Unboxing, Director!

Chapter 134 The Impact of the September Event
Once tasks were assigned, the employees carried them out.

Lu Jiang continued to work on the post-production of "The Lobster".

Szeto Chiu-tun said he would invite filmmakers from Cannes to watch the film in November.

He will organize a screening for well-known domestic filmmakers at that time.

This is considered the first hurdle for "The Lobster" in its quest for awards.

The three major European awards are, to put it bluntly, part of the elite circle.

It's just that this circle looks more high-end.

Only after finding "acquaintances" to watch the film, approving it, and then sending it to them, followed by organizing corresponding public relations efforts, can the film gain a basic level of attention.

As for the ratings in the program booklet during the screenings, they are basically just a reference.

Ultimately, it depends on the extent to which the judges have been "lobbyed".

Situ Zhaodun was taking this very seriously.

But Lu Jiang was quite relaxed.

Because there is insurance.

Cheating.

This feels... a bit guilty.

After all, Situ Zhaodun is quite old and he's still going to great lengths for you.
Lu Jiang felt that he could make more award-winning films to make him happy in the future.

The subsequent work proceeded in an orderly manner.

As for other commercial performances, Lu Jiang rarely accepts them now.

I used to always wonder what the price of a commercial performance was today, how much it had increased or decreased.

Now, I basically don't accept any private commercial performances anymore.

I only focus on commercial performances related to advertising, as well as official or public welfare commercial performances, such as "The Same Song".

This program is an arts and culture performance project launched by a national-level media platform and is affiliated with the State Administration of Radio and Television, making it an absolutely "official media" program.

The program's concert format, which involved traveling to various places to "send warmth," was politically motivated.

The artists invited were all from within the system or mainstream artists, such as Liu Huan and the eldest sister.

Hong Kong and Taiwanese artists who want to appear on the show have to undergo censorship.

For viewers, it represents a generation's memories from the early 00s.

Viewers at home and those at the venue can see so many celebrities at once, making it a truly enjoyable experience for everyone.

This is Lu Jiang's first time on this show.

When the show was first created, Lu Jiang was not well-known.

Later, as his fame grew, he joined the Music Association. At that time, Lu Jiang's focus was on developing Southeast Asia, which was equally important to the government.

And so they kept missing each other.

Now, Lu Jiang and "The Same Song" have finally merged.

So the fans in Hangzhou were in for a treat, as this episode of "The Same Song" also achieved extremely high viewership ratings.

After singing two simple songs, Lu Jiang and Wu Zongxian reunited, along with Jay Chou.

This was arranged a few days ago.

Jay Chou's new album "Fantasy" has entered the release preparation stage.

Among the current distribution partners in mainland China, Locke & Lo is one of the larger ones, responsible for business in several northern cities. The matter has been basically agreed upon, but a contract has not yet been signed.

Besides finalizing the release details, Wu Zongxian also wanted Lu Jiang to support Jay Chou once again during this meeting.

Actually, even if Wu Zongxian hadn't asked, Lu Jiang would have offered to help.

It's not because he treats Jay Chou as a younger brother, but because Jay Chou truly treats him as an older brother.

A few days ago, Lu Jiang was injured, and Jay Chou visited him in the hospital. Last month, when talking about the new album, Jay Chou told the media in an interview that "the new album was greatly inspired by Lu Jiang."

There wasn't much inspiration involved; it was just that the two of them talked about music and basketball when they called each other, without specifically discussing any particular songs.

But Jay Chou's willingness to say this speaks volumes about his attitude.

Therefore, as the eldest brother, Lu Jiang naturally had to reciprocate with care for such a sensible behavior.

But since Wu Zongxian took the initiative to bring it up, he obviously had other purposes.

Sure enough, upon meeting, the first thing Lu Jiang noticed was the gleaming blue treasure chest on Wu Zongxian's head.

Due to the sluggish record market, Wu Zongxian's record company's operating revenue has dropped significantly compared to previous years, and his own cash flow is about to run into problems. He urgently needs Jay Chou's new album to sell well in order to recover his losses, and he hopes that the host can help him this time by promoting Jay Chou's new album in mainland China and Southeast Asia.

Oh, so that's what it was for!
As expected, things developed in the same way as in the original timeline.

However, the treasure chest is currently only blue.

This also shows that the situation has not yet reached its most critical point.

Jay Chou's new album made money this time, so he'll probably be able to live it up for a while.

Then they'll sell the company next year when they can't keep up with the lifestyle anymore, including Jay Chou.

Lu Jiang's lips curled up slightly.

Protect and escort?

sure.

But we can't work for free, can we?

After a brief exchange of pleasantries, a meal, some singing, and a foot massage, Wu Zongxian finally revealed the purpose of his visit.

"Mr. Lu, the record industry is really doomed!"

"That's right, my new album has only sold 140 million copies so far, sigh!"

"Wow, 140 million a month is terrifying enough!"

The Versailles reference doesn't exist yet, otherwise Wu Zongxian would definitely shout, "Of all the Chinese singers this year, you're the only one whose sales have exceeded 100 million!"

"It's also thanks to the Japanese market."

"It's because you're capable, otherwise how come others can't get in? Look at Xie Tingfeng, he wanted to compete with you a few years ago, but now he's just a little brother in front of you!"

"Don't say that about him. He's the successor to the Four Heavenly Kings, after all."

"What successor? So many resources have been poured into him and he hasn't made a splash at all. He would have been better off becoming famous by dating. Have any of the Four Heavenly Kings become famous by dating?"

"That's right!" Lu Jiang gave a thumbs up.

"The true king of heaven has to be a genius like you, Lu Jiang!"

"Why are you suddenly starting to flatter me? I'm not used to it."

“I’m telling the truth.”

"Alright, you must have something on your mind. Just tell me, don't beat around the bush with me."

"Well then, I'll say it," Wu Zongxian said, steer the conversation back on track, "Hey, to be honest, if Jay Chou's new album doesn't sell less than 50 copies, I'm going to pawn my pants!"

50 is the sales figure for Jay Chou's first album, "Jay".

Judging from the current state of decline of the physical record industry.

Theoretically speaking, it's not going to be easy for Jay Chou to reach 50 this year.

But the problem is, he's none other than Jay Chou!

So, a mere 50?
You must really not think highly of Jay Chou!

Lu Jiang then became curious: "Really? I remember Jay Chou's new album didn't have a high production cost?"

"It's not Jay Chou's problem, it's mine."

Wu Zongxian spoke candidly, mixing truth with falsehood, revealing his current predicament.

In summary, the physical record industry is currently in a slump, and companies only make money from one or two out of ten albums a year.

In addition, he has now invested in several promising sunrise industries.

I'm short of money.

Therefore, they urgently need to use Jay Chou's new album to recoup their losses.

Then they started talking about Lu Jiang's help.

"Lu Jiang, brother, I'm not here to borrow money from you. I just want to ask you to help promote Jay Chou's albums in mainland China and Southeast Asia, give them a shout-out, and lend him a hand!"

As Wu Zongxian spoke, he sat up, grasped Lu Jiang's hand, and looked quite sincere.

In Southeast Asia, no one in the entire Chinese music scene currently has a wider reach than Lu Jiang.

Of course, Wakin Chau and his group are also very talented, but Lu Jiang is a good person and has a good relationship with his family.

Sure enough, Lu Jiang generously said, "Don't worry, leave the distribution in mainland China to me, and I'll make sure it's handled perfectly. I also have a schedule in Southeast Asia in the second half of the year, so let Jay Chou come with me!"

"Really?"

"Of course!"

"Oh, thank you so much! Waiter, bring me a bottle of wine, baijiu (Chinese liquor)."

"Alright, alright, stop with the nonsense, let's have tea instead of alcohol."

"That won't do. We have to drink. Drinking shows we value the occasion. Waiter, get some drinks."

The two then drank together and had a very pleasant time.

Both of them felt they had made a profit from this.

Wu Zongxian felt that with Lu Jiang involved, the distribution channels in mainland China and Southeast Asia would be guaranteed.

Lu Jiang, on the other hand, knew from memory that "Fantasy" sold very well, and seemed to be one of the best-selling albums, and was even hailed as a "god album".
Regardless of whether it is true or not, he has already listened to the album and, in his own judgment, it is indeed quite good.

It seems to be at least over 100 million.

Based on 100 million tickets, Lu Jiang could make several million yuan from this deal.

Of course, Lu Jiang wouldn't be so attentive just because of this.

So Lu Jiang then chatted with Wu Zongxian about his side businesses. With a sigh of relief, Wu Zongxian launched into another long boast about them.

But Lu Jiang knew that many of his businesses were losing money, and Jinshouzhi had said that "the cash flow is about to run into problems."

So right now he's just putting on a brave face!
He didn't undermine him, but focused on being the straight man, praising Wu Zongxian's good judgment and saying that the physical record industry is going to decline, so it's definitely necessary to start a side business!

Mr. Wu, you have a wide range of knowledge and are very professional. I, Lu Jiang, am envious!
In short, you're awesome! And I wish you continued awesomeness.

Wu Zongxian felt very comfortable, thinking to himself that this was what it felt like to be a high-ranking entrepreneur, even a superstar looked up to him.

He figured he'd recovered some losses this time, so he should increase his bets even more.
After the foot massage, Lu Jiang was fully conscious, while Wu Zongxian was already unconscious.

After Jay Chou and his assistant helped carry him back to the hotel, Jay Chou came down and continued chatting with Lu Jiang.

The article also mentioned Wu Zongxian's neglect of his duties and expressed concern.

Lu Jiang patted him on the shoulder: "Don't worry, he won't sell you no matter what."

As he spoke, Lu Jiang added, "But if I were to sell it to you, I would actually be quite happy."

Jaylen looked up at Lu Jiang, then quickly lowered his head, a little shy. He knew what Lu Jiang meant.

"Hey, don't make that face. People who don't know better will think we're gay."

"No way," Jay Chou said with an embarrassed smile.

Lu Jiang patted him on the shoulder again: "Focus on making good music and don't think about these things. Of course, if you really feel that something is not right, remember to contact me immediately. If you are with me, I am willing to give you a billion."

Jay Chou looked up again, his eyes filled with emotion: "Brother Lu."

"Damn it, I told you not to make that face, I'm not gay!"

Jay Chou scratched his head and laughed sheepishly.
After saying goodbye to Jay Chou, Lu Jiang immediately instructed Li Chao and Qidian Venture Capital to keep a close eye on Alpha Music and be ready to take it over at any time.

After concluding his trip to Hangzhou, Lu Jiang returned to Beijing to continue overseeing post-production.

Time quickly came to September 10th.

This morning, Fan Binbin called and said, "Little Swallow is doomed!"

Just like in the original timeline, the issue of "Fashion" magazine featuring Little Swallow wearing the Japanese flag on the cover was released.

It was quickly spotted by a reporter from the Chengdu Business Daily. After having a history professor from Sichuan University authenticate it, the reporter confirmed that it was indeed the Japanese military flag and published the story in the newspaper.

This matter was just exposed today, and public opinion is brewing, but Fan Binbin has already realized the seriousness of the situation.

On the one hand, she was excited that Little Swallow was doomed.

On the one hand, I was also filled with lingering fear.

After all, she had received a cover invitation from Fashion magazine back then.

Although it is still uncertain whether the other party set a trap for Xiao Yanzi, and the details of the matter are still unclear, there is a connection after all.

Fan Binbin only realized what the military flag of Xiao Rizi looked like after reading the report!

Therefore, this feeling of lingering fear is very strong.

If it were you in that situation, would you have realized it?
Fortunately, it's Little Swallow who's in trouble now, so Fan Binbin thinks, "I'm about to be incredibly rich!"

In the Chinese entertainment industry, Xiao Yanzi is above her.

Now that there's one less mountain to climb over our heads, it's certainly something to celebrate.

But Lu Jiang knew she was celebrating too soon.

Sure enough, the military flag incident was only brewing for one day before being overshadowed by the 9/11 hype the next day.

That day, the whole world was talking about 9/11.

The immense popularity of the story allowed Little Swallow to escape unscathed.

Fan Binbin felt very sorry about this, thinking that this person was really lucky!
Lu Jiang comforted him, "Don't worry, you can't escape what's coming."

"Yes, I'll prepare now, and once this storm passes, I'll give her a good beating!"

"You don't need to do it yourself, someone else will take care of it."

That's how it was in the original timeline; it ended up causing a huge commotion, so there was no need for me to take any action myself.

Fan Binbin misunderstood: "Lu Jiang, why are you so nice to me?"

Lu Jiang chuckled, but offered no explanation.

Misunderstandings are good! Misunderstandings can unlock more knowledge.
Looking back, the whole country is focused on the other side of the Pacific Ocean.

Some gloated, while others mourned.

Lu Jiang then convened a meeting with his employees specifically to discuss the Little Swallow incident.

Such incidents must never happen again at Dawn Films. Anyone who violates this rule will be immediately dismissed and blacklisted!

People in the company may not realize the seriousness of the situation yet, after all, Little Swallow hasn't done anything wrong.

But they'll find out soon enough.

After the meeting, Lu Jiang continued post-production, occasionally glancing at the news.

What was unexpected was the enormous impact of 9/11, which even affected Lu Jiang.

9 month 13 number.

Zhou Jianhui arrived at Lujiang Company with terrible news: the release date of "you" had been changed to September 29th, two weeks later!
In the Western music scene, for new artists releasing songs, Grammys are secondary; sales are the primary concern.

Only with sales volume can there be market value, and only then can one survive.

Therefore, from this perspective, September is the least suitable time for newcomers to release songs in the Western music scene.

The Grammy nomination rules are based on songs that were nominated between October 1st of the previous year and September 30th of the previous year.

Therefore, top-tier singers usually release albums during this period to ensure that their works are eligible to compete for the Grammy Awards the following year.

This can also lead to the monopolization of resources such as media exposure and radio broadcasts.

September is also the back-to-school season for students. European and American families shift their entertainment spending to education spending, media activity declines, and the remaining media is monopolized by big brands, so it's practically hell for newcomers.

There are three ideal times for new artists to release songs.

First, there's summer vacation.

There are many big names at this time, but the summer traffic is also huge. As long as the song is good, once it stands out, the effect will be explosive, and the probability of it making the charts is the highest.

Secondly, January to March is the period with the fewest big-name singers, making it the default release period for new artists.

Finally, late August or early November is a good time to be among the newest customers, as there are relatively fewer big brands available and the Halloween and Christmas traffic hasn't fully kicked in yet.

So, scheduling "you" for August was actually quite reasonable.

But somehow it was later moved to October, which is a pretty good time slot.

As a result, 9/911 happened, and the entire month of September turned black.

Hollywood has shut down, and various entertainment industries have either suspended or postponed their operations.

The demand for entertainment in American society as a whole has decreased sharply.

This made September even worse for the newlyweds.

Others are too busy running away to even catch up.

But they just did the opposite.

"Does that mean they think this song has a chance at a Grammy?"

Lu Jiang couldn't help but ask, knowing that this song was Grammy worthy, and had received multiple nominations!
Therefore, placing it in the "black September" is actually quite appropriate.

Zhou Jianhui shook his head: "Impossible. If they really thought it had that potential, they would have allocated the Grammy PR resources long ago. Besides, even if they wanted to compete for the Grammys, September 29th is too late. They have no advantage at all."

"So it was still sacrificed, but why? Didn't they know the quality of the song? Couldn't they see its financial potential? Even changing the release date to January wouldn't work?"

Lu Jiang was very puzzled.

Logically speaking, anyone who has heard "You" should at least know that the song is of exceptional quality.

If it weren't for the Grammys, given the American nature of prioritizing making money, they wouldn't let a song like this be sacrificed in a dark September, would they?
After hearing this, Zhou Jianhui said dejectedly, "Now, because of 9/11, it is said that the Grammys are already considering postponing the nomination deadline. The big names who were originally scheduled to release songs in September have all been pushed to October. Resources in October are several times more scarce. Many newcomers who are releasing songs are forced to squeeze into next year's newcomer season, where resources are also much scarcer. The headquarters is not willing to place a big bet on a Chinese singer."

Zhou Jianhui looked utterly defeated.

He had actually made many efforts, but obviously none of them were successful.

What about summer vacation?

"That won't work either. The contract period for the retail channel has expired, and the penalty for breach of contract is very high. If we cancel and don't ship, we'll be blacklisted by the industry."

"So now I only have one choice, which is to accept this release schedule?"

"Yes."

Lu Jiang frowned.

This hasn't even reached the Americans yet, and they've already experienced the iron fist of capitalism.

Damn, I, Lu, have an unparalleled status in the mainland music scene, a rising star in the Music Association, and a cornerstone of the Spring Festival Gala.

He's a top figure in East and Southeast Asia, and the young superstar is begging for a collaboration.

But on the other side of the world, I, Lu, am completely invisible.

Although he knew this was normal.

But it's really infuriating!
"How about we leave it like this? It's just this one song anyway."

Zhou Jianhui resigned himself to his fate.

Making a splash in the Western music scene was already a pipe dream.

So it's best to abandon illusions and accept reality as soon as possible.

But Lu Jiang refused.

It's just a song, that's all.

But this is a song that has been nominated for multiple Grammy Awards and was a Billboard number one single for six consecutive weeks!
How could we let it go to waste?

So the worst available slots and the worst resources left me dispensable, left to fend for myself, right?

Damn it, they actually dragged someone like me, with my cheat-like abilities, into this mess.

I, Lu, am determined to send "You Are Beautiful" to the top of Billboard under these very conditions!
(End of this chapter)