Huayu: Starting from joining the mainstream entertainment industry in 96

Chapter 41: Not as good as the poem Wang Sheng gave me
"Mr. Chen, we appreciate your kind gesture."

Wang Sheng put down his wine glass, a sincere and professional smile on his face: "The welcome banquet was very sumptuous, everyone ate well, and felt your hospitality."

However, the time is indeed a bit tight. Today is the 23rd, and all we have is a little over three days until the wedding.

We also need to scout locations, test equipment, and communicate the process details with the new couple. It's a demanding task.

I think we should stop drinking here and focus on work. After the wedding ceremony on the 27th, I'll have a proper celebratory drink with you, Mr. Chen!

Upon hearing this, Mr. Chen was not disappointed at all; on the contrary, his eyes showed even more admiration.

He likes young people who are decisive and prioritize their careers, just like he was when he was young.

"Great! Mr. Wang is right! Business comes first! I admire professional young people like you!" Boss Chen waved his hand and said, "Then let's have dinner! After dinner, sign the contract, make the payment, and get to work! If you need any assistance, just tell my secretary or call me!"

The atmosphere of the banquet quickly shifted from a lively social gathering to an efficient working meal mode.

Everyone quickened their pace, ate some simple staple food, and then the banquet ended.

Boss Chen called his secretary, Secretary Bai, and Wang Sheng brought his assistant, Li Tingting. The four of them went to a quiet private room next door.

Li Tingting took two prepared contracts out of her briefcase and placed them on the table.

I've read the contract.

The two parties quickly signed the agreement.

Mr. Chen handed his copy of the contract to his secretary and instructed, "Xiao Bai, the first thing you do this afternoon is go to the bank and wire transfer the full amount to Mr. Wang's company account."

"Okay, Mr. Chen, I'll take care of it right away." The female secretary took the contract deftly and nodded in agreement.

"Mr. Chen, you're so generous!" Wang Sheng praised sincerely.

"Hey, I believe in Director Han, and I believe even more in your talent and character, Brother Wang!" Boss Chen patted Wang Sheng on the shoulder: "By the way, Brother Wang, how do we get the instrumental version of that song... 'For You'?"

“I have prepared two plans,” Wang Sheng explained. “The first is to use a high-quality MIDI arrangement to create the backing track video, which guarantees the effect; the second is that if there is enough time, we can invite a local professional band to provide live accompaniment, which will be more impactful and more in line with your status as the ‘King of Lucheng Songs’.”

"Find a band! We absolutely have to find a band!" Boss Chen chose the latter without hesitation: "Videos can't compare to the feel of live performances! I'll find a vocal coach this afternoon to give me some pointers and practice singing. Brother Wang, you guys go ahead with your work, I'll take you to find a band tonight! I know all the best bands in Lucheng!"

Although Wang Sheng felt it was a bit strange to go to a band at night, he went along with it and nodded in agreement: "Okay, then I'll trouble Mr. Chen tonight."

……

In the afternoon, Wang Sheng, along with the director, photographer, and lighting crew, met with the local wedding planning company that Ms. Chen and her fiancé had hired to coordinate the preparations.

The 'personalized package' not only involves filming the regular content of the wedding day, but also, according to the client's request, filming additional scenes after the wedding, similar to a short film.

For example, the movie "Roman Holiday" that Ms. Chen mentioned earlier.

……

Around 7 p.m., shortly after dark, a black Audi 100 (C4) sedan came to a steady stop in front of the Shuangyan Hotel.

In Lucheng in 96, this car was definitely a symbol of status and power.

The car door opened, and Mr. Chen, sitting in the back seat, smiled and waved to Wang Sheng, who had just come out of the hotel lobby, saying, "Brother Wang, get in the car!"

Wang Sheng opened the car door and got in. A faint smell of alcohol mixed with the scent of the car's air freshener wafted towards him.

Clearly, Mr. Chen had just come down from another table, but his eyes were still clear, only his complexion was a little rosier.

Wang Sheng: "Mr. Chen, you're really incredibly busy."

"Oh well, there's nothing we can do. In our small town, business is all about personal relationships. A lot of things are settled over drinks." Boss Chen laughed and gestured for the driver to start the car.

The car drove into the night of Lucheng.

In the mid-1990s, Lucheng was already brightly lit, with shops lining both sides of the street, exuding a strong commercial vitality.

On the way, Boss Chen enthusiastically became Wang Sheng's tour guide: "Brother Wang, don't underestimate our Lucheng just because it's a small place. It has a long history. You know the King of Dong'ou, right?"

Mr. Chen briefly chatted about the history of Lucheng, then said, "After the reform and opening up, we people of Lucheng relied on our hard work and pioneering spirit to forge our own path! Hardware, leather shoes, lighters, electrical appliances... there are so many! I started out in the hardware business. Back then, I was just carrying a snakeskin bag, traveling all over the country..."

Mr. Chen recounted his rise to wealth, his tone filled with pride, yet also with a hint of barely perceptible fatigue.

Wang Sheng listened attentively. This was a microcosm of an era, and also the true nature of the generous boss in front of him.

Being able to socialize every day, drink and stay up all night, is indeed a unique "talent," and the chaotic tides of the times have amplified this "talent."

……

The car eventually stopped in front of a lavishly decorated, neon-lit nightclub.

The uniformed waiter at the door immediately jogged forward to open the door.

"Come on, Brother Wang, the band is waiting inside!"

Boss Chen put his arm around Wang Sheng's shoulder and walked inside as if they knew the way well.

The nightclub was dimly lit and the music was deafening.

The nightclub's account manager, clearly having been notified beforehand, greeted him with a beaming smile, saying, "Mr. Chen, you've arrived! Everything's arranged for you!"

"Manager Su, this is a distinguished guest I invited from Beijing, General Manager Wang!"

Boss Chen loudly announced, "Where's the band? Are they ready?"

"Hello, Mr. Wang! Welcome, welcome!"

Manager Su quickly greeted Wang Sheng, then said to Boss Chen, "Everything is ready, they're all waiting in the largest VIP box! As you instructed, the best musicians!"

"Alright! Bring the wine and fruit platter to the highest standard! Make sure my brother Wang has a great time tonight!" Boss Chen waved his hand.

……

Wang Sheng followed Boss Chen and Manager Su through the noisy dance floor area and into a luxurious private room. Upon entering...

Even Wang Sheng, who could be described as well-informed, was taken aback.

There was indeed a small band in the box—with keyboards, guitars, bass, and drums—but the musicians were several scantily clad young women.

Not only that, but there were also seven or eight other beautifully dressed and exquisitely made-up girls sitting on the sofa.

Upon seeing Mr. Chen enter, the girls all stood up and greeted him sweetly, "Hello, Mr. Chen!"

Mr. Chen smiled and nodded, then gently pushed Wang Sheng forward: "This is Mr. Wang, my honored guest. Your task tonight is to make Mr. Wang happy!"

As soon as he finished speaking, several more girls came in carrying fruit platters and drinks.

Wang Sheng was instantly surrounded by a group of beautiful women, with a faint scent of perfume lingering around him.

He was handsome and had a different demeanor from the typical local boss, so he immediately became the center of attention. The girls chattered and pulled him to sit down, enthusiastically offering him fruit and pouring him wine.

Wang Sheng looked around and thought, "In this era of booming real economy, the quality of offline products is truly high."

……

Mr. Chen seems to be a regular here and enjoys the atmosphere, but he has serious business tonight.

He waved his hand, signaling the music to pause, and said to the female musicians, "How's your practice of the sheet music I had someone bring you this afternoon?"

The band leader nodded quickly: "Mr. Chen, we've practiced it a few times. The melody isn't difficult, so it should be fine."

"Okay, let's play some accompaniment first, and I'll get a feel for it." Boss Chen cleared his throat.

A melodious and heartfelt tune filled the private room. Although the arrangement was simple, it perfectly captured the mood of the lyrics.

Holding the microphone, Mr. Chen, reflecting on his afternoon of practice, began to sing with great enthusiasm:
"He will be your groom, and from this day forward he will be your life partner..."

Perhaps it was the alcohol, or perhaps the lyrics truly touched his heart as a father, but Mr. Chen sang with exceptional focus and emotion.

Gone was the boldness of the dinner table; instead, his voice held a rare gentleness and sentimentality.

After the song ended, a brief silence fell over the private room.

Wang Sheng was surprised to find that the eyes of the girls sitting around him were glistening with tears, and one or two of them even took out tissues to secretly wipe the corners of their eyes.

These women, who frequent the world of romance and are accustomed to playing along with others, may be more able than ordinary people to understand the simple emotions in the lyrics about "fate," "family," and "love should be fulfilled," and recall some tender memories hidden deep in their hearts.

Mr. Chen himself seemed to still be immersed in his emotions. He put down the microphone, looked around, and saw the girls wiping away their tears. He was stunned for a moment, then burst into laughter. An indescribable sense of satisfaction and accomplishment welled up in his heart.

"Great! Well sung! Well cried! This shows that Mr. Wang's song is well-written and touches people's hearts!" he said loudly, then waved to the driver and assistant standing to the side, "Rewards! Rewards for everyone! Those who shed golden tears just now, add five hundred to each of them!"

The driver immediately took out a thick wad of cash from his briefcase and gave each of the women, who were clearly moved, five hundred-yuan bills.

The girls stopped crying and started laughing, thanking him repeatedly: "Thank you, Mr. Chen! Thank you, Mr. Wang! The song was really good!"

The atmosphere in the private room became lively again, but it seemed to have an added touch of warmth.

Mr. Chen sat back down next to Wang Sheng with a smug grin, patting him hard on the shoulder: "Brother Wang, did you see that? Your singing was absolutely amazing! I'm going to make a big splash at the wedding this time! Come on, let's drink! Tonight, we won't leave until we're drunk... uh, no, you still have to work, so just do your part, haha!"

……

For the next two days, Wang Sheng lived a life of non-stop "dual-front warfare".

During the day, I'm busy supervising the filming team to familiarize themselves with the 'personalized customization' business.

The wedding process is extremely complicated, from picking up the bride in the morning to the ceremony at the hotel and the toasting at the banquet. Every step requires pre-planning of camera positions, lighting and shooting angles.

Wang Sheng strives to achieve a cinematic sense of narrative and aesthetics in every shot, keeping him extremely busy with communication, rehearsals, and adjustments.

In the evenings, he became the exclusive vocal coach for Mr. Chen, the "King of Songs of Lucheng".

In reality, Wang Sheng didn't teach anything.

Mr. Chen became completely captivated by the song "For You," and by the emotional catharsis and... unique "infectiousness" that singing it brought.

He dragged Wang Sheng along, and they visited almost every famous nightclub in Lucheng: "Mingzhu City," "Paramount," "Golden Dynasty," and so on.

The process is almost always the same: spend lavishly, call in the most popular girls, and after a few rounds of drinks, solemnly present "For You".

"This was written for me by my good brother, Mr. Wang. Who is Mr. Wang? Do you know about the exorbitantly priced wedding in the newspaper? He's the one who orchestrated it!"

That's how Boss Chen always introduces himself.

The results were surprisingly consistent: Mr. Chen's emotionally charged singing, combined with the power of the lyrics themselves, always managed to accurately touch the hearts of some girls, bringing several to tears in almost every performance.

Mr. Chen, meanwhile, happily distributed "emotional gifts" on the spot before dragging Wang Sheng to the next event.

The story of the "King of Songs of Lucheng"—a man of deep affection and whose songs could move all the women of the city to tears—quickly spread throughout Lucheng.

It has become the most absurd and popular topic of conversation in Lucheng after the "Chen family spent 400,000 yuan to film a wedding movie for their daughter's wedding".

Wang Sheng, following the mentors, not only enjoyed the emotional value brought by the girls, but also received abundant material benefits: red envelopes, cell phones, gold necklaces, ginseng, seahorses, deer antlers... The gifts that Boss Chen sent were never the same.

Roughly calculated, it's probably tens of thousands of yuan.

It evokes a feeling that "it cannot compare to the affection Wang Lun showed me."

Wang Lun gave money first before being praised by the poet.

Wang Sheng first sent the poem, and then received a great deal of gratitude from Boss Chen.

In short, pretty much.

(End of this chapter)