A song called "The You of the Past" has prompted the entire internet to beg me not to leav

Half a year is enough for the Chinese entertainment industry to replace several generations of top celebrities, and it's also enough for a trending topic to fade into obscurity.

It has been a full six months since Lin Yan announced his retirement.

And he, once he said he was leaving, he really left.

In the past six months, he hasn't written a single song or accepted a single gig.

He didn't even show up at the year-end summary meeting of "Don't Want to Go to Work Entertainment Group," leaving everything to Lao Liang and Shen Qingqiu.

On the day of the conference, Lao Liang was so busy that he didn't even have time to drink water.

Meanwhile, the group's real boss was setting up camp in the backyard of his villa.

fishing.

Lin Yan withdrew completely, leaving not even a trace in the entertainment industry.

His daily routine was ridiculously simple.

Fishing, playing games, and cooking different dishes for Shen Qingqiu.

Life was simple and unpretentious.

The main feature is that it doesn't require clocking in.

But as soon as he stepped down, the entertainment industry, which had just calmed down, quickly began to revert to its old ways.

Previously, celebrities and investors who were suppressed by Lin Yan dared not show their faces, but after confirming that this mountain was really not operating, they all stood up again.

Mass-produced, catchy pop songs have once again taken over the charts.

The boy band, whose voices were so heavily edited that even their own mothers couldn't recognize them, has started a national tour.

Today we're talking about brotherhood.

They'll hype up their relationship tomorrow.

Another event will be arranged the day after tomorrow: "Still working after falling at the airport".

There aren't many songs, but the number of trending topics on social media is more than the number of announcements.

The problem is, the audience's ears have become too discerning thanks to Lin Yan.

Having grown accustomed to the profound depth of "Blue and White Porcelain," the grandeur of "Ten Thousand Frontiers," and the chivalrous spirit of "A Laughter in the Vast Sea," listening to those mass-produced, plastic-sounding songs on an assembly line feels no different from torture.

I can endure it for one day.

I can barely manage to endure it for a month.

Endure for half a year?

I simply can't stand it anymore.

Finally, on a boring weekend, a veteran music critic with five million followers launched a crowdfunding campaign on Weibo.

The project name has only five characters.

Please ask Lin Yan to come out of seclusion.

[Guys, the Chinese entertainment industry is turning into a garbage dump again, I really can't stand it anymore.]

[This event is for nothing more than to prove that we, the audience, aren't deaf. We're crowdfunding—one dollar a copy—to get Lin Yan to write a song to cleanse our ears!]

The project page also specifically marks the rules.

The funds are held in escrow by a third-party platform.

Lin Yan refused to accept the offer and returned everything the way she came.

At first, everyone thought it was just an emotional outburst in the form of a joke.

The comments section was full of "hahaha".

But three hours later, the initiator's smile vanished.

piece.

Ten yuan.

One hundred dollars.

Payment notifications kept popping up, almost crashing the backend system.

In just three hours, the crowdfunding amount exceeded ten million.

The next day, fifty million.

On the afternoon of the third day, the red progress bar was completely full.

Immediately afterwards, a string of dazzling numbers came to a stop in front of everyone's eyes.

One hundred million.

More than 30 million netizens participated in this unprecedented crowdfunding campaign.

There is no platform to promote the stream.

There was also no capital involved.

It all depends on the listeners who have been tormented for half a year, throwing money in one or ten dollars at a time.

The entire Chinese entertainment industry was stunned.

They spend tens of millions on marketing, buying trending topics, promotions, and short video clips, but in the end, they may not even hear a sound.

Lin Yan has not shown up for half a year.

More than 30 million netizens have set a small goal for him, just hoping he will come out and write a song that is listenable.

The comments section exploded immediately.

"Lin Gou, here's a hundred million, come out and write songs!"

"Lin Yan! Are you awake? Get up and get to work!"

"If all else fails, just send us the sheet music, and we can sing it ourselves!"

"If you don't come out now, I'm really going to lie down in front of your villa!"

"Hey upstairs, don't be impulsive. And please pass on a message for me: even the donkeys in the production team don't dare rest like this!"

On the third day of the incident, even the China Music Association couldn't sit still any longer.

Beijing.

Headquarters of the China Music Association.

In the president's office, more than a dozen song demos covered the table.

Li Mingchang wore headphones and listened to all the demos three times over, his expression growing uglier with each listen.

When he heard the last song, he took off his headphones and slammed them heavily onto the table.

"What are all these things?"

"Opening Theme!"

"What I want is the opening music for the Asian Cultural and Arts Festival, not a shopping mall grand opening sale!"

The office was so quiet you could hear a pin drop.

The secretary silently took back the document she had just handed out.

The staff members next to him lowered their heads and even held their breath.

The Asian Culture and Arts Festival will officially begin next month.

The higher authorities have already issued clear requirements.

The opening theme song must be able to command attention.

Of the dozen or so demos submitted, not one was any good.

The melody is well-structured and the production is excellent.

It just doesn't have a soul.

It sounds like music, but upon closer listening, it's all industrial exhaust fumes.

"These useless bastards!"

Li Mingchang picked up the tablet and glanced at it.

On the screen, the crowdfunding project "Please invite Lin Yan to come out of retirement" has exceeded 100 million yuan, and the comments are still increasing at a visible speed.

He stared at the number for a long time, then finally gritted his teeth, grabbed the red dedicated phone on the table, and dialed a number.

Beep, beep...

The phone rang for a long time before it was finally answered.

at the same time.

The headquarters of "Don't Want to Work Entertainment Group" is located on the 31st floor of Xinghai City CBD.

Lin Yan rarely comes to the company.

We're not here for a meeting; we're just using the terrace for a barbecue.

Under a huge parasol, Shen Qingqiu, wearing a loose-fitting knit sweater and sunglasses, lay comfortably on a chair.

On the small table next to it, there was a plate of sliced ​​cantaloupe.

Not far away, by the sink, Lin Yan was busy dealing with several greasy plates of roasted meat.

The phone is clipped between the ear and shoulder.

"Hey, Mr. Li."

He gripped the dish sponge, his perfunctory tone making no attempt to hide it.

"Lin Yan! You're still hiding, aren't you?"

Li Mingchang's voice boomed from the receiver.

Lin Yan was so shocked that he tilted his head to the side and moved his phone a few centimeters away.

"Are you aware of what's going on online?"

"One hundred million!"

"A whole hundred million!"

"More than 30 million people are begging you to make a comeback, aren't you even a little bit moved?"

"Not moved."

Lin Yan turned on the tap and rinsed the foam off the plate.

"Old Li, get to the point."

There was a moment of silence on the other end of the phone.

Li Mingchang almost choked on his breath by those four words.

"Asian Culture and Arts Festival!"

"The opening is next month, and we're currently missing a hit single that can really command attention."

His tone finally softened.

"Lin Yan, I'm begging you, even if it's just an old man like me."

"Just fill in any lyrics or write any music, as long as it's your own."

"Even if you only write half, I'll find someone to finish the rest!"

Lin Yan put the clean plate into the drainer and then wiped her hands with a towel.

"Old Li, it's not that I don't want to help."

"I really don't have time."

As he spoke, he turned and glanced back at Shen Qingqiu on the recliner.

The latter took off a bit of his sunglasses and was looking at him with a smile.

Lin Yan looked very serious.

"There's still a pile of unwashed dishes in the kitchen."

"I'm hanging up now."

"wait......"

The call ended abruptly, and Li Mingchang, still holding the receiver, remained stunned for a long time.

One hundred million won't be enough to persuade them.

More than 30 million people, and they can't be mobilized.

Even if the chairman himself makes the call, it's not as important as a few barbecue plates.

"That brat!"

Li Mingchang was so angry that he raised his hand to slam the phone down.

He raised his hand halfway, then caught a glimpse of the red fuselage and silently lowered it again.

Dedicated telephone lines are too precious to break.

After hanging up the phone, Lin Yan took out her phone from her apron pocket and casually opened Weibo.

The page froze for several seconds before finally refreshing.

The crowdfunding project "Please invite Lin Yan to come out of retirement" is at the top of the trending search list, with a bright red "hot" icon next to it.

The comments section was filled with netizens crying out for help.

Lin Yan glanced at it a few times, then moved his finger.

Using his popular account with tens of millions of followers, he casually replied with five words to the comment with the most likes.

[I'm washing dishes, I don't have time.]

The message notifications exploded the moment the reply was sent.

"Holy crap! He's alive!"

"He's alive, but he's gone to wash the dishes!"

"I practically threw a hundred million at your face, and you're telling me you're too busy?"

"A respected godfather of the Chinese music scene, reduced to a house cleaner after retirement—is this a sign of moral decay or a distortion of humanity?"

"Shen Qingqiu! Draw your sword! The hatred for having your husband stolen is irreconcilable! Hand over Lin Yan!"

"Don't draw your knife, smash his bowls first! Without bowls, let's see how he'll keep going!"

Within minutes, several related terms trended on social media.

#Lin Yan is washing dishes and doesn't have time#

#30 million people lost to a stack of plates#

#A man you can't buy with 100 million#

Seeing the entire internet collectively break down in defenses, Lin Yan turned off his phone with satisfaction.

Once the phone is turned off, the world becomes quiet.