Chapter 89

Wu Cheng simply couldn’t believe it, the ugly duckling could really turn into a swan!?

Alright! If it really is her, then raising a beauty would be quite interesting!

Wu Cheng instantly became wicked, looking at her with a somewhat strange expression. However, no matter how he looked, he couldn’t match the chubby little girl in front of him with the dream girl in the hearts of countless men, except for her clear eyes.

But, aren’t children’s eyes always clear and bright?

Forget it, no more thinking. She will grow up eventually, and when she grows up, everything will be clear.

Actually, after knowing her name and considering the external factors, Wu Cheng was already certain that the little girl in front of him was that beauty.

However, thinking about her future appearance and comparing it to her current one, Wu Cheng felt a bit disappointed. Although she was somewhat cute, it was entirely due to the attributes of being a child!

Forget it, no more thinking!

Wu Cheng reached out and patted her head, saying, "I'll teach you to play the piano in the future!"

"Are you as good as Sister Deng Li?" The little girl asked innocently.

That innocent look made Deng Li laugh, saying, "If we're talking about singing, he definitely isn't as good as me. But when it comes to playing the piano, I can't compare to him!"

"Really?"

"Of course it's true!"

"Alright then!"

Wu Cheng was speechless, seeing her unwillingness. So, he sat down next to the piano and said with a smile, "Let me show you my skills!"

As Wu Cheng started playing, and the tune was very fast, it instantly captivated the three girls.

The tune was passionate and high-pitched, like a thousand horses galloping, making people feel their blood boil.

After the piece ended, Zhou Xiaomin was already staring at Wu Cheng in awe.

Wu Cheng proudly raised his eyebrows at her and looked at the three girls, who were all entranced by him, taking a while to come back to their senses.

"Xiao Cheng, what piece is this!?" Deng Li couldn't help but ask.

Zhao Yazhi explained for Wu Cheng, saying, "He used to play it at home, it's called 'Phantom Night Rhapsody.' He also wrote lyrics for it, which seem to tell a story about vampires, but the style is something he calls 'rap' from the West, and I can't understand what he's singing at all!"

Seeing Zhao Yazhi's helpless shrug, Deng Lin and the others laughed.

Wu Cheng was speechless. Actually, the piece was 'Croatian Rhapsody,' but since the original composer wrote it after seeing the war-torn 'homeland,' and Wu Cheng didn't have that experience, he had to find another reason. The piece had been given lyrics about vampires, so Wu Cheng directly borrowed it.

The version with lyrics was strange when he first heard it, but after listening a few times, he found it quite interesting.

So, he renamed it 'Phantom Night Rhapsody' and included it in his instrumental album.

"Xiao Cheng, sing it for us!" Lin Qingxia smiled at Wu Cheng, almost as if she was waiting for him to make a fool of himself.

Deng Li also looked at Wu Cheng with great interest, clearly very eager!

Wu Cheng was speechless but still fulfilled their wish, playing the piece again.

In the age of creation, or the brothers' tears flowing outside Eden,

Exiled, the forbidden power, the bloodline of Cain extends on the earth.

In the moonlight, a faintly sweet and fragrant scent, who quietly awakens the sleeping tomb?

Wiping away the gray spider webs, deep eyes replace confusion with temptation.

Sharp wings and fangs grow, roaring with the desire for blood.

Under the night sky, in the holy hall, what kind of hunting ground will this be?

...

Although Wu Cheng's singing voice was not very pleasant, especially during the transitions between real and falsetto, the rap added a unique flavor.

Deng Li knew that this style of rap wasn't suitable for her, so she listened with an appreciative attitude.

As she listened, she became entranced, forming images in her mind based on the lyrics, which created scenes that captivated her.

In fact, this style of rap was just beginning to emerge in the West, and they were not as mature as Wu Cheng, making the song seem naturally perfect.

Of course, this was partly because Deng Li loved Wu Cheng and wasn't very familiar with rap, so everything seemed good to her. In reality, this style, although emerging at the time, was not widely accepted in the upper echelons of Western society, partly due to racial prejudice.

However, Wu Cheng didn't care about these things. In the album, he stubbornly added the lyrics, which were recorded separately. The lyrics were very well-written, requiring a good command of language.

Wu Cheng knew his singing wasn't very good, so he had Zhang Guorong do the singing parts, while he did the rap parts.

The two collaborated on the song.

Lin Qingxia and Zhao Yazhi, like Zhou Xiaomin, didn't understand what Wu Cheng was singing, especially Lin Qingxia, who was not as sensitive as Deng Li.

Not to mention the completely clueless Zhou Xiaomin.

Soon, Aunt Chen returned from buying groceries, and Zhao Yazhi took Lin Qingxia and Deng Li upstairs to tour the house and choose their rooms.

Wu Cheng continued teaching Zhou Xiaomin to play the piano in the living room and called a few friends to come over for a meal, also to welcome Deng Li and Lin Qingxia.

Hong Jinbao, Sheng Long, Yuan Biao, and other brothers, as well as Zhang Guorong, Wu Shulan, Zhou Gui, Zheng Shaoqiu, Mi Xue, the Mei sisters, Zhong Zuhong, and Lan Jieying, among others.

Since Zhou Xiaomin was there, inviting Lan Jieying would give her some company.

Thinking about so many people coming over, Wu Cheng decided to have Aunt Chen prepare two hot pots, so everyone could enjoy them together. Even though it was hot, hot pots could still be enjoyed occasionally. Hot pots with cold beer were equally refreshing.

Around 6 PM, the friends started arriving one by one.

"A Cheng, you finally came back!" Sheng Long complained as soon as he saw Wu Cheng, "The premiere of 'Drunken Fist' is the day after tomorrow, and I thought you had forgotten!"

Wu Cheng smiled and looked at Chen Jianxun, who had come with Hong Jinbao, asking, "A Xun, is everything ready for the theater release?"

Chen Jianxun smiled, "Don't worry! Everything is ready. Twenty-six theaters are all set, just waiting for the film to be released. And 'Drunken Fist' has been promoted for so long, we've done everything we can. Now it's up to the audience to decide!"

"It seems you've been doing well recently! Have you joined more theaters?"

Chen Jianxun smiled, "We've bought two theaters in Yuen Long and Sham Shui Po, each with about 400 seats, not too big but not too small. We've also joined three independent theaters. Actually, there were six, but I thought the other three were too close to our larger theaters, so I didn't accept them..."

Wu Cheng thought for a moment and smiled, "Actually, accepting them wouldn't have been a problem. It's better to avoid letting others take them. In the future, we'll have more films, so we won't have to worry about waste."

After a pause, Wu Cheng pulled Chen Jianxun and Hong Jinbao upstairs, saying to Sheng Long and the others, "A Long, A Biao, you stay here and help me receive the guests. I need to talk to San Mao and the others!"

The three went upstairs, and Wu Cheng started making tea, saying, "A Xun, you've been in charge of the theaters for a while. I think you should also consider the business around the theaters. Theaters don't just make money from ticket sales; they also make money from surrounding products. Just like in Hollywood, their income comes not only from ticket sales but also from the profits of surrounding products. Of course, this isn't obvious now, but in ten or twenty years... that's too far ahead. Let's talk about the business around the theaters."

Chen Jianxun took over the tea-making, pouring tea for Wu Cheng and Hong Jinbao. Hong Jinbao, puffing on a large cigar, leaned back on the sofa, content. He didn't want to manage these things, but since Wu Cheng called him up, he had to sit and listen.

"My idea is to create a one-stop service around the theaters, including dining and entertainment, forming a complete industry chain. For example, bars, cafes, restaurants, small tea rooms... Inside the theaters, we can also set up a small shop to sell popcorn and drinks."

Chen Jianxun nodded in agreement, his eyes bright. Although he had a short temper, he was open to good suggestions, especially from his boss.

This was also the reason he was willing to join Donglong when it had nothing. Being with Wu Cheng, he felt he could learn a lot, and now it was true.

In fact, many people were already doing this around theaters, but most were independent and hadn't formed a unified industry chain. Wu Cheng's proposal was a unified strategic plan, with a vision and depth that few could match!

Hong Jinbao also nodded, feeling that entrusting the company to Wu Cheng was indeed the right choice. However, he had some doubts, "A Cheng, although these ideas are great, they will require a lot of money! Just the bar, for example, will be a significant investment. Do we have that much money?"

...