HuaYu97: Starting as a Singer

Chapter 4 [004] Is there a problem with the feng shui of the Beijing Film Academy?

"Read it! Why won't you read it? Is it something that's inappropriate for children or can't be said?"

"Eh~!"

Zuo Xiaoqing stood there, and the onlookers around her speculated wildly, conjuring up a multitude of indescribable thoughts.

Unexpectedly, the talented Qi, with his thick eyebrows and big eyes, was actually a flirtatious person in secret.

No wonder people say that literary figures and poets are truly wise; the ancients were right.

"Ahem!" Zuo Xiaoqing coughed lightly twice and began to read aloud what was written on the paper.

"How many people admired your youthful beauty."

"But who can withstand the relentless changes of time?"

"How many people have come and gone in your life."

"Know that I will always be by your side throughout my life."

……

The onlookers at the dinner table were somewhat stunned; this was different from what they had expected.

"Is this a love letter? No wonder he's such a talented guy in our school. Even his love letters are so charming. The girl who receives this letter must be very happy."

"The lyrics of each line rhyme, it's not a love letter, it's clearly the lyrics of a song."

"Such beautiful lyrics."

"Qi, you're as prolific as a sow! Which singer do you plan to send this poem to?"

Admiring glances all turned to Qi Yuan.

Among all the students in their 96 performance class, Qi Yuan, unlike Zhao Yanzi, had already acted in TV dramas, but no one would doubt that Qi Yuan was one of the most promising.

During that year, Qi Yuan's songs were bought and performed by singers such as Zhang Xinzhe, and the market response to the songs was also good.

In the music industry, Qi Yuan is a well-known lyricist and composer.

These things are no secret at Nortel.

Qi Yuan took a sip of soda and said, "This afternoon I signed with Wheatfield Music, and they agreed to release an album for me. We agreed to release a single before the album to test the waters. This is my first single. To put it simply, I'm going to debut as a singer."

This news is quite significant.

We're still in the era of record labels; singers earn more money than actors.

Similarly, in the era of record labels, it was much more difficult for a singer to release an album than for an actor to become the lead in a TV series.

Because the cost and risk of a singer releasing an album are higher.

The production cost of a song can range from several thousand to tens of thousands.

Including music video expenses, promotional costs, album design, packaging, printing, and distribution channels...

The minimum cost for a record company to produce an album for a singer is several hundred thousand.

Therefore, in the era of record labels, singers had to meet very demanding requirements to get the opportunity to release an album. This was the case for Lin Junjie and Jay Chou.

However, this is actually a good thing for ordinary fans.

Singers who have undergone rigorous selection by record companies are generally quite talented; at least, they won't produce singers who resort to wailing and screaming.

In Beijing, many singers who have performed in underground bars for years have failed to gain the favor of record companies and get the opportunity to release an album.

Qi Yuan, a 19-year-old sophomore at the Beijing Film Academy born in 1978, accomplished just that.

He surpassed many of his peers, and even more so the vast majority of the students present.

The way the students looked at Qi Yuan changed from before.

"Damn, you said you'd treat us to a big meal? You're the one treating us! You signed with a record company and released an album without saying a word, huh?" Huang Xiaoming shoved Qi Yuan, a hint of sourness in his voice.

He was smug about the 1,500 yuan advertising job he landed today, eager to let the whole world know. But compared to Qi Yuan's album release, he immediately sobered up and realized his small achievement was nothing.

He really envied Qi Yuan.

If he could be like Qi Yuan, his goddess Zhao Yanzi wouldn't be so indifferent to him, right?

Qi Yuan, of course, had no idea that Huang Xiaoming was having so many inner monologues. He humbly replied, "The album is still far from being released. I'm just releasing a single first to see how the fans react. If the single doesn't do well and doesn't even make a splash, my album might be canceled."

One should not create too much of a gap between oneself and the people around them all at once.

Qi Yuan didn't want to tell them that even if the single flopped, Wheatfield would still help him release an album; he would just lose control of the album.

Besides... will this song "You'll Be With Me All My Life" flop?
Anyway, Qi Yuan was quite confident.

"Qi, you're such a talented guy! Your lyrics are so good, you're sure to become a hit!" Zuo Xiaoqing cheered him on. She admired talented boys like Qi Yuan.

"Old Qi, you're so young and you've already gained the attention of a record company. Your future is definitely bright. Keep up the good work!"

"May Qi Caizi's single be a huge hit, as popular as fire!" Zhao Yanzi raised her glass.

She was very ambitious, and later her circle of friends consisted of the wealthy and powerful.

Those who lack ability or financial resources are not worthy of her attention.

She's become a bit more enthusiastic towards Qi Yuan now, because she knows Qi Yuan is qualified to be part of her circle of friends.

"Just do your best and leave no regrets. Whether you succeed or fail on your first try, it's a valuable experience for you," Cui Xinqin encouraged her good student, Qi Yuan.

Any teacher would like a student like Qi Yuan who is not only academically excellent but also talented.

Among the students she mentored, Qi Yuan was one of the most promising.

A year ago, Qi Yuan came to Beijing Film Academy to take the entrance exam for art school.

When she first saw Qi Yuan, she told the assessment teacher that no matter how bad the student's performance was, she would accept him just because of his face, and she had to recruit him into the Beijing Film Academy.

Qi Yuan performed better than she had imagined in the art exams, ranking among the top students in the preliminary, secondary, and tertiary rounds.

In other words, even without her pulling strings, Qi Yuan could still have been admitted to the Beijing Film Academy.

After the start of the school year, she was even more surprised to hear that Qi Yuan had sent many songs to the record company and that some of them had been used by singers.

This made her feel like she had struck gold.

Qi Yuan's successful signing with a record company and the opportunity to release an album made her, her homeroom teacher, very gratified.

She felt that as a teacher, she should provide some help to such an easy-going student.

"If your single does well and you really want to release an album, I, as your teacher, can help you make the decision."

"You can choose any of our students, from freshmen to seniors. Even those who have acted before, I'll try my best to get them to help you film your music video."

Cui Xinqin said with great confidence.

Qi Yuan invited the senior students she couldn't invite; that's the confidence of a teacher who has taught at the Beijing Film Academy for over a decade.

Her most outstanding student is releasing an album, and she has to give her full support.

She couldn't control the quality of her student's debut album, but she could control the quality of the female lead in the music video.

Beijing Film Academy may not have much in the way of beauty, but it has the most beautiful women.

Qi Yuan was grateful for the teacher's great help, but also felt a little regretful!

Actually, he was thinking of going to the Central Academy of Drama next door to find some MV actresses, since the six beauties of the Central Academy of Drama's Class of '96 were famous.
Uh! Something's not right here. Directors who come from the Beijing Film Academy prefer to work with people from other film schools.

How could a singer have such thoughts?

There must be something wrong with the feng shui of the Beijing Film Academy.

(End of this chapter)