After offending capital, my songs became more and more popular.

Chapter 95 "Beijing Welcomes You"

"Hello, is this Mr. Shen Ming'en?"

The person speaking on the other end of the phone was a man with a very calm and steady voice, like a very serious person. In fact, everyone around Shen Mingen seemed to be a serious person, but in Shen Mingen's eyes, everyone is just a person. Whether someone is serious or not is just a matter of how well they pretend.

They're all selling things, the only difference is what they're selling.

“It’s me,” Shen Ming’en nodded.

"Hello, Mr. Ming'en. We are from the Olympic Organizing Committee, responsible for soliciting and selecting theme songs..."

The man began to introduce himself, and Shen Ming'en was a little stunned. He said strangely, "The Olympics...didn't they already decide on the theme song composer? Isn't...it not my business?"

Shen Ming'en had heard some news about the "Olympic theme song" a few days ago. He didn't really care too much about it, since the official response was quite convincing. Besides, he couldn't expect all the good things to fall into his lap, right?
Besides, Shen Ming'en still vividly remembers what happened with Zhou Chujian...

If nothing unexpected happens, the "big event" that Ma Ling mentioned at the time was about the Olympic theme song. With someone like Zhou Chujian involved, it would be strange if he had anything of his own.

Anyway, Shen Mingen doesn't necessarily need the Olympic theme song to prove himself, so he doesn't take it too seriously.

Receiving this call today was truly a surprise...

It's worth mentioning that Yao Shuli, who was sitting next to Shen Mingen in the car, lit up when she heard this, and looked at Shen Mingen with a hopeful expression.

"Hehe, we haven't said anything like that. The call for submissions isn't over yet. As long as the final draft isn't confirmed, everyone still has a chance." The person on the other end of the phone was clearly a seasoned veteran, speaking with great tact, not offending anyone. He said, "We certainly welcome a talented creator like yourself."

Shen Ming'en considered for a moment before asking, "Are you sure you're not trying to trick me into going there to humiliate me?"

He knew perfectly well what his feud with Zhou Chujian was about, and he was afraid that those guys were trying to trick him into writing songs so that he could become a stepping stone for others to rise to the top.

If that's the case, then it's better not to go at all...

"What are you talking about?" The man on the other end of the phone chuckled, clearly aware of Shen Ming'en and Zhou Chujian's affair. He then stated directly, "Our official events are supposed to be fair, just, and transparent. Let's not even talk about who has the right to interfere. Even if they do, it's not just them who have connections behind them. Don't you have connections behind you too?"

His last sentence was somewhat suggestive and highly indirect...

Shen Ming'en was completely confused, but the words sounded very familiar. Since he started creating patriotic songs for the "Chinese Music Awards" program some time ago, a saying had been circulating online: "[Shen Ming'en: You guys have capital behind you? I have the country behind me!]"

Based on this statement, and on the other party's repeated emphasis on "fairness, impartiality, and transparency," Shen Ming'en assumed that he was implying that he had the backing of the state...

He couldn't deny that, and nodded in reply, "That's certainly true."

The person on the other end of the phone seemed to be testing the waters, and upon hearing this, immediately breathed a sigh of relief and laughed, "Both the physical and conceptual invitations will be sent over by our staff later. We look forward to your masterpiece."

"Um... wait a minute," Shen Ming'en nodded first, then, as if remembering something, asked, "Does this go through my company?"

"Well... I can send it directly to you personally." The man on the other end of the phone hesitated for a moment before nodding in response.

He seemed to understand Shen Mingen's concerns, after all, Shen Mingen's relationship with his company had now been fully exposed by their rival company because of the dispute over endorsements...

It's an official event, and such an international one at that. Even if it weren't handled by Ruixing Entertainment, would they dare to make a fuss?
“Then just send it to me personally,” Shen Ming’en said with a smile, thinking to himself how comfortable it was to deal with smart people. He then chatted with the other person for a little while longer…

At this point, the "interpersonal skills within the system" that he had seen online came in handy. Although they were chatting, Shen Ming'en was actually trying to get information out of the other person. The other person understood that Shen Ming'en was trying to get information out of him, but he didn't seem to be stingy in telling Shen Ming'en some things.

For example, he told Shen Ming'en that Zhou Chujian and his relationship behind him were unaware of this matter, and that the people who were to be invited were also unaware of it. It was as if he had been appointed by someone at the last minute, and he also planned to act first and inform them later, and then reveal it when the songs were being selected.

It's as if someone deliberately concealed their identity, thus deceiving so many people.

It makes sense. Shen Mingen has a lot of fans now, but he also has a lot of haters. There are tons of controversies about him every day. If someone uses public opinion to target him, that would be bad.

The official event was one that they didn't want to be attacked by so many people through public opinion.

When this was brought up, the person in charge on the other end of the phone expressed some apologies to Shen Ming'en, saying:
"It's highly likely that we'll have to make do with this for now, but if your work is of high enough quality and passes the selection process, we will definitely include your name in the list of invitees."

The person in charge felt indebted to Shen Ming'en, but to everyone's surprise, Shen Ming'en not only wasn't angry when he heard this, but instead laughed and said:
"That's fine. I was just thinking, since nobody knows I went, could I use an alias or a pseudonym or something?"

As soon as these words came out...

Person in charge: "???"

What the hell? ? ?

A pseudonym?

pen name?!
Brother!

Do you know what kind of activity this is?

This is a very large-scale event organized by the official organizers, and it's also an internationally representative event. If other celebrities could participate in such an event, they would be eager to go around the world shouting with a megaphone!

You've got some nerve...

Still using an alias?

Using a pen name?
Fried dough sticks, please!
"Haha, what I mean is, my current identity is quite sensitive. I'm afraid that some people might view me differently because of my identity at this kind of event, and then cause some controversy or something, which wouldn't be good..." Shen Ming'en explained, "I'll use a pseudonym, so others won't treat me differently or give me any special consideration. It's all about my work, which is exactly what our organizers originally intended, isn't it?"

"This..." The person in charge was speechless for a moment.

To be honest, based on our conversation just now, he really wanted to ask Shen Ming'en if his family had anyone working in the government system...

He spoke so flawlessly, his words were more precise and airtight than mine, that I didn't even know how to ask him any questions.

"That's... fine too." The person in charge nodded.

If someone wants to go out of style and shout all over the world that they wrote the Olympic theme song for the official organizers, you have to stop them. But if someone wants to keep a low profile and doesn't even need to reveal their identity, what reason do you have to stop them?
To be honest, he really couldn't figure out what Shen Mingen was up to...

If Yao Shuli's father, the Peking Opera master Yao Changyu, were here, he would probably chuckle to himself... because Shen Ming'en's thoughts, to some extent, coincided with his.

They're all trying to play dumb to fool certain people!

……

The next day, upon receiving the invitation, Shen Ming'en immediately sent over a song called "Beijing Welcomes You." Compared to the song itself, the real challenge was choosing a pseudonym. When he wrote "Courage" for Yao Shuli, he chose "The Dream of Nine Hundred Million Girls," which he later found embarrassing. This time, he was determined to choose something simpler.

Choosing a pen name is actually quite painful. It's really difficult to have a profound and meaningful name that people can tell humorous stories about when they mention it. Shen Ming'en thought and thought so much that he almost banged his head against the wall and decided on the pen name "Not Garlic, But Narcissus" because he glanced at the narcissus he had rescued from the fire...

Finally, I searched online and decided to choose a name that was similar to or the opposite of my own name, something that would evoke associations in people's minds.

For example, like... Fan Jian and Fan Sizhe.

His name is "Ming En". The opposite of "Ming En" is "Ji Chou". But if you call him "Shen Ji Chou", it sounds awful. What parent would name their son "Shen Ji Chou"?

So Shen Ming'en simply changed two characters: he changed the "ji" in "mingji" to the "ji" in "jihui" (taboo), and changed "chou" to the homophone "chou" (sorrow), which became "Shen Jichou" (Shen's Sorrow).

In a normal person's view, this means "avoiding sorrowful thoughts." Apart from the surname, it has nothing to do with Shen Ming'en, but it is not entirely unrelated. It can be considered quite ingenious.

"Ok, deal!"

After deciding on his pen name, Shen Ming'en not only used it for the Olympic theme song project, but also sent it to Feng Yucan.

Shen Ming'en admitted that he was indeed trying to save trouble. There was no other way; coming up with a name was just too difficult!

At this moment, Hajime finally understood why parents online always named their children "Zihan," "Zihan," "Zihan," "Zichen," "Zichen," and "Zichen"...

Go to sleep after you're done.

The next day, they arrived at the competition venue for the new episode of "Chinese Music Awards".

As usual, the backstage area was still very busy, and Hajime was also as usual, holding a bag of caramel-flavored ChaCha sunflower seeds and cracking them open on the side, acting like nothing was wrong.

Yao Shuli, who was getting ready beside her, wasn't in a hurry either. Last week, her father, who works at the National Peking Opera Company, came to put pressure on her, so the production team is really treating Yao Shuli like a princess now. She has three or five people serving her, and the makeup artist is specially assigned to her as the best...

This week, she doesn't need to perform on stage like everyone else; she just needs to sing the chorus for Shen Mingen, since everyone knows she's unwell.

If you ask who on the production team is the busiest?
Haha, Feng Yucan.

This guy practically did all the lyrics for everyone except Shen Ming'en, Yao Shuli, and himself this episode. If you were to say he only did the songwriting, that would be fine. Rappers who have been immersed in rap writing for years all have their own templates. It's just a matter of writing lyrics according to different people, different styles, and different needs...

The biggest problem is teaching those aunties and uncles to sing it!

Feng Yucan spent three or four days teaching that short rap lyric, "a pale yellow dress, fluffy hair," to Lu Anqing, the queen of love songs, but when she sang it, it sounded like she was reciting poetry.

Feng Yucan felt that his own rendition of the lyrics, "It's like a dream, and I'm still moved even after waking up for a long time," was incredibly clear and resonant. But how come Zheng Yun sang it as if it were a poetry recitation?!
I asked you to go on stage and rap, and you're supposed to be reciting poetry?!
But these people, they can't sing and they're so stubborn, one minute they're saying, "I think this is so much better, you have to listen to my opinion..."

They were all seniors, and Feng Yucan was not like Shen Mingen, so he couldn't afford to offend any of them. He could only reject their opinions while carefully considering how not to hurt their self-esteem.

Dude, I'm completely numb!

This episode was nothing short of an "epic train wreck"!
Apart from Feng Yucan and Hua Zichen, who are naturally good at rap and can easily handle it, the rest of them are all just trying to attract attention on stage!

One minute it sounds like a poetry recitation, so awkward; the next minute it's mispronouncing words.

It's important to know that rap lyrics, because they are performed in a rhythmic, lengthy format, often consist of a lot of words.

Even with a teleprompter, and even though Feng Yucan specially prepared lyrics that were as short and easy to pronounce as possible for these seniors to avoid them mispronouncing the words, they still kept slurring their words as they read...

Old green tea Zheng Yun even said "lost the ability to speak on the spot" while on stage, and could even sing the lyrics wrong.

The camera then focused on Shen Ming'en...

"Ha ha……"

"a ha ha ha……"

"I'm dying of laughter..." Emperor Ming En laughed heartily while cracking sunflower seeds, feeling that this scene was more exciting than the Spring Festival Gala!

Haha...

The viewers in the online live stream were also having fun with Shen Ming'en, and everyone was saying:
These guys really suffered a lot because of Shen Ming'en, hahaha...

[Even though the challenges were set by Shen Ming'en's company specifically for him, they're the ones suffering every episode. It's really tough for them!]

Okay, guys, let's be a little more understanding. We all know what kind of people they are, we all understand.

……

Although the audience was very tolerant of the guests, after the performance, veteran rock musician Zheng Yun was still "unable to bear the humiliation" and angrily went to the production team, repeatedly saying:
"I'm not going to be a deer anymore!"

"Fuck you, whoever wants Lu Han can be Lu Han next time, I'm not going to be Lu Han!"

"Damn, is this how you guys play games?!"

Brother Zheng Yun started cursing, repeatedly using the names of plants.

No wonder he broke down...

Before coming to the "Chinese Music Awards" to record the show, we had a good plan: to use some of the songs we wrote before that were rejected or eliminated from our albums to compete, create some hype, and earn some money for retirement.

When the results came, it was all opera singing and Cantonese, and now they've even started doing rap!

For an artist like him who is over fifty, opera singing and Cantonese are acceptable, after all, he has been exposed to other styles over the years. However, "rap" is a new style that has gradually emerged in recent years in the era of internet traffic, and it is generally popular among young people. It is really difficult for someone like him who finds it hard to accept new things to master...

He begged Feng Yucan to write a song for him, and seeing how Feng Yucan wanted to teach him but was careful with his words for fear of saying the wrong thing, he felt bad too!
Then I'll definitely confront the production team about it...

Zheng Yun took the lead, and the others also had some objections. In short, the show's crew was almost blocked at the door by the guests who were about to have a breakdown halfway through the performance.

“It was agreed that you would cover for us if anything went wrong,” Director Niu said to Haji Ling, who was not far away, in the control room, ignoring the troublemaking guests. “If you run away, this matter is not over.”

Director Niu, who had anticipated these problems, wouldn't have agreed to the "rap" topic if Ma Ling hadn't promised to cover for him.

"Don't worry," Ma Ling waved her hand and said, "As long as we can eliminate Shen Ming'en, everything will be fine."

She no longer represents only herself, nor does she need to deceive her superiors or subordinates. She represents the entire Ruixing Entertainment company, and her attitude is the company's attitude.

"Ugh……"

Director Niu sighed silently. He probably never imagined that one day he would be the one who least wanted Shen Ming'en to be eliminated.
Will Shen Ming'en be able to stand out as he has in the past in the field of rap?
The performance is about to begin.

“*&%￥#@…”

In the studio, because of the various "train wrecks" of the previous singers, the audience's enthusiasm wasn't really aroused; in fact, it was a bit of a "cold silence"...

If Feng Yucan hadn't just come on stage to perform, the audience might have found it boring and wanted to leave.

Under these circumstances, as the host announced the name "Shen Ming'en," the audience was initially stunned, and then...

"Oh!!!"

They all cheered wildly!

To be fair, when it comes to warming up the crowd, Shen Ming'en has truly secured a place in the Chinese entertainment industry.

Last week, I attended a large gala. When the young idols were shouting and yelling, making the audience feel incredibly awkward, the director suddenly focused on Emperor Ming En, and the audience erupted in cheers.

The scene now is the same...

This caused Zheng Yun and his team to break down even more, so angry that they kicked the director's office door. Jealousy and envy completely changed them.

Amid cheers, Shen Ming'en, dressed in a black performance outfit, slowly walked out...

The youthful black performance outfit blended perfectly with Shen Ming'en's youthful spirit, and the rosy glow of the outfit made him appear calm and confident, with a star aura seemingly surrounding him at all times.

However, perhaps to create a lively atmosphere, Shen Ming'en didn't seem as cheerful as usual today.

He didn't respond much to the cheers and jubilation of the fans below the stage, only smiling and waving...

"..."

Perhaps sensing the feelings Shen Ming'en evoked in them, the scene gradually quieted down.

On stage, the lights gradually dimmed. Shen Ming'en, holding a microphone, stood in the center of the stage and adjusted his in-ear monitor. Then...

"Huh...huh...huh..."

Heavy breathing.

“Crackle…Crackle…Crackle…”

Similar to the sound of footsteps on snow in winter.

The two voices overlapped and quickly echoed throughout the studio, reaching the ears of every viewer watching the program.

"?"

On the high platform, Ma Ling, watching this scene, couldn't help but show a hint of doubt.

Ber, what's this?

When people sing rap, especially rap that leans towards the main theme, it's usually the high-energy kind, showcasing our nation's confidence and pride.

But he...

What's with that panting and crunching sound on the snow?

It's like he's about to suffocate and die...

Knowing that Shen Mingen was creating an atmosphere, Ma Ling initially frowned, but upon hearing his voice from the beginning, she immediately shook her head inwardly.

okay.

Stable.

Shen Mingen's reckless behavior suits her perfectly.

The audience shared Ma Ling's opinion. The atmosphere was already quite dull due to the earlier "slip-of-the-tongue" remarks, and everyone was hoping Shen Ming'en would liven things up. However, the somewhat somber intro naturally led to expressions of disappointment among the audience...

"It's over, it's over, this is hopeless..." Director Niu also held his head in his hands, looking utterly hopeless.

But it was at this moment...

A beam of light suddenly fell on the spot behind Shen Ming'en.

There, a graceful figure in a white dress slowly walked out.

What followed was an ethereal singing voice:
"Ah~~~"

The chanting uses resonance from inside the skull, and the singing style is somewhat similar to that of traditional Chinese opera, but if you had to say, it feels more like a folk singing style.

"Oh……"

The audience, who had initially looked disappointed, were immediately drawn back by the chanting. When the camera focused on Yao Shuli, who was wearing a white dress, walking out from behind Shen Ming'en, the entire venue erupted in cheers.

"Oh!!!"

Yao Shuli and Shen Mingen were already being marketed as a couple, so their appearance together naturally generated buzz. Moreover, Yao Shuli's singing was truly skillful; her siren-like voice captivated everyone with just one note, reigniting the audience's waning enthusiasm and expectations!
"Dong dong..."

In that moment, a rapid drumbeat rang out, followed by Shen Ming'en's voice:

……

"In the autumn of 1951, it was still not time to embark on the journey home..."

"When I return victorious in the future, I hope my sister will continue to teach me art..."

"The column is currently marching north, and we are not wearing any winter gear..."

"The wild geese in the sky seemed to be afraid of the ghostly army, and kept flying south..."

……

It was a rap style similar to "narration" or "narration". You could hardly hear any of those fancy things like "double rhyme" or "single rhyme", but the content of the lyrics and the emotions in the singer's voice seemed to penetrate into every pore of the listener!

Even though it wasn't quite as rhyming, and even though the audience was completely silent, the way each audience member looked at Shen Ming'en now was completely different from when they looked at the group of "slip-of-the-tongue monsters" before.

At that time, the audience members who vaguely understood the lyrics of "Little River Flowing 1952" all showed solemn respect.

It is a remembrance of our ancestors and a tribute to them!

Long live the new China!

……

(End of this chapter)