Teacher Mao mercilessly criticized Jiang Hua. Indeed, in Hangzhou, a few million would barely cover the down payment.
"By the way, do you have a car? You're not going to rent one when taking girls out, are you?"
That hit home. Jiang Hua hadn't thought about these things.
He used the company bus to get around, and when performing at other theaters, transportation was always provided.
Jiang Hua had forgotten that he had a few hobbies: racing cars, football, and basketball.
Since terminating his contract with Hua Yi, he had been so busy that he'd put aside his hobbies.
Jiang Hua nodded, "You're right. I'll set a small goal first - earn 100 million."
100 million might not even be enough, as hobbies can be quite expensive.
Teacher Mao quickly patted Jiang Hua's head. Had this kid lost his mind? 100 million was hardly a "small goal".
With 100 million, their entire troupe could perform independently for a long time.
Amid cheers from outside, the actors took the stage.
Despite their usual playfulness, once in costume, they instantly got into character.
"Break a leg!"
Teacher Mao hugged and clapped with each of them.
Jiang Hua stood aside, nodding encouragingly with his arms folded. This guy was putting on airs again. After all, being handsome is a lifelong commitment.
With thunderous applause, the performance officially began.
He watched the actors on stage with a thoughtful expression.
Honestly, "New Dragon Gate Inn" was a bold innovation, and it seemed successful now.
But it was more of a novel experience. What would happen after this phase passed?
Given the turnover rate of celebrities in the entertainment industry, a star lasting two years was considered good.
But it takes over a decade to cultivate an opera performer. This wasn't something you could achieve with just two and a half years of practice.
Look at them, shining on stage.
Each one was excellent. Qing Qing's portrayal of Qiu Moyan had resonated deeply with the audience. Jiang Hua was just the scriptwriter; the specific vocal styles were a collaborative effort. After all, he wasn't a local and could only sing "A Startling Dream" and songs from "New Dragon Gate Inn".
This was the result of everyone's hard work.
"How does it feel? Envious?" Teacher Mao suddenly interrupted his thoughts.
She saw the light in Jiang Hua's eyes, a longing for the stage.
Jiang Hua shrugged, "Envious of what? My name is on the big screen."
This young man was still putting up a front. Teacher Mao actually liked Jiang Hua; he was polite and knew his place.
If it were someone else, they would have left long ago. The opera circle truly doesn't make much money.
It was slightly better now, with performances increasing everyone's salaries.
"Stop pretending."
It was indeed a bit unfair for him at Little Hundred Flowers. This guy was born for the stage.
But she was reluctant to let him go. He was a true all-rounder.
"If you have any ideas, just say them. We'll try our best to make them happen."
Jiang Hua thought for a moment and asked, "We can't freely take on commercial performances or advertisements within the system. Can we start a company?"
Teacher Mao smiled, "Of course! The Ministry of Human Resources and Social Security said that employees of public institutions can engage in business and start enterprises, as long as they ensure their primary job is done well and operate with integrity. The higher-ups encourage it."
This teacher had already retired and was now the CEO of a cultural creative company.
"That's good. I've already thought of a new idea for Yue Opera."
Wow, "New Dragon Gate Inn" had only been popular for a few months, and this guy already had new ideas.
He was truly a treasure. Even if he just hung around the troupe all day, they had to keep him.
"Tell me quickly."
Jiang Hua shook his head, thought for a moment, and said, "I'm still conceptualizing. It should be ready in a few days."
Once the popularity of "New Dragon Gate Inn" dies down, we'll launch the new play.
This was the difference between opera performers and ordinary celebrities. As long as there were continuous new scripts, they could attract a steady stream of young people to the art form.
"Very good. I'll tell Cai Fei not to have you follow the troupe for now. Focus on thinking about the new play."
This teacher was as unforgiving as ever towards her students.
After all, she was the troupe leader.
But what did this have to do with whether he followed the troupe or not? Jiang Hua was now just a free spirit in the art troupe, going wherever he pleased.
He only came to the theater today because he was bored.
"Alright, the performance is over. Want to go on stage and feel it?"
Hearing the thunderous applause from outside, Jiang Hua smiled.
"No, thanks. I'll go back to work. See you later."
Jiang Hua waved goodbye and left the theater, returning to his office in the small building of his work unit.
Sitting in his office, he pondered the plot of the new play.
Oh right, there was also the matter of making money. After all, hobbies required financial support.
He had been slacking off for about a month. With the year-end approaching, it was time to set sail again.
He opened the recent news, and a headline caught his attention:
"Diva Xiao Qi's new album flops, contract with company reportedly nearing expiration."
"Hua Yi Company adjusts business direction, considering abandoning music division."
"K-pop idol group 'Big Stick' releases new album after 3 years, dominating Asian music charts."
"Jiang Hua's legendary album completely suppressed, the King of Korean Wave has arrived."
This group was truly terrifying. The Korean Wave's dominance was no joke. To be called the King of Korean Wave, their power must be immense.
Even the diva was defeated, and Jiang Hua's collaboration with Zhou, Wang, and Tao Lin was overshadowed.
The public still preferred pop music. Jiang Hua knew that Korean music had faster rhythms and stronger beats, suitable for dancing.
They often sang and danced simultaneously during performances, and dance was a crucial factor in their popularity.
Their songs were full of youthful rebellion and fanaticism.
This was practically cultural invasion.
But he was lazy. What did it have to do with him? He wasn't a hot-blooded youth anymore.
Jiang Hua sampled these songs. There were only 4.5 songs in total. The music was quite energetic, but the lyrics were all clichés.
Why 4.5 songs? Because one song combined the arrangements of the previous four, blending them into a fifth song.
This money seemed too easy to make. These four songs just had slight rhythm changes, everything else was the same old Korean Wave formula.
Rap + sing and dance, plus various exaggerated makeup and costumes. It was too jarring.
The domestic music scene seemed to be completely copying this model.
One arrangement could produce several songs, and if one became a hit, they'd strike gold.
"Sigh, the music industry is only slightly better than the opera circle. Money is truly hard to earn."
Oh! It was almost 5:30 PM.
He immediately turned off his computer and packed up to leave work.
Working behind the scenes had its perks, like leaving work on time.
He could even leave early without issue. After all, his reputation as the "street wanderer of Zhe Bai" was well-established.
Everyone had accepted it.
He shouldered his small bag, ready to return to the dormitory.
Suddenly, his phone rang.
"Hello! Little junior, what are you up to? Guess who this is?"
Jiang Hua rubbed his head. The only one who called him "little junior" was Liu Yajie, that persistent caller.
He switched the phone to his other hand and called out to the empty air, "Boss, wait for me, I need to take a call."
"Senior, is there something I can help you with? I'm a bit busy right now."
"Stop pretending. I have my sources."
...