Chapter 20: The Sect's Prodigy

April 5th—the agreed-upon day to depart for Hong Kong.

Yet, when everyone gathered at the airport, Lin Jianlu felt a bit overwhelmed—excluding himself, there were unexpectedly seven people in the group, making the whole entourage seem quite grand.

Lin Jianlu had originally thought only Old Xue, Xue Zhongding, would accompany him.

After all, within Rock Records, Xue was his manager, specifically responsible for handling his affairs.

At most, he had considered that his agent, Ge Fuhong, might also tag along for this first trip to Hong Kong.

But not only did Old Duan, Duan Zhongtan, appear in the team, Zhang Aijia came along as well. Ge Fuhong and Zhang Aijia each brought along an assistant. Then, Ge Fuhong pushed a stunning beauty forward, introducing her to Lin Jianlu: “This is Lin Xilei. You’ve seen her photos. Her latest drama has wrapped filming, and she currently has no projects here in Taiwan. I arranged for her to assist you for a while. I’ll cover her salary.”

But Lin Jianlu couldn’t pay attention to this beautiful woman right now. He spread his hands and said, “Everyone, is such a grand entourage really necessary?”

The record company boss, along with two top-tier agents, escorting him to Hong Kong made Lin Jianlu suddenly feel like some prodigious disciple of a sect—surely not?

Old Duan smiled quietly without saying a word. Ge Fuhong smiled too but only said, “It’s necessary.”

In the end, Zhang Aijia took the initiative to explain: “Hong Kong isn’t like Taiwan. In the past decade or so, Taiwan hardly even has an entertainment industry anymore. Its film industry has long since collapsed, leaving only a small music sector, a few TV stations shooting some dramas, and the occasional variety show. But Hong Kong is different. Its film, television, music, media, even newspapers and magazines—all are thriving tremendously. Over the past twenty years, so many people have made their living in Hong Kong’s entertainment world, from all walks of life!”

Alright, understood.

So, I really am that prodigious disciple of a sect.

Rock Records is one of the three major record companies in the Chinese-speaking music scene and has always been powerful and well-reputed. Even coming to Hong Kong, Old Duan’s reputation carried weight. Those in the music business here would give some respect. Not to mention, Luo Da had come to Hong Kong early and established a Rock Records subsidiary. So the company had already infiltrated Hong Kong, with its own base and influence.

The contracts of singers Zhang Guorong and Guo Fucheng were both signed with Rock Records’ Hong Kong branch.

No need to say more about Zhang Aijia—she was well connected with all the big names in Hong Kong’s film industry, like Cheng Long, Hung Kam Bo, Chow Yun Fat, Wong Jing, Wong Pak Ming, and Xu Ke.

Ge Fuhong was even more influential. Lin Jianlu had recently gathered quite a bit of information and learned that back in the mid-1980s, when Hong Kong’s film industry was booming and various guilds had set up production companies, some despicable things began to occur—like kidnapping actors to force them to shoot films or refusing to pay them after filming. Most actors dared not resist these guilds. But even then, Ge Fuhong was the rare one bold enough to openly confront these guilds and successfully wrest her artists back.

Why? Because she was backed by Taiwan’s Era Group. Despite Taiwan’s film industry having collapsed, it remained a crucial market for Hong Kong films. Moreover, her partner was a titan in Taiwan’s media world, whose influence could shake even Hong Kong’s film circles. Many of Hong Kong’s so-called guilds were actually influenced by Taiwan’s factions—the remnants of the Kuomintang’s defeated forces.

So, with these three big shots standing guard, any potential dangers Lin Jianlu might face in Hong Kong would be eliminated without a trace.

“I don’t have much luggage; I can carry it myself.”

“No worries, Brother Lu. I’m your assistant now, so of course I want to help with your luggage.”

Ah, Lin Xilei, only twenty-one, stood before him. Though she wore only canvas shoes and didn’t emphasize her already tall height of 167 cm, her posture was elegant, her figure slender and alluring, and her face both charming and fresh. Lin Jianlu felt a bit awkward.

It wasn’t that her beauty was overwhelming, but having such a stunning assistant didn’t fit with his low-key plan of earning some money quietly and then retiring to a peaceful life.

But he understood Ge Fuhong’s intention. Now that he was becoming famous, having someone by his side who mingled with major figures in Hong Kong’s entertainment circle would bring valuable connections. For a young girl like Lin Xilei, who had just played a small role in a Taiwanese drama, a casual glance from someone influential, or a timely word from Lin Jianlu, could open doors to her next opportunity.

Hence the phrase, “I’ll pay her salary!”

He couldn’t turn down that favor.

After signing the management contract, they were technically colleagues. A little mentorship was only right from someone already established. Besides, although the trip was short, Ge Fuhong’s ability and manner of handling matters impressed Lin Jianlu greatly.

Well, it was free, so why not use her for now!

During the wait for the flight, Lin Jianlu noticed a store selling hats near the hall. He got up, bought a baseball cap, and placed it on Lin Xilei’s head, lowering the brim. “This is for you.”

...

This was his second trip to Hong Kong, but the first time he really set foot there.

These days, Hong Kong still used Kai Tak Airport, and every takeoff and landing felt quite thrilling.

After leaving the airport, they headed straight to the hotel, which surprisingly upgraded their accommodation to a suite—a one-bedroom with a small kitchen. The entire room felt spacious, around seventy to eighty square meters, and it was a sea-view room.

After a simple lunch in the hotel, the group gathered in Lin Jianlu’s suite’s reception room for a brief meeting. The person in charge of publicity and promotion for Rock Records in Hong Kong explained the upcoming schedule, while the two agents were there to oversee it.

They had prepared an eleven-day long promotional itinerary, several pages packed full. While Lin Jianlu was still reading it, Ge Fuhong picked up a pen and began swiftly crossing out items. Old Duan said nothing, but the publicity head tried to speak a few times. Ge Fuhong finished her edits and handed the schedule to Zhang Aijia, who reviewed it without deleting anything further but explained: “First, it’s too packed. Hong Kong isn’t that big; there’s no need for such a tight schedule. Second, we don’t attend every event. Bars? Absolutely not going!”

After saying this, the revised schedule was returned.

The publicity head glanced at Duan Zhongtan, who waved his hand without even looking at what Ge Fuhong had cut, and simply said, “Let’s do it this way.”

And so it was settled.

As everyone gradually got up to leave, Ge Fuhong purposely lingered. Her assistant held some device, which she had used to scan the entire room while they talked. Now she said, “No problems. It’s very clean.”

She nodded, then smiled and said, “In Taiwan, your album has been number one for four consecutive weeks, even increasing sales in the fourth week. Total sales have reached 660,000 copies. In Hong Kong, it’s been number one for two weeks, with 240,000 copies sold. Brother Lu, you are now the biggest star in the entire Chinese music scene. Apart from your fans, don’t bow to anyone else!”

Lin Jianlu pursed his lips, then smiled. Unexpectedly, he suddenly opened his arms and gently hugged Ge Fuhong before saying, “Okay! Thanks, Sister Ge!”