Unboxing, Director!

Chapter 145 My Era Has Just Begun

January 5, 2002, Beijing time.

After the news of Lu Jiang's Grammy nomination came out, it quickly became the headline of various media outlets. Even media in Hong Kong and Taiwan published the news as soon as they received the news, and many media outlets did not hesitate to use it on their front page.

It wasn't that Lu Jiang had a good relationship with them; it was simply that they had achieved a truly historic accomplishment this time.

To a large extent, this is no longer just a matter of Lu Jiang's personal achievements; it has risen to the level of national pride.

In the context of public opinion across the Taiwan Strait and Hong Kong during this era, it is actually quite easy to reach a consensus when it comes to matters of national honor.

After all, "lack of confidence" is not unique to mainland China. People in Hong Kong and Taiwan may appear wealthy, but they may actually be more insecure inside.

Therefore, one can imagine how much praise and attention a Chinese person would receive for achieving remarkable results in an area where the US has an advantage, in this era where the US is number one.

Just like Jackie Chan became a superstar in Hollywood.

Yao Ming became the number one draft pick and a superstar in the NBA.

Media outlets across the Taiwan Strait and Hong Kong are all proud of this. Even if there are occasional dissenting voices, the general consensus is that this is a source of national pride.

The same thing is what awaits Lu Jiang now.

At this moment, no matter how fierce Lu Jiang's competition with the Hong Kong and Taiwan music scene was, how much the two sides disliked each other, or how many dirty things they did in secret, they all had to be put aside. Even the arrangements made earlier would be difficult to mention later.

This also earned Lu Jiang the most unified wave of praise from both sides of the Taiwan Strait and Hong Kong since his debut.

Lu Jiang has been practically elevated to a god-like status!
With the overwhelming reports and reposts, reporters from all walks of life, including television reporters, flocked to the scene. That night, the crew of "The World's Number One" and the hotel where Lu Jiang was staying were surrounded.

The production crew had to ask Lao Xu from Hengdian for help, who sent dozens of security personnel to maintain order.

The crew members watched the lively scene outside.

Even F3, who prides himself on having seen his fair share of "big scenes," couldn't help but swallow hard at this moment.

Fan Binbin then called home directly: "Mom, come again in a few days."

Fan's mother showed complete understanding, cheerfully saying on the phone, "We know, we know, we won't cause our son-in-law any trouble."

But after saying that, he added, "Bingbing, you'd better keep a close eye on him. Our Lu Jiang is now a hot commodity, don't let those demons take advantage of him!"

Fan Binbin pouted, "They've all become 'our family' now. In a few years, will I become an outsider?"

However, what Fan's mother said was indeed very reasonable.

Lu Jiang is now handsome, has a great physique, is rich, and talented. After being nominated for a Grammy, he is now adorned with an additional halo of honor for bringing glory to the country, which has multiplied his charm several times over.

Such a person, who possesses wealth, good looks, talent, fame, and honor all at once, is extremely rare, not only in the entertainment industry but also worldwide. Isn't that like the Tang Monk's flesh?

Put yourself in Lu Jiang's shoes; if you didn't know him, you'd probably want to sleep with him too.

Put aside things like looking to the future and pursuing relationships.

What I want is a sense of accomplishment.

hiss~
Fan Binbin shuddered, then quickly asked Li Chao to start arranging Lu Jiangxin's security.
It was noisy and chaotic outside the film set.

Successfully breaking into the Western music scene has had a huge impact in China. These reporters are going crazy. If they don't give an explanation, there's no way to avoid it.

After discussing it over the phone, Lu Jiang and Zhou Jianhui decided to schedule a special time for the interview.

Lu Jiang will hold a press conference at 6 p.m. the following day.

After the news was released, reporters from all walks of life rushed to Hengdian, and multiple TV stations, including Beijing TV, Zhejiang TV, Anhui TV, and even CCTV, called to request the broadcasting rights.

Lu Jiang assigned everything to Li Chao and then continued filming.

The next day at the appointed time, Lu Jiang appeared on time at the Hengdian Group press conference hall, which was arranged by Lao Xu in Hengdian. Zhou Jianhui, who had just returned from China, was also present.

The moment Lu Jiang appeared, hundreds of reporters instinctively raised their cameras, and the flashes illuminated the entire scene.

Lu Jiang remained calm and composed; he was already used to the flashes and the like. Although the intensity was higher than usual today, it wasn't a big problem.

He even had the leisure to check the composition of the reporters.

As expected, in addition to people with distinctly Chinese features, there were also quite a few with Southeast Asian features.

This also shows that Lu Jiang's current fame is truly on a pan-Asian level.

Guangming Chang Suoni, who was temporarily reassigned to host the press conference, began by reminding reporters that the meeting room lights were sufficient and that they should be careful of the flashes.

Lu Jiang laughed and said it was okay, he could take another minute of photos, and joked, "When I was fat a while ago, all the photos I took were ugly. Now that I've lost weight, I've entered my peak appearance period. Everyone, please help me take more photos and clean up my image."

Lu Jiang's relaxed words also made the atmosphere at the scene much more harmonious.

Then came an even more intense "thunder and lightning".

A minute later, Lu Jiang pressed his palm down, and the reporters obediently put down their cameras and began the question-and-answer session.

"How do you feel about receiving three Grammy nominations and having your single reach number one on the Billboard charts, making history for Chinese-language singers?"

The NetEase reporter asked the first question, and Lu Jiang pondered for a moment: "I wrote the song 'You Are Beautiful' when I was learning English. I originally wanted to write Chinese lyrics, but I got a bit stuck in the process. When I was looking for inspiration, I tried writing some English lyrics, just as a way to practice my English."

After filling it out, we didn't initially think about publishing it, but since Mr. Zhou was going to Warner headquarters, we thought, why don't we give it a try?
The result of this trial was unexpected.

When we found out the results, we were initially surprised, then happy and excited, since it was indeed a very good result, but now we've calmed down.

I've read a lot of your news these past few days, and to be honest, some of it is overrated.

I think we should look at this normally. Ultimately, the song's release was partly due to chance. Winning the Billboard number one and being nominated, I think, was because I unintentionally caught the Grammy judges' preferences, but I can't guarantee there will be a second time.

So I think everyone should be objective about my current achievements and not overpraise me.

Lu Jiang's words were very humble and sincere, and the reporters could feel his sincerity, but something just didn't sound right.

At first glance, that does seem to be true.

But if you say that it's just about making the list and achieving certain results, then that might be a reasonable statement.

But now this song has been at number one on Billboard for two weeks!

And with three nominations!

This achievement is rare, not only in Asia but also in the Western music scene.

Therefore, this cannot be explained by "accidental" means.

Of course, no one would point this out.

This "humble" attitude is correct.

It conforms to the basic principles of conduct of the Chinese people.

If Lu Jiang starts boasting and getting all high and mighty, that would be a real problem, since it's not just mainland reporters present, but also reporters from Japan, South Korea, Southeast Asia, and other countries.

Therefore, in international settings, it's right for Lu Jiang to be conservative.

Indeed, this was the case. The press conference was broadcast live, and many people saw the confession on television, including a large number of professional singers.

The news of Lu Jiang receiving a Grammy nomination has caused the biggest shock in the Chinese music scene.

After the interviews, it became clear that any singer with a reputation, whenever interviewed by reporters, would inevitably bring up Lu Jiang and the Grammys.

Leslie Cheung, Alan Tam, the Four Heavenly Kings, Wang Meilin, Ye Zhengmochen, and other Hong Kong divas; Jonathan Lee, Richie Jen, Emil Chau, Jay Chou, and Sun Yanzi from Taiwan; and Sun Nan, Yu Quan, Liu Huan, and Pu Shu from mainland China…

During the interviews, whether they knew him or not, everyone gave high praise to the incident and Lu Jiang himself.

The former is political correctness, while the latter is going with the flow.

Lu Jiang's attitude is evident, which gives everyone room to praise him.

If Lu Jiang had been even a little more proud and arrogant, people probably wouldn't have praised him so readily as they do now.

As a result, even singers like Yehenara and Xie Tingfeng, who didn't get along with Lu Jiang, were forced to praise him.

There's no way around it; putting aside whether I fit in or not, the most crucial issue is that I'm easily ridiculed.

Next, we will continue with the questions.

The questions, which included sales figures and events that had occurred over the past three months, were answered by Zhou Jianhui.

Lu Jiang simply sat there without saying a word.

Occasionally, someone would chime in, "Thanks for your hard work, Lao Zhou."

Zhou Jianhui didn't take credit for anything; he just kept saying how good the song was and praised Lu Jiang's talent.

People then began to think more highly of Lu Jiang's "accidental" talent.

If your occasional songs are already this good, will they get even better in the future? This brings us to the most important topic of this press conference.

A reporter then asked, "Will you continue to focus on developing the European and American markets in the future? Will you release more Mandarin albums?"

This question immediately caught the attention of mainland reporters at the scene and countless mainland fans watching on television.

Lu Jiang has achieved remarkable results in Europe and America, and everyone is indeed proud of him.

Everyone hopes that Lu Jiang can use this opportunity to continue his efforts in the European and American markets, become a true international superstar, and continue to shine on the international stage as a Chinese person.

But deep down, many people still hope to continue hearing Lu Jiang's Mandarin songs.

This is not just because of the song, but also because of a search for identity from bloodline and national identity.

Everyone hopes that Lu Jiang, or rather, any Chinese descendant who goes abroad to develop, will keep China and their compatriots in their hearts.

Instead of going out and never coming back.

Lu Jiang was certainly aware of the emotions involved.

Before the reporter asked the question, Lu Jiang had already discussed this matter in depth with Situ Zhaodun and other senior figures who had called to congratulate him.

He's reached his current level.

Every action is no longer simply a personal behavior.

Just like how his academic qualifications were imitated by fans back then.

Since they are celebrities, they should have this kind of awareness.

Furthermore, even if commercial interests are involved, Lu Jiang will never give up the Chinese-speaking market.

The Chinese-speaking market is the foundation, that's one aspect.

In Europe and America, the fact that he is an outsider is also a very important factor.

Despite Zhou Jianhui's various maneuvers and significant contributions during the process of "you" achieving such an honor, Lu Jiang believes that the key factor was at least 95% the magic touch.

But what about next time?

Next time, if he releases a few more songs that win both Grammys and Billboard, but without the gold insurance, can he still achieve the same success as the original?
If Lu Jiang were white, this might not be a problem.

But Lu Jiang knew that being Chinese meant facing a vast amount of uncertainty in the future.

Let alone in Europe and America, even in the Chinese-speaking market, the fact that mainlanders have been besieged by Hong Kong and Taiwan in recent years speaks volumes.

So, regarding this question, Lu Jiang solemnly stated to the cameras: "I do want to further penetrate the European and American markets, but my era in the Chinese-language market has only just begun. There are still many more albums, films, TV series, and other works to come, so please stay tuned."

As soon as he finished speaking, most of the mainland reporters at the scene breathed a sigh of relief, followed by a surge of joy.

If Lu Jiang says this, then related reports from mainland China will not stop, and there will be more news from Europe and America to report.

God of Wealth!

Mainland fans and ordinary people watching on television also breathed a sigh of relief.

Then I also began to look forward to Lu Jiang's works.

Of course, the singers from Hong Kong and Taiwan felt a chill run down their spines.

What does it mean that the era of the Chinese-speaking market has only just begun?
Is this never going to end?!
The following day, news about Lu Jiang's press conference made headlines across mainland China, Taiwan, Hong Kong, and even Southeast Asia, and sparked a new wave of online discussion.

The most discussed topic among the public right now is what exactly is the song "you".

Many well-connected individuals have already started having audio sources transmitted from North America. At this rate, it's estimated that piracy will be rampant in mainland China within two weeks.

Fortunately, Warner Bros. was prepared and will release it soon.

Fans eagerly awaited the performance.

Within the industry, besides the songs, people are paying more attention to Lu Jiang's statement, "My era has just begun."

Industry insiders also realized that this was Lu Jiang's counterattack.

But there's really no way to retaliate against this kind of counterattack.

He's been nominated for a Grammy, which makes him an international singer. Unless you can produce someone of similar stature, or bring the Western music scene up to the level of the Chinese music scene, no matter what you do, it won't make a difference!
At this point, Xie Tingfeng had a lot to say: When facing Lu Jiang, lying down is the best option. Don't understand? Let me teach you!
In fact, some people's attitudes change faster than you might imagine.

The Hong Kong Top Ten Golden Songs Awards quickly sent an invitation through the Music Association to Lu Jiang to be a judge for the next edition, and at the same time, related business activities in Hong Kong were completely unlocked.

There's been no news regarding the Taiwan Golden Melody Awards, but numerous companies in Taiwan have sent collaboration invitations.

This also means that Lu Jiang's earlier ban on performing in Taiwan has been lifted.

To put it bluntly, this is groveling!
Lu Jiang was quite satisfied. He had entered the island and port to make money in a dignified and high-profile manner. Why would he need to refuse?

Lu Jiang then left the external affairs to Zhou Jianhui and Li Chao to handle, with only one requirement: to deal with them conservatively.

To be honest, ever since the news broke, Lu Jiang has been on the front page of every major news outlet.

He's practically being idolized in China.

Even some extremists say that the Four Heavenly Kings are not worthy of carrying his shoes.

Everything in excess is as bad as deficiency. Seeing this situation, Lu Jiang thought that even if he didn't pour cold water on it to cool things down, he should at least not add fuel to the fire.

He's already had enough exposure, so there's no need for him to make any more appearances. Going forward with a low profile will actually help him build a good reputation.

He continued filming "The World's Number One".

Meanwhile, Li Chao was bombarded with new invitations.

Li Chao is extremely busy right now.

Although ever since I started following Lu Jiang.

Li Chao witnessed Lu Jiang's rise from obscurity to pop star, and from pop star to Asian idol.

Every time his status and fame rise, he is greeted with a wave of "harvesting," and he has long been accustomed to it.

But this time, the intensity is truly different!
Lu Jiang's transformation from a top Asian idol to an international star is not simply a matter of adjusting the standards of his various business collaborations.

Over the years, Lu Jiang has built a massive foundation.

Therefore, this leap in status was followed by a concentrated bombardment of affairs from the entire core group!
Putting aside everything else, just looking at the advertising endorsements brought about by her soaring net worth, it's incomparable to what it used to be.

Lu Jiang accepted very few new endorsements this year.

However, he had a total of 79 endorsements during his lifetime!
Moreover, these endorsement branches are located in multiple countries and regions.

Lu Jiang's status has now risen significantly.

Established brands are overjoyed, but they're also more anxious than anyone else, as everyone wants to renew their contracts and shoot new promotional materials.

Meanwhile, new brands are trying to squeeze in and ride the wave of traffic.

This means that the total number of endorsements that need to be negotiated is almost equivalent to three Fan Binbins, eight Qiao Zhenyus, and fifty Dong Xuans!
In addition to advertising.

Commercial performances, interviews, film and television collaborations, and other related matters came crashing down like an avalanche.

In addition to the original base, there are also those from Japan and South Korea, and even many from North America!
Faced with so many emails and phone calls from foreigners, Li Chao regretted for the first time not having studied English properly.
Li Chao is frantically expanding his brokerage team.

Lu Jiang's side has also attracted invitations for negotiations from multiple organizations.

It wasn't negotiation, but consultation.

This Grammy nomination is not only an honor for Lu Jiang personally, but also for the Chinese music scene and for the Chinese people.

This is why organizations such as the China Musicians Association, the Central Conservatory of Music, and CCTV approached Lu Jiang.

The request is simple.

The Music Association wants to send Ren and Lu Jiang to participate in the Grammy Awards ceremony.

It's not about trying to ride on someone else's fame, but rather that it's a truly rare opportunity for a Chinese person to go to the Grammys.

In the past, there have never been good reasons or opportunities for in-depth visits and investigations. This time, we finally have the chance, so of course we can't let it pass. Of course, accompanying the group will not affect Lu Jiang's own itinerary.

CCTV's approach is simpler: they simply film Lu Jiang throughout the awards ceremony and then produce a special report on it.

If you win an award, it's almost certain you'll be featured on CCTV's 7 PM news, and it will be a major story.

The Central Conservatory of Music (CCFM) made two requests. The first request was similar to that of the Chinese Musicians Association (CMA). In addition, they also extended lecture and teaching invitations to Lu Jiang.

Lu Jiang did not refuse the three parties' request to accompany him, but he directly refused the offer to teach.

He'd have no problem teaching directing at the Central Academy of Drama or the Beijing Film Academy, but teaching music? Forget it, he might be exposed.
(End of this chapter)