Chapter 690
You Shameless Boss, You're Even More Shameless Than Me
Huang Xiaoming stood under the shade of a tree on the other side of the set, wearing a well-tailored dark gray casual suit without a tie, revealing the luxury watch on his wrist.
His brows were furrowed, his expression anxious and agitated. He was still arguing with Guo Tingting on the other end of the phone in a low voice, his tone urgent and impatient: "Can you even handle this? The trending topics can't be suppressed, and the endorsement company has already contacted us. If this continues, all the collaborations will fall through!"
As he was speaking, he caught a glimpse of Jiang Yang looking in his direction out of the corner of his eye. He froze for a moment, quickly suppressing his anxiety, deliberately smoothing his furrowed brows, forcing a slightly stiff smile, and swiftly covering the phone's earpiece. He waved at Jiang Yang, trying to keep his tone as gentle as possible: "Xiao Jiang, you directed the scene quite well, it's very convincing! You chat with Baby first, I still have some small things to take care of here, I'll come find you in a bit."
After speaking, he glanced warily at the staff around him, afraid that others would see his anxious appearance, and then turned and walked further into the shade of the trees.
Her back was tense, and even her steps were hurried. She just wanted to find a secluded place to discuss public relations matters with Guo Tingting. She didn't want anyone else to see her current predicament.
He is now transitioning into the capital sector and has always been concerned about his image. How could he let people in the industry see him looking helpless under the pressure of public opinion?
After exchanging a few words with Jiang Yang, Yang Ying got straight to the point and explained her purpose.
Upon hearing this...
Jiang Yang paused for a moment: "Baby, do you mean you want to buy a song from me, like Lu Han, and share the copyright?"
"Yes."
Yang Ying nodded.
I'm not sure.
Having worked in the entertainment industry for so many years, she has seen many singers whose creative talents are short-lived.
Jiang Yang's ability to write popular songs like "Rose Boy," "Blooming Clouds," "Ambitious Man," "Calories," and "The Sea of Stars" doesn't guarantee he can maintain this level of creative output in the future. Nobody can say for sure whether he can create another hit.
There are far too many such cases in this industry, especially before 2016.
The most typical example is Wang Qiang. In 2006, he became an overnight sensation with his self-composed song "Autumn Never Returns". The song spread throughout the streets and alleys, and the number of ringtone downloads remained high, becoming a phenomenal pop hit that year. Everyone thought he would become a new creative force in the Chinese music scene. However, after his sudden fame, he was never able to write a work that could match it. All the singles he released afterward disappeared without a trace, and he gradually faded from the public eye.
There's also Xu Yuteng, whose song "Wait a Minute" became a viral hit online. It was originally written for Richie Jen and Huang Pinyuan, but they declined. He sang it himself, which turned out to be a classic.
However, after this song, he fell into a creative slump and never produced any original works that could move the audience again. He was gradually forgotten by the music scene and could only occasionally make an appearance with his hit singles from that year.
Similarly, there is Liu Jialiang, who broke through the competition in 2004 with his original song "Who Do You Really Love?", which was downloaded more than 10 million times as a ringtone and became popular all over the country.
However, his subsequent works could never escape the shadow of his previous works, and he never regained popularity, eventually disappearing from the public eye.
Zheng Yuan was the same. Back then, he set a record of over 120 million ringtone downloads with "Ten Thousand Reasons", becoming a top influencer in the online music scene. However, he lacked creative output afterward and never released any more popular original songs. His popularity gradually declined, and he eventually faded out of the music scene.
These individuals once amazed the entire internet with one or more hit original songs and were highly anticipated.
Creative talent is like a shooting star, fleeting and ephemeral. Jiang Yang's current meteoric rise to fame is so similar to theirs back then.
Yang Ying knew that creation relied on inspiration. Jiang Yang was able to write so many hit works now, perhaps because he had just caught a period of inspiration. But inspiration is the most elusive thing. Once inspiration dries up, one can no longer write good works.
She desperately needs a hit song to save her life, so naturally she worries that Jiang Yang's creative talent might also be short-lived.
Yang Ying did consider finding other singers with greater creative talent and influence.
For example, Zhou Jielun, Chen Yixun, and Lin Junjie are all more capable and famous than Jiang Yang is now.
But these top figures in the music industry wouldn't even bother with her.
Zhou Jielun is already a benchmark figure in the Chinese music scene, with countless classic works in hand. He is a top-tier celebrity and capital himself, and does not need to rely on writing songs for artists to obtain resources. Instead, he is selective about his collaborators.
She has popularity but no representative works, so she is of no use to him.
Eason Chan has been deeply involved in the music industry for many years, with a distinctive style and solid reputation. He collaborates with top production teams and A-list artists in the industry.
Yang Ying is facing a potential public opinion crisis and the possibility of having her endorsement revoked. Eason Chan's team will never allow him to be associated with such an artist, so as not to affect his own reputation.
The same goes for Lin Junjie. His creative and commercial resources are top-notch. He either collaborates with artists of equal caliber or with projects that can bring him new breakthroughs. Yang Ying can neither bring him traffic nor provide high-quality resources, so he naturally won't waste his time paying attention to her.
In contrast, Jiang Yang has only just begun to make a name for himself in the industry. He has gained fame and his creative talent has been recognized, but he has not yet truly established himself. Without solid resources and capital support, he is more easily tempted by profit.
Both the high copyright fees and the potential for future networking opportunities were enough to sway him.
More importantly, Yang Ying saw things clearly.
Jiang Yang is not just a singer-songwriter; he directs films, produces movies, and signs artists, clearly showing his ambition to expand and become a major player.
She couldn't really help Jiang Yang much on her own. She didn't have the core connections of a 4A advertising company, nor did she have enough capital to support her. She was still relying on Huang Xiaoming's resources to develop, but her husband Huang Xiaoming could.
Huang Xiaoming now controls Mingjia Capital and has deep connections with several companies, including Huace Film & TV and Tangde Film & TV, which can provide Jiang Yang with tangible assistance such as film and television investment and resource matching.
Her husband is her bargaining chip.
They're all smart people; there's no need for so much beating around the bush. After explaining the pros and cons, Jiang Yang understood.
Yang Ying wanted to latch onto Huang Xiaoming's coattails and, through him, transform herself from a traffic star to a talent star, thus consolidating her fleeting popularity.
Huang Xiaoming is currently in a public opinion crisis and is eager to get out of it.
The time had come for him to get on Huang Xiaoming's bandwagon.
Next, it's time to show off your muscles.
Leaving Huang Xiaoming aside for now, Jiang Yang turned to Yang Ying and said, "Sister Baby, I understand what you mean. I do have a song on hand right now, it's all finished, it's complete, but I don't know if you'll like it or if it's suitable for you. Are you in a hurry?"
Upon hearing this, Yang Ying's eyes lit up, her elegant composure faded slightly, and she blurted out, unable to hide her eagerness, "Can you sing now?"
As soon as she finished speaking, she frowned in annoyance and cursed herself for being foolish.
How could she forget that this is on a film set, and she can't sing live at all?
The film set was noisy, filled with the footsteps of staff and the sounds of equipment running, so even if someone sang, it was hard to hear them clearly.
Without professional accompaniment, a cappella singing simply doesn't bring out the quality of a song; instead, it sounds stiff. More importantly, Jiang Yang will definitely have to teach her to sing later, but she's tone-deaf. If she sings off-key on stage and the staff hears it and secretly films it and posts it online, Huang Bin, given his personality, will definitely seize the opportunity to turn it into negative publicity, saying she can't even sing and yet wants to make a comeback with a song. That would only make things worse and be a losing proposition.
Yang Ying quickly changed her tune, her face regaining a gentle smile, and her tone softened: "Look at my brain, I was so worried. The set is so noisy, how can we sing live? I didn't think it through."
“But I have equipment in my RV,” Jiang Yang said.
"Then let's go to your RV!"
Yang Ying responded.
She added cautiously, her tone pleading with a hint of coquettishness: "Could it just be the two of us? Um, I'm a terrible singer, I'm tone-deaf, and I really don't want anyone else to hear me, lest I be laughed at."
As she spoke, Yang Ying took a small step forward.
He deliberately got very close to Jiang Yang.
She brushed her shoulder against his arm, her fingers brushing against his forearm, a seductive smile playing on her lips, her voice low: "Xiao Jiang, as long as you're willing to help me, I'll help you with anything you need in the future. I'll also put in a good word for you with Brother Xiao Ming, so you won't be doing this for nothing."
If it were Chao Yuexi and the others, Jiang Yang knew that doing this would definitely be unintentional.
Yang Ying is different.
They've all turned into vixens.
Jiang Yang glanced at Huang Xiaoming's side and said, "Sister Baby, Brother Xiaoming is over there."
"I'm your husband. He asked me to talk to you alone."
Yang Ying remained composed. Noticing that no one was looking in their direction, she leaned forward slightly, deliberately making sure Jiang Yang could clearly feel her approach.
She openly showed Jiang Yang the cleavage revealed by her neckline: "Is it okay?"
"Baby, you have a high fever." Jiang Yang laughed.
"Shhh."
Yang Ying patted Jiang Yang's thigh and made a shushing gesture: "Let's talk on the bus. It's easier to talk if there are too many people on the bus."
Get on the bus?
Which car?
Is it Yang Ying's car?
Jiang Yang has come to realize the dark side of the entertainment industry.
On his first day as a director, he was subjected to the unspoken rules of a top female star. It was too despicable. He was an upright person, how could he possibly give in?
"Wait a minute, baby, let me clear the area around the RV."
Jiang Yang took out his phone and sent a message to Bai Lu: ["Where are you?"]
Bai Lu replied: ["You're in your RV. Didn't you tell me to get in the RV? You forgot."]
[“Come down and learn how to direct a film with Hao Chun. If there’s a chance in the future, I’ll let you have the title of director too.”] Jiang Yang typed.
Bai Lu sent a message: ["Really? Why are you suddenly being so nice to me?"]
[“We’re all family here. If I’m not good to you, who will be? If you earn more, I can get a bigger share too. Oh, by the way, tidy up the RV. I’m coming up with Yang Ying in a bit. She wants to buy a song from me, and I’ll teach her. There’s some equipment in the RV, so keep an eye on things for me and don’t let anyone get close.”] Jiang Yang typed.
Bai Lu sent a voice message: [“Boss, don’t think I don’t know what you’re up to. You’re even more shameless than me!!!”]
Less than two minutes later, the RV door was pushed open, and Bai Lu, dressed in casual sportswear and canvas shoes, jumped off the vehicle in a flurry of activity, her eyes scanning the staff around the RV.
Two production assistants responsible for organizing props were squatting next to the RV, counting the props used in filming.
There was also a member of the sound crew, who was adjusting the sound equipment nearby, while two other members of the lighting crew were resting by the edge of the RV, chatting with water cups in their hands.
Bai Lu strode over and said, "Hey, everyone get moving! Don't just huddle together here!"
Bai Lu was actually a little guilty, and she secretly clenched the hem of her clothes with her fingertips.
In other film sets, although she was Jiang Yang's assistant, people would treat her politely because of Jiang Yang's reputation. However, she didn't have any real power and couldn't really command the staff. Sometimes she had to be mindful of others' feelings and was afraid of being ostracized or bullied.
But things are different now. This is Jiang Yang's own production team. Her relationship with Jiang Yang is very clear. She is both his personal assistant and an artist he personally signed. In Jiang Yang's eyes, she is definitely one of his own.
All of these crew members were hired by Jiang Yang. To put it bluntly, they all acted according to Jiang Yang's wishes, so naturally they had to show her some respect.
Upon thinking of this, Bai Lu's slight guilt vanished instantly, replaced by an unprecedented sense of exhilaration.
My back straightened up unconsciously, and I spoke with much more confidence.
Finally, I no longer have to be careful to read other people's faces, and I can finally hold my head high. Even when I'm directing the staff, no one dares to be perfunctory or negligent.
Jiangyang needs to develop quickly.
She can also benefit from it.
Several staff members were startled by her shout and stopped what they were doing to look over.
Bai Lu pointed at the two people in the props team and raised her chin: "You two, President Jiang said that there aren't enough props on set, so he wants you to hurry up and move the props from here to the shooting area, instead of dawdling here!"
Then she turned to the sound crew, her tone slightly softer but still forceful: "And you, Director Zhou just sent someone to find you. He said there's a problem with the sound equipment and you need to go to the monitor to fix it. Don't waste your time here!"
Finally, she looked at the two lighting crew members who were resting and pursed her lips: "You two shouldn't rest here either. President Jiang wants you to go to the tree-lined avenue to set up the lights in advance and adjust the lighting to the right position, so that we don't end up in a scramble when filming starts!"
These reasons were presented in a very convincing manner.
The staff members dared not delay and quickly responded.
They quickly packed their things and hurried towards the direction indicated by Bailu.
In no time, the area around the RV was cleared out, and there wasn't a single extra person in sight.
Bai Lu glanced around to make sure no one was there, then waved and gave an OK sign in Jiang Yang and Yang Ying's direction. (End of Chapter)