Huayu: From the Era of Ringtones to Becoming a Legend

"Xiao Lu, the data... the data has exploded again!"

After being kept busy on set by Wu Ziming for a week, Lu Jiuge had just returned to the company when Chen Bin excitedly rushed into the office with a folder in his hand.

"Old Chen, speak slowly!"

Chen Bin poured himself a glass of water, drank it, and then pushed the folder in front of Lu Jiuge:

"With free licensing this week, Walking In The Sun has surpassed 60 million downloads across major music websites!"

The physical CDs, jointly released by eighteen record labels, sold 20 million copies in just three days!

After a pause, Chen Bin gritted his teeth and held up two fingers:

"If this record were to collect royalties, it would bring in at least two million!"

Lu Jiuge glanced at the report and smiled:

"Old Chen, are you feeling sorry for him?"

"How can I not feel bad? That's all money!"

Chen Bin sighed.

"We wouldn't have been able to afford this anyway!"

Lu Jiuge closed the folder, her tone resolute:

"Without free licensing to pave the way, why would record companies push their records so aggressively across all channels? On our own, we might not even be able to get a single record into a record store!"

"These 60 million downloads and 20 million records are just the best GG promotion we've achieved so far. Our real profit lies in ringtone revenue!"

Chen Bin was taken aback, then realized what was happening, and the gloom on his face vanished instantly:

"That's true! Our total ringback tone downloads have already surpassed ten million! Pre-tax profit is four million!"

Upon hearing the number, Wang Guangjun, who had just walked in, stumbled and nearly bumped into the doorframe.

"How much? Four million?"

After his initial excitement, Chen Bin then proceeded to beat his chest and stamp his feet in frustration.

"What a pity! If we had used our own service provider's channels for this ringback tone service, the revenue share would have been higher, and we could have earned at least another six million!"

Lu Jiuge stood up, glanced at the stunned Wang Guangjun, and patted Chen Bin on the shoulder:

"So we have to keep control of the songs from now on. As for 12530, consider it tuition!"

Upon hearing about the six million income gap, Lu Jiuge said she didn't care, but she was actually very distressed inside.

Just as I sat down at the tea table, Liu Sixi walked in, his face serious, and said:

"Xiao Lu, in the past week, I've received several threatening phone calls from colleagues, saying that what we're doing is ruining everyone's livelihood!"

Liu Sixi frowned and added:

"The most troublesome party is SG Records. A high-ranking official from their China region sent a message through an intermediary, saying that our practices are disrupting the industry's profit chain, and if we don't stop, they will consider using resources to regulate the market!"

"You know SG's position in the Asian idol market. If they really get involved, it will be very troublesome."

Chen Bin's expression also turned serious:

"SG, they definitely have that capability!"

Seeing their tense expressions, Lu Jiuge smiled nonchalantly:

"Market regulation? What a huge label!"

"I know the whole Korean idol assembly line system inside and out. If they really push me too far, I'll storm their headquarters and wipe out SG's base!"

Hearing Lu Jiuge's words, Chen Bin was startled:

"Hey, Xiao Lu, don't be impulsive! SG Records has a very high status. We're not at the point where we need to compete. Don't do anything reckless!"

Just then, Ban Kaiwen ran in with his phone:

"Ninth Brother, this is bad! The guys in the group just said that someone at the film studio is asking about you!"

"Hey! What a turbulent time! Everything's happening all at once!"

With a self-deprecating remark, Lu Jiuge asked:

"How did they find out about me? Through fans or the media?"

Ban Kaiwen shook his head:

"No, I've checked with someone. These people are paparazzi who specialize in filming celebrity scandals!"

"Do you have any pictures? Let me see!"

Ban Kaiwen felt a little embarrassed when asked this question:

"No, I'll have the guys in the group take some pictures right away!"

Ban Kaiwen replied and immediately sent a message in more than ten local groups in the film and television city.

"You're being followed by paparazzi? What are they trying to do?"

Knowing how terrifying paparazzi could be, Liu Sixi looked worried.

"What else can I do? It's nothing more than digging up dirt on people, exposing their dirty laundry, ruining my reputation, and using the same old tricks to make it impossible for me to survive in this industry!"

Lu Jiuge didn't care at all. What he wanted most right now was to be targeted and have his reputation completely ruined so that he could gain more negative faith points.

Seeing that Lu Jiuge didn't take it seriously, Chen Bin frowned and reminded her:

"If the paparazzi really show up, we can't be careless. A lot of people in the entertainment industry have been crushed by these paparazzi, and with the capital behind them pushing them down!"

Just as Lu Jiuge was about to speak, Ban Kaiwen handed her his phone:

"Here they are! These are photos taken by the guys in the group!"

Taking the phone, Lu Jiuge flipped through more than twenty photos in a row, when suddenly her eyes narrowed as she was drawn to the man in the photos.

The man in the photo is Zuo Wei, who was a figure feared by countless people in the entertainment industry in his previous life.

"interesting!"

Muttering to herself, Lu Jiuge looked at the tense Liu Sixi and the others:

"None of us should make any sudden movements or have any contact with these paparazzi. Just let them take pictures!"

After saying that, he handed his phone to Ban Kaiwen, pointed to the photo on it, and gave him some instructions:

"Tell the brothers to keep an eye out, find out where this person lives, and let me know. I need to speak with him!"

"Okay, I'll send the message right away!"

Ban Kaiwen knew the least about the entertainment industry, but without hesitation, he took the phone and started sending messages.

Liu Sixi, who knows this industry best, exclaimed in surprise:

"Xiao Lu, you want to see Zuo Wei? Absolutely not! Those professional paparazzi are feared by everyone in the entertainment industry; nobody wants to get close to them..."

Lu Jiuge waved her hand to interrupt him:

"Teacher Liu, since we're going to be in this industry, dealing with paparazzi is inevitable; there's no way to avoid it!"

After a pause, Lu Jiuge continued to explain:

"Since we can't avoid it, we might as well take the initiative to make contact!"

"Paparazzi are a double-edged sword; they're not actually that scary. Used well, they can even be an asset!"

"But……"

Liu Sixi wanted to persuade her further, but Lu Jiuge interrupted him:

"Alright, it's decided then! You guys go ahead and get busy!"

"Guangjun, Kaiwen, you two focus on what we just discussed and tell me the results as quickly as possible!"

"Teacher Liu, Lao Chen, get ready, we'll start recording the new song tomorrow!"

"The bigger the external storms, the more it means we're riding the wave; we must seize the opportunity and make money quickly!"

Lu Jiuge had made her decision, and Liu Sixi and Chen Bin stopped trying to persuade her, nodding as they left the office.

Lu Jiuge searched on the computer and stared blankly at Zuo Wei's information.

Time flies when you're thinking about something.

It was four o'clock in the afternoon when Liu Sixi walked into the office and woke up Lu Jiuge, who was still in a daze:

"Xiao Lu, the recording studio is ready. How are you feeling? Shall we start recording now?"

Just then, Wu Ziming called, asking him to attend the film crew's dinner party that evening.

Thinking that she would still need to rely on Wu Ziming's connections in the industry in the future, Lu Jiuge did not refuse.

"Teacher Liu, let's talk about recording the song tomorrow. Wu Ziming has invited me to dinner, I'll go!"

"Great! Wu Ziming is a well-known director with a lot of influence in the industry, so it's essential to cultivate a good relationship with him!"

Upon hearing that it was Wu Ziming's invitation, Liu Sixi did not hesitate at all.

"Okay, I'm off then!"

After saying this, Lu Jiuge got up and left.

……

It was nearly 10 p.m. when the dinner party ended.

Lu Jiuge declined Wu Ziming's suggestion to start a second half and walked back along the street alone.

A night breeze blew, and the effects of the alcohol wore off a little.

Lu Jiuge walked casually, her eyes darting around, searching for paparazzi.

Suddenly, a faint reflection flashed by at the entrance of the alley across the street.

flash?

Lu Jiuge sneered and turned to walk away.

He stopped in the middle of the alley and looked at a pavilion half-hidden by the shadows of trees.

One of the men inside exchanged a glance with Lu Jiuge and quickly lowered his head.

Lu Jiuge smiled and walked straight over:

"Teacher Zuo, you're still taking pictures of me so late, thank you for your hard work. Shall we sit down and chat?"