Chapter 242 – Paying respects to a teacher
At the celebration party of Flying Stone Records, anyone who didn’t know Lu Chen was definitely a rarity.
The situation where someone who saw him and greeted him was perfectly normal.
The current Lu Chen was also entitled to be called a “teacher” – as he produced MSN’s first album.
The so-called “status” is built layer by layer in this way.
But Lu Chen didn’t recognize the guy who greeted him at all.
The other guy was short and chubby, with thin eyebrows, small eyes, a flat nose, and a shiny bald head that glistened under the indoor lighting. He looked a lot like a certain comedian but with some differences in facial features.
He quickly walked up to Lu Chen, extended both hands with a smiling face, and said, “I’m so glad to meet you!”
He had a genuine Beijing accent!
Lu Chen instinctively shook his hand and asked somewhat puzzled, “Hello, may I ask who you are?”
The short, chubby man immediately introduced himself, “I’m from Hongpeng Media…”
“Old Wu!”
He hadn’t even finished speaking when he was interrupted. And the one who interrupted him was no other than Lin Zhijie. Lin Zhijie was followed by three lovely girls with smiles as bright as flowers – Mu Xiaochu, Su Jiajia, and Ning Tian!
Lu Chen’s attention was immediately diverted.
Lin Zhijie walked over with a smile and said, “Lu Chen, this is Wu Sheng, the general manager of Hongpeng Media. Wu Sheng, I need to discuss something with Lu Chen, do you mind?”
The last two sentences were directed at the short and stout man.
He had a smile on his face, but there was not much warmth in his eyes, showing a hint of indifference.
Strictly speaking, Lin Zhijie’s behaviour was against social etiquette. Even if there were some grievances between them, he shouldn’t have embarrassed the other person like this at his own celebration party. After all, everyone who came here was a guest!
But Lu Chen believed that Lin Zhijie definitely had a reason for this.
He withdrew his hand without showing any emotion.
Wu Sheng still had a smile on his face, as if he didn’t care at all, and said, “Of course, I don’t mind. You guys can talk.”
He turned to Lu Chen and said, “Teacher Lu, let’s have a chat later.”
Lu Chen nodded with a smile.
In a situation where the truth was uncertain, maintaining basic politeness was the most appropriate choice.
After Wu Sheng left, Lin Zhijie looked at his departing figure and snorted. He pulled Lu Chen aside and notified him, “This person is very unscrupulous in his actions. Very few people who cooperate with him end up without suffering. His reputation in the industry is bad, so it’s best for you to not engage with him.”
So that was the case!
Lu Chen nodded to indicate his understanding.
He knew that Lin Zhijie wouldn’t casually badmouth others behind their backs and that his reminder was well-intentioned.
However, this got Lu Chen curious, “Then why did you invite him over?”
Lin Zhijie said helplessly: “Someone higher up in our company is well acquainted with him, so they gave him an invitation…”
The larger the company, the more complicated the situation is, and the entertainment industry by itself is even more unfathomable.
Lu Chen smiled and said, “Aren’t you afraid of offending him?”
Lin Zhijie disdainfully replied, “What should I be afraid of? By the way, he has a good relationship with Jin Hongwei.”
Jin Hongwei?
Lu Chen hadn’t heard that name in a long time, but still, that was the name he would never forget.
The grudges between him and Jin Hongwei ran deep.
Just that alone was enough for Lu Chen to keep his distance from Wu Sheng and avoid getting involved with him.
But he is going to remember that person.
When Lin Zhijie saw that Lu Chen understood his goodwill, he became happy because of that and beckoned, saying, “Little Mu, you all come over…”
He called the three beautiful girls to come over here.
In fact, Mu Xiaochu had been following them all along. When they saw Lin Zhijie’s gesture, they all came forward and as they stood in front of Lu Chen they all bowed, while saying, “Thank you, Teacher Lu!”
They sincerely thanked Lu Chen.
Whether it was Mu Xiaochu, Su Jiajia, or Ning Tian, a few months ago, they were all unknown students or newcomers.
And now, MSN has become a rapidly rising girl group.
Not to mention the benefits, just walking on the street, the probability of people recognizing them is 100%!
Lin Zhijie said that the person they needed to thank the most was Lu Chen.
In the pop music industry, there has always been the saying – ‘a song makes you famous.’ A classic song can propel a newcomer to stardom. Although it still requires promotion and packaging, without a solid piece of work, hype can only get you so far.
There are quite a few girl groups in China that follow the youth idol route like MSN. Flying Stone Records had also formed two, but most girl groups either disband or struggle to survive, and very few of them are truly successful.
Some of these girl groups have members whose quality is not inferior to MSN, but they have not achieved the same success. Apart from factors like investment, luck, and timing, the most important thing is the lack of good songs that can be sung everywhere.
Good songs and good singers complement each other!
The reason why the album ‘Not Yet Lovers’ sold so well is not only due to the strong promotion by Flying Stone Records but also because Lu Chen tailored and produced three songs for MSN, including the title track.
From the feedback of fans and listeners, it was precisely ‘Not Yet Lovers’, ‘Where’s Love’, and ‘He Still Doesn’t Understand’ that gave this album platinum-level quality and potential, winning the love of countless people.
In the latest ranking of the Original Sound Chart, all three songs were placed within the top 20!
As for the other works from the same album, only one barely made it onto the charts, and it’s at the bottom.
This clearly shows Lu Chen’s star power.
Lu Chen laughed and said, “Why are you all being so polite? I didn’t bring you any red packets.”
For this celebration event, Lu Xi, on behalf of Lu Chen’s Studio, sent a pair of flower baskets, which were placed at the entrance.
He was already very familiar with the three beautiful girls, and their working relationship was excellent.
There was really no need to be so formal.
Mu Xiaochu and the other two girls straightened up, looking a bit embarrassed. They exchanged glances and hesitated to speak.
Lu Chen was curious and asked, “What’s going on?”
Lin Zhijie cleared his throat and said, “Well, here’s the thing. These kids got an idea just now that, during this celebration event, they want to formally become your disciples. What do you think?”
Lu Chen was immediately taken aback.
He hadn’t been in the entertainment industry for very long, but he was quite familiar with its various rules.
Whether in the music industry or the entertainment world, taking on a disciple is a very solemn matter. It’s not something to be taken lightly, and both parties have their respective responsibilities and obligations.
If Lu Chen becomes the mentor of MSN, then his connection with the three girls in front of him will be quite deep.
Mu Xiaochu, Su Jiajia, and Ning Tian bit their lips. They stared at Lu Chen without blinking, their eyes filled with anticipation, and some of their pretty faces blushed slightly.
To be honest, the temptation was really strong!
Lu Chen shook his head and smiled, while saying, “Brother Zhijie, I consider Xiaochu and the other two as little sisters. Let’s not go through with this formal mentor-disciple relationship.”
He knew that the idea of becoming their mentor was probably Lin Zhijie’s idea, and it was likely a spur-of-the-moment thought.
Otherwise, Lin Zhijie would definitely have communicated with him in advance.
Actually, this idea was quite good, benefiting both parties.
With a mentor-disciple relationship, Lu Chen would have to participate in the making of MSN’s next album, even if he didn’t want to. He would also have to ensure its quality and sales, or else he would lose face.
On the flip side, having disciples like the girls of the MSN group would undoubtedly elevate Lu Chen’s status in the industry.
The more famous MSN becomes, the higher his status will be!
For example, if someone else wants to ask Lu Chen for a song, it would not be required for him to make the first move. They are the ones that would have to propose a price first.
MSN would undoubtedly be a key reference point for pricing.
The most important thing is that the next time Lu Chen makes an album for MSN, he can justifiably demand a share.
Naturally, this would also deepen Lu Chen’s connection with Flying Stone Records.
And it is precisely this point that led him to politely decline Lin Zhijie’s proposal, without succumbing to the temptation of the pretty girls.
Since the beginning, Lu Chen wanted to walk the path of an independent and free superstar.
He doesn’t want to be tied down.
Lu Chen’s refusal didn’t come as a surprise to Lin Zhijie, but the music director of Flying Stone Records was still somewhat disappointed because he really wanted to bring Lu Chen into his camp.
However, Lin Zhijie in the end didn’t pay too much attention to this; he was just trying his luck. Success would certainly be a great thing, and failure wouldn’t affect the relationship between the two parties.
Lin Zhijie even admired Lu Chen.
A young man with such determination, who could resist MSN’s pleading. His willpower is truly strong.
Lin Zhijie compromised, “Well then, in the future, you have to take care of your younger sisters more!”
Lu Chen chuckled, “Brother Zhijie, just don’t try to swindle me too hard.”
There are no simple individuals in the entertainment industry. Lin Zhijie has a good reputation, but he also has his own calculations, although he wouldn’t do anything harmful to others for his own gain.
Lin Zhijie laughed, “What are you talking about? Feier and I are good friends. How could I screw you over?”
The relationship between Lu Chen and Chen Feier could be hidden from outsiders, but it wasn’t a secret within the industry.
Everyone merely kept it to themselves.
If anyone deliberately exposed it, it would offend many people; this is also one of the unwritten rules in the industry.
Lin Zhijie, Lu Chen, and Chen Feier have a good relationship, so joking about it was not a problem.
However, Mu Xiaochu, as she listened, had a hint of sadness in her eyes.
Lu Chen’s affection for her was purely like that of an older brother to a younger sister, without any romantic thoughts involved in it.
On the other hand, her own feelings toward Lu Chen were not that simple.
It could be seen that Lin Zhijie’s suggestion for MSN to apprentice under Lu Chen was also a way to help her move on.
This couldn’t be spoken aloud.
Of course, the focus of tonight was still on MSN and the celebration officially began.
According to tradition, the high-level representatives of the Flying Stone Records took the stage to deliver a speech.
Fortunately, there wasn’t much unnecessary talk.
The ceremony was quite grand, filled with a joyful atmosphere. The three MSN beautiful girls appeared on stage with enthusiastic musical accompaniment and performed “Not Yet Lovers” for the guests in the audience.
Compared to when they were just formed, their singing and dancing skills have made significant progress.
After the song was finished, the entire audience erupted in applause!
T/N – Bruuuuh, this chapter was kind of tough to translate.
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