Wan Shan has been trying to attract investment recently, but unfortunately most investors are not very interested in this crew of new directors, screenwriters, and actors. Some even refuse to watch a sample and kick them out.
Wan Shan was already desperate, so he regarded Shen Huai as his last straw.
Despite this, he did not play the victim or use Song Yimian as an excuse. Instead, he seriously presented the pre-edited sample footage and the investment plan, clearly outlining the amount of investment needed and its purpose.
Based on his attitude, Shen Huai nodded in approval in his heart.
Shen Huai clicked on the sample video and was pleasantly surprised. Although it still had some flaws, its merits outweighed its flaws. As a low-budget web series, it was already quite good.
Wan Shan sat opposite Shen Huai, nervously wiping his face, like a prisoner awaiting sentencing.
Shen Huai raised his head and said with a faint smile, "The film is well made."
Wan Shan smiled with delight: "Really? Then the investment..."
Shen Huai took the investment plan, read it carefully, and then asked, "May I take this plan with me?"
Wan Shan was so happy he was almost speechless, stammering, "Please...please go ahead."
Shen Huai nodded: "Thank you." He accepted the proposal and added, "In a few days, after the investment evaluation results are released, someone from the studio will contact you."
Wan Shan was somewhat surprised: "A studio?"
Shen Huai: "Yes. It's called Yixing Film and Television Studio."
Wan Shan silently repeated the name twice. Although he had never heard of it before, that didn't matter. What mattered was that he had finally secured investment!
He solemnly said to Shen Huai, "Brother Shen, don't worry, I will definitely do my best in filming. When I was a child, a fortune teller told me that I would meet a benefactor in my life when I turned thirty, and then I would rise to great heights! I think you are my benefactor! I believe this drama will be a huge hit!"
Shen Huai was amused by his seriousness and nodded: "Okay, I believe you."
He also believes that Yi Xing Studio's first drama will definitely be a great success.
☆, Chapter 112
After returning, Shen Huai gave the investment plan and sample footage to Zhu Chen and asked the investment department to evaluate and analyze them. The evaluation results were even better than Shen Huai had expected, and in addition, Elder Yi was also very optimistic about the drama.
Shen Huai readily agreed to invest, and the amount was even more than Wan Shan had imagined. Wan Shan initially thought the studio had made a mistake, but after asking, she learned that the extra amount was for advertising expenses.
Wanshan was practically dazed by this windfall, and he patted his chest, promising to edit and post-production properly.
Once these tasks are finished, the day for the Kollon Prize award ceremony will be fast approaching.
Shen Huai and Ye Cang boarded a plane to the United States together.
The Colum Awards are held in City C in the United States, which is also the home of American rock music. In addition to the Colum Awards, a rock music festival is held every year. On the way from the airport to the hotel, the two could see many people carrying guitars on both sides of the road, and rock music was playing in the stores. Even the driver who picked them up from the hotel could hum a few lines along with the music.
The entire city of C seemed to be a sea of music, bustling with tourists, including many black-haired, yellow-skinned Chinese. The driver told them that there weren't so many Chinese tourists a few years ago when the Columbus Awards were held; it was only because Ye Cang was shortlisted that many Chinese tourists were attracted to the city.
The organizing committee of the Cologne Prize was also very wealthy, having booked an entire hotel. There were many fans gathered outside the hotel, and the two even heard someone calling Ye Cang's name in broken Chinese.
Shen Huai and Ye Cang exchanged a glance. Ye Cang hadn't received such treatment when he last came to the United States! This shows how influential the Columbus Awards are. Since Ye Cang was nominated for the Columbus Awards, even the overseas sales of his album "Rebirth" have increased significantly.
After the two adjusted to the time difference, Nick Garcia arrived with his wife Amanda and, as their host, took them out for dinner.
Nick is a rock star in the United States. He praised Ye Cang's "Rebirth" on Twitter. Later, when Ye Cang and Shen Huai went to the United States to promote "Rebirth", the two became good friends through music. Even after returning to China, they still kept in touch through social media.
Therefore, after learning that Ye Cang and Shen Huai had arrived at the hotel, Nick quickly came over.
The two gave each other a bear hug as soon as they met. In the past six months, Ye Cang had been tutored in English by Shen Huai. Although he was not fluent yet, he could already communicate with people with difficulty.
Nick had somehow picked up a few broken Chinese phrases, and the two of them communicated in this incoherent way.
Nick patted Ye Cang on the shoulder: "Let me tell you, no one knows the best places to eat and have fun in the whole of City C better than me. Since you're here in City C, I'm going to... what's that in Chinese, Amanda?"
Amanda smiled and said in fluent Mandarin, "I'll do my part as a host."
Ye Cang and Shen Huai both looked at her with some surprise. Amanda smiled and said in Mandarin, "I've always been very interested in China. How good am I at Mandarin?"
Ye Cang nodded and gave her a thumbs up.
The group chatted and laughed as they walked straight to the garage. Nick drove a rather flashy convertible sports car, which was immediately spotted by fans as soon as it left the hotel, and many of them screamed.
Nick casually waved to them, and the fans made way for him to drive off.
Shen Huai then noticed that Nick was dressed quite casually, in a loose T-shirt and beach shorts, with slippers on his feet. He didn't look like a high-and-mighty rock star at all, but rather like an American uncle on vacation.
Nick explained to them, "In City C, the fans are crazy, but most of the time they're crazy offstage. Normally, we're just tourists in this city."
This is a unique feature of City C; otherwise, in other cities, they would probably be surrounded at the hotel entrance and unable to move.
Nick's sports car quickly drove onto the main road, which was even more bustling than the road they had taken back from the airport. Many bands started playing right there on the roadside, and all sorts of music were playing along the way.
Ye Cang was stunned.
Nick proudly declared, "This is our rock city in America! It attracts rock fans from all over the world. Here, even newborn babies can hum a few tunes!"
Wherever Shen Huai looked, he could see people singing, as if the air wasn't filled with oxygen, but rather with musical notes.
Amanda explained from the side: "Actually, more than 30 years ago, before the Colum Awards, City C was an inconspicuous small city, quite desolate. Later, the former governor and the Field family jointly established the Colum Awards, which attracted many rock singers and music fans, and that's how it gradually developed."
"City C is now no less prosperous than those bustling metropolises like City A."
Ye Cang and Shen Huai had mixed feelings after hearing this.
In the United States, they can build a city to its current state based on rock and roll music, and the Colum Awards are world-renowned, with every rock musician taking pride in receiving one.
Every year at the Colum Awards, in addition to rock musicians, C City also attracts countless headhunters from music companies who scout for potential singers from the streets and recommend them to major record labels.
The constant influx of new talent has created a virtuous cycle, which has shaped the rock city we know today.
China's music scene once flourished, but now it has fallen into such a desolate state. Those behind-the-scenes manipulators who suppress emerging singers are utterly despicable.
Ye Cang and Shen Huai were both feeling down, but they felt a little better once they reached their destination.
Nick stopped the car and led them toward the restaurant, explaining, "Don't let the small size of this place fool you. The owner used to be a Michelin three-star chef, but because he loved rock music so much and dreamed of becoming a rock musician, he stayed in City C and opened this restaurant."
Sure enough, when the group went inside, they discovered that the small shop was a hidden gem. The tables and chairs were all made of wood, and there was a small raised stage in the center. Although it wasn't mealtime yet, all the tables already had reservation tags on them.
Nick had also ordered the menu well in advance. He winked at Ye Cang and teased, "Old John is the best chef and the most demanding music fan. You'll have to go up on stage and sing a song later. How well you sing will determine whether we get dry bread or Michelin three-star food today."
Ye Cang looked at him in surprise, clearly not expecting such a rule.
Before long, the restaurant's customers arrived one after another. Most of them carried musical instruments, and many of them looked like a band had come directly.
When it's mealtime, the lights on the stage in the center of the restaurant are turned on.
Several young people rushed onto the stage, clearly familiar with the rules. They were indeed quite talented, and after they finished singing, everyone in the restaurant applauded them.
They returned to their seats, laughing and joking. A short while later, the waiter brought out dinner.
Nick leaned over for a look: "Wow, it doesn't look bad!"
They all seemed quite satisfied and began to enjoy their meal.
The enticing aroma of the food drew in the surrounding diners, and many of them went up on stage one after another. They were all very skilled, after all, Old John's reputation resounded throughout the entire City C. If they didn't have the ability to be thrown out, they would lose face.
Ye Cang was thoroughly entertained by the performance, feeling as if he were at a music festival.
Just as he was enjoying himself, Nick gave him a push: "Bro! It's your turn!"
Ye Cang raised an eyebrow, not flustered at all. He walked directly onto the stage, gestured and talked to the band that had just come off stage, borrowed their guitar, and sat in the center of the stage.
He gently plucked the strings and adjusted the microphone before speaking.
Shen Huai was stunned when Ye Cang opened his mouth, because he was not singing a song from "Rebirth", but a new song.
For a long time, the rebellious spirit represented by rock and roll has made people feel that rock and roll is dark, decadent, and rebellious. But rock and roll is actually a cry from the soul, representing freedom and non-compromise.
This spirit can still touch everyone, even across unfamiliar languages, regions, and cultures.
Although Ye Cang sang in Chinese, the spirit he wanted to express was understood by everyone present.
After Ye Cang finished singing, he returned the guitar to the musician, who gave him a thumbs up.
Ye Cang returned to his seat, and Nick clapped: "I really like this song. I think it should move Old John. We should be able to enjoy a good meal today."
Before the food arrived, Nick stroked his chin and explained, "Here, each guest can only sing once. If they can impress Old John, he'll personally cook for them. However, in all the time this restaurant has been open, very few things have managed to get Old John to leave the kitchen..."
As soon as he finished speaking, a short, middle-aged man wearing a chef's hat walked over, followed by a sous chef pushing a cart of ingredients.
Nick: "..."
Old John, beaming, bowed to the group and said, "Welcome! The best music deserves the best food. Please allow me to personally prepare today's ingredients for you."
John Old truly lives up to his reputation as a former Michelin three-star chef. Not only are his dishes visually appealing, delicious, and full of ingenuity, but watching him cook is also a pleasure.
Everyone enjoyed the meal, except for Nick, who seemed a little disappointed.
But while they were preparing the last dish, several voices speaking in Mandarin with English suddenly came from the side: "Why are you only cooking for them? We've waited so long, and all we've got is a glass of water! What kind of service is this!"
Shen Huai and the others looked toward the source of the sound and saw that there were quite a few people at the table. The middle-aged man sitting in the middle looked very serious. To his right sat two people who looked like assistants, one of whom had just started the argument. On his other side was a person dressed in trendy clothes who was wearing a mask and sunglasses even indoors.
A man who looked like a tour guide appeared extremely flustered and was explaining things to them in Mandarin.
Old John's face immediately darkened: "In my restaurant, only those who sing on stage receive service!"
The tour guide seemed to have finally explained the restaurant's rules, and an assistant seemed to say something before the man in the trendy clothes reluctantly took off his mask and sunglasses.
Shen Huai's eyes widened slightly.
Ye Cang noticed his expression: "What? You know him?"
Shen Huai nodded: "This is a singer from Huayu Records named Zhuo Feiyang. He is very popular in China. He won the Best Male Singer and Best Album awards at the Golden Melody Awards the year before last. I heard that he spent the whole last year in seclusion studying, seemingly to make a push into the overseas market."
Ye Cang thought for a while, but couldn't recall anything, so he simply put him aside.
Zhuo Feiyang walked onto the stage with a sour face, and his assistant quickly handed him a guitar. Zhuo Feiyang sang an English song he had written himself. Although his attitude was bad, his singing skills were still excellent, which explains his high popularity in China.
Before he could finish his song, Old John interrupted him, angrily ordering the waiter to throw him out.
Zhuo Feiyang was shocked and furious. He pointed at Ye Cang and said, "Why?! He can stay here even when he sings in Chinese, but I sing in English. Why are you kicking me out?!"
Old John snorted coldly and said contemptuously, "With plagiarized work, how dare you compare yourself to others!"
☆, Chapter 113