Chapter 888
Who is the "Raw Jade"?
At this moment, Jay Chou looked as awkward as a lost fawn that had wandered into a palace.
He was wearing faded jeans and an ill-fitting white shirt, with a pair of bulky black-rimmed glasses perched on his nose, almost obscuring half of his face. His thin body was stiff and tense, and he tightly hugged an old canvas bag that looked weathered and had worn edges, as if it were his only support.
His gaze drifted to the rolling sea of clouds outside the window, filled with tension, unease, and a sense of alienation that felt out of place in this luxurious first-class cabin.
Lou Yuan's doubts deepened.
That's it? His appearance is so ordinary that he'd disappear into a crowd immediately, and his demeanor is even more unremarkable, only showing a lingering sense of naivety and restraint. The boss's judgment...could he have misjudged him this time? Or perhaps this kid is particularly good at flattery, winning the boss's favor? Lou Yuan, having been in the business world for many years, knows all too well that flattering superiors is also a "talent."
He decided to "cultivate feelings" while also getting a feel for the situation.
He cleared his throat, a professional smile—a smile that was three parts polite and seven parts scrutinizing—breaking the silence:
"Xiao Zhou? Relax, don't be so tense."
Lou Yuan deliberately softened his voice, "Our journey is still long, so let's chat. I heard from Mr. Lu that you are a creative talent from Alpha Studio? The boss has high hopes for you."
He emphasized the words "place high hopes on" as he keenly observed the other person's reaction.
Jay Chou snapped back to reality, like a startled little animal. A flicker of panic crossed his eyes behind his glasses, quickly followed by a deep sense of being flattered.
He quickly sat up straight, his voice soft and gentle with the distinctive flavor of his Yizhou accent, and stammered, "Hello...Mr. Lou. Yes...yes. I...I just write songs, I wouldn't dare call myself a 'talent'..."
He instinctively hugged the canvas bag in his arms tighter, his knuckles turning slightly white from the force.
Lou Yuan saw this reaction as more like a guilty conscience and a lack of confidence.
"Oh? Songwriting? Singer-songwriter?" Lou Yuan leaned forward slightly, his smile unchanged, but the scrutiny in his eyes deepened. "So what types of songs are you good at writing? Do you have any recent masterpieces?"
He cast a probing hook, wanting to see how much knowledge this person actually possessed, or whether he was just all talk and no action, only good at flattering the boss.
When music was mentioned, the panic and inferiority in his eyes seemed to be ignited by something.
He licked his slightly dry lips, his voice still not loud, but noticeably more fluent, carrying an almost reverent earnestness: "Mr. Lou, I... I want to try everything. Popular... R&B, Hip-hop... I'll do more of that... but I also really like classical things, like Chopin, Bach... Sometimes, the inspiration for lyrics comes from poetry..."
He paused, as if organizing his thoughts, his gaze drifting to the empty space outside the porthole. "For example, Li Bai's 'Have you not seen the Yellow River's waters come from the sky?' That kind of grandeur, if it could be expressed with melody and rhythm..."
Lou Yuan chuckled inwardly. Classical? Poetry? This kid certainly knows how to pat himself on the back. He pressed on nonchalantly, "You sound like you have a wide range of interests. Tell me more, what have you written recently? Any finished products?"
It's like Jay Chou has finally gotten a chance to prove himself.
He took a deep breath, as if making a decision, and carefully unzipped the canvas bag in his arms.
A faint, almost imperceptible scent, a mixture of paper and sweat, drifted out.
With trembling hands, he took out a thick stack of sheet music manuscripts clipped together, the edges of which were already curled and fuzzy. The papers were densely covered with notes, lyrics, and marks of revision, the ink varying in shades, clearly indicating that they had undergone many revisions.
“This…” Jaylen’s voice was filled with a nervous anticipation, as he held up the stack of manuscript papers and handed them to Lou Yuan. “This is something I… wrote in the last ten days. Boss… the boss hasn’t seen it yet… please… give me some pointers, Mr. Lou.”
Lou Yuan frowned slightly. Ten days? He wrote so much? Was it just filler? With an almost critical eye, he casually took the paper. The paper felt slightly rough to the touch, and it was indeed densely covered with writing.
He casually turned to the first page.
As Lou Yuan's gaze swept over the title and a few lines of lyrics, his initial intention to give a perfunctory reply instantly froze.
The lyrics were a unique and imaginative combination of imagery, carrying a narrative and visual quality he had never experienced in pop music before. He subconsciously glanced at the sheet music below.
The musical notes on the staff were fluid and unique, the rhythmic markings were clear, and some sections were marked with special performance technique symbols. As someone who wasn't a complete novice in music, Lou Yuan instinctively sensed that this score... was not simple. He abandoned his initial dismissive attitude and turned to the second page.
Page 3…
Page 4…
His fingers turned the pages slower and slower, and his gaze shifted from initial scrutiny to focus, and then to astonishment.
Each song seems to have a slightly different style, yet they all carry a unified and strong personal imprint.
The melodic direction, the use of chords, and the design of the bass lines all exude a timeless agility and ingenuity.
The lyrics are incredibly imaginative, featuring both classical imagery like "the sky is blue waiting for the rain" and modern rhythmic punches like "quickly use nunchucks, hum hum ha hee," and even a wonderful attempt to blend Western R&B rhythms with the traditional Chinese pentatonic scale... This is definitely not a perfunctory work that could be "stuffed out" in ten days!
This requires an extremely profound and solid foundation in music theory, rich musical literacy, and unconventional creativity!
Lou Yuan suddenly raised his head, his eyes behind his glasses sharply fixed on the young man who still seemed somewhat uneasy, as if seeing him clearly for the first time. The thick glasses, the ordinary clothes, the nervous expression—none of these could conceal the dazzling light emanating from the depths of his soul.
A gem in the rough! Absolutely a gem in the rough!
Lou Yuan's heart began to beat faster and faster uncontrollably.
As a businessman, he instantly saw the immense value hidden behind this stack of sheet music! This wasn't some newcomer needing "promotion"; it was clearly a gold mine waiting to be tapped, capable of producing astonishing wealth! The boss's eye... wasn't just sharp, it was practically divine!
He took a deep breath, trying to calm the shock in his heart. When he spoke again, the previous politeness and scrutiny in his voice had completely disappeared, replaced by undisguised admiration and the excitement of discovering a treasure.
"Good! Good! Good!" He exclaimed three times, tapping the sheet music in his hand with his fingers, his eyes shining brightly. "Xiao Zhou! Jay Chou! I, Lou Yuan, was blind just now! This is not just 'okay', it's a masterpiece!"
Caught off guard by the sudden, enthusiastic praise, Jay Chou blushed instantly and stammered, "Mr. Lou...you flatter me...I...I didn't write well enough..."
"No, no, no!" Lou Yuan waved his hand forcefully, his tone resolute, "Although I haven't heard you sing in person and don't know how your live performance is, just based on your talent for songwriting and composing, your solid music theory foundation, and your boundless creativity..."
He flipped through the stack of manuscripts, a testament to his hard work, his tone brimming with certainty. "I can confidently say that you're destined to be a singer! And you'll absolutely do a fantastic job! Becoming a superstar is just around the corner!"
He leaned forward, close to Jay Chou, his voice filled with power and the excitement of a talent scout discovering a gem: "No wonder! No wonder Boss Lu values you so much! A talent like you is a once-in-a-century find! Don't worry!" He patted Jay Chou's tense shoulder heavily, as if making a solemn promise.
"Once you're in Yizhou, leave Alpha to me. You just focus on creating! I, Lou Yuan, hereby promise that I will dedicate all my resources to supporting you! I will make you the undisputed flagship of our Century Light and Shadow, no, the entire Chinese music scene! The boss's judgment will never be wrong, and I'm telling you now, my judgment will also never be wrong!"
These resounding words were like a warm current, instantly dispelling the last unease and anxiety in Jay's heart. He had just been worried that although he had gained the appreciation of the big boss, Lu Yang, the new, seemingly shrewd and tough manager, Mr. Lou, might not value him, a "small character," as much as the boss did.
He was even prepared to be scrutinized and questioned again...
Unexpectedly! A complete turn of events! Not only did Mr. Lou understand his music, but he also gave it such high praise and made such a solemn promise! That heartfelt amazement and appreciation was genuine.
Jay Chou's chest heaved violently, and his eyes welled up with tears. The fear and inferiority he had felt over the past few days were replaced by a tremendous sense of recognition and hope.
He straightened his back abruptly, sniffed hard, and transformed his excitement into a do-or-die determination. Meeting Lou Yuan's eager gaze, he patted his chest, his voice filled with the stubbornness and gratitude unique to young people, and solemnly promised:
"Thank you! Mr. Lou! Thank you so much! I will definitely work hard and write songs with all my might! I will never let you down!"
"Why are you calling me President Lou?" Lou Yuan was finding Jay Chou more and more pleasing to the eye, and he felt that Jay Chou had a bright future. He waved his hand and laughed heartily, "That's too formal! My name is Lou Yuan, you can call me Brother Yuan from now on! Let's be brothers from now on! When we get back to Yizhou, Brother Yuan will protect you, and we'll do something big together!"
"Yuan... Brother Yuan!" Jay Chou called out the name with a hint of shyness, but his face lit up with a relieved, grateful, and hopeful smile. That pure determination and yearning for the future stirred a long-lost passion and anticipation in Lou Yuan, a businessman who had seen the ups and downs of the business world.
Meanwhile, in Suzhou, Century Light and Shadow Media.
The meeting room was filled with the pungent smell of smoke, and the air was so stuffy that it was hard to breathe.
Accountant Zhang, looking distressed, pushed a financial statement in front of Lou Hua, who had just taken over the company's management, pointing to the shocking deficit figures:
"Director Lou... no, Mr. Lou... look, there's only this much money left in the account. We need to pay salaries at the beginning of next month, and there's also the film reel that the 'Suzhou River' crew just handed over, plus the extra fees for the extras... all together, this little bit of money is just enough to last two months, there's not a single penny more."
Old Zhang's voice was filled with helplessness and anxiety, "President Lou, should we continue to invest money in 'Suzhou River'? We've already shot almost fifteen reels of film, the film consumption ratio is terrifying..."
Lou Hua sat at the head of the conference table, his signature canvas director's vest looking somewhat wrinkled.
His brows were furrowed, and his fingers unconsciously gripped the edge of the report, his knuckles turning white.
The cold numbers on the report were like needles, puncturing his previous illusion of simply burying himself in creation and asking for money.
For the first time, he faced the company's financial difficulties with such clarity and brutal realities.
In the past, these troublesome problems were all solved by his elder brother Lou Yuan using some unknown method, either by robbing Peter to pay Paul or by shamelessly taking on odd jobs investing in TV dramas. He even secretly complained that his elder brother was too mercenary and always used "money" to dampen his artistic pursuits.
Now that Lou Yuan is gone, he has placed this heavy burden directly on Lou Yuan's shoulders.
Lou Huacai truly understood what it meant to "not know the cost of firewood and rice when you're not in charge of the household."
The basic expenses of maintaining the company's daily operations and paying employee salaries are enough to drain all the cash in the account.
And Suzhou River... this project, to which he poured countless efforts and placed all his artistic ambitions, is like a huge, greedy money-devouring beast!
The filming went far beyond the allotted time, with sets being repeatedly built, dismantled, and rebuilt. The consumption of film reached an astonishing level. The pursuit of a perfect result for every frame resulted in the budget burning at an alarming rate. In the past, he only cared about asking for help and never thought about how much pressure and humiliation his elder brother had endured behind the scenes.
“Suzhou River…” Lou Hua murmured to himself, his finger tracing the glaring negative number on the report. Give up? Absolutely not! This film carried his directorial dream, his only hope of winning the Rotterdam Tiger Award and recognition at the Paris International Film Festival!
Winning the award would prove his worth and repay his boss Lu Yang for recognizing his talent!
He suddenly raised his head, his eyes regaining that almost obsessive stubbornness, but this time, it was mixed with a weight that he had never felt before as the "head of the family."
“Old Zhang,” Lou Hua’s voice was a little hoarse, but unusually clear, “Regarding the production crew… hold off on the additional fee requests for now. The basic benefits for the crew members cannot be touched… As for the wages…”
He took a deep breath, as if making a firm decision, "No one is allowed to touch this money! I'll think of another way!"
"Find another way?" Old Zhang looked bewildered. What other way could this company, which was vulnerable from all sides and had only survived until now thanks to a single startup fund from the head office, possibly have?
Lou Hua did not explain.
He waved for Lao Zhang to leave, leaving him alone in the smoke-filled conference room. Sunlight streamed through the gaps in the blinds, casting interlaced stripes of light and shadow on his face.
He walked to the window, gazing at the winding waterways of Suzhou's ancient city below, his expression shifting with complex emotions.
Ultimately, that firm belief overwhelmed all the heaviness of reality: as long as Suzhou River could win an award, it would all be worth it!
He took out his phone and hovered his finger over the name "Mr. Lu" in his contacts for a long time.
Ultimately, his burning desire for his dream and his sense of gratitude for his boss's "favor" drove him to press the dial button.
The call connected quickly, and Lu Yang's signature calm yet penetrating voice came from the other end: "Hello."
"Boss, it's me, Lou Hua." Lou Hua's voice unconsciously carried a hint of respect and caution. "I... the filming of 'Suzhou River' has reached its most crucial and effective stage. There are a few shots that I think can compete with the film festival jury..."
"How much are you short?" Lu Yang's voice was completely flat, directly interrupting his carefully prepared introduction about artistic pursuits and the prospects of the film festival.
Lou Hua choked for a moment, his prepared artistic declaration stuck in his throat.
His face flushed, a wave of shame washing over him as he realized his predicament had been so easily seen through. But this was quickly replaced by a subtle feeling of "the boss really understands me." He swallowed hard, his voice lowering, carrying a barely perceptible pleading tone: "One million…no, boss, if it really doesn't work, just give me another 500,000! With that money, I guarantee the last few key shots will be perfect, and the whole movie will definitely…"
There was a moment of silence on the other end of the phone.
This brief silence made Lou Hua's heart leap into his throat, and even caused beads of sweat to appear on his forehead.
He could almost picture Lu Yang frowning slightly on the other end of the phone.
Lu Yang was indeed listening, his mind flashing back to his past life's impression of Lou Hua: a talented art-house film director, obsessive, aloof, low box office, high awards. A perfect example of "spending a fortune to buy a horse's bones." As for him spending 500 million and still not finishing a film that was only worth 200 million in his original timeline? Lu Yang couldn't be bothered to care. 50? That amount of money was nothing in his vast business empire, not even worth a fraction of the value of a piece of art in his collection.
"Alright." Lu Yang's calm voice came again, without any emotional fluctuation, as if he were dealing with a trivial matter. "I'll hang up if there's nothing else. Keep an eye on your bank account later."
"Boss! Thank you! I..." Lou Hua was about to seize the opportunity to express his loyalty again and his determination to live up to expectations and bring honor to the company and the boss, but all he heard from the receiver was a cold and regular "beep...beep..." busy tone.
Lou Hua stood frozen in place, holding his phone.
Hearing the jarring busy tone, the excitement on his face and the words he had prepared instantly froze, turning into utter bewilderment.
What does the boss mean by this?
Is it because you're annoyed by him, fed up with him always asking for money to film these "money-losing" movies?
Or perhaps... the boss still appreciates his persistence, but is too lazy to even listen to his thanks for this "small amount of money"?
The boss's thoughts are like the skyscrapers in Shenzhen shrouded in neon lights; he can neither see them nor fathom them from the damp cobblestone streets of Suzhou.
He slumped down, put down his phone, and sighed heavily. His gaze drifted to the gray sky over the ancient city outside the window. He could only try to dispel the confusion and unease by consoling himself: "Never mind... as long as... as long as 'Suzhou River' wins an award... as long as I become an internationally renowned director... the boss will definitely see my worth again, he'll understand my value..."
He stubbornly ignored the faint voice in his heart: for a tycoon like Lu Yang who possesses billions in wealth, his artistic struggles and this mere 500,000 yuan were perhaps truly as insignificant as dust, not even worthy of causing the slightest ripple in the other party's emotions.
Lu Yang's indifference wasn't directed at Lou Hua personally, but rather an almost instinctive detachment he displayed when looking down upon the masses after traversing a vast class divide. (End of Chapter)