Entertainment 2000: Supporting female stars will bring you a hundredfold return

Chapter 353 When you're in the game, you need a background and resources.
The man responsible for bribing John Mayer's friends was utterly speechless.

You should have said so earlier if you wanted more money!

It's a waste of time to ramble on and on.

I almost thought you were your dearest family and friends!

However, this kid has been patiently building up his story for so long, he probably has quite an appetite and won't be easily satisfied.

"How much?" he asked coldly, implying that I would leave immediately if we disagreed.

This wasn't the first time John's friend had betrayed him.

The targets of their betrayal were primarily the media.

From selling itineraries, dating information, and private gossip, to later selling photos...

The path of betrayal is escalating.

John Mayer also seemed to have developed doubts about him.

This made him very dissatisfied. As a good friend, you earn hundreds of thousands of dollars every month, but you only give me a few thousand dollars?
I didn't ask you for much. I'm self-reliant. What's wrong with selling you some information for a little money?
John Mayer was not very famous before, so these things were not worth much.

The most he ever did was recently when he secretly filmed his date and sold the video to five media outlets, earning over $13,000 in one go.

But the video should only be filmed once every year or two at most, otherwise John would definitely have found out that he did it.

John's friend, a shrewd glint in his eyes, didn't speak. After pondering for a moment, he held up five fingers.

"Fifty thousand is too much!" The newcomer realized what kind of person he was.

"I meant five hundred thousand!"

"Heh, forget I was here." The person turned and walked away, striding straight out of the coffee shop.

Seeing that the other party started to stop cars on the road, John's friend couldn't hold back any longer and quickly chased after them.

After some haggling, the person agreed to pay $20,000 upfront, with more money to be added if the product was effective.

My friend agreed...

John Mayer was a big fan of alcohol.

It's no secret.

In fact, very few people who play rock music in America are not alcoholics.

Getting drunk and causing trouble is commonplace for him.

In particular, John Mayer grew up in the 1970s and 80s, America's golden age, and he lived the most carefree days of his life.

When seeking thrills, they naturally rely on alcohol and illicit drugs.

In later interviews, John publicly admitted to the media that he used leaves as a substitute for alcohol in order to quit drinking.

I don't know what kind of thought process this is.

A media personality once described him as someone who couldn't stop talking about whiskey, women, marijuana, and his best albums.

That evening, the friend who received the money smelled the scent of the ink on the cash, and happily went to sell two cases of wine and some leafy greens.

Back at John Mayer's villa, he got reimbursed for the expenses and then expedited the process by hiring a group of part-time female models for an extra fee.

The pool party is officially underway.

The next morning.

John Mayer, who had been partying all night, noticed several newspapers on the table.

The newspaper cover photos, or the most eye-catching photos, all featured Tang Wen's strikingly handsome face.

There are photos of him being kissed by Nicole Kidman on Oscar night.

There are photos of him looking triumphant at the movie premiere.

……

John Mayer was already irritable due to being high on alcohol, staying up all night, and suffering from a hangover and headache.

He was furious to see the guy who stole his Grammy Best Newcomer award appear in the newspaper.

Upon seeing the photo of Tang Wen holding the Grammy "Phonetic Machine" trophy, he could no longer contain himself and tore the newspaper to shreds.

After tearing it up, I smashed the vase and tissue box on the coffee table all over the floor. Having vented my anger, I was just about to go to sleep.

Outside the gate, the doorbell rang.

Along with the doorbell came some harsh noises.

"Damn it!" John roared in fury. "These damned tabloid reporters, what are they doing here again?!"

Hollywood stars and singers are all news-generating machines.

You can exchange photos and videos taken by the media for money.

If you really can't get a good shot, take a couple of blurry photos of the surrounding area, make the story a little better, and you can still make money.

In this situation, entertainment stars are being watched every day.

Any slight disturbance will attract dozens of tabloid reporters and freelance journalists to "hunt" them down!
"There are a lot of reporters outside, making a lot of noise," the maid said as she walked into the villa from the yard. "Sir, someone leaked the news that there was an uninhibited party here last night, and it caused quite a stir. There are more than a dozen people squatting outside demanding that you give an interview!"

"Screw the interview! Tell them to get lost, or I'll shoot them..."

John flew into a rage.

for money.

Freelance media people with no bottom line can come up with all sorts of tricks.

They received conflicting information; some said John had slept with a minor, others said a pregnant woman caused severe bleeding…

This kind of thing would be shocking in other countries.

But in the North American entertainment industry, these people, upon hearing the news, had no doubt whatsoever; their hearts were filled with excitement and a desire for big news.

John, still possessing a modicum of reason, was unwilling to engage in conflict with them.

He sent his friends to the door to announce: "There's no news here that they want."

He stormed into the bedroom and slammed the door shut.

Logically, the best course of action in such a situation is to immediately contact a public relations manager or agent to clarify the situation.

But that night, he indulged in wine, women, and all sorts of vices.

After a night of excitement, I was exhausted.

It felt like being overdrawn.

Just as he was drifting off to sleep, a loud, piercing noise, like "metal scraping against sheet metal," instantly woke him up.

My hair stood on end, and goosebumps rose all over my body.

"F**k!"

"son of b!"

"holly..."

He went downstairs cursing and swearing, like a raging dog ready to fight someone.

“Hey John, you can’t go out.”

"F**K! I've had enough! I'm going to teach them a lesson today."

Paparazzi disturbing the peace is a common occurrence.

In order to get news and force celebrities to go out, they even dare to disturb the residents in villa areas in the middle of the night or early morning with high-powered speakers.

Fortunately, villa areas in North America have large enough land areas.

The main targets of the interference are the celebrities they are targeting.

John Mayer picked up a baseball bat and walked outside.

He was stopped by two childhood friends.

The bribed friend offered a few words of advice, then abruptly changed the subject: "Actually, I have an idea..."

"Water guns and firecrackers? Great idea!"

The gate is blocked, and we can't get out.

But money can make the world go round.

Lured by several thousand dollars, firecrackers and water guns were passed in from outside the villa's high walls in less than an hour.

The delivery person used a ladder and a fishing rod to complete the delivery.

Then, it became lively.

Firecrackers exploded amidst the swarm of paparazzi lying in wait.

Suddenly, a chorus of greetings to John's entire family erupted outside.

Before they could even catch their breath after the firecrackers finished exploding, water with a pungent smell poured down from the wall and landed on them.

The paparazzi were furious.

He vowed to fight John Mayer to the bitter end!
Meanwhile, Tang Wen had already landed in the UK to begin promoting his album.

British and American cousins, sharing the same language and culture.

Tang Wen's songs are popular in the United States and not bad in the United Kingdom either.

This is especially true for teenagers.

In 2003, Britain's presence was not as weak as it would be in later years.

However, several Warner executives that Tang Wen contacted, despite not being very old, liked to reminisce about the last century.

They didn't treat Tang Wen as an outsider.

Based on my intuition, I believe Tang Wen is British.

In his presence, they made no attempt to hide their longing for the "Everlasting Sun".

Tang Wen just listened, this kind of sentiment about their ancestors' past glory will always accompany England, and one day they will have to open their eyes and look up to the world's big brother again!
There were two release events for the album "tang".

The venues are of different sizes; the larger one is the North Greenwich Arena, which can hold 20,000 people. In the original timeline, many well-known domestic singers held concerts here.

It operates on an admission system, and the price is very cheap.

It is primarily aimed at fans in London, the UK, and even Europe.

The albums available at the event were mainly cassettes and CDs, with a small number of vinyl records.

A small venue, at the Carin Apollo Theater.

The theater was built in 1930 and could only accommodate three to four thousand people.

However, you can tell from the cars in the parking lot.

All the people who come are rich.

Among them are many so-called "old money".

Unlike those in China who idolize old money.

In Tang Wen's view, Britain, which rose to prominence during the Age of Exploration, accumulated its first fortune, and the resources needed for the later existence of the British Empire, was full of original sin!
The term "old money" is merely a euphemism.

But everyone who came today considers themselves "respectable people"!
The promotional methods are different from those used in large venues.

Tang Wen didn't mention "buying and selling" at all from beginning to end.

He was dressed in a traditional tailcoat and sat on the stage with two music masters and a conductor brought in by Warner, talking purely about music.

In the middle of the performance, I sang a few songs and showcased my piano and violin skills once.

As for the guitar, don't be ridiculous.

It would never happen in such a situation.

This kind of event, which is more like a concert, is something that ordinary singers simply cannot organize.

Tang Wen is a creative genius, and he is also a director and a writer.

What he wrote had some depth.

In Britain, he is generally regarded as one of their own.

Only then can such a high-end event be successfully held.

Finally, after he finished playing his composition "He Was a Pirate," applause erupted from the audience.

Below, men in suits, women with exquisite makeup, and young people whispered their admiration:

What a wonderful night!

"He's a true genius."

"Mom, I like this piece of music..."

The event lasted for a considerable period, a full two hours.

After seeing the guests off, they thanked the local staff with a signed vinyl record.

Before Tang Wen could leave.

Tonight's sales figures have been tallied.

"Out of stock! Tang! Vinyl records are out of stock!" The head of Warner Music UK came to Tang Wen with a bottle of champagne to celebrate.

"What?" He was slightly surprised. "Didn't we prepare more than 20,000 vinyl records?"

These kinds of concerts are only for wealthy people.

Ordinary cassette tapes can only be given away as freebies.

The real sales target is vinyl records and collector's edition CDs.

“That’s right, Tang! More than 25,000 copies, half of which are high-quality first edition albums. Each one is worth 28 euros.”

One euro is equal to more than one US dollar, or about ten yuan.

In other words, a high-quality first edition vinyl record can cost over 200 RMB.

It's not something the average person can afford.

When it comes to vinyl records, they can be roughly divided into several grades.

I. Entry-level consumer products.

Warner prepared more than 10,000 tickets, priced at 10 euros.

All items were sold out.

The second level is the high-quality first edition album.

The price is two to three times that of the entry-level model.

The number will not be too large.

Thirdly, there are rare, high-quality signed, and first-edition vinyl records. Priced under €5000, these already possess collectible value.

At this level, both the number issued and the number remaining are extremely small.

Finally, the fourth type is top-tier vinyl records that can be auctioned.

Unpredictable.

The requirement is that the singer or band releasing their own music possess the ability to "travel through time".

It will only have value if it is preserved well for several decades.

For example, a special limited edition vinyl record released by The Beatles in 1968 sold for a high price of $79 at auction in 2015...

The fact that the vinyl records sold well proves that Tang Wen has quite a few fans among wealthy people.

Ding!
The glasses gently clinked together.

The golden champagne was stimulated, and the bubbles became even denser.

Tang Wen took a sip and exclaimed, "No wonder it's London."

“That’s right! Who can not love London?!” The person in charge said with a smug tone.

Tang Wen smiled but didn't say anything.

"That's the essence of London, Tang! The concert today was fantastic. I know you mainly work in Hollywood, but you should come back more often and do some events."

The person in charge spoke sincerely and warmly, treating Tang Wen as a true fellow townsman.

Faced with such enthusiasm, what could Tang Wen say?

I had no choice but to clink glasses with the other person and nod in agreement.

The next day.

Tang Wen, carrying the success from London, flew to Northern Europe.

The Nordic region is vast and sparsely populated; there's only one event, and I have to rush to Denmark that evening…

With Warner providing the business jet, the journey was quite comfortable.

He experienced the customs and culture of Europe.

John Mayer of America was having a rough time.

Ever since that party, reporters have been bringing up Tang Wen in front of him, maliciously comparing the two and implying that he is not as good as Tang Wen.

Someone asked him what he thought about "Tang Wen, who is aiming to break the record of having his entire album chart on Billboard."

John Mayer couldn't hold back any longer and exclaimed, "That's impossible!"

Indeed, no one has ever done it.

This statement was amplified and interpreted, and as it was passed around, various versions emerged.

A few days later, he threw a barbecue party at his villa.

The bribed friend rushed back from outside with a few tabloids in hand and said to him, "Buddy, what's going on?"

Some people say you made a bet that Tang Wen will definitely not be able to set a new record.

If you lose, you're willing to kiss a sow's ass!

"What the f**k! I've never made a bet like this before!"

"What the hell? We've been following John for the past two days, and he definitely didn't do it."

"..."

A friend handed out tabloids to them, saying, "They're probably written by some petty reporters who dislike you."

“I’m going to sue them for defamation!” John Mayer felt very strange; he had offended so many people.

Why is it that Tang Wen is always being mentioned repeatedly?
How dare a foreign singer say he's going to break the Billboard record?
Even a fool would know that this is impossible.

The American music scene is not as fair as outsiders imagine.

He had heard Tang Wen sing, and he thought Tang Wen sang quite well.

They also have strong creative abilities.

Even a young, famous genius like him would be jealous.

But what good is it to just sing well?
Of all the great bands and singers in Europe, how many can break records on Billboard?
In the world of business, resources, background, and connections matter.

You, Tang Wen, a foreign singer, who gave you your confidence?

John Mayer disliked Don Wen, believing that the latter had stolen his Grammy Award for Best Newcomer.

Since Tang Wen is considered a competitor, the impact of the "Affinity" attribute is minimal.

The bribed accomplice said, "Buddy, no matter what, the report is out. Let's drink less tonight and brainstorm how to handle the media. We'll help you pretend to be the media asking questions..."

The other two childhood friends also thought it was a good idea.

John casually agreed, but drinking less was out of the question.

With no outsiders present, he spoke only from the heart.

Little did they know, someone reached into their pocket and pressed the switch on a "special model" voice recorder.

(End of this chapter)