Chapter 077: The Mentor Who Was Moved
“That twenty yuan was well spent!”
As he stepped into the elevator, Lin Feng shed his disguise. The man shouting at the entrance earlier was someone he’d hired for twenty yuan from the street.
Lin Feng returned to his room to fetch his laptop, then headed to the room where Chen Fan and Hu Jiangquan were waiting to submit his work.
When the two saw Lin Feng, they were stunned.
“There were reporters blocking the entrance for you. How did you get up here?” Hu Jiangquan punched Lin Feng lightly in the chest, grinning as he spoke.
“I used a little trick,” Lin Feng replied with a smile.
“Lin Feng, you really are something. Weren’t you supposed to be writing a song in an extreme 48-hour marathon? From what I see, it’s more like an extreme 48-hour disaster marathon! Yesterday you clashed with the basketball association, today you went to meet Ruolin’s parents. Don’t tell me your song isn’t even written yet!” Chen Fan said.
“Brother Fan, please don’t rub it in. It’s not like I wanted things to be this way,” Lin Feng answered helplessly.
“All right, let’s sit down and talk.”
Chen Fan pointed to the sofa and had his assistant bring Lin Feng a cup of coffee.
Once the three were seated, Hu Jiangquan asked, “Lin Feng, what Fan just asked is exactly what I was worried about. You’ve been running around for two days—don’t tell me you haven’t had time to write your song?”
Lin Feng opened his laptop. “Though a lot happened these past two days, I didn’t neglect my songwriting. I’m here to submit my work. Please, both of you, give me your guidance.”
“What? You finished it?” Chen Fan exclaimed in shock. “You’ve been all over the place and still didn’t fall behind on your songwriting? I have to hand it to you.”
“You’re not joking, are you?” Hu Jiangquan stared wide-eyed, disbelief written all over his face.
“It’s really done. Here, I’ll play it for you,” Lin Feng said, clicking the music player.
A simple prelude drifted from the laptop.
As the music played, Chen Fan and Hu Jiangquan realized Lin Feng was serious and listened intently...
That is the person I think of day and night, the one I love deeply
How should I express myself
Will she accept me
Maybe I’ll never say those words to her
Destined to wander the world
How can I have ties that hold me
Dreams always seem out of reach
Should I just give up
Flowers bloom and fall, another season passes
Spring, oh spring—where are you
Youth is like a river in full flow
Gone, never to return, no time for goodbyes
Only the numb me remains
No longer the passionate self of years past
See the drifting petals filling the sky
Wither at their most beautiful moment
Who will remember that they were ever here
...
As the first verse ended, Chen Fan and Hu Jiangquan were utterly captivated. With their many years in music, their ears were finely tuned. Judging only by the opening of “Old Boys,” the lyrics were plain and unadorned, the melody simple—nothing stood out at first glance. But with careful listening, they found that the plain words struck straight to the heart, and the simple melody was catchy, easy to hum after just one listen.
A song with both these qualities—Chen Fan and Hu Jiangquan, with their sharp sense for the market, knew what this meant.
It meant they were listening to a work with the potential to become a massive hit.
The interlude passed, and the song continued...
Chen Fan and Hu Jiangquan listened even more intently. The impact of a song’s second half often determines its staying power and success—not necessarily through explosive energy, but through how the latter part supports the whole, giving it a perfect conclusion.
Years have flown by, so many joys and sorrows
Once, as young men, we envied the swallows flying south
We each rushed toward our futures, our figures quickly growing distant
Where is the future
Ordinary life—who can answer me
Those who stood by me then
Where are you now
Those I once loved
What are you like now
Did our original dreams come true
Now, can we only mourn them
Let time dry out our ideals, never again to find the true self
Looking up at the starry sky
The star that kept me company back then
Do you still remember the stories here
...
Life is like a merciless chisel
Changing who we are
Must we wither before we bloom
I once had dreams
Youth is like a river in full flow
Gone, never to return, no time for goodbyes
Only the numb me remains
No longer the passionate self of years past
See the drifting petals filling the sky
Wither at their most beautiful moment
Who will remember that they were ever here
Did our original dreams come true
...
Now, can we only mourn them
Let time dry out our ideals, never again to find the true self
Looking up at the starry sky
The star that kept me company back then
Do you still remember the stories here
If tomorrow comes, I wish you blessings, my dear
...
As the last notes faded, the room was enveloped in silence. Neither Chen Fan nor Hu Jiangquan spoke. Chen Fan’s eyes were red, while Hu Jiangquan tilted his head back, trying hard to keep his tears from falling...
Both were late bloomers, only tasting true fame after a decade of working together, when they were already in their thirties. In this song, they found so much that resonated with their own lives...
Youthful days on campus;
The hardships of drifting and struggling;
The years spent chasing dreams;
The bitterness of countless failures.
They were lucky—after innumerable setbacks, they succeeded. But most of their friends who journeyed alongside them could only let time erode their dreams and settle into lives they never wanted...
Clap! Clap, clap...
Chen Fan’s applause broke the silence in the room.
“Lin Feng, I have only two words for you—brilliant!” Chen Fan gave Lin Feng a thumbs up.
“It’s been years since a song moved me to tears,” Hu Jiangquan said, pulling himself out of the song’s atmosphere and wiping the tears from his eyes.
Lin Feng hadn’t expected such a strong reaction after they listened to “Old Boys.” He remembered the first time he heard this song, at the end of the short film “Old Boys.” The combination of the song and the story had made him cry, truly cry, because the song voiced the feelings of so many people.
But now it was just the song, without the story. Lin Feng thought the impact would be much less, yet Chen Fan and Hu Jiangquan still gave it such high praise.
“Lin Feng, you really are a genius. Both ‘Smiling Eyes’ and this ‘Old Boys’ have the makings of massive hits. This season’s champion of ‘Original Good Songs’—it has to be you!” said Hu Jiangquan solemnly.
“We’ve really struck gold this time!” Chen Fan added, laughing.
Embarrassed by their praise, Lin Feng humbly asked, “So, do you have any suggestions for my song?”
“Suggestions? I have nothing to say—it’s perfect as it is!” Hu Jiangquan shook his head.
“I agree with Jiangquan. There’s really nothing more we can say about a song like this,” Chen Fan said.
Lin Feng scratched his head. “So, is it okay if I use this song for tomorrow’s competition?”
“Of course,” said Hu Jiangquan. “Send us the track, and I’ll have the production team prepare the accompaniment.”
“All right.”
Lin Feng nodded and sent “Old Boys” to Hu Jiangquan’s computer via Bluetooth...
...