Huayu: From the Era of Ringtones to Becoming a Legend

Lu Jiuge took the phone, read the message, and smiled nonchalantly:

"Teacher Liu, activate the second plan immediately!"

"A second option?"

Liu Sixi and Zuo Wei spoke almost simultaneously, their eyes filled with doubt.

Before this, neither of them had heard Lu Jiuge mention this matter.

Lu Jiuge walked back to her desk and sat down, tapping her fingers on the surface:

"Teacher Liu, Lao Zuo, didn't I already say that the new album would be released with free licensing, focusing on markets below the county level?"

"Can those pirated DVD workshops really be shut down?"

"Those husband-and-wife shops, or brothers working together, are hidden in the outskirts of the city and the countryside. They can start operating with just one or two CD burners!"

They are not under the jurisdiction of any association, nor do they rely on legitimate channels for their livelihood. Yawei can threaten major companies, but can it truly understand every unofficial channel across the country?

The left one's eyes lit up:

"Mr. Lu is right! Many of those small workshops don't even have landlines, so Yawei's reach can't extend that far!"

Lu Jiuge glanced at the time and nodded, saying:

"It's too late today, go back and rest. Tomorrow morning, the two of you will split up and act according to this plan!"

"Okay, Mr. Lu, I'll head back now!"

Zuo Wei said something and turned to leave the office.

Liu Sixi hesitated for a moment, then turned and left without saying a word.

After the two left, Lu Jiuge lay on the sofa, feeling uncertain inside.

The second and final plan he just mentioned, if even this narrow gap is blocked...

Thinking about this, Lu Jiuge became even more agitated and couldn't calm down, so he simply sat back down in front of the computer and looked at the online topics about his bet with Luo Zhiqiang.

The next morning at nine o'clock, Lu Jiuge had just woken up on the office sofa when Wu Ziming called.

"Xiao Lu, come to my film set right now!"

Wu Ziming's voice was anxious. Hearing the commotion in the background, Lu Jiuge instinctively asked:

"Director Wu, what happened? Is there a problem with the script?"

Wu Ziming lowered his voice and offered no explanation:

"It's not a script, it's about you. We'll talk when you get here! Hurry up!"

He hung up the phone immediately after saying that.

Lu Jiuge realized that there was probably a problem with the song, so she grabbed her coat and walked out, only to be blocked in the corridor by Zuo Wei.

"Mr. Lu, something has happened."

The man on the left turned the laptop screen he was holding toward Lu Jiuge, displaying several trending topics that had just emerged:

#BoycottTheSongofZhenguan#

#A loser from a non-mainstream background writes the theme song for a historical drama; Wu Ziming is doomed#

#Calling for a boycott of the TV series "The Song of Zhenguan"#

#Can't historical dramas afford proper composers?#

#Lu Jiuge's theme song lowers the quality of the drama#

Clicking through, you'll find nothing but spam and troll copywriting:

"I heard that Lu Jiuge wrote the theme song for 'The Song of Zhenguan'? Does some non-mainstream charlatan even deserve to write a historical drama?"

"Director Wu Ziming has ruined his reputation in his later years; he's even willing to sacrifice quality for a bit of buzz?"

"It's one thing for Lu Jiuge's songs to be played at night markets, but to be featured on CCTV? Don't be ridiculous."

"A united boycott! We cannot allow such substandard music to pollute historical dramas!"

The discussion spread extremely quickly, clearly indicating an organized and premeditated plan.

"Yawei has made his move!"

The person on the left has a livid face.

"They don't dare to directly attack you, so they're stirring up trouble, getting those self-proclaimed high-level music and film fans to criticize Director Wu's dramas!"

"This is forcing Director Wu to sever ties with you!"

"Your team shouldn't get involved yet. Director Wu just called. I'm going to the set to check things out!"

Lu Jiuge stared at the screen for a few seconds without giving any instructions.

"Okay, I'll wait for your message!"

Zuo Wei called out to Lu Jiuge's retreating figure before returning to his office with a serious expression.

……

The atmosphere on the set of "The Song of Zhenguan" was somber.

In the makeshift tent-like workspace, several assistant directors were present, but none of them dared to speak; they sat silently.

Wu Ziming sat behind the monitor, smoking one cigarette after another.

Seeing Lu Jiuge enter, he waved for the others to leave.

"Xiao Lu!"

Wu Ziming stubbed out his cigarette, rubbed his face, and got straight to the point:

"The theme song needs to be changed."

Lu Jiuge was silent for a few seconds:

"Because of those online trolls?"

"more than!"

Wu Ziming took a document out of his bag and handed it to Lu Jiuge:

"I received it this morning. Opinions from the investors, the broadcasting platform, and even the higher-level regulatory authorities!"

Lu Jiuge opened the documents; they were several letters of recommendation, worded tactfully but with a firm stance.

"They mean the same thing."

Wu Ziming's voice was hoarse:

"The Song of Zhenguan is a key drama series, it needs to air on CCTV's prime time slot, and there can be no controversial topics!"

He paused, then looked up, his eyes bloodshot.

"Xiao Lu, I'm not someone who's afraid of trouble. But this time, you've offended not just Luo Zhiqiang, but the entire industry. They're using my drama as a target to force me to make a statement."

"I can't take it!"

Wu Ziming put it very directly:

"The investors said that if the theme song isn't changed, future funding might be reassessed. The platform was even more direct: with Lu Jiuge in the lineup, prime-time slots aren't guaranteed, and it might even have to be postponed for a while while another risk assessment is conducted!"

Do you know what this means?

He looked at Lu Jiuge:

"I filmed this drama for eight months and invested over 30 million yuan! If it gets ruined because of a theme song, hundreds of people in the crew will be affected..."

Wu Ziming didn't finish his sentence, but his meaning was clear.

Lu Jiuge stared at the letters of recommendation, pondered for a few seconds, and without saying much, readily replied:

"OK."

He handed the document back, his voice calm and steady.

"I take back the song!"

Wu Ziming was stunned for a moment:

"Xiao Lu, the penalty for breach of contract..."

"Need not!"

Lu Jiuge stood up:

"This was my fault, and Director Wu didn't even blame me. If I ask for a penalty for breach of contract, that would be utterly despicable!"

Wu Ziming was stunned when Lu Jiuge so readily announced the result.

His prepared remarks, explanations, and even apologies were all shut down by this calm understanding.

"Xiao Lu, that's not what I meant..."

"I know."

Lu Jiuge interrupted with a smile:

"Given such immense pressure, the fact that you spoke to me first instead of unilaterally issuing a termination notice already shows me a lot of respect!"

He stood up:

"You can handle the song however you like. If you think it's alright, you can have someone else sing it; no penalty fee required. Consider it a thank you to Director Wu for taking care of you during this time!"

"Xiao Lu!"

After Lu Jiuge's actions, Wu Ziming felt even more uneasy and didn't know what to say.

"Director Wu, you don't need to feel guilty. Work-related matters won't affect our friendship!"

Wu Ziming opened his mouth as if to say something, but in the end he just patted Lu Jiuge's shoulder heavily.

"Xiao Lu!"

His voice was deep:

"I'm sorry about this."

Lu Jiuge shook her head:

"You've already done more than enough by holding out until now."

After saying that, Lu Jiuge didn't linger and turned to leave.

As they reached the door, Wu Ziming suddenly said from behind:

"Let's cooperate again after this storm passes."

Lu Jiuge paused for a moment, but didn't turn around; she simply raised her hand and waved.

He knew there would be no more opportunities to work together. Once you're labeled in this circle, it's very difficult to shake off that label.

Unless you win this battle brilliantly and completely reverse your personal image!