Chapter 69: Exclusive Interviews with Three Major Newspapers!

Li Qing was truly a man of action. That very night, he gathered a small team and headed straight to Liu Xiayu’s former studio. The reason he chose to start working at night was simply because he hadn’t adjusted to the time difference yet, and he wanted to seize the moment while his energy was boundless to begin producing those three songs for Garen.

Yet, right at the outset, he encountered a significant problem.

The arrangement was not easily altered!

Previously, he, along with Li Ronghao and Liu Xiayu, had assumed that what Garen brought them was just a demo, and that the accompaniment was likely cobbled together from a sound library. But he was wrong. On first listen, the recording quality was indeed rough, but upon closer inspection, it was astonishing. The arrangement was superb—so much so that even he felt unable to match it.

Li Qing attempted to tweak some sections, but soon realized he had no way to improve upon them. Unwilling to concede, he tried altering a few bridges, only to find the original versions sounded better. This was the first time Li Qing had felt defeated. Even when he worked with so many musical masters in America, he had never felt this powerless.

For four hours, Li Qing sat there in silence, leaving his team members at a loss for what to do.

“Director Li! Should we get started?” One member, having lost a round of rock-paper-scissors, reluctantly stepped forward to ask.

Li Qing shook his head. “Let me think a little more.”

Everyone exchanged glances. Even the newest among them had worked with Li Qing for at least two years. Some had followed Liu Xiayu in America for several years. Yet, despite that, Li Qing remained an enigma.

After much deliberation, Li Qing finally picked up his phone and dialed a number.

It was an international call, straight to Los Angeles.

“Hello! Yasuo, it’s Manson! Get your studio ready, I need it tomorrow! And invite the Beerus Orchestra, I need their help!”

Li Qing spoke in English, but his team all understood. For a moment, everyone was stunned—did this mean they were going to record in America?

Under their gaze, Li Qing hung up, stood, and said, “Aken, get ready to come with me to Los Angeles tomorrow. The rest of you, take the night off.”

Everyone looked at Aken with envy.

Ten minutes later, the studio was empty. Li Qing locked the door from inside, slipped into the recording room, and let Garen’s three songs play on repeat.

Li Qing was fiercely competitive. With lyrics, melody, and arrangement of such caliber, he was determined not to lose out in production. These three songs, he vowed, would be beautifully crafted.

No—he would make sure the entire album shone.

...

The next morning.

Garen, wrapped up tightly, appeared downstairs at Rainy Day Music on a drizzly day. Mai Le followed closely behind, sporting sunglasses and feeling quite cool himself.

They made their way upstairs to Wu Chaoyang’s office.

“You’re here! Take a seat.” As Garen entered, Wu Chaoyang picked up his phone and flipped through it. “A lot of media outlets want exclusive interviews with you. For print, I’ve accepted requests from Southern Metropolis Entertainment, Beijing News, and Performance Weekly. All scheduled for this afternoon.”

“There are also two web interview shows, both tomorrow—one in the morning, one in the afternoon.”

“Beijing TV’s quiz show has invited you; I’ve accepted on your behalf. You’ll be taping the day after tomorrow, in the afternoon.”

“Additionally, the company is producing a palace drama called ‘A Beauty’s Fall.’ They insist on having you cameo in a role. President Liu personally requested it, so I couldn’t turn it down. Whether you can act or not doesn’t matter—just show up.”

Garen nodded at everything Wu Chaoyang mentioned, but when he heard the last bit, he protested, “Wait a minute, Wu! Why a palace drama? I can’t act, especially not in period costume!”

Wu Chaoyang smiled helplessly. “It’s just a cameo. No problem! Life is like a play, and a play is like life—it’s all about stepping into a role.”

Garen scratched his head. “Alright, but let me say this—I won’t play a eunuch!”

Wu Chaoyang burst out laughing. “Relax! They said it’s a scholar coming to take the imperial exam.”

“Oh... then I’ll give it a try.” Garen thought for a moment and then asked, “Wu, anything like commercial performances that earn money?”

“Commercial shows?” Wu Chaoyang was surprised. “Short on cash?”

“Not exactly...” Garen was thinking about the company’s old equipment, but his pockets were empty and he couldn’t afford it. So he confessed.

Wu Chaoyang chuckled. “Is that all? I’ll talk to Old Li for you—see if he’ll let you use the equipment now and pay later. If he won’t budge, I’ll go to President Liu. You shouldn’t be worrying about commercial gigs right now, unless it’s unavoidable for promotion. What matters most is maintaining your screen presence. Don’t let small money blind you.”

Garen understood Wu Chaoyang’s point. He was currently in the phase where maintaining his popularity mattered most; no amount of commercial gigs could compare to appearing on TV. That was the best way to solidify his reputation.

Many talent show singers, after gaining fame, chased after commercial performances and missed the chance to stabilize their fame through TV exposure, ending up in awkward situations.

On the contrary, a male singer who emerged from a certain satellite TV talent show appeared on the same variety program 28 times within a year after the competition, with countless appearances on other shows. He was now among the top-tier stars, his popularity surpassing his peers.

Time is finite, and how long one can stay hot is a skill in itself.

Wu Chaoyang knew Garen was probably too embarrassed to ask the company for the equipment, so he said, “How about this—Want Cola is shooting a commercial short film. Will you do it?”

“How much do they pay?” Garen asked directly.

“Not much! But this short film might take a few days to shoot; it’s different from a regular ad. You’re not endorsing, just a cameo. After taxes and the company’s share, you’ll get over a million.”

“I’ll do it!” Garen agreed without hesitation.

Wu Chaoyang smiled. “Alright, I’ll let them know. Lately, there have been endorsement requests, but mostly for small products, and the pay isn’t ideal. Wait until your popularity is fully established, then the big brands will come.”

Garen had no objections. He trusted Wu Chaoyang; as a seasoned agent, experience was his most valuable asset.

...

Eleven thirty.

A group of vibrant young women emerged from the airport.

Garen, who had been waiting at the arrival gate, immediately walked over with Mai Le. Before they even got close, Chen Yingying saw him and waved.

This gesture caught the attention of the other girls returning with her, who glanced toward Garen.

“Is that Yingying’s boyfriend?”

“So jealous! He came to pick her up!”

“In this heat, why is that guy wearing sunglasses, a mask, and a baseball cap?”

“Could he have an infectious disease?”

“Or maybe he’s so ugly he doesn’t dare show his face?”

“I bet that’s it!”

“…”

The girls’ comments were baffling. Chen Yingying heard them and felt uncomfortable.

Garen, on the other hand, didn’t care—he hadn’t heard them anyway. He stepped forward and took Chen Yingying’s luggage. “You must be tired from the trip.”

“It’s alright!” Chen Yingying replied shyly.

Mai Le grabbed the luggage from Garen and dashed toward the minivan.

“Where’s Professor Jin?” Garen glanced behind them, not seeing Jin Chanjuan.

Chen Yingying replied, “Professor Jin had something to do, still in Hasmuqi. She’ll be back this afternoon.”

“Oh!” Garen nodded. “Let’s go. Say goodbye to your friends.”

“Alright!” Chen Yingying turned to bid her companions farewell. The girls gave the couple odd looks, mostly at Garen, whose attire was so peculiar their smiles were forced.

Back in the car, Garen shed his “armor.” “Ugh, wearing all this is exhausting!”

Chen Yingying laughed. “You became the center of attention the moment you appeared! Actually, I think the more you celebrities try to disguise yourselves, the more attention you attract.”

“I don’t want to wear it either!” Garen grumbled. “I haven’t been asked for an autograph once, but the company insists I must.”

They chatted in the car as the diligent driver, Mai Le, started the engine.

Outside, the group of girls watched Garen and Chen Yingying get into the car. Though they couldn’t see inside, it was easy to imagine.

“He has a car, and even a driver?”

“That’s no ordinary car. Didn’t you notice it’s a seven-seater minivan? I heard only celebrities use those.”

“Hey, look at the badge—Mercedes!”

“Mercedes? Worth a hundred thousand?”

“A hundred thousand? Ha… not even ten times that!”

“No way… Ugh, if only he’d given us a ride! Now we have to take a taxi ourselves.”

“Aren’t you worried about infectious disease? What if he takes off his mask and scares us with his looks?”

“Why not say he’s actually a celebrity?”

“How could that be? Chen Yingying dating a celebrity?”

“Why not?”

“…”

Lunch was simple. Having just gotten off the plane, Chen Yingying had little appetite and was sleepy, almost dozing off in the car. After eating, Garen took her home to rest.

Garen, meanwhile, had to rush back to the company to prepare for the afternoon’s interviews.

Print interviews didn’t require much effort in styling—just a few photos, and the best ones would be chosen. The interview questions, however, needed review in advance.

The three newspapers had different questions, but all circled around the same themes. Garen had just risen to fame two nights ago, so most questions focused on his ideals and his music.

Beijing News was a bit more cultural, with questions about the current state and future of folk music, and another exploring the art of lyrics.

Southern Metropolis Entertainment and Performance Weekly had all sorts of questions, including those about his personal life.

Regarding his relationship with Chen Yingying, the company’s stance was not to evade, but to be honest. In fact, nearly half of Southern Metropolis Entertainment’s interview was about this topic.

...

[Thank you to everyone who voted and contributed clicks and favorites! Thank you!!

Wishing everyone a happy holiday, even if I don’t really like this foreign festival…

Anyone watching “Talk with Xiaosong” tonight?]