and albums in advance through various insider and cross-industry channels, the industry had already received news several days ago that "21," which had been dominating the Billboard charts for more than two months without showing any signs of fatigue, would be launching its third music video across the United States and even the world starting on the afternoon of July 19.

Believer!
According to inside sources, the music video is said to be quite stunning, not only "full of exotic charm" and "rich in the beauty of Eastern culture," but also "with gorgeous and breathtaking visual effects," and the love story is "very touching."

By Thursday and Friday, the matter was practically an open secret.

The original purpose was to promote the song and album. "21" has been on the market for nearly three months and has already sold over 4 million to 5 million copies in North America alone. Its global sales have also exceeded 9 million copies. So why would they hide a new music video or launch a surprise attack?
So that afternoon, countless people waited in front of their TVs to watch the music video. In particular, everyone in the record industry was paying close attention—"21" had been dominating the charts for far too long. Lin Jianlu was a Chinese newcomer, not Michael Jackson. No matter how good the album was, or how prestigious Columbia Records was, everyone had reached their limit by now.

Every company releases a ton of new albums every month, and your album has been dominating the charts for over two months, leaving no other albums with any Billboard promotional opportunities—it's time for you to step down! If you don't, we'll have to say sorry, but we're going to have to take action against you!

Then, at 3:50 p.m. Eastern Time.

It's always a bit early to head to a party, and by the time you've done other things, it's basically all over. On a Saturday, when most people are resting and many families habitually turn on the TV, the highly anticipated "Believer" officially begins its run.

…………

Los Angeles.

Tang Jili had already rented a house here. His previous meeting with Columbia Pictures had ended badly. Not only was Lin Jianlu very angry, but Columbia Pictures also became rather lukewarm afterward. It wasn't that they completely gave up on continuing contact, but they started finding fault with everything.

Therefore, Sammo Hung has not left yet. The two of them are currently living at Stanley Tong's house, traveling around Hollywood and contacting Warner Bros. and other Hollywood film companies.

Lin Jianlu's new music video is premiering today. They were notified in advance, and Zhang Aijia even said, "Watch it carefully, it's great!" So, even if the two of them didn't have anything planned, they would still make time to sit at home and wait for the premiere.

It is said to be the work of Lin Jianlu.

It is also said that he gathered a group of his friends in the mainland film industry to make this film.

The director and cinematographer are both at the level of the three major European awards.

At 3:50, the television screen suddenly went dark.

Tang Jili and Hong Jinbao, who had been relaxed, immediately sat up straight upon seeing this and focused intently on the television screen—no picture, music began to play, and a mournful xiao (a type of vertical bamboo flute).

The screen suddenly switched on.

The two professional film experts were immediately stunned, their eyes wide with shock.

In the vast, ink-washed landscape, before the majestic Han Dynasty palace, a woman in red stands out dazzlingly on a staircase that stretches for at least several hundred steps—she is ascending the steps.

The figures are moving, but the scene is still.

The scene is so magnificent and majestic, and the color contrast is so intense and rich.

Don't even mention the general crudeness of Hong Kong films; even in Europe, which emphasizes artistic expression and pursues visual beauty, and even in Hollywood blockbusters known for their grand scenes, very few films are expressed with such rich detail and vividness.

The visual impact of this color contrast is absolutely stunning and incredibly impressive.

A faint, almost imperceptible piano melody gradually joined in.

If you're a fan of Lin Jianlu's songs, you're already very familiar with the songs in "21". You'll definitely recognize the melody of "Believer" at first listen.

The camera suddenly zoomed in.

A breeze was blowing, causing the red sleeves of the woman's robe to flutter.

Before the main hall, on the steps of the palace, the woman slowly turned her head. The wind blew her hair wildly and her robes billowed. In the strong wind, all that remained in her sight was that stunning face.

Those eyes were so expressive, yet they seemed to hold an unspeakable sorrow.

Tang Jili and Hong Jinbao widened their eyes almost simultaneously, both feeling that the man looked somewhat familiar.

This girl seems to have had a rumored relationship with Lin Jianlu.

But before it was just a photo, and it was published in a newspaper with very low resolution. Now it suddenly appears on the screen, so clear, that people can't help but realize: This girl is really beautiful!
This scene alone is already incredibly stunning!

The screen suddenly went black.

The sound of the xiao (vertical bamboo flute) subsided, and the piano gradually gained strength, accompanied by some faint drumbeats.

But it's clearly not the kind of drum found in Western modern music; it sounds more like a Chinese drum.

Powerful and majestic.

In just a second or two, the scene shifts again, the drumbeats fade into the background, becoming increasingly faint, while the piano music gradually becomes much lighter and more cheerful. A great river flows through the scene, and on one side of the river lies a bustling modern metropolis.

The screen dimmed slightly again, then brightened up again.

Lin Jianlu appeared on screen for the first time, facing forward. He was wearing a sharp suit and headphones. Oh, Hong Jinbao and Wang Jing had both been to Shanghai and could roughly recognize the building; this should be the Bund.

Tourists thronged the area, but Lin Jianlu was immersed in his own musical world, swaying his head as he walked.

Suddenly, I accidentally bumped into someone's shoulder.

He was fine, but the person he bumped into staggered and was pushed aside. He quickly took off his headphones, and finally, for the first time, he heard a human voice, "I'm sorry, are you alright?"

The camera cuts to the woman—oh, it's that stunning face from before.

She was dressed in a standard office lady outfit, but still looked extremely radiant.

The girl glanced at him, gave a faint smile, shook her head, and turned to walk away.

Lin Jianlu turned around, glanced at the girl's back, shrugged, looked away, put on his headphones, and the sound inside the headphones was suddenly amplified. Tang Jili and Hong Jinbao were not familiar with the song "Believer" and therefore could not recognize it, but fans who were familiar with the song would definitely recognize it immediately.

In the next scene, Lin Jianlu reappears dressed in a suit and tie. This time the scene has changed; it is clearly inside an office building. He is still wearing headphones, listening as he walks. To be honest, his behavior is... somewhat frivolous.

I ran into that girl again.

While listening to the song, Lin Jianlu suddenly stopped and stared intently at the girl opposite her walking over with two female colleagues. The camera cut to the girl, who was clearly also looking at Lin Jianlu.

Until we brushed past each other.

What are they filming?
Two professional commercial film directors were a little confused when they saw this scene—the first scene was extremely impressive, but what was the purpose of these modern shots that followed?
However, it only lasted about twenty seconds, which passed in the blink of an eye.

Even if they are professional directors, they don't actually have time to think carefully about what message they want to convey with such shots—they have already seen what needs to be conveyed.

The next scene suddenly cuts back to the Republic of China era.

Wow, what was this girl's name again? Back then, Hong Kong media reported on her all over the place. Later, when Lin Jianlu's English album became a huge hit in Hollywood, the media brought it up again, but I just couldn't remember her name—she's so beautiful! She looks so beautiful in a cheongsam!

Is Lin Jianlu's music video meant to promote this girl?

Isn't this too obvious?
She looks so beautiful in the photos, and they gave her so many shots!
It was only a little over ten seconds, but it seemed to describe something other than a chance encounter. The two people in the scene seemed to know each other. The woman had a gentle smile, while Lin Jianlu's behavior still seemed a bit eccentric.

It's no longer a mere passing by; it seems our connection is still shallow.

Suddenly, the scene cuts again, this time back to ancient times. Tang Jili and Hong Jinbao don't really understand it, but someone who is well-versed in ancient Chinese history will definitely understand it at a glance. This time it is the Ming Dynasty.

But the shot was very short; it consisted of a brief scene of two people walking and talking together before cutting off.

The next shot is even shorter.

It's impossible to tell what dynasty it is—but both directors quickly figured out the meaning behind stacking these shots together! It's time travel!

The concept itself isn't new, but the way the shots are arranged gives it a fresh feel.

The camera flashes faster and faster.

There were seven or eight shots in total.

There was talking, laughter, holding hands, and snuggling together.

They grew closer and closer.

Although the camera cuts are fast, they are fast enough to make people perceive the change, and then there is a strange feeling of time flying by without them realizing it—the camera suddenly freezes in a flash.

But it turned out to be the same scene that had happened in the office building before!
As they passed each other, the woman walked on, then suddenly turned around.

The piano music had disappeared at some point, but suddenly it started again.

Light and bright.

The screen went black for a moment, then quickly came back on. Lin Jianlu, still wearing a suit, slowly took off his headphones—well, the shot was just a fleeting glimpse, but the two directors still noticed it; there was an advertisement here.

Sony headphones.

Ha! Wow! They're still making money even at a time like this!

Well, they didn't know that this scene was filmed later. It's said that after the Japanese staff at the Columbia University executive level saw the finished music video, they specifically requested that the original headphones with the logo removed be replaced with the original ones with the Sony logo, and agreed to pay 100 million US dollars in advertising fees!

Sony Columbia received 20 US dollars, while Lin Jianlu took 80 US dollars for himself!

How could I not make money like this? It's just for one shot!

In a flash, the Sony headphones disappeared from the screen, and the camera followed Lin Jianlu's gaze—the screen suddenly brightened, making Tang Jili and Hong Jinbao in front of the TV also light up.

The other Lin Jianlu was dressed in imposing fish-scale armor, wearing a helmet and carrying a large sword.

The piano music disappeared again at some point.

He patted his armor. "Am I quite imposing?"

The scene shifts, and it's still that girl, dressed in a Han Dynasty women's skirt, with her hair styled in a drooping bun, tilting her head and smiling brightly, "Yes, yes, you are the number one man of my great Han Dynasty!"

Lin Jianlu smiled, took the woman's hand, and looked at her with deep affection, "When I return after achieving merit, I will definitely marry you!"

The woman pursed her lips shyly and nodded, "I'll wait for you!"

The scene shifted, and the two directors were startled again.

This is definitely a massive army!

Amidst the vast army, Lin Jianlu galloped on his horse, wielding a large sword to fiercely slash at the enemy, unstoppable in his path.

Goodness, how many people and how many horses would it take to film this one shot? The key is that all the horses have to be galloping horses, not ordinary trotting horses. And all these people have to know how to ride horses, and be able to ride fast horses—in Hong Kong, no director would dare to have such a luxurious idea!

The scene suddenly flashes back.

In a typical Han Dynasty courtyard, Lin Jianlu is practicing his swordplay. The sun is shining brightly, the flowers are in full bloom, and the women watching on the side are also smiling beautifully. However, Lin Jianlu's swordsmanship is clearly more captivating.

With a few quick flashbacks between the large battlefield and the small courtyard where swords were being wielded, the two renowned Hong Kong directors and martial arts choreographers suddenly widened their eyes. In the middle of the scene, halfway through the sword dance, Lin Jianlu suddenly threw the sword aside, letting it spin around on its own. He then spun around once, suddenly raised his leg and kicked the sword. The sword, which was already spinning, spun even faster after being kicked in the hilt. The next moment, he caught it firmly in his hand!
hiss……

This is serious!
If an actor doesn't possess genuine and exceptional kung fu skills, even a martial arts choreographer wouldn't dare design such moves for them—they're incredibly visually appealing and dazzling, but extremely risky to film!

That's really impressive!
…………

New York, Boston, New Orleans, Houston, Chicago, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Vancouver...

At this very moment in North America, as the music video for "Believer" played the scene where Lin Jianlu suddenly kicks and catches a knife, countless viewers in front of their television sets stared wide-eyed, their faces filled with fear, shock, or even awe. And almost simultaneously, countless people uttered one word, one phrase—

Oh...shit!
Maze... Fuck!
…………

The army returned victorious.

But then the scene shifts, and suddenly a group of soldiers rush into the mansion, heading straight for the back garden. A general, also clad in armor, walks over, looks at the beautiful woman who has been captured by the soldiers and looks utterly miserable, and lifts her chin. "Indeed beautiful, she can be your wife! ...Take her away and take good care of her!"

The screen went dark.

When the lights came on again, the woman was dressed in red and had her back to the camera.

Before them stretched hundreds of steps leading down into the distance, and further still, rows of city buildings—instantly pulling all the viewers' thoughts back to the very beginning of the music video.

Sure enough, the sound of the xiao (vertical bamboo flute) began again.

The piano gradually brightened.

But the scene appears so dark and oppressive, as if the sun and moon have lost their light.

The woman slowly walked off the stage.

The wind was strong, making her clothes flutter.

Feeling desolate and anxious.

The magnificent and grand scene was suddenly unfolded once again.

The sounds of a fierce battle seemed to echo in my ears, yet they were extremely distant.

The woman descended the steps, passed through the palace gate, walked along the long street, and finally, under the watchful eyes of countless soldiers, walked out of the city gate. Outside the city, a large army was facing off, but as if given a command, the ranks parted one by one to allow the woman to pass.

The camera cuts to the high city gate tower, where the general who had abducted the woman watches everything with a grim expression.

Yes, those familiar with Chinese films will recognize it at a glance; they already recognized it in the previous scene.

These are ginger patterns.

The woman walked to the front of the battle line.

On the tall horse, Lin Jianlu, wearing a red cloak, dismounted and walked slowly at first, but soon started running—and finally hugged her tightly.

The two released him, and a look of joy appeared on his face.

But suddenly, the camera pans to the general on the city wall, who is holding three arrows and drawing his bow.

All three arrows pierced the heart.

Before the arrows even arrived, Lin Jianlu seemed to have sensed it and suddenly pulled the woman in front of him away. However, he was still wrong. Two arrows hit him, and one arrow struck the woman in the chest!
The woman's expression froze, and she opened her mouth, "I..."

The music had stopped completely sometime later.

The scene depicts the woman's tragic death and Lin Jianlu's grief-stricken expression.

Turning into anger.

He held the woman's corpse in his hands, looked up, and saw the general on the city wall proudly raising his chin.

His eyes held a sinister glint.

Lin Jianlu lowered his head and glanced at the woman in his arms.

Slowly, it turned into grief. Utter grief.

Suddenly someone entered the frame, dressed in a suit, looking down at the beautiful woman who had died in the arms of the ancient general.

The intro to "Believer" suddenly started playing.

In the scene, Lin Jianlu, who is holding a beautiful woman, suddenly roars to the sky.

The opposing army was well-organized. Suddenly, the general in the center of the army drew his sword, raised it to the sky, and the army's spears and halberds rose in unison. The cavalry in the front and center ranks also drew their swords.

"kill!"

A roar.

"kill!"

The crowd roared in anger!

"First-things-first,"

(The very first)
"I'ma-say-all-the-words-inside-my-head,"

(I will frankly tell you all my true thoughts)

"I'm-fired-up-and-tired-of-the-way-that-things-have-been-oh-ooh!"

(I'm tired of everything around me being the same, and I'm already filled with anger.)

"The-way-that-things-have-been-oh-ooh!"

(Everything that remains unchanged)
The background is magnificent.

The army marched, raising clouds of dust and creating an awe-inspiring sight.

General Lin Jianlu put down the beauty in his arms, staggered forward two steps, and faced the enemy army rushing towards him. With a whoosh, he drew his long sword.

One man against ten thousand.

"Singing-from-heartache-from-the-Pain,"

(Singing alone amidst heartache and despair)
"Taking-my-message-from-the-veins,"

(Examining oneself through introspection)
"Speaking-my-lesson-from-the-brain,"

(Remember the lessons learned through rational understanding)
“Seeing-the-beauty-through-the…”

(Seeing beauty in the depths of one's heart)
"Pain!"

(Heart-wrenching pain!)

The battle was about to begin.

He suddenly leaped up, and a galloping horse ran right up to him. He landed immediately and straddled the saddle. Then, dozens of riders in red cloaks charged straight at the enemy!

…………

Not to mention Americans, even Chinese people can't help but feel their blood boil when faced with such a grand battle scene full of classical Chinese warfare and military confrontation!

The scene vividly recreates a battlefield carnage!

Thousands of troops fought bravely!

The song was both tragic and powerful!

Suddenly there was a flashback.

In the scene, Lin Jianlu is dressed in a brocade robe, and the woman is dressed in a curved-hem robe. They are chatting and laughing about something. Lin Jianlu looks smug, while the woman smiles and her eyes are full of affection.

The song, however, remained tragic and poignant.

The battlefield flashbacks clearly show that Lin Jianlu's side is already struggling to cope with the situation, and their forces are gradually dwindling.

Suddenly, it flashes back to the beginning.

Peach blossoms were in full bloom in the courtyard. Lin Jianlu reached out and plucked a flower, which he then placed in the woman's hair. The woman smiled shyly—a flashback within a flashback. In the gleaming bronze mirror, the woman wore a peach blossom in her hair and held a red petal in her mouth, which stained her lips with a moist rouge.

The scene flashes back, and Lin Jianlu is now the only one left wearing the red cloak.

He was already surrounded on all sides.

He also seemed to have exhausted himself in the fight.

He valiantly cut down another man, then looked up—on the city wall, his enemy, gleaming in armor, stood unharmed, proudly watching everything unfold.

He suddenly roared and leaped into the air.

The next moment, the greatsword was planted into the ground, seemingly transmitting boundless combat power into it. As a result, the entire earth exploded, and the enemy troops surrounding him were blown into the air!

The surrounding area was cleared in one fell swoop.

The next moment, he drew his sword, his face covered in dust and his robe stained with blood.

He sprinted forward a few steps, then leaped into the air and flew towards the city wall!

"But-they-never-did-ever-lived-ebbing-and-flowing,"

(And they never disappeared or went away)
“Inhibited-limited,”

(The recession has not lessened)

"Till-it-broke-open-and-rained-down,"

(Until I crumbled, like a torrential downpour)
“It-rained-down-like,”

(Like a torrential downpour)

"Pain!"

(Heart-wrenching pain!)

“You-made-me-a-you-made-me-a-believer-believer…”

(You restored my faith, and I became a devout believer.)
"Pain!"

(Heart-wrenching pain!)

A swift arrow flew out of nowhere and struck him squarely in the chest!
In the next shot, Lin Jianlu falls backward, blood spilling from his mouth, with an arrow embedded in his chest.

His lips moved slightly, and he slowly and laboriously turned his head, trying to look behind him—the camera cuts to a few hundred steps behind him, where his lover, dressed in red, has already passed away.

He tried his best to turn his head, but he couldn't see anything at all.

Finally, he gave up and smiled.

He opened his mouth, but couldn't utter a word—suddenly, four elegant characters in running script slowly appeared on the screen.

See you in the next life!

The writing suddenly crumbled and dissipated like smoke and dust.

The general's eyes remained wide open until his death.

The singing gradually subsided, and the piano music became faint.

The screen went dark and then lit up again.

The office was brightly lit. The modern woman who had previously appeared on the Bund and in the office building was dressed in a well-fitting black suit and had beautiful features.

She was engrossed in reading documents when there was a knock on the door.

She looked up, her expression cold and stern.

Lin Jianlu, dressed in a suit, leaned against the door frame, looking rather frivolous and unserious. His fingers were just leaving the door, but he was still making a knocking motion.

"let's have dinner tonight?"

"No time!"

Suddenly, the screen went black.

…………

In front of the television, Tang Jili and Hong Jinbao, who had been holding their breath, suddenly relaxed.

He let out a long breath.

***
We won't dismantle the large chapter; it'll be enough no matter how we dismantle it.

Bonus chapter for Alliance Leader "Dragon Battles in the Wilds"!
P.S.: My editor urged me several times, so I wrote a side story about the male protagonist's failed time-travel attempt, which is essentially another worldline. I found it quite interesting. Apparently, it will be available on September 1st, but you need to go to the side story chapter and vote for it there. Voting outside of the main story won't unlock it. Go check it out, and if you like it, I'll write a few paragraphs in my spare time for everyone's entertainment!
With that, August has come to an end. Thank you all!

(End of this chapter)