Perfect Superstar Chapter 183

Chapter 183 - MSN

Beijing, NewAge Art Park.

The New AgeArt Center was established in 2001. It was located between Haidian Park and BeijingUniversity, covering an area of nearly 700 mu. It was one of the key art andcultural construction projects in Beijing.

After morethan ten years of development, the New Age Art Park has gathered a large numberof well-known domestic film and television, music, literature, art productionunits, up to thousands of large and small panies and studios, which could becalled a cultural hub.

The famousFlying Stone Records was in the New Age Art Park.

In theconference room, Lin Zhijie rubbed his forehead wearily, and his eyes showed atrace of restlessness.

Sitting onboth sides of the conference table with him were the deputy general manager ofFlying Stone Records, the manager of the brokerage department, the manager ofthe public relations department, a number of agents, and several posers andarrangers from the production department. It could be said that it was a packedhouse.

The subjectof this morning’s meeting was the planning of the debut album of Flying StoneRecords' newly formed girl group, MSN.

There were atotal of three members in the MSN girl group. M.S.N stands for the first letterof the three members' names. They were all about 20 years old, and they wereexcellent both in appearance and singing.

Lin Zhijie wasthe initiator of the meeting, but he was obviously not in plete control ofthe situation.

There was alot of opposition to the album planning plan made by the music director.

Such asituation was more or less out of the expectation of Lin Zhijie, but he hasalways been resolute and never flinched because of difficulties.

“I wouldlike to emphasize again. Inviting Lu Chen to help with the production of thisalbum is the right choice, and his creative talent is obvious to all and istrustworthy.”

MSN was thenewly launched girl group of Flying Stone Records to cater to the market of youngpeople.

For this established record pany, the establishment of this girl group was not easy. A few years ago, the two girl groups they launched ended in failure, causing considerable losses to the pany.

As the saying goes, once bitten, twice shy[1]. if it wasn't because idol groups were currently very popular, and that popular boy bands and girl groups made a lot of money, perhaps Flying Stone Records wouldn't have decided to form a new girl group again.

The threemembers of MSN were personally selected by Lin Zhijie. In order to make thegroup a hit, he teamed up with the planning department to develop a full set ofpublicity plans.

The toppriority was MSN’s debut album!

But LinZhijie didn't expect that his plan would encounter such a big resistance withinthe pany.

“DirectorLin…”

Yi Xiangjun,the deputy general manager of Flying Stone Records, said with a smile: “LuChen is indeed an excellent singer-songwriter, but his works are mainly folksongs, which is not suitable for MSN's style, and…”

Themiddle-aged woman in her 40's tapped on the table with her fingers andstressed: “The asking price for one of his songs is 350,000 yuan. Who fromthe songwriters that we have invited before have asked such a price? And Ibelieve that several songwriters in the pany can e up with works that aregood enough.”

Her eyesturned to the three posers and arrangers who had signed on to Flying StoneRecords. There was encouragement in her eyes.

The latterstraightened up, and one of the well-mannered men with black-rimmed glassesnodded and said, “As long as the pany needs it, several of ourcolleagues will try their best to produce good works.”

After apause, he said in an unquestionable tone: “At least not worse thanothers!”

The man’sname was Fan Jun. He was the chief contracted songwriter of Flying StoneRecords. He was a famous poser and arranger in the circle. He has written manyexcellent works, but few of them were published in recent years.

Fan Jun hasworked with Flying Stone Records for nearly 20 years and has a high status inthis established record pany. Coupled with the support of Yi Xiangjun, he wasreally not afraid to play against Lin Zhijie.

And in FanJun’s heart, he was very dissatisfied with Lin Zhijie’s album planning.

Lin Zhijie’sidea was to invite outsiders to supervise the production of MSN's debut albumand create the title song, and have their senior songwriters act as an assistant.

If theperson invited was a top-level figure in the circle, Fan Jun wouldn't have anyopinion.

But who theheck was Lu Chen?

Just anewer who just made his debut and was lucky enough to sell a good album, yetdared to offer an astonishing price of 350,000 yuan a song. He really didn'tknow the immensity of heaven and earth.

Fan Junwasn't convinced. He has worked conscientiously in this industry for so manyyears, and his achievements were well known. How could he be willing to submitto a junior?

If LinZhijie really insisted, he would dare to flip the table and not give face - He couldmake a living anywhere!

“Yes,yes…”

Fan Jun was sounyielding that others also responded one after another, putting forward allkinds of reasons to oppose.

Their reasonwas nothing more than that Lu Chen’s asking price was too high, his qualificationwas too shallow, his writing style didn't satisfy what they need, and so on.

The only thing missing was them pointing at Lin Zhijie’s nose and telling him that he was talking nonsense.

Lin Zhijie’s face sank like water.[2]

As one ofthe largest record panies in China, Flying Stone Records has experiencedprosperity and recession, almost closed down and getting revived. Keeping itstanding until now was not really easy.

In recentyears, Flying Stone Records has been seeking innovation and change, followingthe trend of times. Efforts to pete for market share with emergingentertainment media panies have also achieved considerable results.

But thepetition in this industry was too fierce. In the eyes of outsiders, FlyingStone Records was a powerful pany, but Lin Zhijie was well aware of thepany’s current problems.

First was the lack of signed singer artists.

Flying Stone Records has signed up a number of singers, several of whom were in the front line, but all of them were old people from the 1980s and 1990s. They were not aggressive enough to keep their achievements[3] and lack enough appeal among young people.

Of course,the pany also attached great importance to the training of new people, butso far, there was no one who could play the leading role!

It was undersuch circumstances that Lin Zhijie single-handedly promoted the establishmentof MSN.

However, he underestimated the resistance from within the pany.

Lin Zhijie knew that as a music director, he has touched the interests of some people. Therefore, it was regarded as having crossed the line.[4]

It wasinevitable to encounter opposition!

Buzz ~.

At thistime, his mobile phone lying on the table suddenly vibrated.

Lin Zhijiepicked up his mobile phone and took a look. The look on his face changed a bit.

“Sorry,I'll take this call first.”

Heimmediately got up and left the conference room and went out to answer thephone.

Theatmosphere in the conference room then relaxed. Yi Xiangjun chatted withseveral department managers, and Fan Jun chatted and laughed with the singers'agents, looking as if he already had victory in his hand.

With suchfierce opposition from everyone, Lin Zhijie’s plan was bound to fail.

Everythingwill return to its original track.

After awhile, Lin Zhijie came back.

Instead ofsitting down again, he shook his phone at everyone and said, “Let’s putthis matter aside first.”

Yi Xiangjun knittedher brows and said, “Director Lin, I don't think that's a proper thing todo, right? Everyone is very busy. I think we’d better finalize the new planfirst, so as not to waste time. The pany will have a long National Dayholiday tomorrow!”

She thoughtLin Zhijie was playing a game of delaying time in order to win the support of thepany's senior management.

Lin Zhijie saidwith a smile, “I also want to finalize this matter. But Miss Chen Fei'eris ing here right now. I believe everyone knows that her new album will beproduced by our pany.”

The cooperation between Chen Fei'er and Flying Stone Records has been long-standing. Any of the former's album was extremely important for Flying Stone Records, and there was no room for any slightest neglect.

Yi Xiangjun still has to weigh the importance of this.[5]

But shestill has doubts: “Director Lin, Miss Chen Fei'er is here for her newalbum?”

She hasn't seenany notice from the pany!

Lin Zhijienodded and said, “Yes, and she's ing here with Lu Chen, because MissChen Fei'er has selected the two songs that Lu Chen wrote for her as the firstand second title songs of her new album!”

What?!

Everyonepresent was shocked.

Chen Fei'er actuallyused Lu Chen’s works as the title song of her new album, and it was still twosongs!

She was a big-timeHeavenly Queen!

How could LuChen be so capable?

Fan Junimmediately felt his face burning and a little ashamed.

Fan Jun haslong known about Chen Fei'er's new album.

Fan Jun even had the ambition of writing the title song for this album. Once this can be realized, his career and reputation will undoubtedly be taken to a new level.

But Fan Jun also knew very well that his talent was not enough. He might have the advantage of being able to pose and arrange songs for Chen Fei'er's new album because of his connections[6], but writing the title song was basically just wishful thinking.

Unexpectedly,Chen Fei'er’s title song was actually the work of Lu Chen, which he despised.

Moreover, IfLu Chen could write the title song for Chen Fei'er, then producing MSN’s albumwould be a cinch for him.

Theirprevious objections have all became jokes!

Both Fan Junand Yi Xiangjun had the feeling of being slapped in the face on the spot.

Seeing theugly look on these people's faces, Lin Zhijie was really happy in his heart.

Chen Fei'er’sassistant informed him yesterday that Chen Fei'er would e to Flying Stone Recordsthis morning.

Lin Zhijie alsojust learned the reason why Chen Fei'er came to the pany.

To be honest,he was also very surprised. He couldn’t figure out why Chen Fei'er chose LuChen.

With ChenFeier’s position in the circle, she could casually invite the top songwriters,and few songwriters could refuse her.

It should beknown that with this album, Chen Feier has the idea of transformation. The difficultyof its production was bound to be very high, and once it is successful, itsinfluence would also be huge!

What songdid Lu Chen write that moved this Heavenly Queen?

Lin Zhijie wasreally curious!

But on thesurface, he remained calm and said: “MSN's album plan will be postponed.I’ll go to meet Miss Chen Fei'er first. Would you like to e with me?”

No oneraised any objection this time, and several posers and arrangers looked ateach other.

Yi Xiangjunfelt as if she had swallowed a fly and couldn’t spit it out even.

She couldonly force a smile: “Then let’s go together.”

_____________

[1] Original Chinese saying: "Once bitten by a snake, ten years afraid of coiled rope". The English equivalent: "Once bitten, twice shy". The metaphor is afraid of encountering the same or similar event after being hurt once.

[2] Looks cold like stiff water

[3] 守成有余进取不足. I really don't understand this part. What I could get from this is that old artists only have enough strength to maintain their status in the industry, but doesn't have enough strength to forge ahead/increase their status (I think) and they lack appeal to young people. ment if you know what it means.

[4] Overstepping his authority.

[5] The "this" here refers to their cooperation with Chen Fei'er.

[6] Because he works in the Flying Stone Records (his connection) and Chen Fei'er has a cooperative relationship with his pany, he has an advantage in being able to pose and/or arrange songs for Chen Fei'er.

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