Outside the nightclub.
A man in black wearing a baseball cap was on the phone.
He dialed several times, but the call was hung up each time.
"Hmph, since you don't know what's good for you, don't blame me for not showing any respect."
With a cold snort, he redialed a number.
"Get Zhang Tingting to call me. I have some juicy gossip on Lin Yanyu."
After speaking, he confidently hung up the phone.
A minute later, his phone rang.
He answered the call, but there was silence on the other end.
"I have photos and videos of Lin Yanyu meeting her boyfriend's parents," he got straight to the point.
"Tomorrow, Star Shore Cafe."
After speaking, the other party hung up directly.
The man in black seemed accustomed to this.
In their line of work, clients were usually very cautious, afraid of saying too much and being recorded or caught.
A single sentence could be sensationalized by professional paparazzi and cause an uproar.
Therefore, upon hearing the address, the man in black smiled smugly and walked into the nightclub.
...
The Opera Association ceremony was an important event held once every four years.
Industry bigwigs from all walks of life would attend,
making it an undoubtedly grand occasion for opera enthusiasts.
However, with the development of the times, Chinese opera had long since declined.
Despite being called a national treasure, the entire association's popularity was not as high as a top influencer's concert.
In the conference room.
Liu Chuanfeng, the president of the Opera Association, held a paper fan, his brows furrowed.
"President, according to statistics, only about a hundred people are participating in this grand event, with only a handful of newcomers. As of now, only twenty thousand tickets have been sold."
"I think we need to make some changes. Young people nowadays hardly listen to opera. Once our generation is gone, this traditional culture might be lost."
"But how can we change it?"
The atmosphere around the conference table was somewhat somber.
It was called a grand event, but it was merely a slightly larger performance.
Most importantly, young people nowadays had no interest in opera, considering it old-fashioned and outdated.
"I know our situation, but this is how society is, and we can't do anything about it. For years, not only have we been making efforts to promote opera culture, but the government has also been making efforts to publicize it, yet the effect has been minimal."
President Liu Chuanfeng sighed.
Everyone knew opera was in decline and that efforts should be made to promote it.
However, after everyone tried their best, there was still no effect, which made people feel powerless.
"Why don't we invite those internet celebrity singers to perform and promote it?"
Someone suddenly suggested from below.
"We've discussed this idea before. We tried to find some internet celebrities, but there are very few who can sing opera.
"The few internet celebrities we found had a good response after singing a few lines, but once the popularity faded, they went back to their old ways."
Liu Chuanfeng said with a wry smile.
The association had considered this method in recent years, with internet celebrities becoming popular.
Specifically finding internet celebrities to sing opera.
However, opera itself was highly difficult, incomparable to those disposable pop songs.
Even those who could sing it somewhat were few and far between.
"In the final analysis, there is still no work that can arouse young people's interest in opera," Chen Rong, who had been silent all along, suddenly spoke.
As a first-class opera actress, she was naturally present at the meeting.
A casual remark from Su Yu yesterday had given her some insight.
After pondering, she continued, "Ancient-style songs are quite popular now. Why don't we ride this wave?"
The country was increasingly valuing traditional culture.
Ancient-style songs were gradually becoming popular, and the government was also vigorously promoting them.
Even her daughter Lin Yanyu's competition had chosen ancient-style songs as the theme.
"Ancient-style songs?" Liu Chuanfeng was taken aback.
"Yes, let's find someone to write an ancient-style song with opera elements," Chen Rong nodded.
"We tried this method before, and it had some effect, but it wasn't long-lasting," Liu Chuanfeng shook his head.
This method had been used before, but the effect was similar to having internet celebrities sing opera, resulting in only fleeting popularity.
It was quite popular at the time, but after a few months, the popularity disappeared.
Moreover, this popularity was only for ancient-style songs, not for opera.
"What I mean is, we need a high-quality song, with a theme related to opera, not that sentimental love stuff. It would be best if it told the story of opera performers, so that listeners can resonate with it," Chen Rong said with a smile.
After she finished speaking, several people in the room had a change of expression, showing interest.
However, Liu Chuanfeng's brows remained furrowed.
After pondering, he said, "Our budget is limited this time, so we can't afford to hire top producers to write songs. Moreover, even top producers who don't understand opera can't write songs with your requirements. Let's try your suggestion when there's an opportunity with a suitable producer."
Most producers nowadays wrote pop songs, and very few researched the obscure genre of opera.
Furthermore, there were only half a month left before the ceremony. Who could write a high-quality song in such a short time?
Even a top producer wouldn't dare to guarantee it.
"Alright then," Chen Rong nodded with a wry smile.
She really thought it was a good idea, but the time was indeed too tight.
"You've reminded me. Although we can't find someone to write a high-quality song, we can try to create an ancient-style song with opera elements. This time, we'll sing it ourselves, and it should have a good effect."
In previous ceremonies, everyone sang opera, and the audience was primarily opera enthusiasts.
Chen Rong's suggestion just now gave him an idea. Besides the fixed opera performances, they could also add an ancient-style song performance.
Moreover, this ceremony was being broadcast live across the entire network on a streaming platform. During the singing, there would be real-time audience interaction, and the effect would be clear.
It would serve as a trial for the future.
"We'll sing it ourselves?"
"I think this suggestion is good."
"I also think it's good."
"Haha, after singing opera all our lives, let's try singing a song."
"But who should sing it?"
As everyone spoke, their gazes all fell on Chen Rong, who was standing nearby.
As an opera actress, her singing skills were undoubtedly superb.
Pop songs were not difficult for them at all.
However, most of the people present were older. In terms of appearance, Chen Rong was the most suitable.
"I can try," Chen Rong was taken aback at first, then smiled and nodded.
She knew she was indeed the most suitable person present.
They were all striving for the dissemination of opera culture, and there was no need for her to pretend to refuse.
"Haha, good, then this task will be entrusted to you," President Liu Chuanfeng put away his folding fan, his expression slightly more relaxed.
"But who will write the song?"
Someone suddenly asked.
Time was tight now, and it was uncertain if a song could be written.
"Let's first try to inquire with local entertainment companies. If that doesn't work, we'll choose a popular ancient-style song and I'll negotiate the copyright with them. However, our budget for producing the song is at most two million." Liu Chuanfeng pondered for a moment and then made a decision.
Everyone felt this was the most reliable suggestion.
No one objected.
"Okay, I'll go to the entertainment companies in Shuangqing City tomorrow."
Chen Rong did not expect the budget to be only two million.
With this amount of money in Shuangqing City, it was uncertain if they could even afford a mid-level producer.