DAEYTT Chapter 052: Unusual Growth
Because he had an appointment on Saturday, Wang Qian uncharacteristically set an alarm. He didn't sleep until the sun woke him.
Ring ring ring...
The alarm rang.
It was exactly eight o'clock.
For office workers in Shanghai, eight o'clock isn't early.
Wang Qian yawned, looking like he hadn't fully woken up. He went to the bathroom, washed his face, and brushed his teeth. Still in his casual clothes, he quickly left home.
This was the busiest time for breakfast shops. Wang Qian waited in line for a while before he could pack a breakfast. Then, it was also the busiest time for taxis and the most congested traffic time.
Wang Qian sat in the taxi, listening to the driver play his songs on loop. "Ordinary Road," "Once You," "Alive," "Not So Simple," "Those Flowers," "I Believe!" All the songs he had uploaded, not a single one missing. It seemed to be a playlist on repeat.
The driver was enjoying it, occasionally humming along, tapping his fingers on the steering wheel to the rhythm. Wang Qian, keeping a low profile, didn't strike up a conversation with the driver. Instead, he quietly played with his phone, checking the data on his music platform and browsing Weibo.
His Weibo follower count had risen again by nearly a hundred thousand, approaching 1.7 million. Without any PR resources, his follower count was steadily and significantly increasing every day, something unique on the entire Weibo platform.
Most comments under his Weibo were about the new song "I Believe," and some were discussing "Unnamed Life."
"The boss's new song 'I Believe' is really inspiring. I just graduated and was feeling down because of some setbacks at work recently. Listening to this song filled me with energy. It's just working overtime, just being asked to clean, just having my salary docked for being a second late? I can handle it. I believe in myself, and I believe in tomorrow!"
This comment received nearly a hundred thousand likes, resonating with most workers.
Wang Qian also liked the comment.
"Some people say the boss's new song style has changed a lot. I thought it was just a slight change, but I underestimated the boss. The new song sounds like a completely different person—voice, aura, and singing technique are all different. Honestly, the boss is amazing, way ahead of the current young singers."
"After listening to the boss's 'I Believe,' I got up, left my villa, drove my Ferrari, and went to look for a job. I can't stay depressed any longer."
"Unnamed Life is worth watching. Watching 'Once You' elevate the entire film, and the ending elevated it again. I cried my eyes out. Honestly, the protagonist's experience is very similar to mine. I haven't gone back to my hometown yet, but I'm already considering it since Beijing can't accommodate me!"
"Seeing everyone recommending 'Unnamed Life,' I watched it overnight. Not bad. It's no wonder the boss's two songs' MVs were well-received..."
Wang Qian briefly scrolled through Weibo and then checked the music platform. The download data for "Those Flowers" was about to break a million. And the download data for "I Believe" skyrocketed to 800,000 overnight, surprising Wang Qian.
Apparently, due to his performance in front of so many people, "I Believe" had spread widely, leading to a surge in searches and downloads in a short time.
Seeing the data for "Ordinary Road" and "Once You," Wang Qian's eyes widened slightly, carefully confirming if the data was real.
"Not So Simple," streams 10,903,580, downloads 6,180,420.
"Ordinary Road," streams 9,913,601, downloads 5,782,603.
"Once You," streams 9,835,530, downloads 5,537,508.
"Alive," streams 7,153,845, downloads 3,805,600.
Remembering the data from last night, Wang Qian was shocked by the numbers shown on the platform now. The overnight growth was too significant. Especially "Ordinary Road" and "Once You," which saw over a million downloads each, almost catching up to "Not So Simple."
What was happening?
Was it because of the movie "Unnamed Life"?
Wang Qian, who had been lying drowsily in the back seat of the taxi, suddenly woke up completely. This kind of explosive growth was enough to shake off his drowsiness.
Wang Qian quickly searched "Unnamed Life" on Weibo and immediately found a lot of information. Several of them were trending topics!
"Large-scale long-form MV, 'Unnamed Life!'"
"'Unnamed Life' perfectly interprets 'Once You' and 'Ordinary Road.'"
"A movie where the protagonist has no name, 'Unnamed Life,' loses 'Once You,' goes through ups and downs, and finally returns to the 'Ordinary Road.' It made me cry!"
"Art film 'Unnamed Life' grossed 3.54 million on its first day, with an occupancy rate reaching half, far exceeding expectations!"
Buzz buzz...
His phone rang.
Wang Qian, engrossed in reading about "Unnamed Life," quickly answered the call. It was Zhao Lei.
"Wang Qian, are you up? Did I wake you?" Zhao Lei's voice sounded a bit tired, excited, and apologetic. He had only slept for a little over an hour, spending the rest of the time monitoring the box office and the reviews for "Unnamed Life," as well as coordinating with the production company to plan the next round of promotions.
The first day's box office far exceeded their initial expectation of 1.5 million! The production company was planning to increase their promotional investment. Zhao Lei and Li He had stayed up late monitoring online discussions about "Unnamed Life" and discovered that the majority of the audience's attention was focused on Wang Qian's two songs. This was evident from the surge in downloads for Wang Qian's songs overnight. Thus, Zhao Lei called Wang Qian early in the morning.
Wang Qian got straight to the point: "No, Director Zhao, what's up so early?"
Zhao Lei also got straight to the point: "Yes, there's something I need. We want to invite you to fully participate in the crew's upcoming promotional activities. We'll offer you a remuneration for this, and we'll sign a formal contract with you. The production company has also arranged for you to appear on two variety shows next week, one of which is a singing show that you're good at, and we've secured at least two songs for you to perform. There are also some commercial performances in major cities where the income will go entirely to you..."
Before Zhao Lei could finish, Wang Qian interrupted: "Director Zhao, I'm really sorry. I might not be able to agree..."
Zhao Lei was silent for a moment, then quickly asked: "Is your schedule too tight? No problem, we can arrange the promotional activities according to your availability."
Wang Qian: "I'm currently on my way to a Moyin event, and I have an important program to record next week. After the program airs, I'll have to fully comply with the show's reasonable arrangements. Director Zhao, you understand, right?"
Zhao Lei quickly asked: "The Voice?"
Wang Qian chuckled without answering, which was a tacit admission.
Zhao Lei was silent for a few more seconds before sighing: "Ah, alright then. That's really a pity."
Zhao Lei certainly knew about "The Voice." It was one of the most coveted stages for new artists. He couldn't ask Wang Qian to give up "The Voice" for his movie's promotion, and Wang Qian wouldn't sacrifice that much for him either.
"Sorry, Director Zhao, I can't help you this time. But I'll cheer you on via Weibo. I hope the movie's box office does great..."
Wang Qian offered his apologies and best wishes.
Zhao Lei: "Alright, thank you! And I hope you achieve great success on 'The Voice.' With your talent, it's a given. Haha, no worries, we've already benefited from your influence. The movie's box office should exceed expectations and turn a profit! For my first movie, that's already a huge success."
Making a profit on the first film was indeed quite an achievement. Along with other rights and merchandise income, the movie would bring significant revenue to the production company. Zhao Lei would then be able to secure more investment for his next film, giving him greater autonomy and influence.
Wang Qian offered his congratulations again: "Congratulations, congratulations!"
Zhao Lei: "Thanks, I have to go now. Talk later."
Wang Qian: "Goodbye, Director Zhao."
After hanging up, a message notification sounded.
Glorious Xue'er: "I've dropped them off at Moyin. Are you up? Should I come pick you up and bring you breakfast?"
Don't underestimate me!
Wang Qian quickly replied: "I'm already on the way. If there's no traffic, I'll be there in twenty minutes!"
Glorious Xue'er: "Impressive today. Have you had breakfast?"
Wang Qian: "Just finished. How about you?"
Glorious Xue'er: "I ate at home. Aunt He made breakfast for us."
Wang Qian: "I'm not jealous at all!"
Glorious Xue'er: "Hehe, if you want, I can make it for you next time. I've been practicing my cooking for a week."
Chatting with Qin Xuerong, Wang Qian looked at the scenery outside. After a brief traffic jam, he arrived at Moyin. He scanned the QR code to pay and got out of the car.
"Boss, can I get your autograph?" The young driver handed Wang Qian a crumpled notebook from the glove compartment, looking hopeful.
The driver hadn't bothered Wang Qian during the ride and just wanted an autograph as a keepsake before parting. Wang Qian quickly signed his name: "I see you've downloaded all my songs. Thanks for your support. Drive safely!"
He then added a line: "Wishing you a smooth journey and safe travels!"
The driver happily put it away: "Thanks, boss!"
Wang Qian waved and walked towards Moyin, where Qin Xuerong was already jogging over to meet him.
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