Chapter 50: Trust in Sister Chun

Huang Guokun smiled as he told Huang Guolun, "Right now, it’s just an idea. If we really put it into action, I need you to pay more attention. Over the years, our company has cut many useless departments, but I’ve always kept the Music Planning Department for you. With the country putting more emphasis on copyright protection and pop music showing clear signs of revival, don’t you want to make your mark in this field?"

In the past, Huang Guokun would never have had such expectations for Huang Guolun, but after hearing the soundtrack Huang Guolun composed for "Biochemical Dictator," he realized that Huang Guolun possessed sharp musical talent that had previously been buried. If he found the right direction, Huang Guolun could achieve a lot in the world of pop music.

Huang Guolun, however, hadn’t considered this possibility. Sitting on the sofa, he replied with his usual candor, "I’m pretty satisfied with being a teacher right now..."

Huang Guokun interrupted him, "You are a good teacher, no doubt. But if you try something else, who knows, it might turn out even better? Let me tell you, Lun, everyone in our company has listened to Bai Yao’s ‘The Beautiful People.’ Almost every single one of them liked the song. Master Yuan even commented that it’s very international. Maybe not many people domestically enjoy this style, but if it were released in Europe or America, it would surely attract a legion of loyal fans. Chinese culture is marching onto the world stage now, both in film and music, and everything’s trending towards internationalization. The wave is just forming, but we can’t underestimate it, nor ourselves. Take Wu Yifan, for example—his new song has already made it onto the Billboard charts. Isn’t that incredible?"

Huang Guolun remarked, "Wu Yifan is Canadian."

"No matter where he’s from, he’s still Chinese! I believe more and more Chinese artists will appear on the Billboard charts in the future, and Chinese music will definitely connect with the world. Don’t you want to be part of this unstoppable tide?"

Whenever Huang Guokun talked about internationalization and connecting with the world, Huang Guolun felt helpless.

He wasn’t like Huang Guokun, who was always daydreaming and seeing everything in the best light.

He preferred a down-to-earth life.

He had his own dreams and worked hard for them, but he never confused dreams with delusions.

Seeing Huang Guolun remain silent, Huang Guokun pressed him, "Don’t always think my ideas are unreliable and impossible to realize. How can you be sure we’ll fail if you don’t try? What if we succeed?"

Huang Guolun retorted, "How many times have you said ‘what if’? Has it worked out even once?"

Huang Guokun shot back, "This time, ‘Biochemical Dictator’ will definitely succeed! You’ll see! And when it does, don’t be jealous!"

Huang Guolun laughed, "What would I envy? I’m hoping you succeed as soon as possible."

Huang Guokun informed him, "We’ve settled on a new title for our film. It’s no longer ‘Biochemical Dictator.’ We’re calling it ‘The Noble Corpse’ now—‘corpse’ as in zombie, so the name is a bit of a spoiler. At first, I didn’t like it, but this series already has a fan base, and the team says changing it to ‘The Noble Corpse’ will give it more potential. So I made the final call. What do you think of the name?"

"I won’t dampen your spirits, but what a terrible name!"

Huang Guolun was speechless at the new title, but when it came to matters of the film industry, especially the internet film circle, he wasn’t very knowledgeable and felt it wasn’t his place to advise Huang Guokun.

"The reason for the title is to carry on the momentum from our previous film, ‘The Noble Soul.’ You know we didn’t sign an exclusive agreement with any major platform, just an all-platform deal. Each video site won’t give us much promotional support, so we have to keep the attention of those hard-won fans and build the brand of the ‘Noble’ series. Even though I’m not fond of the name, I’m confident this film will make our company famous! I can already see the road paved with gold ahead, haha!"

Huang Guolun rationally poured cold water on him, "Stop boasting. Wait till you really succeed before you laugh."

Huang Guokun dreamed aloud, "When this film brings fame to Kunlun Culture, I think the company can return to its original intention and develop into a multi-cultural enterprise, doing both film and music. I’ve had several veteran musicians listen to the soundtrack, and without exception, they called it brilliant! When the film is released and the time is right, we’ll definitely issue an original soundtrack album. Whether it sells or not, I want fans to remember that anything Kunlun Culture produces is simply brilliant!"

Huang Guolun joked, "You should add one more word in front: ‘boast.’"

"Hey! I’m being serious here. Don’t interrupt with nonsense! Think it over, pay more attention to the company, get the Music Planning Department up and running, and let it advance side by side with my Film Planning Department. As the saying goes, united brothers can cut through gold! We’re both nearing thirty, it’s time we joined forces for something big. If we don’t do it now, it’ll be too late. I know you have to take care of Taozi and don’t have much time for these things, but you don’t need to do everything yourself. Once you decide, we can hire a dedicated team to handle it. I think Bai Yao has great potential for us."

"Don’t mess with Bai Yao. She’s still a student, might get into Tsinghua or Peking University someday. Don’t come up with some wild plan and ruin her future."

"I’m not trying to mess with her. I’m just discussing with you. If Bai Yao is willing, our company could really invest in her and nurture her. In this circle, fame must come early. If you have a seed, you must cultivate it immediately. If a newcomer with the same qualities appears and we’re a step behind, the future prospects will be worlds apart."

Huang Guolun still insisted, "Don’t mess with Bai Yao."

"Why do you always think I’m scheming? What would I want from her? I’m not even that interested in music. I just think your talent can be showcased through Bai Yao, which is why I want to make it happen. Everyone in the company who’s heard Bai Yao’s ‘The Beautiful People’ thinks her voice is amazing. Especially after hearing she’s only seventeen, they believe she has enormous potential. And they haven’t even seen her in person yet—if they did, they’d be convinced she’s destined for great things. Not to brag, Lun, but I’ve been around in this circle for quite a while and seen a lot. It’s rare to find a newcomer who’s beautiful, talented, intelligent, and emotionally astute. Bai Yao is a unique gem in this field—extremely rare! What’s even more remarkable is that she has a commanding presence. From the first moment I met her, I knew she wasn’t ordinary. That buzz cut was so sharp! Scared me senseless!"

"You’re exaggerating. If I remember correctly, when you first met Bai Yao and heard her speak, you dismissed her right in front of her, saying she couldn’t sing."

"Haha, exactly. That’s why you’re so perceptive! You discovered Bai Yao’s unique voice. If you work in the music industry, you’ll definitely make a big impact! I’m telling you all this for your own good. I have no ulterior motives toward Bai Yao. I just believe you can polish her into a real gem, and through her, your talent can shine. The domestic music scene has been rapidly reviving these past two years. You wouldn’t notice it if you’re not in the circle, but I feel it keenly since I’m always immersed in it. Look at how much the major platforms are paying for music rights now—it’s sky-high! You can’t imagine how much! And there are plenty of channels to launch new artists online, like ‘The Voice of China.’ If our company gets Bai Yao on such a show, even if she doesn’t win, she’ll definitely attract a huge fan base. The entertainment industry here is ruled by fans—if you have fans, Bai Yao becomes a money tree with unlimited future prospects!"

"You say you have no ulterior motives, but you’re already treating her like a money tree."

"Is there anything wrong with that? If a company is nurturing talent, should it turn them into money trees or loss-making trees? I think you’ve been a teacher so long you’ve lost perspective. If Bai Yao gets to choose, I bet she’d rather be a money tree than a loss-making tree! Have a serious talk with her. If she’s interested, don’t stand in the way of her dreams. Bai Yao isn’t Taozi; don’t let your stubbornness dictate someone else’s life. You should use your talent to elevate others. I have a feeling..."

Huang Guolun hurriedly cut him off, "Don’t have feelings. Your intuition is never right!"

"Thirty years east, thirty years west! My intuition used to be off, but since I got into internet films these last two years, it’s gotten sharper. I have a strong hunch—if Bai Yao enters this industry, with her distinctive style and potential, and if she undergoes a major breast reduction surgery, she might just become China’s next Li Yuchun. That’s not a fantasy! Don’t you remember? Believe in Chun, and you’ll live forever!"

Huang Guolun nearly spit out a mouthful of blood and snapped, "Get lost! I’m hanging up!"

Before Huang Guolun could hang up, Huang Guokun hurriedly reminded him, "Don’t ignore what I said! Have a good talk with Bai Yao! I’m doing this for you! Don’t miss your chance to become the next Chun mentor!"