Huayu: Starting from the top talent show

Chapter 507 World-Class New Song Collaboration
I met with everyone from the Chinese restaurant on the 16th.

I made a few new superficial friends.

Huang Xiaoming's extensive network of contacts across various industries is something Shen Juan needs. After Zhao Liying signed with Hesong as a partner last year, she was misled by this well-known shell company and her development did not meet her expectations. Therefore, once her contract expires, she will establish her own studio and begin to fully control her acting resources.

Therefore, Shen Juan thought that if he could find an opportunity to sign her into Starlink, he might be able to let her grandma the children and mentor the newcomers.

After all, putting everything else aside, Starlink's resources in the fashion and business sector are absolutely no less than those of Hesong, which relies on marketing hype to steal fame.

Shen Juan has formed a deep partnership with the LVMH Group.

Their relationship is not as it seems.

On the 17th, a banquet was held to honor anti-Japanese heroes from all walks of life.

Shen Juan was still cooking in the kitchen!

Having finally escaped the Mushroom House, I must show off my cooking skills and prove that I can cook independently!

This way, it will be easier for netizens to collect materials so that they can punish Huang Lei when the Evil Gardenia Project is exposed to the world in the future.

As he was working, Huang Xiaoming called him to the front desk, saying that many guests wanted to meet him, the "world's best".

No way.

Shen Juan had no choice but to temporarily hand over his work to Chef Lin, and then went to the front desk to interact with the guests.

Prepare lunch boxes for charity on the 18th.

Working from morning till night, the workload is a bit excessive.

In order to highlight the main theme and positive energy of the Chinese restaurant and achieve a perfect ending, the production team really treated the guests like donkeys.

The free meals will be distributed on the 19th.

The situation was almost identical to that of the dinner the night before last.

Thanks to the intensive marketing and promotion in multiple dimensions over the past few years, many middle-aged and elderly people who don't usually pay much attention to the entertainment industry know him. So, he was delayed a lot of time on his way to deliver the boxed lunches. After all, everyone wants to take a photo with a celebrity and then brag about it to their friends and family, right?

Therefore, Shen Juan tried his best to meet their requests.

Whether it's a basic group photo or a video call to their children and grandchildren to encourage them to study hard and improve every day, he is always there for them. He always has a gentle smile on his face and is so patient that people feel that Shen Juan is more like the kind of child that neighbors talk about than a world-class superstar.

Time has come to the 20th.

The show announced its wrap-up in the early hours of the morning.

In the morning, I departed on a private plane to Shanghai.

On the plane, Yangyang Jin planned to use the time to chat with Shen Juan, who was engrossed in his phone, about the upcoming work arrangements.

"The National Film Administration announced that cinemas in low-risk areas can resume operations in an orderly manner starting today, so shouldn't we put our film 'The Matchmaker' release plan on the agenda?"

"Has the situation stabilized somewhat now?"

Shen Juan put down his phone, which he was using to talk to Taylor about the release of "folklore," and looked up at Yangyang Jin, who was sitting opposite him with a tablet in her hand. "If there are no relapses, then we can indeed find a time to release the release date announcement and trailer and start promoting it."

"Is the release date still set for Qixi Festival?"

"Hmm." Shen Juan nodded slightly.

Although the release date of "The Matchmaker" is set for August 25th, a few days later than "The Eight Hundred", it seems to be at a disadvantage.

But thinking about it carefully, it doesn't really matter.

After all, these two themes are completely different.

"The Eight Hundred," which takes a patriotic approach, has a wider audience, while "The Matchmaker" is more popular among young people, especially women.

Therefore, a few days' delay in release will not have a significant impact.

The two then discussed the film's distribution plans.

Yangyang's fingertips swiped rapidly on the tablet, bringing up the well-prepared overseas distribution plan: "We've already reached agreements with theater chains and distributors in Japan, South Korea, and Southeast Asia. Although they, like us, have gone through the phase of theaters closing and then gradually reopening, the market is indeed sluggish right now, and there are far fewer viewers willing to buy tickets to go to the theater. But this is actually an opportunity, since popular films generally don't choose to be released at this time, and there aren't many films that viewers can choose from."

"As for Europe and North America, we are also in continuous communication and are striving to release your film simultaneously in multiple countries and regions around the world by the end of August. Speaking of which, promoting your film now is much smoother than promoting 'Better Days' last year. Now, as long as we mention your name, theaters in those countries are scrambling to get it."

To briefly mention Shen Juan's box office appeal globally: Top tier in China (all demographics are willing to buy tickets), Top tier in the Asia-Pacific region (under certain circumstances, the vast majority of people are willing to buy tickets, but mainly fans), and Third tier in Europe and America (usually only fans support him).

"That's normal, things are different now." Shen Juan smiled. "Is there anything else we need to discuss now?"

Yangyang Jin nodded. "Another thing is that the Porsche global promotional video you filmed last month has been released. Next, we will gradually announce and promote your involvement in motorsport according to the original plan. Then, Porsche will also hold the Porsche Sport Cup Sprint Challenge in China at the end of this year."

(I just randomly picked a prototype video; search "Porsche - Witness the Birth of Every Racing Legend" on Bilibili.)
"The open category competition?"

"Ah."

Shen Juan thought of Wu Jiaheng and Wang Yibo in China, and also of Fassbender abroad. These were all celebrities who crossed over to become race car drivers. Fassbender, in particular, had a deep collaboration with Porsche and had filmed racing documentaries for several years in order to finish the Le Mans race. A hint of amusement flashed in his eyes. "Hasn't Porsche always wanted me to participate in motorsports and then represent them in the centennial Le Mans race three years later? I happen to have the same idea, so it would be good to try out the feeling of real racing first."

"However, Wu Jiaheng may also participate, as he was recently officially announced as a contracted star driver for Porsche."

"He drives very fast?" Shen Juan raised an eyebrow.

“He’s at an amateur level, but he should receive professional training to improve in the coming period.” Yangyang Jin pulled up Wu Jiaheng’s recent schedule on the tablet. “It is said that his team has contacted the top racing coaches in China and plans to take this opportunity to get the Porsche endorsement title.”

This guy even contacted Justin Bieber a while ago to try and collaborate with him, but Bieber refused because he knew that Wu Jiaheng and Shen Juan didn't have a good relationship.

Shen Juan couldn't help but scoff, "You're making it sound like I won't improve if I don't hire a professional coach."

Not much to say.

Ever since that NBA All-Star Celebrity Game, Wu Jiaheng has almost always avoided Shen Juan. Whenever Shen Juan attends an event or party, he always finds various excuses to avoid it. So when Shen Juan finally gets to meet Hengheng, he definitely has to grab him and humiliate him severely and refine him in an instant!
After all, he'll be going to jail next year.

So, in the spirit of making the most of what he has left in his career, letting him shine in the remaining time of his career is a contribution to Shen Juan and to society, isn't it?
After returning to the film set, the first scene we filmed was a scene where the male and female leads decided to break up in a coffee shop.

Although the two no longer felt the same way they did when they were dating, the male protagonist still tried to salvage the relationship by lowering his standards and hoping to continue the relationship through the familial bond that comes with marriage.

But just like Guan Xiaotong and Lu Han in the original timeline, when couples who have been together for many years break up, the woman is always more resolute.

Just then, a young couple who had just arrived at the store were seated in the same spot where the male and female protagonists usually sat. The two were very shy and reserved, and carefully discussed their seats with each other. Then they started chatting about their hobbies and interests, and were excited to find that they got along very well.

"I bought a ticket, but I didn't get to see it."

"If you go, we might run into each other there."

"Yeah, but it's nice to meet you today! I forgot to ask for your contact information last time."

"Me too."

"But we didn't have this much of a lively chat last time, did we?"

"Or rather, it's a bit awkward."

"It's a bit awkward."

Their words were clearly heard.

Every word struck Zhou Can and Su Wan's hearts.

That destined missed encounter, that heart-pounding excitement, and the joy of discovering a soul connection—aren't these young people the same couple who first met back then? How happy they were then, but why has everything turned out this way, and can't they ever go back?

Thinking this, Hu Lianxin could no longer suppress her emotions, and tears instantly streamed down her face as she quickly ran out of the coffee shop.

"Crack!"

The director's voice could already be heard.

But Xiao Hu still squatted on the ground, covered his face, and cried bitterly.

Shen Juan still held her, comforting her gently.

Meanwhile, Peng Yuchang and Zhang Ruonan, the two actors who played young people in the scene, also started talking quietly.

They were both guest actors.

Arrive and leave on the same day.

But Peng Yuchang did it because of friendship and acquaintance.

So what was the reason for Zhang Ruonan's decision?

To be honest, Zhang Ruonan was quite curious about Shen Juan.

This is also the main reason why she was willing to accept the work arranged for her by her agency and take time out of her schedule to make a cameo appearance in a play.

(Shen Juan contributed a portion of the investment to this 1 million yuan film, "Love Like a Bouquet," which included Enlight Media. This was to facilitate better cooperation between the two companies in the future. In any case, given that "Ne Zha 2" was expected to gross 160 billion yuan, Shen Juan would never miss such an easy and enjoyable money-making opportunity.)

Despite having collaborated on a film before.

They even acted opposite each other.

That's right, in the movie "Cry Me a Sad River", the female lead who has a romantic storyline with the male lead is the second female lead who is accidentally killed midway through the movie.

However, they don't communicate much in private.

One reason is that she never intended to become an actress; she was already earning a lot of money as a print model.

The main reason he entered the industry was because the movie was a huge box office success, and Shen Juan helped all the new actors in "Bei Ni" to become famous.

I don't know about other people's situations. Anyway, her income is many times higher than when she was a Taobao model, so it's really hard for her to stick to her original intention and go back to her old job in the face of such a huge income gap.

On the other hand, she doesn't like dating male celebrities who are too handsome, as it puts a lot of pressure on her.

Shen Juan is undoubtedly one of the best among them.

He's handsome and a womanizer.

Not only did he love giving fans perks, he also liked to get involved with some married women in the industry (as rumored at the time). Even actresses in the same group, Ren Min and Zhu Dani, secretly expressed their affection for Shen Juan. It seemed that Shen Juan could make them willingly offer their virginity just by beckoning them.

Even the fishponds span the globe, to the point that fan groups have created abstract things like "Sister-in-law 101".
She has a clear understanding of herself.

She absolutely couldn't handle a man like that!
Therefore, she deliberately kept her distance from Shen Juan. After the film wrapped up, she hardly contacted him except for necessary promotional activities, in order to reduce her ties with Shen Juan and avoid being like the pitiful Ren Min, who was being cyberbullied by Shen Juan's fans while waiting for Shen Juan to change his mind.

That would be so pitiful!

She didn't want to live such a miserable life!

But then again,

As we all know, curiosity is an emotion that cannot be suppressed.

The more curious she was, the more she resisted contact with Shen Juan; but the more she resisted contact with Shen Juan, the more curious she became!

It is said that you shouldn't meet someone too amazing when you are young.

After the film "Cry Me a Sad River" wrapped up filming, it seemed that only Ren Min in the entire crew was truly affected by it.

But in fact
Influenced by this statement, or perhaps because she encountered such an amazing person in her youth, how could she be the only one?

Ultimately, it's simply because everyone expresses their emotions differently in different ways and to varying degrees.

So when this curiosity reached its breaking point, Zhang Ruonan knew that if she kept it bottled up, she might develop some kind of mental illness. So, based on the principle that it's better to guide than to block, she decided to take some time to come to Shanghai to make a cameo appearance in a play. She didn't need to chat with him to get closer; she would just observe him from a distance.

Just let your curiosity subside a little, let reason prevail, and get your life back on track.

As for the rest?
She asked for nothing more.

After all, a nobody like me doesn't dare to ask for too much.

After finally calming down Xiao Hu, who was crying her eyes out, the next scene filmed outside the restaurant, depicting the breakup between the male and female leads, brought her to another tearful breakdown, as she is a semi-method actor. As a result, the crew had to temporarily suspend filming.

My eyes were swollen from crying, it would be obvious on camera.
In short, most of the time tonight was spent helping Xiao Hu adjust his mood after filming.

Fortunately, the two actors, especially Xiao Hu, poured their emotions into these scenes, which were enough to move the audience and produce excellent results. Otherwise, they might have been stuck on this scene for several days in a row, unable to move forward, causing filming delays and disrupting Shen Juan's subsequent schedule.

At 10 p.m., Shen Juan saw off the silly Peng Yuchang, who was scratching his head and grinning foolishly, and Zhang Ruonan, who was blinking her big eyes and seemed to be deep in thought.

At midnight, we finished work and left.

On the way back to the hotel, Shen Juan learned from Yang Yang Jin that the actress who played the male lead's senior's girlfriend would also be joining the crew in a couple of days.

Xu Lu was recommended by Peng Peng.

They had previously worked together on "Our Shining Days".

Her acting skills are okay, and she's pretty good-looking.

However, it's hard not to suspect that an actress who has always played leading roles suddenly came to play a supporting role to Xiao Hu, a newcomer to the industry.

Filming is proceeding smoothly and steadily.

A few days passed in the blink of an eye.

On July 23, while Swifties around the world were celebrating the one-year anniversary of Taylor Swift's seventh album single "The Archer" on social media, something shocking happened: people suddenly received nine Instagram notifications in a row, featuring nine black and white covers that left netizens completely bewildered.

Just one minute later, people received three new updates from Taylor Swift, announcing that the 16-song album "folklore" would be released in its entirety at midnight that day.

In addition, eight deluxe physical albums and eight deluxe vinyl records will be released, available for a limited time of one week only.

At the same time, the music video for TS8's first single, "cardigan," was also released.

In addition, there will be exclusive Folklore filters for Instagram, album promotional ads and pre-orders on major music platforms, and official merchandise available for purchase simultaneously.

One stone caused a thousand waves!

The news sent shockwaves through the Western music scene!

Tens of thousands of Swifties flocked to the pre-order page to place orders, just to be among the first to hear their idol's music.

Olivia Rodrigo, born in California in 2003, is one of them and is about to transition from actress to singer.

As a fan who has liked Taylor Swift for many years, and also a fellow singer who is about to officially debut in the music industry (her child star career at Disney has come to a successful end, and she has already reached an agreement with Universal's New Vision Records for her debut), she felt it was very necessary for her to keep up with the dynamics of top singers.

Then she discovered
What the hell?!

Why does Alex's name appear in these 16 songs?
And there are two songs!
One collaboration, one solo!
Are these platforms mistaken?

This is Taylor's album!

How can you include other singers' new songs?
Or did they misspell the name?
In short, this is incredibly disrespectful!

Just as she was about to go to Twitter to discuss the matter with netizens, Shen Juan, the person involved, suddenly updated his Instagram, saying that he and Taylor had completed a teenage love triangle story in this album, calling it a unique and interesting collaboration, and hoping that everyone would like it.

So, Taylor Swift simply included Alex's solo version in her album?

This kind of thing is quite rare.

She felt it might be better to include it as an extra track in the deluxe edition album.

But considering their relationship
Ya Ya felt that everything was making sense again.

After all, not all friends will bravely stand up for someone who is being subjected to widespread cyberbullying.

Such behavior requires a great deal of courage!
Not long after, the album was released on all major platforms on time.

It starts with "exile," which features both of their names.

"I can see you standing, honey."

"With his arms around your body."

Then came Shen Juan's solo performance of "BETTY".

And Taylor's "Cardigan" and "August".
As Ya Ya listened to these songs, she felt her restless soul, which was still a bit agitated during the hot summer, was soothed.

Taylor, who suddenly became calm, reserved and restrained, is like a bard hidden in the depths of time, quietly bringing the world an album as refreshing as a clear spring.

From her early country music to the global breakthrough of "1989" into mainstream pop, to the emotionally charged revenge album "reputation" and the colorful self-reconciliation album "Lover," she has continuously explored the boundaries of pop music, with each album becoming a phenomenon in pop culture.

This album, "folklore," is like another transformative work in her musical journey, resolutely turning away from the hustle and bustle of mainstream pop music and embracing folk and independent music.

Admittedly, anyone with a bit of musical knowledge knows that such a simple and unadorned melody is unlikely to become a hit in today's streaming era.

But everyone knows that once an artist reaches a certain stage, if they want to go further, they need to shift some of their energy to musical expression.

So it was with the weary Sisyphus.

The same applies to Taylor's folklore.

So after listening to the entire album, many netizens from all over the world shared their thoughts in different languages.

[Not only is "Exile" a great song, but it also completely washed away the shame brought by last year's "Toilet Honey" incident, so it's my absolute favorite on the album!]

When the teacher called on me to answer a question, but I couldn't answer and sat down, I said, "You never gave a warning sign." My deskmate replied, "I gave so many signs."

Alex and Tay, are you trying to make me swoon? Sorry Joe, even though you've been with Taylor for so long, I still think it would be good for everyone except you if Taylor could date Alex! With loyalty and compassion at stake, we really need great artists to soothe our souls!

The lyrics of the songs "Cardigan," "August," and "Betty" are connected. "Cardigan" is from Betty's perspective, "August" is from another girl's perspective, and "Betty" is from the male protagonist's perspective. The three songs tell a story of a love triangle among teenagers. Knowing this background might help you better understand the lyrics. BTW: Yes, Alex is playing the scumbag again! Apparently, he even asked for it, hahaha! Knowing this setting makes listening to these three songs so exciting! I've already started fantasizing about a melodramatic love triangle between myself, Taylor, and Alex, hahaha! I'll have material for my dreams tonight!

[The lyrics to "betty" are so cheesy, haha. I bet Alex says these kinds of things to his girlfriends all the time, right?]

Honestly, those of you chasing after catchy TikTok hits, viral singles, and high-energy songs, you can give up now. This album's emotional fluctuations are very peaceful and quiet, with a strong artistic feel. Just like the album title, it's a folk tale, like a gentle bedtime story. A restless, agitated heart isn't suited to this album; you need to calm down!

[This girl disappeared for two months this year because she was secretly preparing for TS8 with Shen Juan. Happiness came so suddenly!]

[I find it hard to imagine that this woman and this man wrote lyrics like "Kids, spelling is fun" last year. In other words, it's hard to imagine that lyrics like "spelling is fun" were written by the world's leading female and male authors. So, was "Toilet Honey" actually a joke they played on everyone?]

[Don't make baseless accusations, this line was added by Taylor Swift, it has nothing to do with Juanjuan~ Juanjuan was mainly responsible for the lyrics and music of Lover.]

Taylor wrote on Instagram: "Most of the things I planned this summer didn't come to fruition, except for completing TS8, *folklore*. This album incorporates all my whims, dreams, fears, and reflections. Finally, I need to especially thank my good friend Alex for his help; he allowed these ideas in my mind to be better expressed and presented." Personally, I feel that compared to her previous albums, *folklore* is more like a true evolution and transformation, much like Alex's *Sisyphus*, abandoning some commercial elements and gradually shifting from a pop singer to a mainstream artist.

For Swifties around the world, this night was destined to be extraordinary because of the emergence of "folklore"!
The storms stirred up by the nine black-and-white covers eventually subsided and settled into the gentle narrative of the album's sixteen songs.

Taylor and Shen Juan's collaboration is like a pebble thrown into a calm lake, with ripples spreading outwards. The music itself, the fictional love triangle, and the subtle connection between the two creators have all become the most discussed and intriguing topics in the music industry this summer.

For Taylor, this was a great album, which not only helped her eliminate the negative impact of TS7 last year, but also greatly benefited her transition to an artist. The public was tired of her voice, so in order to maintain her popularity, she had to step out of her comfort zone time and time again.

For Shen Juan, he gained a period of positive exposure and popularity, which not only helped him to divert attention from the mindless online attacks against him by the North American public, but also helped him to extend the popularity brought by the release of Sisyphus in May, and help him dominate the world's headlines for a whole year like last year.

Therefore, both parties successfully achieved their goals in the cooperation.

This is undoubtedly a win-win collaboration!

(Rodri winning the Golden Globe caused Yaya to be criticized, somewhat like Michelle Yeoh winning the Oscar for Best Actress, with the online trolls mistaking her for someone else and praising her excessively.)

(End of this chapter)