Chapter 75 Six years ago, Jing Yitong and Fang…
Fang Xingu looked at Jiang He with a calm yet firm gaze. Even after Jiang He uttered such a strange statement, he did not reveal the slightest doubt or inquiry. He simply looked at Jiang He, waiting for his answer.
But that calm gaze seemed to possess some kind of power, calming Jiang He's wildly beating heart.
He wiped the cold sweat from his forehead: "I can explain that there are indeed hidden reasons behind this, but it has absolutely nothing to do with Jiang Zhou and Tan Zhi. Please believe me, Professor Fang."
Fang Xingu nodded: "I'll listen to your explanation, but not here."
Fang Xin looked around and saw that no one had noticed the incident in the corner, but this was clearly not the place to talk.
By this time, the celebration banquet was coming to an end. Fang Xingu had finished exchanging greetings and discussing all the necessary matters, so he said to Qi Qiu and Jiang He, "Let's go first and talk somewhere else."
Fang Xingu greeted Zhong Yan and then left with his men and Jiang He to discuss business at Fang Xingu's studio.
Along the way, Jiang He nervously scrolled through his phone. Jiang Zhou's video had been posted for over an hour, and because it had been linked to numerous marketing accounts, public opinion had quickly escalated, with discussions about it spreading everywhere online.
"It's been a long time since I've seen such blatant plagiarism, especially plagiarizing such a famous senior like Tan Zhi. What was Feng He thinking?"
"Is this Feng He still a student? I've long suspected that a student could have such a high level of skill, and it turns out there's some juicy gossip about him."
“The name ‘Feng He’ is terrible. He’s really a ‘faux pas’, hahaha.”
"Jiang Zhou has managed to produce so much evidence, I don't believe that 'Water Devours Sand' is completely innocent. I suspect that the problems with the previous storyboarding are also real, but were covered up by the production team."
"But if the theme song for 'Water Devours Sand' was written and composed by Tan Zhi, then why would the production team have swapped it with that of Feng He, a newcomer? It must be because Tan Zhi is more famous and would give them more of a boost, right?"
"Don't you remember when Fang Xingu specifically mentioned Feng He's name at the premiere of 'Water Eats Sand'? Fang Xingu's relationship with this Feng He is not simple. I suspect that Feng He is a new artist signed by Fang Xingu's studio, and Fang Xingu is building up Feng He's reputation in advance. Moreover, Fang Xingu's relationship with Jing Yitong is also unclear. Jing Yitong is one of the investors of 'Water Eats Sand'. He is fully capable of doing this favor and attributing the lyrics and music of this interlude to Feng He."
"Wow, this analysis makes so much sense!"
"Hehe, JYT and FXG are birds of a feather. You can't have two kinds of people sleeping in the same bed."
"Holy crap, please don't mention that couple. If the CP fans come after us, we can forget about this post."
"Am I the only one who thinks that the demo of Tan Zhi that Jiang Zhou released, although it sounds good, is too bland. Is Feng He's version better? Especially the climax."
"Only you are thanking me; some people are starting to act like sons again."
"This 'Water Eats Sand' production team has really done a lot of bad things. Director Jiang has been out of the spotlight for many years, and he finally had a chance to make a comeback, but they just wasted it all. They even let others steal the fruits of their labor. It's really devastating to think about it [crying]"
"It's too late to say all this now. 'Water Eats Sand' has already grossed over 3 billion yuan. These people must have made a fortune. Alas, Director Jiang didn't get a single penny of the profits."
"It's chilling to think about. What exactly happened to Director Jiang during his disappearance..."
Jiang He was only a little angry when he saw others scolding him, but when he saw that Fang Xin and the "Water Devouring Sand" crew were also implicated, his anger immediately flared up.
Fang Xin is such a good person, why do these people have the right to speculate about him like that!
After arriving at Fang Xingu's studio and confirming that no one else was around, Fang Xingu asked Jiang He, "Tell me, what does 'yes and no' mean?"
Jiang He took a deep breath and explained, "I have a senior brother named Feng Ji'an. In fact, he wrote the original versions of the theme songs for 'Love Without Limits' and 'Water Devours Sand.' I made some adaptations based on his work and then submitted them to the production teams of 'I Am the Only One' and 'Water Devours Sand.'"
This is equivalent to co-writing lyrics and composing music, which is not uncommon in the industry. That's why Jiang He chose the pen name "Feng He," which combines Feng Ji'an's surname with his own given name.
Fang Xingu quickly figured out the key point and continued to ask, "Your senior brother should know about this, right?"
Qi Qiu, standing to the side, thought more deeply: "Did you two sign any contract? Just in case there are any disputes in the future."
"...No, actually my senior brother didn't even know."
Fang Xingu and Qi Qiu cast a questioning look at him.
Jiang He lowered his eyes, looking somewhat sad: "My senior brother suffered a serious illness last year and was barely saved, but he has been in a vegetative state ever since. His family is not well-off, and it was already a great struggle for them to support his music studies. On top of that, this happened. The medical expenses and subsequent burdens are too heavy, and his parents really don't know what to do. After discussing it with them, we decided to sell the lyrics and music that my senior brother wrote before the accident to help with his medical expenses."
However, the songs my senior composed, well, they lacked some highlights, so they didn't sell well at first. Some people wanted to buy them in bulk at a low price, but I felt my senior's hard work shouldn't be sold cheaply, so I refused. At that time, I realized that selling songs in a wide-ranging way definitely wouldn't work, so I contacted the teachers at the school to inquire if any film or television production teams were looking for songs. The teachers knew about my senior's situation and were happy to provide me with some information and assistance.
It just so happened that the production team of "Water Eats Sand" was collecting songs at the time. After I found out, I found a suitable melody from my senior classmate and made some targeted adaptations—I know my basic skills are average, but I am quite good at adaptations. After I finished the adaptation, I submitted the song to the "Water Eats Sand" production team, and they bought it very readily. Not only did they pay more than the market price, but they also did not embezzle my credit.
My aunt and uncle were overjoyed; the money truly solved their immediate problem. However, because of my senior's situation, it was best not to publicize it, so I concealed the details and registered the name "Feng He" with the "Water Devours Sand" production team. After that, I used this method to sell songs many more times, and each time the results were good, which indeed eased the burden on my aunt and uncle.
Upon hearing this, Fang Xingu suddenly understood the contradictions in Jiang He's character.
No wonder when he looked at Jiang He's previous works written in school, he felt that although his works were commendable, they were still rather immature and showed a lack of basic skills. However, the interlude of "Water Devours Sand" and "Love Without Limits" were very mature and eye-catching.
No wonder Jiang He was initially very excited when he was invited to join his studio, but ultimately refused.
Fang Xingu muttered, "No wonder."
It turns out that everything has a traceable origin.
The mystery has finally been solved, but this is only the story behind Jiang He. How did he get involved with Tan Zhi?
Actually, if someone else were sitting here today and heard Jiang He's explanation, they might not immediately believe his side of the story, and might even be angry that he concealed such a big matter.
Although Jiang He's story was very touching, it hid a major problem—the copyright ownership was unclear.
Lyrics and music are not ordinary property, and Jiang He made the adaptations without Feng Ji'an's consent. What if Feng Ji'an wakes up later and does not approve of Jiang He's actions, or even thinks that he plagiarized his work? Although, according to Jiang He, he used all the money he earned for Feng Ji'an's treatment.
But Feng Ji'an is in a vegetative state, not really dead. As long as he wakes up and is willing, there are too many angles he can cause trouble in the future. If a normal production crew knew this situation, they would definitely avoid the risks and wouldn't buy the song sent by Jiang He. That's why Jiang He kept this matter a secret from beginning to end.
For example, at this moment, Qi Qiu felt that Jiang He was a hot potato. He was glad that he hadn't signed Jiang He back then, so he avoided a lot of trouble.
But he didn't understand why Fang Xingu was so concerned about Jiang He's affairs. Fang Xingu and Jiang He's songs had no copyright disputes. At most, he sang "Love Without Limits". Even if Jiang He and Feng Ji'an had a conflict later, it wouldn't affect him as the singer.
Qi Qiu cleared his throat and glanced at Fang Xingu: "This has nothing to do with you, right?"
“How can it not be related?” Fang Xingu said matter-of-factly. “This matter involves ‘Water Devours Sand’ and my brother, so I definitely have to get involved.”
Qi Qiu rolled his eyes speechlessly, then looked away, too lazy to say anything.
Fang Xingu tapped the table with his index finger and asked Jiang He, "But how is this related to Tan Zhi? According to the evidence released by Jiang Zhou, he first collected songs for 'Water Devours Sand' two years ago, before your senior brother got into trouble. Are you sure he didn't sell his own songs to Tan Zhi?"
Jiang He nodded vigorously: "I'm sure! Two years ago, although I hadn't gone to university yet, I already knew my senior. He complained to me about his bad luck back then, saying that he hadn't received any replies to the songs he submitted, and he never mentioned the name of the 'Water Devouring Sand' production team. Moreover, my senior is a very organized person. This interlude is in the 'unsold' folder on his computer, so it's definitely not sold to anyone."
Fang Xingu understood immediately: "In other words, your senior brother may have submitted this song before, but he didn't get any response, and in the end, Tan Zhi took it."
Jiang He also found the matter a bit strange, and he nodded somewhat uncertainly.
Fang Xingu pondered for a moment and said, "There is only one possibility. Jiang Zhou once invited Tan Zhi to write a song for 'Water Devours Sand,' but Tan Zhi outsourced the project. After your senior brother received the news, he submitted the song to Tan Zhi. Although Tan Zhi did not reply to your senior brother, he secretly recorded a demo of his song and sent it to Jiang Zhou. Jiang Zhou was very satisfied, but in the end, because Jiang Zhou himself was kicked out of 'Water Devours Sand,' the matter was dropped at the time."
The implication behind these words is that Tan Zhi wants to get on the train first and buy the ticket later. Jiang He feels that Tan Zhi is a senior, after all, and wouldn't do such a thing. On the other hand, he also feels that logically, this seems to be the only way... But can Fang Xingu be trusted?
He looked up tentatively at Fang Xingu: "Teacher Fang, will you... will you believe me?"
Fang Xin leaned back and rested his head on the soft sofa: "I'm not sure if you're trustworthy, but I know Tan Zhi is not—he has a criminal record."
Qi Qiu and Jiang He both turned their gazes to him. At that moment, they noticed that Fang Xingu's expression suddenly became serious. He stared at a point in the void, his brows furrowed, his lips pursed, and a hint of fierceness appeared on his handsome face. He was clearly lost in a rather unpleasant memory.
Seeing that he didn't speak, Qi Qiu was left hanging, extremely frustrated and annoyed, with a sense of unease and a bad feeling in his heart. He urged, "What criminal record? I've never heard of this before. Tell me quickly!"
Fang Xingu then snapped out of his reverie and said calmly, "Oh, I've fallen for his trick before. And back then, he didn't even buy a ticket after getting on the bus. He just put his own name on the song I submitted to him and claimed it was his own composition."
Fang Xingu's words struck Qi Qiu and Jiang He like a thunderbolt, leaving them completely stunned. They stared at him wide-eyed, their jaws practically dropping in disbelief, unable to utter a single word.
After a long while, Qi Qiu was the first to react. He cursed and jumped up from the sofa in a rage: "Holy crap??? When did this happen? How come I didn't know!"
Fang Xingu rested her chin on her hand and looked at him: "Calm down, it's not your responsibility, this happened before my debut."
Qi Qiu was not comforted in the slightest by Fang Xingu's words. He was so angry that he paced around like a mother hen protecting her chicks. Just thinking about how Fang Xingu had suffered so much injustice outside of his protection made him want to rush to Zhiyu and beat Tan Zhi to death.
No wonder Fang Xingu hates Zhiyu so much! No wonder Fang Xingu hates Tan Zhi so much!
Damn it, Tan Zhi, that bastard!
Fang Xingu's creative talent is obvious to everyone, and this grandson even knows how to pick the best things to grab!
Qi Qiu's face was so gloomy it could drip water: "Which song is it? Why have you never told me before?"
Fang Xin Gu: "...It's the song 'Please Listen to His Explanation' from six years ago."
Six years ago, Jing Yitong won the Best Supporting Actor and Best Newcomer awards at the Golden Awards for his role as the villain Qin Zhe in the suspense film "Us Without Tomorrow," which were the first two awards he received in his life.
In the same year, Qin Zhe's song, "Please Listen to His Defendant," also became an instant hit, sweeping numerous music awards. It can be said that the character of Qin Zhe and the song "Please Listen to His Defendant" complemented each other, each contributing to the other's success.
As a result, Tan Zhi, the creator and singer of "Please Listen to His Explanation", has become popular again. This singer-songwriter, who had been silent for many years, has finally returned to the public eye with this song.
Today, a truth that is enough to overturn everyone's understanding has finally been revealed after being buried for six years.
It turns out that the creator of "Please Listen to His Explanation" was not Tan Zhi at all, but Fang Xingu.
It turns out that as early as six years ago, the names Jing Yitong and Fang Xingu should have appeared side by side in the public's perception.
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Author's Note: This is the only and most important plotline in the story. [Hands clasped in prayer]
This was mentioned in Chapter 35. [pat on the head]
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