After offending capital, my songs became more and more popular.

Chapter 121 Profiting from Red Songs? All Copyrights Should Be Handed Over to the State!
"#The main theme for the 'Chinese Music Awards - Red Song Season' on August 1st!#"

"#The Peak Singer Challenge officially announced its latest replacement guest, rumored to be heavyweight Western singer Isabella!"

"#This is truly a national crisis!#"

……

These past two days have been quite lively. Right after Shen Ming'en finished singing "Bauhinia Blossoms" on "Chinese Music Music Center: Red Song Season", the program team released a month-long themed program for August 1st.

The popularity of "The Qinghai-Tibet Plateau" remains high, and while Chinese fans are still criticizing foreign fans, "The Peak Singer Challenge" has also announced its latest replacement guest for the next episode...

The two phenomenal hit shows, both featuring Shen Mingen, seem to be competing against each other, as if they are vying to see who can create a stronger theme or gimmick using Shen Mingen.

The capital behind both sides is also employing various tactics, with each side subtly undermining the other...

For example, the "Peak Singer Challenge" hired online trolls to attack "Chinese Music Music Center: Red Song Season" for trying to ride the anniversary hype. They went to great lengths to suppress Shen Ming'en, who earned countless sponsorships and naming rights for them, yet they kept targeting him, repaying kindness with enmity and behaving inhumanely. They even instigated their fans to attack them.

The "Chinese Music Awards - Red Song Season" team wasn't going to take this lying down. They sent someone to retort, saying that they were celebrating a national holiday and that their work was a patriotic piece. They added, "We're so patriotic, how dare you criticize us?!"

Others can criticize us all they want, but do you, the "Peak Singer Challenge," even deserve to?!

Shen Ming'en finally managed to crush three Western singers, Keisha, Mia, and Shawn, and his national pride was soaring. But instead, you invited more and more big-name Western singers with increasingly stronger abilities. What? Are you only happy when Hakeem, representing Chinese singers, is completely overwhelmed by Western singers?
If you ask us, this is what it means to be unpatriotic. This is blatant treason. You're a bunch of traitors, damn it!

The "Peak Singer Challenge" team was furious upon hearing these words, shouting, "We were upholding friendly relations between China and other countries! Even if Shen Ming'en is eliminated, he has brought glory to the country; his defeat is still honorable! Unlike your lousy program, where someone could easily be blacklisted if things go wrong! You heartless bastards... *&%￥#@……"

The other party stopped pretending to perform on "Chinese Music Awards - Red Song Season" and simply stopped acting, and started swearing.

What started as mutual criticism gradually escalated into a bickering match where the two sides were pulling each other's hair.

Netizens were laughing and enjoying the spectacle, with one commenter even saying:

To be honest, both of your families are equally corrupt!

[It's just a difference between a fly and a maggot; neither is any good. Neither should criticize the other; neither is qualified!]

Instead of wasting time arguing, why not go and lick the boots of my beloved Ming En? Both of you are relying on him right now. Wouldn't you be furious if he didn't come?

Amidst the laughter and lively discussion, the buzz continued to rise. While the jokes were lighthearted, many netizens were genuinely worried about Shen Ming'en…

Isabella... oh my god, she's a legendary female singer.

[As for her status in the Western music scene, even Sean, Keisha, and Mia combined might not be able to rival her.]

[It's also difficult for the "Chinese Music Awards - Red Song Season" program; this kind of topic is really hard to handle because it's too formal.]

Sigh... every wrong step Hajime took led to mountains of corpses and seas of blood!

……

It's difficult...

Whether you're a fan or a viewer, who can't see how difficult Shen Mingen's situation is?!
These two idiotic programs make it sound so nice, claiming to create songs for the country and maintain friendly relations between China and other countries, but frankly, aren't they all just creating hype while targeting Shen Ming'en?!

The August 1st theme for "Chinese Music Music Center: Red Song Season"—which Chinese person doesn't know how difficult this kind of theme is?!

That's not even hell level, that's nightmare level!
This kind of topic, if not handled properly, if even one lyric is not written well, it is easy for people to make a mountain out of a molehill and use it to make wild fuss. No matter how famous you are, if you write something wrong, it's not as simple as just admitting your mistake, it will be banned outright!
The "Singer Challenge" is inviting heavyweights from Europe and America to accept Isabella's invitation and allowing foreign audiences to participate in the voting. Isn't this obviously targeting Shen Ming'en?

It's worth noting that Shen Ming'en had already garnered considerable resentment from international audiences by thoroughly outclassing Western singers in two consecutive episodes...

If Shen Mingen is defeated by a Western singer, or if Shen Mingen is eliminated, then the foreign audience will directly vent all their resentment on Shen Mingen!
It might be a little better in the Chinese entertainment industry, but its reputation abroad is basically ruined...

Moreover, if he doesn't perform this well, some haters in the Chinese entertainment industry will say that he has brought shame to the industry and the country.

This is the end.

that's all.

In all aspects!

you say!

How difficult must it be for Shen Mingen!
Both shows rely on him to make money, yet they're both targeting him...

It's infuriating, really. Shen Ming'en's reputation, status, position, and number of fans in the Chinese entertainment industry are far beyond what ordinary popular celebrities can match. Even some veteran artists might not be a match for him...

Generally speaking, artists of this caliber should be like what Brother Bo said, surrounded by kind people wherever they go.

Shen Ming'en, on the other hand...

No matter where I go, I am still targeted by all sorts of people.

Knew it……

Not cooperating with capital is indeed a difficult path to take.

Some fans are now saying that if things don't work out, Shen Mingen should just compromise with the capital; they really feel sorry for him...

It's a pity that Shen Ming'en is too stubborn to learn to bend over. He's used to standing and can't kneel. He can kneel to heaven, earth, and his parents, but he won't kneel to any demons or monsters.

Ahead, no matter if it's a mountain of corpses or a sea of ​​blood, or a mountain of knives or a sea of ​​fire, just wade through it...

A bunch of fat, bloated Qingjiang fish that eat their fill in the sewers, do they really think they can stop the Reverse Butterfly from its way?!

Just push through!

Suppress all enemies in the world? You think this is a joke?
Whether it's the August 1st theme of "Chinese Music Awards: Red Song Season" or the latest replacement singer in "Peak Singer Challenge" and the online voting by foreign netizens, Shen Ming'en isn't afraid at all; he even feels that these are practically free points...

Shen Ming'en is not without his own headaches, but those aren't his headaches; what's really bothering him is...

What song should I choose?
There are so many good ones that can dominate the field!

We don't know what to choose!

……

As summer approaches, the morning sunlight gradually fails to reach the rooms in the north, and the hotel's high-blackout curtains make it impossible to feel the passage of time outside. It's easy to oversleep without even realizing it.

Shen Ming'en's sleep quality is actually quite good. Because of his self-discipline and regular exercise, he can sleep well after eating a full meal.

If his fans who are worried about him knew this, they would be shocked. They wouldn't know whether to say he's fearless or heartless.

"Aha..."

Yawning, Shen Ming'en drew back the curtains. The glaring light took him a while to adjust to before he could recover. Stepping out of the window, he noticed that the little daffodil was in a bad state; its leaves were slightly yellow, and the bulb looked a bit black and rotten.

"What's going on?"

Shen Ming'en scratched his head, thinking that he had watered it quite a bit too...

I had to take out my phone to check before I realized, wow, I'd overwatered!
Daffodils generally don't bloom in summer; they mostly bloom in winter and spring, roughly from December to March of the following year. There's a song lyric that goes, "Daffodils blooming in winter, can you smell my delicate beauty?"...

Therefore, it is highly likely that Shen Ming'en will not be able to see the daffodils he wants to see anytime soon.

But it doesn't matter, growing flowers requires patience.

"Jingle Bell……"

The ringing phone interrupted Shen Ming'en's thoughts. He picked up his phone and saw a very familiar number. It seemed to be a call from a staff member of the CCTV Olympic Organizing Committee.

This wasn't the first time Shen Ming'en had spoken to this guy, so he asked him what his name was this time. The guy said his name was Liu Yu and that Shen Ming'en could just call him Xiao Liu.

As members of the Olympic Organizing Committee, they really adopted a humble attitude!
However, it's not hard to understand, since all three theme songs for the Olympics, "Beijing Welcomes You," "Thousands of Mountains and Rivers," and "Me and You," were composed by Shen Ming'en.

Such a brilliant creator of mainstream narratives should not be underestimated.

Ha, yes, that's right, the third solo performance at the opening ceremony also went to Shen Ming'en...

Who would have thought that the three theme songs for the Olympics were composed by the same composer?

Furthermore, almost no one knew about this! He used a pen name for "Beijing Welcomes You," while "Thousands of Mountains and Rivers" and "Me and You" were confidential songs that would only be released on the day of the opening ceremony.

According to Liu Yu, there were quite a few singers among those who sang "Beijing Welcomes You" who didn't get along with Shen Ming'en and even used the opportunity to smear him...

I wonder how interesting their expressions will be when they find out that the song they're singing together was written by Shen Ming'en, and that Shen Ming'en even got two solo performance slots.

After a brief exchange of pleasantries, Liu Yu discussed some recording details with Shen Mingen, inviting him to record the song and also inquiring about copyright matters...

Generally, if a work of this nature is commissioned by the organizing committee and the contract clearly stipulates that the copyright belongs to the organizing committee, then the copyright belongs to the organizing committee.

However, if the creator submits and authorizes the content, the copyright may still belong to the creator, while the organizing committee has the right to use it, such as for performance, recording, and dissemination.

In general, even if a work of this nature becomes popular, artists cannot easily perform it in commercial shows. They need to report to their superiors in advance if they want to sing it.

This is why most mainstream works are rarely performed by singers in their own concerts or music festivals.

No one should use works of this nature to tarnish the country's reputation!

Although Shen Ming'en's three works were commissioned by the organizing committee, the contract did not explicitly stipulate that the copyright belonged to the organizing committee. In our country, the official procedures are never unfair...

Liu Yu asked about the copyright, firstly to remind Shen Ming'en not to sing it casually later; secondly, to sound him out and ask about his plans regarding the copyright.

To be honest, Liu Yu actually wanted to hint to Shen Ming'en to hand over the copyright to the organizing committee, but he also knew that Shen Ming'en would definitely not agree to that...

People nowadays are becoming more and more aware of copyright. It is said that even his company, Ruixing Entertainment, is not qualified to own the copyright to Shen Ming'en's works. How could he be willing to share three such significant works with the organizing committee?

To Liu Yu's utter surprise, Shen Ming'en retorted with a sharp retort:
"If the country needs it, I am willing to hand over the copyrights of these three songs unconditionally without asking for a single penny."

As soon as these words came out...

Liu Yu was stunned!
He truly never expected Shen Ming'en to say such a thing!

"Teacher Ming'en, you...you're not joking, are you?" he couldn't help but ask.

Liu Yu now even wanted to slap herself to see if this was a dream...

As mentioned earlier, copyright is extremely important to singers, and they are well aware of the quality of Shen Ming'en's three works.

The copyright wasn't handed over to the organizing committee; it remained in their own hands. Frankly, even if they used it for commercial performances, no one could say anything. It was reasonable, compliant, and legal. At that time, reporting it was at most giving the organizing committee face...

Once it's submitted to the organizing committee, it's no longer in his possession. If he wants to sing, he has to wait until the reporting is completed and the organizing committee approves before he can sing.

If you want to sing your own work, but need someone else's permission, most people definitely wouldn't be happy about that...

Moreover, copyright is a long-term "meal ticket." As long as you hold the copyright, you'll have to pay anyone who covers your work later...

But once it's handed over to the organizing committee, this income is gone.

Celebrities and artists are essentially living off their youth; very few remain popular until old age. Many well-known creators actually rely on this kind of work to make a living in their later years. It's a fallback option for singers. If you cut off their fallback option, they certainly wouldn't be happy, right?
Humans are inherently selfish.

They talk about patriotism all the time, but when the country needs them to contribute their personal interests or property, they all start to shirk responsibility and back down.

As someone from the official side, Liu Yu had seen plenty of people like this. That's why when he first talked to Shen Ming'en about copyright, he used various indirect tactics and roundabout approaches instead of getting straight to the point.

To his utter surprise, Shen Ming'en said that he would hand over the copyright unconditionally and without asking for a single penny!

This is truly astonishing...

“I’m not kidding, I’m serious,” Shen Ming’en’s very serious voice came from the phone. He said, “We artists and singers can’t make as many contributions to the country and society as police officers, firefighters, and People’s Liberation Army soldiers. So when we finally have a chance to do something for the country, I’m overjoyed.”

Shen Ming'en wasn't joking; he truly meant it from the bottom of his heart...

In the entertainment industry, celebrities, let alone firefighters, police officers, People's Liberation Army soldiers, and other such people who protect the country, maintain order, and contribute to the nation and society, the vast majority of them, in fact, have led many ordinary people astray due to their lack of self-control.

It's important to understand that celebrities are trendsetters, representatives of fashion, and many fans and viewers will follow suit whatever they do...

Those who were first swayed by Shen Mingen's "eight-point halo" and slept with fans and took in fans they shouldn't have, these people should all be the scum of society!

To put it bluntly, many celebrities have even let down the country and society.

Being in the entertainment industry, which is like a melting pot, and working in this industry, even though I don't have the same dedication to the country as firefighters, police officers, or People's Liberation Army soldiers, I still want to do my part for the country in my own way.

It's just the copyright of a few songs; the one handed over isn't a stranger, it's our motherland!

Are you feeling bad about losing money?

How can it be!

Not to mention that Shen Ming'en has countless hit songs and doesn't need these three to "retire," even if he only had these three songs, he would be willing to hand them over to the country unconditionally and without asking for a single penny!

This is the duty that every Chinese person should fulfill!
"..."

Liu Yu remained silent on the other end of the phone.

After a long while, he said very seriously, "Teacher Ming'en, you are truly amazing!"

What a role model...

These are the stars and artists who should truly be regarded as role models by the entertainment industry!
Although Shen Mingen is very popular now and has a good reputation, there are always some haters who make a big deal out of his frequent singing of patriotic songs...

It's said that Shen Mingen initially sang patriotic songs to avoid being eliminated from the "Chinese Music Awards" program and to continue making a living in the entertainment industry. Unexpectedly, they became popular, and the effect was quite good. In order to become more and more famous and to make more money, he kept singing one song after another...

Is he patriotic?
He is only patriotic because it is profitable.

He's no different from those who love their country for personal gain!

He just happens to have a bit of talent; the revolutionary songs he writes are absolutely amazing...

"Using revolutionary songs for profit" is his original sin, a stain he can never wash away.

Some critics even said that the country should sanction him for this reason alone.

In short, according to Xiao Heizi, Shen Mingen's writing of revolutionary songs was not motivated by pure intentions, and he was by no means a truly patriotic person.

Liu Yu had heard those comments, but she only looked at them objectively and didn't think much of them...

After all, how can loving one's country for the sake of profit not be patriotic?
People die for wealth, birds die for food; that's just human nature. We all understand, so let's just see through it and not say anything.

But what Liu Yu never expected was...

Shen Ming'en seems to be quite different from the kind of "ordinary person" he imagined.

And certainly not the kind of person who "profits from revolutionary songs" as those critics claim!
He seems to be a truly simple, unconditional, and selfless patriot!

In today's materialistic society, people like him are truly rare...

Such people truly deserve respect and admiration!
Originally, Liu Yu's respect for Shen Ming'en stemmed solely from the fact that he composed all three of the Olympic-themed pieces...

To put it bluntly, the respect is not for Shen Ming'en as a person, but for his work.

But now, that respect is entirely because of Shen Ming'en.

He even felt that he had been judging others by his own petty standards, and had underestimated them...

To this, Shen Ming'en simply replied, "Of course."

He is first and foremost a Chinese person, and only secondly a star or an artist.

At this moment, neither Shen Ming'en nor Liu Yu probably expected that the decision Shen Ming'en made today would one day severely offend certain people...

……

This chapter is still a bit short, less than six thousand words, but sometimes I just feel like continuing to write this chapter would be like forcing myself to write something weak...

Sigh, things are really different now. From now on, if anyone says that the water in my narcissus is the water in the water of hydrology, I'll fight them!
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(End of this chapter)