The Book of All Things: Born for Joy

After Li Ke finished singing, it was Zhao Qianfan's turn.

Zhao Qianfan nodded repeatedly after hearing his singing, patted him on the shoulder and said, "Hmm, you sang well, keep it up."

Li Zichun smiled and said, "Stop talking nonsense, it's your turn. If you can't sing this song well, it'll be his."

Upon hearing this, Zhao Qianfan mustered all her energy, hummed the lyrics several times, and began singing Kenny Bee's "Sausage, Mosquito Net, Machine Gun":

Left hand holding a machine gun, handbag stuffed with sausages

With mosquito nets hanging on his back, he set off early in the morning to travel to a distant land.

In order to find my old flame, I decided to have him go to...

Look how different she is today!

I jumped onto the hilltop and looked out into the sandstorm.

Taking photos at each location was quite tense.

I just imagine if I put boxes of pig's feet in ginger

In the street, invite people to share the journey.

Or a friend could tell me where she is.

Where does she stand in her current situation?

As night fell, my water bottle on the frontier was covered in jam.

The heater was plugged in, the speaker was turned on, and mosquito coils were hung in the wind.

In order to find my old flame, I decided to have him go to...

I don't want to return to my hometown until I've met her.

I put on my lapel pin and rubbed my hands together.

He jumped back onto the train and looked out into the distance repeatedly.

Fantasy of setting off firecrackers with her again

How warm and peaceful, the moon and stars are bright.

But my friends all whispered that I knew

She got married this morning and will change her surname to Zhang from today.

I fantasize about setting off firecrackers with her again / How warm and peaceful it would be, with the moon and stars shining brightly.

Looking towards the mountains and water, I wash away the pimples around my mouth / The reflection in the water is just a blank look.

Li Zichun was able to remember this song because its name was so attractive. It's about three completely unrelated things coming together, and everyone wanted to hear what kind of nonsense it was singing. After listening to it, he thought it was pretty good.

Li Zichun thought Zhao Qianfan's performance was commendable. Now it all depends on Li Ke's performance. If he performs even better, then the song they are vying for will be his.

Li Ke was inevitably a little nervous, but he quickly composed himself, holding his breath and telling himself not to panic, it was a minor incident. The more he thought this way, the more unsteady his breathing became, and he even skipped a beat.

The more flustered he became, the busier he got, and the busier he got, the more flustered he became. Li Zichun couldn't bear to watch anymore and told him to stand aside and reflect on his actions for a while before re-recording. The song that the two of them had been arguing about naturally fell to Zhao Qianfan. Li Zichun told him to familiarize himself with it properly so as not to delay the song.

While the two of them were getting familiar with the song, Li Zichun had Li Yuehe sing "Unrequited Love":

Don't be delusional and dream big. Don't go around showering me with attention and offering to pick me up and drop me off.

There's no need to keep asking me if my relationship is experiencing ALS.

Constantly pursuing like a raging wind, because I have no mood to dream.

No need to give your feelings for me to manipulate.

Don't spy on me losing control at my window

Standing still all night like a slow clock

Find someone you love tonight and pour out all your heart to them.

Do you know that others are looking forward to falling in love?

Love-crazed man, turn back, because I'm afraid.

If you are affectionate, you can tame a puppy like it wagging its tail.

In the end, I still had to cry over the formula.

So be it, even if I'm alone today.

Love-crazed man, turn back, because I'm afraid.

If one is blinded by love, it seems one cannot distinguish between truth and falsehood.

In the end, I still had to cry my heart out, too afraid to say "I love you."

......"

This song is one of the representative works of Vivian Chow, the first love who unified the aesthetics of three generations of her family. This white moonlight jade girl in the hearts of countless people, Li Zichun was also infatuated with her back then. Not only is she beautiful, but she is also full of talent. She can sing, act, host, write, play American billiards, and her paintings have won awards.

Li Zichun remembered this song because Aaron Kwok danced with her, and his several kneeling dance moves perfectly highlighted Vivian Chow's youthful beauty, a blend of innocence and allure. Besides this, Leslie Cheung wrote songs for her, Hacken Lee wrote lyrics for her, and Leo Ku hosted for her...

This woman is known to all for her beauty, yet she is completely non-threatening. She is captivating without being offensive. Her appearance, personality, and life perfectly embody the phrase "a beauty as beautiful as jade."

After Li Zichun finished singing, the two people practicing next to him were mesmerized. "If only this were a woman, I'd definitely treat her well for the rest of my life." "Hmm~ A guy looking like that wouldn't be bad either."

Li Zichun turned to look at Li Ke, who swallowed hard and said, "You've mastered it."

Li Zichun then had him sing it a cappella. Hmm, not bad. That stinky man really deserves to be scolded.

Li Ke sang "The Protector of Flowers" quickly to the upbeat rhythm:

This evening I ran into the girl of my dreams on the street

Two feet decided to ignore her call and go home

The cold wind of the deep night must not blow her away.

Her dark eyes are about to speak to me

A slender figure, a graceful figure, silently turning around.

Tell me romantic lover, do you love me?

The greedy evening breeze dared to embrace and kiss her.

Let her hair down gently, strand by strand

The vile evening breeze should not comfort her.

I have decided to protect her in my heart for the rest of my life

......"

The original version of this song is "Shin-Aka na Yuhi ga Moite Iru" by the Japanese group Sement Mixers. The song tells the story of someone who likes a girl and follows her home. Hacken Lee's rendition of the song is captivating and poetic. Despite its fast tempo and short breaks, you can't hear any breathing sounds, making it very listenable.

Li Zichun nodded after listening. "Hmm, he sang quite well. It's a pity it was his second time, otherwise Zhao Qianfan's next song would have been his."

After listening, Zhao Qianfan raised his eyebrows, pouted, and nodded, saying, "What a pity, it's my turn now. Watch me teach you what perfection is."

Before Zhao Qianfan even started singing, she began to sway and move to the intro, singing along to the beat of "Monica," the hit song that cemented Leslie Cheung's status:

You used to love me unconditionally.

He sacrificed his youth for my glory.

Thank you so much for changing me one day.

My silent dedication and tenderness often leave me feeling guilty.

Thanks, thanks, thanks, thanks, Monica.

Who can replace you?

You used to teach me the true meaning of love.

It's a pity that the newborn tiger looks down on you.

Thank you so much for the breakup, it inspired me.

Please forgive me; my lingering feelings have faded with my dreams, please don't hold it against me.

Thanks, Sankesi. Thanks, thanks.

Monica, who can replace you?

Oh, I was too defensive back then.

OH mistake sincerity for falsehood

OH As time has passed

Only then did you realize its value; you now have a home.

I betrayed your love; this beautiful dream will forever remain in my heart.

......

Thanks thanks thanks thanks Monica, who can replace you?

After Zhao Qianfan finished singing, Li Ke realized the difference between them. This man always seemed to know how to stir people's hearts and how to fully immerse himself in the song to move the audience. This consistent performance style, with occasional little surprises, certainly made it easy to create memorable moments.

Li Ke admitted he was inferior, but that was only in his own opinion. He was quite confident in his looks, at least that's what he thought.

Li Zichun nodded in satisfaction. This song, a landmark work in Hong Kong music history, has had a profound impact on the industry and the public, winning countless accolades. Zhao Qianfan's performance was perfect; he almost wanted to applaud him.

After the recording, everyone went back to rest. A lot of paparazzi were already waiting outside the recording studio, but the three of them didn't seem to care. Yan Xiaoli was already waiting in her car at the entrance.

The group quickly broke through the paparazzi's blockade and returned home, and sure enough, the effects of the previous elimination were beginning to show.

It seems like everyone is looking forward to their own breakdown and revenge, because that's how they generate buzz and traffic.

Li Zichun didn't care about these things and even found them boring. These entertainment media people seemed to have nothing better to do than stare at this celebrity or that idol all day long, using one or two blurry long-shot photos to distort facts and fabricate stories. Whoever came up with the biggest headline got more attention and traffic, which was quite speechless.

However, this is the norm in this industry. After all, reporters don't get the chance to interview celebrities, so they can only rely on these unconventional methods to peek into the lives of celebrities, guess their activities, and get close to their idols from a distance.

Li Zichun breathed a sigh of relief, hoping that the singing competition wouldn't cause any trouble. He just wanted to win the singing competition and leave immediately, otherwise he would have to carry out Plan C again.

According to the original plan, he should now be winning first place in the national company ranking competition with the support of Huating Entertainment, winning the title of Gold Medal Songwriter, and then helping a group of singers win the title of King of Singers, becoming the top star in the country with no one to shake him... If it weren't for the exclusion and underhanded tactics of the eight major entertainment companies, he wouldn't have been forced to go to Kowloon Port to start his own company and become a resident guest at some random flower festival.

In his view, these were things only second- or third-tier singers would do. Top-tier singers appeared on TV variety shows, participated in various festivals, celebrations, charity projects, and other mainstream events.

These days, they've been invited by various programs, but these programs are all second-tier or lower. Li Zichun quickly skimmed through the general flow and highlights of their programs on his phone, and found them unremarkable; he even dozed off while watching them.

Phew, at least I don't have to stay in this godforsaken place all the time. Under such strict regulations, with these things not to be said, those things not to be shown, not allowed to be performed like this, and not allowed to be broadcast after completion, it's a miracle that these programs can stay in the second tier.

The entertainment industry in this era seems to be trapped in a vicious cycle. Everyone knows the reasons, but no one is willing to change. They just wait for others to test the waters and see what happens, and then take action after six months or a year when things are fine. As a result, programs that were originally very popular become mediocre due to the large number of imitations and similar program formats by other TV stations, and eventually decline.

It's clearly a game of mutual destruction. If our show can't succeed, neither can you.

Li Zichun returned home and quickly processed the audio, then uploaded it to the company website and relevant accounts for distribution.

After Yan Xiaoli dropped the three off at home, she went back inside, leaving the three of them alone in the house basking in the moonlight.

Li Ke lay on a deck chair in the garden, yawning, and said, "Ah, Kowloon Harbour is still the best. At this time of year, we should be having a barbecue on the rooftop, with a few cans of beer and cola. That's what life is all about."

Zhao Qianfan, while lifting dumbbells, slowly said, "Phew~ Let's go back after the competition. I really don't want to stay here for another day."

Li Zichun had just finished working on the song when he came over and shooed Li Ke away to go exercise. He lay down on the chair and rocked back and forth, then sighed and said, "Yeah, if I had known this competition would have so many rounds, I should have given up when I won the Kowloon Harbour Singer title. Now I'm stuck here and it's so annoying."

After saying that, he paused for a moment, looked at the two muscular men exercising next to him, and swayed contentedly in the rocking chair, saying, "Well, it's alright. After this theme, the competition will be halfway over. I'm finally going to enter the top ten in the country."

Zhao Qianfan and Li Ke were exhausted and covered in sweat. The skin showing through their sweat-soaked vests, along with their faces, was truly alluring.

Li Zichun glanced at them a few times, then simply looked away and closed his eyes. Damn it, if he looked at two such muscular bodies every day, he'd get into trouble sooner or later.

He wondered if the company should recruit a few female celebrities, so that the name "Li Yuehe" wouldn't be used anymore. But who should he choose?

As he was lost in thought, envisioning future actions and the company's scale, Xu Chengfeng called.

Li Zichun sighed. It was so annoying that he couldn't hang up on these calls from such high-ranking people, and he didn't really want to deal with them.

Li Zichun composed himself and said with a smile, "Hey~, what brings you here, Old Xu, to call me?"

Xu Chengfeng laughed and said, "Haha, why does your voice sound so fake? Did I disturb your rest?"

Li Zichun chuckled and said, "No, no, what could we possibly have to do at this hour? We're just bored. Is there anything I can help you with?"

Xu Chengfeng said seriously, "It's like this, the famous director Zhang Yimao and screenwriter Lu Wei from the Beijing film circle that I mentioned to you last time have revised the script of 'To Live,' and they would like to meet with you tomorrow to discuss it."

Li Zichun then remembered that there was indeed such a thing, and nodded, saying, "Great, I'm free tomorrow anyway, but have you told them about the other things?"

Xu Chengfeng nodded and said, "I told them that your identity would be kept confidential. Should I send you the script to take a look first? I think it's pretty good."

Li Zichun said with a smile, "Let's write the script first before talking about anything else. If the script isn't approved, I won't go tomorrow."

Xu Chengfeng readily agreed, "Okay, I'll send it to you now. Remember to message me once you're sure."

Li Zichun nodded in agreement and sat quietly in the rocking chair, looking at the script Xu Chengfeng had sent her on her phone. "Hmm, he's a screenwriter after all. It seems I should meet him tomorrow."

PS: Data is from the internet.

"Sausage, Mosquito Net, Machine Gun" is a song sung by Kenny Bee, with lyrics by Lam Man-chung and music by Kenny Bee, and was released on January 1, 1987.

"Unrequited Love" is a song with lyrics by Chan Siu-kei, music by Daiichi Katsumata, and sung by Vivian Chow. It was included in the 1993 album "Winter Romance".

"Guardian of Flowers" is a Cantonese song sung by Hong Kong male singer Hacken Lee. It was composed by Shuhei Hasegawa, with lyrics by Poon Wai-yuen and arrangement by So Tak-wah. It was included in Hacken Lee's Cantonese album "Street Drama in the Rain" released by Universal Music on June 9, 1991.

"Monica" is a Cantonese song performed by Leslie Cheung, composed by Koji Yoshikawa, with lyrics by Peter Lai and arrangement by Joseph Koo. It was included in Leslie Cheung's 1984 album "Leslie". In 1984, the song won the Top Ten Chinese Gold Songs Award and the Top Ten Jade Solid Gold Songs Award. In 1999, the song won the "Top Ten Gold Songs of the 20th Century Award" at the 22nd Top Ten Chinese Gold Songs Awards Ceremony.