Chapter 96, Record a Program!

Today, Jiang Lun was recording a program at Jiangnan Satellite TV. This show, titled *Weekend Carnival*, was once a hugely popular indoor variety program. However, as other major satellite channels rose and reality shows emerged, it had steadily declined, with ratings dipping below 0.1 at one point. To revive the situation, the program underwent a complete makeover, introducing new game segments and heavily featuring celebrities. The first two episodes brought a slight rebound in ratings. Today, in addition to Jiang Lun, two extremely popular duos—Bidog and TFEX—were joining. From the production team to the station executives, everyone was confident in today’s ratings.

Before seven o’clock, Jiang Lun arrived at the television station. Besides rehearsing the flow with the production team and running through a simple rehearsal, he also needed to record a personal introductory segment separately. This segment involved singing, and the team had specified that he should perform *Jiangnan*. To the people of Jiangnan, the song had become something they considered theirs to sing. Returning here once more, he could sense the changes clearly. Last time, he had been a freshly debuted singer who had surged to fame through a talent show. This time, he was a releasing singer, representing a higher level entirely. The feeling was quite different.

The moment he stepped onto the lot, many people greeted him, especially those in the rest area prepared for the column. Numerous staff members rushed over to snap photos with him and request autographs. At 7:20, the executive producer entered to discuss the flow with him. Jiang Lun gave it a quick glance. Aside from the separate introductory recording, the other games would be conducted together with everyone. The formal rehearsal began at eight o’clock. Bidog was punctual and had arrived before the cameras started rolling.

Unexpectedly, the moment they spotted Jiang Lun, the group surrounded him. They shook his hand one by one, bowed deeply, smiled, and spoke in Thai that Jiang Lun did not understand.
“Hello! Hello!”
Jiang Lun responded with a polite smile.

The silver-haired youth, who had been the most arrogant among them yesterday, spoke in awkward Chinese, “Jiang Lun, hello! We’ve listened to your songs and really like several of them. Could we have the chance to cover them in Thai?”
“Cover?” Jiang Lun smiled. “You can have your agents communicate with mine!”

After speaking, the five translators quickly relayed the message in Thai. Hearing the answer, the five looked delighted. The silver-haired youth bowed repeatedly. “Thank you! Thank you!”
“Nothing at all!” Jiang Lun waved his hand.

At the same time, TFEX arrived, but Bidog showed them far less enthusiasm. Only two members offered a nod to preserve their image; the other three turned away without a glance. TFEX’s four members behaved similarly. Once inside the studio, they tended to their own business, donning headphones, sitting down to listen to music, and ignoring everyone around them. Jiang Lun didn’t mind. He disliked disturbing others as well, so he sat in his seat, lost in thought.

After finishing NanJin these past few days, he still had to head to Shenzhen tomorrow. Upon returning from Shenzhen, it would be Professor Wang Kai’s birthday, and he had yet to decide on a gift. Giving money felt too tacky, and they clearly didn’t care. Choosing a gift required knowing what they liked, yet he himself was unsure what to pick. After much deliberation, he still couldn’t think of anything.

The program rehearsal lasted two hours. By ten o’clock, it concluded. The members of both groups retired to rest, but Jiang Lun could not. He still had to record his introductory segment. The stage had already been set with props: a miniature bridge and flowing water, along with artificial trees, giving the impression of a stage play.

Yet, upon seeing the scene, an idea suddenly struck Jiang Lun. Hadn’t he been struggling over what gift to give Professor Wang Kai for his birthday? The sight before him suddenly illuminated his thoughts, and he instantly knew exactly what to send.

After the song ended, Jiang Lun could not leave. While he was thanking the audience on stage, the three hosts of the program ascended. The male host in charge of managing the main key was Li Xiang. Beside him, the two deputy hosts were female—Aimi—and male—Du Jun.
“Let’s welcome Jiang Lun!”
Li Xiang said with visible excitement. “Congratulations! Congratulations! You’ve released both an album and a book. What a double joy!”
“Thank you! Hello to the three hosts!” Jiang Lun bowed and shook hands with each of them. He then produced his album and book, presenting a copy to every person.
“One is positive energy, the other is *Ghost Blows Out the Light*. Looking at them side by side, there’s something off about it,” Li Xiang said, holding the album and book with visible confusion. “I have my doubts— is this really one person’s work?”
“Haha, yes, both are mine,” Jiang Lun replied with a laugh.

The female host Aimi chimed in, “It may seem a bit mismatched by name, but you must believe in the substance inside. The book’s subject matter is truly innovative—no one has written a novel about tomb exploration and adventure before!”
Du Jun added, “Every day this past week, I’ve been listening to Jiang Lun’s new album. Several songs feature truly innovative styles. The hip-hop and rock fusion I like most, for instance, combined with pop, and traditional Chinese opera fused with rock. Nothing like this has ever been attempted!”
“Have you two both read the book and listened to the album?”
Li Xiang feigned surprise as he looked at the two of them. “With such excellent works, why didn’t you recommend them to me?”
Jiang Lun quickly replied, “I just brought them to you!”
“Then I’ll have to read the book and listen to the songs when I get back!”
Li Xiang shifted the conversation. “We all know Jiang Lun is a talented newcomer. The song *Jiangnan* you wrote is exceptionally good. These past few days, the entire NanJin Street has been playing it nonstop. I know Jiang Lun is from the north—how did you come up with such a song?”
“Actually, it’s just a feeling,” Jiang Lun scratched his head. This song had been drawn from another world; a detailed explanation would be impossible, but he had done his research in advance and prepared an answer. “Every city and every region has its own unique characteristics. For example, my earlier songs *Chang’an Chang’an* and *Memories of Zhengzhou* are the same—capturing the local essence when writing!”
“Oh! So that’s how it is!” Li Xiang exclaimed. “Some ancient poets, every time they visited a place, liked to compose verses for the local landmarks. I believe Jiang Lun is the same sort of person—adept at capturing the local sentiments…”

After the brief interview, Jiang Lun could finally rest. Next came the recording of the solo segments for Bidog and TFEX. With so many people and extensive interview material, the recording would take about an hour, though likely only a few minutes would air in the end. Jiang Lun made the most of the time by taking a short nap in the lounge. Earlier during the flow rehearsal, the executive producer had already informed him that several upcoming games would be physically demanding, so he needed to maintain peak energy and stamina.

PS: These past two days, my state has been poor and I’ve felt drained. I didn’t want to take a break from updating, so these chapters came out weaker than usual. I’m truly sorry! Sorry!