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The song "Love's Devotion" was something Lu Chen released on his Wave Blog as a gesture of gratitude to the non-industry individuals in the show business community who had supported his charity crowdfunding project.
He never intended to profit or gain fame from this song; there was simply no need.
But Lu Chen didn't expect that the Yanhuang Charity Federation, that venerable giant of a charity organization, would take a liking to "Love's Devotion" and reach out to buy the rights, even inviting him to appear in a charity ad music video.
Lu Chen simply granted them a permanent free license.
Later, Chen Fei'er told him that he had made exactly the right call.
Whether in China or abroad, celebrities doing charity work or building strong relationships with authoritative charitable organizations brings many benefits.
In China, having a reputation for charitable involvement acts like a kind of protective shield; it earns you greater respect.
Take Chen Fei'er herself, for instance. She has a longstanding relationship with the Yanhuang Charity Federation.
Like Lu Chen, she will also be appearing in the "Love's Devotion" charity ad.
On the way back to Capital City from Jinling, Lu Chen and Chen Fei'er shared a car. Since their upcoming work would involve the charity federation's arrangements, she shared quite a bit of insider information.
Over the past year or so, there have been several scandals in China's charity sector, which have significantly damaged its public image.
Although not all of it was Yanhuang Charity's fault, as the top-tier organization in the field, it was inevitably affected too. Under pressure from higher-ups, the federation was in urgent need of positive publicity to rebuild its image.
And it just so happened that Lu Chen's charity crowdfunding on Zhongchou.net had made a major splash online, and the song he composed, "Love's Devotion," was a perfect fit for the federation's image and mission.
Otherwise, how would such a golden opportunity have landed in Lu Chen's lap?
Just look at the list of stars selected to appear in the ad, Li Xing, Tan Hong, Chen Fei'er, Liu Zonghan, Xi Rong... all top-tier celebrities.
Including Lu Chen himself, the final cast comprised 15 people, all of them more famous than he was.
And the director of this charity ad was none other than the legendary Yu Jiande, a 60-year-old film veteran with over 20 movies to his name and major international awards under his belt. His reputation is stellar.
Even a well-known director like Zhang Wentian, whom Lu Chen knew personally, couldn't hold a candle to Yu Jiande.
Chen Fei'er said, "If Director Yu ever picks you for one of his films, that would be your rocket ride to stardom."
Lu Chen chuckled at that.
He knew Chen Fei'er was half-joking, but also subtly reminding him to take this job seriously,
Even if there's zero money involved.
Lu Chen held Chen Fei'er's hand and said, "Then maybe I should just direct my own film and cast you as the heroine. We'll rise to the top together, how's that?"
Chen Fei'er's heart melted. "So you want to be a director now? Fine, if you manage to make a film, I'll be your heroine. Just don't back out later!"
Lu Chen grinned mischievously.
Chen Fei'er didn't take it seriously, but he did. Still, he knew it would take a long time for that dream to materialize, his current foundation was far too thin.
The road had to be taken step by step. Lu Chen had already moved ahead fast enough. If he pushed any harder, he might stumble.
The Mercedes carrying them sped down the Jin-Jing Expressway and returned to the Capital before dark.
Chen Fei'er dropped Lu Chen off at his apartment.
Although they had sealed their relationship with a kiss in Jinling, they weren't planning to make it public yet due to their careers.
The thing is, Lu Chen's rise had been too fast, without enough foundation or backing. If their relationship were made public now, it would bring intense pressure and seriously hinder his career.
The most immediate trouble would come from the media and paparazzi, who would hound him relentlessly.
There had been many precedents, Lu Chen had no desire to go through that.
So for now, the two had to keep their relationship under wraps. When the time was right, there would be no harm in going public.
Another important point was that in showbiz, romantic relationships often come and go. Very few last forever. If they broke up while dating secretly, at least it wouldn't cause a public scandal.
That was just the reality of the entertainment world.
On November 18, the day after Lu Chen returned to the Capital, he went to the designated location,
To participate in the shooting of the "Love's Devotion" charity ad music video.
The gathering point for all the celebrities and well-known performers was at Flying Stone Records' headquarters. Lu Chen was already quite familiar with the place.
In the VIP lounge, he met several big-name figures. He already knew Li Xing, Tan Hong, Chen Fei'er, and Liu Zonghan. Others like Liao Jia and Xi Rong, both huge names in pop and film, he was meeting for the first time.
Yu Jiande was also present.
This renowned director, celebrated both at home and abroad, had a broad, sturdy build and a square face. His graying hair was tied into a braid, and he wore a gray, traditional open-front cloth shirt, dark azure trousers, and black cloth shoes, giving off a somewhat otherworldly, almost Taoist sage-like aura.
It was said that Director Yu was a devout Taoist. As a youth, he trained in martial arts on Wudang Mountain and, in the 1990s, directed a film titled Wudang Mountain, which caused quite a stir across China.
The scheduled meeting time was 9:30 a.m., but shortly after 9:00, all the celebrity actors were already present.
No one dared to act like a diva in this kind of situation. Even those who were filming on location outside the city had specially taken leave to rush back to the Capital. Being late? Absolutely out of the question, that would invite collective outrage!
With time to spare, everyone sat around chatting. The entertainment industry, while vast on the surface, is actually a very small world. Two people who seemingly had no connection could easily be linked through a third party. The number of people who knew one another or were on friendly terms was almost endless.
Some were already old friends, and after not seeing each other for a long time, meeting again here was a pleasant surprise.
"Brother Tan Hong!" Lu Chen was the first to approach Tan Hong.
This pop music superstar was essentially semi-retired now. Word had it he would hold a farewell concert at the end of the year to officially bow out of the pop music scene.
Since the end of the Singing China competition, Lu Chen hadn't seen Tan Hong again.
But he had always remembered and appreciated Tan Hong's support and encouragement.
Tan Hong smiled, patted Lu Chen's arm, and said, "Little Lu, long time no see. I've been seeing your name a lot on the blogs lately, doing well!"
He glanced meaningfully at Chen Fei'er, who stood beside Lu Chen, and chuckled, "Heard you've got Fei'er playing the heroine for you now? That's amazing!"
Lu Chen gave a wry smile.
Chen Fei'er's cheeks flushed slightly, and she playfully chided, "Brother Tan Hong!"
Tan Hong laughed heartily. "Okay, okay, no more teasing. Little Lu, come on, I'll introduce you to a few mentors."
Among this group, Lu Chen was definitely one of the juniors. In terms of status, he was far behind the others.
If it were another newcomer in his place, most would take advantage of such a rare opportunity to network, shamelessly introducing themselves, buttering up the big shots, hoping to exchange a few words and get noticed.
In the entertainment industry, building relationships is key to lasting success. Sometimes, just a bit of attention or help from a senior can be enough to set someone up for a long time.
But Lu Chen wasn't like most newcomers. While he appeared modest on the outside, he carried a quiet pride within. He would never lower himself to fawn over others just to gain favor.
However, with Tan Hong personally making introductions, that was an entirely different matter.
"This is Teacher Liao Jia."
The first person Tan Hong introduced was Liao Jia, a heavyweight figure in China's pop music scene.
Liao Jia had a legendary reputation in the industry. Born in the early 1970s, he debuted in the late 1980s, and rose to fame in the '90s with his rock music, becoming one of the pioneers of soft rock in China.
He had a particularly strong connection to the band Black Crow, one of the leading forces in Chinese rock during the late '80s and early '90s. The band released three albums, selling over 20 million copies in total, making them a cornerstone of Chinese rock.
The band's lead singer and spiritual leader, Gao Yi, had been Liao Jia's mentor. Tragically, Gao Yi fell from the stage during a concert rehearsal, suffering a severe skull injury, and passed away at the Chaoyang People's Hospital at just 32 years old.
Gao Yi's sudden death was a devastating blow to Chinese rock. Black Crow, once a leading symbol of the genre, never recovered. The band disbanded two years later, leaving countless fans in mourning.
Liao Jia picked up Gao Yi's mantle and formed the band Black Memory, releasing two albums and going on a nationwide tour. He was widely seen as the true successor of Chinese rock.
But due to shifting industry trends, Chinese rock quickly declined. Neither Liao Jia nor Black Memory could reverse the tide.
By the early 2000s, Black Memory was on the brink of disbanding.
In order to survive, Liao Jia began performing soft rock and even love ballads. He also wrote songs for other wandering singers. At the time, many die-hard rock fans saw this as a betrayal, but Liao Jia achieved even greater success and cemented his place in the music world.
Now in his forties, this music industry heavyweight wasn't particularly tall and looked rather unremarkable. With small eyes, prominent cheekbones, and a fierce-looking face marked with rough, pitted skin, he wore a black suit and exuded a no-nonsense "Big Brother" aura.
"Hello, Teacher Liao!"
Lu Chen extended both hands. "I've been listening to your songs since I was a kid!"
While Tan Hong was introducing him, Liao Jia had been staring at Lu Chen with sharp, focused eyes. Only when Lu Chen reached out did he finally crack a slight smile. "Hello."
His hand was a little cold, the skin coarse like sandpaper, the fingers knobby and strong.
Lu Chen could feel his strength in that handshake.
Tan Hong smiled and said, "Little Lu is very talented. Old Liao, take good care of him, help guide the new blood."
Liao Jia let go of Lu Chen's hand and gave a faint smile. "Well, since you said so, of course I'll show some face."
Lu Chen replied politely, "Thank you, Teacher Liao."
But he could sharply sense that this senior figure in music… seemed to harbor just a slight hint of hostility toward him.
(End of Chapter)
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