Entertainment: A whirlwind marriage with a fairy-like mother at the start!

"If Hua Tuo were alive today, even the worship of foreign things would be cured—"

"Foreigners come to learn Chinese characters, inspiring our national consciousness—"

Compendium of Materia Medica.

Yu Le raised an eyebrow and unconsciously turned toward the half-open door.

Liu Qianqian followed behind and also heard the melody.

"This is... Zhou Jielun?"

Yu Le didn't say anything, but pushed open the door and went inside.

The lights in the rehearsal hall were adjusted to a warm tone.

In the center of the stage, several backup dancers are rehearsing their positions.

The person standing at the very front was wearing a black hooded sweatshirt, with the hood flipped back, revealing his iconic profile.

Zhou Jielun was facing the microphone, his eyes half-closed, his body swaying slightly to the rhythm.

His voice, with its unique, indistinct enunciation, combined with the incredibly catchy chorus melody, shook the entire rehearsal hall.

"Listen to me—push, push—"

"Let the whole world see—"

The choreographer clapped and kept time, while several backup dancers moved to the beat.

The song ended.

Zhou Jielun took off his in-ear monitor and turned to exchange a few words with the choreographer.

Yu Le stood at the door, hands in his pockets, waiting for him.

Zhou Jielun caught a glimpse of someone at the door and turned around.

Eyes facing each other.

Zhou Jielun paused for half a second, and then a smile slowly spread across his usually expressionless face.

"Hey—Mr. Yu!"

He strode over and extended his hand.

Yu Le shook hands with him.

"The rehearsal went well. This song would be a sensation on the Spring Festival Gala stage."

Zhou Jielun rarely showed a hint of pride.

"I've been working on this song for several months. I originally wanted to put it on the album, but then the production team contacted me and said they wanted a song with Chinese elements, so I just came up with this one."

He saw Liu Qianqian behind Yu Le and nodded slightly.

"Yifei is here for rehearsals too?"

"Yes, I'll be singing a new song for this year's Spring Festival Gala." Liu Qianqian smiled sweetly at him. "Brother Jielun, 'Compendium of Materia Medica' is so catchy, I couldn't stop listening to it in the hallway just now."

"Haha, thank you for the compliment."

Zhou Jielun's gaze returned to Yu Le's face.

His expression changed from relaxed to serious.

"Mr. Yu, are you free after the rehearsal? I'd like to talk to you about something."

Yu Le glanced at him.

"Okay, come find me when you're done arranging your time."

……

The morning rehearsal was compact and efficient.

Liu Qianqian walked around the stage twice and went over the accompaniment with the band.

Chang Shilei's arrangement is of extremely high quality.

The 40-piece string orchestra is perfectly placed in the accompaniment, and the piano solo in the prelude is clean and bright.

As soon as the strings of the chorus came on, the entire sound system of the Media Center roared, and waves of sound surged in from all directions.

Liu Qianqian stood in the center of the stage, the microphone pressed against her lips.

"China illuminated by lights, youthful and graceful—"

"China illuminated by lights, a land of vast expanse—"

Her voice was clear and penetrating, blending perfectly with the wall of sound of the strings.

The production team sat behind the monitoring console in the audience. Several people looked at each other and nodded at the same time.

The rehearsal is over.

Liu Qianqian walked off the stage, her forehead glistening with a thin layer of sweat.

Yu Le handed over a bottle of mineral water.

"How are you feeling?"

"The stage sound system was so powerful." Liu Qianqian unscrewed the cap and took a swig. "When I was singing up there, I felt like all the hairs on my body stood on end."

As the two were talking, Zhou Jielun walked over from the side stage.

He was followed by his agent and assistant, but he waved them away.

"Mr. Yu, may I have a word with you in private?"

Yu Lechong and Liu Qianqian exchanged a glance.

Liu Qianqian wisely grabbed her water bottle and slipped away.

There is a small lounge next to the rehearsal hall.

The two pushed open the door and went in, each finding a chair to sit down.

On the coffee table were several unopened bottles of mineral water and a plate of snacks.

Zhou Jielun picked up a bottle of water, unscrewed it, and took a sip.

His fingers tapped rhythmically on the bottle, and his lips moved twice, as if he was organizing his thoughts.

Yu Le didn't urge him.

I leaned back in my chair and waited.

A few seconds passed.

Zhou Jielun spoke up.

"Mr. Yu, I've started my own company."

JVR Music.

Yu Le raised an eyebrow slightly. "I've heard. Congratulations."

Zhou Jielun waved his hand, his expression somewhat complicated.

"After leaving Alfa and becoming my own boss, I realized that writing songs is easy, but doing business is too difficult."

He leaned back in his chair and sighed.

"Domestically, things are going well. My album releases and concerts are supported by my own fame, so things are progressing smoothly. But the overseas market..."

Zhou Jielun paused for a moment.

"I had originally discussed an overseas marketing and distribution partnership with Sony. The terms, well..."

He tugged at the corners of his mouth, revealing a rather unpleasant, bitter smile.

"They call it a collaboration, but it's really just taking my songs and releasing them through their channels. The revenue split is 30/70, with them taking 70%."

"No matter how well my songs sell in Asia, they won't put any effort into promoting them in the European and American markets. They'll just sit on streaming platforms and fend for themselves."

As Yu Le listened, he tapped his fingers lightly twice on the armrest.

He was all too familiar with this pattern.

This was the state of Chinese music overseas in its previous life.

Western record labels treat Chinese singers as fillers, stuffing them into their massive music libraries to make up the numbers.

Publicity and promotion? Not a chance. Promotion? Not a chance either; they'll take the lion's share of the profits.

Looking at Yu Le's expression, Zhou Jielun continued speaking.

"Then I heard something."

His eyes lit up.

"Salted Fish Entertainment has built its own distribution channels in North America. They're not just setting up for movies, they're also building a framework for music."

"And there was that meeting you convened last month with various companies, where Chinese-language content creators banded together to go global."

Zhou Jielun leaned forward, resting his hands on his knees, and stared at Yu Le.

"Mr. Yu, I haven't signed the contract with Sony yet."

He spoke much faster than usual.

"I want to work with you."

Yu Le looked at him.

The man before me is the undisputed king of the Chinese music scene.

In the twenty years of his previous life, Zhou Jielun's songs influenced two entire generations.

His musical style is unique, blending Chinese and Western elements, and his melodic creativity is top-notch throughout the Asian music scene.

However, he has never truly made a name for himself in overseas markets.

It's not that the songs aren't good enough, it's that we don't have the distribution channels.

Yu Le picked up the bottled water on the coffee table, unscrewed the cap, and slowly took a sip.

"Jay, what kind of collaboration model do you want?"

Zhou Jielun had already thought it through.

"JVR Music's overseas distribution rights have all been handed over to Xianyu."

Yu Le put down the mineral water bottle.

He scrutinized Zhou Jielun's eyes.

Seriously. There was no room for probing, no room for bargaining.

This guy really wants to do this.

"Okay." Yu Le extended his right hand.

Zhou Jielun was stunned for a moment.

"Is it... settled then?"

"Does Zhou Jielun's music quality need my approval?" Yu Le smiled.