625 So Where Should I Rent One?
Soon, the video's figures—including views, number of bullet screen comments, and number of messages—shot through the roof!
Fei Huang Workspace's official account on Aili Island had already had a huge fan base due to its accumulation of short films, documentaries, and movies. As the top folk singer at the moment, Chen Lei was also in the spotlight.
The collaboration between them made 'New Life' spread like wildfire the moment it was uploaded!
Fei Huang Workspace did not try to interpret the meaning behind the short film on purpose. As more and more people watched it, interpretations would naturally be done.
"Is that Chen Lei's new song? Ah, ah, ah, it's beautiful! Why is he releasing it on Aili Island though? And on Fei Huang Workspace's account at that?"
"Chen Lei x Fei Huang Workspace? My favorite UP Masters who update once a month and once a year respectively have collaborated! Ah, I'm dead!"
"What exactly is the purpose of this video? Is it the music video for Chen Lei's new song or an advertisement? I think I saw the words 'Sloth Apartments' at the end. What does that mean?"
"Of course, they'll collaborate! Have you forgotten that Chen Lei had written Waiting back then to market Fish-Catching Internet Cafe? Isn't it expected and logical for him to write another song to market Sloth Apartments?"
"He's so good at singing. I always thought that Chen Lei's the best folk singer in the country at the moment. He doesn't use any special effects to create this kind of flavor and resonate with everyone!"
"Does anyone understand the music video? Why did they connect the start and end scene together? The dilapidated building seems to be the same place as the living room in which Chen Lei is singing."
The discussion carried on, and the 'class representative' soon stepped up to deliver a speech.
"Let me explain it! I've already watched the video a couple of times and took note of some details. This might be what Fei Huang Workspace is trying to express:
"First, this should be an advertisement for Sloth Apartments because it was also released on Tengda Life App. What's more, the final words 'if you are tired, you might as well slow down and become a sloth' proves this, too.
"Second, there are many details in the video that all of you can observe closely.
"The chronology in the short film is actually staggered. The music video has two main leads: Chen Lei and the designer. This is what it looks like: Chen Lei sings in his house, Chen Lei strolls around Jingzhou, the designer chooses the buildings and commences renovation, Chen Lei moves into the house, Chen Lei starts singing.
"All of you have noticed that the start and end scene form a closed loop, and the start scene seems to follow very nicely from the end. This means that the entire short film's actually a flashback.
"If I arrange the scenes in chronological order, this is how it would look like: Chen Lei strolls around Jingzhou—or shall I say wander, the designer chooses the buildings and commences renovation, Chen Lei moves into the house, and Chen Lei starts singing. That symbolizes that the wandering traveler finally settling down in Sloth Apartments.
"However, Fei Huang Workspace has employed a little technique when filming. They messed up the order on purpose and used a flashback to form a closed loop with the story. After that, they employed a special transition technique to bluff the audience. Each aerial shot hints at a change in the timeline.
"They only revealed the riddle at the end with two very strong hints in two scenes: the first is that the camera angle is exactly the same when the designer walks into the building and when Chen Lei walks into the building.
"The second is the revelation of the unique full-length window that offers a 180-degree view of the outside once the buildings are completed. Both of those went to show that the houses were one and the same, but Chen Lei and the designer entered it at different times.
"I think they employed this special order to emphasize the renovation portion! Most people might have focused on Chen Lei's lyrics or some of the more touching footage in the short film. They might have neglected the renovation of the apartments as a result.
"Actually, the dilapidated buildings at the beginning and the completed house at the end were worlds apart! Using a flashback has the effect of presenting the old building and the new house as two parallel lines to the audience.
"At the start, people might think that they are completely unrelated, but by the end, the riddle is solved. People would learn that they were one and the same, and that would cause an unexpectedly intense reaction!
"The most exciting point is that Chen Lei's song brings the structure of the video together perfectly! I don't know who's working with whom and who thought of the idea first, but the result is that Chen Lei's song at the end has the same melody as the one at the start—just different lyrics.
"On one hand, it matches the timeline of the video, forming a closed loop.
"On the other hand, it serves as a hint: it is not just a simple loop that repeats itself. The lyrics at the start were sad, invoking sorrow and loneliness. However, the lyrics at the end became positive, bringing home. That supports the title of the video… 'New Life'.
"That's why I think there are two layers of meaning to the title 'New Life'. One, the dilapidated building was given new life by being renovated into the Sloth Apartments and had been transformed from rotting rubbish to livable apartments.
"Two, a wanderer who has experienced too many ups and downs outside can finally start a new life by settling down in these apartments.
"In short, the advertisement is amazing! It doesn't feel like a mere advertisement for Sloth Apartments but a tourism video for Jingzhou City!"
The long comment with an analysis of the video quickly grew in likes and shares, even from Fei Huang Workspace's account.
That was indeed the best method of expression that Fei Huang Workspace had thought of before producing the video. While working on it, Fei Huang Workspace had shot a lot of footage with Chen Lei and Liang Qingfan.
In the end, out of more than three hours of footage that the original videographer had recorded, only two minutes was used. Fei Huang Workspace had shot the footage for the remaining three minutes or so.
However, those two minutes were just as important because they showed the process of the buildings undergoing renovation. It was a key portion of the entire short film.
Now, the promotional video that Fei Huang Workspace had produced for Sloth Apartments—'New Life'—was finally complete!
It had successfully expressed the concept behind the Sloth Apartments and resonated with many wanderers in the city. In this hustle and bustle of every city in the world, everyone wanted a space that belonged only to them and where they could rest without any qualms.
Sloth Apartments provided a place like that to people. One could choose to put down the torture of wandering around and slow down like a sloth. They would no longer have to slog their guts out in a concrete jungle just to survive, but they could return to a space that belonged solely to them. There, they could forget everything and rest.
Thus, at the end of the video, the bullet screen comments were flooded with things like 'moved to tears', 'beautiful singing', and 'see you again at the beginning of the video'. In particular, one comment kept surfacing:
"Where can I rent an apartment like that, then?"
…
…
August 24th, Wednesday…
At 10 AM, Pei Qian woke up naturally. He did not know that Fei Huang Workspace had released a new video the night before, and he did not know that the internet had burst into a discussion over the night before and the morning.
As always, he washed up and prepared to have breakfast at Fish-Catching Internet Cafe. However, when he got downstairs and walked out of the lift, Pei Qian suddenly noticed that something was amiss.
People were viewing the apartments?
The voice of the butler, Song Kai, traveled out from his room on the first floor. It sounded like he was explaining the rent, rules, and regulations of the apartment to interested customers.
At once, Pei Qian felt like he was facing a great enemy.
What the hell was happening?
To avoid being seen, Pei Qian quickly hid in the fire escape and waited for the potential tenants to leave. As he waited, he retrieved his cell phone and investigated the truth behind the matter.
He had been living here for three months, and everything had been well and good. No one had even asked about the apartments. Why were there so many people viewing them today?
Something must have gone wrong!
Indeed, when Pei Qian opened the Tengda Life App, he saw that the Sloth Apartments' promotional video had been uploaded the night before. He also read the interpretation in the comments below.
"They uploaded a video after work yesterday?!
"These people must not have rested enough! How dare they go against the company's regulations?!
"Er… that isn't necessarily the case. It takes time to vet the video. Based on the time that the video was released, it seems like they had handed it in for vetting before work ended, so that vetting was completed after."
Pei Qian had wanted to interrogate Fei Huang Workspace's employees at first, but after studying the upload time closer, he realized that the employees were quite intelligent. They had not left anything that could get them into trouble behind.
"Huang Sibo has already gone overseas, but the video's progress was not delayed? Ridiculous!"
Pei Qian was frustrated. He had known that it was inevitable, but the fact that it had come so quickly still shocked him.
At that moment, he heard footsteps outside. The people who had come to view the apartments seemed to be leaving.
Pei Qian pushed open the door to the fire escape and bumped into Song Kai, who was walking the customers out.
Song Kai paused.
Was Boss Pei… taking the stairs as exercise so early in the morning? Why else would he be exiting the fire escape instead of the lift? The fact that Boss Pei was not even panting showed that his stamina was quite good.
Song Kai studied him for a long time, but it still felt like something was amiss.
Not knowing about the confusion in Song Kai's heart, Pei Qian asked, "Were those people here to view the apartments?"
Song Kai nodded. "That's right, Boss Pei. Many people suddenly came in to view the apartments this morning. It must be thanks to the promotional video that was uploaded onto Tengda Life App yesterday."
Looking solemn, Pei Qian asked, "So, has anyone rented an apartment so far?"
"Er…" Song Kai hesitated. "Not yet. After I explained the rent, rules, and regulations of the Sloth Apartments; everyone expressed that they wanted to go back and consider it further."
Pei Qian celebrated inwardly. My strategy worked!
He quickly asked another question. "You didn't employ any sales tactics while introducing the apartments, did you?"
Song Kai shook his head. "Of course not, Boss Pei. You already told me not to before. I didn't tell anyone that you live here either."
Satisfied, Pei Qian grinned. "Good. Keep it up!"
