Huayu: From the Era of Ringtones to Becoming a Legend

Lao Liu's recording studio is indeed hard to find; it's hidden in a cluster of houses slated for demolition on the west side of the film and television city.

Pushing open the door, a smell of old equipment, dust, and faint smoke hit you.

Lu Jiuge frowned slightly, her gaze quickly sweeping over the somewhat messy room.

"Is this what they mean by 'true masters live in seclusion amidst the city,' or 'a master doesn't concern himself with trivial matters'?"

Thinking to herself, Lu Jiuge didn't jump to conclusions. Instead, she continued walking in and stopped in front of a wall of honor in the corridor.

The wall is covered with as many as thirty certificates of merit, which are out of place with the dilapidated surroundings.

In particular, the plaque in the very center of the wall of honor that read "Lifetime Advisor of the Musicians Association" shocked Lu Jiuge.

Having spent nearly twenty years in the entertainment industry in his previous life, he was very clear about the value of this honor.

After reading through the various titles, Lu Jiuge put aside her disdain and walked forward down the corridor.

The corridor was piled with all sorts of equipment: mixing consoles, speakers, microphone stands, and some machines whose names I didn't know were just lying on the floor.

At the end of the corridor, a man in his fifties with gray hair was squatting in the corner repairing an amplifier.

"Teacher Liu?"

Lu Jiuge asked tentatively.

The man looked up and adjusted his reading glasses:

"Who are you?"

"I was introduced by Director Wu Ziming. My name is Lu Jiuge."

"Oh, Xiao Wu's friend!"

Liu Sixi stood up and wiped his hands on his pants:

What do you want to record?

Lu Jiuge took out the prepared sheet music from her pocket and handed it over:

"Teacher Liu, I want to record a DJ track."

Liu Sixi took it and read a few lines, then raised his eyebrows:

"An English song? A DJ version? Can you sing it?"

"No problem, I've studied English for a while!"

Liu Sixi nodded and continued reading, seeing in the arrangement notes that it was suggested to add electronic synthesized sound effects and to emphasize the bass of the drum beats.

He looked up and glanced at Lu Jiuge:

"Your song has a rather unique style."

"Let's test the waters!"

After witnessing Liu Sixi's honors, Lu Jiuge became even more humble in her speech.

"Okay, two hundred yuan, all-inclusive!"

Liu Sixi was very straightforward:

"If you can't use the equipment yourself, I'll operate it for you. Sing it once so I can hear it!"

In her previous life, Lu Jiuge had trained artists and learned many techniques from them. In addition, she had a good voice in this body, so she was not afraid of Liu Sixi, a hidden master, at all. She cleared her throat and stood in front of the microphone.

Without accompaniment, he sang a cappella. "I'm walking in the sun… Just walking in the sun…"

As Liu Sixi listened, his expression shifted from doubt to strangeness, and finally he even nodded slightly in rhythm with the music.

"That's interesting!"

After Lu Jiusong finished singing a section, Liu Sixi praised him, saying:

"Your catchy tune is simple, but it's really catchy. Wait a minute, I'll adjust the equipment!"

Liu Sixi's evaluation was very objective, which surprised Lu Jiuge. She thought to herself that not everyone in the music industry was a stubborn person who thought too highly of himself.

……

Over the next three hours, Lu Jiuge sang the song more than twenty times under Liu Sixi's direction, and the arrangement and lyrics underwent several revisions.

When Liu Sixi finally announced that this was the final version and would not be changed, the song "Walking In The Sun" was already quite different from the original.

While maintaining the catchy main melody, the entire arrangement and lyrics are closer to the style of China's non-mainstream groups.

"Teacher Liu, you're amazing! This is exactly the feeling I've been looking for!"

Lu Jiuge listened to the finished product through the monitoring headphones and excitedly slapped his thigh.

It's catchy, addictive, and the rhythm is so strong that you can't help but tap your foot.

"Your song..."

Liu Sixi took off his headphones and looked at Lu Jiuge with a complicated expression:

"Rough, straightforward, even a bit rustic. But the weird thing is, the rhythm is catchy, the melody is memorable, and after listening to it twice, all I could think of was 'Walking in the Sun'!"

Lu Jiuge's eyes lit up; she knew she had met a kindred spirit.

"Teacher Liu, do you think this song has potential?"

"A play? That depends on how you define it!"

Liu Sixi lit a cigarette and leaned against the mixing console:

"Competing for mainstream awards? No way. Getting recognized by those old academic types? Dream on!"

After exhaling a smoke ring, Liu Sixi changed the subject:

"But if you want it to play in the streets, internet cafes, and skating rinks, getting a bunch of teenagers humming and dancing along, then you definitely have a chance!"

These words struck a chord with Lu Jiuge!

What he needs is the disdain and criticism from the mainstream music scene, while simultaneously spreading virally in the non-mainstream circles.

"Professor Liu, I never expected that someone as accomplished as you could offer such an objective evaluation!"

Lu Jiuge spoke sincerely, without hiding anything:

"To be honest, I just wanted to try this path. What the mainstream doesn't approve of might still have a market!"

Liu Sixi looked him over, then suddenly laughed, a self-deprecating smile in her eyes:

"That's interesting. I've been stuck in this lousy place for five years, seen people who want to become famous and stars, seen people who are just trying to be sophisticated, but this is the first time I've seen someone like you, who knows this stuff is tacky, but still insists on getting into it!"

After extinguishing his cigarette, Liu Sixi changed the subject:

"Do you plan to promote this song? Do you want to register the copyright?"

Lu Jiuge answered without hesitation:

"Of course, if possible, I'd also like to let more people hear this song!"

Liu Sixi nodded and extended his hand:

"It'll cost 100 yuan. I'll use the internal channel; I should be able to register your certificate within three business days!"

"Thank you so much, Teacher Liu!"

Lu Jiuge took out a hundred yuan and handed it to Liu Sixi, tentatively speaking:

"Teacher Liu, if I have any more songs or ideas in the future, could I come back to consult you again? Of course, I can't let you work for nothing; I'll pay the fees you owe..."

Liu Sixi waved his hand, interrupting him:

"Just follow the rules regarding fees. As for asking questions..."

He glanced back at the wall covered with certificates of merit, and remained silent for a few seconds:

"It's usually quiet here, so if you have any ideas, feel free to bring them over and we can work them out together. Think of it as a friendly exchange!"

Liu Sixi understood that Lu Jiuge wanted to become his apprentice, so he neither agreed nor refused, but left an open door for long-term cooperation.

Lu Jiuge understood immediately, knowing that this was the best outcome they could achieve at the moment, and nodded solemnly:

"Okay! I'll go back and think about how to promote this song. I'll come back and report to you when I have some ideas."

"Promotion?"

Liu Sixi raised an eyebrow, as if he had thought of something, and pulled a business card from the drawer, handing it to Lu Jiuge:

"If you want to find a place to test the waters first, you can go to the M-Zone Audio-Visual Store on the back street of the film and television city and find the owner, Lao Ge."

He's unconventional, likes to tinker with alternative records. Mentioning my name might help boost your profile!

Lu Jiuge understood that Liu Sixi's "wild methods" mostly meant reselling pirated CDs, but for him, this was a perfect opportunity.

His song doesn't rely on making money from releasing records; instead, it focuses on stirring up the antagonistic emotions between non-mainstream groups and the mainstream music scene.

As for making money, Lu Jiuge has already decided to rely solely on ringtones.

"Thank you, Teacher Liu!"

Lu Jiuge thanked him again, got up to say goodbye and left the recording studio. As she walked, she thought about it, and her thoughts became clearer and clearer:

"The more people criticize me for disrespecting copyright by licensing pirated content for free, the more money I make!"

"Once I have enough faith points, I'll exchange them for even better songs, sign new artists, and let the music scene know what a true infamous star is!"