Huayu 1999: Starting with nothing but getting something for nothing

Gao Yuanyuan was a little shy and embarrassed; she always felt uncomfortable in unfamiliar places.

Yang Che made no attempt to hide his smugness; it was indeed quite satisfying to have a presentable girlfriend.

Of course, he also noticed that Amin kept his head slightly lowered and was smiling awkwardly.

Amin was puzzled. These people had only been at the recording studio for a short time, so how come they were so familiar with Yang Che?

It's normal to be puzzled; people in the arts tend to look down on others when they don't know them well.

But it depends on the person. Yang Che, aside from his older cousins, seems to like everyone...

Just like how these musicians started calling him "Old Yang" after only a few words, since Xiao Ke didn't allow Yang Che to call him "Brother Ke," saying it sounded like the KGB, and insisted that he call him "Xiao Ke."

Seeing that it was almost done, Xiao Ke clapped his hands: "That's enough, get to work, get to work, the sooner we finish, the less trouble we'll have to worry about. Let's try to get Sun Nan to finish recording by this morning."

So, in the following days, Xiao Ke and the musicians got busy. Yang Che was a perfectionist; if he heard something different from what he remembered, he would raise his doubts. Then, they would compare the two versions, and in the end, Xiao Ke would use whichever one he thought was better.

Of course, even if he were reborn eight hundred times, he still couldn't compare to these geniuses.

Just like when we were recording "Good Springtime" and "Curled Eyelashes" a while ago, whatever Wu Tong said was law, and it wasn't as detailed as it is now.

Of course, movies and TV series can't be the same.

So, an hour later, Sun Nan arrived, sporting his classic pompadour hairstyle.

This guy's hairstyle is like Wu Bai's Dacron; he's never found a hairstyle that suits him.

Ten years from now, if it weren't for her naturally gifted voice, she would never have been able to debut!

Yang Che didn't have any special feelings for this guy; he neither liked nor disliked him, and remained as polite as he had been on the phone.

However, Sun Nan seems to be interested in him.

After exchanging pleasantries, Sun Nan took the lyrics and sheet music but didn't rush to look at them. Instead, he asked curiously, "Did Wang Fei agree to sing another song for you?"

Yang Che smiled and nodded.

Sun Nan's smile widened even more.

Xiao Ke, however, became curious: "Where's that song? Can you show it to me?"

"I gave her the copyright, but she didn't authorize me to watch it, so I can't show it to you."

Xiao Ke said with great disdain, "You're such a boring person."

Not to mention Xiao Ke, the entire group of musicians were speechless. What kind of talk was that...?

However, the way they looked at Yang Che was no longer just polite and enthusiastic, but rather more friendly. After all, he was one of their own in the music industry, and he was quite skilled.

Absolutely! What kind of people write songs for Wang Fei? Besides, who has ever heard Wang Fei sing for a movie?

As for Ah Ming, he secretly glanced at Gao Yuanyuan in the corner, who was quietly reading a magazine with a smile on her lips, and felt ashamed. He was deeply reflecting on what kind of person he was and what right he had to hit on such a beautiful girl!

Unaware of the unspoken enlightenment he was giving, Yang Che urged Xiao Ke to record the song quickly.

"I'll show it to you when I'm done recording."

..........

Sun Nan first patiently listened to Yang Che's plain voice demo, then discussed it with Xiao Ke before entering the recording studio.

37 minutes later, Xiao Ke took off his headphones and gave Sun Nan, who was in the inner room, two thumbs-up.

Yang Che took off his headphones and clapped his hands. Only then did he realize that he hadn't brought a video camera with him when recording the song.

These are all promotional materials.

But the next second he shook his head with a wry smile, "Where would I get the chance? These days, it takes more than ten seconds to open a slightly large picture online, let alone a video."

While clapping, Gao Yuanyuan said with a giggle, "That sounds really good, much better than your singing."

Yang Che looked puzzled: "Isn't this what should be done? If I could sing, why would I spend this money?"

Xiao Ke said in a serious tone, "Sound mixing and mixing are also possible, as long as you pay me."

"Teacher Xiao Ke, you're a musical poet, you need to have class."

Laughing and chatting, Sun Nan took the towel from his assistant, wiped his face first, then drank some water, before coming over to exchange pleasantries.

"Yang Che, do you own the copyright to this song?"

"Yes, you want to sing, right?"

"right."

"Sing it out. If it becomes a hit, you can give me some money."

Sun Nan gave a thumbs-up: "Open and spacious."

Yang Che waved his hand: "No, if it becomes even half as popular as 'Be There or Be Square,' I'll have to thank you."

And so the authorized performance was decided.

In later times, this would be almost impossible; how could it be done without signing ten or eight agreements?

But that's how it is now.

Nowadays, it's common practice for movie theme songs and incidental music to be performed and promoted in advance, usually 3-6 months ahead of schedule.

For example, the movie "Be There or Be Square" that Yang Che just mentioned was released last December. Sun Nan started singing it everywhere at the end of October, and it was played on TV and radio all over the place, all in an effort to boost the movie's box office.

In short, as long as the movie version of the music video isn't released in advance, the audio can be released freely.

It's only during song promotion periods that movie studios like pirates...

Sun Nan has left.

Then a knowledgeable guy said he went to find a new girlfriend named Mai Hongmei.

He also said that he hadn't officially broken up with Xin Xin yet, which drew a few spits from the crowd.

Gao Yuanyuan, who was also listening to the gossip, couldn't help but pout and glance at her boyfriend.

Yang Che glared at her, thinking: He's ugly and a womanizer, and I'm definitely not the kind of person who gets bored easily.

So, last month, Sun Nan participated in a program hosted by Mai Hongmei. After the show, the two had dinner together, and he proposed on the spot. They had just met, and the most amazing thing is that Mai Hongmei said yes...

Xin Xin and he had been dating for ten years, and they both started out as nightclub singers. Initially, Xin Xin did better, signing with a Japanese record company and staying there for two years before finally returning to China for love.

Then the two worked hard together, and it's no exaggeration to say they built something from scratch. Last year, the music video for "Never Say Goodbye" was filmed with a loan of 10,000 yuan between them.

It's easy to share hardship, but difficult to share happiness. Sun Nan became a huge star with his song "Never Say Goodbye," and then he fell in love with Mai Hongmei at first sight.

Then Xin Xin sang "I've Always Been Standing Where You Hurt Me," which is considered the ancestor of online songs, and then she retired from the entertainment industry to get married.

...........

The musicians took their pay and stormed off, because Yang Che had no intention of treating them to dinner...

Xiao Ke is still around, of course; he's still eagerly watching "The Passing Years."

So after reading the lyrics and music of "Fleeting Years" on his computer, he remained silent for a long time.

When Yang Che and Gao Yuanyuan took him to dinner, he asked for the third time in the car, "Old Yang, are you really an art student?"

Gao Yuanyuan, sitting in the passenger seat, glanced back at Xiao Ke with pity in her eyes. Had this guy gone mad?

Yang Che ignored her and pulled Gao Yuanyuan's hand to kiss it.

"Is it okay if we eat hot pot?"