Rock and Roll: Glorious Years

Amidst both criticism and praise, the live broadcast of "Rock 'n' Roll on the New Long March" came to a successful conclusion.

Of course, the criticism is directed at Bilibili, especially those users who were browsing when suddenly, due to a network fluctuation, they were forced to log out and could no longer access the site.

Sima Nan, who was already prepared to record the video, was furious!

Although the Chinese culture that Bian Lang's song expresses and promotes is completely different from what Sima Nan is provoking, who dares to say that this is not Chinese? Putting aside the musicality, just look at the attitude and awareness of the lyrics. So what if the music is imported?

So all the arguments he had prepared beforehand were now useless, and as for commenting on the lyrics, he really didn't have the guts.

However, having stubbornly remained an online KOL for so long, the benefits brought to him by short video traffic made him unwilling to bury his head in the sand. After all, if he backed down this time, his image as a critic would be half-collapsed.

He created this buzz himself, so there's no reason for him to be negatively impacted by it. The lyrics left no room for error, so he focused on the most sensitive word: plagiarism. He had thoroughly investigated Bian Lang's background online; there was no powerful family history or relevant experience. Therefore, from the perspective of creative motivation, he felt it was unlikely that Bian Lang could have written this song.

However, after mobilizing his team to investigate, they found no evidence whatsoever, not even a hint of plagiarism. But having already set his sights on the word "plagiarism," he was unwilling to give up. He then called a friend in the music industry: "Old Huang, there's something I'd like you to help me with. Have you listened to Bian Lang's new song?"

The friend on the other end of the phone, seeing that Sima Nan was calling, already guessed that he would be asking about this matter. So after hearing this, he immediately advised, "I suggest you just let it go this time. Just don't respond. The internet updates so quickly these days, there will soon be newer topics that will overshadow this. Once nobody cares about this anymore, you can come out and continue being your commentator."

I thought that since I had made my point so clear, Sima Nan would at least consider it, but to my surprise, Sima Nan showed no sign of backing down: "It seems you've heard of it. I'd like to ask if there's any possibility that Bian Lang's song was plagiarized."

Upon hearing this, someone paused for a moment, then carefully chose their words and said, "Musical composition, no matter how varied, still revolves around the same principles. It's just these seven notes: do, re, mi, fa, sol, la, and si. If you insist on finding similarities, you can definitely find something alike. But to say it's plagiarism is really far-fetched."

Despite his bluntness, Sima Nan persisted: "So, in your opinion, his performance is absolutely flawless?"

After a few seconds of silence on the other end of the phone, someone spoke with some uncertainty: "If I had to nitpick, I could only say that there are two sections with the rhythm of a military song. The original song had eight bars, but Bian Lang changed it to four bars..."

Upon hearing his friend's words, Sima Nan's eyes lit up instantly: "That's him! Thanks, Lao Huang, I'll treat you to hot pot sometime!"

After hanging up the phone, my friend couldn't help but mutter, "By the time you get back from the US, that'll be ages..."

While Sima Nan was working on the video script, he also logged into his Weibo account and checked it out. Sure enough, it was full of rock music fans urging him to respond. His die-hard fans, who had been so active before, were now completely silent.

The last highly upvoted comment supporting him was posted at 8:03 PM. From then on, whenever someone mocked Bian Lang, the comment would be: "Go listen to his music before you come here barking!" and then there would be no follow-up.

Upon seeing this, he logged into his alternate account and replied in the comments section: "What good are great lyrics? Rock music is ultimately an imported genre! It can't represent China!"

The purpose of doing that is to encourage those netizens who don't actually listen to music but are stubborn and argumentative to speak out, so that they feel that they do have similar interests.

His tactic did have some effect, but not much!

There were indeed dozens of followers, but a comment from a passerby completely shut them down: "I'm not a rock fan, nor a fan of Bian Lang. I haven't even listened to his new song. I only read the lyrics and they sound very Chinese! I don't remember where I saw the saying, 'Music knows no borders!' Besides, even national anthems are marches, they're also imported. Can you say they don't represent China?"

The moment Sima Nan refreshed the page, this comment instantly garnered over 1000 likes…

Meanwhile, Bian Lang's phone was flooded with messages, and every message he clicked on was full of compliments.

Just as he was searching for messages from his family, Yuan Hao, who had already packed his things, came over: "Xiao Bian, Yunnan Arts University really brought honor to the school with your talent. I heard Duan Yuntao mention inviting you back to the school for the freshman welcome party next semester, but I guess he hasn't had a chance to contact you yet, so now I'm officially extending an invitation to you on behalf of the School of Music."

"Teacher Yuan, I'll agree to this in advance. We'll discuss the time beforehand, and I'll definitely be there!" One of Bian Lang's regrets in his past life was not going to university, and he missed that opportunity in this life as well. So, he might as well take this chance to experience it as an alumnus.

"This song is well-written, the lyrics, music, and arrangement are all excellent. I'll practice it more when I get back these next few days, so don't forget about me when you record the official version." At this moment, Yuan Hao didn't have the demeanor of a teacher he had in school at all; he was more like an elder encouraging a younger generation.

"Of course, this song needs veteran musicians like you and Brother Tiger to have the right feel and atmosphere..." Bian Lang wasn't just making things up.

When Lao Cui wrote this song, he wasn't as old as Bian Lang is now, but given the special era he lived in, it's quite reasonable for such a work to emerge. However, due to various reasons, very few people have covered Lao Cui's songs on major stages since the beginning of time, especially in recent years.

In Bian Lang's memory, it seems that only Uncle Teng has ever covered this song "Rock 'n' Roll on the New Long March" on the big stage. If someone else sings it, they really can't get the same feel for it, and the fans won't recognize it either.

When they arrived on Earth, the Rolling Stones were making their debut in this era. It would have been quite strange if they hadn't had these two veterans as their mentors.

Faced with Bian Lang's flattery, Yuan Hao happily accepted it all: "Go see Lao Luo when you have time. I reckon he'll be furious on the surface, but secretly he'll be laughing all the way to the bank..."

In that case, the image of the short, dark-skinned old man who always wore linen and a felt hat from the original owner's memories appeared in Bian Lang's mind.

"Okay, I'll try to go back and see him when I have time. Professor Yuan, let's have a late-night snack together, it's been so long..." Before Bian Lang could finish, Yuan Hao waved his hand and refused, "No, my body can't keep up with you young people. This job isn't easy! Besides, my old man is waiting for me to go back and report on the results. He doesn't know how to use a smartphone, so I'll have to listen to him when I get back..."

Having said that, Bian Lang didn't insist any further. He helped Yuan Hao call a ride-hailing service and got up to see him off at Nanyin.