If "Katyusha" had been released commercially, in another ten or twenty years, its royalties would've easily cleared one hundred million yuan. Not only did Niu Jiangxue recognize this, the Russian side did too. So when they received a permanent license gifted by the studio, they were genuinely surprised.
Ivanov, Deputy Minister of the Russian Cultural Center, and Aleksei, Director of the Foreign Exchange Bureau, briefly discussed the matter.
"Mr. Ivanov, it's as obvious as pickles in a jar," Aleksei said. "Mr. Chu has shown tremendous goodwill, and his understanding of our national culture is remarkable."
Russian-style pickles—if you know, you know. If you're ever curious to try them, avoid the German brand Kühne. Go for Hema's. That's the real deal.
"Mr. Chu is a friend of ours," Aleksei continued. "Radazki, who once performed at the Beijing Grand Theater, signed on as a baritone and even served as a vocal coach. His Chinese is excellent, but he can't compose in Chinese at all. When we interviewed Radazki, he admitted he doesn't know much about Huaxia's culture and doesn't feel much connection to it."
That sense of connection is crucial. Without empathy for a nation's suffering, there's no way to connect with its people. Radazki was a perfect example of what not to do.
"Radazki is an excellent operatic singer, but he lacks the ability to compose in Chinese," Ivanov said. That comparison made Chu Zhi's contribution stand out even more.
Noticed something? Many Russian male names end with -ski, -nov, or -rov, and many female names end with -va. Most of these aren't religious; they're place-based. For example, the great novelist Dostoevsky got his name from the village of Dostoev.
"...Since Mr. Chu gifted us a song, it's only right for us East Slavs to return the gesture." After a moment of thought, Deputy Minister Ivanov added, "The Friendship Medal is unlikely. Higher-ups won't approve it. But I'll find another way to reciprocate."
"Fair enough," Aleksei nodded. After all, those in China who received the Friendship Medal were all major figures in the Central Propaganda Department. It wasn't exactly appropriate here.
Cultural exchanges at the international level rely heavily on mutual courtesy. Otherwise, why would anyone engage? Aleksei had approached Ivanov precisely for this.
The two Russian cultural officials reached a consensus. To put it bluntly, if this had been about the United States, the lighthouse nation wouldn't care at all. They've churned out enough banana men to not bother.
The timing, environment, and people were right. Circumstances create heroes, and the times create icons.
That was the conversation at the upper echelons. Meanwhile, among the general public, the Russian-language version of "Katyusha" was being downloaded and streamed for free, expanding its reach. With official support from the Russian Cultural Center, Chu Zhi's fanbase in Russia exploded in size.
"Why is 'The Opera 2' still unsearchable online? I had to go to rutracker to find it,"
"Last year, Melody Music Company said it would release an album with Chu Zhi, but there's been no update,"
"Too much fake info online. I can't tell what's real anymore..."
September came to a close under heavy promotion in Russia. Time seemed to have taken a flying kick, and before anyone realized, it was already December.
For Chu Zhi, these months also brought significant progress. He completed achievements like [Eat Spicy Food * 1200 times], [Overeat Carbs in a Day * 550], and [Smoke * 5500], earning 9 + 10 + 10 = 29 personality coins.
His coin balance reached a peak of 42, but... 20 of those were borrowed. He owed them from two rounds of custom album draws. He had bought everything upfront and was now repaying the debt in pain, just like how young people used Huabei or Jiebei nowadays.
"Still got 22 coins left. Not bad. Should we splurge a little?"
Chu Zhi decided to ask the Dice Goddess for guidance.
"If I roll a 1, 2, 3, 4, or 5, that means today's luck is excellent and perfect for drawing. If I roll a 6, that means the luck is saving itself for next time."
The system wanted to say something, but in the end, it stayed silent.
He rolled a 4. Perfect. Chu Zhi opened a blind box.
[Title: Shut-in Until Noon]
[Curio: Tearless Cry Pill]
[Song Pack: Cup of Life]
[Song Pack: Sugar]
[Album: Led Zeppelin III]
[Album: Dangerous]
Looking at the prize pool details, Chu Zhi was stunned. The Dice Goddess hadn't lied. The prizes were no joke.
To start with, Led Zeppelin III was a legendary album by Led Zeppelin. Sales weren't great when it first released, and critics weren't kind. But decades later, it became one of the band's defining works.
As for Dangerous? Even more insane. Before transmigrating, even the Emperor Beast didn't pay much attention to Earth's entertainment scene, but even he knew about that one Western singer—Michael Jackson.
Michael Jackson had four legendary albums: Thriller, Bad, Dangerous, and HIStory. The order said it all. Chu Zhi remained calm, since the system usually just gave him eye candy and nothing more.
🎵 Go, go, go! Ole, ole, ole... 🎵
Everyone knew Cup of Life—the 1998 World Cup anthem. Sugar was Maroon 5's iconic song about crashing weddings for fun and food.
"Right now, I've got no weaknesses in skill or emotion. If anything, I might need to boost my Voice of Enchantment. But what I'm lacking are cards in hand. I still can't handle every sudden situation. So pulling songs is a great win."
The Emperor Beast was cautious. Even with his massive archive of songs, over thirty or forty tracks still hadn't been released.
Chu Zhi picked a box slightly to the right and opened it—Gold-tier prize!
[Album: Led Zeppelin III]
"Hell yeah! Looks like the system knows I'm planning to enter the Western market and gave me a killer weapon." An unexpected surprise.
"Now, what are this curio and title about? Let's see…"
"Epic title Shut-in Until Noon. Apparently, if I go out only in the afternoon, I'll have incredible luck. Feels a bit mystical. The Tearless Cry Pill is kinda lame though."
Now holding 17 personality coins, with custom album stats at 12/5, and over 40 unreleased songs, the Emperor Beast was starting to feel a little smug.
Others would float away with arrogance. But the Emperor Beast? He used it as fuel. All engines fired up as he started recording his third album.
Within a week, all 15 songs for Little Fruits Are Sweet were recorded. The album was scheduled for release in February. Chu Zhi knew clearly that his third album wouldn't match Chu Ci: Ode to Oranges in awards or popularity...
But it wasn't just filler either. In terms of quality, it could easily rival his comeback album.
The main Chinese tracks—The Brightest Star in the Night Sky and Our Song—were already widely known.
🎵 "Lovers always break up and make up, but we only fell deeper in love..." 🎵
That Leehom Wang song was known to every '80s kid.
Also included were Angel by Mayday, and To Everyone Who Knows My Name by Zhao Chuan—both critically acclaimed. Plus three foreign-language songs that had stood the test of time for over a decade.
This fan-focused album wasn't made to break into the mainstream. Aside from a few crossover tracks, casual listeners wouldn't care.
But the Little Fruits fandom was enormous, even larger than many idol girl group fandoms. This was the only fan-exclusive album Chu Zhi would ever release.
Even if this third album didn't win many awards, one thing was certain—it would be remembered by every Little Fruit for a lifetime. Even when they grew up, got married, stopped following idols... they'd still dig it out once in a while and listen.
The studio had already planned the promotion across all of Asia. Domestic fans would still get the music for free. Overseas, the album would launch in both digital and physical formats.
At that moment, not even the Emperor Beast could predict how terrifyingly well Little Fruits Are Sweet would sell...
Throughout December, Chu Zhi fulfilled many "official jobs." The biggest advantage of state-endorsed status was being invited to various municipal events across the country.
Was there payment involved?
Yes, but not much.
It looked like a time sink and barely earned anything. Seemed like a loss... but it wasn't. The payoff was coming soon.
"The Spring Festival Gala just sent an invitation. They want Brother Chu on the show!" Niu Jiangxue burst in with the good news.
But Lao Qian, Wang Yuan, and Fei-ge all reacted calmly.
Lao Qian even said, "Calm down, Niu-tou. Even Lin Xia performed last year. Brother Jiu getting invited this year was a done deal."
Niu Jiangxue, as the studio's lead agent, had earned the nickname "Niu-tou" from Lao Qian.
"Chu-ge gets a full five-minute solo performance," she clarified.
"A five-minute solo? Now that's something," Wang Yuan added.
"What's the big deal?" Lao Qian hadn't followed the Gala for four or five years, so he didn't quite get it.
"Nowadays the Gala is a mash-up of acts. They love throwing artists together. Lin Xia's show was a medley with Su Yiwu and that lead singer from Crimson Youth," Fei-ge explained. "Even older stars get paired with trending idols. It's a mess."
"Exactly. It's almost impossible to land a solo stage now," Wang Yuan nodded. "There's usually only one solo act per year."
Now Lao Qian understood the weight behind it. "So what's Brother Jiu going to sing? They must've given some direction."
"Chinese People or Chrysanthemum Terrace. He can choose," Niu Jiangxue replied. Then added, "Only thing is, the invitation came from Deputy Director Li of Central TV, not the Gala's chief director."
Ah, here came the politics.
Deputy Director Li was in charge of the Spring Festival Gala. Slotting in a performance was normal. But the chief director had final say. Sudden insertions weren't easy.
Every chief director of the Gala gets scolded, and every year's show is worse than the last. But the Gala is still the most-watched program on Earth.
"We'll figure it out when Brother Chu returns from the capital," Niu Jiangxue shifted the topic. "Are next year's schedules and ad contracts finalized? What about our studio's holiday plans?"
With that, everyone snapped back to work. Year-end was coming. Too many reports and arrangements to handle. No time to waste.
===
Cup of Life "生命之杯"
Shēngmìng zhī Bēi
Original artist: Ricky Martin
Sugar
Original artist: Maroon 5
The Brightest Star in the Night Sky "夜空中最亮的星"
Yèkōng Zhōng Zuì Liàng de Xīng
Original artist: Escape Plan (逃跑计划)
Our Song "我们的歌"
Wǒmen de Gē
Original artist: Leehom Wang (王力宏)
Angel "天使"
Tiānshǐ
Original artist: Mayday (五月天)
To Everyone Who Knows My Name "给所有知道我名字的人"
Gěi Suǒyǒu Zhīdào Wǒ Míngzì de Rén
Original artist: Zhao Chuan (赵传)