Huayu: From the Era of Ringtones to Becoming a Legend

In the pavilion, the person on the left remained still and silent.

Lu Jiuge smiled, walked over and sat down to the side, looking at him.

Having come this far, Zuo Wei knew there was no need to pretend any longer. He took off his hat and stared at Lu Jiuge:

"Mr. Lu, it was wrong of me to stalk and secretly film you, but aren't you afraid that by coming to my door for a direct confrontation, I'll have more footage of your 'drunk and disorderly conduct' on camera?"

Lu Jiuge shook her head:

"Teacher Zuo, I'm not here to cause trouble. We can talk about other things!"

Recalling Zuo Wei's experiences in later generations, Lu Jiuge felt even more confident:

"For example, let's talk about the Old Time Bar in Houhai, Kyoto! Let's discuss why the original price of 200,000 yen was reduced by 80,000 yen!"

"Mr. Zuo, as a professional entertainment reporter, have you figured out who's been trying to drive down your price?"

Zuo Wei paused, turned around and stared at Lu Jiuge:

"You're investigating me?"

Lu Jiuge shrugged and smiled mysteriously:

"It's not really an investigation, it's just that, like you, I enjoy gossiping, and my sources of information are just as good as yours!"

Zuo Wei's expression changed several times before he sat down again.

Seeing this, Lu Jiuge knew she had seized the initiative in the negotiations and continued to escalate the situation:

"Also, at the beginning of this year, you were following a line for two months, and it looked like it was about to be successful."

As a result, the other company got wind of it in advance and spent 300,000 yuan to buy all the negatives from your partner photographer.

They even sued you for malicious stalking, and in the end, not only did you not get any money, you even had to pay their lawyer fees. Pretty frustrating, right?

"What exactly are you trying to say?"

Zuo threw the cigarette on the ground, stomped it out, and his voice turned cold.

"I want to say, Teacher Zuo, your skills are top-notch, your courage is boundless, and your intuition is incredibly sharp!"

Lu Jiuge changed the subject:

"But you've gone down a dead end! Without any backing, the materials you dig up will be skimmed off layer by layer."

Without a clean source of income, you'll always be a shady knife in their hands! Once they've used you and find you dirty, they'll be the first to throw you away.

Going it alone? In this world, lone wolves are either tamed or hunted!

Zuo Wei scoffed:

"So you want to be my backer? Lu Jiuge, you're just a newbie, a charlatan being watched and criticized by half the industry, what makes you think you can?"

"Haha, as expected of Teacher Zuo Wei, he even knows about my past as a charlatan!"

Lu Jiuge remained calm and smiled:

"I can give you something that no one else can!"

"This isn't hush money, nor is it a fig leaf. It's a legitimate way to make money, a broad road to using your skills in a respectable place!"

"for example?"

The person on the left is looking at Lu Jiuge.

"For example, you can publish your films and articles openly and honestly, instead of secretly selling them to tabloids!"

"So that every penny you earn is clean, and you can proudly state its source!"

Lu Jiuge paused:

"For example, your reputation as 'Left-Handed Slasher' will no longer just inspire hatred, but also awe!"

Zuo Wei remained silent for a long time, then suddenly laughed:

"Mr. Lu's ability to make empty promises is almost as good as your songwriting skills!"

Zuo's tone softened considerably:

"Just tell me straight, what do you want me to do? Stop following you around? Stop writing negative articles about you?"

"Fine, since you've told me all this, I can cancel this order!"

Lu Jiuge shook her head:

"Teacher Zuo, you've misunderstood!"

"Um?"

Thinking that Lu Jiuge was going to keep pressing the matter, his face darkened.

"I don't want our relationship to be as simple as 'you don't bother me'! That would be such a waste."

The left image shows someone squinting.

"So what do you want? To blackmail me? To use what you know?"

"No!"

Seeing that Zuo Wei's interest had been piqued, Lu Jiuge stood up, dusted off her bottom, and stopped talking:

"Teacher Zuo, I drank a bit too much tonight, and my mind isn't quite clear right now. I can't explain the details clearly!"

Lu Jiuge rubbed her temples:

"If you're interested, come to my company tomorrow morning at nine o'clock!"

"The address is in the western part of the film and television city, in the residential area slated for demolition. Look for Lao Liu's recording studio, and mention my name when you get there!"

Pretending to be drunk, Lu Jiuge walked to the pavilion, then turned back and added:

"You absolutely have to come. I'll show you something real, and I'll give you a reason that will absolutely excite you so much you won't be able to refuse!"

After saying that, without waiting for Zuo Wei's reply, he walked straight out of the alley.

Zuo Wei stood there staring at Lu Jiuge's back until he was completely swallowed by darkness before he came back to his senses.

"A reason why you couldn't refuse?"

Zuo Wei scoffed:

"A kid who became famous through crooked means and is being watched by half the industry, he's got quite the nerve!"

"But, the Old Time Bar was betrayed by that damned bastard Zhou Jun... none of this has been made public, how does Lu Jiuge know?"

Zuo Wei flicked away the cigarette ash, took one last look in the direction Lu Jiuge had left, and turned to leave.

"I'd like to see what dishes you can serve up tomorrow!"

……

The next morning, at 8:55.

Lu Jiuge was sitting in her office, with the background data report of the ringback tone displayed on her computer screen, when there was a knock on the door.

"Enter!"

Ban Kaiwen poked his head in and lowered his voice:

"Ninth Brother, Zuo Wei is here, waiting for you outside!"

Lu Jiuge glanced at the clock on the wall; it was 8:57.

He picked up his teacup, took a sip, and said to Ban Kaiwen:

"Please let him in!"

His voice was steady, revealing no emotion.

"good!"

Ban Kaiwen left for two minutes, then brought Zuo Wei back in.

"Teacher Zuo, you're right on time!"

This time, Lu Jiuge stood up, shook hands with him, and pointed to the tea table next to her:

"sit!"

He sat down on the left, and without any preamble, asked directly:

"Mr. Lu, I'm here. You said last night you'd give me a reason I couldn't refuse, now you can say it!"

"Haha, Teacher Zuo, don't be in such a hurry, let me show you something first!"

Lu Jiuge got up, took the laptop to the tea table, and turned the screen to the left.

Zuo Wei's gaze fell on the string of numbers on the screen, his pupils suddenly contracted, and his breathing became rapid.

It's not that he's never seen money before, but Zuo Wei finds it unbelievable that a catchy pop song like "Walking In The Sun" could achieve this level of success.

He raised his eyes, his face regaining its composure.

"The data is good. But in the music industry, I've seen too many shooting stars who live off one song for a lifetime."

Lu Jiuge smiled and opened the music player on her computer.

"Then listen to these two songs. Use your professional judgment to evaluate whether they'll become hits!"

The audio has started playing.

The song "There's a Kind of Love Called Letting Go" has a straightforward and heart-wrenching melody and lyrics. As soon as the lyrics came out, the fingers on the left knee unconsciously twitched.

Immediately afterward, the ethereal and poignant intro to the song "Liang Liang" began. His previously slightly tense back unconsciously relaxed, and he leaned back in his chair to listen attentively.

After the two demos were played, the office was quiet.

The man on the left leaned back in his chair and, after a long while, slowly exhaled.

"Did you write this?"

"I write!"

Lu Jiuge nodded:

Do you think they'll become popular?

The person on the left did not answer immediately.

Although he is not a professional musician, he has been struggling in the entertainment industry for many years and has developed a very sharp and discerning sense of judgment.

He can tell whether a song is popular or has the potential to spread.

After careful consideration, Zuo Wei provides an objective answer:

"able!"

"I have many more songs like this!"

Lu Jiuge turned off the media player and stared at Zuo Wei.

Zuo Wei's expression completely changed.

If the shock just now was only due to the data, now it's a shock of how unfathomable Lu Jiuge is.

After a long silence, Zuo Wei regained his composure and looked at Lu Jiuge:

"So, Mr. Lu, what exactly are you trying to achieve by showing off all this to me?"