chsdbacks Chapter 104 One Action, Two Benefits
Chapter 104 One Action, Two Benefits
Although the outside world is very interested in Lu Ran, Xingyao has always done a good job of keeping things confidential, so not much useful information has been found out.
Even Lu Ran's net worth is little known.
Some say he's the heir to a reclusive family, and his foray into the entertainment industry is just a hobby; others say he's a reincarnated genius, born with innate knowledge; still others claim he's an alien, sent to Earth to spread culture...
Lu Ran occasionally came across these outrageous speculations and laughed so hard he slapped his thigh.
Now that aliens have come out, shouldn't the next step be to say that they are from another world?
Sure enough, as you scroll down, some people do speculate that he might not be from this world.
You guessed correctly. Don't guess again next time.
What if someone believes my guess next time?
However, Lu Ran has had some free time these past few days.
The data for "The Legend of the Condor Heroes" is steadily rising, and it has become a national-level film and television series, so Lu Ran has nothing to worry about.
Lu Ran is now resorting to slacking off at work every day to kill time; he's really back to his old ways.
Plants vs. Zombies has surpassed five million downloads in just one month since its release, with daily active users consistently exceeding one million. While it may not have reached the phenomenal popularity of Sheep vs. Zombies, it's still a respectable achievement for a casual game.
What surprised him even more was the impressive performance of "Wanning Gomoku". This casual game he made on a whim quickly became popular among college students thanks to its unpredictable random elements and social features, with daily active users approaching two million.
"It seems that people in this world also enjoy being tortured," Lu Ran said thoughtfully, stroking his chin.
Just as I was thinking about whether to play another little game, there was a knock on the office door.
"Enter."
Tan Yu walked in, carrying a thick stack of documents, but his face was beaming.
Tan Yu has become increasingly composed these days.
"Brother Lu, the pre-production work for 'Meteor Garden' is basically complete!" He placed the documents on Lu Ran's desk. "The location has been secured; it will be filmed at Jiangcheng University, and the school is very supportive. The behind-the-scenes team is also assembled, all reliable people recommended by Director Chen. As for the actors..."
He paused, a barely concealed smile spreading across his face: "Manxue has already signed the contract and will join the crew next week. The other supporting roles have also been cast; they're all newcomers with formal acting training, their pay isn't high, but their acting skills are solid."
Lu Ran flipped through the documents and nodded in satisfaction: "Not bad, Director Tan, you're quite efficient."
Tan Yu scratched his head sheepishly: "Director Chen was the main help, and Liu Jun and the others also contributed a lot."
"Don't be modest." Lu Ran closed the file. "Being able to get so much done in a week shows you've really put your heart into it. Keep up the good work, and if this drama turns out well, your reputation as Director Tan will be established."
Tan Yu nodded vigorously: "Don't worry, Brother Lu, I will do my best!"
He hesitated for a moment, then spoke up: "Um... Brother Lu, there's something I'd like to discuss with you. Could you give me your opinion?"
"explain."
"Manxue is still a free agent and doesn't have a management company." Tan Yu carefully chose his words. "After filming this drama, she'll definitely gain some fame. I'm thinking... should I suggest she sign with a company? Otherwise, it'll be inconvenient for her to get roles and negotiate collaborations in the future."
Lu Ran chuckled inwardly.
This kid is quite considerate of Xu Manxue.
"What are your thoughts?" he asked calmly.
Tan Yu thought for a moment and said, "I think Xingyao is a good choice. After all, our company is on a roll right now and has a lot of resources. But Xingyao has very high requirements for signing artists, and Manxue doesn't have many works right now, so she can't sign with them at all."
Tan Yu was telling the truth. To get into Star Glory, you either need to have strong skills, bring your own resources, or be a promising new star with formal training.
Compared to these people, Xu Manxue really had no advantages and no conditions for signing a contract.
After all, Tan Yu is not Shen Zhiwei. Although he is the number one heir of Xingyao, he does not have the right to just randomly arrange for someone to join the company.
Lu Ran laughed and said, "Since that's the case, don't worry about it. In a few days, I'll help her find a reliable and promising company."
"What company?" Tan Yu asked, his eyes shining.
"It's a secret for now, but in short, she won't be treated unfairly." Lu Ran kept it a secret.
"Let's talk about this after 'Meteor Garden' is finished filming and how it goes. If the show is a hit, Xu Manxue's value will naturally increase, and we can negotiate a better contract then," Lu Ran said seriously.
"Yes, yes, Brother Lu is right." Tan Yu nodded repeatedly. "Let's focus on filming well first, and we can talk about other things later."
After seeing Tan Yu off, Lu Ran leaned back in his chair, feeling pleased.
Although Xu Manxue's fame may increase and her price may rise accordingly, Shen Yuege's price will also rise due to the "Voice of Heaven" program.
If both sides rise, it's the same as no rise at all.
Everything was going according to Lu Ran's plan.
If "Meteor Garden" is successfully filmed, the Star F4 will become famous, Xu Manxue will become famous, Tan Yu will get what he wants, and Shen Yuege's studio will gain a great talent.
perfect.
Just as I was feeling quite pleased with myself, my phone vibrated.
It was a message from Shen Yuege:
"I listened to 'Another Me in the World,' and it's very good. Xu Manxue sang it with great feeling."
Lu Ran replied, "Of course, how could my songs be bad?"
Shen Yuege: "You're getting cocky now that I'm calling you fat. But... this song has been released for three days, and the numbers don't seem too good?"
Lu Ran looked at the message and sighed.
Shen Yuege is telling the truth.
"Another Me in the World" has only garnered a little over 100,000 views and a few hundred comments in just three days since its release. For a new song, these numbers are only mediocre.
Without company promotion or a fan base, relying solely on the quality of one's work in today's era where traffic is king is indeed difficult to break out of the niche.
Lu Ran thought for a moment and replied, "That's normal. It's a new artist with a new song, no promotion, no traffic. It's good enough if anyone listens to it. But I do have an idea."
Shen Yuege: "What are your thoughts?"
Lu Ran: "Aren't you going to record 'The Voice of China' next week? Have you decided what you'll sing for the first episode?"
Shen Yuege: "It's settled, I'll be singing 'The Wind Rises.' The production team wants me to sing my signature song to evoke nostalgia."
Lu Ran: "What about the second episode?"
Shen Yuege: "It's not decided yet. Didn't you say you were going to write a new song for me? What, you have an idea now?"
Lu Ran's lips curled into a smile as his fingers rapidly tapped on the screen:
"How about you sing 'Another Me in the World' in the second episode?"
After the message was sent, there was a long silence on the other end.
Just when Lu Ran thought Shen Yuege wouldn't reply, his phone vibrated.
Shen Yuege: "You want me to sing Xu Manxue's song on 'The Voice of China'?"
Lu Ran: "Yes. With your current popularity, singing this song on the show is like giving it a national-level 'GG' (a Chinese internet slang term for a major promotional stunt). Everyone will be curious: who is the original singer of the song that Shen Yuege covered on a competitive show? The name Xu Manxue will be remembered overnight."
Another silence followed.
Then, Shen Yuege sent a voice message.
Lu Ran clicked on it and heard her voice, tinged with laughter:
"Lu Ran, you even schemed against me to promote Xu Manxue?"
Lu Ran quickly denied it: "This is not a scheme, it's a win-win situation."
"Singing her songs will not only help her, but also show your magnanimity in mentoring younger artists, and it will make it easier for you to sign her later. It's a win-win-win situation, so why not?"
...