Boss Lu: A reborn life is destined to be without regrets!
Chapter 51 - 47. The Summer of Swaying Wind Chimes

Chapter 51: 47. The Summer of Swaying Wind Chimes

As the clock ticked, Mr. Lu had just seen off the two girls and was now in the calm aftermath of the city’s bustle.

The streetlights were dim, and a gentle breeze brushed by, leaving Beiyuan with only the cries of vendors and the occasional sound of insects from afar.

Rewind a few hours, and the folk duo that would later be famous the world over was still the resident singers at the Golden Stone coffee shop.

After their last song, Pei Pei packed up her guitar, and together with Xinyi, they waved to the audience that had come because of their growing reputation.

Years later, in front of seas of concert fans, Xinyi and Pei Pei still remembered that distant evening spent singing in the coffee shop.

That night the shop wasn’t full, but the atmosphere was great, and even the taste of the latte was particularly sweet.

The young and handsome owner had personally tested the sound system and microphone for them, capturing on his phone the video that would change their life’s path.

Indeed, they both had been dazed before coming to sing that night.

It had started early in the morning when their whimsically maintained Weibo account, "The Landlord’s Cat," suddenly gained a large following and many private messages, and then...

Before they could even finish washing up, a classmate they bumped into at the water room suddenly shouted, "Wang Xinyi! Is that you in the video?"

"You’ve gone viral!"

These three words resounded like a gong through the day, repeated by countless people, echoing in Xinyi and Pei Pei’s minds.

How did they become viral?

At first, neither Xinyi nor Pei Pei felt much of it.

Even though many friends whom they hardly contacted started sending private messages, their Weibo followers skyrocketed from two to five digits, and classmates including teachers whispered during lessons...

Still, at school, they couldn’t grasp the true feeling of being "viral."

It wasn’t until that evening, returning to the Golden Stone coffee shop,

Coming back to where their dream had started.

For the first time, the coffee shop was packed to the brim, with a long line of people waiting outside in two rows. Their eager and expectant gazes made them truly feel—

Our music is really loved by so many people!

After singing the songs they wanted to sing and receiving an unprecedentedly warm applause, the Landlord’s Cat duo talked to Lu Jincheng alone before leaving the shop.

"Junior brother, did you post that video on Weibo?"

Although the name of the Golden Stone studio bore the same origin as the coffee shop, shining brightly, Xinyi always felt something unreal about it.

Lu Jincheng nodded, and Xinyi immediately said, "You’re really good at filming and editing, aren’t you? We were just singing casually and got so many followers! Oh my God!"

Their impression of Mr. Lu, the owner, couldn’t be better.

Golden Stone was already a popular coffee shop among the youth, with many customers and a big reputation; furthermore, it was equipped with expensive sound systems.

He lent them such a high-quality venue without charging a penny, always treated them kindly, inquiring about their well-being, and even offered coffee to them.

Despite his young age, Lu Jincheng clearly had a generous spirit!

"It’s mostly because you both sing so well. I just did a trivial bit of work,"

Lu Jincheng humbly replied.

"Oh, and there’s actually something I’d like to discuss with you both."

After the niceties, Mr. Lu took out a folder and quickly got down to business.

"The ’Zebra, Zebra’ video I filmed, Cloud Music wants to buy the rights. I wanted to get your opinion."

"Huh?"

Pei Pei blinked. Coming from a finance background, she knew nothing about intellectual property.

"If it’s your own video you want to sell, just sell it. Why ask us?"

"Sister, of course I need to consult with you on this because, according to Article 52 of the Copyright Law, to produce audiovisual works and for their use, we need your permission."

Finally, Guan Yongyi, who had been silent all this while at Lu Jincheng’s side, found his moment to contribute.

"So... what do you think?"

Pei Pei turned her head to look at Xinyi nearby.

"I don’t understand any of this stuff either!"

Xinyi blinked her big eyes, innocently saying, "I think if you hadn’t created this video, so many people wouldn’t know about Landlord’s Cat."

"So... what’s on your mind?"

Lu Jincheng smiled and showed them the material in his hand, "This isn’t actually about the money. I won’t take a dime from the copyright sale; it’s all for you."

"What I’m more interested in is, what direction you want to go from here."

For Cloud Music, which had only launched in 2013 and got off to a late start, there weren’t many cards to play, and the copyright of an amateur video wasn’t worth much, only 2000 yuan.

But beyond that, they threw another olive branch—inquiring if Landlord’s Cat had any intention of becoming independent musicians and deeply collaborating with Cloud Music.

It’s the same old saying, a piece of gold will always shine.

Not only Ear Emperor had found this uncut jade, but Cloud Music also had experts.

Xinyi and Pei Pei looked at each other, both seeing confusion in the other’s eyes.

After all, they were just two college girls who loved to sing.

Asking them to make a decision at this time was indeed a difficult proposition.

"I have a suggestion."

Seeing that the stage was set, Lu Jincheng took the initiative, "Why not sign a contract and give it a try? If you truly love music, wouldn’t going to a bigger, more promising stage be good?"

"How could we possibly do that..."

Pei Pei nudged Xinyi with her elbow, ready to beat a retreat.

"Forget it, they want original musicians, but we don’t have any works yet."

Xinyi bit her lip, her tone containing a hint of reluctance.

"We can collaborate, and leave the works to the studio."

Circling back, Mr. Lu finally found the entry point he had anticipated.

"If you are willing to give it a try, the Golden Stone studio is responsible for part of the content production and inspiration incubation, as well as all subsequent business cooperation affairs."

"You just need to move forward with peace of mind and do the music you want to do, that’s all."

Behind the bar, Guan Yongyi stroked the short hair by her ear, her handsome brows unconsciously furrowed, listening intently.

She, who listened to music every day, was about to snap.

Wasn’t Lu Jincheng just sweet-talking them?

How troublesome was it to produce a mature song, did he even know?

Could he write lyrics or compose music?

Before Yongyi could finish doubting in her mind, Mr. Lu took out a piece of paper from the folder, preemptively.

"For instance, I’ve recently written a song. We’re all living in Chashan Liu, right? Suddenly got a bit of inspiration, thought it might suit you guys to sing."

Yongyi leaned in with her head, curious like the other two.

The paper bore six big characters.

— "Next Stop, Chashan Liu"

...

...

The two naïve yet dream-filled music girls were effortlessly sweet-talked into signing by Mr. Lu.

The cost was a 2000-yuan copyright fee, revenue sharing, and lyrics that struck a chord with the heart.

In this summer of tinkling wind chimes, the legendary folk duo Landlord’s Cat thus tied an indissoluble bond with Golden Stone studio.