Marry a female star at a bargain price

Chapters 305 and 306: "Little Apple" is now available.
The short weekend passed quickly.

On Sunday afternoon, Lin Xiao, Han Xixi, and their entire family packed their bags and returned to Mashan County.

Liu Liyun did not go with them this time.

Although applying for early retirement is simple, there are still some procedures to go through, especially the step of submitting the application to the organization, which must be done by her in person and cannot be done by someone else.

However, the organization cannot stop her.

On the one hand, she had worked in the neighborhood for over twenty years, and the current head of the neighborhood was only able to take the position after she retired. She could disregard everyone else in the unit, but she was treated with utmost respect by her, her former leader and old comrade.

On the other hand, Liu Liyun has become a celebrity after being exposed online some time ago.

With a famous celebrity daughter and a newly minted top musician son-in-law, her family background is so impressive that there are only a handful in the whole country. As a result, her husband, who is the mayor, is not so impressive (outsiders do not know that she and her mayor husband have divorced).

With a family background like that, money is definitely not an issue. Whether they work or not, or whether their pension is a few hundred dollars less, is simply not a consideration for them.

The organization didn't even need to do any work.

Once you receive the application report, you just need to follow the procedures, and it will be completed in a week at most.

Liu Liyun plans to drive to Mashan County alone after completing the formalities.

To begin the next chapter of her life.

the other side.

Lin Xiao and Xi Xi returned to the county town with their whole family.

The production team of the show "Longing for Married Life" has completed the location selection. They have chosen three vacant houses in Dafeng Village next to Xingguang Town. The next step is to contact the homeowners who have settled elsewhere to sign rental contracts, and then carry out idyllic, fresh, and secluded decorations.

The goal of this type of renovation is not to make it comfortable to live in or to make it look luxurious.

Instead, the goal is to make viewers want to quit their jobs and live a secluded life here. But in reality, once you actually live there, it's freezing cold in winter and sweltering hot in summer, drafty with lots of mosquitoes, and the transportation is inconvenient, you can't buy anything, it's practically like being exiled...

But none of this matters.

The key is to escape the city, enjoy the warmth of spring, and embark on a journey to cleanse the soul.

The production team is already very familiar with this task.

After all, in this rural area, the dilapidated old houses have no value, and the owners have all moved to the city to settle down, and they don't even come back for the New Year.

The only purpose of an old house is to let people who have left their hometown know that they still have roots in their hometown.

This dilapidated house can be rented out for tens of thousands of yuan a year, and they'll even spend a lot of money to renovate it for you.

Anyone who isn't mentally ill will generally agree.

There was no need to put too much thought into this matter, so the production team took a two-pronged approach: repairing the filming location while simultaneously sending staff and guests to coordinate the recording work—after all, it was already July, and the recording of the show would officially begin in another month.

The person who contacted Lin Xiao and Han Xixi was a program director named Xiaoyu, who was only 24 years old this year.

Because Lin Xiao agreed in the contract that he didn't want a script.

Therefore, Xiaoyu's job is relatively easy. She only needs to communicate with the couple about the theme of the new season and the ideas for the first three episodes.

Because Lin Xiao was busy with official duties, only Han Xixi was in contact with Director Xiaoyu for this task.

Everything was in good order.

Time flies, and another week has passed in the blink of an eye.

Liu Liyun successfully completed her early retirement procedures and arrived in Mashan County with only a few belongings.

Compared to a week ago, Comrade Lao Liu has changed a lot.

She permed and dyed her hair, put on some light makeup, and even gained some weight in the past few days, which brought back some sparkle to her eyes.

This was thanks to Lin Xiao calling his mother-in-law almost every night to ask for advice on work problems.

Director Liu has been at the forefront of leadership positions for over a decade and has never felt tired.

Having experienced numerous setbacks in life and almost given up, she finally found some confidence through the trials and tribulations of her son-in-law's career.

That sounds a bit weird.

But the truth is, by guiding the mayor's son-in-law through the hurdles, she rediscovered some of the composure and confidence she once had.

In fact, Lin Xiao already had a plan and direction for the next steps in the work of merging villages and towns.

But there's no need for the mother-in-law to know these things.

After all, even if he had a plan, his mother-in-law's guidance and advice could help him make the plan more successful.

In the end, it is entirely beneficial and without any harm.

So Lin Xiao made the call with genuine sincerity, and Liu Liyun answered it with ease.

In the last two days, she has been eager to go to Xingguang Town. After living most of her life, she has finally come to understand the great man's words: "The countryside is a vast land with great potential!"
……

Liu Liyun was warmly welcomed by the family upon her arrival.

The whole family enjoyed a sumptuous lunch.

Accommodation arrangements for the evening have been adjusted from the existing specifications.

Previously, Lin Xiao could even arrange for his mother to share a room with the postpartum nanny so that he and his wife could have their own little wish to sleep in the same bed.

Now that there's another person in the family, his right to sleep in the master bedroom is no longer secure.

The latest housing standards are:
Lin Xiao and Lin Yu share a room, while Xi Xi and Liang Tian share a room.

Zhou Xiuping also shared a room with the nanny and the baby, while Liu Liyun stayed in a newly vacated room.

Comrade Lao Liu felt very sorry for separating his daughter and son-in-law.

She strongly insisted on renting another house next door, but after discussing it with her family, they felt it was really unnecessary.

Liang Tian and Lin Yu have been practicing driving recently and will soon be taking their driving test (Part 3).

After the driving test (Part 3) is over, the two of them, along with Qin Jiapeng and Zhang Zihang, will continue their previously planned "graduation trip to Jingzhou," and then there will be empty rooms at home.

Lin Xiao paid for the entire trip, providing ample funding.

After the graduation trip of the young people ended, it was almost September when university would begin.

They are about to embark on the next stage of their lives.

In the end, only Lin Xiao and Han Xixi, along with a few middle-aged women, will remain in this house.

The house will be big enough for us by then, so there will be no need to buy anything else.

After Lin Xiao made some arrangements, Liu Liyun reluctantly moved into a single room by herself.

The family slept relatively soundly that night.

The following Saturday, at 8 PM.

"Little Apple" has been officially released on Tencent Music.

The song was actually completed a long time ago, but we have been coordinating the release time with Tencent Music. At the same time, the Publicity Department of Nanzhou Province also had some ideas about the song.

"Little Apple" was, after all, the first song released after the establishment of the New Rural Music Association.

The company was originally established to advertise and promote the cultural tourism and other industries in Nanzhou Province.

Now that they finally have a song, the publicity department naturally has to figure out where it would be most appropriate to use it.

However, Nanzhou province is located in the south and does not have apple crops.

This has given the leaders a real headache.

She even felt a little resentful towards Lin Xiao, wondering why he didn't write a story called "Little Orange," "Little Tangerine," or "Little Pomelo," or even "Little Chestnut."

In fact, Lin Xiao had actually considered making such a change.

But he couldn't get over his own conscience.

The melody and lyrics of "Little Apple" are so catchy and addictive that they have become a fixed phrase in his mind that "this is how it should be," and he feels awkward if he changes even one word.

In particular, the lyrics themselves use the red of an apple to describe a child's rosy cheeks, a metaphor that is widely known and enjoys extremely high national recognition.

Elementary school students use this kind of metaphor in their essays.

If you replace it with tangerines, grapefruits, oranges, or chestnuts, then something won't work—these fruits are all yellow.

Just because we are all of Asian descent doesn't mean we have to describe a child's face as having a yellowish hue and being cute, right?

That's way too...patriotic.

Lin Xiao ultimately wrote "Little Apple," leaving the difficult problem to the leaders.

The leaders ultimately lived up to their mission.

Although citrus is the most widely cultivated fruit in the province, it is not the only fruit grown there.

The leaders searched all the cities in the province and actually found a crop called sand fruit in one place.

This fruit is a type of apple.

But because it's very small, about the size of an orange, it's also called "Little Apple"—which is a lucky coincidence, matching the song title "Little Apple," and even more fitting than something like the "Big Yantai Apple."

So it was decided that this song would be used as the promotional song for the local "Little Apple" (a popular children's song).

Unfortunately, it's the season when crabapples are about to hit the market in large quantities.

The publicity department immediately contacted the local agricultural department and urgently recorded a promotional video for crabapples, which was paired with the full version of "Little Apple" that had not yet been officially released.

The timing was just right.

Because of these causes and effects, "Little Apple" was delayed until mid-July to be released.

However, the promotion and hype for the new song had already begun long before the recording was completed, and the promotional page on the Tencent Music homepage was displayed for a full seven days.

Caption: Little Apple/Lin Xiao's new song/Stay tuned.

Below is the official release date of the song.

In fact, even the content gatekeepers at Tencent Music couldn't appreciate this song.

But this didn't stop Tencent from giving the song the top-tier recommendation package.

Without him.

Lin Xiao wrote the lyrics, composed the music, and sang the song. With these key elements combined, even if he were to wear mourning clothes and wail for three minutes in the recording studio, this song would still be a huge hit.

to be honest.

Tencent Music is a company whose sole purpose is to make money. Providing high-quality music to the Chinese entertainment industry is completely unrelated to the company's mission.

Therefore, even if "Little Apple" is not a good song at all.

However, Tencent still had high hopes, betting that the song would create a frenzy in the music market and bring considerable profits to the company.

Judging from the effect of the pre-launch publicity over the past week.

The results were as expected.

Lin Xiao's photo wasn't on the promotional poster on Tencent's homepage. However, the announcement of his upcoming single immediately garnered massive attention.

This is a massive amount of content, even more massive than the amount of content that Penguin Music presets.

If the penguins' expectation is Lake Baikal.

The feedback from the network was like the Pacific Ocean.

The reason why netizens are so supportive is not only because Lin Xiao's influence in the music market is unprecedented, but also because the online controversy surrounding his recent announcement of recording "Longing for Married Life" has not yet subsided.

She just announced her appearance on a variety show, and now she's releasing a new song.

Such a dense schedule would be no problem for an ordinary celebrity; netizens and fans would only praise their dedication.

But Lin Xiao is no ordinary celebrity.

In fact, he wasn't an entertainer at all, but a proper town head with a formal position and job title.

A while ago, his announcement that he would be appearing on the show "Rebirth" sparked widespread condemnation online. This was because the idea of ​​making money by appearing on a variety show was in stark contrast to his status as a grassroots town mayor, giving people the impression that he wanted more and more, and was greedy and insatiable.

This is why it has drawn widespread disgust online, with a deluge of accusations and insults.

The online uproar has not yet subsided.

Lin Xiao, however, was not content to stay put and made new moves outside of his role as town mayor.

Such "indiscretion" naturally drew the attention of angry netizens, who launched another barrage of criticism.

However, this time is slightly different from the last time.

Recording variety shows is not a glorious thing, even in the entertainment industry.

Even though the variety show market is developing rapidly and has a large market and audience, while the general public enjoys watching it and finds it entertaining, they still tend to regard the industry as synonymous with "money-making" and "unscrupulous".

This feeling is like going to a brothel, pulling up your pants, and then spitting on the person inside and calling them dirty.

Celebrities who take on variety shows are essentially degrading themselves, let alone Lin Xiao, who isn't even a celebrity.

He has a noble and righteous identity, yet he does such despicable things. It's no wonder he's being scorned and cursed by netizens.

However, singing is different.

First of all, the music industry is a legitimate industry, and singing is a legitimate way of producing content.

If a work is excellent, people will respect it from the bottom of their hearts.

Secondly, Lin Xiao became famous precisely because of his extraordinary musical talent.

So whether it's songwriting or singing, even though it's a huge contrast to his identity as a civil servant, it doesn't make the public dislike him or think he's restless, greedy for money, etc.

Moreover, Lin Xiao has a lot of fans.

Although he only has one officially released work as the original singer, "Thousands of Mountains and Rivers," he has released quite a few lyrics and music works under the name Ma Yao in the past two years, and every single one of them has been a super hit.

Ma Yao has long been a top influencer in the new era of music.

In this era where "pop music is dead," it is the last hope for the music industry.

Whether they are fans or casual observers, everyone has extremely high expectations for him.

Therefore.

So, while both were "stirring things up," the trailer for "Little Apple" didn't trigger a massive, one-sided attack from netizens. Instead, amidst some criticism and accusations, there emerged equally enthusiastic and positive voices.

At first, the two groups were evenly matched.

However, with the support of Lin Xiao's large fan base and casual observers, the negative public opinion was quickly suppressed.

Lin Xiao has once again become the top musician Ma Yao, who is highly anticipated by the entire internet.

Not only that, but even the fact that he was just criticized and purged by the entire internet for wanting to record a variety show seemed to have been wiped away overnight.

Industry insiders were stunned.

One by one, people couldn't help but sigh: the entertainment industry is really about to change.

……

The shift in public opinion has made Lutheran, the director of "Rebirth," beam with joy.

Not only her, but even her assistant Xiao Fang was completely dumbfounded this time.

7:30 p.m.

Hunan TV, the "Rebirth" program team, director's office.

Standing in front of the desk, Xiao Fang said indignantly, "Director Lu, these netizens have no bottom line! Last week, they were cursing Lin Xiao to death because he was going to take on 'Rebirth,' all clamoring for him to quit the internet and the entertainment industry. But then Lin Xiao didn't explain anything and just officially announced that he was going to release a new song, and these people all changed their tune, starting to cheer and express their high expectations, acting like they wanted to make Lin Xiao a pop king... Are these people all goldfish with only a seven-second memory?"

Xiao Fang's lack of understanding was met with a smug sneer from Lutdan.

Director Lu is not someone who wears his emotions on his sleeve.

But she was so pleased with herself today that she couldn't hide her emotions at all—she knew she had made an absolutely brilliant and correct move.

"Do you still think that inviting Lin Xiao and his wife onto the show was a mistake?"

Lutdan rested his chin on his bony hands and asked with a calm smile.

Xiao Fang pouted.

Although still unconvinced, she was completely speechless with rebuttal.

"But Sister Dan~"

Xiao Fang changed her form of address, since it was already past 7 p.m., which was the time to get off work.

He shifted his body, his voice hesitant, and said, "Even if Lin Xiao's popularity is skyrocketing and appearing on the show can bring a huge amount of attention, I still feel that your agreement to let him not have a script is a big problem. He's not a professional artist, and we have no idea how much he can actually create on variety shows. Relying solely on popularity to carry the entire twelve-episode show is definitely not enough!"

Xiao Fang had the righteous look of a loyal minister offering advice.

It was unusual for Lutdan not to think that his assistant was innocently naive or foolishly stupid.

Her expression turned serious, and she nodded: "Actually, I was worried about this at first, but I felt that compared to the attention and buzz surrounding Lin Xiao and his wife, whether they would cause trouble was not important. At least, the popularity and traffic alone could support the first three episodes, and a good start was no problem."

"But after what has just happened, I realize that my worries were completely unnecessary—this Mayor Lin, even though he's not a professional in the entertainment industry, is just as good at stirring up trouble as any celebrity, as evidenced by his performance at the previous press conference."

"If the press conference wasn't enough to demonstrate his abilities, then his series of performances this time have effortlessly manipulated tens of millions of netizens. His ability to stir up trouble is not just excellent, it's downright incredible!"

Lutdan was so excited that his voice almost cracked as he commented.

Assistant Xiao Fang looked puzzled: "Sister Dan, did Lin Xiao cause trouble? The official announcement of him as a guest on the fourth season of 'Rebirth' was posted on Weibo by our production team. He didn't say anything from beginning to end. Although he took the initiative to release the new song, he gained attention through his musical talent, and writing and releasing songs is his forte... Does that count as causing trouble?"

When faced with Xiao Fang's doubts, Rutgerdan gave him a smile that said, "Young man, you're still too young."

"Writing and releasing songs is Lin Xiao's forte, that's true. But why did he choose this particular time to release them? Don't you find that strange?"

"What's wrong with this time? It's not an important day!"

"The timing is very precise."

Lutdan lamented, "Two weeks ago, we officially announced that he and Han Xixi would be guests, which caused a huge uproar online. If Lin Xiao wanted to appease netizens' anger with his musical talent, he should have announced it as soon as possible."

"But he didn't. He kept a song under wraps and didn't do anything, and was scolded by netizens for a whole week. Just when the online attention finally calmed down and the matter was almost over, he casually released a new song, which once again raised the expectations and attention of the entire internet to a high level."

"The key is that when he released the song, he didn't release it directly; he gave a week's notice beforehand. During that week, all the people on the internet knew was that the new song was called 'Little Apple.' They hadn't heard any of the song itself, but the attention and anticipation didn't drop at all."

"Finally, netizens had digested the news of Lin Xiao releasing a new song, and today, 'Little Apple' has finally been released. It's foreseeable that for at least the next week, he will dominate the trending topics on major social media platforms..."

By now, Xiao Fang had almost grasped what Rutdam had said.

The young man was truly amazed by the mastery of timing, tact, and the appropriate level of interest.

Rutdam was still marveling, "Looking at each point in time, Lin Xiao seems completely uninvolved, making no move whatsoever, and certainly not offering any explanation. But when you consider the bigger picture, you'll be surprised to find that he's been trending on social media for three weeks straight, with top-tier discussion, attention, and buzz!"

Lutdan's face was flushed; the tingling sensation was even more intense and lasting than when he was sitting on Xiao Fang.

"There are so many top celebrities in the entertainment industry. Today you expose someone and tomorrow their scandals will collapse. They all rack their brains and stop at nothing to grab trending topics and traffic!"

Lutdan sighed, "But all these top celebrities combined can't compare to the earth-shattering online upheaval caused by Lin Xiao, an outsider, with just a casual exertion. The key is, Lin Xiao didn't do anything at all from beginning to end."

"Upon closer inspection, he hasn't even made a public statement, yet he monopolized the trending topics for almost a month just by releasing a song. With this ability to manipulate public opinion and attract attention, what script does he need? As long as he's on a show, there's no shortage of attention and buzz—he himself is a top-notch variety show writer!!"

Hearing Lutdan's heartfelt praise...

Xiao Fang understood immediately and finally dared not underestimate Lin Xiao any longer.

After several "small shocks," Lin Xiao had become a god-like figure in Xiao Fang's heart.

That's just how people are. If someone is a little bit better than me, I'll be jealous. If someone is much, much better than me, I'll admire them.

Xiao Fang now looks up to Lin Xiao with complete awe.

He is now full of anticipation, eager to see how this superstar will perform on the show and what kind of brilliance he will bring.

This expectation will not be revealed until a month later.

However, we have an appetizer to whet your appetite first.

Just then, the clock struck eight o'clock in the evening.

"Little Apple" was released on Tencent Music on time.

Lutdan is tone-deaf and never listens to any pop music. He is sitting in front of the computer today just to admire the musical style of the master Lin Xiao.

The same goes for Xiao Fang.

On the computer screen, the playback page for "Little Apple" has been refreshed, and the play button has appeared.

At the guide's instruction, Xiao Fang clicked the mouse to play.

Both of them eagerly awaited the answer.

A second later, a dynamic melody came from the speakers worth tens of thousands of yuan—this equipment was prepared by Director Lu for editing and reviewing films, and this was the first time he had used public property for personal purposes to listen to music.

However, the sound effects are indeed quite good.

"Ok?"

The catchy melody startled both of them.

Xiao Fang subconsciously commented: "This intro is really catchy, completely different from Lin Xiao's previous musical style!"

His expectations grew even stronger.

Rutdam frowned, sensing that something was amiss.

The source of this problem was soon revealed.

"I planted a seed, and it has finally grown into fruit. Today is a great day..."

The magical and catchy lyrics vibrated out of the speakers.

Lutdan and Xiao Fang listened attentively.

The two expectant faces were instantly stunned...

(End of this chapter)