Chapter 23: I Am Not in a Hurry

The third song was "Mountains and Seas"... a track by No Party For Cao Dong. In the 21st century, rock music must incorporate new styles to survive. Look at Dou Wei, who released ten albums in one year yet sold fewer than a thousand copies. "Mountains and Seas" is a quintessential blend of Northern Irish electronic dance-punk, metal, and post-rock. Though Shen Yan only had an acoustic guitar, his voice was excellent. The song begins with a low, frustrated murmur before suddenly erupting into a roar—it is pure rock and roll.

At its core, the spirit of rock is resistance: the act of pouring every ounce of strength into a reckless, roaring, cathartic scream after being rendered powerless by reality. "Mountains and Seas" captures it all—the memories of the past, the helplessness of the present, and the confusion of the future. The roaring is a form of emotional release; if you lack that need, you won't appreciate the song. It is much like how free-spirited, independent people cannot relate to "The Red Army is the Strongest," or how successful professionals find little resonance in Zheng Zhihua's "Playing in the World" or "Middle Class."

"He understands, he understands, I cannot give it, so he turns and walks toward the sea."

As he finished the song, Shen Yan gave a shy smile. "Thank you, everyone..." As he turned to leave the stage, someone in the crowd shouted, "One more!"

"Yes, one more!"

Shen Yan hurriedly waved his hands. "No more..."

Fan Fan walked over, clapping. "Come on, just one more!"

"I don't have that many original songs..."

"...Then sing a song you like."

Shen Yan thought for a moment, then asked the band, "Do you know 'Missing is a Sickness'?"

"The one by Chang Chen-yue?"

"Yes..."

"No problem!"

The music started, and Shen Yan began: "When you are on the other side of the mountains and ridges, I am on a lonely road without an end..."

In a booth, Wang Jinghua listened while asking Wen Zhang, "Does Shen Yan have any interest in being a singer?"

Wen Zhang shook his head. "I'm not sure. You should ask him yourself."

"...How is his acting, then?"

Wen Zhang continued to shake his head. "I'm not sure... ask him yourself!"

Wang Jinghua was speechless. "...What do you actually know?"

"He plays the violin quite well... and he writes wuxia novels. One is called 'Lotus Casebook,' it's pretty good..."

"...He writes novels, too?"

"Yes, the novel is quite good. It takes inspiration from 'Little Li's Flying Dagger'... it would be perfect for a TV adaptation!"

Wang Jinghua was surprised. "Is that so?"

After a moment, Wen Zhang added, "I asked him before if he wanted me to recommend an agency, and guess what he said?"

"What did he say?"

"He said," Wen Zhang mimicked Shen Yan's tone, "'There's no need. Even if a production company buys the adaptation rights now, I wouldn't have control over the screenwriting or the casting...'"

Wang Jinghua nodded at this. "...This kid has a strong need for control."

"That's called being responsible for one's own work!"

Tonight's meeting essentially served as an interview. Any formal signing would require contracts and further details. Shen Yan wasn't aware of Wang Jinghua's specific plans for him, but even if he were, he wouldn't do anything he didn't want to. In truth, Shen Yan hadn't originally planned to sign with an agency; he could have made it on his own. At worst, he could have been an influencer, filming entertaining skits like those of Chen Xiang or "Wanwan Meiyou Xiangdao."

It was just a stroke of fate. Shen Yan knew he was handsome—definitely star material. Otherwise, Zhang Li wouldn't have agreed to let a complete novice without acting experience appear in his drama. Signing with Wang Jinghua was a good move. Although it was unlikely she would manage him personally, she would surely assign him a capable manager. As for roles, Shen Yan was in no rush; he was still working as a supporting actor on set.

Speaking of which, after reading the script for "Snow Leopard," Wen Zhang was very interested and chatted with Shen Yan about it. The full title was "Snow Leopard Special Forces: Zhou Weiguo Kills the Invaders!"

"...Brother Wen, if there's a chance, I'd like to act in it too!"

"...Aren't you supposed to be doing a period drama?"

"I want to act alongside you..."

"Fine, I'll see if there's a role that suits you."

Shen Yan never mentioned the original novel, "Special Forces Pioneer," from start to finish. Well, he didn't know about it—being born after 2000, his understanding of Wen Zhang was limited to "Love is Not Blind" and his personal scandals. How would he know the source material for "Snow Leopard"? Fortunately, he didn't! In reality, the source novel "Special Forces Pioneer" was a typical power-fantasy story.

In the original, during his studies in Germany, Zhou Weiguo was surrounded by a group of Japanese thugs in a Japanese enclave. He then proceeded to single-handedly defeat them all, only to run into Otto Skorzeny (the famous Nazi SS commando), who had just finished a similar brawl. The two then chatted away in a bar. Later on, he even met the famous Guderian, who invited Zhou Weiguo to his home to discuss tank cluster assault tactics over dinner.

Returning to Wen Zhang, after they finished talking about "Snow Leopard," he asked, "Has Sister Hua contacted you recently?"

"No... maybe she's been busy with other things!"

"...That must be it..."

"Don't be in a rush..."

"I'm not in a rush..." Shen Yan changed the subject. "Brother Wen, how many days do you have left?"

"You mean until filming wraps?" Wen Zhang calculated. "Four days left!"

Shen Yan murmured, "Then it'll be hard for us to see each other again..."

"We're in the same industry; we'll definitely cross paths again!"

After chatting for a while, Wen Zhang left. Shen Yan opened the latest issue of "Wuxia Edition" and began reading "Lotus Casebook," which was already in its second installment.

Since deciding to sign Shen Yan, Wang Jinghua began mobilizing her resources. Shen Yan was well-suited for period dramas; standing there, he didn't even need to act to look like a handsome lead. Cheng Tian couldn't be relied upon. Although they were producing "The Storm Riders 2," it was a purely Hong Kong-based production with a cast already set: Aaron Kwok, Ekin Cheng, Simon Yam, Nicholas Tse, and Charlene Choi. As for TV dramas, they were even less dependable. Cheng Tian's performance had been mediocre, and even Zhuang Liqi had left last December to join Huayi, where he formed a studio dedicated to producing TV dramas. Everyone knew Zhuang Liqi was the president of Cheng Tian and a pillar of its foundation—the company had thrived on the "Wu, Zhuang, and Wang" trio. Wu was Wu Kebu, Zhuang was Zhuang Liqi, and Wang was Wang Jinghua. Furthermore, Sister Hua had already left Cheng Tian to establish her own company.

As for period dramas, Wang Jinghua believed Ciwen Media was the best. However, they had poured all their resources into Zhang Jizhong's "Journey to the West" over the past two years and had no budget for other projects. That left Huace. It just so happened that through "Snow Leopard," she learned they were preparing to produce "The New Meteor Butterfly Sword."

With that, Wang Jinghua placed the call.