Chinese entertainment, from radio love songs to superstars

Chapter 154, Voluntary Dedication

Taibei, Warner Records.

Stefanie Sun's winning of the title of Queen of Singers should have been a happy event for everyone in the company.

In fact, this is not the case. Many people smile with their lips but not their eyes.

Among them, the female singers alone are divided into four major factions, including three queens: Na Ying, Zhang Huimei, and Sammi Cheng, and one little queen: Stefanie Sun.

On the surface, we are colleagues, but in essence we are competitors.

Whoever wins the award will become more popular and will take away more resources.

Do you think those of you who didn’t win any awards can have fun together?
Among them, the one who felt the most uncomfortable was Zhang Huimei. Including this session, she had been shortlisted for five years, but still had no success.

Do you think her singing skills are bad?

not bad.

Is the song bad?

How can it be bad if it is tailor-made by Master Zhang Yusheng?

Every time there is a particularly strong female singer emerging. In the past four years, they were Chyi Yu, Shunzi, Yang Naiwen and Na Ying.

They are seniors, so it is normal for them to lose. Just persevere. After you outlast them, you will finally have the day of glory.

Just when everyone thought everything was safe, Sun Yanzi came along.

Stefanie Sun is also okay, but no one can compare to her in singing skills.

But it’s different with the addition of Shen Lang. He won the sales championship for two consecutive years after his debut.

That’s not all, each album had two or three hit songs that became huge hits and overtook her on the charts.

How do you think we should play it?
In short, the culprit is Shen Lang.

You are a male singer, why don't you just take your award? Why are you joining the female singer's track?
Annoying someone to death!

Na Ying was smarter and simply did not attend the Golden Melody Awards ceremony.

She won the title of Queen of Singers last year, and this year her main theme is Out of sight, out of mind.

Early this morning, Na Xing went out and bought a newspaper.

Seeing her handing it to herself, Na Ying waved her hand and said, "Sister, don't show it to me, and don't tell me, I don't want to know."

Na Xing said helplessly: "The result is already a fact. You are just trying to cover up your own mistakes and deceive yourself."

Na Ying smacked her lips. She heard something from her sister's words, something she didn't like. She was silent for a moment and said, "It doesn't matter whether you watch it or not. Did they sweep it again?"

Na Xing didn't answer and handed the newspaper over.

Na Ying reached out her hand halfway and then retracted it because she had already seen the very conspicuous title. She smiled and said, "Hey, I'm a senior, why should I bother with a junior."

Na Xing: "Sister, you..."

Na Ying said to herself, "I'm not envious or jealous. Why should I be envious or jealous?"

Na Xing: "Sister, don't be like this."

As for Zheng Xiuwen, she is fine.

Because her home base is Hong Kong, and she has already won the title of Queen of Singers in Hong Kong.

Furthermore, she doesn’t have many Mandarin songs, and her songs are mainly Cantonese. She just goes with the flow in award ceremonies in Taiwan Province and the mainland. If she can win, she will win. If she can’t, it doesn’t matter.

She went to the celebration party last night.

As a senior and a queen, you need to be more open-minded.

The company's top executives were all there, so they still had to do their superficial work. They just took a few sips of wine and left.

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It will take some time for the heat from the Golden Melody Awards to dissipate.

Shen Lang's worth has increased again.

Those companies that previously signed endorsement and advertising contracts are now grinning from ear to ear, as they have saved a lot of money by acting early.

Shen Lang also took time to shoot a commercial for them.

Only the Pepsi advertisement and advertising song had not been delivered. It was not his fault, but Pepsi had not given any plan.

It wasn't until today that people from Pepsi came to him.

They want to take advantage of the popularity of the World Cup in Japan and South Korea, and unite seven major stars including Raul, Beckham, Buffon, Carlos, Davis, Ronaldo and Ronaldinho, and him to shoot an advertisement using his advertising song.

Well done.

The English single that Shen Lang is preparing to release can be used on it, killing two birds with one stone.

He still chose a rock style, the single "Fire" released on August 2014, 8 by American pop rock singer Gavin Degraw. It sang about people opening their hearts while pursuing their dreams, indulging themselves like wild lions, and getting excited along with the music.

The lyrics are also very suitable for the World Cup.

"(English) Listen to this song and see if it suits you." Shen Lang handed the Walkman to the Pepsi Music Director.

"Oh, Shen, have you composed the song?" They didn't expect that they would have the song just after they stated their request.

"I usually write several songs at a time. This is a candidate for the World Cup theme song." Shen Lang didn't lie. He usually copied several songs at a time so that he could register the copyright.

The music director pressed play on his Walkman.

He came here in person, firstly to show his sincerity, and secondly because he had spent so much money that he had to make all the demands.

The music started, with its mature lyrics and rhythm that were full of fighting spirit, like a sports meeting song.

Shen Lang's voice is unique and strong, and his passionate melody makes people's blood boil.

“Running our own campaign
Our road to championship

Doing the whole shebang
Work hard
Oh we on fire
Our blood is boiling
We on fire
Our blood is boiling..."

When the chorus sounded, the music director's ears perked up.

The vice president of PepsiCo Asia, who was standing nearby, couldn't help but start shaking his legs to the rhythm.

They don’t know whether they can make it to the charts or win awards.

What they knew was that this song was what they wanted for the trip, and it was perfect for Pepsi.

Of course, this ad is too accurate.

"Shen, you are this..." The music director gave Shen Lang a thumbs up.

"He is worthy of being the number one pop musician in the Chinese music scene. He really guarantees satisfaction." The vice president had read Shen Lang's information before coming. It said that he had a nickname "Guaranteed to Satisfy", which means that he will satisfy people who come to him to write songs. At first he thought it was just media hype, but now after experiencing it personally, he knows that it is the real deal.

"Thank you for the compliment. As long as you're satisfied." Shen Lang completed another order easily.

Afterwards, he flew to Seoul with the two of them. The city was renamed Seoul after 2005.

Teams from various countries have arrived and started pre-match training.

Shen Lang met seven big football stars, including Raul, Beckham, Buffon, Carlos, Davis, Ronaldo and Ronaldinho, at the football field used for filming commercials.

After filming the commercial, he took a football and went to ask them for autographs.

It’s not about chasing stars, it’s about keeping a memory of your youth.

When they returned to the crew, Wang Kai and other football fans were so envious when they saw Shen Lang's photos with the stars and the signed footballs.

It’s bad enough that you feel good about yourself, but you also come to attract hatred!

People like Gao Yuanyuan who don’t understand football cannot understand the feelings of Wang Kai and others at this moment.

But you can probably understand it, just like fans got their photos and autographs.

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September 5th, evening.

After work and dinner, the hotel room where Shen Lang stayed was packed with people.

The Korea-Japan World Cup opens tonight. Football is more lively when there are more people. People who know football and those who don’t know football are all here.

"These are betting tickets." Du Ting quietly handed a stack of tickets to Shen Lang.

"Thank you, Sister Du." Shen Lang smiled and put the bill into his pocket.

"Can I really win? You bought so much." Du Ting was always amazed when she thought of that amount.

"If you like it, just play with it." Shen Lang didn't explain further.

Yes, he asked Du Ting to go to Magang to buy football betting.

The matches he remembered starting from the quarterfinals, he bought a lot of passes and various odds.

It is legal in Macang. During the 1998 World Cup, a company obtained a one-year exclusive license, allowing its subsidiaries to accept football betting on the 1998 France World Cup. It was reported that the bets of one company alone reached 8 million Australian dollars that year.

Back in the room, beer, drinks, mineral water, melon seeds, peanuts and sausages were served.

"Where have you been?" Gao Yuanyuan turned around and found that he was gone. "I talked to Sister Du about something." Du Ting was the only one who knew about Shen Lang's football betting.

"It's started!" Liu Yifei shouted, turning everyone's attention to the TV.

The opening ceremony of the Korea-Japan World Cup kicked off in Seoul.

The theme of the opening ceremony was "From the East". The wind and percussion band dressed in traditional Korean costumes was the first to perform, displaying the national flag patterns of the 32 teams in the final competition as they walked.

Seeing the Chinese flag, everyone smiled.

Shen Lang said in his heart, remember this scene well, because you won’t see it again for many years.

After a round of brilliant fireworks, a series of dances with traditional Korean folk characteristics were presented to the audience.

Soon children brought paper boats into the venue and various drums began to play cheerfully. Just as the audience was immersed in the traditional drum sounds, four drummers in space suits descended from the sky, and modern and traditional elements complemented each other.

The atmosphere reached its climax when the audience sang "Sangam Arirang", an adaptation of the traditional Korean folk song "Arirang".

"Hey, isn't this the 'Korea-Japan' World Cup, co-hosted by South Korea and Japan? Why are all the programs featuring Korean characteristics?" Liu Yifei asked puzzledly.

Everyone has also noticed that the entire opening ceremony showcased Korean characteristics and modernity, and apart from the national flag, this opening ceremony seemed to have nothing to do with the other host country, Japan.

"Due to the historical grievances between the two countries and the conflicts brought about by hosting the World Cup, it is impossible for Koreans to showcase Japanese culture on their own territory," Shen Lang analyzed.

"That little Japanese must be so angry that he must die." Gao Yuanyuan said with a smile.

"It would be best if he died of anger." Chen Zihan snorted.

After a short opening ceremony, the opening match officially started, with the world's number one team, France, the defending champion of the World Cup and the European Cup, facing the Senegal team, which was participating in the World Cup for the first time.

"Brother Lang, which team do you think is promising?" Liu Yifei didn't know much about football, so she asked Shen Lang.

"On paper, the French team is the strongest. They have Premier League Golden Boot winner Henry, Serie A top scorer Trezeguet, and Ligue 1 Golden Boot winner Cisse. The value of one player is equivalent to the entire Senegalese team." Shen Lang analyzed seriously.

In fact, everyone thought it was a one-sided game.

But few people know that almost all Senegalese players play in Ligue 1, which is a veritable French second team.

Zidane, the core figure of the French team, was injured in the pre-match warm-up match and missed the game. The team also has many old players, including captain Desailly, 33 years old, Lizarazu, 32, Thuram, 30, and Leboeuf, 34 years old.

Football is ultimately a sport that relies on youth. Although the French hit the crossbar three times, they were completely unable to withstand the impact of the African youngsters. Diop seized the opportunity and scored a goal.

France was eventually defeated 0-1, creating the first big upset of this World Cup.

“Although I don’t quite understand the rules, it’s quite exciting to watch,” Gao Yuanyuan commented after the game.

"I'm right, right? Football is all about the atmosphere. It doesn't matter whether you understand the rules or not." Common hobbies are a bridge to enhance mutual intimacy. Shen Lang naturally hopes that she can like what she likes.

"Okay, I'll watch it with you from now on." Gao Yuanyuan said sweetly.

Look for sure.

The performance of the Chinese national football team was not satisfactory.

The first match was against Costa Rica, the score was 0:2;

The second match was against Türkiye, the score was 0:3;

The third game vs Brazil, the score was 0:4.

The record was 0 wins and 3 losses, 0 goals scored, 9 goals conceded, and a goal difference of -9. They ranked 4th in the group and were directly eliminated in the group stage, missing the round of 16.

If you don't make it to the World Cup, you'll be disappointed. If you make it to the World Cup, you'll be abused.

But to be honest, this Chinese national football team does have some strength. Facing world-class superstars, they are brave enough to rush forward and take action, which is worthy of the spirit sung in the song "Chasing Dreams with a Childlike Heart".

If you look at the ones behind them, they fall down when they see people, drop the ball, miss shots, and can’t catch the ball. It’s even more uncomfortable.

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The passion of the World Cup ignites the entire summer.

The sample clip of "The Heaven Sword and Dragon Saber" has passed review and has been sent to major TV stations.

The first phase of promotion has also begun. The main battlefield is the mainland, where it will be on "Happy Camp", and the second battlefield is Taiwan Province, where it will be on "Variety Battleship".

Shen Lang adjusted the day's shooting schedule and came to Tiaobei.

"Variety Battleship" is a very popular variety show in Formosa Province, and ranks first in ratings on FTV.

The host is Wu Zongxian. Alyssa Chia has been a substitute host before, but this time she is a guest. Also on the show are Hu Bin, Chen Xiuli and Guo Feili.

Variety shows in Formosa Province have always been known for their large scale and bad taste. If they want to be popular but don’t have good subject matter, they can only go the other way and take the vulgar route.

"Variety Battleship" is a show with a large scale, but there are still some bottom lines, mainly focusing on Wu Zongxian driving.

"Wow, this is incredible. This drama is full of handsome men and beautiful women. In addition to the few people here, there are also Gao Yuanyuan, Chen Zihan, Yang Junyi..."

Wu Zongxian had a very good control of the rhythm. While chatting, he did not forget to promote the theme of the TV series. He looked at Shen Lang and said, "In the novel, we all know that Zhang Wuji finally chose Zhao Min. In the drama, did you make any changes?"

Shen Lang smiled faintly and said, "This involves spoilers. As for the ending, you can wait until the show starts to find out."

Wu Zongxian continued, "Then let me ask you a different question. I'm sure it won't spoil the plot. For example, our Jingwen, such a beautiful Zhou Zhiruo, aren't you moved?"

Alyssa Chia hugged Shen Lang's arm, bit her lip, and looked at him with pitiful eyes.

Shen Lang looked at her and said slowly, "Jingwen's Zhiruo is indeed unforgettable. She has a unique elegance and confidence. Every gesture reveals youth and vigor. Such beauty will naturally make people involuntarily moved."

Alyssa Chia was very satisfied with his answer, and her pitiful eyes turned into affectionate ones.

Wu Zongxian added: "So, your ideal type of girl, is it Zhou Zhiruo, Zhao Min, Xiao Zhao, or Zhu'er? Or someone like Yin Susu?"

This guy is quite capable of handling things, otherwise he wouldn't have become the top variety show host in Formosa Province.

When this question came out, the three girls at the scene, Alyssa Chia, Chen Xiuli, and Guo Lifei all looked at Shen Lang, with expressions of either curiosity or expectation on their faces.

Hu Bin on the side was watching the fun.

Shen Lang would not fall into this trap. He pretended to think about it and said vaguely after a moment: "It's okay, actually. I don't have any special requirements. It's fine as long as it feels right."

Said it, and didn’t say it.

Feels right?
Alyssa Chia didn’t know what she was thinking about, and she licked her lips with a smile in her eyes.

The entire program was recorded to be quite satisfactory, with some highlights, some funny moments, and some awkward moments.

After the event, we had a meal together at the invitation of Wu Zongxian.

Then, Alyssa Chia played the role of host and took them to KTV to sing.

I didn’t expect Hu Bin to be a microphone master. He kept singing when he got to the place.

Chen Xiuli and Guo Feili are the type who like to flatter and praise others in various ways.

But Alyssa Chia didn't sing anything, she just caught Shen Lang to chat.

Shen Lang is unique in telling nonsense, and he often makes Alyssa Chia laugh out loud.

Alyssa Chia also let go, and in the dim private room, she couldn't help but make some moves on Shen Lang.

Flirting in the play and spending every day together on the crew, the relationship between the two has long become subtle.

Several people played until midnight before returning to the hotel.

Under the pretext of reminiscing with Chen Xiuli and Guo Feili, Alyssa Chia did not go home and instead booked a room in a hotel.

Shen Lang had just fallen asleep for a while when he heard someone knocking on the door. He got up from the bed and went to open the door.

"Can I come in?" Who else could it be if it wasn't Alyssa Chia standing outside? She had come to the hotel for other reasons. "Don't worry, there's no one outside. There are no surveillance cameras in this hotel."

Now that they have taken such a proactive approach, it's like a cooked duck being delivered to your mouth. How can you not eat it?
The environment of this hotel is quite good, and there is a fountain in the room, which is quite ornamental, interesting and interactive.

The sound of water continued until dawn.

Early in the morning, Sun Yanzi called.

"Did you go back?"

"No, I'm still in the hotel."

"miss you."

Sun Yanzi tossed and turned and couldn't sleep last night, thinking that Shen Lang might come to give her a surprise, but it turned out that he didn't, and she stayed alone in a daze until dawn.

Shen Lang glanced at Jia Jingwen who turned over in bed and whispered, "I'll find a chance to go over later, wait for me."

After hanging up the phone, Jia Jingwen woke up with a dry throat and said, "I'm thirsty."

Shen Lang put down his phone and said with a smile: "Didn't you drink enough last night?"

Jia Jingwen understood what he meant in an instant, and blushed and said angrily, "How could that be possible!"

Shen Lang threw back the blanket and said, "Then let's continue."

Alyssa Chia opened her legs and said, “It’s already dawn, what if they come looking for me, or Brother Bing comes looking for you.”

Shen Lang's charming eyes glanced at her face and said lightly: "It's only half past six. How can they get up so early? After today, there may be no chance in the future."

So the fountain started working again.

(End of this chapter)