Chapter 41: Perfection

The song consisted of ten bars for the verse and a grand chorus. Beyond the choral arrangement, the chorus featured a section of spoken-word lyrics—one might loosely call it rap. As it happened, the two figures in the Chinese music scene who most enjoyed reciting lyrics as a form of singing were both present today: Cui Jian and Jonathan Lee. Naturally, the rap section in the chorus fell to them.

Beyond that, Lin Jianlu had divided the fourteen participating singers into two tiers. Hierarchy exists everywhere, and respecting one’s elders is by no means a bad habit. These veterans had braved the industry for years, earned illustrious reputations, and possessed masterpieces that reached the heavens; how could one not show them respect?

Tier One: James Wong, Lo Ta-yu, Jonathan Lee, Cui Jian, Liu Huan, and Sarah Chen.
Tier Two: Wang Feng, Chang Chen-yue, Wakin Chau, Zheng Jun, Leslie Cheung, Lin Jianlu, Dou Wei, and Zhao Chuan.

Within Tier One, despite Sarah Chen holding the title for the first million-selling album in Taiwan, she actually felt slightly out of place. It would have been more fitting to place Leslie Cheung there, or perhaps Lin Jianlu himself, as the organizer singing a bar, and no one would have raised an objection. However, Lin Jianlu voluntarily demoted himself and pulled Leslie Cheung down a tier as well. Leslie, having reached middle age, had long since let go of such concerns and merely smiled it off.

Everyone had come out of respect for Lin Jianlu. Being invited was a sign of recognition and value; their willingness to attend was a gesture of respect and favor—they were happy to go along with whatever he suggested. Thus, Sarah Chen was granted the opportunity to sing a solo bar, which was why Faye Wong had teased her earlier.

As they grew more familiar with the lyrics and melody, the accompaniment became flawless, and their synergy deepened. Everyone’s performance reached a peak state, and the official recording began. After four consecutive takes, everyone realized they were at the top of their game. They could all sense that they were on the verge of success.

As the on-site director, or executive producer, Sylvia Chang coordinated the four cameras and confirmed the audio equipment before giving a wave to start another take.

The music began.

James Wong stood before the microphone, his gravelly voice sounding both carefree and melancholic: "Only one song left, you start singing first. Otherwise, everyone will fall asleep. Someone has to stay awake; the night is hard to endure."

Sarah Chen followed immediately, her voice as clear as a spring, providing a perfect contrast to Wong: "Only one glass left, let's share it. Our hearts are almost frozen; we should let them flutter gently, even if just a little."

Wang Feng took over, singing only half a line, but with deep emotion: "Finally, only you remain, keeping yourself company."

Then it was Chang Chen-yue, shedding his usual laid-back ease for a touch of earnest sorrow: "Finally, only I remain, becoming increasingly melancholy."

Next was Lo Ta-yu, with his own gravelly rasp: "Only one dream left, you fulfill it first. Don't wait until dawn, when the regret is too deep to even complain."

Then came Cui Jian, his tone earnest and resolute: "Only one lamp left, light it if you want. If I have to block a bullet, I’ll grit my teeth and step forward, showing it to you with my own chest."

Wakin Chau’s magnificent, CD-quality voice chimed in: "Finally, only you remain, with no temper at all."

Zheng Jun followed, equally earnest: "Finally, only I remain, still wanting to persevere to the end."

Before the word "end" could settle, the drums kicked in, and the rhythm became sharp and resonant.

Jonathan Lee brought his high-pitched style, ragged and unpolished, yet exceptionally convincing: "Time has left behind beauty and a mess. We are lucky to still have the fortune to sing."

When it came to high notes, Liu Huan was undoubtedly the king. As he opened his mouth, an aura of grandeur and the spirit of the world surged forth: "We stand on the open road looking at the sky, happy when we see the sun shining."

After finishing the word "happy," he soared into a high note, his voice like a long whistle.

Before the sound faded, Leslie Cheung began: "If the world doesn't understand me, I will just be lonely."

Lin Jianlu picked up: "But why are you so lonely?"

Dou Wei, with his characteristic cool, followed: "Why don't we trade, consider it a gift."

The final one to hold the fort was Zhao Chuan: "That way, we can continue to live for tomorrow."

The electric guitar solo took over. The rhythm started slow but soon began to modulate. As the guitar shifted, the drums grew intense. The guitar turned aggressive, clashing with the drums, creating a solo reminiscent of the band Beyond, while directly driving the entire song into its final climax.

Accompanied by the spoken-word parts of Jonathan Lee and Cui Jian, everyone—including Paul Wong, Wong Ka-keung, and Yip Sai-wing—joined in the chorus:

"Every storm that beats upon us,
We fall to the ground, faces covered in mud. Hey, even if we fail.
When spring comes and flowers bloom on our balcony,
You come running over, shouting excitedly, 'Hey, I was the fastest this time.'"

As the spoken parts ended, Jonathan Lee and Cui Jian joined the final grand chorus:

"We can fly, we should be able to fly,
The blue sea and sky are just waiting for the wind to come.
We can fly, we can all fly,
Let everyone believe we are here for love."

...

This rendition of the chorus seemed to carry an indescribable quality. In fact, some people had been here since yesterday, having seen the sheet music and listened to rehearsals. Others had spent the entire day outside the studio, becoming so familiar with the song that they were no better than those inside.

Yet, listening to it time and again, the shock they felt initially—which had gradually dulled—began to revive. As they listened, they felt a numbness spreading through their bodies, and at certain voices, they felt as if an electric current had passed through them. Their expressions were solemn, but their eyes were ablaze with excitement.

...

Gigi Leung had rushed over immediately after finishing her own recording session. By the time she arrived, the group had already achieved such high chemistry that they were ready to record. Lin Jianlu had only enough time to say a few words to her before stepping into the booth.

Her producer had also come to listen to the rehearsals the day before and had told her: "Listen well; this is art. You should be thankful for your face—it’s what gives you the chance to make a living in this business!"

Yes, she knew. Yesterday, standing on the sidelines watching Lin Jianlu coach them one by one, coordinating their singing styles and techniques, even though she couldn't grasp the full picture of the song, she could already sense what kind of masterpiece it was.

It was said that he had written the lyrics and music in ten minutes after hearing people chatting about the passing of Wong Ka-kui—yes, this was what one called art!

Gentle, warm, yet full of power!

Standing outside the booth now, she once again intuitively sensed how talented these people truly were. Subconsciously, she couldn't help but cast her eyes several times toward the only woman in the booth.

In fact, romantic rivals were everywhere; it wasn't just Sarah Chen. Everyone standing outside the booth had expressions of emotion, excitement, adoration, and envy, especially Su Hui-lun and his assistant, Lin Xilei. Oh, and there was also Brigitte Lin.

Really, she was already quite old; how could she be so bold as to like a twenty-year-old? Yet she had so much free time; while they were practicing inside, she would spend all day outside listening. She was there when Gigi arrived, there at noon, and she was still there now.

...

The sound of the electric guitar finally faded.

The recording was finished. Inside and outside the booth, everyone looked relieved and happy. Those inside took off their monitoring headphones and chatted casually while waiting. Lin Jianlu came out, feeling clearly satisfied, and took the headphones from Sylvia Chang to put them on.

After listening carefully, he looked back at Sylvia Chang.

Sylvia Chang nodded, "I think it’s almost perfect!"

Lin Jianlu made an "OK" gesture, "I declare, the recording of 'Gift' is complete!"

"Thank you, everyone! You’ve worked hard!"

Warm applause erupted both inside and outside the booth.

...

Some ran over to listen to the playback, while others began to pack their things. Lin Jianlu went around shaking hands, hugging, and thanking everyone one by one.

"Get some rest; tomorrow night, we won't stop until we're drunk!"

"Thanks, Brother Huan. Tomorrow we’ll go out, buy something for your wife, and drink heavily at night!"

"Brother Chuan, thanks!"

"Brother Cui, thanks! That was awesome!"

When he reached Leslie Cheung, before Lin Jianlu could thank him, Leslie took the initiative: "Thank you, Lujai. Thank you for inviting me to sing this song. It’s written brilliantly! Thank you!"

Lin Jianlu smiled, opened his arms, and hugged him, "Thanks, Gor Gor!"

Then he saw Sarah Chen and opened his arms again, "Oh... you sang wonderfully!"

Sarah Chen just smiled and didn't speak, opening her arms to embrace him. But at the last second, Lin Jianlu changed his mind, cupped her face, and gave her a quick, firm kiss on the lips.

"Oh my..."

Those who hadn't left the studio yet began to jeer playfully.

But Lin Jianlu didn't care. He was high on the recording today; he was having a blast! Just look at this lineup—thirty years from now, when people look back at this, they’d have to admit how legendary it was!

I organized this! It was my connections!

Moreover, the overall quality of this version was undoubtedly better than the original!

"Thanks, Brother Yue, Old Wang! Old Zheng!"

"Brother Wakin, heavy drinking tomorrow! Make sure you explain it to your wife in advance! Hahaha..."

After thanking almost everyone, he turned to face the onlookers outside the booth. He smiled, and suddenly caught sight of Su Hui-lun’s complex expression and Gigi Leung’s tense face.

He walked straight over, a natural sense of relaxation and pride on his face. He picked up Gigi Leung and spun her around. When he put her down, she didn't seem as stiff anymore. He then cupped her little face and gave her a firm kiss on the lips.

He put her down, turned to Su Hui-lun, who was just two meters away, and walked over laughing. He picked her up and spun her around as well. When he put her down, Su Hui-lun was already laughing and reached out to push his mouth away, but he still managed to force a kiss on her cheek.

"Oh... oh..."

"Damn..."

"Ew..."

The recording studio was filled with laughter and chaos.

But Lin Jianlu still didn't care. He walked over to Brigitte Lin.

Brigitte Lin laughed heartily and took the initiative to open her arms, hugging Lin Jianlu. She tried a couple of times but couldn't lift him off the ground. That didn't matter; when she let go, they both burst into laughter.

She hugged him again, and they shared a sincere kiss.

What others thought didn't matter. For him, today was perfect.