RPAGF Chapter 21 The Real Rules
Chapter 21 The Real Rules
Qi Ke didn't say anything, he just quietly put the things away.
These days, drug use and even drug addiction are commonplace in American nightlife, especially in this kind of setting, where it seems like nobody thinks there's anything wrong with it and takes it for granted.
Although he himself resolutely refused to touch these things, he couldn't interfere in other people's affairs. He could only stay by Tino's side, silently observing his every move, keeping a watchful eye on him.
Soon, Tino put his arm around a man with an afro and wearing a floral shirt, and walked to a corner of the club. With their backs to the crowd, the two huddled together, speaking in hushed tones.
The man with the afro took the small glass bottle that Tino casually slapped into his hand, didn't even look at it, and slipped it into his suit's inner pocket, a sly smile playing on his lips.
"Tino, this disco song is really catchy. But you gave a gay song to a girl to sing? You're something else, the contrast is amazing."
Tino nudged the other with his shoulder: "Music is music. If it makes people dance, it's good. Listeners don't care who's singing or what they're singing; they just care about the feeling. If the feeling is right, the radio request lines will be ringing off the hook, right?"
As he spoke, he pulled out a roll of banknotes tied with a rubber band from his pocket and quickly stuffed it into the palm of another DJ who had just walked over.
The DJ, dressed in a black leather jacket with messy hair, deftly flicked his fingers, and the banknotes disappeared as if nothing had happened.
He leaned close to Tino's ear, his tone teasing: "When Amanda gets into a dance, who cares what the lyrics are? But Tino, I heard from Barney that you can get your hands on top-quality stuff? I haven't seen any prepared for me. That's not very nice of you."
"How could I forget you?" Tino smiled and winked at Zeke, gesturing with his chin. "Zike, give it to Karl to try, I guarantee it's good stuff."
Zik rolled his eyes inwardly, then reluctantly pulled out a small bag of pills from his pocket, hid it in his palm, stepped forward, shook hands with Karl, and handed him the pills.
Tino whispered, "I guarantee you'll be full of energy and won't get sleepy while DJing late into the night."
Without any hesitation, Carl took the pills, pulled out two, and swallowed them like candy, tilting his head back. He patted Zik on the shoulder and said, "Thanks, kid. I'm waiting for it to work its magic."
Seeing this blatant act, Zik felt a chill run down his spine. He nudged Tino's shoulder and whispered, "You're not dealing drugs, are you? If we get caught, we're all finished."
"What nonsense are you talking about? How could it be drug trafficking?" Tino frowned, lowered his voice, and said with a hint of impatience, "This cost me a lot of money to prepare. You can't get anything done dealing with these people without this. That's reality. Learn from this. If you want them to help promote our songs, you have to cater to their tastes."
Zik's unease grew stronger. He didn't want to get involved in this mess, so he pretended to go to the bar to get water, taking the opportunity to avoid Tino.
Walking over to the bar, he saw the Sirens band members surrounded by several audience members. They seemed quite popular. Several people were gathered around Anton and Jimmy, their friendly tone tinged with ambiguity, their eyes burning with desire. The only downside was that all of them were men.
Holly and Amanda, on the other hand, were left out in the cold, with no one approaching them to speak.
Holly leaned against the bar, rolling her eyes at the men surrounding Anton with utter disdain. Zeke walked over, sat down beside her, shrugged, and said with a helpless tone, "That's just how the disco scene is these days."
Holly smiled, picked up her wine glass, and took a sip. "It's not that I care about that, I just think they're too blunt, not hiding anything at all. But it's okay, as long as we become famous, this little thing is nothing."
After a few words, Tino sat down, downed a glass of whiskey, wiped his mouth, and said urgently, "We're going to a club in the West Village later to show our faces. I've already arranged the equipment. The atmosphere there is more suitable for this song, and we can also meet more people in the industry."
Just as Qi Kegang nodded in agreement, a middle-aged man in a conservative suit with a furrowed brow and a female reporter with a notebook and a serious expression strode toward Tino, their faces unfriendly.
The middle-aged man spoke first as he approached Tino:
"Tino, the song is energetic, but the lyrics are too... suggestive. Playing 'YMCA' during my show's time slot? My audience is mostly housewives and office workers; they won't accept it."
The female reporter immediately followed suit, pen hovering over her notebook, and asked in a serious tone, "Mr. Barzi, in the current social climate, aren't you worried about controversy or even boycotts arising from releasing a song with such clear homosexual undertones on mainstream radio?"
Tino's smile remained unchanged. He turned slightly and said calmly, "Larry, Martha, I understand your concerns. But music is all about atmosphere and emotional impact, right? You see, tonight's venue was chosen by that gentleman himself. Before the performance, he appreciated the song's energy and specifically instructed me to let more people hear it and feel the joy."
As he spoke, he subtly raised his chin towards the Poly Group tycoon who was flirting with a girl.
Larry and Martha followed his gaze, and when they saw the imposing mafia boss, their bodies visibly stiffened, and the dissatisfaction and determination on their faces instantly dissipated, their tone softening considerably.
Larry's tone softened considerably: "That gentleman also appreciates it? Hmm... the melody is indeed fantastic, and the dance rhythm is universal. Perhaps... we could try it out during a special midnight slot."
Martha quickly scribbled something in her notebook, then looked up: "...The unique choice of venue certainly reflects... well... a new approach to music dissemination. I'll mention the enthusiastic audience response tonight in my reports."
Tino's smile returned to its warm glow, and he patted the two on the shoulder: "A wise choice! I knew you guys understood music and New York! Want a drink? My treat."
Watching this scene, Zeke silently pondered: Is this a carrot and stick approach?
Perhaps. By using small favors to win them over and then leveraging the influence of Poly Group to exert pressure, they managed to persuade the radio station manager and reporter who had initially refused to agree.
These underhanded tactics are undoubtedly unwritten rules in the music industry: using a little benefit or taking advantage of someone's influence to get radio airplay, favors from people in the industry, or positive media coverage.
Qi Ke did not agree with this approach, and even felt some resistance to it, but he did not speak up, and just watched and remembered silently.
He knew that these were things he couldn't see in those glamorous music magazines; they were the most authentic operating rules of the industry. To gain a foothold here, he had to learn to understand, adapt to, and even apply these rules.