HuaYu97: Starting as a Singer

Chapter 237 [237] The first episode of Laughing at the World, the best Linghu Chong in film history?

The movie "Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon" didn't quite appeal to Chinese audiences, as evidenced by its box office performance in various regions.

The number is approximately 15 million in mainland China, 1476 million in Hong Kong, and around 10 million in Taiwan.

The figures are much higher overseas: $1.28 million in North America, $1277 million in the UK, and several million dollars each in France, Germany, Italy, and other countries.

Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon is the Chinese martial arts world as imagined by foreigners, satisfying their curiosity.

This movie was highbrow back in the 2000s; no wonder, it won the Oscar for Best Foreign Language Film.

As the saying goes, back in 2000, many people felt that the grass was always greener on the other side.

In her previous life, Li Wen sang at the Oscars ceremony, reaching the peak of her career.

If Qi Yuan were to write the theme song, would he be able to sing at the Oscars next year?

He could also get Li Wen to sing a duet with him, and then ride on Li Wen's popularity in the United States to gain exposure among Americans, which would be very beneficial for his entry into the American music scene.

Qi Yuan's songs weren't written for nothing; Li An wouldn't shortchange him on the money he was owed. If he didn't have the money now, he could write an IOU.

Anyway, Li An made a fortune after the movie was released, so there's no need to worry about him running away.

Qi Yuan had already made up his mind, and he did not give Zhang Ziyi an answer immediately.

No rush, let's take a look at Zhang Tong's restaurant first.

Zhang Ziyi was sensible enough not to press Qi Yuan for an answer, lest she spoil the mood for the day.

With the one million yuan in start-up capital given by Qi Yuan, Zhang Tong rented a shop near Wangfujing after conducting on-site inspections and opened a restaurant named "Firework Wish". It's alright, down-to-earth.

The restaurant has a retro decor and caters to the mid-to-high-end private dining market.

There are only eight tables in the restaurant.

Zhang Tong hired a chef who was a quasi-state banquet chef to serve as the head chef. This chef's surname was Sui.

Qi Yuan was stunned for a moment, but when she saw that the other person was a middle-aged man in his forties, she breathed a sigh of relief.

Sui Lu originally had the opportunity to attend state banquets, but a few years ago he developed a back problem and underwent surgery. He can no longer stand for more than five hours a day.

Fireworks restaurant is perfect for him. It doesn't have many tables, the restaurant isn't big, and he can hire one or two chefs to help him. It's much easier than working in a big restaurant, and most importantly, the money is good too.

With a star like Qi Yuan attracting customers, as long as the food is delicious, there's no need to worry about customers, so Zhang Tong didn't skimp on wages.

Celebrities entering the restaurant industry is a game-changer. Newly opened restaurants hire people to hand out flyers all over the streets, just to build up their fame, right?
When celebrities open restaurants, fans and the media will promote them spontaneously, so all they need to do is make sure the food and service are good.

Qi Yuan tasted Sui Lu's cooking; Sui Lu was skilled in Huaiyang cuisine.

The crab meat lion's head meatballs were soft and fluffy, rich but not greasy. The Pingqiao tofu and Yangzhou fried rice were also quite good. I would give them a very high rating.

It's basically safe now; the restaurant won't lose money.

Zhang Ziyi felt a little jealous. Qi Yuan had invested a million yuan in Zhang Tong's business, but after making two movies, she hadn't made much money at all.

She's a newcomer; it's already quite remarkable that Zhang Yingmou and Li An even took a liking to her.

Indeed, hard work is no match for marrying a rich man.

She also wants to find a rich, handsome, and talented man who can play music.

But there are very few wealthy people like that; Zhang Tong is truly lucky.

As a loyal reader of domineering CEO novels, Qin Hailu had no interest in shipping Qi Yuan and Zhang Tong as a couple.

Qi Yuan also found two reporters and asked them to help promote the fireworks display. The reporters took a photo of Qi Yuan and Sui Lu together.

……

At 7:25 PM, CCTV-8 broadcast an advertisement for Wuliangye liquor. The ad had been airing for a month, but Qi Yuan and Chen Hong remained stunning, and many viewers felt compelled to watch the entire commercial before changing the channel.

A small number of people specifically switch channels to watch this ad. Don't think it's outrageous; there really are such people.

After the Wuliangye commercial ended, it was 7:30, a crucial time slot for CCTV-8, and the long-awaited "Swordsman" finally arrived.

Qi Yuan and Zhang Tong stayed at home to watch the premiere.

Zhang Tong insisted on watching it, saying that this was Qi Yuan's first TV series and he wanted to contribute to Qi Yuan's ratings.

Remaking a classic is risky, especially "The Smiling, Proud Wanderer," for which Lu Songxian was already widely recognized as the best Linghu Chong.

If Qi Yuan's performance isn't good enough, the audience will definitely compare him to Lu Songxian, and even repeatedly criticize him.

This version of "The Smiling, Proud Wanderer" has a very tight plot. In the first episode, Lin Pingzhi, who is based on the protagonist, rides a white horse and leads a hunting team into the forest. With the 'assistance' of his lackeys, he returns with a full load of prey.

Lin Pingzhi went to a tavern for a drink and, seeing injustice, got into a conflict with a young man from the Qingcheng Sect. Linghu Chong secretly helped him.

After Lin Pingzhi's entire family was wiped out, leaving him with nowhere to turn, Linghu Chong once again came to his rescue out of righteousness.

In the first episode, Qi Yuan established his portrayal of Linghu Chong as open-minded, chivalrous, and always ready to stand up for the weak.

Qi Yuan took Lu Songxian's "Cheerful and Unrestrained" and was in no way inferior to Lu Songxian in terms of dramatic acting.

The action scenes surpassed Lu Songxian's, and the battle scenes with the Qingcheng Sect disciples were absolutely brilliant.

In addition, Qi Yuan has a good image and is handsome, even Zhang Tong praised him highly.

As expected of her man, he's good at singing, making movies, and acting in TV dramas.

After watching Qi Yuan's portrayal of Linghu Chong, Zhang Tong can understand why Yilin, Ren Yingying, and Lan Fenghuang all like Linghu Chong.

Who wouldn't like Linghu Chong like this?

In the second episode, Qi Yuan continued to perform well, while Ren Yingying made an early appearance as the Holy Maiden, giving Linghu Chong a comprehensive health care service including cupping and acupuncture.

When Ren Yingying appeared, she wore a bamboo hat and a veil, and the audience could easily tell that she was a great beauty.

Zhang Tong nudged Qi Yuan's arm and asked with interest, "If a Ren Yingying really pursued you, would you like her?"

"Ahem...Isn't Ren Yingying a fictional character? There's no real Ren Yingying."

Qi Yuan felt somewhat guilty.

Ren Yingying not only pursued him, she slept with him.

Viewers saw a free and unrestrained Linghu Chong in the first two episodes, and by the end, "The Unsung Hero" was here.

"I plucked flowers south of the Yangtze, facing the spring breeze and red candles; my passion is as boundless as my romantic love for the world. In this world, I'm fortunate to have seven or eight true friends, who invite me to gather at the altar, my eyes dazzled by the myriad clouds and mists. I watered my horse north of the Yangtze, facing the west wind and yellow sand..."

Qi Yuan's singing, combined with the lyrics and music of this song, exudes a strong sense of chivalry and江湖 (jianghu, the world of martial arts and chivalry).

It's as if a once-renowned swordsman is slowly retiring to the mountains with a white horse; this song is his confession.

Through the lyrics, the audience can still feel how unrestrained and carefree this chivalrous hero once was.

The first two episodes of this version of "The Smiling, Proud Wanderer" were a success. Linghu Chong seemed to have stepped right out of the book, and there was nothing to criticize.

The facts have proven this to be true.

On Tianya Forum, a large number of netizens have already joined the discussion as soon as the second episode aired.

Regarding the drastic changes to the plot, some people think it's good, while others think it's bad.

Regarding Qi Yuan's portrayal of Linghu Chong, the vast majority of netizens agree that if Linghu Chong doesn't look like Qi Yuan, then it must be Linghu Chong's own problem.

(End of this chapter)