A grand feast for the Chinese entertainment industry

Chapter 35 Shine
Suddenly I had some free time again.

It's so nice to have some free time.

Do whatever you want, or don't do whatever you don't want to do!

Aside from going back to Nanluoguxiang for a meal on Sundays to soothe her parents' subtle separation anxiety, Lin Jianlu usually rides her old bicycle around, buys groceries, and cooks herself a meal when she gets back.

I went to take a look at the car.

He felt it was necessary to buy a car; after all, having a car would be more convenient.

Despite his fame, he usually goes out wearing a baseball cap, sunglasses, shorts, a polo shirt, and sneakers, riding a bicycle. He's rarely recognized.

On the evening of June 8th, he treated us to a meal at a shop outside the residential area, which included lamb skewers and beer.

The group they invited was a bunch of musicians: Zheng Jun, Xu Wei, Zhang Yadong, and Wang Feng, the lead singer of the band No. 43 Baojia Street. There was a reason for this; the main reason for inviting Xu Wei and Wang Feng was because they had plagiarized other people's songs and would likely continue to do so. Although they probably didn't know it, Lin Jianlu felt that, well, God knows!

Please ask, and you'll feel at peace.

In the afternoon, Zuo Xiaoqian called Lin Jianlu, saying she was taking final exams and would be taking several days off after each exam, which was quite boring. So Lin Jianlu brought her along that evening.

So when Xue Zhongding went to the airport to pick up Zhang Aijia and then called to come over, this was the scene Zhang Aijia saw from afar—that big boy who was famous all over Asia, whose records had sold millions of copies, and who had already been contacted by thirty or forty brands, and had been booked for programs, interviews, and covers by more than eighty magazines, newspapers, radio stations, and television stations, not to mention the piles of requests for articles from many record companies, singers, and agents… was at a small stall on the streets of the capital, wearing a T-shirt, shorts, and blue plastic slippers, playing drinking games, laughing loudly, and drinking with a few friends, while an exceptionally sweet-looking girl obediently stayed by his side.

Is he usually like this?

When he made the call, he specifically asked Xue Zhongding not to tell him yet. At this moment, he even stopped Lao Xue and took out his camera from his backpack, snapping several pictures before turning to ask Xue Zhongding.

Xue Zhongding thought for a moment and smiled, "He went to the company before and told me that he had already retired."

Sylvia Chang laughed too, "He's only twenty years old!"

Xue Zhongding shrugged, "But he's really happy!"

Sylvia Chang chuckled again.

After thinking for a moment, he wanted to ask something else, but in the end he didn't. He put away his camera and walked straight over, pulled a small bamboo chair from an empty table next to him, put it next to Lin Jianlu, and patted Xu Wei, "Excuse me!"

Xu Wei subconsciously moved his chair to make room, but at the same time, everyone, including him, turned to look. "Oh..." Everyone was stunned for a moment. It was a roadside table with a light bulb haphazardly placed on it, so the lighting wasn't very good. It seemed that no one recognized her, but clearly, everyone could tell that she was a pretty woman.

Lin Jianlu turned around, "Whoa... what brings you here?"

Turning back, he found Xue Zhongding. In an instant, he understood, burst into laughter, and called out to the shopkeeper, "Another case of wine, two more glasses! And a pound of skewers!"

Zhang Aijia replied, "I had no choice but to come! We're all so busy, and you're having so much fun here, which makes me unhappy. So I came here to make you unhappy too."

Lin Jianlu burst into laughter.

The glass was brought over, and it was next to the beer bench. Lin Jianlu had already picked up the half-empty bottle at his feet and poured a glass for Zhang Aijia. Zhang Aijia didn't stand on ceremony, raised her glass to everyone, and said, "I'm from Taiwan, my name is Zhang Aijia, toast to everyone!"

"Ouch!"

Everyone was a little surprised.

There are very few people in China who are involved in film, pop music, or rock music who don't know Sylvia Chang.

Before the rise of Hong Kong actresses like Xia Yufang and Anita Mui, she was the leading lady who carried the flag. Many of her classic films were pirated and widely circulated in mainland China. As for her songs, needless to say, she was on par with Su Rui.

The key is that they are also beautiful enough—Teresa Teng, Sylvia Chang, Brigitte Lin, and Wong Cho-han are almost the most typical representatives of Taiwanese beauties in the minds of mainland Chinese people.

Glasses clinked together, and beer splashed everywhere.

At this moment, Xue Zhongding had already moved a small chair and sat down. Before he even had a chance to drink, he took the initiative to introduce these people to Zhang Aijia. As he introduced each person, Zhang Aijia nodded to them. When it was the turn of the young girl Zuo Xiaoqian, upon hearing that she was the female lead in the MV for "Love is Just One Word," she exclaimed, "Oh, so beautiful!"

Zuo Xiaoqian, usually quick-witted, intelligent, and eloquent, seemed rather clumsy at this moment, stammering a reply—"Sigh, this dinner table has suddenly lost its charm." How to put it? It felt like Zhang Aijia's arrival alone had completely dominated the entire table!
goddess!

Everyone spoke politely, politely, and with a high-class air, and the conversation drifted to the history of rock and roll.

Boring.

An hour later, the party ended. Zhang Aijia's interruption meant most people weren't too drunk, and those who had drunk a bit more sobered up considerably. So they scattered like birds. Xue Zhongding helped flag down a taxi to take Zuo Xiaoqian back to school. Lin Jianlu even leaned over the passenger window and handed her 50 yuan, saying, "Don't go around too much, get her there quickly, or the school might close!"

"Alright! Okay, fine!"

The Daihatsu van sped off and disappeared in no time.

Lin Jianlu then accompanied Zhang Aijia on a casual stroll through the streets.

Xue Zhongding trailed far behind.

“I went to Hong Kong on the 20th of last month. Lao Ge asked me to go. She wants to share the profits with me after she closes the deal, so she doesn’t want to see me idle and asks me to help out!”

"know."

"The part where you walked the runway was arranged by Lao Ge. It wasn't just broadcast on their TV station, but also on Hong Kong's TVB. The response was very good. Many newspapers commented that you 'shone for eight minutes.' Some brands had already tried to contact you before, but after the broadcast, even more came. Lao Ge and I have been talking and contacting each other."

"Ah."

My assistant, Lin Xilei, calls frequently with all sorts of reports and requests; these have all been mentioned.

"As you know, the entertainment industry in mainland China is underdeveloped, and there aren't many commercially valuable stars. In the past, everyone preferred to use Hong Kong artists, but now that you've appeared, you have a natural advantage over them! What's more, you have such a good personal image and you're so popular, so brands are very eager to work with you."

"Got it! That means I'm going to make a lot of money again!"

"Ha, right!... Oh, by the way, many media outlets have asked for interviews. I've been screening them, but I'll accept a few at least. I can get more cover stories, and your photos are a big advantage."

"Okay! Listen to you."

"By the way, do you know what day it is today? ...The 7th Taiwan Golden Melody Awards!"

"Then why aren't you going to participate? Why did you come all the way to the mainland?"

"I declined. It's just an awards ceremony, and I'm not releasing any albums anymore, so what difference does it make whether I go or not? ... They've already discussed it internally. The rules regarding place of origin will be changed sooner or later. Even if they don't change it next year, it's highly likely they will the year after. You'll definitely be able to participate! Like this year, if you don't go, it's actually them who will feel awkward! But this year they can still say that you didn't debut in '95, so what about next year? If you still don't participate next year, the organizers will be even more embarrassed... If you and 'Cold to the End' don't win an award, won't the Golden Melody Awards become a joke?"

"Hey...actually, I don't really care."

Yes, today is the 7th Taiwan Golden Melody Awards ceremony.

Lin Jianlu has no chance of even getting a nomination because he is a mainland Chinese citizen, and the Taiwan Golden Melody Awards have residency requirements. Without a mainland Chinese citizenship, he wouldn't be nominated, and therefore has no chance of winning an award. He was invited to attend the ceremony, but he declined.

Actually, it's not just the Taiwan Golden Melody Awards; the same applies to Hong Kong's Top Ten Gold Songs Awards. They are for Hong Kong people only, and mainlanders cannot participate in the selection or nomination—that's how the rules were set from the beginning.

However, Channel, the largest satellite radio station in Asia under Star Media, which is actually Murdoch's News Corporation, holds the "Global Chinese Music Awards" every January. Lin Jianlu might be able to participate, at least this award doesn't restrict people by place of origin like Hong Kong and Taiwan awards!
However... it still doesn't matter.

Lin Jianlu genuinely didn't care about such things at all.

He doesn't care about awards or anything, and he has no intention of immigrating to Hong Kong. He just wants to make money—so what if you get the Best Lyricist and Best Composer awards? Did you even write them?

Under the streetlights, Zhang Aijia suddenly stopped and turned to look at Lin Jianlu.

It wasn't until Lin Jianlu stopped and turned to look at her that she asked, "You really don't care?"

Lin Jianlu laughed heartily, "Do you think I care?"

She shook her head and pursed her lips. "Are you really only twenty years old?"

Lin Jianlu shrugged.

Finally, she waved her hand and continued walking forward. "Alright, let's not talk about this anymore. Let's not mention things that haven't been decided yet. It's really time to go to Southeast Asia. Lao Ge is busy, so I'll go with you! The schedule is tight, 4 days, 9 shows, the agreed price is a total of 48 dollars. Are you going or not?"

Lin Jianlu's eyes lit up instantly. "Go for it! Why wouldn't you go? It's a fool not to make money!"

Sylvia Chang laughed heartily.

(End of this chapter)