Chapter 82

"Did you hear that on the recording day, Teacher Li Zongheng was very fond of you and wanted to recruit you into the Arrow Target team? You and Arrow Target have some history, so why didn't you join the Arrow Target team? Why did you choose our Colorful Butterfly team? It can't be just because Ya Ling was the first to turn for you, right?" After a brief exchange of pleasantries, Wu Yifan directly probed Lin Zai Shan's intentions.

"It's because of this, no other reason. I am very grateful that Teacher Li Zongheng values me so much, but I want to learn more about guitar arrangement from Teacher Xiao Guan. For this competition, I rely heavily on my old guitar, and I want it to accompany me all the way to the end."

"Is that old guitar really a gift from your grandfather?" Guan Ya Ling asked, fearing that Li Xiaoni might not understand.

Wu Yifan immediately shot a glance at Guan Ya Ling. He Mei and the others also looked at Guan Ya Ling in surprise—how could this girl ask such a low-level question? The man said on stage that it was a gift from his grandfather, so how could it be fake? Even if it were a made-up story, he wouldn't tell you!

Lin Zai Shan didn't care about such trivial matters and smiled at Guan Ya Ling. "That is indeed a gift from my grandfather, and that guitar means a lot to me."

Listening from the other end, Li Xiaoni felt a warm sensation in her heart. The Martin guitar that Grandpa Lin saved up for a long time to buy for Lin Zai Shan was so significant to him. It seemed that this guy really had a sense of rebirth! He now understands the warmth and emotions of the world.

"Will you use this guitar for all your future performances? No other instruments?"

"It depends. If needed, I would certainly hope for more support in arrangement. The song 'Hills' I sang before had a grand arrangement. However, the music team of Oriental TV had some differences in their arrangement philosophy compared to mine. I don't like them providing me with things I don't want, so in the end, I went solo."

Having been in the music industry for decades, Wu Yifan understood what Lin Zai Shan meant as soon as he heard it.

On the surface, Lin Zai Shan was complaining about the music team of Oriental TV, but in reality, he was speaking to the Colorful Butterfly team—indicating that he doesn't like being interfered with in his music.

Wu Yifan quite liked Lin Zai Shan's personality in this regard.

Musicians should have such persistence and integrity, staying true to their初心 (initial aspirations) and not letting others blur their initial pursuit of music.

Wu Yifan declared, "For future competitions, if you need any support in arrangement from the Colorful Butterfly team, just let us know, and we will try our best to meet your requirements. If you find it difficult to communicate with Ma Xiaodong's team, you can have Ya Ling talk to them."

"That's great, thank you all. If I need anything, I will communicate with you as soon as possible."

On the other end of the video, listening to Lin Zai Shan speaking in a calm and even humble tone, Li Xiaoni felt goosebumps all over her body!

Is this really Lin Zai Shan?

When did this guy ever speak to others in such a tone!

What has happened to him!

"Xiao Wei, give Teacher Lin the competition topics that the 'Singers' program team sent us this morning."

Following Wu Yifan's instructions, Li Wei quickly handed Lin Zai Shan a document.

Lin Zai Shan already knew the four topics from last night.

Last night, after the 'Singers' program team meeting, Sun Yuzhen immediately leaked the four topics to Lin Zai Shan. The other contestants with company backgrounds should also know the topics for the second round of PK.

"These four topics—about yourself, about your ideals, the imagination of a small person, and retro style—are the topics for the next round of group PK. Teacher Lin, what do you think after reading them? Which topic do you think is the hardest to handle?" Guan Ya Ling deliberately read out all four topics, for Li Xiaoni to hear.

"I personally think the hardest topic is 'about yourself.'" Lin Zai Shan explained, "Using music to depict yourself is like a painter trying to paint a self-portrait. You don't know where to start, and it's hard to choose which angle to paint your self-portrait. No matter which angle you choose, you might not be satisfied in the end, always feeling something is missing."

Everyone nodded in agreement, finding Lin Zai Shan's words reasonable.

Guan Ya Ling added, "The topic about yourself is indeed quite difficult. But I also think the topic of the imagination of a small person is hard."

"The topic of the imagination of a small person is actually quite manageable. It has a strong direction, making it easier to create." Lin Zai Shan, full of ideas, found it easier to handle the more directed topics.

"From what you say, it seems you are quite confident about the topic of the imagination of a small person?" Wu Yifan was very interested.

"I wouldn't say I'm very confident, but I think this topic offers a lot of room for creativity." Lin Zai Shan discussed with everyone, "Actually, we are all small people. Who dares to call themselves a big person? We all have our struggles, feeling helpless and powerless. We often feel lonely and insignificant because we can't control our current situation or change our fate. Even the strongest people have a small person's side. This topic has a strong direction, unlike the topic of ideals or self-depiction. It reflects a state that we all face or have faced. If we can reflect this characteristic in our work, it will easily resonate with people."

Lin Zai Shan's words surprised everyone.

The topic of the imagination of a small person, which they all found difficult, seemed simple and straightforward when Lin Zai Shan explained it.

Guan Ya Ling discussed with Lin Zai Shan, "It's easy to say, but it's not easy to reflect it in a musical work."

Wu Yifan asked Lin Zai Shan, "Have you created any similar works before? About small people?"

"I do have a song that fits this theme quite well. About two years ago, I watched a Cantonese movie starring Zhou Xinglang called 'Winding Star.' Have you all seen it?"

"Of course! That movie won Zhou Xinglang the Best Actor award at the Xia Cheng Film Festival, and it was amazing!" Li Wei, a die-hard fan of Zhou Xinglang, said.

Lin Zai Shan is also a die-hard fan of Zhou Xinglang.

In this world, Zhou Xinglang is almost like the other Zhou Xingchi, pioneering the era of Cantonese slapstick comedy, with his comedic prowess gradually emerging.

After crossing over, Lin Zai Shan watched several of Zhou Xinglang's movies in his free time, finding them as hilarious as the other Zhou Xingchi's works, always making him laugh out loud.

Especially the movie 'Winding Star' that Zhou Xinglang made two years ago, which is comparable to the other 'Comedy King.' Besides the slapstick humor, it has a deep, tragic undertone, making people laugh with tears in their eyes and feel deeply moved.

People in the entertainment industry who watched 'Winding Star' could relate to or empathize with the protagonist's struggles.

The story is simple: Zhou Xinglang plays the protagonist Ah Fa, who has been struggling in the entertainment industry for many years but remains unknown. He is introverted and lacks the ability to promote himself, despite having good acting talent.

One day, a mad scientist installs a magical winding mechanism in Ah Fa, changing his world. As long as the mechanism is wound, he can act wildly, with exaggerated movements that draw attention.

Thus, Ah Fa becomes the focus of the entertainment industry, quickly becoming one of the hottest stars in a slapstick manner.

Life becomes exciting but also exhausting.

Finally, Ah Fa feels he no longer needs the winding mechanism to stimulate himself, as he has gained a significant position in the industry.

So, every morning, he no longer winds himself, deciding to be himself again.

After returning to his true self, Ah Fa's inability to promote himself resurfaces, and he gradually fades from the mainstream of the entertainment industry.

In the end, Ah Fa has no choice but to continue winding himself, becoming exaggerated to cater to the entertainment industry's tastes.

In the final scene, the protagonist bitterly winds himself as he approaches middle age, with the classic Cantonese song 'Puppet' playing in the background. The scene shows Ah Fa's shadow on the wall, illuminated by yellow light, winding himself, a scene full of irony and deep meaning.

To this day, Lin Zai Shan still remembers the cold, mechanical sound of the winding mechanism in the final scene of the movie.

The music of 'Puppet' plays as the protagonist's shadow vibrates on the wall, combining sound and image to create a chilling effect.

Listening to Lin Zai Shan's story about 'Winding Star,' Guan Ya Ling and the others discussed the movie. They, as musicians, appreciated the film's ending song 'Puppet.'

The song, sung by the Cantonese song king Chen Deyou, has a sinister quality that elevates the film.

At the 2005 Xia Cheng Film Awards, 'Winding Star' won 11 awards, including Best Picture, Best Director, Best Actor, and Best Original Film Song for 'Puppet.'

"After watching that movie, I was deeply moved and inspired to write a song called 'Exaggeration,' depicting the heart of a small person in the entertainment industry who wants to be recognized but is never noticed."

---

【Kneeling for recommendations!】

Page break AD starts

Page break AD ends